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4 days ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Mal Butler
Retiring Mountbatten CEO, Nigel Hartley, has hit out at mainland NHS bosses’ decision to withdraw around £1.4million funding for the Island’s only hospice, claiming: “The NHS has always ignored the dying.”The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board (ICB) has just announced a ‘reallocation of system funding for hospices’. Their devastating decision means Mountbatten will lose £1.4m-a-year in critical funding, with around £600,000 being cut this autumn, without prior warning.
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6 days ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Mal Butler
Flags were waved and hundreds of people joined in with some raucous singing of Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia, as the Yarmouth Seasongs and Festival weekend drew to a successful conclusion on Monday. Acts from across the Island, along with mainland performers, joined in over the four days as they entertained the crowds with songs of the sea, sailing ships, fishing and barges.
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1 week ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Mal Butler |Carole Dennett
A veteran rugby player’s ‘obsession’ about his great uncle led him to Twickenham on Saturday. Robert Simpson’s relative was Ronald Poulton Palmer, the England rugby captain in the 1913–14 season, and superstar of his day, who played his last game before the First World War on St Helens Green.
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1 week ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Mal Butler
Two branches of ironmongers Hurst’s, at Ventnor and Freshwater, are to close with a third in Shanklin at risk, involving a number of job losses. The popular Island retailer dates back to 1859, when Charles Wheeler opened a foundry, and the business mainly supplied materials and carried out implement repairs to the then booming farming industry.
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2 weeks ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Mal Butler |Carole Dennett
Vintage buses toured the Island over the weekend as part of the IW Bus & Coach Museum’s Rydabus event. There were 10 routes starting out from Ryde with trips to Brading Roman Villa, the Donkey Sanctuary and the IW Steam Railway on the agenda, as well as excursions to Shanklin, East Cowes and Newport among others. Organiser, Ben Bartram, said: “It’s always a popular event and we appreciate all of those who came along to enjoy the weekend.
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2 weeks ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Mal Butler |Carole Dennett
Ventnor residents have vented their fury as ‘one of the prime spots on the Island’ has been left in a state of disrepair. Around 70 residents attended a meeting concerning the Ventnor Winter Gardens at the town’s Better Days Café on Friday. Among those attending were Isle of Wight East MP, Joe Robertson, Ventnor IW councillor, Ed Blake, and Natasha Dix, service director for waste, environment and planning at the IW Council.
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2 weeks ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Carole Dennett |Mal Butler
The long-awaited dream of a state-of-the-art film and TV studio in East Cowes has taken a giant leap forward, bringing with it the promise of jobs and prosperity for the Island. Kingston Marine Park is finally set to become home to Medina Studios Ltd (MSL), a company founded by three seasoned film industry professional.
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3 weeks ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Mal Butler
The historic Totland Pier, which was set to boast a café and a top-quality bar and restaurant, is on the market for £3.5million. The Wooldridge Group, who previously leased the pier, had planned to open ‘The Pier, by Seasons’ restaurant in May 2024, but that development never materialised. The Bay Café, at the shore end of the pier, opened on two occasions before closing and an application was made to turn it turn it into holiday lets, which was refused.
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3 weeks ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Mal Butler
Thousands of people took part in Sunday’s Walk the Wight raising more than £400,000 for Mountbatten. The weather was ideal for the more than 9,300 people who took part in the event, with around 1,000 dogs wearing special bandanas, accompanying their owners. Mountbatten CEO, Nigel Hartley, who retires in October and has walked 11 times, recorded his best time, and said: “Thank you. Just thank you. Taking part in Walk the Wight means so much to our charity.
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3 weeks ago | 
iwobserver.co.uk | Mal Butler
Cycling advocacy group, CycleWight, is claiming a dispute, between IW Council and Island Roads, has delayed projects across the Island. The group says the dispute involves the PFI contract, and is hindering its efforts to encourage more cyclists to use the Island cycle path network as an alternative to riding on main roads.
