April

Ryde to Seaview
A brisk impromptu stomp along the seafront to the Seaview Hotel, (stopped for a cuppa),  and back, with a friend, putting the world to rights. Lovely! Excellent views across the Solent too.

 

Cowes

A brisk walk through the town and on to Egypt Point lighthouse and back in the rain, stopping off for a cuppa at Coast. Lovely way to clear the cobwebs away.

 

Quay Arts

Popped in for lunch (lovely) and had a peek at the current exhibition. Definitely worth a visit. Excellent exhibition of body sculptures and art (Olympians and meta humans) by artist Louisa Giblin.

 

Isle of Wight Cantata Choir

The IOW Cantata Choir gave a strong rendition of Verdi's Requiem, ably accompanied by the IOW Symphony Orchestra and four superb soloists. Another excellent evening out.

March

Snow Day
I had a pleasant amble around the town crunching through the ice layer on the snow and sliding on the ice patches on the hills. Good fun and very invigorating. Not quite the right snow for my sledge unfortunately.

Cowes
I needed a stomp after snow day so walked along to Egypt Hill, then up it and along Baring Road to the Zigzag and down, detouring through Mornington Woods and back along Queens Road and the lane behind Trinity Theatre before heading through town once more. Along the route were two of Paul Sivell's magnificent tree carvings; dolphins on Egypt Hill and Owls and squirrels at Mornington Woods. Lunch, prior to the walk, was at Tiffins, Lovely bacon and brie baguette.


Lower entrance to Mornington Woods

Lymington

We had a family day out to Lymington, travelling on the Wightlink ferry "Wight Sky", and noticing the penguin on the harbour wall as we passed. We then got the train to Lymington town, and meandered up the High Street through the snow, looking at the market and a few (warm) shops. We then had a lovely lunch in Prezzo before returning to the Island.

Isle  of Wight Symphony Orchestra

Another fabulous concert, with the orchestra playing 'Norwegian Dances' by Greig, a cello concerto by  Walton (not keen) with a fabulous soloist, Jamal  Aliyev, and then Dvorak's Fourth Symphony. Lovely! A very pleasant way to spend an evening. 



Cowes Cycle Track

We went for a brisk Sunday morning walk in the drizzle along the cycle track towards Newport today. This is a popular route with walkers, runners, dogs and, of course, cyclists. I do wish that the latter group would all get bells and use them as you can't always hear them coming up behind you. Mind you, when one did employ his bell I nearly jumped out of my skin and into the river! Didn't get run over though...

There were early signs of the approaching spring around, with many trees laden with catkins and birds tweeting furiously and swooping through the air between bushes. There were lots of swans and cygnets on the river and inlets too, with the occasional mallard or coot to be seen.

As we approached our furthest point, between Vestas and the big metal bridge over Dodnor Creek, we found that someone had made a discovery among the undergrowth and what had been scrub land was now an archaeological dig. This was the site of 'Mummies Caves', a local cement works from the last 200 years. Plenty of infrastructure is still standing and was fascinating to look at through the fence. We paused again halfway along the bridge then turned round and made our way back to Cowes and lunch.

Distance: approx. 5 miles

View towards Whippingham



Mummies Caves, Dodnor



Dodnor Creek



Disused boatbuilding dock



Dilapidated workshop, Arctic Road

Wild Nights (and days) Out...... August

Fireworks and Jet Planes

As it was the end of Cowes Week, we pottered down to Holy Trinity Church, laden with blankets, card games and coffee, and sat in the churchyard waiting for the evenings entertainment. This began at 7.30pm with an exciting display by the Red Arrows; I still get as excited as the average four year old by supersonic aerobatic display teams and squeaked with terror when the planes appeared to be getting too close to each other during fly pasts. I enjoyed myself and embarrassed the teenager, so all was good! At 9.30pm the annual fireworks display began, and there followed twenty minutes of exciting bangs and crashes and pretty lights in the sky. It always feels as though the whole Island turns out for this event, and the streets were certainly crowded with families, groups of sailors and wandering gangs of teenagers (who seemed oblivious to the fireworks). Lovely atmosphere as usual, and the church were doing a roaring trade in bacon or sausage sandwiches, tea, coffee and cake. Perfect evening!

