Ramsey Rocks, sunset

                               Street party


Ramsey Rocks, I've mentioned before is a annual event that takes place in the town along the harbour quayside each July. For one night only, bands, kids entertainment, food stalls etc are out in force. Except this year. This year was a washout, and cancelled due the inclement weather. The image of a full town turnout resplendent with sunset, was, unfortunately last year. Oh well, what's another year to wait. The local pubs however did a roaring trade as many of the bands played indoors and those already out for the festivities made their way there too, minus the kids. 


Image part of Skywatch.

Ramsey Rocks, Ramsey National Week

                               Summer Nights


Next week on the Isle of Man is Ramsey National Week and the image above is from the annual festival, Ramsey Rocks which takes place down by the harbour quayside. Local bands, family fun, food stalls and  kids entertainment.  If  it rains, there is always the pub. Several pubs in fact.  Possibly the busiest night out in the town, or at least one of them.  Fingers crossed for sunshine hoping for sunshine.

Ramsey Rocks, bands, bull riding and beers can be seen here

Image part of Skywatch where other skies of the world ca be seen.

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

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.

Ramsey Rocks, 2014. Beer, bands, and bull riding

                                   
                             Pink Elephants on Parade
 
Ramsey Rocks, is the annual event that takes place during Ramsey National Week, Isle of Man. The harbour quayside road is closed to traffic, allowing people to wander freely to watch the temporary stage set up for the bands, and participate in everything from bull riding (not a real bull) to segway, bouncy castles to sumo suit wrestling. All the pubs are open, so, the adults can still have grown up drink while the kids head for the sweet stand, have too much then throw up on the bouncy pink elephant. A lot of the adults tend to see a few more pink elephants as the night draws to a close and the beer kicks in.  An event for all the family, topped off with sunshine and fireworks to close proceedings.

The full album of the event  can be seen by clicking here

Bring Back Ramsey Carnival - My World

Where's our Carnival?

The image above is not from the carnival. It's from Ramsey Rocks, apart from the TT, The liveliest event we have North of the island. Why no carnival images? Well for one thing I had never even heard of this event. Big reason for that. The carnival has been over for years. Long before I arrived, last one being 1990. Big news though. There is a Facebook Campaign, Bring Back Ramsey Carnival, and for once this isn't one of my madder ideas, I am not a lone voice. Over 500 people already joined within days. You don't have to be an islander to join. All comers welcome. We are just looking for support. If you are an ex islander who remembers the event or has photos and can share stories get on Facebook and join. Now for those of you who are going to say I'm not on Facebook, that's where I step in. This blog for one. You got my email. We are looking for support, images, stories and most of all ideas. What you would have included in the carnival? Now most of you out there from the images I've seen get a carnival at some. So get ya thinking caps on. You know me. My ideas are a little too wacky, (my humour doesn't always travel well) and the Ramsey isn't quite ready for some of my alternative ideas. As it's been suggested.- Stick to the photography and write up. That I can do.


The campaign we hope will reach further afield, like newspapers, other local media and business. Always wanted to show you more people enjoying Ramsey life this and this would be a fantastic opportunity. Otherwise it will be the beach, the park, the nature reserve and that bloody bridge for eternity. So help me stay sane if nothing else. Everyone after all loves a carnival. Cheers.


Other My world post can be seen here.

I promised you belly dancers

Shakin' that ass..... I mean belly.

I told you didn't I that I would show you belly dancers not beer bellies dancing the night away. Put it this way if these ladies shakin' bellies, booties and other b bits didn't show up I would have lured those beer bellies out out of the pub and into action behind darkened veils in a carry on style. Think the hairy stomachs hanging over might have given the game away though don't you? Anyway back to the jiggling ladies. Here they are as promised as some of you out there would say. .... You go girls you got it going on.... is that OK Svg?



Obviously I took more that one photo of the ladies(can anyone name them and some info please?) about (25) and they will be making an appearance at various intervals. I just wanted to show you this one so you can see the Isle of Man Bank in the background. Just for those who often ask is this really in Ramsey. Is this really the Isle of Man? Oh yes it is!Occasionally we get to have what other places have, maybe not belly dancers, (though personally I think every town should have them), but something called a good time. Pity some kids had to take the p..s though of the dancers and the bands playing. Pity I never got the evidence on camera. Oh no, wait a minute I lied ..... I did.

To dip your toe into other My World Contributions click here

RAMSEY HARBOUR OR DON'T TAKE PHOTOS WHEN YOU HAVE HAD ALCOHOL!

