All alone at Tennyson Down

We've had a couple of moments on the Isle of Wight recently where we've ended up discussing why we are all alone.

I don't mean that in a philosophical sense where we were questioning the existence of a higher power. I just wondered how we managed to find such a pretty spot, at such an idyllic time without anyone else having the same idea.

The first was at Compton Bay when we were swimming in the sea at about 7pm on a summer's evening. The daytime visitors had left the beach and were now applying after-sun lotion, and we had a huge stretch of the beach and water to ourselves.

We took the opportunity to behave like six-year olds at a birthday party, by which I mean we jumped around and squealed enthusiastically in the water.

The second time was later in the summer when we walked up to the Tennyson Monument. I'd been attempting to do the same walk for a few years but had either been put off by aggressive looking cows (in the field) or children who wouldn't go to bed (in our house). 

Anyway, we parked at the Freshwater Bay car park which is free in the evenings. There was some sort of friendly gathering at the beach which involved singing and a barbecue. I briefly considered blagging myself a hot dog, but remembered that I had eaten pudding 20 minutes earlier so thought better of it. 

We started plodding up the hill, and were soon walking backwards to admire the view down towards the beach. As we reached the top, the sun was setting and we had the whole place to ourselves. 

Where was everyone else? Was there an England match on that I had forgotten about? And if so, why would anyone want to watch it considering the recent lacklustre performances by a team who have failed to perform at a major tournament since 1996? 

Anyway, I digress.

My theory is that there are so many nice spots for an evening on the Isle of Wight that you can quite easily find one for yourself. There isn't just one beach or sunset where you'll find crowds of people.

Or maybe everyone's at home watching a feature on The One Show about the great outdoors? Who knows.