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London Manx Newsletter NEWSLETTER Winter 2018 Editor – Douglas Barr-Hamilton Mhelliah The Manx harvest was celebrated in London as usual this year, again with a service at St. Bride's Church and a meal at the Punch Tavern just down the road. The members attending at mid-day on Monday 8th October, were Elaine Abraham, Anne and Nick Alexander, Douglas and Margarita Barr-Hamilton, Bryan and Sheila Corrin, Sally and Peter Miller, Pam and Mike Fiddik, Stewart Christian, Rose Fowler with her grandson George Long, Alastair Kneale, Margaret Hunt, Nicolas and Elizabeth Watson, Sam and Mary Weller and Douglas Wellman. Society member, Nick Alexander, who is a licensed Lay Reader led the service and preached an interesting sermon on verses from Luke chapter 12 after president Professor Bryan Corrin had read the passage. The congregation sang heartily the Manx Fishermen's Evening Hymn, Isle of Mona and Come ye thankful people, come, as well as the grace set to the tune of Ellan Vannin. Alastair Kneale recited the Lord's Prayer in Manx to continue that long tradition and Sally Miller the Tynwald Prayer. Nick Alexander kindly stepped in because Rev Justin White has moved from London. He has returned to teaching in Winchester explaining that he is a fairly fully committed on a Monday, so feels he ought to decline our invitation this year. Everyone enjoyed being back in the Punch Tavern where fish and chips and steak and mushroom pie were the most popular dishes and consumed during animated conversation as folk caught up on personal and Island news broken up by a raffle that contributed generously to the Society's bank balance and provided members with Island mementos and the ever popular Christmas pudding, home-made by Stewart Christian and reminding everyone that the Society's next gathering will be for pre-Christmas drinks in early December. London Manx Trophy traced Following an enquiry from Sam about the Mary Weller award at Yn Cruinnaght, Chloë Woolley tells us she had a root in her stock/archive boxes cupboard at work at Culture Vannin, and, unlike the silver cup she had in mind, discovered . She thinks it had been stored in the attic of Ramsey Town Hall and passed to Culture Vannin a few years ago. Now the LMS committee will need to discuss its future. Members' ideas welcome. It's interesting that the plaque at the bottom says: Yn Chruinnaght Solo instrumental 11 years and under Winners were: 1996 Kate Collister 1998 Lindsey Skillicorn 1999 Lindsey Skillicorn 2000 Kirsty Kermeen And the final winner was 2003 Tom Callister Wafer (who has now gone on to be a well-known fiddle player with Imar and Barrule!) On the back it says Hand Carved C. Jefferson 1989 2 FOR OUR DECEMBER ISLAND VISIT Manannan's Winterfest - A Magical Manx Christmas! There's something new on the Christmas calendar this year with the introduction of a sparkling new event at the Gaiety Theatre under the title of Manannan's Winterfest - A Magical Manx Christmas! Billed as a unique concert celebrating Manx Christmas traditions, the event will be a collaboration of the Island's finest exponents of classical, folk, brass and choral music - topped with local humour and drama. The brainchild of local musicians David Kilgallon and Malcolm Stitt, their aim is to combine both the old and the new and fix Manannan's Winterfest firmly on the Manx calendar. It's an idea which grew synergistically from several conversations between them as they reminisced about traditional, childhood memories and their shared love of performing Christmas music. The Year of Our Island initiative proved to be the catalyst for the event, and with the help of friends and families the show promises to be an exciting, new experience for anyone looking for a great night out at the beautiful and historic Gaiety Theatre. Hosted by the inimitable Dot Tilbury on 7th December, the list of entertainers will include the BBC Radio 2 award-winning folk harpist Mera Royle, Alexandra Slater and the legendary Michael Players. Also within the musical mix will be some rousing festive sounds from Ramsey Town Band, well- known carols from the choir Manx Voices and Gareth Moore on the piano: as well as a world renowned collective of Celtic musicians including David Kilgallon, Malcolm Stitt, Jamie Smith and the Lawrence sisters. It's also hoped to include the stunning Whiteboys during the evening, which reflects an old Manx custom including drama and comedy. Sponsored by Year of Our Island 2018, Culture Vannin, the Isle of Man Arts Council and the Malcolm Dickinson Charitable Trust, tickets priced at £24/£20 are available from www.villagaiety.com. Valerie Caine © November 2018 (Courtesy of Manx Life) Taste of Victorian Christmas On Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 December 2018, Manx National Heritage will host ‘A Taste of Victorian Christmas’ at the Grove Museum in Ramsey. It will include the opportunity to see the Grove decorated for the festive season and experience the sights, sounds and smells of a Victorian Christmas. Musical entertainment will be provided by a local choir and bands including Ramsey Town Band, with a Victorian minstrel also on hand to entertain guests throughout the weekend. The smell and taste of festive cooking will be brought to life with roast chestnuts available in the yard, festive cakes and hot drinks from the conservatory and hot food cooked over a fire pit by the Train Smokers. Father Christmas will make a special visit to the Grove for the entire weekend, although his appearance may bring about debate amongst young visitors…. rather than wearing his red festive outfit, he will instead be wearing green, representing the coming of spring. ‘A Taste of Victorian Christmas’ is kindly supported by Lloyds Bank International and the event programme at the Grove includes: Saturday 8 December All day – Father Christmas, festive food and crafts and old fashioned lucky dip 11.15am to 11.45am – Ramsey Town Choir 12.30pm and 3.30pm – Storytelling in the barn 2pm to 3pm – Douglas Town Band Sunday 9 December All day – Father Christmas, festive food, crafts and old fashioned lucky dip 10.30am and 3pm – storytelling in the barn 1pm to 2pm – Encore Choir in the garden marquee 3pm to 3pm – Ramsey Town Band 3pm to 3.30pm – Ellan Vannin Pipes and Drums MNH The Snow Queen at Castle Rushen On Saturday 15th December, the ‘Snow Queen’ will take up residence in her winter palace in Castle Rushen and invites her subjects for a private audience in the throne room of her winter realm, here on the Isle of Man. Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale, this special “one day only” invitation to meet the Snow Queen is open to all, with timed sessions bookable online at www.manxnationalheritage.im Helen Ashcroft, Heritage Site Manager for Manx National Heritage said: “The Snow Queen’s festive friends are already transforming the castle, with the musician tuning his mandolin and everything beginning to glow with Christmas sparkle”. Costumed characters, music and performers will keep guests entertained as they explore the castle and await their audience with the Snow Queen. Timed admission tickets cost £10 per person, which include a gift from the Snow Queen for all children aged 2 and over. Seasonal refreshments are included within the ticket price for all adults. No concessions are available for this special event. Free admission for children aged under 2 years. The event is expected to sell out, with all tickets available in advance from www.manxnationalheritage.im/shop. MNH The Guriat Cross Following the report in our last edition on the Manx Museum's initiative to make images of all Manx crosses available on its web site and an article about another carved stone in Cheltenham, it was interesting to read the following in the autumn newsletter of the Manx Society of New South Wales appearing at almost the same time with another coincidence: a mention of Henry Skillicorne in an article about famous Manx sea captains in an Australian Manx Society newsletter: At the time the Guriat Cross with its five bosses stood by the roadside* at Port y Vullin before it was removed to Kirk Maughold, a fable was told to the children which takes two or three forms. One is that the old woman who lived at this spot was wicked enough to spin on Sunday. Another version says that she was getting over the hedge of her little field with the balls of wool or thread she had been spinning slung on her back. A third says she was climbing the Shen Lewaigue road to take them to the weaver who lived at Dreem ny Lhergy. In the two latter alternatives the wind took hold of the balls and hindered her progress, and she cursed the wind. In all three the result was that she was punished by being turned into the cross, with her five bluggans (balls), equally petrified, sticking to her wicked old face. *Woods' Account of the Isle of Man (1811) says it had previously stood in the middle of the field. There was an old chapel there which has long disappeared. (source: A Second Manx Scrapbook by W Walter Gill (1932); Alwyn Piggott (Manx Society of NSW) DBH We will remember them Our summer newsletter of 2012 sought details of Kathleen Joughin, a New Zealand army nurse whose grave Maureen Wigley had come across in Egypt. A little later our research revealed she was descended from a Bride family. Eighteen months after that we heard from her niece will a lot of information about Kathleen.
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