NEWS

The story of a couple’s renovation of a tholtan at the Sloc in Rushen is told in a new exhibition opening at Rushen Heritage Centre this week.

Running from Tuesday, October 8 until Saturday, November 2, ‘Rollage ny Twoaie: Renovating a Tholtan’ will show how Katie Newton O’Meara and Mark O´Meara purchased the shell of a ruined farmhouse and two derelict barns three years ago and are working to transform it into a family home.

The exhibition at the heritage centre in Bridson Street, Port Erin, has been curated by Staffan Overgaard from Rushen Heritage Trust, working closely with Katie and Mark.

The tholtan, situated on the right-hand side of the A36 heading towards the Sloc corner at Scard. was known as ‘Croit-e-Kirkjufal’ – which roughly translates to ‘Croft at the Church Mountain’ – when Katie and Mark bought the property in July 2021.

The site is 600ft above sea level with incredible views stretching from Earystane out towards Castletown and the sea. The couple fell in love with it when driving home from the south towards St John’s one day.

Katie said: ‘It was a beautiful golden evening, and we saw the “for sale” sign. We pulled over, and we both fell in love with the place. With the budget we had, we knew we would have to carry out most of the work ourselves. We changed the name to “Rollage ny Twoaie”, which means “North Star” in Manx Gaelic – it seemed the perfect name for a property gazing out across the south of the Island.’

It’s not known when the farmhouse and outbuildings date to, but they are marked on the 1840 Tithe Plan, and an original single-storey building may have been built here in the early 18th century.

The exhibition tells the history of the site and its owners through the years, before charting the obstacles Katie and Mark have faced in bringing an abandoned property back to life, from clearing the site – it was overgrown, with fuchsia 12 feet high in places – and bringing utilities to it, to navigating the planning route.

Katie and Mark have learned how to do much of the work themselves, being brilliantly supported by family and friends.

Mark said: ‘With it being a well-known landmark, the planning conditions were tight and insisted on the retention of the original buildings which were deemed structurally viable. However, the permission was for a two-storey large extension which overwhelmed the original structures and so we applied for a much smaller extension which would suit the site, and our budget, much better.

‘We moved into the large barn, which was phase one of the project, in August this year. We are now working towards phase two, which is connecting the house and rear barn to the larger barn and making them all into one four-bedroom property.’

Staffan said: “It’s a fascinating story, both of the site’s rich history, and the incredible journey that Katie and Mark have been on over the last few years, which we are sure will intrigue visitors to the heritage centre. We would like to thank them for sharing their dream project with us.’

Rushen Heritage Trust, which is celebrating its 10th birthday this year, would like to thank Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust for its support towards this season’s exhibitions.

This is the final exhibition of the season for the heritage centre, which will officially close for the winter on November 2.

However, the centre will continue to open on certain days each week as a ‘warm space’ between November and the end of February, as it has for the last three years. Heritage centre volunteers hold art, craft and poetry sessions, and it also acts as a drop-in space for anyone wanting some company and a cuppa..

08/10/24

The new exhibition at Rushen Heritage Centre marks the 150th anniversary of the steam railway reaching Port Erin as well as featuring another eight past and present local Manx Grand Prix competitors.

The double-header exhibition is on display at the Heritage Centre in Bridson Street, Port Erin, until Saturday, August 24 and open 10.00am-4.00pm Tuesday to Saturday.

It has been curated by Ali and Robert Graham from Rushen Heritage Trust, which runs the Centre.

Ali explained: ‘In the build-up to last year's Manx Grand Prix, we featured a small group of local riders, but there were so many more that we wanted to include. When planning this year's season of exhibitions, it was an obvious choice to revisit the MGP and look back at those who weren't featured last year, which include Tony Duncan, Derek Ennett, Dan Sayle, Nigel Beattie, and Richard 'Milky' Quayle – holder of a BEM now, of course!

‘We are pleased to have as the centrepiece for the exhibition, a Honda K4 350, and are grateful to Bob Simmons once again for loaning this to us, which is still being raced in Classics.  Thanks again to Barry Wood for the loan of his personal replicas and memorabilia and the riders who took the time to provide information and interesting memories.’