Red Arrows heart

Chale Show
This annual, two day event is a much glorified village show; however, instead of the village hall there are several marquees full of local arts, crafts, food, bric-a-brac, poultry (fabulous! I'd like a black silkie please!), metal detectorists treasure, political parties, and, of course, entries for competitions such as best cake, vegetables, photography and amateur art,and children's competitions such as best Lego village, best handprint on a plate, and rice crispy cakes.  Outside are more stalls selling plants, cars, antiques, as well as charity fund raising. There are also many burger vans, a collection of vintage tractors and various ancient engines (interesting). Finally, there is an arena where you can watch falconry, horse back stunt riding, quad bike stunt riding, and the ever present Randini Magic Show.  There is also a stage with live music. To top it off, the venue is a field on the edge of the village rather close to the edge of the cliff, with stunning views along the west coast.

Fastnet Race
I didn't realise this was on and went for a quiet walk along the seafront, and ended up elbowing my way through the crowds in order to get anywhere! The Parade and esplanade at Cowes were thronged with spectators, and the cannon at the Royal Yacht Squadron blasted at regular intervals as the various starts took place. I watched the bigger yachts set off, which was very exciting, as the Solent was crowded with vessels getting in the way, which in turn were being buzzed by a helicopter and a drone, both filming I think. Nice start to the day.

Sailing
I was given the opportunity to spend the day on the 'Spirit of Scott Bader' catamaran with friends and spent a lovely day pootling about the Solent. We started from Yarmouth Harbour and sailed towards the Needles, passing through the narrows at Hurst Castle; this section was rather lumpy and we encountered a couple of squally showers. Consequently one of our number went a bit green. Not me! We headed along the coast past Hurst Castle, and eventually got to the Needles where we turned round. This section was much smoother, and we pottered around heading towards Newtown Creek before turning back to Yarmouth. Lovely day, and I got a couple of chances to steer the boat (without crashing) and also had a go at winching a rope (I think there was a more technical term for that!). I have less upper body strength than I thought. Excellent way to spend the day.

The Needles

New Forest Wildlife Park
A day trip to the North Island took us to the New Forest Wildlife Park not far west of Southampton. We spent the day admiring otters, lynx, exotic butterflies, wallabies, boar, bison, deer, owls, and wolves (awesome!). The kids had a great time playing in the various playgrounds too. Lovely day with the family.

Cowes Illuminated Carnival
Very similar to the daytime one in July, but everyone wore Christmas lights. It was a bit shorter too, but still entertaining.

Quarr Abbey to Cowes

Another stretch of the coastal path today, starting with delicious tea and cake at Quarr Abbey Tearooms. My friend and I had been given a lift to the Abbey by my Mother, who also had tea and cake, so that we could walk back to Cowes.

Once the cake was eaten, and the piglets had been admired (obligatory), we set off along the path. This was lovely, and led eventually to Fishbourne Lane, coming out just by the pub beyond the ferry terminal, and then following the road to the next footpath on the right. This led into the village of Wootton Bridge, past a house being built near the pub which had lovely sculptures and shells set into the walls, rambled among the housing estate (where we took a minor detour due to an ambiguous signpost), and then onto the long and winding Brocks Copse Road. I had never been down this road, and we discovered some lovely Victorian lodges, a small road bridge over a sluggish stream, and a cherry tree bearing almost ripe fruit. We foraged briefly! We were also accosted several times by a lady whose sat nav was sending her everywhere except Osborne House; she was working here for Cowes Week, had to pick somebody up, and was getting very confused. We sent her in the right direction several times and guessed that she got there eventually when she failed to show up again.

Brocks Copse Road became Alverstone Road, and emerged on the main East Cowes road by The Forge at Whippingham. The coastal path led along the main road from here, so we continued along, stopping for a cup of tea at Osborne House, home of Queen Victoria, and then continued down into East Cowes, poked around the charity shops and caught the new floating bridge to Cowes. Another lovely, rather breezy and occasionally wet, walk completed.

