If you're visiting the Island this summer then you can expect something special... Cowes, Trafalgar, REM, Gaffers, Garlic, Morrissey, Carnivals... to name a few. Here's Green Island Coordinator Steve Blamire's guide to a crazy, lazy summer on the Isle of Wight!

May starts with the Walking Festival, now the biggest in the country, loads of great guided walks to suit every taste and the mammoth 'Walk-the-Wight' 26-mile charity stroll. If you fancy swapping two feet for two wheels there's also the Randonee, a 72-mile round-the-Island cycle, offering both competitive and social events. At the end of the month is the Diamond Wight Festival, an off-road event for both the ultra competitive and ultra chilled; why not try the Wight Diamond Challenge on the Saturday or the pub race on the Monday?

Personally a trip to the Longstone @ Mottistone is a must during the first few weeks of the month, the bluebell stands in the woods leading to the stones are simply fantastic! May always offers up some cracking surf and the water is a lot warmer, so Compton is a definite for those after a little alternative liquid relief - also a great hangover cure on a wobbly sat or sun morning!

The Old Gaffers Festival (3rd - 5th June) is a great start to the month; Yarmouth comes to life with open-air entertainment, a huge selection of old Gaffer boats, live music and the infamous marquee on the quay! It is like a mini version of Cowes Week with a lot more of a community feel. This is followed closely by the Pop Fest, this years line up includes REM and Travis, the Bestival Bollywood tent, the Smirnoff Ice Cube and a land-locked version of White Air featuring some of the World's top skaters, BMX riders and freestyle mountain boarders.

July is definitely the chill between manic June and pre-Cowes August, for those after something more chilled, Compton Bay is a must, I tend to head down at the 'fields' and take a right where its very quiet and not a car, road or house in sight! I shouldn't really be giving the local knowledge away!! Then after a long day on the beach I head home for a shower, wash my orange feet (from the cliff path with a high Iron content) and then head down to the Waterfront to catch the sunset. The Waterfront is the closest (both physically and metaphysically!) the Isle of Wight has to Café del Mar - minus a few thousand people, drunken Brits and chilled ambient trance - I guess that only leaves a few beers and a tranquil sunset (come on Tick & Ikki we want some chilled tunes!!).

August - Go mad in Cowes!
Mottistone Jazz, the World's oldest Carnival (Ryde), Art on the Turfwalk and... um... I'm sure there's usually something going down in Cowes? Yes, the first week of August is when Cowes goes mad... well it used to be a week but now the party tends to continue for the whole of the month. If you're into sailing then there's everything to see and do and if you're not there's even more to see and do! The Marina in the Town centre is rammed from 11am til 2am and can cater for up to 6000 revellers, if you need a drink then the marina is home to one of the largest temporary bars in the world!

'...Wake me up when September ends...'
For some its time for hibernation, but for me there's still loads more fun to be had... to kick the month off is Bestival, definitely the Island's funkiest music festival... it just oozes cool! If you're fed up with corporate 'strategic' events then Bestival is the thing for you! Anything goes... sculpture, WI tent, Tiny Tea Tent, Bollywood Cocktail Bar, Farmers Market and loads of bands, DJs and well everything you wouldn't expect! Last year I was sipping my Bollywood cocktail, watching a samba band and then turned to see one of the Cuban Brothers jumping off the main stage completely naked and running straight at me! That's Bestival!

September also means the arrival of the first major autumn swells and big winds, the sea is the warmest its been all year and so if you fancy a surf, kite or windsurf it won't get better than now... well October is pretty good too! It's a little cooler so a much better time to get out on the bike or for a serious hike and wear off some of those summer party pounds!

September closes with Sun, Sea & Cycling; the Isle of Wight Cycling Festival, whether you want hard competition with the 14-Hills Killer or a slow paced family ride there's tonnes on offer. Then finally White Air arrives (Oct 27th -30th ) and takes over Yaverland and Sandown Bay, when for once a year bucket & spades are out and boards, kites and sails are in! Mix of Skate, Surfing, Kiteboarding, Windsurfing, Mountainboarding and Mountainbiking to name a few and is now the biggest event of its kind in Europe.

Last thoughts before hibernation...
I love the Island where I live and although I live for the summer, winter offers a great time for reflection; sitting by the fire, reading Camus, watching the wintering birds on the estuary (Curlews are such great characters!) and re-energising ready for the next round! But remember eat local, healthy foods; support your local environment, use your car less, do things for free, do lots of exercise and try to live an honest more sustainable life. Have a good one....

Steve