StoneRoad2013's photos with the keyword: Douglas Promenade

The Gaiety Theatre & Opera House, Harris Promenade, Douglas. This splendid structure was built in 1899, and restored to the condition it was for it's original debut to celebrate it's centenary, and as an entertainment venue. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaiety_Theatre,_Isle_of_Man Today the Theatre is run as part of the Villa Marina Complex, and painted in the same deep cream colour. "VillaGaiety" is owned and operated by the Isle of Man Government Department of Education, Sport and Culture ... www.villagaiety.com

The bench has recently been re-coated with something dark coloured like a matt stain/varnish ... The floral displays and other features of the various sections of the sunken garden are well worth visiting, especially in view of the damage as reported in the two links below. E2A - there has been an extensive and quite expensive clean up in the aftermath of Storm Barra [early Dec 2021] when the protective walls were damaged and the sunken gardens flooded by seawater. www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-59580812 www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-62395689

Originally erected in 1924 - and built of Manx granite - to commemorate the fallen of The Great War [1914 - 1918]. The base of the monument was modified to include panels for WW2 casualties at a later date. Located opposite the Villa Marina, on Harris Promenade, using the site previously occupied by the bandstand. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_War_Memorial

The "lifeboat memorial" to Sir William Hillary and the "shout" to the PS St.George in 1830 ... more details here ... www.ipernity.com/doc/312383/50792332/in/album/1287942 The two flanking seats are Remembrance Poppy benches.

Picnic bench, with an interesting design of the legs. Seems to be from the same designer as one of the benches I saw later www.ipernity.com/doc/312383/52068466/in/album/1287942

One of the "formal" sections of the sunken gardens on Douglas Promenade. Some very colourful bedding plant displays, the way the beds are cut into the grassed areas effectively means the soil level is raised - which helps with drainage on heavier soils. Formal planting like this does need regular attention to keep it looking at it's best, and not just cutting the grass regularly.

These narrow "petalled" dahlia blooms caught my attention.

This is one section of the Sunken Gardens that has been laid out less formally than others, for both the hard [curved paths and beds] and soft landscaping [informal planting scheme].

A mosaic artwork butterfly in the sunken gardens on Douglas Promenade. I think this is an artistic interpretation rather than truly representative. I don't know how old these mosaic works are, but time and the weather are breaking pieces off them. Several other examples were badly damaged.

On Douglas Promenade. IIRC this faces the Bee Gees statue and gives a view of Conister Ilse and the Tower of Refuge.

Memorial to David "Dawsey" Kewley, in recognition of his life-saving activities, now displayed in the "Memorial Gardens" on Douglas Promenade. [dated 1904, the year of his death] The text reads 23 lives saved, but "Dawsey" probably payed a role in several more - at least 38 by some accounts. Most seem too have involved him jumping into Douglas Harbour, during work for the Isle of man Steam Packet Company. more details here ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kewley

This section of the sunken gardens on Douglas Promenade id dedicated to various memorials, the big slab to the left is the "Lifeboat Memorial" to Sir William Hillary and his volunteers. [I have a more detailed view of it - see here www.ipernity.com/doc/312383/50792332/in/album/1287942 including the text of the dedication] There are several others, the two "poppy" benches by the lifeboat slab and the outline figures in the circular bed are on the subject of "Lest we Forget ..."

The plaque recording the dedication of the Bee Gees statue, unveiled in July 2021.

This was commissioned in 2019 and finally unveiled in July 2021. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Bee_Gees_(Douglas,_Isle_of_Man) Movement of the base required a temporary removal, back to the Liverpool foundry for modifications in 2022, which took a month ... www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-61813237

The inscribed plinth of the statue on Douglas Promenade.

One of several mosaic features tucked away in part of the sunken garden. This one is a representation of the typical heraldic shield ... I don't know if it is a recognised device or coat of arms. Sadly, most of them have lost at least a few of the pieces from which they have been made. The smaller flowers growing here are calendula - marigolds - that seem to be at least partially self-seeded.

The ones with the long, curved and narrow petals are various colours of "Honka" ... not sure of the others, but further investigations may let me ID them. . The red expanse behind is a display of bedding salvias.

Actually a bit more comfortable than it looks, and very good for a family or two with a picnic or wheeled people of any age [there's ramped access into the sunken gardens]. There's a matching bench opposite and other pair behind me - both of which are currently occupied by a happy group of families - three generations, at least - on an outing. A surprising lack of litter, as it was quite busy ... The gardeners were doing a trim of the edges and some weeding, but hadn't got as far as this area, although the grass was cut earlier.