The Isle of Wight Beacon – the Island's daily news sport and weather website

News Stories for March 2008


FRUIT, VEG AND ART IN SANDOWN SCHOOL GARDEN IW based actor Geoffrey Hughes declares the garden open.
- Sandown CE Primary has formally opened a sensory garden, in the grounds of its nursery school. 
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CARNIVAL ROYALTY SET TO BE CROWNED Culver Cliff will be part of the realm!
- It is carnival time again and the season gets underway shortly, with the selection of Sandown’s Carnival Queens.
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THRILLS AND SPILLS AS RACING SEASON GETS UNDERWAY OFF COWES Cowes: The home of pretty hanging baskets and sailing.
- Two days of extreme weather conditions meant little action on the water at the 2008 Red Funnel Easter Challenge.  However, day three of the Royal Ocean Racing Club event produced some quite stunning Solent racing, with plenty of spills and thrills.
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SPORTING VIPS PAY A VISIT TO THE ISLAND
- The Isle of Wight is hosting a visit by the Chair of the International Island Games Association and members of its committee. 
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SCHOOL STRUCTURE DECIDED
- The Isle of Wight Council has adopted a new two-tier school structure.
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JOE DUCKWORTH TO LEAVE IW COUNCIL
- Isle of Wight Council Chief Executive Joe Duckworth is heading to a high profile job in London, leaving behind his rumoured £150,000 annual salary. He will take up the same role at the London Borough of Newham. 
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ON COURSE FOR EASTER IN RYDE
- Ryde Golf Club has reopened in time for Easter, after the refurbishment of its clubhouse.
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TROT MOORINGS IN BEMBRIDGE Picturesque Bembridge harbour
- There’s good news for sailors in Bembridge.
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RYDE PROJECT'S SUCCESS SET IN STONE The completed frontage at Rydes St Thomas Church
- A conservation award’s been won by a scheme to regenerate historic buildings in Ryde.
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TWO TIER OR THREE? THE FUTURE BECKONS AT IW SCHOOLS MEETING St Helens Primary at Saturdays protest march
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The future of Island education will be decided tonight.  A meeting will take place at County Hall in Newport, at 6pm.

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CHAMBER HOSTS TOURISM EVENT
- The Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce hosts a Tourism Open Day, from 10:30am on Wednesday. 
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STUDENTS LEARN LESSONS IN BUSINESS (L-R) Students Gary Burns, Matthew Jervis and Becky Cardy, with speaker Ian Murray
- A group of students from Carisbrooke High School have been learning lessons in business. 
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ISLAND'S ACCLAIMED SON ANTHONY MINGHELLA DIES, AGED 54
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One of the Island’s best loved sons, Oscar winning film director Anthony Minghella, has died suddenly aged just 54 years old.  His agent said he suffered a fatal haemorrhage in a London hospital, at 5am on Tuesday morning, days after having surgery on his tonsils and neck.

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GOING GREEN AT ISLAND LEISURE CENTRE
- The Heights Leisure Centre in Sandown is a greener place to get fit.
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MORE OF YOUR STORM PICTURES, FROM 10 MARCH
- Here are some more of your images from the storms on the 10 March.
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HAMMERING HOME A SPORTING MESSAGE Andy Frost meets the Bembridge Primary School pupils
- Athlete Andy Frost’s gone back to school to meet six pupils who could become sporting stars of the future. 
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HOUSING ADVICE FOR EAST WIGHT LOCALS
- A new housing scheme is featured at tonight’s meeting of Nettlestone and Seaview Parish Council.  
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SPORT RELIEF CHARITY EVENTS Yarmouth Pier, near to where the charity walk will begin
- A mile for Sport Relief is the challenge facing WI members from the West Wight, this Friday.
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ISLAND BACKS OPTION 3 AHEAD OF EDUCATION DECISION Protest outside County Hall
- The Island has spoken in favour of Option Three, with the publication of the results of a public consultation over plans to shake up education.
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MARCH FOR MISSING DAMIEN Damien Nettles website holds more information
- The mother of missing Damien Nettles has marched through London in his memory.
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JUMPING IN MEMORY OF HUSBAND Lisa and her late husband Ronnie
- A Newport woman has challenged herself to skydive 10,000 feet, in memory of her husband. 
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"SEVERE WINTER STORM" HITS ISLAND Car ploughs through flood water, East Cowes
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A combination of high winds, heavy rain and spring tides have been playing havoc on the Isle of Wight.  Here are some of the pictures from the day. Send us yours to lucy@iwbeacon.com.

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THOUSANDS PREPARING TO WALK THE WIGHT
- The organisers of this year’s Walk the Wight say they have already had an unprecedented amount of entries.
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EGG-STATIC SAILORS PREPARE TO TAKE TO THE WATER THIS EASTER Red Funnel ferries will pick their way between the yachts.
- The sailing season is set to get underway later this month, with Red Funnel’s 17th annual Easter Challenge.
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WESTON MANOR FRESHWATER MEETING
- A meeting planned for the 10 March to consider the future of Weston Manor has had to be postponed because of flooding in Yarmouth.  It meant some of those key to the event could not disembark from their Wightlink ferry sailing. Totland Parish Council's gathering at the Church Hall in The Broadway (Totland) will now be rescheduled.
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YOUNG PEOPLE EXTEND "WIGHT 2B HEARD" Cllr Alan Wells
- The Island’s young people have spent a day considering bullying, alcohol and drug abuse and housing at Friday’s annual Wight 2b Heard conference.
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WOODEN BOXES AT DIMBOLA
- Six artists have designed unique charity donation boxes and their work will go on show on Saturday 8 March. 
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SCHOOLS DAY FOR SPECIAL PUPILS
- The Isle of Wight is showcasing what’s on offer for school children with special needs. An information day takes place on Saturday 8 March, at the Isle of Wight College in Newport.
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PHONE ISSUES PARTLY RESOLVED 01983 522123
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The Isle of Wight Beacon Magazine has been experiencing numerous problems with our telephone system, following a system upgrade.

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WHEN BRITANNIA RULED THE WAVES Britannia in her heyday.
- A relic of British maritime history returns to Cowes on Monday, nearly 40 years after making headlines around the world. 
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IS YOUR BEACH HUT BETTER THAN THE REST Beach huts on Bembridge beach.
- Television’s interior designer Linda Barker is searching for the UK’s most stylish beach hut.  She’s trying to find the “Toast of the Coast” – a beach hut that is out of the ordinary and a cut above the rest.
Read more about - IS YOUR BEACH HUT BETTER THAN THE REST