Category Archives: isle of wight

Watersports on the Isle of Wight

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The Isle of Wight is famed for its beautiful coastal scenes, rugged countryside and lovely towns and villages. Cowes is world renowned for its sailing, whilst the Isle of Wight Festival gets bigger in size and status each year with the likes of P!nk, Jay-Z, Paul McCartney and The Strokes headlining this year.

There is a lot to see and do on the Island and there is little reason to wonder why thousands flock across the Solent year after year to spend their summer holiday in Isle of Wight Hotels. From fishing to walking, bike riding to horse riding the island, although small, packs a great punch.

One of the biggest reasons people are holidaying there these days is the rising opportunities for Watersports. Being on an island, of course, lends itself to these activities naturally. Surfing, kayaking, sailing, body boarding and windsurfing are all available on the Isle of Wight on the fantastic beaches the island boasts. There are lessons available for all of these activities from reputable companies who can offer not only a lesson, but also BBQ’ing at night, summer parties with hot DJs, beach games and lots more so people can really get into the beach spirit whilst on holiday.

If lessons aren’t your thing, then many of these Watersports companies offer a hiring service for either a daily rate or weekly charge but if you are serious about improving your skills or if you are a complete novice to the water then taking up a batch of lessons could just make the perfect Short Breaks Isle of Wight.

Things to do on the Isle of Wight in July

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If you are like many in Britain, you’ll be taking your holiday on the Isle of Wight this year, and why not? Beautiful countryside, spectacular coasts and great little towns and villages to stroll around, the Isle of Wight keeps even the most restless busy on their Isle of Wight Short Breaks. If, however you are twiddling your thumbs at any point in July then here are just a few things that are taking place on the island that could keep you amused.

  1. Ryde Arts Parade. From the 2nd – 11th July. This flamboyant parade is a must see. Colourful and full of panache this parade kicks starts the Arts festival that takes place in various places in Ryde. The festival and parade also coincides with the Ryde Regatta which is an annual three day event packed full of fun and festivities for all the family.
  1. Rhythm Tree Festival from 16th to 18th July. This festival is firmly rooted on the Isle of Wight and this year it promises to be even bigger and better, showcasing the best of world music from Zimbabwean reggae to French fiddlers and African drummers. Specialising in offering the best didgeridoo playing in the UK from top performers as well as up and coming talent, the festival really is a must see.
  1. Day out with Thomas from 23rd July to 27th July. A great opportunity for all the family, a ‘Day out with Thomas’ at the IW steam railway promises kids a fun filled day, meeting Thomas and his friends, getting an opportunity to ride on a steam train as well as going on a bouncy castle, watching Punch and Judy and even going for a ride on a very bumpy bus.

Here are just three events out of a whole host of activities to choose from whilst you are on your Isle of Wight breaks in July. Whilst on the island there really is no excuse to get bored. Check out some other ideas here.

Painting the IOW

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As the sun continues to shine and the skies get bluer, the flowers glow brighter and the birds sing louder what could be better than going on a painting holiday in the Isle of Wight?

With so many Hotels in Isle of Wight to choose to stay in and the Island being so easy to get to from England and in and around whilst there, having a painting holiday where you can truly sit back and relax whilst observing some of the most picturesque sights in the UK really would be hard to beat.

Choose from rugged scenery, spectacular coastline, quaint villages and townscapes to paint. Watercolour some favourite and historic landmarks on the Isle of Wight such as the iconic Needles, a row of three distinctive chalk formations coming out of the sea close to Alum Bay.

The old village of Shanklin offers fantastic painting opportunities with a host of thatched cottages, picturesque lanes and scenic backdrops. Paint a bit of history by capturing the Bembridge Lifeboat Pier. Carisbrooke Castle offers another landmark on the Isle of Wight. With Charles 1 being imprisoned here up until his trial this motte and bailey castle was the strongest on the Isle of Wight and is still an historic part of the island. Then there’s Tennyson Down, forming part of the chalk ridge of the Isle of Wight, this hill was named after Lord Tennyson who resided at Farringdon House nearby, it offers spectacular scenery along with the Tennyson monument.

Of course, you don’t just have to do painting on your Weekend Break Isle of Wight but I would find it hard to think of anything better to do.

