Well folks, this week will see the kids on holiday from the schools for the long summer holidays. As a kid, this time of year was pure magic for me. Just the idea of coming home from school in Liverpool for two whole months sent the blood pulsing through my veins. Long before my shoes touched the timber deck of the Isle of Man steamers, my head would be full of thoughts of the beach, Langness, romping along the Silverbur River, and chasing balls and tin cans during the evenings through Castletow
I woke this morning at 2.45 a.m. and I have been awake since. Yes, it's going to be a long day. On the radio this morning I heard about a lady who has run around the world to raise money for cancer research and promote cancer awareness. She began her 20,000 mile round the block jog back in 2001. Today she passes through Carlisle and will finish in her home town in Wales later this week. She is doing all this because she lost her husband to cancer and couldn't stand the loneliness. I bet there ar
Good day folks. I begin today by saying a big hello and welcome to Pauline in South Carolina USA. Pauline has emailed me and has become the latest blog reader from the US. She left Castletown with her husband Mike when Castle Indurstries went to the States and I am not sure when that was. We almost have as many US readers now as we do Manxies. Mind you, Pauline is very much a Manxie. Not only is she from my home town of Castletown, but from the same housing estate on Janet’s Corner. America of c
I woke up at 5.45 yesterday morning. I am starting wake up at my normal times once again. I also woke up feeling really good. For the first time since I finished with radiotherapy, I woke up with no pain whatsoever. I also ate a bacon sandwich for breakfast which is something I have not been able to do now for a couple of weeks. I walked Skipper along Castletown beach. We had a stiff Westerly breeze which the forecasters said would become a full Northwesterly gale by the afternoon. The beach was
Last February when I first began writing this blog which was just after I had been diagnosed with lung cancer, I was unaware that an American lawyer was also suffering a similar fate. Some of my blogs have found their way across the Atlantic and hopefully have played a small part in aiding her recovery. As far as I know she is still going through the various stages of chemotherapy. She is updating everyone by keeping a thread going. Well I am not exactly sure what a thread is, but it seems it is
I woke up this morning at 5.45. The rain was hammering down then and that is still the case and the time is now 9 a.m. I have not walked Skipper yet as I am hoping the rain will take a rest soon. However, Manx rain is pretty fit and has lots of stamina. Today I am tired before I have even done anything. Since returning home from treatment I have noticed that I tire easily these days. I am usually all in after a moderate walk of about 2 miles or so. At present I have done nothing at all and yet
On Monday evening we drove to Ronaldsway Halt along with Skipper. After crossing the railway line and passing through the gate on the river side of the crossing, we headed for the little wooden foot bridge that spans the Silverburn a few yards up river from the railway crossing. We crossed the bridge and I sat on the steps while Barbara and Skipper foraged deep in to the meadow. There was a breeze from the southwest that made the wheat on the meadow side of the river make a sort of fizzing sound
One day last February I was sitting in the doctor’s surgery in Port Erin. I had already been diagnosed with cancer and life in general did not look to wonderful. While I was waiting a lady came over to talk to Barbara and I. She was a friend we used to drink with in the Sidings in my days of frequenting public houses. She said how sorry she was to hear of my situation. Her only problem that day was how to make ice-cream in her ice-cream maker without most of it sticking to the sides. I can’t rem
Good morning folks. It is just a tad on the wild side today, a stiff wind is blowing from the Northwest and high tide tonight at about 10.30 which means no fishing for me tonight. Well I am not really sure if I am up to fishing just yet. I think I just might struggle a little getting on and off the boat. However, another 24 hours and I will be even better than I am now. It is now 8 a.m and as of yet, I have neither breakfasted nor taken Skipper for his morning bounce along the Silverburn. I will
I want to begin this morning by saying a big hello and a very warm welcome to Marla in Los Angeles. Marla has contacted me through Stan and Mo Bradbury from Castletown. Marla is a regular reader of the blog and when she read my account of the Grand Princess berthing at the cruise terminal in Liverpool last week she got in touch to let us know that onboard the Grand Princess were her parents, an Aunt and several cousins. So, it is not just the blog that circumnavigates the globe, real people also
Good morning people, Saturday has come round once again. I’m just back from Ronaldsway Halt. We have a steady north-westerly blowing, but the sun is shining. I have woken up feeling good, and I hope that you have too. Of course lots of things can happen today to change how we feel about it. So far so good I suppose. You maybe a lucky lottery winer by 8o’clock tonight, on the other hand, you might be lying in Nobles hospital having been run down by the Douglas to Port St Mary bus. So, if you have
Good morning folks. I woke up this morning not feeling too bright. I felt tired and swallowing breakfast was hard work. I seem to have woken this morning with many of the side effects of the radiation treatment all arriving at the same time, just like London Buses. I wish the side effects would mirror IOM busses and then I would probably have none. Anyway I simply told myself, "Glassey, firstly you should be grateful that you have woken up at all, and secondly you are waking up to many brighter
Good morning folks. I have just returned from walking Skipper. We drove up to Ronaldsway halt and walked south along the Silverburn to the waterfall, then turned and headed back North to the halt again; a tiny railway station and a tiny river. This time last week I was walking on the banks of the Mersey and the nearest railway station was Lime Street. What a contrast! Lime Street with its busy taxi rank, buses and people wheeling trolleys; the noise of the traffic and the general hubbub of a cit
Good morning people, it is truly magnificent to be home once again and hopefully this time for good. Over the last 4 weeks I have been on one of the most fascinating adventures of my life. I have met some of the most fantastic people on the planet. I have experienced highs and lows. I feel as though I have been put through the washing machine, tumbled dried, ironed, and now returned feeling a little scarred and battered, but cleansed of cancer for now at least.