Route: https://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4588940.html

           https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/dbimgs/6.Ryde-Cowes.pdf

Distance: 6.9 miles

Cat detail on house, Wootton Bridge

Lodge gate

Cowes Hammerhead Crane

Floating Bridge

Wild Nights out.....July

North House, Cowes
Popped in to meet a friend whose husband was playing in a jazz trio. Pleasant evening on the terrace listening to lovely music. Lovely hotel too - worth a visit if you can.

Cowes Sailability Club
I attended a reception at Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club for this charity. Interesting, with nice canapes!

Cowes Carnival
Had to watch this annual event. Quite jolly with marching bands and a bagpipe - drum duo, and all the carnival queens (wish they would smile!) and locals who had dressed up. Short but sweet.

Summer Strolls

We go for a few short strolls around the place as the fancy takes us, so I thought I'd list them here.

Cowes Seafront

This is always a nice walk at this time of year; the town is bustling with sailors and tourists, there is usually yacht racing on the Solent, and many people are out on the seafront watching the sailing, playing on the beach or strolling along the promenade. We also have the pleasure of fairly regular visits from a common seal who likes to lounge on the old steps by the Royal Yacht Squadron.

Ryde Seafront

We like to stroll from the boating lake to Appley Tower, the café beyond or even Seaview if we're feeling energetic. Often we paddle in the sea as this is a sandy beach, and get an ice cream from one of the vendors along the way. One's route back is often marked by the smoke from multiple disposable barbecues, with the pleasurable scent of sizzling sausages Along the way.

Cowes to Newport Cycle Track

This is a lovely walk along the route of the old railway, with plenty of shade on sunny days, and lovely views across the river Medina, and the surrounding farmland. Lots of wildflowers and wildlife, as well as walkers, runners and cyclists.

Chilton Chine

A good walk for small children and dogs! Park near Isle of Wight Pearl on the west coast of the Island, follow the path to some steps that lead down to the beach and have a pleasant walk and paddle. Keep an eye on the tide as it comes in quite quickly and there aren't many exits back up the cliffs.

Medina Estuary

Today was the annual sponsored walk for St. Mary's Church, so I thought I'd join in. Some parishioners met up at the Church, and the rest of us met at the start of the Cowes-Newport cycle track on Arctic Road. Once we had all gathered here, (there were 14 of us), we set off for Newport. The weather was pleasant and warm, and we got going at a good pace chattering away and admiring the views of the River Medina, as well as dodging cyclists and runners. A popular path! After about an hour we reached Dodnor picnic area and were met by two chaps who had laid a tablecloth over a picnic table and provided tea, coffee and biscuits for us. Very nice! Once refreshed we headed on to Newport, popped into the Quay Arts Centre to use the facilities and said goodbye to four of the walkers who were now going home.

The rest of us picked up the path on the opposite side of the river and strolled on past the site of the Isle of Wight Festival, and onto a newly refurbished path along the river to Island Harbour. At Island Harbour we used a lock gate to cross over the harbour entrance and onto the next part of the path. Shortly afterwards we saw that the pathway was closed, but thought we'd chance it and carried on anyway, especially after walkers coming in the opposite direction said they had got through. However, we soon discovered that the main route was underwater and wandered up the field edge looking for an alternative. Unfortunately, one of our party slipped over in the mud and hurt his ankle, and the weather turned cold, wet and squally, so we decided to head back to the harbour before there were any more accidents. Luckily there was a café there, The Breeze, so we stopped for a coffee, called the injured chap's wife to collect him and decided what to do next. Half the party decided to head back to town and catch the bus home, and the remaining five of us decided to continue on a slightly alternative route.

We headed up the lane to the main Newport to Ryde road, turned left and picked up the old East Cowes Road, then walked along until we got to Beatrice Avenue. We headed down here towards St Mildred's Church, designed by Prince Albert, and then down through a housing estate and into East Cowes and thence to the chain ferry and home. We managed to run for the chain ferry as we could see it was about to leave and really didn't want to sit around and wait for the next one, and the lovely operators waited for us.