Ali said: ‘While last year was the 150th anniversary of the Isle of Man Steam Railway, we wanted to celebrate that 2024 marks 150 years of the line being extended to Port Erin, which obviously played a major role in transforming the village into the tourist destination it became. There are some wonderful old photographs to view and many fascinating stories to discover in both aspects of our exhibition. We also have the loan of a small model of the No. 16 locomotive Mannin, which was built in 1926 and was the most powerful 2-4-0T locomotive on the line.’

Rushen Heritage Trust, which is celebrating its 10th birthday this year, would like to thank Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust for its support towards this season’s exhibitions.

The remain exhibitions for this season are:

• Milner: The Man & The Tower – August 27-October 5
• Rollage ny Twoaie: Renovating a Tholtan – October 8-November 2

Run by volunteers, Rushen Heritage Centre features a series of exhibitions each season, acts as a visitor information centre in collaboration with Visit Isle of Man, and sells Rushen Heritage Trust books and merchandise. It also sells RHT greetings cards featuring scenes from around Rushen, and a selection of other books and maps relating to Rushen.

For more about Rushen Heritage Centre, contact John at rushenht@gmail.com or on 464634.

18/07/24

The Southern Mission Partnership Flower Festival opened this morning (July 2) and runs until Sunday, July 7.

There are some incredible displays on show, and our thanks to Sylvia Jarrett, who has been involved with the Trust since it was founded in 2014, for creating our flower display, which you can see at Kirk Christ, Rushen.

Sylvia was involved in curating some of our early exhibitions about the heyday of tourism, including the Pierrot Shows, and drew on her experience for the inspiration for our display.

Please do call into the churches taking part and support the festival:

Kirk Christ, Rushen

Abbey Church, Ballasalla

St Mark's Church

Malew Church

St Columba's, Arbory

St Mary's on the Harbour, Castletown

02/07/24

Rushen Heritage Centre opened for the new season today (Tuesday) with an exhibition telling the story of Port Erin and Port St Mary lifeboats to mark 200 years of the RNLI.

The Centre, in Bridson Street, Port Erin will be open Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00am-4.00pm, until early November.

The RNLI exhibition revisits our first ever exhibition in 2014, drawn from the archives of the two stations by Mick Kneale and Dr Rachel Crellin, which traced the history back to the first Port Erin lifeboat, Ann and Mary, in 1883 and the first Port St Mary vessel, James Stevens No2, which arrived in 1896.

RHT Treasurer Ali Graham said: ‘This is such a momentous year for the RNLI, which began in the Isle of Man. Port Erin and Port St Mary lifeboats have served the Rushen community with distinction over the years, saving so many lives, and with this being the Trust’s 10th birthday, we thought it was fitting to revisit our first exhibition to help us commemorate and celebrate the incredible service of everyone connected with both lifeboats over the years.’

In addition to the words and pictures telling the stories, the exhibition features superb model lifeboats, and ‘junior’ lifeboat uniforms that young children can dress up in.

Run by volunteers, Rushen Heritage Centre features a series of exhibitions each season, acts as a visitor information centre in collaboration with Visit Isle of Man, and sells Rushen Heritage Trust books and merchandise. It also sells RHT greetings cards featuring scenes from around Rushen, and a selection of other books and maps relating to Rushen.

The RNLI story will run until Saturday, April 20, when it will make way for another exhibition, ‘Tourism in the South’, which will run until June 1.

Everyone at RHT would like to thank Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust for its support towards this season’s exhibitions.

Kathy Potter, RHT Board Member, said: ‘We have a wonderful series of exhibitions planned at the Centre this year, with other topics including a display of wildlife-inspired artwork with Manx Wildlife Trust, Port Erin philanthropist William Milner and the tower that was named in his honour, and the ongoing renovation of a tholtan. Everything we do at Rushen Heritage Centre is only possible because of the work of a dedicated team of volunteers, who give their time to ensure the Centre is open each week and that visitors are given a warm welcome.’

