Isle of Wight

Monday

We have had a fantastic first day! Our adventure started with an exciting hovercraft trip from Portsmouth, and we arrived safely at Westbrook House full of energy and ready to explore.

The children have been having an absolute blast exploring the house and grounds. The games room has been a massive hit, and everyone was absolutely thrilled to discover two table tennis tables! We have already seen some great basketball matches and plenty of fun in the games area. Luckily, the weather has been quite kind to us, so we were able to spend lots of time playing outside and taking on the challenges of the low ropes course.

After working up a big appetite, dinner went down a treat tonight—a delicious, comforting meal of chicken, chips, and beans.

To wrap up a perfect first day, the brilliant Miss Simpson took to the stage as our official Quiz Master for a fun-filled general knowledge quiz. It was the perfect way to wind down after such an action-packed afternoon.

There are lots of tired eyes here now, so it is officially bedtime for us to rest up for another big day tomorrow. Goodnight from all of us at Westbrook House!

Tuesday 

We have had another absolutely packed day here on the Isle of Wight! It was a rather rainy start to the morning after a very wet night, but we were pleased when the downpour began to ease up just in time for our walk down to the swimming pool. We enjoyed a lovely stroll along the seafront and were even treated to a few welcome rays of sunshine.

The pool was fantastic fun—we all got in together for a giant, high-energy splash about! Afterwards, we managed to eat our lunch on the beach and fit in a quick play in the sand before the heavens opened, leading to a very wet (but very giggly) walk back to the house. Some much-needed chill time and warm showers followed for everyone... or at least, that is what we teachers are hoping!

Once we were all dried off, the children threw themselves into the afternoon's entertainment. The house was buzzing with football, volleyball, giant chess, and plenty of competitive ping-pong.

A delicious dinner of spaghetti bolognese sorted everyone out and fueled us up for the absolute event of the year: the Westbrook House Disco! DJ Clark and MC Simpson completely rocked the decks, and the children partied incredibly hard. They've got some serious dance moves!

Be sure to check out the photo gallery to see all the action from today. We have a feeling everyone will sleep very well tonight!

Wednesday

We woke up to a much brighter start today, with a beautiful, sunny morning finally greeting us! We fueled up for the day with delicious pain au chocolat for breakfast before jumping on the coach and heading off to the famous Needles.

Our morning was packed with discovery. We watched a fascinating glass-blowing workshop and learned all about the incredible art of making glass shapes. Afterward, we explored the famous multi-coloured sands of the Isle of Wight and the children even got to make their very own sand souvenirs to show you when they get home. We also squeezed in a trip to the shop so everyone could pick out a few keepsakes and presents!

The weather kept things exciting for us—a few lucky groups managed to see the Needles perfectly before a sudden thick fog and what felt like gale-force winds rolled in! However, just two minutes after leaving the unique microclimate of the Needles on our way back to Westbrook House, the glorious sunshine was right back.

The rest of the afternoon was spent soaking up the sun back at the house, with the children tackling the low ropes, playing football, and enjoying the grounds.

After a delicious dinner of burgers, we headed outside for the perfect final evening activity: a traditional campfire with toasted s'mores. The wonderful Mrs. Stephenson led us all in a giant sing-along, which was the perfect way to cap off an amazing trip.

It is now time for our final night's sleep here at Westbrook House. We have had the best time, but we can't wait to see you all tomorrow!

Thursday 

We woke up early to glorious sunshine on our very last morning on the Isle of Wight! A hearty breakfast of sausages, hash browns, and beans set us up perfectly for a busy final morning. But before any activities began, we all joined in for an incredibly enthusiastic rendition of Happy Birthday for our special Isle of Wight Birthday Girl, Zara!

The children made the absolute most of their final hours in the beautiful grounds, enjoying games of giant chess, volleyball, and plenty of running around. They also tried their hand at a spot of archery, and some of the aim we saw was seriously impressive!

Afterwards, everyone packed up their final bits and pieces and we enjoyed lunch together in the sunshine—complete with birthday cake, of course!

We have now officially arrived back on the mainland and are safely on the coach making our way back to you. We have had the absolute best trip and made the most incredible memories together.

A special shout-out must go to our amazing Isle of Wight staff team, as none of this would have been possible without their hard work and energy. I have no doubt that they (and the children!) will sleep very well tonight.

See you all very soon!