Isle of Wight Spring walk

Hello there - Spring is in the air so off we set for a walk around the park and onto the beach

 

 

 

 

 

Onto the beach and making shadows

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Seaweed

 

 



 

 

Playing with shells

 

 

I see a face on this stone - can you?

 

 

Collected these from the beach and did a bit of crochet

 

 

 

As I was down on the beach I took this pic of Appley Tower

never having noticed before the stairs to the side

as I always take pics from the other side of the Tower.

 

 

Look left - Ryde pier in the distance

 

 

Look right with Seaview around the corner

 

 

Looking forward - across the sea

Portsmouth and the mainland.

How lucky am I to live on this beautiful island and have

all this just down the road from where I live

 

*    *    *    *    *    *    *

 

We went to the local pub for a roast dinner to celebrate a friends birthday

and just look at the sweets!!

 

 

Profiteroles with salted caramel ice cream inside

(hubby and I shared these)

 

Chocolate brownie

 

 

After lunch we strolled around the village

 

 

Beautiful tapestry cushions on the pews in the church

 

 

 

Very intricate design on this headstone over 100 years old

 

 

Second World War Memorial for people lost

This inscription always brings a lump to my throat

 

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

 

 

I liked these inscriptions too

 

 

 

Spring is bursting all around us. 

 

Thanks for popping by

 

Xx Joy Xx

 

PS

 

 

A baby blanket has been made and passed on to Leo born 12th April

 

 

 

 

 

Two projects in mind with this lovely wool

 

Watch this space

 

ttfn

 

Xx Joy Xx

 

PPS

 

This morning brought about an unexpected run -

A running friend is having some personal problems and the call

went out to do a Solidarity run for him and his family

 

 

This lovely lot of 90 people from different island running clubs

turned out and ran five and a half miles and then threw some money in a bucket

They raised a total of £810.10 and this total will go higher

from runners who couldn't make it along!!

 

What great community spirit and I was very proud to be part of it

 

XXX  xxx  XXX

Marathon Weekend Away

Hello there - we have just had a weekend away.  We went to Brighton to support runners from the Isle of Wight running clubs who were running in the Brighton marathon.  We travelled down with friends on Saturday afternoon and booked into our hotel, Artist Residence in Regency Square (more about the hotel as you read on).

 

 

We met up with some friends on Saturday evening who had gone to Brighton the day before

 and of course we went for fish and chips because that is what

you do when you go to the seaside.

 

 

We said goodnight to our friends and headed back to our hotel

as they had a cocktail bar - so we had cocktails!!

 

 

The marathon was starting at 09.15 and we needed to find our viewing spot,

so up we got bright and early and set off to find somewhere for breakfast

 

 

Breakfast At Tiffany's

 

 

We found a nice quiet spot (well it was quiet until we got there)

It is Wednesday today and my voice still hasn't returned to me after the cheering.

Here comes the lead car and you can see hubby waving to it in the shadows

 

 

 

Then came the scooters, then came the Harley Davisons and then came the minis.

Some waving still going on in the shadows

 

 

 

Then came the runners

we spotted Bridget the other side of the road at the 3 mile mark

 

 

Off we went past the water drink station

 

 

 

We got to the 12 mile mark to watch some more of the run,

along came the Harley Owners Group who had taken part in the ride out.

They parked up and did some spectating whilst eating their sandwiches!

What magnificent machines these are - they are all shiny and spotless.

 

 

Here is Bridget at 26 miles with just a few yards to go.

This was her second marathon and she ran it 34 minutes

faster than her first.  She did brilliantly and says NEVER AGAIN!!

 

 

Here is another friend Steve - this marathon was his 128th yes

ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY EIGHTH

he ran it in 3 hrs 53 mins 58 secs

A M A Z I N G (and he will do more)

in fact -  he has entered already for next year and

there will be others before then!!

 

 

 Here is another of our friends Julie - she has 500 yards to go to the finish

how can she possibly be smiling like that after 26 miles of running

 for 4 hrs 24 mins 52 secs - another star!!

 

 

 When all of the runners were back that we had gone to support

we wandered down around the baggage area to find some of them

  these gorgeous balloons were on the marathon stall

 

 

 

Back along the seafront past Brighton Pier

 

 

 

On past the Grand Hotel

 

 

Past the Hilton

 

First Aid outside the Hilton for any runners who may need it

 

 

Back to our hotel - come and take a look inside

 

 

Reception - CHECKIN' COUNTER

 

 

 

Up the stairs to our room

 

 

Lovely window on the landing

 

 

 

 

Bedroom doors on the way to our room which was room 9

 

 

 

 

This gorgeous wallpaper was in our room and this quirky little shelf

 

 

This lovely Roberts radio was on every time we went back into our room when

the room had been cleaned and tea/coffee/water etc had been restocked

A lovely welcoming touch

 

 

 

These two wallpapers were in the bathroom/shower/loo

 

 

The cistern

 

 

 

LOOK at the handles on the loo seat for putting up and down

NO HAVING TO TOUCH THE LOO SEAT!!

 

 

A nut and bolt to turn the shower on

 

 

Numbered peg hooks to hang your towels on

 

 

View in the early morning with the sunshine reflecting off the window

 

 

Down for breakfast

 

 

Passing these on the way to the front door on our way out

 

 

Love love loved this hotel

 

 

Bye bye Brighton you were a great weekend

We will be back next year.

 

Good luck to all Isle of Wighters running the

London Marathon on Sunday next.

 

 

A quick stop at Chichester on our way home

 

Thanks for popping by

 

Xx Joy Xx

 

PS

 

No crochet was done!!

 

xx