NEWSLETTER – June 2009

LMS ANNUAL LUNCH - MAY 2009

The LMS annual lunch took place at our usual venue on 18 May 2009 when we welcomed the Librarian/Archivist from the Manx Museum, Mr Roger Sims, as our Guest of Honour. After an excellent lunch of pate with onion marmalade, poached fillet of salmon, followed by lemon tart, we sang the Manx National Anthem and settled to listen to Maron Honeybourne’s highly amusing and well thought out toast to “Land of our Birth”. Long standing and well loved member Maron has not been well recently, but she had us all rocking with laughter as she regaled us with stories ranging from Manxmen in the Gold Rush, a long lost aunt who had eloped to Canada and something about inflated goats on a camomile lawn! She said that Manx people are hardworking, deep thinking, self effacing, resilient, kind and brave, and we all have an invisible chord that links Manx exiles to their Island.

Re-elected President, Stuart Christian, then welcomed our guests, Roger and partner Maureen. This was the second occasion that he had been invited to address the Society and members looked forward to hearing more about the Island’s written heritage. Stuart then gave a special welcome to Dorothy Garbutt, and said how much we shall miss Paul, who was a remarkable man in every way and whom we all regarded as the Father of London Manx.

There were floral presentations for Maisie Sell and Veen Hill, who celebrated their birthdays that week, and a welcome extended to Margaret’s husband, Norman Robertson, and Peter Bridson from Wirral Manx, and his son Ralph.

Roger said that it was an honour and a pleasure to be invited back to talk to the Society, and how the professional care devoted to the National archives and antiquarian books is essential for our understanding of how our forbears lived and worked in times past.

Having been variously described as an arsonist, an alchemist or an artist, people have a confused image of what an archivist does even tough the importance of keeping archives was acknowledged in Ancient Greece and Rome. On the Island, the Library contains priceless original manuscripts, records, photographs, maps and printed sources relating to the Manx nation and thousands of requests are made by the general public for access and research each year. Church Records from the Isle of Man, provide a huge source of material for research, and frequently reveal a few shocking “skeletons” that the researcher might feel it more tactful to abandon the exercise!

Not confined to records and documents, Roger is concerned with all aspects of heritage, and this included the restoration of the Old House of Keys in Castletown, re-creating some of the great debates of the day. On 24 March, there was an overwhelming calamity when the cesspool burst and emptied the chamber!

The poor had a tough life on the Island in early days and in 1523, a boy was thrown into the sea at Derbyhaven for stealing one of the Abbot’s sheep, and Margaret Quayle and her son were burned alive for theft. The right for a trial by Jury was not granted till 1737 (500 years after it became law in England) and in 1790 school pupils signed a petition to be granted some holiday! It was a steep and stoney path for ordinary people, and whilst much has changed for the better, Roger is convinced that the worst aspects of history are repeated, and rather depressingly, that the nature of mankind does not change in the long run.

To conclude, Roger said that his visit to London Manx was one of his final duties before he retires, and he quoted some words of wisdom and reflection on life from a tea towel (which I happen to have, and will one day will repeat in full). Stuart expressed the Society’s appreciation and thanks, and presented Roger with a handsome set of crystal wine glasses. The raffle was then drawn, the main prize being tickets for a car and two passengers, generously donated by the IoM Steam Packet Company. Also a selection of other gifts and Manx memorabilia, largely thanks to past president Chris Price, who works hard on our behalf.

It was a most enjoyable occasion and as usual ended with an enthusiastic rendition of Ellan Vannin.

Mavis Bell

News of members

STOP NEWS! Congratulations……Sean proposed to Wendy Kneen in Peel Castle ( I believe he went down on one knee) and she accepted. We all wish them every happiness. And Wendy gave her permission to put it in the newsletter.

Mona Fargher

Mona celebrated her 80th birthday recently with a party at the Douglas Golf Club. Our very best wishes go to Mona and her family.

We are still getting the odd Newsletter returned at each issue due “not known “ at this address. Please do inform us of your new address, it does save us a lot of work and expenditure. This also applies to new applicants wishing to join and do not follow through the joining application form.

Subscriptions

We still have an outstanding sub, due before end of February 2009 for non – life members as per enclosed payment slip. If you paid by direct debit last year then please do so, this does ease the workload.

We have heard Mrs B. Stott and Mrs Sybil Zia have retired from the L.M.S. we wish them well.

Editor: Mary Kneen

Obituaries

Maurice Wigley

Maurice Wigley and his wife Maureen have been faithful friends of this society for many years, and whilst not a Manxman, in common with every loyal spouse, was "Manx by adoption."

Maurice was born 78 years ago in Everdon, Northamptonshire and joined the RAF in 1948 as a driver. He had a long and interesting career, which included being in charge of a parachute balloon detachment, and tours of duty in Hong Kong and Cyprus. As flight Sergeant he met and married Maureen (also a Flight Sergeant) in the early 70's, and apparently proposed on their second date! Always prepared to give of himself, Maurice belonged to 20 organisations after his retirement and was elected onto the Huntingdon District Council for 8 years, followed by 10 years on the Parish Council in Brampton. He was a football referee in his spare time, and also spent many happy hours on his allotment.

Held in high esteem throughout the community, Maurice had many friends and the church was full at his funeral on May 8 2009, where the entrance music was the Manx Fisherman's Evening Hymn. Three standards were carried for Royal British Legion, Royal Air Force Association and Royal Observer Corps, of which both he and Maureen were active members. The service was taken by Methodist and Church of England clergy and the last post was played by the bandmaster of the RAF Wyton Voluntary Band.

We were pleased to represent the London Manx Society on that occasion, and Maureen thanks members for the flowers and cards. Maurice Wigley led a long and full life and will be greatly missed by the community he served. We send sympathy and love to Maureen at this sad time.

We have recently heard that Mrs Joan Mary Rumbles (nee Teare) died last December 2008, sorry no

further details, how ever our condolences go to her family and friends.

We have heard that Dr. Henry K. Hulme has died , no details sorry, how ever our condolences go to his family and friends.

Editor Mary Kneen

"OUR MEMBERSHIP LIST

The London Manx Society compiles a membership list from the information provided to us when you joined the Society, or informed us of any changes. It is used solely for the purpose of mailing out the quarterly Newsletter and we take our responsibilities under the Data Protection Act very seriously. Those responsibilities require that data collected by the London Manx Society may only be used for the specific purposes for which they were collected, i.e. Newsletter mailings in our case. This personal data must not be disclosed to other parties without your consent and we will not do so.

However, there may be occasions when members would like information from the membership list in order to contact one another. In order to facilitate that, we are making available the following process. Call Sam Weller on 01223720607 and leave a message requesting the required information or the complete list. Sam will contact you, explain the implications of releasing this information to you under the Act, and request your compliance, thus transferring responsibility to you that you will keep the information secure.

Sam Weller

Membership List

The London Manx Society has received and maintains information about member’s in the form of a mailing list, which includes name, address, telephone number, and email address, in accordance with

The Data Protection Act 1998.

Under the Act, individuals may check their records held on the list.

This information will, and should, only be used for administration and furtherance of London Manx Society activities. We will not release this information for any other purpose.

Anyone wishing to have their data removed from our mailing list should contact The Newsletter Editor.

The Handel Connection

The Foundling Museum & Handel House Museum

As this year is the 250^th anniversary of Handel’s death I’m proposing an outing on Sunday 6^th September to visit The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, WC1N 1AZ. The nearest tube station is Russell Square, after a tour and lunch there moving on to the Handel House Museum at 25 Brook Street W1K 4HB, nearest tube Bond Street.

The Foundling Museum tells the story of The Foundling Hospital, London’s first home for abandoned children and of three major figures in British history: it’s campaigning founder the philanthropist Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and the composer George Frideric Handel. This remarkable collection of art, period interiors and social history is now housed in a restored and refurbished building adjacent to the original site of the Hospital, demolished in 1928.

The Handel House Museum was home to the composer from 1723 to his death in 1759 and is where he composed some of the greatest music including The Messiah and Music for the Royal Fireworks. The Museum also contains a new exhibition Handel Reveal’d’ which brings the composer’s personal story to life. It examines how he survived the eighteenth century ‘credit crunch’ his appetite, his blindness and his love life.

Both museums charge £5, there is a restaurant at the Foundling Museum,.

I suggest we meet outside the Foundling Museum by 11 am ready for it’s opening.

Editors Notes.

My sincere apologies to Elizabeth and Nicholas Watson, who celebrated their

Golden Wedding on the 9th of May. I had a senior moment and called Nicholas, Peter.

I hope they had a lovely day.

Thank you for your contributions,. Please when you send articles to me, send them in Times Roman size 10 font, headings in size 11 font and no underlines.

This makes it easier to put straight in the news letter.

For those of you who follow the TT and Euro Super Bikes, please look out for a young rider called Daniel Kneen. Dan is Brian’s nephew and is doing very well. A quote from . The TT web site titled A remarkable Kneen.

“Remarkable Kneen ready for the 2009 TT, due to the results of the Manx Grand Prix 2008, has led to a leading fuel supplier backing Manx racing star Dan Kneen for this Season”.

I am sorry that we are not able to attend the functions as we used to, but family and

expense has to be considered.

Our membership list is getting smaller each year, and we are not getting many new

members.

We hope you have a lovely Summer and enjoy whatever you have planned.

Mary and Brian.

Dates for your Diary 2009

A Bit of a Do/Cooish at Enfield 2009

Stewart would like to invite any members of the LMS who would like to come, to his home for a 'Bit of a Do' / Cooish on Sunday 7th June 2009 from 12.30 onwards. Food and drink will be provided but the odd bottle is always welcome. For directions please ring me on 020 8363 3343 or e-mail me at keristal@mac.com details will also be on the website nearer the time.

YOUNG MANXIES** ADDITIONAL EVENT **

TYNWALD DAY COOISH 5 JULY 2009 - LUNCH IN GRANGE PARK, ENFIELD

Marguerite and Douglas Barr-Hamilton have very kindly invited us to their house on Sunday 5 July at 1pm.

Meeting instructions: 12 noon at Kings Cross Station under the departure/arrival boards in the main concourse to get the train to Grange Park. There will be kippers and please bring food to share. If coming by car:

132 Bush Hill, Winchmore Hill, London. N21 2BS - telephone 0208 360 8001

New members very welcome!

Mhelliah 3rd October 2009

Our Service at St Barts-the -Less will be at 11.00am. We then go to the Park Inn Russell Square (originally the Bonnington) for our meal and meeting. We are very lucky to have Dessie Robinson, a warden from the Calf of Man, who is coming over to show us some of his collection of slides of birds, flowers, and views of the Calf. Full details with the booking form will be in the September newsletter.

Rose

Also see Future Events Page at www.londonmanxsociety.com

Further details contact mailto:Sallynewson@hotmail.com

Or mobile 07704 927994

Look forward to seeing you there!

www.londonmanxsociety.com

updated 1^st June 2009 by www.kneen.com Return to events

NEWSLETTER – March 2009

Late addition due to the A.G.M. on 9^th March 2009

TRIP TO ST MARTINS IN THE FIELDS - MARCH 2009

From Greenwich to Cambridge and various pubs and clubrooms, London Manx Society have held their AGM in many venues over the years but nothing can excel this year’s location for sheer splendour and beauty, starting with a tour round the recently refurbished St Martins in the Fields, and later the Dome Room at No 1,Cornhill.

