PLANS for a three-storey extension at Ballakermeen High School, in Douglas, went on public display last week.

The Department of Education and Children’s estates director, Richard Collister, architects, project managers and school representatives explained the proposals to 23 neighbouring residents and a number of Douglas councillors who attended.

Mr Collister said there was ‘general support for the need to progress the scheme’, adding: ‘We welcome the constructive comments made and are currently making some amendments to the proposals to address issues raised, prior to progressing with our planning applications for the extension and the temporary “Balladome” relocation.’

Head teacher Adrienne Burnett said: ‘We thought it was important to make sure that our neighbours had as much information as possible, and to give them a chance to make suggestions and raise any concerns.’

The £3.2m project involves extending the dining and post-16 facilities by building an extension on the hard surfaced area of the playground.

The DEC hopes to take the project to Tynwald in July 2013, with a phased hand-over of the project which would see post-16, first and second floor levels operational for September 2014, with the ground floor dining/kitchen opening after the October half term.

ONE of the most upmarket bars in Douglas has closed.

The Mailbox restaurant and deli was in a building on Circular Road in the capital.

The board of directors this afternoon issued a statement. It reads: ‘We wish to advise that The Mailbox restaurant and deli was closed to business . . . following the failure of negotiations to sell the business as a going concern to new investors.

‘The directors of Rivertown Limited, the company which owns The Mailbox, convened a board meeting yesterday morning to consider what options might remain available to them to enable the company to continue trading.

‘A liquidation expert was invited to attend the Meeting and detailed consideration was given to ways in which it might be possible for the company to continue trading, thus providing the board with a window of opportunity to seek alternative potential purchasers.  

‘Regrettably, having listened to the advice given, the directors were left with no alternative but to make arrangements for the company to cease trading forthwith.  Accordingly, the managers and staff were informed of the position and the company subsequently ceased to trade at 3pm yesterday afternoon.

‘Pursuant to Section 226 of the Isle of Man Companies Acts 1931 2004, the directors are required to call a meeting of the creditors.  This meeting will take place at Capital House on December 3, 2012, at 2pm, in order that a liquidator may be appointed as required under Sections 227-229 of the above mentioned Acts.  Advertisements for the attention of creditors will be placed in two local newspapers at the earliest opportunity. 

‘The Mailbox has taken a number of Christmas party bookings and the directors will give assistance to customers who wish to relocate their bookings to other local establishments. Direct contact will be made with customers during the course of this week.’

The statement ends: ‘The directors would like to thank the many customers, staff and suppliers that have supported The Mailbox over recent months and years. No stone has been left unturned in attempts to secure the future of The Mailbox and it is with great sadness that the directors have been left with no alternative but to pursue this unpleasant course of action.

‘For further information, please write to the directors, Rivertown Limited, Capital House, Circular Road, Douglas, IM1 1AG, or e-mail info@themailbox.co.im.’

There will be more on this story in this week’s Manx Independent.

TELEVISION viewers in the Isle of Man may find they are missing some of their channels next week unless they retune their sets or digital boxes.

Digital UK has advised viewers they may experience disruption tomorrow (Wednesday November 14), with their Freeview service, but this should return to normal by the late afternoon.

This is the point at which channels could have disappeared and a retune will be necessary.

To do this viewers need to press ‘Menu’ on their remote control. Next they need to find ‘settings’ or ‘set up’. Alternatively, if the set uses picture icons they will need to select the tool box, satellite dish or spanner option.

If a PIN number is required but not known, try entering ‘0000’ or ‘1234’.

The next stage is to select ‘first time installation’ or ‘default settings’ then press ‘OK’ if the equipment asks if you want to delete all your channels. This is normal and should not cause alarm.

For further help with retuning or to check predicted changes to television reception log on to {http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/granada|www.digitaluk.co.uk/granada} or call 08456 505050

The Isle of Man switched over to digital television in July 2009 when analogue transmitters were turned off.

The changes to the service started when the analogue signal for BBC Two was switched off in June of that year and the eight BBC digital channels as well as the red button service became available.

When the Ulster TV region became the last part of the UK to go digital at the end of last month, this affected some households in the west of the island, for example in Kirk Michael, which picked up their television signal from the transmitter near Belfast.

Viewers picking up their digital signal from Ireland receive 67 channels as opposed to the 16 relayed by the Isle of Man transmitters.

THE organisers of Mannifest have announced they will not be holding the annual three-day festival in 2013.

The music and family event, held at Glen Lough Farm in Glen Vine, would have been in its fourth year if it had gone ahead next August.

In a statement posted on Facebook today (Tuesday), the team said: ‘Having had a cracking three years at Glen Lough farm, the Mannifest team have decided it’s time for us, and this year’s waterlogged fields, to have a well earned rest.

‘So we’re sorry to announce there will be no Mannifest in 2013. We thank you for all the support and great times, and hope to return full of new ideas in 2014.

‘We do have some different entertainment lined up for summer next year though - keep an eye out for announcements in the media.’

www.mannifestlive.com

NEW-LOOK registration plates featuring the letters MANX could prove a money spinner for the Treasury.

