Sunday – Hey Boy Stage Rear of Lime Street, Manx & Celtic folk
12.00 – 1.00 Show Willing
1.00 – 2.00 Truman Falls
2.00 – 3.00 The Fecktones
3.00 – 4.00 Nick Barlow
4.00 – 5.00 Geoff Merchant

Sure Beach Party line up

The line up for Friday the 1st July and the Sure beach party looks amazing! Check out what’s on – and don’t forget it’s all completely FREE!

It all kicks off from 6pm on Port Erin Beach and promises to be a great evenings entertainment.

• Sure competitions: Apple Dash – Family Quiz Games, Sandcastle Competition, Spot the Difference Game with great prizes from Sure
• SLG demo of the new LG Optimus 3D phones. There will also be vouchers to redeem in the Sure Shop when purchasing LG Optimus 3D phones
• Prize draw to win LG 3D TV
• 3FM Family Fun area: Marquee and Giant Games: Connect4, Giant Jenga, Snake & Ladders – with great giveaways from Sure
• Beach volleyball by Castletown HC
• Beach cricket by Castletown CC
• Free runners by Will Sutton
• Taste of Sailing by 7th Wave (pre-booked £25 a session)
• Try Kayaking by 7th Wave (for hire @ £10/hour)
• Rockpooling by Manx Wildlife Trust
• Fine seafood cuisine by Paddy seafood Shack and Bushy’s Beach Bar
• Live Music by Stonechase, Mr Eliminator and the Deadly Vipers, DJ Chris Sterio

Admission: FREE

Could You Cook up a Seafood Storm?

Budding chefs invited to show their skills in Queenie Festival cooking competition

Are you passionate about seafood? Do you have a flair for experimenting and creating your own dishes? If so, then you could take top honours at a Masterchef-style cook-off at the 2011 Queenie Festival (1st – 3rd July).

The festival organisers, together with the Isle of Man Seafood Development Partnership, are running a competition to find the best recipe featuring Manx Queenies, and are now encouraging the Island’s hidden culinary genuises to come forward!

With their subtle taste and succulent texture, Queenies (Queen Scallops) are a strong favourite with discerning chefs and seafood lovers far and wide. What’s more, as Manx Queenies are sustainably sourced, they leave a good taste in the mouth ethically, too.

So, to help celebrate its success, the festival wants to know your winning ways with the small but mighty scallop. From amongst the entries received, two finalists will be chosen to go head to head in a live cook-off at 4pm on Sunday, the closing day of the festival.

The judging panel consists of the renowned UK chefs and food experts who, as the festival’s very special guests, will also be giving talks and demonstrations over the weekend: Simon Wadham and Richard Kirkwood, Head Chefs at London’s Rivington and J. Sheekey respectively, and food writer/broadcaster Henrietta Green. Alastair Hamilton, head of the Seafood Development Partnership, will also be on the panel.

The judges’ final decision will be followed by a prize presentation, when the victor will claim a personalised trophy and £100 worth of Paddy’s seafood.

Sounds tempting? Entry forms are downloadable from the festival website here; alternatively, you can pick one up from Paddy’s The Quay in Port St Mary or Paddy’s at the Victoria Road, Douglas Shoprite.

The competition is open to people of all ages and abilities – the only essential is enthusiasm! In your entry, you must include: the name of your dish, full details of your methods and ingredients, and a photo of the finished dish. The recipe should take no more than thirty minutes to prepare. The closing date for entries is 20th June, at 3pm, so get cracking!

Time for the ‘Toughest Ever’ Golden Queenie Conundrum

Clues to £5,000 ‘buried treasure’ released today in the FREE Queenie Festival programme and on the website here!

Can you solve the riddle of the Golden Queenie?

Fans of fiendish puzzles, sharpen your wits: the 2011 is Golden Queenie Conundrum is about to launch!

The cryptic clues – the key to discovering the whereabouts of the precious Golden Queenie – are contained in the programme for the 2011 Queenie Festival, which is available in newsagents around the Island from Wednesday 8th June.

This is the third year that the highly popular treasure hunt, sponsored by Celtic Gold, has been staged in the run-up to the Festival, which this year takes place 1st – 3rd July.

The conundrum is a test not only of wits but of speed, as scores of determined treasure hunters will all be working simultaneously to crack the clues and race for the prize: a solid gold Queenie shell worth an estimated £5,000.

Last year, the Golden Queenie was claimed by the Thomson family of Douglas in record time so this time around, the clues have been given a twist to make the challenge the toughest yet!

Tim Croft, festival organiser, says, “Somewhere in a secret location, the Golden Queenie awaits the lucky winner of the hunt – but who will it be?

“Over the last few years, we’ve found that the conundrum really captures the public imagination and we’re hoping that this year, more people than ever will take up the challenge.

“As well as being in the programme, the clues will also be published in the local press and on the festival website from the following Monday (13th June)”.

“But to give yourself a head start, be sure to grab a programme as soon as you can. As well as the vital clues, it’s got the lowdown on this year’s festival, so you can start planning your weekend of fun and great food by the sea. Good luck – and happy hunting!”

Swim Challenge Finds Support from Manx Shipping Company

Independent shipping company Manx Ocean Crewing Limited has been unveiled as the sponsor of this year’s Manx Mile open water challenge, taking place in Chapel Bay, Port St Mary on Saturday 2nd July.

The event, which is part of the village’s annual Queenie Festival (1st – 3rd July), will see hardy swimmers taking to the waves to complete a triangular lap of the bay in the fastest possible time.

Now in its third year, the Manx Mile attracts participants from all sporting backgrounds – from tri-athletes to recreational swimmers – and is open to all ages and abilities.

Manx Ocean Crewing snapped up the opportunity to sponsor this year’s challenge, whose official title is now the ‘Manx Ocean Swim’.

Manx Ocean Crewing, whose main focus is providing crewing management services to vessels operating worldwide, is a regular contributor to the Port St Mary Lifeboat and to other local charities. With its head office overlooking Chapel Bay, it couldn’t be much closer to the action!

For those unafraid to take the plunge, open water swimming offers a unique – often addictive! – experience, as well as a fresh challenge for anyone tired of doing lengths in the swimming pool. Participants in the Manx Ocean Swim, who must pre-register for the event, can choose to wear wetsuits or, if they dare, swimsuits or shorts.

The course is clearly marked with buoys and kayakers provide safety support from start to finish. There’s a half-mile event for junior or novice swimmers, and trophies to be claimed in all categories.

Russ Kent, Finance Director of Manx Ocean Crewing, said, “We are proud to support the Manx Ocean Swim. As an Isle of Man based company, we believe it is very important to put something back into the local community, and the mile swim – like the Queenie Festival itself – is an event which brings together everyone in that community.

“In recent years, we’ve seen a revival of interest in open water swimming, as evidenced by the massive success of the Great Swim Series, and it’s great to have our own event here on the Isle of Man. With entries coming from the UK as well as from within the Island, it looks set to become an enduringly popular event. We wish everyone taking part the very best of luck”.

Organising the Manx Ocean Swim is Mark Gorry from the Isle of Man Open Water Swimming Club. Mark says, “The maritime connection made Manx Ocean Crewing an obvious sponsorship choice, and we’re delighted that they have come on board. Their support will make all the difference to the success of event, now and in the future.”

Anyone wishing to practice for the Manx Ocean Swim can join the Club on Sunday mornings – simply come down to the Port Erin slipway (between the Raglan Pier and the Lifeboat station) at 10.30am.

For more information about the Manx Ocean Swim, including details of how to register, contact Mark Gorry on (07624) 430631 or email markgorry@hotmail.com.