The Welbeck Isle of Man Hotel of the Year? We hope!

A big thank you to all our customers who apart from keeping the wolf away from the door during a challenging 2012, have also ensured that we have once again been nominated for 'Isle of Man Hotel of the Year.'

We're apparently up against the Ascot and the Rutland Hotels, the award ceremony being 7th December.

We were also nominated in 2008, 2011 and gained top spot in 2010.

Watch this space!

More good news is that following the demise of Waverley Ltd. the company from which Heron & Brearley sourced all our vino, we have now with the help of Anne Harrison from the 'Wine Cellar' devised a new wine list which we will be integrating gradually as stocks run out.

So if we do have another win, we should be well placed to celebrate!

The Welbeck - It's a Family Affair

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Cannell of Laxey who won the draw for the Manx Tails competition and used their prize of dinner, bed and breakfast last Saturday night.

Sunday was my mother's birthday which we had originally planned to celebrate over lunch but it was so busy that we had to transfer it to the evening. The good news is that she still has enough puff to blow out the candles.

We all had a major surprise when my nephew who had been travelling in Australia for the last ten months turned up. Those of you with a long association with the Welbeck may remember him working for us but at a casual guess, I would reckon that was at least ten years ago.

Talking of our former employees, we'll be heading off that way soon to visit our son, Matthew who is still living in Surfers Paradise, Queensland. It's a hard life but someone has to do it and with a little luck we'll see another former member of staff, our daughter, Elizabeth, at Manchester Airport as she lives close by.

Apologies for the quality of this one but Lucy and Elizabeth flank retired Kitchen Porter though aspiring rock god, Terence.

Have no fear though, as the Welbeck will be in good hands in the lead up to us closing at Christmas as Alex and daughter no.2 Lucy will be in charge.

Luxury Loos

Well, to use a well hackneyed phrase at the moment, we have entered the full grip of winter and though the weather is a little better in general than it was in July, today, Friday 9th November is pretty grim.

We're taking advantage of a bit of a quiet spell and are currently refurbishing the ground floor toilets. The other day, Irene and I did our full annual inspection to assess wear and tear of another year to set our refurbishment programme for the winter.

In one of those questions that we are frequently asked, 'Everything looks really nice. have you refurbished recently?'

The fact is that it is constant and if we ever dared to leave everything for a few years, the quality would deteriorate and we would be left with with a massive task, not to mention huge total of invoices to try cope with. The other thing is that it is pointless replacing and redecorating if it isn't needed

Welbeck Wins Tripadvisor Award

Welbeck Hotel , Restaurant & Apartments EARNS 2012 TRIPADVISOR CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE

Honoured as a Highly Rated Hotel, Restaurant & Apartments as Reviewed by Travelers on the World’s Largest Travel Site

Welbeck Hotel, Apartments & Restaurant today announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honours hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor, and is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide. Approximately 10 percent of accommodations listed on TripAdvisor receive this prestigious award.

To qualify for the Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travelers on TripAdvisor. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.

The Welbeck Hotel, Apartments & Restaurant is pleased to receive a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence,” said the proprietors, Irene & Michael George. “We strive to offer our customers a memorable experience, and this accolade is evidence that our hard work is translating into positive traveller reviews on TripAdvisor.”

“TripAdvisor is pleased to honour exceptional businesses for consistent excellence, as reviewed by travelers on the site,” said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business. “The Certificate of Excellence award gives highly rated establishments around the world the recognition they deserve. From exceptional accommodations in Beijing to remarkable restaurants in Boston, we want to applaud these businesses for offering TripAdvisor travelers a great customer experience.” The Welbeck Hotel, Restaurant & Apartments is a small family business that has now retained its position as the top Island ‘HOTEL’ on Tripadvisor for the past two years.

Last Lap for Clarkey

Regular TT visitors will be saddened to hear of the death of Phil Clarke who recently passed away following a long battle with cancer.

He first stayed with us at the Welbeck in 1999 and came every year except 2001 when the Races were cancelled because of the UK 'Foot & Mouth' outbreak. He tried his best to make it in June but unfortunately, he was too ill to travel.

