A row over a crying baby culminated in a yob punching his girlfriend in the face, a court was told.

Defendant Ian Derek Brown had been out visiting relatives with his girlfriend but an argument erupted when they returned to their then home at Willaston Crescent later that day.

The bust up, on August 6, started after the baby, an 11-month-old girl belonging to Brown’s girlfriend’s cousin, became agitated and culminated in a frenzy of kicking, punching and spitting.

Barry Swain, for the prosecution, said the victim took the child into the bedroom to calm it down, but was followed by Brown who was becoming increasingly fractious and abusive.

The victim then retreated to the bathroom, to get away from Brown, who followed her again, booting open the door with such force that it hit her in the back.

The court heard Brown then unleashed a torrent of abuse and when she tried to leave, grabbed her by the throat, while she was holding the child, and slammed her into a wall.

She again broke free and tried to escape but he grabbed her by the hair, pushing her against a cabinet which was sent flying and smashed into pieces.

But matters reached a climax when the victim asked Brown to let her leave and his response was to punch her in the face.

The blow, to the victim’s left cheek, caused bruising to her face and lip, the court was told.

A struggle ensued with Brown grabbing the victim’s arms, pushing and shoving, leaving her with more bruises to her arms and chest.

She was also kicked in the leg, causing further bruises.

When she finally managed to leave the property this triggered a further torrent of invective with the defendant who was yelling and gobbing on her.

The victim took refuge with neighbours and called the police who arrived and took photographs of her injuries.

Brown was arrested by police on Saturday, August 6, at 1.25am.

When he was interviewed by police, Brown, who is 35, denied any assault but said the pair had had an argument. He also denied punching his girlfriend or grabbing her by the throat but conceded he ‘might have pushed her’.

An agreed statement, read out in court said: ‘We ended up in an argument where there was lots of pushing and shoving. I grabbed her by the arms causing the majority of the bruising in the photographs.

‘I accept kicking the bathroom door and this act was done recklessly.

‘I did grab her by the throat and push her into the wall and pulled her hair as she was attempting to leave. I did not punch her in the cheek deliberately, but caught her on the cheek recklessly during the general altercation.’

Brown’s advocate, Paul Rodgers, added his client also accepted he had kicked the victim on her leg.

The court heard Brown, now of Mona Street in Douglas, had been remanded in custody since August 8.

At an earlier court appearance he entered a not guilty plea to one charge of assaulting a woman on August 6.

But when he reappeared before the Deputy High Bailiff this week he changed his plea to guilty.

Mr Rodgers asked the court for an adjournment before sentencing to allow time for the probation service to prepare pre-sentence reports on the defendant.

No application was made for bail and Brown was remanded in custody. He will reappear before the court to be sentenced on September 13.

Adjourning the matter, Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes told the court she was requesting an all options report to be completed. All sentencing options would remain open, including custody, she said.

The first practice session for this year’s Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT has been cancelled.

The session, due to start at 5.20pm to day (Saturday August 20) has now fallen victim to persistent rain that has fallen all day.

Roads were to have closed at 5pm but will now remain open.

Clerk of the course Gary Thompson has thanked all the marshals who had signed up to cover the opening session after an appeal was made for extra people to come forward earlier in the week.

The next practice session is now scheduled for Monday and will begin with the speed controlled Newcomers’ lap at 6.20pm following a 6pm road closure.

Police have appealed for information after vandals smashed a window at the back of a shop in Douglas.

The damage was done to CJ’s Hair Salon on Snaefell Road in Willaston and police believe it happened overnight between Friday August 19 and 9am the following morning.

Anyone with information should contact police headquarters on 631212 or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.

Poor weather has disrupted Steam Packet sailings today (Saturday) between the island and the UK.

The morning sailing from Liverpool to Douglas was delayed. The result of this was that the return trip to Liverpool was also later leaving. The boat was turned around as soon as possible and was expected to arrive back in Liverpool by around 6.30pm. This will have a further knock-on effect on the return to Douglas, expected to leave Liverpool at 8pm, arriving in the island at 10.45pm. However, passengers are being asked to check in as normal.

Fundraisers aiming to restore and reopen Ramsey’s historic Queen’s Pier took another step forward at the end of July.

