Ventnor Blog

This just in from Ellie Jenkins. Well done to all those concerned. Great to see the community getting involved for the benefit of the many - Ed.

St John’s Park, Ryde is looking a lot cleaner after a community clear-up day on Sunday 14 September.

The park is a privately owned woodland between East Hill and West Hill Roads, which is open to the public. Once a year local people turn out to help clear up any rubbish.

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Anyone who has previously had to travel to Sandown or Newport to get help or advice with Council services, will be pleased to hear that from next month Revenue Services will be holding surgeries in Ventnor.

Avoiding the need to travel (saving money and helping the environment), all you will have to do is walk as far as the Coastal Visitors Centre in Dudley Road.

The surgeries will take place every Thursday, starting on 2nd October, from 9.00 a.m. until Midday, and this is seen as a first step to improve accessibility for Ventnor residents.

If you have any concerns or problems with Council Tax and benefits, you’ll be able to get help completing applications and advice.

As well as taking advantage of the help on offer, you can also stop and admire the world class views down the coast.

Many thanks to Susan Scoccia for forwarding this info to share with our readers.

With all quiet on the public front over the last few months as far as Ventbag has been concerned, we were pleased to receive this update over the weekend below from the Ventbag team. Ed

Ventbag is the project name for Ventnor becoming the first town on the Island to be Plastic Carrier Bag Free.

This unpaid volunteer project is supported both by Ventnor Town Council and the Isle of Wight Council.

As we set an original (tough target) of achieving this in September this year, we thought it would be a good idea to give everyone an update on progress.

The biggest challenge we faced was looking at the production of an alternative bag for Ventnor. This was planned to be an organic fair trade sourced cotton bag.

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The Ventnor Youth and Community Centre has got loads to offer young people on almost every night of the week.

Monday nights offers a drop in for teenagers between 7 and 9.45pm. It’ll only cost you 50p to get in and you can pick up valuable life skills such as learning how to use a washing machine, get advice on relationships and contraception. Enjoy a game of table tennis, football or pool. Alternatively chill out on the sofas and listen to the jukebox

Tuesday sees another drop in evening for teenagers, but with DJ-ing and music production, art, music and trampolining the focus. Bands can use the space for rehearsal and the computers can be used for creative work. Same times and cost to get in.

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At Monday’s Town Council Meeting, Leader of the Council David Pugh was questioned by Cllr Brian Lucas about the lack of a Tourist Information Centre in Ventnor.

As residents will know, the Tourist Information Centre which was previously housed at the Coastal Visitors Centre in Dudley Road, closed nearly three years ago.

With Ventnor being a holiday destination, the lack of tourist info didn’t sit well with the town, so last year, Season’s newsagents in the High Street kindly agreed to display information in their window and help with tourist enquiries.

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Following the sad death of Ventnor East Ward Councillor Brenda Lawson, a vacancy has arisen on the Ventnor Town Council.

You may have missed it, but a public notice regarding the vacancy was published in the SW Chronicle near the back of the mag on 21 August by Town Clerk, John Farrant.

According to the notice, if ten or more people write into the IW Council there has to be a by-election - if not, someone will be co-opted into the position by the current council.

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Returning home from a very muddy, but excellent time away at Bestival (check out the live video at Bestival), we were met by a very exciting email from the HantsWeb Awards team.

As you will know dear reader, we were thrilled to be nominated for the awards last month and were really chuffed to hear that VentnorBlog is the only Island publication to be shortlisted as one of the ten Best Local Area Websites over the whole of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Yikes!

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Thanks to the front desk manager at the Ventnor Towers Hotel in Madeira Road for alerting us to fireworks that are planned for this weekend.

If you live nearby and have pets, do make sure you keep them in on both evenings.

There are two weddings at the hotel at the weekend and fireworks will be set off between 8.30 and 9.30 on Friday and Saturday.

We look forward seeing the displays. If you have any announcements to make to the Ventnor and Island community, do get in touch.

Image: Cowes Fireworks Copyright VentnorBlog

Leader of the Council, David Pugh will be answering questions from the Town Councillors and public during Monday’s Town Council Meeting.

As usual, the meeting will be held under the stage of the Ventnor Winter Gardens (access from the back of the car park through th fire exit doors).

We’d suggest you arrive at around 6.20pm as the meetings always start promptly at 6.30pm.

The usual set up is 15 minutes of public question time at the beginning of the meeting. Everyone is welcome.

Anyone who walks past the Ventnor Youth and Community Centre in Victoria Street will have noticed that as well as the main mural on the south facing wall being completed, the other murals on panels by entrance to the youth club are also now complete.

The credit for the creative work goes in the direction of Hannah Ray, Chris Haines and the youth involved.

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One thing that we’ve been thinking about for a while is taking a photo of every shop in Ventnor.

It would be literally be a snapshot of the town - a photographic record of a town that is undergoing transition.

We hadn’t found the time to do it - and frankly weren’t sure when we’d actually finding the opportunity.

Hurrah for the Ventnor2008 Group who have done exactly that and stuck them up on Flickr for everyone to see.

Each photo also explains the business that is currently using the shop.

Great to see people going out and doing something for the town.

Ventnor artist Teresa Grimaldi is in the throws of preparing for a forthcoming exhibition, which takes place in the Michael West Gallery at Quay Arts next year.

Last week she put call out on the VentnorBlog forum for any unloved or unwanted glove puppets.

Her exhibition takes place during May and June 2009 and she plans to create an installation for which she is making puppet casts.

She tells us that the glove puppets don’t need to be antique, Postman Pat, The Simpsons, cats, dogs, donkeys, you name it - Teresa can give them a reason to be.