I think I am right in saying that this was Phil's last track day.

We received this report from his friend, Ian Neale:

Well despite the rain, we saw Phil off in fine style yesterday. His biking friends escorted the Bike Hearse from home to the Church. Pam rode on the back of Phil’s Bonny (ridden by Paul), Suze rode with me, and Tom rode with Phil’s nephew Rob. He was carried into Church by 6 of his friends and family (one of which was Scotty) and the service was a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man. We had a Reading from Anna of a poem that Phil posted on Mick Rostron’s RIP page on Facebook on the 29th of September 2007, just 5 years later to be the same day that he passed away.

You were a fantastic mate Micky, and to use one of your phrases 'I'm rite pissed off' that you have left so soon. We had so much more biking to do together. The TT will never be the same without you, You will NEVER be forgotten.

God saw he was getting tired, and a cure was not to be. So he put his arms around him and whispered "Come with me."

With tearful eyes we watched him suffer and saw him fade away. Although we loved him dearly, We could not make him stay. A golden heart stopped beating, Hardworking hands to rest; God broke our hearts to prove to us He only takes the best

RIP mate. See ya soon.(Billy)

Ian's report continues:

We also had a reading that was written by his children, Suze and Tom, A Tribute To Dad. I’ve transcribed it here for you to share



“The Older I Get, the Faster I Was”



Minety born and Minety Bred,

In later years too to be Minety Wed,

It all began in Primrose Cottage,

The start of Phil’s life, lived full in this village.



Days on the farm playing out and about,

Schooldays with friends and siblings he couldn’t do without,

Phil found a calling, a passion beyond like,

Even before his Pam, there came the motorbike!



The Pam came along right on cue,

(Her mini-skirts of course, he was quite fond of too)

The love story that followed made both their hearts race,

And in 1973 Phil wed his Pam, and built her Pittfield Place.



Far and wide Phil and Pam travelled and explored,

With the fair isles of Greece they struck a real chord,

Amazing memories made through Europe and the USA,

So many adventures and they did it all their own way.



Phil of course was a beyond talented man;

Never mind ‘Jim’ll fix it’ – this man always can!

Forever a grafter, working hard and with pride,

He moonlighted as a Rock’n’Roll star as well on the side.



The some years later along came the day,

When everything changed more than any words can say,

Holidaying in Corfu, Ouzo and Metaxa were had,

And then shortly afterwards, Phil became Dad.



Dad loved his dogs with all his heart and soul,

They always had chance to lick the pudding bowl,

Lucy, Bonnie, Jess, Bella, Macey, Rosie-Lea;

Wrapped round a paw he was - always and completely.



A lover of all food, with a belly never full,

Every plate was left spotless when Dad was at the table!

Roast beef and Yorkshire pud, with an easy drinking red,

“That goes down well!” was what he always said.



Another joy was his shooting (he did love a good bang)

Being out in the countryside with his colourful gang,

With Dad and his son, out on the hunt,

You could hear from afar-“Push on you ....!”



Fast bikes and the TT were Dad’s lifelong obsession,

With his Ninja or R1 on a Mad Sunday session,

A real labour of love, and a true work of art,

It was the ’68 Triumph Bonny that really captured his heart.



A big mouth, a bigger heart,

An (unmatched as yet) ability to fart,

We knew him as Phil, Dad, Peece, Clarky or Billy,

He swore, he laughed, he got drunk and was silly.



A lover, a fighter, a biker to the end,

We know we sometimes drove him round the bend,

But Dad was the one that we all loved the most;

He wouldn’t want us to cry – he’d want us to toast!



Phil was carried back out of the church to ‘Take it Easy’ by The Eagles, one of his all time favourites and he was then laid to rest in the church grounds but before the service finished, his biking friends made a special tribute. Our bikes were all parked about 50 yards away from the grave and wherever possible, we had all removed exhaust baffles the night before and we treated him to ‘a minute of noise’ as our special heart-felt farewell to a very special person. br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4SWw0oyOco br />
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fg2sjZqFmFw Funeral Videos

Up Hill To The Sea With GGR

Most of my posts this year seem to have involved walking or trains and this offering is no exception.

