Local businesses should receive the same level of government support and encouragement as new enterprises looking to establish themselves here.

That’s the view of Shoprite owners Isle of Man Enterprises after it lost a doleance appeal against a rival’s expansion plans.

>> No evidence of govt corruption at highest level

It had claimed links between EFB and former Chief Minister Allan Bell had resulted in special treatment over plans for a site at Ballafletcher. And it accused then Environment Minister Richard Ronan of apparent bias in his decision to grant an extension of time to the planning approval.

But Deemster Doyle rejected its call to quash Mr Ronan’s decisions and order a new appeal, ruling a case had not been made out.

Responding to the judgment, Isle of Man Enterprises pointed out it is a leading contributor to the Manx economy, being a local business employing more than 600 people here, and providing work for a further 5,000 through third party contracts.

It said: ‘In submitting our recent Petition of Doleance, we were seeking to establish a “level playing field” for local businesses, in line with the government’s publicly stated inward investment strategy.

‘We have long supported the view there needs to be a balance of economic and social need and costs, against the net benefits of inward investment. Furthermore local businesses should be offered the same range of incentives and opportunities to drive economic growth and create new jobs.

‘An economic impact assessment must be an essential requirement for a development of the proposed size and scale in the application covered by the petition. We are looking to our new government to establish a framework where the ambitions and commitment of local entrepreneurs and businesses are recognised and receive the same level of support and encouragement as those new businesses looking to establish themselves here.’

Douglas council will not only have a reduced number of councillors but fewer wards as well once a wholesale reorganisation takes place in 2020.

By a narrow majority, councillors voted to reduce the number of wards from six to four, consigning the historic names of Athol, Victoria, Hills, Derby, Murrays and St George’s to history.

Under the new scheme, four wards, each returning three members, will exactly mirror the four Douglas central government constituencies of Douglas North, East, Central and South.

Earlier this year, councillors voted to reduce their number from 18 to 12,

Councillors were told it was needed to even out the number of electors in each constituency, ending a discrepancy where some wards have 2,000 or more fewer people than others. Hills ward, one of the larger ones, has 4,507 electors, for example, while Derby has 2,271.

Council leader David Christian told members disposing of the old wards was the most logical way of addressing the problem. To retain all six but re-draw the boundaries to even up the numbers would be too complicated, he said.

‘I think any voter who votes against this today is really saying they are not prepared to do the extra work,’ Mr Christian said.

Several members expressed disquiet at the move. Councillor Colin Cain said he had no probem with the reduction of councillors to 12 or with re-drawing the ward boundaries, but added: ‘I don’t know why we want to go to four wards and destroy some of our history.’

Councillors Ritchie McNicholl and Jon Joughin both commented on the possible extra time and expense involved in canvassing and leafleting a larger area and Councillor Betty Quirk suggested more notice would be needed before a by-election in order to canvass a larger area.

Councillor Ian Clague pointed out members seemed to be confusing the issue of reducing the mumber of councillors, which is already a fait accompli, and reducing the number of wards from six to four.

‘Yes I’m sorry to lose the old wards that are part of our heritage, but it’s the best compromise,’ he said.

‘It’s logical and it makes sense. 100 years ago we had 24 members representing fewer people but I don’t hear people harking back to that.’

Councillor Stephen Pitts thought many people would not have voted for the reduction had they realised the number of wards would also be cut.

Council leader David Christian said the move would help to engage voters and the council needed to try to explain the responsibilities of local and central government to people.

‘You will have three councillors and two MHKs per area, what could be simpler than that?’

Councillors approved the measure by 10 votes to seven.

An amendment proposed by Councillor McNicholl to retain six wards with two members each was defeated.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for Friday and the Steam Packet is warning that its services could be hit.

This morning weather forecasters based in Ronaldsway warned that severe gales - known as Storm Barbara - were likely to affect all areas in the Isle of Man from 9am on Friday till 3pm.

The Steam Packet says that the weather has the potential to disrupt sailings on Friday and Saturday.

The company says passengers booked on sailings on each of these days should consider transferring to an earlier service, although these are all currently ‘very busy’.

In order to offer additional passenger vehicle space on Ben-my-Chree over the busy Christmas period, the company has arranged for Arrow to cover freight services today (Wednesday) and tomorrow.

As a result, vehicle space will be increased on Ben-my-Chree for the 7.45pm sailing tonight, the 2.15am and 7.45pm sailings on Thursday and the 2.15am sailing on Friday.

The company says that passengers booked on sailings that may be disrupted by the weather should contact its call centre on 08722 992 992 or 01624 661661 to discuss alternatives.

Lines will be open between 8.30am and 6.30pm. Online account holders may amend their bookings through the company’s website www.steam-packet.com.

