Dan making an exhibition of himself

Dan is on a creative trip to Sweden, and has just emailed in some pictures. I was particularly taken with this one, where he has decided to turn himself into an art installation, carrying the simple title "warmth".

I'm a gribble get me out of here...

Thanks to the virtual ranger, diligent microscopist Cat and the wonders of YouTube you can now see a genuine Isle of Wight gribble in action, just play the clip below! (if you're viewing this in a blog reader, you might need to visit our website to see the clip)

Yarmouth Pier Archive

In connection with the project to replace Yarmouth Pier’s piles we are creating an archive of materials relating to Yarmouth Pier.

It is hoped that the archive will be a resource that continues to remind people of how special the pier has been and can continue to be in the lives of Yarmouth residents and visitors. The archive will contain photos of the pier through its life and documents concerning the eventful history of the pier. We also want to record memories of the pier from Yarmouth residents, cataloguing the great things that have happened on, along and even under the pier.

We will be running a series of drop in sessions, where you can take a look at some of the material collected so far, and bring your own photos, documents etc. for us to add to the physical archive or we can scan or photograph them to include in the electronic archive.

Some of the most important things for us to collect are peoples memories of the pier. We are particularly keen for people to sit and talk to us about their memories while we record the
conversation. This first hand information will form a really useful part of the archive, and will save some fantastic stories from being lost forever. Don’t think your memories aren’t important
- we are interested in the small things too - a first kiss or memorable fishing trip, your recollection of working on the pier or landing there. We can record you at any of the drop in sessions, or you can come along to one of our special memory events.

The drop in sessions in Yarmouth are scheduled as follows:

Sat 3rd November 11am-3pm - Town Hall
Thursday 29th November 11.30am-2.30pm - Town Hall
Thursday 6th December 11.30am-2.30pm - Town Hall
Thursday 13th December 11.30am-2.30pm - Town Hall
Sat 26th April 12pm-3pm - Town Hall

In addition we will be running some "pier memories" recording sessions. We will be booking a comfortable venue with tea and coffee provided while you sit and chat about your memories of the pier with us, while we record for the archive. If you want to know more, have any concerns about the process (it's painless - honest) or would like to arrange a time slot, give Martin or Sam a call on 298098 or email yarmouth.pier@island2000.org.uk You can come with a friend or a small group and chat together if you prefer. This sessions are scheduled for the following dates:

Thursday 28th February 12pm-3pm - venue TBC
Tuesday 4th March 6.30pm-8.30pm - venue TBC
Sat 8th March 11.30am-2pm - venue TBC

Finally, if you have any memories of the pier, photographs etc. you can email them to us at yarmouth.pier@island2000.org.uk or send them to:
Not-The-End-Of-The-Pier
Island 2000 Trust
Venture Quays
Castle Street
East Cowes
Isle of Wight
PO32 6EZ

or you can add a comment to this post using the link below.

Yes it is ok to draw on walls... sometimes!

What would you do if over 60 people turned up and spontaneously started drawing all over your walls? You probably wouldn't be very happy would you! Well, on Saturday 6th October we invited people to do just that, celebrating the Big Draw on the hoardings in East Cowes.

Artists, Scribblers and Doodlers of all ages spent the day creating a Fantasy Town and before long a weird and wonderful land and its inhabitants appeared - fairy castles, tree houses, houses supported by hot air balloons, space ships, a fantasy football stadium and our very own Cloud Town!

Artist Birgitte Haar Lund was on hand to help participants realise their fantasy dwellings, providing stencils, pencils, marker pens, crayons and chalks to draw directly onto the wooden hoardings, a huge roll of paper and onto the pavement itself. The finished piece can be seen near St James’ Church in Church Lane.

The Big Draw is part of the Campaign for Drawing which has one simple aim: to get everyone drawing. The Big Draw is an annual October showpiece, proving that drawing can be a public activity as well as a private passion. 1000 venues across the UK, from great national institutions to village halls, regularly join in to offer people of all ages the chance to discover that drawing is enjoyable, liberating and at everyone's fingertips.

