Ventnor Blog

Following on from Part One of the first Chapter of David Yates’ novel, The Last Bullfighter, read on for the rest of the chapter. Coming to you every weekend until Christmas on VentnorBlog. Ed

Part Two
Below the main stand, an office door crashed open, and a large, rough-looking man in a red shirt and dark brown waistcoat burst in, “How much? How much? How much did we take today? There must have been thousands of Euros! Here, let me finish off counting my money.”

Valera brushed aside the clerk with a sweep of his fat, hairy arm, and sat behind the cashier’s desk to continue counting the notes and coins into orderly bundles and piles.

“Yes. This was a good Corrida de Toros – bullfight - today. I knew it would be. Another few afternoons like this and I’ll soon be a very rich man indeed. Me, Valera! The son of a goat farmer! Once I was a great bullfighter and now I own more fighting bulls than almost anyone else in Spain. Soon I’ll be one of the richest men on the Costa del Sol!

(more…)

As mentioned earlier in the week, VentnorBlog is pleased to bring you the serialisation of David Yates’ novel, The Last Bullfighter. Published every weekend in the run up to Christmas, we hope you enjoy David’s work. Ed

A fanfare of long silver trumpets blasted through the hot, narrow streets of the old Spanish town. An enormous crowd cheered, and a group of excited children burst into the Plaza Santa Domingo to tear at the life-size model of a bull. The tail was wrenched off, the horns were ripped from the head, and holes were torn in the brittle flanks so that the children could reach the bundles of brightly wrapped sweets hidden inside. The children filled their pockets and ran off stuffing sugary gems into their mouths. The carcass of the model bull lay strewn across the square.

The fanfare sounded once more from the top of the square church tower - this time much longer and more elaborate. In unison the crowd began to chant,

“Queremos los toros – queremos los toros - We want the bulls – we want the bulls.”

(more…)

Up until recently it’s been fairly rare for VentnorBlog to publish content over the weekend.

However, more and more people have been writing to us saying they’d love a weekend fix of VentnorBlog.

There aren’t enough hours in the day to cover everything that we’d love to, so if you fancy getting involved and sending in the odd article that we could publish at the weekend, do get in touch.

In the meantime, starting tomorrow and running every weekend between now and Christmas, we’ll be bringing you the serialisation of one of David Yates’ (he of Bomb Alley fame) unpublished novels, The Last Bullfighter.

We thank David for choosing to share his work with the many readers of VentnorBlog and hope you enjoy catching up with the story every Saturday and Sunday for the next nine weeks.

Image: Anette Schaeffer

Over the last few weeks the idea for an artist’s networking evening has been evolving at Quay Arts in Newport.

Tonight sees the first official Artist’s Networking Evening and organisers are hoping that artists, actors, musicians, photographers, craft makers, film makers, writers, theatre directors, designers and anyone interested in the creative industry come along, be inspired and stimulated, share ideas and network.

For more information please contact Box Office: 01983 822490 or email info@quayarts.org

It’s a free event taking place in the Cafe area.

VentnorBlog are proud to have been chosen to host the serialisation of The Last Bullfighter, an unpublished book by accomplished Isle of Wight author, David Yates.

David ‘Rowdy’ Yates is originally from Waltham St Lawrence, near Reading in Berkshire, but now lives in Sunny Ventnor and is a regular reader of VentnorBlog.

The author and former Portsmouth Royal Navy sailor onboard HMS Antrim, released his first title, Bomb Alley (published by Pen and Sword Books Ltd) in September 2006. The book came close to becoming a best seller during commemorative events held to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Falklands War in 2007, and strong global sales still continue.

(more…)

Ventnor Library’s Reading Group met on Wednesday night last week at the St Boniface Arms, to discuss the books they had read during September.

Thanks to the St Boniface Arms for making us welcome.

What the Reading Group thought of the “Scottish Authors”
No one wanted to read Sir Walter Scott, Irvine Welsh, James Boswell, Thomas Carlyle, Helen Dunnett, George Macdonald Fraser, but ….

A.J.CRONIN (pictured) … well written and absorbing… obviously had experience of his characters lifestyles … reminds me of Howard Spring or Graham Greene … good old fashioned writing.

