Local Must-dos

While it might feel like the island’s Boxing Day tradition is staying in your pyjamas for the majority of the day, and then heading out to the pub, there are some more deep rooted traditions. We’ve decided to highlight some of the Manxest traditions in the Isle of Man.  Hunt […]

While you may know Milntown for their quaint cakes and gorgeous grounds, things are about to get SPOOKY for hop-tu-naa.  From 28th-31st October, Milntown’s coloured past will come alive once again as the undead walk the grounds again for Scarefest 2020: The Reawakening. If you’re a history nerd, you’ll know […]

“A lot of people are finding it difficult to source beer with the same ease as before lockdown because a lot of the breweries across, like a lot of businesses, have actually scaled down because there isn’t really the outlet for the products.” Roger Cave, CAMRA Isle of Man Can […]

Picture this: you’ve spent the day at the beach at Playa del Vintners, glowing after several hours in the sun/on the booze and now, it’s time to leave. *sobs* Trying to brush the sand off your feet is hard enough when you’re sober but when you’re half cut or if […]

Here at Gef we love nothing more than celebrating the weird and wonderful of the Isle of Man, I mean, we’re named after a poltergeist that haunted a family in Dalby for god’s sake. Working with Visit Isle of Man, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most weird […]

As the site of 52 Duke street sits in a pile of rubble, awaiting its resurrection into shops and flats, here at Gef, we’ve been looking back over our fond memories of the building.

Wanting to jet off to white sand beaches to forget about the dreaded C-word, but know that your summer holiday just isn’t on the cards this year? Sigh no more friends, the bosses of Foraging Vintners, Ian Swindells and MaryBeth Coll, have you covered. They’re opening their new pop up […]

If there’s one Island salon that’s seen it all, it’s Ron Smiths, an understated powerhouse of hairdressing creativity.

Here at Gef, we don’t think that a pandemic should stop you from going hard on Tynwald Day, so we’ve put together this guide for how you can celebrate the sh*t out of the most MANX day of the year!

No faffing. Simply a matter of packing up the car, locking up the house and driving a maximum of what, 45 minutes? to the other side of the Island, or maybe just down the road, for your very own island escape.

Here’s our guide to staycationing on the IoM this summer.

Brace yourselves Manxies, it’s gonna be HOT today!

Gef’s guide to some of the most instagramable eateries on the Island, because did it even happen if you didn’t post about it?

Conister Bank are providing a personal touch (of the socially distant kind) with their friendly approach to banking

Chances are if you’re a business owner on the Isle of Man, you’ll be familiar with the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce. Established for over 60 years, they now have 450 members, who represent some of the largest businesses on the Isle of Man. Unless you’ve been firmly under […]

Arguably Mexico’s most holy of exports; Tequila has – somewhat – ironically earned itself the reputation as the go-to spirit for the provision of all things reckless. Anyone that visited our pop-up bar Peggy’s over the festive period, will know by now that I have a deep rooted rooted love […]

Ahh the Star Wars Bar <3 It’s a mecca for those wild, great nights you can’t remember; when the pubs have closed and you’re too pissed to even utter the word ‘Blackjack’, let alone hit the casino. At 1am, the Star Wars bar is your non-judgemental, equal opportunities haven. And […]

I’m a mum. A tired mum.After three kids, I’ve seen my fair share of parenting fails. My eldest is only seven, so I’m fully aware I have plenty more years of parenting lows to come yet.I’ve been the mum who can’t unfold the pram in the middle of the car […]

The World Maternal Mental Health Awareness campaign, now in its third year, declares ‘without mental health, there’s no health’.A sweeping statement? I don’t think so.If mums aren’t in a good place mentally, then it’s unlikely they’re going to be able to focus on anything other than getting their family through […]

10 years ago, local songwriter Chris Flood released his debut album – ‘Opinion Is Not A Substitute For Reason’. The album was a rich and colourful burst of promise. There was rabble-rousing indie (Razorblade Party); sparsely catchy alt-rock (Machines); hints at expansive experimentalism (Scabs, Another Dreadful Earache)) and impassioned, Lennon-esque […]

When you’re young your parents would tell you that… “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone” and I truly believe that the best example of this is, Nightlife.“Nightlife” or “Shitelife” – however you affectionately denoted the building, was the heart and soul of the pub scene in Ramsey.Getting that […]

