Island Magazines April 23 Sandown and Shanklin Area

IWBRUG

(IsleofWightBus&RailUsersGroup)

Weareholdingour

MEMBERSMEETING

NewportMethodistChurch,QuayStreet,Newport at11.15amon22ndApril2023at

Allpublictransportusersarewelcometoattend theirfirstmeetingasa“taster”withoutbeinga member

IWBRUGisavoluntarybody,establishedin1985andmeeting eachmonthinNewport.Thegroupexiststopromotethe interestsofbusandrailusersandtocampaignfor improvementsinpublictransportandencourageitswideruse toreduceCO2emissionsontheIsland.

Website https://e-voice.org.uk/iwbusrailusers/

Someoneyoucanrelyon!

Ifyouarelookingforahandymanor locksmiththenAndyStephenisthemanto getincontactwith.

Hecanassistwithhouseholdrepairsand maintenancejobseitherinthehouseor aroundthegarden.Andyhasover35 years’experienceasalocksmithandcan thereforecoverallrequirements.

Heisreliableand friendlyandwillturn upwhenhepromises too.Heunderstands theimportanceof customerserviceand satisfactionandgoes theextramileto ensureyouarehappy andsatisfiedwithhis work.

Formoreinformation callAndyon07885 244878andseehis mainadvert.

WelcometotheAprilissue–and thankyouforpickingupacopyof yourlocalcommunitymagazine.

Inthisissuewehaveourregularnews reportssoreaderscankeepuptodate withlocalnewsforthearea.Our ‘DatesforyourDiary’sectionis packedwitheventshappeningacross theislandinAprilincludingevents happeningovertheEasterWeekend whichthisyearisfromthe7thuntil the10thApril.

Wemustkeepourfingerscrossedthat theweatherisgoodandtherainstays awayasit’stimewehadsomegood sunnydayssowecantopupour vitaminDandenjoyislandlife.

IrememberwhenIwasachild,EasterSundaywasthebestdayasbackthenEaster eggswereonlyevergivenontheSundayandwereonlyavailableintheshopsfora coupleofweeksbeforethebigday,butnowadaysyoucangototheshoponboxing dayandbuythemandbecauseofthisIhavealreadyconsumedfartoomanyof them…andI’msureI’mnottheonlyone!

IfyouareorganisinganycommunityeventsinMay,pleasesendusthedetailssowe canshareinthenextissue.

Wehavesomegreatlocalbusinessescoveringmanydifferenttradesandofferinga varietyofservicesadvertisingwithus.Pleasesupportthembyusingtheirservices andlettingthemknowyousawthemadvertisedhere.

IhopeyouenjoythisissueandhaveagreatAprilandIlookforwardtocatchingup withyouagainsoon.

SUBSCRIBE

Nevermissoutonreadinga copyofIslandMagazines.

Ifyoucan’tget outtopickupa copyfromlocal distributorsyou cansubscribeto eitherour ‘PRINTED’or ‘DIGITAL’edition eachmonth.

For printed subscriptions therewillbea smallchargefor £1.20permonth payable6months inadvance.To subscribeemail islandmagazines@gmail.comwithyournameandaddressandwhich areayouwouldlikeorcalluson07880587931.

For digitalsubscriptions pleaseemailshanklinmagazine@gmail.com andincludethewords‘subscribedigital’intheemail,thensit back,relaxandwaitforthenextissuetodropintoyourinbox.

