Ramsey Bus Station

                     Say hello, wave goodbye


Probably one of the first places I ventured to when I arrived to live on the Isle of Man and head off and explore the island, the bus station. I still do. A bus gives you a vantage point above car level for sights over hedges and down coastal areas you would otherwise miss. Also another perspective for photographers. Even though it makes the journey longer, the views around the island are worth that extra time now and again. 


Jane Hards Photography

Image part of The Weekend in Black and White

Multi coloured sunrise

                    The sun isn't even awake yet


I refer to this spot jokingly as my office. It's Queens Promenade, Ramsey, Isle of Man where I do most of my beach photography.My most licensed sunrise photos have been across this beach, hence my office." No two days are the same and the strangest colours are often before the sun rises. Throw a stick any morning and you're bound to hit a local photographer capturing this scene. And why not. My nest step will be to paint it. I used to be an artist, and got sidetracked by photography, but scenes like this, call for a paintbrush. Mother nature's natural paint palette, knows best

Jane Hards Photography, find me on facebook for more colourful landscapes

Image taken with my trusty Nikon, no filters or alterations, and part of skywatch

Manx Grand Prix

                       Sometime in August.......


............After the Isle of Man TT Road Races, we have the other motorbikes races, the Manx Grand Prix. Not as busy or well known out of biking circles as the infamous TT, but equally as exciting. Attracting many tourists and riders from across the world, the Isle of Man, once again gives up it's roads to the races. Daily life fits around the two weeks races (practice week, race week) so everyone can still get around the island negotiating alternative routes and breaks in road closures. I'm lucky to have a job that involves photographing this on my doorstep, my home town.

More info on the history of the Manx Grand Prix can be found here

More photos form the event and the island ca be found at Jane Hards Photography at the Manx

Part of Abc, and hoping Mrs Nesbitt will join us one year for the Manx, in addition to the TT

Never to old for a walk in the park

                            Autumn evening


A walk round the boating lake situated in the local Park called the Mooragh. Unlike a lot of local parks across the world, this one has no gates enclosing to lock you out of an evening. The park is always open, and runs parallel to the beach for a promenade walk. Benefits of island life. Walking, through pretty areas, the low budget night out, and the healthier option. If you're feeling the need to get even healthier you can always use the free gym equipment dotted about the park The alternative to the pub for some. Never goes out of fashion, a simple romantic evening walk.


Jane Hards Photography

Part of Our World Tuesday

Karaoke and sunsets

                            View from the pub


Shot from the doorway of one the local pubs, The Stanley, looking towards Bowring Road. The bonus of taking a camera out to capture the Friday night sing songs of karaoke nights and shenanigans,  the flaming orange sunsets of summer. Or the summer showers. Either way, all good fun

Part of skywatch where bloggers around the world show and tell their skies. Welcome to join and view others.

Jane Hards Photography

See you soon mon amis

Fireworks

                                fiery skies


Taken at an event called Ramsey Rocks. Each year the towns local bands take to the street adjacent to the harbour and entertain the locals for one night only Weather permitting that is, but even with a downpour, the bands can turn to the old faithful alternative venue, the local pubs. The end of the event is always marked with anther old faithful, a fireworks display. Last shot of the end of the Rocks, over the bridge and over for another year.

Jane Hards Photography

Part of abc

Ramsey Rocks images the people here

Manx Magic

                           and fairy dust skies


With mornings like this on the Isle of Man to wake up to, I don't wish to be anywhere else. Well except the South of France on colder days here maybe.  The mythical Manx fairies, Mother Nature or Pollution. Who knows, but it's a nice view to capture and start the day. My office is the beach. Lucky, yes. Sunrises, not just for tourists, all year round.


Jane Hards Photography


Image part of Skywatch

Evening walk and empty buildings

                            The walk home


Wander down Waterloo Road. To the right, out of picture is the Tram Station. The yellow building in the distance, may look open, but it's now a disused pub, The Britannia. Closed over a year ago now, and neither demolished or used.  The takeaway behind it though, is still a thriving business for late night revellers. Just after rush hour. Even island have rush hours, albeit sedate ones. Great time for street photography in Ramsey, as other local photographers will know.

Jane Hards Photography

Part of abc

Skyhill Plantation

                Viking and Manx battleground



Down there in the distance, along the coast, is the town I blog from, Ramsey, Isle of Man. This is part way up the long walk to the top of Skyhill, through the Plantation.

Skyhill is on the outskirts of Ramsey. A good place to view the town from was established in 1948 and replanted in 1965. Covering an area of 54 hectares it's a lot of walking and at one time home to a pony trekking centre


Skyhill itself was the scene of a battle (of Skyhill) in 1079 between Godred Croven, Norse and King Fingal Manx,  Croven  hid some of his men in the woods of Skyhill and ambushed the Manx.  Unable to escpae escape, the Manx surrendered and Godred proclaimed himself King of Mann.

See post below for the view of Skyhill from the town.