A week last Tuesday, it was our eldest grandchild, Kaidan's 5th birthday but as he was a little overcome with the excitement, we waited until Sunday to take him out for our treat.

This time we opted for 'The Line That Goes Up Hill To The Sea' but due to time constraints drove to Groudle.

The narrow gauge railway was first opened in 1896 to service the zoo that had been built on the headland and though it was re-opened after both World Wars, it never regained its former popularity after the zoo was closed in 1939 before finally closaing in 1962.

Twenty years later, a team of volunteers re-opened the railway, even managed to re-purchase some of the original engines and recently finally have completed the restoration of almost the full length of the line, having opened a tea room by the old sea lion pool in the last coupleof years.

It now runs on Sundays throughout the summer season and at Christmas and fortunately, we picked the final day before it closed for the winter.

You have a choice of whether to park by the holiday cottages and embark at Lime Kiln Halt or to go a little further to the Manx Electric Railway stop and walk down to Lhen Coan. Of course the more adventurous of you could also enter the Glen at Whitebridge Road Onchan to appreciate the full splendour of the surroundings but on this occasion, having a small child in tow, we opted to abandon the motor by the old hotel/cafe/pub/restaurant building which is sadly looking rather neglected these days (I'm sure the right people with the correct business plan could purchase the property and make it profitable.)

The advantage of this is that you get to travel the whole railway, just short of a mile in length and the walk down to it is really beautiful and one of the few benefits of our summer of constant deluge is that it does add a little dramatic effect to our normally placid waterways.

A single journey is £2.50 and a return is £4.00 with concessions at half price while the tea room is a very pleasant place to sit and enjoy the view from inside or out, though you do need to remember that it only serves snacks and is manned by the volunteers, so don't expect a full lunch or hot food.

Silverdale

I am not really as great photograph taker (and probably most of you will agree that I'm not really a great photographer either) and I often tend to remember that I should have taken a few pictures, just after I've missed most of my opportunities. We also have no video clips of our kids growing up as I have always felt that the cameraman/woman records the fun rather than participates in it but I do know many people who enjoy cinematography immensely, so each to their own.

Case in point on Saturday when we took the three grandchildren on the train to Ballasalla and then on to Silverdale. All the picture except the obvious one, I have cribbed from http://www.iomguide.com so thanks to them and I hope providing the link will assuage their annoyance for my plagiarism.

The return fare for two adults is £20.00 and I think that it's great value for parents and grandparents that there is a free child for every adult and under a certain age is also free, so that was our only outlay on transport.

Ballasalla is only half an hour's journey, so it's an ideal distance for taking young children, though do beware that it is probably about a mile to the glen from the station and the most pleasant way to go is by crossing the ford near the Rushen Abbey Hotel and walking along the river.

It isn't the easiest path to push a trolley along though, unless you have the fancy pram wheels on it and therefore with having to cajole the monsters along a little, it took quite some time. Well worth it on a nice day when you're not in a hurry though.

By the time we made it to the lake and cafe, we were all extremely hungry, so after feeding the ducks we went into the restaurant.

The premises have been refurbished and it looks like part of it hasn't been completed yet, though it looks very well. However, the menu is somewhat limited, so I would only recommend it for a quick bite to eat rather than for a full meal.

Unfortunately, as I had to work later on in the day, we once again ran out of time, so only had the chance to give the kids a quick go on the Victorian water wheel (according to Wikipedia one of the oldest working examples in the World) and the swings, rather than have a full exploration and a row or pedal on the boating lake (the word lake is a possible exaggeration.)

Those of you who are regular readers or know us well, won't be surprised to hear that we had to run along the road all the way back to Ballasalla to make sure that we arrived for the train just as it should have been pulling away, though luckily for us, it was also running on Manx time and was a couple of minutes late.

