Think of David Nicholls’ One Day, add a week’s worth of northern humour and you have what could be one of the year’s funniest and most romantic books.

Breezing in on the wave of 2013 is Mhairi McFarlane whose very modern, very witty and very wonderful debut novel is a true labour of love.

Five years in the making and set in Manchester, the beating heart of the north, You Had Me at Hello also comes straight from the heart.

It’s a rollocking, rumbustious romantic comedy which bubbles over with engaging – but very credible – characters, slick dialogue, plotlines that tug at those heartstrings and all written with a nudge, a wink and an irresistible sense of fun.

Central to the story is that old ‘love story’ chestnut ... what happens when you meet up again with the boyfriend ‘that got away,’ the man you adored (and still do) but who slipped through your fingers, probably never to be seen again.

Rachel Woodford is a ‘doormat’ kind of girl who works as a court reporter, has been dating dullard Rhys for far too long, still lives with her old Manchester University flatmates and is well and truly stuck in a mind-numbing time warp.

But then Ben, her old uni flame whose memory has never really stopped lighting her fire, turns up again in Manchester ten years later and it’s as if she’s ‘woken up after a coma, been jolted back to life by a favourite song.’

Only trouble is that solicitor Ben is married to the beautiful, clever Olivia and his evidently shiny, joyful and functional existence puts into sad relief her own ‘decade-long stasis,’ making her feel as if she ‘sits around in a moth-eaten Miss Havisham graduation ballgown, listening to a crackly recording of Pulp’s ‘Disco 2000’.’

Is their bittersweet reunion going to be the final chapter of their long-running story, or could it be the beginning of a whole new blockbuster?

Easy to read and hard to put down, McFarlane’s creative and cuddly concoction is a slow-burning, wry and funny love story with plenty of width and depth to keep the smartest and most demanding chick-lit readers hooked to the very last page.

With its pleasing mix of romance and reality and a seemingly bottomless store of hilarious one-liners, You Had Me at Hello is a welcome breath of fresh air to blow away the cobwebs of 2012.

(Avon, paperback, £6.99)

ANDREAS Racing Association’s annual dinner took place in mid-November at the Palace Hotel, Douglas when guest of honour, Dr Peter Moran, presented the awards as follows.

John Smyth Trophy (Isle of Man Centre solo road race champion) Joe Faragher; GH Corlett Cups (IoM Centre sidecar champions) Dave Molyneux and Ben Binns; Morrison Plate (Formula 600 championship) Callum Collister; Duke Video Cup (Formula 400 championship) Glenn Cooke; Andreas Racing Association Cup (650cc championship) Dave Moffitt; Steel Framed Cup (Steel Framed 600cc championship) winner Mally Oates; Clubman’s championship winner - Jason Corcoran; Trimtech Shield (Single, Twins and Triples championship) Dave Moffitt; Pop Chandler Cup (Sidecar Club champions) Molyneux and Binns.

Manx and Glazing Shield (Modern Classics, Pre-1971) Ed Poole; Conister Trust Shield (Modern Classics 1984-1989) Dave Corlett; Vannin Cleaners Shield (Single cylinders - best 125 in the 400 championship) Dan Sayle; Manx Radio Cup (Solo Club champion) J. Faragher; Formula 600cc (Sidecar Club champions) Molyneux and Binns. George O’Dell Cups (Most improved sidecar driver) Craig Melvin; (Passenger) Stuart Christian.

John Teare Cup (Best Club performance) Joe Faragher; Dr Eardley Cup (Most consistent rider) Mark Madsen-Mygdal; Popplewell Trophy (Most Consistent non-winner) M. Madsen-Mygdal.

Ian Ogden Cup (Best Solo TT performance) Dan Kneen; Ian Ogden Cup (Best Sidecar TT performance) Dave Molyneux and Patrick Farrance; Lewney Cup (Best MGP perfomance) Jonathan Woodward, sixth place in the Junior race with a fastest lap of 111.633mph; Terry Smith Trophy (Fastest lap in the Newcomers’ MGP) Dean Roberts.

Race School star pupil – Brendan Fargher; ARA marshals, Rider of the Year – Jason Corcoran; Maurice Nation Cup (Club Person of the year) Sarah Blake.

At the recent Andreas Racing Association annual general meeting, the following committee members were elected for the coming year:

President - Phil Corkill; chairman - Gordon Moore; vice-chairman - Lizzie Kinvig; club secretary - Mary Rose Trainor; race secretary - Sarah Blake; membership secretary - Phil Kneen; treasurer - Chris Mitchell; riders representative - Dave Madsen-Mygdal.

General committee: Shaun Counsell, Ali Hooper, Dave Moffitt, Jane Anderson, Stephen Oates, Mark Beaumont and Steven Beale.

Former chairman Gordy Moore, Shaun Counsell, Mark Beaumont and Steven Beale are all new additions to the committee for 2013.

Race dates: March 7; April 13/14; May 5; June 23; July 28; September 21/22; October 6 (Endurance race). Test days: March 10; May 19; August 11.

STAFF at the Department of Education have expressed their delight that Hector Duff has been named in the New Year Honours list, after the war veteran’s tireless work in schools for the last 10 years.

The department said 93-year-old Mr Duff has done more than anyone to bridge the knowledge gap between generations, promoting understanding of the reasons behind, and realities of, world war. He received the British Empire Medal in this year’s New Year Honours list.

