Keystone Law IOM is entering its 10th month of operation with the arrival of advocate and solicitor William Margot, as well as moving to a new location.

Will’s arrival will see the Isle of Man team reach a total of seven senior lawyers, covering a wide range of commercial and corporate practices.

The firm’s steady growth over the last year has seen it quickly outgrow its original Douglas office space requiring a move in September to Keystone’s new island headquarters, The Old Courthouse.

As a landmark building positioned in the heart of Douglas’s business district, The Old Courthouse is a perfect fit for Keystone’s new home.

Both a Manx advocate and qualified solicitor in England and Wales, Will’s practice will focus on the breadth of commercial, corporate and regulatory issues affecting corporate service providers (CSPs) and their clients.

Will trained and qualified in to the corporate department at Cains Advocates and spent a further four years in the corporate and private client team at Maitlands before moving to an international CSP in 2014 to take up roles as in-house legal counsel and, ultimately, managing director.

Will has gained invaluable experience over the last 12 years, acting as both adviser and CSP client and has expertise in advising high net worth individuals and financial institutions on a full range of corporate, regulatory and trust issues.

Additionally, his first-hand experience of running a CSP means he has a detailed knowledge of the multiple and increasingly technical compliance regimes that they now face in the offshore sector.

This wealth of experience as external and internal adviser to this market gives Will a rare blend of technical expertise and commercial insight that makes him a perfect fit for the dedicated CSP advisory service that Keystone is offering.

Keystone IOM managing partner Geoff Kermeen said: ‘Keystone has seen phenomenal success since launching on the island in January.

‘As we approach our first birthday, we look forward to welcoming Will and starting the next chapter in our new home in the Old Courthouse.

‘We are very pleased that Will has decided to join us as we are confident that he will be a great success at Keystone due to his rare combination of legal, commercial and CSP know-how which will strengthen Keystone’s CSP advisory team.

‘Our experience to date shows there is an increasing demand within the CSP market for outsourced technical assistance as the provision of corporate services becomes increasingly complex and more highly regulated.’

Will Margot said: ‘I am very pleased to have joined a talented team of lawyers at an exciting time for Keystone.

‘They have fostered an excellent reputation both in the Isle of Man and the United Kingdom by providing an outstanding level of service and value to their clients.

‘I believe that my time spent in-house has provided me with the experience and knowledge that enables me to better understand the needs of service providers in the current regulatory environment and will allow me to provide the practical commercial advice that my clients require in growing their businesses.’

Talks between the Department of Infrastructure, school heads, trustees of Milntown and other interested parties are scheduled to get under way in early November to try to identify a way forward for the Lezayre Road highway reconstruction programme.

Work was suspended shortly after it began in late September when serious concerns were raised regarding the safety of pedestrians and the ability to slow diggers within the confines of the site.

>> Two years of disruption loom for roadworks

The DoI has already considered a number of options including the following:

- Construction of a by-pass road from Gardeners Lane to Poyll Dooey Road. It was noted that this road would traverse lands in private ownership of Dandara Ltd and Ballachrink Developments Ltd. Due to the nature of the ground conditions, the construction would be a difficult and expensive project.

- Operate the TT access gate under restricted access and with a gate marshal.

- To utilise Station Road car park as a collection/drop off point for Ramsey Grammar School buses.

The DoI hopes that by engaging with the community it will be possible to draw up a clear traffic and pedestrian plan in time for the scheme to get under immediately following the 2017 Manx Grand Prix.

Eric Corkish pointed out that the delay would also mean that the commissioners’ proposed street lighting scheme along 250 metres of pavement on Lezayre Road, between Faaie Wyllin and the junction with Gardeners Lane – scheduled to begin when the road works ended – would be delayed, realistically by three years.

He believed it should proceed as soon as economically feasible, as the number of pedestrians using that stretch of roadway, which was ‘pitch black’ in the evenings, had dramatically increased in recent times due to the new housing developments. He suggested that the board obtain costings.

A brutal murderer has lost an appeal against his conviction and life sentence.

Ian Anderson was jailed for a minimum of 15 years in April last year for the murder of his wife’s lover at his home in Queen Street, Castletown.