Grandchildren showing the effects of a hard few hours out with the oldies

New Weekday Lunch Menu

A new lunch menu has been created by our Chef, Darek.

There has been no price rise for the two courses & coffee @ £12.00 for a normal portion and £10.00 for smaller meals.

Many of our popular best sellers have also been retained but we've added a little more choice and extra steak & fish dishes at a slightly dearer price for those who don't mind paying a little extra for more expensive food.

It will be loaded very soon @ http://www.welbeckhotel.com/sampleweekday.html

Truly Haute Cuisine on Snaefell

Over the last few years, Isle of Man Transport has been having quite a turbulent time trying to reduce their losses and it is now under more pressure than ever to produce more value for the taxpayer's money. May of the changes have been most controversial, though in my opinion many of the bus route alterations have been excellent, most notably, the Airport and the South buses also serving the airport.

Also extremely innovative have been the 'Train Specials' with trips for Hop-tu-Naa/ Hallowe'en, Rail Ale, Wartime Weekend, Star Gazing on Snaefell etc. and now during the Mountain Railway Season, there are evening meals in the highest licensed premises in the British Isles, at the Summit Hotel. Caroline Cain, chief routemeister and social secretary of the Parish WAGs (Parish Walk team which includes the wives of Julian Thomas (12 finishes)David Cain (6 finishes)Jock Waddington (8 finishes including 4 consecutive wins) and me (7 finishes) organised for Irene, Louise, Teri, herself and luckily the Parish HABs to have dinner up there a few weeks ago. There are two sittings and they require you to order in advance (which fortunately Caroline made a note of) and it was our immense fortune to have perhaps the most beautiful evening of the summer and we congregated outside the Terminus Tavern for pre-train drinks, which were consumed gratefully by Irene & me, having had a rather fraught afternoon of arrivals which at one point made it look as if we'd have to drive up the Mountain. We were able to sit on the outside carriage which underlined our luck with the weather and the 35 minutes to Laxey disappeared in no time at all, especially as I was still having to conduct business on my telephone, trying to resolve a miscommunication with a taxi company.

There was a very short wait for the Snaefell train and we ascended through the picturesque Laxey Valley before winding up around the Mountain itself with views of Ireland, Scotland and Cumbria in evidence. The food was excellent, as was the company but I the main feature was the excitement of our Haute Cuisine. It doesn't get much hauter than that in our neck of the woods ;) Such was the mildness of the evening, we were able to stroll around in our coats between our main course and sweet which improved our digestion but didn't go down quite so well with the staff as we were on the later sitting and we all had a train to catch. At £40 including the meal and fare, it was really good value and definitely something I'd recommend.

Kaisers Rule The Villa Marina

Last Tuesday, Terence and I went to see 'The Kaiser Chiefs' at the Villa Marina. Having witnessed the excellent 'Mike & the Mechanics' with Rocheford and their collective bucketful of hits fail to draw an audience of more than a couple of hundred, I was fearful for the bank balance of the promoter and the reputation of the Island as a music venue having a band with no more than a half dozen charting ditties to its name being able to attract a decent crowd over two nights.

I had prevaricated about whether to go as Irene was struggling with a cold (that she got from Happy and has now generously passed on to me) but eventually decided to get tickets on Tuesday afternoon when Terence (my 14 year old son) expressed an interest despite not really being a fan.

Obviously, I needn't have worried because they only had two tickets left on 'Re-sale,' which meant that I had to pay cash and they couldn't be reserved.

We are a bit lucky living here in the Isle of Man because everywhere is easily accessible and our family lives in a house which is 5 minutes from anywhere in Douglas but I felt that it would be a bit much if we arrived at the door in an hour and a half still unaware of whether we'd be at the gig or not, so I managed to persuade the lady on the desk to hold the tickets for three minutes for me while I jumped on my push-bike and went hell for leather down the hill.

The support group as mentioned in yesterday's IOM Examiner by Terry Cringle of all people were good but I think that not having any vocals at all probably didn't help them grasp the attention of the crowd.

The Kaiser Chiefs and particularly front man, Ricky Wilson performed with great energy and used the audience well to create a fantastic atmosphere.

