Where's the podcast? (Final listing)

The podcasts have been somewhat experimental - largely candid recordings, so sound quality is not brilliant - but I hope they'll be appreciated - they certainly add an extra dimension to the blogs:

[2011 updated update: access to the original podcast player page is no longer possible - please click the individual links below to play each episode individually. The main feed (for use with iTunes or other podcast software) was at http://mistletoe.jellycast.com/podcast/feed/3 but that's not working either at present - I'll see if it's recoverable via Jellycast and update later - JB June 8th 2011]

Here's the list of podcast episodes (remember - they're all complemented by the blog entries below). Click to play or, to keep this window and this index list visible, right-click to play in another window:

• 1 Trial podcast (from Dorset) (in which we fail to catch a steamtrain)
• 2 Arrival and stories of Danish (18th century) Industrial Espionage (In which the AIA congregate in Douglas, are introduced to Manx IA, and I chat with Henrik Harnow about 18th century Danish industrial spies in Etruria and Coalbrookdale - and a brief comment on the relative youth of the Danish IA movement)
• 3 Saturday field visits - trains and Manx language (Steam train to Castletown, Cregneash Folk Museum and the Manx language)
• 4 Douglas Harbour - and tragedies old and new (Sunday) (a trip around the harbour - briefly looking at piers and berths, and the tragedy of the Solway Harvester)
• 5 Manx Electric Railway, Snaefell, Laxey Mine and Flour Mill (Trams to Laxey and then up the mountain, back down to Laxey and a quick look at the wheels, then off to the Laxey Glen Mill, which performs the traditional function of grinding all local flour)
• 6 Speeches and recollections (A reception at the Manx Museum, with some wise words from Manx National Heritage's Chairman, revealing why they are different, plus comments from Angus Buchanan, and Angus' recollections of the founding of the AIA here in Man in 1973)
• 7 Churches, Parliament and the Kipper Factory (a brief account of celtic crosses at Kirk Braddan, a little bit on the Tynwald Parliament (not much though) and lots on the Kipper Factory at Peel)
• 8 Calf of Man - Birds and Lighthouses (a visit to the offshore Calf of Man, where we visit the bird observatory and the twin 1818 Stevenson lighthouses...)
  

Conference over... backblogging soon

At Ronaldsway Airport, using the IoM Government's trial wi-fi service - and killing time before the delayed FlyBE service departs. Am planning to spend some time in the next few days uploading backdated material for the blog and podcasts - need to some audio-editing first though...

Up a different mountain.... this one has views! Friday

Friday – and the conference is now over. Caroline and I decide to try out the Manx buses – should make a change from the trains – and head off to North Barrule, at 565 metres, the second highest peak after Snaefell.

This is to the north of Laxey, and we’ll have to climb it, there’s no railway on this one. But it’s a beautiful day and the views should be wonderful.




After a bit of bother with a sheep round-up, we do make it to the top – and yes the views are wonderful – this is looking over the northern plain of the Island, with Ramsey town in the foreground.


We’re beaten to the top by one of the shepherds, who’s using fairly advanced shepherding transport – but he tactfully leaves as we reach the top.


And in the far distance there’s Snaefell – which if I zoom in on it (below) clearly shows the railway spiralling up its sides.















We make our way down the long way, around the ridge in a horsehoe and down to Laxey – then back on the bus.

Choughs and rain - Thursday

Thursday most delegates are off to look at Manx Utilities – water, electricity etc, but Caroline and I are off to do our own thing – and intend to walk the line of the old Electric Tramway from Douglas to Port Soderick – long gone and now known as Marine Drive. We intend to return by Steam Train.

But it’s raining hard (a significant change from every other day so far) and so we wander the streets of Douglas waiting for the sky to brighten. It eventually does, but we don’t have the time for the whole route, so just do the first sections of the Marine Drive.

To get there we first go up to Douglas Head, home of the D H Hotel (formerly HMS Valkyrie – see blogs passim), Manx Radio and the Camera Obscura. This view is looking back to Douglas in the gloom.



The Camera Obscura is an unusual model, with multiple lenses giving a permanent 360 degree view, instead of the conventional single lens that has to moved round. Sounds good, and it’ been recently refurbished – but it’s closed today!


Here’s the start of Marine Drive, showing the arches formerly used by the Douglas Southern Electric Tramways. It’s an interesting road, now closed to through traffic because of cliff falls, but still open for walkers. We find its particularly popular with dog-walkers and driving instructors looking for a quiet place for their charges to practise 3-point turns.






The quiet cliffs here are obviously attractive to birds too – we first hear and then see several Choughs – a rare sea-cliff bird elsewhere in Britain which has a stronghold here (we heard several yesterday on the Calf). Being black crow-like birds they’re difficult to photograph – but there is one in the middle of this pic – pity about the low resolution.

