Ryde & Wootton Area
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May 2021
Your Local Community Magazine
I’m Here to Help You By Maggie Currie
Get in touch today
Email: hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk
www.maggiecurrie.co.uk
01983 754 620 My job as a coach is to get you crystal clear on what you really, truly want in life. I will help you build your confidence. Whatever it is you do in Have your priorities changed recently? life, you’ll do it better and with more Are you considering changing direction enjoyment when you’re confident. I will in your work and/or personal life? help you get motivated and give you the Are your many thoughts overwhelming? tools you need to reach any goals you Work with me to gather your scattered have. I will be right next to you, sleeves thoughts and pinpoint what it is you rolled up and hands dirty. It is action, not really want. words, that makes things happen. You will get the guidance and support you need.
maggie
What do I provide? Clarity about your current situation, about what really matters in your life, the choices you want to make and who you really are. I help people to reconnect with their innate wisdom so they can enjoy rediscovering how they create all their life’s experiences. I teach how your mind only works one way, inside out and how you are built for reality. I help my clients get results. So, what if you worked with me? Remember, every one of us was born for greatness and we knew that, until we forgot! Working with me will help you remember again. When you start to see the true power of thought and its relationship to your way of living your life, your transformations will begin, and you will better understand yourself and Fully the world in which you live. Get in touch today via email at hello@maggiecurrie.co.uk, my website www.maggiecurrie.co.uk or call 01983 754620.
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elcome to the May issue of Island Magazines.
Another month has been and gone and the Government roadmap to bring us out of ‘lockdown’ is moving along and it’s good to see local businesses open their doors once again. One person I am really excited to see is my hairdresser... and I’m sure many of you can relate to how I am feeling. More restrictions are due to be lifted in May and we can also look forward to two bank holidays on the 3rd and 31st. These last few weeks have been a mix-match of weather conditions. Going from sunny days to frosty mornings and some places across the island even saw snow! There has been a constant chill to the air but hopefully as we enter May we can look forward to some glorious days. This magazine is free for readers to pick up and we rely upon local businesses to advertise in order for us to flourish and we would be really grateful if you could please tell your family, friends, work colleagues and local businesses about us. I hope you have a great May and I look forward to catching up with you again next month.
Debbie 07880 587 931 islandmagazines@gmail.com www.islandmagazines.co.uk facebook.com/islandmagazines twitter.com/islandmagazines Island Magazines Mailbox No 4, Unit B1 Whitecross Business Centre Whitecross Lane Shanklin, IOW, PO37 7EJ All information is correct at time of printing but may be subject to change.
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News Report from Councillor Charles Chapman for Ryde South Email:- Charles.Chapman@iow.gov.uk | Mobile number 07970 009608 Dear Readers Springtime is on us, and it’s been great being able to talk with local people, outside, using social distancing and following NHS guidelines. It’s been a very difficult time for all of us with illness, lockdown, financial problems and the feeling of it never ending! I was saddened by the passing of Prince Phillip, known to so many of us the Duke of Edinburgh. In later years his work with charities, the Armed Services and especially the ‘Duke of Edinburgh Award’ has all too often, for the media, faded into the background. Not so, for the people involved, especially youngsters involved in the Award Scheme. This will be ongoing and be a tribute to the selfless devotion he showed to Duty and to this country. I was privileged to meet him and was pleasantly surprised at his depth of knowledge and understanding of the work we were doing. His interest and support for people who were in and those that had left the Armed Forces was extensive and his contribution beneficial to our work. He never forgot those who had Served. Having said that, his work with young people from all walks of life, was both extensive and futuristic. A lasting tribute to a remarkable Man. My role as President of Ryde British Legion and being involved with many other charities has given me an opportunity to both work and talk with young people and with older people, many who have served both at home and abroad. The Royal British Legion aims to help members of our armed forces, and what is so often overlooked, their families. We are involved 4
