Blogs

The Manx Chief Constable Gary Roberts has described reports of armed police officers in the Manx capitals business quarter early this week as ‘routine’.

A report had been carried by the (non Facebook) social media site Manx Forums which generally picks up this type of story days before the mainstream media. There were various speculative posts but now the Chief Constable has moved to calm concerns telling Isle of Man Newspapers it was routine (link):

I had an indolent day yesterday and getting bored with Facebook just recycled a couple of CDN items and then headed for the hills. In this case the Bride Hills. I was going to toss a coin and decide North or South but by the time I was in the car it was North without prevarication.

Carnoët (Breton: Karnoed) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor (Aodoù-an-Arvor) department in the north of Brittany. On the hillside above Carnoët a large scale project is underway that celebrates the heritage and Celtic history of Brittany. La Vallee des Saints - The Valley of the Saints is the concept of Philippe Abjean. His idea is to erect 1,000 monumental statues, three or four metres high, each carved from a slab of granite. It has been described as the 21st century Carnac, which is the site of thousands of prehistoric standing stones in the south of Brittany.

Work has begun on building the the new £6.7m Great Tapestry of Scotland visitor centre in the Scottish border town of Galashiels (Scottish Gaelic: An Geal Àth). The visitor centre is due to be completed by spring 2020 and will house the Great Tapestry of Scotland, made up of 160 hand stitched panels, depicting aspects of the history of Scotland from 8500 BC until its launch in 2013.

MTTVs Paul Moulton is with what pass for the Manx ‘luvvies’ at the Isle of Man Film Festival and he’s in his element (link):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TbAJWJ31AY&feature=youtu.be

With everyone much exercised over genealogy and passports and ‘where and when did you come from’ because of the ‘C’ word I thought I would look back in the mists of time.

At least it might have been that or it could have been recollections of peering into that Celtic haze from the Peel - Michael coast road yesterday and dreaming of Manannán and the Tuatha Dé Danann.

I thought I would have a look at the Tuatha Dé or Tuatha Dé Danann.

A panel from the Great Tapestry of Scotland depicting the Western Isles' Iolaire disaster of is to be displayed on Lewis (Leòdhas) in the Outer Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan Siar) of Scotland. The panel forms one part of the 143 metres long tapestry, which is one of the longest in the world. The 160 detailed panels capture unique moments in time during Scotland’s 420 million year history. The vessel Iolaire was carrying home hundreds of sailors after the end of World War One.

Portents of doom abound in Manxland. MUA Chairman ‘Popeye’ (aka Alex Allinson MHK) reinforced by his boss Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK spoke gloomily of drought recently. However with the tail end of an Atlantic Storm due to catch the British Isles at the weekend the drought could become the flood.

The campaign for selection of a leader for Plaid Cymru – Party of Wales is now underway. The three candidates are all elected members of Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru - National Assembly for Wales. Rhun ap Iorwerth represents Ynys Môn, Adam Price represents Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, and Leanne Wood represents Rhondda.

A deep feeling of pride in being honoured with Cornish bardship will be plain to see this year as 16 proud initiates, 8 of whom are from outside Cornwall, wait to take their place among the 500 or so existing members of the College of Bards of Gorsedh Kernow.