2015 Events and Activities Archive
| DATE | EVENT | VENUE | INFORMATION | CONTACT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/08/2015 | Ceremony to mark the loss of William Lord and the sinking of the first HMS Ramsey | Courthouse Gardens War Memorial, Ramsey at 10:55 am | On Saturday, August 8, 1915 engine room hand William Lord, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Lord of 7 Mona Street, Ramsey, died aged 25, one of 21 Manxmen out of 55 seamen killed when the first HMS Ramsey was sunk while on patrol out of Scapa Flow. A cross will be placed in memory of William Lord at the war memorial and a wreath laid by the Ramsey branch of the Royal Naval Association to commemorate the loss of the former Steam Packet ship The Ramsey during the ceremony, which will include a two-minutes' silence. Further information is available. |
Peter Whiteway, Ramsey Town Commissioners. Email:enquiries@rtc.gov.im |
| 13/07/2015 to 17/07/2015 | Students' salute to wartime sacrifice exhibition | Ballakermeen High School | Hundreds of school pupils will be touring a unique exhibition about the two World Wars. Year nine students at Ballakermeen have been studying the conflicts throughout the summer term and their work went on public display on 12 July. A full size replica First World War trench is the centrepiece indoors, while students re-enact wartime roles, from gunners to nurses, in authentic period costume. Further information is available. |
Jo Callister, Department of Education and Children. Email: j.callister@doe.sch.im |
| 12/07/2015 | Opening of students' salute to wartime sacrifice exhibition | Ballakermeen High School | The work of year nine students at Ballakermeen studying the two World Wars will go on public display. A VIP opening will see students perform a drama featuring the Christmas day football match between the trenches. Further information is available. |
Jo Callister, Department of Education and Children. Email: j.callister@doe.sch.im |
| 09/07/2015 | A Tribute for the Tribute | Isle of Man Fire Stations: Douglas, Peel, Ramsey, Castletown, Port Erin, Laxey and Kirk Michael at 18:45pm | The Isle of Man Fire and Rescue Service will be joining colleagues from around the world to mark an enduring tribute to the fallen soldiers of World War One, which will coincide with the 30,000th time the Last Post has been played under the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres, Belgium.Chief Fire Officer Kevin Groom will lead the commemorations at Douglas Fire Station. He will welcome guests before reading a short text, written specially for the occasion by Flemish actor Wim Opbrouck. Members of the public and invited guests are asked to arrive at 18:45, with the Last Post being sounded at 19:30 and the closing address at 19.45.Similar arrangements will be in place at the Island's other six stations, with speeches delivered by the local Station Officer or another member of the station staff. | Elaine Cook, Fire and Rescue Headquarters. Email: Elaine.Cook@gov.im |
| 03/05/2015 | Service of Commemoration | Peel RNLI Station Peel Breakwater 12:00 |
A public service will mark the centenary of the sinking of the "Lusitania" on 07 May 1915 when, Peel registered vessel, the "Wanderer" rescued 160 men, women and children. The service will be led by Bishop Paterson in the presence of His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor and the President of Tynwald. A flotilla of craft led by the Peel RNLI lifeboat will then depart Peel bay as a lone piper plays from the point of the breakwater. The flotilla will sail behind the breakwater where poppies and wreaths will be placed on the sea. Local vessels are encouraged to take part. |
Jackie O'Halloran, Peel Commissioners Tel: +44 7624 430701, +44 1624 844716 or email jackieo@manx.net www.thewanderer100.com |
| 03/05/2015 | Lecture on the Sinking of the "Lusitania" | Centenary Centre, Atholl Street, Peel 15:30 |
Mr Tony Pass, Chairman of the Manx National Heritage, will give a public lecture to mark the centenary of the Sinking of the "Lusitania". A limited number of tickets are available from Peel Town Hall free of charge. | Jackie O'Halloran, Peel Commissioners Tel: +44 7624 430701, +44 1624 844716 or email jackieo@manx.net www.thewanderer100.com |
| 03/05/2015 | Celebration of Life | Marquee at the former swimming pool site, Marine Parade, Peel 19:00 |
By not only remembering the loss of life through the sinking of the "Lusitania" a hundred years ago, a celebration of life will take place. A meal will be provided by Vicky's Pies and Davison's Ice Cream and "The Shenanigans Band" will be performing live music. Bushy's Brewery Ltd. has procured a special real ale named "The Wanderer", which will be on sale at the event.This event is ticketed at £20 per person with any profit going to the Peel Lifeboat Station. Tickets are available from Peel Town Hall. | Jackie O'Halloran, Peel Commissioners Tel: +44 7624 430701, +44 1624 844716 or email jackieo@manx.net www.thewanderer100.com |
| 12/05/2015 | Band Concert to Commemorate the Gallipoli Campaign of April 1915 | Civic Centre, Castletown | Castletown and District Royal British Legion is holding a Band Concert to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign with music by Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band and The Farmers Quartet. |
Ann Cottier, Royal British Legion Isle of Man County Secretary Email:anncottierrbl@manx.net |
| Activites in 2015 |
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| Remembrance activities – Victoria Road Primary School; Children at Victoria Road Primary School researched a range of World War One poetry. The children then wrote their own related poems and performed them as part of the Remembrance concert at the school. The children also made 3D poppies using origami skills. Contact: Jo Callister email: j.callister@doe.sch.im. |
| Publication of "Isle of Man in the Great War"; Written by Onchan author Caroline Smith, this book tells the story of the important role played by the Isle of Man in the First World War and the effect that the conflict had on the Island and its people. The publication is illustrated with period photographs and contains personal accounts of events from letters and newspapers. 'Isle of Man in the Great War' is published by Pen & Sword Books - find out more here: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Isle-of-Man-in-the-Great-War-Paperback/p/8011 |
