Wonder The Percy Cat

A Non-Welbeck Blog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-QhipEhakA

Now Irene's cat, Percy has never been revered as the most intelligent member of any species by our household (witness video above) but I'm starting to think that maybe she has been misjudged or undervalued.

Very early last Sunday morning, I felt the customary swipe of her paw against my foot, telling me that I needed to get out of bed.

In honesty, I was a bit miffed because, I hadn't been there that long and was due into work at 7.00am but with her second reminder, I grumpily jumped from my comfort, ran downstairs and opened our front door.

If we can't find the remote control, Percy, from now on we'll just ask Percy.

There I was, stood with the wind whipping through, in my boxer shorts, freezing cold and Percy nowhere to be seen.

Eventually, I decided to go through to the kitchen, thinking that perhaps she had no food and that's why she had woken me.

However! Flipper can just get back to fishing, Skippy can bounce off into the Bush and Lassie can go home because Percy was sat at the back door, staring at the gate which I evidently hadn't properly closed!

What next?

Maiow! What's that Percy? Tree down in Woodburn Square! Okay I'll be right there. Maiow! What's that Percy? Sha's cats have escaped and are threatening to rob the local jewellers!

Harry obviously picked up on Percy's superpowers long before we did as they can be seen here in deep conversation.

Absolutely Sound

I've written about the Meayll Peninsula before(and walking round it) but was shocked to discover that it was just over three years ago and having read my efforts http://michaelswelbeckblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/meayll-peninsula.html I reckon I can add a little to it, especially photographically.

Irene & I set off from Douglas, opting to take the bus this time. It costs £5.70 each return to Port Erin (or that zone)

A couple of herring gulls perching above the old marine biological centre.

Having just had a knee operation just over two weeks before this walk and also because I stopped to take so many photographs, this time the journey times were 1 hour(3 years ago just 45min) to the Sound Cafe and a further hour and a half from there to Port Erin, though we do still maintain a fair pace, so allow a little longer if you are not used to this type of terrain or if you like to break off to enjoy the views, flora or fauna.

I've been slightly disappointed with the quality of photograph from my i-phone 5c but my daughter patiently explained (yes right) that I've inadvertently being using the wrong setting, so you'll have to imagine the colours.

As I alluded to earlier, this walk is at times challenging under foot, particularly if there has been rain and there are places where it is muddy and others where you have to rock-hop a little. On the section between the Sound and Port St. Mary, there is a particularly steep hill, so it would require a certain level of fitness and though I have done this route with young children, be warned that you could end up carrying them at times.

The Calf Sound is one of the most visited areas on the Island and there is a cafe which is supposed to blend into its surroundings and therefore looks a bit like the Telly Tubby House but does generally provide decent food and drinks.

Invariably you will be able to see seals on Kitterland (small islet between mainland and the calf) and they often swim right up to the rocks, so there is an opportunity to get quite close to them if you fancy a bit of a climb.

On the way around Spanish Head you also pass the Chasms which is well worth the detour if you have the time.

On this occasion, we didn't follow the footpath right along the coast into the village because my aforementioned joint was starting to ache a little, so we sneaked between the golf course, missing Perwick Bay where there used to be a hotel.

You can eat at Port St. Mary in the golf club and there is also a cafe about a mile further along the coast, though on this occasion, we opted for the Albert Hotel which is a pub.

Unfortunately, the other pub, the Bay View is closed at the moment

The cat walk which runs over the beach which was damaged in the winter storms but is apparently now re-opened.

If you have left your vehicle in Port Erin, there are two ways which should get you there in about 15 to 20 minutes, though the bus and the train do run directly from Port St. Mary.

Harry Birthday Happy!

Almost unimaginable that it could be three years today since Lucy's twins, Harry & Christopher were born and that the premature tiny sack of breathing bones could have grown to be a fully fledged monster with such alacrity!

Last Saturday, Irene, Harry and I made the trip to Silverdale Glen which is situated probably about a mile outside Ballasalla (which is a 20 minute drive from The Welbeck) and it's a lovely walk via Rushen Abbey if you've travelled by bus or train.

There is a boating lake, (not yet open last Saturday) a mixture of businesses (more of which later) a large field with picnic area, some pretty areas to walk around and of course the main purpose of our visit, the children's play area, the main feature of which is a Victorian Carousel built in 1890. This roundabout is powered by a water wheel originally from the Foxdale mines.

Not the best picture, I'm afraid but most of my time was spent chasing Harry, so it was a matter of positioning myself to block the routes of escape/danger rather than finding the best photographic angle.

