Scousers and the Isle of Man

As part of our-near-UK-tour-of-islands, the Ise of Man has been on the bucket list for many years. In many ways it seems we left the best to last.

We overnighted in Liverpool and our hotel window overlooked a queue of people. Further investigation drew us to the Beatles museum and that was too good to pass up. It all started as a group called the quarry men based in Halewood. Quite a coincidence as I started my career at Halewood – living on site in a caravan extending the sewage works!

Next came the famous cavern which had been carefully reproduced. It would have been quite a hot bed of activity…

One thing can be said about the fab four – they were so self-assured – even before they became household names….

They’re statue sits near to Cunard House. I wonder what personal details are hidden in their vaults. I suspect Edward V11 records might outweigh Halling.

And after that short overnight stop we headed just up the road to the local “Tassie Cat” to zoom us over to Douglas in a mere 2¾ hours.

We stayed at a B&B in Glen Mona some ten minutes south of Ramsey. The garden was something to behold. Fortunately, a robo lawn mower kept the grass under control.

The views were spectacular. The sea ensures a temperate climate and although rain had been in short supply there was sufficient to keep fields green - in stark comparison to the mainland.

After dumping our bags, we visited the local beach and then traversed a ford,

en route to a small group of standing stones. “Cashtal yn Ard” is a Neolithic chambered tomb and dates back to around 1800 BC. (That is close to Stonehenge times.) There are five burial chambers – a dramatic site in the middle of nowhere.

The Isle of Man is not too large and a little over an hours drive North to South. We headed for the West coast and the stunning port of Peel. The harbour’s entrance is protected by Patrick’s Isle which initially had a small wooden fort (built by the Viking king Magnus Barefoot around 1100 so well before Nike). The stone castle was built during the 14^th century.

This view was from the hill that leads up to a stone tower known as Corrin's Folly built around 1806.  Next to the tower is a small graveyard where Thomas Corrin's his wife and children are buried. The walk to the tower included a few ups and downs before the 150 metre summit was achieved. 

It is understandable why Thomas spent so much time up here with views like this.

After well earned and unusual brie and cranberry sandwich we headed south to the Calf of Man which apparently gets its name from an Old Norse word kalfr - a small island located near a larger one. 

There was quite a tidal race which whisked through a small boat (that can be seen left above) but was of no challenge to a small herd of seals safely ensconced on the other side away from human sightseers. They do blend in well with their surroundings. (Look closely – you should see 11 of them.)

The usual blue, green landscape colours were enhanced by the grey rock interspersed with contrasting white quartz veins. This appears to be a small harbour given the hewn steps that can be seen towards the middle left.

The next day our exploration was focussed on the East coast and the capital Douglas. After several hours walking the 2.5 kms promenade and a meandering tour of the town there was real appeal in returning via the horse drawn tram. 

The horses seem to enjoy their work and are changed after each “there and back” so are far from overworked.

At the North end was a shed of trams of a slightly later vintage given they are electically powered.

We decided that the return trip to Ramsey would be a fun but not onerous adventure and were rewarded by spectacular views. It is hard to imagine a tram ride anywhere in the world with a similarly stunning vista.

About halfway is the town of Laxey where a second tram can take you all the way up to Snaefell the highest point on the island (unlike the road which leaves you with a reasonable walk).

Laxey has a large wheel (built in 1854) which was used to pump out water from the deep shafts of the lead, zinc and copper mines.

And finally there was Ramsey where the focus is inevitably drawn to the Queen's Pier. Completed in 1886 it is almost 700 metres long and was built to serve as a low-water landing stage so that larger steam packet ships could pick up and discharge passengers and cargo without getting stuck at shallow low tides. Unfortunately, it has been closed for some three decades but is now slowly being repaired as a local community project.

After some quick swapping around the tram with its second car we were off for the return journey back to Douglas.

The Douglas front brims with colour. Here the Bee Gees have a similar statue to their Liverpudlean counterparts. Many of the sea front hotels also overview a series of sunken gardens.

A few of the buildings were particularly attractive. The Villa Marina concert hall

and the Gaiety Theatre and opera house were clear standouts.

All of which were enanced by a variety of flower arrangements. This one has Conistor Rock in the background. Unusually the structure is not a castle but a refuge for distressed sailors (most of whom were in trouble because of hitting the submerged reef that it is built on).

