Beacon Magazine

Ryde will once again turn Merry and Bright this Christmas.

A free 'Christmas Fun Palace' will be held at The National Trust’s Mottistone Gardens next weekend.

We've teamed up with Kings Theatre to give away a family ticket to see Cinderella next week.

The Isle of Wight is blessed with lots of local businesses selling seasonal items and produce — so rather than doing the big Christmas shop at a supermarket, try the local farm shops, butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers scattered throughout the Island.

Bikers and scooterists will ride to St Mary's Children's Ward dressed in their festive best next month, in the annual Christmas Toy Run.

An Isle of Wight photographer has won a prestigious national award.

Horrible Histories star Simon Farnaby and former CBeebies presenter Cerrie Burnell have been announced as the headliners for this year's Isle of Wight Story Festival.

A new festive fundraiser is coming to the Isle of Wight for Mountbatten.

Newport's Vectis Radio has enjoyed a glittering evening at the 2022 National Community Radio Awards.

As The Apollo Theatre celebrates its 50th anniversary, we look back at the history of this iconic building in Newport, dedicated to the art of performance.

After almost 40 years at the helm, the owners of the popular Freshwater Pet Store are bidding an emotional fur-well.

The winners of the inaugural Isle of Wight Book Awards were revealed at a charity lunch in Cowes yesterday (Wednesday).

Strictly Ballroom The Musical burst on to stage at Kings Theatre this week, in an explosion of glitz, glamour, drama and dance — under the iconic glitter ball.

As Cowes Week gets underway, here's a taster of what to expect over the coming week.

"Things are better, but a lot more still needs to be done" to take potentially malignant moles seriously, according to an Isle of Wight mother, who lost her daughter to skin cancer in 2020.

The Isle of Wight's Rhythmtree Festival is back at a new location from today (Friday).

Ryde Town Council and Ryde Library have announced a brand new collaboration to bring free reading to Ryde beaches.

The Isle of Wight's famous Billingham Manor is up for sale for £3.95 million.

Isle of Wight Truck driver, Jacob Benger-Pereira is planning to row from New York to the UK – retracing an iconic 3,200 mile ocean crossing from 1896 – in aid of two young people's mental health charities.

The owners of a holiday cottage in Bonchurch believe they’ve uncovered the inspiration behind the infamous Charles Dickens character, Miss Havisham.

One of the many festive traditions writer, Mary Goodsell, looks forward is having a pot of mulled wine on the stove. Here’s are her three tried and tested versions that should keep you warm and merry throughout the festive season.

Now, pigs in blankets are good. But pigs in CHEESY blankets reach another level!

Stir-up Sunday is a Victorian tradition where the family would gather together to stir the Christmas pudding five weeks before Christmas, or the last Sunday before advent begins. This recipe, by Mary Goodsell, is a family favourite which evokes fond nostalgic memories.

Late September/early October is the perfect time to start picking sloe berries and to get a delicious batch of Sloe Gin underway for Christmas.

Got some apples? Feeling creative? Impress your nearest and dearest while expressing your artistic side, writes Jo Grey.

The classic twist on the quintessential pavlova gets reimagined once again in this mouth-watering traybake by Adele Trathan.

Make the most of summers berries with this delectable recipe by Adele Trathan, perfect with a dollop of fresh cream or ice cream!

Schools are now open, so we've brought you one of our favourite lunchbox recipes, enjoyed by kids and grown ups — simple Lunchbox Lasagnes!

With summer in full swing, Gillian Reay-Young shares this recipe for Gin and Tonic Sorbet to enjoy in the sun.

Put a little zing in your hot cross buns with Adele Trathan’s twist on an age-old recipe

This warming and tasty recipe by Adele Trathan, puts all the ingredients into one pan, making it simple and easy for all the family to enjoy

A slice of this Blueberry and Lime Loaf with a cup of tea is the dream.

Costa Coffee, is introducing a selection of delicious sweet and savoury items to its existing menu. Available to purchase from Costa Coffee stores nationwide from Thursday 6th May, these new additions are the perfect choice for any picnic in the park.

Serve up delicious Pizza Pinwheels at home this Firework Night, to remember remember the 5th of November in your own way. We may not be out at our favourite firework displays as usual, but we can certainly put on a spread to enjoy with the family, starting with these delicious bitesize treats. Makes 16 pinwheels Takes 25 mins to cook and prepare

Got into baking sourdough bread during lockdown? Mix it up with this tasty pretzel recipe, from former Great British Bake Off finalist James Morton. Deliciously salty and perfectly chewy, these sourdough pretzels are sure to please.

This mouth-watering barbecue recipe is perfect for spring in the garden!

This sweet Easter Bread is a traditional recipe baked in Italy and Greece, which tastes similar to brioche.

Arguably one of the best things about the Easter season is enjoying warm hot cross buns, slathered in butter. So we've brought you a tasty recipe for cranberry and orange flavoured buns to bake at home. After all, we've all become pretty good at baking from scratch over the past year!

