When I first came to the Isle of Man there seemed to be so many things in which we could participate while not at the races. We hired rowing boats and ventured out to the Tower of Refuge hoping to get back to land before the tide changed.

Along the prom were stacks of deckchairs which could be hired by the hour and we returned them willingly at the end of the time..

Also on the prom were people selling candy floss, a huge fluffy pink ball on a stick.

One could get ice cream in many forms from sandwich to cornet and beyond.

In town we could stand in a shop and watch Rock being made by hand. I can still smell the gorgeous aroma of the hot sugary medium they used to make different colours but through all there was the "Isle of Man" or the "Three Legs" in red.

We can still get Kippers either over the counter or sent by post....

So much has changed on Douglas Sea Front, many hotels have been closed, only a few have risen like Phoenix to get a second life as apartments or offices for the Finance Sector. The old sea terminus came down and was replaced by the mushroom and the infamous Douglas Bay Hotel was replaced with more offices. Summerland burnt down and has not been replaced.