A Tour of Onchan 2
Round The Edges.

The last days of the Onchan Chippy at the junction of Summerhill Road, Main Road and Governors Road. The cottages were once the home to farm labourers on the Ballachurry Farm.

The present day roundabout is approximately in the location of the streetlight. The extension to S.Cubbon’s shop shows in the background on the left.

All the buildings erected here by Mr Cottier who purchased the land remained until the mid 1980s albeit that for several generations they no longer were part of a croft but instead the end cottage became a fish and chip shop and served the village for more than 40 years.

The name Lazy Corner is attributed to the fact that when horses had pulled their load up Summerhill Road they would slacken off or “go lazy” hence the name.

Another suggestion has been that the unemployed men of the village would congregate here but the former is the more likely explanation as there was nowhere really to lounge around.

When the cottages were demolished so was the newspaper shop which once stood directly opposite Woodlea Cottage. When this was constructed it had a second hand shop front from The Cabin Café in Douglas.

As it was 1986, Manx Heritage Year and as the Onchan Parish Commissioners and Onchan Village Commissioners were amalgamating it was decided that there should be some form of commemoration of the occasion. Consequently the Ice Age boulder that once supported the Onchan War Memorial, and which had lain unused for a short time was brought back into play.

It was taken to this site and turned upside down to hide the hole cut into it to act as a socket for the war memorial. The boulder was renamed “The Heritage Stone” and was unveiled by Arnold Callin MLC on 1st April 1986 the appointed day for the amalgamation.

Mr Callin had been an Onchan Village Commissioner from 1954 to 1976. The event was attended by many past parish and village commissioners and part of the ceremony included the planting of fuchsia bushes by children from Onchan and Ashley Hill Schools.

Hawthorn trees were planted by the retiring chairman of the Onchan Village and Onchan Parish Commissioners.

Taken on 1st April 1986 at the time of the amalgamation of the Onchan Village and Parish Commissioners.

On the left is Bert Wasley retiring chairman of village and Arthur Harvey retiring chairman of the parish. Behind then is the Heritage Stone and in front the two hawthorn trees planted by them. In the background are the flat roofed shops at the top of Summerhill Road.

Sometime later, a former chairman of the Onchan Village Commissioners, Mr Robert Stott decided there should be a plaque to explain the significance of the area and so Harry Watt of Messrs Corkill and Kinrade carved a large tablet which was unveiled by Mr Stott. Later it had its headstone like appearance softened by being incorporated into a stone wall to look like part of a ruin.

The plaque carved by Harry Watt of Messrs Corkill and Kinrade. The Onchan crest was carved free of charge by Mr Watt who at one time lived in Victoria Avenue and wanted that part of the tablet to be his gift to the village.