Author of the new Plant Based Cookbook, Brad Roe, shares his delicious recipe for Pine Nut Cornbread with Sweet Potato Puree, Sundried Tomato Cream and Crispy Pak Choi.

When it's cold and wet outside, we love to brighten a day stuck indoors with a few home comforts. How about these home-made Pork and Cranberry Sausage Rolls, served fresh from the oven.

Back in 1981 when Bergerac first came to BBC TV, it was no surprise when John Nettles received sack loads of fan mail. I, like millions of other men, rather fell for the more rubenesque charms of the Bureau receptionist Charlotte, played by the gorgeous Annette Badland.

There are days in your life that you will never forget. One of mine was September 26th, 2006, when I met up again with Jane McDonald. Her welcoming hug and comforting words were just what I needed

Fifty one years after I first saw Bill Wyman appearing at a Rolling Stones concert at Ryde Pavilion, I finally managed to meet him.

Back in 2001 I took an exciting 21 hour day trip to Weatherfield. I was expecting to undertake a couple of interviews with two of Coronation Street’s lesser known characters. Thankfully, it didn’t go to plan. Once the two interviews were completed and the press office girls had left, I was told to sit tight for a few minutes and see who might come in. Over the next hour, six of the most famous faces in Britain came in and were all eager to chat.

Saturday June 30th, 2012, was rather special in my 47 year career as a showbiz writer and broadcaster. I still call it my Sheridan Smith day.

Back in 1988, John Hannam interviewed Barbara Windsor – and this was long before Albert Square.

When Shaun Williamson was filling shelves in a Maidstone supermarket his ambition was to be like Richard Burton. Eventually, via Pontins in Wootton, 1986, he became Barry Evans, who for eight years was one of EastEnders’ most popular characters.

Life has been wonderfully unpredictable for Scottish actor Joe McFadden. Before winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, he’d been a rock star in Sex, Chips & Rock ‘n’ Roll, cast as maverick cop, Joe Mason in Heartbeat and surgeon Raf di Lucca in Holby City.

Gwen Taylor is one of those actors known for a wide variety of names — Amy Pearce from Duty Free, Barbara Liversidge in Barbara, Heartbeat’s Peggy Armstrong, Rita Simcock from A Bit Of A Do or even murderer, Anne Foster, from Coronation Street.

Over the years, top actors like Celia Imrie, Benedict Cumberbatch, Penelope Keith and Geoffrey Hughes have all fallen in love with the Island. The latest to join them is David Calder, whose credits include The World Is Not Enough, The Hatton Garden Job and The Lady In The Van.

During the final ten days before the lockdown, I’d been lucky enough to have pre-arranged five interviews. It was in Guildford on a very wet and miserable March day. Would she be like Raquel in Only Fools And Horses or Mrs Maguire in Grantchester?

John caught up with the star of stage and screen, who talks of recent film projects and fond memories of when the Island was her home.

Famous radio DJ Annie Nightingale has helped numerous popstars enhance their careers by playing their music.

On July 7th, completely out of the blue, I received an unexpected email from a guy called Neil Chandler, the venue and artistic director of the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, which was re-opening following a £42 million redevelopment.

Helen George has millions of fans as Trixie Franklin in hit television series, Call The Midwife. She's just been seen in the show's Christmas Special and is all set to appear later this year in the ninth series.

Back on Sunday, February 17th 1991, I had the thrill of having the Beverley Sisters live on IW Radio's John Hannam Meets. At the end of their slot, I asked them to choose a record by their favourite current singer. In total harmony, they all said Marti Pellow and predicted a long and successful career for him. At that time he was the lead singer of Wet Wet Wet. How right they were.

Warming those winter garden vistas with some bursts of festive colour.

Some plants have got the lot – they look good and do you good. Flo Whitaker recommends planting some handsome vegetables in your flower borders.

He’s a brilliant presenter, accomplished gardener, talented novelist and all-round horticultural inspiration. This month, Alan Titchmarsh talks about the most common mistakes we make in our gardens.

This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses the changing seasons, and why he ventures out into his garden in any weather.

This month, Alan Titchmarsh discusses the next generation of green-fingered gardeners.

Got a shady garden? Assume you can’t grow anything interesting? Not so, says Flo Whitaker. Many plants prefer life in the shade.

If you think you suffer from the heat as far as summer goes, think how that sun-baked fares without even so much as a dash of sun lotion.

There’s a secret universe right underneath our feet. Welcome to the magical, wonderful world of soil, writes Flo Whitaker.

If you’re looking for easygoing, heat-tolerant plants with a long-flowering season, (and who isn’t?) you can do no better than salvias, writes Flo Whitaker

Towards the end of August, on the lawns of the Isle of Wight an inconspicuous species of wild orchid, the last British orchid of the season, appears for just a few weeks, heralding the end of the summer.

Dinosaurs ate them, and the Victorians obsessed about them; ferns are astonishing survivors from the prehistoric world and still have the power to enchant us, writes Flo Whitaker.