NewsReportfromMichaelBeston&ChrisQuirk

IOW&ShanklinTownCouncillors

michael.beston@iow.gov.uk&christopher.quirk@iow.gov.uk

Michael07885644426|Chris07802705831

Seadefencework

Youmayhavenoticeddrillingequipment beingusedtodrill15Mdeepboreholes alongtherevetmenttoassessthestability ofthegroundbehindtheexistingseawalls. Thisisthefirststageofa£60million EnvironmentAgencyprogrammetorestore andupgradetheseadefencesinkeyareas aroundtheIsland,andtheBayrepresents oneofthekeyareasforupgradingthesea defences.Youcankeepuptodatewith developmentsbyrequestingthelocal EnvironmentAgencyNewsletter,toadd yourselftothemailinglistcontact:

JemmaColwell,IsleofWightCoastal DefenceSchemesSeniorAdvisor. Officephone:02084745879|x25879or e-mail: jemma.colwell@environmentagency.gov.uk

ThesituationismorecomplexatAppley Steps.Damagefromapreviouslandslip wasmadegoodandthestepsre-opened onlyforafurtherlandsliprenderingthe stepsunsafeandunusable.Thestabilityof thecliffandthelikelihoodofreinstatement havingarealisticlifespanmustbe establishedbeforeanyworkisplanned, thereisno“quickfix”here.Unfortunately, thecurrentCouncilAdministrationhasput ablockonspendinganyoftheremaining £300,000ofthehalfmillionpounds allocatedinthisyear’sCouncilbudgetfor restoringandmaintainingcliffpaths.

Coronationevent–dateforyourdiary

Landslipsalongcliffpaths,revetmentand cliffsteps.

AcrosstheBaytheheavyrainfallsofarthis yearhasbeenamajorcontributingfactorin causinganumberoflandslidesalongthe cliffface.Atotalofaround440tonsof rockhasfallen,ofwhicharound170tons hasbeenremovedandafurther270tons bulldozedtosupportthebaseofthecliff behindthesafetybarriers.Invariousareas geophysicalsurveysarerequiredto establishsafetybeforeremedialworkcan beundertaken.

Amulti-disciplinaryteamhasbeen assessingthedamageatOsborneSteps withtheaimofre-openingthestepsintime forthemainTouristSeason.The possibilityofre-openingoftheroadatthe topofthestepsisbeingassessedbutmay notbeeconomicallyviable.

TheCoronationofKingCharlesIIItakes placeon6th May,withSunday7th May designatedadayofNationalcelebration. InShanklintherewillbeafreetoenter ‘PartyinthePark’atRylestoneGardenson Sunday7th May,withlivemusicand activitiesthroughouttheday.Putthedate inyourdiaryandplantobringapicnicand makeadayofit.Hogroastavailableat lunchtimeandrefreshmentstentand Pimm’stentavailablethroughouttheday, togetherwithakids’activitymarquee.

PlanningyourownCoronationStreet Party?

Organisingastreetpartyjustforresidents andneighboursisverysimpleanddoesnot needalicence.Yourlocalcouncilmay requireyoutocompleteasimple applicationformtoholdastreetparty.

Thenumberonetipforholdingapartyis toplanearlyandtosharejobsamongst

residents.Ifyouneedatemporaryroad closure,getintouchwithyourcouncilat least6weeksinadvance.Yourfirstpointof contactcouldbeeitherthecouncil’s highways,licensing,eventsorcommunities team.Ifyouencounteranydifficulties speaktoyourlocalcouncillorwhowillbe happytohelp.

TheGovernmentadviceonorganisinga streetpartycanbefoundat: www.gov.uk/ government/publications/your-guide-toorganising-a-street-party

businesses,aimedatupskillingbothbig andsmallbusinessesacrossthecountryby helpingthemtolearnnewskills,reach morecustomersandboostbusinessprofits. Thiscentralised‘HelptoGrow’page shouldprovidebusinesseswithaccessto informationandsupporttheymightneed inoneplace.Formoreinformationvisit: www.helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk

Helpforsmallbusinesses

TheDepartmentforBusinessandTrade (DBT)hasunveiledanewcentralised‘Help toGrow’websitetohelptheUK’s

Tel:07528586683

Althoughtheweathercanbemixed,AprilisthefirstrealmonthofSpring.Woodlandscome alivewithbirdsongandthelackofleavesinthecanopyresultincarpetsofwoodanemonesand inancientwoodlandyoushouldbeabletofindthedelicatenarrow-leavedlungwort.Primroses areinabundanceindampwoodlandandalongthehedgerowswhilethefirstwildbluebells shouldappearmid-month.

