A brief guide to the Isle of Wight.

The making of sailcloth, boats and other connected maritime industry has long been associated with the island, although somewhat diminished in recent years. Although they have reduced the extent of the plants and workforce, including the sale of the main site, GKN operate what was once the British Hovercraft Corporation a subsidiary of, and latterly when manufacturing focus changed known as, Westland Aircraft. Prior to its purchase by Westland, it was the independent Saunders-Roe. It remains one of the most notable historical firms; having produced many of the flying boats, and the world's first hovercraft. The island's major manufacturing activity today is in composite materials including a large manufacturer of wind turbine blades, Vesta's.

The Island (Bembridge) was once the home of Britten-Norman, manufacturers of the world famous Islander and Trilander aircraft.

A major contribution to the local economy comes from the world-famous international sailing regatta, Cowes Week, which is held every August and attracts over a hundred thousand visitors to the island. Other major sailing events are held at Cowes, including the Admiral's Cup held biennially in July and the Commodores' Cup in August.

In 2005, Northern Petroleum began exploratory drilling for oil with its Sandhills-2 borehole at Porchfield, but ceased operations in October that year after failing to find significant reserves.


Tourism and heritage

The heritage of the Island is a major asset which has for many years kept its economy going. Holidays focussed on natural heritage, including both wildlife and geology, are becoming a growing alternative to the traditional seaside resort holiday. The latter has been in decline in the UK domestic market due to the increased affordability of air travel to alternative destinations.

Tourism is still the largest industry on the Island, As well as more traditional tourist attractions, the island is often host to walking or cycling holidays through the attractive scenery. Almost every town and village on the Island plays host to hotels, hostels and camping sites. Out of the peak summer season, the island is still an important destination for coach tours from other parts of Britain and an annual walking festival has attracted considerable interest.


Transport and communications

Ferry routes and main roads There are three ferry companies which operate routes between the mainland and the Island:

Red Funnel - operates a car and passenger service between Southampton and East Cowes. A high speed passenger only services operates from "West" Cowes under the name of "Red Jet".
Wightlink - operates a car and passenger service between Portsmouth and Fishbourne (near Ryde), and between Lymington and Yarmouth. It also operates a passenger-only service between Portsmouth Harbour (train station) and Ryde Pier Head (train station) under the name "Fast Cat", so named because the boats used are catamarans.
Hovertravel - carries passengers between Southsea and Ryde aboard a hovercraft.
There are regular proposals for further routes, and during Cowes Week additional services have been known to operate - notably a fast catamaran service between West Cowes and Lymington.

A railway service operates from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin using ex London Underground rolling stock.

A sign used to greet visitors to the Island disembarking from the car ferry at Fishbourne, stating 'Island roads are different, please drive carefully'. It is a joke amongst local residents that the reason Island roads are different is due to a lack of maintenance by the council. Nevertheless the lighter traffic, quieter roads and slower speeds are noticeable to the visitor and are one of the reasons the Island has remained attractive to tourists from the busier mainland.

A majority of Island telephone exchanges are broadband enabled. In addition to the almost universal British Telecom coverage, some urban areas are covered by cable lines.

The Isle of Wight County Press [5] is the major local newspaper, published weekly each Friday or the last working day before a public holiday falls on that day. There is also a local radio station, Isle of Wight Radio [6], broadcasting on 107 and 102 FM (also available over the internet), and a regional television station which broadcasts from the Island, Solent TV [7].

Prisons
The island geography close to the densely populated south of England led to it gaining three prisons: Albany, Camphill and Parkhurst located outside Newport on the main road to Cowes. Albany and Parkhurst were once among the few Category A prisons in the UK until they were downgraded in the 1990s.

Camphill is located 1 mile (1.6Km) to the west of Albany and Parkhurst, on the very edge of Parkhurst Forest. Originally an army barracks with a small estate of tree-lined roads with well-proportioned officer's houses (with varying grandeur according to rank) to the South and East. Having been converted to a borstal and later a low category prison, it maintains its ties to the housing around it as although now most privately owned, clean water is still provided from the prison itself and residents pay only sewerage fees to the water authority (Southern Water). The estate is accessed by two, gated, private roads. These are closed for one day each year so as not to become a public right of way.