In addition to his long-standing connections with St Ninian’s High School, Mr Duff has worked throughout the education system, with the department’s release saying students across the age range ‘are enthralled by the way he delivers his recollections and truly brings history alive.’

Jo Ewan, head of history at St Ninian’s High School said she estimated Mr Duff had spoken to nearly 2000 students in his time, and has achieved brilliant things.

‘A student asked him “how did Hitler affect you?”, and he answered “I didn’t meet my daughter until she was two”. He makes it real,’ said Mrs Ewan.

‘It’s different every time, because the kids always ask different questions, and he can end up talking about something he hasn’t thought about since the war.

‘He’s been coming here for 10 years and we only found out last year he was at the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, he drove the BBC reporters in. He hadn’t mentioned it before because no one had asked!’

Mr Duff’s military career began after training as a tank driver with the Desert Rats in Egypt. He took part in the invasion of Italy in 1943 where he was wounded, and was given leave to come home to the island to see his wife for the first, and only time during the war. He landed on Gold Beach on the afternoon of D-Day. It was during this Normandy campaign that he was awarded the Military Medal for courage. He later took part in the Victory Parade in Berlin, and was involved in the early work of the Nuremberg Trials

He was demobbed in July 1946 before undertaking a 30-year career with the Isle of Man Constabulary.

Last year Mr Duff agreed to be the subject of a film in which he answered questions from pupils from the DEC’s 39 schools. The result is an educational resource dubbed Hector’s War, available to all schools, that will be a lasting legacy of his service and bravery during World War Two and of the work he has done for education.

Mrs Ewan said Hector has shown no signs of slowing down. As the sole surviving member of a group of five veterans who had initially began the schools project, he is in fact busier than ever.

‘He’s the driving force,’ she said. ‘He started seeing 20 kids a year, now it’s 250 at St Ninian’s alone. It’s incredible, he really did see most of the second world war.’

PLANS to convert a listed mansion house into a children’s nursery have sparked a row.

There was standing room only at a planning committee meeting on Monday as objectors to a proposal for a nursery at Farmhill Manor packed into the meeting.

The proposals attracted more than 30 letters of support but more than 60 letters of objection.

But the actions of Douglas councillors Bill and Carol Malarkey in orchestrating a campaign against the proposals prompted criticism from planning officers.

The report to the government’s planning committee noted that letters of objection generated by the Malarkeys were distributed with a flyer/leaflet using Douglas Council-headed paper.

The committee said: ‘Officers have contacted Mr and Mrs Malarkey raising concern that they as local residents who are also personally objecting should not be also acting in their professional capacity.’

But the Malarkeys took exception to this, stating that as political members who represent residents in Douglas they have every right to use council members’ stationery and pointing out that a footnote on the leaflet said the views expressed were not necessarily those of the council.

Officers had recommended approval of the application (12/01012/B) by Mrs Rose Gowland for change of use of Farmhill Manor to a children’s nursery to cater for 70 to 80 children, together with alterations to the driveway to provide two passing places and widened access on to Upper Farmhill Lane.

Farmhill Manor was registered as a listed building in 2005 as a fine example of a minor country house converted from a substantial Manx farmhouse sometime between 1780 to 1825. A bid by owner Heritage Homes to have the building de-registered was rejected following a planning inquiry in 2008. It has been up for sale for more than a year.

No major works are proposed to the manor to accommodate the nursery.

Supporters said nursery places were hard to come by and with government no longer providing pre-schools there was more need for private facilities.

But objectors said the plan could create major traffic problems in the future. Some said there was no need for a nursery as there were already a number pre-schools in the area.

Recommending approval, planning officers said while there would be a significant increase in traffic, the road network could cope and it would not have a sufficient impact on road safety as to warrant refusal. However, a decision was deferred until the next sitting of the planning committee on January 14.

Mr Malarkey told the Manx Independent after the meeting: ‘Nobody is objecting to a nursery but they are talking about 70 to 80 children and the traffic that would generate is a major issue with residents.’

THE six debutants in the latest Isle of Man Newspapers’ Team of the Week takes the number of players featured within its various Canada Life Premier League line-ups this season to a staggering 91.

Union Mills goalkeeper Danny Christian is among the first-timers in this week’s XI, which was concocted by Eric Clague’s infamous player ratings panel from Saturday’s four top-flight matches.

Christian edges out Rushen’s Tom Strivens for the coveted gloves after keeping a clean sheet as the Millers ended a run of six games without a win against Marown.

Also impressing in that match at Garey Mooar was Marown youngster Cameron Avery who was the Crosby side’s stand-out performer in the 4-0 reverse.

Joining the talented teen at the back are experienced campaigners Nick Leung (St John’s) and Martin Reilly (St Mary’s) who both earn their first TotW stripes of the term.

Leung was Man of the Match as the Johnners bounced back from Railway Cup final defeat to triumph 0-5 at relegation-threatened Castletown.

Former island striker Reilly is forging a mean reputation as a full-back producing another good showing as Sam Kenny’s side fought from two goals down to secure a draw at Peel.

In midfield come two of three men that have appeared in TotW the most so far this campaign. Brian Crellin (St Mary’s), Nick Hurt (St John’s) and Johnny Myers (St George’s) have all made six appearances, the former two securing their most recent accolades in the latest round of matches.

