OUR BOARD & MANAGEMENT TEAM
Hon Juan Watterson SHK, Chairman
Hon Juan Watterson SHK, Chairman
Hon Juan Watterson SHK, Chairman
Juan was born and raised in Port Erin & Port St Mary, educated at Castle Rushen High School and then went on to study at Lincoln University where he graduated with 1st Class Honours in Management. He qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG in 2005 and has been an MHK since 2006. He has served in numerous backbench roles before spen
Juan was born and raised in Port Erin & Port St Mary, educated at Castle Rushen High School and then went on to study at Lincoln University where he graduated with 1st Class Honours in Management. He qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG in 2005 and has been an MHK since 2006. He has served in numerous backbench roles before spending five years as Minister for Home Affairs, before being elected Speaker of the House of Keys in September 2016. Juan chairs Rushen Heritage Trust, and is a director of Southern Befrienders, Vice Chairman of Port Erin British Legion and is Hon. Colonel of the Island’s Army Cadet Force.
Sandra Davidson, Secretary
Hon Juan Watterson SHK, Chairman
Hon Juan Watterson SHK, Chairman
Sandra graduated as a mature student in English & Publishing at Oxford Brookes University and typed/edited/vastly improved all six of Hugh’s books, including the best selling “Offensive Marketing”. She has also written a book for family and friends based on the memories of her mother, Joyce Gott, who also lived in Port Erin. Sandra is a
Sandra graduated as a mature student in English & Publishing at Oxford Brookes University and typed/edited/vastly improved all six of Hugh’s books, including the best selling “Offensive Marketing”. She has also written a book for family and friends based on the memories of her mother, Joyce Gott, who also lived in Port Erin. Sandra is a Trustee of the H & S Davidson Trust, a Committee member of both Inner Wheel and Save the Children IOM, and a volunteer in the Save the Children shop in Port Erin. She has travelled with Hugh to Viet Nam, India, and Bangladesh to visit projects with Oxfam and Save the Children.
Ali Graham, Treasurer
Ali Graham, Treasurer
Ali Graham, Treasurer
Manx-born in the Jane Crookall Maternity Hospital in Douglas, Ali was brought up with her sister, Jane, in the family home, Manchester House, Port St Mary, which overlooks
Chapel Beach. Ali lived in New Zealand for five years, returning in 1963. She was educated
firstly in Rushen Primary School and then Castle Rushen High School, before goi
Manx-born in the Jane Crookall Maternity Hospital in Douglas, Ali was brought up with her sister, Jane, in the family home, Manchester House, Port St Mary, which overlooks
Chapel Beach. Ali lived in New Zealand for five years, returning in 1963. She was educated
firstly in Rushen Primary School and then Castle Rushen High School, before going on to study for a year in the then Isle of Man College of Further Education, qualifying in
Business Studies. Ali has worked in the construction industry since then, setting up a Quantity Surverying services practice in 1992 with her husband Robert, having
gained a HNC qualification at the Isle of Man College in Building Studies. Having been brought up in Port St Mary, it holds a special place in her heart, so preservation of its
heritage - and that of the Parish of Rushen - will always be a part of her life.
Staffan Overgaard
Ali Graham, Treasurer
Ali Graham, Treasurer
Corporate branding and campaign activities have been Staffan's signum for most of his professional life, either as a creator, organiser or administrator. In the last fifteen years, he has been involved in Marketing Resource Management as a founder and partner in BrandSystems. Staffan studied at the Royal Institute of Technology, earning a
Corporate branding and campaign activities have been Staffan's signum for most of his professional life, either as a creator, organiser or administrator. In the last fifteen years, he has been involved in Marketing Resource Management as a founder and partner in BrandSystems. Staffan studied at the Royal Institute of Technology, earning a Masters in Industrial Economy. He was Communication Manager at Ericsson for eight years and worked as a manager, project leader and copywriter for various advertising agencies for seven years, followed by five years as Communications Manager for a business to business company, while working as a Project Manager at an advertising company. In 2012 he started up Candor Diagnostics, a medical diagnostic company.
Connie Herdman
Ali Graham, Treasurer
Connie Herdman
Connie was born and raised in Indiana. She attended Indiana University in her hometown, Bloomington, where she attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master of Library Science degree. After two years as a school librarian she switched to public librarianship and spent the next 26 years in two public libraries, finishing her c
Connie was born and raised in Indiana. She attended Indiana University in her hometown, Bloomington, where she attained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Master of Library Science degree. After two years as a school librarian she switched to public librarianship and spent the next 26 years in two public libraries, finishing her career as the director of the Fayette County Public Library for eight and a half years. In 2005, she moved with her husband to the Isle of Man and worked at the airport for nine years before retiring for a second and final time. She became a proud British citizen in 2017.
