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***Malcolm*** · 15-12-2014, 01:15 PM

An anonymous man clears out some of the memorabilia that has amassed around the tree at the Fairy Bridge

For some, it is a place of interest, something that typifies the quirky Manx obsession with fairy folk and superstition. For others, it’s a place to hang memorials and mementos to sadly missed friends or relatives.

But to one unnamed man, the Fairy Bridge had turned into just an eyesore.

Last week, the man, who wished to remain anonymous, took it upon himself to clear the tree and the Fairy Bridge itself of all the accumulated posters, stickers, trinkets, dolls, messages, badges and the many other memorials.

Although he revealed that it wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision, it wasn’t something that was publicised in any way.

I happened to drive past him that morning as he was finishing his quick, covert operation.

Although he was nervous at being caught removing all of the items around the bridge and, as such, was unwilling to give me his name, he revealed he had been considering it for quite some time.

‘I’ve driven past it often, and thought that for a while now it was getting out of hand,’ he said, while climbing on to the bridge and removing a bike helmet from a high branch. ‘I had a day off today, so I thought I’d just come down now and do it quickly.’

He admitted he wasn’t sure if he had the right to clean up the area, but felt that not everyone was comfortable with the state in which the landmark bridge had been left.

‘I don’t know if this is legal or not,’ he said. ‘I don’t even know who owns the land. But I don’t know if it is legal to put this stuff here in the first place. So I think I’m justified in removing it.’

The amount of memorabilia has gradually, and visibly, grown over the past few years, and has attracted many memorials to visiting bikers who have been killed or injured over TT Week.

In 2009, Sonya Bowness, who lived at the Fairy Bridge cottage and owned the land on which the items were being left, grew exasperated as the popular tourist spot turned into an eyesore.

However, her plans to have a visitors’ centre and a public access space built on land next to the bridge were denied.

Earlier that year, questions were raise in Tynwald about the safety of the area, with David Callister MLC calling for a letter box to be installed so that letters to the Little People could be handled without the need for notes to be posted on the tree itself.

However, all these plans came to nothing, and the growth of items has continued unchecked.

Among the many items removed were a bike helmet, and an entire bike fairing, dolls, necklaces, wing mirrors, scarves, photographs and written testimonies to lost friends and relatives.

One or two items proved to be just a bit too far out of reach for the vigilante cleaner.

So, for now, Paul Latty’s dog tags remain, as does the memorial to Nigel. Dedications to Tony Morton, killed in 2008, are still there along with the photo of Trev Vilder, immortalised with a pint in his hand, and a padlock hung on the tree in 2007 to ensure Karina and James remain locked in love forever. A red bra continues to hang on a branch and the French flag flies highest of all.

Mike Wade

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