Ventnor, Isle of Wight

We've been so lucky! A perfect-weather day in late October on the Island!
The plan  (well, Bob's plan really ) was to drive around the island. Needless to say, we did not get all the way round. So much to see and do!

Driving south from Freshwater Bay, we stopped on St Catherine's down to take pictures at Chale, overlooking Blackgang Chine, an early example of a theme park (1840s!) After a couple more stops, we reached the southern seaside town of Ventnor, the place whereI'm going to buy a house, once I've won the lottery! 

A pitstop on the beach for italian ice cream from Minghella's (yes, that family also make ice cream!) I had maple walnut, CleanSteve had ginger and honey, and Bob and Mary went for mint choc chip. I tried to catch some waves, but they slipped through my fingers. Children in costumes were actually swimming in the sea!

In the cafe, I got so hot sitting in the sun that I had to go and remove some layers! Then Mary and I walked up to town to trawl the charity shops, while Steve and Bob had a beer somewhere. I bought a lottery ticket as well as the usual selection of clothes and puzzles. Got to make the dream come true!

Then on to the little village of Bonchurch, because one of my relatives, or Steve's, used to live there. If only we could remember who it was! Both of us have relatives who once lived here. Anyway, what a find! Bonchurch has an unusual sort of long, narrow pond, and some old shops and houses of a picturesque nature, but if you take the road to the bay, you find a perfect little shingle beach curved in a horseshoe, a few houses, a pottery and an awful lot of lobster pots! This is somewhere I need to come back to, to explore in more detail. Maybe we will remember who lived there, and try to find their house...

After this, we had to head back to Freshwater to let the dogs and cat out. The dogs aren't well behaved, so they can't be taken out on jaunts. However, for us humans, it's been a wonderful day, and we're so sad that we have to leave tomorrow, to rush off back to Stroud for a wedding!