7.30 a.m. It’s a fine day once again and I’m going to head up the Silverburn to Ballasalla and back. As I write, Orry the parrot is shouting his head off; Skipper is primed at the door and all ready to leap into action. The sun is not shining yet. However, it is not raining and, the kettle has just boiled. How much more wonderful could any day be.

This coming Friday is Good Friday. When I was a kid Easter was indeed a very special time of the year. The most important aspect of Easter of course was coming home from school for the Easter holiday. After spending 3 months in the convent in Liverpool, it was now time to return home to the Island once again for a far too short, three week break. But what was so special about Easter? What made the Easter holiday any different to the others? Well, I guess Easter was the beginning. It marked the end of winter. To a young child who spent his childhood crossing the Irish Sea back and forth, to attend school, the end of the winter period was significant. During the winter months there was only one ferry crossing per day between the Island and Liverpool. The winter sailings meant it could be a little tricky during stormy periods in getting to and from school. When I was returning to school, the winter storms came straight from Heaven. When I was trying to get home from Liverpool, they came straight from Hell. None-the-less, Easter, usually meant fewer storms, extra sailings and lots of chocolate. Back in the 1960’s, the IOM Steam Packet had around 8 ships in their fleet. During winter they would run two and lay up the remaining 6 in dock in Birkenhead. Easter marked the beginning of the summer sailing schedules though. The laid up ships that had been lying mothballed in the docks at Birkenhead would now be pressed in to action. There would be afternoon and even midnight sailings from Liverpool. The port of Douglas would be transformed in to a hive of activity. Instead of the 3 p.m. arrival from Liverpool every day, ships would turn up around the clock, discharging their happy holidaying passengers from places such as Fleetwood, Belfast, Dublin, Llandudno and Ardrossan. The Steam Packet ships were a bit like the migrating birds returning to the Island from their winter havens. Easter to me was and still is a bit like the dawn chorus. You have a long night with broken sleep. The night seems to go on forever and ever. Then, at last you hear the song thrush, then the black bird. Before long there is a cacophony of bird song out there and, before you know it the dawn chorus has become a full symphony. It wasn’t just the Steam Packet ships that were coming out of winter hiding that gave the place a buzz. Small boats that had been in hibernation all around the island would now be sliding down slipways and taken their berths up for the summer. Easter was special because, just like the dawn chorus, it was the beginning and all the joys of summer still lay ahead of me. As a boatman, Easter is still very special to me. Putting my boat back in to the water in late March or early April still makes my heart pound with excitement. Back in January, Easter didn’t even figure in my thoughts. Cancer had struck and it seemed that boats and Easter were not going to be that significant in my life. In January, I sent an email to my loyal friend and boatman Chris. Chris has always looked after my boat and been a loyal sailing buddy. He had laid my boat up for the winter as normal. However, the time had now arrived to bring him up to speed with my changing situation. I wrote, “Unfortunately old boy cancer has come along and somewhat scuppered our plans somewhat. The doc tells me there might not be very much that can be done for me. It might just be a question of time. A long way to go yet and we will have to see what happens. It would appear that our sailing days might be over old pal. I would like you to prepare the boat for sale and get the best price we can for her. Talk with you later Tom”.

Chris did exactly as I had instructed him, and within a few days my boat Scarlet Queen had a new owner.

Today, as I write this email, the sun is shining through my office window. Chris is busy preparing my newly acquired boat, “Silverburn” for the summer season. She is now painted up ready and fitted out all ready to slide in to the water this Easter weekend. Yes, my friends, Easter is still wonderful.

Tom Glassey. News at 9.15 a.m. on the banks of the Silverburn.