Infrastructure Minister David Cretney MHK will seek Tynwald approval next week to introduce fees for certain high-value numbers plates. A MANX1 plate will set you back £100,000 while 1MANX will be available for £50,000. MANX007 or MANX888 could be yours for £20,000.

Other combinations of MANX and one, two or three digit numbers will be priced between £5,000 and £15,000.

PEEL’s enlarged Shoprite store in Derby Road was unveiled to the public on Friday.

A formal launch took place before the revamped store opened to customers.

The supermarket has more than doubled in size from 8,000 sq ft to more than 17,500 sq ft, and parking has been extended.

Work has included a complete redesign of the store’s fixtures, fittings and layout to bring the ‘Fresh Marketplace’ concept – which has already proved popular in Port Erin – to the town. The store now has an in-store bakery, a hot and cold delicatessen counter, and meat and fresh fish counters as well as a Subway Café.

Chief executive Andrew Thomas said: ‘This is a major development for the area and provides people living in the west of the Isle of Man with a quality food market store.’

The work was part of a £4m investment in Peel, which included refurbishing the ‘Little Shoprite’ convenience store in Michael Street last year.

AN MHK is calling for a senior off-island figure to lead an independent review of Tynwald members’ pay, pensions and expenses.

Alfred Cannan, chairman of the Civil Service Commission, has tabled a motion to this month’s Tynwald sitting calling for an independent body to be appointed to review the remuneration of MHKs and MLCs in the light of their respective duties and to report with recommendations.

The Michael MHK says the body should seek the opinions of Tynwald members, the Chamber of Commerce, the public and the trade unions.

Mr Cannan believes it should be headed by a chairman who is a senior figure of standing from off-island, such as a member of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. A senior legal figure practising in the Isle of Man should be vice chairman and the body should also include the Lord Bishop and two lay members from the island who would be appointed by the chairman.

But Chief Minister Allan Bell pointed out that such a review would not come cheap - and it could conclude that our politicians are not actually paid the going rate. He also warned about getting caught up in a ‘populist witch-hunt’.

Vote on this issue using our web poll panel at the right of this story

There has been growing public discontent about Tynwald members’ pay, culminating in revelations that four Tynwald members were not making a voluntary contribution to their pensions.

Politicians’ pay is linked to that of the island’s 2,300-plus civil servants. A 1.08 per cent pay award this year, backdated to April, has taken the basic salary of an MHK and MLC to £37,822.

On top of this, they get 30 per cent extra for being a department member (40 per cent for Treasury) and 50 per cent for being a minister. The Chief Minister gets 80 per cent on top of his basic and the Speaker 60 per cent.

Members also get a £6,178 tax-free lump sum to cover expenses incurred while carrying out their parliamentary duties. There have been proposals that the lump sum should be scrapped but added on as taxable income to the basic salary - a suggestion that sparked an angry exchange between TUC vice president Angela Moffatt who said it would amount to a 17 per cent pay rise, and Mr Cannan, who insisted it would result in a net decrease in pay.

Mr Bell pointed out an independent inquiry into members’ pay and conditions had been carried out a number of years ago and this had concluded that our politicians were not paid the going rate. Tynwald rejected the report and instead members’ pay became linked to the civil service salary scale.

Comparisons of salaries in other jurisdictions compiled by Tynwald’s emoluments committee in April 2011 showed that an MP’s basic salary at that time was £65,738, while a Welsh Assembly member received £53,852, a member of the Scottish Parliament £57,521, a member of Northern Ireland’s Legislative Assembly £43,101 and a member of the States in Jersey was paid a basic £41,182.

Mr Bell said: ‘I do think we’ve got to be a bit careful. If an inquiry comes up with a conclusion that finally puts to rest the debate about members’ pay there may be some benefit in considering it. But it will not come cheap if you have an off-island specialist. We should not get caught up in a populist witch hunt. The majority of members work extremely hard - it’s a shame their commitment and hard work isn’t always recognised.’

Ms Moffatt said Mr Cannan’s motion reflected public concerns. She said she could see the merits of an independent review but warned about the expense. ‘I would like to see it handled in terms of a full consultation. This issue should be led by the public.’

What do you think? Email {mailto:opinions@newsiom.co.im|opinions(at)newsiom.co.im} or sign in to add your comment below.

ALICIA Cain has joined Simcocks.

Alicia is an English solicitor who trained and worked at Baker McKenzie in London and has experience in a broad range of areas such as pensions, private client, dispute resolution, UK taxation and general corporate law.

Alicia, who was born in the island and a former pupil at Ramsey Grammar School, is fluent in French and Italian and speaks Spanish and German.

Simcocks, which is based in Ridgeway Street in Douglas, currently employs 50 people and earlier this year expanded its services to offer advice on all aspects of BVI (British Virgin Islands) law.

Chief executive, Phil Games said: ‘To continue delivering exceptional results Simcocks has to have a first class team.

‘We are delighted Alicia has joined us and know she will fit in seamlessly and offer our clients a first class service.’