(more…)

The latest issue of the fantastic Fusion magazine which is produced by young people from Medina High School, with the help of Russell Ince from Wax Crayon Design.

This is the fourth issue of the magazine which has been going from strength to strength over the last year.

The quality of writing, design and photography is fantastic and puts some of the adult produced magazines on the Island to shame.

Once again it is jam packed with fabulous articles, giving readers an insight into subjects such as sexual health, Japanese culture, healthy eating and how David Pugh got a grilling from students over the education reforms.

(more…)

Tickets are still available for Sebastian Peake’s talk on Friday at Quay Arts.

The subject of his talk is the fascinating life and prolific work of his late father, Mervyn Peake who died in 1968 and has been described as ’the incarnation of Renaissance man’ but is probably best known as author of the Gormenghast trilogy.

The death of his mother in 1983 accelerated Sebastian into promoting his father’s whole body of work, when he began hosting regular talks with question and answer sessions.

(more…)

It’s not far off a year since the History Society unveiled a blue plaque outside the honeymoon residence of Edward Elgar in Alexandra Gardens.

This coming Sunday the Elgar Society are inviting the public to join them in a walk following in the footsteps of Edward Elgar along the Landslip from Shanklin to Ventnor.

They will be finishing at the honeymoon residence at 2pm for refreshments and the launch of a new book, ‘This Charming Island’, about Edward and Alice Elgar’s honeymoon in that house in 1889.

(more…)

A small sample of what’s new at Ventnor Library.

DVD
Shanghai Kisses
The Kovak Box – you are trapped inside and you don’t even know it
27 Dresses – from the screenwriter of The Devil wears Prada
Hot Tamale – moving to LA can be murder
Vantage Point - the U.S President is assassinated…
Virgin Territory “..a rousing sword and sandal epic..”
In Bruges – Colin Farrell – shoot first, sightsee later
(more…)

Staff at the Ventnor Library would like to thank everyone who entered the Beach Poetry Competition, which was devised earlier in the year to celebrate Ventnor Beach gaining a Blue Flag.

Particular congratulation go to Enya Rogers, aged 7 who won the children’s category and Margaret Nelmes who wowed the judges most in the adult category.

(more…)

If you little darlings are finding it hard to keep themselves occupied as we’re drawing to the end of the schools holidays, why not take them down to Ventnor Library for super-fast storytime?

There will be free story-telling and craft making in the Library between 10.30 and 11.45 tomorrow.

Fabulous book image courtesy of Kenny Matic

If you missed the successful launch of Rocken Edge at Waterstones last week, worry not.

Wendy Harris will be at Seasons on Ventnor High Street this coming Saturday between 11am and 1pm.

Pop in and get your copy of the third in the series of Undercliff novels signed by the author.

Don’t forget to say where you heard about it.

Nothing on the telly? Pouring with rain? Too hot for the beach?

This is a small selection of the new titles Ventnor Library received in July

DVD
The Other Boleyn Girl – Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman
Margot at the wedding
There will be blood – Oscar winning Daniel Day Lewis
I’m not there – many faces of Bob Dylan!
(more…)

In a continuation of Ghost Stories set around the Ventnor Area, Gay Baldwin’s next instalment features young Milly Pugsley who lived in Newport but at the long-gone Royal National Hospital. Ed

MILLY MEETS A GHOST
From the moment Milly Pugsley saw the old Royal National Hospital, she loved the place. As a student nurse, she spent two happy years there, despite several encounters with the hospital’s ghosts.

Now a retired nurse tutor, Milly lives in Newport, with a collection of elderly cats which she claims moved in when she wasn’t looking.

(more…)

Literary fans and lovers of the Undercliff, don’t forget that tonight sees the launch of
Wendy Harris’ new book, Rocken Edge.

Wendy will be at Waterstones in Newport from 6.30pm and everyone is welcome to join her.

(more…)

Are you a budding young writer who could do with some direction?

Do you know a young person who loves writing and could do with some expert guidance on developing their skills?

If so, you need to know about the Young Writers Week being organised by Invent Theatre.

Working in partnership with the Extended Schools program, Invent Theatre will be running a ‘Young Writers Week’ for young people aged fourteen to eighteen living on the Isle of Wight.

