Alum Bay and Robin Hill

So it was a lovely sunny start with a good day forecast. Again breakfast was delicious - even extra toast for some today. We set off and drove the longest journey on the island to Freshwater Bay. The first rain shower happened! 

Once we arrived we went straight to the sweet factory and today it was blackcurrant and custard sweets. The children loved watching the runny sugar being stretched and the way the two batches were mixed to make the sweets stripy. Even better when hundreds of hard boiled perfect sweets fired out ready for us to taste - yummy! Practically everyone likes them. 

Next, to the glass factory where they were blowing a beautiful vase and making little birds and glass sweets. The heavens opened and they had to close all the windows to stop the glass being spoilt - we were warm in there with the furnaces burning hot!

After a very careful exit through the shop we waited for it to slow down a bit and then went for lunch by the Needles. Luckily we could see the stacks but definitely not with a perfect sky - it was blowing a gale on the cliff top where we had lunch.

The driver, who is called John by the way, transferred us to Robin Hill Country Park. I think everyone was quite happy to sit for 30 mins in the coach.

When we got there it was brighter. The children enjoyed the Pirate Ship, 4-d cinema, treetop trail, the maze, then onto the huge climbing Squirrel Safari and the slides and toboggan. They went shopping (again) and had ice-cream, slushy and pop!

Back to the hotel for pasta bolognaise - it went down very well - in fact lots said it was the best meal so far.

Then back to the beach for cricket, football, digging and 30 mins wave jumping with Miss Sleight and me. It was much colder and windier than last night so we didn't go in as far but everyone who came in had a huge smile and squeals of delight as they fell, or of disgust as they got salt in their mouths! And that included us!

Now, everyone is on the landing playing UNO - be warned they are fiercely competitive with this game. Drinks and biscuits on the way and going to bed at 10pm.