Interceltique stamps – Celtic ‘world first’ from the Isle of Man Post Office - The Lorient Inter-Celtic Music Festival 2008

The Isle of Man Post Office issued a set of eight stamps on 12 May 2008 to celebrate the Lorient inter-Celtic music festival. The stamps feature the national flags and Celtic language of each of the participating countries including Brittany, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, Galicia, Asturias. At the heart of the Celtic Countries, the Isle of Man is situated in the middle of the Irish Sea.
   The Isle of Man will have its largest ever contingent travelling to the 2008 festival with the Post Office, Manx producers, dances, bands and entertainers. The Post Office will be selling First Day Covers and superb individual sheets of stamps which relate to each of the Celtic countries present. In addition a special souvenir sheet and eight postcards will be launched on the opening day of the Festival.
   Dot Tilbury, Manager of the Philatelic Bureau said,’ it has been a very exciting time for us all and we are all looking forward to our very first trip to Brittany. Our stamps have been acclaimed world wide and we hope visitors to the stand will be impressed with our range of products. Up until 1973, the Island postal service was run by Royal Mail but the Manx Government of the day had the foresight to go it alone and independence was granted to all postal services of the Isle of Man on July 5th 1973, significantly, this included producing our own stamps. A huge effort has gone in to the organisation of this trip and I would personally like to thank the organisers of the festival who have assisted us with the arrangements. A visit to the our stand is a must for all visitors or as we say in Manx – Ta Ellan Vannin cur failt erriu – the Isle of Man puts a welcome on you’.
   The festival began in 1971 and quickly developed into one of the largest and most enjoyable music festivals to be found anywhere. Lorient is a city in a Breton-speaking area of southern Brittany, in north-west France.
   The Lorient festival attracts about 650,000 spectators every year in the first week of August. It features Celtic traditional, classical, folk, jazz and rock musicians, singers, dancers, painters, sculptors, writers and other artists. The main concerts are held in a football stadium, marquees and Lorient’s fishing port, where the festival kicks off with a traditional Breton seafood supper. A huge number of concerts, gigs and master-classes are held throughout the city – excellent music backed up by excellent food and drink. One of the most spectacular events is the Grand Parade of Celtic Nations – a parade of over 3,000 musicians, singers, pipe bands and dancers from many different countries.

A special feature of the Isle of Man stand will be a posting box where you can post letters and have them sent anywhere in the world with a Interceltique postmark. Contact Isle of Man Post Office www.iomstamps.com Tel: 0044 (1)624 698430 stamps@iompost.com Fax: 0044 (1)624 698434

Pipe Major Donald Sutherland – Our Heritage Continues !

The recent request for publishing clearance via The Black Watch of Canada for two Pipe Tunes penned by our grandfather, Pipe Major Donald Sutherland is an honour and we are honoured with this development.

Pipe Major Donald Sutherland

The first, The Red Hackle, is the official slow march of The Black Watch of Canada – the second The Black Watch Farewell to Canada was written as the War Band left to fight in WW11. These tunes will appear in a book of Black Watch tunes being published by RHQ Scotland. RHQ of the Scottish Regiment is in Balhousie Castle in Perth Scotland where the Regimental Museum is as well. Donald would be proud to know, the creative writing continues in the family with his grandson, Don Graham penning the soon to be released The Pipes and The Mist and co-writing The Calling of the Clans with Glaswegian-born, Harry MacGregor.

Louise Stewart of the BBC Scotland visits us in Canada !

Beach Celtic Festival and Concert Showcase was delighted to meet and spend time chatting with Louise Stewart of the BBC Scotland. Louise Stewart is the recipient of the prestigious Sir Winston Churchill Fellowship and spent many months travelling here to do research on the impact of the Scottish migrants and historic links between North America and Scotland. We also had the privilege of taking Louise to Port Hope to meet Harry MacGregor and clan as well as a wonderful lunch with our Councillor Sandra Bussin and her Mum, whose family originally hales

from Aberdeen. We immediately felt at ease with this lovely lady and will be visiting here in Scotland in the Fall after this year’s Beach Celtic Festival. Read more about Louise and her travels at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/7431901.stm

The Beach Celt of the Year – the first inductee at this year’s Celtic Festival 2008

After much deliberation, the Committee of the Beach Celtic Festival has chosen the recipient of for the first inductee for The Beach Celt of the Year. We are pleased to announce Rotarian and Beacher, Paris Quinn for this award and there will be further details available soon. One of the prizes that will be awarded to Paris is a trip for two – to go home to Ireland.
There will be a party prior to the Beach Celtic Festival and the sponsor for this year is another well-known place in the Beach, Fitzgerald’s – thank you for the support !

 

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