Cowes


Cowes is a seaport town on the Isle of Wight, an island due south of the major southern English port of Southampton. It is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank. The town is therefore sometimes referred to as West Cowes, especially where distinction is needed such as at the ferry termini. Leland's nineteenth century verses, described the towns poetically as "The two great Cowes that in loud thunder roar, This on the eastern, that the western shore". The two towns are linked by a chain ferry. The combined population was 19,919 in the 1991 census, a figure that is easily doubled during the regatta in early August.

Cowes is now renowned for sailing, Cowes Castle being home to the world famous Royal Yacht Squadron, which ranks amongst the world's elite yacht clubs. The town gives its name to the world's oldest regular regatta, Cowes Week, which occurs in the first week of August. Later on in the summer, powerboat races are held.

East Cowes is home to Norris Castle, and Osborne House, the former summer residence of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The Prince had a major influence on the building of St Mildred's Church in Whippingham, East Cowes, which features distinctive turrets imitating those found on a German castle. Both towns' architecture is heavily influenced by the distinctive style of ornate building which was popular in Prince Albert's time.

Transport Links
Cowes and East Cowes are key gateway towns for the Isle of Wight. Those travelling to Southampton are served by a high speed catamaran passenger ferry from "West" Cowes and a vehicle ferry from East Cowes. Visitors arriving at East Cowes find it hard not to notice the worlds largest Union Jack on the hangar doors of the building originally used by Saunders Roe and successive marine and aerospace manufacturing companies.
History
There are two theories about the origin of the name:-

Cowes and East Cowes derive their names from the time of Henry VIII, when fortifications called cowforts or cowes were built on the east and west banks to dispel a French invasion.
Cowes and West Cowes were named after two sandbanks, one on each side of the River Medina estuary, and recorded in 1413 as Estcowe and Westcowe, which were named after a supposed likeless to cows (animals).
In earlier centuries the two settlements were much smaller and known as East and West Shamblord; the East then being more significant settlement. The Isle of Wight had been a frequent target of attempted French invasions with some notable incursions. The west fort survives to this day, albeit without the original Tudor towers, as Cowes Castle but the east fort disappeared in the eighteenth century and should not be confused with East Cowes Castle built subsequently by John Nash

It is believed that the building of an 80 ton, 60 man vessel called Rat O'Wight on the banks of the river Medina for the use of Queen Elizabeth I sowed the seed for Cowes to grow into a world renowned centre of boat-building. However, seafaring for recreation and sport remained the exception rather than the rule until much later. It was not until the reign of keen sailor George IV that the stage was set for the heyday of Cowes as 'The Yachting Capital of the World.' In 1826 the Royal Yacht Squadron organised a three-day regatta for the first time and the next year the king signified his approval of the event by presenting a cup to mark the occasion. This became known as Cowes Regatta and it soon grew into a four-day event that always ended with a fireworks display.

In Cowes the 18th century house of Westbourne was home to a collector of customs whose son, born there in 1795, lived to become Dr Thomas Arnold, headmaster of Rugby School.

Northwood House was the home of the Ward family. It was donated under trust to the town in 1929, the grounds becoming Northwood Park. William George Ward was a close friend of the poet Tennyson and in whose memory the poet wrote six lines.

During the reign of Queen Victoria, who made her summer home at Osborne by acquiring and rebuilding Osborne House, East Cowes was the subject of planned estate of grand houses, groves and parks. The scheme, not finding the finances it needed, was folded, but a few residences built in the early stages still survive to this day such as the former Albert Grove residences of Kent House and Powys House on York Avenue.

