The weather couldn?t have been better for Sunday?s water carnival organised by the Island?s Round Table.

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There was a greasy (or rather detergenty) pole and Kayak tugs-of-war, and perhaps the surprise attraction of the afternoon, the ‘Soak A Tart Shy’. Islanders took the opportunity to repeatedly soak bank manager Dave Stone, who sat bravely on the ducking stool in a scarlet and black dress, high heels, a wig and a wet suit, waiting to be ducked whenever a wet sponge hit the bell.

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But the main attraction of the day was the raft race. 14 rafts entered, 6 junior and 8 senior. Pirates of the Caribbean seemed to be the main theme. The competition was ruthless. Pete Hobson?s raft, aptly named the Marie Celeste, was sabotaged when the ropes tying the beer barrels on were slashed. But last-minute repairs with only hours to go at least kept it afloat. Pete gave ScillyNews a quote, but it proved unrepeatable.

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The rafts were well armed; the Ripper Cat raft was described as a 41 water balloon galleon. As well as water, there were flour bombs, eggs and canned plum tomatoes (the cans were left at home). But for once sinking ?ships? rather than saving them, the RNLI rib with a water cannon was the day?s clear winner in the arms race.

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The children?s race was won by the Sandybanks crew in a very big bath, perhaps a poor man?s swimming pool, with ‘outriders’.

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The Round Table won the senior raft race. But with typical Scillonian effenciency, the race was held at 5pm when most of the crews had to be back at work.

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The day was a big success, with ?over ?1,000 less costs? raised for charity.

And the plan is that next years will be even bigger and wetter.

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Animals on Scilly could be at risk when vet Rick Barrowman leaves the Islands at the end of July.

The failure to find a replacement means Islanders will have no vet care for pets and livestock ? and no prospect in the near future.

Barrowman, whose practice will close on July 28, has described the living as ‘a third of a practice and a gentle workload.?

‘It is impossible for Scilly to be serviced by a mainland-based vet both for practical and cost reasons,’ he warned in a letter to DEFRA Parliamentary Under Secretary Ben Bradshaw. And he asked why Scilly should not enjoy similar financial support to remote practices in the Scottish Highlands and islands.

Concerned residents are lobbying Parliament for financial aid and ask anyone with an interest in the Islands to help. ScillyNews would like its readers to copy and paste the letters below onto a blank Word Processing page and send them to the Environment Minister and our local MP to get this crucial issue resolved as swiftly as possible. If you don?t have a Word Processing capability, please copy these letters by hand ? your efforts are important and very gratefully received.

Alternatively, if you are a vet or know a vet who would like to work on these beautiful Islands, please let us know.

Rt Hon D Miliband MP
Secretary of State
DEFRA
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

Dear Secretary of State

As a resident of the Isles of Scilly, I am writing to you to express my extreme concern over the loss of a Veterinary Surgeon to provide veterinary cover for the Islands. There are some two thousand residents on the five islands who have a large number of pets, as well as farmers with farm livestock, all of which require veterinary treatment on a regular basis, plus emergency treatment in cases of extremis.

Country wide Veterinary Surgeons are having difficulty in making their Practices financially viable. On these Islands with such a relatively small population it is impossible to do so. Added to this, property prices and living costs are significantly higher here than on the mainland. As a result of these circumstances our present Veterinary Surgeon is not able to continue to provide a service and despite repeated widespread advertising has not been able to find a replacement Veterinary Surgeon to take over the Practice. He has to leave the Islands therefore leaving us with no Veterinary cover.

Although these Islands are unique, our situation is not perhaps so unusual. In Scotland the Highlands and Islands have a somewhat similar situation, in that they have a relatively small population spread over a large geographic area, thus making Veterinary Practices financially unviable. This has for many years been recognised and the problem overcome by the Veterinary Practices in the Region being financially subsidised by Central Government.

We cannot see that our situation is significantly different to that appertaining in the Highlands and Islands and we would ask you to ensure that a similar system of support be implemented forthwith by your Department for a Veterinary Practice on these Islands. Every day which passes without the Islands having 24 hour Veterinary cover leads to a serious animal welfare risk.

Yours sincerely

LETTER 2

Rt Hon A George MP
House of Commons,
London
SW1A 0AA

Dear Mr George

As a resident of the Isles of Scilly, I am writing to you to express my extreme concern over the loss of a Veterinary Surgeon to provide veterinary cover for the Islands. As you will appreciate, there are some two thousand residents on the five islands who have a large number of pets, as well as farmers with farm livestock, all of which require veterinary treatment on a regular basis, plus emergency treatment in cases of extremis.

Country wide Veterinary Surgeons are having difficulty in making their Practices financially viable. On these Islands with such a relatively small population it is impossible to do so. Added to this, as you will most certainly know, property prices and living costs are significantly higher here than on the mainland. As a result of these circumstances our present Veterinary Surgeon is not able to continue to provide a service and despite repeated widespread advertising has not been able to find a replacement Veterinary Surgeon to take over the Practice. He has to leave the Islands, therefore leaving us with no Veterinary cover.

Although these Islands are unique, our situation is not perhaps so unusual. In Scotland the Highlands and Islands have a somewhat similar situation, in that they have a relatively small population spread over a large geographic area, thus making Veterinary Practices financially unviable. This has for many years been recognised and the problem overcome by the Veterinary Practices in the Region being financially subsidised by Central Government.

We cannot see that our situation is significantly different to that appertaining in the Highlands and Islands and we would ask you to pursue, with vigour, our case with Defra, for financial support for our Veterinary Practice without delay. Every day which passes without the Islands having 24 hour Veterinary cover leads to a serious animal welfare risk.

Yours sincerely