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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Robin Craig

The pub that changed me: ‘I saw an Isle of Man that had been largely unknown to me’

Isle of Man
Robin Craig with a pint of Guinness
Robin Craig pictured in 2025. Composite: Guardian Design; Courtesy of Robin Craig

The Woodbourne hotel, Isle of Man

I felt eyes on me the second I stepped into the pub. It was as though we were interlopers in a sacred space – everyone turned to look. Self-consciously, I walked to a door labelled “BAR” and pushed it open, and was met by further stares at me and my female companion. Only once we had got our pints and sat down did we notice the “GENTS ONLY” sign on the wall.

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