Down at the Sound, where you get great views of the Calf of Man and Kitterland and the wild stretch of water that separates them from the Island, there stands what is known as the Thousla Cross:


It commemorates another interesting story that I knew nothing about...

It's April 1858. French schooner Jeune St Charles, on the way from Pontrieux to Londonderry, is in trouble. The captain gives the order to abandon ship, but the longboats onto which the passengers and crew are evacuated get stuck on the Thousla Rocks. At first light, local farmers spot the predicament the voyagers are in. They set off from Port St Mary with two rowboats to attempt a rescue. And they manage to save all but two of the ship's souls.


While you're down there, of course, you can also do some seal-spotting:




Just up the road from Rose Cottage, meanwhile, is the St Johns Arboretum, which was opened in 1979 to celebrate the Millennium of Tynwald, the Manx Parliament.

Again, it's a long time since I've been here, and it has all matured beautifully since my last visit:









The forecast for the next few days is not inspiring. Today has been very windy, but neither cold nor rainy. All that is about to change...