Dave Kneale is a legend of the Manx photography scene.

Having been a key member of Media Isle of Man for roughly a decade until his departure this month, he has well and truly seen (and photographed) it all - from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Over the years he’s been a staple of the island’s event calendars and photographed a variety of colourful activities in his time - including worm charming, racing in tin baths, the creation of a Manx bonnag and the ‘Big Spud’ contest.

There’s not many things Dave hasn’t taken a photo of.

For this week’s Top 10, we asked Dave to delve into the archives and give us a rundown of his favourite community events in the Isle of Man.

1. Tractor runs

It’s hard to believe that the Young Farmers Christmas tractor runs, now a firm festive tradition, only started in 2018. It’s an affecting spectacle and the perfect invocation of everything special about Manx community life.

2. The Cronk y Voddy big spud competition

The spud weigh-in is the highlight of the Cronk y Voddy Ploughing Society’s annual produce show. The potato seeds and tubs, distributed in March, are emptied and weighed to find the winner with the heaviest crop.

3. Thriller In The Villa

It’s not exactly family entertainment, but there’s no charity event like it. A group of boxing newcomers step into the ring in front of a fired-up, full house crowd in the Villa Marina Royal Hall. The atmosphere is electric.

4. Oie’ll Verree

A celebration of Manx culture, music, song, dance and poetry on Old Manx Christmas Eve. The annual Kirk Michael concert, with accompaniment by the much-missed Marilyn Cannell, ended in recent years. But Oie'll Verree returned in 2024 at Arbory village hall in the hands of Manx language charity Mooinjer Veggey.

5. Legacy Lap

Established in 2014 as a tribute to popular TT racer Simon Andrews, the mass ride-out around the TT course is a joyous, unforgettable experience for the thousands of riders who take part, and for the spectators who wave them along.

6. Bonnag Championship in Dalby

Come to Dalby for the bonnag, stay for the madcap variety show plus all the sandwiches and cakes you can eat. Set in Dalby schoolrooms, it’s the kind of timeless community event that feels like it hasn’t changed in decades. Tickets sell like hotcakes - or should that be bonnag?

7. The Parish Walk

Beyond the enormous personal challenge, the real joy of the Parish Walk is the countless locals setting up stalls and opening their doors to cheer the walkers along, right through the day and night. It could only happen here.

8. Maughold Worm Charming Championships

It doesn’t happen every year but it’s bonkers, brilliant and worth seeking out. Entice as many worms as you can out of a 2m square piece of land at Maughold church in 30 minutes.

9. World Tin Baths Championship

I’ve tried to avoid the obvious choices but nothing says ‘midsummer Manx silliness’ quite like the tin baths, snake races and flying attempts in Castletown harbour.

10. Northern Lights on May 10, 2024

More of a community moment than an event: for those of us who have been chasing it for years, the aurora borealis show on May 10 was unforgettable. The best thing was that so many people got the chance to see it, no matter where they were.