Spring 2022 (Part 2)

Tuesday 21 June - we’ve ticked off a big chunk of the 70 miles so far whilst in West Wight, 15 miles walked today & 43 to date leaves about 27 to do. 2 buses from the site leaving just after 9 to get to Cowes via Newport to start the trek back to Yarmouth at just before 11 after coffees and whirly pastries. The day was again hot & sunny, perfect for walking. Once clearing the sea front in Cowes, passing the iconic yacht club the route passes through Gurnard, once marshland this is now an enclave of designer residential beach houses & an incredibly expensive place to live. As the path climbed out of Gurnard we met a couple who asked for directions, and we both tried our best to keep straight faces and eyes off his head as the chap had the worst toupee we’d ever seen. I’ve seen better Lego hair, I was particularly fixated on the quiff bit which

kept flapping up in the breeze. The section up through Thorness Bay takes you through a tragic static caravan site, with what felt like a travellers site adjoining, with its sagging washing lines, shouty kids and young Eastern European mums and rubbish strewn about. It’s pretty dire and to be avoided. The path here is usually very muddy, recent dry weather has cleared it up nicely. It’s then a pleasant trail inland via Porchfield & Newtown (17th century National Trust town hall, but no town!) down to Shalfeet where we took a breather & refreshments at The New Inn; nice pub. This was just over halfway at 9 miles, and we got here at 3:00 bang on plan.

The second half of the walk has a tiresome 4km detour to follow the peninsula to Hampstead, and we promised not to tell anyone that I found a 1km shortcut to miss this out..pleasant trails then through Bouldnor Cliffs, again usually very muddy, with its teasing views across the Solent. I love to walk paths like these with glimpses of the sea. As we emerged from the woods we got our first sight of Yarmouth & Hurst Castle beyond, and the end of the west half of our walk, arriving in town at about 5:30 first passing some seriously expensive & huge houses, pools etc at Bouldnor village. It would have been rude not to mark this with beer (at the Bugle Inn & excellent chips from the Blue Quay, which we enjoyed eating sat by the quayside in the sunshine waiting for our bus back.

Wednesday 22 June - conscious decision to do sod all today, it was hot & sunny so we didn’t leave the pitch. Sat in the sunshine with feet up, reading & drinking beer in the afternoon. All good, only notable events was next door looking decidedly sheepish after a marital we overheard the prior evening, then they played some Simply Red for the whole site to enjoy. Miriam Margoyle’s doppelgänger made an appearance opposite and Mrs H enjoyed a view of her bending over displaying her big pants to the world in the same carefree manner as Miriam herself would as she sorted out the van. On that theme our other neighbour came to apologise for her being semi naked around the tent not realising we were in, I somehow missed that!

Thursday 23 June - moved over to East Wight to stay once again at Southlands just outside the nice village of Newchurch, inland between Sandown & Shanklin. Wasn’t expecting a curt turning away by the warden when we arrived early & equally shirty welcome when we came back on time after a big shop to kill some time. Acting a bit “Paulinesque” she told us all waiting off for milling around and not staying in our vehicles. Not a great start, and the site was almost full with no availability in our normal quieter go to area. A relocation is definitely on the cards tomorrow. For now we stayed put, went for a drink at the Pointer Inn (using booking a Sunday lunch as an excuse) before coming back to enjoy the screaming toddler in the glamping pod opposite; explaining why this pitch was empty despite its sunny evening

position.

Friday 24 June - bus out to Sandown at 10 this morning to walk the 12 ish miles to Ryde. From the frankly run down & a little sad looking town the trail is up to the Yarborough Monument on Culver down high above. Sweeping views west across Sandown & Shanklin bays, both look better from further away to be honest as I think still reeling from Covid & typical seaside seediness. A lady we met in West Wight summed it up; East is Kiss me Quick, West Kiss me Quietly.

Saturday 25 June - took the bus out to Ventnor, seemed full of nutters; what the frig is wrong with people? Driver was telling people as they got on there had been a serious accident just after Ventnor so it terminated early. Couple complained to the driver saying it was ridiculous & spent the entire journey chuntering; forgetting that the motorcyclist was airlifted to hospital & road closed for forensics apparently. Arseholes. Another elderly couple had a dog which took a lump out of Daisy as we got on; blamed us & their equally elderly friends enquired concerned if their bitey dog was ok, poor pooch.

Our walk today was from Ventnor to Sandown & the penultimate section at 7 miles. It was lovely to walk by the sea from Ventnor to Bonchurch as the hundreds of yachts participating in the Round Island race came close to the shore on this stretch. The line of multicoloured sails filled the horizon for us all the way along this trek, & in the wooded sections when we lost sight of the sea we could sill hear the sails catching the wind. These wooded paths presented a few detours with land slips closing our route & diverting us uphill to miss a hundred yards of dangerous path. Smug local walkers we met after the uphill loop once back on trail seemed happy to tell us we could have got through. As per usual we picked the wrong bench stop for lunch; first one we came across sat facing away from the sun and sea. 100 yards later as per, there sat the perfect seat overlooking the sea. Walking past the well known Wishing Chair in The Landslip before this I sat and made a wish to win the lottery. Bought a ticket for tonight’s rollover. I’ll let you know.

Easy downhill stretch then down into Shanklin to give pooch a run on the beach, then follow the well trodden promenade along to Sandown, then a bus back. All in all a good day out, topped off enjoying watching the excellent Paul McCartney headline Glastonbury.

Sunday 26 June - didn’t win the lottery, but still splashed out on a bit undercooked, but tasty, pizza at the nearby Airfield then later a cracking Sunday lunch at The Pointers. Funny place the Airfield, but we both enjoy sitting at the popular and busy cafe watching the light aircraft come and go, something about the place.

Monday 27 June - completed the last section of our 70 mile coastal path circumnavigation with a fairly dull section between Ryde & Cowes. Not much coast involved tbh, with the nicest part being through the grounds of the Benedictine Quarr Abbey Monastery with glimpses of the Solent.I wanted to make sure we completed the circuit properly & finish in West Cowes, so we needed to use the floating bridge ferry. It was only £2 for the 2 of us, but after my donation to a church I visited I only had £1.80 in change. Luckily a lady in the queue took pity on us & gave me 20 pence so we joined up our circle. I ate humble pie to accept this as she’d pushed in front of us in the queue for the ticket machine. Celebrated walk end with a pint in a sunny beer garden in a bit of a shit pub in Cowes.

Tuesday 28 June - leisurely day, after lunch set out to do the short walk to The Garlic Farm for ice creams first chatted to some friends we’d made who have a seasonal pitch, but live 3 miles away. Then later a couple who turned out to be squirrel & wildlife experts, could not get away from them. Took us an hour to walk 1/2 mile; getting back to the van for planned beer o’clock I made the mistake of engaging our new neighbour. After an hour telling us all about his lorry driving years, now retired we thought he’d finally leave us in peace as he said time for a beer himself. We were wrong, as he came back beer in hand and sat down on the grass for more tales of haulage exploits, his mothers ails, issues with his car et al. Not too surprised his other half didn’t come looking for him, glad of some peace. On the upside, Pizza for dinner on our new Cadac Pizza stone went down well.