Before the strom

                             Rain never stops play


Mooragh Promenade and beach
Ramsey
Isle of Man


The view before the rugby game. You can tell when the game starts, that's always when the rain hits. If you like an apartment with a sea view though, with a park seconds away. This is your spot.



Image part of The Weekend in Black and White

Gimme Shelter

from the rain, because it's not always blue skies
 


A Saturday photo. The place where I sit before photographing Ramsey Rugby, and the half time break. The beginning of the season is around late August each year, and blue skies abound. Fast forward a few months and winter rugby games are accompanied with torrential rain, and howling gales. This is where I seek shelter. This bench nestled within a brick structure on Mooragh Promenade, overlooking the Irish Sea. There is more than one of these shelters along the promenade, but this is the one right behind the rugby pitch. Though with the horizontal rain, it's not always as sheltering as it should be. Theme day on the blog today, with all the other City Daily bloggers is Shelter. 

Click here for other images from the daily photos
Click here for Skywatch for skies around the world

Mooragh Promenade

                         The beach seat view


Sundays are made for sitting on a bench and watching the waves. The more adventourous can brave the freezing cold waters and surf the waves. The photographer can sit a capture the scene. 

Jane Hards Photography

Image part of The Weekend in Black and White

HOP TU NAA OR HALLOWEEN 2

Due to a techincal hitch cdp, theme day books could not be posted. By the way that is not Norman Bates house from Psycho, but flats on Mooragh Promenade. Instead I follow on from Skywatch and the difference between Halloween and the Isle Of Man celebration of "Hop Tu Naa." Since yesterday's post I have found that "trick or treat" far from being an American idea may indeeed have it's origins in Hop Tu Naa. In older times children would have brought the stumps of turnips(not pumpkins) with them and batter the doors of those who refused to give them any money! So is the Isle of Man to blame for introducing the more sedate" trick or treat" to the world afterall?

Like to learn "The Hop Tu Naa" song. Manx Or English? Ok both

Hop-tu-Naa in Manx	Hop-tu-Naa in English
Shoh shenn oie Houiney; Hop-tu-naa	This is old Hollantide night; Hop-tu-naa
T'an eayst soilshean; Trol-la-laa.	The moon shines bright; Trol-la-laa.
Kellagh ny kiarkyn; Hop-tu-naa.	Cock of the hens; Hop-tu-naa
Shibber ny gauin; Trol-la-laa.	Supper of the heifer; Trol-la-laa.
'Cre'n gauin marr mayd ? Hop-tu-naa.	Which heifer shall we kill? Hop-tu-naa
Yn gauin veg vreac. Trol-la-laa.	The little speckled heifer. Trol-la-laa.
Yn chione kerroo, Hop-tu-naa.	The fore-quarter, Hop-tu-naa
Ver mayd 'sy phot diu; Trol-la-laa.	We'll put in the pot for you. Trol-la-laa.
Yn kerroo veg cooyl, Hop-tu-naa.	The little hind quarter, Hop-tu-naa
Cur dooin, cur dooin. Trol-la-laa.	Give to us, give to us. Trol-la-laa.
Hayst mee yn anvroie, Hop-tu-naa.	I tasted the broth, Hop-tu-naa
Scoald mee my hengey, Trol-la-laa.	I scalded my tongue, Trol-la-laa.
Ro'e mee gys y chibber, Hop-tu-naa.	I ran to the well, Hop-tu-naa
As diu mee my haie, Trol-la-laa.	And drank my fill; Trol-la-laa.
Er my raad thie, Hop-tu-naa.	On my way back, Hop-tu-naa
Veeit mee kayt-vuitsh; Trol-la-laa.	I met a witch cat; Trol-la-laa.
Va yn chayt-scryssey, Hop-tu-naa.	The cat began to grin, Hop-tu-naa
As ren mee roie ersooyl. Trol-la-laa.	And I am a slag away. Trol-la-laa.
Cre'n raad ren oo roie Hop-tu-naa.	Where did you run to? Hop-tu-naa
Roie mee gys Albin. Trol-la-laa.	I ran to Scotland. Trol-la-laa.
Cred v'ad jannoo ayns shen ? Hop-til-naa	What were they doing there? Hop-til-naa
Fuinney bonnagyn as rostey sthalgyn. Trol-la-laa.	Baking bannocks and roasting collops. Trol-la-laa.
Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa.	Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa

(Loayrt)

My ta shiu goll dy chur red erbee dooin, cur dooin tappee eh,

Ny vees mayd ersooyl liorish soilshey yn cayst

Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa.

(Spoken)

If you are going to give us anything, give it us soon,

Or we'll be away by the light of the moon.

Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa.

Strange island isn't it? Well we do have three legs on our flag! Do you have any halloween songs or traditions, like burning the Wicker Man perhaps. No, that's back to us again.

A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

The sea is normally calmer than this around Ramsey Promenade, but today it was a on the choppy side. I took a few just for stock/wallpaper and thought I'd use one for a fellow blogger. It's been a tough week for a few bloggers out there for one reason and another, but one especially has had it just that bit harder than most. Being caught between a rock and a hard place is just about how her emotions are at the moment, and like the sea today awash with the blues. No names, no pact drill, just to say it's rough at the moment, but the the tide will turn around and the way to blue, will be bryter later(intentional spelling, re Nick Drake.)

Going off at a complete tangent about older posts. When I put a piece together I do my resaearch. One of my earliest posts featured a piece of artwork that I could have been graffiti could have been artwork. I posted the pic and asked the question which did the reader think it was. I drew a blank on the image, which has subsequently been painted over and put the post to bed. Thanks to MANNANANS CLOAK , I now know about the piece in question. It was indeed artwork. Here's the messgae I received.


"Anyway the picture in question was taken in Douglas of a wall painting which now you say has sadly been painted over. Great piccie by the way as they always, are but I know the artist, Well not so much know the artist as my wife knows her. G, my wife is 99.9% certain that it was painted by her friend Sheena Graham-George who used to be a resident of the island. In fact she lived in Ramsey off North Shore Road but left to live in the Orkneys a few years back. G got to know Sheena as when we first came to live in this fantastic place she didn't work and instead went to art classes where Sheena was the teacher. Anyway thought you'd like to know.....Cheers"

So thank you MANNANANS CLOAK for taking the time and trouble to let me know about this. It had bugged me that no one could even allude to who had created the work. I will try and follow this lead up aswell as I do have another image from the same place. At least it's now been documented by myself and hopefully others out there.

Have you ever had a post that someone has contacted you about to fill in the blanks for you?