Arts

VisitShanklin Media Unit with the help of Shanklin Town Council have produced a vibrant Promotional Video for the annual historic Shanklin Regatta, to assist in expanding the profile and to best illustrate why this event that takes place in August each year, needs your support and needs local sponsors to keep it going. The event in 2012 was captured in a full day shoot with 2 separate camera and audio units.

The 162nd Shanklin Beach Regatta has been moved form the 8th August 2013 to 15th August 2013, so please be sure to put that one in your diary! Based on last years programme, events run from 10.00 am until approximately 10.00 pm.  Key timings inlude:

• Sand modelling competition from 10.00 am
• Woggle the Wizard at 11.15 am
• Artist competition 12.15 pm
• Sports events on beach from 1.30 pm
• Swimming events on beach from 2.00 pm
• Helicopter Search & rescue display – 3.00 pm approx
• Shanklin Regatta Queen – after Helicopter display
• BBQ on pier apron from 6.30pm
• Live music on Pier Apron – from 7.00 pm
• Grand Firework Display – Once dark approx 9.30 pm

The event also showcases the The 61st ‘Pier to Pier’ Sandown to Shanklin Sea Swim starting adjacent to Sandown Pier at 2.15 pm, finishing 1¾ miles later at Shanklin Rowing Club adjacent to the old Shanklin Pier Apron.  There are 120 swimmers (approx) that will register to take part. The date is TBC but check out more info here!

Help us to promote the Resort by sharing this video and inviting your friends and family to visit soon!

 
VisitShanklin Media Unit with the help of Shanklin Town Council have produced a vibrant Promotional Video for the Resort, to assist in expanding the profile and to best illustrate why Shanklin and the surrounding areas are still a firm favourite with loyal visitors from all over the place! Help us to promote the Resort by sharing this video and inviting your friends and family to visit soon!

Four volunteers from Shanklin Theatre were asked to attend the first Buckingham Palace Garden Party of the summer, basked in baking sunshine the temperatures soared to 24c.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were in attendance and were joined by the Duke of York, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra the Hon Lady Ogilvy and the Duchess of Gloucester.

Representing Shanklin Theatre at the royal residence on Tuesday 22nd May were active volunteers: Vivien Howell, Alana Bird, Derek Pegram and Michael Beston, “we were very proud indeed to be alongside 8,000 guests from all over the country and from every walk of life”.

We were asked if we would like to be introduced to Princess Anne the Princess Royal, of course we accepted! We spoke to her about the theatre and how it had been saved from closure by a very dedicated and hard working group of friends, supporters, volunteers, supervisors, theatre staff, directors and trustees.

Shanklin Theatre had been nominated for the Queens Award for Voluntary Services 2012 back in March this year, on the 1st June it was announced by Buckingham Palace that Havenstreet Railway and Shanklin Theatre had both been awarded the QAVS, the formal presentation by the Duke of Gloucester will take place on the 3rd July at Osborne House.

Shanklin Theatre Support a Seat Up-date

We would like to extend our special thanks out to everyone who has helped the theatre by “supporting a seat”, as you know this initiative to help raise much needed funds for the theatre restoration funds started back on the 5th November last year, Shanklin theatre was open for the day free to all our residents and friends to help launch our new seating system that had just been installed.

I’m pleased to report back that so far to date we have raised £6,250.00 from our “seat supporters”, these funds will help go towards our future restoration projects, that said we still have a long way to go and a lot more seats are still available for you to support, your money will ensure Shanklin theatre stays open not only for the community but also for our visitors to enjoy our shows and local theatre productions.

We have just finished affixing nearly 116 seat plaques that were supported from the open day in November (see images) and have taken orders for another 50 or so since then with donations and pledges coming in all the time.

Supporting a seat could not be easier; you can collect a support form from the theatre or download a copy here:

SUPPORT-A-SEAT!

The seat sponsorship costs £50.00 and lasts for ten years, it will also entitle you to a plaque that will be affixed to the seat for that period, you can have a plaque made out to donation in memory of someone, a family member or loved one for example or in the name of your own family, group or business name, also included is an official certificate of support from the theatre and a guided tour of the theatre building itself.