In East Cowes Norris Castle was designed in the Norman style by James Wyatt in the late eighteenth century. The building survives and today remains a private home. In 1798, the architect John Nash, began building his home, East Cowes Castle, where he later entertained the Prince Consort and other prominent guests. East Cowes Castle was notable for its Gothic towers and turrets, and elaborate castellation. Nash died in 1835 and is buried in the tower of East Cowes Church which he also designed. East Cowes Castle was demolished during the 1960s, although the ice house remains and is visible in Sylvan Avenue.

Local industry in both Cowes and East Cowes has always centred on the building and design of marine craft, including the early flying boats, and sailmaking. It is also noted as the place where the first hovercraft was tested. East Cowes was also once home to the manufacturer Saunders Roe, who built the flying boat The Saunders-Roe Princess.

Its industry and proximity to Southampton and the Royal Navy's home at Portsmouth made the Isle a frequent target of bombing during World War II.

To celebrate the Silver Jubilee of the Queen's coronation in 1977, the main hanger doors of what was then the British Hovercraft Corporation (a successor to Saunders Roe) were painted with the world's largest image of the Union Jack.
The Isle of Wight is an island off the south coast of England, opposite Southampton. Popularized from Victorian times as a holiday resort, it is known for its areas of natural beauty and as home to the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes, a town that hosts a world famous annual regatta. Colloquially, it is known as "The Island" by its residents and it possesses a rich history including its own brief status as a vassal kingdom in the fifteenth century, home to poet Alfred Lord Tennyson and Queen Victoria's much loved summer residence and final home Osborne House. Its maritime history encompasses boat building and sail making through to the manufacture of flying boats and the world's first hovercraft. It is home to the Isle of Wight Festival which in 1970 was one of the largest Rock music events ever held with estimates reaching 600,000 attendees, overtaking the record set at Woodstock a year earlier. The island is also one of the richest fossil locations for dinosaurs in Europe. In 686AD, it became the last part of Great Britain to convert to Christianity - almost a century after the mainland.

Until the revival of Rutland in 1997 it was the smallest county in England but it remains, with just one Member of Parliament and 132,731 permanent residents in the 2001 census, the most populated Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom.

Geography & Wildlife
The Isle of Wight is approximately diamond in shape and covers an area of 147 square miles (381 square km). Nearly half this area, mainly in the west of the Island, is designated as the Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The landscape of the Island is remarkably diverse, leading to its oft-quoted description of "England in Miniature". The West Wight is predominantly rural, with dramatic coastlines dominated by the famous chalk downland ridge, running across the whole Island and ending in The Needles stacks - perhaps the most photographed aspect of the Isle of Wight. The highest point on the island is St Boniface Down, at 241m/791ft, which is also a Marilyn.


The rest of the Island landscape also has great diversity, with perhaps the most notable habitats being the soft cliffs and sea ledges, which are spectacular features as well as being very important for wildlife, and are internationally protected. The River Medina flows north into the Solent, whilst the other main river, the River Yar flows roughly north-east, emerging at Bembridge Harbour on the eastern end of the Island. Confusingly, there is another entirely separate river at the western end also called the River Yar flowing the short distance from Freshwater Bay to a relatively large estuary at Yarmouth. Where distinguishing the two becomes necessary, each may be referred to as the eastern or western Yar. The south coast of the island adjoins the English Channel.

Island wildlife is remarkable, thought to be the only place in England where the red squirrel is flourishing, with a stable population. Unlike the rest of England, no grey squirrels are to be found on the Island, nor are there any wild deer, but instead rare and protected species such as the dormouse, and many rare bats can be found. The Glanville Fritillary butterfly, in the United Kingdom is largely restricted to the edges of the crumbling cliffs of the Isle of Wight.


Isle of Wight and the Solent. By far the main form of access is by boat from the mainland, regular ferry services being available from Lymington to Yarmouth, Southampton to East Cowes, and Portsmouth to Fishbourne. Foot passengers may also use the hovercraft service between Southsea and Ryde esplanade or two hi-speed catamaran services; from West Cowes to Southampton or Portsmouth Harbour Station to Ryde pier head. The latter provides a direct link between the rail systems of the Island and Mainland. The island is also served by airports for light aircraft at Bembridge and Sandown.

