Hi Doug,
Manx born I am, emigrate I did, but dementia, I hope not and wouldn't know anyway, unless I have rellies who tell me so.............
and as you're especially requesting Qlders' with Manx origins/background to participate it'd be hard for me to refuse, so I'll start the ball rolling.
First off, what about looking in that book I wrote of my Manx Memories, there might be some inspiration there.
It was a happy, happy, childhood, I remember Hogmanay, dunking for apples in buckets of water, I remember hard boiled egg rolling on Easter Monday's up Sulby Glen, I remember playing at wearing earrings from the fuschia flowers, I remember my first day at the two-room school at Sulby, I remember Miss Craine my school teacher, I remember Fred Quayle the station master at Sulby, I remember going for walks over the claddagh; and round by the Ginger Hall hotel, I remember the train trips both to Kirk Michael and Ramsey, as well as bus trips from Ramsey to Laxey, Visits to Kirk Michael were popular because of Glen Whyllin, the swings, roundabout, the big green shed/building where we bought ice cream and there was a large red weighing machine outside, and further down towards the beach there was the lake with the motor boats, all this on top of visiting cousin Edgar Quayle in the grocer's shop and Nettie Quayle our grandmother who lived next door. I can remember both the chemsts shop and the butchers opposite the swing bridge, visits to Mooragh park and visits to Douglas. I cam remember riding the handlebars of Dad's bike..............