At one stage they stopped the gig to find out the football score but if they felt any disappointment about their beloved Leeds United, they hid it well. However, they were playing the mighty Seasiders, so they should have known! *The eagle eyed amongst you may have spotted that this picture wasn't from this year's gig. Due to a technical error (me being born) I was unable to access my photographs from my old phone without borrowing it back from Terence.

Karina

Sunday 26th August was a beautiful day here on the Island and after another terrible Saturday, it was very welcome.

I had one of those rare moments when I actually managed to come up with a good idea at the right time and an hour or so later, we were heading off down to the Sea Terminal for an afternoon cruise to Dhoon Bay and back.

The M.V. Karina is a 65 foot pleasure craft, built in Dartmouth just after the war. She was purchased by the Laxey Towing Company in 2000 and Captain Stephen Carter provides daily outings around the Island or alternatively, you can hire her for private parties.

For more of her history and information see:

Captain Carter provides an illuminating commentary and although I knew many of the stories he told and facts he related, I learned a great deal too.

Personally, I've never seen a seal on the east coast, so I was very excited when told to look out for them on a certain rock. Unfortunately, they must have heard word that we were on the way and must have decided to go out for their Sunday roast.

And it was a similar situation with the feral goats, though everyone else said they could see them.

To round off our afternoon, we took the horse tram for the first time in ages and sat and had a drink in the sunshine at the Terminus Tavern.

The 2 hour cruise on the Karina cost £12 and the horse tram £3 for the single journey. Tea and coffee is sold on board the vessel but not much else besides a few snacks. Another family had taken their own picnic, so that may be well worth considering if you take one of the trips.

Premium Experience in the Premium Lounge

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. Ltd. receives a quite a lot of bad press, not all of it entirely fair, especially as I imagine not everyone who is quick to criticise really comprehends the complexities of running a ferry and freight service to and from the Island.

Personally I hold no brief for the Steam Packet and indeed am not beyond having a pop at them myself when I feel it's justified (see http://michaelswelbeckblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-seat-is-reserved.html)which I wrote about a year ago.

However, credit where it is due and I think their customer service standards have improved immensely over the past 20 years or so.

Last weekend, Irene and I nipped across for a couple of nights to see her mother who lives in Kendal (some of our longer term clients may even remember her living at the Hotel). We picked the right time to go and were extremely lucky with the weather, despite conditions around the U.K. being unstable, especially down at the Olympics where they copped a soaking on Sunday morning.

Because of the sailing timetable, we travelled to Liverpool and returned through Heysham which best suited our needs but the Ben-my-Chree was extremely busy with a full complement of passengers, including some children's parties.

(Was too relaxed to remember to take photographs of the view etc. so I nicked this off www.steam-packet.com ;)

Although we had found seats and there were plenty of others dotted around, it was quite hectic, so I had the idea of enquiring about the Premium Lounge in which we had never been.

It costs £17.00 per person which initially sounded a little steep to me but tea and coffee are free, as are all soft drinks and a supply of biscuits, magazines etc, so having done a quick calculation, we took the plunge and five minutes later were installed in luxury.

There are leather aircraft style seats which recline without pinning in the person behind you, therefore giving prize that taller specimens of the race yearn for: ample leg room.

Some of the chairs have 'Sky News' fed onto a screen in front of them but we opted for the superb panoramic view, overlooking the bows and the ocean beyond (apparently the blinds are drawn on night time sailings for navigational purposes.)

The steward whose name I unfortunately didn't take note of, was excellent throughout the journey and it was a great pleasure to drink out of proper mugs and have our drinks in glasses instead of plastic.

As we approached the Island, sipping our beverages as we watched Manannan unfold his cloak, I can honestly say that I've never had a more relaxed homecoming and it was worth every penny of the £34.00 for the privilege.

Plaque in Memory of a Sporting Gentleman

Yesterday, Sunday 29th July, a plaque was unveiled at the Sulby Glen Hotel to commemorate the life of Neil Kent who sadly died last August in Practice for the Manx Grand Prix Motorcycle Races.

