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Escape To The Country - Season 26 - Episode 13: The Isle Of Man
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00:01Occasionally on Escape to the Country, our house hunters are more familiar with the region than we are.
00:06You know what they say about the three legs of man?
00:09Go on.
00:10Whichever way you throw me, I stand.
00:12Ah!
00:13And it can seem like there's nothing they haven't seen before.
00:17I've actually climbed to the top of it three times.
00:20Have you?
00:20Yes.
00:22But we have a good idea what should make them happy.
00:25It's your home from home, but now we need to make it your permanent home, don't we?
00:29Please.
00:29Yes, please.
00:30And we'll search to the ends of the earth to find it.
00:34Oh, what a lovely little area.
00:36Yeah.
00:36So sunny and warm, isn't it?
00:59The Isle of Man is clearly a land of beauty.
01:03But what else?
01:07Often overlooked by many, which we're equally guilty of, we're about to find out.
01:14Well, there is an old Manx saying that from here on top of Snaefell Mountain in the middle of the
01:20Isle of Man, you can see seven kingdoms.
01:24Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales down there on the horizon.
01:30I am stood, of course, on the kingdom of man itself.
01:34And out there at sea, Neptune's kingdom and above me, that of heaven.
01:39It is a view, frankly, we have never, ever seen before because escape to the country has never been here
01:44before.
01:44But it is a visit we are going to relish.
01:49The Isle of Man is located in the Irish Sea and is a self-governing British crown dependency with its
01:56own parliament, laws and language.
01:58Felcia Eregus, Ellen Vannan. Welcome to the Isle of Man.
02:04It's everywhere, Manx. It's in the house names, it's on the street names, it's the names of the mountains, it's
02:10the names of the hills.
02:12It's everywhere and it gives you a really, really beautiful understanding of where you are.
02:16I am not Manx by birth. I've adopted the island as my home and I absolutely love it here.
02:22I've found the people here to be very welcoming and very supportive and that's worked really well for me with
02:28my hearing loss.
02:29My stress levels were too high and I found the much slower pace of life actually really suited me.
02:35I don't know if you're familiar with the term trader lure, which is Manx for time and off.
02:40So things get done as and when.
02:43But island life isn't all about slowing down.
02:47If you're into bikes, it helps the Isle of Man TT here.
02:49That's probably one of the biggest things or the biggest event of the island of the year.
02:54And while some of the locals are capable of swimming from the mainland,
02:58for the rest of us, the island can be reached by ferry for under £50 return for foot passengers.
03:06Well, it may be escape to the country's first visit here, but it's also mine.
03:11But as for today's buyer, well, she's been coming here for nearly 70 years.
03:15So I dare say, on this occasion, she'll be showing me a thing or two.
03:24Retired nurse Pat has been living in a former chapel in Lincolnshire for 30 years.
03:30I love this place and it belongs to my parents and so I know it very well.
03:35But I'd like to pick it up and put it on the Isle of Man because I know that I
03:39can be happy there.
03:40She'll be assisted on her search by her friend, Sue.
03:44I have never been to the Isle of Man and I really am looking forward to exploring it.
03:49Pat enjoys being creative and her main passion is painting.
03:53My children were in bed, passed to sleep, my husband was at work and I got the kids' paint box
04:00and decided to paint an egg.
04:03And from humble beginnings, she's honed her talents over 50 years and now runs an art group.
04:10I really enjoy my art because you get lost in art.
04:13You have such a beautiful me time with art.
04:19But she won't be getting lost on the Isle of Man.
04:22I've worked there for a little while and also I've known it from childhood.
04:27Many, many happy holidays there.
04:31I know her heart really is there and it would calm her down.
04:36It will make her feel healthier in herself and I'm sure it will actually help prolong her life.
04:44Well, that beats the usual motivation of just wanting a bigger garden.
04:49For a maximum budget of £275,000, Pat is after a detached home, ideally on one level or with a
04:58stair lift.
04:58She needs two bedrooms for friends and family to visit in a semi-rural location or on the edge of
05:04a village
05:05and wants attractive views to paint, of which I think we might be spoiled for choice.
05:17I've often tried to picture what the Isle of Man might look like.
05:21In truth, I think it's a bit of almost every region I've seen.
