This must be one of the oldest photos I have published. It is of my grandfather, Frank Crowe, being sworn into the House of Keys as a member for Michael in 1942. He continued to serve as one of two members in a rural area until his retirement from the House in 1956. He was succeeded by his nephew Norman Crowe who kept the seat in the Crowe family through to 1970 whereupon he was elected to the the Legislative Council.
I love following politics but am far too sensitive to try and follow my grandfather. I know that its a national pastime to criticise politicians (I do too sometimes) but I have respect for all 64 of the people who allowed their names to go on the ballot papers. I just hope that the new members take a long term view of how to run the economy. I tabled a question at the West Douglas requisition meeting (which was not chosen by the chairman) concerning the long term cost of the public sector pensions which was not mentioned in any of the manifestos. If only I had the courage of those 64 to put my views to the test.
Incidentally, I believe that Howard Quayle, who was yesterday elected as the member for Middle with a comfortable majority, started his farming and business career where the aforementioned Norman Crowe finished his. He bought farm land from "Uncle Norman" (as he was always known to me) which was later developed for housing.
Some of Norman's other former land remains undeveloped however including the Playing Fields next to the Methodist Church which he gifted to the village and where I spent much of my youth. You would never get away with pushing people on the roundabout until they fell off like we used to.
On the other side of the Playing Fields is a property that used to be known as the Railway Hotel which Frank Crowe acquired to prevent Kirk Michael from gaining a second public house - a favourite tale of mine told in younger days with a pint of bitter in one hand.
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