Any passengers wishing to transfer now that a weather warning has been issued will not be charged amendment fees.

Steam Packet chief executive Mark Woodward said: ‘After such a long run of benign weather it is frustrating that, at such an important time for our customers, our services are likely to be affected by a severe storm moving in from the Atlantic.

‘Consistent with the weather warning issued by the Met Office we have now decided to issue our own travel warning and will bring in Arrow to ensure additional capacity is available; this once again demonstrates the necessity of having a backup vessel.

‘Any changes requested by passengers will be subject to availability and will, of course, be free of charge.’

Today’s forecast from the Met Office:

Scattered showers at first, possibly heavy in places, but becoming isolated by mid morning to allow bright spells with sunny intervals developing. Temperatures 8 or 9 Celsius at best, with fresh or strong west to southwest winds making it feel colder.

Mostly dry and fairly bright on Thursday with some sunshine at times but feeling rather cold in fresh to strong winds; top temperature around 7°C.

A spell of heavy rain soon sweeping in on Friday morning with very strong to severe gale force winds, then becoming a little less windy and mostly dry by about mid-afternoon.

Three Barclays employees with more than 100 years of service between them are celebrating their retirement.

Elaine Bell and Mike Doolan have already completed their last working days at the bank and Mark Naish will be leaving his role as a credit officer this month.

Mike Doolan has worked at Barclays for more than 38 years having begun his career with the bank in the UK in 1978.

He moved to the Isle of Man 11 years later in a role which involved covering senior staff holidays and sickness and included taking on branch manager, operations and head cashier responsibilities.

Mr Doolan has held many senior managerial positions at the bank including operations manager at the Ramsey branch and relationship manager in fiduciary and corporate services.

He has also completed a number of professional investment and mortgages qualifications.During his time at the bank Mr Doolan has taken part in many significant projects including the roll out of Barclays’ nationwide brand-refresh in 2001 which involved a three month secondment to the UK to present the programme to Barclays’ staff around the country.

In his personal time Mr Doolan volunteered as a scout leader when in the UK and a part-time youth worker for 25 years in Isle of Man, as well as being involved in fundraising for schools and churches. He is looking forward to continuing his local voluntary work in retirement and spending more time with family in the island and in the UK.

Elaine Bell has called Barclays home for 39 years of her career. She joined the bank on September 21, 1977 and retired on the same date 39 years later.

Mrs Bell has worked in all of the bank’s branches, primarily in Douglas, Port Erin and Ramsey, in administrative and operational roles. These roles have given her the opportunity to work with many colleagues both on island and further afield in Cyprus, Gibraltar, London and the Channel Islands.

Mrs Bell will be spending her retirement with her husband and two Manx cats cruising the canals and rivers of England and Europe on their narrow boat called Skyy.

Mr Naish has been working for Barclays for more than 40 years and during his time at the bank has taken on a variety of roles including head of foreign and treasury, head of securities and his current role as a credit officer.

Barclays has played an important role in Mr Naish’s personal life. His career at the bank led him to meeting his now wife when they worked together at the Heywoods branch in Liverpool in 1983 and they married in 1986.

During his retirement, Mr Naish is planning to spend more time with his family, go travelling as well as taking more time to enjoy his hobbies of fishing and sailing.

Simon Scott, managing director at Barclays in the Isle of Man, said: ‘At Barclays we’re proud of our track record of attracting, developing and retaining a high calibre of employees across the business.

‘We’re one of the biggest employers in the Isle of Man and we’re committed to the success of our colleagues and the island community.

‘Elaine, Mike and Mark have been invaluable members of the Barclays team for a long time and we are very sad to see them go but we know that they will enjoy their well-deserved retirements.’

Homeless charity Graih and the island’s Department of Health and Social Security have collaborated to produce the Isle of Man’s first ever homeless health needs audit.

The research was carried out by the department’s Adult Community Health Service throughout 2015 and comparisons were made between the Isle of Man and the UK.

Among the more startling statistics produced by the research, the report reveals far more homeless people in the Isle of Man suffer from long-term mental and physical health problems than their counterparts in the UK.

The audit questioned 55 homeless single people aged 18 tp 65, in line with similar audits carried out in the UK. The sample was described as a ‘snapshot’ of the 150 people dealt with by Graih, over the same period.

It found 92 per cent of homeless people in the Isle fo Man experience long-term physical health problems, compared to 41 per cent in the UK homeless population and 28 per cent in the general UK population. It also found 94 per cent of homeless people in the island have diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health problems, compared with 45 per cent in the UK homeless population and 25 per cent in the UK general population.

The audit shows that access to services remains difficult for some of the most vulnerable members of the community – and 47 per cent said that they would like more help with physical health problems. This figure rose to 72 per cent for mental health problems.

