As a child I spent many happy holidays with my mum and dad and two brothers in the Isle of Man. Those holidays were the starting point for my book, The Angels of Mona Terrace. One day I simply wrote down everything I could remember and the story grew from there.
On several occasions we stayed in a guest house on Mona Terrace. There were lots of great things about that guest house, but the best, for me, was the view! The front windows of the house had (and still have) magnificent views over Douglas Bay.
The Tower of Refuge stands on the rocks in Douglas Bay. It was built in 1832 as a haven for sailors in distress.
In the early part of the 19th century many ships were wrecked on the rocks which can’t be seen at high tide. Dozens of sailors lost their lives and yet they had been agonisingly close to the safety of the shore.
The Tower was erected so that shipwrecked sailors could have somewhere to shelter until a rescue could take place in calmer conditions.
The Tower of Refuge was the brainchild of Sir William Hillary.
One of the characters in my book is Sir William Hillary. Unlike all the other characters he was a real person.
Born in 1771, Hillary was a Yorkshireman who moved to the Isle of Man in the early part of the 19th century. He lived in Douglas where he witnessed many dramas at sea and, together with other volunteers, took part in a number of rescues.
Moved by the fact that there was no national scheme for the saving of lives at sea Sir William launched ‘An Appeal to the British Nation’ in an attempt to form ‘A National Institution for the Preservation of Lives and Property from Shipwreck’.
Following exhaustive campaigns Sir William gained the support of many influential people including The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prime Minister.
The National Institution for The Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was later to become the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
In The Angels Of Mona Terrace the characters pay a visit to St George's church in Douglas. In the graveyard they discover the tomb of Sir William Hillary.
They learn more about him by reading the inscription on his grave:-
"Fearless himself in the work of rescue from shipwreck he helped to save 509 lives and was 3 times awarded the gold medal of the institution for great gallantry".
One of the ‘stars’ of my book is the Manxman.
In 1971 there were eight ships in the Isle of Man Steam Packet fleet, but I chose the Manxman for one very special reason – she still exists.
Manxman was built in 1955 and the photograph shows her in her heyday. Sadly, she doesn’t look anything like that today.
Several years ago The Manxman Steamship Company was established to purchase and preserve her. She was to be restored to all her former glory and to become a visitor attraction/museum in Liverpool. Despite huge public support, these plans appear to have been scuppered because of developments on Merseyside which mean the port owner is unable to provide a berth.
Featuring the Manxman in my book was to be my tiny contribution to raise awareness of her plight. Unfortunately, it appears to be too little, too late. Or is it? Perhaps you can do something to change the situation and help save this grand old ship.
As a child I spent many happy holidays with my mum and dad and two brothers in the Isle of Man. Those holidays were the starting point for my book, The Angels of Mona Terrace. One day I simply wrote down everything I could remember and the story grew from there.
The Tower of Refuge stands on the rocks in Douglas Bay. It was built in 1832 as a haven for sailors in distress.
One of the characters in my book is Sir William Hillary. Unlike all the other characters he was a real person.
In The Angels Of Mona Terrace the characters pay a visit to St George's church in Douglas. In the graveyard they discover the tomb of Sir William Hillary.
One of the ‘stars’ of my book is the Manxman.