I can only attempt to include a fraction of the information imparted by our guide Mr Ralph Smith, head verger of St Martins, but with his enthusiasm and encyclopaedic knowledge, we certainly got our money’s worth! The whole site has been transformed by a £34,000,000 makeover and we were dazzled by the gold and white interior, restored to it original Georgian splendour. Starting with the name, back in 597 the monks chose to set up their community on what was probably already a religious site, and support themselves from the fields that surrounded it at that time. St Martin lived in 4th century Hungary, where he started the concept of monastic living. A lifelong pacifist, St Martin’s Day is celebrated (significantly) on 11 November, and he was the first Saint not to have died a martyr. Martin once tore his cloak in half to give to a beggar and St Martins like to think that they still supply a metaphysical cloak to all the needy. Over 100 people help in the outreach scheme, which began when a vicar named Dick Sheppard adopted an “ever open door” policy after the 1st World War. Religious broadcasting began at St Martins, and they are proud to have been at the forefront of many different movements, like shelter, Amnesty International and the Peace Movement, to name a few.

But our guide stressed that when George I wanted to rebuild at the beginning of the eighteenth century (there have been 4 buildings on the site) it was for a society church for the Royals and the aristocracy, even though all the parishioners had to pay five shillings annually towards the £34,000 cost of rebuilding. Anxious to avoid Baroque, or anything that might be regarded as Roman Catholic in style, James Gibb the architect (himself a catholic) kept gilding to a minimum, near to the alter, and hired Italian plasterers to decorate the ceiling, pillars and corbels. There were no screens, just one large space for worshippers to hear and see well, and plain glass windows gave a great feeling of light and space. (All the Victorian glass has been removed). There was a noticeable use of the oval shape throughout, above the alter the ceiling panels and the font, with it’s railings to keep out the dogs!

We went into the Royal box which enable them to see and be seen by the congregation, although the sliding windows - now restored - had to be removed after George II slammed them down in a fit of pique! We examined the fine plasterwork in the gallery, where the aristocracy looked down on the “lower classes”, and we learnt the origin of the staying “going to the wall”, where the weakest were advised to stand - an expression we have heard regularly of late! We were interested to learn that Cherubs always look dimpled and plumb because to be fat meant wealth in Georgian times!

Moving onto the impressive new area, 2 new floors have been created beneath ground level, making use of ancient burial vaults and the old market place above. The Restaurant remains in the Crypt but now there is a smart new shop, kitchens, 3 committee rooms, a handsome light well and space for the large Chinese contingent who were doing their Tai Chi as we passed. The famous Academy of St Martins in the Fields now have dressing rooms and rehearsal space for their concerts and there is a new hostel for the homeless plus offices for the administration.

It has been a vast project, funded in part by the Lottery Fund, generous corporate and private donations (many from Hong Kong) and small individual contributions. Mr Smith was pleased that they only had to raise another £1m, and concluded that whilst St Martins had been started by Royalty, it now very much serves the community.

Thanking him for the excellent tour, Sam Weller reminded us that 114 years ago, London Manx had held its first meetings in St Martins, so had a special significance to the Society. We left remembering the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury when he opened the new complex on 28 April 2008 that long may St Martins continue its mission “for common good in service to humanity, and to the greater glory of God”.

Mavis Bell

AGM AT NUMBER ONE CORNHILL 2PM 9 MARCH 2009

Leaving St Martins for a bus ride to Cornhill, we all tend to go into school trip mentality but the ride past the Royal Courts of Justice, Fleet Street, St Paul’s and Mansion House to Cornhill, was most enjoyable. The building was erected in 1905 by Royal Insurance for their subsidiary company “Liverpool and Globe”. Pevsner praised the building and said that the Dome on the west corner accents its position at the junction of all the major roads in the area. (Thanks to Nicholas Watson for researching this information on our behalf) The Manx Government rent committee rooms and, thanks to enquiries from Rose, the Treasury kindly agreed to allow us to use the room for our AGM.

We ascended to the 5th floor and entered the beautiful circular Dome Room, which has apparently been used for a James Bond film! There we met the other members of the Society including Preston and Charles, Mary and Brian Kneen our newsletter editors, and past secretary Wendy Kneen. Rose greeted us all and expressed our gratitude to the Manx Government for enabling us to hold our AGM in such luxurious surroundings! Apologies were read out from past president Chris Price, and Maron, whom we all wished well and signed a card brought by Maisie for her speedy recovery.

Sam Weller gave his Treasurer’s report stating that we are in fairly good cash strength, although costs are increasing for the organist at the Mhelliah room hire and overheads for the production of our newsletter. Recalling a year full of enjoyable events Rose mentioned Guests of Honour Jack and Pat Corrin who remembered a young Sam Weller with his violin - but was glad to say that he doesn’t do too much fiddling nowadays! The Cooish at Sidcup had raised £280 for the marvellous raffle, organised by Chris Price, and at Tynwald Day in Beckenham at Brian and Sheila Corrin’s, our customary kippers had been enhanced by strawberries and ice cream cornets. People still talk about the wonderful spread put on by President Stuart Christian in August, plus the trip he organised to the Jeffrye Museum and Charter House, which was a rare privilege. At the Mhelliah, Graham Knowles entertained us with the lighter side of being Bishop, and Dean of St Paul’s and the year ended with some members joining the Young Manx for a pre-Christmas drink.

A very sad event during the year was the death of Paul Garbutt, whom we all thought of as father of London Manx, for he has been such a valued and faithful member of the Society over the years. We are all looking forward to obtaining the booklet, prepared by Mary Kneen, to commemorate his life.

Thanks were given to all the dedicated volunteers who serve on the committee, and keep the Society going. President Stuart Christian will serve another year and the committee was re-elected, with unanimous agreement that we continue to co-opt Sally Newson as Young Manx representative.

Stuart, who was unable to join us earlier because of a recent back injury, told us about an incredible day he spent last year when on the Island during Tynwald week. He attended the World Manx Lunch, followed by the Cashin reunion with Christine and Terence, a garden party and another World Manx evening event! He and Rose also attended the unveiling of a plaque by Charles Guard at Highgate Cemetery to Captain Peter Heyward, midshipman on HMS Bounty. A more recent venture was going onto Facebook, to encourage some new members.

Thanking all members for attending, the meeting concluded with tea and some very nice biscuits which were much appreciated before we made our way home after a most enjoyable day.

Mavis Bell

Christmas Cards 2009

Stewart Christian arranged for some London Manx Christmas cards to be designed and printed to be sent to overseas Manx clubs. The committee saw these in November and were very impressed. So this year he is going to arrange for some more and would like members to bring photos, if possible connecting the Island and London. Stewart will decide which photos he thinks are the most suitable and the cards will be available for sale at our Mhelliah in October.

Raffle at the Lunch

We will have a raffle at the lunch on the 18^th April. Please bring any suitable prizes. Our main prize will be a travel voucher from the Steam Packet for a car and two passengers for a return trip. It is valid to 31^st October this year and excludes TT and MGP practice and race days ie 26^th May to 16^th June and 21^st August to 7^th September.

If you can’t come to the Lunch but would like to participate, please send a cheque to Rose Fowler, 24A Heathcote Road, Epsom. KT18 5DX. The cost - £4.00 a strip for the travel voucher. We will price the other prizes At £1.00 a strip

Rose Fowler

Our Guest-of-Honour on Saturday 18^th April.

Enclosed with this newsletter is the notice about our Lunch on Saturday 18^th April at Park Inn, Russell Square, formerly the Bonnington Hotel.

Our very special guest speaker has been introduced in many ways, - to a group of local historians as “The County Alchemist” – and had many other descriptions including a family history day when he was approached by a young couple seeking advice on family planning!

Many of our members know him. He is the very distinguished Librarian Archivist of the Manx National Heritage Library – Mr Roger Sims FSA. He is a very modest man, born in Yorkshire and developed his love of history at a very early age. He read Economics and History at University and at one time was a lecturer in Diplomatic Analysis, detecting centuries old forgeries. He says Monastic Houses were often the most prolific forgers in order to prove title or gain more land.

It obviously isn’t a dull and dusty job. He has been bitten by a pig, stung by wasps and met one or two longtails whilst inspecting records in remote farm buildings in rural Northumberland.

Away from the Museum, he enjoys walking and reading and has a keen interest in Celtic and Manx music.

We look forward to meeting him in April.

Rose Fowler

The Peel Car

At the beginning of January I was very pleased to receive a copy of the Manx Independent, kindly sent by long standing friend and member, Phyllis Long, Peel

The paper contained a record in photographs of major events of the past twelve months. Very interesting, especially about the Peel Car, now obsolete.

Phyllis asks me to remember her to all at the London Manx, so I thought the best way would be via the Newsletter.

Maisie Sell

News of members

We are still getting the odd Newsletter returned at each issue due “not known “ at this address. Please

do inform us of your new address, it does save us a lot of work and expenditure. This also applies to new applicants wishing to join and do not follow through the joining application form.

Editor: Mary Kneen

Subscriptions

These are due before end of February 2009 for non – life members as per enclosed payment slip. If you paid by direct debit last year then please do so, this does ease the workload.

Editor

I know I am speaking for every one in the L.M.S. when I say we all send our best wishes for a good recovery from her illness, to Maron another Peelite.

Maisie Sell

Obituary

Paul Garbutt : On 2^nd December 2008, aged 89years, Paul Garbutt. OBE.

Retired Chief Secretary of London Transport, Advisor of Rapid Transit

Systems Worldwide. Beloved husband of Dorothy, a special person to young

relatives aged 6 to 60 plus. Treasured by his godchildren and their children,

known as “Uncle Rumpus” by causing happy chaos whenever they met. He

will be greatly missed by all his relatives and friends, especially in the Isle of Man

Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Funeral Service at Bournemouth

Crematorium on Thursday 18^th December at 12.15pm. Family flowers only please

but donations, if desired payable to N.S.P.C.C.or Leukaemia Research may be sent

c/o F.W. House & Sons. Funeral Directors, Lymington, SO41 9NE

Dorothy Garbutt wishes to thank all the London Manx Society members who kindly sent cards and beautiful flowers and condolenances, most appreciated. during this time of Paul's passing.

Obituary

Mr Alan Mercer: Died on the 12^th December 2008, we send our condolences from all members here at the London Manx Society, to his wife Mrs Margaret Mercer at this sad time.

Editor

Paul’s Story

With Dorothy Garbutt’s blessing we have printed a booklet of a talk Paul gave to the London Manx Society in October 2004, called

The Adventures of a Three Legged Railwayman.

To obtain a copy of this booklet please send a S.A.E. Envelope C5 size.( the same size as the newsletter envelope) if you require more than one copy please adjust the size and postage to Mary Kneen, address on the front of your newsletter.

The Society is printing this booklet free of charge in Memory of Paul.

"OUR MEMBERSHIP LIST

Sam Weller

Peter Heywood Memorial Ceremony

It seems a long time ago now, in fact it was shortly after the last newsletter came out that Rose Fowler and I attended a ceremony at Highgate School with a strong Manx connection.

We received an invitation from Charles Guard, Administrator of the Manx Heritage Foundation asking if we would like to represent the LMS at the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the life of Captain Peter Heywood RN. For those of you who have not heard of him, he was Manx born and his family lived at The Nunnery. His parents were close friends of Captain Bligh’s in-laws the Bethams, Bligh was married at St.Peter’s Onchan. The third Manx connection with the mutiny is of course Fletcher Christian, although he was born in Cumbria his family were closely related to the Christians of Milntown and Fletcher knew the Island. At the age of 15 Peter was appointed junior midshipman on HMS Bounty in August 1787 and his adventures began.

