Several questions must be answered before plans for a new landing berth in Liverpool for the island’s ferries can go ahead, says TravelWatch.

The passenger watchdog held a public meeting last Thursday when numerous issues were raised.

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK has visited Liverpool to meet the city’s Mayor Joe Anderson to discuss plans to relocate the Steam Packet berth from its historic Pier Head location to make way for a cruise liner terminal. A new site to the north at Waterloo Dock has been earmarked for Manx ferries.

The proposed new landing stage will be almost half a mile away from the current one.

The cost of the move has been estimated at £15m, but Mr Gawne has described that figure as ‘ridiculously optimistic’.

A TravelWatch spokesman said: ‘When will the public have the opportunity to compare the merits and disadvantages of the Waterloo Dock scheme?

‘At what level of costs will the public say “think again”. Could the Steam Packet remain at a refurbished or replacement landing stage at the Pier Head, where costs could be shared, to the mutual benefit of Liverpool and Isle of Man interests?

‘Or why not abandon Liverpool and concentrate on Heysham, with its shorter sea-crossing and new fast road link to the M6?

‘Anyone buying a new car would normally compare different models, specifications and prices, check availability, decide which would offer good value, and only then negotiate a good deal. When spending tens of millions of public money on vital ferry facilities for decades to come, it’s even more important to get it right. Unlike a car, you can’t trade-in a ferry terminal if you find out later that you don’t like it.

‘Without wishing to prejudice confidential discussions we believe that full information should be made public as early as possible, and before any decisions are made, so that taxpayers and ferry users are aware of what changes are being planned for the long-term future of the Liverpool ferry service.

‘The Chief Minister is on record as saying there will be no back-room deals, and so the Waterloo Dock proposals need to be subject to informed public scrutiny, in order that Tynwald can make informed decisions.’

TravelWatch says that among just some of the questions which must be answered are: Can vessels manoeuvre into the berth, with the strong tidal currents? Will the berth be flexible to accommodate future vessels? Will there be need for dredging and at what cost? The proposed new terminal would be almost half a mile further north away from the city centre, will dedicated bus bays be incorporated into the terminal building? What is the business case for providing a ‘landmark’ terminal building?

Children’s hospice Rebecca House has organised a packed schedule of family entertainment at Milntown for Isle of Man Cyclefest.

The festival, taking place over the weekend of May 14-15, will feature some of the best local musicians playing music inspired by Manx heritage and culture as well as some leading artisan food producers.

There will be a special dedicated children’s area in front of the main Milntown House, which will be separate to the main food stalls and entertainment stage.

Little animals lovers will enjoy the chance to get close to some of the petting zoo animals from Dolittles including their giant rabbit and birds of prey from the Wildlife Park will also be on site.

Children can paint pottery with the Craftworks Studio from Ballasalla or they can compete in outdoor Giant Jenga and Giant Connect 4 games while there will also be a traditional teddy quiz and treasure hunt. Fans of traditional entertainment will enjoy a traditional ferris wheel and carousel.

The weekend proceedings will be overseen by Rebecca House mascots Oskar and Craig with help from Cookie the Clown, who will be entertaining tots with his inimitable show while ‘Happy Faces’ will be offering children’s face painting throughout the weekend.

Event manager for Hospice, Sharon Connor, said: ‘We are very grateful to Isle of Man Cyclefest to have chosen Rebecca House as their chosen charity. It’s going to be a wonderful weekend of family entertainment.’

Day, weekend and family tickets are available on-line with discounts of up to 40 per cent by booking in advance. For more information and online ticket sales go to iomcyclefest.com

Advance ticket sales close at midnight this Sunday (May 8) and after that date access to the festival is by purchasing full priced tickets on the gate on the day.

Manx singer and actress Sam Barks will sing the British national anthem at the Women’s FA Cup Final in May.

She will sing God Save The Queen live ahead of kick-off at 2pm at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 14.

The match, which will be screened live on BBC1, will see Arsenal and Chelsea play each other for the coveted FA title.

