Island Magazines January 2023 Ryde and Wootton area

Servicing, Replacements, Repairs and Maintenance

The cold weather is upon us and although many are experiencing the increase in energy prices the most important factor is that you are running your boiler and home heating efficiently and safely. Ensuring your boiler is serviced and maintained to keep it running at 100% is the best top tip you can benefit from this winter.

Primo Technical Services Ltd is a local trusted family business who have been in the industry for over 25 years and offer a range of services including all aspects of domestic gas services, safety checks and installations, power flushing, heating and ventilation, plumbing, unvented systems and electrical work. They are Gas Safe Registered, so you are safe in the knowledge that they are fully qualified.

They provide regular maintenance as well as emergency breakdowns and they always turn up when they say they will! Now more than ever it makes sense to ensure your boiler is working efficiently and all their new boiler installations come with a ten-year warranty so that alone is something worth looking into to ensure you aren’t throwing money down the drain.

They offer free quotations on all installations and alteration work.

Contact THIS SIZE ADVERT COULD BE YOURS FOR JUST £14 For more info email islandmagazines@gmail.com or call 07880 587931

520522 Mob: 07795 363 534 www.primotechnical.co.uk

Welcome to the first edition of 2023... I’ve got everything crossed that this year is going to be a great year for us all!

Here at Island Magazines HQ, we are going to continue bringing you a monthly community magazine packed with news, information, advertising, articles, puzzles and much more and I would like to personally thank everyone that picks up a copy to read, all contributors and to the many wonderful local businesses that advertise.

This year I have the pleasure of working with local nature and wildlife expert, Jim Baldwin. Jim is known by many for his outstanding contribution to this field and even calls himself a ‘Nature Nerd’ (his words not mine!), personally I think of him more as a local Isle of Wight David Attenborough!!

Jim will be writing fascinating articles each month which are both informative and are ways to get you involved in nature and projects throughout the year. You can read his first article on page 6.

January is a very quiet month especially after such a busy Christmas period. Our ‘Dates for your Diary’ section on page 12 has details of the few community events happening and the Library has a full selection of events as detailed on page 13. If you are planning any events for February and March please let me know and I can include them in the next issue.

In this cold weather we have been having please keep warm, keep safe and please check on others, especially if you have elderly neighbours.

As always, thank you for picking up a copy and I hope you have a great first month of the New Year and I look forward to catching up with you again soon.

A lz he im e r C a fé IOW

Tel: 01983 220200

Email: info@alzheimercafeiow. org. uk Website: www. alzheimercafeiow. org. uk

East Cowes Alzheimer Café

East Cowes Town Hall

York Avenue, East Cowes, PO32 6RU

Ryde Alzheimer Café

All Saints’ Church Hall

Queens’s Road, Ryde, PO33 3AF

First Tuesday of the month

2pm 4pm

Cowes Alzheimer Café

Football Club, Reynolds Close off Park Road, Cowes PO31 7NT

Second Wednesday of the month

Sandown Alzheimer Café

The Broadway Centre

1 Broadway, Sandown PO36 9GG

Fourth Wednesday of the month

First Friday of the month 11am 1pm 2pm 4pm An Alzheimer Café

Totland Alzheimer Café

St Saviours Holy Family Centre

Weston Lane, Totland PO39 0HE

Third Wednesday of the month

If you are worried or concerned about memory loss, please come along to an Alzheimers Café for information and informal education about memory loss and dementia. You do not need to have a diagnosis to attend, everyone with an interest in dementia or memory loss is welcome. 2pm 4pm

Newport Methodist Church Quay Street, Newport, PO30 5BA

Last Wednesday of the month

Newport Alzheimer Café 6pm 8pm

Baldwin

Tel: 07528 586683

Well, here we are at the start of a New Year and I have been given this great opportunity to write a regular article for Island Magazines.

As a nature nerd, I get equal enjoyment from watching the smallest insect to viewing our brilliant White-tailed Eagles. My hope is this monthly article will get you enthused enough to go out and experience and enjoy nature, perhaps even taking part in some of the projects I will be highlighting during the year.

Getting involved with nature has been proven to be beneficial for our mental health and as we found out during the Covid lockdowns, you can enjoy nature in your own garden or local green space, you don’t need to travel miles!

