Isle of Man Mature Cheese

Advantages: Fantastic
Disadvantages: None

...They still do things right on the Isle of Man, apparently. Intensive farming? No. Chemically enhanced beer? No. In fact, they have some very stringent beer brewing purity laws on the Isle of Man that are even stricter than the German law, in my opinion. Artificially enhanced cheese production? No. Now, here we come to the nub of this review. Isle of Man mature cheddar cheese. We were lucky enough to find ourselves at the press launch day of the Isle of Man Marketing Partnership at the BBC Good Food Show. By the way, if you read this before the end of Saturday 27 November, DO try to get to the BBC Food Show. It really is a gourmet's day out! One of the many items on the well-designed and well-laid out stand was Isle of Man Mature Cheddar. How to describe Isle of Man Mature Cheddar? It is not as easy as it sounds. It has a good...

Martinscholes 25.11.2005 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Man Mature Cheddar Cheese

In search of the real Man

Advantages: Beautiful beaches, beautiful countryside, lovely people
Disadvantages: None at all.

...! As mentioned on other reviews, I am a driver, but my partner isn't. To reach the Isle of Man, I would need to drive from my far south east corner of England in Kent, all the way to the northwest in Lancashire (or thereabouts) and then, catch a ferry across part of the Irish Sea to the Isle. I just knew that I probably would never get around to it, but still held the dream that one day I would visit. ****** The booking ****** Last January, on scanning my local Kent Messenger newspaper, I saw an advert from Newmarket Travel offering a four day excursion to the very Isle, and at the reasonable cost of £498.00 for the two of us. This price included all the travel, including the ferry. It paid for the three star accommodation hotel (Port Erin Royal), with ensuite double room, and breakfast and evening meal (which were very hearty...

orlando 20.10.2005 (07.05.2006) · Read review
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Review of Isle of Man (England)

We're from the Isle of Man...

Advantages: Nearby, cheap beer, impressive history, beautiful scenery and villages.
Disadvantages: Not for everyone. Entertain yourself, gets tired after a while.

...Basing your opinion of the Isle of Man upon what you've seen of it from the infamous Fast Show sketches would quite probably be the worst thing you could do. Not only are the sketches utterly unfunny and devoid of humour of any kind, they are an insult to the Manx people and have a basis built on sand. Manx sand, at that. I jest. The sketches featuring the middle-aged husband and wife from the Isle of Man, holidaying abroad (see: a very wet field in Yorkshire) and loving every moment of it, are at the very least a little wide of the mark. In general, the principle behind the sketches has some basis - the people of the island can come across as somewhat insular and self-reliant. But in many other ways, this small island is one of the hidden gems of the British Isles that many, in the sweeping popularity of package holidays to Spain...

ronniec 02.02.2001 (27.02.2001) · Read review
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Review of Isle of Man (England)

Steam Packet Heysham - Isle of Man

Advantages: Good value if you travel overnight
Disadvantages: Expensive if you don't

...I live on the Isle of Man so if I want to get on and off the Island with my car the Steam Packet is my only choice. In general their service is pretty good and fairly punctual. Considering the prevailing weather and sea conditions in the Irish Sea they keep pretty close to the timetable most of the time. The Ben My Chree (which means "Girl of my Heart" in Manx)is a small ferry if you are used to cross Channel ferries. It runs from Douglas to Heysham near Lancaster. (There is also a service to Liverpool which runs by fast Sea Cat (catamaran) in the Summer and by another conventional ferry (The Lady of Man) in the winter. The Ben My Chree has a reasonable bar and cafe service but, apart from the 'quiet lounge' the seating is pretty uncomfortable and cafeteria style. Visitors are often surprised by the Manx 'old hands' who sleep...

HWIOM 08.07.2003 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Man Steam Packet

Isles of Glencoe Hotel, Ballachulish

Advantages: Beautiful scenery and lots to do
Disadvantages: Expensive

...I visited the Isles of Glencoe Hotel in April 2008 with my partner. It was a last minute decision to book a long weekend away to Scotland, and it was by far the best choice we could have made. The views on the drive up to the hotel from Glasgow airport were amazing, and once at the hotel, the scenery was absolutely breath taking. It couldn't have been situated in nicer surroundings. There was plenty to do surrounding the hotel, whether it be outside activities or things to do indoors. The facilities within the hotel grounds were also ample, having a swimming pool and sauna provided, as well as outdoor activities on the the loch. There were also many walks and climbs just outside the main entrance. The staff were also extremely friendly and helpful. The food was delicious, however the service could be quite solw. This was not...

cacole 16.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of Isles of Glencoe Hotel & Leisure Centre, Ballachulish

