Tag: Isle of Wight

Day four of walking was our most exciting as we knew that Richard May, our county’s most senior Rambler, was walking with us. Richard was arriving by train from Ryde whilst the rest of us were located within Sandown in a collection of hotels near to each other.

Breakfast for Susan, Clive, Liam and myself was in a bigger breakfast room than we had anticipated, and all ran to plan. There was a particularly wide selection of teas available, not that that’s much relevance to anyone. Although for anyone who does like lots of tea for breakfast, then Chad Hill is recommended.

The excitement of the walk started with a walk through Sandown along the front, where we were fortunately able to replace from shops all the items which Ross had lost in his hotel room. Katherine’s lovely parents collected some bags up ready for onward service and the first hill of the day came into the horizon soon after. It was actually the only real hill of the day, which was unfortunate as we wanted to see just how fit and healthy Richard was.

On another note, we walked past the Isle of Wight Zoo, and under normal circumstances I’d have rather liked to have gone in there. It wasn’t really the best option for our walk though, but that reminded me that I think I’d like to come back to the Isle of Wight in the near future to see a few more of the attractions.

Before we arrived into Bembridge we came across Sandhills Holiday Park which had some giant deckchairs. Liam looked even smaller than normal, and Richard looked rather graceful and elegant in his. The rain also started at this point, but fortunately it didn’t last for too long. The Isle of Wight seems to have its own micro-climate going on, even when part of the island has a tornado other parts can be sunny.

Our lunch stop was the Crab & Lobster pub where the real ale selection wasn’t dreadful, so I also had some lovely Mini Cheddars to go with my drink. This pub holds some special memories for Susanna, but it wouldn’t be for me to post about exactly what they are. Some things are best not written down.

Richard ordered a delightful cheese and pickle baguette, but was bemused to find that the majority of his snack consisted of pickle. Everyone laughed (well nearly everyone) and much amusement was caused by this. On a side note, and I’ll post about it separately later on, it was a decent pub and it had a long and interesting history.

Then disaster struck. In a bid to get Ross a long sit-down we decided to stop at a seafront cafe, near to the remains of St. Helen’s Church. The church nave has entirely disappeared, although the tower remains, and there was an interesting board which noted that sailors used the holy stones to scrub down the decks of their ships. That wasn’t the disaster though, I got distracted writing about churches…

Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond my control, Ross and Bev didn’t make it to that stop as they marched off down the route to look at a horse. Ross did get his stop though after we located them thirty minutes later and he seemed delighted at his Crunchie Bar. The cafe was Baywatch on the Beach and it would have been disappointing not to experience such an interestingly named location.

I haven’t mentioned Gordon much yet in today’s post, but he was majestic as ever and was brightly dressed in the most yellow waterproof trousers that I’ve ever seen. He looked like a very grand fisherman, so very elegant and brave. He remains on course for winning the person of the week for his sense of humour, presence and intellect.

Everyone was very brave as we’re reaching the end of the walk now and some people are fraying in a few places. Fortunately my health is superb, that’s what happens with my healthy Greggs and dark beer diet. I have had some sort of allergic reaction in my eye, but I’ve hardly mentioned that and it’s nearly entirely cleared up. Ross has some hurty ankles and battled on very bravely indeed, and Clive and Richard also excelled themselves against the odds. Absolutely everyone has been marvellous this week in their walking and keeping up.

We arrived into Ryde and checked into the Royal Esplanade Hotel, and after I had a minor argument with the receptionist we were ready to check in. The hotel is located by the seafront and is a grand affair which seems to have had some money spent on it. It’s one of those places which seems well managed but has a few irritating glitches, but more on that another time.

Then something lovely happened, we went to Wetherspoons in Ryde and they had a decent beer (they actually had a few decent beers in fairness). This is the first really interesting beer that I’ve managed to get on the Isle of Wight, and given all the independent pubs I’ve visited, it’s partly disappointing that it’s Wetherspoons that has offered the best choice. The beer was a black IPA, with a decent depth of taste without being over-powering. Anyway, more on the Wetherspoons visit another time, but they didn’t disappoint me.

The evening meal was at the Monsoon Indian restaurant and although they had some habits which were irritating, yet again more on which another time, the food and drink was excellent. We were surprised and delighted that Gordon was able to do his impressions of Bev once again, his swimming and drinking impression combination is a delight to behold.