Members of the Ramsey Queen’s Pier Restoration Trust raised a total of £834 at Tynwald Day in July, Sulby Show and Rotary Day.

July 22 marked the 130th anniversary of the pier’s opening and this was celebrated with a concert at St Paul’s Church in Ramsey by the Summer Singers choir.

A spokesman for the restoration group said: ‘It proved to be an excellent concert and the audience responded with enthusiasm. The amount raised at the concert was £1,080 and we want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has given so generously.’

Members of the trust also went to the Southern Show where a further £328 was raised.

Future fundraising initiatives include a coffee morning next month. This takes place in Ramsey town hall on September 10 between 10am and 11.45am. The event will include a number of stalls selling plants, cakes, bottles and a variety of miscellaneous items. There will also be a raffle and an appeal is being made for any items people may wish to donate to the stalls.

Campaigners have been working towards the restoration and reopening of Ramsey pier ever since it closed in 1991 and the first priority is to raise money to restore the metalwork on the first 50-yard section. Estimates suggest the work needed on that section, including materials and special tools would cost around £100,000.

The first qualifying sessions for the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT at the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling has been cancelled because of the weather.

The action at the 2016 meeting had been due to get underway at 5.20pm on Saturday afternoon but, with extremely wet weather around the island, clerk of the course Gary Thompson took the decision to cancel the evening’s racing.

Monday’s session will now begin with a speed-controlled lap for Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix newcomers at 6.20pm.

Thomspon would like to thank the marshals who committed to officiating for the session following the appeal for registrations earlier in the week.

Corinthians and Peel played out a 10-goal thriller in the Canada Life Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

In a rollercoaster match at Ballafletcher, the Whites went 1-0 up in the very first minute when Josh Ridings’ cross deceived everyone and nestled into the net, only for Peel hit back through Matthew Woods and Josh Kelly to lead 2-1 at halftime.

However, four goals in the first 18 minutes of the second half saw the lead change hands again, with Corinthians going 4-3 up before Peel hit back again and levelled through Dominic McGreevy.

When Ryan Burns was sent off for Corinthians, Peel took full advantage when Kerron Christian nodded them in front late on before McGreevy’s header sealed a dramatic 6-4 victory.

Elsewhere in the top flight, champions St George’s romped to a 9-0 victory against newly-promoted Colby, Rushen United continued their fine start to the season with a 5-1 win at home to Ramsey while Union Mills and DHSOB shared four goals at Garey Mooar.

JCK Division Two champions Douglas Athletic recorded their first ever Premier League win with a 6-2 victory away at Ayre United, while St Mary’s 100 per cent winning start was maintained with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Laxey at the Bowl.

In JCK Division Two, Foxdale were in fine form as they brushed aside Douglas Royal 5-1 for their third successive victory.

Gymns were the biggest winners of the day as they romped to a 7-0 win at home to Michael United, while Castletown were made to work hard for their 4-2 win away at Governor’s Athletic.

RYCOB bounced back from two successive defeats in style with a comprehensive 6-1 win over Marown, while Onchan edged past Douglas and District by a single goal.

The highly-anticipated clash between Pulrose United v Braddan was rained off.

Take part in a Walking Treasure Hunt around Peel.

Forms can be completed at your leisure - but must be returned by August 31.

They are available from Cookie ‘N’Candy, Mitchells newsagents, Shamyr Hey Tearooms, House of Manannan and the Ward Library

Prizes have been provided by various businesses in the town and include ice creams, vouchers, lunch for two, and teacakes and tea for two.

St John’s Produce Show will take place on September 3 at the village’s Methodist Hall with a new cup up for grabs.

The show, which will start at 3pm, will be raising money for two Manx charities: Bridge the Gap, which works to improve facilities and support for teenagers and young adults with long-term health needs; and the Peel and Western branch of the Isle of Man Anti-Cancer Association.

The new trophy, The Tommy Kinrade Memorial Cup, is for best exhibit in children’s confectionery by an entrant aged 10 and under.

It has been presented to the show by Barbara Kinrade in memory of her husband, who was a huge supporter and a committee member.

Prize money has also been donated by Margaret Kennaugh and her family in memory of her husband John, the show’s long-standing auctioneer and supporter.

Call 801467 or email sjps@manx.net for a show schedule.