The situation seems to be tha
Good morning people. I’m back on yet another flying visit. I will return to the Wirral tomorrow morning, however, this time only for a couple of days. If all goes well I will return to the Island on Tuesday night with treatment complete.
Well it has been another fascinating week on the Wirral. On this last trip I was accompanied by Ray and Pauline Cregeen from Port St.Mary. Barbara joined us on the Tuesday along with Skipper. Skipper did not collect an ASBO on the Wirral and I am at a loss
Hello folks, it is Sunday morning and all is well. Tomorrow morning I and my good friends Ray and Pauline Cregeen will take the 7.30 water bus to Liverpool. Yes the gathering is on the move and will reconvene on the Wirral for a week. Barbara will join us Tuesday evening after catching up with a few things and Karron will again take over the menagerie management.
This weekend I have received many calls from folks who have had treatment at Clatterbridge. I am indeed inspired by their calls. M
Good morning people. How wonderful it is to be back again albeit just for another flying weekend trip. Well I guess I better begin my report by getting the Steam Packet out of the way first.
I crossed over last Monday morning on the Super seacat, now named the “Viking”. I think I said last week that these fast craft vessels should not be given names. They haven’ earned them and don’t deserve them. They are merely water busses. They come out of the factory as numbers and that is all they sh
I hope this latest blog entry is readable. It is being tapped out by Barbara on an XDA palm.
What a week we've had so far! We arrived at the hospital on Monday more or less straight from the boat. After Tom waited for an hour or so whilst I walked around the wooded perimeter with Skipper, Tom was informed that the machine that does the radiotherapy, had broken down & he was asked to return at 6 p.m. We went back at 6 & the backlog meant he wasn't seen until 7.30. Tom has to psyche him
Good morning people. Blimey what a wild day it is. A little while ago I returned from a walk on the beach with Barbara and Skipper. Well, I didn’t walk actually because when I got there, I discovered I still had my slippers on. Maybe all this radiation to my brain is getting to me.
Tomorrow we leave for Clatterbridge again, this time with Barbara and Skipper. We will all stay in the caravan at Meols on the Wirral. Meols is a small sleepy sort of town, right on the northern end of the Wirral
Good morning people, I am just back for a flying visit. I came over on last night’s Slow craft Viking, and I will return, Steam Packet willing on Monday morning.
Well after a week, we are progressing nicely I guess. I crossed over to Liverpool last Monday morning with my boatman young Chris Callow, on the so-called super seacat. All I can say about this vessel is, she isn’t very super and she isn’t very fast.
Our voyage began with an announcement explaining that owing to a broken gear,
Well today the radiotherapy commenced. Tom will probably be more informative when he returns, but the gist appears to be that the mask that was fitted on Monday was very tight and Tom had a choice of going with the treatment on his head, or delaying it a day. He decided to go with it and the mask will be adjusted for tomorrow, so it won't be quite so uncomfortable.
The treatment lasted about 45 minutes and he is feeling fine. He has been told to expect the side effects in about 2 weeks time.
I thought I would do an update on how things are going for Tom across.
He left for Liverpool yesterday morning and eventually got there after a slow Seacat trip. He still made it in time for his appointment, with Time to spare. His young boatman, Chris Callow has gone with him and is looking after him admirably.
Tom said the mask fitting wasn't pleasant, but he coped. He had to hold his hands above his head for around 45 minutes and he found that tiring, along with the machine turning hi
Good morning folks. Well yes I don’t normally blog on Sundays. However, I failed to blog yesterday, and therefore this will be the last blog before I go to Clatterbridge tomorrow. I am afraid the damn gathering got out of hand again on Friday night, hence the lack of a blog yesterday. Ian McKinley, the former custodian of Castle Rushen, turned up from the world of Smeale where he now lives. Andrew Qualtrough also put in an appearance prior to his lizard hunting jaunt to the South of France. Sara
Mary came home from school in tears. She explained to her mother that she had been punished for something she didn’t do. “That’s terrible,” said her mother. I’m going straight up to your school to have a word with your teacher. “What was it you didn’t do?” “My homework,” said Mary.
Well they say the old ones are the best, and this story reminds me of the time I had my pocket money stopped for a week back in my boarding school days. When my teacher asked me one morning for my homework, I rep
Good morning people, I hope that you are having a good morning, or in many cases by the time you read this, I hope that you have had a good day. Well, I have just 4 days before I head for Clatterbridge.
When I was a kid and at home on school holidays, I would always be counting the days that were left before my return to the convent in Liverpool. When the last day came, I would try and stay awake all night in a vane attempt to try and make the last day last as long as possible. Sleep would
