Billed as the festival with 'something for everyone', the 2009 Queenie Festival lived up to its name, drawing impressive crowds to host locations Port St Mary, Port Erin and Gansey Bay.
Despite its name, the festival - billed as a 'celebration of the sea' - embraced far more than Manx seafood. Over one week, various events showcased the Island's strengths in food, heritage, recreation, nature and conservation.
Port St Mary basked in sunshine as it went back in time, re-enacting scenes of times gone by. The Manx Queenie Paella, 'Spuds ‘n’ Herrin' and traditional music really created an atmosphere to savour.
The photography display of ‘A day in the life of Port St Mary’ from 1979 also provided a nostalgic view of the village. Sailing, kayaking and sea swimming gave sporting types a good challenge whilst stories of the Island’s maritime past, told around beach bonfires, enchanted local children.
The ‘Love your Beach’ event (Friday 3rd July) - which saw Port Erin shore transformed into a tropical paradise (complete with Manx palms!) - proved to be a particular highlight of the week.
The event was distinguished by a beach volleyball court, Manx produce barbeque, live samba music, beach cocktails and even its own lifeguards, thanks to street entertainers The Fairly Famous Family.
Despite the poor weather, thousands made their way down to Port St Mary for Marine Day (Saturday 4th July). Many enjoyed the Manx Queenie cooking tips, not to mention the finished results, from the 20 inspirational dishes created by celebrity chefs Mitch Tonks and Mark Hix throughout the day.
The children were all engrossed with the marine touch tanks, having the opportunity to learn about the sea life surrounding the Isle of Man as well as getting to touch and feel the variety of species courtesy of the Manx Wildlife Trust.
The Scallop Shell Swims, a new inclusion to the festival calendar, also proved a success. Taking place on three separate days, in three bays (Gansey, Port Erin and Port St Mary), these unique events gave young people, novices and more experienced or competitive swimmers a chance to challenge themselves in open water - with or without wetsuits!
Supported by kayakers and favoured by good weather conditions, all the swimmers put in a fantastic effort, while spectators at all three events enjoyed the sunshine and community atmosphere.
Swim organiser Mark Gorry summed up 'The conditions were perfect and the crowds lining the sea walls and beach boosted the atmosphere. There were 48 swimmers taking part in total, including a couple of competitors from the UK, and it was really good to see some family entries.
'Having so much going on around the swims really added to the sense of occasion. It was a real Celebration of the Sea'.
Overall Festival organiser Tim Croft commented 'It has been a remarkable journey and for it all to finally come together was fantastic. I would personally like to thank everyone who has helped out and supported us. It has been a lot of hard work but I hope that everyone will agree that it was well worth all of the effort put in by all of those involved.'
Fellow festival organizer Graham Hall added 'To see so many people in the villages of Port Erin and Port St Mary all enjoying themselves and joining in the spirit of the event was just great. And it’s still not over yet!
'The Golden Queenie has yet to be found and the competition is still open to win tickets for the Kaiser Chief gig, so snap up the last of the festival programmes and join in on the Queenie trail!'
To discover more, visit www.queeniefestival.com
Pictured: festivalgoers enjoy the evening sun in Port Erin.
