Last-minute New Year staycation that turned out to be exactly right for travelling with kids. After a change of plans, we booked the Isle of Wight on a whim and honestly forgot how easy it is. Just over an hour on the ferry from the mainland — whether you go with wightlinkferry or redfunnelferries — and it already feels like a proper break. Soft play on board was a big win straight away. New Year’s Eve: First stop was Shanklin (visitshanklin) for a beach sunset while the kids played, then an early Thai dinner and a cosy pub with board games. Early countdown for them, then midnight for us in bed, watching the fireworks through the window while they slept. We stayed at thewhitelioniow — really reasonable rooms, lovely big family rooms with a roll-top bath, peaceful location, and genuinely good reviews for food. We chose it specifically because it’s a perfect base for the White Horse walk down to St Catherine’s Lighthouse, which made a brilliant New Year’s Day walk (worth knowing: it’s...