The island is the home of the smallest Train Operating Company in Britain's National Rail network, the Island Line, running some 8½ miles from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin down the eastern side of the island. The island also has a steam operated heritage railway, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, which connects with the Island Line at Smallbrook Junction.

Much of the land now making up the Isle of Wight was deposited during the late Cretaceous, at times part of a large river valley complex which consisted of much of the current southern coast of England. The swamps and ponds of the region at that time made the island excellent for the preservation of fossils, and means that it is now one of the richest locations for finding dinosaurs in Europe.

The Isle of Wight became an island sometime after the end of the last Ice Age when post-glacial rebound caused the land level to sink, the Solent flooding and separating the island from the mainland. The island was part of Celtic Britain and known to the Romans as Vectis, captured by Vespasian in the Roman invasion. After the Roman era the Isle of Wight was settled by the Jutes, a Germanic tribe, in the early stages of the Anglo-Saxon invasions. The latter's corruption of Vectis into Wiht (the Latin v was pronounced [w]) is the root of the island's name.

Memorial to Charles I at Carisbrooke CastleThe Norman Conquest created the position of Lord of the Isle of Wight. Carisbrooke Priory and the fort of Carisbrooke Castle were founded. The island did not come under full control of the crown until it was sold to Edward I in 1293. The Lordship thereafter became a Royal appointment with a brief interruption when Henry de Beauchamp, 1st Duke of Warwick was crowned King of the Isle of Wight, King Henry VI assisting in person at the ceremony, placing the crown on his head. He died in 1445, aged 22. With had no male heir, his regal title expired with him.

Henry VIII, who developed the Royal Navy and its permanent base at Portsmouth, fortified the island at Yarmouth, East & West Cowes and Sandown, sometimes re-using stone from dissolved monasteries as building material. Sir Richard Worsley, Captain of the Island at this time, successfully commanded the resistance to the last of the French attacks in 1545. Much later on after the Spanish Armada in 1588 the threat of Spanish attacks remained, and the outer fortifications of Carisbrooke Castle were built between 1597 and 1602. During the English Civil War King Charles fled to the Isle of Wight believing he would receive sympathy from the governor Robert Hammond. Hammond was appalled, and incarcerated the king in Carisbrooke Castle.


Osborne House and its magnificent grounds are now open to the publicQueen Victoria made Osborne House on the Isle of Wight her summer home for many years, and as a result it become a major holiday resort for members of European royalty, whose many houses could later claim descent from her through the widely flung marriages of her offspring. During her reign in 1897 the World's first radio station was set up by Marconi at the Needles battery at the western tip of the Island.

In 1904 a mysterious illness began to kill honeybee colonies on the island, and had nearly wiped out all hives by 1907 when the disease jumped to the mainland, and decimated beekeeping in the British Isles. Called the Isle of Wight Disease, the cause of the mystery ailment was not identified until 1921 when it was traced to the mite Acarapis woodi. The disease (now called Acarine Disease) frightened many other nations because of the importance of bees in pollination of many food plants. Laws against importation of honeybees were passed, but this merely delayed the eventual spread of the parasite to the rest of the world.

The Isle of Wight Festival could describe several events, but usually the term refers to one very large rock festival that took place near Afton Down, West Wight in 1970, following two smaller concerts in 1968 and 1969. The 1970 show was notable for being the last public performance by Jimi Hendrix before his death and the number of attendees reaching, by many estimates 600,000[[2]] despite only 50,000 tickets being sold and overtaking the attendance at Woodstock in the previous year. The festival was revived in 2002 and is now an annual event - with other, smaller musical events of many different genres across the Island becoming associated with it.