(more…)

Many thanks to Gay Baldwin for his next instalment of ghostly goings on in Ventnor. Ed

For almost a century, the Royal National Hospital at Ventnor was at the forefront of the fight against the highly infectious disease, tuberculosis.

More than 100,000 patients were treated there. Many were cured. Others weren’t so fortunate. Much pioneering and experimental surgery was carried out in the operating theatre, but until the discovery of new and effective drugs, consumption was a highly infectious killer disease.

(more…)

Local author, Wendy Harris is just about to release her third novel in the Undercliff Series which will be launched at a book signing at Waterstones next Tuesday evening in Newport.

The novel, ‘Rocken Edge’, is the third in the Undercliff series and, as the title implies, all are set along The Undercliff and feature Ventnor.

Wendy tells us that the books have been translated into several different languages and sell extremely well abroad - hopefully adding to Isle of Wight tourism.

This third book is being printed and published on the Island by Coach House Publications as Wendy is keen to support the Eco Island initiative.

There will also be a book signing on Saturday 2nd August, late morning, at the same venue.

Following on from Gay Baldwin’s introduction earlier in the week to spooky goings on on the Island, here, as promised is the first instalment. We take a trip down to the Ventnor Brewery. Ed

Wight Spirit - Brewed Supernaturally
The ghost of a long-dead brewer who still keeps a watchful eye over the beer-making has had a modern-day ale created and named Wight Spirit in his honour.

Wearing old-fashioned clothing, complete with starched wing collar and rolled up shirtsleeves, the phantom brewer has been seen at a third floor window, once the labelling room, surveying the yard at Ventnor Brewery, while his spirit is also heard whistling in empty rooms.

(more…)

There’ll be a giant two day Book Sale at Ventnor Library next week.

Ventnor Library is holding a two day sale of books from all the Island libraries Friday 25th and Saturday 26th July during normal opening hours.

Why not stock up on cheap reads for your summer holidays?

Opening Times
Friday 9.30am - 12.30pm 1.30pm - 5.00pm
Saturday 9.30am - 12.30pm 1.30pm - 4.30pm

Image: Asheboro Public Library

VentnorBlog offers a warm welcome to Island ghost writer, Gay Baldwin who has put together for us, a collection of spooky stories set in the Ventnor area. She starts with an introduction to the Island, but over the next few weeks we’ll have ghostly stories from the Ventnor Brewery, the old Hospital and Botanic Gardens amongst others. Ed

See The Darker Side of Wight
By day the Isle of Wight is a place of sunshine, spectacular countryside, beaches and great sports and leisure activities. But it has a darker side too. For it is also known as Ghost Island - the most haunted Island in the world!

Ghosts and spirits abound here, for the Isle of Wight has a supernatural energy that’s particularly evident in some very haunted hotspots. This diamond shaped island off England’s south coast, a covering just 147 square miles, has some 130,000 ‘living’ residents who share their home with hundreds of ghosts.

(more…)

Calling all aspiring writers!

Invent Theatre is pleased to release more details on our Young Writers Week taking place this summer.

This summer Invent Theatre, working in partnership with the Extended Schools program, is running a ‘Young Writers Week’ for young people aged fourteen to eighteen living on the Isle of Wight.

This exciting opportunity will take the form of a five day course in which those involved will write and direct a short sketch of their own which will then be performed at an open air performance in front of the general public.

(more…)

This Friday (and every first Friday of the month) sees an opportunity to showcase yourself in front of a friendly audience at Dimbola Lodge.

Kicking off at 8pm and running til 10.30pm the evening, hosted by Catherine Cameron Martin, brings with it Music, Poetry, Readings, Short Stories or Jokes, alongside personal interpretations of covers.

Feel free to take a bottle with you to enjoy or share (depending how generous you are).

It’ll cost you £2.00 for the pleasure and there is no need to book in advance.

Image: hiddedevries

The third issue of the youth led Fusion magazine is out now and available from various locations around the Wight.

The quality of design and editorial content continues to impress us here at VentnorBlog.

It’s hard to believe that the mag is produced almost entirely by young people, but it’s true.

Who’s On The Team?
The senior management team on the publication is made up by Mhairi Macaulay, Lizzie Woolfenden and Thea Welsford. They have the support of senior editors, Collette Wright and Eliesha Penner with Matt Matthews as Senior Designer. (more…)