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Island artist elected Vice President of the Royal Society of Marine Artists

Well-known Island artist Martin Swan was elected to the role of Vice President of the Royal Society of Marine Artists at their recent Annual General Meeting in London. Martin began his painting career as a watercolour artist specialising in landscapes and botanical paintings. He developed a keen interest in marine painting which resulted in him ... read more

11th NEWPORT GUIDES DEVISE SEWING CHALLENGE.

Not only have members of 11th Newport Guides been busy completing the Sewing Challenge but this challenge badge for Girlguiding members has been devised by the unit and is now offered all over the UK and Worldwide. It forms one of the many challenges offered to all ages and abilities in the world of Girlguiding. ... read more

BROWNIES OVER THE MOON.

On 9th November 1955 there was much to celebrate within the Congregational Church community at Newport Isle of Wight as a new Brownie Pack was registered at Girlguiding’s London HQ. Original registration certificate from 1955. Girls had been attending weekly meetings since September of that year. Originally the pack met in the Queens Hall, Lugley ... read more

IW FESTIVAL 2016 TO HOST QUEEN

Brian May of Queen taken at Dimbola Museum and Gallery, Freshwater IW when he visited together with his wife Anita Dobson. In 1968 the embryonic Queen were formed in college under the moniker Smile. Initially it was guitarist Brian May (pictured above) and drummer Roger Taylor. When the original vocalist departed, Zanzibar-born Freddie Mercury was ... read more

GIRLGUIDING IW MEMBERS SUPPORT RBL POPPY APPEAL

On Saturday 31st October from10am until 4pm Carisbrooke Rangers, 1st Carisbrooke Guides and 1st Carisbrooke Brownies, all members of Girlguiding Isle of Wight, spent their day bag packing for customers at Sainsbury’s supermarket, Newport. This bag packing was to raise funds for their units as well as supporting the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal 2015. ... read more

10th Newport Brownies-Birthday Celebrations.

10th Newport(Congregational) Brownies are celebrating 60 years of the unit.  This unit, then a Pack, first met at the  Queens Hall, Newport before moving to the Congregational Church Hall in Newport. This was situated in Lower St. James Street and is now the Wetherspoon’s pub- The Man in the Moon. When formed as well as ... read more

ISLANDERS ON THE MALL

A number of Island artists were represented at the 2015 Annual Exhibition of the Royal Society of Marine Artists. Held at the Mall Galleries in London a total of 329 works were on show. Martin Swan from Newport is a RSMA member and had six oil paintings in the Gallery. Racing in the 2010 Classic ... read more

BROWNIES WERE ‘OUT OF THIS WORLD’.

Dozens of Brownies from the Farringford Section of Girlguiding IW, which covers the Newport area and West Wight, recently enjoyed an afternoon which was ‘Out of this World’. Staged at Carisbrooke C of E Primary School this event saw all the Brownies and their Guiders learning about the Planets of the Solar System and would-be ... read more

COWES HERITAGE-CELEBRATIONS ON LAND AND SEA.

Formed in 2003, Cowes Heritage has mounted its 14th Exhibition at Regatta House, Bath Road, Cowes. Entitled ‘Celebrations’ it is sponsored by Cowes Town Waterfront Trust and is open each day from 10am-4pm until Sunday 8th November. Fitting the theme of Celebrations it is appropriate that water-based activity features strongly. In 2001 Cowes was the ... read more

DIMBOLA- TWO NEW EXHIBITIONS

‘Retracing the Eye’ is a new exhibition at Dimbola, Freshwater featuring 26 etchings, carborundums and woodcuts by Sunara Begum. A British artist of Bangladeshi descent, she was originally involved in film photography before becoming an artist and printmaker. Dr Brian Hinton MBE a Dimbola Gallery trustee was first aware of Sunara’s work at an exhibition ... read more