Crellin capped an eye-catching display against the westerners with a goal, while Johnners’ player-manager Hurt struck twice during his charges’ second-half onslaught against Town.

Goalscoring was also on the agenda for two of the others in the team’s five-man midfield with both Lee Gale (Peel) and Chris Shimmin (Rushen) bagging braces against St Mary’s and Gymns respectively.

Gale’s two-goal haul looked to have put the Douglas Road on the patch to victory only for the Saints to fire their own quick-fire double either side of the half-time break.

Shimmin’s recent purple patch in front of goal continued against Gymns, the versatile left-footer’s strikes going a long way to securing the Spaniards an eighth win of the season.

Completing the midfield ranks is Union Mills’ Michael Nash. The box-to-box midfielder was one of Marown’s main tormentors as Derek Cowley’s outfit secured a 4-0 victory to move 10 clear of the division’s relegation zone.

Up front, Nash’s team-mate Steven Quine makes his second TotW appearance of the season after two goals in the aforementioned triumph. Joining the former island striker in the final third is Rushen’s powerful striker Furo Davies who scored, you guessed it, twice as a spirited Gymns were swept aside at Croit Lowey.

Refereeing honours go to Alan Cowin for a second time this season after he impressed in the middle during Peel’s draw with St Mary’s.

Team of the Week 29/12/12

Goalkeeper: Danny Christian (Union Mills) TotW appearances this season: 1

Defence

Cameron Avery (Marown) TotW apps: 2

Nick Leung (St John’s) TotW apps: 1

Martin Reilly (St Mary’s) TotW apps: 1

Midfield

Lee Gale (Peel) TotW apps: 3

Michael Nash (Union Mills) TotW apps: 1

Chris Shimmin (Rushen) TotW apps: 1

Nick Hurt (St John’s) TotW apps: 6

Brian Crellin (St Mary’s) TotW apps: 6

Attack

Steven Quine (Union Mills) TotW apps: 2

Furo Davies (Rushen) TotW apps: 1

Referee

Alan Cowin (Peel v St Mary’s) RotW apps: 2

A NAUTICAL charity in the UK is all at sea after being awarded a prestigious award from Buckingham Palace.

And now the Maritime Volunteer Service (MVS) wants to spread its reach by setting up a unit in the Isle of Man.

The MVS has just been awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Volunteering Award 2012 for volunteer work carried out during the year including marshalling duties at the Olympics and work undertaken during the Queen’s jubilee.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their own communities.

It was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s coronation. It is known as the equivalent of an MBE for volunteer groups.

Chris Todd, area volunteer officer for the North of the UK, working from Warrington and covering the Isle of Man, is eager to see a Manx unit become part of an organisation which features more than 30 units across the UK.

Each unit trains their members in valuable maritime skills, both on and off-shore, that can be called upon by the community in times of emergency.

MVS members are trained in handling boats, seamanship, basic marine engineering and operational support skills including radio and telephone communications, all of which can be put to good use in times of natural disaster or emergency.

‘This award is a great recognition of the hard work our members are doing quietly all the time,’ said Chris. ‘As a uniformed organisation, the MVS has a big part to play in the community. We have a proud history, formed from the ashes of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service, with a training programme second to none.

‘It is wonderful to get positive recognition by gaining such a prestigious award and we are already looking forward to operating a full training programme in 2013.

‘I’d recommend anyone who is interested in boats and maritime activities to visit us – you don’t need any previous experience, as our training programme takes all abilities into account”

Contact Chris by calling 07885 448382 or email {mailto:avonorth@mvs.org.uk|avonorth(at)mvs.org.uk}

AS PEOPLE celebrated the start of 2013, it also signalled the start of many New Year’s resolutions.

Many people set themselves personal goals to achieve, whether it is giving up a habit or to get fit and eat more healthy food.

iomtoday went out on the streets of Douglas to see what your opinion is.

New mum Voirrey Mairs, 26, from Douglas, said: ‘They are a good idea but you don’t tend to keep to them. I might stick to it this year because I want to lose my baby weight.’

Mark Edwards, 50 and his wife Wendy, 45, from Douglas, said: ‘You don’t need the new year to change your life, you can do it any time.’

Alvin Harding, 67, from Baldrine, is looking forward to more family time. He said: ‘Resolutions are not something you stick to. This year I plan to travel more than last year and spend more time with my grandchildren. I think a lot of people do New Year resolution’s because the gym is normally full for the first two weeks. Maybe my resolution should be to avoid the gym for the first two weeks of the new year, because people go rushing down there.’

Geoff Corkish MHK is planning on getting fitter. He said: ‘I am going to walk more and use the car less – at my age you need to keep more active. I also want to eat less and be healthier. I enjoy my food, although I don’t eat sweets, so I’m going to have smaller meals. Resolutions are a good way to start the new year. I don’t normally stick to them, each year the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Although one resolution I stuck to was, when at home, never drink before 9pm.’

Claire Shaw, 24, from Douglas, said: ‘I think people have good intentions but I never stick to it. I’ve not bothered having one this year, but in the past my resolutions included going to the gym more, but it never works. I think some people take them seriously until around February, I don’t know anybody who has stuck to one.’

James Horton, 22, from Onchan, said: ‘I don’t really do them, but I think it is a common thing for people to do each year. I don’t see any point in doing a new year’s resolution because I have thoughts and goals on what to do throughout the year. I’ve never started the year with a resolution.’

