A DEDICATED search and rescue volunteer has died just days after being made an honorary firefighter. Fire, lifeboat, coastguard and search teams across the Island are mourning the loss of Gary Spearman, who died yesterday (Easter Sunday) following a battle with cancer. As a young boy he yearned to become a firefighter, but was unable to. However, he threw his heart and soul into volunteering for the emergency services, serving with Ryde Inshore Rescue, WightSAR, and Sandown and Shanklin Independent Lifeboat, among others. On the final day of the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service, and knowing Mr Spearman was very poorly, deputy chief fire officer Steve Apter appointed him as an honorary firefighter.
A 1959 Hillman Minx series 3a has been a treasured part of the Beston family of Shanklin for 33 years. Michael Beston explained: My wife first saw the vehicle for sale in a local newspaper when we lived in Kent in 1987.
Scroll through our gallery of pictures above to see more. It really appealed to her as this was the same model of her first car she purchased after passing her driving test. I also learned to drive in a Hillman, so the attachment seemed quite natural. We viewed the car a few days later, and we both fell in love with it right then. The car had covered very little mileage and was in extremely good original condition, albeit, a little neglected. We could both see the potential in the Minx, and after a very short negotiation with the owner, we bought our first and only 1950s classic car time capsule.
FOUR charity projects that use computer technology to reduce social exclusion on the Island have been boosted by funding from the Isle of Wight Foundation. They will share a total of nearly £30,000. Each year, the foundation supports projects working to tackle social exclusion on the Island. Since 2014, it has awarded more than £543,000 to such good causes. In the last 12 months alone, more than £73,000 has been shared between ten local projects. Mountbatten hospice will use its £6,700 to purchase 30 laptops for its Neighbours remote support initiative while Aspire will use the £6,730 grant to provide computer equipment and furniture for a new skills hub.
Winchester Coroners Court A ROMSEY man died after exposure to asbestos while working as a farmer, an inquest opening heard. Albert James Dalton, of Meon Road, was diagnosed with mesothelioma having been exposed to asbestos in life. The 86-year-old was admitted to Countess of Mountbatten Hospice, in West End, and received palliative care. Mr Dalton died on December 11 this year, senior coroner Christopher Wilkinson said during an inquest into his death. A post mortem found that Mr Dalton died of pneumonia, mesothelioma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, frailty and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Mr Wilkinson adjourned the hearing, and a full inquest will take place on October 11, next year.