-A swan song is supposedly the the song sung by the mute swan as it's dying. Mute swans though aren't at all mute. They hiss, snort, grunt, and produce very shrill noises, especially when guarding their territory, fear of attack, or even when feeding. A swan song is also attributed to a last and most magnificent performance of an artist before they bow out of their chosen profession.

Wiki says
Swan song has become an idiom referring to a final theatrical or dramatic appearance, or any final work or accomplishment. For example, Franz Schubert's collection of songs, published in his year of death, 1828, is known as the Schwanengesang (German for "swan song"). It generally carries the connotation that the performer is aware that this is the last performance of his or her lifetime, and is expending everything in one magnificent final effort. Anton Chekhov's one-act play, The Swan Song (1887), describes an aging actor who, while sitting alone in a darkened theatre, ruminates on his past. Agatha Christie's famous mystery novel And Then There Were None includes, as a plot device, a gramophone record entitled "Swan Song." When played, it accuses the houseguests and servants of murders that, for various reasons, they were not punished for. The killer intends to punish the wicked as a final act.

Robert R. McCammon's book entitled Swan Song tells the haunting story of a young girl in a post apocalyptic world who will be the savior of the human race.

Swan Song is also a Led Zeppelin tribute band.

My hissing, flapping swan was taken in where else but Ramsey Harbour. Obviously this one is fighting fit, but the swan song could be sung for the Isle of Man as an offshore banking option. With the credit crunch and recession time for a re think. The Isle Of Man has been on the news a lot recently due to the Collapse of the Icelandic Bank Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander where some islanders have banking connections. Tough times ahead.

A change for me, quite a hefty topic. Normal service will be resumed next post.

For more wonderful camera critters see MISTY DAWN Camera critters and be sure to leave a nice comment for Misty' s own outstanding posts.

Uk readers. Don't forget to put your clock back.
After a colourful skywatch image I always like to get back to the nitty gritty of Ramsey local life. Guess what folks? Look at what I have for you today, top of your requests...... people! This image has been hanging around on the laptop but as Saturdays are quiet I thought I'd sneak it on today.

So question is does anyone recognise the locals gathered in Mooragh Park? This was another walking very quickly so not to be noticed shot. I actually like doing these shots with people, not having all of them in shot, body parts missing(Knoxville girl have you got them down on the body farm?) feet missing from the frame. It's your typical journalistic local newspaper image. It also implies this a part of larger scene rather than a self contained, contrived perfectly framed shot. Ok. I'll shut up with the pretentious photo speak. Back to who is it.

Now there is a clue. You can see the word coastguard on the vehicle, and yes those are definitely uniforms you can see. So I'm guessing overnight when this magic post appears, when I've gone to bed a message will appear in my comments box telling me who's who and what was going on.MANNANAN'S CLOAK it's over to you. What I can tell you is this was taken one Sunday, the last day of Ramsey Week activities. A very lively day up the park, stalls, bands, face painting even a bouncy castle. Unfortunately that was for the kids which I totally object to but have been over ruled on the subject. I'd like to bounce too, wouldn't you?

As it's Friday, you guessed by my absence one was down the local drinking emporium known as the Swan. Fortunately this time I remembered a post was required for Saturday and prepared this one in advance. After re reading last Saturday's rather drunken ramblings I thought this would be a wise move. Am I the only one who has posted drunk? Are you all good boys and girls and always post with a clear head? Thought for the weekend. Queens Pier
Ramsey
Skywatch

Friday already? Must be skywatch.

This is Queens Pier Ramsey, Queens Promenade.

Commissioned by the Isle of Man Harbour Board and constructed by Head Wrightson & Company, this 2241ft (679m) pier opened on 22nd July 1886 by the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man. Costing £45,000 Ramsey Queens Pier and originally designed as a landing point for steamers plying the Liverpool, Fleetwood, Belfast and River Clyde routes.

It comprised of a wooden deck over iron piles, and had a small cafe at the far end. A 3ft (900mm) gauge horse-drawn tramway, that was originally used to transport building materials during construction, ran along the centre and was retained for baggage transport. A new wooden landing stage was added in 1899, along with a covered passenger car on the tramway.

The horse-drawn tramway was motorised in 1937 when the locomotive "Planet" was introduced. Modifications were again made to the tramway in 1950 when a "Wickham" rail car was added. Further track alterations in 1956, gave the line an overall length of 2,080ft (631m). 1956 also saw the redevelopment of the pier entrance.

In subsequent years the Pier has fallen into a state of decline, no longer used as landing port, closed to visitors and declared unsafe. The future of Ramsey Queens Pier remains uncertain.

Like the Swing Bridge, Queens Pier is a Ramsey icon that I never tire of photographing. So I will be doing 100 of the pier as well from different angles and times of day. Therefore this is image 1/100. Mad idea, probably. Been into Ikea lately? Same image, different angle.

To join skywatch go to SKYWATCH
The concept was Dot's, the next host WIGGERS WORLD the guardians of skywatch now are Tom, Imac and SandyRamsey Bus Station Silhouette Babooshka

Not that you can see it but the bus station is the building on the left under the sliver of the mountain. On the right hand side you can see the outline of the tree you have seen before. The one with the huge hand sign on it. To the right of the tree you can trace out the outline of chimney pots. Some days you will actually see smoke rising from those pots, especially with the price of fuel this ensuing winter.

