Coast to Coast on the Isle of Wight 10

A changes scenery for the weekend.  Attending a Blues festival on the Isle of Wight so couldn't resist putting there bike in the back of the car.  After an atrocious day weather travelling down, thought it was a mistake to take the bike but this morning turned out fine.   Good enough to get the bike out.  The wind had dropped dramatically, the sun was out and the rain had gone away.  Checked out the local maps and spotted a circuit that took in both the North and South coast, never done a C to C before so perfect opportunity today 

Swing Bridge

Never seen one of these before, the centre part sings through 90 degrees to allow boats trough whilst stopping the traffic on the r oad.  This is operated, at this one, by the chap in the yellow jacket in the middle of the bridge.  Didn't take long to get back to normal once the boat went through.

R.N.L.I.

The Royal National Lifeboat institution , a volunteer organisation run by an army of volunteers and funded entirely by public donation.   These boats  have saved countless lives over its 200  years  existence.   Hard to believe  that initially the boats were rowed in atrocious seas by these volunteers.

A Gribble

A nasty tiny little insect that eats wood.  Not so bad you say except it keeps destroying the pier, the longest wooden pier in the country.  Now immortalised in cement at to harbour's edge.  Gribble is not it's Latin name!  The harbour is at Yarmouth on the North coast of the island.

Freshwater

A quint little village on the South coast, 5 miles away.  Done it.  This getting the brunt of the south wind.

Jimmi Hendrix

The late, great guitarist who played on the island in a field near here at a big festival in the 70s.  Could not pass this without stopping and taking a picture.

The Piano

A cafe\bar on the road out of Freshwater.  At £2.50 for a pot of tea, probably won't be returning here in a hurry.  Very bust place because the bar was taking part in an  annual bus 'n' beer event with a 100 people travelling around the island in vintage buses stopping at selected pubs and bars to sample to beer.  There will be some happy passengers at the end of today.

Enjoyed that trip, although only 10 miles,  it made a change getting out  on strange ground.