A full list of this season’s exhibitions:

·  RNLI 200: The Story of Port Erin and Port St Mary Lifeboat Stations – March 12-April 20

·  Summer Holidays in the South – April 23-June 1

·  The Art of Wild – June 4-July 13

·  Manx Grand Prix & 150th Anniversary of Port Erin Steam Railway Line – July 16-August 24

·  Milner: The Man & The Tower – August 27-October 5

·  Rollage ny Twoaie: Renovating a Tholtan – October 8-November 2

For more about Rushen Heritage Centre, contact RHT Coordinator John Quirk at rushenht@gmail.com or on 464634.

12/03/24

Our 2023/24 season of talks got off to a wonderful start, with almost a full house for 'Diving the wreck of Mona's Queen', by Michelle Haywood.

There were just a handful of empty seats at Erin Arts Centre for Michelle's talk and, looking at early ticket sales, it is likely to be a similar story for the second of our talks - 'The History of Manx Tourism', by Charles Guard - on Monday, December 4, again at EAC.

Tourism was once the mainstay of the Manx economy and in his illustrated talk, Charles explains how it all started (long before most people imagine) and how the Island adapted to the annual influx of hundreds of thousands of people. He will highlight some of the more challenging aspects of running a boarding house and there will be lots of photographs, amusing anecdotes... and a few naughty postcards! 

After Charles, we have four more talks lined up for early in 2024, all taking place at EAC:

• January 8 – Yvonne Cresswell: William Hoggatt – A Passion for the Manx Landscape 
• February 5 – Mike Lean: Secrets of the Gaiety Theatre
• March 4 – Peter Geddes: Deep Within Bradda Mines (a repeat of last season's talk, by popular demand)
• April 22 – Howard Parkin: The Isle of Man for Dark Skies

Tickets for 'The History of Manx Tourism' are now on sale, priced at  £6 – or £5 for Friends of Rushen Heritage Trust – and available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/isle-of-man/erin-arts-centre or from Erin Arts Centre, Bridge Bookshop and Rushen Heritage Centre in Port Erin. Tickets for subsequent talks will go on sale after the previous talk has taken place.

For more details, contact RHT Coordinator John Quirk at rushenht@gmail.comor on 464634.

08/11/23

Stanley Clucas has stepped down from the role of Captain of the Parish of Rushen after 25 year, with his successoor being named as well-known  farmer and singer Paul Costain.

A commissioner for many years, Stan, along with his wife, Pam, has been a wonderful supporter of Rushen Heritage Trust since its inception in 2014.

Hugh and Sandra Davidson, Co-Founders of RHT, said: 'Stan is a big upholder of community activities and as Captain of the Parish his attendance with Pam at nearly all our events was much appreciated. His tall, distinctive presence always lent a special aura.

'More than this, we discovered that our Captain of the Parish has a talent for writing. We worked together on his stories of life on Ballachurry Farm during the Second World War, and the result is an amusing illustrated chronicle entitled A Year on Ballachurry Farm 1943-44. The farm has been in Stan's family for almost a hundred years and now Stan has immortalised it in print. There was also a well-received exhibition held in Port St Mary Town Hall and Stan's story has reached readers as far away as Australia.

'We hope that he and Pam continue to enjoy life on Ballachurry Farm for many years to come. Maybe Stan will have the leisure time to pick up his pen once more...'

Stan and Pam have been great supporters of charities and community organisations over the years, perhaps most notably when they gifted land that would become Ballachurry Nature Reserve to the Manx Wildlife Trust. Last year, they hosted a celebration for the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.

Juan Watterson MHK, the current Chairman of RHT, said: 'Stan has always shown a real pride and passion for the role as Captain of the Parish. He introduced a cup for service to the community, and he and Pam have been active supporters of so many community groups.

‘At Rushen Heritage, it was great to tap into his experiences of farming during the war and the role the internees played, which led to  A Year on Ballachurry Farm, that vividly describes the seasons and tasks of the farm with less help from modern technology.

