The Isle of Wight caters for all tastes during its year-round festival season – music, food, walking, gardening, extreme sports – and the British favourite: beer! Events get underway on 26–27 April at the Spring Garden Show, followed by the Real Ale Festival held over the first May Bank Holiday weekend. Event sponsor, Wightlink (0871 376 1000 www.wightlink.co.uk) is offering inclusive travel and entry day return tickets, valid for a car and up to four passengers travelling from Portsmouth or Lymington, from only £59.50 – or £14.88pp.

Now in its third year, the Spring Garden Show kicks off the festival season at Robin Hill Country Park on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th April. Set in 88 acres of beautiful woodland and featuring the cream of Island growers as well as several RHS gold medal-winning mainland nurseries, plant-lovers will be spoilt for choice. The show will provide an arena for Island food producers, country crafts, art and horticultural businesses, and scheduled events such as chainsaw carving and sheep dog displays should make it a great day out for gardeners and non-gardeners alike.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to view a special new wildlife mosaic due to be unveiled in time for the show. Sponsored by Wightlink and created for Robin Hill’s Woodland Walk by three Island-based special needs groups with the help of artist Catherine Van Giap, the mosaic features a red squirrel, hawk, butterfly and hare. The 8’ x 4’ mosaic is based on drawings by adults who attend a weekly therapy group at The Adelaide Resource Centre, Ryde, and is being created by children with learning difficulties who attend St. Catherine’s School, Ventnor and adults working at Sunnycrest Nursery, Sandown.

One week later, over the Bank Holiday weekend of 3–5 May, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway will stage an event to whet the taste buds of keen beer drinkers. The third Real Ale Festival will enable visitors to try a wide range of Real Ales, ciders, beers and country wines from local Island breweries, in the nostalgic surroundings of Havenstreet Station. There will be 24 Real Ales on offer, including Goddards Brewery’s award-winning malty strong ale Fuggle-Dee-Dum, and Ventnor Brewery’s best-selling Admiral’s Ale and smooth dark Oyster Stout, brewed with fresh oysters.

Wightlink’s combined Days Out attraction entry and car ferry ticket for four can be used for both events, costing from £63.05 for Robin Hill and £59.50 for the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of:                                                                               By:

WIGHTLINK LTD                                                                                    Christine Ball PR

27th March 2008                                                                                    Tel: 01798 874177