A statue commemorating the life of Sophia Goulden, mother of women’s suffrage campaigner Emmeline Pankhurst, could be erected close to her birthplace within a couple of years.

Supporters from St John’s Women’s Institute are now fundraising, and have identified a spot in Laxey where they would like the statue to be sited.

Lynn Owens, from the group, said: ‘It’s not going to be an overnight thing but we hope in the next two years we can get something done. It depends partly on how the fundraising goes.’

So far, she said, a budget for the project had been worked out and a business plan developed. ‘We have a committee and we have some smashing ideas so it’s all very exciting,’ she said.

Mrs Owens said the group had met through the WI and the idea stemmed from their 60th anniversary celebrations back in 2014 when they had put together a list of notable women who deserved recognition. Among them was Sophia Goulden who was, she said, a women’s rights campaigner in her own right.

‘She was such an interesting character and she was born in the Laxey area so we thought that’s where the statue should go.’

Sophia Craine later moved from Laxey to Douglas where her family ran a boarding house. She married Mancunian Robert Goulden at Braddan Church and the couple moved to Manchester, Mrs Owens said.

There she became a seasoned campaigner against the Corn Laws and slavery. She was an early supporter of women’s suffrage, sometimes taking eldest daughter Emmeline with her to meetings. Her precise birthplace in Laxey is not known, if indeed the property still exists. Garff commissioners have provisionally given permission to site the statue in the Laxey public gardens on New Road, bordering the tram station.

‘We understand a statue to Emmeline Pankhurst is being erected in Manchester so it would be nice if they could both be unveiled at the same time,’ Mrs Owens said.

The group’s target is to raise £30,000

Jo and Tim Goldy announced their engagement in May 2015 in Moscow, Idaho, after having first been introduced at the University of Idaho two years earlier.

Fast-forward one year and they have been married at Bradda Glen Cafe and Restaurant in Port Erin.

The pair first met while Jo (née Durber) was on the Ella Olesen scholarship, studying at the same time as Tim at a small-town university in Moscow, Idaho.

Every year the scholarship, part funded by the Manx government, offers one or two female graduates from the Isle of Man the opportunity to study in the States for one year.

As well as representing the Isle of Man in another country, scholarship students have the chance to take classes outside of their original degree programme and are encouraged to get involved with extra-curricular activities.

While becoming involved as a volunteer DJ at KUOI, the University of Idaho’s student-run radio station, Jo met Tim who was working as the station’s programme manager while studying for his degree in art.

After meeting, they quickly found they had mutual friends and started spending a lot of time together, including travelling to Portland, Oregon, and Boise, Idaho, to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with Tim’s family.

Ella Olesen scholars spend two semesters at the University of Idaho and after Jo’s year was complete, she returned to the Isle of Man.

Their long-distance relationship began in 2014 and will soon come to a close when Tim moves to the island in autumn this year.

Jo, who grew up in Peel, and Tim celebrated their wedding on a misty summer’s day with family and friends – some of whom travelled from America to share the day.

Tim said: ‘After all the organising, the day turned out perfectly, and despite the poor weather, Jo and I were able to take a few photos outdoors – including one with the steam train!

‘We had a fantastic time, as did our guests, and we’re very thankful to everyone who helped us to make it happen and to the local businesses who provided excellent services on the day.’

We print wedding photos for free in Isle of Man Newspapers.

Just email a photo with details (includinga phone number) to

newsdesk@newsiom.co.im

A large squad of 20 Team RL360 riders competed with great success in the Errigal International Youth Tour in County Donegal recently.

The three-day event for under-12, u14 and u16 age groups was held on the hilly roads round the village of Churchill and run over four stages consisting of two road races, a time trial and a town centre criterium in Letterkenny.

The top class entry included club and national teams from Belgium, South Africa, Scotland, England and Ireland, with the two older categories attracting full fields of 90 and 100 riders respectively.

Glen Vine’s Will Corkill produced the Manx performance of the tour to win the under-14s class overall, with Amelia Sharpe also riding impressively to take the girls’ honours in the same class.

Other highlights included Will Draper’s second place on general classification in the u16s, and Tosh Teare’s white jersey win as the leading 15-year-old in that category.