05:27There's a sense of the Cairngorms here, the Yorkshire Dales, Devon, Somerset.
05:31There really is something for everybody.
05:34And as for Pat, well, this is obviously a long-held ambition to finally make this island her permanent home.
05:43And I suspect what she doesn't know about this place isn't worth knowing.
05:50We're starting our house search on the south-west tip of the island in the pretty seaside village of Port
05:56Erin.
05:57It's a spot familiar to Pat and I'm meeting her and Sue by the water.
06:05How are you?
06:06We're fine, thank you.
06:07Very nice to see you.
06:09Yes, pleased to meet you.
06:10Hello, Pat. Hello, Sue.
06:11Very pleased to see you.
06:12Well, what can I say?
06:14But welcome to Escapes of the Country.
06:16I can't really welcome you to the Isle of Man because I've never been here before.
06:20You've never been here before, Sue.
06:22But Pat, you know it better than all of us.
06:24Yes, I do. Yes.
06:26So how does it feel to be back thinking that this is going to be home for the future?
06:29I absolutely love the island.
06:32I've known it since I was about 13.
06:35But it's always been there like an itch that I wanted to scratch and couldn't, you know.
06:41And so I decided, yes, let's go for it.
06:44And I just rang the programme and said, do you ever go to the Isle of Man?
06:48And yes, we'd love to go.
06:50Well, it is our first time here on the Isle of Man, you know.
06:54I mean, there's a risk here, Sue, that you might also fall in love with it and want to move
06:57as well.
06:59Quite possibly, but Pat's got it in her blood.
07:02And I think now she's thinking, well, where do I retire to, despite the fact that she may be nearly
07:0982?
07:11And this is it.
07:12But if you love all of this, and this is a place I know you know well,
07:15you'll be pleased to know that our first property is Butter Walk up the hill.
07:19Oh, lovely.
07:20How about that?
07:21Beautiful.
07:22Come on then, shall we scratch your itch?
07:24Yes, certainly.
07:26Port Erin looks out to the Irish Sea, and the name Erin means Ireland.
07:34Around the sandy beach is a flat promenade that Pat could stroll along.
07:38And in addition to ubiquitous seaside amenities like beach huts, boat tours and ice cream huts,
07:44there are modern conveniences like electric vehicle charging points.
07:50The village is well stocked with shops and restaurants, and in the centre is a steam railway station,
07:56the western terminus of a 15-mile line linking it to the capital city, Douglas.
08:02Around a 10-minute walk from it is our first property.
08:06Right, well, come and have a look at this.
08:09Do you like that?
08:09The little Manx design in the gate welded in.
08:13Come on in.
08:14Lovely.
08:15Oh, isn't this lovely?
08:17Look at the flowers.
08:18Gorgeous.
08:19Yes.
08:19What do you think?
08:20Lovely geraniums, aren't they?
08:21Beautiful.
08:22Yeah.
08:22Really gorgeous.
08:24Yes.
08:24Lovely little Manx cottage.
08:26Very similar to the one that I rented when I lived here when I worked.
08:30Back in the 2000s?
08:31Yeah.
08:32Interesting.
08:33Yes.
08:33Yeah, this one was originally thatched.
08:35Uh-huh.
08:36It is technically a semi, but it certainly feels detached, and you've got this little area
08:40of sort of front garden, and then a really pretty, very private rear garden.
08:43Right.
08:44Lovely.
08:44Lovely.
08:45Do you like a potter in the garden?
08:46I do.
08:47And you can see the sea.
08:48You can see the sea.
08:49Yes.
08:49How about that?
08:50And you get that lovely sea air.
08:52Yes, you do.
08:52I can't wait to see inside it.
08:54Let's have a look.
08:55It's going to be beautiful.
08:56Come on.
08:56Yeah.
09:00This 100-year-old traditional Manx stone bungalow was used by the owners as a holiday home,
09:06so is offered fully furnished.
09:09While it's been extended, there's only one bedroom, which is at the front of the house.
09:16It is lovely.
09:18Absolutely gorgeous.
09:20Yeah?
09:20Yes.
09:21Yes.
09:22Oh, a lovely sized room too.
09:23It is.
09:24Yes.
09:25Beautiful.