The buildings are part of an old mill and there has always been a cafe which has enjoyed varying degrees of success. They make their own ice cream but their menu is somewhat limited at the moment. https://www.facebook.com/SilverdaleGlen

Our view while we enjoyed a pot of tea and an ice cream outside

Over the course of the last ten years or so other businesses have opened and there is a gallery: garrettsgallery.webs.com run by local artist, Karl Garrett.

There is a studio where you can paint your own ceramics and pottery: www.craftworks-studio.co.uk/

On the level of the boating lake is Dolittle's which houses a small selection of animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs that you and the children can stroke as well as a big selection of toys for the little ones who haven't the slightest interest in small furry things (no names mentioned ;) )They had a little puppy too. The cost was £2 per adult and £1 per child.



There will also be a shop selling hand made and second hand toys opening in the near future.



Whilst I was trawling the internet looking for information, links and perhaps some photos better than my my feeble efforts with my phone, I found a virtual tour of Silverdale. Have a look:

http://www.vrisleofman.co.uk/isle-of-man-virtual-tour/Silverdale-Glen.html

Mayhem in the Curraghs Wild Harry Park

It's a hard job being a grandparent as I referred to a few weeks ago but as we find it marginally easier to have our monster out of the house rather than creating mayhem inside it, it is giving us opportunity to keep current with our various tourist attractions.

A few weeks ago, we added to the Wildlife Park at the Curraghs by visiting with Harry. We did leave it a little late in the day but I suggested that we had to go because we'd told him we would. Irene didn't think he'd really be bothered because last time we had been, albeit a year earlier and not nearly three, he took no notice of them whatsoever.

I was on the verge of agreeing with Irene, a moment later a voice piped up from the back seat, "Amnals! Amnals! I want to see the amnals!" and off we went, 'Amnals, Amnals!' all the way and he didn't seem to believe we were going there at all!

gov.im/categories/leisure-and-entertainment/curraghs-wildlife-park



(New website coming later this week on )

Of course, people who have read my previous blog will probably have already gathered what happened next.

A portrait of our Grandson Harry.

Having shelled out the best part of £20, we had a look at the first display which is the Humboldt penguins and his next words were, 'Gaddad's car! Gaddad's car! I want to go to Gaddad's car!' (Note I am 'Daddad' no more!)

'You will see the blooming Amnals and you will enjoy it!'

I think we lasted just over an hour before his determination to take us in every direction but the one we wanted to go and see everything but the 'Amnals' in wore us down.

However, there is a lot to see and on Sundays, there is also a mini railway run by volunteers.

The play park is now a much bigger and in a new area than when we used to take our children and they have extended the outside area of the cafe.

Journey to The Tower of Refuge

Most people who have been to Douglas will have seen the castellated structure in the bay built on Conister Rock or St Mary's Isle as it also known.

The scheme to construct it was orchestrated by William Hillary who moved the the Isle of Man in 1808, later founding the RNLI whose very first boat was housed at Douglas in 1824. He had witnessed some ships lost on the rocks and following the wreck of the St.George* in 1830 when despite being washed overboard, he helped rescue the entire crew with no loss of life.

< Sir William reasoned that the Tower of Refuge would give sailors shelter while they waited for help, so fresh water and food was provided and the building was completed in 1832 and almost 200 years later it is still standing firm, welcoming all sea visitors to the Island .

We've had the shocking weather with huge waves and high tides earlier in the year but at around this of the season, there are also very low tides and a handful of times in the calendar, it is actually possible to walk the Tower of Refuge is built.

Quite different from the last time I was there, a brat looking for adventure one morning having stayed out all night some 33 years ago, on Wednesday there was an organised walk, sponsored by local company, Tower Insurance in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Apparently, some 3400 people took the opportunity and one gentleman even proposed to his girlfriend.

* The St George was the flagship of The St.George Company, the earliest rivals to the present Steam Packet.

Dans Leg Revisited

Those of you that have been following my blog for a while, may remember the story a couple of years ago, during an alcohol fuelled Facebook conversation when I felt everyone was going completely over the top just because a 'Friend' had lost her dans leg (whatever that was) in the post.

And so your 'hero' waded in taking the mickey only to realise gradually that I had misread the situation and it was actually Wendy's son, Dan's prosthetic leg that disappeared in transit to the Island and perhaps my facetiousness, like the errant limb had been a little misplaced.

Although the family was very understanding regarding my witless attempt at humour (though Wendy called me an old fossil for suggesting that she had contributed to my error by not using the necessary apostrophe)tonight, I had opportunity for complete redemption.

Dan is an extremely capable sportsman and competes with the best in the Island at hockey and also does athletics, so today his Mum put a plea on Manx Harriers' page for a right foot spiked athletics shoe to be cut up and fitted to the bottom of his blade.

