The island shooting fraternity has many facets but when the discipline of target shooting is involved, we have two specific aspects that have been kept low profile but of which the club is extremely proud.

IoMSC has a 300-metre team world champion, Harry Creevy, who has represented the Isle of Man a staggering eight times at the Commonwealth Games.

More recently, Stewart Watterson qualified as an ISSF accredited judge, a very arduous side to the sport.

Stewart also represented the island at several Commonwealth Games and, after boxing his rifle for the final time a few years ago, decided to move into target rifle administration.

After completing many ISSF judging courses, he was awarded a judges accreditation.

He was invited to be a senior judge at the London Olympics in 2012 and the Glasgow Commonwealth Games two years later and has once again been honoured with an identical position in Rio de Janeiro and is at present officiating in Brazil.

While Mark Cavendish and Tim Kneale are going for gold in Rio later this week, another Manxman is partaking in his second Olympic Games.

Steve Taylor, a 50-year-old banking executive with Barclays, is a member of the select group of international technical officials and will be tasked with judging the three race walking events taking place this Friday, August 12 (men’s 20km) and the following Friday, August 19 (men’s 50km and women’s 20km).

A former Commonwealth Games and Great Britain athlete, Taylor took up judging when he stopped competing and is now unquestionably the top-ranked athletics official in the island.

He has been on the IAAF level 3 judging panel for the past 10 years. To achieve this level of recognition, judges have to regularly sit IAAF exams and their consistency in judging top races around the world is monitored and assessed.

So far in 2016, Steve has travelled to Lithuania, China, Italy, Slovakia and South Korea, countries that required a judge of his standing to bring credence to their events.

After only six years at the top level, he was appointed chief judge for the 2012 London Olympics. Since then he has repeated the role of chief at the 2013 World Cup in Moscow and the 2014 European Race Walking Championships in Zurich.

He has recently been appointed chief judge for the 2017 World Athletics Championships to be held in London next summer.

Speaking at the recent Isle of Man Track and Field Athletics Championships Steve said: ‘It is obviously a great honour to be part of any global championship, especially as at this level as it doesn’t get any higher. Selection to the judging panel is a reflection of my competence and integrity.

‘I’ll be extremely nervous on the day. I’m nervous here today at the NSC measuring out the under-15 discus and javelin. The big difference of course is that in Rio it’s the world’s best athletes who are competing in the most important event of their lives, with a TV audience of millions.

‘I have an important role to fulfil and I take it very seriously. My decision could mean the difference between a medal and elimination so there is no room for complacency or mistakes.’

Death and the digital estate is put under the spotlight by IT expert Steve Burrows in this, his fortnightly Business News column.

So, what happens when I die? What happens when you die? Apart from standing in front of the Pearly Gates trying to explain to St. Peter why he shouldn’t shove us back in the elevator and push the button for the basement?

One of the first things will likely be that our credit cards are cancelled, and all the recurring charges for our online services will cease to be paid - email, cloud file storage, web services, domain names etc. If the services we use are free then sooner or later the service provider will notice that we’re not logging in any more, and after emailing us a notification they’ll start deleting our accounts and data.

Even in cyberspace we’re unlikely to live forever.

passwords

I don’t know about you, but in my case nobody knows my passwords, and they’re not written down. My successors, next of kin, co-directors et. al. don’t know which services I use to keep data online, or how to access my electronic correspondence, accounts and documents. They don’t necessarily even know how to gain administrative rights over services I have set up for them to use including their own email etc. - and unless I do something about this, which I promise I will (hopefully before I lose my memories or kick the bucket), the whole digital shooting match will collapse and be lost irrecoverably.

The digital estate is a modern phenomenon, and a modern problem. In the past a very small number of people used passwords and ciphers to encrypt information and may have died without passing on the keys, but today huge swathes of us use passwords to restrict access to services, and many of us have encrypted data for security - possibly not even realising it because some digital service providers encrypt by default to protect us from prying eyes.

For many years I was a director of a UK company which, despite a turnover of over £50 million, did not possess a single credit card.

We needed a credit card for all sorts of web transactions including web server rental, domain name rental, online advertising, buying computer spares and software online etc., so I used one of mine and claimed all the expenditure back as expenses - regularly over £10,000 a month.

The company’s entire internet estate depended upon my credit card to pay those increasing number of online suppliers who do not accept purchase orders and do not offer corporate accounts or standard business credit terms, and my passwords to access the services.

risk register

I was on the risk register, my co-directors determined that the single worst thing that could happen to the company would be Steve dying, the finance director finally gave way and arranged corporate credit cards to take the strain from my flexible friend.

Cutting all the waffle then, when you, or one of your co-directors, or one of your family die it is increasingly likely that there will be digital assets which the executors and survivors want or need to take control of - anything from the master passwords for business-critical online services or email and written correspondence which may cover instructions given or agreements made, to digital photo albums which survivors wish to preserve for sentimentality. For the small business in particular the risks are substantial as the online services may include the business domain name, email services and web shop; losing access to these would be a major business setback.

Getting control of these assets, the deceased’s digital estate, is going to be problematic. If it is known what online services the deceased used, and what user credentials are required to access them, then all will be well, but we are exhorted to regularly change passwords and not to share them with anyone.