Beach Awards for Isle of Wight

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Increasing figures show Brits are favouring to holiday in their own country for convenience and with the growing appeal of Britain as a holiday resort, it is comforting to know that we still possess clean, safe beaches that last year alone attracted 13% more Brits than the previous year.

The Blue Flags and Quality Coast Awards (QCA) have been busy inspecting and awarding beaches across the UK. Coming up trumps this year with the most awards is Torbay, along with our very own Isle of Wight both receiving an impressive 14 awards for their clean sea waters.

The Isle of Wight won three Blue Flags and eleven Quality Coast Awards which is an outstanding achievement for the island and will certainly help attract more people to Isle of Wight breaks.

To know that the island has picked up these awards, the Quality Coast Awards focussing on raising the standards and is a symbol of quality along with the Blue Flag, which concentrates on water quality and environmental education, reinforces the high standard of beaches available.

In total, 150 beaches across the country were recognised by ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ a charity working towards anti litter. Blue Flag status was awarded to 71 beaches and QCA awarded 111 beaches in total.

The Isle of Wight has a large array of beaches on offer, this year’s Blue Flag awards go to Shanklin, Ventnor and Sandown whilst the QCA is awarded to Gurnard, Seagrove, Springvale, Totland, Yaverland, East Cowes, Cowes, Ventnor, Shanklin and Sandown. This year will see another flood of tourists choosing Isle of Wight Short Breaks across the summer which will only help propel the Isle of Wight into a real holiday destination contender.

Island Squirrels

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The Red Squirrel has been decreasing in numbers for years and fewer than 140, 000 individuals are thought to be left. Approximately 85% reside in Scotland but the remainder are scattered across other parts of the UK. A large part of their decrease is due to the introduction of the grey squirrels from North America, these grey squirrels carry a deadly virus for Red Squirrels, Squirrel pox, and as a result it is illegal to bring in a grey squirrel to red squirrel territory.

The Isle of Wight, a firm favourite for holiday makers staying in a bed and breakfast Isle of Wight, is an important strong hold for Red Squirrels as the solent acts as a barrier to keep the grey squirrel out. The woodland on the island can provide habitation for around 3, 500 red squirrels and they now occupy broadleaved woodland across the island.

The Wight Project, is a charity based on the island working to help keep Red Squirrels from extinction. They tackle anything to do with squirrels from contentious planning applications to campaigning for ‘Squirrel road crossings’. From fundraising to sponsorship they also offer Squirrel Events throughout the year for people on Isle of Wight breaks or locals who have an interest in the beautiful red squirrel. It is a sad fact that a large percentage of people, especially the younger generation, have never seen the Red Squirrel, the only squirrel native to the UK. Chances to see them in their native environment through event walks and talks with the likes of The Wight Project should be taken at any given opportunity and if there is a chance you could help to keep charities like the Wight Project going through help with funding and sponsorship then it would be greatly beneficial to the Red Squirrels.

Artefacts on Islands – Wight’s History

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A popular activity among tourists visiting any destination is exploring the history of the place, but some areas can offer a lot more with regards to this than others. For instance, those who are visiting the Isle of Wight for an Isle of Wight holiday in the near future will no doubt be astounded to find out that very recently (the end of December last year) a three thousand year old bronze dagger was found in a field on the western side of the Island.

It’s never been contested knowledge that the Isle of Wight has been inhabited throughout most of the period in which humans have lived in Western Europe, and so this find is not interesting because it brings new evidence to light; it is interesting because the dagger was then donated by the man who found it (using a metal detector) and the owner of the land it was found on to the Isle of Wight Council’s Museum of Island History.

This means that anybody visiting the island can see this spectacular find for themselves, and the amount of people coming to see it should prove a boon to Isle of Wight hotels. Archaeological finds and artefacts have always been a draw to tourists. Think of the pyramids in Egypt or the Great Library of Alexandria. The Isle of Wight may just have found their own big draw to match these two.

The Isle of Wight Sandman Snowman Spectacular

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This January the Isle of Wight is hosting their annual Sandman Snowman spectacular, giving local children and visitors staying in a Isle of Wight Hotel alike an opportunity to build their very own Snowman made of sand. The event, which is organised by the Isle of Wight environmental charity, Island 2000, is one that has been generated so that children aren’t deprived of one of life’s simple pleasures – building snowmen. But with recent weather conditions being as they are, most will have had the opportunity to build their very own snowman in the artic weather conditions that have hit the UK this week.

