Islander Magazine

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September 2017

SPLASHING

An exciting and imaginative multi-million pound indoor waterpark BUMPER EDITION: NEW LOOK AND MORE CONTENT LOCAL NEWS ENTERTAINMENT WHAT'S ON FOOD & DRINK COMPETITIONS

September 2018

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islander Magazine is based and run from Newport on the Isle of Wight, UK. We have been established for over 12 years and have been based on the Island for over 25 years.

Content Editor Sandy Clarke

iwweb@icloud.com

Sandy Clarke s.clarke@visitilife.com

Head of Sales Natalie Labelle

salesiw@icloud.com

Islander Magazine 17 St Thomas Sq, Newport, IOW PO30 1SL // 01983 216 111

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What's Inside

CONTENTS Island News

Multi-million pound water park coming to the island, Seaview Wildlife Encounter land up for sale.

Millions spent on school upgrades.

Whats On

What's happening at Medina and Shanklin Theatre. A look at what playing at the cinema. Live music & gigs happening this month.

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Features

Great turnout for sell-out Fairweather Festival. Wolverton garden fayre raises ÂŁ200.000. Carnival lights up Ryde town.

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Fun and Games

Word search, Crossword, Spot the difference. Win a locally connected book. Some made up horoscopes.

Food and Drink 17

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Make the perfect Isle of Wight Apple crumble, New dining experience opens in Newport town, Ten places to go for the perfect Sunday carvery.

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Water park attraction at Robin Hill set to bring full time jobs

Plans for an exciting and imaginative multi-million pound indoor waterpark, The Springs, have been unveiled by the owners, Vectis Ventures Holdings Limited.

Plans for the Robin Hill attraction will be submitted formally to the Isle of Wight Council as a planning application supported by an environmental statement.

This is an exciting project for a major new attraction that will have Island-wide and subregional impacts benefiting tourism, regeneration and job creation.

Alexander Dabell, managing director of Vectis Ventures Limited said: “After years of considered planning, we are delighted to unveil our proposals for The Springs, an exhilarating new indoor water park to be situated at Robin

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Sandy Clarke s.clarke@islanderiw.com

Hill Country Park, with the most stunning views across the Isle of Wight.

“Tourism is very important for the Island and The Springs is a further development of Robin Hill which is designed to extend the tourism season.

“We’ve had great success with our electric woods events, attracting over 90,000 visitors over the last four years, however, the Island needs more innovative, fun all-weather attractions for visitors and residents in the autumn-winter months.

“The Springs ticks that box and at the same time provides opportunities for other local tourism businesses to operate a longer season.

“The development will complement our plans for Nesting, creating a fantastic reason to visit the Isle of Wight.

“We are extremely excited to progress with these plans, after all, The Springs will be splashing great fun!”

Will Myles, managing director of Visit Isle of Wight said: “I am extremely proud to work with Vectis Ventures, who continually invest in the Isle of Wight’s tourism offering. The Springs is exactly what we need on the Island for residents and visitors alike.”

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Seaview Wildlife Encounter land goes up for sale A former wildlife attraction has gone up for sale in Seaview.

The Adams family, represented by Savills, put the former tourist attraction in Seaview up for sale on Monday (September 10).

The Adams family closed the park, which used to be Seaview Wildlife encounter, in 2015, at the time the family told the BBC they were “devastated”.

Located 250 metres from the seafront, the former park extends to 16 acres (6.5 hectares) and features 34,000 sq ft (3,159 sq m) of vacant buildings as well as two residential properties. It offers potential for redevelopment to residential houses.

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Sandy Clarke s.clarke@islanderiw.com

The closest towns are Ryde and Newport at four and 10 miles away respectively.

Adam Bullas, director at Savills, said: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire the freehold of a large site with spectacular coastal views in one of the Isle of Wight’s most affluent areas. The potential for future residential development will no doubt appeal to a wide range of speculators and developers.”

Offers are being invited for the freehold of the site, which has become available for the first time in almost 60 years.

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Millions spent on Island school upgrades More than £4 million has been spent to upgrade and refurbish six Island schools this summer.

Major projects have included a new pre-school, modern classrooms, replacement roofing and windows, heating systems and electrical works.

Five of those benefiting are primary schools: at Shalfleet, Hunnyhill and Nine Acres at Newport, Carisbrooke, and at Nettlestone. The sixth is the Island Learning Centre at Newport.

