Sometimes the most innocent questions or small requests can lead to the most unimaginable circumstances. Many years ago, a friend of mine asked me if I fancied a teatime pint. “Yes, no problem” I answered. An hour later we are both stood in the pub and my friend got a message to join the Peveril (a Steam Packet cargo ship) in Douglas and sail for Liverpool. “Do you fancy a trip?” he asked. The next thing I know, I was on my way to Liverpool. After spending all day discharging in Coburg Dock, we
I was really saddened yesterday when my wife Barbara read in the examiner that my old friend Francie Hughes had died. Francie came here from County Armagh and lived in Ramsey for many years. He was a leading member of the folk group, the Mannin folk. Francie was a larger than life character, full of fun and always with a song on the end of his tongue. Occasionally he would come back to our house when we lived in Ramsey. With a bottle of porter between us, Francie would entertain us by playing
Well I must say it was nice to see Liverpool wallop the MANCS yesterday, I guess their parachute payment at the end of the season will come in handy to tempt Bobby Charlton out of retirement. It is strange how the rivalry in Liverpool between Liverpool and Everton has now swung to the Liverpool United match. It is a shame though that what used to be good old rivalry has now turned to hatred amongst a few.
When I was at the blind school in Liverpool, every year we played Henshaws blind schoo
Today is not a good day for travellers. An airline XL has gone bust leaving over 100,000 people stranded around the world. A fire on a train in the channel tunnel has shut down the tunnel for the foreseeable future. Thousands of people have lost their holiday in the sun and won’t get their money back. If I was to go around Castletown selling vacuums, taking people’s money, and then not turning up with the vacuums, I would now be sampling the delights of Jurby Jail, so why are these directors all
Well yesterday I began the day feeling really good. I managed a walk in the morning and again in the evening. I began to go down hill fast just after dinner and had to retire to bed. I was looking forward to listening to the England match last night so with my radio turned on and relaxed in my bed for the match. When I next focussed England had won 4-1 and 5live were crackling on about the big bang theory. I once was actually present when a big bang took place. I and my two brothers were at hom
I am told that extremely heavy rain is coming our way from Northern Ireland and it should be with us in about an hour or so. Waiting for heavy rain is a bit like waiting for a bus that is going somewhere you don’t want to go to, like hospital or work. Talking of busses, back in the days of the old route master bus, where you got on at the back and paid the conductor, there used to be a conductor from Port Erin called Frankie Clucas. I recall an incident one day whereby about four of us boarded t
I have woken up today feeling good for the first time in over two weeks. It's as if I have been given a reprieve for my birthday. I have let so many birthdays slip by in the past unnoticed. However, if there is such a thing as a special birthday, then I suppose this is one. Today I am 55. I was not supposed so see this birthday. On this day last year I woke up, got dressed and reached for my pipe. Of course I did not know what lay ahead. By October I had packed in smoking, and by November I was
Good morning people. Sorry for going AWOL for a whole week. I don’t want to become a whinge, so I will just briefly explain that I have not been feeling too good for this last two weeks or so. It is purely the side effects of radiation. When it’s bad I simply don’t have the energy to do anything. All I want to do is sleep and that isn’t good for you. Well now I shan’t crackle on about being ill anymore.
Barbara has bought me a very expensive birthday present, a Bose digital radio. Well it’s
So, here we are on September 1st. Another summer is drawing to an end. Some of you will say, “What summer?” Ok, the weather might not have been as good as we might have wanted it to be, none-the-less, another TT has past, another tin bath event has gone by, two agricultural shows, the Southern 100 and the Manx Grand Prix to mention but a few. All these events are hallmarks of our summer. Strange though isn’t it. When we wake up on Christmas morning and the sun is shining, and there is no snow or
Hi people. Well this is just a very short blog whilst Barbara has nipped out with Skipper. I saw the consultant yesterday and he is sending me for a head scan. I’m not keen on a head scan but I guess I will just have to go along with whatever they say for now. Sadly there will not be a gathering tonight but hopefully we will have one tomorrow night. The consultant said that after my scan he might have to put me on steroids. He has a weird accent and I thought he said he was going to give me a lo
Tom has asked me to let you all know that he is under the weather at the moment and not able to do his blog. He hasn't been well for over a week and has been feeling very nauseous. This week it got worse and a visit to the doctor didn't really throw any light on the cause, but he has now got anti sickness tablets which have eased the symptoms. I'm now happy to say we appear to have discovered the cause of the sickeness, vertigo. If Tom moves his head quickly or doesn't walk slowly, he is very di
A German doctor while based in England became very disillusioned with the British class system. It annoyed him so much, that on one occasion he uncoupled the first class carriages from the rear of a train in Crew station. The train pulled away leaving the first class passengers sitting on an engineless train in Crew station for several hours, whilst the second class passengers rattled on towards their destination, probably oblivious to what the doctor had done.