The idea for a plaque to commemorate his life came about thanks to research being done by Don Maxton for a new book on the Bounty Mutiny. He discovered that Peter had been buried in a vault under St.Michael’s Chapel Highgate in 1831, which was subsequently demolished and the chapel of Highgate School was built on the site over the vault. When Don contacted the school to ask if he could visit the vault the response he received was that they didn’t have a clue who Peter Heywood was or that he was buried there! Once he had told the school about Peter they became interested and he contacted Charles Guard and told him about his work and suggested that something should be done to mark Peter’s grave, Manx Heritage Foundation commissioned a plaque to be made and Highgate School gave permission for it to be installed in the school chapel over the vault.

So on 8^th December Rose and I went to Highgate School, there were about twenty other guests and several members of the school’s past and present staff. Among the guests there were representatives of the Pitcairn Island Studies Group, the author Don Maxton and the former TV chef Glyn Christian a descendant of Fletcher. The actual ceremony took place in the school chapel and was also attended by a class of younger pupils, it was quite short but moving, after a welcome from the Headmaster, Don Maxton spoke about Peter Heywood’s life and then Charles Guard talked about Manx Heritages involvement in the proceedings. He also spoke to the pupils, who not only didn’t know anything about Peter Heywood but most of them knew nothing at all about the Isle of Man even where it was! So they received a brief but interesting crash course on the Island which was very well received, not only by the pupils but by everyone else. As well as providing the handsome brass plaque for the chapel, Manx Heritage Foundation presented the school with a copy of a portrait of Peter Heywood in his Captains uniform.

Finally I must say that Highgate School made everyone very welcome, before the ceremony they had provided a reception room with hot and cold drinks and biscuits, then afterwards they laid on a Champagne finger buffet that we all enjoyed.

Stewart Christian ; President

World Celtic Connection (www.worldceltic.com)

Is a labour of love run by Jean Mallory, my son, Michael and me? Our goal is to create an online community for all things of Celtic interest. Go to our site and look around. You can post on the forums. You Tube and Goggle video can be embedded in posts; as well as photos and other digitised artwork. If you are a musician who owns his/her copyright, you can submit music for our online mp3 player. There is a links directory to help find Celtic resources, so links are always welcome. You can create your own blog in the forum part of the site, and you can create friends directories, like a social media site. Please let your members know about us. We'd love a link from your site to ours, if you could.

We'd also love for you to submit an article for our news site. Articles on World Celtic Connection will cover a wide variety of topics, including, but not limited to: Celtic History, including histories of Celtic lands and groups; Current events and news in traditionally Celtic lands; Information about Celtic and related festivals, both upcoming, and reviews of recent festivals; Music news and reviews; Travel stories and reviews from areas of Celtic interest or relating to festivals and performances; Celtic languages, either stories about them or lessons; ( Please include English-language translations.) ; Clan groups and activities. I'll be happy to provide credit and a link back to you or your organization's web site.

Our goal is to create a unique online community for those interested in furthering Celtic heritage; where communication and learning can occur worldwide. The features on the site will expand and evolve based on the needs and desires of the members.

If you have something to contribute or a suggestion, please contact me at worldceltic@aol.com.

Jean Mallory

For the attention of Mary Kneen, London Manx Society

I am writing to you in the hope that you or some of your friends in the London Manx Society may know of some inventive Manxmen and women, which I may not have tracked down yet.

I am in the process of researching a book on Manx inventors and have so far located around 800 patents worldwide dating from the late 1790’s, which have been filed by Manx residents, many of whom were Manx born. These include the originator of what become the gun turret (William Kennish 1840's), the WW2 Sefton Camp internee who went on to become Handley-Pages' chief aerodynamacist, and many other interesting and ingenious inventions including the first regulator for water wheel flow and the Naval semaphore which ran from Whitehall to Portsmouth around 1808. I have also come across an hotelier from Loch Prom who invented a method of smoking a cigar from both ends simultaneously!

If any of your members has any information, no matter how sketchy, I will be able to compare it with the information I already have on the 350 or so inventors and their 800 patents

I have already discussed the project with both the Manx Heritage Foundation and the Manx Museum and both have been very encouraging and both are keen for me to complete my manuscript.

Many thanks in anticipation, and with Kind regards,

Bob Stimpson

Douglas

(postal address available on request)

Editors Notes

Thank you for your contributions to the Newsletter. We enjoyed meeting up with some of you at the AGM. We hope that you have been enjoying the lovely weather and getting out and about. Christmas seems so far behind us as we head for Spring and hopefully a good Summer.

If when you send me any thing for the newsletter , you could send it in Times Roman 10 it would be a great help.

I hope you will enjoy a Poem from Maisies Poem Book.

Mary Kneen

Dates for your Diary 2008

L.M.S. Annual Lunch 18/ 04 /2009 at the Bonnington Hotel , London.

( Details in March Newsletter 2009 see Dinner booking form)

A Bit of a Do/Cooish at Enfield 2009
Stewart would like to invite any members of the LMS who would like to come, to his home for a 'Bit of a Do' / Cooish on Sunday 7th June 2009 from 12.30 onwards. Food and drink will be provided but the odd bottle is always welcome. For directions please ring me on 020 8363 3343 or e-mail me at keristal@mac.com details will also be on the website nearer the time.

YOUNG MANXIES

Also see Future Events Page at www.londonmanxsociety.com

Further details contact mailto:Sallynewson@hotmail.com

Or mobile 07704 927994

Look forward to seeing you there!

www.londonmanxsociety.com

updated 28^th March 2009 by www.kneen.com Return to events

NEWSLETTER – December 2008

Late addition due to the A.G.M. on 9^th March 2009

5. The Society shall have a President, an Honorary Secretary, an Honorary Treasurer, an Honorary Publications Officer and an Honorary Auditor. The executive power of the Society shall be in the hands of a Committee consisting of not more than twelve members, including the President, the immediate Past-President, the Honorary Secretary, the Honorary Treasurer and the Honorary Publications Officer. All Officers and Committee Members shall be elected for a period of one year at the Annual General Meeting of the Society. All nominations for office must have the consent of the nominees and must be in the hands of the Honorary Secretary fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting. Any office, apart from that of President, which becomes vacant during the year shall be filled, on a provisional basis, by a member nominated by the Committee. If the office of President becomes vacant during the year, the immediate Past President shall be invited to carry out the duties of President until the next Annual General Meeting. No President shall serve more than three consecutive terms of office

Web-master : Brian Kneen dated 9^th February 2009

Mhelliah 2008

The Annual Mhelliah Thanksgiving Service was held on Saturday 4 October 2008 at our usual venue, the Parish Church of St Bartholomew the Less, West Smithfield. The service this year had many prayers and responses from the Celtic Tradition, and we were welcomed by our President, Stewart Christian, who also read the lesson. The Rev Ben Rhodes Chaplain of Barts and the London NHS Trust officiated, but the highlight for many of us is when Maisie Sell recites the Lord’s Prayer in Manx, learnt over 70 years ago at Peel Clothworker’s School. We sang the traditional hymns including the Manx Fishermen’s Evening Hymn and Isle of Man, home beloved with words by J W Gelling.

After singing the Manx National Anthem members made their way to the newly named Park Hotel (but always the Bonnington to us) and were pleased to welcome a new member, Barbara Stott (formerly Reid) and it was lovely to see Heather Qualtrough, whose parents still live in Castletown, and we hadn’t seen for a while. We all enjoyed the warm buffet of chicken in black bean sauce, pasta, gougons and mixed salads, followed by a variety of gateaux, cheese and biscuits.

The guest speaker, The Right Revered Graham Knowles, Dean of St Pauls, and recent Bishop of Sodor and Man entertained us all with his stirring rendition of the Grace in Manx, and gave us a most interesting and amusing account of his tenure as Bishop from the moment the brown envelope dropped through his letterbox! Required to recite the Grace in the Manx language at his first session in Tynwald, he practised and achieved 7/10 rating from a well known MHK! His rating had risen to 10/10 by the time he delivered it on Tynwald Day, and we also learned about the best ankle competition for all members in knee britches – which stood the Dean in good stead when he moved to the city of London!

Having spent 4-5 years involved with Island affairs the Rt Rev Knowles hoped that one of his legacies would be the continued use of the many keeils and crosses throughout the Island, as places for devotion and prayer. He told us feels that the Isle of Man has a unique beauty and tradition as well as a great sphere of influence in the world of finance. He hoped that the Island would continue to promote itself in the outside world, being, as it is, the “centre of the universe!”

There followed the Annual Manx Quiz set by Paul Garbutt who was unable to join us this year, but who sets these quizzes for every Mhelliah, and they are greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all members. Christine and Terence Brack won 1^st prize, which was a beautiful Christmas pudding made by our President. Recognising the number of raffle prizes as a familiar feature at Manx gatherings, the Dean sportingly assisted Stewart Christian to call out the winning numbers before hastening away to resume his duties at St Pauls.

The 2008 Mhelliah closed with a heartfelt rendition of Ellan Vannin – the usual conclusion of events at London Manx Society.

Mavis Bell

Visit to Geffrye Museum and Charterhouse

Stewart, our President, had arranged a splendid day out for members on Saturday 13 September 2008, with a visit to the Geffrye Museum in Shoreditch, followed by a guided tour of Sutton’s Hospital, Charterhouse, near the Barbican. Geffrye Museum is set in a long line of fine almshouses, surrounded by mature trees and gardens, and it specialises in domestic interiors from the 1600’s for the “middling sort”. This expression caught the attention of many members, who always thought “middling” to be a typical Manx expression! In this context, however, middling is the early name for the new middle class population, and we passed through a sequence of rooms for each period, comparing the furniture and décor used by the middling sort from 1600 up to the present day.

After the Great Fire of London, the large hall, so much a feature of the Jacobean age, was replaced by a dining room and the parlour, where families gathered and received their guests. The new Whig Londoners set great store by appearances and wished to demonstrate their new wealth and standing by building huge country houses with large parks and gardens. The Georgians carefully blended colour and pattern with impeccable taste. This was in evident contrast to the Victorians who put different patterns on the carpet, dado, curtains, wallpaper and ceiling – all too much for modern taste.

The 20^th Century rooms were housed in the new modern wing, where we admired the Arts and Crafts style, Art Deco and right through to the 60s G plan furniture – very familiar to those of us who started married life with just these interiors! The Museum serves excellent light lunches, and afterwards we were pleased to meet the girl working in the shop, who spotted our Manx badges and told us that her Grandfather had been Mr Wilson, well known Principal of King William’s College, for many years.

Arriving at Sutton’s Hospital in Charterhouse, we were given a programme for the tour specially printed for the London Manx visit by our Guide, James Thomas, Master of Charterhouse. He spoke of the ancient site as a place of surprises and we knew that he meant as we passed through narrow doorways into long cloisters, shaded courts and gardens, the Chapter House with its vaulted roof, ending in the Great Chamber, faithfully restored after the 2^nd World War.

The land was originally acquired in 1314 to bury victims of the Black Death, and shortly after 24 monks of the Carthusian order began to live there, with lay brothers to care for them. Really they were a community of hermits, and we saw the small feeding hatches where food was deposited for the silent monks in their tiny cells. Those led out to the Norfolk Cloister, along which they attended the Church services during the day. Later on, this long cloister was where the Charterhouse School boys played Cloister Football, the equivalent of the Eton Wall game. In 1534, 16 of the monks were martyred when they refused to recognise Henry VIII as head of the church. We saw their memorial, in Chapel Court, where damage in World War II revealed the site of the original Priory Church.

Thames Sutton built a Tudor house on the site when the monks departed, and Charterhouse School took up residence in 1611. They moved to Godalming in 1872, after which Merchant Taylor’s School used the site until 1933. It mentions its connection with education to the present day as part of the University of London and the Medical College of St Barts Hospital. Boasting a venerable list of royal patrons and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Charterhouse is home to around 50 retired single gentlemen of modest means. They are still referred to as brothers but have no religious or Masonic affiliation.

