Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2008 | Page 63

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING

life

Photo P.62: Andrew Hodgson, Kerry
Gustar & Andy Gustar
Photo P.63 David Biles, David Langford (High
Sheriff) & Graham Ansty (Judge from Somerset)
P63. Right: Mike Denness (Champion Beast) with David
Langford (High Sheriff) pictured gilding the beast.

First World War. After that,
the Gilten Market was held
annually until 1938 when for
the second time, war disrupted
life on the Island. In 1950 the
market was revived again until
2000 when the B.S.E crisis
and an outbreak of foot and
mouth stopped the movement
of cattle and closed markets.
With the abolition of
Newport Borough Council
and the office of Mayor of
Newport, the Committee
decided to look into the
possibility of the Gilten
Market coming under the
office of the High Sheriff
of the County of the Isle
of Wight. The then High

Sheriff agreed to this and the
Market continued, surviving
the termination of Newport
as a Fatstock Certifications
Centre in 1974 and the closing
of Newport market in 1984
when it moved to Brickfields.
From 2001 to 2003 there was
no Gilten Market because of
the B.S.E. crises and market
closures but December 2005
saw its successful revival. The
Gilten Market Committee is
made up of Island farmers
and the event is organised by
Southern Counties who run
Salisbury and Shaftesbury
markets. Phil Legge, who
is a blacksmith by trade,
provides pens for four or five

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