The island was getting into gear for the forthcoming Isle of Wight Festival......many of the hotels were full and had the 'No Vacancies' signs up.
Newport was off limits towards the end of the week as there were roads that were either blocked off, or so busy that it didn't bear thinking about.
So Thursday, we gave Cowes the flick and instead we went off to Godshill. It was a beautiful sunny morning...though rain was forecast. (it never happened)
Ma and I went into the lovely posh shop and had a browse...then we went into the tea rooms.
Ma ordered us both a coffee......and a ginormous meringue for herself to take away.......she bought me a Millionaires shortbread....I protested, but it didn't make an 'apporth of difference......like I need help with my expanding waistline!
I was charged with the task of going up to the church to light a candle for Pa (for fathers day) and also one for my sister-in-law....her Pa has just had a stroke and is very poorly......I walked up the lane to the church, glad that Ma didn't want to be pushed up there too. The view from the top is beautiful....you can see the village laid out before you.
Inside the church was cool and calm......it is a haven of peace and tranquility......I was there on my own for about ten minutes, and then more of our coach party arrived.
I left the church and walked round the graveyard. Many of the stones are covered in moss and are hard to read.
I made my way down the worn steps, into the leafy lane that leads back to the village.
I took a few pics along the way...mainly so that Ma will have a memory of this visit.
I went into the Smithy Garden......each time in the past, this place has been closed...mainly because it has been off season, but also because it has been late in the day when we have visited Godshill.
The garden was glorious.....with powerful flower scents and colours, and birds singing to their hearts content. Jimmy the ginger cat was laid out on a bench soaking up the sun......he is too well fed to be a hazard to the birds.
I would have loved to stay longer and soak up the atmosphere, but time was getting on and I had to get back to Ma, and back to the coach.
We were off to Appley Manor for lunch, then on to Rosemary vineyard.......Ma said she was going to stay on the coach......I was going to walk round and have a look at the vines.
I chatted to a lovely couple...George and Margaret...and in a few minutes we put the world to rights. He wasn't a wine buff and had seen the video presentation before.......so we sat in the sun.
After the Vineyard we were supposed to be going to Arreton Barn...we had an hour and a half to kill here. Ma said that she didn't want to get off the coach, so I told John our driver......he said it was fine, but she would get an extra ride as he was taking one of the other drivers back to our hotel.
I'm sure a lightbulb went on over my head.
I asked if Ma and I could also be dropped off at the hotel...Ma was tired and could do with a lie down before dinner, while I wanted to go into Shanklin and get Ma her mags and some drinks and eatables for our trip back home the next day.
John said it was irregular, but.......oh....OK! so we were back at base for just after 3pm.
When we got back to the hotel there was a Paramedic fast response vehicle on the parking lot...and as the coach left a GP came hurtling round the bend with his green light flashing........it looked like someone was having a problem.
I took ma up to the room and got her installed......then I skipped off back down the stairs and into town.......the Gp's car and the paramedic were still in attendance...as I walked into town the Ambulance sped down the road and drove up towards the hotel.....it was looking serious.
Half of me wanted to go back and see what was going on, but the grown up side said it wasn't the 'done' thing.
I went and got the stuff that we needed and then went back and told Ma about the ambulance.
When we got down to dinner that evening, no-one knew anything about what had gone on.
John, our driver looked a little pre-occupied.......I didn't like to ask him about who it was who had been taken ill.
There was a trip out to the theatre that night...'Songs from the Shows'.
Ma didn't want to go...she wanted to get packed and sorted.....you know her fears about sleeping in. She wanted to have an early night.
I made myself a coffee and ate my shortbread......I asked Ma if she wanted a hot drink to go with her meringue......the devious mare had already eaten it! While I was out, she scoffed the lot. Cited the reason for eating it all at once...'didn't want the cream to go off'.......didn't want to share it more like! She laughed.
The coffee wasn't a good idea...it kept me awake...I saw the clock round until 2am...then woke up before five and cancelled the alarm.
Cases out by six and breakfast at 7...on the coach by 7.45...for a 9am sailing.
So that was my break away. Ma's looking for another one as we speak......she thoroughly enjoyed it.
Oh and the medical emergency...it was an elderly man travelling alone. The chambermaid had found him in a collapsed state on his balcony.......he was whisked off to hospital where he was found to be suffering from a severe urinary infection.
He was travelling on our coach...was not fit to return on the day we did, but Robinsons had organised for him to come back with one of the other coaches if he was well enough...failing that they would send a car down for him....the last we heard was, he was still poorly, but was improving slowly.