Principle towns on the Isle Of Wight
Newport, Isle of Wight
History
Although there are traces of Roman settlement in the area, probably known as Medina, there was little later use until after the Norman conquest with the first charter being granted late in the twelfth century. In 1377 an invading French force burnt down much of the town while attempting to take Carisbrooke Castle, then under the command of Sir Hugh Tyrill. A group of French were captured and killed, then buried in a tumulus later nicknamed Noddies Hill, a "noddy" being medieval slang for a body. This was later corrupted to Nodehill, a name confusing to many as the area is flat.

The town was incorporated as a borough in 1608. The town's position as an area of trade accessible to the sea meant it rapidly took over from Carisbrooke as the main central settlement, eventually absorbing the latter as a suburb. The borough ceased to exist in 1974 after the incorporation of the larger Borough of Medina, which was itself superseded in 1995 by a single unitary authority covering the whole of the Isle of Wight

Amenities
Seaclose Park in Newport, located on the east bank of the River Medina, has since 2002 become the location for the revived Isle of Wight Music Festival, which is held annually.
Brading


Location within the British IslesThe ancient 'Kynges Towne' of Brading is the main town of the parish of the same name, which used to cover about a tenth of the Isle of Wight but now includes the town itself and Adgestone, Morton, Nunwell and other outlying areas between Ryde, St Helen's, Bembridge, Sandown and Arreton.


History

Early history
From early times, Brading ranked as an important Island port. The ancient name of Brerdynge, from which 'Brading' is derived, probably meant (according to 'Place Names of the Isle of Wight') the people living by the ridge of the Downs and dates from at least 683.

The Roman Villa south of the town, as well as the numerous relics of the Roman period discovered in the area, show that this was a seaport of some note 2,000 years ago. Signs of prehistoric activity have also been found on Brading Down.

Local history records that St Wilfrid came to the Island during the 680's, landed at Brading, preached there to the Islanders and began the conversion of the Island, possibly establishing his first church there. This is not consistent with Wilfrid's known biography.


Royal charter and governance
The charter granted to Brading by Edward VI in 1548 makes reference to a previous charter granted by Edward I in 1285. In recognition of this status as a town, Brading still has a mayor and an elected town council.

In mediaeval times the town was governed by the Steward, Bailiffs and 13 Jurats, and returned two MPs to the Westminster Parliament. Now the town is a part of the Isle of Wight parliamentary constituency.

The old port
Until the 16th century the port was active. Ships lay alongside at the quay behind the Bugle Inn in the High Street. Ships came into Brading Haven for shelter and for provisions, particularly water, which was of a high quality. The north-eastern part of the haven was closed off by an embankment completed in 1594, much of which is still present. Ships would then tie up at the far end of Quay Lane on the other side of the embankment.

Throughout the Middle Ages various attempts were made to drain off the rest of the harbour; for it had gradually become silted up and, except for the main channel of the river, was too shallow to be of any commercial use. Sir Hugh Myddleton, who had constructed the New River from Enfield to central London for James I, undertook this work; but the sea broke in and flooded the land once again. After others had also tried and failed, this reclamation was finally accomplished in 1881 by the building of a substantial embankment right across the harbour, with the building of the railway to Bembridge.

So Brading now shares with Winchelsea and Romney the distinction of being a seaport without any sea. Losing access to the sea caused Brading to decline in importance and prevented the sort of growth enjoyed by Cowes and Newport.

The Town Hall
An historic Old Town Hall stands near to the church. The New Town Hall dates from 1903. There is no record of the earliest Town Hall, but an entry in The Court Leet Book 1729 refers to the assessment of one shilling rate, and also a subscription towards building a new Town Hall, Market House and Prison. In 1730 an extra 3d was added to the rate for the Town Hall. This new building remained until 1876 when it was restored to its present state, and then contained the Free Town Library. Before the building of the first school in 1823, the children were taught in the Town Hall, and it was also used for Mother's Meetings. The Town Trust now owns the building. Brading was formerly the testing place for weights & measures for all of East Wight and these standards are still kept in the upper building together with the Town Charter.

