ABSTRACT
Theseasideholiday,anannualopportunityforrelaxationandrecreation,was pioneeredintheindustrialnorthwestinthelateVictorianperiod. 1Asthe marketexpandedmanyhappyholiday-makerswereattractedbeyondlocal resortstotheIsleofMan,hastilytransformedbysubstantialinvestmentinthe 'visitingindustry'into'onelargeplaygroundfortheoperativesofLancashire andYorkshire'.2Thenumberofpassengerarrivalsbetween1Mayand30 Septemberrosefrom260,786in1890to351,238in1900toreachapeakof 634,512in1913.3Aformofcommercializedsaturnalia,accentuatedbythe 'offshore'location,theannualManxholidaygavefull(ifbrief)licenceto liminalandmarginalaspectsofthenortherncharacter:
Howdidsuchculturalcontactwithnortherners'atplay'influenceattitudes towardstheindustrialnorthanditsinhabitants?ThischapterexaminesManx perceptionsofnorthernholiday-makers,or'cottonballs'astheycametobe called,inaperiodbeforewarmerandmoreexoticlocations.camewithin popularreach.Aswithallformsofstereotypingandlabelling,suchperceptions wererelationalandfluid,constructedandamendedinsocio-historical interaction:indeed,inseekinganidentityoftheirown,theManxcametodefine themselves(culturallybutnoteconomically!)againstthe'northern'visitor. Inexploringthisprocess,thisessayexaminesthevariousethnicandclass tensions,explicitandimplicit,ofthelatenineteenthcentury.Atthiscritical
conjuncture,masstourism,theprosperousstagesofthe'productlife-cycle'of theIsleofMan'visitingindustry',5coincidedwiththe'Manxrenaissance',the insularinflexionofthewider'gaelicrevival'.6Oldattitudesweretobecalled intoquestion,evenstoodontheirhead.
