OLAF 1, KING NO. 2

Olaf 1 posing in the library

So my world yesterday was puking queens, today we have murdering Viking Kings. Never a dull moment here is there. Well actually there are plenty but it looks like the past, those historical footsteps around Ramsey were jam packed lively ones. So who is this Olaf 1 guy then? No he's not a rapper with a name like that. Here we go then, Olaf1 complete with Babooshkaisms.

Olaf, was a minor(child not digging coal) when King Magnus Barefoot( great name) raided the island and the Hebrides. Known too as Olaf Klining(no not Klingon) or Bitling. Why? Due to his teeny, tiny stature or maybe his rosy complexion. No I don't know if that was down to the local brew. He reigned for 50 years we think( who's we?) and kept everything hunky dory, peaceful keeping on good terms with the Kings of Norway, Scotland, England and Ireland. He married Ingibiorg, daughter of Earl Hakon of Orkney and had one son, Godred the Black.( Now that sounds very middle earth.)It's also rumoured and documented somewhere(I'm not an historian, but a storyteller) that he married Elfrica, daughter of Fergus, Lord of Galloway. Randy Olaf had several illegitimate sons and daughters, one of whom, Ragnhildis (Raghnaid), married Somerled MacGhillebrighde, regulus of Argyle(don't you just love these names?) and Daddy of the great Clan Donald. He bacame Lord of the Isles don't ya know too. Olaf Bitling sailed to Norway at the end of his reign to pay his 'scat' of 10 marks of gold.Pays his dues, he was crowned at Trondheim and left his son Godred to be educated in Norway. On his return to Man, he found that the sons of his deceased brother Harold were conspiring to overthrow him. Royalty eh! Bloodthirsty backstabbers. On the Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul( sitting on a wall) 1153, Olaf arranged a meeting with the conspirators to consider their claims. Unfortunately Reginald, son of Harold, took advantage of the opportunity to dispatch(polite way of saying hack to pieces) his uncle with an axe. He was slain with said axe in Ramsey. Well of course we didn't have "CSI Ramsey"(please let me write the script) so we can't actually prove a murder most foul took place can we? In fact who says any of this really happened, it is the Isle of Man afterall.

Do you think Kingons were based on Vikings? Discuss!

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RUSTY OLD QUEEN IS SICK OF THE SIGHT OF RAMSEY, OR IS SHE? .. - MY WORLD

Queen Victoria was sick not amused!


My world

Actually I think Queen Victoria was amused by this Pier, after all it is the aptly named Queen's Pier of Ramsey. Ah yes like the Swingiest of bridges we have the other often photographed image here the Pier. An image needs a story though and I found this amusing one below just to add a little twist on the earlier images. Of course it has little Babooshkaisms, in jest.


Queen's Pier is as I have said before an iron pier(that would account for the rust then obviously) which was built in 1886. At one time it actually had it's own sweet little tramway running the length of it and how quaint a little cafe too. Even had royal visitations. Queen Victoria landed upon these shores here in 1847. Actually she was supposed to enter Douglas harbour but heavy seas made that nigh on impossible. What a carry on! What to do? Come and dock at Ramsey, the North of the island instead of course.Prince Albert came ashore and had a peek about town. Queen Vic though decided to remain aboard. Apparently she has suddenly come over all queasy weasy and developed a bout of seasickness. Yeah right couldn't be bothered I see to grace our fair town. Never mind Queen B rules here now anyway.


So that was (sort of) the tale of the Royal Visit, and that's where the Queen's Pier, the rust bucket that may or not be saved, but presently remains closed slots into the Isle of Man back back stories. Unlike the myths and legends at least this tale is true. The idea of Queen Victoria puking into the Irish Sea rather than set foot on Manx soil here amuses me though if not her. What doesn't amuse me though are the images that have suddenly appeared on er so called photographic sites that are almost identical(obviously sub standard) to mine. Manx sites too. Get your own ideas, you've been doing it long enough. Call your self professional photographers. Shame on you! Tut Tut! If you haven't got your own ideas then you really shouldn't be photographers!


