Seaside Decline: Britain's Forgotten Paradise Island 🇬🇧

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 พ.ค. 2024
  • Check out my most trusted travel luggage by clicking the link (Use code: "Wendall10" for 10% off) 👉 www.clkmg.com/LEVEL8/WendallE...
    I was shocked to discover crumbling and rotting grand hotels and a waning tourism industry on the once thriving Isle of Wight. From the Victorian era until the only 20 or so years ago, the Island was a booming south coast holiday favourite for Brits. Now parts of the island are a decaying shadow of their former selves. There are scarce employment opportunities for young locals and a significant problem with homeless people squatting in the abandoned hotels. Join me as I discover and meet the locals.
    A big thanks to Oli for inviting me and showing me around where he grew up.
    #britain #streetinterview #isleofwight #decline #seaside

ความคิดเห็น • 754

  • @WendallExplores
    @WendallExplores  หลายเดือนก่อน +18

    Check out my most trusted travel luggage by clicking the link (Use code: "Wendall10" for 10% off) 👉 www.clkmg.com/LEVEL8/WendallExplores

    • @johncooke9964
      @johncooke9964 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      How's about doing a tour of the isle of man, it would be much appreciated.

    • @WendallExplores
      @WendallExplores  หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@johncooke9964 good call

    • @dude9038
      @dude9038 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      I presume all the earnings from this sponsor will go towards the homeless people that have appeared in your videos, without whom you'd have zero content to make money on youtube from?

    • @pooooornopigeon
      @pooooornopigeon 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@dude9038 A puerile comment.

    • @SabTheSeeker81
      @SabTheSeeker81 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      It's only a decay to Humans -- For Nature it's Reclaiming ... Just my opinion !

  • @olifromsolly6007
    @olifromsolly6007 หลายเดือนก่อน +204

    Happy to have been a local guide for this, saw a comment saying I look like Michael Moore's twin brother, i've heard that before!

    • @chandlerbingbong
      @chandlerbingbong หลายเดือนก่อน +26

      You are super chill. 👍

    • @deborahellis8644
      @deborahellis8644 หลายเดือนก่อน +22

      Nice calm guide

    • @David-uf8ex
      @David-uf8ex หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      Thank you 👏

    • @Strange_Club
      @Strange_Club หลายเดือนก่อน +13

      Howdy neighbour, I live two doors up from you! Small world! Great guiding, thanks!😄

    • @griswald7156
      @griswald7156 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +16

      You gave Wendall some much needed balance..good format..

  • @purebloodnordicroamer7955
    @purebloodnordicroamer7955 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +49

    I’m from Australia, went to uk in the 90s. Went to IOW for a visit, Shanklin was one of the tidiest, clean places l had been to. Ended up staying for a month in holiday season. Sandown was buzzing with holiday makers, the whole island was so picturesque, the drive along the south coastal road to the east to west coast to freshwater and the needles was stunning.
    Speechless after watching this.

    • @lukebignell7846
      @lukebignell7846 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Why would anyone go to an abandoned Island and pay £150+ to do so.
      When you can go to the likes of Bournemouth or Southampton which are wealthy and have lots to do, and not have to pay a £150+ tax to do so???
      The Islanders want to be left alone, in their squalid expensive little bit of land. It’s a place where most people go to die, let’s face it.
      Nothing going on there…and any young people staying there have NO AMBITION.
      No wonder the only people under 40 he can find to speak to are crackheads

    • @Milkyway109
      @Milkyway109 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      ​@lukebignell7846 are you on drugs or just drunk ?

    • @jameshodgkins559
      @jameshodgkins559 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      ⁠@@lukebignell7846, I went to Southampton once it’s got about as much charm as Chernobyl.
      IOW has got a few rundown places but it also has loads of areas of natural beauty.
      It is expensive to travel to but once there what ever the weather is worth it.

    • @commuterbranchline8132
      @commuterbranchline8132 25 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      @@jameshodgkins559I’m positive that former residents of Chernobyl could rightly take offence at being compared to Southampton!

  • @dominiccallaghan1176
    @dominiccallaghan1176 หลายเดือนก่อน +121

    It is the most expensive ferry crossing in the world. Ridiculous. My sister lived there and it was absurd visiting.

    • @WendallExplores
      @WendallExplores  หลายเดือนก่อน +11

      😡

    • @sandhurstwolves3956
      @sandhurstwolves3956 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

      House prices on IOW have gone up massively since covid times

    • @Scram673
      @Scram673 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      @@sandhurstwolves3956 which is crazy because it doesn’t look popular like the isle of Manhattan where property after Covid has increased 5 fold

    • @Scram673
      @Scram673 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      Hi what is the price of a ferry ride? I’m trying to compare to where I live.

    • @sandhurstwolves3956
      @sandhurstwolves3956 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      @Scram673 place to retire to I suppose

  • @yogavindaloo
    @yogavindaloo 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +22

    Im 45 English teacher from Germany. I visited the island aged 17-18 and I liked the island immensely. It’s such a beautiful place.

    • @neilboulton9813
      @neilboulton9813 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

      Trust me it still is there TH-camrs go searching for the things for their own narrow narative to monetise their channel. He will have purposly missed out all the nice places I am sure you visited on your trip.