Chad Willard pulls no punches. “If you’re not at the pinnacle, you won’t last here. If you’re looking for a job where you can hide, this is the wrong place. Everyone here has to input.” The gravel-voiced Floridian is forthright and honest, which is why his words command respect.He doesn’t […]

The Isle of Man has not only housed a few celebrated actors, but it has also bred a few. Perry O’Dea of Onchan is now more used to the lights of the West End than the Gaiety. Talented in singing, dance and stage production he has starred in various shows […]

Jack Cummings is on the brink. With less than a fortnight to go until launch, there’s a lot to do. When he and Matt Kneen decided to team up and form their own business, in Jack’s words it was because they were “sick of working for other people”. Such freedom […]

I discovered ecstatic dance when I went to Wilderness festival in 2016 with my beautiful friend Natalie and our mum’s. Nattie and I went off for the morning to a yoga workshop and then headed back to meet up with our mothers. When we saw my mum she was a […]

Jeriel Bacani is the Creative Content Lead within Microgaming’s marketing team and a recipient of Gef’s 30 Under 30 accolade.  This is just another award under Jeriel’s proverbial belt, having been nominated for (and subsequently won) The 2018 Women In Gaming Award in the Hidden Talent category.  Having started her […]

Our Island is a curious place. We are small in stature but goliath-like in bountiful beauty. We have God-tier landscapes, emerald greenery and azure-blue seas: natural wonder to rival anywhere on Earth. Yet our humour is sardonic and drier than desert bones. We are politically progressive yet for those looking […]

Gef managed to squeeze a quick chat in with Samantha Barks, the incredibly talented Manx star of the stage and screen, to see how those bright lights of Broadway compare to Laxey village… Congrats on your latest role as Vivian in Pretty Women, how ICONIC! How do you prepare for […]

The starting point to transformation is yourself and your self lives in your body… not in your mind as you may like to believe. Get out of your head and into your body.We all do it. We all get out of our heads. we do it when we fall in […]

According to Irish folklore, this majestic Isle upon which we reside was formed thanks to the Tarantino character Finn McCool. Embroiled in a presumably Michael Bay directed fu*k off battle, Finn hurled a sizeable mound of earth into the sea, missing his target. McCool was aiming for a treacherous Scottish […]

Guy Wood is a recipient of Gef’s 30 Under 30 accolade, and the Director and Manager of Ascentiom – a professional recruitment agency – which was grown and nurtured on the Isle of Man. Guy’s background is in the noble sport of rugby. Having pursued a career since the age […]

I only know two things for certain about myself; 1- Courtesy of my mental health (holla at me fellow depression + anxiety babes!) I am in a perpetual state of feeling lost, distant and overwhelmed by this whole “existence” deal.2- Video games fix the above. Well, temporarily, but that’s better […]

On 8th April 1994 Kurt Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle, Washington. Under further investigation it was concluded that he had died by suicide 3 days prior. Cobain was best known for being the lead singer and guitarist of the grunge band Nirvana, but he was also […]

Neil Kelly is on a mission. The Chief Financial Officer of plan.com makes for engaging company. He exudes the gravitas of a consummate professional – borne of knowledge, experience and passion for his career. He’s a dream interviewee. Gef presses record and sits back as the spirited monologues burst forth […]

We’re sorry this isn’t true! We absolutely wish it were and are pretty sure if King Orry was still about today he’d quite happily validate it…#originalmanxLADvar bannersnack_embed = {“hash”:”bc9e1le8h”,”width”:672,”height”:280,”t”:1539344821,”userId”:38193901,”responsive”:true,”type”:”html5″};//cdn.bannersnack.com/iframe/embed.js

I was always fascinated by space when I was younger and I still remember binge watching Wonders of the Solar System with Brian Cox, after I had noticed my dad watching it. Many nights were spent sitting in the middle of a quiet road with my friends just staring at […]

Entering the plan.com offices on Hope Street, Douglas is quite the experience. The building itself is proud and stately – IOMA House’s glass facade gives off London city vibes: corporate, cold and slightly intimidating. Inside is a whole different story. As Gef makes its way up to the second floor, […]

How many times have you heard someone complain that there’s not much to do on our fair Isle? This is usually uttered by pessimistic, negative Nellies who inhabit a world of half empty glasses and red stoplights, with the sole purpose of knocking the go-getters off cloud nine. But this […]

The Isle of Man often gets all sorts of beef for being a so-called tax haven. Apparently, we’re overflowing with tax-dodging gazillioniares and money-laundering criminals. But, that’s not really true. We’re actually bigger swots than lots of countries when it comes to following the rules…Let’s take a moment to consider […]

