| Page Views: 139 Last Visit to Isle of Wight: - I Visit Here Frequently | Isle of Wight tourism - "Wrecking the Island"? by magyarozag - last update: Aug 27, 2007 |
If you are English. Please read this!!!! I have nothing against people coming to the Island, but it would be better if they didn't bring their cars. This summer (2007) has been the worst summer so far. An increased number of toursits from the North of England have decided to come to the Island "BY CAR". It's fine to do in the South of France, where there are few cars to be had, but the Isle of Wight cannot hold the sheer numbers of tourists who come by cars.
Most mornings, when just travelling from Ryde to Shanklin you will see, three of four dead foxes, rabbits and sometimes even badgers lying dead by the roadside, they came out in the evening just as "holiday makers" are retuning to their B&B and are knocked to the ground and killed. Here is a large death toll, not as severe out of the tourist season.
If you arrive at Newport even a 10:00 every car park will be filled. Through my own experience I have witnessed "York Motors" cars driving the wrong way round Shaklin car park looking for spaces which don't exist. Or "Currie Motors" cars which make the own spaces, thus blocking other cars trying to find spaces. It is absurd, even Island residents like myself find it hard to find a space to park, sometimes having to park in the outskirts of the town or sometimes wait for over an hour before a space becomes free.
The other problem lies in traffic levels. If a day is a bit wetter, or greyer than the day before, residents and tourists alike head for Newport just to do some shopping, but it took 1 hour to get round the block earlier in the month, because up in front, a blue jeep, with bicycles strapped to the back, and a box fixed on the roof racks kept looking at their map and asking for directions. It is a disgrace. The Islands roads and carparks need to be extended but there is no room to do so. If a number of Northerners didn't bring down their cars, we wouldn't have this problem.
The last problem caused by people who bring their car down is exhaust fumes, at some times this can become chocking when, some people, leave engines on whilst stuck in a traffic jam. The Island has lost a number of it's trees over the winter months and the last thing we need is an increased number of exhaust pipes pumping Carbon into the atmoshpere.
If you are thinking of coming to the Island by car, seriously consider not doing so, we have a great Bus, Tour bus, and Train service all of which are frequent, reasonably cheap and reliable.
Would you not rather hop on an open decked bus, and cruise through the Island country side, looking from the top deck, with the breeze in your hair and not worrying about the problem of parking or finding a petrol station, and be able to get off the other end, feeling ecofriendly and less guilty about the carbon you have left in the air.
Please consider what I have just suggested. |
Victorian tourism After Victorian Britain released that the Isle of Wight, had the most equitable climate in all of England, and thought that the southern sea air was good for helath, they swarmed here in their droves. A Pier was built at Ryde to receive the boats of people, and properties were built left, right and centre. But due to this mass of rich Victorians the face of the sland changed, some ways for the better mainly for the worse. What was a small farm complex outside of Cowes was demolished and turned into the Royal Osborne House, summer home of Queen Victoria, other piers (pleasure and nautical) were built at Seaview and Yarmouth. These may have been changes for the better, but for the worse there were more. Many Island traditions were lost, much farmland was built on, and worst of all, the pride of the Island, it's fantastic English dialect was destroyed as communication became a problem. Phrases like "Queal in" (to go to bed), "Sturtle" (to frighten) and words like "Yallow-Bwoys" (Sovereigns, or guineas) and "Rattlemouse" ( a bat) were completely lost. |
If you are another nationality please read this. The Island enjoys receiving tourists, especially if they are from foriegn countries, new schemes have been initiated to encourage people from Europe to travel to our Island, like tours of the Island in Dutch.
More to come! |
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