QUEENS PIER, RAMSEY, ISLE OF MAN - MY WORLD

Ramsey Isle of Man is my world. This image is Queens Pier 2/100 for those keeping count.

Thanks in advance for all those new people stopping by as I have been named "blog of note" today.

Commissioned by the Isle of Man Harbour Board and constructed by Head Wrightson & Company, this 2241ft (679m) pier opened on 22nd July 1886 by the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man. Costing £45,000 Ramsey Queens Pier and originally designed as a landing point for steamers plying the Liverpool, Fleetwood, Belfast and River Clyde routes.
A wooden deck over iron piles, a small cafe at the far end. A 3ft (900mm) gauge horse-drawn tramway, that was used to transport building materials during construction, ran along the centre and retained for baggage transport. A new wooden landing stage was added in 1899, along with a covered passenger car on the tramway.

The horse-drawn tramway was motorised in 1937 when the locomotive "Planet" was introduced. Modifications were again made to the tramway in 1950 when a "Wickham" rail car was added. Further track alterations in 1956, gave the line an overall length of 2,080ft (631m). 1956 also saw the redevelopment of the pier entrance.

The Pier has since fallen on bad times, as I pointed out in my skywatch post. A group the "Friends of Queen's Pier" was set up to hightlight the plight of the pier, and to try and save it, from the neglect it has suffered over the years. It's future is still uncertain, but at least it has now been secured. We need to preserve this pier as many of those in the UK has been lost to the elements or even fire. Save our Pier. I know I'm home when I see it coming along the coast road.

For more my entries click MY WORLD and thank the skywatch gang once again for another inspired idea.

If you want to see loads of wonderful alternative images of the pier and excellent write up go to my world contributer Mannanan, British Isles

I am joining red bubble. Watch this space.

RAMSEY SWING BRIDGE AND POO, POOP, DE POOP

Ramsey swing bridge 10/100

Here we go again! You know the story by now, but for the unitiniated(shame on you where have you been?) I posted saying how I must have hundreds of images of this bridge and was told it wasn't possible to photograph one subject in a hundred different ways. Ta da! Number 10 is today's offering.

This is the middle section, apex, right hand side, harbour side. The gull of course is an optional extra. Please note he doesn't come with the bridge and isn't caged behind the metal rods poking up and was free to depart at any time. I am not sure whether he was responsible for the inordinate amount of bird poo on this side of the bridge compared to the other, so we won't chastise him unjustly. Innocent until proven guilty still applies. Even the Isle of Man abides by this ruling. I know I could have spent half the day cloning out the offensive poop, but what you see is what you get around this blog and it does add a certain "je ne sais quoi" don't you think? No, Ok just me then.

I should also point out, as promised to do so when applicable, that this image was my trusty little point and shoot no frills Olympus and not my all singing dancing Nikon. I should also have posted on the Mooragh Park image yesterday that was also shot on my Olympus. Sometimes it's good just to leave the Nikon and see what I can get from the little Olympus. After all, the one thing the camera still can't do without you is frame the shot, so now and again it's just good to get back to basics. It also gives you an idea what can be achieved with the point and shoot, for those who don't have the big camera and loads of lenses. It's also a much better way to practise photography, makes you work harder by using your grey matter and eye to produce the shot.

So, would you have preferred a clean no poo poop de poop, or do you prefer the real deal image.
As always can't wait to hear your thoughts.

RAMSEY SWING BRIDGE NO 5 AND A FLETCHER CHRISTIAN TALE

Ramsey Swing Bridge No 5. ( sounds a bit like a dodgy perfume)

Fletcher Christian. Now there's name synonymous with all things mutinous and apparently Manx, that is the Isle of Man. Ooh er. How exciting!

Fletcher Christian was born In Cumberland in England, however he was related to The Christians of Miltown Ramsey. So explodes the first myth he was a Manxman. Afraid not. His family though did at one time including the man himself seek refuge in Ramsey to escape bad debts in England though.

As we all know Fletcher Christian( Marlon Brando to me) instigated the Mutiny on the Bounty (more Isle of Man/Bounty links for another time) settled with a load of mutineers on the Isle of Pitcairn(many Manxmen amongst them) and then it all gets a bit Hazy. In other words here starts the myth and fact nightmare.

John Adams the last surviving mutineer gave several accounts of Fletcher's whereabouts, changing his story several times. Firstly Fletcher had committed suicide. Secondly he was killed by Pitcairn natives, and thirdly he escaped back to England, an onto the the Isle of Man.

The poet Wordsworth was distantly related to Fletcher Christian by marriage. It is rumoured that Wordsworth and Christian met in Bristol and Fletcher recounted details of the mutiny to him. Subsequently the Rhyme Of The Ancient Mariner was written and rumour has it, the Ancient Mariner was Christian himself, as it bore uncanny details to certain events of the mutiny and time after that were never for public consumption.

The date or place of Christian's death is still unknown. No remains have ever been found. Could he in fact of died on the island, with his Miltown Ramsey relatives? Who knows, but it's a great tale either way.

Just remember this blog is a bit of fun. So please think about your comments. Don't get all po faced. I'm not an historian, it's all whimsical Isle of Man related stuff, with some photography thrown in. Ok!

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?

ABC WEDNESDAY - W IS FOR WORDS OF VIKING ORIGIN IN THE ISLE OF MAN

How to combine ABC "W" with the vikings theme? Had to be words that have been assimilated into the Manx language, place names and surnames. It appears the one thing that that the vikings didn't vanquish was the Manx language, but there are a few examples. Norse words seem to be a very murky area to research. So much contradiction of what is a pure Manx/ Celtic/ Norse word or phrase. I have however found more than I was lead to believe exsited in present day form, so here they are.

A SELECTION OF PLACE NAMES

Ramsey/Rhumsaa - as I have said before is wild garlic river
Laxey/Laxa - wild salmon river
Tynwald/Thingvollr - parliament field/assembly/ meeting place
Foxdale/Foss tal - waterfall glen
Cregneash/Krok-nes - crooked (coastline)
Sulby/Sula- by- farm by cleft fork in a river
Dalby/Dalr-by - dale town
Fleshwick - Flesjar -vik - green grassy, spot creek

A SELECTION OF NORSE MANX SURNAMES

Current Name	Mac + Old Norse Name
Carroon	Mac Thorfinn
Casement	Mac Asmundr
Christian	Mac Kristinn
Corkill	Mac Thorkill/Thorketill
Corlett	Mac Thorliotr
Cormode	Mac Thormódr
Cottier	Mac Ottarr
Cowley	Mac Olafr (Gaelic: Mac Amblaibh)
Crennell	Mac Raghnall
Kewley	Mac Joleifr (Gaelic: Eoile)

Only a handful of words as such are now incorporated into conversational Manx.

Manx language, viz, cleg, from kleggi; a horse-fly; blaber, from blaber, a bilberry; ling, from lyng, "heather;" gil, from gil, "a deep narrow glen;" ghaw, from gja, "a chasm," rift, and kirk, from kirk-ja (this being derived from Greek, kupixkos, "belonging to the Lord") a church.

I hope at some stage to delve deeper with the Norse side of the language and see what else can uncover. It is again very subjective as the Manx language is in the main of Irish/Celtic origin.

The photo is Sulby River which runs into the Harbour and along the nature reserve. Just to be confusing the river is Norse, the reserve name isn't!

Like to join ABC Wednesday? Please got to this link, MRS NESBITT'S PLACE
Mrs Nesbitt is the host for ABC Wednesday, where you can find details for joining, her own ABC shot to comment on and a list of fellow bloggers who are playing today, who would also appreciate your comments.