I’ve been interested in film ever since I can remember and I got my first video camera when I was about 13.All I ever thought about during that time was being a Film Director, or at least making films in some way, and pursued this by creating short films and […]

Kimberley Moore was just 26 years old when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. After living a normal, healthy life, being diagnosed with MS naturally came as a huge shock. Since being diagnosed, Kim has accessed services from the MS Society, a local charity for sufferers of MS on the Island, […]

Brace yourself fellow Manxies, there’s another hoolie on the horizon.Sure, it’s not likely to be as devastating as any of the “great storms” we’ve survived together in recent history, but it’s worth remembering your Beaver/Boy Scout/Brownie training and Be Prepared.We all know what’s coming.Expect the usual horizontal rain and “gusts” […]

Give a Manx lad a guitar and watch him fling himself around a stage in front of 1500 people. Not Punk enough for you? Ramsey lad Ffin Colley and his mate Joey Brayshaw of Delaire, the Liar might have a thing or two to say about that, as they deconstruct […]

Top o’ the mornin’ and a very happy St Patrick’s day to one and all from Gef the Irish (for one day only) Mongoose! To help kick start your Paddy’s day celebrations, we’re sharing our super duper not so top secret recipe for the best damn Irish coffee in the […]

We covered it in the first instalment but in case you weren’t paying attention – Continent 8 are a pretty big deal, ok? The clue’s in the name, sport. This is an intercontinental company providing secure data hosting and IT infrastructure in over 40 locations across the globe. They’ve got […]

At times, being a Radiohead fan feels a bit like being into obscure foreign films. Although most people can appreciate their grungy guitar-laden earlier work, they’re mystified at how anyone can bear listening to the not-so-easily accessible tracks on their later albums. These same people will endeavour to watch Radiohead […]

The percentage of women graduating in STEM related subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) is approximately 25% compared to their male counterparts. The stereotype is that women are perhaps less likely to excel or even consider working in these fields; that men are predisposed to greater success and afforded better […]

We’re kicking off our week long series of International Women’s Day content with a special edition of Gef’s Good News! And what a wonderful year of Womannly goodness it has been… March 2018 All Female MLCs Elected…History was made an all female ensemble of MLC’s were elected back in March […]

A stroll through Douglas high-street is, for most of us, an experience on autopilot: The hustle of the suited and booted, heads bowed, scrolling through the day’s events; the bitter aroma of cigarette smoke stinging and fading the senses; familiar shops and buildings, unflinching and present; dependably there but leaving […]

On February 16 2018, Adam Hudgeon’s Monday started like any other. He showered, had his breakfast and headed to the gym. He hadn’t slept well and still felt groggy but he thought nothing much of it.  That lethargy was creeping in as he struggled on. He laboured on the treadmill, […]

Don’t get me wrong, I love me some avocado, usually with my eggs. But I’m lucky enough to have a Manx Ma’ who brought me up on the local good stuff… Bonnag! I’m chuffed to be able to share my Mum’s brilliant Bonnag recipe with you. It’s from her Mum, […]

When Mike Murphy talks, all you can do is listen. He is one of those natural raconteurs, a man with such natural charisma he could make a reading of the phonebook hilarious. If you haven’t had the pleasure of diving face-first into L’Experience’s to-die-for French Onion soup, you may be […]

I think by now, all of us are aware of the impact Blue Planet II has had on lots of people – it’s everywhere we look. Don’t touch the plastic straws! Well, there is a lot more to it than that, but that, like many others, is one of those […]

The Isle of Man is famous for many things, but successful bands is not one of them. With the exception of a certain Bee Gee, a quick google search for famous Manx musicians brings up a dismal offering… and I’m sorry but I’m not buying Wikipedia’s suggestion that Katy Perry […]

We’ve come a long way since the sexual liberation of the 1970s, a decade that brought us renewed acceptance of the contraceptive pill, premarital sex, and a little film called Deep Throat starring Linda Lovelace. But whilst the 70s can definitely stake claim to the climax of the sexual revolution, […]

Hamish Faragher… aka the Isle of Man’s answer to Ed Sheeran can often be found entertaining guests at venues all over our fair isle, even supporting Sir Tom Jones (yes, THE Tom Jones) on his most recent trip to the island. But now, on top of his uni studies, Hamish […]