    • @danielbroadbent1362
      @danielbroadbent1362 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      Walk with me Tim on tube just done a recent video on Isle of Wight , this guy has just shown all the rundown parts and that’s it

  • @chrissheppard5068
    @chrissheppard5068 หลายเดือนก่อน +94

    I live in Estonia, a brit. They have many islands one of which is Hiiumaa. It is a 90 minute ferry journey it costs a fiver.

    • @WendallExplores
      @WendallExplores  หลายเดือนก่อน +40

      We are being ripped off 💀

    • @ltrots2030
      @ltrots2030 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

      I took a ferry from Corfu to Albania, it took 40 mins and cost 15£ I booked is last min too.

    • @JazzFunkNobby1964
      @JazzFunkNobby1964 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      @@ltrots2030 They would have to pay me to take a ferry to Albania.

    • @Yodaspirit45
      @Yodaspirit45 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@WendallExploresWell and truly we are i don’t call it the Ununited Kingdom of Hell for no reason.

    • @griswald7156
      @griswald7156 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      Well somebody’s got to keep the boys supplied with money…

  • @davidpolkey3193
    @davidpolkey3193 27 วันที่ผ่านมา +10

    Hi, my wife and I spent a week and walked the 65 mile coastal path 5 years ago. We stayed at B&Ds and pubs along the route. The coast is amazing, as are the people I met. The food was generally good and at times exellent. We left our car in portsmouth and can't recall how much the ferry cost. The decline of sandown and some areas of Shanklin were a shock to us, as I had spent holidays there as a child. It is still a beautiful Island, I would recommend any walkers to do the coastal walk or sections of it. The decline and the social problems are replicated across the Uk and is such a complicated issue we need to get a grip of, but politicians over 30 years have failed.

  • @benhnatow4859
    @benhnatow4859 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +26

    Sandown is run down in places. However, the rest of the Island is beautiful, there are loads of great places to eat, and the people are the friendliest I have ever come across.

    • @paulmcdonough1093
      @paulmcdonough1093 22 วันที่ผ่านมา

      liverpool as best people in uk

    • @smithsRus83
      @smithsRus83 18 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Yep agree I was there in July last year. Everywhere really nice but Sandown was run down.

    • @davefish8107
      @davefish8107 3 วันที่ผ่านมา

      I use to take my wife and kids to Sandown holiday camp in the mid 90s , it was a bit untidy then
      but it was cheap and the kids loved it. Haven’t been back since then but a lot of the little sea side
      places in the UK are going down hill

  • @spacehoppermark6161
    @spacehoppermark6161 หลายเดือนก่อน +105

    The slow demolition of The West 😞 Such a shame

    • @corneliuscornia3189
      @corneliuscornia3189 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

      The West is fine ,is the UK mate

    • @jonmould2946
      @jonmould2946 หลายเดือนก่อน +33

      ​@@corneliuscornia3189no its all of the west

    • @agnosticevolutionist3567
      @agnosticevolutionist3567 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Implosion

    • @griswald7156
      @griswald7156 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      The Remainers wanted to carry on Lording it over the Brexiters..
      Entitled people destroyed the country..

    • @newsbender
      @newsbender 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Definitely all of the West. We are being replaced. It is not even subtle anymore, it is overt and happening very rapidly. That is how they will remove the inherent rights of Europe's populations... replace them with "asylum seekers" who have no inherent rights and will happily roll up their sleeves for a place to live and something to eat.

  • @BrianSmith-lj6ug
    @BrianSmith-lj6ug หลายเดือนก่อน +67

    That Squatter at the Ocean Hotel I'm part gardener part Security....😂😂😂

    • @WendallExplores
      @WendallExplores  หลายเดือนก่อน +17

      Sceptical 🤔

    • @darrena2625
      @darrena2625 หลายเดือนก่อน +17

      South-facing, nobody bothering them, they could grow all sort of "exotic" plants

    • @thatsamshow
      @thatsamshow หลายเดือนก่อน +19

      Probably means he smokes pot and is always down to fight intruders.

    • @stevostevo1980
      @stevostevo1980 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@darrena2625 They do. Especially West Wight. The first methamphetamine factory was discovered in Ryde. Infamous & notoriously known as a place that supplies/supplied A lot of drug trades. Look at Jamie Green etc.

    • @Soulboy63
      @Soulboy63 9 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Lol

  • @paulheavisides9764
    @paulheavisides9764 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +10

    My wife and I have been going to the Isle of wight for over 25 years, have had many happy times with the kids growing up, Sandown beach is one of the best on the island but it is sad to see that most of the buildings facing it are so run down. There are lots of beautiful villages and coastal views around the Island, and is great for wildlife and people cycling or walking. I hope that the Island gets some much needed investment before its too late.

  • @southerncross3638
    @southerncross3638 หลายเดือนก่อน +22

    As a kid I grew up in Portsmouth in the 60s, We used to take the Hovercraft over there, it was beautiful and slow paced.

  • @maverickhistorian6488
    @maverickhistorian6488 หลายเดือนก่อน +29

    I went to the Isle of Wight for many years, always to Stonewood camp in St Helens, with the St John ambulance. Truly I'm heartbroken to see what has become of a place I love so much. Now I go to Quarr Abbey and stay with the monks as a tranquil retreat from life in general.

