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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
    • 5 Isle Of Wight Holidays Including Ferry Travel
  • Holiday parks, hotels, camping & cottages
    • Family holiday parks & caravans >
      • 10 Of The Best Isle of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
      • Parkdean Resorts Isle of Wight Holiday Parks (formerly Park Resorts)
      • 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 Review
      • 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
    • 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
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      • 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 2023 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, Driving & 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
    • Wighty 90 Driving Route
  • Dog friendly
    • Dog Friendly Isle of Wight Accommodation
    • Dog Friendly Isle Of Wight Holidays
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    • Boring & practical stuff >
      • FAQ
      • Which Mobile Phone Network Has The Best Signal On The Isle Of Wight?
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Isle of Wight Guru

Dear Mock The Week - here's why the Isle of Wight beats London for a holiday

18/5/2021

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A few months ago, the Isle of Wight got a big heap of attention thanks to it being declared as a ‘tier one’ location for Covid restrictions. The Sun featured the Isle of Wight on the front page and headline writers tried to think of puns involving the word ‘Wight’.

The issue was then discussed on Mock The Week which led to this amusing interjection from comedian Rhys James
“What’s the point of being in tier one on the Isle of Wight? I mean, it’s still the Isle of Wight. What are you going to do with your freedom? Pop to the local well and wish you were in London?"
I’m aware that December 2020 now feels like forever ago, but I felt it was my duty to offer a belated reply (plus, I only got round to watching it last night whilst lying on the floor and waiting for child two to go to sleep).

So, for Rhys James, here are my suggestions of five reasons why the Isle of Wight is a nicer place for a holiday than London:

1. The Isle of Wight is sunnier than London

Despite only being a couple of hours away, the Isle of Wight gets a whopping 500 hours a year more sunshine than London. And that’s not a stat from the tourist board calculated by moving a decimal place and looking at data for 1956. That’s actual data covering 30 years of sunshine hours from the Met Office. Shanklin averaged 1923 hours of sunshine per year whilst London only managed 1410 hours.

That’s an average of nearly 90 minutes of extra sunshine every day, meaning you could sit out on your balcony and watch the entirety of The Little Mermaid in the sunshine in Shanklin rather than watching it in the grey of Greenwich.

Plus, when you’re in London the sunsets are frequently obscured by vast glass buildings which once housed office workers and now gather dust because everyone is working from home.

And of course, most people in London spend at least an hour of their day underground.

2. The Isle of Wight has better beaches than London

By my count, there are about 25 beaches on the Isle of Wight which are worth a visit. If you’re staying in the middle of the Island, that gives you about 25 beaches within 25 minutes. (Note to self: suggest this as a future marketing slogan for Visit Isle of Wight).

You can bodyboard in Shanklin, surf at Compton Bay, paddleboard at Colwell, swim at Sandown, go crabbing in Bembridge, fly a kite in Ryde, kitesurf at Brook, let it all hang out at Blackgang (the beach, not the theme park please), kayak at St Helens, explore caves in Freshwater, watch yachts in Cowes, ride a chairlift at Alum Bay, strum an acoustic guitar and cry about an ex-girlfriend at Binnel Bay, lick an ice cream in Ventnor or walk the dog at Player’s Beach.

Meanwhile, London has got the Thames Estuary which has all the seaside appeal of a puddle. It’s fine if you’re Peppa Pig, it’s less of a pleasant day out for the rest of us.
Thames estuary
Paradise for Peppa Pig at the Thames Estuary...
Compton bay Isle of Wight
...versus Compton Bay, named one of the world's top 50 beaches by the Sunday Times Travel Magazine in 2015

3. People dance to mariachi bands on the Isle of WIght

As we all know, sweeping generalisations are always wrong.

However, we have all observed the misery of the London commuter. Face down, phone in hand, avoiding eye contact as if every other passenger is a mugger.

On one occasion when I was on the tube, a five piece mariachi band walked along the carriage playing El Jarabe Tapatio in the hope of raising a few pennies to pay for their vastly expensive rent.

The miserable commuters didn’t even look up. For a mariachi band!

I admit it’s a slightly different vibe on the tube at weekends, but still...


Contrast that with a mariachi band I saw perform at Appley Beach a couple of years ago (Vote Pedro) which featured a man in his 70s/80s shaking a musical pineapple whilst the rest of the band rattled out mariachi versions of Seven Nation Army and Another Brick In The Wall. A conga line started, the sun shone, we all applauded, I even danced a little.

4. There's more space on the Isle of Wight

Last summer, we decided it would be wiser and more relaxing to visit places on the Isle of Wight without many people. Covid rates were low but I find it more relaxing when Mrs Guru isn’t saying “they’re getting a bit close” every thirty seconds.

Keeping our distance proved remarkably easy.

On more than one occasion we found ourselves all alone on a glorious beach in the sunshine in the middle of the day in August. That was despite the Isle of Wight being much busier than usual. The reason is that the Island has such a choice of beaches and green space that it isn’t a case that everyone piles to the same green space when the sun comes out.

London’s parks are lovely, but they certainly aren’t places to avoid people on a sunny day.
London park sunny day
Enjoy a small square of grass to yourself at a London park on a sunny day...
Picture
...or have Binnel Bay to yourself. The lone figure is my mother... (this photo was taken on a sunny Saturday lunchtime in August)

5. Islanders aren’t as backwards as you might think

Alright, so a few Isle of Wight residents may still take a trip to the village wishing well on a daily basis but I would argue that this has become much less popular in recent years.

And reports of witch trials and pitchfork mobs are at an all time low according to the Office of National Statistics (2011 Census Data).

In fact, the Isle of Wight has a pretty good choice of cultural things to do. OK, so the Quay Arts Centre isn’t quite on the same scale as the Tate Modern and Brighstone Museum isn’t on the same scale as the British Museum. But then again, Brighstone Museum doesn’t receive millions of pounds from an oil company (as far as I’m aware – Brighstone residents feel free to correct me).

There are plenty of award-winning places to eat on the Isle of Wight for the discerning diner, including several which feature in the Michelin Guide. That’s not the same as a Michelin star, but it’s still impressive.

I can’t guarantee that everything on the Isle of Wight is cheaper than London, but as a general rule you will feel less like you’ve had your current account raided after ordering a drink on the Isle of Wight.

There are festivals too – such as Ventnor Fringe or the Isle of Wight Festival. I'm not going to argue that the Isle of Wight has a richer history than London, but there's plenty to keep you entertained – Osborne gives any of London’s stately homes a run for its money (and it’s got a beach) and Carisbrooke Castle has spectacular views from the top of the keep. Then there's the seaside views from Yarmouth Castle, the gardens of Mottistone Manor, the dinosaur bones of the West Wight, two lighthouses, four piers, a 17th century windmill and several seaside forts.

Anyway, I'd better go and make a start on my guide to 'five of the best wells of the Isle of Wight'.

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