It is 8.22 a.m. I’m just back from my morning walk and there is a touch of rain in the air this morning. I have managed to get a 45 minute walk in without Skipper chasing anyone or harassing any other dogs. Mind you he still has his ASBO in place and I have to get up earlier and earlier to get my walks in, before the rest of the dog community on the island join me.

Today is going to be busy. We still have an aunt over from Dublin for Dad’s funeral. I have promised to take her out later this morning. This afternoon our good friend Cheryl Teeling whom I have referred to many times on the blog, will arrive at Ronaldsway all the way from the banks of the Columbian river in Northwest USA, accompanied by two blog readers and good friends from Manchester, Pauline and Colin . Yesterday I took a gander over to Port St Mary to check on a project. Ray Gregeen is building me a model of a Mississippi paddle steamer. It is coming on well, but is still several months away from completion.

Barbara has just brought me one of my special Tassimo coffees and now after a couple of mouthfuls I am fully charged to continue with the blog.

I was wandering down Arbory Street in Castletown the other day and I dropped in to Diane’s little gift shop. Diane is the daughter of the late and well known Castletown character Keith Collister. I wanted a few Manx items such as Manx cat, three legs of man and that type of thing to send to a blind lady in the U.S. and there is no better place than Diane’s. There was a time over here when all the local shops were identified by the shopkeeper, Holmes the baker, Collister the grocer and so on. Thankfully Diane’s shop is one of the few that’s left and is still very much identified with Diane. Let’s hope that Tescos don’t one day express an interest in ornamental Manx cats or models of the Laxey wheel.

Diane’s Dad Keith was of course a very good friend of mine, as he was to most of the folk of Castletown. I could easily write a blog dedicated just Keith’s stories alone. I have already referred to some of his yarns in earlier blogs and no doubt we will do so in future ones. This particular event took place in the Union hotel about 20 years ago.

Keith along with the regulars sat watching a talent show on the telly. “I quite fancy that opera singer” says keith. “Not a chance in Hell” was the general consensus of the rest. “OK, I will take a fiver from anyone that reckons she won’t win.” said Keith. Of course the opera singer won the talent show and Keith pocketed around £50. An hour or so later a football match between Liverpool and a team from the continent came on the TV. “OK boys, this is your chance to win your money back, I say a fiver Liverpool win the match!” “Now just hang on a minute Keith” said the spokesman. “This match was played last night; we’re not that bloody stupid!” “Oh, sorry” replied Keith. “The talent competition was last week!”

Well, that’s about it then folks for today. I am now going to take another gander along the river bank. So, until tomorrow then, this is Tom Glassey, with News at not exactly sure when, as my watch has stopped on the banks of the Silverburn River.