Newport was off limits towards the end of the week as there were roads that were either blocked off, or so busy that it didn't bear thinking about.
So Thursday, we gave Cowes the flick and instead we went off to Godshill. It was a beautiful sunny morning...though rain was forecast. (it never happened)
Ma and I went into the lovely posh shop and had a browse...then we went into the tea rooms.
Ma ordered us both a coffee......and a ginormous meringue for herself to take away.......she bought me a Millionaires shortbread....I protested, but it didn't make an 'apporth of difference......like I need help with my expanding waistline!
I was charged with the task of going up to the church to light a candle for Pa (for fathers day) and also one for my sister-in-law....her Pa has just had a stroke and is very poorly......I walked up the lane to the church, glad that Ma didn't want to be pushed up there too. The view from the top is beautiful....you can see the village laid out before you.
Inside the church was cool and calm......it is a haven of peace and tranquility......I was there on my own for about ten minutes, and then more of our coach party arrived.
I left the church and walked round the graveyard. Many of the stones are covered in moss and are hard to read.
I made my way down the worn steps, into the leafy lane that leads back to the village.
I took a few pics along the way...mainly so that Ma will have a memory of this visit.
I went into the Smithy Garden......each time in the past, this place has been closed...mainly because it has been off season, but also because it has been late in the day when we have visited Godshill.
The garden was glorious.....with powerful flower scents and colours, and birds singing to their hearts content. Jimmy the ginger cat was laid out on a bench soaking up the sun......he is too well fed to be a hazard to the birds.
I would have loved to stay longer and soak up the atmosphere, but time was getting on and I had to get back to Ma, and back to the coach.
We were off to Appley Manor for lunch, then on to Rosemary vineyard.......Ma said she was going to stay on the coach......I was going to walk round and have a look at the vines.
I chatted to a lovely couple...George and Margaret...and in a few minutes we put the world to rights. He wasn't a wine buff and had seen the video presentation before.......so we sat in the sun.
After the Vineyard we were supposed to be going to Arreton Barn...we had an hour and a half to kill here. Ma said that she didn't want to get off the coach, so I told John our driver......he said it was fine, but she would get an extra ride as he was taking one of the other drivers back to our hotel.
I'm sure a lightbulb went on over my head.
I asked if Ma and I could also be dropped off at the hotel...Ma was tired and could do with a lie down before dinner, while I wanted to go into Shanklin and get Ma her mags and some drinks and eatables for our trip back home the next day.
John said it was irregular, but.......oh....OK! so we were back at base for just after 3pm.
When we got back to the hotel there was a Paramedic fast response vehicle on the parking lot...and as the coach left a GP came hurtling round the bend with his green light flashing........it looked like someone was having a problem.
I took ma up to the room and got her installed......then I skipped off back down the stairs and into town.......the Gp's car and the paramedic were still in attendance...as I walked into town the Ambulance sped down the road and drove up towards the hotel.....it was looking serious.
Half of me wanted to go back and see what was going on, but the grown up side said it wasn't the 'done' thing.
I went and got the stuff that we needed and then went back and told Ma about the ambulance.
When we got down to dinner that evening, no-one knew anything about what had gone on.
John, our driver looked a little pre-occupied.......I didn't like to ask him about who it was who had been taken ill.
There was a trip out to the theatre that night...'Songs from the Shows'.
Ma didn't want to go...she wanted to get packed and sorted.....you know her fears about sleeping in. She wanted to have an early night.
I made myself a coffee and ate my shortbread......I asked Ma if she wanted a hot drink to go with her meringue......the devious mare had already eaten it! While I was out, she scoffed the lot. Cited the reason for eating it all at once...'didn't want the cream to go off'.......didn't want to share it more like! She laughed.
The coffee wasn't a good idea...it kept me awake...I saw the clock round until 2am...then woke up before five and cancelled the alarm.
Cases out by six and breakfast at 7...on the coach by 7.45...for a 9am sailing.
So that was my break away. Ma's looking for another one as we speak......she thoroughly enjoyed it.
Oh and the medical emergency...it was an elderly man travelling alone. The chambermaid had found him in a collapsed state on his balcony.......he was whisked off to hospital where he was found to be suffering from a severe urinary infection.
He was travelling on our coach...was not fit to return on the day we did, but Robinsons had organised for him to come back with one of the other coaches if he was well enough...failing that they would send a car down for him....the last we heard was, he was still poorly, but was improving slowly.