09:26You're not going to bang your head.
09:27No, no, no.
09:29And the light, you don't expect it to be so bright and light, but it is.
09:34Well, originally when it was thatched, obviously you wouldn't have had the opportunity really
09:37for any skylights there.
09:38Because that's right.
09:39But I think in terms of footprint, this is a very generous.
09:41It is.
09:42It is.
09:42It is.
09:43It is.
09:43Yes.
09:45Also at the front is the sitting room.
09:47Yes, just the right size.
09:49It's sort of not too big and cosy, isn't it?
09:52Yeah.
09:52You could see yourself in here in the wintertime with the fire going, yes.
09:58Technically, you know, that is your main bedroom next door.
10:01Yes.
10:01So here you would probably need a sofa bed.
10:04Yes, yes, yes.
10:05That Sue can easily operate.
10:07Yes.
10:07Or even, I mean, it's quite long.
10:10Would you fit on there?
10:12Yes.
10:13Maybe something that folds out, a bit more salubrious.
10:16But that's the only kind of drawback.
10:17I don't want to stay too long, you know.
10:20You saw the skylight in the bedroom.
10:22Yes.
10:22Well, that one, like this one, is remote control.
10:25Oh, right.
10:26There we go.
10:27Oh.
10:27Ah, yes.
10:28So that saves you a job, doesn't it?
10:30Yes, it does.
10:31Yes, because no way I could get up there to do anything.
10:34Exactly.
10:34You've got some mod cons back.
10:36Yes, yes.
10:37That would be lovely, yes.
10:41And there are more mod cons at the rear of the house.
10:44So just a couple of little steps here, Pat.
10:47They're the only steps there are, but they lead onto the downstairs shower room.
10:50Right.
10:51Which is your main bathroom, as it were.
10:53Yes.
10:54And then through the little corridor into here.
10:57Lovely.
10:58Yes.
10:58Nice little kitchen.
11:00Very nice.
11:01Yes.
11:01Very compact.
11:02The white goods in here.
11:04Everything.
11:04Yes.
11:05Lovely.
11:06This is a later extension to the original thatched cottage as was, as you can probably tell.
11:10Yes.
11:10Hence you sort of stepped down into it.
11:12Yes.
11:12And if you wanted, I suppose you wanted a gas cooker or something bigger, you could rearrange
11:16that.
11:16Yes.
11:16So I don't have a cooker at all at the moment.
11:20What I have is an air fryer, a multi cooker and a convection microwave.
11:25You've joined the revolution.
11:26I have.
11:28And the work surfaces are the right height.
11:30Yes.
11:31Because sometimes they're too low.
11:32Yes.
11:33Sometimes they're much higher.
11:34Yes.
11:35But this is, is perfect.
11:36They're virtually the same height as your own one.
11:38Yes.
11:39Yes.
11:39I don't think I could have wished for much more.
11:43Well then, the secluded rear garden might be the cherry on the cake.
11:50Ooh.
11:51Nice.
11:53There we go.
11:54Oh, what a lovely little area.
11:56Yeah.
11:56So sunny and warm, isn't it?
11:58Nice little spot.
11:59It is.
12:00Beautiful.
12:01It's a real sun trap.
12:02Yes.
12:03And look at this.
12:04Isn't it lovely?
12:04The, er, the Isle of Man.
12:05Yes.
12:06Yes.
12:06Yes.
12:07Logo there on the floor.
12:08Yes.
12:08Absolutely lovely.
12:09And you know what they say about the three legs of man?
12:11Go on.
12:12Whichever way you throw me, I stunned.
12:14Ah.
12:15Yes, I can't.
12:16You do know your manx, don't you?
12:18I do.
12:20So, let's have a think then about what this might be on the market for.
12:23Shall we say, 265?
12:27Sue?
12:30I'd go a tad lower and say 250.
12:33I love your optimism.
12:34Yes.
12:36Yes.
12:37Yeah.
12:37Yeah.
12:37But this is currently on the market for 279 and a half thousand pounds.
12:44Yes.
12:45However, certainly if you went to the asking price, it would come fully furnished.
12:50Yes.
12:51Yes.
12:51Which is a huge headache.
12:53It is.
12:53Out of the way.
