Ventnor Blog

As we all know, many people visit the Isle of Wight for holidays. Here’s the experience of one of them who recently revisited after a break of 13 years. It sounds like he’ll be back soon!

If you feel the urge to write something similar, please get in touch with us. Ed

I think we all have a defining holiday that we recall from our youth…one that we talk about to friends and family whilst wearing rose coloured spectacles.

It’s 1985. Sometime in the summer…probably July, if my memory recalls.

I’ve spent god knows how many hours on the back seat of a Ford Granada travelling from Lytham to Lymington to catch the ferry to the Isle Of Wight.

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Did you hear the 8am news on IW Radio? Top story was that the The Waverly paddle steamer had collided with the pier at Yarmouth at around 8pm yesterday.

OK, it’s not ideal that it happened in the first place, especially as the pier has recently been rebuilt, but goodness gracious, dear old Michael Coombes was reporting it as if was the Hindenburg disaster.

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Press release issued By Standards Not Tiers on behalf of St Helen’s, Yarmouth and Chale Primary Schools SOS Action Groups

On Monday 8th September delegates from St Helen’s, Chale and Yarmouth Primary Schools held a meeting in St Helens, which was attended by Representatives of NASS, (National Association for Small Schools) and SNT (Standards-Not-Tiers).

Left to right: Sarah Edmunds, Chris Welsford, Miranda Botha, Mervyn Benford, Chris Farnsworth, Alison Bacon, Patrick Joyce, Lisa Dyer, Owen Toms, Caroline Diamond, Jonathan Bacon.

Speakers discussed the Isle of Wight Council proposals for the reorganisation and closure of schools, which are amongst the smallest and most successful in the country and agreed to offer assistance to all Island schools that are threatened with closure, both primary and middle.

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The Big Bike returns to the Wight in a couple of weeks time to help raise funds for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice.

The bike need 15 riders and every seat is sponsored. It’ll travel around various locations on the Wight, where the teams have their fun filled ride.

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We’ve all read about the problems with gribbles attacking Yarmouth Pier, one of the last remaining wooden piers in the UK. The shot to the left is evidence of the devastation caused.

But have you heard about the sculpture being created by public artists, Eccleston George?
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On Saturday the Guardian had a blitz of article on the UK as a destination for beach holidays - and the Isle of Wight came out in most of the pieces!

By our quick straw poll, it appears that The Island was mentioned more than any other part of the country. Well done to Sue Emmerson and Kellie White in the press office at the Isle of Wight Tourism Press & PR Department for getting so many items in there.

Biggest tip ‘o’ the hat goes to The Spyglass, Ventnor who got the main photo in the article covering the Seaside Pubs.
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All of you Manga fans are in for a real treat, because thanks to those lovely librarians, you can now get a Manga fix right on your door step. Here’s a couple of highlights …

Raenef stumbles upon the Temple of Rased where he meets someone who wants nothing more than to see him dead…..

or

Rusty Nail is a city with an unusual motto: Give me your tired, your poor, your extra body parts!

Well done to Tess for getting the books in - should be please a few people in Ventnor, I’m sure. If you ask very nicely, perhaps she might be able to arrange getting some Manga DVDs in too.