Sandwell

SHANKLIN JUNE 2021

Our holiday to Shanklin, Isle of Wight, departed at last after two date changes due to COVID. Thirteen of us travelled down to Shanklin with Dunwood Travel, but although our journey was comfortable and the drivers [Kevin and Richard] were very good, we missed the ferry due to traffic problems and had to wait in Southampton Harbour for three hours. Needless to say we were so glad to get to the hotel after a journey of almost ten hours!

Holliers Hotel is a listed building, and really is in need of some refurbishment, especially after a fire earlier in the year. However, we all settled in and two rooms were very lucky to have adjoining enclosed balconies, a very welcome place to relax and unwind. Food at the hotel was good and the staff friendly and helpful. We did learn that hot water was in very short supply on the top floor due to plumbing problems, and the bathrooms were small and compact, so much so that one of our group decided to wash her sandy feet in the waste paper bucket!!!!!!

The entertainment on two of the four nights was very good, however the 'singer' on the second night was very, very loud, thought we would like heavy metal, and the volume went higher as the night went on, so much so that you could join in if you wished from your top floor room. We think he was trying to compete with the England football match which was on at the same time - and a much better option!

Our first day out was to the Needles, then Yarmouth for a little wonder round, then onto Cowes which was quaint and quite busy. Two of our group decided to have a 'snack' of scones [huge] and tea, however one of them did not get his tea as the waitress served it with milk already in and took it away when [nameless] complained as he didn't have milk! Some of the scones went back to the hotel I believe, and I guess the seagulls were glad of that. A dry but windy day, but it blew away the cobwebs and we had a good day out.

Our second day out went much better. A visit to Ryde and a walk along the seafront where we saw the hovercraft come into port. Lovely warm sunshine and some of our group decided to walk to the end of the pier only to find there was nothing there only boats arriving and departing. After this we went onto Rosemary's Vineyard where we had time for a drink and snack in the sunshine before watching a short film about how the vines were grown and the wine produced, and then there was a wine tasting and look around the little brewery. All very nice, lovely place and much better than going to Newport as originally planned. Must say the coffee was delicious.

We had a free day on Thursday. Some went exploring to Sandown, and a couple had a bus ride to Godshill and back, and then a bus ride to Shanklin beach followed by a taxi ride back. However, they said they enjoyed everything. A group of us decided to play Crazy Golf and we kept score too. Needless to say it was a lot of fun and more laughter than anything else. Our skills can be seen from our scores.....the best scores were achieved by two of us - 62, and the rest of us were somewhere between 63 and 88. It goes without saying that Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy having nothing at all to fear from our performance! A lovely morning following by some going on the bus to Sandown, where cocktails were essential, and some going to the Chine and having afternoon tea. The evening was made much nicer with a lovely lady singing all the songs we knew so that we could join in and pretend to dance whilst sitting down! Lovely end to the holiday.

Our trip home was much better than the journey down and we arrived home late afternoon, so glad to have had a holiday at last, and looking forward to the next one.