12:54It is.
12:54Yes.
12:54Yes.
12:55I mean, it is worth that money.
12:56Definitely.
12:57Very much so.
12:58Although this traditional manx stone cottage is slightly over budget, the fact it's fully
13:04furnished could save Pat thousands.
13:06It has one large bedroom for her and space in the lounge for guests while outside the garden
13:13is manageable and offers a sea view.
13:15I think it's absolutely lovely.
13:18I really feel at home that I would really love to live in this cottage.
13:22It's so like her own house in Lincolnshire that I was almost expecting to see her paintings
13:30on the walls.
13:31She can literally just walk into it with maybe a few personal bits and she's home.
13:38It's, it's perfect.
13:52This is Sue's first visit to the Isle of Man.
13:55So we're sending her with the island's most enthusiastic guide, Pat, to explore one of
14:01the largest towns and the former capital, Peel, near the middle of the west coast.
14:07Oh, it's gorgeous.
14:08It really is.
14:09And look how clean it is, that sand.
14:11I could do without the seagulls.
14:14In the 11th century, the island was ruled by a Viking king who built a wooden castle here.
14:20And over time, it was strengthened with sandstone.
14:23There's supposed to be a ghost there of a black dog.
14:26And my little brother, when we went round it, was scared because he was frightened.
14:31He was going to see the black dog.
14:34Oh, right.
14:35The House of Mananen is a museum telling the story of the island's Celtic and Viking past,
14:41through to modern history, such as its busy fishing port, which continues today,
14:46just one of its many draws.
14:50My favourite thing about Peel, other than the smell of fish, I think Peel's got such a wide
14:55variety of exciting things that go on throughout the year.
14:58It's always got a bit of a different vibe.
15:01Sometimes along the prom, there's different types of events which are on, which bring all
15:04sorts of diversity to Peel.
15:06The gem of the place, the Peel area, is beautiful people walks.
15:10And I think that Peel is the best side of the island.
15:12I think that's cool.
15:16There's a lot of spots on the island here.
15:17There's a street and space for people.
15:20There's a lot of spots on the island.
15:24There's a lot of spots on the island, but I've got some water and a ring.
15:29There's a lot of spots on the island in the island.
15:35one thing pat might not be aware of is the extensive art resources available to residents
15:41so she and sue are meeting colette and kate who run art reach studios which offers art
15:47supplies and workshops for all ages so can you tell me kate and collect how long have you been
15:56in the studio so we moved in just after covid but the company itself has been running
16:03for over 12 years now and we work in lots of different mediums and we love to share that
16:09with everybody who comes along so we work in ceramics watercolors oils so what is your
16:19favorite part of the island so far well this is my first visit and as far as i'm concerned all
16:24of it
16:26not only just in the the scenery but the everybody's so friendly so can you tell me
16:32is peel the main hub of the art scene i'd say in terms of peel we'd probably be the main
16:41main hub
16:42really um right but i think you'll find every town on the island actually yes there's plenty
16:48of creatives and things to do so yes and with such captivating scenery it's hardly surprising that
16:56people far and wide are inspired to try and capture it for our next property we're heading to the village
17:11of laxey on the east coast like so many coastal locations on the island it has a beautiful sandy beach
17:19and all the essential shops and for a village with only 1500 people it has two world-class claims
17:27to fame it has the oldest working electric tram line with original rolling stock in the world but it
17:34might be best known for this
17:39well this is a bit of a treat isn't it just certainly for me you've probably seen this
17:44great wheel at laxey many times i have yes yes i've actually climbed to the top of it three times
17:51have you
17:51yes in my younger days a wee bit younger anyway quite a weird feeling when you're on the platform
17:58looking at the wheel coming towards you yes yes you don't expect that do you because it's no because
18:03it's being fed from underneath that's right yeah yes robert casement was the man who built it who
18:09invented it and you know wonderful victorian engineering i love the fact that you know all this
18:16stuff it's wonderful i expected to know but i don't have to worry because you're my guide
18:21it's perfect pat it's perfect but built to pump water out of yes the lead mines that were here yes
18:27and silver they used to get silver out of it as well and copper and zinc yes you see i
18:33read the notice
18:35we've all been burning out yeah yeah but i'm told now though the world's largest water wheel working
18:43water wheel yes and it'll never stop while there's water coming off the mountain well we are in laxey