Therefore it’s common that any credentials known to survivors are outdated. Small businesses in particular should ensure that the keys to the digital assets of the business are held by more than one person.

survivors

If the survivors don’t know which service providers the deceased used then things get tougher, significant investigation may be needed to reconstruct the deceased’s digital life and discover where digital assets are held.

Some online service providers, certainly most of the big ones, have established processes, albeit not necessarily very robust or easy, for transferring control of online accounts to survivors. These procedures are not necessarily easy to find, they are commonly hidden away in the legalese of terms and conditions, and they are very inconsistent from one provider to the next - there is no uniform protocol for the handling or handing over of a deceased person’s digital assets. To complicate matters further, the internet being what it is, some service providers are likely to be in foreign jurisdictions with different laws and different expectations of proof of death and proof of the survivor’s rights.

Once the digital service providers and online account identities have been established the next step is to execute the provider’s process, which will include supplying evidence to show both that the deceased is deceased, and that the survivor has a right to claim access to the digital estate. This will almost always involve telephone contact with the online providers, which is rarely easy, and will often require posting of certified copies of death certificate and survivor’s proof of identity.

messy

It’s always messy when someone dies, but so much easier and quicker to search the desk drawers and discover the paper records than it is to track down the electronic records - some services such as domain names may be pre-paid for up to ten years so the original transaction may be lost in the mists of time. Identifying the various online suppliers can be slow, which is a problem in itself. When the account ceases to be paid or used the clock may start ticking towards the supplier’s automatic deletion of the deceased’s data.

How long the supplier holds the data once the account payments or usage ceases varies, it may be as little as 30 days for some free email services or 90 days for some paid email services, whilst a rented server or web hosting may terminate a couple of weeks after the first missed payment, therefore it is necessary to act fast. Some paid service providers will simply downgrade the account to their “free” tier once the monthly bill ceases to be paid, if they have one. This will result in loss of features, and likely a reduction in storage capacity, but will probably retain all that vital information for an extended period. With other service providers delete means delete; if you don’t get the data before time runs out then it will be lost completely.

social media accounts

Social media accounts tend to stay up a long time, allowing the presence of deceased to linger like a ghost in the Internet, but some social media platforms will not provide the survivors with access to the account on the basis that it was a service to a single living individual. The survivors can usually request that the account is deleted, but access to any data not publicly available on the user’s account may be refused on privacy grounds.

So what to do? For each of us it is probably sensible that we have a list of online services used, with account names, securely locked away where they may be found after death - nothing more than a list of where our digital assets are kept online. Passwords would be helpful for the survivors, but keeping them up to date would be improbable and a security risk.

gain control

For the survivors, the very best advice irrespective of any legal niceties is to gain control of the deceased’s computers, tablets, smartphones etc. immediately - in many cases digital services used by the deceased, and the username and password needed to access the data, will be stored in the web browser or email client meaning that accessing and retrieving the data is easy as long as it is done quickly, before the credit card payment is missed or the account has been left unused for too long.

It will almost certainly be a breach of the online supplier’s terms and conditions, but it’s better than the alternatives.

Prompt action to recover the digital estate is rarely going to be at the top of the list when somebody dies, but any delay can introduce all sorts of hassle. There really ought to be a specialist service to assist with the recovery of the digital estate after death, but at present there isn’t one that I know of.

If you don’t feel confident about finding and accessing the deceased’s digital assets then call in an IT expert - but do it quickly.

Chief Minister Allan Bell joined members of the island’s War Pensions Committee for the organisation’s 100th anniversary.

The Isle of Man War Pensions Committee was the first in the British Isles when it held its inaugural meeting on August 4, 1916 – at the height of the First World War – to oversee the distribution of pensions to injured veterans and widows.

It has been estimated that by the end of the war in 1918 the amount of war pensions paid into the island by the UK Government exceeded the total tax revenue of the Manx Government at that time.

Over the past 100 years the committee has continued to provide support and welfare services to island veterans who have served with the British Armed Forces in a range of conflicts including the Second World War, Korea, Malaya, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.

This year we welcome the Mylchreests Group as new sponsors for Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence.

The name Mylchreest has long been synonymous with motoring and motor sport on the island and the Mylchreests Group, encompassing new and used car sales, servicing, repairs and daily car rental remains very much a family business.

‘It’s our name over the door and family values are part of what we are. Manx motoring is in our DNA and has been since we first became pioneers in this business nearly a century ago,’ said managing director David Mylchreest.

‘Our customers can talk directly to a member of the family, and we welcome that, and of course our team share our family values.’

David’s two sons are also both directors of the business.

James runs the after sales side of the dealership and is also assistant to the managing director, while his younger brother, Charles, is a non-executive director.

Mylchreests has long been associated with premium brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover and these remain popular with their customers but they are also represent several other names, including Vauxhall, Mitsubishi and MG, which offer customers a wider choice of cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles in all price ranges.

The Mylchreests Group has recently purchased the property next door to its premises at Millmount in Douglas and work has started on a conversion to create additional car repair facilities, due to much increased demand. They service all makes of cars and light commercial vehicles, and are fully manufacturer approved by Jaguar, Land Rover, Vauxhall, Mitsubishi and MG Rover

‘Since we have been appointed the island’s Vauxhall retailer we’re becoming busier and we will be recruiting additional technicians in the near future,’ said David.

