06-Jul-2026
Tynwald Day is officially 5 July, but because that day was a Sunday this year, the ceremony and festivities were moved to today, Monday.
We show the flag every day... And I like this photo because the sofa cover reminds me of our second home, Sarawak
Tynwald, the oldest continuous parliament in the world, was established by the Vikings (so it's a relative of Thingvellir in Iceland, as well as many other "thing" sites).
There's a helpful primer on Tynwald here, but basically 5/6 July is the date of our parliament's annual open-air sitting. New laws promulgated over the previous year are summarized in English and in Manx, and petitions can be presented by members of the public.
It felt quite special. My first Tynwald Day here for a very long time; the first time probably ever that I watched a goodly bit of the procession (as kids we'd just head off to the stalls to have fun); and Nigel's first ever in any capacity.
Fortunately, it was a beautiful day. Sunny and breezy (perhaps a little too breezy for the Onchan Silver Band, whose soloist's music had to be rescued, and then secured, by members of the audience).
Before it all gets going... So nice to start the day in a deckchair in the sun, listening to a band... Nigel's dad would have been proud of us
The band again, with the ceremonial tent in the background
Then we moved off to check out what was happening on the Back Fairfield. Quiet now, but super-busy a couple of hours later:
An enthusiastic team of traditional dancers was keeping early visitors entertained
Then back to the procession. Here's the Onchan Silver Band again
Guests included a regimental band from Scotland
The so-called MacDonald Flag, which has been flown on Tynwald Day since the 1970s, is a nod to the ship depicted on ancient seals
The one with the feathers is the governor (the British monarch's representative)
We watched everyone file into church, did another round of the now much busier stalls, and grabbed some lunch from one of the many food trucks.
Then, very dutiful, we took up a pozzy near the ceremonial hill to watch the next bit of the proceedings.
The banners are protesting a wind farm proposal that seems to offer few benefits for the Island
The dignitaries head for Tynwald Hill
And the formal bit begins
We watched for a while, and then drifted off to the Arboretum, where the One World Centre was hosting the "Global Village". This was a great little enclave. A vast variety of food offerings, a stage with lively music, and plenty of grassy banks to sit down on. This is the bit where we'll hang out next year.
We headed home in the early afternoon, but loads of people were still arriving, keen to enjoy all the fun of the fair without all the ceremonial stuff.
I'm glad we went.