The pace of life here, as already mentioned is super slow, and it doesn’t ring truer than when speaking to watchmaker Roger W Smith.
He and his small team produce around ten watches per year for discerning horophiles around the world from Sulby. Roger was among an audience at a lecture given by renowned watchmaker Dr. George Daniels at the Manchester School of Horology which sparked his interest.
Years later, Roger moved to the Island and worked as Dr. Daniels’ apprentice, helping him make a series of ‘Millennium’ watches. Today, Roger W Smith has an international reputation as the greatest exponent of handmade watches in the true English style.
They include features such as frosted movement plates, engine-turned dials and jewels set in gold chatons. The team is currently finalising the development of the Series 4, which will feature triple calendar and moon-phase complications – and cost upwards of £250,000.
The surroundings on the Isle of Man are indeed stunning, and school children are encouraged to get out into nature as much as possible. With high standards of teaching and a strong appetite for sports and culture, ‘green classrooms’ are part of every school curriculum, where kids are taken outside and encouraged to think for themselves and understand more about the world around them.
And there are plenty of sailing, mountain biking and diving clubs, all guaranteed to help them appreciate their incredible surroundings. And there’s no OFSTED on the island either. Instead, schools evaluate themselves, before an independent validator verifies their findings.
There’s a real sense of community here. Everyone I met on the Island spoke about how much they value the support and friendship they have with their neighbours. The islanders look after each other so it comes as no surprise that crime rates are low.
According to crime performance statistics, the Isle of Man has one of the lowest crime rates in Europe. Hardly anyone locks their doors and parents allow their children to play outdoors carefree, and locals take pride in their communities and heritage.
With the outdoors playing a big part in island life, it’s a paradise for keen golfers.
Castletown Golf Links is a unique championship golf course situated on the Langness Peninsula, surrounded by the sea on all three sides. Golf is played well above sea level with views at every hole of tumbling cliffs, rocky outcrops and sweeping bays.
I took a walk around the course with Johnny Evans from the club who explained: “The playing conditions are pure links golf – tight-knit, quick-draining turf and smooth, fast running greens.” Johnny, who has been playing golf since the age of four and professionally as an adult, moved to the island from London. He said he and his family’s quality of life were so much better here than it would have been in London.
The Isle of Man is certainly not cut off from the rest of the world. There are around 50 flights to and from the Island every day as well as daily ferry services to England and Ireland. So, if you’re in need of a big-city fix, you can be in Liverpool in just 20 minutes and London within one hour.
The Isle of Man – Where and How?
For more information on the Isle of Man, visit www.locate.im
Photographs of The Arragon Mooar Estate courtesy of Dr. John C Taylor OBE. Generic photographs of the Isle of Man (C) Isle of Man Tourism.
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