Having been a masculine domain over the centuries it shows no signs of being penetrated by any female influence in the foreseeable future! We all commentated on how fortunate the brothers are living in this historic, peaceful place, hidden from the busy streets of London. We had all enjoyed the most interesting day out, which will be remembered for a long time to come. Sincere thanks to Stewart for giving members such a treat.

Mavis Bell

Annual General Meeting 2009

The notice for our next Annual General meeting is enclosed with this newsletter. The meeting will be held on Monday 9^th March 2.00pm at No 1 Cornhill, London EC3V 3ND. These are the offices of the Manx Government in London and they have very kindly allowed us to use them. If you intend to come I must have your names as the Manx Government insist on knowing numbers. We will meet at St Martins in the Fields, Trafalgar Square at 11.30am for a tour of the altered buildings, then have lunch there before taking a bus to Cornhill for the meeting.

Please contact me either by phone (01372 740 988) or email manxrose@googlemail.com or by mail at 24A Heathcote Road, Epsom Surrey KT18 5DX.

Rose Fowler

WHEN NEXT IN LIMASSOL

Visit the Bay Tree restaurant for an excellent and reasonable meal We were delighted to find this restaurant next to our hotel flying the Manx flag and featuring such Cypriot delicacies as Manx kipper pate on its menu, and even more pleased to find it run by the Kewins, formerly of the Viking hotel, Castletown. Needless to say we had a good jaw about the island (of Man of course) and found that we shared many mutual friends. The Kewins kindly gave us a bottle of Cypriot wine for our Bring&Buy sale at the next Mhellia. The address of the restaurant is The Bay Tree, 235 I Esta House, Archbishop Makarios Avenue, Xanika Enaerious Complex, 3106 Limassol, Cyprus, telephone 00 357 2559 0504, e-mail: BayTree@Cytanet.com.cy

Bryan Corrin

For the attention of Mary Kneen, London Manx Society

Dear Mary,

I am writing to you in the hope that you or some of your friends in the London Manx Society may know of some inventive Manxmen and women, which I may not have tracked down yet.

If any of your members has any information, no matter how sketchy, I will be able to compare it with the information I already have on the 350 or so inventors and their 800 patents

I have already discussed the project with both the Manx Heritage Foundation and the Manx Museum and both have been very encouraging and both are keen for me to complete my manuscript.

Many thanks in anticipation, and with Kind regards,

Bob Stimpson

Douglas

(postal address available on request)

Dear All,

            I've just had a telephone call from Sam, to say that Dorothy Garbutt had called him this morning to tell him the sad news that Paul passed away yesterday. Sam is actually moving house today so won't be online for some days so he has asked me to let all those I had e-mail addresses for know. If in turn you can let other LMS members know we would be grateful.

            Dorothy is going to let Sam know the funeral arrangements and we will try and let as many members know as soon as we can.

            Regards,     Stewart.

News of members

We are still getting the odd Newsletter returned at each issue due “not known “ at this address. Please

Do inform us of your new address, it does save us a lot of work and expenditure. This also applies to new applicants wishing to join and do not follow through the joining application form.

Editor: Mary Kneen

Subscriptions

These are due before end of February 2009 for non – life members as per enclosed payment slip. If you paid by direct debit last year then please do so, this does ease the workload.

Editor

Poppy Appeal Pedal to Paris 2008 – Ride Report by Paul Harding

Take a peek at the video clip (this one’s from my camera, a few miles from the end) of the whole group - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RqPKeYlXWs . I had some catching up to do, so was in a bit of a hurry to shut the camera down and get going again.

My photos are uploaded to Facebook – here’s the link; http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=36660&l=061c5&id=636558919

This year’s ride to Paris was a tougher one than usual, due to the weather. Wet and windy weather – and head winds at that – do not make for easy riding. Small wonder then that we were only too glad to get to our daily destination, shower and change. So a short report for 2008…

Some things I can still recall are;

Being utterly cold, wet and miserable at Sellindge – but nevertheless, getting hold of that bike and gritting my teeth after a short rest break. And yelling ‘Bring it onnnnn!!! As I left in the wind and rain, with teeth all a-chatter.

Being blown up Folkestone hill by the strongest tail wind ever (our route from Folkestone to Dover goes mostly north east – the rest of the ride is either south easterly (London – Folkestone) or south.

Arriving in Dover just in time for the first ferry, so there was not enough time for a swim in the leisure centre – except the first ferry was delayed due to the bad weather an hour.

The really nice hotel in Calais – the Meurice – our twin room had double doors into the shower and wash basin area.
At Abbeville, I was able to change in time to almost catch the last of the social (that is, ‘slow’) group as they left. Trying hard to catch them up, I got my right shoe lace caught in the chain, undoing the lace – and I’d forgotten to fill my water bottle. So I rode beside Nigel’s van (he’s our chief mechanic) and asked him to fill the bottle up on the move, which he did. Handing it back, he asked if there was anything else, so I suggested he might like to tie my shoelace as I continued to hold on to the open van door. Which he also did. No job too small for our Nigel!
How the weather improved – first, the rain easing off, then either I got stronger (or the wind dropped) towards the end of the third day.
The welcome at Auchy La Montagne – such a small village, but what a welcome! Singing there two verses of ‘God Save the Queen’ followed by La Marsellaise.
Parading the Chorleywood & Chenies’ standard at Calais, Abbeville, Beauvais, where I recited the Exhortation in English, then French followed by a dip as act of homage.
The veteran’s society of Sagy, where we had lunch on the last day – they brought out about 8 US jeeps to control the town’s traffic, and were all in US Army 1945 uniform. Amazing.
Turning the corner at the bottom of Le Grande Armee and seeing the Arc.. the road closed to traffic, and our pace controlled by four of the French attendant cars in front of us, as we rode over the cobbles up to L’ Etoile, where I -
Met Suzanne, my wife and Gemma, our daughter and drinking the best beer, at the best place and in the best company in the world.

I just noticed, there are no dates in this. So we started at the General Wolfe statue at Greenwich Park, 8.00 am Thursday 4^th September and arrived at 3.22 pm (local time) at the Arc de Triomphe. A little tired, and much fitter than when we set off!

Have you read ‘Spoken Here’? It’s a book about languages in danger of extinction, and Manx was chapter 3 (I think). I recall one passage – ‘Tre cabble me ta bemmera; tra too janoo yn ushty’, which (forgive the spelling!) translates as ‘It’s a good horse that f0rts when it p1sses’. I changed the ‘a’ there for a teeny ‘0’, and the ‘i’ for a teeny ‘1’, to slide past security…. And that’s about the sum total of my Manx vocabulary.

Paul Harding

Brookfield Construction (UK) Ltd

High Wycombe Town Centre Extension

Western House

Mendy Street

High Wycombe

HP11 2NZ

Mobile 07877 805111

telephone 01494 492556

paul.harding@brookfieldeurope.com

www.brookfieldeurope.com

Autumn Walking Festival

I decided to combine a trip to the Island to see family with the walking festival held at the beginning of October.

There is a choice of 4 walks each day (3.5 miles up to 10 miles.) The whole event was easy to book and very well managed. There were 2 leaders to each walk – all volunteers. The organiser Mick Salmon had it all in hand from the welcome and meal on the Thursday evening to the final evening.

The first day, I walked from Colby via Ballakilpheric to Castletown, Colby Glen was particularly beautiful. Next day South Barrule, knee deep in heather and quite difficult. Finishing on Sunday taking the train to Santon, a walk to Port Grenaugh, through Santon Gorge (wow – the mud) to Derbyhaven.

Each evening we were entertained; first a Manx evening with lovely slides of birds, flowers butterflies and moths on the Calf, then a jazz night and finally a ceilidh which sent me home tired but happy.

Well worth trying if you like walking.

Rambling Rose

Editors Notes.

Here we are almost at Christmas again. As I sit here getting this newsletter ready, the sun is shining and it’s a cold brisk winter’s day. Good to be alive and in good health We hope that you will all have a lovely Christmas and New Year with your loved ones. We hope to meet up with you all again at functions in 2009. Thank you for your contributions for the newsletter, and for the lovely comments we get about it. Christmas is a lovely time to remember good friends and good times, but also to remember there are others who will not be with their loved ones. My thoughts at this time of the year are with our armed forces wherever they are.

Mary Kneen

Dates for your Diary 2008

Xmas get together. Sally has planned a get together at the All Bar One in Leicester Square for the 27^th November 7pm to 9pm. Contact Sally m 07704927994 or email Sally sallynewson@frazerjones.com

L.M.S. A.G.M. to be held at No 1 Cornhill opposite the Bank of England on 9^th March 2009

These are the offices rented by the Manx Government in London and they have very kindly allowed us to use them for our meetings.

L.M.S. Annual Lunch 18/04/2009 at the Bonnington , London. ( Details in March Newsletter 2009)

YOUNG MANXIES

Also see Future Events Page at www.londonmanxsociety.com

Further details contact mailto:Sallynewson@hotmail.com

Or mobile 07704 927994

Look forward to seeing you there!

www.londonmanxsociety.com

NEWSLETTER – September 2008

London Manx Cooish at Merton School on 22^nd June 2008

About 12 people met at London Bridge Station to catch the train to Sidcup at 12.25 pm. The weather was fine and everyone was in a good mood. When we arrived at Sidcup station there was a minibus taxi that could carry 8 of us, so the other 4 walked to Merton Court School.

Quite a crowd of people awaited us, friends and relatives of Chris & his mother, Mrs Price. A delicious barbecue was in full swing, with caterers providing a choice of 3 different vats of barbecued food, consisting of rice, pasta, chicken, seafood, etc., with ice cream to follow.

Some of us took a walk through the wooded grounds of the school. There was a raffle with great prizes, raising the sum of £260.00. Chris had song sheets for us to sing The Manx National Song and Ellan Vannin. Margaret Brady did the honours, accompanying us on the piano. She had very kindly brought the London Manx song booklets with her on the train, but unfortunately we did not sing any songs out of them. Thank you very much for taking the trouble to bring them, Margaret.

After lots of chat, a lovely time was had by all. Mrs Price very kindly arranged lifts to the station for us all. A very big thank-you to Chris Price and Mrs Price for a wonderful afternoon.

Pam Fiddik

TYNWALD DAY PICNIC 2008

In spite of dire weather warnings, a cheerful group of London Manx met at Victoria Station on 5 July 2008 clutching picnics and brollies, and boarded the train for Beckenham. Bryan and Sheila Corrin had kindly offered their house and garden for our Tynwald Picnic, and although it is only a short walk from Beckenham Junction station Bryan had brought the car for less able members. About 23 members sat in the beautiful garden to the rear of the house, where tables and chairs had been set out by our thoughtful hosts, and drinks were served.

Sheila cooked the kippers in a huge pan which were particularly delicious, and a popular addition to the assorted picnics and contributions we had brought to share. At one point some lovely strawberry tarts were circulated, made by Sheila, and the final luxury and memorable touch (as far as my husband was concerned) was when our hostess served ice cream cornets to everyone in the garden.

The sun flitted in and out of the clouds, some toured the garden and others sat and chatted together - conversation is never in short supply on these occasions! Of course we indulged in a few old Manx songs and the National Anthem before folk started to leave for home. Standing outside Bryan and Sheila’s beautiful Victorian house we noticed the date 1864 high on the gable and speculated about who was Prime Minister at that time. (Bryan was right it was Viscount Palmerston!) They have lived there for over 30 years and certainly Bryan and Sheila chose a great place in which to bring up their family, and lead their busy professional lives.

