HOVERTRAVEL ADDS TO MORNING PEAK SERVICES

Hovertravel is adding the 8:30am hovercraft service from Ryde to Portsmouth due to popular commuter demand.

Neil Chapman, managing director of Hovertravel, said:  “We are always listening to the needs of customers so we can ensure that our services suit their schedules. Feedback over the last month has revealed that an extra service during the morning commuter peak period would make a big difference to our Island commuters.”

Hovertravel has seen growth over the last 6 months in travel from the Island. In particular the morning commuter period has a more concentrated flow of passengers during 7:15 and 8:45.

Neil Chapman continues, “Currently, Hovertravel has the biggest market share in our history. One of the areas of steady growth for us has been from regular travellers and commuters. This is why we have put in place initiatives for us to listen better to their needs through channels such as the Hovertravel User Group. The addition of the 8:30am hovercraft service is a great example of where we have listened and responded quickly.”

To ensure that Hovertravel develops in a way that benefits our customers, Hovertravel has been running a Hovertravel User Group (HUG). This group, made up of a small number of regular travellers, meets for quarterly meetings to voice issues and improvements direct with Hovertravel’s management.

Hovertravel has also launched a new appreciation voucher scheme as a small way of thanking their loyal customers. Those who purchase an Adult 6 month season card, Adult 250 travel card or Triple Term card can claim for 20 single appreciation vouchers that are valid for one single journey and can be transferred to friends & family. Customers that purchase an Adult 12 month season card can claim for 40 Appreciation vouchers.

For more information visit http://www.hovertravel.co.uk/

HOVERTRAVEL ADDS TO MORNING PEAK SERVICES is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

Emmy Award-Winning Costumes from ‘the Tudors’ to go back on display at the Mary Rose Museum

Friday 13^th January to 15^th April 2012

At the Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

The Mary Rose Trust is delighted to again be able to display some of the costumes, which were worn during the final season of the Emmy Award-winning series ‘The Tudors’ starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

The costumes will go on display in the Mary Rose Museum from Friday 13^th January until Sunday 15^th April 2012. Entry can be gained with a ticket to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

The nine costumes on display will be those that were worn by Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry VIII, Joss Stone as Anne of Cleves, Joely Richardson as Catherine Parr, Maria Doyle Kennedy as Catherine of Aragon, Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn, Annabelle Wallis as Jane Seymour and Tamzin Merchant as Catherine Howard.

They were on show in 2010 at the Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibition in the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Museum & Galleries, Los Angeles.  They came to the UK for the first time in 2011 where they went on display at the Mary Rose Museum before moving onto the Royal Armouries in Leeds to appear in an outstanding exhibition.

Joan Bergin is the Costume Designer and winner of the 2010 Emmy for ‘Outstanding Costume for a Series’, along with Wardrobe Supervisor Susan Cave. Bergin also won Emmys for the series in 2007 and 2008 and received Irish Film and Television Academy awards in 2008 and 2009. Her museum-quality costumes were featured in a Macy’s display in New York City on St. Patrick’s Day. Bergin has contributed to movies including ‘My Left Foot’, ‘In the Name of the Father’ and ’The Prestige’. She has recently worked on the Starz Network production of ‘Camelot’, starring Eva Green and Joseph Fiennes.

Across the series of ‘The Tudors’ they made around 500 costumes and rented and modified countless others.  The degree of skill can be seen in every detail of the costumes from cloth to braid to button.

In an interview with the LA Times, Bergin described ‘The Tudors’ as a strange blend of trying to be as authentic as possible but with a twist.  She wanted people to look at it and say, ‘Look how sexy and foxy,’ rather than, ‘Oh! who would wear that?’ Balenciaga corsets and Degas ballerinas were her inspiration.

The loan of the costumes has been through the generous support of Joan Bergin and the creator and writer of ‘The Tudors’ Michael Hirst, who gave a talk about the making of the series last year at the museum.

Michael Hirst commented that:

‘I am delighted to offer my support to the new Mary Rose Museum appeal and would encourage everyone with an interest in British History to support it too, and perhaps contribute something towards the £35 million, which it will cost to transform the Museum into a wonderful contemporary space through which to explore our extraordinary past.

The discovery of Henry VIII’s flagship and its retrieval from the sea bed, with thousands of contemporary artefacts, is reason enough to reinvent and reinvigorate a Museum which already houses many iconic objects from our glorious naval history.

So I wish the Trust well in all its endeavours to do justice to what was once lost and in darkness, but is now found and in public sight once more’.

The costumes are on display during the museum opening hours which is daily from 10.00am – 4.30pm.  For more information please go to www.historicdockyard.co.uk or call the Mary Rose Museum office 02392 812931.

