My Isle of Wight Adventure | Part One

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With the (bad) weather dominating our every day lives here in the UK, we tend to find ourselves looking to escape to places afar and which promise long sunny days, an invitation to don one’s sunglasses and sandals and an excuse to purchase a new swimsuit. Our ongoing feud with the weather is as temperamental as the tides and often blinds us from the extraordinary landscapes, the rich histories and cultures and the excellent cuisines of paradises closer to home. The Isle of Wight, I have recently discovered, is one of those ‘local’ paradises.

Joining five other Isle of Wight ‘freshers’, we embarked on our journey, crossing over from Southampton to the English Channel Island via a smooth and pleasant journey on one of Red Funnel’s Red Jet ferries. Our spirited Isle of Wight taxi driver welcomed us as we bundled into the vehicle and forthwith commenced the telling of island tales. A desolate pond lay in a vast field of freshly cut grass, surrounded by a slight stone wall – our driver pointed profusely at it ‘there stood a beautiful house once,’ he said, ‘a farmer and his wife lived there and one morning, the farmer left home having forgotten something and had to return to the house where, he happened upon his wife in bed with her lover. Enraged, he murdered the wife and her lover and then committed suicide.’ There was a collective sigh from the car as the driver continued telling grizzly tales, but I’m happy to report that we suffered no such ills on the island.

Driving through the island villages, I was reminded of little Yorkshire towns and then the dales as we entered more picturesque territory. I hate travelling by car – I’m sure it’s a result of suffering from motion sickness as a child, but with such a scenic route to absorb myself in, the drive to our accommodation at the West Bay Club was a very pleasant one.

Famished from our journey and in need of a hot meal, that evening we descended upon Salty’s on the harbour side in Yarmouth. It seemed we had stumbled upon a prize of a restaurant, with its décor reminiscent of (in my mind’s eye) a pirate ship’s galley, warm and cosy lighting and the smell of the sea sweeping through. The main dining area sits upstairs, but we were seated in the lovely bar area instead, around a long communal table. The food was excellent, fresh, cooked wonderfully and seasoned perfectly. Excellent seafood restaurant, but beware of the owner and his offensive ways.

The night brought torrential rain and near icy temperatures, but I felt confident that the island would reveal itself in better light, come the morning.

Useful Information and links:

^{Travelling from Southampton, return Isle of Wight Ferry travel with Red Funnel start at £45 for a short break. Red Funnel offers a great selection of Isle of Wight hotels on their website, with up to £50% off ferry travel if you book your accommodation with them. Call 0844 844 9988 or visit www.redfunnel.co.uk}

^{The West Bay Club is a holiday village on the Isle of Wight offering luxury self-catering accommodation in ‘New England’ cottages. 01983 760355 or visit www.westbayclub.co.uk}

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