"Luck is the residue of design."
The Isle of Man
April 2009
This little speck of an island lies just about in the very centre of Britain and yet it isn’t a member of the UK. From where it sits in the middle of the Irish Sea there are sight lines from the island looking directly to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales Surprisingly to many it is neither in the United Kingdom nor in the European Union, it is a self governing dependency - the Queen is known as the Lord of Man here!
Its parliament, Tynwald, has been in existence since the 10th Century and is probably the longest serving parliament on the planet, quite a claim if you think about it.
Totalling only about 220 square miles it actually consists of several other smaller islands including the Calf of Man and St. Patricks Isle. With a population of around 80,000 of whom about half are settlers from mainland UK, the island represents something of a tax haven for its residents thanks to its favourable tax laws and with its guiding principal – ‘time enough’ - (traa dy liooar in Manx) this is a great place to visit and probably a great place to live too given the chance. What other capital city would be content with a horse drawn tram as its notable means of transport and long may it remain so.
A legend tells that the island was formed when an Irish giant called Finn McCool scooped up a chunk of Ireland (and thereby formed Lough Neagh, Britain's largest fresh water lake), and hurled it at a Scottish rival of his, it landed in the Irish Sea thus forming the Isle of Man.
The island’s well known symbol, The Three Legs of Man, is part of the folklore of its history as is its very name. In Celtic mythology ‘Manannan’ is the God of the sea and it is likely that he is the source of the Island’s name. He was also fabled for having transformed into a three legged creature that rolled down towards an invading enemy to repel them. One of his most effective powers was to be able to produce an enveloping mist that could surround the islands to hide them from an invading force.
In contrast, these days the Isle of Man probably needs to be more visible. To some extent it is a little architectural time capsule, nothing seems to happen quickly here so many things pushed aside on the mainland survive. The steam railway is a delight as are the electric trins and the horse drawn trams. There is a wealth of history and relaxation built into the place and its story is very much a little version of all of Britain.
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