Gloom in the portal but 'in the porthole' Geoff's at the piano

Chores done I turn to the Manx news and apparently there is more doom and gloom. Some outfit called Moody’s say that Brexit will be negative for the Isle of Man economy. The Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK has always been upbeat about Brexit and seemed to be steering us through the storm if he is to be believed. Now I don’t know what to think perhaps Peter Karran will have a view on it tomorrow (link):

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/brexit-will-be-negative-...

I switch to MTTV for relief and whilst there may be dark clouds over the Manx Radio Portal on Douglas Head in Douglas Bay the sun is shining. Paul Moulton is on a visiting cruise liner - the Azamara Pursuit - and this isn’t a flight (or voyage) of fancy the visit has a Manx connection - the skipper is Manx and a Peel man into the bargain - what's not to like.

I’ve never really been nautically inclined but the sea, shipbuilding and fishing were an integral part of the Manx psyche. Now although there is a big Manx shipping register most of that historical tie has gone.

Still the interview (link below) is upbeat. The Captain briefly sets out the itinerary and a cruise off Argentina sounds attractive - perhaps they would call at Puerto Madryn and I could look up members of the Patagonian branch of the Celtic League. However they would probably spoil it by also calling at the Falklands or ‘the Malvinas’ as we in the League like to term it.

My nautical experience to date has simply involved a few trips to the UK and over to Brittany or Normandy on occasion - although given a preference I prefer to fly. My most interesting shipping encounter was with the BNFL shipping operation PNTL at Barrow the ship remained stubbornly moored to the Quay but they did let me play with the wheels and levers and plied me with wine and lobster (caught in the Irish Sea - sense of nuclear humour there).

Moulton and the Captain were sticking to water not wine just as well as when the video moved on a collection of ‘the usual suspects’, Messrs Skelly, Crookall etc, hoove into view. I subconsciously start humming ‘put them in the scuppers with a hose pipe on them’.

Then my heart skipped a beat as I saw Geoff Corkish seated at the piano - it was a ‘play it again Sam’ moment - but sadly it was not to be. Geoff of course himself has a nautical background having worked as a Clerical Officer and ultimately PRO for the Steam Packet he was also a humble TGWU Union shop steward before becoming one of ‘the great and good’ in Tynwald.

Of course the big story of the week is the millions lost on the Movie Development Fund and I find myself thinking will the plans to turn Douglas Port into an Irish Sea Cruise liner hub be as fatal as the maiden voyage of the Titanic.

I dismiss the gloom and think about a trip to ‘the Southern Star’ again it's got to be an adventure. As the MTTV Youtube piece finishes the next item to roll is a hairy sequence showing the Lisbon pilot disembarking from the Cruise ship Adonia which apparently was a previous incarnation of the Azamara Pursuit.

I thought there was an old nautical superstition about changing the name of ships. Perhaps if I do go South I’ll take a plane!

Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kpxacOju50&feature=youtu.be

Image; ‘You must remember this…’

Bernard Moffatt