Art exhibition races into Ramsey

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Two Ramsey Manxmen celebrated for their skills in two very different disciplines – motorcycle racing and art – took centre stage at Ramsey town hall on Friday August 19 when TT competitor Connor Cummins, currently the fast Manx rider around the TT course, opened Racing Through Time, an exhibition of paintings by artist Michael Starkey.

The exhibition comes after Michael Starkey’s year-long artist’s residency funded by the Isle of Man Arts Council and commemorates the centenary of the TT mountain course in a series of 20 paintings depicting various points on the circuit throughout the decades.

Opening the exhibition Connor Cummins said how the paintings provided very different perspectives of the course from those he saw when competing, while Michael Starkey spoke of the hours of research needed to ensure historical accuracy which, in his painting of a scene of Ramsey’s Parliament Square during the 1957 TT, included showing the town hall clock reading 11.40am, the moment when rider Bob McIntyre was due to arrive on his second lap of the Senior race on the first ever 100mph lap.

Now part of the Isle of Man Arts Council’s contemporary art loan collection, Racing Through Time will remain on display in Ramsey town hall until September 16.

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Viking heritage features in opening ceremony of games

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The Isle of Man will pay tribute to its Viking heritage at the Commonwealth Youth Games

The Isle of Man's Viking heritage will feature in the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Youth Games next September.

Walk the Plank, a production company based in Salford, will be overseeing the event on 8 September.

The planned festivities are thought to include dance and gymnastic displays, parkour performances and a Viking ship.

A spokesman from the production company said the ceremony will place Manx culture within the global community.

Producers are currently looking for young people from the Isle of Man to take part in the performances.

Carnival procession

The children and teenagers chosen will have the opportunity to perform in a piece called Dances of the World or to take part in the carnival procession around the stadium.

Local choreographer David Cowley will lead a dance workshop for young people aged 14 and under on 6 August at Carrefour Gym in Douglas.

For people aged 15 and over, the carnival dance workshops will be on the 20 and 21 August in the Secondary Sports Hall in the National Sports Centre.

More than 1,000 competitors, from 71 Commonwealth nations, will travel to the island in September to compete in the seven-day sporting festival.

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Residents Get Back To Their Roots with Ramsey in Bloom

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This year’s Ramsey in Bloom yet again revealed outstanding horticultural talent. At the prize giving held in Ramsey town hall on Tuesday August 9 Ramsey Town Commissioners’ chairman Captain Nigel Malpass congratulated entrants on their achievements and spoke of the ‘stunning’ displays in all categories, adding that he was pleased the competition continued to attract new participants every year.
Judging took place in July by the Commission’s head gardener Ken Barnes and well-known local horticulturalist Pat Goodway who said it had been a ‘privilege’ to have visited so many beautiful gardens and witnessed such high standards. Mrs Goodway welcomed the eight newcomers to the competition this year and said that among the new themes to have emerged was a creative planting mix of vegetables and flowers providing a dual-purpose garden. An estate garden beyond the scope of the large garden category earned owners Mr and Mrs John Crellin a special commendation certificate and a comment from Mrs Goodway that the judges would welcome more estate entries in the future.
The prize presentation also provided an opportunity to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of head gardener Ken Barnes who is to retire in November after more than 10 years with the Commission.
The full list of Ramsey in Bloom results can be downloaded at www.ramsey.gov.im

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International Folk Dance Festival

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The Manx Folk Dance Society will be celebrating 60 years of dancing later this month by staging a special international folk dance festival, with public events across the length and breadth of the Island for everyone to enjoy.

Prominent at many Island events the Manx Folk Dance Society was formed in 1951 for the Festival of Mann celebrations, and although there is no definitive traditional Manx costume the group has adopted a number of distinctive and colourful designs over the years, which members use during performances both on and off the Island. Their continuing popularity has played a major role in preserving Manx dancing as they pass on their knowledge to subsequent generations, but their unabated enthusiasm has now spilled over into the production of books, records, cassettes and videos. They are currently working on a DVD of Manx dances which they hope will be completed by next year.

Generously supported by the Manx Heritage Foundation, the Isle of Man Arts Council and the Elizabeth Clucas Trust, the festival promises to be a colourful exhibition of costume and dance with a multi-cultural line-up of groups from England, Germany, Sweden, Wales and the Isle of Man. Many of the dances date back over centuries, expressing individual traits as diverse as daily chores in Sweden, or the fertility of crops in England, with their costumes replicated through the study of historical drawings and patterns to identify some of the key features of each country.

