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Friday 26th June 2009 Unlike my Travels To See Kasim Blog, this was a trip to the Isle of Wight just for fun and because I fancied a break. I’ve spent the last couple of months writing a book that is almost complete so I really needed a break from the laptop and a chance to spend a long weekend away came up so I jumped at the opportunity. (And the reason that I’m keeping this record is so that I can look back in years to come. It’ll also save me e-mailing my friends with details as I can just point them here!) The plan was to set off at 11am on the Friday morning but we were early so we actually left at 10.30am. It was just as well that we left early because when we got about 2 miles outside Southampton Port, there was a massive traffic queue to get into the port area. As I was in the inside lane, I drove up past loads of cars and only joined the queue at the traffic lights as we were turning right. I’m glad I did as it still took us 90 minutes to drive those 2 miles! We got to check-in dead on time (2.30pm) and the lady at the desk said that the queue was due to a new luxury liner dock having opened. They then announced that the 3pm Red Funnel Ferry was running 30 minutes late and we didn’t board until 3pm. It was a really smooth crossing and lovely and warm so we sat in the sunshine on the open deck. The crossing took 55 minutes so we docked at about 4.30pm. The Isle Of Wight is an island off the south coast of England and is about 21 miles wide at its widest point. (It’s wider than it is long.) I think it’s main industry is tourism but as the schools don’t break up in UK for another 3 weeks, it wasn’t too busy. All the time I was there, I didn’t see a single dual carriageway so I don’t think there is one on the island. There are also a lot of old cars there (so mine fitted in well!). Some of the cars are vintage ones (1920s and 1930s) but there are also a high proportion of G and H reg cars (1990 – 1992). I assume it’s because the island is quite small so people don’t drive much there so the cars keep for longer. We stayed in Shanklin (a holiday resort on the east coast of the island) and had a lovely hotel which was quite empty this weekend. The first room didn’t have a good wi-fi connection so they kindly let me change rooms. After a cup of tea we walked the ten minutes into old Shanklin and had a lovely dinner at an Italian that evening. For the rest of the evening we mainly watched TV coverage about the life of Michael Jackson and had an early night as I’d got up at 6.30am that day.
Saturday 27th June 2009
Breakfast was from 8.30am and it was a full English Breakfast. For any of my American friends who don’t know what that is, it was grapefruit, cereal, fried breakfast and toast. I opted for sausage, bacon and egg for the fried part so it was a full meal which meant that I didn’t ever need lunch! The hotel keeps its own chickens so the eggs were only laid that morning!
 We set off at about 10am and drove into Ventnor to have a look at the beach. We then headed out to Alum Bay and The Needles on the West Coast but kept to the coastal road as much as possible to admire the view. Thankfully there were lots of places to stop and take photos.
 At Alum Bay it cost £4 to park which was a bit of a liberty as you have no choice but to park there! At the top of the cliff there’s mainly fair rides so we didn’t linger but headed for the chair-lift. It was £3 one way or £4 return but I really didn’t enjoy it too much! As we headed out I went over my parachute training landing in my head and then decided to just concentrate on taking photos. The worst part was the near vertical drop looking at the other chairs below you! I was relieved to get down.
 Alum Bay is famous for all its different coloured sands. Apparently there are 22 different colours and people fill up glass containers with the different colours. They also do boat trips out to The Needles and just as we got there the boat had arrived so we hopped on. The Needles are a dangerous rock formation where lots of ships were wrecked over the years. There’s a lighthouse there but its all automatic so is only visited for maintenance – it has a helicopter pad on the top. Apparently there used to be one rock formation that had a hole in it so that it looked like a needle which is how it got its name. The boat trip took about half an hour (£5) and it was lovely out on the sea on this sunny day.
 I then drove to Carisbrooke Castle which is in the middle of the island. There’s been a castle on the site since about the eleventh century but it’s most famous for being the place where King Charles I was held prisoner before he was taken to London for his trial and execution in the 1600s.
 There was a wall walk around the outside which we walked and then climbed up into the old keep. In the castle they also keep donkeys that were used to draw water from the well. Now they just walk on the treadmill for the tourists.
 We the went back to the hotel for a cup of tea or two before a lovely swim in the pool. There was nobody else in the pool and it was lovely and warm. After a shower, the weekly quiz and another cuppa we walked into Shanklin Village for a look around. There were several thatched cottages there, most of them had been turned into tearooms. I’d also spotted a bag shop the night before and bought a couple that I really liked.
 We walked back to the hotel to collect my car and then drove into Sandown which is the next town southwards (only about 5 miles from Shanklin). I’d asked at the hotel and been told that there was no Chinese restaurant in Shanklin so this was the closest one! Thankfully it was a lovely place so I had a gorgeous meal. We then wandered down to the seafront and walked along Sandown Pier. On our way back to Shanklin, we found the beach there too and drove around that area before getting back at about 10pm.
Sunday 28th June 2009
Had a lovely swim, after I’d removed the heat cover from the pool. Had a full English Breakfast again and left the hotel at about 10am. Drove to Osbourne House which is on the outskirts of East Cowes, just near the ferry over. Osbourne House is famous for being where Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their 9 children lived in the 1800s.
Entrance to the house and gardens was £10.20. They do tours around the house in the winter but consider it too busy during the summer. There were more people there than we’ve seen since we’ve been on the island but it wasn’t too crowded. They don’t allow filming inside the house.
The most ridiculous comment I heard all day was when we walked into Queen Victoria’s bedroom where there was a big double bed and someone remarked that this must be the bedroom!
 As we caught a pony and trap up to the house (only 50p!) we decided to no catch the complimentary bus down so we walked to the Swiss Cottage. This was a cottage that they built for the royal children to learn how to keep a house and cook. Being royal, it was a large house and was about a mile from the main house.
 On the way back there was a long queue (mainly wrinklies!) for the bus so we walked back but diverted on the way to see the ice house which is where they kept meat cold. Unfortunately as I entered I heard some buzzing that I recognised as bats so that was a quick visit!
 Before we left, we visited the walled garden which is where they grow lots of plants. There I saw someone taking a video of the garden so I did too here!
 We took the long way round back to Shanklin and stopped back at places like Cowes, Ryde, Bambridge and Yavertown. There are videos of East Cowes Harbour here and here.
 After a cuppa in the hotel, at about 5pm we walked into Shanklin Village and had a lovely tea at a thatched cottage tearoom. As the weather was just wonderful, we sat outside in the garden.
 We walked back to the hotel and had the envitable cuppa and the drove back into Shanklin Village at 8pm to join the Ghost Walk. The guide was really good as he was a great story-teller. I was amazed that some of the haunted houses were hotels – I bet they don’t advertise ghosts on their websites! Thankfully our hotel wasn’t on the walk!
 We met some other actors on the way so, for example, when we had to walk up a hill which would have been a boring part, they had actors dressed as ghouls jumping out on us! They also enacted a murder on a green and then the murderer, dressed totally in black, ran off and crossed a road which surprised a few drivers passing by!
 The walk lasted about 90 minutes and for £6.50 was good value. We got back to the hotel at about 10pm and just watched some things on iPlayer.
Monday 29th June 2009
We were on the 10.30am Red Funnel ferry which left on time. As it was such a lovely day we sat on the open deck and enjoyed the sailing. The ferry docked at about 11.30am and drove home. The traffic was heavy on the M25 so I didn’t get home until about 2pm.
 Roll on my next trip!
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