27-Feb-2026
We're still caught up in a veritable vortex of activity... Here's a quick rundown of the last fortnight:
-- We now have: Home internet (such a relief, as the quality of mobile internet is not one of the Island's strong points); Manx driving licences; library cards; bus cards in a variety of denominations; a proper bed; and quite a bit more small-scale furniture and equipment than when I last posted (there's nothing like walking home with one of us carrying a large bin, and the other a coffee table, but I do quite like the serendipity of charity shop acquisitions).
-- We've signed up with the doctor, and are slowly making our way through the raft of introductory procedures; and we've signed the last bit of house paperwork with the lawyers.
-- We've scoped out our local foodhall (Robinson's), and are now regular visitors; scored deliveries from Tesco's and the Isle of Man Creamery; and checked out not only the local Chinese but also the Michael Chippy, who parks up not far from us on Friday evenings.
Excellent fish and chips
Loppers are among the things that have been acquired in the last fortnight. Now nothing will be safe...
These last two weeks have also been our introduction to Manx life without a vehicle. And our learning curve has been made steeper by the fact that the bus drivers have now been on strike for a week...
Well, we said we wanted to walk more. And we have certainly walked... Through gales, rain, mist, and sunshine. We have established routes into town, and routes around the locality. As ways of getting from A to B, they're all really quite pleasant:
It's a 50-minute walk to one of our favourite down-town coffee shops, Java Express
But there are at least four cafes that are closer to home. This is 360, one I've mentioned before
A few more from my terraced houses collection
And how about this for a very natty gable? It's actually a former power station
On the way into town
By the old railway line that's now a footpath
A rather elegant little gatehouse (I was naughty here, and "disappeared" the bin)
The quintessential mysterious door in the wall...
The confluence of the Rivers Dhoo and Glass
We get some picturesque weather, pointing all ways on the seasonal clock...
Winter
Spring
Autumn? The cloud envelops the close
And the herald of summer. Reflections when the sun shines through our front door
I still can't assess "normality" here, because we've not really had any. But I think things are going reasonably well. True, there's still a long list of things to do. But looking round at all the stuff that's been donkeyed in and/or built and/or delivered, we realize we've come a long way. We celebrated four weeks of occupation yesterday (almost one of which was spent in England), and we raised a grateful glass to progress past and -- God willing -- future.