When I was a kid travelling b
I have just enjoyed a poached egg on toast for breakfast. I am glad Barbara was not watching any celebrity chef programmes last night on the TV; otherwise I probably would not have enjoyed my breakfast. In my opinion, celebrity chefs are probably very good at preparing gourmet food. However, I don’t think they have the faintest idea how to cook basic stuff. A few weeks ago, I woke up to a bacon butty for breakfast. Unfortunately one of these celebrity chefs had been on the telly the night before
Good morning people. Firstly I am sorry for going AWOL for the last few days. I was not too good on Thursday and Friday so I’m afraid the blog just didn’t happen. I have been wondering for sometime now about toning the blog down from a daily rant to a weekly one. I guess everything runs its course, and it seems to me that maybe it is now time to press the keys once a week. I will stumble on a daily basis for the next week or so and after that who knows.
Well, we had a pleasant little surpris
Like everyone else on the Island, I am disappointed this morning that our young cyclist Mark Cavendish did not win a medal this morning. Never mind, he is a young fella and his time will come again, of that I am certain. It reminded me of my own cycling triumphs many years ago. I was never going to win an Olympic gold medal, or any other medal for that matter. At the blind school in Liverpool we had bicycles to play with. Yes, we were able to take a bike and ride around the playground on them.
Grocer Jack was one of the few people not upset by the supermarket that had just set-up on the outskirts of the village. On the opening day he took a gander over to check it out. On spotting a large sign at the entrance to the super market that was advertising, "Bacon two shillings a pound," he immediately turned round and headed back to his shop. He wasted no time in putting up a sign advertising, "Bacon one and sixpence a pound." The next day the supermarket changed its sign to read, "Bacon on
Its 9.55 and at present it is not raining, however, the forecast indicated that very soon, it will be pelting down. We are told to expect at least an inch of rain today. When I was a youngster, my elders always used to tell me to make sure I saved a few bob for a rainy day. Well I would have had to amassed a considerable fortune to see me through this lot. When I worked at the bank, I got lots of advice on pension schemes and investment plans for when I grew older. Well we all know what happened
Yesterday, Barbara had a dentist’s appointment in Ramsey. After a few bad experiences in Port Erin, Barbara returned to the dentist we had in Ramsey 12 years ago, Mr Jones. She has been with him now for about 2 years. I have not been to a dentist for over 5 years so I guess I don’t have one at all at present. Anyway we set off for the dentist and stopped off at the Point of Ayre to let Skipper have an hour or so bouncing about out there. I have been having a bit of trouble with toothache now for
I have to make an appointment with a dentist later. I have never liked dentists, in fact I have always thought that if ‘push came to shove’, I could quite easily get by without teeth. Well at least real ones. False teeth would suit me fine. If I can manage the last 50 years or so with a pair of false eyes, then a set of false teeth would or should be a doddle. Well, like I say, I have never been very fond of trips to the dentist but this time it will be a little different. After the events of th
Good morning folks, well it's a lovely bright sunny day. What a bitch! My medical people tell me I must avoid direct sunlight and apply 50 factor sun cream at all times. I have spent the last few days wittering on about the blessed rain and now I want it back again. I am between a rock and a hard place. I either go out and get soggy or stay in because it's too sunny. Life could be so much worse couldn't it! What if I couldn't get out of bed each morning until help arrived! At least I have a choi
Once again I woke up to a sky full of teeming rain. I turned on the radio to listen to Manx Radio for the 7 a.m. news and to catch Eric Kelly with the 'Thought for the day' which comes on just before the news. Today he said that half a million people in this world die each year because they have no fresh water. What is God playing at, I have to ask myself! Why is he/she sending us more water than we can cope with, and none at all to others who desperately need it? For me, the situation just rein
Today there is a fresh wind from the southwest. The forecast says the rain is going to continue and will become heavy again. I don’t know about global warming, but I sure am learning a lot about global soaking. Why have we got all the money and the third world have none! Why have we far too much water and the third world have none! I heard someone on the radio this morning on thought for the day saying. If you have food in your fridge, a roof over your head, and some money in the bank, then you
CHLAMYDIA TREATMENT IN PHARMACIES WILL DELIVER
CONVENIENT CARE FOR PATIENTS
The decision by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to
approve the reclassification of azithromycin for the treatment of chlamydia infection will mean
convenient and effective care for patients, said the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great
Britain (RPSGB). Azithromycin, currently licensed as a prescription-only medicine, is expected
to be available for sale from pharmacies without a pre
