Brighton-dwelling pothole survivor:

I am writing to offer a new insight to the complaints I heard voiced on my last visit to the Isle of Wight.

One of the Island’s many charms is its isolation to the mainland. Visitors love stepping back in time and quite literally taking a slower pace as they take in the Island's beauty.

There is a paradox however. What makes it so attractive to mainlanders causes the inhabitants to be detached from ‘the mainland’ and the realities that are common to us all, if not more prevalent for us non natives.

I specifically refer to the state of the Island's roads. As mainlanders, my friends and I have mocked the locals' hot grapevine news ‘what roads are closed today?’ but after my recent visit to family I applaud it.

How well informed you all are!

Realistically, how long does it add to your journey to take another route? 20 mins?

Us over on the dark side of the Solent regularly add an extra 30 to 60 mins on our travel time. Quite recently a ten minute journey took over an hour.

We have no real idea of what roads will be closed or why. Sometimes I swear it's just for fun as we never see the workmen.

Your hard working local council only closes the roads to protect the lives of those working as let's face it, although you know the roads like the back of your hands, they are more often than not, narrow and winding roads that an inexperienced or ‘foreign’ driver could fail to navigate successfully.

The council needs praise for their care of their contractors and residents as a whole.

As for the recent comparison to the Grand Canyon, are you kidding me?

My last visits to the Island were two months apart and I tried to use that knowledge to avoid potholes but alas it bore me no good.

Why? Because they had been filled! True, there were other potholes but let’s not blame Island Roads for that. It's the weather and heavier traffic flow.

Take a moment to look around your family table. How many of you have cars? How big are they compared to the cars of 20 years ago?

Your Island is beautiful. Take a walk sometime and give the council workers time to repair the roads and don’t complain when they close the road to do it!

Most of your drives to the mainland involve well kept motorways. How many of you really know the state of the roads over here?

I for one have learnt a new skill, slalom driving. It may well be a televised sport soon.

Our potholes do not get filled in and our pavements are overgrown with weeds.

In short, take time to consider what a wonderful home you have and be kind. Be thankful for what you have.