Events to enjoy on the Isle of Wight in May
The Isle of Wight is a lively place, and don’t let it be said any differently! In April, Jools Holland played in Ryde and receive great support from Alison Moyet. For May, the top show is the Jazz on the Meadow taking place on the 22nd, where the headline artist will be Courtney Pine. Supporting the headliner will be the exceptional jazz violinist Omar Puente, American songstress Keri Highland, and exciting young saxophonist Benedict Branca, alongside The Ric Harris Trio and Edana Minghella.
May is also the month of the annual walking festival pulling in large numbers of people hoping to enjoy the Island’s scenery. If you are coming to the island, is is wise to grab a guide book, boots, water and chocolate bar and head off to explore the routes! If you are on foot use the Catamaran, otherwise take the Isle of Wight Ferries from Portsmouth or Lymington.
It wasn’t long ago that i went for a trip to the IOW for a wedding anniversary celebration. It was my first visit to the island for over 20 years since coming over as a teenager for the Isle of Wight Festival. The sheer wild quality of the place between the Needles park and Ventnor astounded stimulated my imagination. The sea batters the dark sands and cliffs as they face France, and have done so for many milliions of years. Many fossil remains can be found on the beaches dating back as far as the Jurassic period, when dinosaurs lived on the Earth.
One of the best walks on the festival route is the small coastal route between Shanklin and Ventnor. The pathway travels between lovely thick wooded areas with beautiful old trees, open cliff top paths. You will find some nice old seats along the way that have been made from tree trunks where you can sit and enjoy the atmosphere.
There are several choices of walk this year for the festival the entire 72 mile path is covered in 24 hours non-stop on May 8th. A more leisurely approach is also available which covers small areas.