I didn't think there had been enough torch relays at the weekend so I started the latest one after 11 pm on Sunday evening. I tried to persuade the fastest Manxman in the 1983 London Marathon to make a comeback but he didn't answer the phone at 11.15 pm!
When we moved into our house in 1993 we fitted an intruder alarm which we have rarely used. It was fitted by a friend who is an electrician and for several years ran the Isle of Man operation for a major alarm supplier. No problem with the workmanship but when you don't have it serviced for 19 years you are asking for problems.
And when an electrical fault caused the alarm to go off late on Sunday evening we could not switch it off. Marie and I took turns to carry the torch whilst we turned the power on and off in the hope that the alarm could be stopped. Chris Richard, the man mentioned in the two previous paragraphs, could not be raised and after a phone call to a 24 hour electrician was relayed to an alarm engineer in Port Erin he was able to come and save us from the neighbours wrath.
This torch relay certainly did not inspire me but nevertheless I am about to sell the two torches used to great effect (pictured above) on eBay.
Maybe Chris thought that he was being invited to another late night relay like this one in my old house in Victoria Avenue in 1984. He is pictured right with wife Sylvia (who has entered the Parish Walk this year) and Olympic walker Phil Vesty who they hosted at their house. Just out of picture (next to Phil) was long distance record holder Don Ritchie who didn't last the distance on this occasion - the 40 mile run in the afternoon and a large glass of whisky equals sleep, something that we missed on Sunday night.
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