Bev disappeared under the table at one point and discovered some pants of some description, but the least written about that the better. Goodness knows how she does it, it’s quite magical. I will say that Gordon looked particularly pleased and delighted when he discovered where Bev appeared from though. A holiday without Bev just isn’t the same……

I was tempted to return to JD Wetherspoon after the meal, but I don’t think there were enough takers after our long walk, and it was likely a visit most of us would have regretted in the morning. But I remain delighted at finding a beer in there which showed some thought and application from the pub.

All in all it was a rather lovely day, and there are only around eight miles left tomorrow before the entire walk is finished. We’ve been fortunate with the rain so far, so perhaps we’ll remain fortunate enough to finish the walk without getting wet.

The main event will take place tonight, it’s the post mortem meal (not literally) where the route and leadership is discussed. I can’t wait to hear what Bev has to say about the walk leadership team…..

And, I can announce now, that the awards will be the following (there might be a few more added):

WALK LEADER OF THE WEEK

BRAVEST MALE OF THE WEEK OTHER THAN JULIAN

BRAVEST FEMALE OF THE WEEK

BRAVEST PERSON OF THE WEEK OTHER THAN JULIAN

BEST COMMENT OF THE WEEK

MOST RAUCOUS PERSON OF THE WALK

BEST IMPRESSION OF THE WEEK

BEST LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT

MOST EXPENSIVE FERRY CROSSING OF THE WEEK

PERSON WHO HAS LEFT THE MOST STUFF IN HOTEL ROOMS

BEST TROUSERS OF THE WEEK

BEST SUPPORT TEAM OF THE WEEK

With the exception of Clive we were all in the Wight Mouse Inn at Chale and breakfast was certainly an experience. The staff member was perhaps a little over excited, although I think he caught the mood of our group perfectly, so I have no complaints. Nor does Boris Becker.

The breakfasts that came out were nearly entirely wrong, but that almost seemed part of the fun. It transpired that when Bev’s breakfast was corrected (as there was missing black pudding) the staff member forgot to bring out the black pudding which was missing from the original meal, so there were mistakes on top of mistakes. However, it didn’t matter, the food was decent and the service was engaging and fun. Very lovely.

Then Gordon did something strange. He forgot his water and rather than walk the 75 metres back to the hotel, he walked 50 metres to a private residence. He asked them for his water and they obliged. Then Katherine, thinking Gordon might have actually been staying where he was getting water, then tried to use their toilet. Goodness only knows what that poor householder thought was happening.

After forgetting that Ross didn’t know the way to the church, we sent Bev off to investigate matters and she found him loitering. We had an enjoyable look around Chale Church, which was full of architectural challenges and conundrums. There were some signs to help us understand it, but in essence it’s a chapel which grew in size over the centuries as more money became available. After Ross had finished his excessive look at the church, it was time to move on.

The walk went past the amusement park of Blackgang Chine and the beautiful views over the coast continued. We walked to St. Lawrence and could see the massive landslips which have taken place over the decades, which includes the cutting off of one of the island’s coast roads. My camera also went some interesting places, which Gordon kept recounting throughout the day.

Some of the group stopped at Katherine’s parents where they kindly offered those there tea and coffee. Me being me and wanting to stick to my arbitrary deadline, went with Ross to Ventnor and we stopped at the Spyglass Inn. Susanna got a bit lost and had an ice cream and the others turned up soon afterwards.

Gordon was in one his funny moods and seemed to be a bit awkward, but we’re used to dealing with that. I’ve been specially trained in communication skills, so I was able to ensure that he was more than happy again. The food at the pub was good and the real ale selection was, well, acceptable without being extensive. I say the food was good, I had a pack of Bacon Fries, but the others looked good.

From lunch it was then onto the hillier regions of the island, although not before we stopped at Old St Boniface Church. This simply magnificent little church dates to the eleventh century and is packed with character and has what might have been the original door. I had scheduled this little trip into my timings and managed to get an excellent amount of exploration done and a local church member gave me a little tour. Very lovely.

Gordon, who is verging between delighting and horrifying me, came to collect me as he didn’t want to walk off as Bev did. Fortunately Gordon is a gentleman, so we proceeded with our little walking adventure.

The walk into Shanklin was uneventful, although Bev sat on me but fortunately nothing got broken. Gordon, back to top form, bought Liam and me a lovely ice cream at some tea rooms and Bev sat there giggling whilst she ate and drank her afternoon tea and scones. I’d add that Liam was particularly pleased with his two scoops of ice cream, but I’m not greedy, so I just had one. The service at the cafe was friendly and helpful, but it was slower than the implementation of Brexit, so we were there for a little while.

