As an island, the

Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...

maintains a culture close to, but distinct from, that of the south of England. A high proportion of the population are now 'overners' rather than locally born, and so with a few notable exceptions it has more often formed the backdrop for cultural events of wider rather than island-specific significance. The Island has inspired many creative works. Local people often seek to defend their real or perceived culture, and local politics is often dictated by a desire to preserve the traditions and habits of the Island. The first creative flowering occurred during the reign of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...

, under whose patronage the island became a fashionable destination for the gentry.

Literature and other media

Alfred, Lord Tennyson was made Baron Tennyson, of

Aldworth Aldworth is a village and mainly farmland civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, near the boundary with Oxfordshire. Orthography and slight change of name Aldworth was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 by scribes whose orthograp ...

in the County of Sussex and of Freshwater on the Isle of Wight by

in 1884. The poet Algernon Charles Swinburne grew up at

Bonchurch Bonchurch is a small village to the east of Ventnor, now largely connected to the latter by suburban development, on the southern part of the Isle of Wight, England. One of the oldest settlements on the Isle of Wight, it is situated on The Unde ...

, and said in a letter that he had climbed Culver Cliff at 17. He is buried at Bonchurch. The author

Maxwell Gray Mary Gleed Tuttiett (11 December 1846 – 21 September 1923), better known by the pen name Maxwell Gray, was an English novelist and poet best known for her 1886 novel ''The Silence of Dean Maitland''. Life Tuttiett was born and brought up in ...

(Mary Gleed Tuttiett) was born in Newport, and a number of her novels, including the best-known, ''

The Silence of Dean Maitland ''The Silence of Dean Maitland'' is an 1886 novel by Maxwell Gray (the pen name of Mary Gleed Tuttiett). Set in a fictionalized Isle of Wight, particularly around Calbourne, it concerns an ambitious clergyman who accidentally kills the father ...

'', are set on the island. The isle has been the setting for several novels, including

Julian Barnes Julian Patrick Barnes (born 19 January 1946) is an English writer. He won the Man Booker Prize in 2011 with '' The Sense of an Ending'', having been shortlisted three times previously with '' Flaubert's Parrot'', ''England, England'', and '' A ...

utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island societ ...

n novel ''England, England'', and detective thrillers such as ''The Fallen'' by Robert Rennick. It also features in

John Wyndham John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris (; 10 July 1903 – 11 March 1969) was an English science fiction writer best known for his works published under the pen name John Wyndham, although he also used other combinations of his names ...

's novel ''

The Day of the Triffids ''The Day of the Triffids'' is a 1951 post-apocalyptic novel by the English science fiction author John Wyndham. After most people in the world are blinded by an apparent meteor shower, an aggressive species of plant starts killing people. A ...

'' and Simon Clark's sequel ''

The Night of the Triffids ''The Night of the Triffids'' is a science fiction novel by British writer Simon Clark (novelist), Simon Clark, published in 2001. It is a sequel to John Wyndham (writer), John Wyndham's ''The Day of the Triffids''. Clark has been commended for ...

''. The Iranian-born poet Mimi Khalvati was educated at Upper Chine School in

Shanklin Shanklin () is a seaside resort and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, England, located on Sandown Bay. Shanklin is the southernmost of three settlements which occupy the bay, and is close to Lake and Sandown. The sandy beach, its Old Village ...

; many of her poems are about the island, especially in the book "The Chine". Sandown-based author

Edward Upward Edward Falaise Upward, FRSL (9 September 1903 – 13 February 2009) was a British novelist and short story writer who, prior to his death, was believed to be the UK's oldest living author. Initially gaining recognition amongst the Auden Group as ...

sets part of his book "In the Thirties" on the Isle of Wight. The 1973 film ''

That'll Be the Day "That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison. It was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956 and was re-recorded in 1957 by Holly and his new band, the Crickets. The 1957 recording achieved widespr ...

'', starring

David Essex David Essex (born David Albert Cook; 23 July 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, and actor. Since the 1970s, he has attained 19 Top 40 singles in the UK (including two number ones) and 16 Top 40 albums. Internationally, Essex had the most ...

Rosemary Leach Rosemary Anne Leach (18 December 1935 – 21 October 2017) was a British stage, television and film actress. She won the 1982 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play for ''84, Charing Cross Road'' and was nominated for the BAFTA Award fo ...

and Ringo Starr, was filmed on the island, at Puckpool holiday camp, Ryde, Sandown High School, Shanklin beach and Wroxall. The 2005 film ''

Fragile Fragile or The Fragile may refer to: Film and television * ''Fragile'' (film), a 2005 film by Jaume Balagueró * "Fragile" (''Smallville''), a television episode Literature * ''Fragile'' (manga), a 2016 Japanese series by Bin Kusamizu and Sab ...