in a number of key ceremonial events and we aim to bring people together. This work continues throughout life and long after service is over. We are honoured to have Her Majesty the Queen as our Patron and Her Royal Highness Princess Anne as President of the Women’s Section. In these times their work has been ‘priceless’ and I’m proud to be a member, working in our town of Ryde. On a different note: the order and collect service is to resume at Isle of Wight Council libraries in May and I know, from the many enquiries made of me, that the library services are an important part of returning to ‘normal’. Staff will be quarantining return items and people will be contacted when your order is safely available. As far as I know charges have been suspended whilst library buildings remain closed. Save this date! Ryde’s Allotment Official Opening and Open Day on May 1st. If you miss it, they welcome visitors so that you can see what has been achieved. Remember Covid rules and contact Rebecca on 07398 218964. Working in the garden has always been a favourite occupation of the British. It has tended over past years not to be so prominent. One favourable outfall of Covid is the number of households turning their gardens into mini parks and particularly, mini allotments. Visiting garden outlets has never been so popular and interest in growing our own food has taken on a new lease of life. Projects, like this one, which involve young people continued over the page
News Report from Councillor Charles Chapman for Ryde South are particularly important as to how we look after our Planet. Establishing such Community Programmes for Ryde enables us to take an active part in helping to ‘grow green’ and one which I wholeheartedly support. Please help us keep our Town clean. Recently I have worked hard to get dumped black rubbish bags cleared from the town centre. One Sunday, very recently, over 60 bags had to be removed from the street. They were blocking the pavement and spilled over onto the road. Luckily, I had been walking past and was able to get them removed quickly and we are aiming to find out who the culprit is. If you see people dumping, please phone 01983 821000 and let us know. We all want a clean and healthy environment to live in and these bags get attacked and torn open by foxes, rats and other vermin. This can cause health issues as well as safety concerns.
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Looking to sell your car? All makes & models wanted Call Kevin on 07545 560946 (leave a message and he will call you back)
You will have all noticed the number of road works not only in my Ward, but throughout the Island. Councillors are trying to get these finished and cleared as soon as possible, not only for tourists visiting the island, but for us who are all working and driving around them. Please if you see anything untoward contact Island Roads. Wishing you all the best for an early spring and summer.
Promoted by Charles Chapman, 40 Newport Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 2QB
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Trading Standards have some more scams to warn you about. We have had reports from residents about the following but there will be others! • Trading Standards are still receiving reports of phone calls from companies around home insulation, the caller will tell you they will visit and check out your home insulation in the roof and then offer you a one time only deal for providing insulation – similarly calls about asbestos in your property, they will arrange to call and check your property for asbestos and will almost certainly “find” some, they will then overcharge you for the removal and disposal of the non-existent asbestos - do not engage with anyone who calls you out of the blue and remember any work that these companies are likely to do will be over priced and of a poor quality. • Another common phone scam at the moment appears to come from National Insurance stating that your NI number has been compromised or suspended – this is a SCAM just hang up • We have also received worrying reports that a scam text regarding the Census has started doing the rounds. It says there appears to be incorrect information on your completed census form to avoid a £1000 fine please click on the link they provide – this is a SCAM. The ONS states - “You will never be issued with a fine by text message, on social media or by email. Our Cyber Intelligence team is scouring the web for phishing sites and taking them down. If you find a site that looks suspicious or receive text messages with links to sites asking for money related to the census, do not engage with them. Report them to the Census 2021 Contact Centre by ringing 0800 141 2021” Scam texts can be forwarded to 7726 and scam emails sent on to report@phishing.gov.uk where the information will be gathered and used for intelligence. If you would like to increase your knowledge please go to www.friendsagainstscams. org.uk/ and watch a short video aimed at raising awareness around scams and doorstep crime Another useful tool is the free Which Scam Alert service that you can sign up to – just go to the following site https://campaigns. which.co.uk/scam-alert-service/
