THE ISLE OF MAN

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3830, 6 November 1936, Page 5

THE ISLE OF MAN

A LITTLE KNOWN ISLAND. (By H.T.S.) Every year Australian tourists pour into the British Isles, in thousands. Many of them come away with a more intimate knowledge of London than that possesesd by the majority of provincial born Englishmen. I have met few who have not also made at least a cursory tour along the south coast of England, who have not passed through the mountains of North Wales and the western highlands of Scotland; few, too, who have not taken a passing glance at the industrial towns of the midlands or the north, or lingered in some one or other of the old world cathedral cities. So far, however, I have met no Australian who has visited the Isle ot man. Yet this small island has as great a claim on the tourist as any part of the British Isles. The Isle of Man is interesting; it is unique. Politically and financially it is independent of the rest of Great Britain. Here we have a tiny community—the population is only about fifty thousand in all—separate from the rest of the country. English, and yet not English, always proud and jealous of its peculiar position. It has an interesting history, too. The earliest history, like that of so many countries, is a mixture of fairy tale, legend and fable, all doubtless containing a germ of truth, but of little interest to any but the antiquarian. In 1920 the island came under English control. Edward I. and his

successors from time to time made over the island to their respective favourites, but the Scots laid a not unreasonable claim to it, and its possession was more than once disputed. At the beginning of the fifteenth century Henry IV. handed the island over to Sir John Stanley, upon whom he conferred the title of “King of Man." One of his descendants was created Earl of Derby, and at a later time the title of "King of Man” was dropped for fear that it might be offensive to the King of England. In 1736 the Isle of Man fell to the Duke of Athol. His successor sold the lordship and the customs rights to the English Crown for £70,000 down and an annual payment of £2OOO. His son, the fourth Duke of Athol, was made Governor. His palace is still to be seen, though it has recently been converted into an hotel. Finally in 1829 the English Government bought the remaining rights for a little over £400,000. It is interesting to know’ what actuated the British Government in this measure. The island seems to liave been a stronghold of smugglers, and the purchase of its control seems to have been prompted by a determination to exterminate this menace to British trade and customs revenue. Since that date the island has been controlled by the Home Office and the Lieutenant-Governor. The Governor is appointed for seven years only, though the appointment may be renewed. Originally the office was held for life, or at the pleasure of the holder. No Governor who has once retired is allowed to set foot on the island again. His office is one of great responsibility. He is president of the Legislative Council and the Tynwald court, which consists of the Council and the popular Chamber —here known by the quaint name of the “House of Keys”—sitting together. The Governor is also head of the police force. The Tynwald court is an interesting body, and some of the ritual, which still survives, seems to transport us back to very early times. On “Tynwald Day,” sth July, a picturesque ceremony takes place, always attended by vast crowds. A service in a near-by church is followed by a procession of the dignitaries of the island to Tynwald “Hill,” an artificial mound which rises in platforms to the height of about 12 feet. Here the laws are proclaimed in English and Manx, though not more than a handful of scholars can now speak the ancient language. The Isle of Man makes an ideal holiday resort, and its attractions have not been overlooked. In July and August it is packed with holiday makers, and at the height of the season the population sometimes rises to ten times its normal figure. The preponderance of the tourists come from the industrial areas of the north, a fact which has won for it the title of “The Playground of Lancashire and Yorkshire.” What makes the island so popular? Partly the very fact that it is an island. There is something alluring about an island. It is selfcontained. Tliat, however, applies to every island. This one is somehow different. Here is a tiny microcosm. In no other place do I know of such variation of scenery within so small a compass. Here are seascapes and rock scenery to compare with the best that the Cornish coast or the Western Highlands of Scotland can boast of. though admittedly it is on a much smaller scale. The Bay at Douglas is as perfect in its own small way as the Bay of Naples, though the setting is not so grand. I know of few more impressive bights, however, than* that which one gains as one looks down at night from top of Douglas Head on the illuminations of the seafront, refected far below across the waters of the Bay. In the north we have an extensive level plain, in some parts resembling the Yorkshire coast, in others the Fen Country, the thick scrub and reed beds of the latter being alive with a multiutde of birds of all descriptions. The central and southern parts of the island ale mountainous, none of them