Among my various nature-based roles, I am the British Trust for Ornithology Regional Representative, County Moth & Dragonfly Recorder and Butterfly Conservation’s Isle of Wight Group Leader.

We start the year with the largest garden-based “citizen science” event in the UK – the RSPB Big Garden BirdWatch 2023. Big Garden Birdwatch is a great community event; it is fun, free and for everyone. And you don’t need a garden to take part! Counting birds from your balcony, or your local park will play a vital role in helping the RSPB understand how UK birds are doing. We have lost 38 million birds in the UK during the last 50 years; House Sparrow and Starling have suffered severe declines and are red listed.

Big Garden BirdWatch takes place on 27-29 January. Choose the date of your choice, watch the birds around you for one hour (you can invite your friends round and make it a social event!). Count how many of each species of bird lands on your patch. When you have finished, go online and enter your results. Not sure of the ID of the birds? The RSPB have produced an ID guide of the common garden birds which you can download. You can register for Big Garden BirdWatch and your free guide now at www.rspb. org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch

Don’t forget if you’re a teacher, your school can take part in the RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch which runs from 6 January to 20 February 2023. See www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/forteachers/schools-birdwatch

Good luck with the BirdWatch and, most of all, enjoy it.

House Sparrow

Photo: Jim Baldwin

No job to big or too small!

We’re adding barcodes to our regular stamps. After 31 January 2023, regular stamps without a barcode will no longer be valid. You can either use up these stamps before this deadline or swap them for the new barcoded ones.

The stamps that are changing are the stamps (pictured below) that will be very familiar to you. They feature the profile of Her Late Majesty The Queen on a plain coloured background.

Your non-barcoded stamps can be exchanged for the new barcoded version through the Stamp Swap Out scheme. To swap out your stamps, simply complete one of our Stamp Swap Out forms and send it back to us along with your non-barcoded stamps. The step-bystep process for doing this is explained below.

How to get a ‘Stamp Swap Out’ form

• If you have a printer, you can swap out up to £200 worth of non-barcoded stamps by printing out and completing the online form. Go to www.royalmail.com and search for ‘Stamp Swap Out’ form. You can send this back to us free of charge, along with your stamps, by writing on the envelope Freepost SWAP OUT. No other address details or postcode are needed.

• If you don’t have access to a printer you can request a Stamp Swap Out form to be posted to you at www.royalmail.com or pick one up from the Customer Service Point at your local Delivery, or you can call our Customer Experience Team on 03457 740740.

Note: Special Stamps with pictures on and Christmas Stamps without a barcode will continue to be valid and don’t need to be swapped out.

News Report from Cllr. Michael Lilley for Ryde Appley and Elmfield 07769 551 578 | Michael.lilley@iow.gov.uk www.michaellilley.uk

A New Year in Ryde – Battles and Campaigns Roll on into 2023

For me New Year is always a time of reflection and thinking about the past year and what is going on in the coming year. One of things I have learnt as an elected local councillor is that you have to be patient and that things generally take time to evolve. I was first elected to represent Ryde East Ward, later changed to Ryde Appley and Elmfield. I have looked back on the promises I made to residents in 2016 and 2017, and review what I have achieved in reality.

Appley Tower - IWC did not sell it and have now agreed a lease to local charity, Natural Enterprise in partnership with Ryde Town Council and Monkton Arts, and planning permission has been approved by IW Council along with the funding from Heritage Lottery. The project is led by Natural Enterprise (charity) and they will be submitting a press release shortly. This has taken nearly 4 years (held up by Covid19) but it is now going to happen and work on restoration will begin in 2023.

West Acre Park Planning Application

- Although planning permission was approved in July 2021 by IW Council, as yet no formal consent has been given. I have written 100s of emails, letters and 1000s of words of objections. The fight against this development continues. The current position is the application has been referred back to IWC Planning Committee and now the earliest time for this to happen is 30th January 2023. The Developer and Natural England have as yet not resolved Natural England’s concerns about the issue of houses being built on Solent Waders

and Migration birds feeding grounds. As consent cannot be issued until this matter is resolved and the resolution is agreed by IWC Planning Committee, residents’ lawyers cannot apply for Judicial Review (legal action challenging the IW Council’s decision.