ThebreedingseasonformanyspeciesofbirdisunderwaywhileearlymigrantsliketheSand Martin,WheatearandChiffchaffwillhavearrivedbythestartofthemonth.Hopefully,bymidmonththefirstCuckoo,SwallowandHouseMartinwillhavebeenseenwithSwiftsandthe summeringwarblersbytheendofthemonth.

Earlyseasoninsectsareonthewing,includingafurry-lookingbeewithalongprobosciswhich couldbemistakenforsomethingfearsomewithasting!Infact,itisnotabee,butaharmless Bee-flyandIneedyourhelppleasetorecordthemfortheNationalBee-flywatchsurvey,now initseighthyear.

TherearetwospeciesofBee-flyseeninApril:Dark-edgedBee-flyandtheDottedBee-fly. Theycanbeidentifiedbytheirdifferentwingpatternascanbeseeninthephotos.Theyusethe longproboscistonectartheearlyseasonflowers,sothechallengeistophotographthemand thenrecordthemonthesurveywebsite.

Therecordingform,andmoreinterestinginformationaboutBee-flies,canbefoundathttp:// soldierflies.brc.ac.uk/bee-fly-watch.Thesurveyalsohelpstopromoteanawarenessofthe speciesandthefactthattheyareharmlessandshouldnotbedestroyed.Iamalwayshappyto helpwithidentification.

IwillalsobeattendingtwoeventsinAprilrunningtheButterflyConservationtable.On Saturday22nd April,IwillbeattheEarthDayeventatBradingRomanVillaandonSunday30th April,IamattheSpringOpenDayattheDonkeySanctuaryatWroxall.Ihopetoseesomeof youtherewhereIwillbetalkingaboutbutterfliesandmothsandhowyoucanhelpthem.

Dark-edgedBee-fly(notedarkedgetowings)

DottedBee-fly(notespotstowingsand nodarkedgetowing)

Didyouknow?

Beforewehadtheluxuryofelectricity peopleusedcandleclockstotellthetime andwakeupby.

Acandleclockworksbyburningacandle ataconstantrateandmarkingthecandle orholderatregularintervals,suchasevery half-inch,toindicatehowmuchtimehas passed.

Themostbasic design,whichwas usedinAncient Rome,involved placingacandleina metalholderand insertingmetalnails intothecandleat predetermined intervals.Whenthe waxreachesthe desiredlevelof melting,thenail clattersintothemetal base,wakingthe personup.Thiswas probablythesimplest substitutefor roosters,streetcries, and(ofcourse)factorywhistlesfor theworkers.

Thismethodalsoallowedthemto havea‘snoozebutton’orinthosedays a‘snoozenail’

Withthepriceofelectricityatthe momentitmightbeworthbringing thisinventionbacktomoderndaylife.

Painting Wall Papering Tiling

Walls & Ceilings Flattened General Repairs Coving

Interior & Exterior Work Undertaken / Fully Insured References Available / Islandwide

CONTACT DAN FOR YOUR FREE QUOTATION

Telephone: 01983 408716 Mobile: 07816 545283

Email: td.decors@hotmail.co.uk www.tddecors.co.uk

ReportfromSandownTown&CountyCouncillorDebbieAndre

T:400744/07948757977E:debbieandrew4sandown@gmail.com

Facebook:-debbieandrew4sandown

I’dliketostartthismonth’sarticleby thankingeveryonewhocametothedrop-in attheBroadwayCentrelastmonthtotalk aboutPostOfficeservicesandhowwecan supportyoutocontinuetoaccessthe servicesthatyouneed.Itwashighlighted thatthePostOfficeontheNewportRoad inLakeremainsopenandthatweshould trytobuyanadditionalitemifusingthe PostOfficeservicesthere.Ithoughtit mightbeusefultohighlighttheOptio servicerunbyCommunityActionwhich offersavolunteerdriverservicetotake residentstohospitalappointmentsbut couldalsoberequestedfortripstothePost Office.Detailsasfollows:www. communityactionisleofwight.org.uk/whatwe-do/services/voluntary-car-service

