Ventnor Fringe Isle of Wight
Back in the early 1980’s the doctor wrote me a prescription for Ventnor. Yes, you read that right. As a child growing up in the South London suburbs I’d had a triple whammy of childhood illnesses, one after the other; chicken pox, whooping cough and measles. The doctor very earnestly told my parents to take me to Ventnor for two weeks to recuperate.
I remember feeling very guilty as my older brother was revising for his o’levels at the time and of course, being in a lovely seaside resort, made revision almost impossible. We stayed at the Spy Glass Inn before it was a pub and the floor in the bedroom was so lopsided that I used to place a marble at one end of the room and watch with fascination as it it rolled, unaided, to the other side.
There used to be a pier in Ventnor as well, with two penny slot machines, and it became an after dinner treat to wander along the sea front and onto the pier for a go on the arcade machines before retiring to bed.
So now, aged 50, and living here on the Island full time I have a special relationship with Ventnor which was formed, not from.growing up here, but as a place far removed from life in suburbia.
Now, as a resident, it’s been fantastic to watch Ventnor gain traction as “the place to be” and much of this new found revival is down to three key players putting Ventnor firmly on the cultural map.
Ventnor Fringe Festival was started in 2010 by Jack Whitewood, Mhairi Macaulay and Thea Welsford. They wanted to provide an event which would fall between the Isle of Wight Festival in June and Bestival in September. The festival initially happened over a weekend, progressing to six days and now extends to ten days to accommodate all the entertainers queuing up to take part.
In 2014 the old post office building in Ventnor became available to rent and, needing a box office for the festival, Jack and Mhairi took on the building. This building soon became renamed as The Exchange and was transformed over the following 12 months to accommodate a record store, a cafe and a bar specialising in craft beers from all around the world.
With The Exchange firmly established as a go to venue for cultural events all year round, and the Fringe also now we’ll known far and wide, Ventnor has well and truly planted its roots in the arts scene.
This year the festival runs from the 18th of July through to the 27th. Over 150 different shows have been scheduled to take place, ranging from stand up comedy, to circus and theatre acts, live music and pop up bars all over town.
Quite possibly though, the most exciting thing to happen this year at Fringe is the addition of an impressive new venue. The Ventnor Exchange Arena is arriving in the form of a Big Top which has been especially designed to host both seated and standing events for audiences up to 1000 people. The Big Top will also be used in other locations across the Island throughout the year, providing the opportunity for other organisations to expand and encourage the cultural heritage the Island has become known for.
It’s also worth mentioning that after the Fringe Festival Ventnor hosts two carnivals in August. The first one being the Grand Carnival and Fireworks on Wednesday the 13th of August, and the second one, The Illuminated Carnival on Saturday the 16th of August.
I was at The Grand Carnival last year and the atmosphere was fantastic. Ventnor’s narrow, sheltered High Street was packed with people watching the floats pass by, the pubs and restaurants were full and as darkness fell people gradually made their way down to the sea front to watch the fireworks. So even if you don’t make it to the Fringe Festival it’s still worth coming to the Island in August to catch the buzzing atmosphere in Ventnor during Carnival week.
If you’re staying in Bembridge or Seaview you may worry about being able to park in Ventnor during these busy times, bit I’ve never had a problem. There are several large car parks in the center of town and you can always park in nearby Bonchurch or St Lawrence and enjoy a scenic walk into town. It’s also quite nice to have the option to retreat back to somewhere a bit more peaceful on the Eastern side of the Island where the beaches are more expansive and you don’t have to tackle so many hills during an evening stroll.
The Fringe Festival also boasts many free events and there’s plenty to do during the day time of you don’t want to be tied to a schedule. You can pick and choose as much, or as little, as you want to do or simply enjoy an ice cream or fish and chips on the beach, whilst watching the sun go down.
To plan your trip to Ventnor Fringe Festival visit www.vfringe.co.uk and if you’ve been in previous years please feel free to tag us on instagram @curatedspacesiow as we love seeing our guests having a great time here on the Island.