Jane Hards Photoraphy

Part of  Our World Tuesday

Skyhill, Landscape

                               Greenfields


Skyhill is in the distance, to the left, the large hill in view.  Image taken from the Poyll Dooey Nature reserve, the fielded area. It doesn't always look like this. By that I don't mean the panoramic view, I mean the field is usually awash with green grass not dug up. New housing and drainage accounted for that, for several months pf work. Fortunately not in this area, but out of shot across the Sulby river. New housing and greenfield areas separate. Not everyone wants to live in a place with view like this  but I like it. Drainage works and all.

Jane Hards Photography on facebook

Taken on my old Nikon D50, which stood me in good stead for many years of the blog, mid afternoon, Spring time.


Simonetta

Take out for dinner, sunset for dessert

 Home time

Parliament street, looking towards the Swan and Central pubs, where the sun is setting in the distance. Home time. Take out dinner. It's Friday. The chip shop is full. The pubs will be fuller soon. It's life, in a small town, like any other, just with better skies.

Jane Hards Photography

(I don't always have a camera with me, Terry, I just always run into you when I have one.)

Just another sunset

                                   Dusk


Keeping it simple tonight, a summer sunset

Jane Hards Photography, more on facebook

Ramsey, Isle of Man

Skywatch, for other bloggers around the world showing their skies from star gazing to storm clouds, sunrise to sunset

The old swimming pool

Put to good use

Taken around 2008, the old swimming pool which remained at one time abandoned for over a year. Several proposals were put for forward for use of the building from a cinema to a community centre. A campaign gained momentum which backed another idea, a bowling alley. This proved to be the most popular choice and the SureStrike Bowling Centre opened in 2009.

Jane Hards Photography

Thursdays coffee with friends, the cafe.

Docked fishing boats

                         Local food source


Unlike a lot of fishing ports and harbours, Ramsey's hasn't closed and become a shopping centre or worse a multi storey car park. It's still a working harbour. The style of fishing may have changed over the years, light mesh trawls used instead of dredging the sea bed, and young queenies thrown back into the sea and protected, but "fisherman" is a still one of the towns jobs for some. Plenty of hobby fishermen too, but the vessels pictured are the working boats of the town. Freshly caught produce from the Irish Sea, can make its way to the restaurants, pubs and cafes of Ramsey within the day, and we still have a traditional fishmongers too. A Manx Queenie recipe


Jane Hards Photography

Part of abc

Evening walk on Parliament Street

                            Between pubs


Standing outside Court Cafe, Parliament Street, the main high street and shopping area of Ramsey. Night time however, all closed apart from Bourne Plaice takeaway fish and chip shop, the tallest white building in view This area underwent a regeneration over the last few years. As you can see, unlike a lot of downtown areas, we having no chewing gum on the pavements (sidewalks) and no litter. Rarely does either occur. The street is a one way system. That one way has changed several time over the years. You can always spot a tourist, not knowing which way is the right way.  Photo take en  route between pubs. The town may look closed, but the pubs bars and restaurants/takeaways are open, ready for night time revellers.


Jane Hards Photography

Ramsey, Isle of Man

Part of Our World Tuesday

Theme Day. What I'd miss most if I left Ramsey?

                                  All of it


Today on the City Daily Photo the question is what we'd all miss most from the place we blog from. I've thought about this and I can't say one thing. I'd miss the beach. Getting my feet wet to capture a sunrise, and the sunrise itself. Sunrises over the sea are nothing short of breathe taking. I'd miss the dark skies, when the street lighting goes off at 1am and the night sky is devoid of orange urban light, replaced with natural star filled sky light. I'd miss Sundays still feel like an old fashioned Sunday, with few shops open, but enough for those emergency items. I'd miss how safe it is to live in a small town, where everyone knows each other and crime is low. I'd miss the two weeks when the island becomes the centre of the biking world, known as the Isle of Man TT races. I'd miss photographing sporting events, muddy, wet cycling, crazy fast motorbike races, and bitterly cold, torrential rain, gale force wind rugby games. I'd miss meeting tourists and making new friends each year who come over for random events mentioned above. I'd miss karaoke where songs get murdered or perfectly executed but always fun and I'd miss the pubs that host karaoke, bands, quiz nights. I'd miss the views from those pubs, looking out onto the harbour or the mountain. I'd miss the sunsets over the Poyll Dooey nature reserve and river walk, the park, the swing bridge swinging and standing on a beach looking across to mainland UK, thinking, best decision, to move here. Above all, I'd miss the people who have become friends. The people who come to events, who let me photograph them, who sing karaoke, who party, who are always there for you. They are in the photo, pinpricks from a distance, taken at Ramsey Rocks, the one night of the year the town turns out to well rock with bands and beer.

So what I'd miss, is well, Ramsey. 8 years of blogging this crazy small town, on a small island, I discover I'd miss it all.

City Daily Photo Theme Day click around to view others what they'd miss.