Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2016

Check out our website visitilife.com CONTENTS ISLAND LIFE AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2016 A WORD FROM THE EDITOR Life moves down a gear about now, after a busy summer of festivals, fairs and of course the ever-hectic Cowes Week. As the light mellows and early autumn colours begin to change the landscape, it’s the time of year for harvest, and enjoying some of the delicious fresh produce we have available on this abundant island. Walking here at this time of year is a real joy, and spotting the seasonal flowers, fungi and berries in the fields and hedgerows is a real connection back to nature. The plant that’s especially connected with this month of harvest is the Michaelmas Daisy, which takes its name from St Michael’s day on September 29. Read more about that in this month’s folklore feature. We also profile another trio of fascinating Island characters in this issue, including the ‘Local Hero’ breast cancer surgeon affectionately known as Mr Babu, who tells us about his award-winning work and describes some surprising similarities between India and the Isle of Wight! We also talk to 98 year-old D-Day veteran Neil Shutler – a bakery owner in Newport for many years who recently received the Legion D’Honneur from the French government for his wartime service. Then there’s a fascinating glimpse into the monastic life, in our interview with the new French-born Abbot at Quarr Abbey, Xavier Perrin. INTERVIEWS GARDENING p18 LOCAL HERO: Ramesh Babu p26 A NEW ERA FOR QUARR ABBEY: Fr Xavier Perrin p72 Attract Bees and Butterflies to your Garden p34 “COOKIE” NEIL IS 98 AND NOT OUT: Neil Shutler p73 MATT NOYCE: An Unpredictable Summer LOCAL SCENE p24 Seaview Yacht Club Summer Party p32 Fun at the Fort p40 Midsummer Night’s Ball p56 A Night at the Opera COUNTRYSIDE p75 SAM BILES: Brexit and the Countryside p76 Oh, We Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside p78 TONY RIDD: Countryside News p 80 Summer with the National Trust ON THE WATER Red Squirrels and Autumnal p82 Bounties p42 Cowes Week p68 Action-Packed Round the Island Race EQUESTRIAN p71 Old Fashioned Family Fun p85 Scaling the Heights for Charity Along with all your usual favourite features, and plenty of photos of events across the Island this summer, there’s plenty to savour in this issue. We hope you’ll enjoy your free copy, and continue to support the advertisers who to make it all possible. Jackie McCarrick, Editor 8 www.visitilife.com Aug/Sep 2016_MASTER .indd 8 16/08/2016 15:17

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