School's Out!

There’s a week left of school. Then it’s 6 weeks of holidays! You might have booked a break off-Island for a week or so just to break it up. Then again, it might be a day trip to Chester Zoo on the Isle of Man Steam Packet your looking forward to. Perhaps the kids are already booked on a summer holiday sports session at the NSC. Either way, rather than thinking about buying or selling a home, turning your mind to making sure the family are well catered for this summer is, I’m sure, at the front of every parent’s mind at the moment. 

There is so much to do on the Isle of Man this summer. Sure, the weather is important - so let’s all hope this superb dry spell continues then we can make the most of our outdoor playground. 

I’ve got two children; they’re 9 and 5 years old respectively. Both are likely to be a little jaded by the end of term but that’ll soon change. It’s amazing how much energy they have. I’m also lucky I’ve got enough of a garden for them to play in when we’re not required to ferry them around from club to club or place to place. All good fun anyway!

Rather than talk about property, and whilst I can’t offer to babysit and/or entertain your kids for you, I thought it might be worthwhile to write a little about what is going on this summer here on the Island. All this info is easily found on the various websites, facebook pages or via word of mouth.

For Primary school ages, first stop should be Sarah Ashall’s popular publication, ‘Ready Steady Go’. Distributed free to all primary school children, this 'must have' guide is full of inspirational ideas for fun things to do in the holidays.

Check out the Manx Sport & Recreation website - www.msr.gov.im heaps of activities and plenty to get your sports mad kids into this summer.

Why not keep your little darlings’ education going this summer? Visit our very own treasure trove at Manx National Heritage - https://manxnationalheritage.im - the team up at the Manx Museum and across the various sites Island-wide have so much to tell you and your families about the extraordinary history of our Island. Indoors or outdoors, there are great days out waiting to be experienced. 

If your son or daughter likes trains or cars and bikes then be sure to arrange a day out on the Steam Railway or Electric Railway or visit the Motor Museum up at Jurby.

The timetable and information for the Railways can be found on their website - https://www.gov.im/categories/travel-traffic-and-motoring/bus-and-rail/heritage-railways/steam-railway/ - leaving your car at either end and having a family day out, maybe with a pub lunch or by visiting a friend is a great way to spend a day!

The Isle of Man Motor Museum is a fabulous attraction, ever-changing as new exhibits are restored and displayed. Find out more here - www.isleofmanmotormuseum.com

If you’re coming to the Island this summer and are reading this, get into www.visitiom.com - if you’re new to the Island, or a regular visitor, this site has so much information to help you have the best trip possible.

Don’t forget to look locally too. Often doing so can be so cost effective. We’ve got so many parks and play areas to take advantage of, wherever you are on the Island. Recently opened at Nobles Park in Douglas, the new ‘Splash Zone’ provides a superb outdoor wet play area complimenting the existing facilities. The Mooragh Park in Ramsey too is particularly impressive with extensive park, play area, wet play area, BMX track, tennis courts and a couple of cafes, with the lake and all it has to offer alongside. Free of charge too unless you want to top off your day with an ice-cream or boat hire! 

Camping is becoming more and more popular. A weekend at Glen Wyllin, a few nights at the Sulby Claddagh or Silly Moos - the choice is yours, there are lots of sites open to the public. And when the weather has been as good as we’ve had so far this summer, this sort of activity is great for all the family. If its a wet day, as well as a number of Swimming Pools across the Island, we have two cinemas that will all show matinees during the holidays. More information on both can be found using these links;

broadway-cinema

www.palace-cinema.com/homepage.php 

So I hope you’ve found this helpful in some small way. There is so much to do if we all put our minds to it both outdoors and indoors. But if it all gets too much for you there’s always one final link you could click - www.blackgracecowley.com - in case a new home is on the cards :-) And of course, we’d be very happy to help you.

Have a great summer, whatever it is you’re planning to do.