They are also passionate about classic cars and are proud to carry out maintenance and repairs on a number of their customers’ treasured classic cars, including such names as Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Morgan and MG.

Another important aspect of the business is daily car rental, with nearly 100 cars based at the airport. Mylchreests are also agents for Avis and Budget Rent a Car and can arrange car rental for customers travelling off the island. They also offer an increasingly popular car parking and valet service for locals travelling away.

At this year’s Awards for Excellence, the Mylchreests Group is sponsoring the award for Volunteer of the Year, a category that David is very pleased to be associated with.

He said: ‘As a local family business we have always tried to put something back into the community, supporting events such as the TT, Manx Grand Prix, Southern 100, The Manx Classic (car racing) and the Royal Manx Show to name a few, all of which rely on the unstinting support and work by volunteers.

“We are delighted to be sponsoring an award which recognises the enormous contribution that unpaid volunteers also make to our community and the valuable work they do.’

Do you know a volunteer who should be recognised for their work? Why not nominate them for this year’s Awards for Excellence? For more details on how to enter call 695695 or visit www.iomtoday.co.im

The winner of Company of the Year at last year’s Awards for Excellence is one of the island’s best-loved institutions, Tynwald Mills.

At a time when many retailers are struggling, from small independent stores to well-known high street names, Tynwald Mills last year managed to buck the trend through innovation, investment and a lot of hard work.

‘Last year retail was down overall and the way we managed to change that was to continue to invest in the business and some of its added attractions, like the cafes, to make Tynwald Mills a place where people want to come to shop,’ said marketing and project manager Matthew McSevney.

‘At the end of the day, we recognise that people have a choice: they can shop online, or they can shop in Strand Street, or they can come to Tynwald Mills, and the whole thing about coming to Tynwald Mills is that it’s not just about the shopping – we try and offer lots of extra things for people to enjoy.

‘We’ve just established the community marquee which now holds lots of events through the year, including the ice skating over Christmas. We have two cafes and a weekly farmers’ market, and the combination of those extra things and continuing to innovate, with lots of new brands and expanding the menswear department, keeps things fresh for customers.’

One of the biggest innovations for Tynwald Mills last year was the introduction of its reward card scheme. This has cost implications for the business.

Matthew said: ‘The reward card has been huge for us. We have now signed up more than 9,000 people and it is a way of saying thank you to them for shopping locally and shopping with us.

‘I think the award was in recognition of all these things we’d done over the year, both in the business and community-based – really, changing the face of retail on the island.’

And, as Matthew went on to explain, the award means a lot.

He said: ‘What it means to us is recognising the investment and the innovation and the effort that comes from the team at Tynwald Mills, to make a profitable retail business and one that people want to come and visit.

‘The awards night also gave us an opportunity to thank the team for their hard work through the year and to enjoy a night out to celebrate their effort and their achievement.’

What the judges said:

‘At a time when the retail share on the island contracted by 21 per cent, this was an exceptional year from Tynwald Mills with growth of 15 per cent.

‘Tynwald Mills is part of the Associated Independent Stores buying group. All the stores in the group are graded on their performance and, this year, Tynwald Mills moved up from a grade six rating to grade one, alongside other flagship department stores in the UK.

‘Over the last year, Tynwald Mills has invested in a refurbishment of several of its departments and a major expansion of its menswear department. They have continued to innovate with new brands and their new reward card scheme.’

Could your business be a winner this year?

Matthew said: ‘I think it’s important for an Isle of Man company to enter the awards.

‘There are a lot of companies out there who are trying to make a difference on the Isle of Man, and follow the Freedom to Flourish values, and it gives them the opportunity to be recognised for their hard work.’

If you think your company is one of them, why not enter this year’s Awards for Excellence? There are 16 award categories and you full find full details of all of them, plus entry forms to download, at www.iomtoday.co.im shortly.

A meeting set up by telecoms company Sure to address public concerns about antenna plans for Governor’s Hill was called off when no one turned up.

Sure aims to install the antenna to boost its coverage in the area and had written to residents detailing plans to attach a ‘low visual impact antenna’ to a lamppost in the estate.

Anyone concerned about the plans was invited to attend a meeting on Thursday at the Cat with no Tail pub.

Sure plans to submit a planning application to install the equipment on Hailwood Avenue.

The family of firework Sophie Birtles have started a campaign to raise funds to build a disabled-friendly camping cabin in memory of the teenager.

The 13-year-old died in June after a battle with the rare degenerative disorder juvenile Sandhoff disease.

She made headlines after her friends and family started a worldwide social media campaign using the hashtag #youreafireworksophie which saw the teen receive a message from her idol, pop star Katy Perry.

Now her family is looking to raise £15,000 to build a camping pod at Glen Wyllin Campsite in Kirk Michael.

Sophie’s mum Ali said Glen Wyllin was the teenager’s favourite place to visit and said she enjoyed making special memories there.

‘We are not aware of a disabled friendly structure of this kind on the island, and I believe that camping really is something that can be enjoyed by everyone, whatever your disability, as it gives you a sense of freedom and independence you get from an outdoor adventure.

‘The camping cabin is going to be equipped to help those in a wheelchair or those with disabilities. The doors are going to be wide enough to allow wheelchair access and once inside there will be a special profiling bed, wet room and hoisting facilities,’ Ali said.

