Friday 21 September saw our alarm going off at 3.30am. By 4.15am we were on the road and heading up to Liverpool to get the ferry to the Isle of Man. Check-in closed at 10.15, hence the early start and we made it with time to spare. It was great to be heading back to the island that we first visited when the British Championships were held there in 2005.
Our first stop is always McDonalds just outside Douglas. Not because we love McDonalds, but because on our first trip over we didn't take any food with us and the food on the ferry was expensive so by the time we got to the island we were more than a little hungry. It was then on to Port Erin - a lovely little seaside resort in the south of the island. We had always camped near Kirk Michel in the past, but the combination of cold winds and a 45 minute drive at the end of each day persuaded us to rent a flat close to the venue this year.
Saturday saw us up at the Ocean Castle, setting up the bookstall and generally preparing for the opening ceremony at 1pm. I was playing in the minor tournament which didn't start until Monday, so the weekend was spent helping John. It was great to sit reading the Sunday papers by our window overlooking the bay and knowing that we didn't have to start work until the afternoon.
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