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BBC News
40 minutes ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Isle of Wight festivalgoers given hot weather safety tips
Festivalgoers on the Isle of Wight have been urged to make sure they "hydrate" as temperatures are expected to hit 32C in parts of the John Giddings said they have sold more than 50,000 tickets for this year's said music lovers have travelled from as far away as Australia to come to "the sunniest place in the UK" for the weekend."They're looking for a good time and a safe time and it's important that we tell people that the weather forecast is hot," he said. He added he hoped people would go away and say they had "the best weekend of the year".The well-established music event, previously dubbed "the Woodstock of Europe" when it began with a series of festivals between 1968 and 1970, boasts 15 stages and 150 acts at Seaclose Park in with rolling screens across the site are issuing messages advising people to "stay hydrated".David Rock, crisis manager for the festival, said: "The best piece of advice is to drink... and when we say drink we are not talking about alcohol."He believes the event is "much further ahead" than other festivals in the UK when it comes to crisis team have set up water stations around the site, where people can fill up their own drinks bottles. Singer, songwriter Example and Yorkshire rock band The Pigeon Detectives entertained early arrivals at the festival on Stereophonics and Justin Timberlake will headline the event's main stage over the weekend. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Isle of Wight Festival bus driver escapes fire
A bus used to ferry passengers to and from the Isle of Wight Festival has been destroyed by fire. The driver managed to safely pull over before emergency services were called at 00:40 BST to Newport Road. No-one else had been onboard the bus which had been shuttling people between Cowes ferry terminal and the festival site in Newport. Richard Tyldsley, Southern Vectis general manager, said: "There was no prior warning of any issue, and the driver pulled over immediately and safely." "This type of incident is extremely rare, and we are investigating to establish the cause of the fire. Early indications suggest a mechanical issue," he said. The former Salisbury Reds bus has been retained on the island and is part of the additional fleet used for festival transport each year. "The vehicle has been maintained and was prepared for service by the Southern Vectis team," said Mr Tyldsley. The Isle of Wight Festival started on Thursday with some of the thousands of revellers making their way to the island. Headliners for this year's weekend-long event include Justin Timberlake and Stereophonics. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Isle of Wight Festival: What you need to know Isle of Wight Festival
BBC News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Isle of Wight Festival bus driver escapes fire
A bus used to ferry passengers to and from the Isle of Wight Festival has been destroyed by driver managed to safely pull over before emergency services were called at 00:40 BST to Newport else had been onboard the bus which had been shuttling people between Cowes ferry terminal and the festival site in Tyldsley, Southern Vectis general manager, said: "There was no prior warning of any issue, and the driver pulled over immediately and safely." "This type of incident is extremely rare, and we are investigating to establish the cause of the fire. Early indications suggest a mechanical issue," he said. The former Salisbury Reds bus has been retained on the island and is part of the additional fleet used for festival transport each year."The vehicle has been maintained and was prepared for service by the Southern Vectis team," said Mr Isle of Wight Festival started on Thursday with some of the thousands of revellers making their way to the for this year's weekend-long event include Justin Timberlake and Stereophonics. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Fireworks, Declaration of Independence readings highlight Fourth of July in Newport County
There are plenty of ways to celebrate the Fourth of July from cookouts to hitting the beach and so much more, but across Newport County you can bookend the day with that patriotic feeling. Options exist to start your day by harkening back to revolutionary times with readings of the Declaration of Independence and once the sun sets of course there are fireworks to enjoy. Some events also continue through the long-weekend to keep the celebration going. We've rounded up the events taking place this holiday to get you in the spirit and go beyond the hot dogs and hamburgers. Weather permitting, this year's display in Newport is scheduled to light up the harbor beginning at approximately 9:15 p.m. on Friday, July 4, with a rain date slated for the following day on July 5. With the Fourth of July falling on a Friday this year, Newport is expected to be especially busy, and the city is asking everyone to get involved in the celebration by donating to the City's Fireworks Fund. As in previous years, Premier Sponsorships will be offered for donations of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,500; however, donations of any amount are greatly appreciated. All donors – no matter the amount – will be recognized by the City both online and in print. If you're interested in making a donation to this year's fireworks display, please make your donation check payable to the 'City of Newport' with a notation of 'Fireworks Fund' on the memo line, and mail it to the attention of the Mayor's Office, 43 Broadway, Newport, R.I. 02840. More information about the City's fireworks display can also be found on the City's website at For over 100 years, the Rhode Island Society Sons of the Revolution has hosted Newport's Independence Day Celebration, and there is no more patriotic place to celebrate America's birthday than in Newport's Historic District. The Declaration of Independence was first read to the citizens of Rhode Island from the steps of the Colony House in Newport in 1776 and each Fourth of July, the event is recreated in celebration with music, cannons and a tribute to Newport's signer of the Declaration. All events are free. 9 a.m.: A commemoration of William Ellery, Newport's signer of the Declaration of Independence, at his grave site in Newport's Common Burying Ground on Farewell Street, led by the Daughters of the American Revolution and with participation of the Rhode Island Society Sons of the Revolution, and the Artillery Company of Newport. 9 to 11 a.m.: The Newport Historical Society will provide access to the Colony House, the fourth oldest State House inAmerica, with staff present to answer questions. 