THE PROBUS CLUB OF WESTERN MANN
Monday, 15th September 2014
12 members and 3 guests attended Peel Golf Club and, following an excellent meal, were treated to what can only be described as a very interesting and informative talk by Peter Geddes on the replacement of a second Laxey wheel
In 2003 the Laxey Mines Research Group began an ambitious project to rebuild the former Snaefell Mine Waterwheel on the Valley Gardens at Laxey.
The Snaefell Mine was situated at the head of the Laxey Valley and was the most successful of a number of small mines in the Laxey area. Sadly, the mine was to earn its place in Manx history in May 1897 as the scene of the Island's worse mining disaster. An underground fire had filled the mine with carbon monoxide gas and twenty miners died when they unknowingly descended the shaft into the deadly but odourless gas.
A fifty feet diameter waterwheel was built in 1865 by Leigh and Gilbert Howell of the Hawarden Iron Works in Bagillt, to pump water from the mine. When Snaefell mine closed in 1908, the waterwheel was dismantled and rebuilt at Blisland in Cornwall to pump slurry from a china clay pit.
The waterwheel fell into disuse in the 1950s and in 1971 was acquired by the Cornish Wheel Preservation Society who dismantled and put the components into storage. The Preservation Society later merged with the Trevithick Society and the water wheel was loaned to the Llywernog Mining Museum in Wales.
On 15th March, 2003 the Trevithick Society agreed that the components could be moved to the Isle of Man for re-assembly and restoration. On Sunday 21st September, 2003 the Snaefell Waterwheel arrived on the Isle of Man for a second time!
The Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust agreed to act as a management and fund raising body for the Laxey Mines Research Group whose volunteers carried out the restoration work.
Restoration of the waterwheel at the remote and almost inaccessible Snaefell Mine was not an option and it was agreed that the former Washing Floors at Laxey was an ideal location. The stonework and pit of a 42 feet diameter waterwheel which had worked on the Washing Floors survived largely intact and investigations showed that, with some modification, the slightly larger Snaefell Wheel could be reconstructed there. The Valley Gardens are now owned by the Laxey Village Commissioners who were extremely supportive of the scheme and agreed to lease the wheel pit area to the Trust, as well as supporting the project in many other ways.
And so began one of the most unusual restoration projects which the Isle of Man has witnessed. Over the next couple of years the Heritage Trust raised over £100,000 which funded the clearing and restoration of the wheel pit; the restoration of the metal work; purchase of the new woodwork; reconstruction of the water supply and wooden aqueduct and the construction of a new footbridge over the river.
Volunteers spent many, many hours on Sundays and weekday evenings carrying out the restoration work over the next three years. On Sunday 20th August, 2006 several thousand people came to Laxey to witness the formal "first turning" of the restored waterwheel which was christened "Lady Evelyn".
Following the restoration, the waterwheel was presented by the Trevithick Society to the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust who are now the formal owners.
Personally, I found this to be one of the most interesting talks we have had and it spurred me on to take a trip to Laxey to have a look at this wheel. It is only when you see it that you can appreciate the work that the volunteers undertook to restore it - well done everyone. While you are there, have a ride on the small mines train, good fun!
Monday 20th October 2014
!8 members and one guest were treated to a very informative and humorous talk by The Reverend Ian Faulds on Vicars on The Isle of Man, Saints and Sinners. Fortunately none of the current memers of the clergy were involved! It gave the members an insight into how the clergy over the years have behaved and it is good to know that it was more saints than sinners!
We were pleased to welcome one new member to our fold (the Vicar's talk has rubbed off on me!), and we were delighted for our President Ed to be able to present to two of our longest standing members, Dick Callin and Tom Durrant, Life Member Certificates and badges. Both Dick and Tom have been members almost since the inauguration of the club in 1983 and have held between them nearly every office. Dick, in fact, would have been a founder member but unfortunately, his work on the farm had to take priority and he had to delay his membership until retirement. They are both regular attenders at our meetings (when Tom is not cruising around the world) and long may we continue to enjoy their company.
Dick Callin receiving his Life Member certificate and badge from President Ed Freegard
A very happy Tom Durrant with his Life Member certificate
Monday 17th November 2014
Again, 18 members and one guest attended Peel Golf Club. Following an excellent meal, we were treated to a talk by local well travelled man, James Kewin, on his days in the Royal Air Force. It is no surprise that James' knowledge of aircraft is outstanding and his photos of the old planes he was priviledged to fly in brought a tear to the eyes of some of our members, bringing back happy memories no doubt. An excellent evening, thank you James.