Sam recently appeared in Bear Gyrlls: Mission Survive in which she endured gruelling survival challenges in the South African wilds. She was joined by six other celebrities and came in second place just behind Arsenal captain Alex Scott, who will play in the final.

The Lonan-raised star will return to the Isle of Man as part of her tour on June 11 at the Gaiety Theatre.

The Isle of Man FA’s representative side were undone by Everton Under-21s at the Bowl on Saturday evening.

Nick Hurt’s men fought bravely against their more illustrious opponents but fell behind in the 21st minute when skipper Callum Dyson won and converted a penalty.

The Toffees doubled their advantage shortly after half-time when Antony Evans fired home a fine shot from the edge of the area.

The scorer then turned provider soon after when his shot was flicked into the goal by Dyson for his second of the afternoon to seal victory for the visitors. Full report in Tuesday’s Isle of Man Examiner.

Elsewhere, Peel booked their place in the final of this season’s Ascot Hotel Junior Cup after they saw off the challenge of JCK Combination Two side Braddan at Victoria Road 5-2. The Sunset City side will face Old Firm rivals Rushen United in the final at the Bowl this Saturday evening at 5.30pm.

The Spaniards warmed up for that match by losing 5-2 to DHSOB at Blackberry Lane, a result which sealed the Canada Life Combination One title for Old Boys.

Colby will be playing Premier League football next season after the Moonlighters ensured a top-two finish and promotion thanks to a 3-1 win away at Douglas Royal in JCK Division Two.

In the top flight Corinthians ended an impressive campaign with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Ramsey, while the other second division games saw Pulrose Utd beat Foxdale 8-6 and champions Douglas Athletic thumped Governor’s Athletic 8-0.

Saturday, May 7

Isle of Man FA 0-3 Everton Under-21s

Ascot Hotel Junior Cup semi-final

Braddan 2-5 Peel

Canada Life Premier League

Corinthians 5-0 Ramsey

Canada Life Combination One

Ramsey v Corinthians awarded to Corinthians

Laxey v Ayre Utd awarded to Laxey

Marown 2-6 Rycob

St John’s v St Mary’s awarded to St John’s

Dhsob 5-2 Rushen

JCK Division Two

Foxdale 6-8 Pulrose

Governor’s Athletic 0-8 Douglas Athletic

Douglas Royal 1-3 Colby

JCK Combination Two

Michael Utd 3-1 Malew

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Sunday, May 8

Appleby 16-18 League

Colby v Union Mills awarded to Colby

Corinthians 4-4 Peel

Regency Travel Women’s Football

Douglas Royal 1-1 Peel

Douglas Athletic 0-2 Gymns

Corinthians v DHSOB not received

Paddy Power Masters Football

Governors Athletic 2-2 RYCOB

Michael 4-2 Union Mills

PDMS Southern Nomads beat Douglas B 31-18 at the Mooragh Park on Saturday to retain the Manx Trophy title.

Two early tries from Jacob Callow, one of which was converted by Mark Young, gave Nomads a flying start.

Liam Kirkpatrick pulled one back for Douglas, before Callow’s hat-trick try restored the lead. Mark Shortland dived in for Douglas just before the break to leave the Nomads lead 19-10 at half-time.

Max Morley-Green kicked a penalty early in the second half to further reduce Nomads’ lead and when James Creasey wriggled over the line Douglas were within a point at 19-18.

Late tries from man of the match Conor Stephens and Harry Catlow however closed the game out for Nomads.

Full report in Tuesday’s Examiner.

Results

Friday, May 6

Shimmin Wilson Manx Cup Semi-final

Douglas 40-0 Vagabonds

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Saturday, May 7

Shimmin Wilson Manx Trophy Final

PDMS Southern Nomads 31-18 Douglas B

Shimmin Wilson Manx Bowl

Castletown 22-42 Emerging Nomads

Four Manx Telecom staff received awards for their work, with each winner reflecting one of the company’s core values, each represented by one adjective – enterprising, proactive, confident and trusted.