The Mary Rose Trust would like to acknowledge Joan Bergin for the loan of the costumes, Debenhams Southsea and the National Museum of the Royal Navy for the loan of mannequins

Emmy Award-Winning Costumes from ‘the Tudors’ to go back on display at the Mary Rose Museum is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

Act 1 Drama School – ‘Drama bringing ideas to life’At Act 1 Drama School we run classes on a Saturday morning for children between 4 to 12 years of age. Act 1 aims to help children express their individuality through drama. Having fun is vital. All the classes begin with drama games structured to release spontaneity and discover creativity. For children with or without drama experience For the younger ones Classes are small enough to provide individual attention for every child. We aim to encourage play; to freely invent and explore the exciting imaginary worlds and themes of stories. Dress up; explore characterisation, learn the skills of role play and improvisation as we act out the stories. Each term ends with an open session for parents to see the work that has been explored. Previous stories explored include: Pinocchio, The Magic Finger, The Tin Soldier, Portside Starboard Pirate ship. And Roald Dahl’s poems e.g The Crocodile. For the older children We encourage the children to be spontaneous, trust their instincts, and most importantly to work for each other. The classes involve theatre games, role play, improvisation, characterisation, devising, exploring language, text and learning scripts. Each term ends with an open session for parents to see the work that has been explored.Previous material explored include: Roald Dahl’s rhymes e.g The shark and Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker Pirate Blackbeard. Harry Potter The lion the witch and the wardrobe Short character monologues The Witches by Roald Dahl Classes Act 1 Saturday 4- 6 years 9.30 – 10.30am Act 2 Saturdays 7 – 12 years 10.45 – 12.15pm Act 3 Saturdays 13 – 15 years 12.30 – 2.00pm Venue Milton Village Community Hall 182 Milton Road Southsea Hants PO4 8PR Join us for a free taster class For more information or to book call 0239 2298402 or go to www.act1dramaschool.co.uk

Drama Classes In Portsmouth Free Taster Class this January is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard has everything to keep you entertained this Winter

Christmas holidays at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard from Saturday 17^th December 2011 to Sunday 1^st January 2012 will offer the perfect opportunity for visitors to enjoy a day out with indoor activities for those cold winter days.

Visitors can take shelter below decks and discover history at the home of world-famous ships, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior 1860; walk through the fascinating exhibitions at the Mary Rose Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy; discover the sailor within at the indoor interactive Action Stations and take cover on a Harbour Tours boat as it sails around Portsmouth Harbour and Naval Base (subject to availability and prevailing weather conditions during the winter months).

Whether it’s climbing aboard a ship or up the tallest indoor climbing tower in the UK, devouring the fantastic collections in the museums or the food in the cafes, there is something to keep everyone in from the cold this winter.

During the Christmas holidays visitors can also take part in Tudor games and pastimes and especially for the festive season or enjoy a Family Christmas trail at the Mary Rose Museum.

For full details of ‘What’s On’ over the holiday period (updated daily), please look at the listings at the end of this release and for further information about the extensive year-round events programme please visit www.historicdockyard.co.uk/events.

The ticket for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard includes entrance for 1 year. Tickets cost adults £21.50, seniors £18.35, children £15.80, students £18.35 and a family ticket costs £62.15 (up to 5 members of the same family with a maximum of 2 adults or seniors). Entrance to the Historic Dockyard is free for those wishing to visit the retailers, cafes and Antiques Storehouse.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard also offer gift vouchers, so if you need a new present idea for a loved one this Christmas, why not buy them some vouchers, so they too, can enjoy the Historic Dockyard? Call 023 9272 8060 to purchase the vouchers

The attractions open at 10am everyday throughout the year, except when closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard has everything to keep you entertained this Winter is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

West Wight Sports Centre is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

HOVERTRAVEL GIVES DISCOUNT TO POMPEY FANS

Hovertravel, the fastest Isle of Wight passenger service across the Solent and to Fratton Park, is offering a 20% discount on standard day returns (adult & child) for all official members of the Isle of Wight Pompey FC Supporters club travelling over on match days.

Loretta Lale, marketing manager for Hovertravel, said: “This weekend football fans on the Island are going to be focussed on the big game between Portsmouth and Southampton at Fratton Park. Here at Hovertravel, several of our staff support Portsmouth FC and we want to make sure that the team has as many fans as possible at the game so we’re offering a 20% discount for all official IOW Portsmouth fans.”

With the 20% discount a standard day return for an adult (16+) will now cost £9.20, a child fare (5-15) just £4.80 and infants as always are free. To receive this fantastic discount just show your Supporters membership card at our Ryde hoverport.