Once again, a big, big thank you from all the friends and volunteers of Shanklin Theatre, we hope to see you soon.

 

Michael Beston © 2012 – Vice Chair FOST.

Shanklin Theatre has been revived and has its doors open to welcome top acts and audiences as it has done for over 130 years.

During World War Two the Theatre was used for dances and other kinds of entertainment.  The Theatre seated more than 700 people but when it was used for dancing, the seats would be moved to the side to leave a large dance floor.  In the basement of the Theatre is the lower room, this was used for meetings and a bar until about 2005.  The Bar has now been re-installed and is currently open before shows and during the interval. Also down there, the old Wartime Control Room, strengthened by large steel girders in case of bombing.

Many famous acts have appeared at Shanklin Theatre in the past such as Matt Monro, Arthur Askey, Charlie Chester, The Beverley Sisters, and more from Semprini to Clinton Ford, Arthur Lowe to Jimmy Tarbuck etc. etc.

The Theatre was threatened with closure and possible demolition, when in 2008 the Isle of Wight Council decided that the Theatre was no longer a financially viable proposition and gave notice it would close. A group formed The Friends of Shanklin Theatre to fight the closure and talked with Shanklin Town Council on forming a Trust to take the Theatre over. Now sporting a Grade II Listed Building Certificate, the Isle of Wight Council negotiated a transfer of operation and in April 2010 the keys were handed over. Both the very experienced Sound and Lighting Technician and the Stage Manager were also transferred, thus the Theatre continues to serve the audiences and the community. With the installation of the latest technology in the Box Office and a first class on line booking facility, Shanklin Theatre was now ready for the future.

Since that time, volunteers have done much to improve the Theatre, from painting the Dressing Rooms, installing outside lighting and adding to the sound system. 2011 saw such acts as the Moscow Ballet, Al Murray, Chas and Dave, Showaddywaddy, Joe Brown, Gareth Gates, Jethro, Joe Longthorne, Rick Wakeman, Joe Pasquale, Acker Bilk and Jenny Éclair.

A new Matrix Seating System was installed in 2010. This increased the capacity of the Theatre. The system enables the level auditorium to have the seating rearranged to suit the mode of entertainment, such as installing a Wrestling Ring where part of the audience normally sit or adjusted for Wheelchairs as and when required. Many of the acts that the Theatre has seen in 2011 have so enjoyed their visit to the Isle of Wight and many of those listed will be returning in 2012 when they will find an increased capacity of 615

Shanklin Theatre and all of the volunteers, under the full time Theatre Manager and Assistant Manager, offer a warm reception to both the audiences and the Acts them. Enquiries are always welcome and for further details contact Vic Farrow, Bookings Manager on 01983 862739 or bookings@shanklintheatre.com or visit our website www.shanklintheatre.com

My name is Hooper and I am a black and white moggie. I moved here with my servants who have a guest house in Shanklin.  My role in the house is to sit on the back of the sofa and look pretty to entice people in. Being very beautiful helps.

In the fifteen human years I have been alive I have moved 6 times. I was also fostered for a year when my servants went travelling and had to live with my grandma when we moved out of our last house while we waited to move here.

The Island is very different for me because when I lived in England I used to get bullied a lot, especially after my brother T.C (Tony Cottee) died. There are quite a few cats here, but it’s mostly dogs and I have actually made many friends for the first time.

I enjoy having my servants at home all the time and my favourite game is pretending that I haven’t been fed. It works sometimes!

They haven’t taken me to see the sea yet and when we came on the ferry it was very late and very dark. And I heard a story that the people at Tiger World used to exercise the tigers (cousins of mine) on the beach. I don’t think they do it now, but you never know. It would be too risky. When I first saw a seagulls I was ever so frightened I had to make myself flat on the ground so they wouldn’t pick me up and feed me to their babies.

As I said I am very beautiful and I think the sea air has helped make my coat even more shiny and it feels much softer than before. Obviously I still have to spend a lot of the day grooming and getting my beauty sleep, but most of it is natural.

I don’t miss anything about England. I’m happy to be here and happy to see my servants enjoying themselves.

Our guest house doors were opened on August Bank holiday this year. I’ve always believed in ‘in at the deep end’!