Figures for homeless people in the Isle of Man’s use of the Emergency Department at Noble’s Hospital were higher than UK counterparts, with greater numbers having nowhere suitable to go after discharge from hospital. In contrast, homeless people in the Isle of Man had better access than their UK counterparts to a GP, optician and dentist.

For the purposes of the survey, homelessness was taken to include not only those who are rough sleeping but also those ‘sofa surfing’, moving from friend to friend, or in unsuitable, insecure or temporary accommodation.

The figures highlight the economic costs of homelessness. Homeless people use more emergency services and, when admitted to hospital, stay much longer than the general public. Not only is this evidence of great personal distress but it shows the costs of not addressing the underlying problems that homeless people face.

The survey revealed 25 per cent of homeless people in the island have or are recovering from an alcohol problem and 25 per cent have or are addressing a drug problem. The proportion in the UK is higher.

Most homeless people do not eat two meals a day and consider themselves disabiled and unable to work. To find out more, contact Michael Manning on 324767 or at michael@graih.org.im

A general election candidate who was sacked from her job at Noble’s Hospital has lost her claim for unfair dismissal.

Michelle Inglis, who came last out of six candidates in Douglas Central and polled just 95 votes, made headlines in January when she claimed she was being sacked from the pathology lab for having cancer.

But an employment tribunal found this was a ‘gross distortion’ of what Ms Inglis must have known was the truth – that, while she had been diagnosed with cervical cancer 12 months earlier, this had never played any part in events prompting her suspension and dismissal.

‘Her ill-judged, unwarranted and inflammatory comments to the media had falsely brought the hospital into serious disrepute,’ it concluded.

And, in a blistering verdict, the tribunal panel found she had made a series of false allegations about her colleagues including unfounded claims of bullying, intimidation and sexual harassment.

‘It seemed likely that the claimant further exacerbated dislike of her and wariness of being involved with her for fear of allegations being made by her – spreading rumours about others that were untrue,’ the tribunal ruling states.

It also found she had a reputation of being a work-shy time waster who would surf the web, send endless emails and chat to her partner, who also worked in the hospital chemistry department, instead of doing what she was paid to do.

Ms Inglis had been employed as a grade 1 biomedical scientist at Noble’s since 2013 until she was dismissed in January 2016 with three months’ notice for an irretrievable breakdown in the working relationship between herself and her colleagues. She appealed but her appeal was dismissed in May.

In her claim for unfair dismissal, she contended that there was a deliberate policy of burying evidence of errors in the department.

But the tribunal was not persuaded that problems were deliberately concealed, delayed or manipulated. Mistakes, once identified, were handled with seriousness and due procedures were followed.

Ms Inglis claimed her line manager had ‘pulled numbers from thin air’, putting patients’ lives at serious risk. But the tribunal had the evidence of hundreds of pages of emails and reports showing a deep-seated animosity on the part of the claimant for her line manager.

‘She took any opportunity that she could to criticise him and she wanted him dismissed,’ it noted.

The tribunal found there was a history of grievances, issues and allegations levied by the claimant or actions which caused or created resentment in the team. She accused one colleague of being a sexual predator, another of being worse for drink and incompetent and a third of smoking and smelling of faeces. Ms Inglis also claimed an interview process had been rigged against her.

There was no evidence to substantiate these allegations with the tribunal ‘roundly rejecting’ the suggestion that a colleague was a sexual predator and describing the claim of interview-fixing as misconceived and causing ‘lingering resentment and ill-feeling’.

Similarly, the tribunal had no evidence about a culture of bullying against the claimant or of any of the multiple grievances made by her being upheld.

The tribunal found her conduct to be unprofessional and potentially harmful to patient safety.

It said: ‘Given the long history of problems that Ms Inglis had created and the hospital investigations undertaken at considerable public expense even before this long hearing at the tribunal, it was evident that the claimant was blind to her imperfections and seemingly too often in denial concerning problems that she had created, some of them deliberately.’

Stone pillars forming part of a pergola in one of the capital’s public gardens are to be removed.

Douglas councillors confirmed at a recent meeting they will stand by a decision to remove the pillars in the Kaye Memorial Gardens at the bottom of Summer Hill.

A previous meeting of councillors heard wooden trusses attached to the pillars to form a pergola had rotted and needed replacing as they were dangerous. The projected cost of replacement was in excess of £11,100 and deemed uneconomic to carry out. Instead, the trusses were removed, leaving the stone supporting columns behind.

But regeneration and community committee chairman Stephen Pitts said the committee stood by the original decision to remove the columns as well and this was endorsed by the full council.

A few councillors raised objections. Ritchie McNicholl said although extra support would be needed if the pillars were retained, it would also incur a cost to remove them.