being high, none outstandingly impressive, but in their own setting, surpassing in beauty many much higher ranges elsewhere. Snaefell, the highest, the summit of which is a little over 2000 feet above sea level, commands a superb view. On a clear day—and there are many of them—it is possible to see England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the island itself lying at one’s feet outstretched like a map. There are no large rivers, while the air is too salty to allow the growth of thick forests, but the island is rich in wooden glens. In the valleys and in the narrow coastal plains of the south there are meadows no less green and warm than those characteristic of the English countryside. No country has a greater wealth of colour than the Isle of Man. The alteration between cloud and sunshine ever mountain and sea, valleys and plains, brings before the eyes a pageant of changing tones, scarcely less varied than the succession of multicoloured presentations one sees at a turn of the spectroscope. There are few more impressive sights than a good sunset in this island. If the scenery of Australia is on a greater scale than that of any other part of the world, that of the Isle of Man is surely the most compact. For every mile one walks there are scores of surprises, for every hour one watches countless different tones pass before the eye.

The climate of the island is equable, not too cold in winter, nor too hot in summer. A cool sea breeze tempers even the hottest day. The winter gales are inclined to be cold, but this is more than compensated by their invigorating qualities. The roads have a great reputation, and it is possible to penetrate almost any part of the island, even the mountains, with a car. The mountain road from Ramsay to Douglas passes within 600 feet of the summit of Snaefell. The quality of the roads, and the ease with which they may be closed without serious inconvenience to the inhabitants, have made it eminently suitable for racing. Every year the Tourist Trophy motor cycle races are held here. The course is hilly and tortuous, and the higher parts of the road are often enveloped in thick mountain mist, which is enough to daunt even the most fearless riders. The race consists of seven laps, each of about 10 miles. The event draws enormous crowds every year from the mainland. The capital of the island is Douglas, which is by far the largest town. The only other towns of any size are Ramsay, Prell, Port St. Mary, Port Erin and Castleton, once the capital. The last named is notable for its in-

tcresting castle, with its ouc-haiidcd Elizabethan clock, which still keeps good time, and also for King William's College, the scene of that most improving of all school tales, “Eric, or Little by Little.” The island lives chiefly on the tourist industry. Another valuable industry is the herring fisheries, which every year draws large numbers of drifters from England and Scotland, and in their train a horde of herring girls, engaged in the kipper industry. It is a picturesque sight to see them on the pier preparing the fish for salting, but one better enjoyed at a distance. The only other considerable industry is brewing, and Castletown ales have a wide reputation. The Manx are a hospitable race, always ready to help a stranger. Physically and mentally, as far as it is possible to generalise, they are probably slightly below the level of the rest of the British Isles. This is probably due to generations of inbreeding, a factor which also probably accounts for the prevalence of insanity in the island. Crime is almost unknown. The Manx are a very superstitious people. In olden days they had a deep rooted fear of and faith in witches, and a hill is still pointed out to the visitor as one down which persons suspected of dabbling in the “black arts” were rolled in barrels, the interior lined with spiker. As a race, they, are unimaginative, a fact to which is probably due to the almost entire absence of any good architectural work. In no place which J have visited has architecture been less inspired. No visitor is likely to regret a trip to the Isle of Man. Unless, however, large crowds appeal to him, the visitor should avoid the months of July and August. The spoilsman has his every wish catered for, the lover of amusement will find all he wants in Douglas, the hermit can always find peace and solitude, and the philanderer will never be disappointed. The island is well connected with England, Ireland and Scotland. All the year round a regular service of steamers plies between it and various parts of the mainland, a service doubled, or even trebled in the summer. Nothing perhaps can better attest the great popularity of the Isle of Man than the almost prodigious expansion of its air services. Last summer as many as forty planes passed between the island and the mainland in a single day.