Mann: The State of the Nation - North and South

‘Our work to end poverty and homelessness in the Isle of Man goes on’. (Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK 1st February 2019)

I eventually get round to reading ‘the great man’s’ (aka Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK) words in his ‘State of the Nation Address’ given to something called ‘The Alliance of Compliance Professionals’ which sounds like a paramilitary wing of the Chamber of Commerce.

Some folk will decry me reading the great man’s work but what point is there in having ‘a great man’ if you don’t read his words. In any case Howards words are not his they are written for him and whoever does it is malevolent or incompetent because its turgid. Howard has a throwaway remark about poverty and homelessness. I ask you in that environment...god preserve us!

In any case who cares about ‘The Alliance etc’ probably just a load of jobsworths who will ‘ferk off’ when the grass becomes greener elsewhere or when the rest of the world closes down ‘Isle of Man Tax Dodge plc’.

Thankfully there are normal people around and I’ve spent the day on an odyssey North and South in search. I kicked off at Orrisdale gawping at the horses it's normally the other way round horses gawp at people. However today with some sun on their back and fresh hay they feigned disinterest.

A little further south in Kirk Michael butchers I didn’t hear the State of the Nation as a great talking point although as always the produce was excellent.

On I go sampling the nation's roads. Infrastructure Minister Ray Harmer MHK said recently that the Nation's roads are in a ‘State’ and require X millions to fix he has a fraction of that sum. If the roads are bad the pavements alongside are ghastly - you miss the dedicated work of the Highway Board Parish gangs. Still COMIN would aver this is progress.

Leaving Peel going south I’m prepared for potholes because I’m heading to Eary Cushlin however I hadn’t expected them to start before I got off Glenfaba Road - its not hard to work out which side of Peel Ray Harmer lives!

The day is sharp, crisp and clear the Mournes and the North Down coast are peeping out of the distance on the horizon. There is a craft market in Glen Maye the Nations (away from the Chamber and its paramilitary arm) is in a great State.

At Eary Cushlin in the lee of the plantation and on the road there’s still snow. It's great you have the feeling of an early spring and winter is self evidently still with us.

Wandering the path into Eary Cushlin it's very still just sheep and bird sounds breaking the silence after a few trial bikers playfully meandering the outer roads have disappeared.

In the distance a ‘Grayback’ is making a raucous noise it goes on and on it sounds great maybe it should be recorded and played at next year's ‘Alliance’ meeting it makes a better ‘State of the Nation Address’ than the one Howard gave yesterday!

Here is the link to Howard's speech - inflict it on yourself:

https://www.gov.im/…/chief-ministers-address-to-the-allian…/

Next years speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh_H60-QG-U

Bernard Moffatt