Isle of Wight 2017

If I was going to sum up the week in a single word, I'd probably choose "wet". Whilst it wasn't an entirely wet week, it started off very wet and windy (not great weather for putting up an awning in) and ended very wet (stuck in traffic on the M25 for most of the afternoon and the caravan storage site was soaked).

The Wednesday was fairly relaxed after we had got the caravan set up - we went to The Griffin for dinner (it was still raining so no hedge maze this time) and then went back to the venue to see the magician - in previous years he had an airzooka but he didn't this time.

On the Thursday we went to Robin Hill for the first time - previously we've only been to Blackgang Chine but we thought we'd go for the joint park ticket this time. It was still a little wet but we still had a fun day, thankfully the rain stopped long enough for us to have a go on the toboggan run which was a lot of fun! There were also lots of climbing areas and things for the children to do. It was good value for the money especially as the tickets are valid for 7 days.

On Friday the weather brightened up a little so we went to Colwell Bay for a day on the beach. It wasn't really warm enough for a beach day but we're British and on holiday so it's kind of compulsory! The kids had fun paddling and playing in the sand anyway. On the way back we went to the donkey sanctuary. Bizarrely there was a group of people dressed in Victorian clothes also visiting, including Queen Victoria herself!

Saturday was Blackgang Chine. It's pretty much the same as in previous years although they have a new area called the Underwater Kingdom which Rory thought was awesome (although he thinks everything is awesome at the moment!) It was a massive improvement on what was there before anyway (the Weather Wizard and Smugglers Cove are no more). Restricted Area 5 is still fun and the water slides were great (although Kitty and Rory were not big fans of the water!)

On Sunday the sun finally came out properly so we went to Shanklin beach for the day. I actually got to read a book on the beach for once instead of having to follow the kids around all day! I also took Nicky out on a pedalo and Kitty on a kayak. I always forget that rowing on a kayak uses your legs so I was aching afterwards!


Monday was overcast all day so we went to Godshill Model Village (Kitty's favourite attraction) which hasn't changed much apart from painting over the year on the teapot and other things. We then went to Sandown for lunch and to play mini golf on the pier. Despite not holding the club properly Rory still managed to get a much better score than Nicky and Kitty, he even got a hole-in-one on the last hole!


In the evening we went back to Blackgang Chine for their various evening shows, which have improved over previous years. Kitty (predictably) loved the fairy show and went around having her picture taken with them all at the end.

Tuesday promised to be wet again, so we went for a quick trip back to Robin Hill in the morning for a couple of goes on the toboggan run before it got wet. We then headed to Dinosaur Isle in Sandown, mainly as it is an indoor attraction, but apparently everyone else had the same idea so it was rather busy! It was quite interesting seeing the fossils and skeletons and the kids had a worksheet to do to keep them occupied.

Tuesday evening was the traditional limbo dance. I've been roped into it the last two years but this year there were no other adults willing to take part so I refused to be the only one! Rory had fallen asleep by this point but the other two enjoyed it, although Kitty could walk under without making any effort until near the end.

Getting everything packed away on Wednesday wasn't too bad as we had a later ferry than previous years so I didn't have to rush too much. It took ages to get home though because the M25 was a nightmare, and I hadn't had much sleep so was pretty stressed. I'm glad I don't have to tow a caravan again for a while!

The campsite and the island as a whole were quieter than usual - last year the campsite was fully booked but there were many empty pitches this year. The barman at the venue suggested that ferry prices had gone up so not as many people were coming. I guess the economy is not great either at the moment.

It was nice to get away but as ever I could do with another holiday just to recover! Next year I'll definitely take my road bike as there are some fun roads to ride out there. Back to work again today but it's going to take a while to get back into the rhythm of things.

There's some more photos on Google Photos.

Keane Ingram

A father of three and husband of one. I enjoy spending time with my family, staying active (especially cycling, running and capoeira) and playing video games. I also enjoy reading and watching films.

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