Pennyfeathers – Still Not Resolved! - The Pennyfeathers reserved matters report due to go IWC Planning Committee has yet to be finalised and now will go to committee in January/February but is very fluid

Supporting the most Vulnerable - Cost of Living Crisis Support and Ward Space at St. John’s Church Hall – I never expected to be a councillor through a pandemic but one of the things I learnt was how important it is to make sure residents going through hardship were supported. There is now a network of warm spaces and cost-of-living support across the Town: www.rydetowncouncil. gov.uk/support-during-the-cost-of-livingcrisis. Ryde Library operates a daily (MonSaturday excluding Thursday) Warm Space drop-in and on Wednesday there is a Ryde Town Councillor surgery. Every Thursday at St. John’s Church Hall, High Park Road from 2pm-5pm there is a warm space and support for local residents finding it difficult through the Winter 2022/23. Please go along and support the team and get support for yourself if needed. You can contact Alison Pearce (Ryde Community Development Worker) on Alison.pearce@ rydetowncouncil.gov.uk

Oakfield School Community Pantry - Oakfield Community Pantry has opened at the heart of Oakfield Primary School,

in Ryde to serve an area of significant disadvantage and poverty within the local community. The pantry aims to provide essential and vital support to help those struggling financially with food and hygiene products. Our Community hub and Pantry is open to the whole community, and members can spend £5 to receive £15 worth of food. It is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday – 3pm-4.30pm. For further information contact pantry@oakfieldcepri.iow.sch.uk

Plans and Future of St. John’s Church and Church Hall – Meeting on 28th January 2023Portsmouth Diocese (CE) has been working with community architects and St. John’s parish/congregation on developing a plan for the future of the church especially into a

community hub/centre. There is a meeting on 28th January 2023 and all residents who are interested are welcome. Contact stjohnschurchryde@gmail.com for further information

I have produced over twenty-four newsletters in this time and held over 80 monthly ward meetings. I now have a website: www. michaellilley.uk

My message for 2023 is simple, be patient as it takes time to achieve, keep going, as remember the tortoise did beat the hare, there is light at the end of the tunnel, Ryde is a community of fighters and there is help out there if you need it (you just have to get out there and ask).

Age UK Isle of Wight operates a loan scheme for older people lending out tablets and smartphones. We will teach them how to get online and provide enough data to browse the internet. It’s a FREE service and gives people the opportunity to try without needing to make a financial investment.

If you would like to find out more, please contact Age UK IW Digital Support Service on (01983) 301693 or email digital@ageukiw.org.uk

News Report from Cllr. Michael Lilley for Ryde Appley and Elmfield

Do you know someone over 50 who would like to get online?

There have been more reports of antisocial behavior being committed around the village by groups of youths. I have passed on what information I have to the authorities but if you know something that could help crack down on this please let me know.

You may have read or heard reports regarding the village Post Office. It is true that Community Action Isle of Wight (CAIW) is in disagreement with the Post Office. You will likely know about the history of the Post Office falsely accusing other sub-Post Masters of theft and it beggars belief that they are still doing it despite being found out in Court numerous times. It goes without saying that I fully support CAIW and their excellent staff that run the lifeline Post Offices such as ours. If I could tell you what I have heard regarding the Post Office and how they run their systems you would be as appalled as I am, they really need to get their house in order.

I would like to thank all the people who helped to make the roving nativity such a success. The Church, the Community Centre and the staff of Wootton Bridge Parish Council in particular all put a lot of effort in to make the event go smoothly. I would also like to thank Wight Sax for the music, all the stallholders, the Donkey Sanctuary and all the performers in the nativity scene. It was nice to be able to come together as a community once again.

I am continuing to push for a crossing at the Sloop. It is a dangerous area to cross the road and something needs to be done before another accident occurs. The problem at

the moment seems to be the lack of an adopted (i.e., official) policy of the Isle of Wight Council to determine these things by. It may appear on the surface as though nothing is happening but I can assure you that behind the scenes I am making progress on this and other issues like it.

Work is also continuing to reopen the Church Close Community Centre. With this I am acting as a liaison between Places 4 People who own the hall and various local groups including residents and the Parish Council. I am very keen to see this facility back in use as soon as possible and to this end I am advising and helping those residents who share this wish with me.