My other piers to peer at at the pre date the impostors.(Naughty Naughty very Naughty!)
Underneath
Save me
Silhouette
Eternity


Klaus, Imac, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Tom, Louise, Wren, Sandy and others are to thank for the My World neme. Click here for more my world's just for fun again of course.

Ramsey Daily Photo

BLOGGED OUT AND WATER BORED! - MONOCHROME

Oh look it's another reflection I'm reflecting on.

Monochrome

Just an monochrome, nothing odd. Straightforward reflection of a bridge. Not the famous Ramsey Swing Bridge I hasten to add. No just, the little footbridge towards the entrance of the Park. That's the black lagoon again, I mean lake that I went for my unofficial swim in after tumbling out of a canoe. Looks so calm doesn't it? How deceptive is the camera to capture one second of pure, silken, flat water just before that gust of wind catches the ripples or that canoeist makes a splash.


The title I think says it all. I am in need of more challenging images, things that move, things that don't have reflections, things that aren't in Ramsey. Not very good that when this blog is called "Ramsey Daily Photo" is it? I can't be false about it. Honestly you can get bored of the place. Don't get me wrong the image is a beauty, but I can do this "mirror reflection" image in my sleep, in fact most of the images. So no critters this week, no odd shot. Posts as you can see will be as and when, no longer than two days but no guarantees they will be daily. Basically I am itching to photograph the Blues festival, the TT Road Races, Ramsey Rocks, events in other words. It's been a long wet dull winter blues now it's time for the promise of summer and hot shots in more ways than one.

I'm working strange hours too so posts also erratic due to this along with blog fatigue.


Time to go again. Not around I know. Busy Bee(or should that be B?) For other Mononchromes of Maniacs see and Aileni play nice or I'll send those Manx Fairies over your way to cast grey clouds, with no silver lining!

The Blues Festival is next Saturday. Can't wait and yes you'll get to see it here.

TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY .... OF ROADWORKS- SKYWATCH

Gone with the traffic cones

Skywatch

Well Fiddle- dee-dee it's that time of year I hate here. No not Gone with the Wind sky days. I never mind those. No it's the dreaded roadworks. Argh! Not just one road, I mean the whole island goes into some sort of free fall of little men(well they look small stuck in holes in the road) digging and drilling holes, on top of pot holes, only to resurface those same holes! An infestation of traffic cones is upon us and we will soon become cone world for the next month or so. What these cones are actually guarding is not always clear, but they are breeding daily. Why? All for the Isle of Man TT, you know those super fast motorbikes whizzing past like great balls of fire I photograph(Motoaction magazine exclusives) like a lunatic. Love the TT, HATE the roadworks.



Skywaych I know the image. Off at tangents again and a diatribe. Just had to get that whinge out the way after being stuck on a new(dead posh it is) bus that went on a very strange detour today. I'm sure the driver was lost. What can I say it's have a guess where? Of course it's the nature reserve, ah but it's a totally new tree for you. Really. Always liked the angle of this, just waiting for a suitable sky for that kind of image I wanted, well set of images. Expect to see this tree a lot under a range of skies. Afterall, I can almost see it from my back window. Now, I may never have to leave the house again if I can just get onto the roof.... Nah! I think my cover may well and truly be blown with the neighbours.


Skywatch watchers can be found here. Many thanks to Dot for the inspirational idea, Tom for the first caretaking and the My world gang for looking after skywatch now.


Btw. We finally got to see the Watchman after I complained on this blog about the cinema on the island not showing it and not catering to all tastes and not showing a wide enough range of films. It was I am happy to say(Wednesday night Babooshka saw it, in case you were there) a full house. We won. It was screened, and it was well worth the wait. Pester Power works, don't give up, afterall tomorrow is another day.

Now beam me up for Star Trek after the Laxey Blues Festival. Gotta go.

NICKY'S NOOK, A MYSTERY- ABC

I wonder who lives in a house like this?

Abc this week is brought to you by the letter N

Well Nicky Nacky Noo, what have we here. Nah, 'tis not my house. I know I have a thing for all things purple but this looks like this Nook appears to belong to Nicky. Or does it? Could this be a clever little play on words of Nicky Nook in Lancashire England. Maybe Hilda Baker, she knows you know, would be able to answer this. If you click the colours you can delve a little deeper into these weird British references. Might be dedicated to the old Nicky Nacky Noo, pub game, or the old kids rhyme. Of course it could be a Spoonerism. Nooki.. no I'll let you do that cheeky one.