    • @rumdo5617
      @rumdo5617 28 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Watch out for the pervy guest master - he likes young boys

    • @rumdo5617
      @rumdo5617 28 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Watch out for the purr-vy Guest Master - he particularly enjoys ogling young boys / men

    • @rumdo5617
      @rumdo5617 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      Watch out for the Guest Master - he particularly likes young bois / younger men

    • @maverickhistorian6488
      @maverickhistorian6488 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      @@rumdo5617 I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer.

    • @rumdo5617
      @rumdo5617 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

      @@maverickhistorian6488 what are you talking about? I know because I’ve stayed there myself. If you wish to remain in denial, that’s fine - but don’t have a go at me for telling the truth. Good day to you.

  • @stewartfooter3580
    @stewartfooter3580 หลายเดือนก่อน +32

    You did not spend enough time here,you should have gone to yarmouth,cowes and some of the small villages with chocolate box charm that we have plenty of and more history than you can shake a stick at,yes there are buildings that have been left to rot and the pandemic really did not help,but what you saw really was a small dot of bad in 144 square miles of amazing island,so glad you told people to visit at the end buddy

  • @TheGBoutdoors
    @TheGBoutdoors 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +8

    I lived in London and Oxford for many years and traveled the UK a lot. After a good friend of mine and my Mother moved to the IOW I found myself visiting them very often. Then post COVID I decided to buy a house and rise my son somewhere safe with nature on the doorstep and IOW fit perfectly. At start I wasn’t keen on moving to Sandown as it does look run down in places, but living here for 3 years I can say it was a good choice and it looks like Sandown will become aesthetically better in upcoming years. There are really nice towns such as Bembridge, Seaview and Yarmouth where only those who can afford a house there live. Island is offering plenty and most people don’t need to do trips to the mainland

  • @victoriacorcoran1258
    @victoriacorcoran1258 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +11

    Watching from Australia, find it totally unbelievable these beautiful buildings are empty and run down. Great work Wendall!

  • @Boyce1964
    @Boyce1964 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +12

    Another excellent report and having grown up in Slough and now living on the island, it is very interesting to get an outsiders view on different places. Ferry prices are a good example of 'Rip Off Britain' and I believe the islanders should be much more vocal against the ferry companies. It is a lovely safe place to live and the positives far outway the negatives.

    • @malcolmemsley7176
      @malcolmemsley7176 26 วันที่ผ่านมา

      There is a lot I miss about the Island but I left after five years living there and came back to Cheshire. I can now cycle and motorbike to my hearts content in wide open spaces. The Island is far too restrictive, I was going round in circles.
      " Oh I think I will go over to Seaview...not been for a week"😉🤔

  • @Gary-vx7gp
    @Gary-vx7gp หลายเดือนก่อน +35

    Used to love going on holiday back in the late 80s/early 90s to the Isle of Wight as a kid.
    Wandering around Shanklin, Blackgang Chine.
    I expect it still is, but that ferry crossing was the most expensive in the world at some point.
    Same old story with this country, getting stitched up on prices.

    • @WendallExplores
      @WendallExplores  หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      Big rip off

    • @wibblyteapot
      @wibblyteapot หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      Gareth Icke also talks about how expensive the ticket prices are, and that it's such a short distance, he's actually swum to the mainland before

    • @Lonewolf__666
      @Lonewolf__666 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      Blackgang chine was my favourite as a kid.

  • @alanhibbs2627
    @alanhibbs2627 หลายเดือนก่อน +26

    Had many a holiday in shanklin and Sandown.from the early 70s when i was a toddler and the places were heaving to nowdays, a lot less busy. But the island has charm and a great pace of life. Sandown council really need to get the derelict hotels sorted.,and ferry crossing need to be a lot more affordable.

    • @chriswalford9228
      @chriswalford9228 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Should have built the bridge years ago

    • @griswald7156
      @griswald7156 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      Tunneling is easily possible..that would fill the island and make it a success again..it would start a realtors bonanza..instead of spending money on London .Spend it on the “Wight tunnel”and while they’re at it get rid of smart motorways and build a motorway to Aberystwyth.

  • @sandhurstwolves3956
    @sandhurstwolves3956 หลายเดือนก่อน +14

    I was born on IOW and i had to move to get work .Sandown has gone downhill but other parts are still nice. Ryde on a night out is decent.

  • @henriikkak2091
    @henriikkak2091 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    I took an EF language course in 1999. My host family lived in a semi-detached house just outside of Ryde. The family lived on the father's income (Tesco) and whatever they could get for hosting teenagers such as myself. It was a modest home but nothing essential was missing so I figured that that was pretty normal. Actual poverty you could see in the housing estates nearby.
    The pier, the pavilion, the beach, the arcade, and the high street were very busy. We spent all of our time there.

  • @Louis-eh7mo
    @Louis-eh7mo หลายเดือนก่อน +15

    Wendall you nailed it on the head, £30 return for a 8 minute trip on the hovercraft, by foot! It needs sorting fast to bring back tourism and connections!

  • @jonnyp7740
    @jonnyp7740 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

    Was just there a couple of weeks ago. Walked from Shanklin to Ventnor along the coastal path. Absolutely stunning and didn't see any decay at all apart from the cliffs falling into the sea. Infact it was extremely affluent around certain parts and plenty of tourists out enjoying the sunshine. Didn't bother with Sandown though.