I knew that I had kept our Terence's pair despite him quitting the sport some years previous, so I immediately contacted Wendy sensing that chance to turn finally from zero to hero and we arranged for Wendy to come round to my house to collect it.

However, the God of Prosthetic Limbs thought otherwise and that I still had time to serve as a perceived idiot.

Somehow, during a rare clear-out a couple of weeks earlier, I'd managed to throw one of them away and you guessed it......I had only a left foot.

Thankfully, Alan Corlett has stepped in to save the day and my complete rehabilitation will have to wait a little longer.

The Joys of Grandparenthood!

With Irene on the boat the other Sunday, it was decided that I would attempt to get Harry, our 2 year old grandchild back to sleep when he blessed us with a 3.00am wake-up call.

And so began my solo babysitting day. Instead of 'Snuggles Daddad,' it was kicks to various parts of my anatomy though I did eventually get him back off for a while.

Still, it was too early for Match of the day (like I'd be allowed to watch it instead of 'Peppa Pig') but I managed to survive breakfast, even persuading him to use his cutlery to eat most of it.

He spent the rest of the morning bringing out his toys etc. including Irene's Hula Hoop which he always rolls out to me accompanied by the phrase, 'Skipping Daddad.' Usually this activity includes about 5 minutes of gyrations for me whilst he bounces his blow-up cylinder off it.

Aah. A chance to relax for a while he watches a little TV? Daddad! Daddad! And he's in the cupboard under the stairs and I have to extract his toy vacuum cleaner for him. It gets worse. 'Yours Daddad! Yours Daddad!'

When normally, I'm either lying in bed or watching MOTD, preparing to race, there I was with Henry in hand cleaning the dining room and kitchen at 8:15am!

I'd already decided to take him swimming but I didn't want to use my ace card too early in the game, so I decided it would be fun to take him to watch the 20 miles race on the N.S.C. perimeter road and that's when I made my big mistake by parking next to the main building, so that he could see the pool.

'Swimming Daddad! Swimming Daddad!' 'Later Harry. Let's go and watch the race.'

Well, I just about pulled that one off and attempted to negotiate our way through the race to Manx Harriers clubhouse without Harry rugby tackling any of the athletes where he started attacking the biscvquits and throwing cake on the floor when he decided he didn't like it.

'Swimming Daddad! Swimming Daddad!' was the every two minute refrain and at this stage I decided to try and walk the rest of the way round but he wouldn't believe me and threw his first tantrum across the river from the well known fast food place where there was an audience of people witnessing my child abuse! I couldn't persuade him to go the short way back to the car, so we had to go the long route back whence we'd came, though now he'd decided that every 100m he was going to stop dead and sit on the wet grass bank.

Frazzled is the description of how I was beginning to feel but eventually, we made it back to the swimming pool which would have been fine if we didn't have to move away from the building to get the bag from the car. This time it was full on kicking and screaming and there was just no explaining that I had to take him in the wrong direction. For a nearly 3 year old, he's very strong and I gained another few observers, probably on the verge of calling the Police to report an abduction!

He escaped as I queued to pay and I was caught in the 'No Man's Land' between controlling the child or never actually getting in to the blooming baths and luckily, he caused no damage to himself, others or the Reception and eventually I made the changing area.

Battling to tog him him and half dressed myself, I made the shocking discovery that in the bedlam of the morning so far, I had forgotten to pack my swimming shorts!

I calmly explained my predicament to Harry who listened attentively and replied that he understood that I'd made a simple error and it didn't matter anyway because we could easily slip home and grab them.

Actually, I was frightened that he was really going to injure himself because he just went wild but eventually we made it back to the front desk where I realised I could buy a horrible pair of budgie smugglers for £16 and once again we were heading downstairs.

Harry was ready again quickly and kept trying to unlock the changing booth and I was just about to slip into my new purchase when I noticed that the lady had left the security tag on them. I could have cried but I quickly decided that I'd prefer to be mistaken for an idiot or a shoplifter than go through the whole rigmarole of returning to Reception.

It was with immense relief that we eventually made it into the water and I could finally relax a little.

Five minutes later, 'Tout Daddad!' 'Daddad's car!'

I growled, ' There is absolutely no way we are getting out of this pool for at least 45 minutes after all I've been through to get you in here!'

There was a little more chasing about and of course when I wanted to take him home, he didn't want to go but despite forgetting to bring a spare nappy, we made it back without any more major mishaps and I even managed to have the security tag removed from the trunks.

By the time I handed him back to mum at 15:45, there was only one place Daddad was heading to and it took a good few of Dr. Okells finest to restore my equilibrium (Perhaps slightly over restored if the truth be told ;) )