'' was filmed almost entirely on the Isle of Wight, with the exception of a few exterior shots. Prominent locations featured in the film include

Ryde Ryde is an English seaside town and civil parish on the north-east coast of the Isle of Wight. The built-up area had a population of 23,999 according to the 2011 Census and an estimate of 24,847 in 2019. Its growth as a seaside resort came af ...

's Union Street, the

Military Road {{Use dmy dates, date=November 2019 The following is a list of military roads worldwide. Australia * Part of the A8 (Sydney) between Neutral Bay and Mosman * Military Road, part of Route 39, Melbourne * Military Road, off Wanneroo Road just nort ...

Compton Bay Compton Bay is a bay located on the southwest section of the Isle of Wight, England. Its northwestern edge is defined by the distinctive white chalk cliff of Freshwater Cliff, named after adjacent Freshwater Bay, which forms a small cove w ...

, Ryde Pier and

Red Funnel Red Funnel, the trading name of the Southampton Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited,Red Osprey car ferry.

Painting

The "Isle of Wight School" of Romantic painters specialised in views of the South West Coast; prominent were

George Morland George Morland (26 June 176329 October 1804) was an English painter. His early work was influenced by Francis Wheatley, but after the 1790s he came into his own style. His best compositions focus on rustic scenes: farms and hunting; smugglers a ...

and J. M. W. Turner.

Photography

Julia Margaret Cameron Julia Margaret Cameron (''née'' Pattle; 11 June 1815 – 26 January 1879) was a British photographer who is considered one of the most important portraitists of the 19th century. She is known for her Soft focus, soft-focus close-ups of famous ...

was a prominent early photographer, who has a museum dedicated to her at Dimbola Lodge in Freshwater. She specialised in portraits of the celebrities who visited her neighbour Lord

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

. Beken of Cowes, established in 1888 by pharmacist Alfred Edward Beken, pioneered yachting photography and is a leading British marine photography company.

Local media

The island was one of the first British regions to get a community television station, with TV 12. In October 2002 the

Restricted Service Licence A UK Restricted Service Licence (often called an RSL), is typically granted to radio stations and television stations broadcasting within the UK to serve a local community or a special event. Licences are granted by the broadcasting authority Ofc ...

(RSL) for the Isle of Wight (Rowridge transmitter) was awarded to a new not-for-profit local television station,

Solent TV Solent TV was an independent not-for-profit television channel broadcasting on the Isle of Wight. It was transmitted from the Rowridge transmitter on the Isle of Wight on UHF channel 54 (735.25 MHz). It began broadcasting in October 2002 but ce ...

, which was the first not-for-profit community television station in the UK. It went into receivership in 2007. It is an oft-quoted statistic that 92% of islanders read the local newspaper, the ''Isle of Wight County Press'', which is published most Fridays. In the early nineties a local radio station,

Isle of Wight Radio Isle of Wight Radio is an independent local radio station in Newport on the Isle of Wight. The station began transmitting from Briddlesford Farm AM transmitter on 15 April 1990. Isle of Wight Radio switched to FM in March 1998, its main transmi ...

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commenced broadcasting on 1242 medium wave, later moving to 107 and 102 FM. This is now also available via the internet, along with social media such a
Island Pulse

Major events

Many events take place each year across the island, all designed to appeal to different groups of people. Many of these take place in the summer, and so attract many tourists visiting the island. A few notable examples include:

Marmotinto

Marmotinto ''Marmotinto'' is the art of creating pictures using coloured sand or marble dust and otherwise known as sand painting. Originating in Europe, and probably based on the Japanese craft of ''bonseki'' (aka 'tray-painting'), ''marmotinto'' was fl ...

is the art of creating pictures using coloured sand or marble dust. It was first popularised in England at a dinner party given by

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

who was taken with a display arranged under glass at his dinner table by a Bavarian named

Benjamin Zobel Benjamin Zobel (21 September 176224 October 1830) was a German-British painter, who developed the technique of sandpainting, also called marmotinto. Examples of these sandpaintings exist in the Memmingen city museum archives in Germany, the Victo ...

