karibu magazine 3rd edition

ISLE OF MAN
Mrs Pauline Kariuki
enjoying hiking in
Alaska
Maureen Aluoch
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man is a self-governing
British Crown dependency in the Irish
Sea between England and Ireland.
The Isle of Man was part of the
Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides
until the 13th century when it was
ceded to Scotland. “. The island never
became part of the United Kingdom,
retaining its status as an internally selfgoverning
Crown Dependency.
The Isle of Man is not a full member of
the European Union or the Schengen
Area, however it is part of the
Common Travel Area and maintains
a full customs union with the United
Kingdom. No passport control checks
are in place for travellers from the
UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands,
however the plane and ferry companies
usually request some form of photo ID.
English is the first language of all but
around 150 native speakers of Manx
- a language descended from Old
Irish and closely related to Irish and
Scottish Gaelic. All children on the Isle
of Man have the option to study Manx
at school, and there have been great
efforts in recent times to revive the
language.
The official currency is the Manx
pound (£), which is divided into 100
pence, or pennies. It comes in the
same denominations and sizes as the
pound sterling, and both currencies are
pegged at a rate of 1:1.
UK notes and coins (whether from
banks in England, Scotland, or Northern
Ireland) are universally accepted on the
Isle of Man, but Manx notes and coins
are not generally accepted in the UK.
Manx food is often very good and
continues to improve. Some good
restaurants and bistros can be found.
Fish and chips are also popular. Crab
baps are available from a kiosk on Peel
Quay.
There are several varieties of Manx
cheese. Boxes of Manx kippers can be
ordered for delivery by post.
A local speciality worth trying is
chips, cheese and gravy, similar to the
Canadian dish poutine.
The Isle of Man’s small size and small
population means it can be a socially
conservative place, although some
major social reforms have been
legislated for by Tynwald, the Manx
parliament.
People from the Isle of Man are known
as Manx. The Manx are very proud
of their identity; the Manx flag will
be frequently seen. You should be
conscious of using terms such as “the
mainland” for the UK, as the island
is semi-independent - the locals
simply refer to it as “across”, from
“across the water”. The geographic
isolation and harsh winters makes the
Manx resourceful and self-sufficient -
complaining about the lack of trivial
things is likely to earn the reminder
“there’s a boat in the morning!” - i.e.
“if you can’t survive an hour without
organic quinoa, get back on the ferry”.
In the past there have been accusations
that the Isle of Man is a “tax haven”. The
finance industry is the major employer
and considerable efforts have been
made by the Manx authorities to
improve the regulation and propriety
of this industry. Some Manx regard the
finance industry as a mixed blessing -
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3RD EDITION | JULY 2017
>>>CONTINUES PAGE 71