18:49is it a place you would consider worth living in very much so it's very pretty yes that's the answer
18:56i was hoping for because i am priming you for the fact that our second property it's here in laxey
19:02with
19:03ready access to the beach and of course this amazing piece of history yes yes should we leave the wheel
19:08turning yes and get on with our house search yes come on let's walk back down the hill around 700
19:14meters
19:15or just 32 revolutions of the wheel is our next property
19:23okay so here we are then come on pat lovely this is a big property and this one has two
19:29dedicated
19:30bedrooms right all right yes i mean a much more traditional layout compared to our first one because
19:36you've got two floors yes um i think originally a classic sort of two up yeah two down yeah i
19:42think
19:42i think it looks a very substantial property certainly bigger than what you've got now yes is it yes yes
19:50yes but until we get inside we don't know really but it does look bigger than what i've got lovely
20:00this detached stone cottage dates back to the 1900s it's not listed but is within a conservation area
20:08so changes to things like doors and windows require approval
20:13come on in pat thank you yes it's darker than the other property it is darker i mean with this
20:22one you
20:22would want to perhaps give some thoughts to how you lit it and there's some quite big bits of furniture
20:27in here yeah but if you can see beyond that yeah which i i i'm looking at beyond it yeah
20:33it's it's more
20:35or less the same size as the sitting room in the first property yes but it hasn't got the same
20:42feel
20:43but what it does have is a second reception room here then you've got a classic sort of central
20:50staircase there yeah which is the divider between that living room and this which they've got set
20:55up as a sort of dining room at the moment yes yes but it does access the downstairs bathroom or
21:01the
21:01bathroom right i should say which is through there which is a bathroom bathroom so things i would have
21:05to do to alter this you might want to put in the walk-in shower that we saw in property
21:10one definitely
21:11i guess the main advantage is that it does offer you a second bedroom a dedicated second bedroom yes
21:17pat could potentially use one reception room as her bedroom and just live on the ground floor as the
21:22bathroom and kitchen are both of the dining room there we go similar kind of size i suppose yes to
21:29the
21:29first one actually yes but yes it's got all the things that you need but it's just not doing it
21:37for me
21:38i i can i can i can see that i can see that but you know it's functional it's practical
21:44yes in theory
21:45it's in the right sort of place yes but it's it's not wrapping its arms around you no no no
21:51no
21:53upstairs there are two bedrooms and if pat wanted to add a stair lift they start at around two thousand
21:59pounds outside there's a manageable front garden but if changes need to be made the deciding factor will be
22:07the price so i asked this question with some trepidation as to what you think this might be on the
22:15market for go on sue bearing in mind the limited properties there are on the market i would say it's
22:25still around about 240 000 so i think it's more likely to be 278 278 000 pounds very very precise
22:36okay this is on the market for 295 995 pounds it's been on the market a fair while right i
22:52would hope it
22:52would entertain sensible offers yes i i just feel it needs it needs too many things doing for it to
23:01suit me
23:02yeah just under 296 000 pounds for this attractive early 20th century cottage with two upstairs bedrooms
23:12plus two reception rooms and a bathroom on the ground floor meaning it could be adapted to single
23:18level living it has a well-maintained garden and sits on the edge of the village
23:36as we're only here for a short while one of the best ways to take in the scenery is on
23:41the
23:41snaefell mountain railway so i'm taking pat you know the way of course you do or maybe she's taking
23:48me i'm surprised um this seat hasn't got behind you hasn't got your name on it to enjoy the sights
23:54and sounds and sounds of the island we're having fun aren't we yes we are
24:02the journey runs for around five miles and has been operating since 1895
24:09is that lovely the sea view beyond beautiful beautiful view i can quite see how you fell in love
24:16with this place yes yes i can't understand why anyone wouldn't yeah you can really see now how
24:23they yeah the kind of interior of the island opens up look at that now the wheel yeah it's fantastic
24:29but i don't think i've ever met a buyer who feels so much at home in their chosen region as
24:36you this
24:37is my second home it is yes it's your home from home but now we need to make it your
24:42permanent home
24:42yes please yes please the mountain stands over 2 000 feet above sea level and offers stunning views
24:55in every direction look at that it's beautiful isn't it gorgeous beautiful view absolutely sensational
