Monkton Arts in Ryde has announced a shake-up and expansion, with a short closure for refurbishment and the creation of new facilities. The popular community art location on East Street is to expand operations across the road to the former Bert’s Motorcycles unit. Dawn Fidler, Monkton Arts co-owner, explains:
“Survival has been a struggle for Monkton Arts, with the challenges of lockdown, followed by the serious flooding of 2023. But with determination, hard work, and continued support from our wonderful customers, local musicians, members of the local community and of course our Friends of Monkton Arts family we have prevailed. “We now have exciting new plans for the future and expansion of Monkton Arts. “We’re creating additional space for another gallery, new courses and art spaces to work in and sell from. But this doesn’t mean the current venue will be shutting down. Far from it – in the existing building we’ll be expanding the kitchen, giving us a chance to offer a bigger menu. “We will be working on both properties over Easter Week, when the cafe will be closed from Thursday 29 March until Wednesday 3 April.”
A fundraising event is being held at Monkton Arts on Friday 22nd March with all ticket proceeds going to help fund the refurbishment. Local musicians and artists will be contributing, including Loren Thorn, Olivia Cure, Jim Thorn, Jon Thorne, Dave Packer, Nick Cane, Joe Thompson and Ben Sherwood. There will be an exhibition in the cafe area showing the history of Monkton Arts – contributions are welcomed by 15th March. These can be in the form of short written, photographic or artistic contributions. Tickets are on sale now at the Monkton Arts website, where donations can also be made. Bert’s Motorcycles has moved to a larger unit a short distance away at 10 Monkton Street.
Was there garden/bank work going on and the exposed subsoil endured the rain?
We need to keep the elderly drivers off the roads to keep everyone safe
This is one of our usual trolls using my name, just ignore the retard.
Ah terror towers. Matey going on and on about his band and the good old days then one night they all turn up and play in his room for 10 hour gig.
Idiot, so many on this island
Sell up and get out while it’s still there.Not looking good over there at the moment
Not very easy to sell with a garden full of rocks and earth.
How who’s going to buy? …worthless can’t get in surance no mortgage…
Would you buy it? I wouldn’t give £10 for the property.
Mmmm good idea, but who is daft enough to buy it? Let’s play the “what parts of Ventnor are not insurable” because as we see things, there are few areas from the Grabun down that are 100% safe from landslides. We will have to wait until May/June for things to hopefully calm down and see what is and isn’t repairable.
Who in their right mind would buy a property in Ventnor
The retaining wall has collapsed. It doesn’t look like major movement. It’s probably been slowly moving for years behind the wall.
This must be wiping the value of nearby properties right out. There either needs to be a massive investment to stabalise the region or the inevitable will happen.
Ventnor gradually becoming an island within an island.
I suggest large wide gabion cages filled with granite aggregate used at the base with steel pole bracing into the sold rock at the base where there is no ground movement.
This is not like the undercliffe whereby the whole ground is shifting forwards, just a water sodden heavy upper layer has collapsed. So a simple means to repair and make safe the unfortunate householders property and those living there.
IF however the cliff above is the councils responsibility, then as it is cheap, not unsightly and environmental friendly, unlikely they will use such. They prefer doing nothing, BUT if ‘having too’ using a Sledge hammer to crack a nut.
Cue the ‘nut’ slurs no small doubt, as people don’t like the truth on here.
More of this will happen when the holiday season gets underway with the large coaches flock to the island and drive around like headless chickens with half a dozen people on board.
The rain is the cause of this we are told, soaking into the ground. But what is done to keep ground water to the area away? Are there enough drains and ditches installed and are they kept clear so they work. Anyone living in these risky areas can help b y keeping an eye on local ditches and drains and pulling out any twigs or rubbish that is blocking them. If done quickly it will avoid a lot of trouble as they can back up with mud and leaves and be hard to clear.
Otherwise if blocked, water will spill out and soak into the ground and eventually to the rocks below making them even more likely to slide. .
Too many elderly people are not going through the process
This road closure is total nonsense. As was the call to emergency services.
Why?
Because the Fall happened in January!
The owner of Tower House has already had an engineer & builder assess the bank, which is why the stones behind the railings are separate from the other & have been stacked to one side. When such material falls, it does not separate by its self.
So this road closure by the overzealous should be lifted.
So come on Isle of Wight Council do your job properly you get enough.
And the council will sit back and watch everywhere fall apart. If they don’t get this sorted out and it’s happening all over the island its going have terrible knock on effect for the people that live here and businesses . It wont be safe for holiday makers to visit our ĺovely beaches we have . Will they start to maintainthese places or not?
Wonderful and exciting news for this fantastic venue. Well done everyone involved.
has Bert’s Motorcycles closed down???
I need to look at this place, not really paid notice of it. I wish them all the best for the future.