My Last Day in Isle of Man – 10 Things to Like About it

I shall be on the overnight ferry from Heysham to the Isle of Man one last time tonight as I pick up my stuff from Douglas. By Saturday morning I shall be sailing out of Isle of Man waters for the last time as a resident. I expect to return as a tourist and to deal with a few business matters which remain IOM based but I am on my way back to bankrupt Britain for good in terms of residency. That is until I retire to bankrupt France or bankrupt Greece in 20 years time.

The IOM gets a lot of stick for various reasons and it is not without its faults and its share of poltroons. But I leave with a lot of happy memories and will miss various things. A list of my top 10 good things from the Isle of Man.

1. Ross Jones & Sam Bottell. Two guys I worked with who are funny, honest and utterly reliable. You could not wish for better colleagues. Paul Nicholson also a good chap in his own rock star way.
2. Fresh kippers from Peel. And from the same town Davisons ice cream. The latter is – of course – available at The Real Man Pizza Company along with very nouvelle Manx cuisine – my very own chocolate pizza recipe for example.
3. Getting off the island during TT fortnight when it becomes an overcrowded and noisy hell hole full of fat men bursting out of overtight leather biking gears and jeans.
4. Sitting near the top of Snae Fell in mist and rain – plenty of time to think in peace.
5. No speed limits out of town. You can drive as fast as you wish.
6. The castles at Castletown and more especially Peel – great monuments and a real sense of history.
7. Heading on the steam railway (well the kids love it) down to the long golden beach at Port Erin. Okay only a total loon (my daughter Olivia) is mad enough to swim in the ice cold sea but the beach is lovely.
8. Cregneash at Hop-tu-naa. An old Manx village (used in the filming of Waking Ned) just like it was in the 19th century. Very pretty and a short walk to see the seals at the Calf of Man. Hop-tu-naa is the Manx-Celtic New Year which is at the same time as Halloween.
9. The Laxey Wheel – from the old lead and zinc mine. A glorious industrial revolution monument. The wheel is on the back of a Manx £10 note. I shall at least be spared the horrors of arriving in the UK with legal tender which is not accepted anywhere ( apart from the Real Man Pizza Company)
10. Point of Ayre. Just 14 miles from Scotland and utterly desolate bar the lighthouse. Seals play in the violent currents unphased by your presence. Wild and windy.

I am sure that I could go on. I shall miss the place in many ways but after the last year I am afraid the bad memories more than outweigh the good. Do not ask me for a bad list, I already have one book to write this summer.