BBC Radio Cumbria

Saturday

We set out with the aim of learning as much as possible about the island across 12 hours of live broadcasts over the early May bank holiday weekend. Three days and 40 guests later we realised that, far from being an offshoot of England, this was in fact a proud nation with a very distinctive identity!

On Saturday we were at the Villa Marina in the island's capital Douglas, overlooking the promenade and the sea. We weren't the only ones there. The island's annual music festival  was into its final day and the monthly farmers market was being held in the gardens. So the whole place was buzzing and just as importantly, despite a poor forecast earlier in the week, the sun was shining!

Val Armstrong broadcast from the Villa's gardens that morning and met lots of interesting people.

The astrologer and TV presenter Russell Grant only moved to the island a few weeks ago but he was happy to tell us about his career and what had attracted him there. He even bought us all a burger from the farmers market...bless him!

Val, Richard Quayle & Paul Phillips

We also learned from local historian, Peter Kelly, about the history of the Tower of Refuge which stands in the waters of Douglas Bay. And how the man that pushed for it to be built was also the driving force in the setting up of the RNLI.

The TT races were only a few weeks away and so we met two guys who are involved. Richard Quayle who is a former race winner and Paul Phillips who helps to organise it. Val was keen to know what makes people want to race around the island's winding roads at more than 120 miles an hour! We also heard from Dan Stuart from Barrow who is due to ride in this year's race.

Sir Paul Haddacks & Val

Tourism is a big thing for the island and Val spoke to Pip Cross who runs a B and B in Douglas and to Geoff Corkish who is with the local tourism department about what the island has to offer.

The island runs its own affairs independently of Westminster but the Queen is still the head of state. Her representative on the island is the lieutenant governor, Sir Paul Haddacks. He told Val that he'd applied for the job after getting bored pushing his wife's shopping trolley round the supermarket!!

Peter Cannon and Val

One of the most distinctive sights in Douglas are the horse-drawn trams. They weren't running when we were there but Val went to see the trams and chat to Peter Cannon who's in charge of them.

And we revealed a series of clues to a Cumbrian connection to the island. Val and Harry King (who was also
broadcasting from the island) were baffled by the clues given by producer Belinda Artingstoll! They were a map of Penrith, a flower, a plaster, a cork and the Villa Marina itself. The connection was a man called Henry Noble who was born just outside Penrith before moving to the island. 

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