All this success would not have been possible without the valuable support of their RL360 team-mates, who helped chase down any breaks and generally control the races in a way that any professional outfit would be proud of.

In the u14s, Corkill got off to a nervous start as his gears started to play up before the opening road race. Luckily, he managed to soldier on without any major mishap, finishing a good fifth in the same time as the winner Matti Egglestone (Beacon Wheelers).

The Manx youngster stamped his authority on the race in the following morning’s time trial when he stormed round the course to win by a clear 14 seconds and take over the yellow jersey some 12s ahead of Joe Pidock (Chevin Cycles).

The afternoon’s hilly road race on the Cabra course included the infamous Keeloges climb. After more than 17 miles of hard racing, Corkill led a chasing group of five riders home to comfortably retain his lead on GC.

Going into the final criterium stage in Letterkenny he had a healthy buffer of 11 seconds to play with. The attacks came thick and fast but they were all quickly neutralised by the well-drilled RL360 team. Corkill crossed the line in the leading bunch safe in the knowledge that the overall victory and coveted yellow jersey was his.

Amelia Sharpe, who under Irish rules was riding down a class, staked her claim to the girls’ pink jersey in the opening stage, finishing in the same leading group as team-mate Corkill to open up a 48-second lead on her nearest rival Maeve Gallagher (Castlebar CC). Despite losing four seconds to Gallagher after the time trial and Cabra road race, the RL360 rider excelled in the final criterium, finishing 13th in the leading group to end the tour in a very good 15th place overall and at the same time extend her winning margin in the girls’ race to a massive 2min 50sec.

The rest of the RL360 u14 squad were very active protecting Corkill’s and Sharpe’s leads while producing some good results for themselves. Aaron Lund scored a 17th in stage one’s road race, 33rd in stage two’s time trial, 32nd in the hilly road race and an excellent seventh in the final day’s criterium to finish 17th overall.

Tyler Hannay posted 29th, 15th, 30th and 12th for 21st overall, while Corrin Leeming and James Harrison performed well throughout the three days, including a 16th for Harrison on stage one and a 21st for Leeming on stage four, to finish 31st and 32nd respectively on GC. Jack Christian and Matthew Black were a little farther back in 50th and 72nd positions overall.

There was more success for the team in the u16s where Will Draper finished second overall and Tosh Teare won the white jersey for the top 15-year-old.

Draper was third in the bunch sprint finish to stage one, 15s down on winner Brendan Flannagan (Cycling Ulster), with Adam Scarffe, Harry Cain and Tosh Teare 13th, 14th and 17th in the same time as their team-mate.

Adam Kelly, who was still not fully recovered from the broken collarbone he received in the National Champs, was a further 31s back in 30th position. Lucas Mudie was 53rd and an under-the-weather Ben Christian, who did not start stages two and three because of illness, 76th.

Day two’s race against the clock proved crucial in the fight for the yellow jersey, with third-placed Draper losing another second to eventual overall winner Flannagan, who was second fastest. Tosh Teare was seventh, Adam Scarffe 12th, Adam Kelly a gutsy 15th, Harry Cain 22nd and Lucas Mudie 56th.

On the testing third stage, Draper tried but failed to shake off the two riders sitting above him in the overall standings. He eventually finished fourth to maintain his third place on GC a narrow one second down on Aaron Doherty (Westport Covey Wheelers) in second place and 13s down on the leader Flannagan.

Holding onto the white jersey, Teare was eighth on the stage, Kelly 15th, Harry Cain 16th and Lucas Mudie 64th. Unfortunately, climbing specialist Adam Scarffe lost a lot of time in a crash and was unable to regain the lead bunch, eventually crossing the line in 48th slot 4m 32s on the frontrunners.

With the overall victory probably out of sight, Draper and the team went for the stage win in the criterium at Letterkenny. Kelly led out the final sprint, leaving Draper on the finishing straight to take a spectacular win and pip Doherty to second place in the overall standings.

The rest of the RL360 riders, including Ben Christian who, having recovered from his illness, was allowed to ride in the final stage, all finished safely in the leading bunch, with Teare’s 44th place good enough for him to retain the white jersey in a brilliant eighth overall. Cain was 16th on GC, Kelly 18th, Scarffe 34th and Mudie 60th.