Neil had been coming to the Island since 1986 and had stayed at the Welbeck for all but his first trip, I think.

Although, pretty much a back runner in his early days, he began to realise that he also needed to respond physically to the demands of the T.T. course, so worked off his puppy fat to become a competitive racer, culminating with the fabulous record breaking 2nd place (to Dan Sayle) in 2009 and his win in the 2010 Lightweight Grand Prix.

But there was so much more to Neil and last year, he also won the 'Spirit of the Manx' award which acknowledged his ever cheerful countenance, the fact that whenever he wasn't racing, he would marshal and his willingness to come to the aid of his rivals in the 'Paddock' giving them both his time and expertise.


Likewise at the Hotel, he would spend many an hour talking to other guests and the staff, never the great 'I am' and whenever he was interviewed on Manx Radio, he always made sure that he credited, Dennis Trollope and family, his long term sponsors but also my Mum and Dad and latterly Irene and me.

It was a pleasure to host his family this weekend and the esteem with which he was held by his friends and the MGP organisers shone through, particularly from his friend, Paul who wrote some lovely words and together with Jacqui Dawson organised the production and mounting of the plaque.

Staffing Situation Fixed with Mike and The Mechanics

It's certainly not quite so busy as we'd like at the moment but the staffing situation is strong with the return of Nina and Alex's brother Rafal coming back to join head chef, Darius and Emil in the kitchen.

We do have vacancies at the moment and it looks like the weather is finally improving, so if you can manage a late break, you'd be very welcome.

On Monday night, Irene and I were lucky enough to be able to see Mike & The Mechanics at the Villa Marina.

Unfortunately, the fact that the event was not well attended wasn't so good for the promoters and the band but added to the intimate atmosphere and it was amazing to be so close to such stars and the legendary, Mike Rutherford without having to jostle for space.

They treated us to most of their back catalogue plus a few new songs and some of the later Genesis tunes. However it was joint lead singer, Andrew Rocheford that proved to be the star of the show and they also played a couple of his hits.

If the band is coming anywhere near you, buy the tickets quickly as they were brilliant!

Kaidan & Happy in Laxey

A few weeks ago, we took Happy and our other grandson Kaidan on the Manx Electric Railway to Laxey.

It was in between downpours and although hardly really summer in the conventional sense of the word, it was certainly a brief relief from the soakings. Unfortunately, as you can see from the picture above, it wasn't quite warm enough for them to even consider letting us sit outside.

Excellent example of the photographers great skill with this brilliant picture of a black and white pole. Oh and an MER carriage/train in the background.

The journey to Laxey takes around about 35 minutes and follows the coastline apart from Groudle to Clayhead where it takes a little short cut. Passengers are able to alight at Laxey where if they wish can also change to the Snaefell Summit Railway or even continue for the full hour and a quarter trip up to Ramsey. There are of course many stops in between the main towns and villages where you can explore the glens, take the coastal path or head up to the fells.

A child travels for free when with an adult but the best value can be obtained by using the Freedom or Heritage tickets see: http://www.iombusandrail.info/information.html#railway

There is a great deal to see and do in Laxey, including the world famous wheel, the recently restored Lady Evelyn, the Salmon Trails around the village (The name Laxey is derived from the Norse word for salmon) and there is more information on : www.laxey.org.

On this particular occasion, being a little short of time, we walked past Dumbell Terrace (aka Ham & Egg Terrace) to the recently opened 'Old Corn Mill' cafe and restaurant.

As always in life every cloud has a silver lining and the shocking weather at least offers the compensation of some spectacular river and waterfall views.

Teenage Cancer Trust Concert at St Ninians High School

Today's post doesn't really have much to do with the Hotel or things that you'd do on the Island generally, though some of the young talent that Irene & I saw last night might just be worth following up if you're over here and have the chance.

Our son, Terence and his chum Tom Martin kicked off the proceedings with Marc McCabe, a young Lady called Laura, then our lad himself joining in with the vocals for the last of their three songs.

