h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm very surprised (maybe out of time/old fashioned too) that no-one has yet posted anything here yet. I went to the Isle of Wight in 1965 and 1966 on 2 school camping holidays. My school was in Birmingham and it was a treat to see the IOW. No stranger to some of the various parts of this island as my parents had already taken me and relatives to Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Gloustershire, Wales, Herefordshire (extremely beautiful Wye Valley) and Cornwall in previous years for holidays. So the amazing variety of British landscape had already began to be exposed to me.
I recall arriving on the ferry from (Lymington to Yarmouth?) and then being bussed to some campsite on land on cliffs near Freshwater. It was a memorable experience as given the fact the IOW is physically a self contained package of land off the south coast and therefore intrinsically separate from, but linked to the mainland.
During those two school holidays I visited many places: Alum Bay, Cowes (it was a yachting week on one of the holidays), Bembridge, home of Britten Norman (I'm an aircraft geek now and was then)Blackgang Chine (first time I'd ever come across the word 'chine'. Nowadays I usually associate chine with the construction of the Lockheed SR-71's forward nose/fuselage junction. Isn't language wonderful? But I digress: Osbourne House, what a place! Back in the mid 60s when I visited, the guide actually showed to us and passed around a chalice/goblet which had (I think, unless my memory fails me) an important ring (to Victoria and Albert) mounted on the stem of the vessel. What a place!
On top of all that was the beautifull rolling downs nature of the landscape. Unforgetable! which brings me to the 'Walking the Isle of Wight' I hope before I die I will do part, if not all of it.
Fascinating article.
Well done.
Lapis

Thanks for stopping by to read this - glad you enjoyed it. Have you read the articles on the Isle of Wight's aircraft?

I'd certainly recommend walking around the Isle of Wight - in fact, I'm planning on doing that again soon but the other way round.

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Hello Bluebottle (Goons inspired or not?).
I did read the aircraft article you mentioned. The south coast and indeed just over the Solent was home to British flying boat industry, Shorts Solent, Princess etc, and the amazing jet flying boat fighter.
How much time will you plan to allow yourself to do the walk? Do you intend to do it in one fell swoop or in stages with breaks in between?

Sadly, I have visited the island three times but only saw the street where my adopted great-aunt lived. The visits were alway a pleasure but now I wish I had gone a little farther afield!

Great article, thanks!

I'd recommend doing the walk in 5 days. Last time I did it in 4 and that was definitely too much. So it makes for a long weekend, but if the weather's good it's enjoyable.

I hope you get a chance to go back to the Island, clzoomer - I definitely recommend it. Whereabouts did your great aunt live?

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I can't remember if I've mentioned my experience of walking Ventnor to Ventnor anti-clockwise in 36 hours. I needed new feet after that.

36 hours non-stop? No, you didn't. Did you go all the way round? When did you achieve this?

*Passes over *

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Yes indeed, during the festival in May. 12 hours to walk the first half, a nice rest overnight at a pub B+B in Cowes, and then the other half (including the Military Road) in another 12 hours. We started and finished at the paddling pool map in Ventnor, which was a nice touch. I lost the skin on my feet climbing over the Tennyson Down near the New Battery, hence I'd say this walk isn't really advisable in such a short timespan.

Did editing this article help inspire you to do this?
Was it very busy during the festival? I've always tried to avoid walking then so there wouldn't be too many people about.
Is there anything which you would have added to this article that I left out?
It took me 4 days going clockwise, I hope to go anticlockwise next year, but in 5 days so I can enjoy it more.

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Yes, and I wouldn't add anything to the article
There were six of us at the start, and three of us finished, so most of the time it was pretty quiet. Walking over Tennyson Down, though, we met several hundred people heading for the Needles Park, none of whom quite understood why I was limping quite so badly.

I hope the weather was good for you - not too windy around there and not too muddy or wet. So, did you walk the other way round, then?
I'm very impressed you did it so quickly. Mind you, when I walked I did seem to pop into a pub now and then...

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Sorry BB, only noticed your reply now. She lived on Mill Hill road yea these many years ago and when she passed she gave the cottage to her best friend who had lived in Birmingham. I remember the place fondly, with eighteen inch thick walls and lots of doilies.

I lived in Cowes for 18 months and I've walked and cycled up Mill Hill Road a fair few times (cycling down it is much more enjoyable).

Cowes has changed a bit, not so many shipyards, more yachties, but I'd still recommend coming over to the Isle of Wight. And my favourite cafe, the Octopus's Garden, is in Cowes.

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