I was invited to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Manx Gateway Club on Saturday night.

It is a registered charity and its purpose is to offer a safe, friendly and fun environment for anyone over the age of 16 who has learning difficulties.

They provide a non-judgemental place where members can meet their friends and just have fun without the pressures of being in pubs and clubs, which many find just too much.

The club started when a lady, Mrs McCullogh (sadly no longer with us), came over to the island and realised there was no gateway club here.

She contacted several people namely Jack and Helen Quayle as well as John Quayle.

They, along with some help from the lady masons, got the club off the ground.

As a result of that involvement Edna Ainge and Hebron Dawson joined the group becoming secretary.

I remember both being enthusiastic and vocal advocates on behalf of those people with learning difficulties.

Radio personality Alan Jackson took on the role of chair, John Quayle became leader and then Jane Fox joined as treasurer.

John continues as leader and Jane as both treasurer and secretary.

Geoff Karran took over as chairman from Alan and has held the position for most of the 50 years the club has been running.

John as well as being club leader is also president.

Christine Kefford is vice-president and it was nice to chat to her on Saturday night about a radio interview recently re-played on Manx Radio from 1981 when her father Victor Kneale stood down from the Legislative Council to contest West Douglas which he won by a landslide.

Arnie and Margaret Jacobs are now both retired after being actively involved in the club for many years.

Along the way Jo Hill, Joyce Humphrey, Steve and Rayna, Thea, Diane, Tracey, David, Sue Salt, Sue Barnes, Briana, Ollie all became involved along with many others, most recently Richard Karran.

All play, or have played, an integral part in the running of the club.

In 2024 there is a team of more than 16 dedicated volunteers and every single volunteer provides invaluable support for club members with an in-house disco, arts and crafts and a drama section established by my good friend the late Olga Gray and friends which produces two performances each year.

The members also enjoy soft cricket and established the Gateway Games held at the NSC.

Throughout the year they enjoy several party nights and some of the members are now into their 70s.

Membership is around 100 and keeps growing.

On average 60 members attend each Tuesday - that in itself is a testament to the enjoyment had by everyone.

We certainly enjoyed the celebration on Saturday night with lots of hugs, love and dancing.

Paul ‘Taffy’ Sayle provided the equipment and entertainment throughout the evening and yours truly did the last hour of disco to a packed dance floor.

If only all members of society could get on so well together the world would be a better place.

If you would like to get involved as a volunteer, email [email protected].

Geoff Karran made the official welcome and speech and was introduced by his son Richard as ‘my hero’.

Geoff and Elan are a great team who have dedicated so much time to helping so many different causes in the island and really deserve that accolade - thank you both.

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I got some great feedback and a few more stories from the recent piece about the Dogs Home pub in Douglas.

Other members of the ‘Olympic drinking team’ from 1973 included the late ‘Ace’ Clague, ‘Doc’ Shimmin, Garth Quayle, Jacko, ‘The Count’ and others.

The carnival float was taken to Port Skillion the day after and used as a bonfire and, I am reliably informed, that Robert McAleer kindly supplied the beers for refreshment.

Trevor Prince who was in the same class as me at school gave me an update about his dad Arthur who was a well-respected landlord and member of the Licensed Victuallers Association, I remembered him from the Granville and Raglan and Trevor told me that Arthur was also the landlord of the Dogs Home between 1984 and 1990.

Stuart Christian gave me a call to remind me of another landlord, the late Jack Brennan who worked with his lovely wife Muriel in the trade.

Both very convivial people.

I remember Jack from many years ago when he worked for Rae Corkill in the amusement arcades alongside a real Irish character whose second name I can’t remember but his first name was Tommy.

In the arcade in Strand Street, which I think was called ideal amusements there was a bingo room upstairs and the workers always carried big bunches of keys around to fix the machines.

The Corkill family also had an amusement arcade on Douglas Head which, when it closed, was turned into Foggy’s restaurant and the property was subsequently developed into residential accommodation.

Another good story from Trevor was in relation to the jukebox that I had great memories of in the Dogs Home. He told me: ‘I still have the jukebox and it had a complete refurb.

‘Both “Nights in White Satin” and “A Whiter Shade of Pale” are still on the menu and playing well for their age.’

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It was good to hear from Juan Kelly a fellow ex-Murray’s Road pupil, albeit at different times, who reminded me how grateful he was to teachers Miss ‘Fluff’ Douglas who I don’t remember and Miss Taggart who I do.

Juan said: ‘The early educational stimulus I received was delivered in their firm but kindly knowledgeable manner.’

I also remembered Miss Butterfield and, as mentioned previously, my too frequent visits up the stairs to the head teacher Mr Griffiths in his office that stunk of stale pipe tobacco smoke.

Did corporal punishment work? Certainly not in my case.

Juan and I went on to different types of secondary education. He attended King William’s College, while I went to Ballakermeen.

He told me of the alternative entertainment offered during English and history lessons at KWC when incredibly noisy, but marvellously exciting, Barracuda aircraft would line up alongside the classroom for daily training.

Shakespeare and the Norman conquest struggled to compete.

He recalled as well the stirring drum and bugle band of HMS St George, whose daily parades through Douglas would never fail to attract small but dedicated bands of proud schoolboy followers.

Juan went on to enjoy a distinguished business career principally in the maritime industry including chairing the Steam Packet board alongside others including Robert Quayle (who was clerk of Tynwald, secretary to the House of Keys and counsel to the speaker when I was first elected), Walter Gilbey who served as MHK for Glenfaba, Dursley Stott and Hamish Ross who I had a great deal of time for when he was managing director and I Minister of Tourism and Leisure.