Tuesday 8 June 2010 Douglas, Isle of Man N540 08.727’ W0040 28.098’

A planned day of rest and relaxation in Douglas, as well as doing the jobs. And as any good Project Manager will tell you, it is all in the planning. In exploring Douglas we could not understand why so many motor bikes, why so many people in black leather gear, why so many aging hippies – until it was realised that we had arrived in TT Week – today was rest day and hence everyone was in Douglas.

I set off to find a launderette. Easy according to the instructions – just along the promenade and then turn left at Broadway and it is just up the hill on the left. What the giver of directions forgot to say that they do not have street names in Douglas and, whilst the Promenade was simple, finding Broadway took more frustration. Eventually the launderette was found run by a character modelled on of Rigby in “Rising Damp”. The emporium itself boasted 6 washing machines and 9 dryers but unfortunately only 2 of each were working and there were long queues about which Rigby seemed blithely unconcerned.

Then an electric train to Ramsey for a look at the Island. The electric train was built in late 1800s and was very Edwardian, and noisy. It rattled along through Douglas, out across the Island, along cliff tops eventually descending into Ramsey. Today it is a popular tourist attraction but I could not help wondering why it was originally built; scarcely an efficient form of transport and very expensive to set up as a tourist attraction. To complete the expedition, a ride back along the promenade on a horse drawn tram. The Conductor on the tram was most intrigued by my sailing jacket and the Alcy1 Race Team logo; he wanted to know which works sponsor did we race for and what make of bike and seemed somewhat put out when it was explained.

One thing we had also overlooked is that the Isle of Man is a foreign country. All the various ways by which it was hoped to connect to the internet simply did not work. O2 is not recognised. Various attempts at wi fi failed – the most intriguing in the crowded TT Tent on the promenade where it boasted ‘free wi fi’; late in the evening with loud heavy beat music and surrounded by a sea of beer and black leather, with young ladies trying to ride the bucking bronco machine, attempts were made and failed to connect. Late appearance of blog postings is just a measure of the difficulties of connecting to the internet.