Manx Radio's Island Life Series - Specials
A series of programmes focussing on aspects of Island life on the Isle of Man covering a wide range of topics.
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Episodes
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Christmas at the Flicks
Monday, 23 December 2024
Tom Cain and Lisa Smith take a trip to the movies to enjoy some festive films and soundtracks from down the years.
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A Brief History of the RNLI
Thursday, 19 December 2024
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 the RNLI’s foundation.(With thanks to the RNLI, and Allison Fox at MNH.)
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LOCKIE'S FIRST CHRISTMAS
Tuesday, 17 December 2024
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.
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Martyn's Maritime Music : Part Two
Thursday, 5 December 2024
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.
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Remembering the Cost of Freedom
Sunday, 10 November 2024
In a special programme for Remembrance Sunday, John Moss reflects on the freedom we have today, because of war and conflict down the years.
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FAMILY TREES AND TIES
Tuesday, 29 October 2024
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 years and why.
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EMERGENCY - WHICH SERVICE?
Tuesday, 22 October 2024
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.
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Martyn's Maritime Music
Thursday, 17 October 2024
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.
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DOES MANX CARE?
Thursday, 10 October 2024
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.
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DOMESTIC ABUSE AWARENESS: An Island Life Special.
Tuesday, 24 September 2024
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 999 if you are in immediate dangeryou can contact Victim Support on 679950 or visit their website –victimsupport.im
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Our Island at Lorient 2024
Wednesday, 18 September 2024
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.
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The Solway Harvester Remembered.
Tuesday, 10 September 2024
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.
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Smartphones in schools: vital learning tools or disruptive distractions?
Tuesday, 3 September 2024
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 the wider impact devices can have on young people.
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Planning: fit for purpose?
Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Amy Griffiths takes a look at the Island’s planning laws to find out if they’re currently fit for purpose.After one UK developer told her they’d be reluctant to undertake any more projects here because of the amount of red tape they’ve had to jump through, she wants to find out more about how the current legislation works, who’s responsible for upholding it, and whether any changes need to be made.
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DEATH IN CUSTODY : has the IOM Prison System learned lessons?
Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Three deaths in three years. Three lives lost, all in similar circumstances, while incarcerated. Have lessons been learned?This special programme, produced by News Editor Tessa Hawley, takes a look at what's being done at the Isle of Man Prison System to keep people safe.NB: This programme contains content that some listeners may find distressing, as well as references to suicide.
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MANX MEMORIES of ITALIA 90
Tuesday, 16 July 2024
In 1990, three Manxmen travelled independently to Italy for that year’s World Cup. These are their tales of a magical fortnight of football...
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The White Isle: A small Island with a big problem
Wednesday, 10 July 2024
The Isle of Man: a destination like no other; an Island described by government as the British Isles’ ‘best kept secret’. But scratch beneath the glossy tourism adverts, the beautifully created social media content and the straplines … and you’ll find a small Island with a big problem. Tessa Hawley uncovers a darker side to our beautiful Island and the disturbing prevalence of Class A drugs following the largest ever mass sentencing exercise at the Isle of Man Courts of Justice.
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The Nation’s Station and the Mother Tongue
Thursday, 4 July 2024
Bob Carswell reflects on how Manx Radio played a part in the re-introduction of the Manx language, featuring the voices of Doug Fargher, Brian Stowell, John Quilliam and many more.
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What does the UK General Election mean for us?
Tuesday, 2 July 2024
People across the United Kingdom will head to the polls this week to decide who will take on the top job at Number 10. But regardless of the outcome - what does the general election mean for the Isle of Man? In this Island Life special, Siobhán Fletcher catches up with some of our Ministers here to find out more about our intergovernmental relationship and asks the Manx public “do you care who wins?”
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THE GALES - A RACING FAMILY
Thursday, 20 June 2024
This special programme is an excerpt from the latest JOURNEY TO A DREAM podcast series. Beth Espey finds out that motor racing really is a Family Affair, as she meets with former TT sidecar passenger (now Marshall) Dicky Gale and his sons Ben and Jim, as they look to their first start on the Southern 100 circuit in a matter of weeks. Longer chat and podcast available now in the 'Journey to a Dream' series.
