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Douglas, Central Promenade 1896
Douglas, Central Promenade 1896 Ref: 38770
Memories of Douglas, Central Promenade
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 Douglas, Victoria Pier 1907 (ref: 59160) |
Year: 1967
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 and whisky on the boat! We docked at Douglas and looked around before riding the steam railway south to Port Erin. The Isle of Man Steam Railway operates between Douglas station at the western end of the historic harbour and Port Erin in the south of the island. The line which was established in the late 1800s takes in the rolling countryside and farmland of the south and passes through numerous quaint stations on its way to Port Erin. The 15 mile journey is the longest narrow gauge steam railway in the British Isles and I think it was probably the bumpiest hour I have ever spent on a train! Except for the hour riding back later!! We paddled in the sea and enjoyed a look round Port Erin first though. We may have had fish and chips when we returned to Douglas and waited for our next overnight ferrry back to Liverpool and the return ride on the East Lancs Road. Altogether it made for a memorable weekend. Posted: 10/08/2008 19:50 by John Howard Norfolk |
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 Port Erin, the Hut 1907 (ref: 59193) |
Year: 1962
The Hut Grounds A memory of Port Erin, Isle of Man 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, this was a popular destination for visitors to walk to and sit outside at tables sheltered from the sun by large umbrellas over them. Here they could sit and enjoy afternoon tea, or icecreams while their children played in a small playground among the trees. This playground contained a slide, a seesaw and a couple of swings. Not much, but non-the-less, popular with the children. In the evenings, at least once or twice each week, entertainment was laid on for both the locals and the visitors. From 1952 to the mid 1960s, 'The Southern Manx Folk Dance Society' under the leadership of Leighton Stowell, entertained fortnightly in The Hut which had a large dance hall very suitable for this event. My mother, Gladys Archibald and my brother, Roadley, were both members of this society and took part in these events regularly, so I accompanied them and took part in the group dancing myself from the age of 7. Roadley was a solo dancer as well as dancing in the group dances. In particular, he used to perform a dance called 'The Dirk Dance of the Kings of Mann'. This dance dates back to Viking times, and the performer dressed in a costume of a Viking. (Well, as mother made the costume, it was a Viking costume according to her, but was not made of authentic traditional materials. Still it looked good!!) Later, when my brother left the island to go to college, I took over as Dirk Dancer and performed in The Hut as well as other venues. In the 1960s, mother joined an 'Old Time and Modern Dance School' run by her friend, Eileen Fitzsimmons. Eileen also ran dance socials at The Hut and later, mum became a qualified teacher herself and took over these socials. I was roped in as doorman. Like the Folk Dance gatherings, mum's social evenings were very popular as long as she ran them. Later, in the 1980s the Bradda Glen as it was now more popularly known, was granted a public house licence, and for some years was run as a sort of night club. However, due to its position and drink-driving laws, it lost its popularity. It was run as a restaurant for some years into the 2000s, but is now under threat of being sold off by the Commissioners to a private buyer. There is some opposition to this, spearheaded by John Maddrell (Manno), so we wait with baited breath to see what happens next. Last edited: 05/03/2008 09:13 by Anthony Archibald |
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 Port Erin, the Baths 1907 (ref: 59195) |
Year: 1959
Swimming pool A memory of Port Erin, Isle of Man See memories in my album Posted: 04/03/2008 13:04 by Anthony Archibald |
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Year: 1959
Swimming pool A memory of Port Erin, Isle of Man 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 in for free! It was a very popular site, as it was something of a sun-trap and was sheltered from all but a wind from the due west. There was a shallow end to the pool at the cafe end, while at the sea end of the pool, it was deep enough to allow diving from both a 3 metre spring board, and a 10 metre diving board. Each Wednesday through the season, there was a swimming gala held there when swimming races and diving competitions were held. Prizes were given to the winners as trophies to keep. My brother, Roadley was a strong swimmer who in previous years had brought home many prizes, silver ashtrays, paper knives etc. (Not really silver, but chrome plated!!) On gala days, the footpaths above the pool were closed off by barriers manned by employees of the commissioners, who would allow spectators entry for a small fee. These spectators could then view the gala from terraces cut into the brooghs on the hillside overlooking the pool, or for an extra fee, they could spectate from the poolside. The water in the pool was pumped in direct from the sea through filters to prevent fish; seaweed; flotsam and jetsam getting into the pool, though if there was a strong inshore wind and a very high tide, some of these could be swept over the wall at the sea end. In this case, it was my father's responsibility to extract such debris. Occasionally, though not often, this might involve emptying the pool by pumping out the water back to the sea and then using a large ladle to extract the unwanted debris. I learnt to swim that summer, spending every day there. I recall a man by the name of Marshall who gave swimming lessons. Arm bands were unheard of then, as were plastic floats, so if you could not float unaided, he would hook you up to an arrangement of two loops on the end of a long pole, the loops loosely placed around your arms so he could adjust your buoyancy if necessary. Sounds dubious as I write it down now, but I learnt this way, and became quite a strong swimmer. I especially recall the diving competitions. A young man by the name of Brian King who was employed for the season as lifeguard would take part and was a very good diver, but a man called Eric Quayle was most often the champion diver performing his favourite 'swallow dive'. Sadly, with the decline in tourism in the late 1960s to early 70s, the pool fell into general disrepair and it was not considered viable to spend large amounts of money to upgrade it, so it found a new use for a few years. It was used as a fish farm. Even more sad to relate, the pool had no more use after the demise of the fish farm and is now a sorry eyesore. Posted: 04/03/2008 13:00 by Anthony Archibald |
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 Douglas, Victoria Pier 1907 (ref: 59160a) |
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 early 1900's. Last edited: 22/09/2006 17:04 by Lynne Mccarrick |
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