Property, equity and retirement can be a complex topic, so we asked Peter d’Aguilar to shed a little light on some of the options currently available

In the UK right now the average house price is estimated at just over £245,000 (as of February 2021). But that figure obviously varies from region to region. So if you're a first-time buyer or looking to move to pastures new, which areas should you be looking at to get the best value for your money?

Nothing says ‘summer’ more than home-picked fruit. Raspberries are easy to grow — and now’s the perfect time to plant them, writes Flo Whitaker.

It’s all go on the veg patch this month. Sow hardy winter greens and plant garlic for a tasty crop later in the year.

There’s a lot more to holly than spiky green leaves and a few red berries. Peter Erridge explains all things historical and prickly.

January doesn’t have to be gloomy after the Christmas decorations come down, it can be the ideal time to revamp the home as Adele Trathan explains.

The euonymus genus contains over 150 varieties in the form of shrubs and trees, so there should be one type available to brighten every garden throughout the year.

In today’s climate, home offices have never been more desirable. We've got this advice for designing your own stylish workspace

Versatile and long-lived, no plants give better fiery autumnal colours than acers.

The UK’s biggest citizen science project has been recording the winners and losers in the garden bird world for over four decades with the help of half a million people, and now the RSPB is counting on Island residents to join in too.

A new review outlining the impact of road mortality on native European hedgehogs has been published in the online scientific journal Animals.

​​​​​​​Wightlink’s oyster nurseries are already proving a haven for rare marine wildlife.

Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is, for the first time, running its Living with Mammals survey during autumn, from Monday 31st August until Sunday 29th November.

A flock of wheeling long-tailed tits capture this author's imagination as she takes a stroll in the countryside

Sparrowhawks are now fairly common throughout the country and more of us can enjoy the breathtaking sight of these spectacular, small birds of prey.

Nothing says autumn better than stomping through crunchy leaves on a walk around your local forest.

There's two great new movies coming to your tellybox this weekend. Here's what to watch and where to watch it...

As part of its ongoing commitment to make the theatre available and affordable to everybody, The Kings Theatre has released 16,500 seats for the Christmas pantomime “Cinderella” at just £10 each and this comes in addition to the launch of The Kings Theatre Arts Academy and a £25,000 Scholarship Scheme.

A tragic tale from 1916 war-torn France, combined with a modern day love story — The Girl You Left Behind is like no book I’ve ever read before. 

Fancy a movie night? How about one of these popular new releases, available to watch via most streaming services.

As the Isle of Wight Walking Festival makes its autumnal return, we’re bringing you details of their fascinating history walk inspired by The Lost Crypt Escape Room, Aspire Ryde.

First Dates favourite, Grant Urquhart, has joined the cast of Kings Theatre's upcoming and 88th pantomime, to star as the handsome Prince Charming.

This circular walk along the River Medina can be joined at any point along the route.

Strictly Come Dancing finalist and much loved former EastEnders star, Maisie Smith, will make her musical theatre debut later this month, as she co-stars in the UK tour of Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom The Musical — alongside her former Strictly dance partner, Kevin Clifton.

This gentle walk down country lanes and through urban streets is ideal for those looking for something relatively easy.

Created and adapted for television by Dolly Alderton and inspired by her own wildly funny, occasionally heartbreaking, internationally bestselling memoir of the same name, Everything I Know About Love gives an unflinching account of surviving your 20s.

Don your own oxygen mask and embrace a weekend just for you.

With current restrictions in place, it may be more difficult to get out trick and treating with the family this year. So make sure you get on the sofa with the blankets ready to hide behind, and check out these classic shows and films as the haunting hour approaches...

Rhythmtree is back next month at its new site on Sticelett Farm, Thorness Bay.

This month's Isle of Wight walk takes you from Ryde to Cowes, through iconic places visited by Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Queen Victoria before her.

As we head into the warmest months of the year, why not enjoy a stroll along the beautiful Isle of Wight coast.

Ever considered Model Engineering as a hobby? Well, now's your chance to find out what it's all about!

Here's our pick of fantastic fiction to ease you through the summer sun.

Every Thursday evening, from 6pm-9.30pm, join the Tapnell Farm Park team for The Island’s Biggest Kids’ Party!

This month we're enjoying the Niton to Newchurch section of The River Yar walk, courtesy of Island Rivers.

With this long-awaited epic coming out on December 16, we've got THREE pairs of tickets to give away to watch Avatar: The Way Of Water in 3D at a cinema of your choosing...

We've got three luxury bottles to give away just in time for Christmas...

We've teamed up with Adams & Jarrett to offer this incredible prize for the home - just enter our random draw and you could be the new proud owner!

Enjoyed our 80s quiz? Have a go at our new 70s quiz with Jenni Costello and you could be the proud owner of a brand new retro bluetooth jukebox worth over £100!

We're feeling in a generous mood as we approach the festive season, so we're offering you the chance to win a 43-inch Ultra HD 4K TV - the perfect gift for the whole family!