The presentations were made at the company’s annual motivational event and staff briefing, held over three days at the Palace Hotel in Douglas.

The four main winners were:

l Enterprising – Darren Shaw, global solutions business development manager – for growth of strategic accounts.

l Proactive – Paul Jones, senior field technician – for corrective action following the Laxey Bridge collapse.

l Confident – Lisa Pugh, consumer sales clerical officer – for cross-department billing of wholesale customers.

l Trusted – Luke Rowe, mobile networks technical specialist – for development and deployment of Global SIM ‘solutions’.

Winners were chosen by a judging panel of directors from 38 nominations made by colleagues.

Each winner received a custom-made wooden trophy made by The Manx Workshop and £500.

opportunity

Manx Telecom chief executive officer Gary Lamb said: ‘This was the fourth consecutive year we have held our annual staff briefing event and, as always, it was a great opportunity to thank our colleagues for their hard work and recognise outstanding achievements.

‘It’s important for us to invest time in this type of event so that everyone understands where Manx Telecom is heading, the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead, and the role that each of us must play in delivering our business objectives.

‘But equally it’s an opportunity to listen and learn from our colleagues across the business, and celebrate everything which makes Manx Telecom a great company to be part of.’

With nearly 300 staff, Manx Telecom is already one of the island’s biggest employers – and this year there’s a recruitment drive which is adding to that number.

Already this year new staff have been recruited in marketing, account management, hosting and managed networks, and its so-called ‘Global Solutions’ division.

Well over 50 per cent of Manx Telecom’s current employees have worked for the company for more than 10 years, a statistic which, a spokesman said, reflected the excellent opportunities and rewards it offered. This includes an award-winning Share Save Scheme established through YBS Share Plans.

Peel won their first Women’s League title on Sunday after Maxine Smalley’s strike earned her side a 1-1 draw against Douglas Royal at Ballafletcher.

The match was a tense affair with so much at stake, Royal taking an early lead when Donna Shimmin struck at a corner. Smalley, however, bagged the all-important leveller to add the Regency Travel-sponsored title to the FA Cup crown Michael Corlett’s side won two weeks ago.

Elsewhere, Corinthians defeated DHSOB 4-1 with Jade Burden (2), Lisa Costain and Shannon Groves all on target for the Whites. Amy Beggs-Cairney netted for the Blackberry Lane side. Gymnasium defeated Douglas Athletic 2-0 in the day’s other match.

A full round-up will appear in this week’s Manx Independent.

The Tower of Refuge is turning red this week for International Red Cross Week (May 8 to 14).

And residents are being encouraged to show their support for the charity by taking part in a Dress Red Day on Friday, in return for a £1 donation.

Natalie Radford, chairman of the island branch’s fundraising committee, said: ‘We were overwhelmed by the support we received last time we organised a Dress Red Day, and we are hoping that we can generate the same support this year.’

Money raised will be used to fund the range of services the charity provides.

Last year saw the Isle of Man Red Cross transport about 9,800 people from their homes to Noble’s Hospital clinics.

And they supported the ambulance service with non-urgent transfers.

Some 220 wheelchairs were loaned free of charge in 2015, a 13 per cent increase on the previous year.

They also provide a range of training including first aid in the workplace and fire marshals.

And the Red Cross supports services including Meals on Wheels, care in the home, therapeutic care and event first aid.

The new bridge at Old Laxey is taking shape.

Work on the replacement bridge is progressing well - and the two sides of the village are reunited for the first time since last December’s devastating flash floods.

The steelwork were delivered to Laxey Harbour last Thursday morning. All the beams have now been craned into position and fixed in place over the weekend.

Installation of ducting for utilities is the next phase.

This week will see the delivery and installation of the permanent deck formwork, followed by reinforcement and casting of the concrete deck slab.

A spokesman for the Department of Infrastructure said: ‘Work is progressing on schedule and it is intended to have the bridge open by TT week on a temporary surface.’

The bridge will close again after TT to allow completion of the bridge structure, surface finishes and installation of services.