This was a lovely walk with lovely people and I shall try and tag along again next year!

Route: http://gb.mapometer.com/walking/route_4289942.html

Distance: 11.7 miles

Sculptures at Seaclose park

PS Ryde Queen at Island Harbour

Bench at Whippingham

St Mildred's Church, Whippingham

Staycation Day 1

For the penultimate week of the summer holidays we have decided to be tourists at home. My daughter is organising it. The rules are simple; I shall buy each of us a weekly rover ticket for the local bus and provide picnics, and she will have a budget of £20 per day to pay for entry tickets etc. She has been advised to come in under budget each day! We will explore this beautiful Island of ours with renewed eyes hopefully.

 

Day 1: Cowes

We struggled initially to find anything to do as the local museum was closed and we didn't want to go shopping or spend the day in a pub. However, we found the 'Boat Trail' which took us from the floating bridge and through the town pointing out interesting things along the way. For instance, we started off admiring the Ratsey and Lapthorne building, noted the crane in the old shipyard, found the building where the old headmaster of Rugby school lived, saw an old jewellers, wandered past a pub where smugglers reputedly hung out, pootled past the Royal Yacht Squadron, then up the hill and up Nunnery Steps and into Northwood Park.

 

We stopped in the old putting green and had a picnic. This was pleasant as it wasn't too warm, and we were surrounded by wildflowers. There was lots of insect life too. After lunch we wandered over to St Mary's Church and searched around for a couple of geocache's and completely failed to find them! We had tried this at the floating bridge too (East Cowes side), and failed there also. To be fair we had no idea what to look for or even how to do it really. It was fun trying however.

 

In the park we bumped into some chums so the kids went and climbed trees and shrieked a lot for half an hour, then we finished the boat trail. Last on the list was St Thomas of Canterbury church, one of the earliest Catholic churches to be built after the reformation apparently. We did a little shopping then popped home for a cuppa, walked to the doctor's, then had a quick stroll in Northwood Cemetery. Very pleasant. Back home, a high speed tea then we caught the bus to Newport and watched 'Hercules' at the cinema. The storyline might make Greek mythologists wince, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Lots of action, dry humour and one or two chaps wandering around rippling their muscles!

 

Budget:
Two cinema tickets £12.20
Snacks £5.38
Change £2.42

Bus fare: two half price (I get student discount) 7 day freedom tickets at £12 each.

East Cowes Boat Trail

Well it was a beautiful day so we decided to go for a walk. I downloaded the Cowes -East Cowes Boat Trail guide from the council website and we set off. First stop was the floating bridge; this runs across the River Medina between Cowes and East Cowes and is currently free to foot passengers. We got off in East Cowes, found the first knot sign of the trail and set off around the town. The trail led us past the site of the Grid Iron Shed, where the first seaplane was launched in 1913, then on to Trinity Wharf which used to be the dot for lighthouses and buoys. It was also Queen Victoria's choice of landing stage when she came to visit Osborne House. Next we saw the back of Columbine Yard where the hovercraft was developed. On the front of this is the world's largest Union Jack but we couldn't see that from this side of the river.

Around the corner were barracks and coastguard cottages and a giant propeller. There was also a plaque commemorating a local boy who had a fight with Prince Albert, son of Queen Victoria, and who was rewarded by the Queen in return! We didn't get a good look because there were road works and we couldn't get close.  We followed the seafront to Castle Point then had a muddy walk back through the woods, stopped off briefly at the playground (great for munchkins!), and then walked up Cambridge Road to see the shell house; this is an ordinary semi-detached house which has a mosaic on the side of a large sailing ship made entirely of cockle shells. Lovely. My daughter was tired by this time so we pottered back to the town centre hoping for a cup of tea and a sit down. We went into a cafe near the Co-op and were told that drinks were take out only. We left empty-handed and grumpy and went back to Cowes.

We ended a pleasant afternoon having a swift drink in Cowes Ale House listening to 2nd Time Around, a local folk band. We will continue the rest of the boat trail another day.

 

Distance walked: 4.5km

Spent: £2.20