Well actually it was a ticket to Cowes but I don't remember the Beatles singing a song about that particular Isle of Wight seaside resort. Ryde was though on the agenda as it has a pier but first we needed to cross the Solent from Southampton which we did using a Red Funnel ferry. The sailing took just under an hour which we wiled away by eating toast and playing cards.
The weather was terrible but the crossing was fine and once docked we headed West to Yarmouth (no not that one, this one is great but it's not Great!) and then onto Totland. We found out that Yarmouth pier is the only completely wooden pier still standing in the UK whereas Totland pier is barely standing as most of it has fallen into the sea. It did look like some kind of building work was being carried out on the pier entrance building so maybe they are currently renovating the pier. I do hope so....
We took our selfies and headed back to Cowes and onto Ryde. There's loads of facts about Ryde Pier that I can bore you with, it's the oldest in the UK (over 200 years), for £1 you can drive your car down to the end (we did and got some great photo's), there's a train station on it (and a train) and it has a shop at the entrance where you can design your own donut (how amazing is that?).
But Ryde itself is looking in a very sorry state with many of the shops and cafes along the front having shut down. I guess people want more than a 200 year old pier and a bespoke donut when they go on holiday these days! Shame on them.
With our early start to catch the ferry we had seen 3 piers by midday (well actually we had seen 4 as Southampton Pier is right next to the ferry terminal and we could see it from our ferry window seat but as we haven't taken a selfie there yet we're not counting it until we do) and my tummy was now rumbling. We had an amazing lunch in the Bugle Inn just outside Sandown (no not that one, this one doesn't have a racecourse) before heading to check in to our Travelodge in Newport (no not that one, this one hasn't hosted the Ryder Cup yet).
We decided to take advantage of a spare afternoon to go to cinema to see Inside Out (a very clever, fun animated film from the Disney Pixar people) followed by an evening in the bar playing cards and drinking Budweiser. A great end to another great day.....
Distance travelled so far: 755 Piers visited: 18
The weather was terrible but the crossing was fine and once docked we headed West to Yarmouth (no not that one, this one is great but it's not Great!) and then onto Totland. We found out that Yarmouth pier is the only completely wooden pier still standing in the UK whereas Totland pier is barely standing as most of it has fallen into the sea. It did look like some kind of building work was being carried out on the pier entrance building so maybe they are currently renovating the pier. I do hope so....
#16 Yarmouth Pier
#17 Totland Pier
We took our selfies and headed back to Cowes and onto Ryde. There's loads of facts about Ryde Pier that I can bore you with, it's the oldest in the UK (over 200 years), for £1 you can drive your car down to the end (we did and got some great photo's), there's a train station on it (and a train) and it has a shop at the entrance where you can design your own donut (how amazing is that?).
#18 Ryde Pier
But Ryde itself is looking in a very sorry state with many of the shops and cafes along the front having shut down. I guess people want more than a 200 year old pier and a bespoke donut when they go on holiday these days! Shame on them.
With our early start to catch the ferry we had seen 3 piers by midday (well actually we had seen 4 as Southampton Pier is right next to the ferry terminal and we could see it from our ferry window seat but as we haven't taken a selfie there yet we're not counting it until we do) and my tummy was now rumbling. We had an amazing lunch in the Bugle Inn just outside Sandown (no not that one, this one doesn't have a racecourse) before heading to check in to our Travelodge in Newport (no not that one, this one hasn't hosted the Ryder Cup yet).
We decided to take advantage of a spare afternoon to go to cinema to see Inside Out (a very clever, fun animated film from the Disney Pixar people) followed by an evening in the bar playing cards and drinking Budweiser. A great end to another great day.....
Distance travelled so far: 755 Piers visited: 18
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