‘I realise that the cabin might not be fully furnished with all equipment that may be needed, as not every disability is the same, but the aim is to have basics to allow for an enjoyable camping experience. Once the structure is up and running, the Glen Wyllin directors have agreed to donating a percentage of the booking to Rebecca House children’s hospice, which is a charity that is close to our hearts.’

Sophie was staying at Rebecca House, in Braddan, during her battle with the rare disorder.

Her wish was to receive a message from pop star Katy Perry and so her friends and family started a social media campaign.

A photo of Sophie holding a sign quoting one of Katy’s biggest hits ‘Firework’ was shared thousands of times on social media sites Twitter and Facebook.

In just over 48 hours, the quest to reach the US singer hit its target and a video message from the star was sent to Sophie and her family.

If you would like to make donation visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/sophies-memorial-pod. If any individuals or businesses would like to donate equipment get in touch with Ali at alisonbirtles@gmail.com

Castletown fire station opened its doors to the public on Saturday for its last open day.

The event will most likely be the last held at the station before its move to Ronaldsway, where a new combined fire and ambulance station will be built.

On the day, youngsters had the chance to have a go with the hoses used by the Fire and Rescue Service, sit in the fire engines and enjoy rides on the aerial ladder platform.

There was also face painting, a variety of different games, a barbecue and plenty of refreshments for attendees.

Station officer Juan Cregeen said over the course of the day around 500 to 600 people attended the event.

He said the event was a ‘community day’ and gave firefighters the opportunity to thank everyone for their support and also gave residents and firefighters the chance to say goodbye to the station.

Juan added that the staff are excited to move to the new station but are also sad to be leaving Castletown because there’s so much history at the base.

Proceeds from the day will go towards aid of the Firefighters’ Charity which aims to enhance the quality of life for serving and retired firefighters, fire personnel and their families. The total raised on the day is still being counted but it is believed to be in the region of around £500.

In June Tynwald unanimously approved funding of £1.458m to replace Port Erin and Castletown fire stations.

Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK secured backing to build a new combined fire and ambulance station on government-owned land opposite the Sefton Express at Ronaldsway, and to convert the Southlands ambulance station on the Port Erin-Port St Mary boundary into a fire station.

Mr Watterson described the fire station at Castletown as ‘decaying’ and having inadequate facilities – and none at all for female firefighters – which meant it was no longer fit for purpose.

The station was built in 1964 and work costing at least £80,000 would have been needed to repair the building.

The new Douglas post office in Strand Street will be open for business for the first time on Monday.

Post Office bosses say the premises, which are bigger than the Regent Street location, will provide customers with a modern facility and will be fully accessible for disabled customers, those with pushchairs and will feature a hearing loop for the hearing-impaired.

The post office on Regent Street is closing.

Originally it was going to move in with the Spar shop but that came in for criticism.

The shop will be run by Mannin Retail, a part of the brewery company Heron and Brearley, which already owned the premises.

At the Strand Street shop there will be six counter positions, including two at the front of the post office, which can provide fast transactions and our foreign exchange service.

In addition, there will also be two self-service Pay and Post kiosks for customers who prefer to make transactions themselves.

The kiosks enable customers to post letters and parcels, buy postage labels and pay utility bills (Manx Utilities Authority, Manx Telecom, Manx Gas, fixed penalties and government rents and rates).

There will also be the introduction of a ‘drop box’ positioned by the kiosks, for the posting of items transacted through the Pay and Post machines.

Meanwhile, a standard post box will be outside the new post office with collections throughout the day, from 6am until closing Monday to Saturday.

Post vans will be able to access the building via the lane at the rear of the property for collections and deliveries.

If access is required via Strand Street, the Post Office says it will be abiding by the access restrictions for delivery vehicles. Meanwhile, the post boxes outside Regent Street post office will remain in use and normal collection times for these will continue to apply after the relocation.

A new addition for Douglas post office will be what the Post Office calls a ‘queue host’.

He or she ‘will provide a warm welcome to customers on entry to the office and will be on hand to direct customers to their chosen point of sale and to answer any queries they may have’.

The opening hours will remain the same as the current location: 8.45am to 5.45pm, Monday to Friday and 9am to 2pm on Saturdays.

The nearest disabled parking spaces are by Markwell House in Market Street and at the junction of Granville Street on Loch Promenade.

The chairman of Isle of Man Post Office, Ray Harmer MHK, said: ‘Douglas will be the last of the two former crown offices to relocate premises under the operation of Mannin Retail and we are pleased that this long-running conversion project is now coming to a successful conclusion.

‘Isle of Man Post Office and Mannin Retail have worked together to ensure the new location provides a smooth transition for customers and will be a welcoming place to transact their postal business.’

Peter Whittaker, managing director of Mannin Retail Ltd, said: ‘We’re delighted to have been able to provide a convenient and dedicated location for the new Douglas post office along the main customer “flow” in Strand Street.

‘This conversion also makes an important contribution to the appearance and appeal of our main shopping street in Douglas.

‘We pride ourselves on our customer service and this new, larger post office will help us to deliver better access, higher standards and more convenience than ever before.’

It will be in the premises most recently known as the Carnival pub.

