Gazing up at these towering concrete digits, you might think they’re simply a whimsical gate decoration. But this, my friends, is the Manx Giant’s Pillar. It’s a memorial to Arthur Caley, a man whose life was as extraordinary as his height. Born in Sulby, Isle of Man, in 1824, Caley grew to an astounding near eight feet tall. He quickly became a local legend. He left the island in his twenties. His journey led him to the vibrant salons of Paris. Then, a year later, came the shocking news of his death. It seemed suspicious. His manager had recently taken out a life insurance policy on him. The whispers of insurance fraud began to circulate. But the truth was far stranger. Caley hadn’t died. He had simply shed his identity. He resurfaced as “Colonel Routh Goshen, the Arabian Giant” in P.T. Barnum’s Circus. He enjoyed a successful career. He finally retired in New Jersey. It was only on his deathbed in 1889 that the “Arabian Giant” revealed his true identity. For such a towering figure, Caley left a surprisingly small mark on his home island. But this peculiar monument at Rose Cottage, just outside Sulby, keeps his memory alive. This concrete pillar is topped with a life-sized cast of Caley’s right hand. From the base of the pillar to the tip of his middle finger, it measures the same height as the giant himself.
The Curragh Nature Reserve
Wallabies in the Isle of Man? The Curragh Nature Reserve is full of surprises. This wetland area has a rich