Isle of Wight News on Ventnor Blog

Blues fans don’t forget that this Saturday night the Winter Gardens will come along to the sound of Big Joe Louis and his Blues Kings.

The award-winning “Jamaican Blues guitar supremo” will be dishing up some real down-home Blues with his band and bringing the venue to life.

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Back in September 2008 VB broke the story of the tragic death of an Isle of Wight resident who had picked and eaten some mushrooms growing wild at the Botanic Gardens in Ventnor.

It’s a story that once reported, swept around the world.

Today, at the Island’s Coroner’s court the circumstances were discussed in detail.

The inquest had originally opened and adjourned back in Sept 2008 (Video report).

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A cupcake tea break in aid of Ovarian Cancer hopes to raise funds and much needed awareness later this month.

Taking place at St Wilfred’s Primary School in Ventnor, organisers of the event are appealing to local residents and businesses to donate prizes for the raffle as well as cakes.

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If you fancy a night in watching a DVD, then take a look at the selection available at Island Libraries. At just £1 per night, they’re a great bargain. Ed

In 1997, Melbourne Australia, I was intrigued to review a film called ‘Gross Point Blank’, starring John Cusack and Minnie Driver, Joan Cusack and Dan Ackroyd.

A fusion of dark sarcasm, excellent soundtrack and strong character acting, this film revealed a side of enthusiastic, intelligent, madness that John Cusack portrayed extremely well.

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An A4 piece of paper in the window of a shop in Ventnor town is calling for a Town Meeting to discuss the future of Ventnor Town Council – in effect calling for a vote of no confidence.

It states that it’s “pursuant of the Local Government Act 1972 schedule 12 Para 15(1)(d) to be held at the Holly (sp) Trinity church.”

(Link to the relevant Act)

It’s signed by six people who state that they are ‘local government electors.’ They are (in alphabetic order) Christine Benson; Robert Chuter; N Gibbs; Graham Morris (Vicar); P.R. Noble; K.J. Pratley and M Snipps.

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This coming weekend sees the sixth annual Spring Blues concert take place on the Island.

On Saturday night, the Ventnor Winter Gardens will play host to some amazing blues talent, as Jamaican born Big Joe Louis makes his way to the south of the Island.

He’ll be bringing with him his band, The Blues Kings, and promising to deliver their special kind of real down-home Blues.

These guys have been touring the world for 18 years and have worked with the likes of Mississippi Delta Blues legend David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Van Morrison and Jools Holland, making this one gig you should not miss out on

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If you’re planning to have some quiet nights in, why not try out the DVD or book collection at your local library?

Here are the latest acquisitions for Ventnor Library.

DVD
An Education – 3 Oscar nominations
Julie and Julia – Meryl Street – Oscar nominated for Best Actress

Fiction
Clive CUSSLER Spartan Gold – a Fargo adventure
Annie GROVES Hettie of Hope Street – heart versus head…
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If you fancy a night in watching a DVD, then take a look at the selection available at Island Libraries. At just £1 per night, they’re a great bargain. Ed

Written by Ronnie Christensen and starring Anne Hathaway and Patrick Wilson – an actor of immense bravado for appearing in the extremely intense ‘Hard Candy’.

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This year’s Isle of Wight Jazz Festival will not be going ahead, VentnorBlog has learnt.

We hear from one of the directors that the decision was made after what they cite as, “a number of difficulties and delays in response to the request to hire the Salisbury Gardens so that it is now too late to complete plans.”

When the Isle of Wight Jazz Festival was cancelled last year, punters who had already bought tickets were encouraged to keep hold of them to use at this year’s festival.

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Are you interested in researching your family tree but have no idea where to start?

A two and a half hour course being held at Ventnor Library may be just what you’re looking for.

Using the Internet and with helpful advice from those who know where to look, you could leave the sessions knowing much more about where you came from.

Check Events on the Wight for full details of where and when.

Image: Rick under CC BY-SA 2.0

Island blues outfit, The Folsom Prison Blues Band will be making their way down to the Ventnor Winter Gardens this Saturday night.

Taking over the bar area on the ground floor, Mick Cooch, Tim Hollis, Rich Wilson and the Man in Black, Damien Paul, will be ripping it up performing their favourite Johnny Cash tunes along with a few other Rock’n'roll’n'blues thrown in.

Having seen Thee Waxworks gig in the bar last week, we reckon having live acts perform there is a great use of the space.

Kicks off around 9pm and it won’t cost you a penny to get in. You can’t ask for better than that!

Image: Franco Folini under CC BY-SA 2.0

Blimey. The intrigue at the Ventnor Town Council continues as tonight’s meeting is declared invalid as the date of the meeting had been moved by the Town Clerk, not the councillors.

More details later.