Previously it had been Rendezvous, Strand 58, Casey’s and, when it was two pubs next door to each other, the New Strand and the Legs of Man.

You can find out more information about the relocation of Ramsey and Douglas post offices here

The winner of the Public Sector Achievement Award at last year’s Isle of Man Newspapers Awards for Excellence was the Department for the Environment Food and Agriculture for creating and running the popular Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival.

The DEFA’s marketing manager, Audrey Fowler. accepted the award on behalf of the team and she explained this week what makes a successful entry.

‘This was our second time of being nominated so I would want to encourage people and tell them, just because they didn’t win the first time, do try a second or even a third time. It’s definitely worth putting that form in again!’ said Audrey.

Public Sector Achievement has always been a notably strong category at the awards, with a high standard of entries, and Audrey said that it was a category she was pleased to come out on top in.

One of the things the awards judges always look for in a winning entry is a success that is measurable and Audrey said: ‘With the Food and Drink Festival that was quite easy to do because in 2009 we had 32 exhibitors and last year we had more than 50, which is one measure of success.

‘An event like the Food and Drink Festival leaves a footprint of statistics, as well as a growth that is obvious to anyone who attends. Everything is provable and the feedback we’re getting is so positive every year.

‘When you think about it, having more than 100 independent food producers on a small island is an achievement in itself and giving them a framework of support, which includes the Food and Drink Festival where they can showcase their wares, has been a great encouragement to many of them. ‘

Another thing the judges look for, in all of the awards categories, is how the submission reflects the Freedom to Flourish values. Quite clearly, the Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival fits very nicely with this, as a key element in the government’s Food Matters strategy, and a way of supporting so many growers, producers and restaurants on the island, as Audrey explains:

‘Every year we get smiling faces from the exhibitors at the end of the two days, all really complimentary of the event. They’ve made new contacts, they’ve made lots of money by being there – it’s all networking – and that’s all helping to grow the economy.

‘The Food and Drink Festival also helps to introduce people to the idea of buying locally grown and produced food and we’re getting more and more organisations, like the local media, buying in to that idea.

‘It’s important to us to involve the restaurants too, through the Chef of the Year contest, with the finals being part of the Food and Drink Festival programme. They are really big buyers of local meat and produce, and we want to see more Manx on the menu and more people asking for it.’

Since the event was first held in 2009 it has continued to grow with financial support from government but last year it broke even for the first time. This year Magnet Kitchens will be sponsoring the event, giving it a further financial boost.

The team at the the DEFA is assisted by an enthusiastic committee.

Audrey said: ‘Over the years, our committee has continued to grow, which is very encouraging. We now have 20 people on it, predominantly producers but also people who have been to the Festival and want to be a strong part of it and they are brilliant at bringing new ideas forward.’

When it comes to the benefits of winning, as a marketing person Audrey appreciates the way it can raise the profile of an event or organisation.

‘We now put the award winners’ logo on all our emails, including the chief executive’s,’ she said. ‘I think that, in particular, is a really lovely thing to have and I think it certainly helps when we are looking for sponsors for the festival – it’s a very good marketing tool.’

And then, of course, there’s the awards night itself.

Audrey said: ‘When they announced the winners, I was so shocked but really pleased for the Food and Drink Festival to get it.

‘It’s a fantastic night and something I’ll always remember – just total glitz and glamour!’

Entries are now being invited for this year’s Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence. There are 16 award categories, for companies, individuals public sector teams and charitable organisations. Call 695695 or visit www.iomtoday.im for more details and entry forms.

A new way of charging local authorities to dispose of waste at the incinerator has been accepted by Port Erin Commissioners.

However, the authority said the same fee should be imposed on all government departments using the plant.

The government changed the method of charging authorities for using the plant. Previously charges were based on the amount of waste (at £79.50 a tonne).

Under the new system, authorities will pay £20.75 a tonne, but be charged an ‘availability fee’ – to cover the fixed cost of running the plant – and that is charged per capita.

Port Erin joined others in questioning the legality of the availability fee and said the auditors could challenge those payments.

Port Erin Commissioners’ clerk Jason Roberts had written to the Department of Infrastructure to say that its invoice for waste disposal, which included the new fee, had been rejected as it did not have the correct domestic waste gate fee.

He asked for the invoice to be re-issued at the correct rate. Mr Roberts added the authority had not agreed to a change in charging structure and has received no formal request to do so.

The commissioners were ‘vehemently opposed’ to charging according to population and said it should be based on rateable value as it is with burial rates and water and sewerage charges.

At last week’s board meeting Mr Roberts gave a precis of a letter from Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne and said: ‘The department can change the charging mechanism if they wish.’

He pointed out the department would cover any shortfall if it (the variable cost based on the amount of waste) was more than £1,000.

‘Our estimates in [in Port Erin] are £8,000,’ he said.

He added the calculations were complicated to estimate but the authority’s fixed costs for using the ‘Energy from Waste’ plant were £78,000, which it had to pay anyway. He added the charge hit authorities with recycling schemes hardest.

He said Mr Gawne’s letter corroborated the invoices to the satisfaction of auditors.

Phil Crellin said: ‘We are going to have to pay it. We use it, we have to pay for it. The thing that worries me is it should not be just local authorities that pay. There are other users which burn government waste. As long as they get treated the same as us, I do not have a problem with it.’

