Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2018 | Page 4

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A WORD
FROM THE
EDITOR
The days are lengthening, the wild
snowdrops have made their appearance
at last, and there’s suddenly that welcome
feeling of anticipation in the air as
Springtime approaches.
We can all look forward to getting into the
Great Outdoors again – whether that’s on
wheels, on the water or on two legs – and
of course the Island never has any shortage
of great places to visit.
One of them is the award-winning
primate sanctuary Monkey Haven, near
Newport, which is re-opening for the new
season and, as we report, has a rather
curious new animal addition. Turn inside to
find out more!
Among our interviewees this issue, we
talk to retired headmaster and choirmaster
John Lea about his experience as a wartime
evacuee – and hear about the children’s
adventure books he has written on the
theme of the ‘vackies’.
There’s also a profile of Chris Kidd, the
Curator of the glorious Ventnor Botanic
Garden, who tells us about his horticultural
start as a Parks apprentice in Portsmouth,
to becoming the youngest-ever curator of a
botanic garden in tropical Cameroon.
And, remaining on an outdoorsy theme,
we talk to horse-mad Pip Smith about her
magic way with challenging, unbroken
horses, and hear how she traces it back to
being thrown off umpteen times as a child,
by the feisty Exmoors that her mum used
to keep.
So, enjoy our springtime themes, and
make the most of what the Island has to
offer during this lovely season. You’ll find
plenty of ideas from our advertisers: do
please continue to support them as they’re
a crucial part of the process that brings to
you this quality local magazine.
Jackie McCarrick, Editor
4
www.visitilife.com
C ONTENTS
I SLAND L IFE
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018
INTERVIEWS DAYS OUT
p33 p60
‘Vackie Hero’ tells all:
John Lea
p46
Chris’s own Garden of Eden:
Chris Kidd
This little piggy went to -
Monkey Haven
MOTORING
PROPERTY p71
p12 COUNTRYSIDE
Featured Property:
Ravenscourt
p20
Featured Property:
now available to test drive
p79
Ideas for the bedroom
New season at Quarr:
Matt Noyce
Cara Cottage
p31
New Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
P81
Choices and challenges:
Sam Biles
LOCAL SCENE p82 p38 P84 The first signs of spring
p86 Countryside news: Tony Ridd
p88 The early bird gets the worm
p90 First flowers of Spring
A celebration of livestock:
Gilten Market Dinner
p52
p56
Celebrating Burns Night
Four decades of festive fun
10 things you didn’t know
about the Solent