RYDE CARNIVAL - 31st AUGUST
Oldest carnival
in the UK
The Isle of Wight stages more carnival
parades than anywhere else in the country.
The vibrant sights and sounds
of carnival rock the streets of 11
towns and villages on the Island
no less than 18 times each year.
The Island is home to the oldest
carnival in the UK, at Ryde, and
the only Shrovetide carnival in
the country, held at Cowes &
East Cowes.
The Island’s carnival season
starts and ends in Ryde, home
of some of the biggest and best
parades in the country. Raising
the curtain, on Saturday, July
8, is the annual Ryde Arts
Festival (pedestrian only) while
the spectacular Ryde Carnival
Illuminated procession on
Saturday, September 2, watched
by tens of thousands of spectators,
provides a memorable finale.
Contact: 01983 616362
22nd July
Shooting for charity
The Isle of Wight Gun Club is
pleased to announce that they are
hosting the Livestock Societies
Annual Charity Clay Pigeon Shoot
at The Isle of Wight Gun Club
Sheepwash Lane, Godshill, on
Saturday 22nd July 2006.
Register on the day between 1 &
2 pm. 65 Clays to each person at
the cost of only £15. to include
tea/coffee & a sandwich. Teams of
5 and individuals are welcome to
shoot. Also a pull shoot and our
usual raffles. All this is in aid of
EARL MOUNTBATTEN HOSPICE.
The winner takes home THE
RALF RYLANDS-SHORT SHIELD
and prize monies to the highest
individual and the highest score on
the pool shoot.
For further information please
contact
Mr & Mrs Wallis on
01983-551375 or visit www.
isleofwightgunclub.co.uk
Island Life - www.islandlifemagazine.net
The
Andrew
Turner
Column
The Isle of Wight MP...
I’ve sat through many debates
on local government in my
time, and the message is
always the same.
Government complains about
excessive rises in council tax
/ poll tax / rates (or whatever)
and blames councils for being
inefficient. Opposition parties
moan that the Government is
imposing new responsibilities
without
new
resources.
Predictable and uninformative.
This year something changed.
Not, it must be said, at
Westminster, but here on the
Island, at County Hall. The
‘begging bowl’ approach, which
claimed that we were an economic
basket case and could only
survive with extra hand-outs,
has been abandoned, council tax
has been raised modestly, and
services are improving in clear
and specific ways.
True, we’ve been relatively
fortunate with Government
funding. Since I led an all-party
delegation to Ministers three
years ago the Island has received
£20m more than would otherwise
been the case. But it is strong and
effective leadership that has really
made the difference. Council
leader Andy Sutton knows what
he and his group want to achieve,
and that is half the battle when it
comes to achieving it.
Some decisions have been nobrainers (such as keeping council
tax rises to the rate of inflation
instead of 13 or 14 per cent) they were election commitments.
However, it took courage to make
those tough and demanding
commitments.
Other decisions have been easy
when explored properly – can
we give our youngsters cheaper
travel? Most would be put off by
the cost. But Andy questioned
how money for young people’s
travel was being spent. Answer:
of £100,000 spent on the Youth
Mover, around 50 per cent went
on administration. That backoffice money is now being used
to provide better services.
Then there’s 24-hour free bus
and train travel for pensioners
(well beyond the Government
scheme); another £2.6m for
schools; preferential parking
for Islanders and 40 police
community support officers in
towns and villages across the
Island. Also £50,000 to restore
free cross-Solent travel for
radiotherapy patients, cut by the
NHS.
I’ve attended a number of
meetings in Whitehall with
Andy Sutton recently. At one I
told a sceptical minister, “After
years of a tired, worn out council
with little leadership and even
less vision I wasn’t sure the IW
Council could be turned round.
But I can see that Cllr. Sutton is
turning it round”.
I would be the last to suggest
that everything is perfect – there
remains a mountain to climb. Our
Council is still in the foothills,
but at least its Leader’s eyes are
on the summit.
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