To bloody love the Isle of Wight?

Gosh it sounds so lovely! That empty beach is a joy to behold!

@SeelineCalbourne Water Mill and Amazon World for the wallabies. Both still here!

Lived and worked there for 5 years about 20 years ago.

Lovely for a holiday, especially with small children, beautiful old fashioned (in a good way) beaches and attractions.

However, people are incredibly insular and there isn't much diversity - they don't call it the "Isle of White" for nothing. I met many people who had never left the island or been once to the mainland ona day trip in 1960s and didn't like it. I heard more reports of racism from my healthcare colleagues who were non-white, than I have heard anywhere else having lived in multiple places across the South of the UK. One of my colleagues with a voice like a 1950s BBC newreader booked a haircut, when he arrived at the barbers with his brown face on display, even though the place was almost empty, the owner said "Sorry we are fully booked", when challenged that he had phoned and booked earlier in the day "that was my brother, he must have made a mistake".

Everything shuts down early - once had to walk back to Newport from Cowes as we went to the cinema to watch a film that finished late and there were no buses, we called a taxi firm who were shocked that anyone would want a taxi late at night.

We were delivering 1990s medicine for some things because to get the latest up to date treatment you had to get across to the mainland and because it was time-critical treatment, it was impossible to get the patients over to Southampton in time.

I actually have no idea, I ended up organising my own breakdown, and then tried to call them but the wait time was too long so I thought sod it and had a call from the mechanic later . I then cancelled my policy and didn’t even receive an apology. Compared to Green flag who left me 5 hours the other week and were lovely and also gave me compensation without me even asking. And to be fair to Green Flag I was safe in a supermarket carpark with a teenager not on a remote cliff with a young child like I was with the AA incident

Not been there for over 15 years. But I always loved it.

Limited number. Like the police & ambulance service, they get topped up from the mainland at peak times

Not joking - from the timings that's what I'd assume, don't they have any vans on the island?

Don't joke. From the number of AA & RAC vans another boat at 7.30 on Sunday evenings, they probably did

Oh yes, Robin Hill!! Amazing for kids. And the garlic farm is gorgeous. The chutneys are to die for, though very antisocial

Every summer we can rent a cottage
in the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear.
We shall scrimp and save.
Grandchildren on your knee:
Vera, Chuck, and Dave.

Sorry, that's my immediate musical association with the Isle of Wight. 😀 I've never been there but would love to go someday. It sounds lovely.

We do iow every year we travel from the North Highlands it's the furthest you can go and stay in uk 😊kids love it and blackgang chine. Going else where this year my 5 year old is gutted

We always stay at the Esplanade. Absolutely love it 😊

I think that may be the place I remember with free range wallabies and goats and rabbits?
Lots of ponds down a sloping site with different waterbirds and possibly some penguins?
If so, yes it was one of my favourite places.

I love it there. Went every year throughout my childhood. 2 weeks in the summer, in the same hotel in Shanklin. Got to know everyone who also went at the same time! My mum kept in touch with them all, and I had a friend but we lost touch as adults.

I've taken my kids and they love it too. We stayed in one of the caravan parks near Shanklin.

Last time we went it was cheaper for us to get the train/ferry/train and a weekly bus pass than it was for the car ferry. We're in the south east anyway, so not a long journey.

We haven't been on holiday this year and I think I've now talked myself into booking IOW for next year. Got to go and see the donkey we sponsor as well!

Love the IoW so much. My grandparents lived in Ryde (where you walk) and I try to go every couple of years and was there in late June this year at the Royal Esplanade Hotel, which I adore. We stood on Appley Tower (which you can go up these days!) and watched the Red Arrows do their thing, which was magical. I would seriously consider living there - my American spouse is a little less keen though she likes to visit.

I grew up there and it was an incredible place as a young child. However once I got to my teens I loathed it during winter and it coloured my view of the whole place. I left for uni and never went back and my parents subsequently moved off as well.

As an adult however I adore it and miss it terribly (rose coloured glasses). We go back regularly and my two DS’ adore it. We’re going for 2 weeks this summer. Occasionally I float the idea of moving there but whilst I’d love it, it’s the wrong decision for my boys who would have the same issues as teens.

I love it too and when we were in the UK and berthed our boat on the south coast we used to sail over to Yarmouth or Cowes regularly. Not sure I'd want to live there though - having to get a ferry to go to the mainland for hospital visits etc would get old fast. An old colleague of mine grew up on the island and couldn't wait to go to uni to get away, she's never gone back.

The monk at the waxwork was cool but that witch mask haunted my childhood.

Yes.... super creepy!!

I absolutely love it there.... it's my happy place.

I'm 54 and I've gone at least once a year since my grandparents (now long dead) retired there in the late 70's. My dsis and I used to get shipped off for a week or two in the summer holidays, and just loved it.

I've since holiday'd there with my dc's, dgc's and had weekends away with my dsis.

Does anybody remember the Flamingo park? I was gutted when that closed.

I really liked it when I went too

The pigs are so lovely and you can buy food for them :) I loved it inside and lit a candle. Such a beautiful building.

@Nitgel

I had a lovely afternoon at Quarr last year.
Really nice lunch at the cafe, walk round the grounds, bit of a chat with the pigs. I sat in the Abbey itself for about half an hour- it was very peaceful

😮 were they coming from the mainland?!

Yanbu :)