Members of the Manx Folk Dance Society have represented the Island at many international events over the years, and in turn have hosted visiting groups from which they have made their selection. There will be a cross section of talent treading the boards during this unique festival which has been many years in gestation and will culminate in a gala performance at the Royal Hall in the Villa Marina.

Despite a hectic schedule members of the visiting groups will also have the opportunity to explore the Island and meet up with old friends.

In addition an open invitation has been extended to members of the Manx Folk Dance Society, both past and present, to celebrate the group’s 60^th anniversary on the 7^th September, 2011, at the Hydro Hotel, Douglas. If you would like further details please contact Freda Black by phoning 624858.

Programme of Events

12th August 2011

Parade and opening ceremony in Castletown Centre 7.30pm – 10.00pm with short dance displays.

13th August 2011

Concert at the Villa Marina with all groups in the Royal Hall at 7.30pm

£10 (adults) £7.50 (children) tickets available from the Box Office at the Villa Marina and the Welcome Centre

14th August 2011

Dance performances in Castle Rushen 1.20pm - 2.30pm and 3.30pm - 4.40pm.

Dance performances at the Quarterdeck on Port Erin Promenade 1.30pm - 2.50pm and 3.10pm - 4.30pm.

15th August 2011

Dance performances in the Mooragh Park, Ramsey, 11.00am - 12.40pm and 2.20pm – 4.00pm.

Dance performances on the forecourt of the House of Manannan, Peel 10.45am - 12.30pm and 2.30pm - 4.15pm

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New Ramsey Tram Service for Sunset Dinners

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Additional train and bus services have been launched to enable anyone from the north and west of the Island to enjoy the popular Sunset Dinners at the Snaefell Summit Hotel.
Hon David Cretney MHK, Minister for Community, Culture and Leisure said: ‘Following the refurbishment of the Summit Hotel, the extra Friday night tram service will help cope with the increasing popularity of our Sunset Dinners. With 85 diners attending the last dinner in July, the welcome addition of the tram service from Ramsey will help provide more convenient travel and greater availability to those in the North of the Island.’
Sunset Dinner trams are now departing Ramsey at 5.40pm, arriving at the Summit at 7pm. The return journey departs at 8.50pm and arrives back at Ramsey 10.10pm. Evening trams from Ramsey will continue weekly until 2 September.
Connecting buses serving Jurby, Kirk Michael and Peel are also available using service number 5, enabling travel on public transport from all areas for the round trip. The bus departs Peel at 4:49pm to reach Ramsey at 5:29pm with the return bus departing Ramsey at 10.40pm.
An additional tram is also now operating for anyone who wishes to depart from Douglas for the Sunset Dinners. There is a later 6.40pm service as well as the 5.40pm service, with returns departing at 8.50pm and 9.50pm, also until 2 September.
Friday Sunset Dinners cost £34 including tram travel. Call 673623 for bookings.
Other evening opportunities on the electric railway include the return of Friday night trams between Douglas and Ramsey until 2 September. It is the first time for five years the service has been operating. Evening trams depart from Douglas for Ramsey at 5.40pm and 8.55pm and from Ramsey at 5.40pm and 8.40pm.
Additional trams are running to and from Laxey, with the last one departing Laxey at 10.25pm and arriving Douglas 10.55pm. See IoM Transport timetable for full details or the website: www.iombusandrail.info.

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Isle of Man wildlife team spot rare Risso's dolphins

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A team of marine experts has recorded a rare sighting of a group of Risso's dolphins off the Isle of Man coast.

The group also spotted seven minke whales and about 30 common dolphins.

The Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) expedition, including basking shark and whale experts, took place on 27 July.

MWT Marine Officer Eleanor Stone said: "Our waters support a huge variety of marine animals and some of the most charismatic ones put on a great display for our survey teams".

Shark disappointment

The Risso's dolphins were sighted off the island's west coast.

The number of Risso's dolphins spotted near the Isle of Man has been steadily decreasing in recent years.

The number of sightings last year was a third down on 2009, with just 20 compared to 60 in previous years.

Conservationists have been recording the number of sightings to better understand their habits and behaviour.

Ms Stone added: "The only slight disappointment was the lack of basking shark sightings.

"They have been few and far between over the last couple of months because there has been no big build-up of plankton near the surface of the water, which is why we think there are no sharks at the surface either".

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