NEWS

Stanley Clucas has stepped down from the role of Captain of the Parish of Rushen after 25 years.

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.’

23/09/23

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

In 2016, Captain of the Parish of Rushen Stanley Clucas sat down to write about his family memories of life on Ballachurry, the farm that has been in his family for almost 100 years.

Rushen Heritage Trust published his memories in a book - A Year on Ballachurry Farm 1943-44 - which perfectly captured the story of a traditional Manx farm during World War II.

To coincide with publication, we organised an exhibition - and we are delighted to be able to show this exhibition again, in our Rushen Heritage Centre in Bridson Street, Port Erin.

The first half of the story - November 1943 to April 1944 - is now on display in RHC. The second half of the exhibition - covering May 1944 through to November 1944 - will be on display at a later date. 

Please do call in and see the exhibition - copies of Stan's book are also on sale, and we are arranging a couple of dates for Stan to do a signing. More news soon. 

05/04/22

Tickets are now on sale for the next in our season of talks at the Erin Arts Centre on Monday, April 11- Wish You Were Here! A Postcard Tour of the Isle of Man, with Peter Kelly MBE.

Renowed historian Peter will take the audience on a pictorial tour of the Island, with views from Edwardian postcards accompanied with his light-hearted yet informative commentary.

Peter is a gifted speaker, author and storyteller. He set up the Isle of Man Victorian Society in 1975 and has worked tirelessly to protect and preserve the Island's architectural heritage. Peter was appointed Captain of the Parish of Onchan in 2011 and last year he was presented with the prestigious Reih Bleeaney Vanannan prize, which is awarded annually by Culture Vannin to someone who has made an outstanding lifetime contribution to Manx culture.

The talk starts at 7.30pm (doors 7pm), with tickets £5 (£4 for Friends of Rushen Heritage Trust) available from Erin Arts Centre (https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/isle-of-man/erin-arts-centre), Rushen Heritage Centre, Bridge Bookshop (Port Erin), and Erin News.

The final talk of our season will be on Monday, May 16 - Around the South in 30 Objects, with Allison Fox, Curator of Archaeology at Manx National Heritage. This talk has been rescheduled from January, when it was postponed because of high Covid numbers.

Tickets for Allison's talk will be available from the usual outlets (see above) from Wednesday, April 13. If you bought tickets for the postponed talk in January, and would like to attend the rescheduled date of May 16, please contact RHT Coordinator John Quirk at rushenht@gmail.com or call/text 464634.

17/03/22

Tickets are now on sale for the next in our season of talks at the Erin Arts Centre on Monday, March 7th:

2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the landmark 1872 Isle of Man Act for Public Elementary Education, which introduced compulsory education, eight years ahead of England and Wales, transferring control of education from the Church to the State. It paved the way for improvements in the quantity and quality of teachers, the abolition of school fees, and the extension of an independent system of education.  How and why did this Act come about? Who resisted and who supported it? Professor Angela W. Little will explore these questions and more in relation to the Island as a whole, but with special reference to the Parish of Rushen. 

Angela is Professor Emerita at UCL Institute of Education, a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and a past President of the British Association of International and Comparative Education. She was educated at Rushen Primary School and Castle Rushen High School and wrote the chapter on education in our book, Living with the Sea, which tells the story of how Port St Mary developed betwen 1829-1979.

The talk starts at 7.30pm (doors 7pm), with tickets £5 (£4 for Friends of Rushen Heritage Trust) available from Erin Arts Centre (https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/isle-of-man/erin-arts-centre), Bridge Bookshop (Port Erin), and Erin News.

Our next talks are:

• April 11 – Peter Kelly: Wish You Were Here! A Postcard Tour of the Isle of Man
• May 16 - Allison Fox: Around the South in 30 Objects (rescheduled from January)

11/02/22

Tickets are now on sale for the next in our season of talks at the Erin Arts Centre on Monday, February 7th:

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) surveying has been used in Britain for a number of years (and seen on programmes such as Time Team), but coverage of the Island is recent and exciting. Illustrated by local examples (pictured is South Barrule) of the detail that can be revealed by LiDAR, Dave Martin – past president of the Isle of Man Natural History & Antiquarian Society and a Trustee of the Manx Museum & National Trust – will give an insight into LiDAR and other digital techniques (including demonstrating 3D models) and show how they help interpret archaeological and environmental data.

The talk starts at 7.30pm (doors 7pm), with tickets £5 (£4 for Friends of Rushen Heritage Trust) available from Erin Arts Centre (https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/isle-of-man/erin-arts-centre), Bridge Bookshop (Port Erin), and Erin News.

Our next talks are:

· March 7 – Angela Little: 150 years of the Education Act (1872)

· April 11 – Peter Kelly: A Postcard Tour of the Isle of Man 

We are still arranging a new date for our postponed January talk, by Allison Fox.

19/01/22

In light of the high Covid numbers in the Isle of Man, we regret that Allison Fox's talk, Around the South in 30 Objects, scheduled for Monday, January 10th, has been postponed.

While Erin Arts Centre has Covid mitigation measures in place, and these allowed the first in our season of talks to take place last month, we feel that, given the current Covid situation, it is prudent to postpone Allison's talk, to a date to be confirmed.

Tickets purchased for Monday's talk will be valid for the rescheduled date. We will have full details about how to obtain refunds (should you wish) very soon - watch this space.

At this stage, we will continue to monitor the situation with regards the other talks in our season:

· February 7 – Dave Martin: New light on Mann - LiDAR and other digital archaeology on the Island

· March 7 – Angela Little: 150 years of the Education Act (1872)

· April 11 – Peter Kelly: A Postcard Tour of the Isle of Man 

Our apologies again for the late postponement and thank you for your understanding and patience.

06/01/22

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the building of Milner Tower on Bradda Head as a monument to Port Erin benefactor William Milner, the Sheffield-born world-renowned safe maker who made the village his home.

To mark the anniversary, we are staging two events during October:

At 3pm on Saturday, October 9th, a Memorial Service at St Catherine's Church (the building of which was funded by Milner's estate) - all are welcome to attend and light refreshments will be served afterwards in St Catherine's Church Hall.

From Thursday, October 21st until Sunday, October 31st, an exhibition - Milner: The Man & The Tower - will be held at St Catherine's Church Hall, looking at the life and legacy of William Milner and the building of the landmark tower.

Our thanks to our sponsors for our Milner events - Culture Vannin, Isle of Man Arts Council, and the Elizabeth Clucas Charitable Trust.

We have other exciting news to reveal about other elements of our celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary - watch this space!

21/09/21