Alicia said: ‘Simcocks is an ambitious company with an impressive client base both locally and internationally and I am delighted to be a part of that. The firm was recently recommended by researchers from the independent legal directory, The Legal 500, and was ranked in the top tier for insurance and pensions and private client and trusts so it is an exciting time for me to be joining the practice.’

THE Manx Wildlife Trust is welcoming emergency measures taken to try to prevent the spread of ash dieback disease to the island.

Environment Minister Phil Gawne announced last week that an immediate ban had been imposed on the importation of ash trees, seeds and products.

No cases of the disease have yet been identified in the island but common ash trees make up a quarter of the trees in the Manx countryside.

And Mr Gawne warned that if steps were not taken to combat not only ash dieback but Dutch elm disease and sudden oak death disease, more than three quarters of the island’s trees could be lost.

Some 40 per cent of ash trees growing in Manx Wildlife Trusts sites are to be found at the Cooildarry reserve outside Kirk Michael.

Duncan Bridges, chairman of the Manx Wildlife Trust, welcomed the ban on ash imports.

He said: ‘The threat of ash dieback is serious and should not be understated - that’s what happened in the UK where they have miscalculated how quickly it can spread.

‘Some 30 per cent of all trees in the UK countryside are ash. We don’t have quite that number of ash trees but we’ve also had the threats of sudden oak death and Dutch elm disease.

‘I was pleased to hear the Minister’s announcement and welcome this new ban.’

He said most of the island’s ash trees were found in hedgerows and small spinneys.

Mr Bridges said that we have an advantage as an island in combating the spread of disease. While Dutch elm disease wreaked havoc across, the Isle of Man now has the biggest population of elm trees in the British Isles.

Mr Bridges pointed out that the latest threat affected common ash trees which should not be confused with mountain ash or rowan trees that are found in many gardens and are a completely different species.

However, sudden oak death, more commonly known by its Latin name of phytophthora ramorum, is a fungal disease that has jumped species. It continues to affect larch trees in the plantations but has also been found on species such as viburnum, rhododendron, camellia, magnolia, beech, heathland plants and both horse and sweet chestnut trees.

A number of sweet chestnut trees with the disease were felled on Water Authority land at Injebreck earlier this year.

THE Isle of Man’s under-18s footballers latest FA County Youth Cup odyssey was brought to an abrupt halt on Saturday as they lost 1-4 to a strong Staffordshire in the pair’s second round tie at the Bowl.

The scoreline perhaps flattered the Midlands outfit a little with two goals coming inside the last few minutes, but the weekend’s visitors always looked favourites to advance to the annual knockout competition’s third round after racing into a two-goal lead inside the first 15 minutes.

Staffs pacey striker Shaquille McDonald handed his side the game’s initiative with just over five minutes played on referee Sam Mulhall’s watch.

With the Manx reeling, midfielder Oliver Haywood doubled Nick Adshead and Ken Hughes’s charges advantage eight minutes later, to put the three-time former champions into the fixture’s driving seat.

To their credit the Manx tried their best to play themselves back into the tie, but didn’t find a telling way past their opponents’ defence until the 79th minute when skipper Connor Gorman’s deflected free-kick found the back of the net.

In the final 10 minutes the Appleby-sponsored islanders pushed for the equaliser that would send the match into extra time, but Staffs managed to soak up the pressure and broke out to score two further goals at the death as the Manx defence failed to clear its line.

Matthew Hardiman all but sealed his side’s advancement in the 88th minute before man of the match McDonald rubber stamped the win in time added on with his second of the fixture.

The under-18s first competitive match under the FA’s Development Centre umbrella and under the new management team of Steve Burns, Ben Qualtrough, Mark Adams and Paul O’Brien started positively enough with Laxey’s Jackson Brown looking bright down the left flank and St John’s Nicky Sloan driving a second-minute shot straight at Hornby.

However, Staffs dangerman McDonald influence soon began to grow as he used his lightening pace to wreak havoc in the Manx defence.

RYCOB centre back Ollie Blaker, who was one of the island’s stand-out performers, had to be alert to deny the marauding McDonald with a fine covering tackle after the fleet-footed Chasetown striker had put the afterburners on.

Blaker and the rest of the Manx rearguard then made the mistake of leaving the Staffs hot shot unattended on the edge of the area. He was duly picked out before dispatching a cool finish past Manx keeper Chris Biddulph to hand his side the lead.

McDonald could have had a second just three minutes later, only to be denied by Biddulph’s right post after he connected well with Haywood’s low cross into the Manx box from the wing.

The Manx regrouped and nearly drew level as after some neat inter-play teed up Stephen Whitley to shoot from distance. The St Mary’s winger’s shot, was repelled at full-stretch by Sam Hornby who turned the ball wide for a corner.

The home side were soon ruing the agility of Hornby as Staffs struck for a second time – Haywood’s shot from the edge of the area finding the back of the net via an upright.

With Staffs threatening to cut loose, thankfully the Manx settled and slowly began to get a foothold in the match.

However, the home side’s short passing game struggled to penetrate the Staffs backline and, at times, the island side were guilty of over complicating the situation. Two Gorman free-kicks were the closest the IoM came to getting a goal back as Staffordshire soon returned to the front foot.