  • @Stevonthemove
    @Stevonthemove 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +7

    Good memories of shanklin,1977,my teenage years...good fun to be had back then🎉

    • @phina8392
      @phina8392 28 วันที่ผ่านมา

      I absolutely love the chine …

  • @ducatimann
    @ducatimann หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    Went to the isle of wight 2 years ago ...was shocked at the demise Sandown and Shanklin,esp the the Ocean view hotel ...met a jeweller just up the road from the hotel ...east ender who told me the story about the hotel ....as a ted i saw he was selling copies of the ingersol 1940,s watch bought for a tenner ...still best timekeeper i got!!

  • @darrena2625
    @darrena2625 หลายเดือนก่อน +19

    The ferry/hovercraft companies have strangled tourism to the island and it is dying as a consequence. Saying that, a group of us are going back in September as we had such a great time there last year, although we're traveling by train and going as foot passengers on the ferry. Even so, the cost is extortionate.

    • @thejoin4687
      @thejoin4687 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

      The hovercraft is a rare experience in itself. Must be one of the only hovercraft services left anywhere.

    • @simodo11
      @simodo11 22 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      The really needs to subsidise the ferry crossing to encourage more tourists to the island ,it’s like the uk pub industry,people will not pay for over priced drinks and travel

    • @neil-nx3ei
      @neil-nx3ei 19 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      I think the same business happened with the IOM
      They got rid of the Hover
      The ferry doesn’t seem to do regular trips , and it’s expensive.
      Of course my memory isn’t too good, I could be wrong about that .
      I have a feeling that the IOM don’t like being bombarded with tourists.

    • @thathurt
      @thathurt 7 วันที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@neil-nx3ei I want to the IoM the other year. It's quiet very quiet. Even in July. The financial industry keeps it alive. House prices are mad. I booked the ferry ages in advance and it was very reasonable. Unlike the IoW one. 🤣 Pisses it down a lot though. Except Ramsey. Ramsey was better. ☀️

  • @Kbats733
    @Kbats733 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    Used to work as a waiter in the Ocean back in the day. Joined the royal marines, worked in london and now work in saudi but kept my house on the island. Love going back there. Lovely place in the summer. Down the front for a couple of Britney's 😎

  • @tobyjackman3212
    @tobyjackman3212 20 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    I visited the IoW a few years back & absolutely loved it.
    Can't quite get over the price of that crossing though - incredible

  • @andrewhutchinson36
    @andrewhutchinson36 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    I spent a week in Shanklin in August 2020. It was the height of the pandemic when overseas travel was banned. It was absolutely bursting with visitors.
    All the hotels were fully booked. Those owners who left hotels vacant and rotting during that time can really have no excuse.

    • @paulabennett4788
      @paulabennett4788 27 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      You are showing a small part of the Island which doesn't represent the whole Island. There are beautiful places to visit such as Osbourne House where Queen Victoria lived and died. She loved the Island and spent a lot of time with her family and entertained many important people. There is so much more to see and do. The countryside is amazing and Cowes famous for incredible Yachts which race around the Island competing with huge beautiful Yachts from all over the World. I could go on with so many more interesting places to visit but it would take forever. The countryside walks with views overlooking the sea are beautiful. Just get there and see for yourself. 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤

  • @medley4375
    @medley4375 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    Scattered my dad's ashes on the island love the place

  • @user-rr8yp8nw3q
    @user-rr8yp8nw3q หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    Once the old school has passed i fear more for the islands future,the tourism is hanging on to what was.
    Such a beautiful place naturally & sad to see it's decline.

    • @Scram673
      @Scram673 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      It’s your government turning to capitalism

  • @oldmanbanjo
    @oldmanbanjo 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +8

    Got my butt kicked by the raiders junior team when I was like 16. I lost all credit as a Canadian that day. Miss that Island a lot - very nice people. I can't believe they closed that rink - it had the best ice in the whole South of England.

  • @rorz999
    @rorz999 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

    Visiting IOW is like going back in time a bit, but not in a bad way. Like most of the UK, it has declined over the last 10-15 years but there are way worse places. The ferry prices are a joke, but if you can be flexible about what times you travel to/from the island, you can save some money. You can get tickets from Southampton for less than £15 each way if you don't have a vehicle

  • @StephenDixon00
    @StephenDixon00 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    Another excellent insightful video keep up the good work dude.

  • @halflife620
    @halflife620 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +5

    I live in Sandown, but I'm originally from Birmingham. Moved here when I was ten, and I'm now fifty two. It's such a shame to see the Island decline the way it has over the years. I've met Oli before, but for the life of me, I can't remember where.

  • @sunnybeachwalks4k2022
    @sunnybeachwalks4k2022 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

    Another banger video 👏🏻

  • @jackwatsonepic626
    @jackwatsonepic626 หลายเดือนก่อน +20

    The reason there is no bridge or tunnel to the Isle of Wight from the mainland is to do with money.
    So that's why the ferry service can charge what they bloody like.
    But yet the government can spend £80 million on drawings for a garden bridge over the Thames or £37 billion on track and trace. What didn't work even ,and up-to-date, nobody has been held accountable for it.
    But they ,CAN'T . pay for a bridge over to the island.😡🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

    • @lukebignell7846
      @lukebignell7846 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

      They have not built a permanent crossing due to corruption. The IOW local council in do corrupt you couldn’t afford to build a permanent crossing. How much money would have to pay the ferry company too? They are coining it in, and building a permanent crossing puts them out of business

    • @sharonformella9433
      @sharonformella9433 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Day trippers don't equate to higher earnings for local businesses. The island might have more traffic, but not necessarily more revenue.

