Explore Druidale as part of the Festival of British Archaeology

THERE’s a rare opportunity to see the wealth of archaeology that still survives in Druidale next week.

Between 2pm and 5pm, on Friday, July 20, there will be a chance to take a guided walk among the ancient burials and homes of those who once lived on the very edge of cultivated land in the Manx hills.

This walk will be led by Andrew Johnson, curator of field archaeology and inspector of ancient monuments at Manx National Heritage.

This event will take place as part of the 22nd Festival of British Archaeology being held between July 14 and 29.

Cherrywood Four Star Bed & Breakfast in Ramsey Isle of Man proudly brings you news of enjoyable events taking place on the wonderful Isle of Man. Why not browse our site to find out more.

The festival is the biggest British event focusing on archaeology, with more than 190,000 people taking part last year.

Nationwide it offers an incredible range of activities, including behind the scenes tours and guided walks, special exhibitions, excavations and workshops, re-enactments and finds identification days.

Dr Mike Heyworth, director of the Council for British Archaeology, which co-ordinates the festival, explained: ‘It’s a real celebration of our incredible history, and you don’t have to be an archaeologist to join in!

‘It’s a chance for everyone to explore and uncover the past, see archaeology in action and bring the history on their doorstep to life.

‘We at the Council for British Archaeology are passionate about getting people involved in archaeology and look forward to seeing people right across the country participating in the events that make up the festival.’

The guided event through Druidale will include rough walking and is likely to be wet underfoot so suitable clothing and shoes are advisable.

Tickets are £5 or £2.50 to Friends of Manx National Heritage.

Walkers are to meet at 2pm at Brandywell Cottage, Druidale (SC 346 866).

For tickets or more information contact Manx National Heritage on 648000 or email enquiries@mnh.gov.im

Alternatively visit www.manxnationalheritage.im or www.archaeologyfestival.org.uk/whatson

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It’s all going on in Ramsey

Ramsey National Week, which is now in its tenth year, is currently being held.

A number of events this year have a jubilee theme.

A photographic exhibition featuring past royal visits to Ramsey will be staged in Ramsey Town Hall until July 14.

There will be a Model Boat Pageant on the lake in Milntown by Manx Model Boat Club from 1.30pm on the jubilee bank holiday – Friday, July 6.

Friends of Auldyn School will be serving Jubilee Teas at Ramsey Hall between 10am and noon on Saturday, July 7.

Also on Saturday, July 7, there will be a diamond jubilee garden party at the Grove Museum between 5pm and 8pm with music and games. Everyone attending should bring a picnic.

Friday will also see a walking carnival starting at 7pm from the new swimming pool. The now famous Ramsey Rocks! Street Party will be staged between 7pm and 11pm with two music stages, a big busk, bouncy castles, food stalls and will end with a firework display at 11pm.

Cherrywood Four Star Bed & Breakfast in Ramsey Isle of Man proudly brings you news of enjoyable events taking place on the wonderful Isle of Man. Why not browse our site to find out more.

This year will see three walks – a town walk will left Ramsey Tram Station this morning (Monday), the Hike ‘N’ Hotdogs walk will leave the Albert Road car park at 7pm tonight (Monday) and Joy Brew will lead a walk and ride leaving Ramsey Bus Station at 11am on Tuesday.

Ramsey Heritage Foundation will be staging ‘100 Years of Manx Fairy Tales’ at the Ramsey Methodist Centre at 7.30pm on Wednesday. Admission is £5 including a Manx Tay.

Full information and event listings can be found at www.ramseynationalweek.com .

Steven Bevan, chair of the Ramsey National Week committee, said: ‘We are delighted in this tenth year of Ramsey National Week that we have a programme of events which will have something for everyone. I would like to thank the committee and those within the community who have contributed to the staging of the events.’

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'First' Basking sharks spotted in Manx waters

The first basking shark sighting of the season has been recorded in Manx waters, according to the Manx Basking Shark Watch (MBSW).

Four adult sharks were spotted in Castletown Bay by a local fisherman on the 24 April.

Cherrywood Four Star Bed & Breakfast in Ramsey Isle of Man proudly brings you news of enjoyable events taking place on the wonderful Isle of Man. Why not browse our site to find out more.

