31/5/24 Sandown & East Cowes

 

     Today we pack things up & load the car , Sandown Beach was the call , off we went . Isla & Justin got stuck into the beach while Lyn & I went for a walk . It started out as a lovely sunny morning , blue skies taking over , making the beach look nice ish ??? 

     Meanwhile , we headed off down toward Shanklin way , passing people lounging in the sun inn their wind shelters and deck chairs , it really is an obsession of the Brits !

     Sandown has a pier with the amusement arcades & eateries .

    Check out the prices for the hire of a beach hut 800 pound per season , or 1200 pound for the full year - WOW !!!

    The streetscape is interesting , with 2 & 3 storey buildings lining the street , most of the ones that have water views are hotels .

    Almost like an episode of The Bill , or Coronation St .

    Here's the stall where you can buy all your required beach gear , inflatables , buckets & spades , boogie boards , hats etc etc .

    Here's some of the newer beach huts .

     Still finding it hard to get enthused about these beaches .

     And you have to be able to get your food & drink from the beach bar - "Driftwood Beach Bar & Grill "

    And just in keeping with the older times feeling about the place a Spitfire flew around and about .

     The sand was getting a workout , moats being constructed , castles made & trashed , Isla had all the action under control 😉

     Then she decided it would be fun to wreck it all before leaving - tough life being a kid these days 😂

    The time had run out on the parking , so we left the beach and headed over to East Cowes . That's where we get the ferry back over to the mainland . I f possible it appeared to be older and more industrial than all the other towns we've visited . Terrace houses all lined up , a single lane for cars to negotiate between the parked cars each side .

    After some lunch we wandered down the street to check out whatever was there , This little terrace house was built in 1885 according to there plaque !

  There are some others that are much larger - certainly palatial in comparison to the previous one .

     The wind just wouldn't give up , we were all cold , so went to the Maritime Museum for a look to get out of the weather - it wasn't much warmer , but at least the wind wasn't inside . We payed the entry fees and were asked if we wanted Myra - a sprightly 80 year old - to give us a guided tour at no extra charge , so we did . She explained lots of things , and Isla hung on every word . It was where the America's Cup started off - it was called the Isle of Wight Cup back then .

   One exhibit that we liked was this racing outboard powered boat . It could get up to 55mph - I reckon you would have known about it as well !!

    None of that fancy electric start stuff , give them a pull card and away they go .

   Back out into the weather again and off to the car to get ready to load onto the ferry for our return trip . Along the way was church , surprise , surprise , with the obligatory grave stones scattered around it . Most were at some different angle from when they were installed way back .

   And with that done our visit to the Isle of Wight was done , we got on the ferry and drove back home very uneventfully . Here's a map link :- https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1scjOnEjwIWqs8koLuqhJItJJg0-YAsA&usp=sharing