For more on crossings and other information visit http://www.hovertravel.co.uk/

HOVERTRAVEL GIVES DISCOUNT TO POMPEY FANS is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

LOVE THEATRE; LOVE HOVERTRAVEL

Hovertravel has great new theatre offers for this year’s panto season and beyond.

Loretta Lale, marketing manager for Hovertravel said: “Hovertravel has some amazing deals which combine the theatre with a great day out. Going to the theatre is a great way to take a break from the shopping rush and enjoy yourself in a whirl of song, dance, great comedy and fantastic entertainment.”

If you are looking for a classic pantomime then don your glad rags for this year’s Kings Theatre Spectacular Pantomime, Cinderella. Starring some of the best talent from our favourite soaps, including Tracy Shaw (Maxine Peacock, Coronation Street), Leah Bracknell (Zoe Tate, Emmerdale), Marcus Patrick (Ben Davis, Hollyoaks), Stuart Wade (Biff Fowler, Emmerdale) and Tom Owen (Last of the Summer Wine). Until 01 January 2012, you can get a day return on the hovercraft and a ticket to the production for just £13.50 (weekday) per person and £15 (weekend) per person.

Enjoy a glitzy afternoon in London’s West End and entertain the kids at the same time. Hovertravel has teamed up with Love Theatre to offer fantastic deals on hovercraft transport and theatre tickets. Join Shrek and his loyal steed Donkey, as they set off on a quest to rescue the beautiful (if slightly unpredictable) Princess Fiona. Add the pocket-sized Lord Farquaad, a gang of fairytale misfits and a biscuit with attitude, and you’ve got this year’s must see new musical comedy. Hovertravel gives you a day return on the hovercraft and the option to see a matinee performance on either a Thursday or a Sunday for just £49 per person.

Alternatively come and see Jersey Boys, based on a true story it tells the story of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, selling 175 million records worldwide all before they were 30! With Hovertravel you get a day return on the hovercraft and the choice to see either the Tuesday or Sunday matinee for £49 per person.

These offers run until 31 January 2012 but look out for more shows being added soon.

For more information about these special offers please visit: http://www.hovertravel.co.uk/special-offers/index.php

Hovertravel has great new theatre offers for this year’s panto season and beyond. is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

Yeeha – fantastic 25% saving on a one hour horse riding lesson!

The breathtaking scenery of West Wight is enough for anyone to jump on horseback and ride off into the countryside. Now you can with this great discounted deal from Hill Farm Stables – 60 minutes for just £18.75 per person, saving you a fab 25%!

The stables are perfectly situated for hacking through the beautiful countryside or you have a lesson in the security of the riding school. The rides are tailor made to fit your ability whether you are a complete beginner, novice or an experienced rider. Parties are also welcome so you can buy a voucher for you and your friends.

Trot on, share the fun and spread the savings!  www.wightliving.co.uk

Wightliving – great offer with Hill farm Stables is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

The Urban Wastelands Project: Day Bowman / Ian Knox / Transglobal Underground

Sat 10 Dec 2011 – Sat 4 Feb 2012, The West Gallery, Quay Arts, Isle of Wight

The Urban Wastelands Project is a collaboration of new work by British painter, Day Bowman, alongside award-winning film maker, Ian Knox, and music by internationally acclaimed music group Transglobal Underground, as a finale event.

Bowman’s paintings invite us to enter a world of gasometers, abandoned water pipes and barbed wire, referencing the shapes and forms of much post-industrial architecture such as cooling towers, water towers and wasteland detritus. Knox’s short film, Jonah and the Whale, reflects the gritty landscapes alluded to in Bowman’s large, gestural paintings – the journey becomes a metaphor for mass transmigration. Echoing these feelings is a collection of traditional songs of emigration, exile and longing put through the radical machine and electronic beats that are the hallmark of the legendary Transglobal Underground in an exclusive live performance at Quay Arts.

Dates to remember:

Exhibition Preview: Sat 10 Dec 3 – 4pm All Welcome

Artist’s Talk by Day Bowman: Sat 21 Jan Starts 2.30pm The West Gallery, FREE Just turn up

Live Performance – Transglobal Underground SoundSystem: Fri 3 Feb 8.30pm doors open 8pm £15 advance (£20 on the door)

Tickets can be purchased online: www.quayarts.org or call: 01983 822490

The Urban Wastelands Project at the Quay Arts Newport is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

We all look for ways to save money, without compromising on the good life. Now a new island based discount website is making it easy for everyone. Officially launched last week, www.wightliving.co.uk is helping islanders and visitors, enjoy the best the island has to offer, while making huge savings along the way. Wightliving offers great discounts across the board from romantic places to stay to fabulous eating out, family entertainment, beauty, fitness, leisure, sports and more.

