National Red Squirrel Week on the Isle of Wight

What a beautiful day on the Isle of Wight! The sun is shining, people are still walking around in shorts and t-shirts - Indian summer? No - on Isle of Wight the summer just lasts longer!

This month, the name is changing to the Isle of Pink - but this week coming on the Isle of Wight is a chance to see something that very few places in the UK can boast... The Island is a desingated grey squirrel free area - we only have the red squirrel here and this week is the Wildlife Trusts' National Red Squirrel Week.

If you are interested in the red squirrel - perhaps you've never seen one - then visit the Isle of Wight this week! The red squirrel is the only squirrel native to the UK - contact Helen Butler who runs the Wight Squirrel Project to book on one of her walks, or take part in the workshop which shows you how to spot the signs of these shy creatures - and you may even see one yourself! Give her a call on 01983 611003 or email wightsquirrels@hotmail.com .

If you need somewhere to stay whilst out spotting squirrels, then WightStay is here to help - we have many hotels, camping sites, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts to choose from Shanklin to Totland, Ryde to Ventnor and all points between!

Come and see these rare and beuatiful creatures, whose numbers have been declining on the UK mainland for many years, but thrive on the Isle of Wight - we look forward to seeing you soon!

Catch up on the Isle of Wight Cycling Festival with WightStay

Mid-week on the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Wight Cycling Festival is on track to be a huge success as year after year more people come to the Isle of Wight to take part in 9 days of cycling fun!

So far this week there have been plenty of routes on offer, and some of the most popular rides have been for charity - the Pedal 4 Parkinsons and Cycle The Wight for the British Heart Foundation, raising money and awareness for these two organisations. Of course, the hilarious Sink Or Swim also took place on Sunday - we'll have pictures of that soon, but in the meantime this is last years' winner...

The fun doesn't end there – over the next few days there are story telling rides, a picnic on wheels, a dinosaur ride and for those that really prefer their routes to have a more liquid angle, there is a pub trail to follow too!
This weekend is the finale, with the Hills Killer Challenge and the ReCyle The Island route, raising money and awareness for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance – more on that later this week.
And cycling isn't all the Island has to offer either – more news on a wine tasting festival and a huge bowls tournament in our next blog!
So, if you're looking to take part in these events and need somewhere to stay on the Isle of Wight, then look no further than our own guide - with plenty of lovely hotels, bed and breakfasts, self catering or camping and touring park, WightStay has it covered!
With plenty to offer, the Isle of Wight is the ideal place to take that end of summer break!

Bestival 2009

You can almost taste the excitement in the air here on the Isle of Wight and in the WightStay office! It's the one thing everyone is talking about right now - Bestival 2009 is nearly upon us, and with only one more sleep until it opens at Robin Hill Country Park, everyone is rushing around sorting out their fancy dress costume (amongst many things, Bestival is famous for it's crazy themes - and this years' is no exception - Space)

WightStay is pleased that Bestival curator Rob Da Bank has managed to include so many great bands this year, and as the last big music festival of the season, now is the time to really let your hair down in style - and it's a great opportunity to go star spotting (no pun intended) with Radio 1 broadcasting from the site, and lots of famous people making their way down to this incredibly popular event.

Here at WightStay, we're working out exactly which of the many bands on different stages we're going to catch! Top bands Massive Attack and Kraftwerk are making appearance, Lily Allen will be there, as well as rising star Little Boots! There is a great selection local bands playing too including Hugo Frusslinky. Me, I'm definitely going to see Seasick Steve (I missed him last time he played Bestival, no chance of that this year!)


But where to stay on the Isle of Wight? Do we camp out under the stars, or do we look for somewhere with slightly more creature comforts? Plenty of choices are on the WightStay website right now, so take a look at the site, and with great transport links to Robin Hill Country Park, you can enjoy everything Bestival has to offer! Now, I know I put my moon boots down somewhere...