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Powerful and moving stories and reflections on war and conflict (full interviews.)
Thursday, 6 June 2024
To mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Dave Moore brings us a series of previously unheard interviews, speaking with people on and from the Isle of Man with real life experience of war and conflict.These interviews were recorded in the year 2000.
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Walking in the Ayres
Tuesday, 7 May 2024
Howard takes a trip to the tip of the Island and has a behind the scenes look around the developing Point of Ayre Nature Reserve. We're grateful to Allison Leonard, Neil Morris and David Andrews for showing us around this incredible new space, which will be open to the public in stages this year. In the meantime, you can watch a video of Howard and Christy's visit to the space last year here: https://youtu.be/jv3W24SufUU?si=5EA3HgU5KwV1SIha
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ROTARY YOUTH : Speaking Out
Thursday, 11 April 2024
If you went to school here on the glorious Isle of Man, you might remember taking part in the annual Public Speaking competition. This popular event is just one of many that is organised by the youth committee of the Douglas Rotary Club. Christy - one of those that does remember taking part in the competition - wanted to find out more about the work of the Committee, so caught up with Chairwoman MaryJane Falconer. We also hear from the award winning pupils from St Ninian's and St Johns' Public Speaking teams, who took home the trophies this year for the Senior and Junior category respecti...
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MANX ON THE MOON
Tuesday, 2 April 2024
Christy DeHaven speaks to space entrepreneur Chris Stott, whose recent endeavours have taken Manx tech to the Moon and back. This is just the latest in many 'out of this world' achievements for Chris, who is a founding member of the British Space Education Council and remains active in supporting space education initiatives. He is also the Honorary Representative of the Isle of Man Government to the Space Community. Chris has also been instrumental in getting the music of Manx artists Truman Falls and Back Door Slam on the International Space Station and in 2009, he organised for Davy Know...
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The Housing Crisis
Tuesday, 19 March 2024
During the 2021 election campaign, housing was one of the most important topics for people on the doorstep amid rental shortages, soaring house prices and little to no support for first time buyers. So, at the halfway mark for the administration that promised housing would be one of its main priorities, what is actually being done to help? Amy Griffiths is finding out. Including interviews with David Ashford in his role as Chair of the Housing and Communities Board, Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall, Alex Cowley who is Chair of the Youth Tynwald Select Housing Committee and Chief Minis...
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Out on Exercise with the Port Erin RNLI
Wednesday, 6 March 2024
To mark the day that The Royal National Lifeboat Institution celebrates 200 years since it was founded here on the Isle of Man, Lewis Foster heads to Port Erin Lifeboat Station to meet some of the volunteers and join the crew out on exercise around the Calf of Man.
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'Squiggly' Careers
Thursday, 1 February 2024
Not every career path is straightforward. You can take any number of different roads, with twists and turns along with the way – squiggly, see? When Howard Caine and Christy DeHaven attended the Employment and Skills fair at the Villa Marina at the end of last year, that’s exactly what they discovered. With grateful thanks to all the employers and workers that spoke with us.
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The Murder Mystery with a Manx link
Thursday, 18 January 2024
Simon Richardson looks into the dark mystery of an unsolved murder. Could an unidentified body found in Burton on Trent in 1971 be a Scout Leader from the Isle of Man who went missing in 1979? Simon speaks with Ken Davies, an investigator who has been looking in to the local links to this 50 year old mystery.
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DOUGLAS ROTARY at 100
Tuesday, 9 January 2024
A special Island Life programme to celebrate 100 years of the Douglas Rotary Club, looking at the work they have done in the Island's community over the decades and getting a sneak preview of their exciting plans for their Anniversary Year - a project that will change the very landscape of the Island. Christy DeHaven is in conversation with Club President Charles Fargher, Secretary Howard Callow and long time Rotary member Ivan Bratty.
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Manx Radio at 60
Monday, 1 January 2024
In the first in a special series of programmes to celebrate our 60th anniversary year, John Moss takes an extended look at how it all began for Manx Radio back in 1964.