Mr Roberts explained: ‘Next year the availability fee will be based on last year’s tonnage, next year it will be half tonnage, half population, than all population.’

Mr Crellin said: ‘That might change.’

Onchan Commissioners will be ‘squandering’ ratepayers’ money if they go ahead with a libel action against the local MHK and a government body.

That’s the view of the man whose complaint against the local authority dating back six years over an alleged conflict of interest formed the background to the threatened legal action. Rae Hamilton said: ‘It is shameful the way that Onchan Commissioners have been going on against David Quirk, squandering ratepayers’ money on frivolous actions.’

Onchan Commissioners had requested a public apology from constituency MHK David Quirk and the Public Services Commission over ‘inaccurate and potentially defamatory’ comments they had made.

But with no apology forthcoming, commissioners’ clerk Malcolm Hulme said that separate actions for defamation would be issued in the next week or so.

The proceedings, which have the full support of the board, follow a statement issued by the PSC published on the government’s website in June. This was in relation to Mr Hamilton’s complaint against officers of the Department of Infrastructure.

The board strongly denies the allegations made against them.

Members said they were highly concerned to have been ‘wrongly criticised’ by the commission without having been given any opportunity to respond or rebut the ‘potentially misleading and inaccurate allegations’.

Similarly inaccurate and potentially defamatory comments were made in a letter dated June 29 from Onchan MHK Mr Quirk to individual members of the board, it’s claimed.

Mr Hamilton instigated a Tynwald scrutiny committee investigation into the complaints process for those with a genuine grievance against a local authority.

Last month, Tynwald backed the committee’s recommendation that a Tynwald commissioner be set up to investigate such complaints.

Mr Hamilton said: ‘I welcome it. It’s complete vindication for me.

‘I’ve spent six years working on this, not continuously but backwards and forwards. The PSC has done a thorough effective investigation.

‘The idea that they are going to be taking legal action against David Quirk and/or the PSC is absurd. If it was to go ahead, it would be squandering ratepayers’ money on an action which in my view would be doomed to failure.’

A mother whose son died in an accident has explained why she wanted to release graphic video footage to reinforce the road safety message.

Beverley Clark, from Pontefract in West Yorkshire, said if, by releasing the footage, someone else’s life could be saved then it was worthwhile.

Mrs Clark’s son, Lewis, died when his motorcycle was hit head-on by an approaching bike that was on the wrong side of the road. Both Lewis, a 22-year-old chef and motorcycle enthusiast who was visiting the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT at the time, and the other rider, were killed instantly at the scene.

Mrs Clark said: ‘When Lewis was killed in the crash I felt so alone, so lost and empty. I needed to find a reason for him to be taken so young. He loved life. He had so much energy and put everything he had into enjoying every day.

‘I felt life was meaningless. I just couldn’t let him die on that cold road. I couldn’t let him just extinguish. I needed him to live on. I needed something positive to come out of this horrific journey.’

The accident happened on August 30 last year, the middle Sunday of the race fortnight.

After being contacted by Sergeant Steve Lapsley, of the police’s roads policing unit, Mrs Clark said she decided to release the footage of the crash, which was captured, by chance, on the camera of another rider. The footage has been mixed in with shots of Lewis as a baby, a young child, with friends and family at social gatherings as well as during past visits to the Isle of Man, where he had given up time as a volunteer marshal for the races. The video also includes a voiceover from Mrs Clark herself and has had more than 380,000 views on YouTube.

She said: ‘Lewis loved to ride and he loved the TT. He wouldn’t want me to hate bikes. Any time he had spare, he’d be out riding. Bikers were his other family.’

But she added: ‘I want to make bikers aware of what can happen if they don’t give 100 per cent all of the time. Yes, I realise many of them are well aware of the dangers but I want them to see the impact of their actions. I have lost my baby boy because another rider made a wrong decision.

‘My young son died in a fireball. No parent should ever have to get that news. My life will never be the same again.

‘If I can make just one person think twice before doing an overtake then another mother may keep her son. My arms ache to hold Lewis every day. I have no words to tell you how much it hurts.’

After an inquest held last month, coroner John Needham recorded an accident verdict on Lewis and the other rider, 53-year-old Christian Berkhan from Germany. Both died from multiple injuries at the scene on the Mountain Road near the Black Hut. The accident happened as Mr Berkhan’s north-bound Ducati failed to return to his own side of the road after overtaking.

Coroner John Needham said he believed the point of impact was on Lewis’s side of the road, the south-bound carriageway and neither rider had time to react. Neither bike was travelling at excessive speed and both riders were experienced.

Although Lewis’s Yamaha Thundercat had its headlight on, Mr Needham said Mr Berkhan did not appear to have seen it.

He recommended taking a fresh look at whether or not the Mountain Road should be one-way during the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT, as it is for the TT.

Commenting on the video, Inspector Derek Flint, who was senior investigating officer for the accident said; ‘We are always incredibly humbled when families find the strength through their grief to help raise awareness of the risks that are out there.

‘This is one of the most powerful road safety videos I’ve seen, and I’d recommend it to any road user. It will make them stop and think.’

Mrs Clark said: ‘Please think of your loved ones at home waiting for your safe return. They need you.

‘Please keep the links in your family chain together. Don’t break them because, as I now know, they can never be repaired.’

