No time for a pint
The Lighthouses Challenge is a cycle race covering most of the island. The route takes in as you would expect from its title, as many of the island lighthouses scattered throughout the land where riding is possible. Not a race for the faint hearted with 3 distances covering 100, 57 & 37 miles over hill and hugging the coastline, rough and smooth terrain. Not your average Sunday amble, but the island has produced world champions, Tour de France winners and Olympians and the youngsters taking part will hopefully go on to compete too in those events. The event is open to overseas competitors too, all ages and both sexes. Cycling is a big sport on the island and attracting people to compete in such events is always good for the economy of the island.
My cycling albums can be seen below where you can see the grueling route and lovely scenery of the Isle of Man.
Lighthouses challenge
Manx 100
Cycling 2
Cycling 1
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Boats and bridges
The iconic swing bridge has been put of action for over a year. Closed for repair, maintenance and a fresh coat of paint. The bridge is a walkway connection from one side of town to another. It's a short trip across the bridge, or a long walk round to the rugby club, swimming baths, Ramsey Park Hotel, Mooragh Park, other beach, hospital and home for those that reside that way. At long last residents of the town can use the bridge again, though boats have to wait a little longer for the bridge to swing back into action and can moor this side of the harbour inlet again. A welcome sight to have the bridge back in place, and a much shorter journey for me too.
Photo taken from North Shore Road, overlooking the harbour inlet.
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Try, Try, and Try again
Ramsey may have dropped a division since last season, but so far the first team are on a winning form. Four out of Four wins, and as the scoreline suggest pretty comprehensively too. Rugby is one of the many sport event taking place any weekend on the Isle of Man. Ramsey's home ground overlooks the sea on one side and the mountains on the other. Both first and second team are sponsored by local business. The players are all volunteers, and the club house bar and events too are run by volunteers. All games are free to watch. Local sport is often at the heart of a small town and community, and Ramsey is no exception. Always a good day watching/photographing the rugby, even better one when you capture the winning action, from the winning team. Commiserations to Helsby, but congratulations to Ramsey, back to winning form.
Good morning
Reasons to live on The Isle of Man are many and one of those are the benefits of hardly any urban light pollution, or in some of the coastal or rural areas, none at all. You may have to get up early and get your feet a little wet but the sunrises are really worth the wait, North of the island, East coast. The pier maybe closed to the public now, but it's still one of Ramsey's icons.
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Beer and boats
The Mitre Hotel has recently undergone a refurb, but the great harbour view remains. Not many pubs can claim a view straight onto a quayside. Another place where you can find locals belting out karaoke, charity nights for worthwhile local causes, carveries and varied food themed nights upstairs. Downstairs, you can hire the private rooms for functions, or listen or to the local folk and Manx music groups. You can even join in at open mic sessions, or for those musically gifted can take their own instrument of choice and join in. Pub bands are also a regular feature. Something for everyone here, can be found at the Mitre. Even if that something is a quiet pint and an evening sunset.
See here for a night out at the Mitre in aid of a local good cause
Steve and Bob
Ramsey, seems to have become the unofficial home of karaoke on the Isle of Man. Not that other towns here don't have regular karaoke, we just seem to have more people running karaoke and even more wanting to get up and murder songs or own a tune, depending on who it is. To be fair, the town has a high percentage of fantastic singers who are a pleasure to listen to. Sometimes it's the comical strangled cat style of singing which is the somewhat hypnotically entertaining in a road crash kind of way. Steve and Bob, run karaoke on Friday nights in the town, other nights during busy times, like the Isle of Man TT and special holidays. The venue may have changed, from The Stanley pub, to Bar Logo, but the full house of singers have followed them and karaoke, the Friday night Ramsey ritual remains, like the song, the same.
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