‘For many of us, Stan has been an ageless presence in the parish; quiet, amiable, knowledgeable and ever present. He has been an excellent Captain of the Parish and has set a high bar for his successor. I know there will be many in Rushen who are as thankful as I am for his service, and we look forward to seeing him out and about for many more years to come.’

Paul Costain runs Moorhouse Farm in Colby and has won the Cleveland Medal, the top prize at the Manx Music Festival, three times. He regularly supports events within Rushen and around the Island and is a fitting choice as Stan's successor - we wish him every success in the role!

05/11/23

The final exhibition of the 2023 season has opened at Rushen Heritage Centre, showcasing the work of amateur and professional artists within Rushen.

‘Artists of Rushen’ will be on show at the Heritage Centre in Bridson Street, Port Erin until Saturday, October 28th.

The exhibition features a selection of paintings, drawings, photography, sculptures, poetry, and handicrafts from around 30 contributors and has been curated by RHT Directors Kathy Potter and Ali Graham, along with the Rushen Heritage Centre Team.

Heritage Coordinator John Quirk said: ‘This is the first time we have run this kind of open exhibition, inviting artists to submit pieces for consideration. It was something of a step into the unknown, but we have had a wonderful response and our thanks go to everyone who has taken the time to answer our call. We have such a variety of artforms on display, with many using Rushen as their inspiration, and we are sure there will be something for everyone, whatever your artistic tastes.’

Kathy said: ‘This is our final exhibition of the season, with the Heritage Centre closing for the winter on Saturday, October 28th.  However, we will be open on Monday and Wednesday afternoons (2pm to 4pm) from November through to early March, as part of the “Warm Spaces” initiative. We are planning a programme of art, crafts, and other activities, but people are welcome to spend time at the Centre without taking part in an organised session. Whenever we are open, please do call in for chat and a hot drink.’ 

Run by volunteers, Rushen Heritage Centre features a series of exhibitions each season, acts as a visitor information centre in collaboration with Visit Isle of Man, and sells Rushen Heritage Trust books, greetings cards, and merchandise. It also sells a selection of other maps and books about Rushen.

The Heritage Centre is open 10am-4pm Tuesday to Saturday. Entry is free, with donations always welcome.

19/09/23

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Doreen Moule, Chair of Rushen Heritage Trust, at the age of 74.

Doreen was such a lovely person, who committed herself heart and soul to Rushen Heritage. She was involved with the Trust from its inception in 2014, leading our World War II Women's Internment Team and being our Schools Liaison Officer, before being appointed Chair in November 2020.

She played a leading role in creating the Rushen Heritage Centre in 2021, was a driving force behind two of our books - Friend or Foe? and Living with the Sea - and did so much to establish the strong reputation that the Trust enjoys today.

Born in Wolverhampton, Doreen trained as a teacher in Birmingham and taught in primary schools until 1999, when she moved to the Island to teach at Fairfield Primary School. She retired from full-time teaching in 2008 but continued in a part-time role at Victoria Road Primary School in Castletown for a few years.

Doreen will be very much missed by us all and our thoughts are with Dennis, her partner of 52 years, at this difficult time.

Hugh & Sandra Davidson, Co-founders of RHT, said: 'Doreen led our WWII Women’s Internment Team to great successes with two exhibitions in Port Erin, attracting more than 6,000 people from more than 20 countries; and she edited the book Friend or Foe, as well as writing some chapters. Doreen was also a very effective Chair of Rushen Heritage Trust for two years until she became ill. Her values were clear: modest, unselfish, kind, helpful, trustworthy.

Caroline Savin, former colleague at Fairfield, said: 'She was one of the kindest people, known for beautiful embroidery work, and many children born to Fairfield staff have christening robes and blankets created for them by Doreen. She was committed to making the world a better place for us all.'

Ian Postlethwaite, former Head of Victoria Road Primary School, said: 'Doreen gave a lot of her time to helping children with emotional difficulties. Her determination to get things done well always shone through."

Memories of Doreen as someone who did so much for others of all ages will live on long into the future.