9:30 a.m.: Bike Newport will hold their annual bike parade from Ellery Park at Farewell and Thames Street. Decorate your bike and enjoy the fun. 10 to 11 a.m.: A rousing Patriotic concert in Eisenhower Park in Washington Square by the Newport Community Band at Salve Regina University, Peter Davis conducting. 11 a.m.: A reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel Roy Lauth, from the steps of the Colony House, the spot where it was first read to the Colony in 1776 by Major John Handy. 11:30 a.m.: In Washington Square, a 21-gun salute fired by the Artillery Company of Newport, using the fourcannons purchased from Paul Revere in 1798 by the new state of Rhode Island. The Common Burying Ground, established in 1640, includes the grave of Declaration signer William Ellery and the graves of other historic figures, such as Commodore Mathew Perry, who opened Japan to the West in 1854. God's Little Acre, a section of Common Burying Ground, is the largest cemetery of enslaved people in the United States. The Colony House was one of four seats of the colonial government in Rhode Island. Here on May 6, 1776, Rhode Island declared it no longer owed allegiance to the British crown, now known as Rhode Island Independence Day. The Continental Congress's Declaration of Independence was first read from the front steps of on July 22, 1776. Join fellow citizens at 9 a.m. on the grounds of Portsmouth Free Public Library to read aloud portions of our nation's founding document, the Declaration of Independence, adopted unanimously by a fledgling Congress 249 years ago on July 4, 1776. Copies will be available or bring your own. We welcome families – children are encouraged to read a passage. In case of rain the reading will be held inside the library in the Mello Program Room. Please provide your own chair or blanket and dress for the weather. Some participants like to wear red, white and blue for the occasion. By about 9:30 a.m., you will be on your way to parades and cookouts and other celebrations of the day. Escobar's Farm, 133 Middle Road, Portsmouth, announced they will have a fireworks display on Saturday, July 5, at 9 p.m. They will also host a tractor show beginning at 11 a.m. and the farm's concession stand will be open. At 9 a.m. the Tiverton Historical Society will hold the annual public reading of the Declaration of Independence at the WWI Doughboy memorial statue on the Tiverton Bicentennial Green by the old Stone Bridge next to Grinnell's Beach. This public reading is not like any other; those present are encouraged to read a marked passage from the Declaration so 'We the People' can all participate. Before the reading, a brief history of events of past years, including those leading up to the creation of the Declaration, is recounted. This typically takes less than half an hour, so you'll have plenty of time to celebrate the rest of the weekend. Held rain or shine. The event is scheduled for Sunday, July 6 at East Ferry. Music at 7 p.m. and fireworks at 9 p.m. This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: July 4th fireworks, Declaration of Independence in Newport County
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Ida Lewis was once considered the bravest woman in America. Now she's being honored
NEWPORT – The late Idawalley (Ida) Zoradia Lewis was once considered the bravest woman in America and an icon of the women's rights movement, according to state Rep. Lauren H. Carson. Lewis, who died in 1911, called Newport her home, and this year, on Aug. 1, she will posthumously receive the Past Light Keeper Award from the National Lighthouse Museum in Staten Island, New York, at the museum's annual gala. Carson said she was approached by two locals who asked that the state officially honor Lewis. Carson also attended a memorial ceremony for Lewis on May 24 at Common Ground Burial Ground. 'Obviously, she is a woman who made a huge contribution to safety and the city of Newport,' Carson said during a recent interview.. 'After attending that event and hearing about her life and accomplishments, I thought it would be important that the (state) House of Representatives should honor her life.' The Newport Historical Society website has images of Lewis and artifacts connected to her work. According to the NHS website, Lewis, in 1857 and at 15, unofficially took over duties as keeper of the Lime Rock Lighthouse from her father, who had recently suffered a stroke at that time. A year later, she recorded her first rescue when she saved four teenage boys from drowning after they accidentally overturned a boat they were sailing, according to the NHS website. In 1869, she made a rescue that drew national attention when she saved two soldiers from drowning in their attempt to return to Fort Adams. The city honored her two years later during the Independence Day celebration and presented her with a rowboat named Rescue. Carson's resolution won't be the first one the Rhode Island General Assembly has bestowed upon Lewis. The state first recognized Lewis' heroism with a resolution in 1869 for her Fort Adams rescue. According to the NHS website, Lewis is credited with making eight rescues and was 64 during her last one, only five years before her death in 1911. In total, she guarded Newport Harbor for 50 years. She is the namesake of the USCGC Ida Lewis and Lewis Drive in Arlington National Cemetery. And despite her prominence, she tried to live a quiet life, according to the NHS. Her bravery paved a trail for women over the coming century and decades, according to Carson. 'Ida Lewis was a luminary of her time who proved how strong and brave a woman could be. She became an icon of the women's rights movement, and her memory will always serve as a point of pride for Newport,' Carson said. The Newport Historical Society, in collaboration with the U.S. Lighthouse Society, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary honored Lewis on May 24. The commemoration featured the placement of a bronze U.S. Lighthouse Service grave marker by the crew of the USCGC Ida Lewis. The U.S. Lighthouse Service, originating in 1789, was incorporated into the Coast Guard in 1939, according to a release from the NHS. "Ida Lewis was an ordinary person who, when faced with extraordinary circumstances, met the moment and showed that there is bravery in all of us,' said Rebecca Bertrand, executive director of the Newport Historical Society. 'Her story is very significant to Newport history. She was a lighthouse keeper who herself shines a light on why it is so important that people like her, their stories and the artifacts that capture them, are not lost to time," Rebecca Betrand, executive director of the Newport Historical Society. For a closer look at some of her artifacts, log on to This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: National Lighthouse Museum honors Ida Lewis with Past Light Keeper Award