It happened one night! What I'm not quite sure but , one minute I was fine the next I felt like I 'd been kicked in the stomach by a mule and then being held in a vice grip. Now it was it was either, the curry, a bug, or what I suspect the booze. Not to much, I hasten to add, but the pipes not being cleaned properly. Put it this way next time I'm in a certain pub, I 'll play it safe and have spirits. Anyway, we had to cut short the night out but not before I simply had to take some photos.

I just couldn't resist the light. I know not very sensible but maybe it was because I was feeling a little delirious that I started to see the most wonderful shadows, shapes and lines. The colours seemed particularly golden too. So after about50 photos later we finally went home. As for Ramsey Rocks well I do have some, but the night was shorter than planned and so was the photography.


So the moral of the tale is well I'm not sure really. I 'll let you be the judge. Would I have noticed the golden tones? Would I have decided I simply had to photograph on bended knee through the boat masts. Not sensible in a skirt and killer heel boots may I add. Would I have even noticed those lines if I hadn't been bent double in pain and so low to the ground? Who knows? So was it worth it?

So, what lengths have you gone to get a shot, and were the results worth it?

RAMSEY ROCKS OUT ON JULY 4TH

As Ramsey Week officially starts later today, I thought I'd kick things off with an archive Ramsey Rocks Pic. When I upload this post it will still be July 4th across the pond so I thought this one would go nicely with something Manx/American I have recently discovered. Not a phrase I ever thought I'd be writing on this blog!

NAMA, I mentioned in a previous post, is the North American Manx Association. Here's a little about them.

The North American Manx Association (NAMA) is a non-profit, ethnic and cultural heritage institution founded in 1928, as a successor organization to Mona's Relief Society of Cleveland, Ohio. NAMA is a group of Americans and Canadians dedicated to the preservation and appreciation of the Manx culture. Most of NAMA's 850 active members are second and third-generation North American. In the U.S., there are chapters in Chicago, Illinois; Cleveland, Ohio; Rocky Mountain; Galva, Illinois; the Greater Washington, D.C. area; Minnesota; Nebraska; Northern California; Utah, San Diego, California; and Wisconsin.

In Canada, you will find Manx groups in Ontario; and in Vancouver, British Columbia. NAMA is interested in helping Manx in all areas get in touch with local chapters or assisting those who want to start new chapters.

NAMA publishes the quarterly NAMA Bulletin, sent to each of its enrolled members.

For those interested in their Manx forebears, NAMA has Calvin Quayle as a resident genealogist. He serves as an archivist and information-dispenser. Please contact him to find out how to submit your research findings so we can build a greater Manx family tree. Please do not contact him to do genealogical research for there are just too many of us. But he will point you in the right direction.

For more Manx genealogy, there is the Isle of Man Family History Society (IOMFHS)

Will have to check this one out in depth. Could prove to be very interesting for this parochial little blog. Any members out there, your're more than welcome to stop by and educate me.

Gary and I were due to go for a drinkies tonight, but never got there. Good job as I noticed the sky was awesome, so I dragged him (not litereally caveman style, but figurativley you understand) over the nature reserve at 10pm. Quite what the neighbours thought when I was breaking world sprint records before the light went altogether in my scruffs I don't know. I snapped until the battery went, but got loads for next weeks skywatch. We don't get skies like this often so hey , a photographer's gotta do what photographer's gotta do and a cartoonist has to accompany her, even though it set his hayfever off. Thank you Gary for indulging me, yet again.

WHAT IS RAMSEY WEEK?

Ramsey week occurs round about this time each year and is as it says, a week of events and activities dedicated to the town that bears the name of this blog. This year the dates fall from 5th July to 13th July. After the TT this will be my busiest camera time as there will be something different to photograph daily. Obviously I can't attend all events, but I'll certainly snap were cameras are welcome, not overlapping or when I can attend.

The list is subject to change but basically there are events as diverse as Lifeboat Day, vintage photographic exhibitions, coffee mornings, motorbike displays, plays, fetes, Farmer's Markets, Manx Singing competitions, Classic Car rally and much more. Ramsey Rocks is my favourite, a one nightly event of live music along the harbour, a street party. This year we are supposed to be having not only the bands, but belly dancers. Now that in Ramsey is a sight I'd like to see and most definitely photograph!

This week always tends to be a success. I think it's one of those times when the town lets it hair down and the locals show the fun side of themselves. Good news for me is I won't be the only one with a camera so I can mingle inconspicuosly amongst the revellers, looking out for some lively locals to immortalise, virtually in blogland. So ladies, gents and kiddiwinks, be on your best behaviour, smiles at the ready, I want to show the world Ramsey Rocks!