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In addition to the Community Learning Courses featured earlier, there are also some family learning courses that you can take advantage of.

FAMILY LITERACY, LANGUAGE AND NUMERACY
For parents who have children at Wroxall Primary School only.

A 20 week course for parents/carers to learn about the methods of teaching being used in school today.

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Thanks to Alison Knapman for sharing the Autumn Edition of the Isle of Wight Council Community and Family Learning Service programme with VentnorBlog readers. There are all sorts of courses being run this term and certainly something to suit everyone. Take a look and book your place. Ed

A new series of courses are about to start, so please come and join in, have fun, meet people and learn new skills. The courses are very popular so please phone to book your place: 817288

Our courses are generously subsidised by the Isle of Wight Council and the Learning and Skills Council; however most opportunities incur a course fee and / or a material charge to help cover costs (see listings for details).

The course fees are the equivalent of £4 per session (£2 concessionary fee available for those on means tested benefit).

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Press release from Hampshire and IOW Constabulary

Police officers and partner organisations are asking residents to continue playing an important part in keeping the Isle of Wight a safe place to live.

Two Community Engagement Forums are being held for the Upper Ventnor and Wroxall areas next week.

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This Thursday night sees the very last Making Waves session take place at Ryde Theatre.

Making Waves was the brainchild of those running The Development Suite. Regular readers of VentnorBlog will remember that back in December last year, they put an invitation out to all Island musicians to come forward and take advantage of a great opportunity.

That opportunity was to play on stage at Ryde Theatre, be recorded by IW Radio for later broadcast on the Live and Local Show and be interviewed by Glynn Taylor.

Many, many bands took advantage of this offer with Emily Jane and The Wild Oats kicking off the first session back at the beginning of April.

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Despite saying otherwise on the Ventnor Town Council Website, we hear that the Planning Meeting scheduled for tonight at 6.30pm has been postponed.

We’re not sure of the reason why, but if you were planning to head down there tonight, pop your slippers back on and find something else to do.

For those with an interest in discussions held at the Town Council meetings, you’ll be keen to hear that next Monday, 8th September, Leader of the Council David Pugh will be attending to answer questions from the Ventnor Town Councillors and public.

A small number of roads around the Ventnor Esplanade have received letter drops this weekend, inviting them to a public meeting in two weeks time.

The letter states “that the local highway authority are in the process of evaluating a number of options to address current road safety and environmental concerns that have been expressed about Ventnor Esplanade.”

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The Community Advice Network are holding a Health and Wellbeing Fayre on Wednesday 10th September at the Winter Gardens.

There will be information and advice from a range of local organisations, a display giving information on the Ventnor Town Plan, local craft stalls, activity demonstrations including gentle chair exercises and natural therapy taster sessions.

The Community Advice Network is a group of Voluntary and Statutory organisations who work in partnership to promote their services and offer information and guidance to individuals out in their community.

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If you’re going to be heading over to the Classic car rally on the Quay in Newport in a couple of weeks time, do pop into the Riverside Centre for more information about volunteering. Ed

Would you like to help make a difference to your community or the environment?

On Saturday 13th September from 10.30 am till 3.30 pm the Isle of Wight Volunteer Centre is holding a Volunteering Fayre at the Riverside Centre, Newport.

Around 20 local organisations will be there on the day promoting their various activities and ways you can get involved.

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For the many people who would like to show their respect for Brenda Lawson, her funeral takes place at Holy Trinity Church at 1.30 this afternoon.

The cortège will be going through the High Street at approx 1.15pm.

It is hoped that residents, visitors and businesses would pause briefly and come to the pavement as she passes by.

Only family flowers are preferred, but you can make donations if desired to IW Healthcare Charitable Fund (Chemotherapy Unit) C/o H. Ingram & Son’s, Albert St, Ventnor.

Image: Nabger

Something else that is happening this Sunday, but during the day is the Open Day for Freshwater Lifeboat.

The fundraising day hopes to help raise much needed cash for the running of the present boats and the new required boat and larger boathouse (which will be needed to accommodate the new craft).

There will be stalls and refreshments available throughout the day and the crew will be on hand to answer questions about the boats.

Do pop along and help make a difference.

Image: Courtesy of TPM

If you’ve made plans for Sunday night and they don’t involve heading down to the Ventnor Winter Gardens, cancel them and start again.

This Sunday night from 7.30pm onwards for just £2.50 entrance (yes, it is crazy, but hopefully leaves enough cash in your pocket for you to buy a copy of the CD) five Island bands intend to rock your socks off.

There’s going to be something for everybody on Sunday night, as a handful of bands featured on the limited edition Transitions Volume One make their way to the Winter Gardens.

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Ventnor Town Councillors and members of the public stood in silence for one minute at the beginning of the Ventnor Town Council meeting last night, in memory of the life of Brenda Lawson who died last week after a long illness.

Madame Mayor, Susan Scoccia made a heartfelt tribute to Brenda who had been a Town Councillor since 1991, a County Councillor and Mayor of Ventnor three times.

Referring to Brenda as the backbone of Ventnor Carnival, she felt that the carnival procession on Wednesday evening (the day of Brenda’s death) was a fitting tribute to the dedication and hard work that Brenda had shown to the town over the many years.

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At the Ventnor Town Council last night, Cllr Colin Elvers brought to the attention of those attending the meeting details of a door to door con man operating in the area.

Colin had received a note from a St Lawrence resident, which pointed out that a man going by the name of Liam Muir (no physical description given) had managed to con £40 out of an elderly lady in the St Lawrence area for a first aid kit which contained just a few plasters and bandages.

It is thought that the lady paid the money to get rid of the caller.

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