AN UNUSUAL object in Ashey has been driving passers-by round the bend.
A number of calls were made to the County Press from people wondering what a bendy 35-metre spar structure in Gate House Lane was being used for.
One caller said: "I have no idea what it could be but it is very high and it looks like some sort of mast."
But Ashey resident Mark Downer, who built it and installed it in his garden, revealed it was a work of art hopefully destined for installation in a mystery location.
"It’s a prototype I am testing for six months and it could lead to a batch of 30 being manufactured over the next two years," said Mark, who runs A. M. Structures, Sandown, which has been producing similar structures for more than a decade.
The spar, made from fibreglass, was designed by a London-based company to move from side to side and it bends backwards away from the wind, allowing the head to feather out.
Island companies Gurit and Grist Electronics have been involved in the project and data concerning its movement is being analysed 24 hours a day by an engineer at City University, London.
Cameras will soon be installed for further analysis and monitoring.
"We like to push the boundaries and we are keeping a very close eye on it and it was interesting to see it in last weekend’s strong winds," said Mr Downer.
Planning permission wasn’t required because it is a temporary structure.
Reporter: mattw@iwcpmail.co.uk