The irrepressible McDonald and strike partner Matthew Steer both went close before visiting skipper Steve Durnin’s effort was headed over his own bar by Whitley.

Blaker then again showcased his promise with a fine block to deny Haywood’s shot after the latter had cut into the Manx box from the right flank.

Staffs nearly extended their lead at the start of the second period when McDonald pounced on a poor kick by Biddulph. The Manx defence scrambled to regroup forcing the Staffs’ number 10 to shoot tamely wide.

McDonald’s opposite number, Shaun Kelly then went very close to reducing the arrears when he nodded agonisingly wide after being picked out by Gorman’s lovely ball into the box.

The home team were then temporarily reduced to 10 men in bizzare fashion when substitute Lewis Griffiths wasn’t allowed to enter the field of play by the referee’s assistant until he had changed his wrongly coloured under-shorts.

With the Corinthians man in the changing rooms, Biddulph had to be at his sharpest to parry roving centre-back Kris Penny’s shot before Blaker denied Hardiman’s follow up.

Gorman then set up a frantic final 10 minutes when his set-piece on the left flank took a healthy nick off a Staffs’ defender on its way in.

The Manx tried to push on, but Staffs finished the game the stronger of the two and substitute Connor Leek’s free-kick forced a sprawling save out of Biddulph.

The Union Mills stopper couldn’t do anything about Staffs third goal a couple of moments later when Hardiman took advantage of some hesitant home defence to slot in and all but seal the victory for his team.

Staffs stretched their lead further deep in injury time when Josh Gordon’s clever flick played in Leek.

He centred the ball where McDonald was lurking to head in his second of the match.

Team check

Isle of Man: Chris Biddulph, Calum Campbell (Eric Kelly 56m), Jackson Brown, Ollie Blaker, Declan Cummins, Stephen Whitley, Rowan Richardson, Connor Gorman (c), Nicky Sloan (Lewis Griffiths 77m), Jamie Brew (Joey Morling 51m), Shaun Kelly. Subs not used: Jamie Kitchen, Robert McCowliff.

Staffordshire: Sam Hornby, Ajay Chohan, Ryan Burgwin, Kris Penny, Sam Mills, Jamie Evans, Oliver Haywood (Connor Leek 77m), Steve Durnin (c) (Zak Horrobin 62m), Matthew Steer (Josh Gordon 71m), Shaquille McDonald, Matthew Hardiman.

Referee: Sam Mulhall

Assistants: Andrew Coop and Paul Norris

Fourth official: Mark Thomas

Booked: Richardson (IoM); Gordon (Staffs)

Man of the Match: McDonald (Staffs)

Match rating: HHHHH

VAGABONDS defeated Ormskirk in their first home game of the 2012-13 season and went to the top of Women’s NC North Division One in the process.

The Ballafletcher side were out of the blocks quickest and were ahead in the very first minute when Anne-Marie Rivers went over for her maiden try.

Ormskirk, especially in the forwards, were no pushovers and they were soon back in the game. The pack generated some clean ball and right wing Charlotte Pierce danced through some slack tackling on her way to the try line. Charlotte Trail converted to give the visitors a 5-7 lead.

Vagas then upped their game. Sorrelle Williams was over in the 20th minute but unable to ground the ball. After a lengthy injury stoppage, play resumed where it had left off and the home side finally got the breakthrough they were looking for when Lauren Ellison crashed in under the posts. Cath Moore converted and they were in front 12-7.

As half-time neared, Ormskirk earned themselves a scrum deep inside their own 22. The ball squirted out the side and Vagas scrum-half Rachel Beckley seized the opportunity. She gathered in the loose ball and drove over the line from five metres out. Moore added the conversion and Vagas turned around 19-7 in front.

Ormskirk threatened a revival after a little purple patch at the beginning of the second half. They pinned Vagas back for 10 minutes and finally got their reward when Emma Fletcher finished off an overlap wide on the right to reduce Vagabonds’ lead to 19-12.

From then on Vagas began to dominate but the gritty Ormskirk defence left the scorers untroubled until the last 10 minutes. Substitute Steph Hall finally cracked the defence in the 34th minute of the half. Her midfield break created space on the left and some slick handling put Ellison clear for her second and the decisive score.

With Moore’s conversion Vagas had the game in the bag at 26-12.

They then iced the cake with the very last play of the game. Ormskirk made a hash of a clearance kick and Tara Jackson scooped up the ball and galloped in from halfway to finish the game off in style.

DOUGLAS maintained the pressure on South Lancashire and Cheshire Division Two leaders Sefton when they made it 10 wins out of 10 at home to struggling Buxton on Saturday, writes Rob Todd.

The game was a damp squib for the first 20 minutes with neither side really imposing on the other.

The Buxton scrum was shunting the Douglas one back, but in the lineout Douglas were beating the Buxton equivalent.

It was on 20 minutes when the Douglas try machine Daryn Thompson scored from a rolling maul from the 22.

Buxton were spirited and were competing physically at the ruck, but the Douglas lineout was working and they scored another rolling maul on 30 minutes and again on 35. Thompson had a hat-trick secured by half-time.

