Blogs

The Ulster City of Derry (Doire) host's a massive Halloween party from 26 October through 3 November. The event, which is billed as the “Return of the Ancients", includes a Carnival Parade and various events in and arouned the city of Doire. The Festival is held on the days leading up to Halloween, which is the modern name for the pre-Christian Celtic feast day of Samhain. Celtic Myth surrounding Samhain (Halloween) includes many tales of Shape Shifting Fairies who emerge at Halloween when the door to the Otherworld opens.

Two resolutions were successfully moved by the Manx branch Secretary of the Celtic League at the organisations AGM in Glasgow last weekend.

One related to the long standing support of the League for the Chagos Islanders who were evicted from their homes in the 1960s. The other resolution related to the industrial harvesting of kelp off the West of Scotland which could impact the eco balance of Marine life not just there but in the wider sea area of the West of these Islands.

We record our sadness at the passing of Colin Murley, member of the Cornish Stannary Parliament and Cornish Patriot.

Colin and Cornish Stannary Team took on English Heritage in 2000 by openly removing and confiscating some of their their signage in Cornwall, a case which ended up in Truro Crown Court and which caused utter chaos in the highest legal offices in the land and even in the Government's security services and with the Duke of Cornwall resulting in the case being discontinued by the Crown which had been fairly and squarely beaten by the Cornish Patriots.

The Menai Strait (Welsh: Afon Menai) is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water approximately 16 miles long, that separates the island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn) from the mainland of Wales (Cymru). The strait varies in width from about 1,300 ft (400 metres) 3,800ft (1,160 metres). The differential tides at the two ends of the strait cause strong currents that flow in both directions through the strait at different times, creating dangerous conditions. One of the most dangerous areas of the strait is known as the Swellies (Welsh Pwll Ceris) between two bridges that span the Strait.

All is not well in ‘Camelot’ (aka the Chief Ministers Offices on Prospect Hill). Howard Quayle MHK is involved in yet another embarrassing climb down due it seems to getting dodgy info before spouting in Tynwald (see link):

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/quayle-hits-back-at-bull...

I likened Kate Beecroft a while ago to ‘The Lady of Shalott’ but in this instance the ‘curse’, as Tennyson put it, is not on Beecroft it’s on the Chief Minister (CM).

The Story Manx Radio carried yesterday about the Calf of Man made me recall the campaign by the Celtic League to seek its return to the Manx nation.

Tom Jago, Camelford boy whose father was manager of Barclays Bank, Camelford has passed away aged 93 years.

Tom came up with the idea of mixing Irish whiskey with cream to create Baileys' Irish Cream which sells more than 87 million bottles each year around the world.

He also launched the wine brand Le Piat d’Or in 1978 and Johnny Walker Blue Label amongst others.

‘When I find myself behind a cyclist on a tricky road it's best to wait and pass with caution. After all they are on a bike and comparatively exposed you have a car wrapped and strapped around you.’

Cycling! It brings back happy memories of narrow roads in the Connemara gaeltacht and glorious endless sunshine. Perhaps I should have stuck to two wheels and I might not be so corpulent. Cycling is the big thing these days in Mann we even have cycling Ministers and cycling lanes. We also have busy roads!

The infamous H Block type prison has made a remarkable return in the Dabancheng Valley of the Uighur people in an area occupied by the Chinese government which has embarked on a severe programme of repression. A BBC in depth report published today focuses on detention centres in the country in which an estimated 130,000 Uyghur are imprisoned for what is euphemistically termed re-education:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/China_hidden_camps

Prince Mohammed bin Salman seems pretty laid back for a guy who is in the eye of a storm. But I suppose when you can afford to splash out $300 million for a French Chateau you think you are pretty much untouchable.

That’s just what he did in 2015 and the attached Irish Times article says the purchase was concealed andl how platoons of lawyers, bankers and accountants in Germany, Bermuda and the Isle of Man helped facilitate this and other transactions: