Tynwald Day 2017 will be distinguished by ceremony and celebration.
The Island’s national day on Wednesday July 5 will serve as an occasion to welcome two visiting units from the Royal Air Force as they perform their ceremonial roles and add to the colour and spectacle of the formal proceedings.
Manned exclusively by officers and airmen of the RAF Regiment, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary, the Queen’s Colour Squadron will form the guard of honour. The squadron is the RAF’s only dedicated ceremonial unit, but also has an operational role as 63 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment.
Joining the squadron will be the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment which, in additional to its ceremonial duties, undertakes operational support roles around the world.
The proceedings will also serve as an opportunity to recognise the 600th anniversary of the Customary Law Act. The President of Tynwald, Steve Rodan MLC, said: ‘The Customary Law of 1417 is the earliest Manx statute we have in writing. It is significant because it sets out in detail the Tynwald Day ceremony itself - the very pattern which we follow on Tynwald Hill in St John’s to this day. Even back then it was referred to as "the constitution from old times" so we can see that our ancient ceremonial was already rooted in the distant past way back then.
‘It was Sir John Stanley, Lord of Man, who ordered the 1417 Law to be set down, and it is right and poignant that his descendant, Edward Stanley, the 19th Earl of Derby, should have kindly accepted my invitation to come as a guest on Tynwald Day to help us mark the 600th anniversary and celebrate our long unbroken history of parliamentary tradition.’
In addition to the formal proceedings there will be a wide range of attractions and entertainment for all the family lasting late into the evening. To find out more visit facebook.com/TynwaldDay or instagram.com/tynwaldday.
Tynwald Day will streamed live at tynwald.org.im. To follow events as they happen click on the ‘Watch Live’ link.
Grandstand tickets, priced ?4 to include a programme, will be on sale from Monday June 5 at the Tynwald Library, Legislative Buildings, Finch Road, Douglas, or may be reserved by telephoning 685500.
Blue Badge holders wishing to attend Tynwald Day may apply to the Tynwald administration office for a parking pass entitling them to a reserved space at St John’s Primary School. For all enquiries, telephone 685500.
For details of Tynwald Day bus services, visit bus.im.
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