WHAT ELSE IS AT GARDENCROFT??

C4'S BIG BROTHER IS COMING SOON! GET THE FACTS HERE PLUS ARCHIVE WEBCAMS FROM HOLLAND

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BILLY GATES AND DICKIE BRANSON WANT TO RUN THE LOTTERY (I'M SENDING THEM MY SHIRT AS WELL!)

INTO V.W BEETLES AND CAMPER VANS? CHECK THIS OUT

TESTING BALLISTIC MISSILES ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT?? THEY DID IN THE FIFTIES!! CLICK HERE

THE GARDENCROFT HOMEPAGE--ALL THIS AND MORE

BACK TO CASTAWAY 2000

BEN FOGLE SPEAKS OUT!

A CAMPAIGN to 'Save The Taransay Six' is being formed after it emerged that half a dozen castaways on the Hebridean island

may be ordered to quit in the next few weeks.However the six youngsters were not supposed to be there in the first place -

 they are puppies which were born unexpectedly two months ago to a collie belonging to Scots-born castaway Patricia Prater, 

from the Isle of Man.Patricia took Fran, her beloved collie, with her for the year on the island as part of BBC 1 docu-soap

Castaway 2000 without realising she was pregnant. The pups were delivered on Valentine's Day by Patricia, her daughter 

 Jodene, who is 11, and the castaways' resident doctor, Roger Stephenson.The playful sextuplets are currently being looked

after by all the 35 castaways on the five-mile long island, off Harris in the Western Isles.It has emerged that there are real 

 concerns and considerable discussion over what should become of them.Last night a source involved with the £2 million

TV project said: "Although most of the castaways would like to have the pups on the island for the rest of the year as a 

diversion to help pass the time, the problem could be the cost of feeding them."To have a properly balanced diet, they would really 

need to have proprietrary brand dog foods but the priority for the budget they have is food for the humans."At a meeting two 

 weeks ago, some of the castaways said they thought that they should ask around for good homes off the island - perhaps on

 mainland Harris or Lewis. Being Border collies, at least some of the six would be likely to make good sheepdogs for island 

crofters looking for a replacement or extra dog.Now the eight schoolchildren among the castaways have said they do not

want the lovely wee pups to go. They have said they will launch a "Save That Taransay Six" campaign to get the grown-ups

 to change their minds."Some of them are quite upset about it. However, the two sons of the doctor and another lad have made

 their minds up. They say will look after them if the adults will not and have been quite firm to those adults who say there was no way

 they could afford to keep them."However, the calculations about the extra cost of tinned dog food for them have all but made up 

 their minds for most of the adults."I think Patricia realises that the six are unplanned castaways and may indeed have to go.

 She is being very good about it even if the youngsters are quite angry still," said the insider It is unlikely the six pups will be moved

for about another month. After that, they can be safely weaned from their mother."As they are not likely to be staying on for long,

   they have not been given permanent names although their different doggy characters have emerged already," said the source.