Sylvia Nicoletti, 22, from London, said: ‘This year I do have one, but I don’t normally. I have two this year: one is to go to the gym every week and the second one is to work extremely well at work. I work as a broker for a model agency. This year I will stick to it because I want to follow up on them, so it just avoids the pain of not doing it. I kind of have the determination to do it this year and I feel I won’t let myself down, hopefully.’

James Haggas, 55, from Douglas, has previously tried out the same new year resolution. He said: ‘It has not crossed my mind to have one this year. For about 10 years I did have one, which was to stop drinking. I stuck to it for about a month but I didn’t feel any better for it. If you want to do something, you can do it if you want. It is a bit like anything else in life. A new year’s resolution only crosses my mind when there it is something I want to do.’

STAR all-rounder Juan Knight and teenage motocrosser Chris Moore were paired together in Ramsey MCC’s annual fun trial at West Kimmeragh, Bride on Sunday.

A large entry of 101 riders took part, in addition to two youngsters on a beginners course.

The main event was over three laps of eight sections in and around the former sand quarry, with approximately half the field riding the tougher routes and the remainder on easier versions of the same course.

As there was a slight imbalance in numbers, with more choosing to ride the harder sections, a total of 43 pairs were later drawn out of the hat over a mix of the hard and easy routes.

Juan Knight lost three marks on the easy route, a dab on each visit to Peter Gray’s second section. But Knight was beaten by resident Cumbrian Nigel Sharp with a completely clean ride on the Gas Gas and surprise package Josh Corlett with a loss of one.

Veteran feet-up man Stuey Clague (70 later this month), produced the joint best score of the day on the easier route with young motocrosser Stefan Kelly. They dropped one apiece.

But the pairs-out-of-the-hat theme linked Juan Knight up with Chris Moore, who dropped seven on the easy route, to finish on a total of 10 marks to give them a four-mark advantage over Graham Christian and Sam Marsden with seven apiece.

Jonathan Notman and regular former trials man Peter Blackburn were a close third in front of Manx Two Day Trial committee man Andrew Cubbon and schoolboy ‘crosser Will Quirk.

Nigel Sharp was severely handicapped by former St George’s footballer Peter Peniata and, despite Sharpie’s clean performance, big Pete had his size-11s paddling like a duck heading upstream to drop 20 and place them sixth overall.

World Superbike star Jonathan Rea and enduro aces David Knight and Danny McCanney all finished reasonably well up on observation, but down the overall list in the team contest.

Graham Christian and Sam Marsden won the coveted Dennis Corkill Cup for the best pair aged over and under 40.

Aleyn Taggart and Craig Norrey were the leading all-expert pairings on 31.

Thanks go to Grosvenor Hotel, Andreas for sponsoring the post-event food.

RESULTS

Riders on the hard route are named first: 1, Juan Knight (hard route, three marks lost) and Chris Moore (easy route, seven) total 10 marks lost; 2, Graham Christian seven, Sam Marsden seven = 14; 3, Jonny Notman 13, Peter Blackburn three = 16; 4, Andrew Cubbon 12, Will Quirk five = 17; 5, Jonathan Kelly 11, Chris Cain seven = 18; 6=, Ryan Cringle 10, Mark Higgins 10 = 20; 6=, Nigel Sharp clean, Peter Peniata 20 = 20; 8, Paul Smith 13, Paul Doherty eight = 21; 9, Martyn Kissack 18, Callum Kinrade four = 22; 10=, Josh Corlett one, Jade Corrin 23 = 24; 10=, Barry Kinley five, Mike Ellis 19 = 24; 10=, Kyle Casement 12, Simon Tyer 12 = 24; 13, Sammy Ball 25, Stefan Kelly one = 26; 14, Martyn Jones 18, Phil Ward nine = 27; 15=, Michael Cannan 19, Harry Corrin 10 = 29; 15=, Russell Millward 15, Chris Proctor 14 = 29; 17, Nick Ward seven, Ryan Quirk 23 = 30; 18=, Andrew Kissack 10, Nathan Rawlinson 22 = 32; 18=, Nigel Woods 26, Juan Brain six = 32; 20, Gareth Quayle 17, Rich Freeman 16 = 33; 21=, Danny McCanney four, Michael Corlett 30 = 34; 21=, Peter Wynne 29, Ian Skillicorn five = 34; 23=, Juan Lace nine, Matt Bond 27 = 36; 23=, Jack Hunter 33, Nick Peniata three, 36; 23=, John McIver 17, Aaron Craine 19 = 36; 26, Ryan Neild 20, Robert Kissack 17 = 37; 27, Aaron Peniata 16, Liam Crellin 22 = 38; 28=, Shaun Huxley 22, Freddie Craine 17 = 39; 28=, John Kneale 25, Matt Howland 14 = 39; 30, Olly Lace 12, Kathryn Sentance 29 = 41; 31=, Jonathan Rea seven, Mike Ulyatt 35 = 42; 31=, Matt Mylchreest 16, Dylan Groom 26 = 42; 33, Will Keenan 43, Stuey Clague one = 44; 34, Mike Stevens 23, Richard Kneen 22 = 45; 35=, Neil Christian 13, Josh Blackburn 33 = 46; 35=, Tom Cairns 14, Stuart Bedford 32 = 46; 37, Daniel Smith 17, Luke Hall 36 = 53; 38, Gavin Hunt six, Brian Bedford 48 = 54; 39, Lee Cain 39, Jacalyn Riding 21 = 60; 40, Mark Cringle 13, Jack Keenan 45 = 58; 41, Will Harrison 28, Owen Chestnut 42 = 70; 42, David Knight 10, Fynn Kneale 72 = 82; 43, Gwillym Hooson-Owen 32, Fletcher Kneale 59 = 91. Remaining hard route riders (pairs): 1, Aleyn Taggart four, Craig Norrey 27 = 31; 2, Andy Wilson 30, Paul Ansermoz 21 = 51; 3, Sam Ansermoz 16, Sophie-May Hardie 40 = 56; 4, Tom Knight 30, Adam Kelly 36 = 66. Solo: Peter Christian 21. Leading individual (hard route): 1, Nigel Sharp clean; 2, Josh Corlett one; 3, Juan Knight three; 4=, Aleyn Taggart and Danny McCanney four; 6, Barry Kinley five; 7, Gavin Hunt six; 8=, Nick Ward seven; 8=, Jonathan Rea and Graham Christian seven; 11, Juan Lace nine; 12=, Ryan Cringle, David Knight, Andrew Kissack 10. Easy route: 1=, Stuey Clague and Stefan Kelly one; 3=, Peter Blackburn and Nick Peniata three; 5, Callum Kinrade fur; 6=, Ian Skillicorn and Will Quirk five; 8, Juan Brain six; 9=, Chris Moore, Sam Marsden and Chris Cain seven; 12, Paul Doherty eight.

