By Isle of Wight Observer
Well I never — never thought that the 5-day coach holiday from Sheffield in 2012 would result in me moving lock, stock, barrel and two Yorkies to this glorious, light-filled island.
For 31 years I had been a teacher, youth worker and community development worker with teenagers ‘at risk’ and families across many of the estates in Sheffield. I wasn’t sure how a broad Barnsley accent would be received here, but I soon learnt that this Island is diverse, with accents from every corner of the UK.
Sheffield friends would ring me and ask if I was not bored yet living here? How could I be? I had swapped inner-city living, cold winter months and a fast-paced life for Ryde – eight miles of sandy beaches, seeing the Solent every day, the IW Festival, carnivals galore, scooter weekends, theatre, music, concerts, art and café culture with pals. I guess there must be more artists and creative people here per square metre than anywhere else in the UK.
This was very different from being landlocked and only seeing the sea as a child twice a year on the working men’s club trips. Blackpool, Scarborough, Cleethorpes and Bridlington were our go-to seasides. I gave up on the idea of renting deck chairs out on Scarborough beach and trained as a teacher at Bretton Hall, near Wakefield, which is now the fabulous Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Creativity and community have always worked hand in hand for me. I have loved bringing new projects to the Island, especially as a writer, spoken word performer, artist, comedian, and fundraising for the IOW Soup Kitchen, with funky fashion shows, Japanese-inspired costumes, and upcycling 100 jackets.
The Isle Style 50+ women’s group is still running and was influenced by the Advanced Style group for the elderly in America. Our motto is ‘Fashion is for Everyone, Style is for the Individual.’ We certainly love and support our charity shops here. Upcycling clothes has never been more exciting.
I love what brought people to the Island and their life-fascinating stories – and so began the project ‘I Remember When’ for the over 70s. I, for one, don’t want to lose those stories. They can be self-written, recorded, transcribed, and I perform them monthly at the Spoken Word event at Monkton Arts.
Performing comedy and story-telling, with the remarkable Joan Ellis as THEM 2, has been a dream. The IW, London, the south coast and middle England have witnessed our madcap shows of laughter and pathos. She is definitely the glamorous one of the 2.
What next? The IW Steampunk Festival in Ryde is in its second year and we can’t wait. Building on the 2,000+ attendance last year from as far away as Dundee and Italy, this year is going to be even bigger, more diverse, and will showcase national and international bands and entertainers. Street performers, steampunk-themed stalls and costumes will bring colour and fun to the Island.
The Island’s Wight Hot Pipes will be headlining the festivities and bringing their signature blend of Celtic rock to the stage – not forgetting the excitement of seeing the bagpipes on fire.
All the details are on our website, and if you want to don your corsets and top hats, there are plenty of ideas there: iwsteampunkfestival.co.uk
If you see a dog with red lipstick on his head and myself, do say hello!
The IW Steampunk Festival takes place in Ryde, September 26–28.