It isn’t often the Isle of Man gets the spotlight on television.
Minus the two weeks of TT madness and the occasional mention on North West tonight, the island is nine times out of 10 overshadowed by the UK’s antics.
Guy Martin is famously known in the island for his participation in the TT, but with his competing days behind him, Guy landed himself a ‘proper job’ last summer working as a warden on none other than the Calf of Man.
Part of a four-episode mini series shown on U&Dave, Guy embarks on a multitude of different side quests where he trials ‘proper’ jobs.
The aim of the series is for Guy to experience some of the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the UK, consequently learning about the local and cultural significance these jobs have today and in the past.
The roles included becoming a trawler deckhand, a firefighter, part of a mountain dog rescue team and a wildlife warden on the Calf of Man.
In episode two of ‘Guy Martin: Proper Jobs’, Guy finds himself packing up rations to take for his one-week stay at the exclusive Calf of Man resort.
His rations included ‘bog roll’, treats, tea, coffee, matches, energy bars and some beer.
Boarding a boat specifically designed for the calf’s harbour, Guy began the short journey across the Sound.
Guy said: ‘You can feel yourself slowly leaving civilisation. It is not a bad thing’.
The former TT rider mentioned his love for racing, but added that he didn’t miss all of the fuss he received during his prime.
Appearing a very relaxed, down-to-earth man, he mentioned how he had always been fascinated with the Calf and had imagined a number of times what might happen on it.
During his week-long adventure, Guy tackled numerous different tasks with the help of the wardens.
Mike, Chloe and Aron have all been wardens on the calf for different lengths of time but all share the same passion and ethos of conservation and tranquil living.
They live on the calf between the months of March and October.
On his first day, Guy tackled the task of bird watching with chief ornithologist Aron Sapsford, who used to be a driving instructor.
A rather enthusiastic approach saw Guy adapt to to the task quite nicely, which included counting certain species of birds.
Day two saw Guy take a look at the Calf’s farmhouse, which has the motto of ‘little house, big place’.
When painting one of the Calf’s buildings, Guy recalled the tale of how he struggled to pay for his tyres when he first started competing in the TT. In order to raise funds and compete, he would spend time painting the house of a man who lived on Bray Hill!
Throughout the episode, which also includes a spot of night-fishing, it’s easy to tell that Guy genuinely cares about the well-being of the Calf and its habitat.
To watch the episode, you can do so by visiting https://u.co.uk/