    • @jackwatsonepic626
      @jackwatsonepic626 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      @@sharonformella9433
      I do understand what people are saying about the Isle of Wight. But what I'm saying is this government can waste money on other projects?
      So why don't they spend it on Making the Isle of Wight more accessible.
      Steve marsh, the TH-camr from Scotland got a ferry from the Isle of Skye to the outer hebrides for £44 one way .
      And that is a lot further than Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight , I know. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

    • @sirrathersplendid4825
      @sirrathersplendid4825 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I suspect many islanders don’t want a bridge. It would bring more people and spoil the unique atmosphere of the place.

  • @TravellingTorunn
    @TravellingTorunn หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    I visited the Isle of Wight for a few days in August 2016, and I loved it. I walked some long sections of the coastal paths and I also took a trip with the steam train from Smallbrook Junction via Havenstreet to Wootton. I also visited the Needles and did some fossil hunting on the beach in Sanddown 😊 I loved my stay there and would really like to visit again some time. But it is really sad with the empty and decaying hotels. The IOW is a lovely place for a holiday.

  • @jamesavenell1205
    @jamesavenell1205 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Wonderful memories of the Island for me as I first visited in the late 1940s, as a child. My future wife & I had our first holiday together during 1963 at Totland Bay, superb walks from there, along the Warren to Alum Bay, Freshwater & Tennison Down. Always loved Shanklin & we did that for a couple of years until marriage.
    Later took our four children on the ferry from Portsmouth Harbour. In all it was two & a half hours by train, ferry etc but always worth it.
    The Island tours from Ryde were quite magical. There are long stories I will not bore you with & of course with the passage of life I have not been over for some considerable years.
    I guess time marches on & I am really sad to see that lovely place looking the worse for wear. In fact pretty heart breaking remembering it's vitality those years ago but that can not diminish it's natural charm.

  • @nicholasbell9017
    @nicholasbell9017 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    The ferry companies have taken out loans to pay back owner companies, who are also paying back loans, to other companies who, in turn, own them, paying back loans to the ultimate owners, all the way to China.
    That's why the ferries are so outrageously expensive.
    The Isle of Wight is still a beautiful island to visit, with above- average days of sunshine. Like many of the UK's coastal communities that used to rely on tourism, it is suffering from a lack of investment. Some parts of the island, like Cowes and Bembridge are affluent whereas other places are pretty shoddy. Like anywhere in coastal UK. But, really. It's the ferry prices that are killing the opportunities for entrepreneurs willing to risk investing in these empty hotels, phew! What could they do? Retirement villages?
    Probably.

    • @Scram673
      @Scram673 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      That’s a good idea. If the council with fund senior housing you could have a real “Villages” situation there. Just try not to bring in private investors because they will leave you high and dry.

  • @ArcAudios77
    @ArcAudios77 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Respect for what you tackled here, was a useful insight overall.
    Appreciate your works.
    Regards

  • @ThisWontEndWell
    @ThisWontEndWell หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    You would have thought with the advent of remote working the IOW would become a popular place to relocate and live a slower lifestyle, that ferry price must be holding the island back from exploiting it.

  • @meglomania2001
    @meglomania2001 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +7

    This applies to the whole of Britain. Overpriced and neglected

  • @tonyska
    @tonyska หลายเดือนก่อน +38

    I knew a few people who moved from the West Midlands to live on I.O.W when they were in their early 20s. They nearly all ended up in a bad way through either drugs or alcohol. There's a massive drug problem there. The place has a very dark side to it.

    • @olifromsolly6007
      @olifromsolly6007 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

      I'm the fella with the bad haircut in the vid and I will say that drugs and young delinquents are a problem, when I met Wendall on the pier I could smell weed lol

    • @tonyska
      @tonyska หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      ​@@olifromsolly6007I haven't been to the island for quite a few years. I used to attend the Bank Holiday scooter rally in August and would meet up with my old friends who moved there. They didn't paint a happy picture of the place. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful place. It just has that dark side to it. Probably the same as a lot of other seaside towns. I really this video Olly, thanks for contacting Wendall.

    • @LeeJohn70
      @LeeJohn70 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Great video Wendall 👍😁😎 the problem with the island it is Lawless and the Ferry fares are the most expensive per mile in the world. Drugs are everywhere and the Council charge one of the most expensive Council taxes in the country and the island is eve charging people 50 pence to use toilets in Sandown.

    • @angelajane1038
      @angelajane1038 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I had one of the best holidays ever staying in Sandown years ago. It was a very reasonable coach holiday, all inclusive food and evening entertainment. We also had arranged coach trips all around the island included. One of the coach trips was cancelled so we had a boat trip through Portsmouth harbour instead. I fell in love with the island. So sad watching this video

    • @accountsdepartment9815
      @accountsdepartment9815 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +6

      I live on the Isle of Wight and used to work in drug and alcohol services here and I can tell you that the drug problems over here are no worse than anywhere else in the UK. People who turn to drugs/alcohol are usually self medicating for other issues in their lives and would turn to these wherever they live. To paint the Isle of Wight as in the way that you have is totally incorrect.

