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ISLE OF SHEPPEY

Life's a beach

The Isle of Sheppey is the last remaining island in the South East, with its own unique culture and character.

People who live here say it's hardly changed since the 1950s and that's why they like it.

But something is about to happen which is going to change this island forever.

Today the only way on or off Sheppey is via the ageing Kingsferry Bridge. It has to lift to allow boats to pass underneath, and when it does, the island is completely cut off.

But a new permanent bridge is being built. And when the bridge opens, many people are wondering whether Sheppey will become the same as everywhere else and lose some of its distinctive character?

Kaddy Lee Preston sets out to find out what makes Sheppey special.

Brief history of Sheppey

The Isle of Sheppey was originally known as Sheep Isle.

Extending just nine miles from one end to the other, it has a population of 35,000.

So what's unique about this place and what makes it different?

Comedian Barry Castagnolla jokingly says, "It's a weird place, you feel someone might stab you for looking at their ice cream the wrong way".

Sheppey gags guarantee a laugh, but the islanders most like the fact that they are a down-to-earth, friendly bunch.

Wendy Eager has been coming here for the last 26 years whilst her neighbours Sydney and Marion are new to the island.

So what can the new arrivals detect here that's different compared with life back on the mainland?

"There's an awful lot of new things some of us would decry and say let's go back to old fashioned, traditional values. Like respect for each other and a willingness to help one another. That's what we find here," say Sydney and Marion.

Sheer bliss

Kaddy looks at what is different about the island and visits the 'capital' Sheerness - a former Naval dockyard.

In the area called Blue Town, all the buildings were originally made out of wood from the old ships which were painted blue.

Sheppey's gnomes

But today Blue Town is best known as home to the South East's biggest concrete garden ornament factory.

Sheppey is an island of surprises. On the other side of the island, something really amazing happened - a world first!

It's where the first aeroplane took off in this country to fly the mighty distance of one mile!

The Wright Brothers came here to help the English how to fly their new fangled machines back in 1909.

Today this major historical site is part of a chalet park. In fact half of all the chalets in Kent and Sussex are right here on the island - that's 10,000 chalets!

Deprived

But Sheppey is not just a quaint, old fashioned island. It's one of the poorest and most deprived parts of England.

If you live on some parts of Sheppey, then according to statistics, you're likely to have no job, you probably left school with poor grades, and you're more likely to be a teenage mum than in most places on the mainland.

These are just some of the reasons that the community has campaigned so long for a new bridge.

The bridge symbolises hope for a new generation. And it's an impressive sight - there's more steel in this bridge than in the Eiffel Tower.

And because it's built on a marsh, there's more concrete below ground than above.

Stale stereotypes

But despite modern developments, Sheppey islanders still suffer from old fashioned stereotypes.

Sheppey's children hope that the new bridge will destroy these stereotypes for ever, as one student explains:

Bridging the gap

"On the mainland they call us swampies and mutants and we ain't. The bridge will show them we're the same as what they is".

Nothing illustrates the change that's going to hit Sheppey more than another new development.

In seven years time, the island's former arsenic and glue factory at Queenborough is going to be a luxury marina with nearly 1,000 new homes.

Maybe this could be the next property hot spot in the South East?

It's not such a stupid proposition when you consider that when high speed commuter trains start running to London in 2009, it will be possible get from the island to the capital in around 45 minutes.

Winds of change

Queenborough has remained much the same over the last 100 years.

At present the range of food on sale here is very traditional. You won't find fancy deli items like fresh rocket, smoked salmon or sun dried tomatoes.

But if thousands of mainlanders are about to move in, will the island have to change dramatically?

Janet Flew has just been elected Mayor of Queenborough, and although she welcomes the new bridge, she hopes that not everything will change.

"I'd hate to lose our sense of community. Everybody knows everybody else. We all stick together. It's great here," she says.

Wild life

Sheppey is also blessed with some stunning scenery and wildlife.

Pirates of Sheppey

Shellness Beach, for example, is a freak of nature - It's covered in millions and millions of shells. It's also a naturist beach.

Kaddy's final port of call is back at Queenborough, where she meets the most passionate islanders of all - The Sheppey Pirates.

The highlight of their year is the annual Walk the Plank competition which attracts entries from around the world.

This is a community with its own way of doing things and there's a
feeling that what ever changes when that bridge opens next year,
the South East's last island will still be a special place with some very special people.