Our Adventure to the Tonbridge Art Festival – Saturday 23rd June 2012

Our ‘adventure’ has started!

Interview on Isle of Wight Radio with the lovely Heather McCallum Wednesday 20th June! Here’s Heather with the medal we presented her with, for just being ’lovely’!

Most of you will have read, or heard about the chaos on the Isle of Wight, due to the IOW Music Festival. Why didn’t I think about the festival when I booked the tickets? But, to be honest I would have naively thought that getting off the Island wouldn’t be the problem – how wrong could I be.  I didn’t take into account the weather did I, and the mud!

Picture at the IOW Festival Ground!

If you ever come to the Isle of Wight this is the station you want to listen to for all the Isle of Wight up to date news and  it’s also a great music station with great presenters http://www.iwradio.co.uk/ Once again they have done us proud and proved themselves invaluable to us.

These were the delays reported with people stuck in their cars for hours on end.

And these were the scenes at ‘our’ ferry port the night before we set off. The carpark was not only full to capacity but there were reported 600 people and cars onboard ferries, in the Solent waiting to dock. Without these travellers disembarking, we weren’t going anywhere. Were we going to get off the next day? No one knew…

What a difference a day makes… The news was still dire Friday morning when we woke but listening to the Isle Of Wight Radio they were advising routes were open to get us to the ferries, and Wightlink told us that the ferries were now running normally, albeit we had to get to the port!

Not booked on a ferry until 13.30hrs we left our house at 12.00. What normally would be a fifteen minute journey we knew may take us much longer. Car packed we set off with trepidation. As we drove down each road we couldn’t believe our eyes, it was clear. ‘We must hit the traffic surely,’ I said to Bob. Bob’s optimism was amazing, as always … this was after all an adventure.

At 12.35 we arrived at the port. Yes, we didn’t see one traffic queue, not even a delay and all we saw was happy, smiling festival goers en route! Thank you IW Radio for getting us there!

Although the previous night and day must have been a nightmare for Police and Wightlink workers, they were amazingly cheerful, polite and helpful as always. At 13.20, ten minutes earlier than planned, we were on board and setting sail!

Me, glad to be on board the ferry.

Approaching the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth

The trip to Tonbridge was a breeze and we were glad to arrive at our hotel for the weekend.

The Hadlow Manor Hotel – About two miles from Tonbridge Castle Hadlow Manor. The room was lovely and the staff very helpful. The only thing was we were told there was a hen party in that night, with a stripper! Good job our room was the furthest away from the party! http://www.hadlowmanor.co.uk

Bob’s wonderful big breakfast the next morning. Eat breakfast like a ’King’ so they say, and he did!

Saturday we were in the grounds of the beautiful Tonbridge Castle in Kent which boasts the counties best example of a Motte-and-Bailey Gatehouse, and its mighty gatehouse is among the finest in England. It’s the Tonbridge Arts Festival and we’re in the Caffeine Nights Publisers marquee with other authors from our stable. It was windy but fine.  http://tonbridgeartsfestival.co.uk/index.php?inc=event-details&ev=15

Tonbridge Castle – The Venue

The castles glory lies not only in what can be seen. Its story is interwoven with that of kings and archbishops, tyrants and heroes, murderers and mercenaries who, on this ancient site and inside these weathered stone walls, have helped write 900 years of English history.

And here are some pictures, of  a lovely day to remember in the beautiful ’Garden of England’ !

Some of the Authors from the Caffeine Nights Publishers stable. http://www.caffeine-nights.com/

Alison Taft, CEO Darren E Laws, Bob, Nick Triplow,Me, Ian Ayris

Caffeine Nights Publishers Marquee before the event opened.

Darren Laws, Alison Taft, Nick Triplow, Ian and Charlie Ayris

The Talk with the Caffeine Nights Panel! (I stayed to man the marquee. If you were wondering where I was ).

Bob solving this ‘case’ with everyONE is Looking for SomeONE www.facebook.com/everyONEislookingforsomeONE

Time for home ‘James’! Bob on the Wightlink Ferry homeward bound.

Hope to see you all next year! Till next time then…

Carol & Bob x