Author: Sal
Maybe it’s because I’m an ex-Londoner!
Monday, 3rd July, 2006 at 12:01 am, Isle of Wight
As many of you will know, up until a year ago, I lived in London – infact I was born there, grew up there, worked there, met my gorgeous husband there and gave birth to my daughter there.
A few people (this is the exception rather than the rule) have expressed disgust at me … a Londoner … who has decided to make Ventnor my home, ‘How dare I?�
I can understand how people from the Isle of Wight want to keep it to themselves – many of those reasons are why people are attracted here – but the reality is this planet belongs to no-one and everyone. Just as I believe that people from the world over should be able to travel to the UK and decide to live here if they want (and vice versa), I believe that I should be able to find somewhere that I love and make my life there. Regardless of where I was born.
This is particularly apt considering I was actually born in a bus stop on the Western Avenue. Somehow, I can’t imagine setting up home there! Might be a tad uncomfortable (not to mention a bit noisy).
Anyway, enough of the personal details. Being a Londoner, every so often I like to see what’s going on in my home town and was gutted to see that this weekend I missed Clapham Common being turned into a skateboarding, bmx and breakdancing arena.
Sponsored by Sprite (corporate sponsorship is everywhere these days – although an ice cold lemonade does go down well in 33 degrees), there was all sorts of stuff going on, including a £40k prize for the most talented!
Any of you who’ve visited MySpace will know of my love of breakdancing and might have taken the time to watch this totally amazing and inspiring video.
Roll on White Air 2006 I say.
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Alright, so I know that the video is mostly made up of martial arts … but there is some breakdancing in there too.
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Why should you not come down to Ventnor to make it your home? Many have done so. It has added ten years to my life being here. It was the best decision of my life four years ago.
I think you did the right thing. A lovely place to live, and I bet many of your friends are full of envy.
What else could you wish for, south facing, a nice beach on your doorstep. Incredible levels of creative talent on the island. Lots of other beaches and coves to choose from. Genuine people, open people, always someone looking out for you, willing to accept etc.
In my experience, you just don’t get this in a City.
A real village type atmosphere, despite being a town.
I could not think of a nicer placer to bring a child up, as in as Ventnor.
A lot of folks forget we have a very low pollution level which helps.
The sunrises and sunsets are brilliant, and you would never see that in a City.
So good for you and your family. You have already made a big difference to the commununity since you arrived.
Well, you know that, but no harm in giving praise where praise is due.
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Life is not made up of beaches and sunsets. Sorry, I don’t buy the comment above at all.
Our experience is largely of a community that is insular, conservative and not liberal. There are a few people here in Ventnor and Bonchurch who are gems and who have helped us survive in what we find as a hostile environment.
Our experience of the city was one that had wide boundaries, allowed all sorts of variances, allowed free speech; here free speech is impossible for fear that it may be misconstrued or worse still interpreted in warped ways.
Some people are genuine, most we have experienced are not. We found more genuine and caring people; more liberal and forthright people; more aware, consicentous and less class conscious people and somehow more able to accept and nurture differences in the city, than here.
Sadly, beauty and scenic appreciation is not all that a soul needs to make a place a home. Nurture, acceptance and just love for
fellow human beings are quintessential to root a family.
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