The second half started much the same as the first until Thompson pushed another maul over the line for his fourth.

Buxton’s platform at the scrum was halted when their tighthead was sin-binned, enabling Douglas to take advantage. First, Andy Evans crashed through the centres, then Niall Killey followed suit, while the final try of the afternoon was scored by Cal Carine.

With five out of seven converted by Bryn Snellgrove, the scoreline looked healthy. Nevertheless, Buxton put in a good performance and were stubborn and difficult to break down.

Douglas will have to improve in areas if the run is to continue against table-toppers Sefton this weekend. The boys know what needs to be done.

IOMA Group Bacchas A maintained their lead at the top of the Wi-Manx Mixed Premier Division with a 4-0 victory over IOMA Group Bacchas B at the National Sports Centre on Saturday.

Karl Moore scored two of the goals and was joined on the scoresheet by Andy Whiting, plus an own goal.

Paragon Valkyrs A maintained pressure on the league leaders with a 6-3 victory over Manx Telecom Vikings A.

Chris Caldwell, Ollie Webster and Julian Colley netted single strikes, there was a brace for Russell Miller and an own goal.

Vikings replied with two from Andy Harding and a goal from Ieuan Williams on his first team debut.

CM Skye Ramsey A secured both points from their match with Celton Manx Celts.

Penalty corner conversions from Matt Grice and James Aitchison proved enough for the northerners.

Manx Telecom Vikings B claimed their first victory of the season with a 3-1 win over Paragon Valkyrs B.

The scorers for Ian Perry’s Vikings side were Kat Gatherer with two and Ieuan Williams with one, while Neil Jacobs was the only Valkyrs player to find the net.

Wi-Manx Mixed Division One

Fearless Sabres maintained their winning run with a close-fought victory over IOMA Group Bacchas C.

Andrew Winstanley and Steve Cottier netted two goals apiece for Sabres, with George Powell adding a single strike. Bacchas replied through a Tony Bentley-Roberts hat-trick and a goal from Niamh Goddard.

Paragon Valkyrs C lost ground in the title race as they were forced to come back from 1-3 down to claim a share of the points from their match with Celton Manx Cammags.

Christian Steriopulos netted all three goals for Cammags, with Clive Callister, Vic Ferns and Michelle Poyzer replying for Valkyrs.

IOMA Group Bacchas Colts claimed a 2-1 victory over Manx Telecom Vikings C. Ed Knight and Tom Evans netted for Bacchas with Jess Tarpey replying for Vikings.

Celton Manx Cushags Colts claimed a 3-2 victory over HQ Harlequins A. Two goals from Harry Brindle and a strike from James Allen proved enough for Jon Allen’s Colts side. Harlequins replied through Paul Nuttall and Juan Corlett.

Wi-Manx Mixed Division Two

CM Skye Ravens extended their lead at the top of Wi-Manx Mixed Division Two with a 7-0 victory over Fearless Sharks.

Hannah Grubb led the way for Ravens, netting on four occasions. She was joined on the scoresheet by Finn Cain, Tom Howard and Barry Mellor.

CM Skye Rookies emerged the right side of a five-goal scoreline to claim victory over Manx Telecom Vikings D.

Dan Stevenson claimed all three goals for Rookies, with Jan Carney and Emma Bridgewater replying for Vikings.

The points were shared between Celton Manx Cosney and Paragon Valkyrs D. Graeme Brown scored the three goals for Cosney, while Valkyrs replied through Grahame Shimmin and two penalty corner conversions from the stick of Paul Scambler.

IOMA Group Bacchas D claimed a 6-1 victory over HQ Harlequins B. Sam Franklin and Ashley Sandyford-Sykes netted two goals apiece with Chris Hill and Dave Partington adding single strikes. Tony Mansell netted a consolation goal for Harlequins.

Wi-Manx Mixed Under-16s

IOMA Group Bacchas were victorious in their match with Paragon Valkyrs. Goals from Patrick Cox, James Harrison and two from Sam Riordan proved enough for the Tromode side.

CM Skye Rogues claimed a 4-1 victory over HQ Harlequins. Two goals each from Max Renton and Thomas Hird saw Rogues secure both points on offer. No name for the Harlequins scorer was received.

