I HAVE always loved sport and last Saturday in New York there was a sports event which ranks right up there as one of the greatest in my lifetime — the Women’s US Open Tennis Final.

Obviously I wasn’t in New York, but I, along with millions of others, watched on TV as the unseeded 18-year-old Brit, Emma Raducanu took on Canadian, Leylah Fernandez.

It isn’t often that I find myself shouting at the television, but I’m sure I wasn’t alone in screaming things like, “Come on”, “Good girl”, “Hold your nerve” etc as Emma smashed her way to the title in straight sets.

It wasn’t just the achievement, but the way in which she went about it, with a smile on her face and a humbleness that you don’t see very often these days.

I have to admit that for the past few years, I haven’t been as interested in tennis as I was back in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, but now I can’t wait to watch Emma Raducanu in action again, and Wimbledon next year is going to be electric. England has a new sporting hero.

One of the things which added to the excitement of the tennis final was the large crowd that was roaring the two girls on.

Events like that just aren’t the same without a crowd, and this weekend we have our very own large crowd at the Isle of Wight Festival at Seaclose.

I am really excited to once again have the opportunity to attend the festival and see it as another step towards the return of normality.

My view isn’t shared by Newport resident, Celina Berghmans, who last week wrote to the County Press to state that the festival shouldn’t go ahead because of the risk of Covid spreading.

When are people ever going to stop going on about Covid? Yes it’s a killer, but we have vaccines now which reduce the chance of death, just as cars have seatbelts, but despite cars having seatbelts we still have an average of 1,800 deaths a year on UK roads, so would Ms Berghmans prefer we don’t drive cars at all just to be on the safe side? Can we please just get on with living!

And finally Esther, and finally Cyril, I once again am finishing with the latest update on the Floating Bridge.

As I have mentioned before, sorting out the floating bridge fiasco is the one solid pledge that this new council administration has made, but things seem to be getting worse, not better.

The chain ferry is yet again out of action, and has been since the August bank holiday weekend. Apparently Floating Bridge 6 now needs a new drive motor.

We have also been informed by those in power at County Hall that getting a new chain ferry could take up to six years, which is two years too long if this council are to fulfil that solitary election promise they made.

I will continue to repeat the very simple solution to council leader, Lora Peacey-Wilcox until she finally sees sense and follows my advice — just scrap it! A vehicular ferry across the Medina is no longer needed.

Right then, see you in the mosh pit at Seaclose Park.