‘They would have to be taken down stone by stone. If they are just pushed over it will damage the stone floor area,’ he said.

‘To my mind it could be cheaper to plant something on them and tie them into the wall at the back for support.’

Councillor Betty Quirk also favoured retaining the pillars, perhaps with some decorative design placed on them.

Hanging baskets on the columns will be removed and put on the pillars that form part of the retaining wall below Summer Hill.

The proposal is also to remove paving on the inside of the pergola so a border can be created, part of which will be planted with annuals. The work is planned to be carried out by the council’s parks department this winter. The annual upkeep cost is estimated at £355.

The Kaye Memorial Garden in Douglas was selected as the site to place a memorial to those killed in the Summerland fire disaster of 1973.

In 2013 three granite pillars were placed in the gardens.

The pillars are inscribed with the names of the victims of the fire.

Students from Queen Elizabeth II High School and Bunscoill Ghaelgagh enjoyed a session on the ice with Snow White and her prince in the community marquee at Tynwald Mills.

The two principal skaters from the Russian Ice Stars company came to the island last week to perform a routine from their show ‘Snow White’.

Afterwards they invited the students on to the ice and gave them some tips to help their skating.

The whole company will return in April to perform the show at The Gaiety, reusing part of the rink at Tynwald Mills on the theatre stage. Performances take place from April 5 to 9.

Ice rink manager Nick Cooil, whose production company, Cool Edit, has been working with the Russian stars for four years explained: ‘It’s been 10 years since we’ve been able to have anything like this on the island so it’s very exciting.’

The Christmas ice rink at Tynwald Mills is supported by sponsorship from plan.com which has enabled them to put on free and concessionary sessions for schools, mums and tots, and charities.

No complaints about the state of the inside of council houses in Willaston, following refurbishment, have reached the chairman of the council’s housing committee, she told fellow councillors.

The information was volunteered after comments by Councillor Ritchie McNicholl at a recent meeting.

Councillor McNicholl said he had been approached by tenants who told him properties handed back after refurbishment were in a poor state.

‘I’ve had people complaining they have bathroom fittings hanging of the walls and that areas have not been cleaned. Some tenants have said to me they do not want their properties to be done if that’s the state they are going to be returned to them in,’ he said.

He wanted to know if properties were inspected before being returned and whether the clerk of works was employed by the council or the building contractor.

Housing committee chairman, Councillor Claire Wells, told councillors she personally had received no complaints about the state of properties returned to tenants after refurbishment.

However, she said disquiet had been expressed in some cases about the state of gardens.

‘They are supposed to leave the gardens in the state they were received but in some cases they have not,’ she said. ‘But I have not seen anything regarding the inside of houses.

‘The refurbishments have to be done and tenants don’t really have a choice but the contractor will be dealt with if there are problems.’

She said she did not know if the clerk of works was a council employee but would find out.

Out-of-town book borrowers can enjoy free membership of Douglas’s library for just three more months, councillors have decided.

The borough’s main library moved from Victoria Street to new premises on Duke Street 11 months ago and borrowers from outside Douglas were allowed one year’s free membership as a promotional offer for the library and to encourage visitors to come to the capital.

The council’s executive committee members considered whether the offer should end, as scheduled in January, be extended by three months to the end of the financial year in March, or be adopted on a permanent basis.

Councillor Ritchie McNicholl told a recent council meeting he felt offering free membership sent out the wrong message when the library was subsidised to a significant degree by Douglas rates payers (who automatically have free use of the library).

‘Non-Douglas rates payers should not have that consideration and I don’t think a free service encourages people to shop in the town centre,’ he said.

‘People will jump on the bus perhaps using a pass, come in then go home again.

‘If an extra 2,000 people paid £20, for example, to use the library for a year, we could use that money to improve facilities and buy more books. We said it would run for a year and the 12 months are now up.’

Councillor Stephen Pitts thought the offer should be extended with the financial year, to end in March

‘Maybe we should have made it a 15-month offer from the outset, then anyone outside Douglas should pay.’

Councillor Ian Clague suggested checking the Town Centre Management’s footfall monitoring system to see if there was any increase during the library offer.

Council Leader David Christian said the library cost £519,000 per year to run and while the offer had been a good way of getting people through the door, he did not support it continuing ‘for ever and a day’. He said moving the library had saved the council around £200,000 in rent and staffing costs as well as filling a space that had remained empty for around three years.

He said 800 of the 2,000 new library members were from out of town, possibly coming into Douglas to work and finding it hard to reach another library elsewhere.

‘But there does need to be a charge when Douglas rates payers are supporting it to the tune of half a million pounds,’ he said, adding: ‘Particularly in a climate where other facilities are being looked at.’