So we celebrated our National Day in style in beautiful surroundings and thank the Corrins for their generous hospitality. It was a happy occasion and we even got home without a soaking!

Mavis Bell

Cooish at Enfield, August 10^th

Those members who had to remain in August to keep the capital going (OK, we couldn’t afford the fare to the Isle of Man) gathered in the garden of our President, Stewart Christian, for a traditional chin-wag and exchange of news on Sunday, August 10^th and benefited greatly from Stewart’s interest in cookery. The wise went easy on the preliminary snacks as these were followed by a miscellany of fine dishes – smoked salmon, ham, beef salad, coronation chicken, strawberries, blueberries and cherries, Eton Mess and fine cheeses accompanied by Pimm’s, wines of every shade, beer and a variety of home-made soft drinks. And if this wasn’t enough, we then went on to Stewart’s homemade fruit loaf and tea, the bread made to Stewart’s grandmother’s recipe. The inner man more than satisfied, we then had a personally conducted tour of Stewart’s Manx memorabilia, which his friends have dubbed the Manx Museum and Library annexe, with some justification. A memorable outing indeed and the weather held for us throughout.

Bryan Corrin.

Manx Radio - Manx Societies - New Radio Programme

Manx Radio are launching a new request show in September 2008 that will be broadcast live from 17.00 - 20.00 every Sunday afternoon across the Isle of Man on AM and FM and around the world on the internet. It’s intended that requests and messages be passed to and from the Isle of Man to far flung locations with particular focus on the Manx Societies. It is hoped that our members will contribute to the programme and further details and a reminder will follow in the September newsletter.

Radio

I do not usually have the radio on during the morning, but one of my sons rang to tell me to listen to Radio 4 one day last month.

When Mark Kermode was presenting readings by different people, and included a recording of his grandfathers reading or reciting a piece beloved by us all. The excerpt from T.E. Brown’s “Betsy Lee” – “ Now the beauty of the thing when children plays…. What a delight to listen to, and over to soon”

I expect I am not the only one who enjoyed it.

Maise Sell

Another Quilliam

Members will be familiar with Captain John Quilliam, first lieutenant to Hardy and Nelson on the latter’s flagship at Trafalgar but may not know of one of his reputed descendants who achieved fame in other spheres. William Henry Quilliam was born in 1856 in Liverpool and in 1882-3 after qualifying as a solicitor he went to Morocco where he became profoundly interested in Islam. In 1887 he proclaimed himself a Muslim, taking the name Abdullah.

Returning to Liverpool, he began to spread Islam among the masses, establishing a Liverpool Mosque and Islamic Institute in 1889. This was England's first mosque, accommodating around a hundred Muslims, It was followed by a Muslim college, which offered courses for both Muslims and non-Muslims. A weekly Debating and Literary Society within the college attracted many non-Muslim intellectuals.

Quilliam influenced the paths of many converts, including his formerly Methodist mother, his sons, and prominent scientists and intellectuals and his example lead to the conversion of over 150 Englishmen to Islam.

An active writer and essayist, he produced a weekly paper, The Crescent, from 1893 until 1908. He published three editions of his masterpiece, The Faith of Islam, which was translated into thirteen languages.

He received many honours from the leaders of the Islamic world. He was appointed Sheikh al-Islam of the British Isles by the Ottoman Sultan in 1894 and Persian Consul to Liverpool by the Shah. He also received money from the Emir of Afghanistan to fund the Islamic Institute in Liverpool. Western Muslims see him as a pioneer of the path they have taken. His legacy is maintained by the Abdullah Quilliam Society which was formed in 1996. The Quilliam Foundation, a moderate Muslim thinktank aimed at challenging extremist islamist ideologies, was launched in 2008.

This much I have learnt from a leaflet I picked up in Liverpool advertising a new Abdullah Quilliam Heritage Centre, address: 2 Lodge Lane, Liverpool L8 0QH, telephone 0151 709 6567. Derek Costain advised me to google Islam Woking and there I learnt of another mosque founded later by Quilliam in Woking, Surrey. This mosque claims to be the first in Britain on the grounds that it was built as a mosque whereas the Liverpool mosque took over a former Temperance Hall (a movement doomed in Liverpool but highly appropriate for Islam).

Derek Costain has also provided me with the section in Manx Worthies on William Henry (Abdullah) Quilliam, also known as Professor Henri Marcel (Mustapha) Leon. Manx Worthies gives a much fuller account of the man, after reading which I conclude that although he may have become a sincere Muslim in other respects he seems to have been the complete Conman, and may not have been a Quilliam at all nor of Manx descent . The reputed descent from John Quilliam RN is disputed because this seafarer is not known to have had any children. Manx Worthies quotes William Henry Quilliam’s grandson, who became convinced that grandpa was born Henri von Trebich und Leon in Trebich, Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic, then in the Austro-Hungarian empire), took part in an uprising against the empire, fled to Trieste and jumped on the first ship out, which brought him to Liverpool. There he took the name of a 12-month old infant from a tombstone, obtained the child’s birth certificate and used the name Quilliam as his own. The grandson, apparently disgusted with this deception, changed his name from Quilliam to that of his mother, a Kerruish (not listed as one of Quilliam’s five wives). The grandson has apparently conferred with the family of the dead infant Quilliam and learnt that they think it all a huge joke.

The story goes on: William Henry (Abdullah) Quilliam was an accomplished linguist and in 1919 under the name Professor Henri M Leon, Dean of the London College of Philology he gave a paper in the Isle of Man on the Manx language to an international society of philology meeting there. He was recognised as Quilliam by the local Manx as he had bought a house in Onchan (Woodland Towers) in 1904 and was debarred from further participation in the conference.

As Quilliam he had a very successful solicitor’s practice in Liverpool but in 1908 he was struck off the English solicitors’ roll for having falsified evidence in a divorce case. He fled the country to resurface in Turkey, where on the outbreak of war he was well placed to spy for the Allies. After the war he returned to Onchan and with his red fez was well known around the village, scandalizing the Manx with his multiple marriages. He continued to use Woodland Towers until taken ill, dying in London in 1932 and being buried with full Muslim rites at Brookwood cemetery, Woking.

Manx Worthies concludes that to this day no-one can be certain of Quilliam/Leon’s true identity. My opinion? Surely he was Manx. There’s one of those in every Manx village.

Bryan Corrin.

Our membership list

Sam Weller

Walking Holiday in the Island

On Friday 27^th June 14 intrepid ramblers flew to the Island. Our plane landed 20 minutes early – no traa-dy-lioor there. We took the bus to Port Erin where we were staying for 3 days, then off to Castletown to explore Castle Rushen. They all thought that was fascinating but next day when they caught the train to Port St. Mary, they couldn’t get over finding Thomas the Tank Engine waiting to take them to Port St. Mary.

We walked to the Chasms and heard all the tales of jewellery hidden to save it from the roundheads, of King Orry being killed by the Irish. On to the Sound where we had Manx broth and watched the seals flop into the water when a ginny diver alerted them that fish was below. Back to Port Erin round the coast.

Went to Silverdale next day – all had a go on the swings and even one on the slide – memories of Sunday school picnics– then up the glen and back to Whitestone pub for lunch.

Bags went on ahead to Douglas where we stayed for 4 days. We took the train to Port Soderick and walked along the very altered Marine Drive. Tower of Refuge and Sir William Hillary. Horse Trams to take us to the hotel. Electric car to Groudle and we walked down the glen. Laxey where we went to the wheel then up to Agneish and back to Laxey while some went up Snaefell. St. Johns and Peel, House of Mannanin and some went by bus to Glen Maye and walked round back to Peel. Last day a quick visit to Ramsey, visiting the Mooragh and ending up at the Grove.

All went home very impressed with the scenery, the people, the history and believe it or not, the weather! We all came back sunburnt. Pouring rain before we arrived and pouring rain after we left. Obviously Mannanin doesn’t think we are very important.

Rose Fowler

MARY WELLER AWARD 2008

Foxdale School has agreed to enter for the Mary Weller Award this year, and I expect to receive their submissions by the end of September. Hopefully we can put some of the children’s work on display for members to read at the Mhelliah on 11 October 2008.

Mavis Bell

News of Members

We welcome Mrs B. Stott , from Hampshire who has joined us this month. We hope to meet her sometime at one of our functions.

Member… Thelma Small sent us two old photo’s of the LMS functions back in 1920 recently. Due being photo’s these will go on the LMS web-site only in due course ,once I have replied to Thelma Small.

eb – Master : Brian Kneen

We are still getting the odd Newsletter returned at each issue due “not known “ at this address. Please

Do inform us of your new address, it does save us a lot of work and expenditure. This also applies to new applicants wishing to join and do not follow through the joining application form.

Editor: Mary Kneen

Yesterday with the London Manx Society

Mrs. Thelma Small has sent us some old Photo’s from the 1930’s and 1950’s. Her Grandfather was President 1920 – 21 / 1924 – 25 / 1937 – 38 and Secretary 1918 – 1920 was George Robertson.

I know it is a tall order but Thelma would like to know if anyone knows the persons in the 1950’s photo. I will put the known names below each photo. The quality of the photos is not very good.

Brian Kneen

1930’s L.M.S. Play ; Thelma’s mother D.May Brown ( nee Robertson ) is on the front row with a cat on her lap.

The 1950 L.M.S. Function photo below back row your left to right are W.S. Bill Rosee his wife Millie Rosee / next person unknown ??? plus sitting person. Sitting left to right Evelyn Harrison and next to her Beth Clucas.

Standing on the right Day Brown ( nee Robertson ) and husband of Beth Geof Clucas

Obituary

AM WRITING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MARY COTTIER DIED ON SATURDAY THE 9TH AUGUST 2008 AT ABBOTSWOOD NURSING HOME BALLASALLA, ISLE OF MAN HAVING SUFFERED FOR MANY YEARS .

I THINK SHE WAS A FOUNDER MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY AND HOPEFULLY MANY OF THE OLDER MEMBERS WILL REMEMBER HER.

I WOULD BE GRATEFUL OF YOU COULD KINDLY TELL CHARLES KEGGIN - I HAVE LOST HIS NUMBER AND I AM SURE, HE WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARY AND THE PARTIES SHE GAVE THE SOCIETY AND TRIPS SHE ORGANISED IN KENSINGTON WHEN SHE LIVED THERE!

P. S. Funeral was at Lezayre Church on Tuesday the 12th August where she was buried with her late parents! I would be so grateful if you could inform any one concerned

Thank you.

Christine Teare

Editor

Dates for your Diary 2008

Saturday 13th September “ Tour of the Charter House, Charter House Square, London. details were published in the June News Letter ( contact Stewart Christian on Tel # 020 8363 3343 )

Saturday 4^th October “ The Mhellia “ again details and proforma enclosed with this newsletter.

Stewart Christian

YOUNG MANXIES

Also see Future Events Page at www.londonmanxsociety.com

Further details contact mailto: Sallynewson@hotmail.com

Or mobile 07704 927994

Look forward to seeing you there!

www.londonmanxsociety.com

updated 9^th September 2008 by www.kneen.com

NEWSLETTER – June 2008

ANNUAL LUNCH 5^th April

The well known and popular couple Jack and Pat Corrin were guests of honour at our Annual Lunch in the newly named “Park Inn” (alias the Bonnington Hotel). It was a return visit to the LMS by our guests, who were both members in 1956, and whilst regretting the absence of long term member Paul Garbutt, were pleased to see Maisie Sell again, and other familiar faces including Rose Fowler, Brian Corrin, Derek Costain and Ivy Kewley. After the Grace by Preston, everybody enjoyed the meal of mixed melon and citrus fruit cocktail and escalope of turkey, followed by apple and berry pie and ice cream - the only criticism being that our Toast Master had finished his meal before the tardy arrival of the sauce! Outgoing President Chris Price raised a Toast to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Lord of Man and Margaret Brady used the keyboard for the singing of the Manx National Anthem. Margaret always plays for us, and also provided the pretty miniature roses for the centre of the tables.

