Isle of Wight

[Fab Foodie]

The Buddle Inn (great HSB)
Ghost Walks... The St Catherines Lighthouse Walk starts and ends at... The Buddle Inn! Great HSB!
Osborne House
Mackeral fishing
Shanklin Chine and PLUTO (Pipe-Line Under The Ocean) Exhibition.
Ther Needles Battery (Old and New) most excellent.
St Helens Bay and the bay to the left... resteraunt also good
Thought Blackgang abit crap apart from the 'Coast' exhibit and all the stuff about wood...
The Wight mouse is fine.
The Buddle Inn (great HSB) is fab!

 

[Headgardener]

Crackle what time ferry are you catching? As I am going to visit a friend in Southampton for about half eleven so I will probably be landing from Hythe at about half ten/quarter to eleven.

 

[Crackle]

The Buddle Inn (great HSB)
Ghost Walks... The St Catherines Lighthouse Walk starts and ends at... The Buddle Inn! Great HSB!
Osborne House
Mackeral fishing
Shanklin Chine and PLUTO (Pipe-Line Under The Ocean) Exhibition.
Ther Needles Battery (Old and New) most excellent.
St Helens Bay and the bay to the left... resteraunt also good
Thought Blackgang abit crap apart from the 'Coast' exhibit and all the stuff about wood...
The Wight mouse is fine.
The Buddle Inn (great HSB) is fab!

I get the feeling the Buddle Inn figures heavily in your recommendations. I think I may well have to check out this HSB stuff. Ghost walks sounds good.

Crackle what time ferry are you catching? As I am going to visit a friend in Southampton for about half eleven so I will probably be landing from Hythe at about half ten/quarter to eleven.

Won't get there until 3 or 4, longish drive down.

 

[ufkacbln]

It's a dangerous, dangerous place. I was bitten by a tortoise in Ventnor in 1965 and I haven't been back since.

You were caught by a Tortoise?

 

[ufkacbln]

On a cycling note, Newport is a good base as there are good of road tracks to the West and North.

Lots of suggestions here

 

[Arch]

WRT Osborne House, I haven't seen it, but I gather from my Mum who has, that the mural in Prince Albert's bathroom is a bit of an eye opener, considering the prudish nature we attribute to the Victorians....

 

[PpPete]

I believe the IOW is the only area in the south of England where you can take part in fell running races. I'd like to go there some time, cycle around it and spot a red squirrel or two.

My other half's into that, says there is one on Butser Hill (near petersfield) too.

But your not wrong.... IOW is hilly. Cycled round it in a 3 day tour with some mates when I was 16 or 17.

 

[PpPete]

I think I may well have to check out this HSB stuff.

Beware !
As the graffiti in my local Gales pub toilet used to have it:
"if the bottom has fallen out of your world, drink HSB and let the world fall out of your bottom"

 

[Fab Foodie]

WRT Osborne House, I haven't seen it, but I gather from my Mum who has, that the mural in Prince Albert's bathroom is a bit of an eye opener, considering the prudish nature we attribute to the Victorians....

I copped a look on our visit the other week... bit of a dark horse Prince A.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Beware !
As the graffiti in my local Gales pub toilet used to have it:
"if the bottom has fallen out of your world, drink HSB and let the world fall out of your bottom"

HSB is beer of the Gods.
Hard to find in my neck of the woods these days, but those much cherished pints in the Buddle Inn transported me back to my youth when the beers of choice were either HSB or Eldridge-Pope Royal Oak (no longer available). Both pints similar in character and for me the best beers ever made.
Nectar.

 

[ufkacbln]

HSB is was beer of the Gods.

Now corrupted and spoilt by Fullers!

 

[Crackle]

On a cycling note, Newport is a good base as there are good of road tracks to the West and North.

Lots of suggestions here

Good website that. I'll look into those routes listed.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Now corrupted and spoilt by Fullers!

I know, I know, but it still had the Character that my rose-tinted taste buds recalled. Still fab.
Fullers ESB's pretty fine too

 

[Bollo]

Ferry - Portsmouth-Fishbourne is closer to you island base and the travel time is a lot quicker too.

Nah, take your ease on the Red Funnel. There's plenty to see along Scumton Water and it gives you time for some retro '70s catering.

A34... South of Newbury is pretty good, not so sure north. You travel time on this makes a huge difference! and if you can make it without swearing at the overtaking lorry drivers going 1 mile and hour faster then you win a prize!

Enjoy your visit and hope the weather improves!

A34 can be a bit of a dog at the wrong time of day. Coming south, the worst bits are when you join off the M40 (bun fight) and at the M3-A34 junction at Winch (queue for the roundabout). It's usually much worse heading back north, where the M40-A34 junction can back up until before Oxford on a Friday rush hour.


Although it nearly finished me off last weekend, it'd be a shame not to try the round-the-island route. It's reasonably well-signposted. The downside is that the standard of driving is 'unenlightened', which is surprising considering the number of cyclists.

 

[Saddle bum]

I know, I know, but it still had the Character that my rose-tinted taste buds recalled. Still fab.
Fullers ESB's pretty fine too

ESB means "End up speaking bo****ks"