The Isle of Wight Music Festival

The Isle of Wight Music Festival will again this year be ready an waiting to welcome its many thousands of visitors to its established venue of Seaclose Park, Newport (Isle of Wight) from the 12th to the 14th June, 2009. The Festival opens at 12 noon with the first live music band, so be sure to arrive in plenty of time if you want to hear the great opening bands.

The Isle of Wight Music Festival has a rich and interesting history. The very first event was organised way back in the distant 1968 era, and now this great event has found its second wind and has been taking place annually for some years now after being dormant for some 30 odd years plus. Back in the early festival years, the time was so different; it attracted an immense amount of famous bands which in turn attracted to the event hundreds of thousands of people.Much of the organisation was non excitant and thus people did what they liked to a certain degree.

Isle of Wight Festival 1970 Intro

This led to a great many problems and eventually legislation was drawn up so that some sort of organisational structure would be needed to oversee and control the event if it was ever going to be allowed again. Many people had thought that we would never see anything like the 1970’s festivals ever again, but I am glad to say the festivals of recent years have been just as good and superbly organised.

The early festivals had many notable and famous artists who performed on the arena including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones as well as The Who. Later festivals have seen some real rockers as well such as The Police, Rolling Stones  Amy Winehouse etc…Having the Rolling Stones perform was just an amazing evening, although late on stage the place rocked its socks off.

One of the amazing things is that the festival is very cross sectional bringing people and artists together over from many different walks of life. It attracts every year the old devoted public and the new connoisseurs of art.
Around the festival it self is a multitude of convenient features to assist the attending visitor. There is a large campsite is at your disposal and is ready with all requirements. There are also enough parking spaces for those who arrive by car.

How do you get from the Campsite to the Main Arena? Just walk the paths via Strawberry Fields and discover all the necessary things you need on your way. The Campsite offers a quiet area for those wishing just a nice and peaceful sleep. Toilets and Showers are all available as well as many food and drink vendors all supporting and keeping everyone going during the weekend. Please, be careful with your things and do not leave valuables in your tent. You will also find plenty of bars and other entertainment where you can have a super afternoon or evening time with non-alcohol or alcohol drink.

Do not worry too much about getting home, as after the Festival you can travel by the bus to the ferry. If you want or need to find a suitable accommodation away from the campsite for your visit to the Festival, you can do it right here.
This festival is going to be as usual a super time for all, with live musical life, stirring a lot of positive emotions and energy for people. Have fun be safe and enjoy!

The Prodigy Breathe @ Isle Of Wight Festival

Smuggling on the Isle of Wight

Smuggling became evident on the Isle of Wight probably due to high taxes and low incomes for the locals. So smuggling became a way of generating income whilst avoiding high taxes which also meant more profit for the smuggler. The Island was well known for its exports of wool and had significant trade in this area. Up until towards the end of the end of the 18th century the Isle of Wight was relatively lacking in defences against smuggling. This led to the Island being almost a smugglers paradise with its many landing points along its south coast. The numerous chines became the sights of a whole number of routes for smuggling on the Isle of Wight providing cover so the many smugglers were less likely to be caught.

For some time in certain areas of the Island the smugglers were almost unchallenged and had a roaring trade. The Isle of Wight was up until the end of the 13th century an independent principality and many of the islanders distrusted and despised rule from the mainlanders. Smuggling tales are widespread throughout the Island and many are well known to locals. It must be said however that the smugglers did not go unchallenged and the local preventive forces gradually became more and more effective at stopping the smugglers from carrying out their criminal activities.

Of all the smugglers havens on the Isle of Wight, Rookley is known for having been the smugglers capital of the Island. The main reason for this is that Rookley is located at the epicentre of the Island. On the south coast Chale was well known for being the home of the notorious smuggling clan the ‘Wheelers’ they lived in the infamous ‘Box cottage’. Bembridge was famous for its crossings to and from France.

Bembridge today is famous for its windmill which harks back to more historic times and was used by smugglers as a helpful landmark for approaching ships.

Niton was known and written of that almost its whole populace were smugglers with many posing as having normal respectable day jobs such as farmers and fishermen. However they did little farming and fishing but somehow still had plentiful amounts of cash to spend on whatever they so desired. However it was along the north coast of the Island that most of the confrontation between the smugglers and customs officials of the time took place. For a while the smugglers had little fear of the authorities and their reprisals.
This wasn’t to be forever and in September in the year of 1777 William Arnold took up the post of collector of customs based in Cowes. This was the start of the wind of change for smuggling on the Isle of Wight and gradually William gained more support in stamping out smuggling in this local area not to mention resources to do so.