Many thanks to Aimee for this update on support received for St Catherine’s. Ed

Acclaimed actor, screenwriter and director Julian Fellowes hosted a reception for St Catherine’s in London on Tuesday 2 March.

Julian, who won an Oscar in 2002 for Gosford Park, spoke about the importance of speech and communication in all our lives and the challenges children with communication disabilities face every single day.

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All change on the Ventnor Town Council meeting front.

If you were planning on going to the VTC meeting (covering Town Council + Planning + Grants), due to take place on 15 March, you’re going to have to change your plans pretty sharpish – we hear that the meeting has been brought forward to tonight, 8th March.

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If you’re recently retired and looking for something interesting and constructive to do in your spare time, then why not head to Ventnor Library tomorrow?

All throughout the day, they will be giving advice and information on how to widen your horizons.

Details of local groups from Wight Squirrels to U3A, St Catherine’s Lighthouse to the Badger Trust, Sam the Health Trainer to Quarr Abbey, Canine Partners (with puppies!) and many more will be at Ventnor Library.

Normal Tuesday opening hours apply: 9.30am – 12.30pm and then again between 1.30pm – 5pm

Image: Jason Swain

Need some distractions for the weekend ahead?

Try the library for a new DVD or book. DVDs at 50p for children overnight and £1 for adults

FICTION
J L CARRELL The Shakespeare curse – a sickening modern killer…Best Seller
Alexander McCall SMITH Tea time for the traditionally built – Best seller
John CONNOLLY The lovers – Best seller
Linwood BARCLAY Fear the worst …can anything be more terrifying?…
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Our thanks go to Eyemasters for supporting VentnorBlog by paying for this Sponsored Feature.

Are you squinting at your screen or have you been peering out of the window, unable to clearly see things in the distance?

If so, or if you’re looking to replace your glasses, there’s a business based in Ventnor that can help you.

35 years experience
Richard Smith from Eyemasters has over 35 years experience in the ophthalmic lens business behind him and is offering his clients a personalised, one-on-one service.

This doesn’t mean it’s costly though.

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After nine years of problems with Undercliff Drive, proposals by the Isle of Wight Council for improving Ventnor’s road access have garnered a luke-warm response from residents.

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If you’re a regular VB reader you’ll know that we’re big fans of Island band Thee Waxworks.

The four piece, who all learnt how to play instruments so they could form the band, have been working their smelly socks off on a load of new tracks which they’ll be giving an outing to this coming Friday.

Yes, the long awaited next live performance is almost upon us. Thee Waxworks will be playing live in the upstairs bar at the Winter Gardens at the monthly Psycho Beat gig.

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Need some distractions for the weekend? Try the library for a new DVD or book. DVDs at 50p for children overnight and £1 for adults

DVD
Michael Jackson – this is it
Up – the new Pixar
Pandorum – don’t fear the end of the world, fear what happens next…

FICTION
Karen ROSE Don’t tell – shhh..he’s coming for you…Best Sellers
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The Ventnor Town Council will be meeting tonight for their regular Plans and Winter Gardens committee meetings.

The Plans meeting will consider a couple of local planning applications, allowing time for members of the public to make statements regarding planning issues.

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If you fancy a bit of live folk music tonight then look no further than the Ventnor Winter Gardens.

Virtuoso musicians, Martin Simpson, a wonderful guitarist and Danny Thompson, widely regarded as the finest double bass player in the world, are a double act not to be missed.

Martin Simpson is “widely acknowledged as one of the finest acoustic and slide guitar players in the world, his interpretations of traditional songs are masterpieces of storytelling”.

Doors open at 7.30pm and show starts at 8pm.

Tickets are just £16.50 available on the door.

Considering that 67 year old Islander Robin Ford didn’t start writing poetry until his mid fifties, it’s pretty impressive that as well as already having published two poetry collections, he has another about to be launched.

Following ‘After The Wound’ and ‘Never Quite Prepared For Light’ (both published by Arrowhead Press) comes ‘On The Brink’ (published by Cinnamon Press).

Born in Cowes and growing up in Newport, Robin tells VB that he first started writing after a serious bout of illness. His past career had been in teaching during which, for the most part, he taught at Cowes High School.

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It’s Valentine’s Day, so what better way to impress your loved one that to relax with some beautiful live violin and harp music?

Later today, violinist Frances Mason and harpist Jenny Broome will play a varied programme of classical music at Ventnor Winter Gardens and help raise funds for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice.

Well known classics such as the Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams will be amongst the pieces from composers including Rossini, Saint-Saens and Kreisler.

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Need some distractions for the weekend? Try the library for a new DVD or book. DVDs at 50p for children overnight and £1 for adults

DVDs
Driving Aphrodite – star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding finally goes to Greece
The Ugly Truth – Gerard Butler and Katherine Heigl
Time Traveller’s Wife – from the best selling book
Love Happens – Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart
Invention of lying – Ricky Gervais
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