This week, Isle of Man Friends of the Earth secretary Cat Turner reflects on a Christmas with a difference.

This Christmas was a slightly different one for us at Rhencullen House: even less money about than usual. ‘And how can THAT be possible?’, squawk those long-suffering friends who’ve put up with my low-carbon (for which read pennypinching) ways in the past year or so….well, mostly it’s a case of ‘planned poverty’.

I’ve just resigned my comfy job in the finance sector, to go freelance and focus on writing about things closer to my heart.

So, having a fair idea what that might mean (instant penury, followed with luck by a gradual climb into relative comfort) it seemed foolish to indulge in the traditional all-out splurge.

Plus, I’m a big fan of ‘unconsumption’ – the movement aimed at encouraging us all to stop making, buying and then trashing ever more stuff and in the course of it, polluting the earth and using up its diminishing resources.

But what do you get for the child who wants everything?

Surprisingly, ‘not much’ wasn’t as big a disaster as you might think. Catherine and Lizzie are fortunate in having a pack of godfathers, godmothers, god-buddies and god-knows-who-else, who furnished them with a few of life’s real essentials.

These included a pogo stick and a hairdressing doll so Christmas morning still began with a happy interlude of unwrapping.

And our lovely friend Sam made up stockings of cheap but thoughtful mini-trinkets for the girls to find on their beds on the day (thanks Santa-Sam, we love you!).

What I really wanted to see, though, was whether we could manage to have a lovely, festive holiday here at Rhencullen House – whilst not at the same time trashing both the planet and my threadbare wallet.

Here’s what I learned:

1. Prioritise, and appreciate the choosing.

Whenever the girls went into a frenzy of shrieking ‘I want that’ at the TV, we had a brief and initially unedifying conversation about the merits of choosing ONE THING only…this was hard for them, because cleverer minds than mine are hell-bent on convincing them that life’s unliveable without more bright plastic toys.

Not for nothing do the big manufacturers hire child psychologists to help them create feelings of ‘need’ in your child!

So of course, that ‘one essential thing’ changed at every ad break. But then something surprising happened. Lizzie decided, without prompting, to make a list of all those ‘essential items’ she’d spotted.

Her sister joined her in this little project.

The lists grew long, but after a few days and a lot of debate, they were each able to isolate their ‘favouritest favourite’ and stick with it. So I learned that with not much help, youngsters can work out for themselves how to prioritise, choose what few items they’d most appreciate, and even better – really enjoy the process.

Lizzie even noticed out loud that she was a lucky girl to be in a position to choose (‘I like choosing, it’s like shopping without going out and getting cold’).

2. Think hard about others, and enjoy trying to delight them.

A week or so before Christmas, Catherine informed me that there were ‘insufficient’ presents under the tree (she actually used that word: she’s six. Darn education!).

So we sat down together and chatted about what we’d each most like to be given by each other, if we couldn’t have ‘things’.

Catherine knew that Lizzie loves stories, so with a little help, she made her a ‘voucher’ for one story of Lizzie’s choice, to be told to her by Catherine at a time of her choosing.

Lizzie knows that Catherine covets her best blue dress, so Lizzie made a voucher to give her first choice of wearing it, at the next party they get invited to.

They went into a bit of a huddle over what to give me, and made me wait till Christmas Day to find out what they’d bestowed. I was blown away by it – from Catherine I got a voucher for a hug ‘for when you next need it, like when you’re tired and shouty’ (oops…..).

And Lizzie made me a drawing, which turned out to be a promise of breakfast made by her, ‘because you live on our leftovers’.

As do lots of single mothers, I guess… anyway, it was a thoughtful and loving gift and I’m looking forward to it!