In giving the Toast to Land of our Birth, I dipped in the annals of the Society revealing how previous members held their meetings. Lady Raglan would wear a diamond tiara, and one lady sang to the accompaniment of a military band! Dramatic productions and Christmas parties for as many as 300, were popular events, as well as Cinderella Balls and blackberry picnics. We were amused by a poem sent by Tom Lamb of Huntington, that included a list of Manx surnames - “Go to darkest Africa, or even far Japan, he’ll says his name is Kelly, and he’s from the Isle of Man!”

Chris Price toasted the Guests, expressing his confidence in the future of the Society in the hands of Sally Newson and her friends, who are our future. He created a clever analogy with the family car and the moment you have to trust it into the hands of the next generation! Our guest of honour Jack Corrin CBE said that the last LMS dinner he had attended was as a national serviceman on 5 May 1956. He had kept the menu from that occasion and was pleased to say that little had changed in customs and procedure, including the translation of the menu into Manx a service now rendered by Brian Stowell. He had also kept the programmes of the dramatic productions performed by members of the Society, and by Pat in particular, who was at Bedford College, going onto the Guildhall School of Speech and Drama. The producer was Sam’s mother, Mary Weller, and Jack spoke of his confusion, as he knew that her son’s name was Edward. Sam explained that his headmaster had used the name “Sam Weller” as used in Dickens, and the nickname had stuck! We were all intrigued when Jack then produced an old programme for London Manx Diamond Jubilee celebrations, where Pat played in “Arsenic and Old Lace”, there was a recitation by Maisie Sell, and the young Edward Weller played a violin solo!

We all enjoyed the joke about the man from Port Erin who arrived in Douglas Station with masses of luggage. “You’ve got a lot of suitcases there, Finlo” said the Station Master helping him along. “Yes, I’m off to Australia” he replied “But I’ve got the worst part of the journey over!!” Jack then recited everybody’s favourite bit of T E Brown, “The beauty of the thing when childer plays” and there would not be a person of Manx descent, who could not recite those verses with him. Pat then rose and gave us a poem from a collection entitled “Ellan My Chree” by Rose Fowler’s mother Elizabeth Callow. (Rose has since sent me a copy of these poems which are about all aspects of living on the Island and make wonderful reading). After a lifetime of public service at the Manx Bar, and as Attorney General, Jack spoke, with pride, of all the Island had achieved during that time. The finance sector is respected throughout the world and he had seen many new schools built, new Courts of Justice, the incinerator and sewage works, as well as the new hospital and prison.

Members had greatly enjoyed listening to Jack’s speech, and our Treasurer presented them with a cheque for £100 towards Blind Welfare, the charity Jack and Pat Corrin have supported for many years. Chris Price then handed over the regalia to our new President, Stewart Christian. Stewart, who lives and works in Enfield, has already proved his knowledge about the Island by winning the quiz at the Mhelliah. He is an enthusiastic collector of china from the Isle of Man, and with his ready smile and friendly personality, we are confident that the Society will be in good hands!

All members responded by bringing more than 50 items for the raffle, and past President Chris Price had worked his magic from many Manx shops and businesses including return tickets on the Steam Packet, vouchers for Marks & Spencer and a meal at the Mount Murray, to name but a few. Thanks to Chris for his efforts on our behalf, and we wish we knew his secret.

It was time for members and guests to join in the singing of Ellan Vannin to bring the proceedings to a close, and to return home in daylight after, what one member described, as one of the happiest London Manx events they had ever attended.

Mavis Bell

Another Manxman at Trafalgar.

Most Manx people have heard of Captain Quilliam of Castletown who served under Nelson in HMS ‘Victory’ in the Battle of Trafalgar. While the battle raged Admiral Nelson is reputed to have called down the hatch: - “How are things below, Quilliam? And received the very Manx response: - “Middling, my Lord, Middling.”

Recently in perusing a hefty tome on Trafalgar, I was surprised to learn that another Manxman distinguished himself in the battle.

He was Lieutenant Robert B Young, in command of the captured French cutter “Entreprenante,”

Seventy foot long, with crew of 35 seamen, 2 midshipmen, a second master and a surgeon.

Young was 32, and had survived the loss of HMS “Colossus” when she sank with Sir William Hamilton’s famous collection of antique vases.

The “Entreprenante” was with the British fleet during Trafalgar and the subsequent storm, and picked up 157 Frenchmen (mostly from the French ship “Achilli”) who were naked and in a wretched state. “ Entreprenante” was in trouble, with torn sales and some flooding.

Young hoisted a distress signal, but no help came, and the ship narrowly avoided being wrecked on the rocks.

Eventually Young managed to persuade the captain of the HMS ‘Orion’ to take on board the load of rescued French Sailors, our Young went on to locate the wreck of the ‘Rayo’ and rescue the RN men out of the wrecked ‘Bahama.’

As the “ Entreprenante” was a fast ship, Young had expected that it would be selected by Nelson to take the tidings of the Victory to England, in which case he would have been raised to the rank of Post- Captain.

But Young was bitterly disappointed, as Admiral Collingwood ( who took command of the fleet on the death of Nelson) decided that this task should be performed by the schooner “Pickle” and that “Enterprenante” should have the lesser honour of taking duplicates of Collingwood’s dispatches to the British Consul-General in Portugal.

If anyone wishes to read this story in greater detail, the book referred to is :- Trafalgar- The Man, the Battle, the Storm. By Jim Clayton and Phil Craig. Published by Hodeter and Stoughton, London 2004.

Paul Garbutt.

News of members

We are still getting the odd Newsletter returned at each issue due “not known “ at this address. Please

Do inform us of your new address, it does save us a lot of work and expenditure. This also applies to new applicants wishing to join and do not follow through the joining applications.

Editor

Obituaries

Mr, Brew James Alfred, Died peacefully in hospital on the 9^th March 2008. Beloved father of Elaine and Grandfather of Louis. Cremation at Golders Green Crematorium on Thursday 20^th March at 4 p.m. No flowers, but donations please, to the British Legion.

Mr Paish W. Died during March (Life member ) Mr Shaw informed us 27^th March 2008 .

Rene Cogeen of the Wirral Manx Society has passed away during March .

Editor

"OUR MEMBERSHIP LIST

Sam Weller

COOISH AT SIDCUP

We are organising a Cooish on Sunday 22^nd June here at Merton Court School.

This is for Sunday 22^nd June so I hope we don’t have any Recabites or Bethel who will object. By now I think there is an established practice of where to gather before coming on to Sidcup. Be at London Bridge Station at 12.00am and the train leaves for Sidcup at 12.25pm. Our address is Merton Court School, 38 Knoll Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4QU.

Any supplementary raffle prizes (bottle of wine or box of chocs) would be welcome. I am in the throes of organising raffle prizes and already have received the kind donation of two foot passenger tickets from the Steam Packet.

Chris Price

TYNWALD PICNIC

As the 5th July falls on a Saturday this year, it would be nice if members could meet together with a picnic. Bryan Corrin has kindly offered us his garden in Beckenham again, so perhaps we could gather at 11.30 to catch the 11.51 Beckenham Junction train at Victoria Station. Either meet us on the train or at the bottom of the escalator leading down from the Wetherspoons outside W H Smith.

If you are travelling by car the address is:

14 Foxgrove Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 2AT, Telephone Bryan or Sheila for instructions - 0208 650 7029

I know that it falls rather close to the Cooish but do join us. It is a day for celebration after all!

A Bit of a Do or an Enfield Cooish

Further to chats with a few members I am proposing to host a Bit of a Do/Cooish at my home in Enfield on 10^thAugust 2008 from 12 noon onwards, something to eat and drink (all contributions gratefully received) plenty of skeet and a chance for everyone to have a look at my collection of all sorts of things to do with the Isle of Man, friends refer to it as the Manx Museum & Library Annexe.

The location details are………

53 Monks Close,

Enfield,

Middlesex,

EN2 8DZ

Tel: 020 8363 3343

e-mail keristal@mac.com

Now comes the fun bit! I have just acquired the new timetable for my local overground train service and right through the summer they are going to be working on the line at weekends which means there are replacement bus services operating. I’m sorry about this but even the President of the LMS can’t influence the rail companies.

Anyway, from studying the timetables the way to get to my place from town is as follows.

Take a Welwyn Garden City train from Kings Cross Mainline Station NOT underground, they depart at 11 and 41 minutes past the hour through the day. You can also pick the same train up at Finsbury Park Overground Station at 17 and 47 minutes past the hour. Alight at Alexandra Palace Station and pick up the connecting bus service for Hertford North, it leaves in 6 or 7 minutes. Get off the bus at Enfield Chase Station and my place is about ten minutes walk from there. Nearer the time I can provide people with maps of the walk from the station.

Alternatively you can take the Piccadilly Line to Oakwood Station, go to Oakwood Station Bramley Road Stop C and then take either the 121 bus towards Enfield Lock/Island Village or the 307 bus towards Brimsdown and alight at Enfield Chase Station, buses run every 7-11 minutes.

Anyone driving will either have to use Satnav or rely on their map reading skills, I’ve got space for a couple of cars but parking isn’t too bad in the road at weekends. I’ll have a flag out the window so you’ll know where I am.

I know it’s the main holiday time but I hope as many of you can make it will, the more the merrier and all comers are welcome.

Stewart.

Obituary

James Alfred Brew, who died in London on 9 March 2008, was born in Douglas in 1923 and educated at Douglas High School from where he moved on to Manchester College of Art and the Slade, interrupted by his wartime military service. He began his career as a stage set designer, later going into art teaching. From 1949 he was art master at St Joseph's, Blackheath, London where he stayed for 11 years, during that time enjoying a year's exchange in California. In the next 10 years he had spells at British services schools in Cyprus, where he had the fortunately rare experience of coming under fire while taking a class, and in Hong Kong. In 1973 he became Head of Art at Alleyn's School, Dulwich, where he stayed until his retirement in 1988 and where he designed and created a series of memorable theatrical stage sets.

Alfred (also known as Jim) held wonderful annual summer garden parties at his home in Islington, London, enabling family members and friends to meet and maintain contact.

Alfred turned his house into a unique environment filling it with objects he loved following his very developed eye for beauty.- a breathtaking and very growing creation, not made with any idea of collecting for its monetary value. Often his favourite pieces had little conventional value but displayed his own taste in elegance, proportion, decoration and interest.

Alfred had a lifelong interest in genealogy tracing his and others’ Manx roots as well as finding intriguing connections with other families. The fruits of much of his research are being donated to the Manx Museum, including digitally photographed records of his beautifully hand-drawn family trees, and some large hand-bound, hand-written tomes tracing Manx family histories. These are available to the public and one of these volumes donated in the 1990s is apparently a much-used resource for visitors to the Museum. Alfred also painted a mural of the Crucifixion in Pulrose Roman Catholic church, since demolished.

Alfred is survived by his daughter, Elaine and grandson, Louis, who live in Berlin.

A Visit to The Charterhouse 2.30 pm, Saturday 13^thSeptember 2008

I have just spoken to the Master of Charterhouse and unfortunately he is going to be away on the 20^th September but he is available on the 13^th to take us on a tour and give a talk on The Charterhouse himself.

