This week’s Islander of the Week is Francis Hoskin. Francis was born in St Buryan but now lives at Trenoweth Farm on St. Mary’s where he farms flowers. He is one of the successful flower farmers on the islands and is one of St. Martins’ Scillyflowers.co.uk by post main suppliers. He won 3 awards and 3 cups at the West Cornwall Flower Show this year.

He has been married to Christine (see above) for 33 years something he says he thinks he deserves a gold medal for!
They have one daughter who lives and works on the mainland.

Although he says his hobbies are “Work and work” he also takes photos for some of Scilly’s websites like Scillywebcam.com and Scilly News. His photography is something he takes seriously: “Some of my pictures are being published in the October issue of sailing today magazine out in September.”

Francis loves “the peace and quite lovely sunsets and sunrises (on Scilly) but dislikes the “transport problems.”

North Hill on Samson will be back open to the public tomorrow. It has been closed to visitors to the island since April.

The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust took the action due to the large number of Common Terns breeding on the island. The Wildlife Trust said that by restricting access they hoped to “minimise disturbance.”

But Tuesday is the last day of the project so visitors will be allowed back on North Hill tomorrow.

One thousand two hundred music fans turned up to see bands at Camel Rock on Saturday.

Revellers have got more to look forward to on Sunday. A gospel choir from London, as well as the Steam Band, Beavers and Noxious are all entertaining crowds today.

Numbers are expected to increase on Sunday.

Organisers have asked islanders not to drive to Camel Rock. The two day festival begins on Saturday. In previous years the local police have given up their time to help direct traffic around Porth Hellick. A bus will be running every hour from 1pm.

Paul Lewis who is in charge asked Radio Scilly listeners also not to bring dogs to the event because of problems at previous festivals.

Local bands playing at this year’s Camel Rock are the Steam Band, Chocolate Starfish, Roadrunner and Noxious. It is ?6 to get in on Saturday and ?8 on Sunday.

David Raymer contacted Scilly News with a heart-felt thanks to the First Responders of St Martin’s. The first responders arrive on “the scene” before the St Mary’s emergancy services and try to do the best they can with the circumstances. Mr Raymer thanks them for their help when his wife became critically ill.

He writes: “My wife Betty had been coming to the Islands since 1958 in various guises as a single girl, a wife and a mother and latterly as a grandmother. Throughout all of those years she became very attached to St Martin’s calling it her spiritual home, She felt very relaxed in the environment and over many years made many good friends.

“Over the last two years we had been visiting the island with extended family staying at lower town, enjoying the weather and the clean air.

“This year was very special because we were introducing new people to the joys of the Isles, a brother of mine and his wife had accepted our invitation to join us for the second week, the first week having been taken up by immediate family. We had the pleasure of very good weather and we were able to show off our island! the sights and sounds of a very relaxing time was had until the early hours of Friday the 4th June when Betty suffered a fatal heart attack.

“The week had been tremendous with a fantastic sun set over Round Island with a greenflash phenomena being seen by my brother, the honeysuckle was in full bloom and smelt so sweet. The trip to St Marys on Thursday had been culminated with a view of the Lands End peninusular from the launch as we negotiated the sound back to St Martin’s. It was so clear that you could see the houses on the cliff tops.

“The 1st responders who attended on that Friday morning will have for all time my deepest gratitude, they were with us in minutes from the 999 call and attempted for over 40 minutes to maintain Betty’s viability but unfortunately to no avail. The doctor from St Marys was with as soon as possible and the new launch took only 10 minutes to reach the island once it left the harbour.

“Having been in the situation of the 1st responders on many occasions as a police officer I was so impressed by their professionalism and dedication and cannot thank them enough for there attention. They provide a vital part of the emergency service on the island and need all the encouragement and support they can get.

“I would like publicly to say thank you To Andrew, Mandy, Helen and Keith and David for the special support on that terrible morning. Also the fantastic support and help they gave to the wider family when we returned to say good bye to Betty.

“Part of Betty will remain forever on the Island and it is my hope that I return on many occasions to say thank you to the many islanders who made the last week so enjoyable to us all.”

Australian researchers revealed on Thursday that too clean houses might trigger asthma attacks. But Scillonians with condition may see a light at the end of the tunnel when a breathing group visits Scilly in September.

Practitioners of “Breathing Retraining” for asthma and breathlessness are visiting the islands after being invited by Dr Hessing. The Buteyko Institute Practitioners Nikki Jewell and Simon Paddon are based in Plymouth and are hoping to train some of the patient’s incorrect breathing patterns.

The Buteyko Institute Method (BIM) is a proven breathing retraining technique based on the clinical findings of the Russian Professor, Konstantin Buteyko. The method has had many clinical trials throughout the world with highly supportive results; the most recent of which was conducted in the UK. The results of the UK trial have shown that people using the Buteyko Institute Method were able to reduce their reliever medications by 98% and preventative medications by 92%, whilst enjoying 98% less asthma symptoms.

The method which was developed in the 1950’s has been the first line of asthma management in the Russian health system since 1983 and is having a growing impact around the world.

The BBC Southwest’s ‘Inside Out’ will be following the pair’s visit to the islands.

The Buteyko Breathing & Health Practice will offer two Free Introductory Seminars and a Breathing Retraining Course. The first will be at 1:30pm and a second will be held at 6:00pm on Tuesday 28th September, both at St Mary’s Health Centre. A 4-day retraining course will follow also at St Mary’s on Tuesday 5th October and finishing on Friday 8th October.

For any information call 0845 456 4533.

Anti-social behaviour in Cornwall and the islands costs authories over ?18 million a year.

This figure was based on a survey by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Community Safety Partnership. It counted the number of incidents from a week in April when 1,800 anti-social incidents were recorded. This created a bill of ?350,000.

A new survey, which started on Thursday, will reveal the difference between school holidays and peak season and other quiter times of the year.

Islanders with breathing problems like COPD or diabetes are being asked to take part in a study. The West Cornwall Primary Care Trust are searching for volunteers from Scilly to take part in the clinical trial.

If you want to take part in the study and workshops your expenses will be reimbursed.

Call Karin Honey who is West Cornwall’s chronic disease project manager on 01209 888222.

Two teenage boys on holiday on Scilly have had a “lucky” escape after the boat they took drifted out to sea.

The teenagers got into trouble on Tuesday between St. Mary’s and St. Martins after they illegally took a punt from Bar Point.

The owner of the boat spotted the boys and noticed they had got caught on the strong currents. The Lyonesse Lady, on their way back from St. Martins, picked up the pair.

Community Police Officer, Kevin Youngman, told Scilly News that the pair were “very lucky” to be spotted and said that they had been given a “stern telling off from the sergeant.”

You are now able to book your Skybus tickets for 2005 online. A representative of the company said: “even though the cost of fuel is rocketing, we are allowing customers to get this year’s fares if they book now.”