27/04/23

A new season at Rushen Heritage Centre is underway with an exhibition about renowned artist William Hoggatt.

The Centre, in Bridson Street, Port Erin opened for the new season on March 14th and will open from 10am-4pm, Tuesday to Saturday, until the end of October.

Run by volunteers, the Centre features a series of exhibitions each season, acts as a visitor information centre in collaboration with Visit Isle of Man, and sells Rushen Heritage Trust books and merchandise.

New for this year, the Centre is selling greeting cards featuring scenes from around Rushen – these are exclusive to RHT – and a selection of books and maps relating to Rushen.

In addition to the regular exhibitions, there will also be a series of smaller exhibitions in the Centre windows, starting with information about Cregneash and Meayll Circle.

Kathy Potter, RHT Board Member, said: ‘We are excited for the new season, having made some changes to the internal layout and expanding what the Centre offers visitors. We are indebted once again to our loyal team of volunteers, who give their time to ensure the Centre is open and that visitors are given a warm welcome.

‘The Hoggatt exhibition has been kindly loaned to us by Manx National Heritage, and is a fitting start for the new season, as Hoggatt and his wife, Dazine, lived in Port Erin for many years. It will run until Saturday, April 30th.’

For more about Rushen Heritage Centre, contact RHT Coordinator John Quirk at rushenht@gmail.com or on 464634.

14/03/23

Our 'warm spaces' sessions at Rushen Heritage Centre will finish for the winter after this Friday, February 24, with the Centre opening for the new season on Tuesday, March 14, with its usual opening times of 10am-4pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

Thank you to everyone who came along over the last few months, and to our wonderful RHC volunteers who have played their part in opening the Centre for the sessions.

During March and April, the Centre will be opening on Mondays for some activity sessions, which proved popular during the winter.

The Monday activities:

February 27
2.15pm - Treasures & Tales

March 6
2pm - Art workshop with Ali & Sandra. Materials provided, but you can bring your own

March 13
2.15pm - Poetry

March 20
2.15pm - Games afternoon - Qwirkle, Scrabble, Dominoes

March 27
2.15pm - Treasures & Tales

April 3
2.15pm - Poetry

April 24
2.15pm - Poetry

Suggested donation for all of these sessions is £2. Refreshments provided. For further info, contact Kathy on 330584.

22/02/23

In the run-up to Christmas, Rushen Heritage Centre is pleased to be involved with the 'warm place and warm welcome' scheme around the south of the Island.

From November 7, the Centre will be open:

• Mondays - 2pm-4pm
• Wednesdays - 2pm-4pm
• Fridays - 10.30am-1pm

Call in for a cuppa and a chat.

We are also hosting some workshops over the coming weeks:

• Art for Fun, with Margaret Galloway - November 14, November 28 and December 12 - 1.15pm start, £2 per session to cover materials
• Knitting & Crochet, with Pam Parfitt - November 11, November 25 and December 9 - 10.30am start, £2 per session to cover materials

Tea/coffee & biscuits provided at the workshops. To reserve your spot on a workshop, call into RHC and leave your name, or call/text Kathy on 330584. 

07/11/22

Our new season of talks gets underway on Monday, November 7, with Dave Martin exploring Bridges in the Landscape.

Dave, a past president of the Isle of Man Natural History & Antiquarian Society and Trustee of the Manx Museum & National Trust, will take us on a tour of bridges around the Isle of Man, looking at how they evolved, the threats they have faced - including residents armed with explosives! - and the links they provide to the past and future.

It's great to have Dave back with us - those  who attended his talk last season, about LiDAR (light detection and ranging) surveying and other digital archaeology used on the Isle of Man, will know what a fine speaker he is (and no doubt will want to be back in the audience next week!).

Each of our 2022-23 season of talks takes place on Monday evenings at the Erin Arts Centre, starting at 7.30pm (doors 7pm).

Tickets are £5 – or £4 for Friends of Rushen Heritage Trust – and available online at www.ticketsource.co.uk/erinartscentre  or from the Erin Arts Centre. Tickets are also available from Rushen Heritage Centre (Bridson Street, Port Erin), but as we operate limited opening hours during the winter, if you are struggling to get a ticket, please contact our Coodinator John Quirk at rushenht@gmail.com or call/text 464634.

