Enjoying respite from the rain, a bright sunny day and I’ve not got to work today!

Dodging the showers rather unsuccessfully the other day, a trip to Seaview Duver was rewarded by a breath of fresh air and views of birds on both the beach and at nearby Hersey Nature Reserve.   Presumably the large section of pipework in the photo is one of those left on environmental grounds following the attempt by Southern Water to remove old piping from the beach earlier in the year.  At least the Little Egret brings interest to the image.

Hundreds of folk fans turned up at the Bargeman’s Rest for a free concert by Martin Carthy; we were treated to two 45 minute sets of traditional folk and what I can only describe as music hall type ditties. It was a highly entertaining evening attended by what appeared to be a high ratio of Island musicians and music promoters. Let’s hope this may be the start of something! A retiring collection was made for the hospice. Thank you to the Bargeman’s and whoever persuaded Martin to appear.

The weekend saw a continuation of high winds and violent showers on the Isle of Wight.  Waves were whipped up and mightily impressive; the sort of conditions that prove all too alluring for those interested in the more extreme sports.  At Brook Bay Wighteye came across both exhilarating action and the risks undertaken when things go wrong.  The picture shows a windsurfer enjoying the conditions, but in the field at the top of the cliff, a kite surfer was receiving medical aid from a paramedic and and an ambulance crew for a broken leg sustained when wind caught his canopy unexpectedly.  Hopefully the young man concerned will make a quick recovery.   It’s a reminder of the strength of water and wind and that we need to have a healthy awareness!

What a wet few days it’s been;  this together with low air pressure produced a high tide tonight in Cowes.  Fortunately the strong, blustery wind seemed to be coming from the South, blowing waves away from the areas of Cowes and East Cowes that are vulnerable to flooding.  Even so, each end of the floating bridge’s chains were submerged tonight.  Further high tides are forecast into early next week, things could get interesting!

A rather jaded looking inflatable Santa has appeared at the Fighting Cocks crossroads, can’t someone tell him to push off until we’ve at least had Halloween and Bonfire Night?

A publicist couldn’t dream it up!  Poor Paul Sivell, chain saw sculptor to the Isle of Wight has not had a lot of luck this year.  First his hare sculpture is stolen from it’s roadside position at Arreton, only to be found abandoned some weeks later.  This week the county Press reported on how Paul had been commissioned to sculpt a fallen tree in someone’s garden at Luccombe.  Duly completed, the sculpture remained in situ for just a week before the cliff collapsed and it ended up on the beach below!   So if it is true that things come in threes, what’s next?

So how many 5 star hotels do we have on the Isle of Wight?   According to an article on the BNP’s own website, the owner of one such Island hotel provided them with facilities for a pre-election planning session and a meal afterwards, free of charge.  I wonder if other guests are aware of the owner’s political sympathies?  Obnoxious comments follow the article, which can be read here.

What a great way to start one’s musical education, watching Dick Taylor and the Hillmans as part of Ventnor’s V-Bay Festival’s music day!   Wighteye took in a range of acts and had a great afternoon, thank you organisers!  Below are a few snaps taken of acts seen, including the irreverent Larry O’Toole who referred to the event as ‘B-day’;   incidentally, this was the second chance that Wighteye has had to listen to Larry O’Toole and the Hooleys and I must say that familiarity helps a great deal, the lyrics were largely decipherable this time!  Wighteye’s favourite, Dick Taylor, really came alive as his set wore on, a real pleasure to hear.  From rhythmic world music, through folk, blues and smooth jazz, the day had something for most people.  It would be nice to see a few more younger acts next year, to draw  in a younger crowd, though not at the expense of the oldies, of which Wighteye is one!

With Ventnorblog publishing an opinion piece today about Tory plans to repeal restrictions on hunting if they are elected to power, Wighteye was reminded of a recent walk in the Niton area.  Mrs. Wighteye had started to moan about route choice, leg ache etc, when suddenly foxes were spotted, probably young and tussling with each other. One of them seemed as curious about us as we were about him as we stared at each other across the field for several minutes. 

Perhaps a hundred metres along we spotted a red squirrel up in an oak tree; having reached a height at which he felt comfortable, the reciprocal staring process started again.  Result:  No more moans from Mrs. Wighteye.