It is 8.35 a.m. and I am just back from my morning wanderings along the banks of the Silverburn. I didn’t meet a soul this morning. The sun is shining and there is a gentle breeze from the southwest. Tonight I am hoping to take my boat Silverburn out to sea, to test out our seemingly dodgy engine. I have young Chris on standby and we shall sail at about 6.30 and if you hear my name and lifeboats read out in the same sentence, on Manx radio’s morning News tomorrow, there will be no blog.

I have received a couple of emails asking how Skipper got his ASBO. Basically, Skipper can be hell on paws. When we first got him his hit list regarding things to chase consisted of planes, bikes, prams, cars and people or walkers who did not have dogs. Well now the list is down to planes and people without dogs. Only when he stops chasing everything, will the Asbo be lifted. The ASBO means that most of the time he has to remain on a long lead and only when there is no-one else about is he let loose. If you were to meet him at home, you would swear that butter would not melt in his mouth. However, the same dog let loose in a park full of kids becomes a pain in the proverbial.

Now then, I know that you are all wondering did I succumb to the temptation of the Peel chippie yesterday. Well, I really tried very hard to talk myself in to settling for a sandwich at Shoprite and I briefly flirted with the idea of dropping in to Muffin’s pie shop but in the end the lure of the chippie proved to be too great and my willpower sank to my boots as the smell from the chippie on the quay filled my nostrils and like a GPS system guided me to its door. I will return to Peel next Monday and have a second stab at it. In the meantime I will checkout the local chemist to see if there are any patches or chewing bum you can take prior to visiting Peel.

Until tomorrow then, this is Tom Glassey with News at 8.55 a.m. clutching my banana on the banks of the Silverburn.