TravelWatch thinks there should be a review of the Isle of Man’s travel links with the outside world in the light of the shutdown of our sea and air services a short time ago. But what can we do?
I suppose we could row our island as close to England as possible, to Liverpool for example, so that people could simply step on and off shore dry shod. But I think there might be problems with this.
In the circumstances, why not build a road bridge from the Isle of Man to somewhere else in the British Isles? Then we could all drive on and off.
Now don’t think this is a new idea. I can remember it being talked of in Tynwald 30 odd years ago. The notion came from the then MHK for East Douglas Mr David Martin who, as a Douglas seafront hotelier, was understandably concerned about the security of our external travel links.
A fixed link he called it. But where to build it?
On economy grounds it was thought it would have to be as short as possible, perhaps stretching from the Point of Ayre to the southern coast of Scotland at Burrow Head, a distance of 10 miles. The next shortest would be from the Point of Ayre to St Bee’s Head in Cumbria. Unfortunately Mr Martin’s notion got nowhere.
In view of the present day concerns, however, I think it should be looked at again by Tynwald.
But what would we call this fabulous fixed link? Well, there is one resonant Manx name which was at the centre of last week’s problems
We could call it Manannan’s Bridge.
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On Manx Radio the Mandate programme presenter John Moss chose to say that something had been done ‘in one fell swoop.’ But he didn’t say ‘fell.’ He used another word, which was incorrect, and which he acknowledged as such when a listener rang up to take him to task.
What he did not do was tell people whether he was trying to say ‘in one fowl swoop’ or ‘in one foul swoop.’
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That Manx crossword clue wag Frank Bond in Doncaster revealed how he got ‘kitten’ last week. He told me: ‘My wife asked me-ow I got it. I said I’d looked it up in a catalogue. She said it would have been a catastrophe if I hadn’t got it.’
That’s purrfect Frank.
On another waggish tack Frank asked me: ‘Now that I can bring my caravan to the Isle of Man, do you think I would need just one permit or one for each camel?’
Just don’t get the hump about it, Frank.
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In the Examiner last week, covering pages 27 and 28, there was a photograph of hundreds of people downing a few snifters at the CAMRA beer festival and at least two readers, Jon Callister and Richard Davies, told me they recognised President Putin sitting up at the bar. There is a remarkable resemblance here but I leave it to other readers to pick this man out for themselves. He might not be too pleased if I told the world who he looked like by re-running the photograph. Mind you it could be that President Putin really was there. But it’s not for me to blow his cover.
He might be planning to stand for the House of Keys next year, with his eye on becoming Chief Minister Putin.
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In a list of Sky TV channels, where programme names are often fore-shortened, at 5.30pm on Sky 2 there was on offer: ‘Terry Prat.’
I think I know who they mean and he wasn’t.
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At Walk and Talk last week I encountered a lady marching along with her iPhone held up in front her and looking intently at the display panel. She told me she was rehearsing the words of a song she was going to be singing in the Guild. I wanted to ask her name but she was leaving me behind; nearly all the ladies are faster than me.
But is it going to be Walk and Talk and Sing in future?
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My Manx crossword clue enthusiasts had little trouble deciding why, as asked last week, the answer to ‘Capricious Manx cat not acceptable in stage show (9)’ should be ‘Whimsical’.
Answers came in from Heather Horsburgh (daughter of Lockie), Barbara Taylor, Frank Bond and Ken Fogelman. Heather, for instance, offered: The cat is whip as in cat-of-nine tails. Manx cat becomes whi. Not acceptable stage show, non-u musical, becomes msical.