25:05well thank you for wanting to come back to the isle of man because if you hadn't wanted to come
25:09i wouldn't have been able to come either and i would have missed out on this amazing view yes you're
25:16very welcome and i just wish more people actually knew how beautiful it is well sue it's a revelation
25:23isn't it absolutely you're never lost for something to do here you can get on the tram and you can
25:29be here
25:30on a nice day if it's cold windy day there's there's museums there's all sorts of things i tell you
25:37what pat i know you've technically retired but you could have a job with the tourist board really
25:42what do you think i'd employ you i'd employ you well should we commemorate it with a little selfie
25:48come on we can't come all the way up here and i'm not record it all right yes there we
25:53are lovely
26:15given its obvious beauty homes are in high demand across the isle of man but there's a limited supply
26:22as there are only around 40 000 dwellings on the whole island in comparison to england that's
26:28around half the number of homes per square kilometer and they're priced almost 20 percent higher
26:34with the average price of a home in england being 287 000 pounds compared to local property market
26:41reports which put the average isle of man price at 341 000. but that's just part of the story as
26:50local
26:50estate agent victoria cook knows only too well
26:56there are obvious financial incentives to living here on the isle of man which is unique in that
27:03it's a crown dependency isn't it so we have we have no stamp duty although for property transactions you
27:09do have a register a registration fee yeah um but no inheritance tax um so um yeah anybody can can
27:16buy
27:16here and no restrictions at all no wonder it's popular yeah while there's no immigration restrictions
27:25for uk residents to get a job may require a work permit so if you fancy your own slice of
27:33island life
27:34how about this converted former chapel that offers a spectacular living room featuring a high ceiling
27:41the spiral staircase leads to two good-sized bedrooms
27:45and a stylish bathroom with an exposed stone wall and roll-top bath
27:49on the market for 425 000 pounds or if you're property shopping with just over a million pounds
27:59then this exquisite period home is arranged over three floors and boasts five bedrooms
28:06knockout features include floor-to-ceiling oak frame glazing in the kitchen
28:10plus extras like a luxury cabin with state-of-the-art home gym and office
28:20and if you're planning a shorter stay this cute cottage has one bedroom with panoramic
28:25uninterrupted views shared by the bathroom the kitchen diner is compact but packed with character
28:32and available from 139 pounds per night in low season to 195 in high season
28:40and a little extra during the tt weekend
28:48okay one more day one more property to come it is of course mystery house time and i am crossing
28:55everything that our final offering is really going to resonate with pat i think it gives her ease of
29:01living but perhaps most importantly it puts her in the heart of a community i know she loves
29:09having fared so well in port erin with the first house we're returning for our last throw of the dice
29:17just up the street from the sea in a quiet and sought-after location is our mystery house or mystery
29:24property
29:27it's unusual for us on escape to the country to broker an apartment but this one is on the ground
29:32floor and crucially it's just had a very welcome makeover this luxury apartment was built in the 1970s
29:42and sits within a complex of four as you can see it's light it's bright and it's ready to go
29:52being a flat the property is leasehold but the term is just under a thousand years
29:58i'm going to peer around this great big ice ranger hello did you enjoy your perambulation
30:06oh yeah oh yes thank you and the best coffee in the world ah so you are nicely primed then
30:12to get
30:13amongst our mystery apartment okay so with this one we've gone down a very sort of practical route
30:21thinking ahead again to the future keeping it all on one level yes i i have looked at these kind
30:26of
30:27properties anyway have you um so yes it's not sort of something that's out of the question not a shock
30:33no looking very good so far definitely want to have a look inside yes excellent so do i come on
30:40let's
30:40have a look then
30:44in terms of footprint this offers the largest ground floor accommodation of all our options
30:50so if pat does want to be on one level this is the most generous there we go oh nice
30:58airy room nice
30:59big room isn't it yes certainly the most sort of open plan option we've offered to you uh this week
31:05yes and the views are lovely aren't they i can see you sitting there not looking at the television just
31:11looking at the sea and the flag yes i think it would be quite a cozy um place to be
31:19even in the winter
31:20i think it's very nice yes and i don't dislike open plan well i think it's very very practical and
31:27then