We got back to the hotel before it started raining, with Gordon and Ross being at the most expensive accommodation. Gordon spoke very highly of it, saying that it was like student accommodation, although he was clearly a student at some very exclusive locations.

The restaurant that I picked was the Old Corner Bank and this was a quirky former, well, bank, which has been turned into a pub and restaurant. The service was excellent and although we had quite a wait for the meals, they surpassed our expectations and were good value for money. My fish and chips was a decent size portion, the fish flaked away nicely and the batter was fine, so all in all a perfectly acceptable meal.

But, I at this point need to mention that Richard May is here, the highlight of the trip for Ross. Ross was so excited that he just stopped and stared at Richard for a few seconds, partly delighted and partly just relieved that he had made it.

After the restaurant we went off to The Castle Inn, which is mentioned in the Good Beer Guide. There were four real ales available and they weren’t really what I was looking for, but the half pint that I had was at the appropriate temperature, was well kept and had a reasonable flavour. Ross battled through his drink without falling asleep and Gordon and Ross compared blisters, each saying that the other one had it worse. Katherine and her parents were there, as well as Liam and Richard, all enjoying various drinks before the trip home.

A few of us then had a little walk around Sandown whilst waiting for Richard’s last train. Richard is in Ryde in a grand hotel and he’s coming back in the morning by train ready to join us for his first day of walking. I hope that he doesn’t go slowly, as it’s always sad to leave someone behind.

Gordon also asked what the constitution of this group is, but he should know that the first rule of this group is that you don’t ask for the rules of the group. Really the whole thing is just a dictatorship, but covered over with the facade of democracy, but Gordon will soon learn.

And on that note, that’s it for today. I will go back and write far more drivel about certain churches, pubs and restaurants that we’ve visited today, as I have much more to say. As usual.

When I was walking along I noticed that there was a sheep tail on the floor which had a ring on it to ensure that the tail fell off. It’s all part of the docking process and it takes place in the first few days of the lamb’s life.

Anyway, I mentioned to Susan that Bev would like the sheep tail if she saw it. And half an hour later Bev comes skipping along ever so pleased to give me her new find. Which was the sheep tail. I rejected it….. Fortunately she hid it in a secret part of Gordon’s bag, so he’ll find that later on during the week.

We saw an adder…. It’s not easy to see in these photos, but for anyone interested, click on the photo to see a larger version of each image and the snake is visible.

Photos from the beautiful south coast of the Isle of Wight.

Bev has commented in a positive manner that this blog has become far too tame. There is perhaps some truth in that and I shall bear her very important feedback in mind. I won’t go so far as to publish the photo of Gordon doing things to a teddy bear that was being circulated this morning. All I’ll say is that I’m entirely shocked and disappointed in him, and I hope that Gordon will be paying for the stuffing to be put back into the teddy bear.

The day started, for me (and since I’m writing this, that’s the most important thing to mention) and three others. The pub, which I think was haunted, served breakfast and there was a selection of food laid out including a single mouldy strawberry and a banana that had seen better days. The rest of the cooked breakfast was though entirely satisfactory and we were given more than enough food. The staff engaged in a positive manner, so it felt a comfortable environment, and I left happy with the stay. With that, it was time to wave goodbye to the Highdown Inn, where the welcome had always been friendly and I probably should have found time to have a pint.

Then, just as we were leaving, the others arrived. I could hear Bev coming down the road and shortly after we heard her, we could hear Gordon complaining about how far he’d already walked. He had walked around 600 yards, and it was clear that he had thought about getting a taxi. Gordon decided to put some blister plasters on his manky feet and Ross had already spent some time bursting his blisters and bandaging them up. This walking is a dangerous affair…. My feet are in perfect condition, but that’s what you get from having a decent diet.

We started our walk, which went up the hill, and then I heard a female voice complain that Liam and myself weren’t waiting for the group. I called back who had said that and Gordon said it was him, so we just carried on up the hill. A hill at the start of a walk really isn’t what I want to be doing, but it didn’t last too long and before we knew it the coastal path was beckoning.

Bev tried to take a group photo, but it was all too faffy for me, so I rushed off to begin the walk. And I rushed off for some hours, ensuring that everyone maintained a fast and furious pace. It’s good to get the blood flowing through the body.