Jackie Hall, a leading marine scientist in the area, said it is "great to see them return so early in the season."

The sharks are the second largest fish in the world and feed on plankton and normally visit in the summer months.

Anyone who sees a shark off the island's coast over the next few months can report the sighting to the Manx Basking Shark Watch.

So far the MBSW has collected eight years of data on the species but Mrs Hall said that 10 years was needed for a "complete data set".

'Sharks are native'

Mrs Hall said: "Our data suggests that these sharks are native and never actually leave the Manx waters, the Irish sea and the Celtic sea. They simply don't come to the surface a lot."

Basking Shark sightings

• 2011 - 293
• 2010 - 410
• 2009 - 877
• 2008 - 564
• 2007 - 677
• 2006 - 522
• 2005 - 257

• Manx Basking Shark Watch

"Sightings do not usually begin until May but the warm weather is likely to have attracted the shark to the surface," she added.

In 2011, basking shark sightings in Manx waters were the lowest recorded since the MBSW was established in 2005 with 293 sightings, compared with 410 in 2010 and 877 in 2009.

The MBSW is currently working through data from a year-long tagging project, to explore winter movement patterns.

Basking sharks are protected from being hunted or harassed in the Isle of Man and in many parts of the world.

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Get on track with summer experiences

ISLE of Man Railways and Bus Vannin hope everyone will get onboard to experience their special summer events starting this month.

Cherrywood Four Star Bed & Breakfast in Ramsey Isle of Man proudly brings you news of enjoyable events taking place on the wonderful Isle of Man. Why not browse our site to find out more.

The first 2012 Pie in the Sky stargazing and supper event on Snaefell Summit will be hosted by the railways and the Isle of Man Astronomical Society next Friday and Saturday (April 27 and 28).

A spokesman said: ‘The Manx night sky on our April dates will be spectacular for observers with three bright planets in the sky and a fourth, Jupiter, setting low in the west as we arrive at the summit.

‘Venus will shine like a beacon in the western sky, Mars will shine in the south western sky with a distinctive red hue in the constellation of Leo and the majestic ringed planet Saturn will also be clearly seen in the south in the constellation of Virgo.’

The tram will leave Douglas at 6.40pm, arriving at the summit at 7.45pm, with supper at 8pm and stargazing at 9.15pm. An illuminated tram will return at 11pm, arriving in Douglas at 12.05am. If visibility is poor an illustrated lecture has been prepared. Tickets are £29. The event will be repeated on the weekend of September 28 and 29.

Also now available for the summer, until October, are the Seven Kingdoms roast lunches on Sundays in the Snaefell Summit Restaurant, costing £25 for two courses or £29 for three, including travel.

Alternatively, enjoy a sunset dinner in the restaurant – running until mid-September. Tickets, which include a three-course meal, cost £30 on Wednesday evenings and £35 on Fridays. Bookings can be made on 673631 between 9am and 4.30pm.

The Mountain Railway timetable can be found at iombusandrail.info or from bus/rail stations and the Welcome Centre.

Between Friday, May 4, and Monday, May 7, the steam railway will host a Rail Ale journey down to the Falcon’s Nest Real Ale Festival in Port Erin. Standard train fares apply with an adult ticket costing £11.60. On the Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, the 2pm departure from Douglas will include the bar saloon carriage offering real ales to those with proof of age. Steam train timetables for the weekend can be found online atiombusandrail.info/imr-steamrailway.html

Entry to the Falcon’s Nest is £1 or free to those with valid train tickets. Tickets to watch a live Oompah band on the Friday night are £10. Those who miss the last train back can catch buses from Bridson Street regularly until midnight on the Friday and Saturday, and 10.18pm on the Sunday and Monday.

Finally, did you know you can hire the island’s trains, trams and buses for private parties, weddings, birthdays or corporate events? For more information call 663366, email heritagerailways@gov.im  or visit www.iombusandrail.info  or www.facebook.com/isleofmanrailways

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Bonnag World Championships hopefuls vie for title

The traditional Manx bonnag will be celebrated at the world championships

More than 50 bakers are set to compete in the World Bonnag Championships in the Isle of Man later.

Bonnag, a traditional sweet bread, is thought to have been a Manx staple for hundreds of years.