So what was the upshot of all that? In pursuit of a greener, more meaningful Christmas this year I got taught a few good lessons by my girls. I learned that:

•You can help the planet and cut your carbon footprint, by refusing to submerge yourself in yet more pointless stuff (though a little stuff, well-chosen, is nice).

•You can save some money by choosing kind thoughts over cash;

•But most of all, you can rediscover the simple pleasure of giving, and being given, what everyone really wants: the gift of being known, thought about and understood.

The gift of being appreciated and loved.

MORE than 90 per cent of Manx rivers were of good or better quality this summer, results released by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture show.

This trend is encouraging compared to recent years, when a gradual decline had been noted in the island’s better rivers, based on measures of organic chemical water quality, which reflect pollution such as sewage, farm waste and slurry.

The majority of Manx rivers are not polluted and are capable of supporting diverse and sensitive wildlife, such as caddis flies, shrimps, snails and brown trout.

This improvement indicates that some rivers which were only of moderate or poor quality and could only support tolerant animals such as worms, hog-lice and midge larvae, have gradually increased in quality to the point that they are now capable of supporting more sensitive insects and, in some cases, fish.

Despite these largely positive results, problems do, however, remain.

In the 10 years up until 2008, summer monitoring indicated that 70 per cent of the island’s rivers fell into the highest water quality class of ‘very good’, which meant they were unspoilt, pollution-free and capable of supporting animals such as sensitive mayfly and salmon and trout.

However, there was a sharp decline in this water quality class in 2009 and since then the number of pristine rivers has hovered around the present 61 per cent.

In addition, a few rivers persistently show very poor quality, indicating signs of pollution and stress.

Rivers are good reflectors of the state of the natural environment. Although the Manx government’s freshwater biologist monitors many rivers regularly and the environmental protection unit seeks to regulate discharges and resolve pollution problems, it is ultimately the responsibility of the public, industry and the farming community to minimise any impacts on the island’s rivers.

Brenda Cannell, MHK, member for the Environment Directorate, said: ‘This is an encouraging report but we must not be too complacent.

‘I would urge businesses and individuals to think long and hard about the type of material finding its way into our drainage systems and ultimately our rivers and the impact that material may have on our environment.’

A copy of the report is available on the Government Laboratory website {http://www.gov.im/daff/enviro/govlabs/riverwater.xml|gov.im/daff/enviro/govlabs/riverwater.xml}

FOLLOWING on from a succession of smash hit shows including Les Miserables, My Fair Lady and Miss Saigon, the Douglas Choral Union is set to take on another musical masterpiece next month.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers opens at the Gaiety Theatre on Saturday, February 2 and continues until the following Saturday (February 9).

DCU chairman Nick Cain said: ‘We started rehearsals in August, and have attracted talented new members both young and more experienced for this year’s show. We owe our success to the extraordinary talent we have on this island of ours, but also to the fantastic team we have backstage.

‘I can honestly say that rehearsals have been the most fun I’ve had in all my years with the DCU and we are very much looking forward to presenting Seven Brides to the Manx public. Each year we set ourselves very high standards and this production is no different. It’s an energetic, colourful show that’s guaranteed to brighten up those winter months.’

Set in 1850, shortly after the gold rush, Seven Brides follows the story of Adam Pontipee - a woodsman living in the mountains who, high from his farm in the rugged Oregon Territory countryside, makes a trip to town to pick up some goods for the months ahead - including a wife.

He stumbles upon Milly, a serving girl with passion and sass, who falls for his sweet talk about the farming life. They are soon married but Adam has failed to mention that he lives with his six younger brothers, who live like barnyard animals.

Since this is the 19th century, Milly doesn’t look for an annulment or a good divorce lawyer, she rolls up her sleeves, seeks solace in her bible and gets to work. She cleans the house and soon teaches the six brothers manners, proper grooming and dancing. They soon decide to find brides for themselves at the local barn raisin’ but all the girls are spoken for - and so begins a hilarious series of events full of dancing, fighting and even kidnap.

This classic production, sponsored by Dougherty Quinn Advocates, will see the return of the DCU’s Miss Saigon director, Tara Wilkinson, who having starred in many West End productions playing lead roles in such hits as Starlight Express and Saturday Night Fever, is now an accomplished and much sought-after director and choreographer.

Nick said: ‘The celebrated dance numbers are truly exciting. If you enjoyed Tara’s American Dream scene in DCU’s Miss Saigon, you’ll love the energetic choreography of this show. We also have musical direction from David Roper of Four Poofs and a Piano.’

He concluded: ‘With classic songs such as Bless Your Beautiful Hide and Goin’ Courtin’, a large cast and a few modern twists, this breathtaking production is guaranteed to put a spring in your step and a tune on your lips.’

Shows start at 7.30pm, with 2.30pm matinees on Sunday, February 3, and Saturday, February 9. For tickets, starting at £20 with concessions available, go to the Sea Terminal Welcome Centre, call the box office on 600555 or visit www.villagaiety.com

A CONTROVERSIAL election trust that apparently bankrolled a candidate’s campaign in a scandal-hit by-election only actually existed for one month – and contained just £100, it has emerged.

Island lawyer James Quinn, who was a trustee for the Manx Election Trust (MET), revealed the trust was established just a week before the by-election in May 2010 but was formally wound up the following month after the promised significant funds never materialised.