Followingonfromthis,I’mawarethat manyYaverlandresidentsfinditdifficultto cometotheBroadwayCentreattheother endoftown.Thedrop-inwassosuccessful thatI’mplanningtoholdasimilareventat theYaverlandSailingClubnextmonthto talkallthingsYaverland.Pleaseletme knowifthisissomethingthatyouwould findhelpful.Icanarrangeforaspeakerto attend,perhapssomeonefromIsland RoadsorSouthernWater?Iknowthatthe conditionoftheroadsontheYaverland Estatearefarfromsatisfactoryandlook forwardtoseeingtheresultsofBillWyke’s petition.Thereisalsotheissueofalackof droppedkerbswhichmakeitdifficultfor residentswithmobilityissues.

Iknowthatthecostofgettingonandoff theislandisafrequentcauseofconcernfor residents.AswewillhavetheEasterbreak thismonth,IthoughtIwouldhighlight thatRedFunneloffera25%discountfor driverswithfullyelectriccars.Thismaybe useful,notonlyforresidents,butfor friendsandfamilyvisitingovertheEaster

period?Bookingsmustbemadeviaa dedicatedlinkasfollows:www.redfunnel. co.uk/en/isle-of-wight-ferry/specialoffer/electric-vehicles

Thankyoutoeveryonewhorespondedto myitemondiscussionsregardingsafety ofusersontheRevetment.Fromthe responses,itwouldseemthatyou appreciatethesharedusewithbicycles andpedestriansandweallwanttobeable tousetherevetmentsafelysothiswill formthebasisoffurtherdiscussions.

Discussionsareongoingaboutthe upgradingofthefacilitiesatSandham Gardens,specificallytheskateboardpark andthemulti-usegamesareaadjacent.It isvitallyimportantthatwerecognisethe needtoprovidegoodfacilitiesforour youngpeoplewhodeservethebestthat wecanoffer.I’mextremelygratefulto JulianWadsworthforallhisgreatwork withouryoungpeopleandlookforward toplayingapartinthefuture developmentofplannedactivitiesin Sandown.

IholdmyCouncillorsurgeriesonthefirst Saturdayinthemonthfrom11amto middayinTheWildheartSanctuarycafe. However,dopleasegetintouchdirectlyif youwouldliketoarrangeameetingeither facetoface,orvirtually,ifthereisa specificissuethatyouwouldliketo discusspersonally.Also,CllrHeather Humbyholdsherweeklysurgeryevery Thursdayat11amatSandownLibrary andisalsoavailableon402024or heatherhumby@sandowntowncouncil. gov.uk

I’mhereforyou,justgetintouch.

Monkey Music Isle of Wight and Portsmouth

Sharing precious time together

Age specific interactive music educational classes for babies and toddlers aged 3 months- 4 years with a progressive curricula. Classes to help development and confidence whilst having lots of fun.

For more information and to book your first FREE class please visit: www.monkeymusic.co.uk/area/isle-wight-portsmouth alternatively call Katherine on 01983 240352 or email iow.portsmouth@monkeymusic.co.uk

DATESFORYOURDIARY

EveryTuesday–WalkandTalk Sandown.Comerainorshine,joininfor agentlewalkandtalkalongtheseafront andbackagain.MeetoutsideSandown Pierat10.30am.BroughttoyoubyLiving WellandEarlyHelpService.Call01983 240732formoreinformation.