The old bridge was irreparably damaged in December when flash flooding caused part of the structure to collapse – plunging a double decker bus into the river below.

Demolition contractors JCK were mobilised for the delicate operation of removing the Bus Vannin double decker and demolishing the remainder of the bridge. A temporary pedestrian footbridge was erected while plans were drawn up for a permanent replacement.

The DoI sought the views of villagers, local politicians and heritage bodies over four possible options for the replacement bridge.

While many people wanted the option of a new arched bridge, the department’s engineers opted for a flat bridge which will reduce the likelihood of any future flood damage by allowing the river to flow unimpeded out to sea.

This prompted some villagers to accuse the consultation exercise of being a sham but the department insisted it was a genuine exercise.

The design has features at each end taking inspiration from the ‘pepper pot’ lighthouses at the harbour. It will handle almost three times the volume of water of the original bridge.

Former Tranmere and Nottingham Forest left-back Alan Rogers will manage the Ellan Vannin team at next month’s Europeada tournament in Italy.

With the Manx International Football Alliance’s side’s usual coaching duo of Chris Bass Sr and Lee Dixon unable to make the trip Rogers and former Coventry player Tony Sheridan will guide the team in the St George’s pair’s absence.

Rogers, who has also enjoyed spells as caretaker and assistant manager at Tranmere, played more than 300 games in the football league during a 17-year career and has been capped at under-21 level for England.

The 39-year-old and assistant Sheridan will be in the island at the end of this month for a training camp with the Ellan Vannin squad, which is likely to be confirmed in the next few days.

The Manx will join 23 other teams at the Federal Union of European Nationalities-organised competition in South Tyrol between June 18-26.

The draw for the competition’s group stages has paired Ellan Vannin with hosts South Tyrol, North Frisians and Germans in Poland. The island’s four-team group will be based in the town of Olang.

MIFA made the move to enter Ellan Vannin in the tournament for autonomous and national minorities after it became clear it would not be able to compete at this summer’s ConIFA World Cup in Abkhazia because of security concerns.

A public meeting will be held on Thursday, May 19 to discuss the future of Knockaloe Farm.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) will hold the event at Patrick Church Hall at 7pm to inform the community of its progress.

DEFA, along with MHKs, commissioners and residents, has investigated uses for the farm that will create an attraction offering economic development while paying heed to its history.

The site in Patrick was once a World War One internment camp and DEFA ceased to operate the 337-acre farm in 2010.

The meeting had originally been scheduled for Wednesday, May 11, at 7.30pm.

Dan Kneen’s chances of riding the TT are very much in the balance after breaking his arm in a mountain bike accident at Cringle Plantation on Friday.

The arm was operated on the following day at Noble’s Hospital and he is now doing everything he can to get fit in time for practice in less than three weeks.

The injury definitely sidelines the Manxman from this week’s North West 200 and his place on the Mar-Train Yamaha has been taken by former GP rider Jeremy McWilliams.

‘I’m gutted for the whole team after all the work that has been put in,’ said Dan.

‘I’m on my bicycle every day and wasn’t doing anything different than usual, it was plain bad luck.

‘Surgery has gone well so all I can do is concentrate on getting fit and back on the bikes as soon as possible.

‘I wish Jeremy all the best for this week, it is great that he has been able to step in for the team and all the sponsors.’

The Tynwald clerk who cited the conduct of a bullying MHK as the reason for her resignation, told a parliamentary standards committee that she reserves the right to take legal action against him.

Marie Lambden resigned as third clerk of Tynwald in June last year after Douglas North MHK John Houghton accused her of bullying a member of staff.

The unfounded allegation was subsequently withdrawn but without an apology from Mr Houghton. In her letter of resignation Mrs Lambden said her health had suffered as a result of Mr Houghton’s actions.

Now Mr Houghton has been accused of bullying, lying and inappropriately interfering in a staff matter in a report by the Tynwald standards committee. It recommends that the Douglas North MHK is requested to apologise.