In the u12s event Ralf Holden got better as the tour progressed. After respectable midfield finishes in stages one and two, he produced a great ride to take a fine 10th on stage three’s tough road race followed by an excellent fourth in the town centre criterium which moved him up to 18th overall 2m 59s behind winner Adam Gilsenan (Bohermeen CC).

Shellan Leeming rode consistently in all four stages for 24th overall (fifth girl), with Darcy Cain 36th (10th girl), James Devereau 37th and Mairi Harrison 48th and second 11-year-old girl.

In addition to their individual successes, the RL360 squads were second in the under-16 and third in the under-14 team competitions.

DOT TILBURY

Well, that’s it, they’ve broken up.

Not only have the boys (and girl) finished for the summer hols, they are all out of work.

They will have to re­apply if they want to get their jobs back. Sorry, you don’t know what I’m talking about.

It’s the end of the House of Keys, no, not the end, there will be a general election in September and a new squad will be in place for the next five years. Whoopee!

But who will they all be? It’s guaranteed there will be some new faces.

We have said goodbye to a few old hands who have withdrawn from the fray, and there are sure to be more ex-members who will retire voluntarily, and no doubt some who will have the decision made for them. We shall see.

At the time of writing, there are three members who have galloped off into the sunset.

The long serving and outspoken Peter Karran who never failed to give 100 per cent to everything that he stood for.

He regularly received more votes than any other member, and I’m sure the voters in Onchan will miss him.

Question time will never be the same again.

I don’t think anyone other than their families know how much work they do, and how many hours a Minister puts in to their job, and in my opinion our island will find it difficult to replace the effort and experience of Eddie Teare and John Shimmin.

I hope they all enjoy a long and healthy retirement.

So, what about the rest of the gang? Will they stand again? And if they do, will they get back in? Don’t forget the boundary changes to some of constituencies – and the vacancy created with the appointment of Steve Rodan as President of Tynwald.

Will there be more female members? Will there be a re­make of ‘Katie Knows Best’ at Pinewood?

Could there be a husband and wife team for Peel and Glenfaba? Will the voters put the Boot in? Or could there even be a pair of Boots?

And in Ramsey, the Bell has stopped ringing, but will Leonard still be singing?

And what about the voters who live over the bridge? Rushen is down from three to two seats, and Castletown will join up with Malew and Arbory to make another two seater. Two things are certain, there are going to be changes and we are going lose more experience than we can afford to.

Come the end of September, will Phil be Gawne and just what will Juan be doin’? We shall see.

I just hope there will be a good field of candidates, and that they can inspire the voters to do just that. I wonder what will be the hottest door step topics this time round.

No prizes for choosing law and order or hospital waiting lists. State pensions and MHKs’ salaries have been done before. Douglas prom will be high on some lists but that’s been going on for so long it’s just plain boring.

The No 23 bus campaign is dead in the water because the new boundaries mob have moved Groudle Road to Maughold or somewhere, and for obvious reasons, no­one else in Maughold gives a hoot about the 23 bus.

No, we need something really interesting to get our doorstep teeth into. Something to create a national debate.

Something like that brilliant idea to hide cigarettes on sale in shops in cupboards on the wall. The idea is that if you can’t see the fags, you’ll forget to buy some.

I wish all candidates the very best of luck in their endeavours. If you are successful and become an MHK, just remember that the easy part is over.

And on a personal note, Pullyman achieved something that had never been done before and is very unlikely to happen again: ‘Herding Cats’, the CD collection of poetry.

To every Member of both the Keys and the Legislative Council who read a poem: thank you. That was true political harmony. Will we ever see the likes again?

A man’s mountain bike taken from a car park on Douglas Central Promenade is being sought by police.

The nearly new bicycle, manufactured by Giant, was taken from the first floor car park of Spectrum Flats between August 14 and 16.

Police say the bike is in excellent condition, black and has yellow and silver lettering on it.

Anyone with information should call Constable Lewis Cassidy on 631212 or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.

An antique musical instrument threatened with destruction has been saved - by a church in Ireland.

The ancient organ at Croit-e-Caley Methodist church looked set to be scrapped after the building was sold and, despite being offered to any other interested parties around the island, was left unclaimed.

But now it is making the journey across the Irish Sea to be installed in St Michael’s Church of Ireland at Aghold, in County Wicklow.