Susanna shocked a poor cow by walking past it closely, and then the rest of the group also meandered around this little collection of cows. Liam and I wondered why they walked by the cows and how they hadn’t noticed the big path through the field that went nowhere near the cows. But, we didn’t want to upset them by interfering with their choice, so we didn’t say anything.

A few of the group then decided to use the bushes as a toilet, but the competent ones of us knew that there were public toilets 50 metres up the track, so the sensible ones of the group used those ones. We soon rejoined the coastal path and I was disgusted to see that there was an adder just slithering about with absolutely no supervision. I took numerous photos before I remembered that I’m meant to be really scared of snakes. I’m just naturally brave and I forget these things…..

Gordon then won man of the day by buying some ice creams for his favourite members of the group. He made it clear that anyone he bought an ice cream for he liked, so I felt very pleased to get an ice cream and a flake. The ice cream was very lovely, and, just for the record, so was the flake.

The views along the coast were excellent and we were fortunate with the weather once again. It was surprising just how much of the coast has fallen away recently, with numerous path diversions and some extensive reworkings of where the paths now go.

Ross was being very brave with his hurty feet, and indeed everyone was doing well. Clive hadn’t had any incidents today and Gordon’s toes were in good working order. So, that meant before we knew it we had arrived at the Pearl Cafe in Brighstone. Gordon and Bev tittered about making immature jokes about the name of the cafe, but I decided to just let them get on with it. It’s like taking out a school party sometimes….

After we had walked around the shop six times looking for the cafe, we found the cafe, and then had a snack in it. Gordon purchased the cream cheese and salmon sandwich, or something similar, whilst I ate my two packs of Space Raiders I had purchased from the shop the night before.

Gordon then decided to shock the entire group by lying on the bench and exposing part of his body. I considered reporting it to the police, but apparently the bits he showed weren’t a crime to show. Bev had a good look and gave her critical judgement on what she saw, which she wasn’t entirely displeased with. Susanna really missed out there.

The walk in the afternoon to the hotel went quickly and everyone enjoyed the calm and competent way that the leadership team were dealing with the organisation. I also was very pleased with just how well the leadership team were doing, very impressed indeed.

Everyone was staying at the same location, with the exception of Clive. Clive instead was staying at an airbnb down the road, a rather thrifty option. The door was answered by a man with no shirt on, which I can’t imagine thrilled Clive.

Our hotel, the Wight Mouse, offered a friendly welcome and the room was clean and tidy. There are lots of drying facilities which is marvellous and there’s a decent view of an historical school building over the room. The interior has character and it seemed perfectly acceptable.

I’m having a total failure with dark beer or craft beer in the Isle of Wight, it’s been the longest run of disappointments that I can recall in any UK county, US state or northern European country. But, I had a feeling that tonight would be different, as the pub mentioned it has a range of different real ales, so I was confident they’d have something.

Did they hell…..

The barman made a recommendation which really wasn’t anything like what I asked about and it was clear the pub had neither dark beers nor craft beer. I must admit to being bemused by this, but I’ll just have to keep hunting. It’s certainly saving me money though, as for the second night in a row I just gave up with the pub’s beer selection and just had water.

Anyway, that complaint aside, the food was served promptly and the staff in the pub were friendly. The food was average, but it was reasonably priced and served as a large portion. The curry I had lacked any real depth of flavour to the sauce and could have been hotter both in temperature and spice level, but it was entirely adequate as a meal. Katherine’s parents came along to the meal and I do hope that our most raucous members didn’t upset them, namely Bev and Gordon. Although Ross can get a bit loud at times, but he was very professional tonight.

That’s enough of the negatives. Liam, Bev and I went back to walk a small part of the coastal path we’d missed to ensure Clive got to his accommodation, and then returned to the hotel. There was some live music on which reverberated around the rooms upstairs, and initially I thought it was surprising the pub thought the live music was a good idea given this, but it seems others have complained about it and the owners don’t much care. It’s nearly 11pm and the music is still rebounding around the hotel bedrooms, or at least the one I’m in. I shall tell them in the morning that I’m not entirely impressed, but I doubt it will matter.

So, that’s it for another day. I’m not sure that I’ve met Bev’s suggestion of being edgier, but it’s at least a permanent reminder for everyone of their marvellous achievements. And best of all, tomorrow is the big day, it’s the day that Richard P. May, one of the most senior Ramblers in the country, comes to join us for two days of walking.