“We are continually investing in our schools to ensure our children have the best possible learning environment,” said Cabinet member for children’s services and education, Councillor Paul Brading.

“Our push on improvements over the summer will help support our young people to achieve their full potential.”

Shalfleet Primary School has

Sandy Clarke

s.clarke@islanderiw.com

undergone a major £1.4million refurbishment project to transform the site, including a new modular building with two classrooms and a new pre-school.

Nettlestone Primary School and Hunnyhill Primary School, Newport, have both benefited from £450,000 to replace roof parts and windows, while their heating systems have been upgraded.

Hunnyhill will also be establishing a new social emotional mental health unit for primary school students as a pilot programme – this will support students with additional needs to attend a mainstream setting.

The Island Learning Centre, Newport, which has already had a complete refurbishment following a move due to a fire

in 2015, is in the final stages of £400,000-worth of improvements, including to the roof and boiler system.

And Carisbrooke Primary School and Nine Acres Primary, Newport, are both nearing the completion of

£380,000 and £120,000 projects – upgrading electrical systems, heating and roofing.

Money from the government’s Capital School Improvement Programme was used to fund some of the work.

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Horoscopes with Debbie Downer Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything. Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively. Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

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Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything.

Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively.

Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything.

Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively.

Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything.

Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively.

Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything.

Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively.

Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything.

Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively.

Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

Aries: Don't feel you have to jump into anything.

Get all the facts and assess the situation objectively.

Think seriously about it all. What do you most want?

September 2018

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SPOT THE DIFFERNCE

SOME POSSIBLY LUCKY NUMBERS

23 . 18 . 22 . 01 . 39 . 06

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Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance hits 1000 missions Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) have marked the start of National Air Ambulance Week (NAAW) by announcing that they have been tasked to over 1000 emergencies so far this year.

The week shines the spotlight on the work of Air Ambulance charities across the country and celebrates the life-saving services they provide to local communities throughout the year. NAAW, led by the Association of Air Ambulances, runs from Monday (September 10) to Sunday (September 16).

Since January 1, the HIOWAA Critical Care Teams have responded to more than 1014 call outs, including road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests, sporting injuries, stabbings and many other incidents.

The Charity Critical Care Teams are made up of doctors, specialist critical care

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Sandy Clarke s.clarke@islanderiw.com

paramedics and pilots, who fly day and night, 365 days a year, to the region’s most sick and injured.

Alan Hilson from Bembridge, knows all too well how vital this life-saving service is. He was on a bike ride with friends when he had a heart attack and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance landed minutes after the call.

He said: “The Air Ambulance is a vital service, particularly for the Isle of Wight. Being cut off from the mainland by that 35 minutes to an hour over a stretch of water; that could be the difference between life or death. We have all heard of people waiting for an ambulance on the Island.

When they are all busy they cannot just get some more from the next county.”

“The fact that the Air

Ambulance is not NHS funded is all the more reason to give this vital service our support, as individuals and as an Island.”

The life-saving service, now in its 11th year of operation, receives no government funding and relies entirely on the generosity of the public.

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Sandown teenagers rewarded by community Two boys who raised the alarm and put a stop to fires have been rewarded by the community.

Friends Josh Salter-Paine and Joel Preston, both 13, were playing football at Rainbow Park, Sandown on Saturday (Sep 8) when they noticed a small fire break out.

After raising the alarm to emergency services, the boys returned to find their Iphone 5s had been stolen along with expensive trainers, clothing and school stuff.

The Year 9 boys from The Bay CE then noticed a larger fire break out, which they reported to the fire brigade.

Now the boys have been rewarded by a caring community who heard about the boy’s valiant efforts and started a fundraising page to replace their stolen belongings.

Colin Midmore, co-founder of

Sandy Clarke s.clarke@islanderiw.com

Sandown Hub said: “In one day we have raised the £400 target.

This generous response to the Sandown HUB appeal illustrates the positive power of social media and how it has brought the people of Sandown together in just four weeks since we set up the group.

“Josh and Joel can now replace their stolen belongings.”

A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: “Between 7.15pm and 8.15pm in Fort Street, Sandown, two 13-yearold boys have spotted a fire and called the fire brigade.

When they have returned to get their belongings, a rucksack and other belongings have been taken.”

A Just Giving page has been set up by the Sandown Hub

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Footpath to Harbour reopens

A popular footpath closed following a major landslip is back in use thanks a new timber boardwalk constructed

by Island Roads.

In May this year, a section of riverbank between Island Harbour and Folly Lane, Whippingham collapsed, leading to the closure of the footpath on safety grounds.