This sweet little house is a defiant splash of colour on the otherwise dreary Water Street. Note the Triskelion, the 3 legs our national symbol is there too. Me thinks it's a charming place. Me also thinks, my nearest and dearest ones this is definitely not anything to do with the local vernacular, but I could be wrong(but Babooshka, you wrong never ha ha!) so if anyone has the definitive answer I'd love to know. I'm sure you would too? I dunno, formerly pink Police Stations( look out for that one next week), bright yellow pubs, and purple houses you can't say we don't know how to paint the town red here. You can't say I don't ever just take a snapshot either. Very proudly used the fancypants Nikon to capture a totally not composed, not straight, willy nilly in yer face snapshot, despite the Nikon's protestations. Frankly it was quite liberating.


For the full house and street click -Nicky's Nook the Full Monty.


For other Abc's click here. Mrs Nesbitt whose idea ABC is, the roadworks have begun in preparation for your visitation. We can't have you stumbling on a pot hole now can we in your Nesbitt Clan Tartan!

9 images Barker

MY WORLD IS BLOOMIN' MARVELLOUS

Cherry Blossom is in the pink

My World

I don't usually show flowers, not really my favourite thing to photograph, but Cherry Blossoms in Spring are a particular favourite. Especially the ones we have along the main high street, Parliament Street. In fact these bloomin' lovelies are right outside a building that used to be a shocking soft pink. Now soft pink isn't shocking you might say? It is when the pink building in question is the local Police station! It's now a dull sedate cream and I wasn't in the mood to show dull cream, on a sizzling blue sky day. We needed hot pink petals and cheeriest of cherry blossoms. If you're good I'll show you the Pink Police Station of the past sometime. That is if you're all on your best behaviour and I can find the file which is definitely not named "hot pink police stations of Ramsey." No life is never that easy.

Finally a day off. Yippee.

Ramsey is famous( in a very small circles obviously) for it's blooms, often representing the island in competitions, and the North of the island for island wide(wide my ar..) floral showdowns. Fastest finger on the Geranium, and tulips at dawn. I'll stick with motorbikes and Rugby, which is not very girlie I know, but they are more my photography world and certainly more challenging. If really want to see some pretty flowers and the odd arty one of Ramsey Blooms from my wee colletcion, click below. This image was taken with the little point shoot not the big nikon. You can still get soft focus with a point and shoot, just work the little bugg.... and have fairy magic.


Marsh Orchid

Narcissus

Black Tulip
Shellan

Peek A Boo Tulip

Water Lillies

Daffodils

A change from my usual My World posting,s more a generic petal power than a specific to the area. Cherry Blossoms afterall are not exclusive to the island, unlike the fairies of Man, the Manx ones.

Klaus, Imac, Fishing Guy, Ivar, Tom, Louise, Wren, Sandy and others are to thank for the My World neme. Click here for more my world's just for fun again of course

Silver folied - monochrome

Grey is the new silver, Dahlinks!

I know I'm all out of kilter again and blog posts are popping up willy nilly(always loved that saying or nolens volens if you prefer to be more cerebal today) at random times and days. Sorry about that. Also note this is a straight forward Mononchrome. Wouldn't want to mislead the odd odd shoter(?) thinking this is a perfectly normal image and trying in vain to find oddiness(I really am making up a new language today.) What colour do you see though? Is it grey or silver?



Image is an empty(who keeps letting the plug out?) lake I've shown you before up the Mooragh(sounds slightly risque like that) the park that is. I know some of you have no idea what I'm on about now. As I was saying. Well I grabbed one of those images from that week of pure blah di blah images with no manipulation as a monochrome, greyscale. Reminds me of a new roll of tin foil when the light catches it and you get that funnel of white light. As it shimmers I see silver. If this was a matt image I would say grey. Think of it this way all you folks out there with a few grey hairs, try calling them silver highlights. Now how precious do they sound? Silver linings you see, even cynics note grey clouds have those.