20210814 – Isle of Man – Never Again






Saturday

Joy, start the day with Wendy nipping onto Tesco for a sandwich and a bottle of water. 24 minutes later she emerges. How can anyone take 24 minutes to buy two items, even if you do read the labels and sell by dates.

“To the Thingamajig-a. Here we go, go, go on a an adventure”. This time we’re off to the Isle of Man. No VRBO, for a change we’re staying in a hotel in Douglas. How I spoil her indoors.

The trip to Heysham to catch the ferry went without any holdups. Now there’s a first. Efficient boarding. Booked in the Premium lounge on the ferry, all very civilised and comfy. It’s just a four-hour crossing.

Meal in the hotel is uncertain so I enjoy my Italian Subway with plenty of Jalepenos – I’m sure at tomorrows ablutions I’ll regret it.

Hotel is smart, comfy and the room is very modern, with a separate sitting area. Wifi is a bit tempremental, about 70Mb per sec in the bedroom but only 2 in our lounge. BBC and ITV streaming is dire but Netflix is fine, they obviously know how to write apps that can deal with croissant flaky wifi.

Open a bottle of Carmenera and settle in for the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 
China, the WHO and the power grab that fuelled a pandemic

After being heavily criticised by the World Health Organisation for its response to Sars in 2003, China decided it would not accept such public humiliation again. What followed was a concerted campaign over many years to seize power within the organisation. A Sunday Times investigation raises serious concerns that the independence and leadership of the WHO were severely compromised by the time the first cases of a mysterious new coronavirus appeared in Wuhan in 2019 — with profound consequences

Read in The Times and The Sunday Times: https://apple.news/AubfxV5yGQ16-KUxbLwALrg

Sunday

Good breakfast. Kippers for me, but after almost choking on one I seem to have got a smidgen of peppered kipper in my snot channel that brings on a severe bout of hay-fever, sneezing more than an Iguana in a ground pepper factory.

As we set off for a tour of the Southern part of the island the weather is grey and overcast, not very warm but at least no rain. Wendy is orgasmic when she spots an M&S just behind our hotel.

Drive down to Castle Town. Apart from a castle, hence their name, not really much there.

Drive down to the Calf of Man. Would love to have a coffe and lunch but the only cafe is heaving with coffin dodgers, galloping Zimmer frame cowboys and bloody tourists.

Call at Port Erin, again nothing really to write home about. Only a pizza parlour open for lunch, so its coffee for me and a kids pizza for Wendy. Good job it’s the height of the tourist season or else Wendy may have starved.

First impressions of IoM is it all seems a tad dreary and in need of a fresh coat of paint. Everywhere seems dead, I know it’s a day of rest for god bothers but it is the hight of the holiday season and they do market themselves as a holiday resort as well as a tax haven. As to the beaches well in the main they seem to be rocks and seaweed. I’m going to nominate it as the seaweed capital of Europe.

Dinner in te hotel, the food is excellent but soemwaht limited menu. They don’t know what the soup of the day is. Always a good acid test and sure enough the excellent food is let down by five sloppy service problems. Intrigued by the “Tower of Refuge”, in the bay, as we have dinner.

trivia header

Tower of RefugeThe structure was built upon the reef on the orders of Sir William Hillary (who helped to found the Royal National Lifeboat Institution) in 1832. After several shipwrecks upon the semi-submerged rock, he wanted a refuge for survivors until help could arrive. Sir William, who personally contributed a high proportion of the costs, secured a substantial number of public contributions for funding the building. The owner of the private islet was persuaded to give their permission for the refuge. After its construction, the building was stocked with provisions such as bread and fresh water for any shipwrecked persons. The tower originally housed a bell for summoning of help.
The refuge, which was built to look like a castle, was designed by local architect John Welch who was also responsible for the design of other landmark buildings in the Isle of Man.

 


 


 


As I said our suite is all very modern and swish, so much so that the taps are motion activated. Now I’m sure most of you know that I’m a retired nerd and therefore love all things techy, even though I think that most things with software in them are doomed to failure. I’m such a nerd that if Apple started selling cardboard boxes I’d be first in the overnight queue to buy one. But, I do draw the line at motion activated taps, a nightmare and a failure waiting to happen. Why it’s a wonder they don’t even have an app to control them and the temperature. Madness. KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid. Never mind a spot of chewing gum or even blue tack helps keeps them on.I always remember with my first Mercedes being so impressed with the engineering. Especially the wing mirrors. Whilst passenger side was electronic – makes sense – the drivers side was manual. How elegant and KISS was that.

Monday

Sadly our temple of modernity has no car park so up at the crack of sparrows to move the car.

Haggis for breakfast is excellent, but again let down by service – wot no orange juice?

Lazy morning and then we set off for a drive over to Peel. Lash out £6 each to explore the castle. Have a shufty around the town, nothing much there but manage to find an ice cream parlour that serves coffee and some food. There was a harbour side kiosk that sold Kipper, crab or mackeral baps. Very tempting but having to sit outside at tables, in fear for our life of being blown into the harbour is a tad off putting. It’s grey, over cast, and colder than a witches tit in a brass bra is not my idea of fun.

Drive up the coast to Ramsey. Have a shuffty round but again nothing worth seeing, other than a rusty bridge. Head back home. Another dissappointing day spoilt by a blustery, cold day and uninspiring places.

