If you want to know what's happening about Northwood House, this is where you will find the facts - no rumours, no allegations, just information so that the public can understand what's being done.

15 February 2011: Northwood House played host once again to the annual Antiques Fair in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Read more...

2 February 2011: the January newsletter from the Trustees can be found here.

24 JANUARY 2012: with great reluctance, the Trustees have decided that in order to fund essential maintenance for the Rotunda car park area, new charges will be put in place with effect from 30 January 2012. Read more here.

3 January 2012: The Great Flood of Northwood House! The short and very nasty rainstorm on 3 January caused a short-lived but rather challenging flood in the corridor from the St Mary's entrance, caused by one of the downpipes from the roof which passes down an interior wall. The volume of water coming down it was simply too much for it to take, and water poured from it all over the tiled floor. Luckily some Trustees and the House Manager were on hand, catching up on office work, and were able to keep the worst of the water off the carpets; and even more luckily, Mike Buckett, from All Round Cleaners, was able to be on hand within minutes with his water-sucking machine. In the end, about 100 litres of water were sucked up from the floors with no more damage than some rather wet workers. Meanwhile, elsewhere on the estate ... Trustees, volunteers and advisers had to wade through a lake several inches deep in the Rotunda car park to clear four drains which had become blocked with mud and leaves during the 'monsoon' so that visitors could park. At the same time the bottom path in the park had become completely waterlogged because of leaves and mud blocking the drains, and water was in danger of overflowing into the gardens of neighbouring properties. As always, our fabulous and stalwart helpers turned a potential crisis into no more than a brief excitement. Thank you all.

22 December 2011: a heartfelt 'thank you' from the Chair of Trustees. Thanks also to Jim Green, one of our dedicated volunteers, who took some of the beautiful photographs of the House in its Christmas lights which you can see in this letter. He responded very quickly to a request to bring his skills and better quality camera for our benefit and we are, as always, very grateful.

20 December 2011: Northwood House provides an elegant backdrop! Check out this month's copy of 'Island Life', where Northwood House provided a beautiful and elegant backdrop for photos of party hair and frocks by Jaks of Newport. Click here and here to see the article as it appears in the magazine.

11 November 2011: Generous gift to the Trust from Cowes business: the owners of Wine Therapy, thenew wine merchants in Cowes High Street, have very kindly donated a sum of money to enable the Trustees to replace the swings in the children's play area which were recently damaged byvandals. We are enormously grateful to Nichola Roeand Terence Young for their generosity, and for their continued interest in helping the Trust to update and improve the play area. We wish them well with their new venture.

28 October 2011: New book on the Ward family available now! George Chastney, of Cowes Heritage, has put together a fascinating and readable account of the Ward family and their huge influence on Cowes, quite apart from their ownership and development of Northwood House and Park. Read more ...

17 October 2011: LOOS IN THE PARK NOW CLOSED FOR THE WINTER The loos in the Park near the tennis courts are now closed for the winter season, re-opening at Easter 2012. There are four other public loos relatively nearby: at the Red Jet terminal, in the Cut (off the High Street near the chemist), on the Parade or on the seafront near the ice-cream kiosk.

13 October 2011: new lighting installed in the Community Hall. Two of our stalwart volunteer supporters, Stephen Weekes and Roger Lashmar, spent a long day working as a team to instal seven new strip lights in the Hall recently, as a number of users had complained that the low-energy lights installed by the Isle of Wight Council were inadequate. It was great to get the whole job done in a long day so that it was all ready for the short-mat bowlers that evening for their regular session. They were absolutely delighted with the greater illumination, which was a great improvement. Our sincerest thanks go to Stephen and Roger; Stephen has already helped the Trust by installing the wiring and convector heaters throughout the function rooms last winter, and he will be putting the extra ones in the bar area and the Egyptian end of the crush hall shortly. It is wonderful to have their help and technical skills before they get involved with the next sailing season.

10 October 2011: HELP WANTED! A letter from the Chair of Trustees - we need help in the park! The leaves are dropping once again and the Trustees would really appreciate anyone who can help rake them into piles for immediate collection into bags and trailer each Wednesday and Saturday morning between 10am and 1pm over the next few weeks. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided. If you can join in please call 293642 or 282551 or email us at trustees@northwoodhouse.org. Many hands make light work! Meet at the Community Hall.

22 September 2011: a very satisfied customer! Mrs Sheppard, of Newport has written following her daughter's wedding at Northwood House in August. She says 'The rooms were beautiful thanks to the hard work of all involved in the restoration work and the painting. We would especially like to thank all the volunteers. The work is of a very high standard. The gardens were also beautiful on the day, and the catering was excellent. So all in all we had a very happy memorable day and we were delighted we chose your venue.' We are so pleased to have been able to be part of such a special day.