The by-election, on May 27, 2010, was rocked by scandal following the arrest of Charles ‘Buster’ Lewin, campaign manager for candidate Kevin Woodford, on suspicion of proxy vote fraud. Mr Lewin was subsequently jailed last month for three and a half years for his part in a scheme to obtain fraudulent proxy votes.

Mr Quinn this week told iomtoday: ‘There was a trust called the Manx Election Trust. It was established on May 20, 2010. It didn’t exist before that date. It was settled with £100 cash. I was a trustee.

‘I was told there was going to be a substantial amount of money settled in the trust. The promised funds never materialised and as a result I gave notice of resignation on June 4, 2010, and the trust was formally wound up on June 22, 2010.’

Meanwhile, leading island accountant Clive Dixon has said he was ‘shocked’ to have been wrongly named as a trustee of the Manx Election Trust by businessman and celebrity chef Mr Woodford at the Douglas East vote-rigging trial.

Giving evidence for the prosecution at the trial, Mr Woodford testified he understood the MET to be the source of funds used in his election campaign. He said he had been told that Mr Dixon was one of three trustees of the MET – the others being former Chief Minister Donald Gelling and former banker Douglas Elliot.

In fact, none of those three was ever a trustee. The MET had one other temporary trustee apart from Mr Quinn.

Mr Dixon said he had been approached to become a trustee in April 2010 by James Quinn. But he subsequently turned down the invitation the following month, telling Mr Quinn it was a ‘distinctly unattractive proposition’ which had ‘the potential to damage the reputation’ of his firm.

Mr Dixon, a partner in chartered accountants Moore Stephens Isle of Man, told the Independent: ‘I was concerned to find that my name has been associated with the so-called Manx Election Trust. After I declined the offer to be involved, I simply assumed that they found an alternative trustee.’

Mr Woodford declined to comment when approached by iomtoday.

He has always insisted that he has never known, or had wanted to know, the identities of the group of business people behind the blind trust.

‘I had no idea who was funding the trust but I was given names for the trust directors,’ he told the election fraud trial. He said he had ‘assumed’ some of the ‘socially-conscious’ businessmen behind the MET were ‘connected’ with building firm Dandara.

In an interview with Isle of Man Newspapers ahead of the Douglas East by-election in May 2010, he said: ‘I am aware of who the trustees are. I’m not aware of who the financial backers are and nor do I want to be.’

Mr Woodford said he had been approached six months earlier by Mr Quinn, who had been requested to set up a trust by ‘several business people from the island’ whose concern was to seek funds to put forward election candidates that were ‘perhaps of different calibre to the ones we’ve had in the past’.

He said he had faith in the ‘professionalism, honesty and integrity’ of the trustees. ‘Those are the ones who are aware of who the backers are,’ he claimed.

But Mr Dixon said he had never known who the backers were – or indeed had ever asked because he had rejected the approach before it had got that far.

He said he had not disagreed with the principle behind the trust, so long as it was ‘fully accountable and fully transparent’.

But Mr Dixon said alarm bells began ringing when he heard the then Chief Minister Tony Brown referring to MET as a ‘blind trust’ and when he heard Mr Woodford claiming in an interview that the trust had already been set up.

He said that after declining the approach he had assumed others had taken on the role of trustees for the MET.

POLICE are investigating the cause of a fire in Port Erin on Friday night.

A number of people rang 999 after seeing smoke coming from a derelict guest house in Bay View Road.

Firefighters from the village had difficulty getting into the property because large items of furniture were blocking the entrance.

Once they got in, they found a well-established fire and called for reinforcements from Castletown and Douglas.

They feared youths might be in the property because they’d had reports of young people frequenting the premises.

Firefighters attacked the fire from the front and rear of the premises. It took more than an hour to control the fire.

They also faced added dangers such as holes in the floors.

A fire service spokesman said: ‘Fire crews had to use their experience, expertise and training to prevent this incident from escalating.and spreading to the adjoining premises and developing into a major incident.

‘Fire crews were on scene for nearly five hours dampening down and cutting away burnt material. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and is currently under investigation by the police.’

MANX football results from Saturday, January 5.

Paddy Power FA Cup Preliminary Round

St Mary’s 2-1 St John’s

St George’s 9-0 Corinthians

Pulrose 3-1 Ronaldsway

Braddan 0-8 Peel

Michael 1-10 Ramsey

Rushen 7-1 Ayre

Union Mills 3-4 Douglas Royal

Castletown 2-1 Marown

Malew 0-11 Laxey

Onchan 1-2 RYCOB

JCK Division Two

Douglas Athletic 2-1 Foxdale

Canada Life Combination One

Peel 5-0 Gymns

DHSOB 1-0 St George’s

Laxey v Ramsey not received

Marown 3-4 Union Mills

St John’s P-P Castletown

JCK Combination Two

Colby 1-0 Ayre

Douglas and District 4-1 Pulrose

Ronaldsway v Douglas Royal not received

RYCOB 2-3 Michael

A MAN ‘acted suspiciously’ in Douglas Cemetery, Glencrutchery Road, on Friday afternoon.

Police haven’t said what he was doing, but said he left a woman who disturbed him ‘upset and frightened’.

He was white, in his late 40s, had short, thinning hair which was longer at the back. He also had a paunch.

The man was wearing dark trousers, dark jacket and a grey T-shirt.

When he left the cemetery, he made off towards Willaston.

FORMER Ballakermeen High School student Siobhan Walshe is the winner of the 2013 Ella Olesen Scholarship.