Dinner at a wine bar. How trendy is that. Excellent food at wine bar prices.

 


Well, this picture of the House of Commons today confirms what I’ve know for years. MPs have no common sense. How can you tell, well count the number wearing masks. Yet their leader said we’ll abandon forcing people to wear masks in doors and rely on their common sense. I rest my case.

 


Well it seems that Kabul has fallen to the Taliban rag heads.Now a country of extreme Islam and sharia law, draggin the country back to 6th century barbarism. If any of the 23% of muslims who support the introduction of sharia law, along with the 39% that agree “wives should always obey their husbands” (now this seems reasonable to me), it is an ideal time to get your wish. Go there for a couple of weeks holiday to see how you like an islamic paradise or better still emigrate for good and bask in the luxury and spiritual rewards of all that sharia has to offer. Don’t pack your mobiles or anything that uses elecricity and if you’re taking her indoors then make sure you have some black bin liners to put over her when she gets off the plane. Enjoy.

PS Don’t take your daughters.

 


Just love this. We should have one of these in every shopping mall and large storehttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxmt2uDWB0w

Let’s remember:

An international report published in The Lancet, which analysed data from 172 studies in 16 countries, found that by wearing a face mask there is just a 3% chance of catching COVID-19.

Wearing face-masks reduces both your risk of catching COVID and the chance that you will pass it on to other people.

In short, wearing a mask protects you and the people around you.

But it seems we have a new breed of SS. Selfish and Stupid. Don’t be selfish and stupid, wear a mask.

Tuesday

After another lazy start then we drive up the coast to the Laxey Wheel. The highlight of our trip and the sun comes out, how lucky can we be?

We both have our phobias challenged. I manage to climb right to the top of the wheel, going up isn’t the problem, coming down is, but I made it. Then we go off to the mine and Wendy manages to challenge her phobia by going all the way in. Very impressive. Have a drive into Old Laxey, nothing to get orgasmic about there.

Back to the hotel for afternoon tea.

For the evening meal I finally discover what Queenies are (Queen scallop (Aequipecten opercularisis) is a medium sized species of scallop, an edible ‘marine bivalve mollusc’ in the family Pectinidae). they’re small and delicious, especially when served with Pancetta in a creamy cheese sauce, then a pulled pork Faijita. Hefty portions of both.

 

Now that’s what I call a sensible parking arrangement.

 


I notice that being the woke snowflake country that we are we’re going to take in 20,000 Afghan refugees. All muslims no doubt. I wonder how many refugees muslim countries are taking in?

 


Good news and a victory for common sense the US Senate has voted to ban government money from being directed towards the teaching of “critical race theory” in schools. I’m sure the woke snowflakes and libtards will be taking to the streets.

Wednesday

Our last day, thank the FSM, we’ve had enough of the IoM. Fortunately we get a late check out.

Then to kill some time before the ferry we set off to explore yet another Neolithic Tomb. Difficult to find and I haven’t the foggiest idea why I wanted to see it, but it was on my list. It’s very remote, a challenge to find and amazingly there are other people there – I think they’re Druids as one of them is lovingly fondling and stroking one of the stones – bizarre.

Then we decide to drive around and see the only mountain on the IoM, well really a hill. All we see is cloud. Well at least we get to finish off the TT course.

Back to Douglas to kill a couple of hours – shopping – before it’s time for dinner. Not one of the most exciting shopping precincts. Meander round like two lost turtles. Finally time for dinner in the wine bar again. What a treat one of there specials is half a lobster with Queenies. Sadly I can’t drink as I have to drive but I’m orgasmic as I discover they sell alcohol free Jever, not quite as good as the real McCoy, but what a treat.

Ferry crossing is smooth and pretty well organised then it’s just an hours drive and we’re home and in bed by 01:00.

Well I suppose we’re glad we’ve been to the IoM but wild Unicorns and free trips to a lap dancing bar couldn’t drag me back.

It’s all rather tired and dreary with very little to offer us. Seems full of coffin dodgers. Beaches seem to be sea weed strewn rock fields. Only saw one child making sandcastles. You have to question whether they’re really want tourists. Apart from the Laxey Wheel and possibly the blustery Peel castle there’s nothing much to recommend it. Fortunately our 4 star hotel was good and meals, inlacing breakfasts were excellent.

trivia header

Cashtal yn Ard (The Castle of the Heights) is one of the best ancient monuments on the Isle of Man. One of three Neolithic tombs, dating from around 2000 BC. It is the best preserved of them all and one of the largest of its kind in the British Isles. The monument was originally a megalithic chambered Cairn (a conical heap of stones built as a monument or a landmark) holding five chambers and extending over 130 feet long. Such sites were used as communal burial places for Neolithic chieftains and their families. A deed from 1795 names the monument as Cashtal y mucklagh y vagileragh (The castle of the field pigsty). It was excavated in the 1930’s and later in 1999.

 


 


 


Of course the tourist information offices are all closed on a Sunday. How bizzare is that. Saturday and Sunday must be the busiest days with weekenders and Saturday arrivals having their first full day on Sunday so wanting info to plan their week. But I suppose it’s a tad inconvieniant to have to work on a sunday. Those damn CUSTOMERS are jjust an inconvieniance.
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