Sunday People

Get Wight BACK

- Tom Carlin

DINOSAUR fossils, the UK’S oldest theme park, vintage seaside promenades and a Willy Wonka style sweet factory – the Isle of Wight is a bit like visiting the land that time forgot. much more relaxed than other theme parks we’ve visited.

No queuing and we got round it in a day without rushing.

We also visited its gentler sister park, Robin Hill, which is more of a nature reserve but does have an old-school toboggan run.

The kids loved it, especially when we came careering off it mid-ride.

The world- famous Needles Landmark Attraction is the iconic spot on the island. A spectacula­r chairlift ride to the beach gave us amazing views of the multi coloured sand cliffs of Alum Bay.

Perfect

factory and they all got to taste the results. Old fashioned can quickly become prehistori­c on the Isle of Wight because the beaches all around are some of the best places in the UK for fossil hunting.

If you have the time, it’s worth going to visit local legend Jurassic Jim at his shop in Shanklin.

He gives expert advice and sells baskets full of fossils for as little as £1 plus large statement pieces.

It is also worth going to the interactiv­e Dinosaur Isle Museum which has some amazing exhibits.

We also played cricket on the beach in Sandown, looked ked around the historic town centre of Newport and went shopping in Ryde, all of which had plenty of places to eat and drink.

It was handy having the hot tub to go home to and relax at the end of a busy day. Retracing the footsteps of 30-year-old holidays on n the Isle of Wight is like going back in time for real because of the old fashioned char charm the island still has at t every turn, but that’s at s whatt what mak makes it a fantastic c destinatio­n.

A perfect place e to give yourr your child children a taste of your own ownn chil childhood – chocolate olate limes and so much more.

FACTFILE: F e

ts ge er riving ber ay

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