  • @Bkkiow
    @Bkkiow หลายเดือนก่อน +14

    I was born and grew up in bembridge and went to high school in sandown. Always grew up wanting to travel so did so after leaving school but returned to the island 15 years later and have used it as my uk base for the last eight years. The ferry costs and the service reliability are a joke creating a difficult obstacle when it comes to employment and earning opportunities. Salaries on the island are generally lower than on the mainland. If the commute was more affordable and reliable it would benefit the economy on the island and make it easier for enterprising individuals. One thing I’ve noticed about the UK since seeing different parts of the world is that it is by far the best at extracting money from people at every opportunity possible. The county council here aren’t even worth discussing in any serious way. They’ve always been a joke.

    • @neilboulton9813
      @neilboulton9813 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

      The difference is what the county councils etc have to pay to support people here with the level of dependencies compared to elsewhere. Every person in that film had a disability or suffered from a condition. It is a tsunami of people with problems real or otherwise, and it is the councils who are expected to pickup the pieces. Elsewhere in the world people are more self-sufficient and do not expect handouts as a matter of course. So it is NOT the councils it is the individuals until people take responsibility for their own actions and don't always expect the authorities to sort their lives out we are in a circle of decline. The irony always is despite getting the most they are always the quickest to complain that they get no help. The man or woman who gets up at 7:00 in the morning goes out for 8+ hours to work 5-6 days a week pays their council tax and never claims a penny andjust gets on with it, but who is the sap really?

  • @davt8615
    @davt8615 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Used to love going as a kid was a cracking place in the 90s

  • @griswald7156
    @griswald7156 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    I like listening to Noddy Holder when he sings..

    • @user-se6hw4lz1m
      @user-se6hw4lz1m 17 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Slade was a great band back the days !

  • @MrNick600
    @MrNick600 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    My parents took me on many happy holidays on the Isle of Wight in the 1970s as a boy. We didn't have a car so one of my dad's work mates Dennis would drive us down from Berkshire to Portsmouth in his Ford Corsair and pick us up after the week's holiday. We used to stay at B&Bs with evening meal in Ryde and travel about to the other towns on Southern Vectis green double decker buses. It was a great adventure on the hovercraft for a small boy and at night in bed I would listen to the last hovercraft fading away until I could hear it no more. Great memories and it is sad to see those lovely hotels in decline. Thanks indeed for the video.

  • @kimbeaney6747
    @kimbeaney6747 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    Another masterpiece Wendall, well done!

    • @WendallExplores
      @WendallExplores  หลายเดือนก่อน

      🙌

    • @kimbeaney6747
      @kimbeaney6747 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@WendallExplores Your welcome to visit and explore Newfoundland. I think you'd love it here and not want to leave.
      I grew up in the Cotswolds and left UK for Ontario in 91, moved to the far East of the New World 25 months ago with no regrets (apart from the weather😹)

  • @DementedFish11
    @DementedFish11 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Excellent video mate, really interesting and informative

  • @CherylFrancis-fn1uf
    @CherylFrancis-fn1uf 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    Love the IOW, we went there last year and the weather was glorious. Beautiful place.

  • @Big_AL_Nowitzki
    @Big_AL_Nowitzki หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Love the channel mate

  • @johnrobertson8263
    @johnrobertson8263 19 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Still beautiful..everywhere is suffering

  • @SimonEllinas
    @SimonEllinas 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +5

    A bit of a one-dimensional view of the IoW, concentrating on the few run-down areas, all on the south-east side, this video won't represent most Islanders' and Visitors' impression of the Island. While you mention in passing that there is beauty there, you don't spend any time showing it, preferring to show the negative aspects. Perhaps, for the sake of balance a follow-up video could explore all the picturesque villages, pubs, businesses, beaches and the vibrancy of the Island's capital, Newport. Ferry fares are costly, yes, but at least it helps to avoid gridlock on the roads that blights the mainland! (If you do this follow-up, please avoid the obsequious tones of AlanTitchmarsh in his recent series on the IoW!)

  • @griswald7156
    @griswald7156 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    This is a good format Wendall get a local onboard every time..it helped that you got a top guy..

  • @heatherpullan9519
    @heatherpullan9519 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    I live in Portsmouth and love going to the island but the ferry prices now make it very difficult to afford going there. I hope at some point they will bring these down as it would definitely bring more people to the island.

    • @wellerjam
      @wellerjam หลายเดือนก่อน

      Agree Heather. I love visiting from Gosport but the ferry makes it hard to justify the cost.

    • @gilessteve
      @gilessteve 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Maybe the local businesses should chip in and organise a subsidised ferry service. Fix the fare at half of whatever the other one charges.

    • @wellerjam
      @wellerjam 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@gilessteve some do I believe. Holidays parks for example give a discount on ferry travel.
      I don't think businesses should meet the cost. It should be met by local government in Hampshire. They should invest in a toll bridge.

  • @johnbinding9214
    @johnbinding9214 24 วันที่ผ่านมา

    My family went on a summer holiday to the IOW in 2019 and we have been going back every year since 2021. Great local beer and gin, a steam railway, nice donkey sanctuary, great pies..... we love it.

