**

THE HOTEL INVASION

A few years before WW2 my parents had stayed at the "Fairhaven" behind the Castle Mona...then they moved to the "Regal" in 1937 where we stayed as a family for a number of years from 1947.

After a change of hotels we ended up in the Empire Hotel... Then Dad had a big job change anf he and Mum said thats it and handed over the annual visit to me..I could not afford the sea front hotels since I was not well paid yet....By pure chance I picked the Fairhaven since we passed it on the way up to the paddock (walking) via the long road up behind the Castle Mona

My first solo year I decided to take my friend John and we set out for the Island for two weeks. Mrs Gawne was the lady in charge so we settled into our room and had our first super evening meal. The hotel was not very full. As it happened we met some friends who had come to the TT to camp but it rained heavily. They were very wet and the tent leaked so I appealed to Mrs Gawne to allow the couple to at least have a shower and to get dried out.....Well, they ended up staying in the hotel, magically finding money to pay the required costs to stay....They thoroughly enjoyed being with us..After the first week we met up with friends and they also came to stay in the hotel with us..By now we had filled the hotel making Mrs Gawne very happy.

The next year John had to miss the TT but our group booked up again and I took Richard and Roger plus my girlfriend Julia...With all the others the hotel was full again and probably it was the most full hotel in the vicinity.



RICHARD, ROGER AND JULIA AT SULBY BRIDGE



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