The dismantling has been done by Irish organ builder Stephen Adams and his wife Noelle and they will clean and renovate the instrument at his workshop in Carlow, before it is installed next month.

Isle of Man organ builder Peter Jones, who has maintained the instrument for many years said: ‘I understand the plan is to have it completed in time for the church’s 300th anniversary in September.’

The move to Southern Ireland will not be the organ’s first relocation: it was originally installed in Mount Tabor church in Port St Mary but it was taken and rebuilt at Coit-e-Caley when the American philanthropist Andrew Carnegie gave funding for a bigger organ at Mount Tabor in the early part of the 20th century.

Mr Jones added: ‘Whilst it is a great pity not to have kept it on the Isle of Man, it is being saved and will serve a useful role elsewhere.

‘Stephen Adams is well-used to this kind of work having saved around 20 small organs like this, finding them new homes.

‘He is an organist himself and is doing this work for expenses-only, as St Michael’s is one church in a group to which he belongs. So it’s an unusual situation which seems to be working out for the best, even though it is a shame to lose the organ to the Isle of Man.’

For a time the future of the organ, which had provided the musical backdrop to countless services and concerts over the years, was in doubt after the closure of the chapel in 2014 and subsequent sale of the building.

As a last attempt to save it, the instrument was offered to any interested party or organisation that could give it a good home. A major stumbling block could have been the cost of dismantling the organ and reassembling it elsewhere, which was estimated at around £4,000.

However, an anonymous benfactor had offered to do the work for nothing. Despite this, there were initially no takers and it was feared the organ would be scrapped, or at least dismantled and put into indefinite storage.

In April, there was a glimmer of hope when it was thought the organ may find a new home in St Patrick’s Catholic Church in Peel but this subsequently came to nothing.

The church declined to have the organ given to them and the offer of funding for the dismantling and reassembling of the organ was later withdrawn when the sponsor had to pull out. Once again, the organ was left with no funding and no home to go to.

A further plea was made at that stage for a new home for the instrument and new sponsorship to help with the cost of relocating it.

Mr Jones said the Croit-e-Caley organ was built by Henry William Hewitt of Leicester, who was active in the 1880s, but many components could be much older, cannibalised from an earlier instrument, as was common practice at the time.

Masterpieces by internationally acclaimed artist and designer Roger Dean are now on displayed in a new exhibition at the Manx Museum in Douglas. Islands and Bridges, The Art of Roger Dean offers an opportunity to view some of Roger Dean’s most iconic original works.

Born in England in 1944, Roger Dean is well known for his work on album cover designs, logos and typefaces.

His work has made a huge contribution to the visual identity of many bands, particularly progressive rock bands Yes and Asia.

He began designing album covers in 1971 and has designed logos for record companies Virgin, Harvest and Vertigo, the logo for software company Psygnosis and redesigned the Tetris logo.

His work also includes architectural designs, stage sets, virtual-reality simulators and housing.

With his brother Martyn he exhibited their first architectural prototype of a house at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in 1981. Dean has also established a successful career in book publishing with Dragon’s Dream, and Paper Tiger Books.

Dean attended Canterbury College of Art where he achieved his National Diploma in Design.

He then went on to London’s Royal College of Art where he received a first for his Masters Degree and a silver medal for ‘Work of Special Distinction’.

In his early career he designed the seating for the club ‘Upstairs’ at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, he then embarked upon the work for which he later became famed, designing and painting album covers for rock bands. His first design was for a band called Gun.

In 1971 he designed the cover for the first Osibisa album. After this the commissions for album covers flooded in but he still found time to pursue his love of architecture and a small exhibition of his work was held in Florence.

In 1971 he also did his first cover for the band Yes and in 1972 he began designing stage sets for the group which reflected the album cover designs.

During the 1970s Roger Dean’s name was synonymous with album cover art as bands clamoured to use his prolific creative skills, and he went on to work on several book and film projects. He founded the publishing house Dragon’s Dream and published the classic fantasy book ‘Mabinogion’, illustrated by Alan Lee who is best known for his work on the illustrated editions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

In 2002 he received an honorary doctorate from the San Francisco Academy of Art University and in 2009 the Arts Institute of Bournemouth conferred an Honorary Fellowship. In 2013 he received a Gold Badge of Merit from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.