Every act was preceded by bitter sweet films from the 'Teenage Cancer Trust' I had never heard of before but which strives to give the youngsters as much teenage normality as possible amongst their peers while they are treated for their disease.

Next on stage was a shy young lady, Azariah, with a weak speaking voice which as soon she began to sing, became almost comparable to Adele.

Although mostly performed by scholars from St. Ninians High School Year 10, they also drafted in some other artists, Peter Bridge, a young dance troupe called Represent with guest appearances from Tom Callow and Charlie Yau.

Marc McCabe with backing from Henry Sayle did covers of Ed Sherran, David Gray & Tracy Chapman.

There was a dance band, Full Moon Fallout, who did their own compositions and really had the crowd bouncing, then Chileas Redwood-Sawyer doing his 'Black Eyed Peas bit, followed by Yesterday who managed to silence the boos when they announced they were a 'One Direction' number by transforming it into a rock song as part of their really tight set.

Panic Land brought the evening to a close, nearly an hour over schedule but I certainly didn't notice the time flying past.

On the whole it was a great evening and it counteracted my earlier gloomy countenance when I realised looking around that in the 15 years or so since we first sent a child to that school we'd grown from being young parents to old ones.

For more information on the charity, see:

www.teenagecancertrust.org/

Welbeck League of Nations Assault The Parish Walk

Somehow, having lived on this Island since 1978, the existence of the Parish Walk totally passed me by until Sara Denver the stalwart of the Welbeck Bar on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday since 1993 (as well as a stint in the late 70s as a housekeeper) collared me to sponsor her to walk to Peel in 2002.

(Photo Mike Lambden) For the uninitiated, although the very first race was in 1852 with revivals in 1913 and 1923, the event as we know it today was resurrected in 1960 and has metamorphosised from 96 starters in 1961 with 4 finishers to the modern monster where this year there was a mammoth 1800+ entries of which a record 203 managed to stagger to the finishing line, having visited all 17 of the Island parish churches over 85 miles of road walking.

These days there's no way that you could live here and not know about it as there are day-glo clad people clutching bottles of water in training 12 months of the year and with at least as many others involved in the marshalling, officiating, timekeeping, feeding and watering the participants both from stations and cars, it is the Island's biggest sporting occasion besides the TT.

Despite this year's atrocious (though nothing like as bad as 2008) weather the support from the entire Isle of Man community was immense.

The Manx Telecom Parish Walk to give it it's full title is also at the forefront of technology with state of the art timing and tracking systems enabling people to follow progress over the internet and through text messaging from Port Soderick to Sydney. In fact demand was so huge for information that 36,000 hits were made on the website, about 3 times as many as the previous year, unfortunately causing it to crash.

Although primarily still a Manx dominated event due to the necessity of having a support car for the last 43 miles or so, this year at the Welbeck, we had visiting athletes from Belgium, U.K. and our old chums Martijn Biesmans, Alex Wijsman and their friend Antoine Huntings all from Holland.

(photo: Karen Kneale) Add into the equation our German coach party, staff from Poland, Thailand and Bulgaria, we certainly had a colourful mixture of nations.

There were certainly plenty of other walkers from places as far away as South Africa and the Czech Republic to lend the race an international flavour.

Irene deserves special mention, making the full circuit on her 10th attempt and only one of The Welbeck entrants failed to complete the lap and Iain Thompson's 52.5 miles to Bride was certainly no shame.

(Photo: Karen Kneale) Personally, I yet again failed to win, though I had the satisfaction of coming home inside the previous course record, making me the 3rd fastest ever. However, having led for 50 miles or so and suffering repeated sickness it felt like scant consolation to have been pipped by the deserved joint winners, Vinny Lynch and Richard Gerrard who beat me by about 4.5 minutes to post a brilliant 14:42:32.

(Photo: Murray Lambden)

Sue Biggart won the ladies' race for an incredible 7th time.

(Photo: Murray Lambden)

For more information about the race or any other athletic events on the Isle of Man, see: www.parishwalk.com or www.manxathletics.com