He repeatedly punched, kicked, stamped and jumped on Neil Roberts until he was dead, many of these injuries being inflicted whilst his victim was lying defenceless on the floor.
During the 22-day trial at the Court of General Gaol Delivery, Anderson claimed he had acted in self-defence as he was fighting for his life and had no intention to kill Mr Roberts.
But the Crown argued he had gone far beyond merely defending himself, inflicting extensive injuries which Mr Roberts could not have survived.
Anderson subsequently appealed against both his conviction and sentence, claiming there had been a substantial miscarriage of justice.
His lawyers argued for his conviction to be quashed or reduced to manslaughter. Failing that they called for the minimum sentence to be varied.
Anderson submitted any retrial would be unfair because of the wide media coverage his trial had received but if a retrial was ordered, reporting restrictions should be imposed on his appeal.
The appellant contended he was mercilessly provoked mentally and physically. This provocation resulted in him defending himself but by reason of his severe personality disorder, he went too far and this was manslaughter, not premeditated murder.
He said the evidence of the only eye witness to the incident - his wife - was not put to the jury because, he claimed, the police and prosecution had led her to believe that she could only give evidence against her husband.
If the jury had been given the opportunity of considering Mrs Anderson’s evidence, it might have led them to reach a different verdict of manslaughter, the appellant argued.
But the appeal was dismissed, with the Judge of Appeal and First Deemster saying they had no doubt as to the safety and fairness of the conviction.
They added: ‘This was a brutal murder and whilst we accept the deceased may have begun the violence and initially the appellant was acting in self-defence, there quickly became a time when the appellant gained the upper hand and caused such devastating injuries to the deceased that he died shortly thereafter.
‘There was a significant delay in obtaining medical assistance, there was little concern expressed for the deceased and there was no contrition displayed by the appellant. In our judgment a minimum sentence of 15 years was appropriate.’

A cafe in the heart of Douglas’s financial sector area was broken into last night.

Money and a poppy collection tin were stolen from the Coffee Exchange in Athol Street.

Constable David Thommeny said: ‘If anyone in the area overnight and saw anything suspicious or happens to come across a discarded poppy tin then to contact police headquarters on 631212.‘

Ramsey will go to the polls again tomorrow (Thursday), to elect one member to the commissioners for North Ward.

The vacancy was caused by the election of Lawrie Hooper to the House of Keys in the General Election in September.

There are two candidates for the one seat – Nigel Peter Howard, a social/youth worker and Ffinlo Williams, an outdoor and walk and talk instructor.

Polling takes place at the town hall, between 8am and 8pm.

The successful candidate will serve for the unexpired term, ending April 30, 2020.

Newlyweds Alan and Maria Fielding from Crosby have raised £2836.50 for Macmillan Cancer support after asking guests for donations instead of gifts.

The wedding took place at the Crowne Plaza in Liverpool on August 18, with all 120 guests being given an envelope and told to put their donations inside, and their name on the front.

The envelopes were then drawn out during the raffle, with the money going to Macmillan and the winning guest receiving a prize.

Mrs Fielding said: ‘We thought it was the right thing to do, it made us happy. Some people ask for presents, but we’re not that kind of people.

‘We just thought it was something close to our hearts. There were three people there who are undergoing chemotherapy, and it made them very happy.’

Mr Fielding said: ‘We have both been married before, and we know that people are just going to buy us vases, and gifts like that.

‘They are just going to go into the back of the cupboard, and we’re not going to touch it.

‘So I suggested that we give all the money raised to Macmillan Cancer Support, and Maria agreed.’

Some of the 18 prizes for the raffle were given from businesses in the Isle of Man. Numerous bottles of beer were donated from Heron and Brearley, the Steam Packet Company provided two trips with a car and there was a picture from Manx wildlife photographer Sam Frize, plus a TV from Alan and Maria.

Linda Featherstone, from Macmillan Cancer Support in the Isle of Man, said: ‘I was absolutely delighted, it was an extremely generous donation.

‘I was very surprised that someone would be so generous. It would be wonderful if others would follow suit. They are a shining example of generosity.’