The Bull Ring
Set in the ground outside the new Town Hall (1903) there is an iron bullring which, in its original location was once used to secure a bull whilst it was being baited by dogs. According to the diaries of Sir John Oglander, the Governor of the Isle of Wight would donate 5 guineas for the purchase of the bull to be baited; the meat was afterwards donated to the poor of the town. The Mayor attended this ceremony in full regalia and a dog, known as the Mayor's Dog, would be decked with coloured ribbons and set on the bull after the proclamation had been made.

The Town Gun
The town possesses a gun. It is a brass piece, made in 1549 by the Owine Brothers, John and Robert, so that the town might be defended from French invasion. The gun was never used in action, but was taken to the top of Brading Down in 1832 so that it could be fired to celebrate the passing of the Reform Bill. Unfortunately it exploded and split putting a stop to celebrations for the day.

Wildlife and Landscape
The southern half of the town is in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are two Sites of Important Nature Conservation close to Morton and another on the downs. Brading Down is a popular viewpoint and downland beauty spot, with outstanding views over Culver Down and Sandown Bay. From the north side of the hill you can look over the town towards the mainland. From further up you can see the Solent and the Spinnaker Tower at Portsmouth. This elevated site is also of great archaeological importance, with prehistoric, Roman and mediaeval remains, as well as practice trenches from the first world war.

The RSPB Brading Marshes nature reserve is the first RSPB reserve on the Isle of Wight. Situated on the reclaimed land of the old harbour, behind the present-day Bembridge Harbour, it was bought in 2001 and is a mix of lagoons and ditches, reed beds and meadows, with a fringe of ancient woodland.

Transport
Brading is served by the Island Line Railway with direct connection to the Wightlink ferry at Ryde Pier Head and stops at Ryde, Smallbrook, Sandown, Lake and Shanklin. Brading is also on the Island’s circular cycle route used for the annual “Bicycle Island Randonee”.

The main road from Ryde to Sandown passes through the town.

The town is well connected to the surrounding countryside by footpaths and bridleways. The Bembridge Trail passes through the town along Doctors Lane, Cross Street, High Street and Quay Lane (Wall Lane) then along the top of the embankment to St Urian's Copse. There are 71 other footpaths, by-ways and bridle paths in the civil parish area and organised parties of walkers may often be seen meeting at the station or the Bullring.

Features of the Town
The main street of Brading contains most of the facilities expected of a large village, or in Brading's case, small town. There are three pubs and a restaurant in the town, and one at nearby Yarbridge. The Church of St Mary's is at the north end of the town and the Methodist chapel is near the centre. There is a small supermarket, a post office, a newsagents, several other specialist shops, at least three teashops and a fish and chip shop.

Brading has many attractions to tempt the visitor, quite apart from the natural beauty of the area. These include the famous Isle of Wight Waxworks Museum; the Lilliput Doll and Toy Museum; The Roman Villa at Morton with its protective cover (new in 2004) and interpretation centre; and Morton Manor with its vineyard and gardens.

Famous connections
One of the town's claims to fame is that the boards used in churches all over the world to display hymn numbers were invented here by the Rev Legh Richmond, who was curate-in-charge of Brading and Yaverland 1757 to 1805, and a famous writer of inspirational evangelist pamphlets at that time.


Famous Residents
Dr Thomas Arnold headmaster of Rugby School
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
John Nash (architect).
Lord Mountbatten of Burma (in childhood), later last Viceroy of India at Kent House, East Cowes
Cliff Michelmore - BBC television and radio presenter/producer
Mark King - Internationally acclaimed guitarist and principal founder of the Pop Group Level 42
Robert Stigwood - Music and Film producer, acclaimed for Grease and Saturday Night Fever, lives in Barton Manor, East Cowes and annually opens parts of the house, and the spectacular gardens, to the public in aid of a local charity.

Ryde

Ryde is an English seaside town and the largest urban area on the Isle of Wight, with a population of approximately 26,000. It is situated on the north-east coast.

The town grew in size as a seaside resort following the joining of the villages of Upper Ryde and Lower Ryde in the nineteenth century. The influence of this era is still strongly visible in the town's central and sea facing architecture.

