It has been a long time since I’ve been on the boat. This has not been because I have anything against the Steam Packet Company.
I just graduated to going by air years ago.
Of course, this was back in the days when flying was a pleasure.
In the circumstances I looked forward to going with a party of friends on the round-the-island cruise on the Ben-my-Chree that took place a couple of weeks ago on a calm and sunny Saturday evening.
This showed me how much going on the boat has changed.
I go back to the time when you parked your car on the Victoria Pier, went to a little wooden kiosk where you would buy your ticket, and then walked up the gangway to give it to a waiting sailor and there you were, on board and ready for the bar opening.
To get on the Ben we had to assemble with a couple of thousand other people in the Sea Terminal and queued up to get boarding cards.
Then we had to walk for nearly 10 minutes along enclosed sloping passageways to get on board, rather like getting on a plane.
On the Ben I found more decks than I had ever before confronted on a Steam Packet boat. You had to go up and down in lifts. Not easy.
I finished up in a vast hangar used for stowing cars and commercial vehicles but kind people led me to what was called the Premium Lounge where we had front seats looking out over the foredeck and the bows. It was, I had to admit, a lot more comfortable than in the old days.
But this is by the way. Overall the process of getting on board had been a lot like getting on an aeroplane is these days, and the similarities must have made a profound impression on me.
We were halfway round the Isle of Man when I decided to ring somebody up and tell them about the trip. But I couldn’t, not straight away.
I had switched off my mobile phone.
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My old colleague in journalism Colin Brown tells me: ‘We have just returned from a lovely relaxing holiday on Menorca where I spotted the following sign in a local restaurant: ‘Half roasted chickens – 4.50 euros.’ We passed on it.’
You chickened out in other words Col.
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Richard Banyard at Heswall, Wirral, reports that IoM Today had the headline (briefly)” Mmanx schoosl to close for two weeks over TT 2015.”
I think we get the mmesage. What the schoolsl make of it I don’t know.
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Sara Goodwins sends in this week’s Manx crossword clue, from the Sunday Telegraph cryptic: I had taken over island, in a manner of speaking (5) – IDIOM.
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Church notice: ‘This evening at 7 pm there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.’