As requested by Alan himself, all money raised during the wedding will remain in the island at the Isle of Man branch of Macmillan Cancer Support.

Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Service (MCISS) provides support to anyone affected by cancer in the Isle of Man with their drop-in service at Noble’s Hospital entrance available from 9am to 4.30pm.

For more information about the help you can receive in the Isle of Man, go to www.iomcancersite.co.uk or call 679544.

If you would like to donate to Macmillan Cancer Support, or for more information, go to www. macmillan.org.uk

A fundraising appeal for a mother-of-two who died in a car crash in Lezayre on Sunday has already raised more than £2,600.

Laura Kinrade, 27, of Jurby, died at the scene after her car hit a tree. Her two young children were treated in hospital for minor injuries.

Wayne Dale, who had known Laura all his life, said he has been amazed at the response to a YouCaring page he has set up for the family. By this afternoon, more than £2,600 had been raised.

Wayne, 26, of Laxey, said: ‘Everyone had got on board with this because of the kids who are without their mum now.

‘I went to school with Laura, I grew up with her. Where I live now we used to go around as kids. Her grandma was best friends with my mum. It’s an appalling tragedy.

‘I know her family are not well off. This has come as a big shock and they would not be able to come to terms with it. I didn’t want the family to worry about funeral expenses because it’s going to be a very, very difficult time for them.’

Wayne said Laura was a very good mother who ‘absolutely idolised’ her kids. ‘They saw the whole thing so I can’t even imagine what is going on in their heads,’ he said.

He said as well as raising money for the funeral and grave stone, he would like to fund counselling for the children and pay for them to go on holiday.

Wayne said he would be teaming up with Tabitha’s Trust charity that deals with family bereavement.

He added: ‘I can’t believe how everybody has come on board. I set it up at 5pm and by the time I had gone up to bed it had reached over £1,000. It’s just got bigger and bigger and bigger.’

And he urged motorists to take care on the roads. ‘Anything can happen. It only take a second. This happened on the first day of winter.’

Flowers have been placed by friends and family at the scene of the crash.

You can donate to the appeal at www.youcaring.com/laurakinradesfamilyandchildren-682491?fb_action_ids=10153811278602251&fb_action_types=youcaringcom%3Adonate

Manx Wildlife Trust wants to establish how often children in the Isle of Man play in the countryside.

The charity is conducting an online survey, which you can fill in here.

Tim Graham, MWT’s boss, said: ‘Understanding how people are getting out and about in the countryside is a great measure of how important nature is in people’s lives.

‘We often get UK statistics thrown at us, which are useful, but what we really want to know is how people in our community value Manx nature and how they interact with it.

‘With the rise of the electronic age, one of the biggest concerns is about children’s reduced outdoor time – something that we hope to improve on. We hope from this survey to hear a Manx perspective on getting outdoors, so that we can help everyone’s lives be a little bit more wild.’

MWT will begin construction of the island’s biggest wild play area, a 60-acre nature play trail, part of the Ramsey Forest Project, this autumn. The project has been made possible through funding from Tesco’s Bags of Help and the public are encouraged to vote for this project at the supermarket in Douglas to help it raise more money.

Andree Dubbeldam, Ramsey Forest project manager, said: [It will take a few years and lots of hard work to build, but thousands of children and adults will benefit from this for decades to come. It will help reconnect a new generation with nature. This is the first phase of the work and it’s great to get the funding from Tesco, which will install the first part of the Eco-Active trail with temporary or installed sculptures and quirky features.’

Voting is open in stores until November 13. Customers will cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

The trust says its education work reached more than 9,000 people last year.

It has worked with 23 schools in partnership with government departments and ran more than 100 events to get more people outside and a little bit wild with nature.

Popular events include building bug hotels, making bird boxes and pond dipping.

Dawn Dickens, Manx Wildlife Trust’s education officer, works with teacher.

She said: ‘Not only does being outdoors in nature encourage exercise but kids are happier, healthier and more creative when they’re connected to nature and exploring it.

‘We’re helping make sure Manx nature is part of growing up, and they’re having fun doing it.’

