VERDICT: MAGIC AND THEN SOME
Basking sharks and some of the other abundant wildlife we saw, are written up in several posts from here: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 73#p424321
No parking charges, traffic jams, advertising hoardings, boarded up shops, unemployment, and tax at 10% Self sufficient in main foodstuffs, with low food mileages and 100% traceability, therefore great quality. Good tourism facilities but not in your face, and no rip offs that we found. Ultra friendly people.
Downside - property expensive (but wonderful addresses: The Cronk, Port Soderick - think about it!).Superb scenery. This is a bit of the panoramic view from The Sound Visitor Centre and Cafe, at the southern tip of the main island, looking across to the Calf of Man - bird observatory, and masses of Atlantic Grey Seals. Manx Natiuonal Heritage: http://www.gov.im/mnh/. Boat trips from Port Erin.
A sample basking shark, photographed out on an evening boat trip from Peel. http://www.manxseaquest.com. Big ones, as this one was, are typically 11m long, and they can grow to nearly 14 m - the world's second largest fish. More pix at: http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 73#p425465
This chap followed our boat back into Peel Harbour:
Fleshwick Bay, as we had it all afternoon - before school finished that day, and eleven people kayaked the 10 miles from Peel, as below:
Somebody else having a close encounter with a seal. Two teachers from QE2 High School in Peel, just delivering nine 16-17 year old s (both sexes) into Fleshwick Bay, for the students to camp rough overnight, part of preparation for their forthcoming Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition's kayak stage up the east coast of Greenland. Hopefully, polar bears and killer whales will not take the same interest when they get there. Parting shot from PE teacher - "No toilet rolls in the wilderness. Find sponges, or use seaweed tonight, and dispose of them between the tide lines"
The island was crawling with new life, such as this herring gull chick:
Mrs M looking for some of it:
As part of the Armed Forces Weekend, this Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota did a fly-past on the Sunday, past the memorial parade in Douglas. Met the pilot and navigator killing time in the little Manx Aviation Museum http://www.maps.iofm.net/, and had a natter. I used to work on the defunct T1154/R1155 HF radio rig, they have in the back of their Lancaster, which both of them also fly, so was able to answer questions for them!!
Sunset over Derby Haven and Ronaldsway Airport, from favourite place, St Michael's Island - great walking turf, and contains a Henry VIII fort, complete with a full set of cannon, and an 11th/12th century early Christian chapel. Particularly evocative out there, when sea fog rolls in. Masses of bird life (all over the island) - Manx Wildlife Trust http://manxwt.org.uk/
This is the real mother of parliaments - Tynwald Hill, where the Manx government has met (nowadays only once a year) since Viking times, more than a thousand years ago. Great idea - put all the politicians on a grass mound where the voters can see them.
Paul -the only remaining traditional Manx kipper curer, who still smokes them over an open oak fire, as shown. They are delicious:
Now, the TT:
Twenty nine cars from the Veteran Car Club of GB were on the island, recreating the original 1905 Tourist Trophy race - for cars, not bikes. Held on the island, as road racing was banned in the UK. Later moved to Ulster, and then the bikes took over on the Isle of Man. This one broke down as we followed it. Wouldn't accept help, and I later heard they got going OK. One of the others broke a crankshaft though, and was towed onto our ferry back to Liverpool. We think we have spares problems!!
The lighter side:
What's that? You want to see the car they were in? Oh, you petrolheads. Here it is the, a very rare 1912 (I think) Bedford Buick - an imported Buick chassis, with prestige UK coachbuilt body. Very up market at the time.
Many more in this great video of an earlier VCC of GB event in the Huntingdon/Grafahm Water area. Watch it without a smile, if you can!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_zFVeia310
Now the bike TT Races:
This man was apparently a former TT rider, "a biker since 1953" - anybody know who he is? His garden is full of biker figures, honouring friends, including dead ones. He says the "ghost" I photographed was his wife on her moped
Don't know about that but two TT riders were killed just before we arrived, making 229 deaths in the TT and Manx Grand prix since 1911.
One of these was on our ferry back
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Drove the fabulous TT course - can well understand the bikers' deadly fascination. Bongo did very well
Because of my post-op state, we stayed in a hotel, and used the Bongo as the brilliant day van it is. Checked out a couple of good campsites for future ref though. If anybody wants the info, please PM me. Similarly for details of probably the only LPG Autogas supply on the island.
Obviously, we caught the weather just right, and being in the middle of the Irish Sea, it can be wet and windy there - so best advice is probably go there, if like us (retired), you can pick your moment, and go at short notice. Outside of school holidays, you should have no problem.
New sticker on the Bongo, and back to the real world, bowled over by the Isle of Man and much refreshed as a result
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