A very Happy New Year to you all. We hope that any fragility that you might have experienced earlier in the day has now passed.
With it being the start of a new year and a new decade, we wondered if you all fancied having a go at saying what you’d like to see happen on the Island over the next year, and even more ambitiously, how you’d like to see the Island over the next decade.
If we get enough responses in, we’ll write a piece compiling your thoughts and publish it on VB.
Feel free to add your thoughts below.
Image: krystalchu under CC BY-ND 2.0
So it’s no surprise to hear from friend and reader of VB, Norbie, that Twilight (blockbuster vampire films) stars Robert Pattinson & Kristen Stewart have been spotted in our dear town, Ventnor.
You’ll have seen that the Isle of Wight appears 
There will be a partial eclipse of a blue moon on 31st December. However, only a very small area of the Moon will enter the Earth’s shadow, and although there may be some shading seen across the whole of the Moon, it won’t be the colour blue. In recent American parlance the term blue moon has come to mean two full moons in a calendar month.
This year there are four people connected to the Isle of Wight that have been honoured.
As the writer Theodore Roschak pointed out in his excellent book ‘Flicker’, every film has something in it that makes watching it an experience worthwhile, even if it was a two second cut of a leaf with water dripping on to it.
We first 
As mentioned a 
VB reader, Nigel sent us a link to his annual video of the event.
I don’t mean running fast, or swimming fast – engine driven fast. In conditions where the slightest twinge of circumstance could send us to a screaming, mangled death. And what about jumping from high places and dangling from a big hanky – thing? And trudging on foot to nasty places when there are perfectly good airplanes available. In fact, why go to nasty places at all?
More Island words defined by the excellent series, Mr Caulkhead’s Isle of Wight colloquialism (
Sitting there, enjoying the Christmas eve and the hand falls on to the Blackberry. Quick check of the Tweets find a story so amazing we couldn’t pass it up.
More Island words defined by the excellent series, Mr Caulkhead’s Isle of Wight colloquialism (
It is rare that an American movie reveals its power through the use of subtleness. This is definitely the case with the release of Michael Clayton. A sophisticated film that demands a more concentrated focus from the viewer than most American movies.
We were contacted by 
It’s that time of year again when after the excesses of Christmas Day lunch and supper, a band of brave souls face the freezing temperatures of the English Channel. 
Worryingly it appears that there might be a problem brewing for the development.
With Christmas and New Year taking up many people’s attention, the service are aware that their reserves could suffer as a result and are urging Islanders who fit within the criteria (see below) to consider taking an hour out of their schedules to give blood.
More Island words defined by the excellent series, Mr Caulkhead’s Isle of Wight colloquialism (
More acts have been announced this morning.
We’re told that some collections could be made up to six hours later than usual, so if your rubbish hasn’t been collected yet, don’t worry, it will be. 
If like us, you took advantage of free entrance to the Museum of Island History a couple of weeks ago to admire their new acquisition, 
Cllr Mew was the first to speak against the adoption of a CCTV camera. 
Eeek, tomorrow morning rain is predicted so motorists and cyclists on the Island are being warned to take care and look out for black ice.
An item which came up in the Town Clerk’s report last night was that 10 signatories had been received calling for an election in relation to the Town Councillor vacancy in the Ventnor St Lawrence ward following 
They promise a fine feast of Hip Hop DJs as well as a complimentary drinks upon arrival served by Mistress Claus.
Later on, at the beginning of councillor question time (which had been left off the published agenda but was added at the beginning of the meeting), Cllr Susan Scoccia stood up with sheets of A4 paper in her hand stating that she had a number of questions to raise.
So rather timely then that the Isle of Wight Council tell us their ‘Return to Sport’ courses will be starting up again in January.
If you’ve time on your hands today then why not consider one of the many 
The team are also suggesting why wait until the New Year, when you could stop straight away.
As readers will be aware, there is currently a 
Becky Haydock has done a great job of gathering the details of all of the elements of the Folk world – the musicians, the Morris teams and the gigs that they play around the Island and Hampshire area.
During councillor question time, Cllr Rob Mew requested that an item be added to the agenda for the February meeting. 
The battle took place on Saturday night at the Wight Rock Bar n Ryde.
As the gallery shows below, the Isle of Wight Society for the Blind, The IW Steam Railway, Cockernuts Family Fun and the Fire Service all took time out to be photographed with the Save Shanklin Theatre Banner as the theatre counts down to the council decision on whether the historic venue will be kept open.
More Island words defined by the excellent series, Mr Caulkhead’s Isle of Wight colloquialism (
It’s understood that as the van went to overtake the car, the driver of the car decided to turn right – ironically as they wanted to have a closer look at the Llamas.
If you’re one of our more mature readers (ie. silver surfers) then the advice given by the ambulance service is to take extra care to avoid slips, trips or falls.
If however, you have enough head space to be thinking about your plans for the coming year then this might be one for your 2010 diary.
Results from yesterday’s matches below. Next matches will be on Sunday 3rd January 2010.
For a man as close to the exit as I am, Christmas inevitably provokes memories of earlier times. Christmases then were very different to today. There wasn’t the range of goodies in the shops for a start, and many of us hadn’t the money to buy much that was.
More Island words defined by the excellent series, Mr Caulkhead’s Isle of Wight colloquialism (