It is hard to go to the Isle of Man and not be aware of the famous 37 mile long motorbike race. As we toured, preparations were underway. Although padding and hay bales were in evidence their placement seemed a bit piecemeal with many hard surfaces (stone walls, trees) left alone. The more Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix are separate races (and months) to the Isle of Man TT (tourist trophy) (held this year in June) where cutting edge superbikes are wridden by professionals at extreme speeds. With average speeds nearing 140 mph on normal narrow roads it is ridiculously dangerous and since 1907 has claimed 271 lives.

This is the high point adjacent Snaefell where we filled up on a huge (bike rider sized!) and flavourful shepards pie.

And with that we returned to Douglas and awaited our Tassie ferry “Mannan”.

A fantastic few days. I recommend the Isle of Man being added to everyone's bucket list.

Cornwall and Addicroft Mill

This year’s trip was centred around a surprise holiday for Jo (Helen’s sister’s) 70th birthday celebrations. Her son Phil rented Addicroft Mill which was down a hidden and very narrow lane near Rilla Mill, Bodmin. A stunning location for royalty to reflect on while eating breakfast and patiently waiting for a second cup of coffee.

Apart from considerable acreage there was a large heated swimming pool, sauna, woodfired hot tub and tennis court. 

Internally the accommodation had large rooms with superb finishes and fittings that were modern but melded well with the building. It takes a bit of imagination to recognise that the wooden mechanisms of the mill would sit well with a bronze bath. 

The house is owned by Jack Harries who makes YouTube travel documentaries (see https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTqEu1wZDBju2tHkNP1dwzQ). The video is worth watching. Given the work involved in refurbishing and then maintaining the house short documentaries must be a lucrative business. Mind you there is still lots of work to do with the water wheel somewhere near the top of the list.

The trip was all about family sharing some good time together – which is all too rare. We took turns in the kitchen and I had a rewarding day cooking a beef wellington. It did not last long…

We did manage to get out for a couple of trips. All were up for a visit to King Arthurs castle (Tintagel). Although Helen and I have been before (see August 2017 blog - https://hallingholidays.blogspot.com/search?q=tintagel) I was keen to see the new access bridge. It is a very clever slim cantilevered design.

Unusually the middle isn’t joined other than by a couple of pins to maintain alignment. The deck was also unusual with slate edges providing a non-slip surface to compliment the castle’s structure. The weight would also help to dampen any movement as walkers bounced across.

It is eye catching from many angles.

Although the bridge removes the need for traversing down and up almost 150 steps, the path down to the bridge was steep. The exercise was enhanced by a detour to the toilets (requiring seriously more down and up). This could be the reason our intrepid travellers look rather pleased with themselves at having finally arrived on the island.

One in particular felt particularly at home with a sword in his hand (even if he is on tip toes).

We also squeezed in a quick visit to Port Isaac home of Doc Martin. This was our third visit. (See the link above and https://hallingholidays.blogspot.com/2011/07/20sw-england_17.html). Sailing is clearly a few hours off and I suspect studying in the school atop the cliffs would be a challenge given the view’s obvious potential to precipitate daydreaming.

Our only other trip was to Padstow. The tide here also sees a considerable number of marooned boats. The town was heaving with visitors, so Helen and I headed for a walk out of town while the rest of the team opted for some time on the beach.

The walk included some magnificent views and at the end of a long walk around this bay we were rewarded with a Cornish tea on one of the (angled) cottages in this shot. A sign advised that in this part of the world jam goes on first ahead of the clotted cream (just in case you are not in the know).

Visits aside, the focus of most of the week was time at the Mill with swimming, hot tubbing, football and playing “Five Crowns” a card game introduced to us by Steve and Jilly. A contrasting mixture of frivolity and quite reflection. TV was a wonderful absence.

It is difficult not to chill when you wonder around woodlands like this. 

Where views, ever changing shadows and bird calls were the only distractions. A week where we all slowed down and rejuvenated our batteries and souls. Just brilliant!

Norfolk

It has been decades (ie pre blog 2009) since we visited Norfolk. We set up at a site on the broads near Ludham Bridge. Our first visit was to Holkham Hall. The colour of the rather dull external architecture blended well with the grass which was going through its third heatwave in a few weeks. 

However, the external is in stark contrast to the internal environment where lavish finishes and colour abound. The grandeur starts with the entrance hall which has borrowed some Italian designs. The stonework though is not Italian marble, but pink and grey English alabaster sourced from Staffordshire and Derbyshire.

