Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2007 | Page 4

EVENTS GONE BY
Chale Show

Chale picked one of the
few good weekends in
August for its familybased horticultural show.
Attendance was slightly
down, but despite the
earlier relentless rain, the
ground was firm enough
to take the weight of the
marching bands, and even
the visiting traction engines.
Stars of the central arena
were Bolddog, a truly
spectacular motor cycle
display team which twice
each day performed a
breathtaking routine lasting
45 minutes. Equipped with
the world’s largest display
ramp, the team performed
amazing stunts and jumped
gaps of more than 75ft.
The horticultural tent
is one of Chale’s chief
draws, this year housing
11,000 exhibits.

Wolverton Manor
Wolverton Manor Garden
Fair has the prettiest setting
of all the summer shows,
based as it is round the lovely
Tudor manor house with its
formal lawn and stream that
meanders through the show
ground. The organisers
teamed up with Age Concern
(Isle of Wight) this year, with
the joint aim of raising money
for the benefit of Islanders. A
lively charity auction, hosted
by Geoffrey Hughes and
David Barnes, raised £15,000.

Firmly routed in the
traditional ethos
of a village fair the
emphasis remains
on plant and
craft stalls, with
demonstrations
of traditional
skills and techniques. Tudor
enthusiasts camping at the
Manor offered food and
medicine from that time.
Entertainment for children
consisted of circus skills in
which they could either watch

or take part, mountain
biking, in which experts from
Wight Offroad demonstrated
cycling skills and taught
tackling an obstacle course,
and pony and trap rides.

2007 Scooter Rally
The Union flags, the squirrel
tales, even the odd Parka
combined with the flashing
chrome of thousands of
mopeds might have recalled

images of the notorious ‘60s
film Quadrophenia – were it
not for the glorious sunshine
that greeted the Ryde Scooter
Rally, the smiles behind all the
mod helmets and the groups
of sometimes three
generations of a family.
Around 5,000 bikes
took part in the
Sunday ride-out, and
the Guinness World
Record was broken
by the unbroken chain
of 1,100 mopeds in
the 1pm swarm from
the Planet Ice arena
on the seafront.

The Isle of Wight
2007 Garlic Festival
Ed Stewpot Stewart opened the
show, Mungo Jerry, Brotherhood
of Man and Little Noddy Holder
performed. But if musically
it was like being in a time
warp, there was plenty going

4

on at 2007s Garlic
Festival to entertain
people of all ages.
Ryde Extreme provided
some thrills, middle eastern
dancers added elegance, and
strongman John Evans led to
some sharp intakes of breath.

Shocking, but appreciated by
visitors to the festival was the
road safety demonstration in
the central arena, performed by
dedicated members of police,
fire and ambulance services.

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