A number of women gathered at the Foot Health Clinic in Lake Road, Douglas, to help raise funds for an appeal to build a camping lodge for disabled people to enjoy in Glen Wyllin.

The family of Ramsey girl Sophie Birtles, who recently died from Sandhoff disease, want the lodge to be built in her memory.

Young Sophie lit up the world when #youreafireworksophie went viral in a successful attempt to give the dying 13-year-old her last wish, a message from her idol Katy Perry.

Radio presenter Jo Pack organised the event, in which the women contributed money and enjoyed a pampering session.

She said: ‘Everyone can help Sophie’s family realise a dream that will help others with disabilities to enjoy the great outdoors.

‘We still still need the public to contribute any amount they can to help raise the £15,000 needed to build a unique disabled access lodge at the popular Glen Wyllin campsite for others to enjoy. We are £3,000 from target so asking you to dig deep, every penny counts”

For more details email jopack@manxradio.com

A motorist who had been driving in the Isle of Man for more than three years on a foreign driving licence must appear in court to explain himself.

Alfonso Muscetti, of Sherwood Terrace in Douglas, was stopped by police as he drove a blue Ford Focust on Circular Road in Douglas around teatime on August 14.

He was ordered to go to the police station and produce his papers but when he turned up it emerged he had been driving using an Italian driving licence for the past three years.

The 45-year-old also had no insurance on his car, the court was told. Muscetti provided admissions by post to driving without insurance and without a licence. The court was told he had failed to apply for a Manx driving licence, despite it being a simple administrative process.

In a statement read out in court, the defendant said: ‘I apologise. It was an emergency as someone was ill and I had to go to the chemist. My driving licence is an Italian one and if needed I can produce it later.’

The court noted no explanation was offered for the absence of a suitable insurance policy to cover his vehicle.

Magistrates’ chairman Pat Costain said an adjournment would be necessary.

‘I think we need to have him appear in court in order to explain why he had no insurance,’ she said.

She added the offence was serious and therefore the court had the potential to ban Muscetti from driving. For that reason he needed to appear and plead his case as to why he felt he should retain his licence. A conviction was recorded and the defendant must appear in court in person on November 10 to plead his case.

An island community church received income of £825,675 from its congregation in ‘tithes’ and offerings last year, mostly paid by standing order.

And Living Hope’s five full-time pastors were paid a total of £216,053, latest accounts show.

Last month, iomtoday reported how church leader Jonathan Stanfield had been ‘blessed’ with anonymous donations totalling £66,000 from Living Hope members towards the cost of buying a £600,000 family home and manse in Douglas.

This followed an appeal by the elders to help him plug a ‘funding gap’ of £150,000 to purchase five-bedroom Holly Cottage in Ballaughton Meadows. Pastor Stanfield described it as a ‘miracle’.

We applied to the general registry to see the financial accounts for Living Hope Community Church Ltd, a registered charity.

They reveal that Mr Stanfield and his wife Annette had earlier been given an interest-free housing loan of £160,000 for their previous family home in Port St Mary.

Audited accounts for the year ending August last year, filed at the general registry in February this year, show that Living Hope’s Sunday morning congregation has grown from an average of 291 in 2011 to 669 in 2015.

Members of the church are encouraged – but not compelled – to give a tithe to the church of up to one 10th of their total income.

The accounts state: ‘The principal source of income is tithes and offerings from the congregation; of this income the majority comes by way of standing order directly to the company’s bank accounts.’

Income from tithes and offerings has increased significantly from £509,922 in 2011 when the company was first incorporated, to stand at £825,675 in 2015, although that figure was down from £870,994 in 2014.

In addition, the company receives an annual donation from a South African trust fund the Mergon Foundation, amounting to £48,000 last year, its purpose to ‘facilitate the coming of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth’.

Ticket sales for conferences provided an additional £54,459 of income last year.

Directors’ remuneration has also grown. In 2011 the three directors who were full-time pastors were paid a total of £134,657.

The latest accounts show the five directors including Mr Stanfield as chief executive and senior pastor were paid a total of £216,053.

In addition, the company contributed towards their personal pension scheme to the tune of £20,605. The directors paid tithes and offerings totalling £76,063.