Giving evidence to the standards committee, Mrs Lambden said: ‘I must make it clear that I did not choose to retire and I am saddened that Mr Houghton’s conduct has interrupted my full-time professional career, which I studied so hard to achieve professional qualifications for and so diligently and skilfully worked to maintain.

‘I reserve the right to take legal action against Mr Houghton for damages suffered by his actions. The extent of these damages will depend on the outcome of this investigation and whether the public is made aware of the injustice against me and the conduct of an MHK.’

She told the committee that Mr Houghton was happy to damage her reputation with a false statement about her health, and yet he was oblivious to the potential damage to her health his actions would cause.

And she added: ‘There is a layer of protection lacking for staff of the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald and a system should be in place to protect staff, and in turn other members of Tynwald, from the wayward behaviour of the small minority of miscreant and unprincipled members.’

The standards committee report concludes that Mr Houghton made malicious complaints against the clerk and deputy clerk of Tynwald and his behaviour could be described as bullying.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/mhk-john-houghton-accused-of-lying-and-bullying-1-7895194|Last week’s report about the accusations}

Isle of Man eGaming companies have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2016 B2B Awards by eGaming Review Magazine (EGR).

The annual EGR B2B Awards, now in their seventh year, celebrate excellence in a range of e-Gaming disciplines, including payments, software and IT.

Alfred Cannan MHK, the Department Member with responsibility for e-Gaming said: ‘The island’s eGaming sector has grown from strength to strength, with eGaming and eBusiness totalling around 25 per cent of national income combined.

‘Working together with the private sector we have established a thriving cluster of on-island companies and are seeing real growth, real jobs and a real presence on the Isle of Man.

‘We are delighted that the EGR Awards have recognised the immense talent and experience we have on the Isle of Man and I wish all of the local companies luck on the night.’

Mark Robson, Head of eGaming at the Department of Economic Development, said: ‘The Isle of Man has seen nominations across all the different factions of e-Gaming, with nominations for 10 local companies, from banking and professional services to hosting and B2C gaming. This typifies the end-to-end solutions for e-Gaming on the Isle of Man and the supportive environment that makes it such a success.’

The Awards take place on Wednesday, June 1 at the Pavilion at the Tower of London.

Breast Cancer Now supporters donned their leg warmers and stepped back in time for the charity.

The ‘Back to the 80s’ event was held at Bar George, in Douglas , on May 1, May and raised a fantastic £1,900.

One of the event organisers, Sandy Denning, said: ‘With the help of Bar George and DJ Dave Kelly everyone enjoyed a 1980s themed evening and raised an amazing amount of money in the process.’

The organising team thanked Dave Kelly for his continued support, Bar George for hosting the event and to everyone who donated a raffle prize.

Breast Cancer Now is committed to fighting breast cancer through research, awareness, campaigning and education with a vision that by 2050 everyone who develops breast cancer, will live.

Trade Distribution Limited (TDL), established in 2000, has become one of the island’s leading logistics businesses, employing more than 100 staff and operating from a purpose built 60,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution centre in Kewaigue.

The company is continuing to make significant inroads into the UK after it secured a further five-year contract with Braddan-based manufacturer of accessible bathroom, kitchen and daily living products, DLP and its Droitwich Spa-based sales and distribution subsidiary AKW.

TDL has been exporting products for DLP from the Isle of Man to the UK for more than 10 years and in 2011 was asked to look at their UK distribution operation with a view to providing a bespoke, upgraded service.

After an 18-month project researching and reviewing every function across the AKW business, the solution was presented to the client with a new, customised proposal, enhancing every aspect of the distribution delivery chain including warehouse storage and handling, which led to securing an initial five-year contract in February 2013. Such has been the success of the partnership and service provided, AKW has awarded TDL a new contract for a further five years and similar distribution projects for some of their larger supply chain members are planned to be integrated into the contract in the near future.

DLP’s operations director Bruce Lockton said: ‘Over the first three years of the contract AKW had reported 100 per cent delivery completion, and on-time and damage-free deliveries. TDL’s service, which offers a real-time track and trace facility, had also led to substantial savings in “throw away” packaging and helped to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

‘What’s been particularly encouraging is that thanks to TDL’s new distribution model and its associated benefits, AKW has secured incremental business.’