Over the years Roger Dean has continued to paint album covers for the likes of Yes and Uriah Heep, whilst remaining involved in design work which now includes working with computer software.

Around the world, over 60 million copies of Roger Dean’s images have been sold as album covers, posters, cards, calendars and books.

His work has been exhibited in many galleries and museums including, The Royal Academy, The Royal College of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, The New York Cultural Centre and the Institute of Contemporary Art in London. He is one of the world’s best known fantasy artists.

Many of Roger’s paintings use multiple mediums of gouache, watercolour, ink, enamel, crayon and montage, whilst his cover for one Uriah Heep album used all of them.

The exhibtion will include large scale paintings including album cover designs and two architectural models.

The works are on display until November 19 at the Manx Museum in Douglas.

Erin McNulty’s experience of learning Manx gives her a unique frame of reference for studying linguistics

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It is hard for me to remember a time when Manx wasn’t a part of my life.

My family and I moved over to the island a week before my sixth birthday, and I started learning Manx not long afterwards, as my parents thought it was important for me to understand and respect the culture of our new home.

Since then, Manx has been a major part of my life.

I continued my study of the language through secondary school, passing both the Teisht Cadjin Gaelgagh (GCSE equivalent) and Ard Teisht Gaelgagh (A-Level equivalent).

Through my study of Manx, as well as French, I became inspired to study language on a wider scale, and as a result of this I gained qualifications in Latin and Japanese with the help of my Manx teacher, Rob Teare.

As I grew older, my interest in language and linguistics only increased, leading me to successfully apply to study French and Linguistics at the University of Oxford.

Manx was a key part of my application, as it marked me out among the hundreds of talented applicants, so much so that I was asked about Manx in my academic interview.

Since starting at Oxford, Manx has been indispensable in my study of linguistics.

Gaelic languages have some weird and wonderful grammatical features that are rare in languages across the world, and having knowledge of Manx has given me a unique frame of reference for understanding these aspects of linguistics.

As well as the purely academic side of things, Manx has also helped with networking, due to the amount of interest in Manx at Oxford.

One incident that sticks with me is during a tutorial, when my tutor learned I was from the Isle of Man, and she asked me if I knew any Manx.

From the way she asked, I knew that she expected me to say ‘no’.

When I told her I did, her eyes lit up, she grabbed her notepad and pen, and started asking me questions.

I have been put in touch with many people in the University interested in Manx, building academic connections as a direct result of my status as a Manx speaker.

Manx has also been pivotal in opening up opportunities for me. Recently, I was asked to speak about my experience with Manx at a series of presentations on minority language revitalisation in Jersey.

This July, I was also fortunate enough to gain a place on a week-long Irish language course run by Oideas Gael, in Gleann Cholm Cille, Co. Donegal, thanks to the Kaneen Bursary Scheme, awarded by Culture Vannin to young, fluent Manx speakers in order for them to experience another Gaelic language. That week was as enjoyable as it was educative.

As well as gaining a firm handle on the basics of the Irish language, I was also able to enjoy the company of people from all around Europe, and even America, all of whom were extremely interested in the island and its language.

Over the week we got to experience the breath-taking scenery of the area, engage in cultural activities, such as music and poetry, as well as practice our language skills with local people in the Gaeltacht.

It was an extremely worthwhile experience, and it really put into perspective just how much we share with our Celtic cousins – not just the language, but also our culture and history.

If I were to sum up what learning Manx has meant to me, I would say that it has been a key part in shaping who I am today, giving me opportunities and facilitating academic success.

More importantly, however, learning Manx has also helped me appreciate the unique identity of our island, of which the language is such an integral part, as well as its place in the wider world.

Noble’s Hospital has received a portable ultrasound machine worth more than £20,000.

The ultrasound machine can be used at patients’ bedsides rather than the patients having to be taken to the Ultrasound department. This can speed up the diagnosis process and improve the convenience for patients.

The donation was made by the Friends of Noble’s Hospital.

General surgery consultant Giovanni Tebala contacted the League of Friends to seek their assistance with the purchase of the equipment. He said: ‘This equipment enables us to ensure that the patients we treat are diagnosed as quickly as possible and with the minimum of disruption. Already in the short time that it has been available the equipment has made it possible for patients to leave hospital sooner.’

