Harry Conquers Bradda Head

It's been a very long winter but finally, over the last few weeks, the weather has at last allowed us to walk out of the front door without full waterproofs.

A month ago now, we had a call from our daughter Lucy who was at a loose end with one of our grandsons, the famous/infamous Harry.

The bad news for them was that we were going walking (neither Lucy nor Harry is an enthusiastic pedestrian,) but not even they could resist the allure of such a beautiful day and came along without complaining too much.

We kicked off with a quick drink at the Bradda Glen Café www.braddaglen.im/ which I am pleased to report, seems to be thriving under its latest ownership after a few failed incarnations over the years. There are few better places to sit outside when the sun is shining and there is also a little playground which Harry found far more interesting than looking out over the picturesque bay, so you can probably guess where granddad was too.

Below you are able to make out Traie Meanagh, the former outdoor swimming pool where it has been proposed a private house should be built.

This is one of the proposed elavations

It will be good to see the ruin transformed but I fear that the creator of this project will need extremely deep pockets as there is no road access, so it will be very interesting to see how this progresses.

Fortified by our coffees and hot chocolates, we strode off through the Glen for Milners Tower.

The aforementioned Milners Tower as I am pretty sure I have written on the blog before was conceived as a tribute to James Milner, a retire locksmith and fire proof safe maker and built in 1870s in the shape of his then famous lock. The gentleman was a benefactor to many local charities, so this was done in gratitude for all his generosity. I have read both that the subscriptions required to complete the work fell short and that he found out about what was meant to be a secret and contributed most himself but either way, it was his money that saw the the work finally finished.

The higher you climb, the more spectacular the views and I think this one is form the top of the Tower.

His Mum and 'My Legs are Tired' alias Harry also managed the ascent here they are with the top of Bradda Hill in the background.

And at the top of the World with the usually camera shy Ninna

Granddad too

We descended fairly rapidly, though as yet, Harry hasn't quite discovered how to fall off a mountain fell runner style though he certainly fell a few times and having passed the café, we walked around the cliff below the old Collinsons and back to the upper promenade.

Another venture that has often come off the rails is the Station at Port St. Mary but the food was lovely when we stopped for lunch on the way home having worked up our appetites. Okells MPA, a real fire and the rugby on the telly. Couldn't be better than that ;)

www.therailwaystationhotel.com