EveryWednesday–TheSouthMinibus SocialGroupgooutanddiscoverplaces acrosstheisland.There’susuallyastopoff fortea,cakeorlunchwhilstoutexploring. Wecanpickyouupfromhome.Tofind outwherewearegoingnextandtobooka space,pleasegetintouchon01983240732 oremailreception@lweh.org.uk

EveryThursday–C.A.M.E.O(comeand meeteachother)CommunityCaféat Caulkheads,AvenueRoad,Sandown, from1pm–3pm.Afriendlyspaceforyou tomeetnewpeople.Everyoneis welcome.BroughttoyoubyLivingWell andEarlyHelpService

ThirdFridayeverymonth–C.A.M.E.O (comeandmeeteachother)Community CaféatSandownLibraryfrom10am–12 noon.Afriendlyspaceforyoutomeet newpeopleandtrynewthings;bingo, colouring,quizzesandgames.Bringa friendorcomeandmeetnewones. Everyoneiswelcome.

FourthSaturdayofthemonth-TheIsleof WightBusandRailUsersGroup (IWBRUG)holdtheirmeetingsatthe MethodistChurchHall,QuaySt, Newport,at11.15am.Comealongand helpmakeadifference.Formore informationcheckourwebsitehttps://evoice.org.uk/iwbusrailusers

Saturday1st April–TheIsleofWight VintageMotorcycleClub5th Annual VintageandClassicMotorcycleShow. From10amto4pmatTheWinter Gardens,Ventnor.£3entry(Cashonly).

Monday3rd April–DinosaurFunDayat SandownRailwayStationfrom10am–4pm.Comeandjointhedinosaurfunon thetrainandatSandownStation’s GaslightCafé.Followthedinosaur footprintsintheJurassicLosAltosPark anddiscoverdinosaureggs.Lotstodo andsee.SupportedbyIslandLine.

Saturday8th April–EasterChickHuntat PuckpoolPark.Ages3–10.9:30am start.£4perchild.Bookingessentialat theOldBarracks.Telephone615766

Saturday8th April–AnnualEasterHuntat BradingRomanVillainaidofDaisy ChainsIWfrom11amto4pm.Egghunt, magicshow,historiesshow,PeterRabbit meetandgreet,balloonmodellingand muchmoreallincludedinthehuntprice of£3.50perchild.Ticketsfromhttps:// www.tickettailor.com/events/ characterevents

Sunday9th April–EasterBonnetParade andEggThrowingCompetitionat SeaviewYachtClub/Esplanade.Prizes andFunRaffle.2pm.

Friday14th April–JigsawDisplayandsale atHolyTrinityChurch,TrinityRoad, Ventnor.From10amto3pm. Refreshmentsavailable.Admission£1per adult,ChildrenFree.

Saturday15th April–SpringTailsDog Walk.Meet11amatTheCrownInn ShorwellCarParkforapproximately1 hour15-minutewalk.FinishingatThe CrownwhereafreeBuddyBixtreatawaits yourdog.Freeandallwelcome.Alldogs mustbekeptonalead.

Saturday22nd April–VectisPostcard StampandEphemeraFairatMasonic Hall,JohnStreet,Ryde–From10amto3 pm.Freeadmission.BothIslandand Mainlanddealers.Everyonewelcome.

Alleventinformationwascorrectattimeofprintbutcouldbesubjecttochangeatanytime.

59RegentStreet

ShanklinPO377AE

Tel:863677

YourLocalIndependentPharmacy

OpeningHours

Monday8.30am—6.00pm

Tuesday8.30am—6.00pm

Wednesday8.30am—6.00pm

Thursday8.30am—6.00pm

Friday8.30am—6.00pm

Saturday9.00am—5.30pm

SundayClosed

Pleasenotethatweareclosedeveryday between1pm-2pm

Hopefully,fellowBayResidentsare preparingforEasterEggHunts,including thoseplannedattheChineandLosAltos–weatherandotherthingspermitting.

Followingthecelebrationof30yearsof Islandmusic,QueensAwardforVoluntary ServicewinningShanklinTownBrass Bandhavepublishedtheirsummer programmeofperformances,startingon Sunday14May2023at3pmatRylstone Bandstand–startingtheir30th season.

