Ventnor Blog

Well done to those in Niton who have organised themselves into getting their first batch of plastic-bag replacements delivered.

The design on the bag was the product of a competition held at Niton Primary school where the whole school put forward designs, which were then judged by the school’s Eco team club.

There were two winners of the competition. The writing at the top was designed by Philip Morris in Year R and Justyce Cox for the lower drawing in Year 3.

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Another wonderful spring fete is planned for next month in aid of the Wessex Cancer Trust.

It is being hosted at Freshwater Court, a magnificent location and there is a fun packed day planned for all the family.

As well as the many stalls including Cakes, White Elephant, Plants, Bygones, Toys, Books, Clothes and Skittles, there is also the Silent Auction and a great Raffle.
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Cllr Debby Robinson has been on top of the concerns of local residents as to the arrival of the current tenants (yes, they’re paying to rent it) in the Shop Under The Clock.

Being thorough, she’s made a lot of phone calls and visits, including popping along to see them in the shop, to have a chat about what their background was and their plans.

The Shop Under the Clock – help for those in need in our community

In response to a number of questions and concerns voiced by Ventnor residents concerning the shop which has opened on the corner of Pier Street and Church Street, the Blog has given me the opportunity of passing on the facts, as they were told to me.

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We all know that there’s a lot of bad talk about the council at the moment over their proposals to alter the school structures - well don’t be down on them too much.

Joe Duckworth, Chief Exec of the council, told VentnorBlog that the council will be putting some money behind the scheme to make Ventnor plastic bag free, VentBag, as part of their Eco-Island campaign to help it to flourish.

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Congratulations to Liz Earle and her fellow co-founder of Ryde based Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare, Kim Buckland, who were yesterday awarded MBEs in recognition of their services to the beauty industry.

During the Working Lunch report last week, Liz explained that prior to setting up what has become the biggest independent British beauty company, she was a health and beauty writer.

But it’s not just skin deep, what Liz really promoted in her interview with Graeme Le Saux was the Island lifestyle. Having her business based on the Island means she can work hard and have the wonderful balance of being surrounded by some of the UKs most stunning views.
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It’s been open for a couple of months now and business is going well for local Jeweller, Sophie Honeybourne.

Back in March, Sophie and her partner, Raff took over the Pie in the Sky premises in Church Street and have worked extremely hard to renovate and fit out the gorgeous little space, and they’ve got it looking brilliant.

The window display brings sophistication to Ventnor and the wooden shutters used when the shop is closed make it neat and tidy.

You might recognise the style of the signage outside, which was created by another local artist, Tania Dixcey. I think it really sums up the feeling of Sophie’s jewellery, delicate and innocent.
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We went through a period about 18-20 months ago of going to the Shanklin Auction Rooms on a monthly basis - both the antique and modern days.

Although the quality of the auction lots were very highly variable - especially on the modern days - there were quite a few items scattered around the house that came from there. What unites all of them is that they were a jolly good buy.

Knowing that you found a source of a bargain is always a bit of a dilemma. You’re torn between helping people out and sharing your source of good value buys or keeping it to yourself so you can keep getting the odd bargain when the urge arises. Clearly from writing this post, we’ve chosen the former.

As of 1 April, the Islands two auction houses, Ways Auction House and Shanklin Auction Rooms officially merged (no it’s not another April F. Ool story) and the winners will be residents of the South East of the Island as Ways will be upping sticks in Ryde and shifting themselves to Shanklin. Hurrah!

To mark the coming together of the two, they’re renaming to become …. you guessed it … Island Auctions.

The newly merged company will be holding their first auction tomorrow and Wednesday at 9 Regent Street, Shanklin and you get hold of them via their Web site or on (01983) 863441.

Sad news reaches us that the petrol station in Ventnor is to close as of tomorrow night.

We had a brief chat with Brian Samson from the garage, who filled us in on the details.

Brian tells us that this decision was not taken lightly, and it saddens them greatly, but the build up of changing regulations and the need for regular inspections of many sorts has just made it not practical to continue.

Despite petrol being incredibly expensive, the margins for the petrol sellers are paper-thin, “pennies, certainly not pounds” in Brian’s words.

We at VentnorBlog have tried to encourage readers to use Leslies (and we’ve been practising what we preach too), but clearly the returns for Leslies just wasn’t sufficient to make it realistic. The car sales will continue.

This is a great shame for Ventnor, and who knows what the impact of it will be? Let’s hope that when people go to fill up with petrol out of town, they return to Ventnor to continue to do their shopping. Those business need our support.

(Thanks Sean for the tip)

If you’ve popped into Suzes Room recently, you’ll see that the stock is ever changing (a testament to her success).

When Suze first opened, there was an abundance of vintage mirrors, paintings, china, glassware etc, but the clothes have done so well, that she’s decided to try and stock as much as possible - I guess it’s all about supply and demand - we demand, she supplies.

And what a great selection she has. Whether you’re into the 50s, 60s or 70s, Suzes Room has got just what need, from casual wear, formal evening wear to frilly nightwear (please don’t sell that little number I had my eye on Suze).

Amongst the clothes, you still find great retro pieces, such as the brilliant cats, kittens and dogs (as pictured) handmade by Suze with vintage fabric, or the wonderful 70s birthday books - beautifully illustrated and in mint condition, fabric patches, interesting stickers, eclectic jewellery (including some great commissioned hairclips), 50s china, 70s glassware, stretched canvases with quality vintage fabrics (which can be made to order), there’s so much to on offer.

For all your lads out there who want to get the lady in your life something special this Christmas, but always seem to choose the wrong thing - Suze comes to the rescue with the introduction of gift vouchers. Let your lady do the choosing and impress her with vouchers from Suzes Room rather than Woolies.

In the Vintage Vacations section you can buy your very own vintage trailer - but this one is a Michael Peterson commissioned glass bauble to hang on your Christmas Tree and looks fantastic. A great gift for someone you love, or yourself if you’re feeling generous (they can be bought in the shop or online). There are also some wonderful handmade, by Helen, one-off dresses, bags, aprons etc all lovingly made with vintage fabrics and quality finishing.

If you are going to be around in Ventnor please do pop in and have a look around. If you’re here on a Friday night (6pm-9pm between now and Christmas) you can enjoy a (homemade) mince pie & a babycham. Home baked treats will be available as usual on Saturdays.

Opening times between now and Christmas:

Fridays 10am-2 pm & late nights from this Friday 6-9 pm - mince pies and Babycham
Saturday 10am-5pm
Sundays 10am-2pm
(Suze can open at other times by appointment,
please call her on 07866 411490)