Wi-Manx Mixed Premier Division

IOMA Group Bacchas A 4

IOMA Group Bacchas B 0

Karl Moore 2

Andy Whiting

Own goal

CM Skye Ramsey A 2Celton Manx Celts 0

Matt Grice

James Aitchison

Paragon Valkyrs A 6Manx T’com Vikings A 3

Russell Miller 2Andy Harding 2

Chris CaldwellIeuan Williams

Ollie Webster

Julian Colley

Own goal

Paragon Valkyrs B 1Manx T’com Vikings B 3

Neil JacobsKat Gatherer 2

Ieuan Williams

Wi-Manx Mixed Division One

Celton Manx Cammags 3Paragon Valkyrs C 3

Christian Steriopulos 3Clive Callister

Vic Ferns

Michelle Poyzer

Celton Manx Cushags Colts 3

HQ Harlequins A 2

Harry Brindle 2Paul Nuttall

James AllenJuan Corlett

Fearless Sabres 5IOMA Group Bacchas C 4

Andrew Winstanley 2Tony Bentley-Roberts 3

Steve Cottier 2Niamh Goddard

George Powell

Manx Telecom Vikings C 1

IOMA Group Bacchas Colts 2

Jess TarpeyEd Knight

Tom Evans

Wi-Manx Mixed Division Two

IOMA Group Bacchas D 6HQ Harlequins B 1

Sam Franklin 2Tony Mansell

Ashley Sandyford-Sykes 2

Chris Hill

Dave Partington

CM Skye Ravens 7Fearless Sharks 0

Hannah Grubb 4

Barry Mellor

Tom Howard, Finn Cain

Paragon Valkyrs D 3Celton Manx Cosney 3

Grahame ShimminGraeme Brown 3

Paul Scambler 2

Manx Telecom Vikings D 2CM Skye Rookies 3

Jan CarneyDan Stevenson 3

Emma Bridgewater

Wi-Manx Mixed Under-16s

IOMA Group Bacchas 4Paragon Valkyrs 0

James Harrison

Patrick Cox

Sam Riordan 2

CM Skye Rogues 4HQ Harlequins B 1

Max Renton 2No details received

Thomas Hird 2

THE founder of Jurby Transport Museum says he won’t be bullied into standing down.

Chairman of the Manx Transport Trust Richard Davis said he fears the plug could be pulled on the Jurby attraction which has had 32,000 visitors since it opened in 2010.

But the Department of Community Culture and Leisure, which sublets the museum building to the trust, insists the museum’s lease is not in jeopardy.

The dispute centres on the sale of a bus used in open-top sightseeing tours.

Members of the board of the Manx Transport Trust last week voted on a proposal for Mr Davis to stand down as chairman and take up the honorary title of president. In a statement, director Barry Edwards said that while the chairman had done nothing wrong, his actions ‘had caused embarrassment’ to the DCCL.

The vote, which was split with three for and three against with one abstention, followed an acrimonious discussion about the sale of an ex-Bus Vannin double decker owned by retired police officer Mr Davis to Mann Sightseeing Tours boss Steve Dugdale.

Mr Edwards, who had voted for Mr Davis’s removal, claimed the chairman had left the board and two other directors had left with him.

But Mr Davis, who has been involved in bus restoration for 30 years and was the brainchild behind the transport museum, said he has no intention of resigning.

He said the board feared the DCCL could terminate the museum’s lease when it comes up for renewal next September.

Mr Davis told iomtoday: ‘The price for remaining open is for me to step down. But I’m not prepared to be bullied into doing that. I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong.’

Mann Sightseeing Tours boss Mr Dugdale said: ‘If the DCCL has been embarrassed they shouldn’t take it out on the Manx Transport Trust. It’s ridiculous.

‘If the DCCL pull their financial support then they could go under.’

Mr Davis explained double decker number 65 was one of four redundant Leyland Olympians he had personally bought from Bus Vannin in 2010.

There were no restrictions put on his use or subsequent disposal of the vehicles except that he pay for any tyres retained and that the Isle of Man Transport fleet name branding and logos be removed which was done immediately upon their arrival at the museum, he said.

He said its sale to Mr Dugdale was provisionally agreed on the basis that the tour operator boss was successful in obtaining an operator’s licence from the Road Transport Licensing Committee. He said this was done to ensure any possible controversy over the use of the bus was resolved by the RTLC which could hear any objections from operators if they felt it was detrimental to their business.

But no objections were registered and a licence was issued by RTLC - and the sale of the bus went ahead.

Mr Edwards said the museum will continue to be open as advertised and the board was committed to continuing to provide the island with a ‘brand leading’ attraction.

DCCL Minister Graham Cregeen said there had been no embarrassment to the department. ‘We thought the bus was going to the museum. We’ve got no issue with the bus tour. The question of the chairmanship is a decision for the board.’

Nick Black, chief executive officer of the DCCL, said: ‘The department has made no suggestion whatsoever that the lease on the museum will be ended prematurely.

‘The property is owned by the Department of Infrastructure but is leased to this department and sublet to the Trust. The department expects to renegotiate the lease in the usual way when it is next due for review. Current concerns appear to relate to roles within the trust, which are a matter entirely for the officers and members of that trust.’

MY daughter and her family have a place in Spain. It’s not a big place like Madrid or Barcelona.

It’s a duplex apartment on what’s known as the Costa Tropical, a safe distance from British-occupied Spain.

With apparently commendable devotion to her ageing and increasingly dependent parents she invited us both to spend a week there with her and I’ve just got back to the Isle of Man.

But I nearly didn’t. Why she thought it might be a good idea to abandon me out there I haven’t worked out yet. She insists she didn’t mean to.

The apartment is high up on what is called the Punta de Mona or Mona Point. What the connection with the Isle of Man is I have no idea. But that, as you might say, is not the point just now.