We also welcomed one new member again, we are now over 20, a milestone as over the past few years we have been getting smaller and smaller. Is this going to be a trend over the next few months?
Christmas Party coming up soon....don't forget! No photo's this time but make sure you are all in Sunday best for the party as you may end up on here after then!!
Monday 19th January 2015
19 members were treated to an excellent talk and photos by Peter Clague on a walking holiday in Chile. This isn't a country that you would expect to be favoured by most people being long and narrow, but Peter showed us the differences between the north and south of the county. Starting in the north, we were shown the Atacama desert, the oldest and driest desert in the world with an average rainfall of 0.6 inches a year, however there is a large salt lake and many geyser fields and hot springs boiling up from the volcanic depths. In contrast, Peter then went to the South where the weather was cooler and wetter. We were shown groups walking through the National Park where the only accomodation were hostels, varying in standard but there was no alternative, not one Premier Inn in sight!! If you are interested in walking then a talk by Peter is a must!
Monday 16th February 2015
For a change tonight, our speaker was one of our members. Tom Durrant gave us an interesting talk on the Royal Ramsey Pier, its past and what the future may hold. Tom showed us a variety of photos from his extensive collection, of the pier from the days when it was in full use, including the Royal Family alighting from their vessel. I was a pleasure to see how many people enjoyed what was in its heyday, an asset to the North of the Island. As to it's future, well, who knows, but Tom did tell us of an organisation in the UK, The National Piers Society whose aim is the restoration of piers in the UK but whether the Isle of Man would ever be incuded in their plans is unknown. Thank you Tom for giving those of us who weren't able to see the pier in all its glory an insight into this marvellous structure.
The 2241 foot pier was built for the Isle of Man Harbour Board for £45,000. It opened on 22nd July 1886. Designed by Sir John Coode, construction was by Head Wrightson and Co. of Stockton-on-Tees. The 3 foot gauge tramway, originally used to carry building materials, was now used for baggage transport. A new landing stage opened in 1899 and an enclosed passenger van entered service that August. The railway was hand propelled until 1937 when the 8hp Planet (a small petrol locomotive) entered service. A new Wickham Railcar followed in August 1950, while 1955/6 saw the replacement of the two diverging track spurs with a short straight section on to the road. This gave the line a length of 2080 feet. In 1956, the pier entrance was rebuilt
In 1969, a mere 3054 steamer passengers disembarked, a fall from 36,000 per year prior to 1914. After the 1970 season, the pier was closed to steamers but remained open to anglers and holidaymakers. The tramway continued to operate. By 1979, the wooden berthing head was fenced off and the cafe and tramway only traded during the summer. The tramway closed in 1981. In 1990, the main berthing head had separated from the pier and was awaiting removal by a government workforce. Repairs by the Department of Highways, Ports and Properties (DHPP) enabled the pier to re-open for the 1990 season but, within 48 hours of opening, the repair work had been vandalised. In 1991, the DHPP stated that they would close the pier if there was further vandalism. The pier did close, with restoration costs estimated at over £2.5 million and demolition estimated at over £1 million.
In 1999, a report commissioned by the Friends of Ramsey Queen's Pier found that the Pier was in much better condition structurally than many British piers and full refurbishment would cost £1.273 million. However, for almost the next ten years, progress was painfully slow, consisting primarily of just a series of reports and little actual movement, much to the dismay of the Friends of the Pier.
Finally, in January 2009, a Council of Ministers Working Group decide that Queen's Pier is of national heritage significance and should be refurbished. In September 2009, consulting engineers BWB Consulting were commissioned by the Steering Group established by the Council of Ministers to progress options to secure the future of the pier. The Steering Group finally produced a recommendation in May 2010 that the pier be saved from demolition - but would remain closed to the public as there was no money for its restoration. The cost of £1.8m for this option was agreed by the Tynwald.
In May 2012 a new report stated that Ramsey Pier could be restored – and progressively reopened to the public – in seven phases costing between £1.2 million and £1.7m each. But director of harbours Captain Mike Brew said that there was little likelihood of Tynwald approval being sought for such a phased scheme for at least another five years.
THIS IS JUST A SELECTION OF OUR MEETINGS FOR THE PAST SEASON, WE WILL BE STARTING AGAIN IN JANUARY 2016 SO PLEASE RETURN FOR UPDATES
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