Total employment costs came to £368,723, up from £191,419 in 2012.

Audited accounts reveal that Mr Stanfield was given an interest-free housing loan of £160,000 in 2011, secured by a second charge on the family home at Rhenwyllan Close, Port St Mary, which he has recently sold for £350,000. That loan was not subject to full repayment for 20 years but £80,000 was repaid during the 12 months up to the end of August 2015.

The accounts for 2014-15 show the company also paid Mr Stanfield’s rent of £13,500 for Holly Cottage, plus a deposit of £1,500, as a bridging arrangement until the property in Port St Mary was sold.

Living Hope’s finance manager Graham Smith told the iomtoday: ‘The church has always conducted its affairs with legal and financial propriety.’

He explained that an anonymous donation had been given for pastoral housing in the very early days of the church - 19 years ago – before any of the current church leadership were in place.

Mr Smith said: ‘This was made available to Jonathan and enabled him to move from Ireland to serve the church that has become Living Hope Church.

‘No amount has ever been written off, nor should it ever be necessary to do so because the loan is secured against the property.

‘No church funds or members have contributed to repayment. Jonathan is personally responsible for repayment of the loan, and would need to repay the full amount should he cease to be pastor of Living Hope Church or retire. The funds would be available for a replacement pastor.’

Living Hope, which was set up in 2008 and initially operated as a trust until the charitable company was formed in 2011, has congregations in Douglas, Port St Mary, Peel and Ramsey. Meetings are held at its church in Bay View Road, Port St Mary and at the Palace Cinema and Studio in Douglas. Sunday services are also held at Queen Elizabeth II High School and Ramsey Grammar School.

The accounts show that a Palace Project Fund of £170,961 was raised by church members for the regular use of the Palace Cinema for meetings for four years from 2011, and for the purchase of the leasehold of The Studio next door and refurbishment costs. A further £1.08m has been granted for the purchase of land or buildings in Douglas, Port St Mary, Peel and Ramsey to be used for church meetings and activities.

In the latest return, the auditor notes that there was limited evidence to confirm the completeness of cash receipts in respect of £83,000 of cash income recorded in the company’s records.

KPMG has marked the end of another successful financial year with the announcement of seven promotions in the Isle of Man business.

One of the four members of the audit team who have been promoted to manager, Zibusiso Dube joined KPMG Isle of Man in December 2014.

He had previously worked at the KPMG South Africa practice where he gained experience auditing JSE and NYSE listed entities, operating in the energy and natural resources sector, reporting under US GAAP, Sarbanes-Oxley and IFRS.

Zibusiso’s Isle of Man audit client portfolio includes AIM listed and unlisted entities, operating in the investment management, telecommunications and corporate services sectors.

He also has significant experience reviewing equity, life of mine and environmental liability valuations.

Tim Fairclough, who also becomes manager, joined KPMG Isle of Man in 2011 and has been working in an assistant manager role for the past year.

He has dealt primarily in the financial services sector, with a particular focus on the Life Insurance industry in the Isle of Man, Ireland and the UK.

Tim has helped a number of clients who are subject to Isle of Man or UK regulatory reporting and has specialised in audit preparations for the Solvency II reporting framework.

Tim also has a diverse portfolio of clients in other industries including manufacturing and retail, and has undertaken work for Advisory on vendor due diligence.

Jonathon Knowles also joined KPMG Isle of Man in 2011, fully qualifying as a chartered accountant in September 2014. He has worked on a wide range of entities, and has significant experience in the gaming sector and property companies as well as assisting with advisory engagements. As Manager his portfolio will include pensions, corporate service providers and trading entities.

The fourth team member to be promoted to manager, Noel Ronald, qualified as a chartered accountant in 2006, becoming a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Zimbabwe in 2008.

He is responsible for a diverse portfolio of clients covering insurance companies, investment funds including entities listed on the AIM of the London Stock Exchange, and investment management companies.

Stepping up to IT advisory manager is Dan Kniveton.

Dan has been with KPMG for six years and during that time, he attained the ACA qualification working in audit for a variety of clients and went on to become an IT trained auditor, achieving reviewer level by the end of his training period.

