The Hindu : International : Now, Isle of Woman

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 27, 2005

International

International

Now, Isle of Woman

London: The Isle of Man, sober home of tax exiles and people who would prefer to live in 1958, is to go all silly at the weekend and rename itself the Isle of Woman. For two days, women on the island in the Irish Sea between Ireland and England will benefit from a pink bill of rights which will command men to wait on them hand and foot, lower the toilet seat after use and not complain when the phone is in constant use. At the Woodburn in Douglas (``It's a man's pub,'' said a local expert), only women will be allowed to buy drinks. Teams from Michael soccer club and Douglas rugby club will don pink kit and rename themselves Michelle FC and Deidre RFC. Douglas golf club will offer women half-price green fees. The island's famous three-legged symbol has been doctored to show three very pink, high-heeled female legs, and its airline will become Womanx Airways. Any connection between all this and a publicity stunt by Yorkie bars to publicise a new pink-wrapped, woman-friendly version of its big-selling chocolate chunks is totally intentional. The wheeze has been enthusiastically endorsed by the Manx Government's tourism department, the island's principal newspaper, which will rename itself the Isle of Woman Independent, and Tynwald, the world's oldest Parliament in continuous existence. The fun gets under way on Thursday, when 20,000 free girl-friendly Yorkies will be handed out to women on the island. David Cretney, the Island's Minister of Tourism, will be enjoying the japes but not a Yorkie bar because he is trying to give them up. ``It's just a weekend of fun,'' he said, adding that no cash had changed hands. ``We have been the Isle of Man since time immemorial and we are now going to be the Isle of Woman for the weekend. —

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