Until January this year I was under the impression that The Charterhouse was a relatively small establishment of some form of almshouses for Old Boys of Charterhouse School (Carthusians), then I was invited to visit by the Master’s wife and discovered there is an awful lot more to it and I was very surprised at the size of the place it being so close to the City of London. I found it fascinating and hope that some of you can come and find out for yourselves.

As it is a charitable foundation there is a charge of £10 per person for a tour, I did ask but unfortunately there are no concessions, the price will include tea and refreshments at the end of the tour.

The easiest way to get there is to go to Barbican Underground Station, Hammersmith & City, Circle and Metropolitan Lines. When you come out of the station turn left then take the first turning on the left Carthusian Street, which takes you into Charterhouse Square and the Charterhouse itself is on the right hand side of the square.

With it being an afternoon visit I thought we could meet up somewhere else in the morning for a visit and lunch. I would like to suggest 10.30 –11 am at The Geffrye Museum, 136 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, E2 (between Pearson & Cremer Streets). It is a free museum and there is a restaurant there. You can get to it several ways, from Old Street Tube Station (exit 2) and take the 243 bus for a few stops or it’s roughly a 15 minute walk. Another way is to go to Liverpool Street Station and take either the 149 or 242 bus.

From Old Street to Barbican is a simple journey, one stop to Moorgate, change, then one stop to Barbican.

I would be very grateful if people can let me know in advance if they are interested in either or both of these suggestions.

Stewart

Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal

Last Thursday 15th May at RAF Duxford Maurice and I were each presented with the PINGAT JASA MALAYSIA medal by the Malaysia High Commission.

About 300 medals were presented to those living in Cambridgeshire and we were the only married couple to both get the medal, and I was the only woman there to get it in my own right at this ceremony as I can’t say for other counties. I felt proud to feel I was representing our Isle of Man.

Maureen and Maurice Wigley .

Footnote: Maureen was told that service personnel can still apply for this medal until Dec.2008.

Editor

Manx Radio - Manx Societies - New Radio Programme

It’s intended that requests and messages be passed to and from the Isle of Man to far flung locations with particular focus on the Manx Societies.

It is hoped that our members will contribute to the programme and further details and a reminder will follow in the September newsletter.

Wendy Kneen

Obituary

To The London Manx Society

I am writing on behalf of the members of the Wirral Manx Society, to inform your members of the death of Miss Irene (Rene) Cojeen on March 14 at the age of 97, peacefully in her sleep. Rene was-a founder member of our society from 1948 and had been our very efficient Secretary for many years, well into her eighties. We appreciated her tireless work on behalf of the Society. She was particularly proud of the work of our team of members who regularly visit patients from the Island undergoing treatment in the Oncology Department of Clatterbridge Hospital. She, herself, was such a hospital visitor for some forty years.

Although born in Birkenhead she was very proud of her Manx heritage, visiting the Island regularly over the years and writing letters daily to family and friends up to her death.

Her last years were spent very comfortably in Derwent Lodge Nursing Home, New Ferry overlooking the River Mersey with a splendid view of Liverpool.

From where she would join members for special meals and May teas.

When members visited she would enjoy catching up with events, her main concerns were the welfare of the Society and that the hospital visiting should continue.

Her funeral service is to be held at Tranmere Methodist Church, followed by cremation at Landican on Thursday 27 March. We will miss her very much; she was such a central part of our society.

Yours sincerely

Ann Bridson

Secretary

( Editor L.M.S.

This is a copy of the letter sent to Terence, I have taken off the address and telephone # )

The Barrow Manx Society

Kath Graves from the Barrow Manx Society has sent us a programme of their future events and a resume of their past year. They seem to have had a very lively year, with plenty of interesting walks and talks and visits to various venues.

Reading about a walk they hand planned for June 18th last year, it was rained off so we hope this years plans will be better for them.

It’s interesting to know that the Barrow Manx Society was going strong from 1905 when it was founded until 1965, it then lapsed and it was reformed in 1979, and they seem to be going very strong with approx 25+ members. They have sent me a detailed dairy of events 2007-2008, so some are still to come. I also have a programme for them, if anyone is interested. They have issued an open invitation to anyone going to Cumbria they will be made most welcome.

A Thought

Do all the good you can
In all the ways you can,
By all the means that you can,
To all the people that you can,
In all the places that you can,
For as long as you ever can.

I was sent this, the author is unknown, I just wanted to share it with you.

Editor

Note from the Editor

Thank you for your contributions to this newsletter. Once again can I ask you to send it to me in Times Roman 10, with single line spacing. I apologise for any mistakes in this issue, some of the articles we have had to type from hand written notes, so any errors are mine not the writer.

Thank you to the Committee for the card and good wishes sent to Brian (web master) who has had a total knee replacement operation, he now has a matching pair, and is recovering well. Thank you also to those who emailed and phoned.

As I am putting this newsletter together, the weather is wet and windy here in Wiltshire and a tad cold too. When you receive your newsletter it should be flaming June, somehow I can’t see it.

We hope you all enjoy the Summer?, and look forward to your contributions for the

September newsletter Which I would like by the middle of August please.

Mary Kneen

Dates for your Diary 2008

June 22nd : Cooish at Sidcup : Further details in this JUNE newsletter.

July 5th : Tynwald Picnic. Further details in this JUNE newsletter

August 10th; Bit of a Do or an Enfield Cooish :

Further details in this JUNE newsletter.

Saturday 13th September :-

“ Tour of the Charter House, Charter House Square, London. See details here in the June newsletter.

Saturday 4^th October “ The Mhellia “ again details will be published nearer the time.

Stewart Christian

YOUNG MANXIES

Also see Future Events Page at www.londonmanxsociety.com

Further details contact mailto: Sallynewson@hotmail.com

Or mobile 07704 927994

Look forward to seeing you there!

www.londonmanxsociety.com

updated 23^rd June 2008 by www.kneen.com

NEWSLETTER – March 2008

Annual General Meeting

Our A.G.M. was held at Greenwich on 1^st March. We went to Greenwich, where a number of us met beforehand at the National Maritime Museum, and enjoyed lunch there. Sixteen then gathered for the Meeting at the local Community and Arts Centre.

Our Hon. Treasurer reported a financial position very similar to that of the preceding year – i.e. annual expenditure slightly more than income , but very healthy overall.

Stewart Christian was elected President to succeed Christopher Price, who remains on our Committee ex-officio as Immediate Past President. Stewart will be installed as President during the Lunch on 5^th April.

The other members elected or co-opted to the Committee are Mavis Bell (Public Relations), Margaret Brady, Pam Fiddik, Rose Fowler, Paul Garbutt, Colin Gill, Preston Glass (Functions), Maron Honeyborne, Brian Kneen (Website), Mary Kneen (Newsletter, Membership, Data Protection), Sally Newson (Young Manx), Sam Weller (Hon. Treasurer).

Rose Fowler has kindly accepted appointment as Acting Secretary from 5^th April, to enable the Committee either to identify as soon as possible thereafter a new Hon. Secretary (who could then be confirmed at the

2009 A.G.M.), or to decide how to assign many of the duties to other Committee Members.

Terence Brack.

Our Guests-of-Honour on Saturday 5^th April

Enclosed with this Newsletter is the Notice about our Lunch on Saturday 5^th April, at our old friend the Bonnington, now renamed as the Park Inn Russell Square. We are very pleased that our Guests-of-Honour on this occasion are Jack and Pat Corrin, both so well known on the Island, and well known to some of our Members, I am sure. They will be accompanied by their daughter, Jane.

His Honour Jack Corrin C.B.E. was successively Attorney General, Second Deemster and First Deemster between 1974 and 1998. Subsequently he was Chairman of Merrill Lynch/BlackRock Investment Bank, from which post he has just retired. Jack, who is a Freeman of the Borough of Douglas, has been involved with a number of Manx Charities; has been Chairman of the Manx Blind Welfare Society and the Manx Workshop for the Disabled for 25 years or more: and is President of several others including Caring for Carers and Sailing for the Disabled. He is also a Trustee of the Manx Methodist Church.

Mrs Pat Corrin O.B.E. (née Lace) received her award for “Service to Manx Education and charity work”. Pat served on the Isle of Man Board of Education for 32 years; was Chairman of the Governors of Ballakermeen High School for 18 years, and Island Girl Guide Commissioner for ten years; and has been a Committee member and speech representative for the Guild for 30 years. Like her husband, she is Chairman or President of several charities or social organisations, most notably the Isle of Man Fund for the Blind (fund-raising). Between them, Pat is President of the Lon Vane Ladies Choir, and Jack of the Lon Dhoo Male Voice Choir.

All this public and charitable service to the Island has evolved in the fifty years since they bad farewell to the London Manx Society, of which they were members (Pat a Committee Member), when Pat was studying and teaching in London, and Jack doing his National Service. Asked two years ago for a ‘childhood memory’ each, Jack recalled “travelling on the train from Foxdale to Peel”, and Pat “walking to school carrying my gas mask in its cardboard box, fearing an imminent air-raid”.

We much look forward to their being with us; and clearly there will be ever so much that members will want to talk about with them.

Terence Brack

A few words on parting

I would like to write a few words, on behalf of Christine and myself, on the occasion of our loosening some of our ties with the Society. But this is only to the extent – albeit a significant extent, I know – that we are not continuing to be Officers or Committee Members. We still hope to be at some of the Society’s main events – airfares, and our new dog, permitting - and Members are always most welcome to contact us when visiting the Island.

Christine has been very pleased over the past few years to be sending Manx Roses (sadly the actual Island rose-growing operation is currently in abeyance), cards and words of cheer to those with the misfortune to be ill or bereaved; whilst I have been glad to assist these last two years with the Secretary’s tasks.

But, I always said that the latter could only be for two years. During this time it has become ever clearer to me that, whilst the e-mail era enables so much to be achieved from the middle of the Irish Sea, it is nevertheless not really sensible or satisfactory that the Hon. Sec. is not on the spot in London or the South-East.

Moreover, both of us now realise that whilst, after moving in 2002, we needed very strongly, at first, to retain close ties and involvement with London, now - five years later - everything we do is centred on the Island, and we feel the pull of Surrey and the Metropolis very much less.

Also, I am only too conscious, as many of you may be, that much thinking and discussion will be needed soon about the way in which the Society can most effectively operate in the next decade or two; and that this is best addressed by London for London, and not from the Island itself. The challenge is in your hands, As they say, Au Revoir but not Adieu. (Our French needs polishing as we are bidden to a wedding in France, next month.)

Terence Brack

News of members

We are still getting the odd Newsletter returned at each issue due “not known “ at this address. Please

Do inform us of your new address, it does save us a lot of work and expenditure. This also applies to new applicants wishing to join and do not follow through the joining applications.

Editor

COOISH AT SIDCUP

We are organising a Cooish on Sunday 22^nd June here at Merton Court School.

This is for Sunday 22^nd June so I hope we don’t have any Recabites or Bethel who will object. By now I think there is an established practice of where to gather before coming onto Sidcup. Be at London Bridge Station at 11.45am and the train leaves for Sidcup at 12.10pm. Our address is Merton Court School, 38 Knoll Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4QU.

Chris Price

An Item from the Evening Standard Newspaper

I wonder what the Manx Tourist Board would say if they were to read a description of our Island, such as I have read in a magazine given free each Friday with the Evening Standard.

In the January 18^th issue, there is a spread of three pages written by Charlotte Eagar about Susan Sangster, presently divorcing her 4^th husband, all wealthy men.