He added the recent Douglas market had seen an increase in footfall of 51 per cent on Saturday and 42 per cent on Sunday, compared with the equivalent weekend a year ago, town centre footfall generally had increased and few shops lay empty now.

A 29-year-old Douglas man has been jailed for eight weeks for breaching his probation terms.

Christopher John Crellin, of Laburnum Avenue, was put on 12 months probation in May after he took a car without permission, while he was still a learner driver, and crashed it into banking near Archallagan.

The car had been loaned to Crellin’s girlfriend by her brother.

Crellin took the keys after he heard two friends arguing outside their house in Laxey on February 19.

He agreed to drive them to Foxdale but when a full scale fight broke out in the car, he lost control and crashed, hitting the banking and puncturing a tyre.

Forced to abandon the car, Crellin walked back towards Douglas and the first his girlfriend knew about the incident was when he appeared back home, visibly upset, at 9am.

The woman contacted her brother and the matter was reported to police.

Crellin pleaded guilty to a taking without consent charge as well as driving with no insurance and a licence offence.

A 12 month probation order was imposed as a direct alternative to 12 weeks’ custody.

Crellin was then jailed for 12 weeks after he headbutted a bus driver in June.

He had been drinking at a christening and was getting a bus home when he started annoying passengers.

He was asked to get off the bus by the driver but responded by butting him, causing injuries to his eye and cheekbone, before leaving the area.

Crellin then handed himself in to police after seeing reports of the incident on social media.

During his latest court appearance Crellin admitted that he had breached the probation order imposed in May by not attending three meetings.

Defending Crellin in court advocate Pamela Pringle said: ‘My client is very keen to continue with probation. There has been a blip. The order was going well until his imprisonment. He wants to get back on track. He was sick when he didn’t attend the meetings.’

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes said: ‘You were fully aware the order was a direct alternative to custody.’

Council engineers believe the rundown former Pitcairn Hotel in Douglas poses no immediate threat to the public.

The building, at Church Road Marina, has been in a ruinous state for some time with lop-sided masonry, missing slates, vegetation growing from gutterings and a sizeable resident pigeon population.

The council is planning to enter the building so structural engineers can inspect the interior to get a more detailed idea of the state of the building and has sought a court order to allow this to happen.

However, Councillor Ritchie McNicholl, chairman of the council’s environmental services committeem, which oversees ruinous buildings around the borough, said he was concerned about the possible scale of work that might be needed if the council were to undertake any repairs.

‘If we were to try to restore it, I would be surprised if we didn’t find it was a demolition job. That could leave us with just the site and I don’t know how much that would be worth, so we don’t really want to take that approach,’ he said.

The council has authority to undertake essential repairs on rundown properties in the borough if their state poses a risk. In such cases a charge is then placed on the property for the cost of the work which is recouped when the building is sold.

This procedure was used recently on a house on Derby Road and Councillor McNichol confirmed the property had been sold and the cost recouped by the council.

Already the council has intervened to remove loose slates that posed a danger to the public. Councillors were told the Pitcairn and the Wyndham Hotels were both owned by the same company, registered in the British Virgin Islands, however there was an agent present in the island.

Councillor Jon Joughin said he believed the repairs should be done in expectation of recovering the cost at a later date, or alternatively the building should be compulsorily purchased.

Councillor McNicholl said the council had now appointed a new dilapidated properties officer who had been producing reports for the committee and progress was being made in a number of areas.

He told councillors the site of the Athol Hotel on Regent Street had had a significant amount of re-rendering completed. But he conceded some ‘old chestnuts’ remained.

‘The matter involving Braddan Lodge on Quarterbridge Road has been going on for 11 years now,’ he said.

‘But we are currently waiting for a trial date to be set by the court.’

He said he hoped a number of run down buildings, would soon be brought back up to scratch. Currently there are around 170 buildings on the ‘dilapidated’ list but it is not an exhaustive one, he said.

Alexander Armstrong has been awarded the George Johnson Law prize for his essay entitled ‘Will advocates and judges be replaced by computer-based services in the future?’.

This essay competition was established in memory of George Sayle Johnson, a past President of The Isle of Man Law Society, with the object of encouraging the study of law.

An essay is written and sent to the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls where he and a panel consisting of the Second Deemster, the Attorney General, the High Bailiff and the Vicar General adjudicate.

Awarding the prize Deemster Doyle said: ‘The prize this year goes to Alexander John Armstrong for his thought-provoking essay on “Will advocates and judges be replaced by computer-based services in the future?”  which persuasively argued that human judges and advocates have a future – that’s a relief.  