  • @blacksunshine7485
    @blacksunshine7485 27 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Never seen someone so enthusiastic about a suitcase

  • @btlab
    @btlab หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Been watching your videos for a while now and it's interesting to see you visit my hometown. The decay in town is a shame but the beaches are great and still a lot of scenery to take in.

  • @JenniferA886
    @JenniferA886 26 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Cheers for the vid 👍👍👍

  • @KateC51
    @KateC51 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I love your videos 😻📷 I am so happy for you how many people have subscribed to your channel and it's totally understandable! I remember you when you just started ❤️ your personality and manner shines through so brightly 🙂 you have definitely found something here that you are brilliant at ! Keep it up Olly 😊

  • @trevormccabe8320
    @trevormccabe8320 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Brilliant video keep it up 👍👍

  • @garth8979
    @garth8979 27 วันที่ผ่านมา +7

    Luv that tight knit community vibe.
    They all even share the one tooth to eat with.

  • @greghanks170
    @greghanks170 24 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Great review mate you are doing a great job well done regards Greg keep the reviews coming

  • @pagrant
    @pagrant หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Me and my parents went to Isle of Wight 2 years ago, we went as part of a coach tour, we stopped in Sandown, hotel was average , we did the island tour , liked Ryde

  • @ScreamingEagle101st
    @ScreamingEagle101st 27 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Seaview is like being in Spain not far from ryde absolutely beautiful. If you want to enjoy isle of wight as it is incredible avoid ryde and the other central towns. The rest of the island is beautiful!

  • @Ste2023
    @Ste2023 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    Managed Decline came there

  • @paulbingham8921
    @paulbingham8921 หลายเดือนก่อน

    added to my bucket list wendall

  • @lukemccrohon5152
    @lukemccrohon5152 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Love your channel mate. I love the way you are so considerate and caring to some of the deprived people you meet. Keep doing what you’re doing, mate. Top channel 👍🏻

    • @WendallExplores
      @WendallExplores  29 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Appreciate the kind words mate

  • @griswald7156
    @griswald7156 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    Travel from Portsmouth after 6pm on the sundowner….its much cheaper..

    • @mjh5437
      @mjh5437 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      How much?

    • @griswald7156
      @griswald7156 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@mjh5437 is your internet not working ? Portsmouth “Sundowner” after 6 pm….i dont know if they still do it but it worked for me just some time ago…i went Ryde,Sandown ,the Needles and returned via Great Yarmouth…lovely jubbly..

  • @londonseanarsenal354
    @londonseanarsenal354 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    You are absolutely spot on about the tourism industry being dead on the Isle of Wight because of ferry prices, I moved from there 6 years ago and have seen the decline because of the greedy company’s in wightlink and red funnel, it’s absolute robbery

  • @Richy91
    @Richy91 18 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Great video and was great to have Oli who was a local showing you around, nice colab!

    • @WendallExplores
      @WendallExplores  18 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Appreciate that mate 🙏

  • @user-go2kw5lr2b
    @user-go2kw5lr2b 15 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I remember going into the ocean Hotel in late September 1996. They had massive roaring fireplaces. It was so grand very elegant, mega thick carpets , crystal chandeliers. Beautiful.

  • @theabandonedhunter3604
    @theabandonedhunter3604 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Wendall I have never been to the Isle of Wight so this is my first proper look at the island. Cracking video as always and so many contrasts, so many seaside resorts like this now as you touch on Wendall. Thanks as always mate and big thanks to Olly to (hope I got the spelling correct) ….Smithy

  • @lorrainebennett7528
    @lorrainebennett7528 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    Wow, that ferry was really expensive!

  • @resist.
    @resist. หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    I love your work bro

  • @borusa32
    @borusa32 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I was born in Sandown and grew up there in the sixties and seventies. It was a splendid place back then. The Ocean Hotel and Grand Hotel were well cared for. In summer the place was really buzzing. I left to go to uni and it is such a shame to see what has happened to the place.

  • @juliadaniels3871
    @juliadaniels3871 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Good afternoon, Gentlemen !
    Thankyou so much for the lovely video on the IOW! The IOW is a very special place for me ❤️
    My Grandmother & G/Grandmother were born in Freshwater. A lot of my ancestors are buried In Freshwater churchyard !!
    I have a cousin/2x2nd cousins who were living in Ventnor( the last I heard) but sadly have never wanted to keep in touch.😢 One of my 2nd cousins is my Goddaughter !
    That's how life goes. Poeople will forge and travel there own life's pathways in different directions.
    The dereliction / decay of closed down buildings /businesses is so sad to see. Renovations don't come cheap nowadays so it becomes an uphill battle to maintain what is already a struggling
    My Mum & I last visited ( sadly Passed beginning of 2016😢) in 2013. It was surreal but lovely to be back for a holiday we had. We were limited because of my Dear Mum's limited mobility. We had a really lovely time.
    We went to Freshwater church. Nearby was a house where my Mum was evacuated to during the war.
    The sea air was amaZing too! The food was amaZing & awesome too. The people of the Island are so lovely❤️My Twin brother and I use to come to the IOW with our parents & Grandparents on my Mum's side, as children. We had a wail of a time-)
    My son(iL) father lives on the Island too!! I believe it's Newport! Keep these videos going, Gents. It's lovely being kept in touch with the ISLAND🙏❤️
    Take Care . Keep Safe &Well❤️

  • @tommyd5238
    @tommyd5238 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Have been to the IOW a few times but can't believe how expensive the ferry now is, I doubt if it was a third of the cost the last time I visited.

