Stephen: And home again

Ok so we left IOW on Saturday and I've not posted any thing since so lets finish with some of those missing shots from Blackgang

They are looking for a keeper for this cuddly exhibit!!!!

Valley of the Dodos

Rumour has it that over 300 years ago, when King Louis the XIV sat upon the French throne. He ordered his men to source him a rare delicacy, Dodo Eggs, all the way from the island of Mauritius. The men acquired the eggs, but on the return journey they were intercepted by English pirates, the ship was wrecked just off the coast of Blackgang, and its cargo buried deep in the cliffs for collection at a later date.

No-one knows why the pirates never came back for the Dodo eggs but then, earlier this year, shocked staff uncovered the eggs whilst digging out foundations for a new bridge in the park. The staff knew nothing of the contents of the eggs, but were sure that they must surely of perished over the years. But, the very next day, defying all scientific beliefs, and to the surprise of everyone, the eggs began to hatch!
{I should acknowledge the Blackgang guide book for the story above}

The Mouth of Hell

That's twice in one year I've been to hell and back!!

Sarah trying to extricate her husband from hell!!!

Giant Bug Walk

I had a chat with one of the gardeners and he told me the place was infested with Mini Beasts

Mini is not quite what I'd call them!!

After the Giant bugs we found a crooked house only one shot in here and a question

Who will own up to having had a duvet cover like this?? I know some one who did!!

The water garden is one of my memories of Blackgang unfortunately it is now much diminished and whats left is right on the edge of the land slip and may not last the next winter.

On the way out through the shop I spotted this next resident and it reminded me that my son David always loved the Triceratops

Don't know who he is but it appears to be an actual fossil

Oh and a couple of other shots taken by Sarah just to prove i did get into the spirit of Blackgang

And finally we left on Saturday morning took a slow drive across the Island for a 1pm ferry only to find that due to an accident the previous night they were one boat short and there was a delay of 35minuets. well that was the delay when we got to the port by the time we boarded at nearly 2pm it had gone up to about 50 minutes

Porstmouth from Fishbourne

as James said Bye Bye isle of Wight

St Celia leaving Gun Wharf to let us arrive

Now Sunday is normally a kite flying day and with Brogdale's Cherry Festival this weekend that means BEAR BUNGING!!!

Unfortunately there was little or no wind so the 'Lifter' was on the ground for most of the afternoon when the wind did come up we had about twenty minutes of frantic parachuting till the rumbles of thunder meant we had to bring the kite down so as not to get struck by lightning!!!