31:27over here you've got dining area yes and then brand new kitchen lovely yes very nice oh with your
31:33own dance floor yes i could fit most of my things in here it would be easy to keep clean
31:41it doesn't
31:42need lots of maintenance and so yes it would be ideal to the rear of the property are two well
31:50-proportioned
31:51bedrooms you can take your pick between which one of these bedrooms you'd have for you yes and
31:57again light light yes and it's plenty big enough storage as well the other thing you know going
32:05forward in terms of guests coming to stay yes whether you need two double beds whether a sofa bed
32:12uh-huh that would allow you to have one of these rooms as a craft room you put an easel
32:18up and you
32:19know yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah lovely the other bedroom is slightly larger good views i just try them
32:26to see which i liked sleeping and best really and then decide which was going to be the spare room
32:32which you know for art as well you'll be doing a bit of bed hopping will you possibly
32:39well hopefully our mystery house is working its traditional magic and with any luck they're
32:47really picking up on the obvious ease that this property would offer pat in her life here going
32:54forward oh that's another walking shower yes oh look you've got a rain forest one as well yeah lovely
33:01yes yes if pat really wants to get a feel for living here next door is available as a holiday
33:10let
33:10and shares the gardens to the front and rear i mean the one thing this doesn't come with is a
33:16dedicated sort of garden space you've got these communal areas here but of course you've got
33:21yes this all of this to walk across and uh up and down into town and so forth yes as
33:26long as i
33:27dodge the golf balls exactly get out on the putting green i don't know what about that yeah why not
33:33well let's have a think then about what our mystery house might be on the market for um sue
33:43285 000. okay i'm going to be really cheeky and say 275. well here's the thing it's
33:51currently on the market for 269 000 pounds right oh so it's the cheapest of the lot it is but
33:58in
33:58talking to the agent i'm assured that it is very much open to offers right interesting
34:08this 1970s apartment comes with a new kitchen and bathroom and the most spacious open plan living area
34:14that we've seen at the rear are two generous double bedrooms and communal gardens mean even less
34:21maintenance for pat it's on the market for 269 000 pounds i'm pleasantly surprised because i did wonder
34:31whether i would actually like living in an apartment it's not something i've ever done before she could
34:38very easily make this her home her place the views are terrific the whole area is so clean and uplifting
34:48and the light the air the sea it's a beautiful place i'm not surprised she she really loves it this
34:56much
35:02pat won't be the first person to make the leap across the pond here
35:06and some of her predecessors have left even bigger ponds a transatlantic move a thriving garden
35:14and a whole new way of life this is tanya's escape story
35:20i'm tanya anderson and i moved to the isle of man from the city in 2010. having been raised on
35:29another
35:29u.s island near seattle tanya moved over and lived in london but city life wasn't working
35:35i rediscovered my love of gardening and so i wanted to move someplace where i could have that
35:42space and time to grow a garden after hearing about the isle of man on an advert i had never
35:49heard of
35:50it before tanya was persuaded to take the plunge so the first time i ever saw the isle of man
35:58was on the
35:59ferry coming into douglas one wintry foggy morning and our possessions the first load of our possessions
36:07were in the holds and seeing the coastline come into view was just so exciting four years ago she
36:15moved to her current home which she's renovating she's also turned her gardening interest into a
36:21gardening empire posting horticultural tips online i share how to do gardening how to make things how
36:28to grow things and how to use plants to make handmade soap and skin care all sorts of things
36:36so tanya swapped her city life for a sustainable one here in the countryside on the isle of man
36:42and i'm here to find out how she turned that dream into reality
36:54hey tanya hi trolls nice to see you welcome to my garden wow a famous garden i think i mean
37:01your
37:01exploits are known to many oh a fair few now but it's looking gorgeous isn't it is there a particular
37:08climate here then on the isle of man that really lends itself to your style of well it's very
37:13temperate it's a bit of a goldilocks zone it never really gets too hot or too cold barely goes below
37:18freezing barely gets above about 29 celsius yeah so it's it's great for a lot of different leafy greens
37:26and everything basically it's surprising considering you're surrounded by the irish sea i guess and sort of
37:32regularly battered by some of the most infamous storms oh yeah i mean this year i've really
