A day volunteering at work , quite quiet as far as customers but plenty of stock to sort. We also have to sell the “Superdraw” lottery tickets and we came first in the area for the amount sold!! I do try hard as we have targets for that as well.
Sunday 9th November 2025
Didn’t feel too good in the morning, I felt as though I had a hangover, usually do after bad migraine. An easy day, catching up with Strictly.
Saturday 8th November 2025
We packed up all ready for the 9am ferry. A much better ferry, this time the lift went all the way to the pet area. Plus, as we were there early, we were right at the front.
And leaving the island……….
And in no time at all…Portsmouth….
What a lovely holiday and we will be back again in March!
Back home just in time to watch the Spurs v Man U game…..a draw! Later Hammers won. I had migraine along with sickness and went to bed early.
Friday 7th November 2025
We went to Ryde in the morning for a wander along the front and around the shops. A lot of charity shops and they all seemed to have dog treats.
In the afternoon we sat outside the lodge and played cards. (While Ellie watched the red squirrels).
Thursday 6th November 2025
We had a long walk through the woods and on to the beach and Ellie coped really well with it all. Lots of fungi in the woods.
We booked for lunch at our favourite pub The Blacksmith’s . The views from there are so good.
They do my favourite dessert ever….White chocolate and raspberry creme brulee. It is full of raspberries, no one else seems to do it as good as they do and Mal is rather partial to their cheeseboard!
I think it may be Ellie’s favourite pub, she knows the doggie welcome at their entrance (treats and blankets to help yourself to) and then she is very content.
We love the amount of countryside all over the island and started looking at houses. There were a couple in East Cowes that seemed really nice and so we drove past them, no, not a place for us to live! Too towny!
In the evening of course the new Race across the World followed by the Traitors Finale and a few drinks! I was hoping Joe would win.
Wednesday 5th November 2025
We went off to the Donkey Sanctuary. They are all such characters and we managed to find Hannah, the one we sponsored for Mal’s sister. So many rescued donkeys but they are looked after so very well there.
As we were down that way we decided to call in at Lady Scarlett’s Tea Parlour. It isn’t the easiest place to find a parking space but I found one and managed to squeeze in. We then went to the ticket machine and it wouldn’t work, just as the traffic warden came along. I then discovered the Tea Parlour was shut for the week, so we told him we weren’t bothering getting a ticket and he said that was fine. The roads in Ventnor are not easy. They say it is 1 in 4…
“Ventnor is a very hilly town, and the roads descending to the beach and esplanade, such as Bath Road and Shore Hill, are known for their steepness and sharp hairpin bends, making them challenging for those with mobility issues or for some vehicles. Cyclists and drivers are often warned about the severity of the slope.”
We decided to return to the lodge as we had dinner in the slow cooker anyway.
Lots of very loud fireworks all around us but one of the benefits of Ellie going deaf, she didn’t take any notice.
Tuesday 4th November 2025
Happy Birthday to grandson Ollie who is 19 today!
These are the steps we go up every time we leave the lodge and Ellie manages them on her own! Things are improving.
Off for our woods walk first thing.
Then we went to the Garlic Farm, Mal to buy some garlic and of course jars of their garlic pickle and other tasty things and a walk around with Ellie.
From there we went into Shanklin to the Steamer Inn for our lunch. They always have Seafood Chowder on the menu and it really is delicious. I commented to the owner how good it was and he said so many Americans told him it was the best he had ever tasted. We even sat outside to eat as it was so warm . This was followed of course by Ellie going in the sea.
Later a wander through Old Shanklin and a bit more Christmas shopping.
