Derby Road, Ramsey, Isle of Man - Sunset

                                             Mirror image


Skywatch this week, a dusky pink serene scene. Mirror image reflections along the harbour inlet, Derby Road, looking towards Bowring Road. The sun rises over the beach, and sets inland, always casting a myriad of colurs over the harbour inlet, Sulby river and buidlings. No two days are the same, which is great for a photographer on a night time walk. 

To see a sizzling orange fiery sunset of the same view see here. You'll see what I mean about the colours of the setting sun. Unreal, yet natural.

Skywatch images around the world by others can be seen here.

Queens Drive West, Sunset

                           Remains of the day


Ramsey isn't the best place on the Isle of Man for sunsets, (we fair better for sunrises) but we do have our fair share of colourful evenings. In the opposite direction to this image, you could capture the moon. Spoiled for photographic opportunities tonight.  


For even better beach sunrsies - Jane Hards Photography 


Image part of Skywatch

Manx Taxis, Albert Road

                              The quiet time


The building to the right of the image, where the lights are on inside, is the base for Manx Taxis, situated on Albert Road. Even small towns have taxi firms for late night revellers, early morning airport runs, school runs, hospital runs and I'm having a taxi because it's raining and this shopping is heavy runs. After the school run and before the evening pub crowd go out shot. The quiet time for the night shift before the door to pubs runs start. 


Jane Hards Photography

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

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

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.)

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.

DOWNTOWN PURPLE SHADE

Walk this way?

To change the mood a little an alternative skywatch that would be cool for some crazy cats who like to wander down the avenues and alleyways of the darker side life say a walk on the wild side, a slice of downtown urban grittiness. The pretty one is the post below if that's your kind of skywatch and dark dingy alleys give you the chills down the backbone. So if you're shaking all over at this moody image and wish you perhaps were not here this side of the dark moon,jump below. The brave can stay, take my hand as we're halfway there anyway and I'll take you through the alley in a Ramsey Minute. That is Manx time, as long as you want it to be.

Not what you have come to visualise in Ramsey is it? Actually it is classic Ramsey. We have a plethora of these slim and ultra slim alleyways about the mainframe of the town. This one is the connecting walkway from Parliament Street, our High Street to the Harbourside docks area. The white wall and the stone wall are both part of local business. If you walk the alley and take a left you turn to a wonderful Pub called the Trafalgar. It' small but perfectly formed as if you notice by locals that have appeared in the comments recently, popular. Probably because it's a proper old fashioned non chain pub. The alley is often full of those metal beer barrels under the fire escape waiting to be turned into ready pints for willing recipients. Take a window seat and you look straight onto the harbour and guess what else? The Swing Bridge of course. Glad you took the plunge down the alley now. As for the sky I love a purple haze and we do often get this intense deep hue due to the lack of urban streetlight pollution.


What is the giveaway that this is not an inner city alley, but an island alley is no litter, no needles, no cans, no smashed bottles, no graffiti, no... I'll leave that to your imagination. That makes this in this day an age after all some kind of wonderwall wouldn't you agree? It's around 9pm when I captured this imbued with Jack Daniels and curry (vegetable Biryani, mushroom pilau, mushroom pakora, plain naan Gailsman thank you for inquiring) it seemed real pretty. Ok maybe not pretty but alcohol goggles do make images you ignore come to life. I quite like it sober too, but then I have quirky tastes.


So that is a slice of downtown. I have more if you'd care to take a walk with me? Don't worry. You won't get mugged for your Manano Blahniks here!

Babooshka Ramsey Daily Photo http://dailyphotoisleofman.blogspot.com/