"When I Grow" is a life-sized bronze sculpture that depicits a small boy with bare feet wearing his father's RNLI-jacket and life-jacket which is positioned outside Ramsey's RNLI shop.
This scuplture was commissioned by Ramsey Town Commissioners as part of the "Seven Manx Towns Project" in 2012-2013 to regenerate towns and villages island-wide.
The plaque below the sculpture is inscribed as follows:
""When I Grow Up"
by Darren Jackson
for Ramsey Town Commissioners
for the Ramsey Centre Regeneration Project
unveiled by Capt N H Malpas, JP
Chairman Ramsey Town Commissioners
3rd December 2014"
"‘When I Grow Up’ , the small bronze sculpture pays homage to the generations of volunteer service offered-up to the RNLI by local communities island-wide – as well as the sense of ‘family’ for which the institution has long been recognised. The title and subject matter of course is a reference to the many young children who over the years have aspired to follow their parents and other local heroes into the lifeboat service. The sculpture was cast by the Bronze Age Sculpture Casting Foundry in Limehouse, London.
Commissioned by Ramsey Town Commissioners the piece is mounted on a plinth of stone sourced from Poortown quarry,and represents the Commission’s contribution to the town’s regeneration scheme. It was realised after the Chief Minister’s regeneration committee, in association with the Isle of Man Arts Council and their appointed arts consultant Noah Rose and Ian Banks. By Seven Manx Town’s Call for Artists deadline for both Ramsey and Laxey, over 25 Expressions of Interest had been received, and these incuded 53 project proposals.
At the unveiling of the sculpture on Market Hill in 2013, Ramsey Town Commissioners’ chairman Captain Nigel Malpass said: “This magnificent sculpture not only personifies the beating of heart of Ramsey, its working harbour, but is also a fitting tribute in this, the 190th anniversary of the RNLI and the 185th anniversary of the Ramsey lifeboat station, to the fearless and selfless dedication of the men and women who serve as RNLI volunteers.”"
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"Darren Jackson is originally from Sunderland in the North of England, he has worked and lived in London over the last five years as a Model Maker and Special Effects technician before focusing on Sculpture. He currently shares a studio in Tulse Hill (south London).
Darren has spent several years creating sculptures in symposiums across Europe, Russia and Canada, creating works in Ice, Sand and Concrete. The interaction with other artists from around the globe, the sharing of ideas and working methods is an important part of his working practice.
Darren works in a veriety of materials including Metal, Wood, plaster, sand and Clay. He spends the winter months working as a freelance Sculptor for Hamilton Ice sculpters.
Darren has recently been focusing on developing hand made, unique figurative works in ceramics, exploring the interaction between relationships in humans and how they are effected by everyday life."
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Nigel Malpass who was Captain of the Ramey Town Commissioners at the date when the statue was unveiled was a Maritime Consultant.
The extract below is taken from Nigel's election pamphlet for the local authority election for the North Ward in Ramsey, held on 26th April 2012:
"Nigel is a fellow of the Nautical Institute, and as a maritime consultant advises many Governments and Ship owners alike. He is the Deputy Chairman of the Isle of Man Shipping Association. 23 years were spent at sea of which the last 5 years were in command of LPG and VLCC Tonnage. He came ashore in 1986 to become the same company's Operations Manager based in Liverpool but moved to Ramsey in 1987 to head up their worldwide Group of Companies. In 2002 he stepped down as Managing Director in order to set up with his wife Gill their current International based Marine Consultancy. For some years he was Chairman of the 1st Ramsey Scouts and the Islands ATC 440 Squadron. His son Dr Mark Malpass was educated in Ramsey as is their daughter Emma who is currently in year 7 at Ramsey Grammar School. Being a Commmissioner means a lot and as such is kept busy but also enjoys other outside interests such as being a committee member of the League of Friends of Ramsey Cottage Hospital, photography, and music." (
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