We are really pleased with our line-up for the season ahead. Following Dave, December will see John Wright recount the tragic story of the brig Lily disaster of 1852. John has written a book to mark the 170th anniversary, which Rushen Heritage Trust is publishing later this month (more details coming soon).

In January, Elizabeth Corlett, Outreach and Archive Officer at the Isle of Man Public Record Office, will reveal some fascinating items from the archives (with a southern flavour), while February will see Culture Vannin's James Franklin exploring the folklore of Port Erin. In March, Pete Geddes from the Laxey Mines Research Group will delve deep inside Bradda Mines. Our planned speaker for April has sadly had to postpone her talk - we are lookng for an alternative speaker.

The full line-up of speakers for the 2022-23 season:

• November 7 - Dave Martin: Bridges in the Landscape
• December 5 - John Wright: The Explosion That Shook Port St Mary
• January 9 - Elizabeth Corlett: Southern Travels Through the Archives
• February 6 - James Franklin: The Folklore of Port Erin
• March 6 - Pete Geddes: Deep Inside Bradda Mines
• April 3 - Peter Kelly: Kelly's Eye in Pictures

Huge thanks to all of our speakers for offering their time to share their stories with us. 

03/11/22

Our exhibition to mark the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Port Erin Marine Laboratory proved a resounding success, with around 1,200 visitors during its three-week run.

The Winkle Pickers exhibition was hosted by Rushen Heritage Trust and curated by a team of former staff and alumni from the Port Erin Marine Laboratory (PEML), which opened in 1892 and closed in 2006.

'The Winkle Pickers' was the name given by locals to students and researchers at the Laboratory, who were often seen on the shore filling wicker baskets with sea plants and small species for research purposes.

The exhibition was staged in St Catherine’s Church Hall, Port Erin from September 2nd-25th.

Hugh Davidson MBE, Co-Founder of RHT, who worked closely with the exhibition team, said: 'Any local exhibition run by volunteers which attracts more than 500 visits can be counted a success - and this one was seen by around 1,200 visitors. They came from all around the Island and across the British Isles, and from places further afield like Spain, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Madeira, Germany and from many parts of the USA, including Salt Lake City, Houston, and San Diego.'

Feedback from visitors was excellent, and two of the most frequently asked questions were: “How did a small town like Port Erin manage to develop a world leading centre in Marine Biology with major projects and alumni across the globe?”; and, “Why did it close in 2006?”

A world map at the exhibition demonstrated why this question was asked - the map showed that nationals from countries across the globe had become students or researchers at the Laboratory, and that PEML staff and graduates had gone on to work on projects around the world as well as in the Isle of Man.

PEML was successful for a variety of reasons, such as a world-leading founder and leader for 28 years in Sir William Herdman; a 114-year-old partnership between the Isle of Man Government and Liverpool University; the Island’s unique location in the centre of the Irish Sea; and high-calibre staff and students who worked well together and enjoyed the experience.

Hugh said: 'The reasons for the closure in 2006 were complex and there is not the space to cover them here. Quite simply, Liverpool University, in the early 2000s made a financial offer which its partner, the Isle of Man Government, considered inadequate and decided not to commit to the high cost of continuation.

'In discussions at the exhibitions with locals and especially visitors, some people questioned whether the Island gives sufficient priority to the things which make it distinctive, and which attract both visitors and residents to our shores. Things like our unique Victorian railway system, including the horse trams; Laxey Wheel; our built environment, such as Douglas Promenade, which even in the 1950s was a model of outstanding Victorian and Edwardian architecture; and PEML, as an organisation or brand, rather than just a building. However, it was recognised that the Laboratory's reputation lives on, even though the building will soon be gone, and there were many suggestions as to how the Island could still capitalise on this in the future, which will be followed up.'

