Manx Radio's Island Life Series - Specials

Howard Parkin (MBE!) talks to Christy DeHaven, giving us a heads up on what we can expect to see in the Island’s Night Skies in 2025. From eclipses to occultations, aurora to meteor showers, there's plenty to keep us occupied as we look up over the next 12 months.

What is   safeguarding - and what do the teams across the Island who work in this area do on a day-to-day basis to keep our most vulnerable people safe? That's the question Siobhán Fletcher is asking in this special Island Life programme. We’ll hear from the various agencies who make up the MASH and find out how they’d tackle a real case. If you think you or someone you know is being exploite...

BBC continuity announcer and presenter of the shipping forecast, Amanda Litherland, talks to Manx Radio's Chris Pearson about the forecast, what it means to people, her career and growing up here on the Isle of Man.  

A woman whose mum was abandoned in Ballure Glen near Ramsey as a baby nearly 80 years ago believes she may have traced the family names of her birth grandparents. Mary Ramsey, who was later adopted and renamed Stephanie Taylor (née French), was raised in the UK where she lived until her death in 2012. Her daughter Lorraine Berry has now used DNA tracing to find out more about her biological family...

January 11th 2025 marks 25 years since the Solway Harvester sank off the Isle of Man, with the loss of all on board. RNLI crewmen John McCreadie and Peter Cowin, Captain Stephen Carter of Laxey Towing Co and Dudley Butt, former Detective Chief Inspector of the Isle of Man Constabulary, along with Manx Radio reporter Dave Moore, recall the events of the tragedy.

William relives some of his favourite interviews and features from TT 2024.

H with his round up of the worst of Manx Radio from 2024. We're getting better. Apparently . .

She was as Manx as the hills, and when she died in Spring 2024, tributes poured in for Margaret Curphey, placing her firmly among the leading opera stars of her generation. Returning to the Island in 1980 with husband Philip Summerscales and daughter Helen, she soon established herself as an inspirational teacher. On 1st November 2024 a tribute concert to celebrate the professional opera career of...

The complete concert recorded in St Andrew's United Reformed Church, Douglas on 1st November 2024 - a tribute to opera legend MARGARET CURPHEY (Margaret Summerscales following her marriage to Philip) who died in the Spring of 2024. The full concert features : Glenfaba Chorale conducted by Margaret's sister, Muriel Corkish and accompanied by Jean James Soloists Kristene Sutcliffe, Simon Fletcher, N...

The wettest April day on record, the warmest May on record, a summer that never really got going and a battering from Storm Darragh, we've certainly witnessed a variety of weather throughout 2024. Ben Hartley and Senior Forecaster at Ronaldsway Met Office Kirsty Pendlebury look back at the big weather events of the last 12 months.

To celebrate the appointment this year of the tenth Manx Bard, H gathers together the nine living bards for a chat and of course some festive poetry. Warning: It's not all happy!

Rhian Evans brings you a spooky story for Christmas Eve.

Tom Cain and Lisa Smith take a trip to the movies to enjoy some festive films and soundtracks from down the years.

It’s not every day you get to celebrate your 200th birthday. But that’s exactly what the Royal National Lifeboat Institution has been up to this year! As the huge milestone year comes to a close, Siobhán Fletcher looks back at how and why the RNLI come into existence. She also takes a tour of Manx National Heritage’s ‘All at Sea’ exhibition, held at the House of Manannan, to explore the pillars of...

Almost 3 years since his accident on the Switchback Rd, the Kirk family can now celebrate Christmas with returning son Lockie in their community-built Peel home. Chanelle Sukhoo, who has followed Lockie's journey and progress, pops in to Ballalockie for a Christmas catch up.

Martyn Perkins celebrates the Island's long Maritime heritage with a second programme of themed songs and reflections on our Island and the seas that surround us.

In a special programme for Remembrance Sunday, John Moss reflects on the freedom we have today, because of war and conflict down the years.

A South African man who's been living on the Island for three years has recently discovered his own family's Manx links. It's led Justin Kinley Adkins to find out more about his lineage. He and Wendy Thirkettle, an Archivist from Manx National Heritage, have been talking to Chanelle Sukhoo about re-tracing our family trees,  looking at the stories of those who've left the Island over the...

Amy Griffiths marks International Control Week, going behind the curtain with the Emergency Services Operators who are first point of contact and co-ordinate emergency response here on the Island.

Martyn Perkins celebrates the Island's long Maritime heritage with a programme of themed songs and reflections on our Island and the seas that surround us.

In the week Manx Care have announced a raft of cuts to patient-facing services to save money, Siobhán Fletcher speaks with politicians, medical professionals and the chief exec of the organisation itself, to find out the reasons why and hear some of the reaction. The organisation has since announced further cuts, which you can take a look at in detail here .

Amy Griffiths speaks with some of the groups on the Island who work with those affected by domestic abuse. *Due to the nature of this programme, some listeners may find the content distressing.* If you are affected by the issues raised, the following may be helpful: the police will listen you if you come forward to report an incident. You can call the non-emergency number  631212  oruse&...

Christy DeHaven takes a look back at the Lorient Interceltique Festival which took place in Brittany a few weeks ago, with upwards of 900,000 festival goers enjoying the sights and sounds - some of which came from our own talented Manx contingent. We chat with the organisers and some of the performers to find out about this huge international showcase for Manx creatives and producers.

Just under a quarter of a century ago, a maritime disaster shocked the Manx community. But it also united the Island with a small community across the Irish Sea. Why did the Solway Harvester sink? John Moss returns to the opening days of the winter of Millennium Year, 2000.

Should children be allowed to have access to smartphones during the school day? The news that one of the Island's high schools was going to ban access to them during school hours sparked a big debate on social media, before the Department of Education confirmed it was planning on implementing a similar policy across the board. Amy Griffiths has been looking at both sides of the argument, and also...