Topaz

The Courier interview didn't say she is a moron, it stated that she is a Mormon..........

There is an interview/questionaire on page 18 of this weeks Courier with a founder of Mannin Aboo. What a wally! her perfect day would be going somewhere nice and having chips, perfect meal MacDonalds, she only watches the Simpsons and Jeremy Kyle, and hates nasty men who gossip and argue like old women. Absolutely the right blueprint for a strong willed, clear headed, politicaly savvy and cultured Nationalist to spearhead a campaign group calling for an Independent republic of Mann.......... We really are doomed, we bloody well are.

About twelve years ago, before we were all using email and other forms of rapid communication. I was on a weeks secondment to a newspaper in Liverpool, and living here on the Island. For some reason the items for inclusion in the personal column kept landing on my desk and I had to keep redirecting them to the classified section. One day a really goodlooking Catholic priest came in to see me. He was doing a piece for the Catholic Herald, and was planning a visit to the Island in the forseeable future. I agreed to help him find accomodation etc. His name was Father Michael. Time went by and eventualy he contacted me, I booked him into a hotel, made some arrangements for him and quite looked forward to showing 'Michael' the Island. ( yes, of course I knew he'd be celibate, tsk.) Well the day came and I set off to the airport to meet and greet, as you do. I watched the plane come in, and I watched the people come up the walkway, no Father Michael. I waited until the airport was nearly empty again and was just about to leave when a tiny man in a long grey overcoat and big blue mohair scarf approached me. " Excuse me, are you XXX ?" he said. I replied that I was indeed that person. " Oh thank goodness " he says. " I thought , perhaps you'd changed your mind. I'm Michael." Bewildered, as I was, I realised that something strange had happened.....Michael had somehow been provided with my name and phone number to his box number in the lonely hearts column. God ( most likely) knew what correspondence Father Michael had been recieving. I never had the courage to find out.

Along with a few friends, I was once chucked out of the Waterloo for singing.

Now why am I not surprised that you named an African Grey parrot Orry? Anybody else would have called him Zulu or something. Does he speak with a manx accent? I've got this image in my head of the parrot after his bath all snuggied up in a little bathrobe with the hood up and a three legs of Man on the back, tucking into his supper and wriggling his toes by the fire. I know, I know, I really should get out more. On the subject of getting out more,I went to the pet shop at St Johns today and discovered that they sell wild hedgehog food. Brilliant idea, as all the hedgehogs who visit my garden seem to eat slugs and that's not something I like watching. Cheers Topaz

Hello Tom. Glad to hear you've been out and about and that things are going so well.Every time you mention Skipper you remind me of my much loved aunt . My aunt was also blind, although not from childhood. She, like, you was a wonderfull character, with an amazing spirit and sense of humour. As far as I know she never had a dog, whenever she was out walking with a member of the family or a friend she used to put her fore arm behind her back at waist level and we would grip her hand and sort of 'steer' her. Anyway, one day I brought up the subject of her having a dog. She was adamant that she niether wanted nor needed a dog,the argument dragged on for a while until she brought it to an abrupt end with "Well you have to pick up after a dog, and how the hell would I find the shit?" I had no answer to that. Cheers Topaz.

Hi there Tom. Some months ago I had a new bedroom fitted, after the intial enthusiasim about getting it all just so, the novelty wore off and I threw everything into boxes in various wardrobes. Now, the reason I'm telling you this is that somewhere in that surreal world of the wardrobe is a copy off your book......I can't find it! However I remember one passage in the book which still keeps me giggling and it concerns a friend who was driving a van with you as his passenger. On attempting to reverse, and forgetting that you are blind, he asked you if it was all clear on your side, you in turn thinking he was joking assured him that all was clear and go ahead, this he did, and it wasn't! That same gentleman had another narrow escape many years earlier. This was in the old Rushen Abbey Hotel, we were playing darts and he was marking the board ( or maybe just sitting too close to the board). My turn came to throw and being a crap darts player my dart went way off the mark and hit the little tin hat that sat above the dart board, only to ricochet off and zoom back to land just between this gentlemans legs and very very close to the crotch.For a few seconds there was a frozen silence and then out of this silence came Bobba Cowley's voice......" I hope she's not going for three in a bed". Cheers Topaz

Good Morning Tom and, of course, Barbara. I look forward to reading your blog each day and you always give me food for thought. One of the thoughts was to go through my CDs and find and play " Ellan Vannin remembered". I was wondering , as next year is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Ellan Vannin, why don't you re issue that? Would there be any big problems? There is so much more technology available to help with marketing now than there was in 1999. My grown up children went "WOW" when I played the CD, and I think it is truly beautifull. Cheers! Topaz

You've long been an inspiration ,Tom. So has Barbara. I remember being absolutely stunned when, about ten years ago , just finishing up last orders in the top bar of the Station Hotel in Port st Mary this beautifull ethereal voice floated up and it was Barbara singing " Fields of Barley". The clientelle of the time had been used to more raucus renditions on the part of the darts team (me included) of such things as Mama Mia and Dancing Queen. Hands holding pints were stilled and jaws dropped, nobody moved, there was total silence as we listened to that amazing voice, unaccompanied. You both have such dynamic personalities and such a positive mental attitude. Everyone who has ever met you will be walking alongside you every step of the way, as will those who are coming to know you through your blog. You are both multi talented and have a lot to share with us. Topaz.