Alastair Kneale's blog

Illustrator receives Londeyr award for her work to promote the Manx language

Media release from Culture Vannin:

Illustrator receives Londeyr award for her work to promote the Manx language

Jeebin, the Manx Language Network, was delighted to present illustrator Vicky Webb with the annual Londeyr award, at the Cooish Manx Language Festival 2020 earlier this month.

Remembering the Pointless Cruelty of War

There was a notice placed in the Manx paper the Ramsey Courier on August 16th, 1918. It was placed by the wife of William Percy Kneale. He was killed on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium during the First World War on July 31, 1917. The notice read:

"KNEALE - In memoriam and loving memory of my beloved husband, who was missed from "Roll Call" on July 31st, 1917.

If those that caused this awful war

Were the only ones to fight;

Isle of Man’s highest award for contributions to Manx culture - nominations sought

Media Release from Culture Vannin:

Manannan’s Choice of the Year – nominations sought for cultural award

Last year, folklorist, collector and author, Stephen Miller received the Isle of Man’s highest award for contributions to Manx culture. Now is the time to start thinking about who you would like to nominate for this year’s ‘Reih Bleeaney Vanannan’ award, to recognise them as ‘Manannan’s Choice of the Year.’

New Manx Language Development Officer

Media release from Culture Vannin:

New face for Manx language development at Culture Vannin

Culture Vannin is delighted to announce Ruth Keggin Gell as their new Manx Language Development Officer. In Manx, the role is known as Yn Greinneyder, ‘the encourager or motivator’, and Ruth’s focus will be to promote, support and facilitate the Manx language within the community, as well as to help deliver the Manx Language Strategy.

Island Games 2021 postponed due Covid uncertainty

The Island Games are biannual international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent different island communities (with one team from the peninsula of Gibraltar) which are IIGA members. The next games were due to be in Guernsey in July 2021. Now organisers of the Island Games have postponed the 2021 event and said they were uncertain when the next competition would be held because of the effects of the coronavirus outbreak. The 2023 games are due to be held in Orkney.

Scottish government yields to criticism of proposed new Hate Crimes Bill and threat to free speech

The Scottish government has announced that it will look again at the proposed controversial hate crime legislation in Scotland. This follows a significant backlash over threats to freedom of speech that would have been the result of the legislation being introduced in its current form.

Liberal/Left problem with free speech and “the road to hell paved with good intentions”

It appears to many that the drive to curtail free speech at the present time is being driven by the liberal/left. There are many dangers in this approach. The desire to prevent reading or hearing anything that you disagree with is not appropriate to the Western democratic approach. We all get irritated and sometimes angry with what some others might say or write. However, does that mean that we are not prepared to tolerate another viewpoint? Surely if someone feels that a particular viewpoint is wrong then they should have the confidence in their own viewpoint to argue against it.

Brian Stowell stories in Manx - ‘Gaelg as Fishig: Skeeal my vea’

Media release from Culture Vannin:

Brian Stowell stories in Manx released online

The anniversary of Brian Stowell’s birthday is being marked by a release of new audio recordings in Manx.

19 extracts from Brian’s autobiography have been voiced by Phil Gawne for Culture Vannin and released for free online to mark the anniversary of his birth in 1936.

Isle of Man needs to beware of neighbour England's continued shambolic responses to coronavirus

The last positive case of coronavirus on the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin) was recorded on 20 May, 2020, making it 93 days as of the 21st August. The island's border was closed to almost everyone on 27 March in a bid to control the spread of the virus. At the time Manx Chief Minister, Howard Quayle said the border remained an "integral part of our defences" against the disease. This decision has been seen to be the right one and was a factor in the Isle of Man becoming the first place in the British and Irish Isles to live without lockdown and to end social distancing on Monday 15th June. 

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