We are extremely grateful to Drs Peter Duncan, Andy Brand, Richard Hartnoll, Jeremy Paul and Roger Pullin, who developed the material for the exhibition as volunteers over many months; to our exhibition sponsors, the Elizabeth Clucas Charitable Trust and Gough Ritchie Charitable Trust, which have been consistently supportive; to all of our own volunteers and the alumni of PEML, who managed to staff both the exhibition and Rushen Heritage Centre during September; to members of St Catherine’s Church who helped with staffing; to Pam Crowe MBE and her fine catering team; and to The Copyshop for its superb work on the design and printing of the exhibition materials.

For those who missed the exhibition, there is an accompanying book, The Winkle Pickers – Port Erin Marine Laboratory: A Leader in Marine Biology (1892 -2006), priced at just £10, which tells the story vividly in words and pictures and can be purchased from Rushen Heritage Centre in Bridson Street, Port Erin and Bridge Bookshop in Port Erin or Ramsey.

07/10/22

If you are an avid reader of Manx history and/or historic fiction (set anywhere), our new book club might be right up your street.

The Rushen Heritage Book Club will meet once a month, at Rushen Heritage Centre (Bridson Street, Port Erin), and discuss the chosen books over a cuppa.

It will be informal and relaxed - all about sharing a love of books and heritage, to chat with (new) friends and find new authors/books that you may not have known about.

If you are interested in coming along, please email our coordinator John at rushenht@gmail.com or call him on 464634 - ideally with which evenings of the week suit you best. We'll then be in touch with everyone to advise of the first date.

08/08/22

The latest exhibition at Rushen Heritage Centre takes visitors back to a time when model boats were all the rage in Port St Mary.

'Model Yachting Mania' tells the story of Port St Mary boating pool, which was built in 1937 as a response to the increasing popularity of model boats and boating sites around the Island.

The exhibition has been compiled in conjunction with model boat enthusiast Brian King and will run until Saturday, September 3rd. Rushen Heritage Centre - at 1, Bridson Street, Port Erin - is open 10am-4pm from Tuesday to Saturday, with free entry for all.

Brian, who grew up in Port St Mary, said: 'People have been making model boats for hundreds of years but it really took off as a national sport in the UK at the beginning of the 19th century. Lakes were made into boating pools and purpose-built pools, complete with clubhouses, spread up and down the country.

'In the Isle of Man, Ramsey was the first to develop a club on the lake at the Mooragh, followed by Douglas on the Tromode dam. Not to be outdone, the Port St Mary model boat enthusiasts, of whom there were many, decided to build their own purpose-built pool at Kallow Point.

'Model yachting ''mania" spread through Rushen like wildfire. While there had been one or two traditional scale model boat builders, like John Gawne from Fistard, it was the competition element that seized the day. This needed a decent-sized, regular-shaped pool, and from this the people of Rushen raised the money, volunteered their services and even equipment to have a pool of a size to enable proper competition for the two national-sized boats, the 36R and the 50-inch Marblehead.'

The pool was completed in 1937, with competitions taking place between the Island's clubs, before being interrupted by the war. It remained popular in the post-war years, but eventually interest started to wane and the pool was closed around 1997 and filled in around three years later.

Doreen Moule, Chair of Rushen Heritage Trust, said: 'I think most children from the era covered by the exhibition will have fond memories of visiting a boating pool near where they lived. They were incredibly popular in their heyday, with regular competitions, and we hope the story told by our latest exhibition will resonate with many people, from Rushen and further afield.'

19/07/22

To mark the return of the TT races after a Covid-enforced absence of three years, our latest exhibition features six Manx TT riders, past and present.

'The Ultimate Challenge' runs until Saturday, June 25 - entry is free and the exhibiton includes a former race bike and TT-inspired artwork.

The featured riders in the exhibition are Tom Sheard, Ryan Kneen, Richard 'Milky' Quayle, Dan Kneen, Dave Molyneux, and Matt Mylchreest. The bike on display was originally owned by Conor Cummins.

Entry to Rushen Heritage Centre in Bridson Street, Port Erin is free and it is open 10am-4pm, Tuesday to Saturday.

31/05/22