On the way back, we stop to lok at the modern breakwater close to Douglas Harbour; the precast concrete shapes here were specially designed for this location, and to interlock and were named ‘Stabits’ to reflect their similarity to the Manx 3-legged emblem and accompanying motto "Quocunque Ieceris Stabit" – whichever you throw me I will stand (or words to that effect).

Georgian lighthouses and birdringing - Wednesday

To the Calf of Man, sea permitting. The Calf is that little island just off the southern end of Man and boasts some classic Stevenson lighthouse and a ruined watermill.

And it's the location of one of the long-established British Bird Observatories.



But first we have to get to Port Erin - by steam train of course. Our loco today is Loch - here she is at the water tank in Port Erin.


And then by boat to the Calf... an uneventful trip out - about 24 of us in two boats.


Landing on the Calf is always difficult, and differing landing places are used at differing times - so the boat leaves us here, and promises to return, to an adjoining landing place later.


We are met by one of the Manx National Heritage Wardens - they manage the whole island, who talks us througha few landscape features before leading us to the Bird Observatory HQ in one of the old farmsteads.

This contraption is a rolled-up mist-net - for trapping birds for ringing in the evenings.





And this one is a Heligoland Trap - again, for catching birsd for ringing.





But most people are more interested in seeing the lighthouse - now visible in the distance - two historic ones, both disused, with a modern automated light inbetween them and a further modern light on the rocks below (out of sight in this pic.)



The two earlier lights were built as a pair in 1818, with their lights synchronised to revolve at the same time and indicate the position of the submerged Chicken Rock, just offshore. They were used until 1875 and were built by the famous Robert Stevenson & Co, the company which built many Scottish lighthouses, and whose most famous son was R L Stevenson, who gave up lighthouses design to travel and write novels. These lights, though not in Scotland, come under the Northern Lighthouse Board, rather than Trinity House.


This is the Upper Lighthouse - virtually identical to the lower one.











This view shows the later light built out on Chicken Rock itself in 1869-1875. Despite its small size and isolation this was manned, but is now automated.


The 1818 buildings are now, sadly, derelict, and even the modern light between them is now unmanned and automated. For more details on Manx Lights click here, and on the NLB and the modern management of the Calf lights the NLB, click here.



And so we run out of time again - some made it to see the mill, which has walls, some gearing and an overgrown millpond, but others had to rush back to make sure we didn't 'miss the boats' - here seen making their way back towards us from Port Erin.

Kippers and Castles - Tuesday part 2

Tuesday afternoon – Peel, to visit the Kipper Factory, The House of Manannan Museum and Peel Castle (time permitting!).

We start with the Moore's of Peel, established in 1882, we were shown around the factory by the owner, starting with the automatic splitting machine (replacing the traditional long benches of women splitting herring by hand), the brine tank, and then the smoke chambers.

Smoke is generated by woodshavings – pine for the fire, topped with oak for the correct flavour. Kippers are created by hanging the split, salted herrings, high above the burning wood for several hours (this factory also does bacon – but that takes several days).



It’s important not to let the fires go out – hard work in a chamber with hot herring oil dripping down from above.





The chambers are tall, and up on the first floor we should be level with the hanging racks of kippers – if we can see them through the smoke…






















But a rack is retrieved for us, to prove they are really there.















You can order your kippers online from here…









After being smoked we chose to miss the interior attractions of the The House of Manannan, which uses state-of-the-art displays to demonstrate the ancient and modern story of the island. We opted instead for the fresh air of St Patrick’s Isle, a small offshore island in Peel Harbour, and the site of Peel Castle and Cathedral (both now ruins).


This view is of Peel Harbour from the Castle - and yes, that cloud of smoke is the Kipper Factory.






Another view - this time of Peel Town from the Castle battlements.











This the Cathedral, within the castle curtilage, but once within it's own precinct. Full history is here.












Caroline and the Manx flag at the Castle.

Celtic crosses and Parliament - Tuesday part 1

Tuesday morning – to Peel via Cronkbourne, Kirk Braddan and St Johns. Cronkbourne is a purpose-built industrial village established in the 1840s to serve a Flax Mill/Sailcloth works – not much to see (or maybe we missed it, we were a bit rushed) but you can find out more here .



Onwards via Kirk Braddan, an ancient church dating back to a Celtic Keeill (Chapel) around 400 AD. It stands close to a late Victorian Church of 1876. The old church has Celtic and Scandinavian crosses from 800 - 1265 AD. Several have the Manx ring chain design attributed to the sculptor Gaut and now used in the logo of Manx National Heritage.

Not exactly IA - but fascinating nevertheless.






At St Johns we stop to visit the Tynwald Hill, the ancient seat of the Manx Parliament, where every new law is still read out every year.















Again, not exactly IA, but still fascinating - but I won't go into this in detail here - there'll be a bit on the podcast - meanwhile take a look at this vertical turf - is this maintained using hidden geotextiles??

Today's blog to be continued in the next posting - Kippers and Castles...

