Isle of Wight

So many positive thoughts about IoW maybe OP works for tourist board!

I still sponsor a donkey at the IOW donkey Sanctuary DanniRae. Actually, thinking about it, he must be about 40 now and I still get a quarterly newsletter from him. waves to Henry

This has got me all excited now about retiring to IoW - have often considered that after ex-GF of brother always said she was going to retire there, and when she married said she still was going to, with or without her husband!

Where abouts on the island do people reccommend? (I'm thinking accessible to shops, transport etc as may be too doddery to drive!)

That's lovely Chewie - it's so enjoyable to go there and see all the donkeys wandering about, isn't it?

There's lots to see and if you like walking it's ideal. There are plenty of places to visit or you can just wander along the various sea fronts. West Wight is quieter than East Wight. After all it was good enough for Queen Victoria and Tennyson to name just 2 of the many 'celebs' of the 19th century!!! Very historical - Carisbrooke Castle for example and the Roman villa at Brading - and of course don't forget the dinosaurs!!!

We missed our chance to move back when DH was made redundant but DD2 was settled in 6th form and my mother had just been widowed for a second time. After that work got in the way and then the grandchildren started to arrive!

You have to take the geographical isolation into account. The ferries are expensive so friends and family have to plan accordingly if they want to visit. There is often a need for major illnesses to be referred to Southampton General which can mean an ambulance transfer on a ferry.

If we ever did go back we'd buy a cottage in West Wight to be near our friends as I love the villages. Ventnor in the south is my spiritual home with a very pretty beach but the town and terraced streets are far too steep so would be out of the question now. East Wight is much more commercialised and very busy in the summer.

In the winter I often while away a wet and miserable afternoon browsing RightMove and pretending I've won the lottery.

You and me both merlotgran! I found this little beauty on Rightmove. Soon as I win the lottery, it's mine!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-45876468.html

That`ll need a fair old lottery win! Gorgeous though.

The Zoo at Shanklin is worth a visit. It is run by Chris Packham's partner.

The trip on the ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth is breathtaking on a clear sunny day.

I'm here! 'bin' character was a typo. 'Crapola' is a word I nicked from Michele Hanson's column in the Guardian, meaning 'rubbish' or similar, depending on context. 'Bin' was a typo. I wondered whether the IOW looked run-down and suburban as some people have previously told me.

Reading all your posts, it's clear that there's a lot to explore and I'm now really looking forward to our visit. We're going at a time when schools aren't on holiday but when the weather is more likely to be kind. I'm now wondering whether we've allowed enough time, but if not there's always scope for a return visit. Thank you all for your welcome input!

:-D

We used to go regularly when DD was small but haven't been for many years. We absolutely loved it. All those quaint little places, Blackgang Chine, the children buying little bottles of coloured sand. Lovely.