‘We must all make proper use of modern technology but it would appear that human beings, giving advice as advocates and making decisions as judges, will be around for some time. The essay shows that the author has indeed studied the relevant subject in detail and that the objective of the prize has been satisfied. Congratulations Mr Armstrong.’

Alex, who has recently completed his Manx Bar examinations, said: ‘It is a great honour to have been selected by the judging panel to receive this award.

‘I found the topic extremely interesting and thought provoking. Advocates should not be afraid to utilise technological advancements within their practice, they should actively investigate their uses as technology now plays an ever increasing role within the legal sector.’

Senior partner, Jeremy Callin of Callin Wild, in Athol Street, Douglas, said: ‘It is fantastic to once again be celebrating the successes of our trainee advocates and I have high hopes for their future careers at the Manx Bar.

‘Winning this award is a great accomplishment for a young advocate and Alex should be very proud of his achievement.’ Alex’s essay is available to read on the Isle of Man Law Society website. www.iomlawsociety.co.im

Fire crews from Peel and Douglas were called to an accident in Greeba after two cars collided on Wednesday afternoon.

The vehicles’ occupants were not trapped but needed help to get out due to their injuries.

Fire crews worked with ambulance staff to assist the casualties from their vehicles, while the police managed the traffic away from the scene and began an investigation into the cause.

The road was shut for some time.

Motorists travelling on the main road from Peel to Douglas around rush hour were blocked and there were many delays, especially since the main road through Foxdale is shut for many months for work to be carried out.

At one point buses from Douglas to Peel were being diverted via Ramsey.

The road team for the 2017 NatWest Island Games in Gotland has been named and includes the usual mix of youth and experience.

The talented young trio of Conor Davies, Matthew Draper and Adam Kelly will be led by this year’s top local all-rounder Robin Garry and Rob Sorby, who has previously been a member of the mountain bike team.

Davies recently signed for the Belgium-based Avia Wcup cycling team.

The women are reigning BGC champion Kate Priest, 2015 team member Sophie Black, along with teenagers Tara Ferguson and Eleanor Davies. Andrew Roche is manager.

The mountain bike team was announced last month and consists of Nick Corlett, Elliot Baxter, Danny Curtis, Alex Rockwell and Lee Gale in the men’s squad; Emma Atkinson, Emily Looker and Kirree Quayle in the women’s.

The Games take place between June 24 and 30.

Manx Telecom have not, as far as I know, increased their telephone charges. But the size of my telephone bills keeps going up. It is one more of the rigours of life in the early years of the 21st century.

Last week I needed to ring up Tesco. I couldn’t find them in the telephone directory so I rang up directory inquiries where a young lady asked if I would like her to put me through to them and, somewhat surprised, I agreed.

I was put through and, as usual, I got one of those disembodied voices telling me that my call was being recorded for training purposes in the interests of Tesco being able to offer an improved service. The voice went on at some length to tell me what Tesco does, as if I had no idea and needed to be told.

All this time I was silent at my end of the line, with my telephone bill increasing without me saying a word.

To be fair, it’s not just Tesco. This is what we get a lot these days when we ring up business enterprises. I was going to put the phone down on Tesco when a live woman’s voice came on.

She asked: ‘Where are you calling from?’ I told her I was in Douglas. She paused before asking: ‘Douglas, Isle of Man?’

I had been put through to a call centre across the water. In this case, it was somewhere like Swansea.

Meanwhile my telephone bill was still increasing remorselessly.

Now Tesco is not alone in this kind of thing. Once when I tried to ring up my bank in Douglas, Lloyds, I got put through to somewhere else in the British Isles and it was the same old routine again, at my expense.

But today it is Tesco which I am putting under the spotlight. ‘Every little helps’ they say.

Ringing them up, certainly more than a little, helps to increase my telephone bill.

Last week the Manx Independent had the headline ‘Big effort to address Onchan’s trouble- makers’.

Dear thugs, vandals, drunks and layabouts?

This week’s crossword clue has come in from Andrew Crooks. It was in The Times as follows: Shrouded in darkness is island’s fishing port (8).

There was an anonymous call on my office answering machine saying that the popular television programme Strictly Come Dancing should be re-titled Strictly Come Shrieking.

That’s what I say, but nobody can hear me when it’s on.

Crossword: Murmansk.

Trevor Baines, who used to own the men’s outfitters’ store Peter Luis in downtown Douglas, tells us that it is now called ‘9-11’.

He wonders: ‘Did nobody notice?’

Manxlish: There is an offence under the Isle of Man’s Criminal Code which is known as ‘larcency’. which does not exist anywhere else in the world. It was referred to as such a long time ago by a Manx magistrate – who shall be nameless – when being interviewed on BBC television. He actually said it twice.

New definitions. Beelzebug – Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.. .