TheBaycontinuestoprovideWarm SpacesforvulnerablepeopleatAge ConcernShanklinareopen10-4dailywith refreshmentsandsocialactivities;Lake MethodistChurch(07817154147)offera communitylunchonthe1st Thursdayof themonth,withacommunitycafeonthe 2nd and4th Thursdays;andonMondaysat ChristChurch,Sandown,between11am and3pm–helpisalsoavailableat SandownLibrary.

SandownLibraryscreentheCert15Film ‘SheSaid’from7pmonFriday14April andfrom1.45pmonSaturday15April; ShanklinCommunityLibraryare challengingadultreaderstohaveagoat theirannualReadingChallenge.Allyou havetodoisread10booksbeforeMay 27th,thereisachoiceof4easycategories foreverybookandbookscanbereadin yourowntime. It’sjust£3toenter,a rewardisgivenafter5booksand completedchallengeswillbeenteredintoa prizedrawwithachanceofwinning£25.

Pleasecallinorphone01983717184for moreinformation.

GUILD'SGRANDGATHERING

Sandown'sAfternoonTownswomen’s Guild,oneofthecountry'soldestand formedin1932,welcomedNational FederationChairPennyRyantoa gatheringatSandown'sBroadwayCentre, foranafternoonofcelebration, congratulationsandcake.

StJohn'sChurchSandown,sawthefirst meetingoftheguildonMarch101932, withthesharedprioritiesofcomradeship andfriendship,practicalthingslikecookery andsewing,andlinkstotheTown.

Theafternoonsawthetrustedteamof volunteersputonaspecialtea,witha presentationofananniversarysilversalver, withfundraisingfortheircharityofthe year,withtheDaisyBusandDaisyChain appealsdonated£950in2022.

TheGuildplantedacommemorativerose inthegroundsoftheBroadwayCentreto marktheir90thanniversary,andpreviously organisedcarnivalfloats,fundraising fashionshowsandsupportgroupssuchas theIndependentLifeboat,AirAmbulance andprovidingadefibrillator.

SHANKLIN'SSOCCERSUCCESS CELEBRATED

ShanklinFCcelebratedofffieldsuccess, securingfundingforanewfixtureboard, andFAaccreditationfortheirWomen's side,aswellassecuringplanning permissionforthefirstpartofaplanned developmentattheClub,whichwas foundedin1888.

LakeParishCouncilChair,PaulBrading, unveiledthefixtureboard,said'Itis hearteningtoseegrassrootsfootball,and allsport,strivingtoprovidethebestquality facilitiesforpeopletoparticipateinsport-

CommunityNewsforTheBay FromRichard&Jon

andShanklin'splansreflectthis commitment'.

ShanklinFCvice-chairTrevorThorne added'Theclubhaveworkedhardto achievesuccessonthefield,acrossyouth, women'sandmen'ssides,andweare focusingondevelopingoff-field improvementstohelpsustainandmaintain ourreputationasaqualityfamilyclub withinasupportivecommunity'.

Theclub,whollyrunbyvolunteers, recentlyrenovateditsclubhouse,and fundraisedfornewgoalposts, improvementstotheplayingsurface,as wellasamenitiesfortheyouth,andhave planstoimprovethechangingrooms,build anextension,andaddtothedaytimeuse ofthefacilities.

TREE-MENDOUSPROJECT

LakeParishCouncilChairPaulBrading helpedplantthefirstofmanynewtreesat theCountyGround,intherecreational groundborderingLakeandShanklin, helpingtorefreshthelandscapeafter severaltreeswerelostinrecentstormsand duetoinfection.

Overadozennewtreesareduetobe planted,withsupportsinplaceandregular maintenanceplanned,withShanklin FootballClub,establishedin1888,also planningdevelopmentstomaximisethe benefitofthelocation,thesupportofthe localcommunityandgoodwillofnearby neighbours.

Paulconcluded'TheCountyGroundisso wellusedandit'sgoodtoseetheCouncil investinthelongerterm,withthepitch lookinginfirstclasscondition,andthe FootballClub,onandoffthefield,going fromstrengthtostrength'.

it

WordLadder

Awordladderisasequenceofwords formedbychangingjustonelettereach time.Canyoufindthemissingword? Usethecluesifyougetstuck.

