Monday 15 August 2011

Living on the Isle of May Open Day

Guillemot meet boy.
Tommy the waller restoring the lighthouse keeper built walls.
Reliving the priory's history with Monk Baldwin.

Claire entrancing visitors in the south Horn with wonderful stories and beautiful singing.

Well we were blessed again. Yesterday our second open day (of 4 for the season) again had fantastic weather and the 122 people made it over to the island in various boats to enjoy the People of the Isle of May open day. As usual they were able to walk round the island sampling the birds, seal and tranquility in the sunshine but in addition they got an insight into the many and varied lives of people that have been living on the May down time. Monk Baldwin greeted everyone that made it to the Priory to tell them about the 10 seater toilet, the successive holy buildings and the hundreds of years of burials. Dave the lighthouse keeper regaled visitors of the stories of working the lighthouses on the island while Tommy the waller got people to help him in his work to restore the walls around the island that the original lighthouse keepers built 200 years ago. In the South Horn Claire wove some magical stories about selkies, lighthouse keepers and witches and entranced listeners with her singing - the acoustics of the South Horn have to be seen to be heard. And a 6ft high guillemot flew in to explain how 1000 of years ago when people first came to the May they came to eat guillemots but now people come to study and enjoy guillemots.

We have 2 more open days left - the 4th Sept is lighthouse day when visitors can look round the lighthouse buildings and the 25th September is seal day and with our track record the weather will be stunning so book up now !

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