Isle of Man Steam Packet

Advantages: It runs every day
Disadvantages: it doesn't run if its too windy

...I live on the isle of man, we have a popular saying to folk who come over the water, "if you don't like it, there is a boat in the morning" this is true today as it has ever been. The steam packet is the only passenger service operating to and from the island. Douglas is the main port. Today there are six crossings, the main route is to Heyshem near Lancaster. Heyshem or Heysham, depending where your from from, is best described as a hovel, the steam packet own it so why not use it, It recently had a new landing stage put in and new marshalling area and carpark, the terminal and railway station are getting over hauled this winter., Heyshem village is just up the road if you get bored waiting to board. Alternatievely, you can bask in the shadow of Heyshem 1 & 2, nuclear power statiions, I went around them once and was assured they...

gmkneen 28.03.2007 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Man Steam Packet

what better than the isle of man?!

Advantages: beautiful landscape and scenic walks
Disadvantages: not for people who enjoy their nightlife!

..., traditions, cuisine, culture, postage stamps, language and currency. When i tell people about the Isle of Man and mention we have no motorways, most reply with 'what side of the road do you drive on?!' Don't worry, like the English, we drive on the left side! About the Isle of Man: The Isle of Man is 33 miles long and 13 miles wide. More than 40% of the Island is uninhibited! The Capital is Douglas, which offers a wide selection of places to stay. I recommend the Greysham, which is great for people on a budget! or if you want to spend a few more pennies The Empress, The Mount Murray (Castletown) or The sefton are three of the best hotels. If you don't fancy staying in Douglas, there is also the old capital, Castletown, Ramsey, Peel, Laxey, Port Erin or Port St. Mary. Tthe Tourist Information Centre is situation inside the Sea Terminal in...

cheekymonkey8 24.09.2003 (14.03.2004) · Read review
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Review of Isle of Man (England)

The Misty Isle

Advantages: Stunning landscape, nice towns to visit
Disadvantages: None

...plenty of tourist friendly shops. Pottery, jewellery, local foods, books, tourist tat and a brilliant little music shop which only sells Scottish music and instruments. My dad loves this shop, and always makes a point of buying a CD there. I had a good look through their Runrig CDs to see if there was anything on limited release they might have ? none, unfortunately! The harbour of Portree is worth a visit. It is below the main part of the town, down a steep little lane, but the building there are painted in a variety of bright colours. It isn?t quite as striking as the seafront of Tobermory on Mull (better known as Balamory), but it is very pretty. There are a few hotels and shops here, but most of the shops are up in the main part of the town. We headed north from Portree, so that I could see the famous Old Man Of Storr. This is...

eilidhcatriona 16.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Skye (Scotland)

Right by Port Bannatyne Marina, Isle of Bute: A Russian Tavern!

Advantages: Excellent food and drink, seashore location near marina, golfcourse to rear, economical
Disadvantages: Closed in the winter months.

...The waters around the Scottish Isle of Bute make for excellent sailing and perhaps the most peaceful stopping point is the bay at Port Bannatyne with its little uncommercialised marina. The views of hills, sea and countryside are precisely what we were looking for on our trip sailing off Scotland Just 50 metres away from the pontoons is an old stone village inn called THE PORT ROYAL HOTEL which for the past ten years or so has been home to a Russian family who excell in good hospitality, real professional cookery from fresh and wild ingredients, and have a good selction of Russian beers and wines in their Russian Tavern. It has an easy going relaxed attitude, there are barrels of Real Ales, games of cards and chess, and it's a place for yachties and hikers, hikers and bikers to share experiences and sample the fine cuisine. I...

Maelstreaming 16.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Port Royal Hotel - The Russian Tavern, Isle of Bute

JEWEL OF THE ISLE

Advantages: Gorgeous designer & unusual clothing
Disadvantages: No changing facilities for the disabled

...Famous for its mountainous and breathtaking scenery, The Isle of Skye ? situated off the West coast of Mainland Scotland - is the largest and best known of the Inner Hebrides. Renowned for its natural beauty and therefore a magnate for climbers, artists and photographers, it is perhaps not the first place one would think of to visit for a glorious shopping experience. Seek and ye shall find. The island looks tiny on the map but you'll need your entire holiday and more to discover even a small proportion of some of the area's hidden gems. I'd like to share one such shiny jewel with you. Ragamuffin is situated on the pier in Armadale, Sleat (pronounced 'slate') on the south western peninsula of the island. The little shop (strangely like a sheik's tent, it is actually bigger inside than it appears outside) sits overlooking...

Louizalass 19.05.2007 · Read review
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Review of Ragamuffin, Isle of Skye