The Campaign was inspired by the great Victorian writer and visionary, John Ruskin. His mission was not to teach people to draw, but how to see. Each Big Draw season brings fresh opportunities to discover how drawing can connect us to our environment and heritage.

The event was free and organised in partnership by Island 2000 Trust and Quay Arts. The Trust would like to thank everyone who took part and made this event such a great success.

Bag of Bones

Well I hope you're not eating.
But if you are, imagine swallowing the packaging too and coughing it up later because that's what Barn Owls do. These are yummy Barn Owl pellets - regurgitated fur and bone from mice, voles and shrews. We collected these from beneath a nestbox we know is regularly used just outside Newport because we wanted something to point our fantastic USB microscope at. The one opposite is just with the digital camera on macro, but the one below is taken with the microscope. The detail is amazing, just look at those little teeth.
And just to add to the horror, in amongst it all was an insect pupa!

Spyglass In

Three Enlarger Logs are now in place along the Troll Trail between Shide and Blackwater. Bring your berries and beetles and see them magnified enormously beneath their lenses...

Welcome to the New Forest!

While many of you may believe that the New Forest is part of Hampshire, Island 2000 can now reveal that it now resides in East Cowes on the Isle of Wight! Please DO NOT feed the ponies !

‘New Forest’ is a new painting project that you won’t be able to miss on the blue hoardings of Well Road in East Cowes. Working with Cowes based artist Tim Johnson this project is one of a series co-ordinated and commissioned by Island 2000 to soften the environmental impact of the long-term installation of blue hoardings around the town’s development areas.

Of the project Tim explains :
“ I was really excited to work on a large painting project like this – my brief to make something eye-catching, colourful and relevant to the location.

During the work I am doing on another No Barrier’s project - photographically documenting inside the barriers, I discovered a lovely selection of derelict gardens and non native garden trees such as Eucalyptus, Cordaline and Blue Spruces.

New Forest imaginatively depicts these hidden treasures whilst also referring to the new developments to come. Architects and designers frequently use graphic icons representing idealised trees in their models and plans. Similarly my trees – colourful and perhaps native to children’s books and textile lands, express a desire for a greener future”

Above: Spider helps out

Above: Tim's feet at work

Of the project............

Ian Boyd of Island 2000 says………….”it’s lovely”
Jo Johnson of Island 2000 says………..”it’s lovely”
Hannah Birks of Island 2000 says……..”it’s really lovely”.

Meanwhile during the initial stages of planting up the New Forest public responses have been overwhelming – drive-by shoutings, men on bicycles stopping to chat, buses diverting their scheduled routes and even children pausing to say “it’s nice”.

Over the coming days the trees will grow trunks and settle in with a bit of Island 2000 nurture - take a wander and see for yourself!

If you would like to see more pictures as this project unfolds check out Tim's flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/timstring/

Miracle Grow

Proof, if needed, that nature can survive in the most urban of settings as two magnificent bushes have blossomed on a roundabout in East Cowes.

Minibeast Safari

Minibeasts quaked in their leafy arbors last Sunday as a safari swept across the West bank of the Medina, sweep netting and shaking the bugs out of their hiding places*. Participants were fascinated to see red weevils, a large harvestman, a very fat spider, crane flies, various beetles and bugs, springtails and an impressive looking shield bug turn up in their nets.












*No minibeasts were harmed during the afternoon's activities.

Giant step for Chale

Rumours of the giant of Chale re-emerged this weekend with the installation in the village green of Carolyn King's poem A Chale Tale. Judging by the the size of the footprint left in the soft verge beside Chale Green Post Office bus stop, he must present a formidable sight to anyone unfortunate to cross his path. Locals are being advised to stay indoors. Chale resident Dave Badman said "It's terrible - when I was a lad, you didn't have to think twice about leaving your house. Now there seem to be trolls and giants round every corner."


We would be glad to hear from anyone who has more information as to the giant's whereabouts.