ISLE OF LIGHT
“FANCY A MINI-CRUISE this year?” enquired my husband as we strolled around a major UK camping and caravanning show on a dreary day in February. “Sounds great!” I enthused, a second before my brain registered there must surely be some kind of catch.
“Good, because one of the ferry companies is offering a fantastic deal – return crossing and five nights’ accommodation on the Isle of Wight.”
My face must have radiated disappointment, because he hurriedly added: “Five-star campsite, with indoor and outdoor swimming pools!”
My personal vision of a mini-cruise amounts to rather more than the hour-long crossing from Southampton via the Solent to East Cowes, but I soon got used to the idea, and by the time we travelled, I was undeniably excited.
I hadn’t stayed on the Isle of Wight since I’d been on holiday there with my parents 50 years ago – just after the first men landed on the Moon – so rediscovering the island was an adventure. Our destination was The Orchards Holiday Park, Newbridge, near Yarmouth,