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Feline Welfare is a small but dedicated rescue centre on the Island and is run by Nikki Hazelgrove who works tirelessly rescuing, saving and rehoming cats and kittens across the Island. She is not a business but Registered Charity: 1084722 a registered charity and relies upon the generosity of locals to donate to help feed the residents and ensure they get medical treatment. Her special residents are looking for their ‘forever homes’ and here are just a few that want you to pick up the phone and call so you can come and meet them. You can find more details on their website www.felinewelfareiow.co.uk . Call anytime on 521778. Meet ‘Pepper’ and ‘Salem’. They are not related but when they both arrived at Feline Welfare they got on so well together and are now best friends and will need to stay together. They are happy, friendly and loving cats. ‘Butch’ came in as an unapproachable undoctored stray but has changed so much and although still nervous initially his foster parents Jane and Colin have turned his life round for him. He has a lovely personality and he is now ready to move into a loving, quiet and safe home. ‘Murphy’ arrived on Boxing Day. It was believed his owner had sadly passed away so he then adopted a couple quite close by for the following year. Their cats were not too happy with his visits so Nikki was asked if she could help. This lovely boy is looking for a quiet home, so no young children, and probably as an only cat, or maybe a friendly female cat who would be gentle with him. ‘Molly’, is 7 years old and is an affectionate little girl and is definitely looking for love of the human kind. Molly turned up recently and made no attempt to leave and owners can’t be traced. Molly will be better as either an only pet or with another friendly and gentle cat. She definitely wouldn’t like to be with a dog. ‘Mischief’ is such an adorable little character. She is 6 years young and such and very sweet and affectionate. She was living with another cat and a small cat-friendly dog so she can either go as the only pet – which she would LOVE – but Nikki may consider her going with one other pet in the family. If you can’t give a ‘forever home’ but would love to be a foster parent then Nikki would love you to contact her. A BIG SHOUT OUT for anyone who can donate to ‘Jeremy’ who has been diagnosed with hip dysplasia and dislocating knees. He needs surgery amounting to £4,500. PLEASE DONATE via their website or Facebook page.
News Report from Cllr Wayne Whittle. Tel 07768 118766 Twitter @RydeAbide E wayne.whittle@iow.gov.uk With non-essential retail shops opening their doors on the 12th April after being closed for a long time, and journeys away from home are now permitted it was baffling why Wightlink decided not to run the Fastcat service from Ryde pier at the same time. There were many island residents wanting to go shopping in Portsmouth and many day trippers on foot and cycle who wanted to come to the island. Whilst writing this I understand Wightlink have reviewed their plans and the Fastcat service will recommence from Thursday 29th April. This company needs to support Ryde’s economy along with sustainable transport as many islanders who work on the mainland need to travel to work and not everyone can afford a car or getting to work late every day due to the extra palaver and cost of getting to Fishbourne.
ok to ride on public transport. After this very cold April let’s hope we get a lovely warm sunny summer to enjoy as I’m sure you would agree with me that we all deserve one. I would like to thank all residents and groups that have worked with me over the last 20 years on Ryde Town Council and its various badges and also those who worked with me as Isle of Wight County Councillor for the last 12, as I’m now stepping down and retiring from public service.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Island Magazines for publishing my reports in the Ryde and Wootton area over the years and wish them well for the future. Promoted by Wayne Whittle, Hunters Way,
Binstead Hill, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 3RP If you study Wightlink you may note the companies’ prime investments over the past few years have been on its new car ferries and car ferry ports, in my view if they don’t value the Fastcat service, ECO ELECTRIC TRAVEL ISLANDWIDE Wightlink should do the right thing and sell BOOKINGS:- 07799 185 019 it to a company that EMAIL:- info@roscoselectrictaxi.co.uk does, as Ryde is an IOW historic gateway Town that needs to be open LICENSED for business, especially OPERATOR when Government has told the country it’s
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Fancy something a little different? Why not try your local community radio station. Vectis Radio on FM 104.6 and online
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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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Curious cuckoos One of the most iconic sounds of spring is the call of the male cuckoo, the two notes heralding the changing seasons. Cuckoos will have just started to arrive in Britain after their long migration from Africa where they spend the majority of the year. They have a fascinating life cycle and cuckoos and their chicks and eggs are wonderfully adapted to parasitising the nest of other bird species. Just two of the 54 species of Old World cuckoo can be found in Europe and here we will take a closer look at the common cuckoo. Arrival In late February cuckoos will slowly begin their 10,000km journey to Britain, leaving the rainforests of central Africa where they have spent our autumn and winter. They will have been feeding up on the insects these forests provide ready for the 50-60 hour Saharan crossing which makes up one of the more perilous legs of their journey. Cuckoos make the crossing in one non-stop night flight and sadly many don’t make it to the other side. Cold temperatures, dust storms and high winds could all put bring their migration to a premature end. There are further obstacles for the cuckoos as they navigate their way through hunters in the Mediterranean and possible wet or cold weather on their passage.
