The Manx Independent’s Pullyman columnist Michael Cowin has just launched a - very - quirky charity calendar and seen his first book published, writes Julie Blackburn.

Michael, who recently reached the milestone of 250 published columns, starting writing what he calls his ’musings’ after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

He is also a poet of note and he and fellow poet Hazel Teare decided to join forces to support two causes close to their hearts.

On Friday he and Hazel launched a calendar and a book to raise funds for Parkinson’s Disease Isle of Man and the Alzheimer’s Society Isle of Man.

The calendar features a number of well known local personalities, including the Governor and the Chief Minister, posing on Michael’s mobility scooter.

The photography for the book was shot by Mike Wade (pictured below, centre) who also edits the Island Life supplement in the Manx Independent.

Mike recalled some of the challenges of asking the various personalities to pose doing things they would never normally do.

He said: ’Michael chose all the locations. Everyone was very happy to sit on the bikes and be told what to do.’

The December image features Treasury Minister Alf Cannan apparently towing a trunk behind the scooter.

Mike said: ’That was all Michael’s idea. He wanted Alf to have dug up a chest of government revenues and be dragging it away.’

The picture was taken on Derry Kissack’s farm in Onchan and Derry himself features in August alongside Dot Tilbury.

Mike said: ’Those two were so funny, they needed no encouragement. The hardest part with them was choosing which shot to use.’

Michael himself drove one of the scooters over two muddy fields on Chief Minister Howard Quayle’s farm to get to the perfect location where he is pictured with his dog.

The Bishop’s shot was arranged for what turned out to be a rather dark and gloomy day so he allowed them to drive the scooter into St George’s Church to take the photo.

The Lieutenant Governor posed happily on a scooter outside Government House and former First Deemster David Doyle outside the Courts of Justice.

’They were all really good sports about it,’ said Mike.

A coup for Michael was getting TT star John McGuinness to pose on a mobility scooter alongside local rider Milky Quayle and David Cretney MLC on the TT start line.

Mike recalled: ’John McGuinness was a good laugh. He was hobbling about on a crutch at the time and everyone was saying to him: "Here’s your new bike John".

’You could tell he had a really good laugh doing it as well.’

Mike added: ’The most impressive thing about shooting the calendar was Michael’s energy. I’d get to the location and he’d have the scooters and the people all there ready for me.

’Nobody could say "no" to him.’

The book, which was launched alongside the calendar, is, said Michael the story of the ’life that became Pullyman’. It gets its title from Michael’s well known motto ’Always be yourself... and know when to stop’.

Featuring a number of Pullyman columns along with Michael’s poems and short stories, it has been edited by Hazel, with the cover artwork by Des Clague.

They were assisted by a grant from Celton Manx, which was used to upgrade Michael’s website to allow them to sell the book and calendar online. Michael said: ’Every penny we make is going to the two charities and it all stays on the island.’

The book and calendar are available from the Lexicon and Bridge Bookshops, Green’s Jewellers in Peel and Karson’s Pharmacy at Corkill’s Garage in Onchan.

They can also be purchased online at www.pullyman.im.