The first morning she drove us down to the nearby seaside resort of La Herredura where mainly Spanish holidaymakers disport themselves and which is the birthplace of Andres Segovia, the Spanish classical guitarist.

We were to take breakfast in the sun in a seafront cafe. She parked the car outside. Afterwards she and her mother went back out to it and I followed leaning on my walking stick.

(I know I am not known to friends and colleagues in the Isle of Man as using a walking stick. But on holiday it does help with all the tramping around that’s involved – and Spanish people are notably kind to the aged and infirm).

She and her mother were in the front seats when I got there and opened the back door. The engine was running as I tossed the stick into the car and heaved my right leg in, which was when my daughter drove off at speed and disappeared round a corner. The door slammed shut of its own accord. I was left standing on one leg in the road.

The only useful thing about this was that it was my good leg. Otherwise I was stranded.

As I say, the Spanish are kind to oldies. Two girls ran to me from the cafe, taking me protectively by the arm.

‘Abuelo,’ they gasped. ‘Por Dios, que es lo que ha pasado aqui.’

This worked out as: ‘For God’s sake Grandad, what’s happened to you?’

They sat me down where I pondered the employment opportunities for a Manx freelance journalist in a place like La Herredura.

I hadn’t got far with this when the car came back. To the disgust of an increasing crowd of Spanish sympathisers, mother and daughter were convulsed with laughter.

The girls gave me my stick and helped me into the back seat.

‘Suerte viejo,’ they said with evident concern. This meant the best of luck old man.

Back at the apartment my daughter had stopped laughing long enough to apologise. ‘Sorry Dad,’ she said. ‘I just didn’t realise we’d left you behind. But you have to admit, it was funny.’

She’s not a little girl any more, otherwise I’d have taken my stick to her.

• EDDIE and Sue Booth are back in Port Erin after a holiday in Cyprus where they read the following story in the Cyprus Weekly: ‘Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found at a poultry abattoir in Oras village in the Larnaca district, even though foul play has been ruled out.’

Eddie and Sue told me: ‘These foreigners don’t have a clue how to spell English words. Surely it should have been fowl play.’

They obviously chickened out.

• LIBERAL Vannin Party chairman Roy Redmayne emails me to say: ‘Many thanks for taking the time to identify the spelling error on our website. I take full responsibility and will be writing the word out one hundred times.’

On the website?

• THIS week’s Isle of Man crossword clue is: ‘Article on races hurt case (6) – ATTACHE (Kevin Nicholls, Glasgow Herald).

PASSENGERS flying to and from the island will have less choice from the New Year.

Manx 2 has announced it is to stop flying to Leeds/Bradford and Oxford from January 8 for the first quarter of the year.

More on this story in tomorrow’s Manx Independent.

England’s notorious 16th century witch trials cast a shadow far longer than the one which enveloped the people of Pendle in Lancashire.

Essex has its own dark history, with over 500 women tried for witchcraft in the county between 1560 and 1680 and the small town of Manningtree becoming the headquarters of Matthew Hopkins, the much-feared, self-styled Witchfinder General.

‘Essex girl’ and author Syd Moore gives the county’s fascinating past a pivotal role in her second haunting ghost story, a thrilling, chilling follow-up to her much-acclaimed debut novel, The Drowning Pool, which was inspired by the legend of 19th century Essex woman, the Sea Witch Sarah Moore.

In Witch Hunt, she delves into an Essex few us know or recognise as well as crossing new boundaries into a surprisingly rich and well-blended concoction of mystery, horror, politics, social issues, mental illness and stereotyping.

It was always going to be an ambitious project but Moore pulls it off skilfully, weaving the past and present, fact and fiction, the real and the ethereal with a palpable sense of passion and an impressive fluidity.

Freelance journalist Sadie Asquith has been fascinated by the dark past of Essex’s witch hunts for as long as she can remember and has decided to write a book on the subject.

But her mother, who has always believed she was distantly related to one of the Essex witches, is dying in a hospice and has bad feelings about Sadie’s book, not least because it will be published by the literary arm of the empire of ruthless tycoon Robert Cutt, a man who has ‘corruption all over his face.’

When her mother dies, Sadie throws herself into researching the book but soon starts experiencing strange, ghostly visions. She finds eerie messages on her computer, hears sobbing voices at night and black moths appear from nowhere.

It’s as if, by digging up the truth about the witch hunts, she has opened an unearthly connection to the women who were cruelly mistreated and killed centuries earlier.

But something else in the modern-day world is after her too; her mother’s boyfriend Dan has gone missing and Sadie is convinced she’s being followed. When her flat is burgled and she finds clues that reveal her own past isn’t all that she believed, her research becomes more menacing than she could ever have imagined.

Can she find peace for the witches of Essex, and can she find a safe path home for herself?

Moore’s multi-layered novel is a twisting, turning, absorbing ghost story, encapsulating in brief scenes of graphic horror the reality of the terrible fate of those 16th century women condemned as witches.

An intriguing read for lovers of history, the supernatural, detective fiction and horror.

(Avon, paperback, £6.99)

THIRTEEN aspiring young men, desperate to be employed, have ‘graduated’ with honours from an intensive four week preparation for work in the service sector programme.

