h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So Ramsey doesn't get a mention huh? Royal Ramsey, shining by the sea, shame on you Gnomon!

Yes, but who wants to go there?

Ramsey - the end of the line for the Electric Railway from Douglas.

I suppose you could say "largest town in the north of the island", though generally it is "a place to commute from to get to your job"

Another aspect of the island's economy to consider is the film industry. In the last few years (since 1995 I think) there have been several films and TV series that (to some people inexplicably not realising the cash incentives) have been at least partially filmed on the island. The most famous is "Waking Ned", though there are quite a few others: see http://www.gov.im/dti/iomfilm/ (I haven't found a site that gives TV series - nbut I know the crime series "Organized and Dangerous" with Martin Kemp on ITV last year had all shots of one character's house and street - supposedly in London - filmed in Douglas)

Pimms

An excellent overview of the Island.

As well as kippers there is Manx beer - the Island's purity laws limit the ingredients for beer made locally. As part of the research into this you may want to take a tour of the Okells Brewery at Kewaigue - they'll show you all the equipment and explain what they use and why - and you'll get to test the products
I think that the purity laws relating to ice cream were revoked, to be replaced by ones similar to European law, but I think that Davisons are still making their ice cream to the old rigorous standards.

I've seen Manx sheep spelt Loaghtan in legislation, and I've seen other spellings elsewhere. I think that this one of the things with having an officially dead language, there isn't a standard spelling. The society of breeders on the Island uses the spelling Loaghtan.

Manx caught herring - herring quota was obtained for the 1 year, and fished against by 2 boats. I'll find out what's happening now. The Isle of Man now has an FPO, the Manx Fish Producers Organisation, who have bought quota so Manx boats can now prosecute white fish. (More fish shops are now owned by the fishermen who catch the fish.)

The main part of the Manx economy now is the finance sector at 37%, Tourism's down to 5% - the figures for different industries are given on the Economic Affairs part of the government web site www/gov.im/treasury

Wild and Domestic animals - Manx legislation now classifies wallabies as indigenous: these escaped from the Wildlife Park in sufficient numbers to establish a breeding population. Larger wild mammals include goats in large numbers particularly round Maughold.

Is relationship with the EU of interest? It may be of concern to someone interested in moving here. The Isle of Man's relationship with the EU comes under Protocol III to the Treaty of Rome. The Isle of Man is not part of the EU. Protocol III allows the Island to trade freely in goods and services with the EU; the Island has to bring in EU law relating to manufacturing, agriculture, etc so that goods to be sold meet the EU requirements, and so that subsidies do not put Manx goods in a more favourable position in the EU market. Whilst items manufactored here have the right of free movement to the EU, the Manx people do not. Protocol III defines a Manxman as someone born on the Island, with both parents also born on the Island, and all 4 grandparents born on the Island. If you are a Manxman you do not have the right to work in the EU that EU nationals have.

Those wishing to work on the Island are subject to the work permit legislation. See the goverment web site, Dept of Trade and Industry, Control of Employment, or I can expand on the subject.

I've been reading H2G2 for a while but have just registered. Hope I'm not overstepping the mark with all this bumff?

Kez

No worries Kez

Usually people wait until the entry has been submitted to the Peer Review forum before making suggestions, but that is only because, given the volume of entries in h2g2, it is the easiest way to know which entries actively *want* feedback.

When Gnomon gets back from Seattle he may be minded to submit this entry to PR, but first there are a few xxxx's to fill in or excise first.

Pimms
(are you 'manx'kez because you were born on the Island, live there now, or both? what did you think of the manx joke?

Do you prefer
"How many Manxmen does it take to change a lightbulb?






It can't be done - the Manx don't like change)

The Manx joke is better than the lightbulb - we'd rather sit in the dark than have a light in the place in the first place! But pulling someone back down to the level of everyone else is more like it.

Traa dy lioor/Time enough works 2 ways - a relaxed attitude, or nothing must change here. But the strength of the finance sector, and the amount of new residents is changing things.

I'm born Manx, live here, and lived here all the time in between. I know a lot about the Island, but I'm not in a postition to compare it to anywhere else.

Kez

No need to say sorry - I was just pointing out that you struck lucky commenting on an Isle of Man entry that is going somewhere

You'll notice that there aren't any EG entries on the Island yet. With your level of local knowledge this gives you a rich seam of entries you could write if you were minded to.

I have considered short biographies of famous Manxmen (Knox and TE Brown would be my first choices), but obviously there are more. Then there are the historical entries (mining, ownership of Island, smuggling), unique features (language, cats, sheep, kippers, TT), reviews of pubs (not an area I feel competent to judge) which could all be expanded on and made into entries in their own rights. Do any of them grab youer fancy? If you need any assistance with h2g2 formatting or PR (or even writing) just ask.

Pimms (sort of a come-over)

I don't know much at all about famous Manx men, I'd be interested in reading what you have to write.

That's a good idea, write about something related to the Island. I'll have to have a think what to write about. I'm the opposite of an expert, I know little about a lot!

Kez

Unfortunately I am also not an expert - when I get the urge to write I research and draft out an entry. At the moment you could write all I know about Knox and Brown on the back of a postcard

I get a kick out of finding reliable info on the Web. My two current entries in PR were both sparked by chance remarks and followed up with a bit of research.

Pimms

My favourite phrase pertaining to lack of knowledge is "....can be written on a fly's a**e with a poker"

Thankyou for your contribution BigAl - by coincidence does it correspond to your knowledge of the Isle of Man?

Pimms

No, I think I can claim to have a little more knowledge t5han that of the IoM - but not that much more. Years ago I spent a fortnight on the IoM , on camp with the Territorial Army. We stayed in Ramsey. As we approached Douglas Harbour, we saw the peak of Snaefell and said to each other, "I bet that bgy tomorrow night we'll be at the top of that". We were wrong, we were there by mid-day.

I collect postcards of everywhere I go - have done ever since I was 'knee high to a grasshopper' - and so I have a few of the IoM in ny colllection. (I didn't know I had this vast collection of entomological analogoies!)

I also bought home a small porcelain Manx cat for Mrs RBA.

I wasn't subscribed to this conversation! For old entries, the author doesn't get subscribed automatically. So I never saw Manxkez's suggestions. I was in Seattle at the time he/she suggested them.

I'll have to consider is there stuff in there that should be included. Or Pimms, as joint author, can decide.