  • @edwardsnowdenofficial
    @edwardsnowdenofficial 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Its a looks a stunning place for sure!

  • @Talkathon408
    @Talkathon408 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    You mention the ferries but remember, Southern Vectis has a bus monopoly and the prices have always been much more expensive than Southampton or Portsmouth, despite the same parent company having a monopoly in Southampton now too. At one point you could get a weekly ticket on the two main routes in Southampton that was less than a day rider for the Isle of Wight.

  • @Batsinthebelltower
    @Batsinthebelltower 27 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    19:15 " oh look at that ! a swimming pool ! oh my gooooodness ! wow!! " LOLLLL wendall come on man ....

  • @oceandrive7283
    @oceandrive7283 28 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I went to the IOW with my family in 1988- i was 16 and it was my last UK holiday with Mum, Dad, Brother. I have lovely memories of the place and it was fantastic to visit then. Great times. I think we stayed in Shanklin.

  • @deathbycocktail
    @deathbycocktail 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    It's criminal that we've got so many places that are being left to go to wrack and ruin like this. We could be throwing a bit of money into redeveloping areas like this, but it's apparently easier to keep everything centralised and ignore the rest of the UK. Infuriating! Cheers for another great video 👍🏻

  • @James-ld2jc
    @James-ld2jc 27 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Great video, thanks you for that

  • @sirrathersplendid4825
    @sirrathersplendid4825 28 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Went cycling on the IoW back in about 1990 with a group of about 15 friends. The ferry was steep even then: so much so that we left the cars in Portsmouth, and took only a single vehicle to carry our tents and baggage.

  • @gerardhackett4845
    @gerardhackett4845 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Sad to see the York Hotel closed, Used to stay there when I visited the island in the late 90s and early 2000s,

  • @inout3513
    @inout3513 27 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Absolutely love olly's t-shirt., it's a belter I honestly hope the force is strong with him

  • @daviddoink872
    @daviddoink872 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Nice sandy beach at Sandown.

  • @daveyboon9433
    @daveyboon9433 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I'm glad you got the chance to visit the island. Now I can compare the videos you made of places I have not been to.

    • @daveyboon9433
      @daveyboon9433 หลายเดือนก่อน

      When will people leave thier cars at home. Cost me £12.50 return to southampton hospital on the fastcat.

  • @spiritualanarchist8162
    @spiritualanarchist8162 4 วันที่ผ่านมา

    As someone who lives next to the biggest 'sea resort/ beach -city (The Hague ) in the Netherlands, I'm fascinated by the amount and size of sea resort towns in Britain. Yes, Britain is far bigger, but still. There are so many kilometers of majestic but declining building , it's a bit sad to see them fall apart. Maybe there just too many ?

  • @gingertom2768
    @gingertom2768 28 วันที่ผ่านมา

    We went to Sandown Two years ago and it was heartbreaking to see the state of the town which we loved it for family holidays

  • @Mrpjm200
    @Mrpjm200 27 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Your channel is amazing, you dive in, find some friendly locals and really get to know the place

    • @WendallExplores
      @WendallExplores  27 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Thanks mate, I appreciate that

  • @MarkmanOTW
    @MarkmanOTW 28 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Shame to see such dereliction. Props to Olly for inviting you and being such a genial host.

  • @67daltonknox
    @67daltonknox 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    My first visit to the IOW was by paddle steamer in the '50s. In the '70s I sailed round it and my last view was in '82 returning from a sailing trip to the Channel Islands in dense fog, our yacht burst out of the fog 1/2 mile from a chalk cliff which I eventually realised from the cross was Tennyson down. We rounded the Needles and thankfully clawed our way into Lymington. Back then, the IOW was a treat to visit. As with so many place, I'd rather not return to find it in decline.

  • @Clivestravelandtrains
    @Clivestravelandtrains 25 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Last year on my way back from France I popped over to Ryde for a couple of nights, and really enjoyed my stay at the Royal Esplanade Hotel, with super-helpful staff. I went to Cowes which was nice, especially the ferry between the two halves of the town.

  • @ailisonkelland
    @ailisonkelland 28 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I do love your video xx

  • @davidwhelan1545
    @davidwhelan1545 29 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Used to go to Vectis every year on my Scooter!
    Great place, ive explored the whole island and had some great times there.

  • @ibexdnb2879
    @ibexdnb2879 27 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Big up Wendall you are a boots on the ground urban journalist. ❤❤

  • @HolyFreakinDragonSlayer
    @HolyFreakinDragonSlayer 29 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Wendal you got had with the ferry - if youd have travelled from south hampton to east cowes with viechle even on a flexi return would cost on average if 50 - 80quid.. if that with Red Funnel even on a bank holiday. I have family on the island who have a meat cattle farm and a logistics distribution company. Although employment is somewhat seasonal, there are alot of jobs on the island all season round - maintenance, agriculture, retail, distribution. Its a beautiful place with the most gorgeous weather in summer, brilliant people and great fishing