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STEAM PACKET
COMPANY ANNOUNCES WINNER OF 2014 BROCHURE PHOTO COMPETITION
A stunning photograph of
Peel Castle, with people enjoying the sandy beach, has been selected
as the winner of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's photo
competition. The competition was launched on Facebook in October to
find the perfect image to feature on the front of the Steam Packet
Company's 2014 Brochure. 45,000 copies of the brochure have been
printed, encouraging travellers to choose the Isle of Man for their
next getaway.
More than 530 entries were received from all over the world,
including Canada, Australia, Switzerland and the USA, and after
careful consideration the photo of Peel was selected. The winning
photo was taken by Robert Robinson, of St Helens, during a visit to
the Island last August (2013). Robert said the photograph was
taken during a walk in Peel while he was visiting the Island for the
memorial of the 40th anniversary of the Summerland fire. He
explained:- "I always take a camera if I'm going anywhere so
if I see anything I like I can take a photo. I like to take pictures
so I can have a memento. I'm no photographer, I just focus and
click. On this day I was just walking down to the castle with my
wife when I saw the families on the beach and thought 'that's a nice
view', with the castle in the background, the sand, the calm sea and
the sun. That's why I took the picture, because it showed so much
about the Isle of Man; things for families to do, the history, the
scenery and that it can be warm; when the sun shines!"
Robert was a regular visitor to the Island in the early 1970s, and
was on holiday in Douglas with his parents and 2 brothers when the
Summerland tragedy happened. The 58 year old said:- "Me and my
brothers had been at Summerland until about 4pm, when we went back
to the B&B because we had a meal booked and wanted to get changed as
we were meeting 3 girls back at Summerland later. Fortunately for
us, on the way back to Summerland we stopped at a pub for a bit of
Dutch courage. While we were there someone came in and said there
was a fire. We stepped outside and saw what was happening."
Robert took several photos during his trip last year for the
Summerland memorial, and submitted 6 to the competition. He was
delighted to learn one had been chosen as the winner. He said:-
'It means a great deal. It means I have taken the picture correctly
and what I saw in it is what everyone else is seeing. It means
people will see the Isle of Man as I do, as scenic, historic and a
wonderful place."
Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said:- "We
were overwhelmed by the response to our competition, and the
incredible variety and quality of photographs submitted. The aim of
the brochure is to encourage people to come to the Isle of Man and
what better way to do that than show them what we have to offer?
Robert's winning picture brings together many of the unique elements
which make the Island such a great destination, and we're very
pleased with the way it looks on our brochure. It was a far from
easy choice – there were hundreds of stunning photos showing the
splendour of the Island. We are delighted to have been able to use
other entries throughout our brochure, and we look forward to
featuring them in future campaigns and promotional material to show
people all over the world exactly why they should be sailing to the
Isle of Man." |
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BBC Stargazing
Live to feature UCLan Sun project
A project that turned
Lancashire into the Centre of our solar system has been feature in
the BBC programme Stargazing Live
after it caught the attention of the show's producers. The
University of Central Lancashire's (UCLan) Sun at Night installation
took one year's worth of footage of The Sun and condensed it into a
30 minute film that slowly rotated around a large cylindrical
projection screen accompanied by an appropriately deep and sinister
soundtrack. Now the installation, which was originally set up in
Preston's covered market for 2 nights back in November 2013, was
showcased at Royal Holloway, University of London, as part of the
BBC's Stargazing Live that ran over 7 January 2014 to 9 January
2014. Stargazing Live, was presented by Dr Brian Cox and Dara
Ó Briain, and was broadcast Live, from Jodrell Bank, with cameras
ventured into to the Royal Holloway. Artists David Henkel and
Dan Wilkinson created the installation. David said:- "The
Preston event got a great reaction and we attracted over 300 people.
We're were really excited to take the Sun at Night on the road and
share it with a wider audience." The installation
explores our relationship with the Sun and creatively disseminates
the research of UCLan's Solar Physics group utilising the stunning
images taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. The project
was funded by UCLan and Arts Council England. Last year UCLan played
an integral part in capturing the highest ever resolution images of
the Sun in partnership with NASA and the Harvard Smithsonian
Astrophysical Observatory. The project saw the brand new Hi-C
telescope was launched by NASA scientists on 11 July 2013, from
White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The mission had just 620
seconds for its flight but in that time scientists observed the
fundamental structures of the Sun for the 1st time.
New lease of
life for Liverpool golf courses
A report to the Mayor's
Cabinet to be shown Friday, 10 January 2014, recommends that the
City Council enter into a 25 year arrangement with Formby Hall Golf
Club plc to operate the links at North Liverpool, and Allerton. Golf
course with Glendale Golf Limited. It will wipe out an
overspend and subsidy which is estimated to total £339,000 this
financial year alone; saving the City around £1.7m over the next 5
years. The Council has insisted that the incoming commercial
partners must continue to provide affordable and accessible 'pay and
play' golf. Also that Formby Hall Golf Club plc. will also be
encouraged to invest in the courses through upgrades and appropriate
additional facilities to attract customers. Assistant Mayor
and Cabinet member for culture and tourism, Councillor Wendy Simon,
said:- "This is a really good deal for the City Council. It
will not just save money, but it will also secure the future of 2
long standing sports facilities. We can no longer afford to
subsidise the courses to the tune of almost £5 per round, but we
know how much they are appreciated by the people who use them. That
is why we have worked extremely hard over the last few months to put
together a deal that satisfies everyone. This proposal will make
sure that they continue to operate at a price that is affordable to
users and receive investment to make them sustainable in the long
term. Although we are having to make tough decisions due to the
severe cuts in central Government funding, we are determined to do
all we can to make sure that we find alternative and innovative ways
of securing the future of well-loved community facilities."
Due to the nature of the arrangement, the law requires that
the Council advertise the initiative as a disposal of a facility.
However the site will retain the same use and remain in the
ownership of the Council.
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