A new definition of ‘good business leadership’ has been put forward by the Institute of Directors in launching a competency framework for all directors in the wake of the highly controversial collapse of retail group BHS.

Described as a ‘new blueprint for success’, the IoD’s Director Competency Framework places traditional commercial expectations alongside a broader mix of behaviours and skills.

‘Knowledge of finance and business strategy are put on the same level as the ability to encourage diverse views, political astuteness and decision-making in the face of uncertainty,’ said Clive Parrish, chairman of the IoD’s Isle of Man branch.

‘The Competency Framework is understood to be the first of its kind to apply to directors of companies of all sizes and sectors, including listed and unlisted companies and not-for-profit organisations,’ declared Mr Parrish.

‘Following widespread media coverage of the BHS saga, combined with allegations of unacceptable working conditions at SportsDirect, public faith in business to do the right thing has been severely shaken.

‘This makes the Framework’s emphasis on communication and building external relations very timely.’

The Framework provides every member of any board, in any sector or industry, in any country with a clear and comprehensive set of standards to guide their performance and development.

‘It draws together the IoD’s many years of expertise and experience supporting and educating directors,’ said Dr Suzy Walton, an ioD board member and chartered director who helped to craft the new guidelines.

‘This is the first framework of its kind to provide a holistic picture of the knowledge, the skills and the mindset that every director needs to bring to their role to be fully effective,’ she added.

The announcement comes at a time when the IoD is seeing a double digit increase in business leaders investing in their professional development.

It believes that this in part is due to the high profile governance failures, meaning business leaders are increasingly aware of their responsibilities and part down to a recognition that good leadership makes good business sense.

Dr Suzy Walton added: ‘The new Framework provides every member of any board, in any sector or industry or indeed any country, with a clear and comprehensive set of standards to guide their performance and development.’

Manxman Tim Kneale will begin his Olympic clay shooting career later today (Wednesday), when he attempts to negotiate the qualification round of the double trap event for Great Britain in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The 33-year-old Ballaugh man’s competition is set to begin around 1pm our time (9am local time) and readers can follow his progress online at rio2016.com/en/shooting-double-trap-mens-qualification
The qualifying round will be followed by the semi-finals, with the final of the event beginning at 7pm our time, when television coverage will begin on the BBC website: bbc.co.uk/sport/live/olympics/36667594
Rio will be the reigning Isle of Man Sportsman of the Year’s first Olympic Games, but he has competed in several world championships and Commonwealth Games.

His most notable performance was in September 2015 when he finished second at the ISSF World Championships in Lonato, Italy earning him qualification for the Olympic Games.

At the 2014 world championships in Munich, Kneale broke the world record for the men’s double trap when shooting 148 out of 150.

He went on to finish fourth in those championships and he is still the holder of that world record.

He also won a bronze medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India where he was representing the Isle of Man.

The Ballaugh man took up the sport at the age of 16 and made an early international appearance at the 2002 ISSF World Championships in Lahti, Finland for the the British national team. But this will be his most notable event to date.

The island’s other Olympic representative, cyclist Mark Cavendish who is appearing in his third Olympics, will begin his quest for gold on Sunday.

Fresh from four stage wins in last month’s Tour de France, he will ride on the track as Great Britain’s sole representative in the Omnium event.

Cycling’s version of the heptathlon, it will involve six events over two days, on August 14 and 15, in the Olympic velodrome.

The 31-year-old Manxman’s first event will be the 15km scratch race, which will take place from 8.40pm our time on Sunday.

His second event is the elimination race from 9.40 the same evening, followed by the 4km individual pursuit from 9.50pm.

The three events the following day will be the 1km time trial, between 2.21pm and 2.48pm, followed by the 200 metre flying lap between 8pm and 8.24pm, and the 40km points race at 9.23pm.

Cavendish is also the reserve rider for Great Britain in the team pursuit, the event in which fellow Manxman Peter Kennaugh won gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Qualifying for the men’s team pursuit is tomorrow (Thursday) and he could well be competing in the first round on Friday at 8.50pm, with the final later the same evening at 10.20pm our time.

Despite Cavendish having the second highest tally of Tour de France stage wins, he is yet to have an Olympic medal placed around his neck, but he is determined to change that over the next couple of weeks.

‘I’ve made no secret that my aim is to win an Olympic medal and I’m so pleased to have been given this opportunity,’ he stated before departing for South America.

Scottish singing star and actress Barbara Dickson is to perform in Peel in April next year after the town’s Centenary Centre received a Celton Manx 2016 Recognition award.

Peel Centenary Centre director Trevor Bougourd said: ‘We aim to provide a broad range of entertainment every year: around 60 nights of concerts and 25 nights of cinema along with many other community events.

‘We’re a registered Manx charity, though, and without this Recognition award, engaging an artist of Barbara Dickson’s stature would have been totally unviable, so we’re enormously grateful to Celton Manx for their support.’

Celton Manx executive director Bill Mummery said: ‘Our Recognition scheme is aimed firmly at supporting charitable and not-for-profit organisations working hard to benefit as broad a range of the community as possible.

‘Run entirely by volunteers, the Peel Centenary Centre, with its varied programme, is bringing the arts in all its many interpretations to an appreciative island-wide audience. We applaud their efforts and are pleased that our support has led to the Centre being able to attract such an established artist as Barbara Dickson.