Our decision to move here was only made in September last year. Despite the property market it only took us only 10 months to make a complete lifestyle change. It certainly didn’t feel like just 10 months at the time!

It was actually only after a trip to visit family in Dingle, Ireland in September 2010 that we decided that we had to do something. My job was driving me crazy and my husband’s work was disappearing from this country.

We moved here from Sevenoaks in Kent where we are both originally from. We spent time living in London and a year travelling the world with the hope of finding somewhere to live. My answer was always the Isle of Wight! It still took 16 years to convince him that the Isle of Wight was the place to be.

Why is it the place to be? Well my parents ‘dragged’ my sister and I here every year ever since I can remember. One year we diverted and went to Paignton and I cried most of the time because I wanted to be in the Isle of Wight! How dare they? I was young! Getting on that ferry always had a feeling of coming home, getting back on the ferry was that feeling you have at playschool on the first day when your Mum leaves you there. It was an emotional wrench. My piano/singing teacher moved here when I was about 15. Oh, I was so envious.

The only thing I ever remember wanting to be was an Islander – ok, so that can never happen. My parents encouraged me to go to hospitality and catering college, so I spent 3 years there and you learn everything form cooking to management, advertising and marketing. (Jamie Oliver was in the year above me – and no I never met him). Then I spent 4 years working in 4* hotels in London and loved it, but money and a life beckon at that age, so I became an estate agent (a nice one).

For our first viewings of properties on the Island we drove all the way here on our ‘way home’ from Dartmouth! The property we saw was definitely a no, but we stayed at a lovely B&B, The Finches in Shanklin and the owners were an absolute inspiration to us.

I must confess we really wanted to move to Ventnor. Although all my life I thought Shanklin was where I would be. We even found a house in Ventnor and fell in love with it, but completion for 2013 was being discussed!

It was only by accident that we saw our big blue house, but I didn’t get ‘that feeling’. I am no fan on UPVC windows and doors on a Victorian house. But a second viewing and a need to make a decision before we got off that boat we agreed a price and with lots of motivation in the chain and an excellent estate agent at Hose Rhodes Dickson we completed in 6 weeks!

In the meantime we, cat included, had to move in with family and we completed while we were at a friend’s wedding. There we were sitting outside a cafe in Como City, the phone rings and we have a house on the Isle of Wight – now that’s how it’s done! Although only then did I realize that I still had to go back to work and my husband did not!!

My husband came over just ahead of the removals with his brother, while I was at work. Ever since then he starts every sentence with “If you had lived on the Island as long as I have…” Yeah, yeah, it was my idea!

So here we are and life is very different. Our builder turned up at 8.30am on the dot every day. He still knocked every morning even though he had a key. He put up with my horrendous hangover while our carpets were being fitted and my husband was on his way home from a festival!!! And no my husband wasn’t as hung over as me! No more sherry! The builder even took instructions and delegation on how to fit a shower from our plumber who had to have knee surgery half way through the job!

The hardest thing about our new life? Coming from a full on target driven, management role in England (yes I call it England) to having a husband who shuts off at 3pm (yes he gets up early, but not as early as he used to). Also having loved the Island for so long, the frustration of people in ‘England’ not realizing how wonderful it is here. Robert Thompson does a good job of telling all and sundry in every newspaper and magazine he can, but he can’t do it on his own. It’s such a hidden gem and with more people holidaying at home it would be nice to have more newcomers visiting the Island.

The best bit? The people are wonderful. Everyone we have met has been very supportive. I even have coffee every week with our competition! I love spending time going shopping for Island produce. We argue over who gets to go and see our butcher at Briddlesford! We get our veg from Lyn at Fresh Fields and our bread from Gracie’s bakery in Shanklin. We even drive all the way to Calbourne for our preserves! It’s quite a long way when you live on the Island. Sounds ridiculous when I used to drive a 40 mile round trip to work every day!

Hope for the future? That the feeling doesn’t wear off, that we will continue to appreciate the diverse beauty of the landscape and the ever changing sea and that the variety of produce continues to grow and be experimented with, that we won’t get complacent and keep enjoying it.

Let’s see how much energy there is left after our first summer season!