Based across both audit and advisory, Dan has performed IT and migration controls work for audit engagements as well as undertaking data analysis for eGaming audits.

He has completed a number of advisory pieces such as ISAE 3402 and IT Security Reports required for remote gaming licenses in the UK.

Lawrence Hanlin has been promoted to regulatory manager in the advisory department. Before joining KPMG in 2014 as risk consulting supervisor, Lawrence previously worked in managerial roles within the banking industry at RBSI and Coutts UK.

Working both offshore and globally, he gained significant experience in risk related topics and developed a good understanding of how to protect customers. Lawrence is also a member of the International Compliance Association.

Finally Chris Shimmin becomes senior manager audit after three years as manager in the team.

Chris joined KPMG in 2011, having previously studied at another big four audit firm on the Isle of Man and has specialised in working with eGaming businesses.

He has also been involved with a number of other industries such as banking, private equity, property investments and telecommunications, including a number of AIM listed entities and has worked alongside the Advisory practice including IPOs and vendor due diligence.

Mike Fayle, managing director of KPMG, said: ‘We are very proud of how we help to develop our people at KPMG.

‘It is rewarding and encouraging to see so many of them take the opportunity to improve the breadth and depth of their skills.

‘By building on existing experience and progressing our people through the business, we ensure both our colleagues and our clients continue to benefit from the remarkable level of international expertise and knowledge within the practice.

‘I wish all our newly-promoted employees the very best in their latest roles.’

Manx-born Celtic full-back Kieran Tierney has been rocked by an ankle injury that will see him miss two months of the season.

The Glasgow club has confirmed that the 19-year-old suffered ankle ligament damage in training last week.

This means Tierney, who has been ever-present for the Hoops this season, will miss the club’s forthcoming Champions League game with Manchester City as well as the Scottish League Cup final with Aberdeen on November 27.

It also rules him out of Scotland manager Gordon Strachan’s plans for the forthcoming World Cup qualifier with England on November 11.

Celtic boss Brendan Rogers told BBC Sport: ‘It is a big blow because he has been absolutely brilliant for us.

Speaking about the injury the former Liverpool manager added: ‘It came as a bit of a shock for us all really. It was just a nothing challenge. He came in to slide for the ball and landed awkwardly.

‘He is a positive kid. He will come back stronger and a better player.’

A six-goal salvo by Ashley Webster saw him return to the top of the Canada Life Premier League’s goalscoring charts on Saturday evening.

The Peel striker netted a double hat-trick against former club Ramsey to take his tally for the league season to 18 goals.

This is four more than St Mary’s striker Darren Hudgeon who netted twice on Saturday afternoon in the Saints’ 4-1 win over Colby.

Early season pacesetter Sean Gavin is joint third in the Golden Boot standings on 12 goals, the same amount Corinthians’ winger Josh Ridings has plundered this campaign.

Braddan’s Andy Glover still enjoys a handsome lead in the race for JCK Division Two’s Silver Boot.

The former Pulrose, Malew and St John’s man has hit 31 goals so far this term and now holds an 11-goal lead over nearest rival Aaron Costain.

The latter scored both of Foxdale’s goals in their 2-2 draw with Braddan on Saturday.

Costain’s strike partner Jay Chatwood is a further three goals behind the former Peel striker, with Douglas Royal’s Paul Whitley another three back on Chatwood. Pulrose’s Darren Flanagan rounds out the top five with 13 goals.

David Knight is to undergo an operation on his right hip today, Thursday, at Noble’s Hospital.

Knighter injured the hip when practising on his 450 Honda earlier this year and re-aggravated it during the Southern MCC round of the British Enduro Championship in early August.

It was so painful that he was forced to pull out of the event on day two.

Ross Barker, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Noble’s, will carry out the operation. Knight hopes to be back on a bike early in the New Year.

Cat Turner from the Isle of Man Friends of the Earth questions whether increasing airline passenger numbers are good for us

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It’s a conundrum for an island nation – on the one hand, we need to cut CO2 emissions to reach climate targets.

