Chairlift to Heaven Doomed to Hell

Today's blog could be re-titled, 'Where am I?' and you start with 100 points and lose them as you scroll down the page but it would be a bit unfair on the occasional visitors to the Island.

The other morning, it was reported on Manx Radio that the Shoprite Group had received planning permission to demolish the derelict chairlift that ran from behind Little Switzerland to the Victoria Road Business Park which was once Cunninghams Camp.

For those of you that are unaware, the Isle of Man had holiday camps long before Billy & Fred developed Butlins or Pontins. Therefore, chum/rival Dave & I decided to go and take a look before it disappeared forever.

It certainly brought back memories for me because the last time I shinnied up the lamp post and over the wall must have been circa 1980 as a naughty schoolboy (not much changed I hear you say), only twelve years after it carried its last passengers and as you can see it really has deteriorated.

Looking at it now, it's really quite hard to imagine it it carrying passengers but here's an old photograph:

And finally, a photograph of the entrance. I had always assumed that the image above was the top of the lift but in fact it is about 75m away and the building was just a toilet block. (There are also conveniences concealed in the bottom building.

Credit Peter Killey www.manxscenes.com