Sudoku

BEEHIVE BOB

FEATHERED FRENCHBRAID PERM TWIST DREADLOCKS CORNROWS AFRO

FISHTAIL UPDO

BEDHEAD CURLY

STRAIGHT PIGTAILS

PONYTAIL

FOUNTAIN PIXIE BUN BANGS

Hairstyles

Lastmonth'sanswersforWordLadder:-prune,prone,phone,shone,shove,shave,shame,shams,seams,teams,tears,pears

Fromjoy’shumblecrumblekitchen

The'boilmethod'isasimpleandeasywaytocookandonewhichwehavebeenusing foryears...butbyaddingafewsimpletwistsandingredientsyoucantakeyournext mealfromordinaryintoextraordinary!!Well,moreinterestingandflavoursomebutyou getwhatwemean!

SIMPLE ASIANRICE

600mlchickenorvegstock

285gr.jasminerice

1tbsp(lowsodium)soysauce

75gfrozenpeas•

2xspringonions-thinlysliced

Serves4-6

ULTRACRISPY

POTATOESserves4-6

1.Combinerice&stockinalarge saucepan

2.Coverandbringtotheboilthenreduce heattolow-simmerfor18minutes,

3.Stirthericeandcheckfortendernessand allliquidhasbeenabsorbed,

4.Drizzlewiththesoysauce-toss/stirto coatwell

5.Addthepeasandcoverforaminuteor two-addtheonion,stirandkeepcovered untilreadytoserve.

GRANDMA'SCAULIFLOWER

CHEESEserves4

1xheadofcauliflower•1�ncreamof mushroomsoup•200ggratedcheese (matureifpossible)

1.Removeanygreenleavesandstemleaveenoughofthestemtoallowthe cauliflowertostaytogetherandflat.

2.Placethecauliflowerupsidedown intoalargepotandcoverwithcold water.

3.Bringtotheboilandsimmerfor2025minutes-itshouldbecrisp-tender (tooso�anditmayfallapart).

4.Draincarefullyandplacerightsideup intoabakingdish.

5.Pourthesoupovertheen�reheadof thecauliflower-seasonandtopwith cheese.Bakeat180Cdegreesfor15 -20minutesun�lhotandbubbly.

Thesearestraightforwardto make-boil,squish,drizzleand bake.Oven180Cdegrees. 12-14smallpotatoes6-8 mediumpotatoes-washed BOIL-boiluntilsoftanddrain inacolander(letitstandfor5 minutes)

SQUISH-placepotatoesona lightlyoiledtrayandroughly squishthem-keepingthemin onepiece.(thin=crispier, thicker=fluffierinside)

DRIZZLE-withalittlemelted butterthendrizzlesomeolive oilover-season.

BAKE-bakefor30-40 minutesuntildeepgoldenand crispy-donotflip.

SWEET COOKED CARROTS

Serves4-6

500gcarrots-youcanusebaby carrotsorwashandslicelargeones. 350mlchickenstock

1tbspsugar knobbutter

1.Bringthestockandsugartothe boilinamediumpot

2.Addthecarrotsandcookuntil crisp-tender(10-12minutes)

3.Drain,addthebutterandseason. Stirandserve.

SANDOWN-OCEANHOTEL &HIGHSTREETUPDATE

Adirectorofthecompanyowning theOceanHotelcontactedmeand explainedthattheyintendedto erectfencingsimilartothatinthe picturebytheendofmonthif possible.TheIWCouncilPlanning Depthasconfirmedthatthistype oftemporaryfencingcanbe erectedwithoutplanningpermission.Wecanonlyhopethatthisisafirststeptowards gettingthesitesortedout.

Commentsaboutthenumberofclosedshopsin theHighStreetarealsoofconcern. Unfortunately,sixofthoseshops,plustheKings Bar,areanintegralpartoftheOceanHotel buildingandthereforeapartofthependinglegal case,sotheyareinlimbountilthelegalcaseis heardandthecourtdecideswhethertouphold theownersappealornot.