The long-delayed Draft Island Planning Strategy is now coming back to Full Council in the New Year. I was dismayed that certain other councilors amended the terms of reference and took out a requirement that would have led to cheaper affordable homes to buy. The councilors involved seem hell bent on taking away the ability for people to own their home and instead condemn people to a life of rented accommodation. I realise that owning a house is not for everyone but at the same time we have the ability to help those that do wish to get onto the property ladder. We should be supporting the striver’s not writing them off for ideological reasons. It was a mistake and one I will try and rectify as the Draft Island Planning Strategy progresses.

Word Ladder

THIS

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dates for your diary

Every Monday - Scrabble at Wootton Community Centre, Brannon Way, Wootton Bridge from 2pm – 5pm. Everyone welcome. For more information call 07963529982

First Thursday of every month – Teen Epilepsy Café at Richmonds, Bath Road, Cowes from 6.30pm. It’s an opportunity for teenagers with epilepsy to meet those in the same boat, to chat and listen to music in a safe and supportive space.

The views and opinions expressed by contributors and advertisers are their own and do not reflect the views of the Editor or Island Magazines unless stated otherwise. Island Magazines reserves the right to refuse or alter material where necessary.

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Sunday 1st January – New Year’s Day Dip in Sandown raising funds for Sandown & Shanklin Independent Lifeboat. Meet at the Royal Pier Hotel at 11am then head down to the beach next to the pier for the dip.

Sunday 1st January – Sandown New Year’s Day Firework Celebrations – This spectacular fireworks display will be from Sandown Pier at 6pm. FREE ENTRY! Donations are gratefully appreciated. Friendly volunteers will be positioned around the esplanade with collection buckets. Road closures will be in place before, during and after the display for crowd safety. This event maybe subject to last minute changes or cancellation due to weather conditions.

If you are organising a community event either for February or the coming months please feel free to email us the information at islandmagazines@gmail.com or call us on 07880587931 and we can share the details in the next issue.

All event information was correct at time of print but could be subject to change at any time.

RYDE LIBRARY EVENTS

Wishing all our library users a very Happy New Year. We re-open after the Christmas break on Tuesday 3rd January.

Wednesday 25th January Knit & Natter 5pm to 7pm. Come along to this friendly group for a chat whilst you knit or crochet, light refreshments and knitting advice always available.

Colouring Club Wednesday 4th and 18th January 2.30pm – 5pm. All high-quality materials are provided. Why not come along there is no need to book - just turn up. Many people come on their own it is a great way to make new friends, so don’t sit at home on your own come to the library and join this group! All this with lovely refreshments for a suggested donation of £1.

Sewing Saturday - Saturday 28th January 10 – 4. Turn up and enjoy a day of sewing, all materials and equipment provided even the sewing machines. Don’t forget to bring your lunch! Come for good company and sewing advice if you need it.

Tuesday Crafternoons - Starting January 10th on alternate Tuesday afternoons is ‘Crafternoon’. Turn up and craft in a friendly environment 2-4pm.

We now have a jigsaw out in the middle room of the library come in and help us complete it!! We will even give you a cup of tea!

Book Groups

Classic Book Group – Wednesday 11th January at 11am The book being discussed will be ‘The Ladies Paradise’ by Emile Zola.

Murder on Monday Crime Book GroupMonday 9th January at 5pm discussing ‘The Postman Always Rings Twice’ by James M. Cain.

3pm Readers - Tuesday 31st January at 3pm please ask for latest book!

Blokes Book Group - 4th January at 4pm. Please ask at the library for details.

Other Events Friday 6th January at 11am is our Audio Book group which is suitable for people with print disabilities and visual impairments. Please call the library for more details. Books are provided by the library on USB sticks or MP3 discs.

We will be hosting one of our regular ‘Playlist for Life’ Musical Tea events that celebrate the connection between music and memories, please call in to the library for date and details.

Ryde Town Councillors will be available to give advice and information on Wednesday evenings between 5.30 – 6.30 Drop in if you have issues they may be able to help you with.

Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Support Service - on every 2nd Friday of the month a dementia support worker will be available to chat and give one to one support. Just drop in, there’s no need for an appointment. In January, they will be here on the 13th from 11am - 1pm

In our Junior Library Rhyme Time every Monday starting at 10.30

Storytime every Saturday starting at 11 Every Tuesday afternoon starting at 3.30 until 4.30 we will get our Lego out, be prepared to build something amazing! We also have a fine assortment of family board games available, Saturday afternoons from 2pm.

All event information was correct at time of print but could be subject to change at any time.

I want to wish you all a peaceful and positive 2023, enjoy any festivities that come along and begin to look forward to another year of ups and downs and uncertainty mixed in with hope and aspirations for better times for us all, our families and our community.

The Council must keep going, of course. As always, the start of the new year leading into February is time to set the annual budget for Ryde Town Council and minds are focussed on maintaining our services to the community and to find ways to build upon the great success we have seen over the past two years and to continue to deliver the corporate plan that the town council has set in place.

Ryde Council has always been robust in its finances and has always managed to set a prudent budget which supports out town and community and invests in the things that residents consider to be important. It is committed to supporting the least well off and able in our community and invested in a community support officer. It continues to deliver an award winning and unique youth service for the younger people in Ryde, it maintains toilets and is intent on improving those in Ryde and it invests in many aspects of the public areas by cleaning beaches, by emptying waste bins and by planting and maintaining the magnificent flower beds we are proud to have in Ryde.

Ryde Council are committed to all aspects of the community and protecting the heritage of some of our key buildings is just part of the ongoing work of the Council as it saves, restores, and returns buildings of

importance in Ryde back to the community and safeguards their community usage for generations to come. St Thomas’s church, Vectis Hall, the Town Hall – hopefully, soon to be owned by a charitable trust who will restore the building with the aid of grant funding – are just some of the buildings saved from dereliction and on the road back to restoration and community use.

The town Council is building confidence in the community and this in turn is enabling substantial grant funding to be brought into the town, over £1m last year alone, and encouraging businesses to set up here and to commit and engage in the community

In an unsure world, where inflation is making our lives so much more difficult, Ryde Town Council have been a beacon of positive action, a well respected Town Council which is setting an example not only for the Island but for mainland Councils that seek to replicate our success and who continue to place the community at the forefront of their actions and plans and who can be seen as the community leader who, working in partnerships with so many organisations in Ryde, are delivering on their promises for the community, year on year, supporting the town and those that live here or that come to visit. It has been a privilege and an honour to serve the residents of Ryde and my Ward of Ryde North West over the past 10 years and I continue to do so as we move into 2023.

From joy’s humble crumble kitchen

A slight change from our usual recipe page this month but still staying with suggestions to make the most of our available resources and looking after our wellbeing. We are starting the year with some energy saving ideas and tips. Enormous respect to our forefathers who had even less than we have today – no central heating – bigger families – no financial help, probably wasn’t great but they just got on with it - AND so shall we!

HOW TO MAKE A DENIM DRAUGHT EXCLUDER.

* measure the width of your door (or window)

* turn the jeans inside out and cut the leg to required length

* laying the leg flat, you will need to mark, approx. 5 – 6 inches width from top to bottom and stitch along the ‘leg’ length, by hand or machine.

* If making window excluder, follow the same method but make it half the width of the door excluder. (You can also use the sleeves of unwanted garments.)

* turn the jean leg right side out. Stuff with shredded old T shirts, fibre fill from old cushions, tights, old towels etc. Finish off by sewing up the ends.

* You can use any ‘trouser’ leg, or a no longer used towel, old curtain – just roll up and sew to above method. Charity shops are an excellent place to look for these items.

* for the window excluders, add rice or lentils (uncooked) to give weight plus you can squish them into odd corners.

* for the more creative among us, try knitting one using left over balls of wool, or perhaps the excluder becomes a long sausage dog, a snake/crocodile or a ‘whatever you want it to be’!

• If you can’t heat all the rooms you use – try heating the living room for as much of the day as you can, (suggested temperature 18 degrees) and heat your bedroom just before you go to bed.

• wearing several layers of clothing will keep you warmer than one thick layer.

• don’t delay treating minor winter ailments – ask your pharmacist for advice or treatment.

• if bad weather is forecast, it may be harder to leave the house - check you have enough medication and food.