10 years on - looking back at the Isle of Man

Douglas, Isle of Man, was the venue for the 2010 CAMRA Members’ Weekend & AGM, but the weekend will really be remembered for the travel disruption caused by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano; the one with the unpronounceable name! For me, it will go down as my first visit to the Isle of Man and the chance to see and enjoy much of what the island has to offer visitors in terms of scenery, heritage, pubs and means of getting around.

I travelled on my own across to the island, by the fast Sea Cat Catamaran service from Liverpool, arriving in Douglas shortly after 10pm. It was Wednesday evening in mid-April, and prior to boarding the ferry, I’d spent the afternoon exploring a few of Liverpool’s finest pubs. After stepping off the ferry in Douglas, I walked along the brightly lit promenade to my pre-booked guest house. 

The proprietors  knew the arrival times of the ferry and were expecting me, but by the time I’d booked in and been shown to my room I decided that a relatively early night was in order, and that I would leave my first pint on the island, until the following morning.

I slept well and after enjoying an excellent breakfast of Manx kippers – what else? I headed out explore the island. Before doing so, I phoned Mrs PBT’s, and it was then that I learned that all European airspace had been closed because of the enormous ash cloud emitting from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland, and that all flights had been grounded. Until that moment I’d been oblivious to what had been going on in the outside world.

I was due to meet up with a couple of friends from my own West Kent CAMRA branch, later that morning, and with a group from Maidstone CAMRA. My friends had flown over the day before, whereas the Maidstone contingent had, like me, travelled over by ferry. It seemed that most of the delegates had also arrived the same day, so the conference went ahead almost as though nothing had happened.

I spent the first two days in the company of friends Iain and Carole, plus Kent Regional Director Kae. We travelled first to Laxey, by means of the wonderfully eccentric Manx Electric Railway, which operates several sets of restored vintage trams, over a 17 mile stretch of narrow-gauge track between Douglas and Ramsey.  

After alighting at Laxey, where we spent some time admiring the impressive Laxey Wheel, which is the largest working waterwheel in the world. Iain and I climbed the winding staircase of the supporting structure, and as the photo's show, there was quite a view from the top.

We then journeyed onto Ramsey but made the mistake of riding in one of the semi-open carriages. The sun may have been shining, but there was still a real chill in the air; a factor made worse as the railway continued to climb into the rugged hills, before making its final descent into Ramsey. I felt stiff and seriously cold by the time we arrived in what is the second largest town on the IOM.

We found a pub to warm up in, and to partake of a spot of lunch. Unfortunately, the notes I took at the time have gone missing, so the name of the pub escapes me, but after looking at a map on WhatPub, and remembering that it was close to the station, I am guessing that the pub was probably the Swan.

The beer was Okell's - no surprises there,  and my first beer since setting foot on the island. The sandwiches though were a real disappointment, consisting of white, thinly sliced, supermarket bread - pappy and bland. Strange how you sometimes only remember the bad parts! Afterwards we took a stroll along the quayside, before diving into Trafalgar Hotel, where we met up with the contingent from Maidstone CAMRA.  

We returned to Douglas by the same mode of transport, but this time we sat in one of the fully enclosed carriages. We stopped off en route, at the village of Old Laxey, which involved  a steep descent from the main road, down towards the picturesque old harbour. There we enjoyed a drink at the atmospheric Shore Hotel.

This comfortable pub has a nautical feel and attracts many additional visitors in the summer owing to its proximity to the nearby sandy beach and promenade. Our reason for stopping was slightly different, but no less important, as the Shore Hotel is the island's only brewpub, and its single house-brewed beer, the malty Bosun's Bitter was much appreciated.

It was a steep climb back up to the main road, and then just a short tram ride to the Mines Tavern, a real gem of a pub nestled in the picturesque, semi-woodland setting of the Laxey Tram Station. The trams run right past the pub, and some of the outdoor tables are practically on the station platform. 

The Mines has a good reputation for food, so I’m fairly confident that we ate there. Unfortunately, I only have vague recollections of the place, and that might be down to the amount of beer I’d sampled by that point in the day. I didn’t even take any photos!

We’ll call it a day now, as there’s more to come when I describe my second day on the IOM and how we went on to explore the other side of the island.