That’s the honour bestowed on them by training expert Angelena Boden, for their hard work, determination to succeed and above all a measurable change in mindset and behaviour.

They are categorised as NEETs (not in employment, education or training). Angelena said these young people find themselves labelled, categorised and stigmatised because they made some mistakes and didn’t fit in with traditional education. She claimed some are paying for these mistakes and feel that they have no future. As a result, depression and anxiety are becoming more common among young unemployed.

She said: ‘These young men came for the taster day five weeks ago and I believe saw it as just another course.

‘As I am a motivational trainer, not a process trainer, with a strong background in self esteem and confidence building, I knew it was important to build them up from the inside rather than just immerse them solely in skills training. We had almost 100 per cent attendance and punctuality, even from those travelling in from Ramsey and the south.’

The programme, which developed skills in customer service, communication, managing emotions and behaviour, culminated in an ‘Opportunity Knocks’ style show at The Rutland Hotel, Douglas, where they presented their group business ideas to a discerning panel.

This comprised Howard Parkin, Manx National Heritage and Sharon Kissack of Ambitions and chaired by Ann Clayton, chartered director.

The young entrepreneurs, many of whom are overcoming personal and emotional challenges, impressed the judges with their professional pitches and work ethic.

These included ‘Refurb’, an environmentally-friendly business taking cast- off furniture and remodelling it for sale.

Another was ‘Edible Cookbooks’ which received warm expressions of interest by the invited audience and ‘Classic Football Programmes’, an exclusive business selling a range of football programmes, including signed ones, for fans who can’t get to

matches. ‘Suitable Suits’ was the brainchild of a group who were sent out on an assignment and became passionate about the need to supply rental suits for the unemployed so they could present themselves well at interview.

The group appealed to members of the audience for donations as part of their corporate social responsibility.

The youngest entrepreneurs, aged 16, put forward their business called ‘It Catches the Eye’; an online personal artwork service, to demonstrate their special talents in drawing.

In summing up the presentations, Ann Clayton said: ‘I felt really privileged to be on the panel at the Opportunity Knocks presentation.

‘I had seen these young men, some of whom classed themselves as “losers” at the beginning of their journey, not sure what they were committing to. At this final event they stood before an audience of strangers and presented themselves and some very interesting business ideas.

‘Some were terrified but faced their fears with courage and maturity and were a real credit to their trainer. I sincerely hope that local employers will think hard about how they can provide supportive opportunities to these admirable young people.’

All of the group commented they had grown in confidence, had done tasks they would have refused to do at school and felt they had been treated with respect by the training team.

‘It’s time to grow up and be responsible,’ said Daniel Taylor.

Anisa Haghdadi, Birmingham Young Professional of Year (Aspiring Talent) winner 2012 and an entrepreneur since the age of 15 was the guest speaker. She stressed the need for young people to believe in themselves and to go looking for opportunities rather than waiting for them to come knocking.

Andrew McKinley, employment services manager, said: ‘The Department of Economic Development is keen to support a range of training courses, especially those which will give the best start to young people of the island and improve their future prospects.’

The group will move on into suitable work placements with the help of Geoff Le Page, industry liaison manager with Transforming Training and Emma Cain of the Department of Economic Development.

l If you are an employer keen to give young people a helping hand, contact emma.cain@gov.im

THE former Onchan Police Station is up for sale at a price tag of £295,000.

The detached property on Elm Drive, was originally constructed as two semi-detached houses with a small linking police station.

In later years it was fully converted to its last use as Onchan police station.

It maybe suitable as a large single house, however, it is more likely that it may appeal to a developer looking to split it back into two separate houses.

Black Grace Cowley is the estate agent.

A RECORD number of entries have been submitted to this year’s One World Charity Challenge.

The challenge invites year 12 students (ages 16-17) from across the island to speak out for people living in the developing world, by creating a presentation examining the work of a Manx-registered charity.

More than 140 students in 28 teams have signed up to take part in the project, with each team representing a charity working overseas and receiving funding from the Overseas Aid Committee.

One World Charity Challenge is sponsored by the H&S Davidson Trust and coordinated by the One World Centre.

A One World Centre spokesman explained: ‘The challenge sets out to give year 12 students a greater understanding of the developing world through researching the work of a charity working overseas.

‘Students working in teams are challenged to choose a charity working overseas, which is either Manx registered or supported by the Overseas Aid Committee, students then research the work of the charity and interview representatives from the charity.

‘They must put together a 12 minute multi-media presentation which examines the effectiveness of their charity, shows cultural understanding and looks at the impact the charity has had on the life of a young person.’

One team from each school will be selected to take part in the final at the Manx Museum, Douglas on March 11, 2013.

The H&S Davidson Trust offers a grant of £500 for every team completing the challenge.

The funds go into an overall grant pool which is shared between the five charities reaching the final.

In previous years the Overseas Aid Committee has provided match funding meaning that all charities represented by the teams have received an award of between £200 and £700.

Since 2008, more than £60,000 has been donated to charities working overseas as a direct result of this project.