PARKHOMES–PLEASEBECAREFUL

IhavepreviouslyadvisedthatifyouareconsideringmovingintoaParkhome,please ensureyoureadyourcontractverycarefullyandunderstandthePark’srules.Ihave triedtohelpanumberofParkHomeresidentswhosuddenlyfindthemselvesfacedwith theconsequencesofnotdoingso.Somehavebeenevictedandsomehavelostmany thousandsofpounds.Pleasebecareful!

NEWVOTERIDENTIFICATIONRULESFROMMAY2023

WitheffectfromMay2023(onlyafewmonthsaway)residentswillhavetobeable provetheiridentitywithPhotographicIdentitywhentheygotovote.Thefollowingare acceptableformsofvoteridentity:Passport,Drivinglicence,MilitaryIDCard,Blue Badge.OtherlesscommonacceptablemeanscanbefoundontheElectoralCommission website.

Ifyoudon’thaveanyofthedesignatedformsofidentityyoucanapplyforafreevoter IDdocument,calleda‘VoterAuthorityCertificate’.Youcanapplyforthisviawww. voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk

Dandelions:themostundervaluedwildflower.

Thecommondandelionisoneoftheeasiestplantstospotandcanbeseengrowingjust aboutanywhereincludingcracksinthepavement.Mostseethemasjustacommonweed butactuallythesebrightyellowflowersareanexcellentsourceofnectarforawidevariety ofpollinatinginsects,including bees(honeybees,bumblebeesandsolitarybees),flies, beetles(includingladybirds)andbutterflies.Becausedandelionscanflowersoearlyinthe year,theyareavitalsourceofnectarforanyearly-emergingpollinatorswhilstother flowersarestilldevelopingsoitisimportantthatweletthemgrow.

Herearejustafewdandelionfacts.

Dandelionsrepresent3different celestialbodiesat3differentphasesof theirlife.Theplant’syellowflower representsthesun.Thedispersedseeds looklikethestars.Finally,thepuffy dandelionballhasasimilar appearancetothemoon.

Theseeds(thepartsoftheplantthat flyaway)cantravelfor5milesafter beingdispersed!

Everypartoftheflowerparthassome use–flower,roots,andleaves.Itcan beusedforfood,medicine,and colouringdye.

Theleavesoftheplanthavetooth-like featuresattheiredges.Theycanbe2 to10inchesinlength.Theplants themselvescanbe17inchestall.

Theflowerismadeofmultiple miniatureflowers,eachoneadistinct individual.Theseareknownasray florets.Itopenswhenthesunrisesandclampsupwhenthesunsets.

Dandelioncanbeanallergenforsomepeople.However,itspollenisnotanallergen. Theyarealsocalledruderalorpioneerplantsastheyareusuallythefirstplantsthat coloniseddisturbedlands.

Variousinsectscarryoutthepollinationoftheplant.Theyellowflowertransformsinto apuffball.Thisballhasseveralfruitswithinitcalledachenes.Theseedsfeatureadisklikeparachuteextensionthatactssimilartoaparachute.That’swhytheycanfloatfor solongandsoeasily.

Onecupofrawchoppeddandeliongreenscontains112%ofthedailyrequiredvitamin A intake.Atthesametime,itonlyhas25calories.

19thCenturyEnglishpharmacistshadmadeteausingroastedrootsoftheflowers.The tearemainspopulartothisday.

Theybelongtothedaisyfamily.

Oneheadofdandelionismadeupofasmanyas300rayflorets.Ifyoulookclosely, theywilllooksimilartotinypetals.

Thecommondandelionisthesubjectofmanymythsandgames,oneofwhichsuggests thatifyoupickit,orevenjusttouchit,youwillwetthebed-anideathatformsmanyof thelocalcommonnames,including'Wet-the-bed'and'Tiddle-beds'.