As a resort, the town is noted for its expansive sands that occur at low tide, making its pier necessary on the wide beach for a regular passenger service. Ryde Pier is a listed structure which is the fourth longest in the United Kingdom, and also the oldest. At one time Ryde had two piers; the other being the Victoria Pier.


Transportation
The hovercraft to Southsea operates from the esplanade close to the Ryde Esplanade railway station and bus station. A catamaran service run by Wightlink operates from Ryde Pier to Portsmouth Harbour which connects with both Island Line trains and mainland trains to London Waterloo.

Entertainment
An ice rink and a pavilion, converted to house a night club and bowling alley feature on the esplanade, the former being the home of the Isle of Wight's ice-hockey team, the "Wightlink Raiders".

Famous connections
David Icke - is a Ryde resident
Sam Browne - the soldier after whom the belt was named, retired and lived the last years of his life in a house called Argosy on East Hill Road, Ryde
Philip Norman - the writer who attended Ryde School and has written about his childhood on the Island.
Karl Marx visited Ryde for health reasons in the summer of 1874
Michael Sheard - the actor who played Mr Bronson in Grange Hill and appeared in Star Wars, lived in Ryde and died there in 2005.
Raymond Allen - the TV writer who attended Ryde Secondary Modern School and wrote the BBC series Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em.
William Hutt, the colonial administrator, was educated in Ryde
William Booth - the founder of the Salvation Army spent the first part of his honeymoon in Ryde
Anthony Minghella - the Hollywood director was born in Ryde in 1954. His parents are well-known local residents, and own an ice cream factory in Wootton (about 2 miles away). At the time of his birth they ran a cafe in Ryde High Street.
Albert Pollard - the historian was born in Ryde on 16 December 1869.
 
The Isle of Wight is a Ceremonial and Administrative county and as it has no district councils (only the county council) it is effectively a Unitary county, though not officially. It is unique in England in this way - all other Unitary areas are single districts with no county council, while the Isle of Wight is the other way round. It also has a single Member of Parliament, and is by far the most populous constituency in the UK (more than 50% above the average of English constituencies).


 As a constituency of the House of Commons it is traditionally a battleground between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. The current MP, Andrew Turner is a Conservative, and his predecessor Dr Peter Brand was a Liberal Democrat.

The Isle of Wight Council election of 2005 was a landslide victory for the Conservative party, displacing the long serving "Island First" group; a coalition of Liberal Democrats and independents.

Language and dialect
The distinctive Isle of Wight accent is a somewhat stronger version of the traditional Hampshire dialect, featuring the dropping of some consonants and an emphasis on longer vowels. This is similar to the West Country drawl heard in south-western England, but less removed in sound from the Estuary English of the South East. The spread of the latter in general, together with continuing immigration, means the broader accent is more prevalent in the older population.

The island also has its own lexical style. Some words like grockel (visitor) and nipper/nips (addressing a younger person) are commonly used and are shared with neighbouring regions. Others are unique, for example mallishag (meaning caterpillar) and nammit (meaning food), although neither of these examples are now in common usage.

Industry and agriculture
The largest industry on the Isle of Wight is tourism, but the Island has a strong agricultural heritage, including sheep, dairy farming and arable crops. Traditional agricultural commodities are more difficult to market off the Island because of transport costs, but Island farmers have managed to successfully exploit some specialist markets. The high price of these products overcomes the transport costs. One of the most successful agricultural sectors at present is crops grown undercover, particularly salad crops including tomatoes and cucumbers. The Isle of Wight has a longer growing season than much of Britain, and this also favours such crops. Garlic has been successfully grown in Newchurch for many years, and is even exported to France. This has led to the establishment of an annual Garlic Festival at Newchurch, which is one of the largest events of the Island's annual calendar. The favourable climate has led to the success of vineyards, including one of the oldest in the British Isles, at Adgestone near Sandown. Lavender is also grown for its oil.