Among other things, this should mean less air travel, using boat/rail more, or perhaps making use of video-conferencing for business needs.

On the other, we rely on tourism and financial services, both of which often involve people flying to and fro.

Our government, while claiming commitment to climate targets, always seems pleased when passenger numbers are high.

Indeed, it’s not just us: in the UK, environmentalists were horrified when Theresa May approved Heathrow’s expanion on October 25.

This won’t just make it hard for the UK to cut CO2 levels – it’s also struggling already to meet standards under the Air Quality Directive 2008, which aims to minimise the harmful effects of air pollution, including limits on levels of nitrogen dioxide, or NO2.

Following the Heathrow announcement, the UK’s Department for Transport also published a ‘re-analysis study’, updating earlier work, on air quality.

This assesses the implications of the UK Air Quality Plan 2015, and pollution climate mapping modelling published in December 2015.

It claims it will be able to hugely increase air traffic while at the same time hitting air quality standards that it can’t even achieve now. Hmmm.

But while the government is confident its proposals will proceed, it’s unlikely to be a smooth ride.

Greenpeace and four local authorities (Hillingdon, Richmond, Wandsworth and Windsor and Maidenhead) claim the Heathrow proposals would be unlawful due to their environmental impacts.

On October 20 they announced that they would be joining together to prepare a judicial review challenge of any decision to expand Heathrow.

Environmental law firm ClientEarth is also wading into the fray. Its chief executive, James Thornton, said: ‘There are two potentially insurmountable obstacles to Heathrow’s expansion.

‘Firstly, even without expansion, the area around Heathrow will continue to be in breach of legal air pollution limits until 2025 at least, under the government’s current projections.

‘Secondly, from the perspective of climate change, it makes very little difference whether extra capacity is created in Hillingdon or West Sussex.

‘Expanding either Heathrow or Gatwick would make meeting our 2050 carbon emissions target significantly more difficult than it already is.’

It’s likely that achieving agreement on this issue, plus those of planning consent, including all the compulsory purchase and local transport infrastructure decisions, will also be difficult.

Some tricky decisions lie ahead for both the UK, and in due course, our island nation, too.

THE headline on last week’s front page story in the Manx Independent asked: ‘Is population of island falling?’

The question has been raised as a result of analysis of school numbers by Paul Craine, former co-ordinator for 11-19 education in the Isle of Man.

He says, and who can doubt him, that more families have been leaving than arriving.

But I think his findings also support, by happenstance, a long-held belief of mine that the Council of Ministers has a secret policy to carry out a discreet cull of old people like me who are living longer and healthier and imposing severe strain on the resources of the Manx Treasury so that the Isle of Man will go bust unless something is done about us, as former Treasury Minister Eddie Teare used to warn (Eddie has now retired and, ironically, has become one of us).

Now not even CoMin has power under the law to take us out into the dawn and put up against a wall to be shot by a firing squad of senior civil servants.

This is not what they are doing because it would only result in somebody like the United Nations in New York sending somebody to shout at them, which would not have any effect really.

This means CoMin can go on with their secret cull of us until we become the disappeared of the Isle of Man which is no way for anybody to go down in history.

ANDREW Kerr-Phillips has asked me to draw attention to a sign at the entrance to the dog walking area in Noble’s Park which says: ‘Owners must remove defecation immediately.’

He says that, hopefully, this applies to the dogs as well.

Unfortunately dogs can’t read English.

THIS week’s crossword clue has come in from Barbara Taylor. It was in the Telegraph Toughie as follows: ‘Catch Yankee going round races in a dapper manner (7).’

WE have Malapropisms without number to relish.

‘I’ll just have to shoulder on.’

‘They were taken hostel.’

‘A drench coat.’

‘A crank in my neck.’

PEOPLE are often kind enough to return from foreign holidays with restaurant menus in English for me.

Today we have the menu at the Restaurant Limarki on the Greek island of Lefkas:

‘Missled potato, beef stake, sea dream, grey mallet and got fish.’

They got some fishy sounding fish all right.

CROSSWORD: Nattily.