‘I wish Trevor and his team every success for what I’m sure will be a great evening.’

Barbara Dickson will perform at the Peel Centenary Centre on Saturday April 22, 2017 at 8pm when the singer, famed for hits including Another Suitcase in Another Hall, January, February and I Know Him So Well (with Elaine Paige), will give a special acoustic performance with her long-time pianist Nick Holland, exploring her catalogue of songs, ranging from folk to contemporary greats along with some of her best known numbers.

The pair have performed this way in numerous venues including cathedrals, festivals and theatres and developed an intimate rapport with each other and the audience.

‘It’s a different experience to working with the bigger band,’ says Barbara, ‘but just as enjoyable and gives the music breathing space.’

Tickets, priced £27, are available from Celtic Gold, Peel; Shakti Man, Ramsey; Peter Norris Music, Douglas; Thompson Travel, Port Erin; and online at www.centenarycentre.com

Douglas Council leader David Christian has hit back at a Minister’s criticism in Tynwald that the Shaw’s Brow car park is his department’s biggest waste of money.

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne told Tynwald that the agreement between the government and Douglas Borough Council had cost the taxpayer ‘well over £1m’ as it effectively provided a guarantee to cover any revenue losses.

But Councillor Christian insisted this wasn’t the case.

He said: ‘I was amazed when answering a Tynwald question that this was given as the department’s biggest waste of money in the last five years.

‘The Shaw’s Brow agreement was signed in 1999. The basics of the agreement are that the council rebuilt the car park into a multi-storey to provide much needed parking, particularly within the business sector.

‘The loan period is 30 years, it was agreed that DLGE (now DoI) would make up any shortfall between the income and the loan repayments.

‘The Minister is correct there is no end date, but clearly it covers the period of the loan, as thereafter the car park will be providing valuable income to the borough.’

He added: ‘If it is badly worded that fault lies with the old department (DLGE or Attorney General’s). I was part of the negotiating committee, my main interest was to protect the interests of Douglas ratepayers, something I try to do every day.

‘If the council had not rebuilt Shaw’s Brow there would be a chronic parking shortage. After all, in the last 20 years government has provided very little additional parking and prevented the council building a new one opposite the bus station on the Cambrian Place site.

‘So Shaw’s Brow a waste of money? I think not Minister.’

In another sideswipe at the DoI, Mr Christian questions claims that the costs of running the horse trams had been significantly cut now they are under government control.

Mr Gawne claims that the losses had been cut from £263,000 a year to £62,000 a year for the next two years by changing the timetable, reducing the number of trams and other savings.

But the council leader said this was just creative accounting.

He said: ‘Yet again I hear another MHK saying how wonderful it is that DoI have drastically reduced the costs of the horse trams.

‘I wish they would live in the real world. All that is happening is that all the costs associated with the service are not being allocated (some would say creative accounting).

‘The council gave the true cost, as we do with all our services. If one person worked one hour it was allocated to give a true cost. It would appear within government departments if wages are already being paid there is no need to allocate to that service. Do we really know the true cost of anything provided by government?’

In a radio interview, he criticised yet further delays in reconstructing Douglas promenades.

He said: ‘When the new application come in, however swift that is, we could see objections from retailers and hoteliers not wanting to lose car parking spaces and straight away we are back to the same starting position again. We approach Christmas, nobody wants to lose the car parking spaces, you get into the new year before you know it 2017 is on our doorstep.

A man’s body which was washed up on a remote beach on Monday evening has been discounted as a person from the Isle of Man.

Police have said they are not aware of the man being local.

They have also confirmed that the body is not that of teenager Josh Caley who went missing from the north of the island at New Year.

The body was washed up on a remote beach south of Niarbyl.

Detective Sergeant Dawn Lowe said investigations are still being made to establish the identity of the man.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place either today or tomorrow.

Police have thanked all who assisted in the finding and the recovery, including the members of the public who let them know and remained on the beach until help was sought from the coastguard, Peel RNLI and a local farmer.

Yesterday’s report

Eight local authority flats could be built in Onchan if planners approve the application.

Onchan Commissioners have applied (16/00836/B) to redevelop the site of the former furniture shop in Marion Road.

The application is for two blocks of four flats, provided over two floors.

The two-bedroom, three- person flats would each have its own private entrance.

Onchan Commissioners’ deputy clerk Tim Craig told the Examiner the flats were needed to help address the waiting list for two-bedroom properties in the area.

‘It will make quite a sizeable dent in our housing list,’ he said.

‘It fits in with our strategy to develop small opportunities where we see them around the district.

‘We are running out of land zoned for development.

At present, there are 42 on the waiting list for that size of property.

Twelve car parking spaces are proposed, eight in the court off Marion Road that would be allocated using a permit system, and four off the rear access lane.

In the planning statement submitted as part of the application, it says: ‘Whilst this is below the two spaces per dwelling stated as the parked standard...The Strategic Plan allows consideration for a reduction of the requirement on previously developed sites.’

The buildings were recently demolished and the site cleared in preparation for its redevelopment.

The site is next to Marion Court on the northern boundary, an Onchan Commissioners housing development constructed about 10 years ago.

If approved, the local authority believes it would take around 12 months between the start of construction work and the first residents moving in.