I live on the Isle of Man - AMA

[jayiom]

Sunday boredom - ask away!

@Glitterbiscuits HUGE. Our economy would be on the verge of failing without that source of income each year through tourism. It's clear the main reason they wouldn't stop it.

How often do you visit the mainland?

@Underscore21 averagely about every other year for me! I know many people who go much more though.

My grandfather was interned there during the Second World War as he was a Italian living in Scotland at the time. Do you happen to know if there are records or historical information I could find out more about this?

Do you wave at us on the Cumbrian coast? 😁 I always wave at the IOM whenever it appears out of the clouds. We all have pictures of the IOM to show off how clear the weather was! But despite being able to see it we need to travel some distance to get a ferry or flight over.

I don't have a question. But I have fond memories of IOM. My grandparents lived there for 25 years and I spent many childhood summer holidays there. They lived in Douglas (on The Castleward Green, which I always thought sounded very posh) and we would go up Lacey Wheel, to Peel, up magnetic hill and to the fairy bridges. Would also go to see the horses who pull the tram in their stables just off the pier.

Can't wait to take my DD when she's a bit bigger. My two cats growing up were Manx cats. To this day it's still weird for me to see a cat with a tail. We had a stumpy and a rumpy.

*Laxey obvs!

I can't believe you didn't know about the Buggane. There's a really scary sculpture of it in the car park by Ape Mann, terrifies DS every time we go down there.

Anyway, my question as today's supposed to be the last day of the amazing weather here - what's your favourite beach?

@BurnDownTheDiscoHangTheDJ The Nazis didn't invade the Isle of Man, are you getting us confused with the Channel Islands?

@BurnDownTheDiscoHangTheDJ The Isle of Man had internment camps for German nationals during the war, maybe you are getting confused with that.

Great thread, op. I remember going to the TT with my family in the mid-70s. One year, it was so hot, our crayons melted!! We loved being up in the mountains watching the races and seeing the Laxey Wheel. Our hotel landlady served pea soup at dinner, though, not impressed with that!!

I recently met a physiotherapist who had spent her first few years after qualifying on the IoM. She had a weekly clinic on a small place on the south of the island. When she read through the patient notes, a syndrome that she had never heard of, named after a local village, kept cropping up over and over again. She asked her boss what it was and the boss said it was a mutation of the ankle due to local inbreeding - occurring nowhere else in the world. Fascinating story!

My DH and DS are both bikers. They want me to ask if they can please come and stay with you for next year's TT.

I would say no OP. Neither of them are properly housetrained!!

@BurnDownTheDiscoHangTheDJ it was the Channel Islands that were occupied in WW2 and we still have relics of fortifications, hospital etc from then.

@RedVolkswagenBeetle yes! I have pictures too! 

@IrishSee I have pictures of my DS with that and still didn't know what it is! Learn something new every day!
(And favourite beach has to be Fenella or Glen Wyllin!)

@Joolsin I've never heard of that but that's hilarious

Can you get all the medical treatment you need there or do you have to travel?

Are Manx cats widespread as pets?

How do people react to new comers to the island?

Do you need a car to live there?

Are there primary schools in central Douglas?

I spent two years living on the insular peninsular (near Barrow in Furness) and it was definitely like this. Couldn't wait to get back to civilisation. I assumed the IoM would be the same.

Oh I have another! What are A&E wait times like?

I want to go now, I am so curious!

how are Londoners viewed? People hate us wherever we go!

Oh, I do love the Isle of Man. My uncle and aunt (my aunt was Manx) lived there for years when I was a child and we spent many holidays there. I always said I’d take my children, but never managed it.

Does Jerby (Jurby?) Junk still exist? It was my very favourite place to go. And a bridge you had to say Hello to the fairies as you drove over it

I will go back there one day!

If we wanted to come for two or three days do we need a car?

Are you proud of Mark Cavendish?

jayiom in your opinion which is the best hotel to stay in, and the best restaurants?
I would also like to know if there are loads of Manx cats on the island.

Good Morning
I have just accepted a job as a ssw in a specialised department in one of the secondary schools on the IOM. I have 2 children 1 age 7 and one in secondary school about to go into Yr 11. My eldest will be doing his gcses in May and we are looking to relocate to IOM in Jan. Is there a possibility he could go back a year into Yr 10 when we move across as this way it would give him a chance to settle before then doing gcses on the island. He has a reader and scribe for his exams over here as he is dyslexic.
Tia for any advice xx