TWO more travel journalists, writing for national newspapers, have given the Isle of Man further positive publicity with their articles published at the weekend.
The Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail both carried extensive articles and pictures in their publications and have included the features on their websites.
Joanna Churchill of the Mirror brought her mum to the Island, touring in a hire car and taking in the sights as well as a trip down memory lane for her mum who had been a member of the Ivy Benson Band who were big stars on the Isle of Man at the Villa in the 50s.
Their first day included shopping in Ramsey, a visit to the Grove Museum and Mooragh Park, staying for a night in Andreas and the “charming” Croit-ny-Bane guest house.
The next day included a visit to Davison’s Ice Cream Parlour where, she said, “there are queues outside for a reason.” After returning to their accommodation, “falling asleep to the sight of the diamond-starred night sky visible through our skylight, we awoke to a fresh farm breakfast.”
The next day Joanna took the quad bike experience at Ballacraine Farm before driving to “beautiful Kirk Michael” and then on to Peel and the castle.
In the evening it was sea kayaking with Adventurous Experiences before the next day’s trip to Castletown railway station and the steam train for a trip through the countryside, stopping at “gorgeous little stations with hanging baskets.”
The final evening of her stay involved seeing the seals at The Sound and the “picture postcard crofting village of Cregneash.”
She added, “Lovely people, lovely places... now I have an Isle of Man story to tell my own children and perhaps one day I can take them down my Manx memory lane, too.”
Daily Mail travel reporter Laura Mannering also wrote about the Isle of Man at the weekend, again with some very positive comments.
Amongst her activities on the Island she enjoyed a fishing trip to the Calf of Man with Bob Taylor and caught a 4lb pollack, tried her hand at kayaking in Port Erin with Kierron Tastagh of Adventurous Experiences, enjoyed a cup of tea and a crab roll at Roberto’s in Port Erin, ate queenies and kippers as part of the seafood platter at The Creek in Peel and took a drive in a hire car around the TT course.
Laura also bumped into TV chef James Martin when he was on the Island for the Food & Drink festival and took his advice on Manx food by trying “fresh crab with a squeeze of lime”, straight from Paddy’s fishmonger in Port St Mary.
She also left the festival with an indulgent haul of Manx produce including vintage cheddar cheese, lemon curd and sticky cinder toffee.
Her best moment, though, came at the end of her weekend. She writes: “Eking out the final hour of my stay, I drive back to The Sound to try out its panoramic café. With a slice of Victoria sponge cake in hand, I find a spot on the grassy headland and watch seals cutting through the water below.
“One has opted out of the evening swim and basks unmoving on a sunny rock, his whiskered face creased into what seems like a serene smile. He looks like he's thinking 'this is the life'. I couldn’t agree more.”