A Ramsey man’s quest to discover what happened to his father during the Second World War has resulted in the rededication of his father’s grave.

Tim Wadeson spent 11 years researching the circumstances of his father’s death and the location of his final resting place.

Major Roy Aylmer Wadeson and his colleague Lieutenant Hugh Mackenzie escaped from Oflag VIII-F Prisoner of War Camp, in the Sudetenland, then part of the former Czechoslovakia, in April 1944.

Little is known about what happened to the pair after their escape or how they met their deaths, other than the Germans’ explanation, some six to eight weeks later, that they were ‘shot trying to escape’.

The remains of the two soldiers were returned to their colleagues and buried at Garrison Cemetery, in Brunswick, until May 1947 when ten graves were moved by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) and reburied at Hanover War Cemetery. Eight of the graves were identified, and two were recorded as containing urns of an unknown major and unknown lieutenant.

Tim said: ‘I was able to find a lot of information on my father’s death in the war crimes section at the National Archives following the release of documents in 2005, but very little on where he was buried.

‘However, with the assistance of the CWGC, several important documents were discovered which enabled me to eventually identify the unmarked graves of both my father and Hugh Mackenzie in Hanover War Cemetery and this has led to the rededication of their gravestones.’

Further research was conducted by the MoD and it was agreed that the two graves were those of Major Wadeson and Lieutenant Mackenzie.

Seventy-two years after Major Wadeson’s death his grave was rededicated at a ceremony held in the German cemetery.

‘The rededication of my father’s grave brings closure to a journey of discovery of the circumstances of his death and the location of his final resting place. It is fantastic for the family’, Tim said.

‘The service has been extremely emotive, very moving and having the rededication with full military honours, the piper and bugler was just wonderful. It has all been a little overwhelming but I am sure my dad would have been honoured.’

Representatives from the Army, the MOD and the British Embassy attended the service, which was performed by army chaplain, the Reverend Heather Rendall.

Members of the public and also standard bearers from the Royal British Legion also paid their respects.

The Reverend Rendall said: ‘It is a privilege to officiate at the rededication of graves for these two remarkably brave men. Their courage and service to our country is an example that should not be forgotten.’

Warrant Officer Rob Green, of Germany based 35 Engineer Regiment, one of the soldiers representing the Royal Engineers, added: ‘Not only is it an opportunity for us to remember fallen comrades it is also a great opportunity to play a part in a ceremony that has given the families some closure with them seeing their relatives names inscribed on the gravestones – it is a great thing. I feel quite honoured to have been involved.’

Talented Manx singer Becky Lawrence is trying to break into the UK country music market and is appealing for help from her Isle of Man supporters to make her dream a reality.

She has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise £1,800 to finish her new EP – which would cover costs such as studio hire, musician hire and the mastering of the four tracks.

So far Becky, who lives in Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, has raised more than £550 in two weeks.

‘I am currently trying to break into the UK country music market and my last EP “A Child’s Tears” was indeed a great success and I learnt so much whilst creating it,’ she said.

‘I am now working with a very talented singer/songwriter in Bristol, Danny McMahon, who has written for some very prolific singers including Gabrielle Aplin and Taylor Swift!

‘Between us we have written four brand new pop/country tracks. They are very different from my last EP, more modern and in-keeping with the current US country sound.

‘Fans of the TV show Nashville will love my new work! Danny and myself truly believe we have created something very special!’

She explained: ‘I am now at the stage where I need to get the tracks recorded and mastered but this, of course, requires rather a large sum of money,’ she said.

‘Although things didn’t go how I hoped they would with musical theatre, I now know that all that training has made me even stronger and more determined than ever to achieve my dreams.’

Becky is also planning on holding gigs to raise awareness and support for her project.

If she gets the support, then the EP will be sent to companies such as Sony Nashville.

She left the island to go to the London School of Musical Theatre in 2012.

Her hopes and dreams of a musical theatre career didn’t materialise and instead she has been pursuing her singing career, which she describes as her ‘true passion’.

Her debut EP, ‘A Child’s Tears’, was released in 2015.

For more details see gofund.me/beckylawrenceep