Thursday 12th October 2022

Day three on the island.

And if all goes well, just five hours work, and time to do some exploring.

Here's hoping.

After two splendid days of warm, sunny and fine weather, it was on the change today, with high cloud above, and the sea already beginning to be disturbed.

It would only get rougher through the day.

I went down for breakfast at twenty past seven, had my usual of fruit followed by sausage and bacon butty and a whole pot of coffee, while watching the ferries come and go out in the Solent.

And as I had a pass card to get in the factory, I could leave when I wanted to be there for half eight and the opening meeting.

Traffic into Newport was worse, but I was in no hurry, and I arrived at twenty past eight, clocked in and made myself at hoem in the conference room.

Eyes down!

We worked through the morning, and then I had unch of sandwiches, crisps and chocolate. It was like a birthday party, really.

We had the closing meeting, I presented my findings, and we all said thenaks. And I was done. Now, I had planned two days, but we covered everything, so I had some two hours to explore.

So, my frst targe was Godshill.

The modern village looks unpromising, but up Church Hill to the older part: and wow.

A semi-circle of thatched hobbit-style houses, with the tower of All Saints above the thatched roof line. Shame about the parked cars, otherwise it would be picture box perfect.

I found a place to park, and took lots of shots, and walked towards the church, where I found two couples looking round, getting in the way of my pictures!

Oh no.

But they moved and I got my shots, the tombs, the rood screen (a replica) and everything else. And then walking out and the houses spread out below as a large party of ramblers rambled past.

I searched for a list of Grade 1 churches on the island, and picked a few at random not far from Newport.

St Olaves is an estate church, situated at the end of a long and winding lane, hidden from the place where the lane peters out.

The tower gave itself up from the gate, but the rest of the church was hidden.

A man, sitting on a bench, got up and passed me, wished me good day and told me that yesterday the red squirrels were showing well.

I had forgotten this was a stronghold as Greys were never released on the island.

30 seconds later, a ginger streak hopped across the path and paused on a low gravestone.

Red himself!

I had a grin on my face as wide as the Solent.

I must have moved, as it turned its head and was gone.

I walked to the small church.

Inside, it has a stone chancel arch and two small doorways, a wooden tomb effigy, and a chest tomb from the First World War, first one like it I have ever seen.

That done, I tok my leave and drove to the third church, but time was already running out.

Newchurch is in the middle of a very narrow lane, which barely widens in the village, and so parking here is problematic. I managed to get a pace on the road, though I do think there is a small car park beside the church, but driving along the pavement didn't seem right to me.

All Saints sits on the edge of a cliff, and the road out of the village falls away beside it, making it a very dramatic location.

The tower, half clapboard and half soft sandy-coloured stone looks in poor repair. The clapboard, anyway. And entrance to the church is through the tower with the bellringing ropes hanging overhead.

Inside, it is a well kept church, some nice 19th century glass, a rose window in the west wall, but too high for me to get a good shot. The lectern is a fine golden Pelican in her Piety, one of the best I have seen, and hanging in the rood loft stairs, now leading nowhere, is a fine brass lamp.

As I left just before four, the church was locked, and my crawling for the day was done, so I repaired to the Pointer Inn next door for a fine pint of Hophead.

And that was that. I set the sat nav for the hotel, then ignored its directions, as it wanted me to take the floating bridge. Instead I braved the traffic in Newport, past the prsons, then through the housing estate and down the hill to Egypt Point.

It now felt very autumnal, just as well then that I had booked a table in the hotel, so I had two hours to kill before dinner.

The hotel likes to serve fish, so I had the roast beef and crispy roast potaoes special. And also ordered a caraffe of house red to wash it down.

And at the end as I had a glass left, why not have the cheeseboard?

Why not.

I went up to my room, and fell asleep listening to the footy again.

Plus la change!