A while ago, I had an article published by the excellent Manx website Gef. The piece was all about a trip I’d taken around the Isle of Man, photographing derelict abandoned open-air swimming baths from the heyday of tourism. If you’d like to read the article, here’s a link: https://gef.im/2021/04/17/taking-a-dive-into-open-air-pools/ If you’re not familiar withContinue reading “Visions of Baths”
Tag Archives: Isle of Man
Peel 1965
Algorithms are funny things. Sometimes they’re belly-shakingly hilarious in their misfires. But generally, they’re quite cute in the way they stalk your every online movement to serve up some digital sweetmeat that they think you might like. They’re often correct. Because I read and write a fair bit about Manx culture and history, a siteContinue reading “Peel 1965”
The loss of the Ellan Vannin
I’ve written a piece for Gef to mark the anniversary of the loss of the Ellan Vannin. It’s one of the saddest tales in the history of the Isle of Man, but one worth knowing about. Here’s a link to the article:
Pacino Boats
I’ve just found this photo, that I took a few years ago. It was the first in a series of pictures that I called Manx Fishing Boats That Share Their Name With An Al Pacino Movie. And indeed, the last. I’m very happy to be proved wrong on this. If you know anything about aContinue reading “Pacino Boats”
More Manx Women
A little while back, I wrote a piece for International Women’s Day, celebrating some of the most notable women in Manx history. Here’s a link to it: It’s by no means a complaint, but there are so many of them, I ran out of space in the article . So here’s another assortment. Sophia MorrisonContinue reading “More Manx Women”
Queen Victoria and the Disco Kings
I’ve written a new article for the website Gef. It has a cast of (almost) thousands of Manx and Manx-connected worthies, standing very still around Douglas. https://gef.im/2021/07/31/how-deep-is-your-love-for-statues/?fbclid=IwAR21CdSYGNJ14jMSn2b-txVgfpx1eTmehcY-xEjAq1CEcRS-hepyCSySeCM
Motorcycle Emptiness
I’ve been writing for the lovely Gef website again. This time I’m looking at (or rather, not looking at) something currently noticeably absent from the Isle of Man, and finding homemade ways to fill the gap. https://gef.im/2021/06/02/keeping-those-tt-vibes-alive/
Moonrise Memory
To paraphrase the best line ever uttered in a 007 movie, the Memories feature on Facebook appears with the tedious inevitability of an unloved season. Mercifully, they’ve tweaked the algorithm to stop people being jauntily reminded of the post they made that got a personal best of 248 reactions – when it was announcing theContinue reading “Moonrise Memory”
This Is Not Bliss
Some time ago, a few friends and I were out for a hike in the north of the Isle of Man. We met in the grand sturdy village of Kirk Michael and set off on an upward ascent, towards the Northern Hills of the Island. It was a fine clear day, with sunshine powerful enoughContinue reading “This Is Not Bliss”
Seasons of the Tholtan
As we emerged, blinking like bush babies from the latest lockdown, a friend suggested using our rediscovered freedom to go for a walk in the Manx countryside. As I live in the middle of Douglas, and therefore hadn’t left the town boundaries for eight weeks or so, this seemed an excellent idea. A bit ofContinue reading “Seasons of the Tholtan”
Mark Trevor Owen 