Why Silhouette? The weather and lighting conditions were fairly poor so again work with them, not against them. I took several, trying to obscure as much as the sun as I could, but with light enough to serve as a backlight, to bleach/whitewash the sky, but keep a little cloud definition. Again just fiddle around with the manual setting until you get the desired effect. A simple desaturation to strip the image of any colour, like the road lines or cars to finish the job. No need to alter contrast or brightness, as I wanted to keep the sliver of ground light.

I'll show you Ramsey Bus Station in a more visible straightforward image next week.Only if you're good boys and girls, I'll even throw in a bus, hell I'll even show the bus queue of locals. The image today was purely for me. Not meant to be a work of art or indeed show you much of Ramsey. Just an image I shot this week that I personally like, of an outline from an angle I favour.

I'm Blog hopping light again. Apologises for my lack of response to emails, I'll get there. Not just the blog plagiarist to contend with, but my usual printing site and I may be parting the ways which means I'm also sorting out that end of the photography business end.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Wrong!
It's theft, get your own blog or pay for my words and images.
To the theif.
NEW WAVE
Babooshka

ABC - Letter N.

What is it though? It's a rare sight in Ramsey Harbour although these never used to be. So what is it. Well It's not the new Swimming pool you can see over on the right with the curving roof. No, It's actually the red and white Tall Ship you moored, called the "New Wave." I snapped this shot very quickly as I was literally running onto somehwere else, so a quick not thought out snap for a change.

This is actually a grand sight to see in the harbour, a real blast from the past because this is the very harbour that the STAR OF INDIA or the Euterpe as you may know it was built. Yes the one that has been loving restored and is berthed in San Diego. If you click on the words Star of India above it will take you to my post about it with an image of the commemorative plaque here in Ramsey. The Isle of Man has strong links with the sea, as do most islands. From the Bounty, The Jane, The Island Yacht Race to The Book the " English Passengers" we have had a wonderful variety of sailors and ships.

Speaking of books, how would you like to swap a book you no longer want for one you have always wanted to read, re read, or to try out out something new? Try this great new blog BOOK SWAPPERS . I know I'll be in on this.

I'm late tonight, and a little light on the visiting. I'm on a mission to curb someone's enthusiasm (to put it kindly) on mimicking my writing style and suggesting( now that is being polite) that this very blog, content and images be their very own. You poor deluded fool. I am onto you, thanks to copyscape and Google alerts. It's a small island I will find you. Game On!

Want to join ABC got the lovely hostess with the mostest, MRS NESBITT'S PLACESky Hill
Ramsey
Isle Of Man

The hill on the right is the most important in Ramsey and Isle of Man history. Here's why.

The Battle of Scacafell or Skyhill took place in Ramsey, Isle of Man in 1079. It was the third and final time that the Norse-Gael warrior Godred Crovan invaded the island, taking it from Dublin and Orkney. His victory over the Manx brought together the Isle of Man with the Hebrides, establishing the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles.

At the time of the battle, the Isle of Man was part of a larger political entity called the Kingdom of the Sudreys, which consisted of Man and the Hebrides. Godreds father, Harald the Black was king from c. 1035-1040, but on his death the kingdom appeared to come under the control of the Earls of Orkney. When their control over the islands lapsed around 1049, the throne passed to a distant relation of Harald the Black, Sigtrygg, whose brother was King of Dublin. His son, Godred II, who reigned until 1075, succeeded Sigtrygg.

In 1075 Godred II died and the throne was passed to Fingall, but he does not seem to have remained there long. In 1075, Godred Crovan assembled a fleet and an army, probably of Norse from the Hebrides, and attacked the island. He was repulsed, but was soon back for a second attempt. Again he was repulsed, but is during this period that Fingall disappears from the record, and it is probable he was killed during one of the invasion attempts. In 1079, Godred Crovan came back, and the chronicles are reasonably clear as to what happened next.

A third time he gathered a massive force and came by night to the harbour which is called Ramsey, and three hundred men he hid in a wood which was on the sloping brow of the mountain called Sky Hill. At dawn the Manxmen formed up in battle order and after a massive charge joined battle with Godred. When the battle was raging vehemently, the three hundred rose from their place of hiding at their rear and began to weaken the resistance of the Manxmen and compelled them to flee. Now when they saw themselves defeated without any place for them to escape to, for the tide had filled the riverbed at Ramsey and the enemy were pressing constantly from the other side, those that were left begged Godred with pitiful cries to spare them their lives. Moved with compassion and taking pity on their plight, since he had been reared among them for some time, he called off his army and forbade them to pursue them further.

Godred Crovan (Old Irish: Gofraid mac meic Arailt, Gofraid Méranech; Guðrøðr^[1]) (died 1095) was a Norse-Gael ruler of Dublin, and King of Mann and the Isles in the second half of the 11th century. Godred's epithet Crovan may mean "white hand" (Middle Irish: crobh bhan).^[2] In Manx folklore he is known as King Orry.

I chose this image to show as part of the my world theme to illustrate that although the photo is present day, we are always living amongst the past. For more my entries click MY WORLD and thank the skywatch gang once again for another inspired idea.
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