Christmas is coming, and my wallet’s not getting fat, says IoM FoE’s Cat Turner. So we’ve conferred with our colleagues at FoE in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – who, between them, have some terrific ideas for enjoying a great Christmas without breaking either the planet or the bank. This year they’re focused on the ubiquitous Christmas tree

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Is there such a thing as a ‘sustainable Christmas tree?

After all, artificial trees aren’t biodegradable – and some take huge amounts of energy to manufacture.

So it might surprise you that, in fact, a real tree isn’t necessarily a greener option.

It’ll depend on factors such as: how many years you use your artificial tree for; how and where a real tree is grown; whether it’s composted afterwards, continues to grow or goes to the Energy from Waste Plant/is otherwise incinerated.

Whatever, the best option is usually to keep using whatever you’ve already got for as long as it’s viable – or even to decorate large house plants or other items, to make stunning tree substitutes.

And remember to put your fairy lights on a timer or turn them off every evening!

1. Artificial trees

If you have one already, use it for as many years as possible to make the most of it. If you don’t have one, try Freecycle or one of the other recycling sites for a second hand one.

2. Eco-friendly real trees

Make sure your tree is locally grown. If you want a tree that is certified organic, you could ask if it’s been Soil Association approved – we’re not aware of any such available on-island, but if you hear of any, let us know.

3. Grow your own

My girls and I have a smallish potted tree with roots, which lives indoors for December and the rest of the year outdoors. This cuts its environmental impact and is cheap, though it may outgrow out living-room eventually.

4. Recycling real trees

Don’t let your tree be part of the 90 per cent in the UK that get landfilled – seek out Christmas tree composters or if you have access to a chipper, do it yourself.

5. Tree rental

What a great idea! There are a number of companies hiring out trees in the UK – now that’s a business opportunity for someone sustainably-minded on the island!

Your Christmas tree’s not the only option for ‘greening’ your Christmas – you could turn your attention to your ‘food footprint’, and investigate a vegetarian or vegan alternative to turkey, or for the Boxing Day menu; and at the very least you can shop for ethically-produced, organic food, keep waste to a minimum, and freeze what you can in the way of leftovers for later.

Happy Christmas!

Property transactions recorded at the General Registry:

Michael Owen and Julie Ann Owen, both of 58 King Orry Road, Glen Vine, bought Vaaish Mooar Farm bungalow, Staarvey Road, German, for £390,000,

It was bought from Jacqueline Mason.

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

Landfall Limited, whose registered office is situated at 8 St George’s Street, Douglas, sold 13 Circular Road, Douglas, for £375,000, to Ross John Parmenter, of Essex, Mark Anthony James Burton, of Epping, and Kyle Adam Daly, of Essex.

Annika Birgitta Taylor, of 4 Riverside, Ramsey, sold Wendover, 13 St Ninians Road, Douglas, for £325,000, to Colin David Piercey, of 15 Oxford Street, Douglas.

Ronald Turner Bowles, of 18 St George’s Street, Douglas, by receiver, and Martine Fleming, as receiver sold 6 Fairway Drive, Ramsey, for £267,500, to Stephanie Sara Bee, and Darren Marsh, both of 10 Albert Street, Douglas.

Keith Andrew Uren, of 12 Manor Lane, Douglas, sold 70 Port e Chee Avenue, Douglas, for £259,950, to Christopher Kyle Wasley and Lauren Aimee Simpson, both of 31 Devonshire Road, Douglas.

Emmett John McQuillan and Jacqueline Ann McQuillan sold 6 Ballanawin, Strang, for £204,950, to Glenn Catlin and Sandra Jane Catlin, of Knotty Ash, Strang Road, Union Mills.

Robert Antony Eugeuisz Jelski, of Masonic Buildings, Water Street, Ramsey, as trustee, and Doreen Mary Ashton, by trustee, sold 16 Mountain View, Ballaugh, for £195,000, to Andrew Ian Dunn and Julie Elizabeth Dunn, of 17 Church Street, Peel.

Gordon John Leece as coroner of the sheading of Glenfaba and Michael, 13 Douglas Street, Peel, and Graham Robert Albert Johnson, by coroner, sold 85 Circular Road, Douglas, for £180,000, to Charlotte Marie Pearce and David Thomas Pearce, of 115 King Edward Road, Onchan.

Stuart Duncan Marshall, of Sheffield, and Trevor Ian Marshall, of South Africa, sold two parcels of land at Ballacurphey, Arbory, for £180,000, to David Murray Bridson and Lorraine Joy Bridson, both of Rocksholme, Bradda East, Port Erin.

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

Garry Manley, a former head boy of St. Ninian’s High School who went on to become an international corporate lawyer, is returning to his Isle of Man roots and joining leading law firm Cains.

