Abbeylands, Isle Of Man

Visiting The Isle of Man Railway

Two of my friends i(Bob and Tony) n our Manchester University Hall of Residence were both train buffs and motorcyclists so one early summer weekend in 1967 we rode our bikes on a Friday evening down the "East Lancs Road" to Liverpool where we caught an overnight ferry to Douglas.

I remember very fondy a breakfast of Manx kippers... [more]

The Hut Grounds

Seeing this photograph reminded me of the name by which we used to know this site, namely 'The Hut Grounds'. Nowadays it is mostly referred to as 'Bradda Glen Cafe', but in my childhood it was 'The Hut Grounds'!
In the height of the tourist boom in the late 1950s, through to the late 60s and perhaps just into the 70s,... [more]

Swimming pool

See memories in my album

Swimming pool

In 1959, my father, Cecil Archibald, was employed for the summer season as attendant at the swimming pool at Spaldrick, Port Erin.
You could enter the swimming pool by paying a fee, for a day; for a week; for two weeks; for a month; or for the season. This arrangement accommodated locals and visitors admirably. With dad working there, I got... [more]

Peckham the Fishmonger

My great grandfather, Henry William Peckham was a fishmonger, mentioned in Brown's Directory of 1882.  He is reputed to have owned some land on the coast/beach/promenade at Douglas.  Here fish was sold 'on the front' from a table.
My father was born at Douglas in 1896 and stories have carried forward of his sisters, or aunts, still selling fish there in... [more]