Valerie Caine's blog

Dr Chloë Woolley, Culture Vannin's Manx Music Development Officer, assisted by members of Bree, (the Manx traditional music and dance youth movement), recently held an afternoon lecture at the House of Manannan in Peel which focused on an introduction to Manx music and its Celtic style.

With renewed interest in the Manx micro-car known as the Peel P50, it's an appropriate time to publish a book which explores the background of this remarkable vehicle and the unique story behind Peel Engineering.

Brimming with an assortment of nostalgic photographs, including rare ones of Peel Engineering's Managing Director, Cyril Cannell, this little gem has been produced as part of the car's fiftieth anniversary celebrations, and includes details of recent anniversary events.

Got a few hours to spare and fancy trying something new and creative? Then it's time to reach back into the hidden depths of your kitchen cupboards and seek out those favourite, family bonnag recipes, in readiness for the Annual World Bonnag Championships in Dalby later this month.

Not unlike it's Irish cousin, the soda bread, bonnag is a traditional yeast-free food item which was much-loved on the Manx farmhouse table long before the ubiquitous chips, cheese and gravy became a preferred choice for hungry islanders.

One of the highlights of the most recent Manx LitFest took place at the House of Manannan in Peel, where a panel of experts gathered to discuss the Celtic influence in literature before a packed audience at the Manx National Heritage venue.

Manx LitFest is an annual literary festival which has quickly become an established fixture on the Island's calendar, attracting a wide selection of well-known authors and readers of all ages, as well as encouraging local writers to develop their skills.

The annual Welsh festival Cwlwm Celtaidd has long been a firm favourite with a number of Manx singers, dancers and musicians, who will be heading across the Irish Sea later this month to represent the Isle of Man amongst a host of entertainers from the Celtic Diaspora.

With a growing reputation as a family friendly festival, Cwlwm Celtaidd has attracted an extensive selection of groups and individuals, ranging from the gentle sound of the Welsh triple harp to the unmistakable resonance of the Breton Bagad.

With the long, winter nights behind us, many of us seek solace in the marvellous displays of early snowdrops, which act as an early beacon for oncoming spring; their nodding, delicate heads a positive indicator of better days.

And so it was that a fundraising event, organised by St James Church in Dalby, attracted many people to Dalby House, to experience a wonderful display of snowdrops, during a glorious, early spring day.

With the voyage of the replica Viking boat Odin's Raven no more than a distant memory for some, members of the Friends of Manx National Heritage at the House of Manannan relived this unique journey, which formed part of the celebrations of Millennium Year, by watching the original documentary made in 1979.

After a brief introduction by Development and Administration Officer Nicola Pemberton, the audience was transported back more than thirty years to relive the highs and lows of its crew as they crossed the seas from Norway to the Isle of Man.

The annual Oie'll Verree, held at the Ebenezer Hall in Kirk Michael, lifted the spirits of a packed house, as they enjoyed a concert which conveyed much about Manx rural life, providing humour, musicianship, dance and recitation.

With an extensive programme to get through, compére George Davison skilfully guided the audience through a selection of artistes, with the assistance of Marilyn Cannell at the piano and an army of background helpers.

As the New Year celebrations came to a close, members of the early music group Hartes Ease came together in concert at St John's Methodist Church Hall for a successful concert, featuring music and song from the Renaissance period.

Playing viols, recorders and other instruments, their afternoon performance, under the title Drive the Cold Winter Away, proved popular with a capacity audience, who enjoyed an extensive selection from a cross-section of composers from the period

One of the newest Manx bands on the Isle of Man's traditional music scene, Mec Lir (named after a pre-Christian Celtic God) has rapidly developed a loyal following since the launch of their debut recording Not an EP late last year.

The band includes some well-known names from the Island music scene, who have now taken Manx music much further afield, broadening its horizons throughout the UK, Europe, the US and Australia.