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  • Home
  • Why You Should Visit The Isle Of Wight
  • Ferry travel advice & discounts
    • Discount Isle of Wight Ferry Travel
    • Isle Of Wight Ferry Beginners Guide
    • Wightlink's Tesco Clubcard deal – is it the best discount?
    • Using Wightlink’s Multilink deal for cheap ferry travel
    • Cheap Isle of Wight Ferry Travel For Caravans
  • Holiday parks, hotels, camping & cottages
    • Family holiday parks & caravans >
      • 10 Of The Best Isle of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
      • Park Resorts And Parkdean Resorts Isle of Wight Holiday Parks
      • Which Isle Of Wight Holiday Park Should I Stay In?
      • Last Minute Deals And Discounts At Holiday Parks
      • Is There A Haven Holiday Park On The Isle Of Wight?
      • Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park Reviews and Facilities
      • Lower Hyde And Landguard Holiday Park Teview
      • 6 Tricks To Save Money At Isle Of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
    • Hotels & guest houses >
      • Isle of Wight Hotels - a beginner's guide
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Luxury Hotels
      • Warner's Bembridge Coast & Norton Grange hotels
      • 5 Best Isle of Wight Coach Tour Holidays And Trips
      • Isle of Wight Hotels With A Sea View
      • 5 Ventnor Hotels And Guest Houses
    • Spa Breaks & Romantic >
      • 3 Best Isle Of Wight Spa Break Hotels And Spa Days
      • Romantic Isle Of Wight Holidays For Couples
    • Camping & glamping >
      • 20 Isle Of Wight Camping And Touring Parks
      • Isle of Wight Glamping
    • Cottages & self catering >
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Shanklin
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Cowes
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Newport
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Sandown
      • 10 Isle Of Wight Wheelchair Accessible & Disabled Friendly Holidays
      • Brambles Chine And Linstone Chine Self Catering
      • 5 Isle Of Wight Holidays Including Ferry Travel
    • Lodges & hot tub holidays >
      • 5 Best Isle Of Wight Holiday Lodges
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Hot Tub Holidays
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Holidays With Swimming Pools
    • Quirky & AirBnbs >
      • 20 Quirky Places To Stay On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Best Isle of Wight Airbnb Holiday Homes
    • Group accommodation >
      • 10 Best Places To Stay For Large Groups
      • 8 Best Isle Of Wight Manor Houses For Hire
    • Accommodation advice >
      • What Time Of Year Should I Visit The Isle Of Wight?
      • Which Isle of Wight Town Should I Stay In?
      • Where Is The Cheapest Place To Stay?
  • Festivals, days out & attractions
    • Festivals & carnivals >
      • Major Festivals And Carnivals
      • Isle of Wight Festival 2022 Lineup And Tickets
      • 10 Unforgettable Isle of Wight Festival Moments
      • Isle of Wight Festival History
      • Cowes Week - Attractions And Accommodation
    • Free days out & attraction discounts >
      • Free Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
      • Discounts To Isle Of Wight Attractions
      • Itinerary For A Budget Isle of Wight Holiday
      • 10 Ways To Save Money On Isle Of Wight Holidays
    • Attractions for children, teenagers, adults >
      • Activities For Toddlers On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Children And Families On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Teenagers On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Adults On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For An Isle Of Wight Stag Do
      • Surviving An Isle Of Wight Holiday With A Toddler
    • Quirky days out >
      • 10 Quirky Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Things You Can't Do On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Things You Can Only Visit On The Isle Of Wight
      • Isle Of Wight TV & Movie Tour
      • 10 Reasons To Visit The Isle Of Wight
    • Days out in Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor >
      • 10 Things To Do In Bembridge, St Helen's and Seaview
      • 10 Things To Do In Cowes And East Cowes
      • 10 Things To Do In Newport and Carisbrooke
      • 15 Things To Do In Ryde
      • 15 Things To Do In Shanklin And Sandown
      • 15 Things To Do In Ventnor And South Wight
      • 15 Things To Do In Yarmouth And West Wight
    • Rainy day & winter attractions >
      • Rainy Day Activities On The Isle Of Wight
      • Itinerary For A Rainy Isle Of Wight Holiday
      • Winter Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
    • Zoos, historic attractions, gardens >
      • Isle of Wight Zoos And Animal Attractions
      • Historic Attractions On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Isle of Wight Gardens And Parks
    • Day trip itineraries >
      • Day Trips From Portsmouth To The Isle of Wight
      • Day Trips From Southampton To The Isle of Wight
      • Day Trips From Lymington To The Isle of Wight
    • Car journey games & viewpoints >
      • 5 Isle Of Wight Car Journey Games
      • 15 Best Isle Of Wight Car Park Viewpoints
      • The Isle Spy Car Journey Game
  • Beaches, tides, watersports & weather
    • Which Is The Best Isle Of Wight Beach For...
    • Isle of Wight Beaches Interactive Map
    • Isle Of Wight Tide Times
    • Isle of Wight Weather Forecast
    • Isle Of Wight Surf Forecast
    • Isle of Wight Watersports
    • The Beach Holiday Checklist - 5 Accessories
    • Mobile Version Of Isle Of Wight Best Beaches
  • Walking, cycling & public transport
    • Walking >
      • Walking The Isle of Wight Coastal Path
      • 10 Best Isle of Wight Walks (Circular, 3-9 miles)
      • 10 Isle of Wight Short Walks For Children (1 Mile)
      • Isle of Wight Themed Walks
      • Isle of Wight Treasure Trails and Treasure Hunts
    • Cycling Holidays On The Isle of Wight
    • Public Transport
    • Isle Of Wight Car Hire
  • Dog friendly
    • Dog Friendly Isle of Wight Accommodation
    • Dog Friendly Isle Of Wight Holidays
  • Food & drink
    • Eating Out On A Budget
    • Pubs And Restaurants With A Sea View
    • Family Friendly Pubs With Playgrounds
    • Isle Of Wight Supermarkets
  • Useful information
    • Boring & practical stuff >
      • FAQ
      • Which Mobile Phone Network Has The Best Signal On The Isle Of Wight?
      • Cheap Parcel Delivery And Sending Mail To The Isle Of Wight
      • Isle of Wight Map
      • Isle of Wight Newspapers, News Websites And Radio Stations
    • Souvenirs
    • Should I Move To The Isle Of Wight?
    • Les Vacances Sur L’île De Wight
  • About
    • Contact Us/About/Disclaimer
    • Who Is The Isle Of Wight Guru?
    • Isle of Wight Copywriter
  • Blog
  • Advice For Plagiarists
  • Privacy policy and cookies policy
Isle of Wight Guru

