Change of scene?

For our summer holiday, usually a couple of weeks, our present custom is to go where we went the year before. So we have been going to the same cottage in Brading on the Isle of Wight for some years now. Some years ago we went to a different cottage in Brading for a bit, and before that we used to move around the island more. At least around the eastern, now the Tory half (with Reform second). But we have only missed the island altogether once or twice in the last twenty years or so. Some would find this boring, but it suits us.

Then the other day, on our way down from Shanklin village to Shanklin beach, we came across the aparthotel snapped above, Shanklin Villa of reference 1, nicely placed between the two. Now aparthotel is a formula I rather like, a middle ground between an ordinary hotel room and an apartment, so we thought we would take a look. And a very cheerful and personable cleaner (from Leeds, a lady who knew all about the bronze ladies of Leeds railway station, last noticed at reference 2) took us in hand and showed us one of the studio apartments. And very smart it was too, with lots of kitchen machinery. We were very taken with it, even if it did not have its own hot tub, provision of which seem to loom big in the prospectus.

However, once we were on our way again, we realised that maybe we did not want to be confined to a studio flat for a fortnight. We are not spring chickens, we are not on honeymoon and we spend a good bit of time in our holiday accommodation, doing ordinary things like cooking, reading and watching television. For which an ordinary provision of space is good. Particularly since the provision of public spaces in the sort of places that we tend to stay at is poor: residents' lounges seem to be a thing of the past.

Back home, we poked holiday apartments around a bit more and found that there were plenty of places which would do quite well - but which cost a good deal more than we wanted to pay. There was, for example, the Haven Hall Hotel at reference 3. Which looked like just the thing, with good looking grounds, from around £3,500 a week. And it was interesting that the owners had decided to offer breakfast in one's room (or apartment) and a bar, but no restaurant. And not even breakfast from the end of this year, after which all meals will be DIY, although we were told that there were some good restaurants within 15-20 minutes by car. Not to mention the 'adequate' places to be found in Shanklin itself. In which connection I might say that the place noticed at reference 4 is long gone. As is the drive to go out by train for a meal in the evening!

Then a bit nearer the beach, but without the garden, you have the Bay House apartments of reference 5, perched right above the esplanade. But you are still in Shanklin, miles and miles from the big Tesco south of Ryde.

In the end, a flight of fancy. I don't think it is going to happen quite yet.

PS: later: I have just picked up a piece in the FT (reference 6) about a large number of flawed prosecutions for fare evasion. No doubt there will be howls of protest. While, until told otherwise, I imagine that the vast majority of these people are guilty as charged. Irritating that so much time and treasure should have to be spent on them.

References

Reference 1: https://www.shanklinvilla.co.uk/.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/07/osborne-house.html.

Reference 3: https://www.havenhallhotel.com/.

Reference 4: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2016/07/keats-kitchen.html.

Reference 5: https://bayhouseshanklin.co.uk/.

Reference 6: Up to 75,000 fare evasion convictions to be quashed in England and Wales: Greater Anglia and Northern Rail admit prosecutions should not have been brought and apologise for errors - Alistair Gray, Financial Times - 2024.