Cuckoo © Andy Ames
The breeding season Once the cuckoos arrive at their destination (they breed across Europe) the most familiar part of their life cycle begins. Males can be spotted on open perches making their onomatopoeic call, while females have a less-famous bubbling call which they make as they search for a suitable nest. Each female will be adapted to parasitise the nest of a certain host bird, a trait they pass on to their chicks, forming distinct races. The reed warbler and the meadow pipit are the most common unwitting parents to cuckoos, but over 120 species have been recorded with cuckoo eggs in their nests. Cuckoo eggs have a thick shell so the egg can be quickly laid from above the nest while the parents are gone, and the cuckoo chick has a concave back to help roll other eggs out of the nest. They also have a large gape and loud calls, which trigger the parents to bring food despite the often odd appearance of a giant cuckoo chick squashed into a too-small nest being fed by tiny parents. But this harbinger of Spring is on the decline, on the UK red list of birds. An important factor is the increasingly unpredictable weather, which can play havoc with the cuckoos migration flight and their insect food sources. Cuckoos can be spotted on many of the Trust’s nature reserves – find your closest at www.hiwwt.org. uk/nature-reserves
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News Report from Wootton Bridge Councillor Barry Abraham 07800736557 | Email:- barry.abraham@iow.gov.uk As I sit to write my May report I have returned home from East Cowes, having been able at long last to have a haircut. I was beginning to resemble Riff Raff from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Having never been blessed with the best hair I am now shorn and very happy.
Some trees and shrubs have been left where there was evidence of nesting birds. Hopefully in the autumn some natural planting can take place.
Spring is now truly here and the evenings are getting longer. Many residents are now making the most of the change to go for long walks to overcome the winter lockdown and I guess most have had at least one vaccination and there is just so much to see at this time of year, as the world comes back to life. Daffodils have now all but finished flowering and the coppices are now showing their spring flowers. The blue bells are breaking cover for the amazing carpet of blue in a few weeks’ time. The hazel with their catkins or lambs tails as we used to call them and the tiny little red female flower, as kids we would tap or shake the catkins to release the cloud of pollen, at the time not realizing that we were helping to fertilize the flower and create the circle of life.
I am not aware of any large planning applications on the horizon, just small mainly householder applications. I have had residents living in the Packfield area by the Woodman Arms concerned about buildings being erected in a garden. I have reported it to planning enforcement and officers are looking into it. At the moment planning enforcement has a heavy work load which does mean things are slower than we might like but they will be got around too.
Nothing to report on the post office, the parish council is still moving things forward.
I cannot sign off without mentioning the passing of the Duke of Edinburgh. He was a regular visitor to the Island, particularly during Cowes Week, and the Queen and the Duke have been a stable part of life for so long and many of us have never lived Just a word of warning, a local resident was under another head of state, they made a exercising their dog in Firestone Copse as formidable partnership and the Duke will be they regularly do, unfortunately their dog sadly missed. ate something unpleasant that gave the poor dog convulsions and became extremely In the news it has been reported that the unwell. Fortunately a very quick trip to White Tailed eagles have spread their wings the vets saved its life and is slowly making so to speak and have reached Yorkshire and a recovery. I have since been made aware even crossed the channel to visit France. that another dog has gone through a similar At least one appears to stay closer to home experience. Apparently the dog ate human and as I have reported before, have again waste, I will leave it at that but please be been spotted flying above the Mill Pond and aware. circling over Firestone and Briddlesford and long may they do so. The work to Footpath N97 has now been completed. I have had some favourable comments that the work was long overdue. Promoted by Barry Abraham, Firestone House, 14
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If you would like to support Free online May event: our group by volunteering, Dr Lawrence, St. Mary's Hospital consultant will be talking about become a current & future treatments for Diabetes & answering your questions. member or Date: 27th May 2021 sign up to Time: 7pm to 8pm receive our Guest Speaker: Dr Victor Lawrence, St.Mary's Hospital, IOW NHS Trust newsletters Joining details: Please email us for a Zoom Link at then please info@diabetesiow.org.uk email us. Questions: Please email any questions you have by 20th May 2021
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