From Snowmen to igloos, Snow arches to snow benches I think this week has been a chance for people of all ages to have fun in the snow, something many of the younger generation have never experienced. But with the temperatures set to resume to normality in the coming weeks the 24th January could be the perfect opportunity for people to get back into the throes of creativity and make some interesting snowmen and other shapes on Small Hope Beach in Shanklin, Isle of Wight. The event commences at 10.30am on the 24th and is just one of the many attractions visitors to the Island will experience this year whilst they stay in Sandown Hotels and other hotels on the Island.

Around 60 people joined in over a few hours last year, there were carrots and coal and enough hot chocolate to go around. All the necessary ingredients were in place for an excellent day and there were wonderful creations sprouting from the sand. Donations were made to Gift to Nature, a charity which supports the ongoing conservation work across the island and this years fourth Sandman Snowman Spectacular is set to be another great day. This time, there may even be a chance that the snowmen are actually made out of snow.

Learning the Lingo – The Isle of Wight

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When visiting anywhere, learning the language used is important. This even applies to visiting different areas of your own country. If you visit Yorkshire and can’t understand the accent when talking to a shop keeper, you’re going to look like an idiot, just as if you visit the South West and don’t know how to react when somebody calls you a “grockle” then you’ll also look like an idiot. When travelling with a friend to the Lake District, I had to translate for him if people had too thick an accent, which was intensely embarrassing.

So, with all that in mind, I’ll turn your attention to the Isle of Wight, which has, throughout the millennia, developed a plethora of words which don’t exist on the mainland, many of which are interesting both linguistically and from a general perspective. They’ll also be useful to you, should you ever want to stay at one of the Isle of Wight hotels.

A lot of the pronunciations are similar to those that you might expect to find in the south west of England, but the words are very different; hardly surprising considering the nature of islands to be cut off from the mainland. Hopefully, the pronunciation should not give you too much trouble, but the words… well, you’ll be wanting a little resource that documents Isle of Wight words.

So, this should have armed you with everything you need to make sense of everything you hear on an Isle of Wight holiday, but even if you do know the lingo, we can’t guarantee that you won’t embarrass yourself in other ways.

All aboard the Steam Train

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A magical day awaits you and your family at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway whilst on your Isle of Wight breaks. What could be more enchanting than a visit to Santa in his magnificently decorated grotto, where each child receives their very own gift? Days that Santa will be there (it is his busiest time of year) are the 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd & 24th December. Not only will you get to see Santa, but you’ll get to stroll through the beautiful Winter Wonderland, take a relaxing ride on the steam trains and enjoy a variety of free entertainment. You’ll also get to do any further Christmas shopping you may have in the fantastically packed gift shop and sample some seasonal delights in the Restaurant and buffet.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is actually well worthy of a visit anytime with trains running throughout the year. You’ll get a chance to step back to a bygone era when steam power was the order of the day and certain times of the year will stage a myriad of special events from a ‘Day out with Thomas’ to ‘Wizards Week’, Music Events, Wine and Real Ale Festivals and of course Santa Specials. Whilst on your Bed and breakfast Isle of Wight holiday make sure this is one stop you don’t miss out on as kids and adults alike will enjoy a day at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

Dreaming of a Wight Christmas

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Independent weather analyst Positive Weather Solutions have doubled its predictions of a white Christmas on the South Coast this year, which is good news for anybody planning on spending the festive season in an Isle of Wight hotel.

As a cold spell seems to be about to hit Britain, possibly lasting for the next three weeks, the MET office is being badgered to predict whether there’ll be a white Christmas or not, but they’re keeping schtum. That hasn’t bothered independent analysts though, who are giving a 59% chance of a White Christmas in Scotland and North-East England, 55% on the East Coast, 32% in the rest of the North, Mid-Wales and the Midlands, 10% in the South West and 18% on the South Coast, which includes the Isle of Wight.

Whilst 18% might not seem a lot, it’s a lot higher than it has been for years, and we British are known for our cheery-faced optimism!

Whether it snows on Christmas Day or not, it’s still likely that the island will receive a coating of white at some point in the next month, making for a magical winter wonderland to enjoy with a holiday on the Isle of Wight.