Painted by the media as a career divorcee, Eagar write: - It is true that Susan has been married four times and to rich men, but given the circumstances, it is hardly surprising, she was brought up on the Isle of Man, the UK tax haven described as 70,000 alcoholics clinging to the rock.

I felt incandescent with fury. What an outrageous slur and insult to all decent genuine Manx people on the island.

I’d like to know where the description came from, not a good advertisement for holiday makers is it?

And yet a Giles- like cartoon comes to mind.

Masie Sell

‘The Manx Connection’ by John Quirk,

published 2007 by ‘The Manx Experience’ ISBN 1 873120 70 2, £9.99

I have been reading this new book, ‘The Manx Connection’ by John Quirk, (and Christine and I met the author at this year’s W.M.A. ‘Tay’). It tell of his visits to many of the American Manx Societies, likewise those in Australia and New Zealand, and also Dubai and South Africa. It is fascinating, and I recommend it whole-heartedly to our Members, and particularly to all who like to think about the directions that our own Society should now be taking. Our own London experiences can be compared with those of the many differing Societies portrayed here. (John had hoped to include London, Barrow and Wirral in his book too, but space and time eventually precluded this).

John meets a good number of local Manx personalities within the particular Societies, and learns from them all their family histories, and how and when they or their forbears left the Island. Some will no doubt be known to members of our own Society; and this gives another good reason for perusing the book. (There is a mention of Christine’s uncle Jim, of Cashin Quay, Port Lyttleton, N.Z., fame; and I read that Rose Fowler’s father was once Secretary of the Transvaal Manx Association.)

I had not appreciated that many of the U.S. and Australasian Societies were only set-up (or re-started after a fallow period from mid-century onwards) in the 1970s, or later. In quite a few cases, Noreen Cottier provided the necessary encouragement. Queensland and South Africa still have a good number of members, but all (bar Dubai) are only too aware that their membership is ageing, and hence numbers declining. Even Cleveland, which one thinks of as the fount of the American Manx societies, has a mailing list of only 55, quite a bit less than ours.

Society styles vary – a number have long-term Presidents, and Secretaries who may have served for decades. Western Australia is deliberately loose and unstructured, and depends very much on one person, Kath Craine. Some (e.g. San Diego and South Africa) always meet at the house of a particular member. Wisconsin have only two events a year, but New South Wales folk get together every eight weeks. And so on.

The book shows so clearly (though we are already only too aware of this) how so many Societies face a problematic future; and why Dubai, founded 2000, is the great exception. The impetus that drove forward the Manx Societies founded in the 19^th and earlier 20^th centuries, still thrives for the transient Manx element in Dubai, as Gil Costain-Salway, quoted in the book, says - “when you uproot and move to a foreign country, it’s easy to find yourself out on a limb with little or no support, and it’s at times like this you need friends”.

In this book, there is much to learn, much to enjoy, and much historic skeet. Read it, and then maybe discuss among yourselves how it might help us.

Terence Brack

Gaelic language version of highly-rated TV series announced!

Friends and Heroes to be dubbed into Manx Gaelic

Caarjyn as Fenee ayns Gaelg

Friends and Heroes, the new award-winning children’s TV series shown recently on BBC2, is to be dubbed into the Manx Language in what is widely believed to be a world first.

“This news is ‘Yindyssagh erskyn towse’- (Fantastic above all measure) and is a real breakthrough for Manx Gaelic (Gaelg)”, said Adrian Cain, Manx Language Officer for the Manx Heritage Foundation. “The plan is to have a full Manx Soundtrack as well as English and Manx Sub-Titles so it will make a fantastic teaching and learning resource and help us give Manx Gaelic a much higher profile both on the island and internationally.”

Dooyrt Adrian Cain, yn Greinneyder da Undinys Eiraght Vannin, dy bee sheean ny cartoonyn jeant ooilley ayns Gaelg agh bee caa ec sleih dy lhaih ny fo-ocklyn ayns Gaelg chammah’s Baarle. Shoh shalee yindyssagh as bee stoo-ynsee Gaelgagh feer scanshoil çheet magh ass y chooish shoh. Ta mee shickyr dy bee ny cartoonyn shoh cooney ayns cur y Ghaelg roish yn theay ayns yn Ellan chammah’s ayns cheeraghyn elley. Dooyrt Adrian dy nee obbyr scanshoil shoh as dy vel eh soilshaghey magh da sleih dy vel yn Ghaelg foast bio as dy vel ee bishaghey.

Friends and Heroes is produced by a company based in Ramsey, Isle of Man and it was Alison Dorricott, Executive Producer of Friends and Heroes, who helped to initiate the plan after beginning to learn the Manx Gaelic language herself.

“At the Tynwald Day celebration, the Manx open-air Parliament Day, earlier this year, I picked up one of the ‘Manx in A Week’ CDs produced by Adrian Cain, then joined a four-day intensive Manx Class “, Alison said.“ I've always had an interest in languages and the brief course taught by Adrian was fascinating and enjoyable. Chatting with Adrian about what we do I learned that, in spite of an apparently successful Isle of Man Film Industry, nothing had ever been dubbed into Manx Gaelic. There was also no video material for children available in the Manx Language. So we got together with Adrian and agreed to offer Friends and Heroes to be dubbed into Gaelg!”

Friends and Heroes is an action-adventure series which uses 2D animation to tell the story of Macky and Portia, two young people who meet in first century Alexandria. During their exciting adventures they introduce stories from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible - shown in state-of-the-art 3D computer-generated animation. Currently receiving Five Star reviews and many compliments from viewers of all ages, Friends and Heroes provides fun, exciting, quality TV with ethics and values too.

A group of Manx Language enthusiasts produced the Manx dialogue to dub the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den, taken from episode one of Friends and Heroes. This sample story can now be viewed online at http://uk.friendsandheroes.com/videos_08.htm - select Manx Gaelic Language

“There are no professional Manx actors or voice artists or even a dubbing studio on the island but with plenty of enthusiasm and professionalism the plan is to undertake Manx language dubbing of the whole of Series 1 during the coming months”, said David Dorricott, Executive Producer. “There is a school on the island which teaches all subjects through the medium of Manx, the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh at St John’s, and pupils from the school, teachers and other volunteers will help with the acting and production of the series. With additional help from the Manx Heritage Foundation and Friends and Heroes’ animation specialists we are looking forward to the result - we think the sample Daniel clip produced in 40 minutes one Saturday afternoon just gives a taste of what can be achieved!”

When the series is completed Friends and Heroes Productions plan to donate copies of the new Manx language edition DVDs to nominated schools and education facilities throughout the Isle of Man. The Manx DVDs will also be available to buy directly from Friends and Heroes Productions. DVDs of the series are already available in English. More details about Friends and Heroes can be found on www.FriendsandHeroes.com and our children’s website www.FriendsandHeroes.tv.

-- Ends –

Notes for Editors

Please note that the Manx Gaelic story is a ‘proof of concept’ only. The final version will be to full broadcast standard.

Friends and Heroes won the Gold Award as the Best Youth and Children’s Programme 2007 at the annual CBC media awards last month.

Interviews

Friends and Heroes Executive Producers - David & Alison Dorricott and Manx Language Officer - Adrian Cain are available for interview.

Friends and Heroes Interviews and further details:
Contact: Dave Carlos – Marketing Director
Telephone 01624 811740
Email dave.carlos@friendsandheroes.com

Further information about Friends and Heroes can be found on the following websites
www.friendsandheroes.com and www.friendsandheroes.tv

Further information on the Manx Language

Contact: Adrian Cain, Manx Language Officer
Telephone 01624 838527
Mobile 07624 451098
Email: greinneyder@mhf.org.im
Web Site: www.learnmanx.com

"OUR MEMBERSHIP LIST

However, there may be occasions when members would like information from the membership list in order to contact one another. In order to facilitate that, we are making available the following process. Call Sam Weller on 020 8950 3706 and leave a message requesting the required information or the complete list. Sam will contact you, explain the implications of releasing this information to you under the Act, and request your compliance, thus transferring responsibility to you that you will keep the information secure.

Sam Weller

Dates for your Diary 2008

L.M.S. 2008 Lunch

We shall be having a Society Lunch again this year, in place of a Dinner. This will be held on Saturday 5 ^th April 2008 ( Easter is as early as 23 March 2008 ) at the Bonnington Hotel. We are very pleased that our Guests-of-Honour are to be His Honour Jack Corrin CBE, former Deemster, and Mrs Pat Corrin OBE. Jack and Pat Corrin’s links with the Society date back to the time after the Second World War when they were members.

Terence Brack

Further details i.e. Lunch proforma will be in this March Newsletter, which will be published a bit earlier this year due earlier events.

Also see Dates for your Diary in last years September 2007 Newsletter , also on the Events Page on this web – site www.londonmanxsociety.com

COOISH AT SIDCUP

We are organising a Cooish on Sunday 22^nd June here at Merton Court School.

This is for Sunday 22^nd June so I hope we don’t have any Recabites or Bethel who will object. By now I think there is an established practice of where to gather before coming onto Sidcup. Be at London Bridge Station at 11.45am and the train leaves for Sidcup at 12.10pm. Our address is Merton Court School, 38 Knoll Road, Sidcup, Kent, DA14 4QU.

Chris Price

Saturday 20 th September “ Tour of the Charter House. Charter House

Square, London. details will be published in the June and September News Letter nearer the time.

Saturday 4^th October “ The Mhellia “ again details will be published nearer the time.

Stewart Christian

YOUNG MANXIES

Also see Future Events Page at www.londonmanxsociety.com

Further details contact mailto:Sallynewson@hotmail.com

Or mobile 07704 927994

Look forward to seeing you there!

Stewart Christian

www.londonmanxsociety.com

updated 26^th August 2009

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Maurice Wigley

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Enclosed with this newsletter is the notice about our Lunch on Saturday 18th April at Park Inn, Russell Square, formerly the Bonnington Hotel.

Rose Fowler

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Mhelliah 2008

Visit to Geffrye Museum and Charterhouse

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Poppy Appeal Pedal to Paris 2008 – Ride Report by Paul Harding

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Rose Fowler

MARY WELLER AWARD 2008

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Christine Teare

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Mr, Brew James Alfred, Died peacefully in hospital on the 9th March 2008. Beloved father of Elaine and Grandfather of Louis. Cremation at Golders Green Crematorium on Thursday 20th March at 4 p.m. No flowers, but donations please, to the British Legion.

Editor

"OUR MEMBERSHIP LIST

Sam Weller

COOISH AT SIDCUP

Chris Price

A Bit of a Do or an Enfield Cooish

The location details are………

Tel: 020 8363 3343

Manx Radio - Manx Societies - New Radio Programme

Stewart Christian

YOUNG MANXIES

Terence Brack

News of members

Editor

COOISH AT SIDCUP

Chris Price

An Item from the Evening Standard Newspaper

Terence Brack

Gaelic language version of highly-rated TV series announced!

Friends and Heroes to be dubbed into Manx Gaelic

Caarjyn as Fenee ayns Gaelg

Notes for Editors

Interviews

"OUR MEMBERSHIP LIST

Sam Weller

Terence Brack

Also see Dates for your Diary in last years September 2007 Newsletter , also on the Events Page on this web – site www.londonmanxsociety.com

COOISH AT SIDCUP

Chris Price

Stewart Christian

Enclosed with this newsletter is the notice about our Lunch on Saturday 18^th April at Park Inn, Russell Square, formerly the Bonnington Hotel.

Mr, Brew James Alfred, Died peacefully in hospital on the 9^th March 2008. Beloved father of Elaine and Grandfather of Louis. Cremation at Golders Green Crematorium on Thursday 20^th March at 4 p.m. No flowers, but donations please, to the British Legion.