37:37focused on growing veg that doesn't really get that tall at least outdoors because we do get summer
37:43storms here and they will thrash plants that are climbing up anything so dwarf green beans are out
37:50there i've got dwarf jerusalem artichokes i've got lots and lots of veg that will stay about waist height
37:56or lower tanya's plot covers half an acre and she's transformed it from a lawn into an abundant
38:03kitchen garden it's picture perfect isn't it roses around the arch right of color a nice mix of sort
38:11of cottage garden and obviously very productive garden i love supporting the bees pollinators yeah
38:17there's bees all over this is borage tons of other wildflowers in here this is a perennial wildflower
38:24mix that has some annuals to get it started so these are onions these have gone crazy haven't
38:29they only lovely the architectural nature of the onion gone mad well the thing is is that vegetable
38:35gardens don't have to be just practical they can be absolutely beautiful these look fabulous what's this
38:40these are kohlrabi kohlrabi is related to all the other brassicas like broccoli and cabbage so can you
38:49actually eat the bolton is that what you'd aim for well it's it's mainly this swelled swollen stem
38:54here you could potentially eat the rest of it but it could be quite tough here let me show you
39:00so if
39:00you just harvest it here snip it off at the grounds that's amazing it's like a big sort of radish
39:07isn't
39:07it it kind of looks like that but it doesn't have that spiciness it's very tender and sweet
39:11inside and you can eat it raw can you or you can cook it i mean it's just so wholesome
39:17isn't it and
39:17to think you know just a few years ago it was unproductive lawn and now look what's coming out of
39:24it yeah so much it is so bountiful so what would your advice be to anybody who's perhaps moved into
39:31a
39:31property where there is no established garden choose the place that gets the best sun yeah and if you have
39:38a walkway to say like a shed or something account for that but put your plants in the middle put
39:44them in the best place possible when you're designing a vegetable garden or a more ornamental it's the
39:49same principle i think you want to be able to spend time in it not just come out here and
39:54use it as a
39:54grocery store well i'm delighted i've had the chance to catch up with you today tanya you know your life
40:00and everything you're achieving here is available for all to see but clearly you have made it your own and
40:07this island has in its own way help shape your future and your career now absolutely i love it
40:14wouldn't have it any other way
40:21well in my experience every house search has an emotional component to it but few have had as much
40:28emotion running through them as this one because i think we all know just how much this move to the
40:34isle of man will mean to pat but have we managed to do it and find her somewhere she can
40:40now call
40:41home let's go and ask her hello you two how are you hello fine having the chance to have you
40:50with us
40:52guiding us around has been amazing but i can sell it i can sell it all day long because it's
40:59beautiful you
41:00absolutely can but have we managed to sell you a property for your future i absolutely love property one
41:10the only downside there would be the two steps which are not insurmountable down into the kitchen
41:17yes and the bathroom yes i like the mystery house and there's lots of scope there but the thing that
41:24is a drawback for me um is probably the fact that there's going to be change of people all the
41:31time
41:32because of the holiday lets next door yes yeah yes so then what happens next the next thing i have
41:41to
41:41consider is how much i can actually get for my own property yeah if i can get sufficient funds for
41:47from my
41:48house then i probably will come back and sort out the finances for property one well we would love
41:57the opportunity back to come back and see you in your new island life lovely whenever and wherever that
42:04happens we'd be very welcome yes and i am more than likely going to already be here saying oh look
42:11they're
42:11back again well what a treat this week has been having the opportunity to explore and appreciate
42:24this island in the company of a woman who is clearly such a passionate advocate for all that it has
42:30to
42:31offer and also it's been a privilege i think to play i hope a small role in helping her make
42:37at long
42:38last a permanent move here a move which in every respect feels like it's long overdue and clearly
42:46if pat's experiences anything to go by whilst this may have been my first visit here i am pretty certain
42:52it won't be my last i'll see you next time if you would like to escape to the country on
43:00the isle of man
43:01the isle of white the channel islands the isles of scilly or anywhere in britain for that matter
43:06and need our help why not apply online at bbc.co.uk forward slash take part
43:41thank you
43:42you
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