Wightliving was started by four islanders, Fraser and Emily Lloyd Jones, Sarah Sims and Dom Hicklin. “ We all love the island and thought a great way of supporting local business and boosting the local economy was offering discounts on the best the island has to offer. So people get real value for money and a memorable experience, while businesses increase their customer base, even during the quiet times,” explains Fraser Jones, ex-manager of the Priory Bay. “What’s more is that membership is totally free for both the customer and businesses interested in signing up. “

For anyone wanting to try out any Wightliving offers, all you have to do is sign up by registering your email address. You’ll get regularly updated every few days with new offers. But you must be quick to grab a deal, as offers are only available for a limited time only. “It’s a great way to continue enjoying the island’s delights, while saving you money at the same time, whether it’s a two hour beauty treatment package for half the price or a fab meal for two with 50% off – there’s something for everyone, ” says co-founder Sarah Sims. Recent offers and current deals at www.wightliving.co.uk are Harmony Beauty, Barefoot on the Beach, Chessell Pottery, Dan’s Kitchen, Stand Up Paddle Boarding, The Garlic Farm shop and Café

Wightliving now Launched on the Isle of Wight is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

Wightliving the island’s exciting new discount website is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

OPEN MORNING

Observing a busy, active and engaged class of children can tell you far more about a school than simply browsing a website or reading a prospectus, which is why Hordle Walhampton School in Lymington encourages parents to come along to their Open Morning (Monday 3^rd October) to see for themselves pupils at work and at play.

Guided by senior pupils, who are encouraged to describe their experiences of life at Hordle Walhampton, visitors view a wide variety of lessons, sports and activities as well as visiting the boarding house, the large, purpose-built sports hall, the performing arts centre and the riding stables.

Hordle Walhampton is proud of its strong association with Island families. Many of our pupils travel across daily, we escort the Lymington/Yarmouth ferry, whilst others make good use of our highly flexible boarding arrangements.

Hordle Walhampton has an outstanding record of achievement in Scholarships and Common Entrance examinations, plus strong associations with many of the well-established and popular senior schools. Further details of the Open Morning are available from Mrs Suzanne Wright on 01590 672013 or by e-mailing: registrar@hordlewalhampton.co.uk

Open Morning For Hordle Walhampton School in Lymington is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

Babies as young as a few weeks old will soon be able to take part in new structured swimming lessons starting in Freshwater and Cowes this Autumn. The multi-award winning Water Babies classes are designed to make the most of babies’ natural affinity with water, teaching confidence and safety techniques and enabling them to swim both above and below the waters’ surface.

‘Sadly, drowning is still the third highest cause of accidental death in the UK,’ explains Budge Pountney, director of Water Babies locally. A former rugby star, he set up Water Babies classes in September 2007, together with wife Ali, having been so impressed with the course when taking their own daughter, Naeve, to lessons in Northampton. ‘In most cases, it’s the shock of sudden submersion that causes children to panic. We believe that by introducing babies to water as early as possible, they’ll be less likely to experience fear if they did fall in.

‘With progressive training, babies can be taught life saving skills such as turning onto their backs or swimming to the nearest solid object, following a sudden submersion,’ he adds. ‘Last year alone we had three of our tiny clients save their own lives: one in an unheated pool, another in a canal and a third in a flood swelled stream. It’s fantastic what vital skills children can learn, despite still being so young. And it’s so important that they do. All of these children were just two when it happened.’

Jo Hobbs who has been swimming both her children with Water Babies in Southampton since September 2007 has now trained as a water babies teacher.

She will be running classes at West Wight Leisure Centre on a Monday and at UKSA in Cowes on a Thursday and Saturday.

For further information you can call Water Babies on 01983 717005 or email us humptydumpty@waterbabies.co.uk. Alternatively you can check out the water babies website on www.waterbabies.co.uk.

Water Babies classes on the Isle of Wight in Cowes and Freshwater is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

Another Reason to Visit Portsmouth Historic Dockyard This Summer! is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

Family magazine for parents on the Isle of Wight . Get your  summer issue for free if you don’t have a copy  of The Family Directory for the IOW Parents then please contact us The Family Directory Team on 01983 872191. The magazine is  full of local information , what’s on, places to eat, and lots more.For your FREE copy please email polly@thefamilydirectory.co.uk  .You don’t have to live here they will post to your home on the  main land so if you come on holiday to to IOW or have a  holiday here  you can get all the information before you leave home.So for your FREE copy email or call – or you and find out wnat on by taking a look at their website today. www.thefamilydirectory.co.uk or find them on facebook The Family Directory.

Family Magazine for parents on the Isle of Wight. The Family Directory is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk

Magic in the Skies at The Needles Park Isle of Wight. is a post from: Isle of Wight - WightBlog.co.uk