THERE was a lot of newspaper mentions last week of ‘wine o’clock’ in relation to women starting to drink earlier in the evening than men in Britain.

Just imagine her coming in from her day’s work and asking him for a drink – and he refusing to let her have one. She, of course, pleads with him.

That, I think, would be whine o’clock.

FUNNIES File: A toyshop at Ifracombe advertised for sale ‘Cuddly killer whales.’

NEW definitions. Flatulence – Emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

The new commissioner in Port Erin is Adrian Tinkler, who gained 305 votes in the election on Tuesday against 213 votes for Laurence Vaughan-Williams.

Mr Tinkler, a retired chartered secretary, was a commissioner in Rushen parish from 2001 to 2012 and a candidate in the House of Keys elections in 2006 and 2011.

Since moving to the island from Ireland in 1989 he has been involved in several local community interests such as the Manx Foundation for Physically Disabled and the Down’s Syndrome group.

Martin John Spencer Fuchs, of 5 Imperial Heights, The Promenade, Port Erin, bought Ballaquane Farm, Dalby, for £1,100,000.

It was bought from Valerie Judith Galpin.

It was bought from Valerie Judith Galpin.

Other recent transactions lodged at the General Registry in Douglas are as follows:

Andrew Curphey, of The Old Vicarage, Baldhoon Road, Laxey, sold 22 and 23 North Quay, Douglas, for £500,000, to Kelman Limited, whose registered office is situate at 8 St George’s Street, Douglas.

John Andrew Munro and Anne Theresa Munro sold 14 Erin Way, Port Erin, for £355,000, to Jennifer Elizabeth Cain, of Mar Rhenny, Ballastrooan, Colby.

Elsie May Lowney, by personal representatives, Keith Herbert Lowney, as personal representative, and Victoria Denise Lowney, as personal representative, sold 27 Westbourne Drive, Douglas, to Mark Henry O’Grady and Laura Ann O’Grady, both of 2 Sycamore Grove, Pulrose, for £200,000.

Mavis Auretta Matthewman, by trustee, Elizabeth Ann Parkes, advocate, of Myrtle Chambers, 8-9 Myrtle Street, Douglas, as trustee, and Ruth Karen Warrilow, sold Tamalforn, 12 Ballagarey Road, Glen Vine, for £186,666, to David Crellin Warrilow and Ruth Karen Warrilow.

Shirleyann Blackburn and Nicholas Blackburn, of 48 Friary Park, Ballabeg, sold 5 Nursery Avenue, Onchan, for £181,000, to Emma Jayne Linley, of 20 Fairfield Avenue, Onchan.

Alan Geoffrey Clague sold 3 Second Avenue, Onchan for £156,000, to Yan Loi Wong and Sze Fung Wong, of 5 West View, Peel.

Charles Brian Mallon sold 76 Allan Street, Douglas, for £140,000 to Christopher Ashley Andrew Mallon, of 9 Willowbrook Gardens, Vicarage Road, Douglas.

Tracey Ann Wiltcher, of Grangee, Ballmanaugh Road, Sulby, sold land abutting Narradale Road, Lezayre, for £130,000, to Anthony William Cashen, of Cheu Yn Chrink, Port Lewaigue Close, Port Lewaigue, Maughold.

Department of Infrastructure, whose registered office is situated at the Sea Terminal, Douglas, sold the former coastguard station, Approach Road, Douglas, for £95,000, to Janet Smith, of Staffordshire.

Jean Lois Kermeen, of Corony Farm, Corony Hill, Maughold, sold land abutting Ballaragh Road, Lonan, for £85,000, to Christopher Kneale, of Ballachristory Farm, Jurby.

Daniel Patrick Kelly sold a garage near Westminster Drive, Douglas, for £12,500, to Iain Kendal Coward and Jayne Nicola Utting, both of Newcastle Upon Tyne.

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We publish details of all house sales unless we receive a written request from the police or probation services.

Amy Burns and Gary Patrick Burns, both of Harcroft Meadows, Douglas have now had a date set for their trial.

Both have denied charges of condict amounting to harassment between September last year and March this year.

The trial will take place between May 24 and 26.

An interim pre-trial review will take place on November 22.