A Brief History of Isle of Wight Guru

22/5/2016

2 Comments

 
PictureGuru Towers in Carisbrooke
We received a handwritten letter recently from a Mrs Trellis of Godshill, who wanted to know about the history of Isle of Wight Guru.

As we reached our one millionth hit this week, it seemed as good a time as any to indulge in some historical naval gazing.

Well, some historians say that Isle of Wight Guru's history can be traced back to the death of Prince Albert in 1861, although other academics argue that this 'fact' is complete flim-flam and piffle.

According to documents unearthed in a 'tea-damaged' cardboard box in the toilets of the Isle of Wight Records Office, a recently bereaved Queen Victoria awoke one morning at Osborne House demanding guidance on things to do on a rainy day, cheap places to eat out and ways to save money on the recently founded ferry.

A young messenger on horseback was sent out in search of information and returned in a dishevelled state nine days later with a comprehensive list of activities for her majesty to do, along with a number of discount vouchers for Blackgang Chine.

The messenger collapsed in a heap and after being resuscitated with smelling salts and a right-royal talking to, the young boy was declared The Guru of the Isle of Wight by her Majesty. 

The first Guru's role was to gallop furiously around the Island with a primitive megaphone, shouting out discount codes for local blacksmiths and rumours of who would be headlining the Queen's next harp recital.

Over the years, the title of The Guru has been passed on to a number of successors with the accolade being granted to the winner of a secretive competition which is held at The Longstone to coincide with the Cowes Week Fireworks, when everyone else is pre-occupied looking up and saying "oooh".

In 1991, the title of The Guru was held by Frank Crunk, a school friend of Tim Berners-Lee who helped him launch Isle of Wight Guru online as the third website on the newly founded World Wide Web (the first two being a collection of photos of pouting newsreaders and a guide to the drain covers of West Kent).

The website has grown in popularity ever since and today Isle of Wight Guru employs around 600 people at its headquarters in Carisbrooke High Street. We aren't sure what most of them do though.

2 Comments

The Isle of Wight's best playground with a view

10/5/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
It is a little known fact that by the age of 5, the average British parent has spent 900 hours stood around shivering in cold playgrounds. It is little known because I made it up, but it is certainly accurate to say that I consider myself an aficionado after much time spent pushing swings to ever higher heights.

Others who know their Kompany roundabouts from their Wicksteed horses will know that things have moved on a fair bit from my day when a good playground offered two swings, a slide that didn't slide very much and a roundabout. 

Swings have became huge dishes the size of circular dining tables, whilst getting to a slide now requires an obstacle course of climbing footholds, tunnels and rope nets. 

The Isle of Wight has its fair share of decent playgrounds, many of which we've already discussed in our guide to days out for toddlers. A new addition, which I'll add when I get round to it is the one called Seabreeze near Ventnor's Winter Gardens which is looked after by Ventnor Town Council and the Ventnor Enhancement Fund.

The playground looks down on Ventnor with its nicely shaped cove and high hills. It's right on the edge of the cliff with ominous cracks in the footpath, which presumably has stopped developers from eating up the land. I was so overcome with the whole thing that I had a go on the swings myself whilst admiring the horizon. 

There are other contenders for playgrounds with a view - we like the maritime themed one on Gurnard seafront for example. There's also one which belongs to the Dandelion Cafe at Freshwater Bay but you can't quite see the full view. The Appley playgrounds are both on the seafront so you can see ships coming and going but they don't quite offer the same elevated position. 

I'm ready to be corrected, but for the time being at least I'm confidently declaring Seabreeze has the Island's best playground view. Don't forget to bring your gloves.

1 Comment

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