He joins from New York-headquartered international law firm Cleary Gottlieb, which, with 16 offices spread across the world, is one of the world’s leading corporate law firms.

Garry, 32, joined Cleary Gottlieb (whose clients include Google, Coca-Cola, Walt Disney and the governments of Greece, Russia and Argentina) in London in 2007. He has also worked in New York from 2008 to 2009 and Hong Kong from 2011 to 2015.

He has broad transactional experience, having advised extensively on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and financing transactions.

He joins Cains as a senior legal adviser in the corporate department, headed by Richard Vanderplank.

Garry said: ‘My wife, Simone, and I always expected to come back to the Isle of Man at some point, which is why I have always held onto my Isle of Man variant British passport.

‘Cains is the Isle of Man’s leading corporate law firm, so it was the obvious place for me to continue my career having made the decision to come home and I am excited to join the team.

‘I think it is crucial for lawyers to work collaboratively to serve the interests of their clients, and that is very much the model operated by Cains.’

Andrew Corlett OBE, chairman of Cains Group said: ‘I was in the same class at school as Garry’s dad, John and I am so pleased Garry is joining us.  It is terrific to see such a talented and internationally experienced Manxman wanting to come home and contribute to the development of Cains and the Isle of Man.’

Garry left the Isle of Man in 2003 to study law at Oxford University, where he graduated with a first class degree. He was placed ninth in his year at Oxford out of more than 250 students and received the Quadrant Chambers Prize for achieving the highest mark in the University in one of his papers.

He transferred to Cleary Gottlieb’s New York office in September 2008 at the height of the financial crisis, when the eyes of the world were on Wall Street.

One of the highlights of his career to date was attending the seven-hour Bankruptcy Court hearing that approved the sale of Lehman Brothers’ investment bank to Barclays. described by Judge James Peck as ‘the most momentous bankruptcy hearing I’ve ever sat through.’

Another stand-out deal was advising VTB, Russia’s second largest bank, on a sale of US$3.5 billion worth of shares by the Russian Government. ‘It was particularly rewarding to be able to share with my parents back on the Isle of Man a BBC News story showing Mr. Putin putting pen to paper on the deal I had put together,’ Garry added.

Garry’s final deal at Cleary saw him advise one of the members of the consortium that agreed in December 2016 to buy a 61 per cent stake in National Grid’s gas distribution business.

With a total enterprise value of around £13.8 billion, the Financial Times described the deal as ‘one of the biggest British infrastructure deals in recent history’. Married with a two-year-old daughter, Garry admits that another reason for returning is family, with both his and his wife Simone’s families living in the Isle of Man.

‘We felt the time was right to come back. We wanted Sophia to have her grandparents nearby and to benefit from the education and lifestyle that we experienced growing up here.

‘I received a first class education at St. Ninian’s and I hope to be able to contribute something back to the wider island community in return for the opportunities it has given me and my family.’

Garry realised he wanted to be a lawyer when he was 10-years-old and watching the O. J. Simpson trial with his father.

His family has, over several generations, had close links with the law; his father John was the Isle of Man’s last prosecuting sergeant before the role was taken over by the Attorney General’s office.

His grandmother, Margaret Corkill, was the Isle of Man’s first woman police officer and his grandfather, Archie, was also a police sergeant.

A keen swimmer, he participated in three Island Games and previously held a number of junior and senior national records.

‘I will certainly be looking to renew my interest in competitive swimming as well as other sports,’ he added.

A 36-year-old man from Port Erin has pleaded guilty to two charges related to money laundering.

Jan Broza, of Magher Breekyn, admitted acquiring criminal property to the value of £22,245 and concealing criminal property to the value of £6,500.

He will be sentenced on January 20 at 10am.

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes declined jurisdiction for the case and committed Broza to the Court of General Gaol Delivery for the sentencing.

The court also heard that the case would have to go to the Court of General Gaol Delivery under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which is used to confiscate the money and can only be actioned at the higher court.

Defending Broza in court, advocate Andrew Marshall said that his client appreciated the matter would have to go to the higher court.

Prosecutor Michael Jelski how Broza had signed a disclosure authorising authorities to access his financial records in relation to another matter.

It was said that an examination of his records highlighted several transactions which defied explanation between December 29, 2010 and May 31, 2016.

Suspicious transactions totalling £22,245 were identified. Three other transactions totalling £6,500 between July 20, 2015 and December 19, 2015 were also identified.

Broza had been employed full-time during the period and his salary could be seen being paid in separately.

He was arrested on June 24 and admitted making all the deposits into the account and confessed that they related to criminal property though he refused to state the nature of what the money related to.

Bail was granted with conditions that Broza reside at his home address and not leave the island.