Something completely different - a modern flourmill - Monday Part 2

Whilst at Laxey a few of us are allowed to tour the inside of the Laxey Glen Flour Milll, a modern mill an historic setting. The mill, owned by the Manx Government, is a working mill, grinding all the island’s corn, and responsible for all the flour used in the island’s bakeries. Like all old flour mill it has been refitted many times in its history, not least after the occasional catastrophic fire. The last of those was in the 1940s, but the last refit was in 1999, just 7 years ago, so this is a very modern mill…
(NB Laxey Glen itself is designated as one of the IoM’s ‘National Glens’ – no time to go into that now, but there’s more info here).

It’s so modern that we have to don full health and safety gear. Here’s Dr Peter Stanier, the respected Editor of IA News, showing how this kit can completely transform a person.














It’s soon apparent that this is really is very new, with most machinery encased and invisible. The fittings are Italian, using metal roller milling technology; this ducting is on the ground floor, the mills themselves are in the traditional position on the first floor.

Though they’re hardly recognisable to anyone familiar with horizontal grindstones – these roller mills are encased, and look like something from a sci-fi film. Each unit grinds to differing fineness, gradually refining the flour further.

The whole place is computer- controlled, using a system installed even more recently than the machinery.

But there is some reassuring familiarity – the flour is still bulk-packed in sacks, each labelled with the particular blend (specialities here are Manx King, Manx Queen, Flavo etc).

And there is a traditional spiral sack-chute too (no, we weren’t allowed to play on it).

But the flour doesn’t all leave in sacks – here’s a bulk tanker filling up for Ramsey Bakery.

And here’s the machine for filling retail bags.

We were interested to find new rollers, waiting to be installed. These are imported from India – Italian machinery, Indian spare parts – what has happened to the British mill-wrighting industry??

Electric Railways (and very big water wheels) - Monday part 1

Today we’re off to try out the Electric Railways – the Manx Electric Railway (MER) to Laxey, then changing to the Snaefell Mountain Railway to see the view from Man’s highest mountain.

But first we have to get to the MER terminus, at the far end of Douglas’ very long promenade – there’s a variety of transport systems, conventional bus, taxi, plain walking or horse tram

You can’t miss the terminus though, with ELECTRIC RAILWAY picked out Hollywood style above the train sheds. The railway, or perhaps more correctly, tramway, now runs from Douglas to Ramsey, but was once a bit more extensive. It first opened in September 1893, with extensions later, competing with a now defunct steam railway running to Ramsey on another route. It has had mixed fortunes, nationalised (by the IoM Government) and then half-closed, and then re-opened again.

It's an odd ride, on a two-car tram, with the rear carraige open and the front enclosed. Very reminiscent of Blackpool (obviously). The numerous level-crossing seem a bit worrying - local traffic is obviously used to them (several are unguarded) but visiting traffic must get taken by surprise.

It's all change at Laxey, as the Mountain Railway is on a 3'6" gauge, but the mainline is only 3'. This is a single car - up the mountain and past the remains of several mines - theoretically to get a good view of the whole island - but it does look a bit misty up there. The Mountain Railway was opened in 1895 and takes travellers to within 30ft of the 2,036ft summit



And there are great views en route of several mines, including the Great Laxey Mine (of which more later) and the Snaefell Mine, scene of a local mining disaster many years ago.


This is Sulby Reservoir, part of the Manx water supply system.







But, as we expected, the top of Snaefell is shrouded in mist, so there's not a lot to see.

Even after climbing the last 30 feet.


So we go back down again, to Laxey...




There’s a lot to see at Laxey – too much (as usual) and we only have a limited time as we have to see the Flour Mill too (see next blog entry). So a quick trip to the Great Laxey Mine washing floors, now a rather twee public garden but beginning to regain some hints of their former use through two restoration projects.

The first one we see is the latest, a newly restored water wheel, only opened last month. This is the ‘Lady Evelyn Wheel’ once part of Snaefell mines up the valley, but recently reclaimed from a Welsh hillside where it had been taken for another, failed project many years ago. The full story is available here.

The second restoration project here is the Great Laxey Mine Railway, a 1/4 mile 19-inch gauge line that ran from the lead mine entrance down to the washing floors, via a short tunnel. Closed in 1929 with the mine, this tiny railway re-opened in September 2004. Now the ANT and BEE, replicas of the miniature steam locomotives of those names originally built in 1877 run along the route. More on this here.

The Great Laxey Wheel is just up the road, and should need no introduction – a famous emblem of the island for many years. Remote from the mine itself this giant waterwheel powered rods that ran up a viaduct to the mine itself, for pumping. The wheel was preserved by a private owner before being given to Manx National Heritage.

In case you’re wondering, the water supply is siphon fed, rising by gravity through the round tower to power the wheel in a high breast-shot position. More on this wheel here and more on the mine itself here.










When we visit the wheel isn't turning, despite the local folksong about it never stopping turning. This is because a linkage on the driving rods has been removed for replacement = this pic shows the missing link, and the other rods running off towards the mine on their viaduct.