11 September 2011: Heritage Open Days on 10 & 11 September a great success. We were delighted to welcome the many visitors who came along to Northwood House during the two days of opening as part of English Heritage's Heritage Open Days scheme. Tours were taken throughout both days to the out-of-the-way parts of the House, Cowes Heritage showed a 'distilled' version of their Northwood House exhibition, much tea and biscuits was consumed and many visitors were kind enough to say how impressed they were at what has been achieved in the year since the Trustees took over management of the House - and backed it up with donations. So thank you to everyone who came, both for your presence and for your words of support. Read more ...

26 August 2011: Letter from the Chair of Trustees printed in the 'County Press' about the Family Day at Northwood House. Don't miss the photo of the belly-dancers!

22 August 2011: thanks to more of our wonderful supporters, without whom we could not have done a fraction of what's been achieved at Northwood House and Park. Jack Green very kindly lent his scaffold towers, making it possible for us to carry out the work on the ceiling of the Rotunda. JMC Plant Hire generously gave us a free loan of the hut and temporary toilet for the use of the car park workers during Cowes Week. And not forgetting the Castle Art Group, who quite unexpectedly and so kindly donated a proportion of the takings from their Art Show during Cowes Week with the hope that it would 'buy a tin of paint'. Well, it will certainly do that and more, and is just one example of the support from the community which is so wonderful and so essential to help us carry out the objectives of the Trust: to restore and maintain Northwood House and Park for the future. A most sincere and heartfelt 'thank you' to all of you.

19 August 2011: A heartfelt message from the Chair of the Trust to all the people who have given generously of their time, money and effort to the Trust over the past year.

8 August 2011: Village Fete a great success! On Sunday 7 August the lawns around the House were filled with people enjoying the sunshine and the various activities put on as part of our contribution to the Family Day organised by Aberdeen Asset Management, this year's Cowes Week sponsors. We were blessed with the weather and everyone had a great time. Click here for a selection of photos of people having fun.

4 August 2011: Rotunda transformed! Over recent months countless hours of volunteer work have been put into refurbishing the Rotunda inside and out, and it's now transformed. Read more ...

19 July 2011: first wedding at Northwood House since the Trustees took over. On 25 June 2011 Neil and Liane Worth got married at the House and we were delighted to host their special day. For more about the occasion, and a letter of thanks from them, click here.

22 May 2011: Open House day a great success. On 22 May the House and Park were opened to the public to give people an idea of the work that's been going on behind the scenes at Northwood House. Over 250 people came from all over the Island to see the beautiful public rooms and also to get an idea of the work that still remains to be done. The Trustees were delighted to welcome so many visitors, who were fascinated by what they saw - most had no idea of the extent of the House or of what has been done. Click here to read a summary of the renovation work that's been carried out since October when the Trustees took over.

24 March 2011: WOODWORKERS URGENTLY REQUIRED! Wood volunteers and handymen and women are wanted URGENTLY to help refurbish the window frames and sills at Northwood House which have had serious neglect over many years. Many need sanding down, filling and priming now that the drier weather has come and it is pleasant to work outside. In a very short space of time a dramatic improvement can be made. Read more ..

29 September 2010: THE GROUNDS: Visitors to Northwood Park will notice that the lawns are once again being mown. Following the Isle of Wight Council's termination of the grounds maintenance contract with the former contractor, the Trustees have identified a suitable alternative and are now able to continue maintaining the grounds for the use and benefit of the people of Cowes. However, there is much work to be done on the flowerbeds and the Trustees are working with the Friends of Northwood House to put together a volunteer workforce to look after them. Can you help? If you can spare a couple of hours now and again, the Trustees or the Friends would love to hear from you.

23 September 2010: THE NORTHWOOD HOUSE PAINTINGS: the Isle of Wight Council removed the wonderful marine paintings by AW Fowles from Northwood House on 21 and 22 September, along with other items which have been on display in the House for many years. Read more. The Trustees registered a protest that the House was the perfect setting for the paintings and that they would ensure that they were appropriately insured and maintained; nevertheless they have been taken away for 'valuation, restoration and cleaning'. The fixed lights have been left in place and the Trustees are hopeful that the paintings may return in due course to the place where they can be seen and enjoyed by visitors to the House.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE A SPONSOR? We seek sponsors so that the Park can continue to offer litter bins and a children's play area. If any company or individual would like to help, please contact the Trustees on trustees@northwoodhouse.org