TDL’s managing director Steve Pickett said: ‘To have been awarded a further five-year contract is a tremendous vote of confidence in the TDL team; it also shows the mutual benefits to be had from partnership working. It’s also great news for the Isle of Man; a bespoke solution devised, developed and delivered by an Isle of Man company, for another Isle of Man company which, together, are achieving great things for their respective brands in the UK.’

Hospice Isle of Man has been chosen as beneficiary of the new production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest in the island.

The charity will receive a percentage of ticket sales along with funds raised from bucket collections at Peel Castle and Rushen Abbey.

Performances will take place on July 22 and 23 at Peel Castle at 7pm and at Rushen Abbey on July 24 at 2pm.

Tickets are £22 for adults and £12 for children.

They can be purcased from the House of Manannan and Celtic Gold in Peel, the Manx Museum and Peter Norris Music in Douglas, Shakti Man in Ramsey, Station Travel in Port Erin, Rushen Abbey and online at www.manxheritageshop.com

They are also available from the Peel and Castletown Hospice shops after TT.

Plans to bring in a private firm to run the Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre are now unlikely to take place before September’s general election.

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly met staff and unions last week to give them an update on the proposals to outsource the running of the venues.

In December we reported that three private operators, which each operate major venues in the UK, had been shortlisted and invited to submit detailed proposals on running the Villa-Gaiety complex. A decision on whether a private company would be brought in was due to be made by March or April.

But Mr Skelly said invitations to tender would not now be done until probably early next month. A decision would not be made ‘this side of the election,’ he said.

The Minister said the option of creating a theatre trust to run the Gaiety had been ruled out. But he said if an invitation to tender was made, local parties and the management themselves could put together a bid. The complex will remain in public ownership.

In the House of Keys, he said: ‘The process has been stalled. It’s simply because we want to make sure we get this right.’

He said the process will continue with tenders evaluated over the summer but the decision itself would not be made until the next administration.

Mr Skelly told MHKs that exploring the idea of a theatre trust had been one reason for the delay but this option had ultimately been deemed not credible to pursue.

‘It’s going to be a pretty torrid week for the offshore finance centres’.

That’s the view of Chief Minister Allan Bell as a fresh round of Panana Papers was released and UK Prime Minister David Cameron prepared to host an international anti-corruption conference.

Mr Bell is the only chief minister from the Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories to have been invited as a delegate to that conference.

He believes that reflects on the island’s early commitment to signing up to an initiative on automatic exchange of beneficial ownership information being spearheaded by the five largest economies in the European Union - the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Mr Bell said he believed the release of a second round of Panana Papers proved there had been a co-ordinated approach worldwide building up to Thursday’s conference.

He said: ‘It’s going to be a pretty torrid week, probably less so for the Isle of Man than some of the smaller jurisdictions.’

Douglas South MHK Bill Malarkey is asking the public if they want political reform.

Mr Malarkey has launched an online poll to gather public views.

You can access it at https://poll.fbapp.io/you-can-influence-the-future-now

Mr Malarkey said: ‘It is crucial for the public to have their voices heard in the upcoming Lord Lisvane Review of the Functioning of Tynwald.

‘Lord Lisvane’s report could change the face of Manx politics so it is very important that many views, from many sources, are taken into account.

‘The poll offers people a chance to express opinions, state preferences and make comments. As an MHK, this is exactly what we should be doing.’

He added: ‘It is time for change. A review of our political system is long overdue and I welcome this opportunity to submit public views in giving my evidence to Lord Lisvane on June 1.’

Mr Malarkey said he did not want to discourage anybody from submitting their own views to Lord Lisvane but believes his online poll will be helpful to the review.

In the past five years, Mr Malarkey tried to have a referendum on whether the Legislative Council should be elected by the public.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/external-review-of-tynwald-structure-could-lead-to-reform-of-manx-parliament-1-7883678|Read more about the review of Tynwald here}