Cherrywood Four Star Bed & Breakfast in Ramsey Isle of Man proudly brings you news of enjoyable events taking place on the wonderful Isle of Man. Why not browse our site to find out more.

Competition organiser Margy Killey said she hoped the competition would "help keep Manx baking traditions alive".

Entries are expected from all over the island and inquiries have come from the UK.

BONNAG INGREDIENTS:

• 300g Manx Soda Bread flour from the Laxey Mills
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 handfuls of sultanas
• 55g of margarine or butter
• buttermilk

Last year's champions John Teare and Vanessa Callin will both defend their titles.

Ms Killey continued: "Judges will be looking for authentically baked loaves with a good general flavour and a fine overall appearance."

There are three categories, men's, women's and children's and Bert Winkle from Foxdale will be the judge.

The championships will be held at St James' Church during the annual spring concert hosted by John Kennaugh.

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MANANNAN’S ROUND-THE-ISLAND CRUISE

Tickets are on sale for Manannan’s annual round-the-Island cruise.

The trip on Sunday, April 1 will depart Douglas at 1100, lasting for around two hours, and offers passengers the opportunity to view the spectacular Manx coastline from the sea.

Tickets are priced at £21 for adults and £15 for children.

‘These cruises prove to be incredibly popular, with the public keen to see the Island from an angle they wouldn’t normally have the chance to experience,’ said Chief Executive Mark Woodward. ‘The Isle of Man has some stunning stretches of coastline and we’re confident it will be another great day out on board Manannan.’

To make a booking, please call in at the Ferry Travel Shop, Sea Terminal, Douglas or call the Reservations Team on 661661.

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Cherrywood Four Star Bed & Breakfast in Ramsey Isle of Man proudly brings you news of enjoyable events taking place on the wonderful Isle of Man. Why not browse our site to find out more.

Isle of Man Coast to Coast on canvas

THE Isle of Man’s stunning and colourful vistas are perfectly captured in oils by Manx artist Tracey Dean, whose solo exhibition Coast to Coast opens tomorrow (Friday) in the Sayle Gallery.

Tracey, who paints under her maiden name of Dean, uses rich and vibrant colour to emphasise the beauty of the island’s coastline and landscape.

Cherrywood Four Star Bed & Breakfast in Ramsey Isle of Man proudly brings you news of enjoyable events taking place on the wonderful Isle of Man. Why not browse our site to find out more.

She has had numerous commissions, with the largest being the Plains of Heaven from Chibbanagh Plantation which will be on display at the exhibition.

A student of Norman Sayle at the Isle of Man College, Tracey went on to complete a degree in Graphic Design and won the Ella Olsen Scholarship, spending a year at Idaho University in the USA studying graphic design and life drawing.

After working for many years in London, she returned to the island to design for clients, including the then Department of Tourism and the Post Office and she is currently working on a new stamp issue for the Post Office that features paintings of six harbour lighthouses in Tracey’s unmistakable style.

She said: ‘The Isle of Man is such a rich and varied landscape just crying out to be captured on canvas. I like the medium of oil to work in with its rich colours and I often work ‘wet on wet’.

I try to make my brush strokes more light and spontaneous to add to the freshness of the painting and I’m learning all the time about colour and composition and the effects that can be achieved with them.’

As its title implies, the exhibition will feature coastal views and landscapes from across the island, making use of light and the seasons to remind us of its natural beauty.

In addition, eagle-eyed visitors should be able to find the tiny rabbit that Tracey incorporates into all her paintings – a playful touch that is part of the charm of her art.

‘I took up painting in 1989 as a hobby when I was given my first set of oil paints,’ said Tracey.

‘In the beginning I was doing a couple of paintings a year when I could find the time but now I’m painting full time and am happy to accept commissions.

‘I go out sketching and take reference photographs and then continue the work in the studio and have recently expanded my range to include watercolour which I plan to explore further.’

The Sayle Gallery is in the Villa Marina Arcade on Harris Promenade, Douglas. It is open between 10am and 5pm Tuesday to Saturday, between 1.30pm and 4.30pm on Sundays and 1pm and 5pm on Mondays. Entry is free.

For more information call the gallery on 674557 or visit www.saylegallery.com

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