In consultation with the Isle of Wight Council Rights of Way Team, Island Roads designed a new timber boardwalk to span the eroded section of riverbank, meaning the footpath could be reopened for members of the public to enjoy once more.

Because the new structure is supported by deep piles rather than the constantly eroding riverbank, the new boardwalk is designed to withstand future movement and erosion.

Councillor Ian Ward, cabinet member responsible for the

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Highways PFI, said: “This footpath provides an important link between East Cowes and Newport for both residents and visitors so I am delighted that Island Roads have designed a new walkway to keep the route accessible for years to come.”

Mark Dawson, Highway Design Engineer at Island Roads, said: “This section of naturally eroding riverbank presented us with a challenge but we were able to develop a scheme that provides a long term solution, meaning that access will be maintained even if there is further riverbank erosion. We are really pleased that the route is open once more and being enjoyed by members of the public.”

Red Funnel apologise for not printing some voucher codes Island residents have reported missing voucher codes in their latest Red Funnel discount booklets.

A “small batch” of booklets have been out with the missing codes to residents.

Anyone with missing codes is being urged to contact Red Funnel so they can mail out a new booklet.

The ferry company has apologised for the error and any inconvenience caused.

A spokesman for Red Funnel said: “We are aware of a printing error with a small batch of the booklets that have been sent to Island

households and apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.

“We ask that any customer who has received a booklet without codes please contact us so that we can mail them a new booklet direct to their home address.”

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Seely says ferry fare scheme ‘welcome announcement’ The Island MP has released a statement regarding the ferry fare discount scheme announcement.

Isle of Wight Council (IWC), Wightlink, Red Funnel and Hovertravel have developed the scheme together.

It means lower mainland travel costs for Islanders receiving housing benefit and/or local council tax support.

You will need to book travel seven days in advance to receive the discounts. It is estimated up to 14,000 people will be able to claim it.

MP Bob Seely said: “This is a welcome announcement and should help many low-income families on the Island.

“It goes some way to address issues of affordability for those who, at present, find it a struggle to afford to use the ferries.

“I thank the Island’s council and the ferry companies for coming together to set up this scheme.

“I would also like to thank Christopher Garnet and the Transport Infrastructure Board for their key work. They, the council and I have been working together.

Our message to the ferries has

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been that we need deeds, and not just warm words, to show that they are on the side of Islanders.

“This is also the first proof of what I hope will be a better relationship between the ferry firms and the Island going forward. All of us representing Islanders will continue to work in a united way to find ways to encourage and enable the ferries to serve Islanders better.

“The announcement, however, doesn’t address broader issues around fair ferry prices. I will continue to make the case that Islanders are being unfairly treated by what is effectively a duopoly.”

The Transport Infrastructure Board was set up following a parliamentary debate called by former Island MP Andrew Turner.

Julian Critchley, Isle of Wight Labour Party’s prospective parliamentary candidate, said: “We’re pleased that the ferry companies have responded to pressure to reduce the costs of travel for some Island families.

“This is, however, addressing some symptoms rather than curing the problem.

“I don’t believe that access to the mainland should be a matter for two private companies to decide who to favour with reduced fares.

“The Labour campaign is to assert the right of all islanders, as British citizens,

to be able to access the rest of our country without having to pay private companies for the privilege.

“Ultimately, the only way to resolve this issue is to impose a public duty to serve all Islanders on the ferries, either through regulation or public ownership.”

Project seeks to provide free sanitary items for young women at school A new Isle of Wight Facebook group has been launched to quietly ensure that no Island child misses school, or lessons, because she has her period.

The group, Red Box Project – Isle of Wight was setup this month as a small branch of a much larger national campaign. Working as a nationwide community of women, The Red Box Project seeks to provide free sanitary items for the young women in local schools.

The project involves stocking a red box with sanitary towels, tampons and spare pants. It’s then kept with the school Nurse, at reception or with an appropriate member of staff.

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Posters are also available to be placed in the girls’ toilets to encourage any young woman in need of sanitary items to ask for the red box and take what she needs. Plain bags are included for discretion.

This is a very simple, no frills project and is entirely funded by community kindness.

Isle of Wight organiser, Katharine Spencer-Brown said: “I’m in the process of organising donation points and will be able to confirm the ones we have so far at the beginning of next week. I have had offers from various places in Newport and Ryde, and I’m in the process of sourcing Red Boxes for the donations.”

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