On Friday the 4th of July, you’re invited to "Come on down" for a session at Irish Annie’s pub, a musical play at the Gaiety Theatre written by Asa Murphy and celebrating the best of Irish culture. Asa himself will share the stage with a live 5-piece band and a cast of notable characters – including Liverpool legend Ricky Tomlinson.

Christy caught up with them both in a taxi on their way to their next venue...

On Saturday 12th July, the Arboretum in St Johns will be packed full of Mini Parish Walkers once more, as the Rotary Club's fundraiser returns for the 5th year. We caught up with organisers Ivan Bratty and Mike Priest to get the details. Register and find out more here.

Thomas Radford was given an SAS survival guide when he was a child and it started him off on a path less trodden - which is just as well, because the things he might be treading on could well end up being his dinner!

Now a hugely popular foraging expert and Instagram eco-champion, he will be hosting two walks on the Island in July, organised by Natasha Molyneux-Smith (@thenaturalhobbit), working with local forager Karen Griffiths and Lovely Greens' Tanya Anderson. *music: Galician by Scammylt.

On 5th July, the Olivier award winning Little Bulb Theatre will be headlining in the Spark Festival at the Villa Marina. Their show is described as a celebration of the wonder and weirdness of nature and our place within it, a theatrical love letter to nature for children and their families.

I asked Clare Beresford from the company what we can expect. Book tickets here.

Our charity of the week for Learning Disability Week 2025 is Manx Mencap. The term ‘learning disability’ is quite a broad brushstroke of course, and there are services users across the Island who will all have different requirements for support. Manx Mencap’s Fran Tinkler told me about some of the challenges and success stories that they are aware of.

Fran Tinkler tells us all about the Manx Mencap Charity, which works to improve opportunities for the Learning Disability community .They operate from Centre 21, Greenfield Rd in Douglas, you can call them on 01624 677289, email mencap@manx.net or find out more about them and their services here.

Local author, explorer, photographer, musician and all-round IOM ambassador Andy 'Virgil' North has written and released a new publication in the popular global book series - the Wild Guide to the Isle Of Man. The book highlights the Island’s varied landscapes, hidden gems, wild swimming spots, heritage sites and more. Now available at most local bookshops, Manx Wildlife Trust in Peel and at the launch event on 19th June in Noa Market Hall, he told Christy all about it.

2025 marks the 10th birthday of Manx Carriage Driving for the Disabled. Like a lot of local charities, they are on the lookout for volunteers in various roles, many of which don't even require you to be ‘horse minded’ (such as Secretary - a role they're keen to be filled!) Chris Quirk caught up with Patron Dr Bethany Haller Moore and also with Suzie Heap, who is undertaking the Parish walk to raise money for MCD4D, in memory of her grandmother who benefited from the charity's service.