An unexpected day on the Isle of Wight

I'd left Mr Thinking of the Days in Leicestershire and was in Southsea the other weekend. On Saturday my daughter had to work. It wasn't that she had an inconsiderate boss -  after all she is the boss, but all Saturdays are busy at a seaside tearoom when the sun is out.

So I was going to drive along to Hayling Island and explore, but then Sue came up with a rather nice plan...."We're  taking the RHIB over to Cowes for lunch ....just a couple of hours or so. Do you fancy coming?"

Well of course I said yes, Sue is not only a friend but we're related by marriage. We're in laws....At least I think that's what you call us...her son  married our daughter.

Sue was first on the rib with Edie and Samuel....

Immy and Georgina were there too



Immy's brother Josh was there and their father Steve was the skipper. Oh and Emily., Edie and Samuel's Mum, who has a filthy laugh.

. Now, I've never been on a RHIB before even though my brother had one for years. What an ideal way to nip over to the Isle of Wight....although the ferry loomed rather large compared to us.



It was lovely to be pootling around old Portsmouth in the sunshine, past the Bridge Inn, which does such tasty fish and chips wrapped in newspaper.

I adore this stretch of water



But as soon as we came out into open water, the breeze picked up, so did our speed, and poor little Samuel who'd been gurgling with joy and waving to everyone on the ferry, suddenly became uneasy. "I don't like it" he muttered, and as we sped over the waves, hitting them with a resounding whack, he burst into tears.

It must have seemed a long time to such a little boy...but shortly we were in Cowes.



The others sped off for lunch, and I sat in the hot sun outside the Cowes Harbour Commission Building waiting to see my brother and his family who were coming over from the other side of the island.

 It was a good opportunity to people watch....to see the ferry disgorge its passengers, to listen to a girl on a mobile phone was waiting for a date. She was early, her friends were texting and talking to her, wishing her luck. Unfortunately I had to leave before he arrived....I was dying to see whether what he was like, and to see their reactions to each other. Somehow I just sensed that one of them was going to be disappointed.

 

But I was thrilled to see my darling brother Richard and gorgeous sister in law Cindy and there was a lovely surprise too...my niece Heidi and her fiancé Charlie were over from Amsterdam.



Drinks all around, and time to catch up on the family news . My brother has five children, and I have three so there was lots to hear and talk about. Weddings, music, jobs , new directions....we covered all the bases , and we weren't exactly quiet. But who can object to squeals of laughter, giggles and gossip ...."They did what?"

After a delicious lunch with wine, where we all ate far too much, it was time for a walk. We humans needed one to wake ourselves up, and Lula the dog, who'd waited so patiently for her walk, really wanted a swim. too. 

Now Lula is a cocker poo, the quietest of natured dogs who behaves beautifully. Honestly, a taxidermist could have had his evil way with her and we wouldn't have known. That's how still  and silent she is.  Used to the rough of tumble of having two terriers with another two making frequent guest appearances, I'm not accustomed to such a dog.

She sat quietly again in the car until we arrived at Thorness Bay between East Cowes and Yarmouth. Once there she sprang into action...as if jet propelled she swam and swam while we watched her and walked along the shoreline.







It's a lovely walking spot at Thorness...

and it's a good place to find shells, driftwood and other flotsam and jetsom..which my sister in law found, and which will be fashioned into a few decorative pieces.

 It was time to go though, and the RHIB had long gone back to Portsmouth. The gang dropped me off  in Ryde, and after hugs, kisses and cries of "See you soon", I caught the hovercraft back to Southsea  where it was back to Sue and Steve's with Lucy for another glass of wine.

Five hours on the island with my family who I absolutely love and adore...stealing a sunny September day to put in my bank of happy seaside  memories to tide me over until next spring and summer. 

Five hours on the Isle of Wight which reinforced my fondness for this lovely island and made me determined to spend more time down here next summer.