Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2015 | Page 6

Check out our website visitilife.com or catch up with us on Facebook and Twitter A WORD FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the first edition of 2015 of your FREE Island Life. In recent months the NHS has been very much in the spotlight, so I spoke to Helen Shields, Chief Officer of the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group, and Caroline Morris, Head of Primary Care, to try to discover what is causing the intense pressures on the Island NHS, and what steps need to be taken to try to ease the situation. In the second of a two-part series, THE ISLAND LIFE TEAM Island diver Martin Woodward reveals the risks he took working inside the legs of oil rigs, hundreds of feet below sea level in a tube just 3ft in diameter. Also read about Helen Butler’s tireless work to protect our red squirrels; Becky Guile’s Atlantic adventures and where you can find the best saucy seaside postcard collection in the country. The Island’s social scene figures prominently, and there are all the usual features including gardening, food and drink, motoring, health and beauty, equestrian and countryside. So sit back, enjoy, and please support our loyal advertisers who make it all possible. Peter White, Editor View all our pictures from the last ten years... CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Turner, Tony Ridd, Sam Biles, Terence Willey, Tina Hughes, Publisher: Sales Manager: MT Publishing Ltd James Rolfe Executive Editor: 07814 723610 Martin Potter [email protected] Editor: Sales Assistant: Peter White James Falconbridge You can write to us at Suite 5, 17 St Design: Distribution: Thomas Square, Newport, PO30 1SL Colin Clarke Steve Read or by email: [email protected] or 07894 738246 call us on 01983 401073 Robert Booth, Matt Noyce, www.visitilife.com Facebook: facebook. com/visitilife Rex Gully and Warren Riches. HAVE A GOOD STORY? Twitter: @visitilife Tumblr: visitilife. tumblr.com Linkd in: Linkdin.com FOOD & DRINK p81 Food round up p87 Dianne's passion for The George AND MORE... 77 p20 Having fun and raising funds 18 p22 The Floating Bridge p24 Travel: Special appeal of Hong Kong p30 A history of Mothering Sunday p32 High Sheriff's Diary: With Claire Locke p48 Auctions: With Warren Riches and Rex Gully 88 p50 p107 Andrew Turner MP: Exciting plans ahead p108 Education Front Cover Spring Daffodils Picture supplied 6 www.visitilife.com 56 New book releases p110 Business editorials p113 Terence Willey & Co: Mortgages should not be overlooked p115 Roach Pittis: Stamp duty rules p115 Glanvilles LLP: Reduce the cost of your children's education p146 Your directory