(Memmingen, Germany, 21 September 1762 - London, England, 24 October 1830), a friend of

, a painter prominent in the "Isle of Wight School" . It became popular in Victorian times as the tourist industry began and

Alum Bay Alum Bay is a bay near the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight, England, within close sight of the Needles rock formation. Of geological interest and a tourist attraction, the bay is noted for its multi-coloured sand cliffs. The waters and adj ...

and

Totland Totland is a village, civil parish and electoral ward on the Isle of Wight. Besides the village of Totland, the civil parish comprises the western tip of the Isle of Wight, and includes The Needles, Tennyson Down and the hamlet of Middleton. Th ...

were briefly developed as a tourist destination for steamers. There are fine examples at

Osborne House Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. The house was built between 1845 and 1851 for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as a summer home and rural retreat. Albert designed the house himself, in ...

. Although marmotinto with marble and other coloured dust was known in Italy and elsewhere on the continent, marmotinto with coloured sand is an art form possibly unique to the Isle of Wight, due to the availability of the raw materials and to the inherent limitations of the art form.

Music

The Bees (UK band) are a local band who have recently met with some national success. The band Level 42 are from Gurnard. The Island has a full symphony orchestra, and well as several brass bands, swing and jazz groups. Singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock lived on the island in the late 20th century, and occasionally refers to local geography or uses Wight-specific terms in his lyrics (the song "Let's Go Thundering" refers to "sliding down a mossy chine", for example). Wet Leg is a British indie rock band from the Isle of Wight, founded in 2019 by Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers. Their debut single "Chaise Longue" became a viral hit in 2021. Their self-titled debut album (2022) debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, ARIA Albums Chart, and the Irish Albums Chart. Champs (British band), Champs are a UK based band formed of two brothers, Michael and David Champion from Niton. Their first album, Down Like Gold, was released in 2014. Their second album, Vamala, was released in 2015.Their third album, The Hard Interchange, was released in September 2019.[4] The album was created over a span of three years.

Skateboarding

Local skateboarding team 'Wight Trash' and its associated retail brand was launched with the help of Inbiz and a Prince's Trust loan in April 2004. They have featured in skateboarding videos and events.

Views of the Island

The Isle of Wight has traditionally seen as a place for retirees and holiday makers. The Beatles song "When I'm Sixty-Four" mentions "every summer we could rent a cottage on the Isle of Wight". This non-threatening image is also used to comic effect by the Monty Python team in their 1976 sketch ''Mr Neutron'': :Commander: OK. We'll bomb Neutron out. Get me Moscow! Peking! and Shanklin, Isle of Wight! ::''Cut to stock film of B52s on a bombing raid.'' :Voice Over: And so the Great Powers and the people of Shanklin, Isle of Wight, drew their net in ever-tightening circles around the most dangerous threat to peace the world has ever faced. They bombed Cairo, Bangkok, Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Harrow, Hammersmith, Stepney, Wandsworth and Enfield... But always it was the wrong place. Today the island maintains this image, while also being seen nationally as a destination for the 'sea and sandcastles' style of family holiday. In an episode of the TV panel game ''QI'', Alan Davies described the Isle of Wight as still stuck in the 1950s.

Paganism

The Isle of Wight has an active branch of the Pagan Federation (many of whom style themselves as "Druids"), and amongst the inmates incarcerated inside Parkhurst Prison paganism makes up the third most popular religion, according to the Isle of Wight County Press. The Isle of Wight was the last area of English paganism until 686CE when, according to Bede, Cædwalla of Wessex conquered the island, killing its inhabitants and installing Christians in their place. A "Sheela na Gig, sheela-na-gig" is preserved in the gateway to Holy Cross Church in Binstead. Historically several women were alleged to be witches (such as the nineteenth-century Bembridge woman Molly Downer), although not apparently persecuted. This seems to have been a psychiatric matter rather than religious.

Morris Dancing

The Isle of Wight has many Morris sides, the newest being a mixed-sex side - Guith Morris (Guith being the name of the Island pre Roman/Saxon times); The Men of Wight, a traditional side; Bloodstone Border Morris, who are a mixed-sex border style side, named after Bloodstone Copse on the Island; The Wight Bells, an all women group established over 10 years; The Oyster Girls, who dance wearing clogs; Mr Baker's Dozen, a traditional English side; The Island Cloggies, an all-female group and Moonshine border Morris, a mixed sex group who wear black, purple, blue and green.

References

External links

Photography at Dimbola Lodge: Isle of Wight Digital Imaging Group
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culture Of The Isle Of Wight Culture on the Isle of Wight,