| World War One project – Dhoon School; Class 4 children are studying World War One and have already visited the 'Terrible Ordeal' exhibition at the Manx Museum. The children will take part in a project focusing on their local area, working with Nigel Cretney from Dhoon Church and Martin Royle from Maughold Commissioners. Topics to be covered in the project include: finding more about the men from Maughold who gave their lives, to tell of their stories and sacrifice, and of those left behind to cope with their loss; putting a ‘face’ to the names engraved in the stone of the Parish War Memorial; learning more of the Parish they left behind and of the parish that those who survived the war came home to; marking their sacrifice and commemorating significant events during the war over the next four years; looking at and bringing alive how a war that embroiled most of the world transformed and inspired the people of the parish, the island and the world and; providing in a truly tangible way, a lasting and meaningful legacy to their sacrifice. Contact: Gail Faragher email: g.faragher@doe.sch.im |
| Models of Trenches – Sulby School; Sulby school has some really wonderful models of World War One trenches that could be taken for display if needed. Contact: Gail Faragher email: g.faragher@doe.sch.im |
| Battlefield Trip – Queen Elizabeth II High School; Year 9 students will embark upon a trip to World War One battlefields in July 2015. Contact: Gail Faragher email: g.faragher@doe.sch.im |
| Memorials Competition – Queen Elizabeth II High School; Year 9 students are taking part in a competition for World War One memorials. Contact: Gail Faragher email: g.faragher@doe.sch.im |
| World War One Scheme of Work – St Ninian’s High School; Year 9 students will be looking at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website and other websites to create a memorial to the sixty-three Douglas High School Old Boys who died in World War One. The School has borrowed artefacts from Manx National Heritage and used them with their own to teach a lesson with particular emphasis on the Isle of Man in World War One. Contact: Gail Faragher email:g.faragher@doe.sch.im |
| Welfare and Social Change Course – St Ninian’s High School; Year 12 History students will study World War One as part of their 'Warfare and social change’ course.Contact: Gail Faragher email: g.faragher@doe.sch.im |
| Suffragettes Talk – St Ninian’s High School; a number of year 12/13 students attended a talk by Dr Alison Ronan on Suffragettes/suffragists and World War One on 6 February 2015. Contact: Gail Faragher email: g.faragher@doe.sch.im |
| Trip to Manchester and Leeds – St Ninian's High School; Year 10 History students will be going on a trip to Manchester and Leeds in May 2015. They will visit the Imperial War Museum to learn about the impact of World War One. A workshop on medicine in World War One is planned to take place at the Thackray Medical Museum in Leeds. Contact: Gail Faragher email: g.faragher@doe.sch.im |
| Exhibition - "Knockaloe and the Great War"; The Leece Museum in Peel is hosting this exhibition until May 2015. Artefacts and letters are on display, including an original plan of Knockaloe in 1918. Admission is free. More information is available from www.peelonline.net/leece. Contact: Roy Baker tel: 44 1624 845366 email: leecemuseum@manx.net |
| Representation at off-Island events in 2015 |
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| 24 July 2015 – Manx Youth Orchestra performance in the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate war memorial; Young musicians from the Isle of Man are to take part in the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate war memorial. The 58-strong Manx Youth Orchestra will visit the memorial near Ypres on the last night of a tour of Belgium. Each evening at the Menin Gate, local firefighters play the Last Post as a tribute to the dead of World War One. It’s a tradition that began in 1928 and ceased only during the German occupation of the area during World War Two. 9 July saw the 30,000th performance of the Last Post at the memorial. On occasion, the ceremony is extended with the contributions of visiting choirs and orchestras. During its tour, the orchestra – made up of students aged 12 to 19 – will perform at St Michielskerk, Ghent, on Belgium’s Independence Day (21 July) as a part of the city’s summer festival. It will also give concerts at Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk (Church of Our Lady) in De Panne and at the Grote Markt (Market Place) in Ypres. The orchestra will visit the In Flanders Fields museum and enjoy sightseeing. More information is available: /news/2015/jul/13/young-musicians-from-island-take-part-in-menin-gate-ceremony/ Contact: Jo Callister email: j.callister@doe.sch.im (Please also see the attached report) |
| April 2015 – Commemoration of the Centenary of the Gallipoli Landings; Dave Llewellyn, a member of Ramsey branch Royal British Legion and the Royal Naval Association, will be sailing from the Island on 9th April 2015, with assistance kindly provided by IOM Steam Packet. He will arrive in Turkey in time for the Centenary of the Gallipoli Landings on 25th April. 39 men on the Isle of Man’s Roll of Honour fell during the Gallipoli campaign. Mr Llewellyn plans to lay wreaths (where possible) and crosses at Morto Bay, Cape Helles Memorial, Lone Pine cemetery, Lancashire Landing cemetery, 7th Field Ambulance cemetery, Azman cemetery, Chunuk Bair cemetery and Redoubt cemetery. Further information is available here. Relatives of Manxmen who fell at Gallipoli are invited to contact Dave prior to his departure on 9 April.Contact: Dave Llewellyn tel: +44 7624 453817 email: ramseyrbl@wm.im |
| 25 April 2015 – National Commemoration of the Centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign and Anzac Day; John Shimmin MHK will represent the Isle of Man Government at the National Commemoration of the Centenary of the Gallipoli Campaign and Anzac Day in London on 25 April 2015. The service, at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, will take place in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh and His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge. Around 700 guests are expected to attend including representatives of the nations involved in the Gallipoli Campaign, veterans' organisations, faith groups and the descendants of participants. |