An early attraction was this unusual extending round dining table which was invented by Robert Jupe in 1835. It is a masterpiece of Victorian engineering. The table is expanded using a hand operated mechanism and then the resulting gaps are infilled with leaves. The result is a range of settings from intimate to spacious, but you would need a large room (and some £90,000)!

The 18^th C wall coverings to the red room were red velvet and crimson silk damask. Some worn areas had been meticulously repaired by hand. The two settees were not just worn but in many places threadbare. However, the owner had decreed they were not to be repaired so visitors could appreciate how much they had been used (and were presumably rather comfortable).

Meanwhile the royal suite was lavish and remarkably well preserved. Fortunately, the lack of use and as a result drapes being closed has substantially reduced sunlight damage. The windows in all rooms now have a fine mesh covering to keep light levels low and reduce damage.

An exception was the kitchen which was well lit. The pulleys, rods and chains surrounding the fire were imaginative. A large weight was pulled up and then gravity slowly drove the mechanism (much like a grandfather clock) and ensured fowl and sheep/beef slowly turned and cooked in their own juices and did not burn. 

I would have thought venison would also be part of the menu. Mind you these seem to be cooking all on their own in the heatwave conditions…

Holkham Hall adjoins Wells-next-the-sea. The town is colourful and very active, not least due to the 2km (1 mile) walk to get out to the sea! 

Here is a large tidal range with many signs warning not to get caught by swift incoming tides. They clearly get quite high as the stilt construction of the beach houses attest.

In a free paper we spotted an interesting three-part trip on the Southern broads comprising, a walk, pub lunch and boat trip.

On the walk we had an unusual encounter. This little pony was suffering the equivalent of diabetes and the resulting bloated tummy meant daily walks were required.

The picturesque Lock Inn was at the end of a one km gravel road (even the car park was a trek). It is a community owned pub with shares still available.

After a sausage roll and shandy we headed for the “Big Dog Ferry”. Here this electrically powered boat took us back on a peaceful glide down the river Waveney to our start point in Beccles. 

Beccles is a colourful town where flint is a common building material used to great effect but few were as eye catching as this house.

The church at the top of the hill is visible for miles but unusually (and certainly not appreciated from this view) the tower is separate to the church.

Norfolk has two river systems The Northern broads arrive at the sea at Great Yarmouth and the Southern broads at Lowestoft. The “Broads“ were formed through the removal of peat (for fire) hence the rivers were widened (or in this case broadened). There are over 60 broads and some form quite large lakes. Below the peat there was sand and gravel which was also removed but the whole system remains very shallow.

The result – some very beautiful country and for the well-heeled prime location houses. We took a trip on a “paddle steamer” out of Wroxham. Here are two examples if you have a few million in change.

This was George Formby’s house which judging by its size was probably the precipitator of “When I’m cleaning windows”.

Of course sailing has unique challenges as the waterways are narrow and shallow so no large keels and the banks seemed to play a significant role in steering!

There are also some historical boats called Wherrys. There are only a half dozen now in use. This is Solace which was built in 1903 and is part of the National Historic fleet. It has white sails and hence is a pleasure boat.

By comparison Albion (1898) was a trading boat taking goods from the seaport inland. It is some 60ft in length, constructed in oak and as a working boat has a black sail.

After a bit of emailing, we were allowed to go on board at the end of a days outing. She is a heavy boat to manoeuvre!

Although we had left our enquiry too late to go on a trip we did get to see the mast being lowered. It is made of pine and is a carefully balanced arrangement. 

It has a simple pin arrangement (at the top of this picture) with counterweights below.

As part of our day trip we were also saw a WW2 vessel. This is a Whaleback MASB (Motor Anti-Submarine Boat) S32. After being submerged for some 20 years she is now undergoing a major restoration. She was originally a high-speed launch built in 1939, and used for Air Sea Rescue missions to save ditched bomber aircrew. 

Our use of the caravan was restricted to a short two weeks so packing and cleaning were the goals on out last day. Once the chores were finished we decided on a quick visit to a nearby RAF radar museum. This is in the middle of nowhere and what quickly became clear was that the 1.5 hours we had allowed was not nearly enough. There was so much to see. We had a fascinating talk in the ops room given by someone who was part of the cold war team.

This was leading edge technology in its day. Tracking planes using radar also required an operations room where planes were plotted and decisions made as to where interceptions should occur.

There was even the opportunity to sit in a Jaguar fighter with a heads up display, however there was not the time for me to squeeze into the cockpit let alone the considerable time I would have needed to extricate myself!