Kathy Potter
John Quirk, Heritage Coordinator
John Quirk, Heritage Coordinator
Kathy grew up in Lancashire, where she had a brief career as a primary school teacher followed by several years working for British Aerospace. In the 1980s she and her family moved to Keswick, Cumbria; since then most of her work has been tourism-related. Kathy has worked at various Visitor and Information Centres, including those run
Kathy grew up in Lancashire, where she had a brief career as a primary school teacher followed by several years working for British Aerospace. In the 1980s she and her family moved to Keswick, Cumbria; since then most of her work has been tourism-related. Kathy has worked at various Visitor and Information Centres, including those run by the Lake District National Park Authority and the Forestry Commission, and for many years was a volunteer at the Grange-over-Sands Information Centre. She has also worked at the Cumberland Pencil Museum in Keswick, and has been on the volunteer team for Grange Library and various parks and gardens. Since childhood Kathy has visited the Isle of Man regularly. Following the sad death of her husband in 2020, she relocated to a place she has always loved. She has a keen interest in the natural environment and loves to be out walking on our beautiful island.
John Quirk, Heritage Coordinator
John Quirk, Heritage Coordinator
John Quirk, Heritage Coordinator
Manx born and bred, John has worked in and with the media for 30 years. He worked as a journalist in Lancashire and the Isle of Man before spending 11 years working in PR and advertising. John lives in Port Erin and runs his own business, offering freelance writing, editing and admin services.
From 1 September 2021, the role was kindly fun
Manx born and bred, John has worked in and with the media for 30 years. He worked as a journalist in Lancashire and the Isle of Man before spending 11 years working in PR and advertising. John lives in Port Erin and runs his own business, offering freelance writing, editing and admin services.
From 1 September 2021, the role was kindly funded for 12 months via a grant from the Dormant Asset Fund, which is administered by Manx Lottery Trust.
OUR HERITAGE ACTION TEAMS
Story of the Land
Our Story of the Land HAT had an exciting 2016 with their first exhibition in July accompanied by the book "A Year on Ballachurry Farm 1943-44" written by one of the HAT members, Stanley Clucas. The team also spent much of the year researching historical documents, stories and legends, Manx language and local wildlife to build an extraordinary library of films, audio and photographs for the local community and visitors to the island to share through our new mobile app "Isle of Man Walks" which was officially launched in October. Plans for 2017 are already underway celebrating 100 years of Port St Mary and the development of more interactive walks on the app.
Story of the Sea
The Story of the Sea HAT held their first event last October, which was the beginning of a series of talks and music around the sea. The first evening featured Dessie Robinson on the subject of Herring Fishing, Michelle Heywood on Diving and the Wrecks of the South of the Island plus the story of Captain David Clarke, from Cadet to Captain and his first trip to sea as a Deck Cadet. The team are planning more talks in 2017 and will be announcing dates soon!
Tourism
Our Tourism HAT launched our 2015 programme in March, with a small exhibition and "chat room" at Thie Rosien in Port Erin. The small information gathering event focused on history and people in five hotels in Rushen; Bayqueen, Falcons Nest, Belle Vue/Royal, Perwick Bay Hotel and The Bay. This event laid the ground for a major new exhibition, “The Glory Days of Southern Tourism“, in which much of the material generated was used and displayed at Port St Mary Town Hall from the 12th to the 26th July 2015. The HAT held their third exhibition in May 2016, based around holidays and the entertainment that local residents and tourists enjoyed across a range of decades. Over a thousand people visited in just 19 days!The HAT are now planning an exciting project in 2017 looking at traditional Pierrots Shows!
WW2 Women's Internment
Our WW2 Women's Internment HAT had a fantastic first exhibition in May 2015 called "Friend or Foe? 1940-1941" to which over 3,000 tourists and local residents visited, including the former CEO of the British Museum, Sir David Wilson, who said the exhibition was of “outstanding quality”.Courtesy of Betty Kelly, the team also published “The Illustrated Roll Call” on 19th May 2015. In 2016, the HAT extended the "Friend or Foe?" exhibition, exploring the creation of the world's only married camp in WW2. The exhibition was supported by an exciting weekend of events in early August in collaboration with the Erin Arts Centre on "Wagner and Rushen Internment" where a group of special visitors came to give talks.The team are now producing their second book on Rushen Internment, which will be published in 2017.
Get Involved
If you would like to join any of our Heritage Action Teams please email rushenht@gmail.com and we can introduce you!