Siobhan, 21, of Fairway Close, Onchan, will follow a long line of local students in spending nine months among the 12,000 students at the University of Idaho in the USA from this summer.

The scholarship is named after the late Miss Ella Olesen, a former registrar of the university who died in 1985.

Her Manx ancestry – her mother Margaret Teare was born in Ballaugh and emigrated to America in 1890 – led her to gift the scholarship in 1971.

It is awarded annually to a female degree student who has been supported through her studies by the Department of Education and Children.

Forming the interview panel for this year’s scholarship were Tim Crookall MHK, Minister for Education and Children, and John Gill, head of legal and administrative services. They short-listed and interviewed six applicants before selecting Siobhan. Candidates also chatted by Skype with 2010 scholar Katie Taylor, who has returned to Idaho to study for a PhD.

Siobhan is working towards an MA in history at Edinburgh University and graduates this summer.

A former team Isle of Man swimmer and qualified lifeguard, she captains her university’s water polo second team and works with teammates to coach primary school children in the sport. She is looking forward to all the sporting opportunities Idaho Vandals will offer.

Siobhan has volunteered for Hospice in the island and, in Edinburgh, is taking part in a global partnership project in which she and six friends are raising £10,000 towards improvements to a primary school they will carry out next summer.

She’ll have the chance to do similar charity work in America.

Once at Idaho, she plans to enrol on credits in political science, public administration and international studies and further her interest in literature, which she’s combining in her dissertation, taking advantage of the fact the American university covers American Indian writing and greats such as Virginia Woolf.

Siobhan said meeting students from all over the world at Edinburgh, and visiting Thailand and Cambodia during a summer break, had confirmed she wanted to travel and experience new cultures.

She said: ‘At first I could not believe I had been chosen as the Ella Olesen scholar to go to Idaho. It was an amazing early Christmas present. To live and study abroad is a long-held personal aspiration and I cannot wait to live in such an international setting and make the most of everything Idaho has to offer.’

The current scholarship holder is Melissa Bell, 22, of Onchan. She began studying in Idaho last August and will be there until May 2013.

During the autumn semester, the former King William’s College student, who graduated in criminology and psychology from the University of West England, has studied addiction counselling. She is an intern for two charities and is training to be a mentor for those with Asperger’s syndrome. She volunteers at a warehouse that supplies a food shelter. She will learn sign language in the semester ahead.

She also spent a day teaching at a school, teaching four to nine-year-olds about the Island. She has attended her first rodeo and her first ice hockey match and has featured in the local newspaper, dancing at homecoming games.

Melissa wished her successor well and said: ‘It has been incredible to meet so many people from some many different countries and to be involved in their cultural celebrations and rituals. I was overwhelmed by how friendly people are out here and how generous they can be, too.

‘The tiny town of Moscow, Idaho, and the university take pride in being a close community.

‘The university offers such a huge variety of courses to enrol in, you are spoilt for choice when narrowing down to just the few credits it’s necessary to take.

‘I would like to offer huge congratulations to the privileged new Ella Olesen scholar. It is an achievement and an honour to be picked to represent such an incredibly fascinating little island.’

The Isle of Man Government has welcomed the news that the fisheries patrol vessel it donated to Sierra Leone in September last year has made its first arrest.

Speaking at a press conference held in Freetown, the Sierra Leone minister for fisheries and marine resources, Dr S. Kabia, confirmed that the patrol vessel ‘Isle of Man’ had detained a vessel suspected of fishing illegally in Sierra Leonean waters.

The vessel was picked up during a routine patrol, and was displaying a false identity and call sign.

Further investigations are continuing to ascertain the identity of the vessel in question.

Dr Kabia said: ‘Sierra Leone will be consistently tough on illegal operators.

‘They are undermining our country’s economy and development. I have not hesitated to use the full force of the law against them, and the donation of the patrol boat by the people and government of the Isle of Man has given us a powerful resource to do just that.’

Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Phil Gawne MHK, who is also chair of the Isle of Man Overseas Aid Committee, said: ‘I was absolutely delighted to be contacted by Minister Kabia confirming this news.

‘The ex-Isle of Man customs vessel, which was donated by the Isle of Man government in September, is already acting as a notable deterrent to illegal poaching.

‘This detention will send a clearer message to those wishing to plunder Sierra Leone’s fisheries that the days when they could get away with this are numbered.

‘I am very pleased to hear that the vessel continues to perform well. Healthy fisheries are the most important source of protein for Sierra Leone’s people, and this donation is clearly having a benefit to the nation as a whole that is worth many times the value of the vessel itself.

‘Recent improvements in fisheries policy and enforcement in Sierra Leone have resulted in more than $30 million a year in increased legally-caught fish sales and a large proportion of this increased economic value is as a result of Isle of Man support.’

The Departments of Health and Social Care are hosting a free day to raise awareness about dementia on Thursday, January 31, in the Villa Marina’s Royal Hall.

The afternoon session from 2pm to 5pm is aimed at those who have or care for people with dementia.

The session is free and there is no need to book.

Those who attend will be able to hear from Dr Chris Jagus, consultant psychiatrist with the Older Persons Mental Health Service in the Isle of Man, who works extensively to help people with dementia.

Dr Jagus will open the information session describing the work he is involved in and the impact that dementia has on those affected, as well as those who support and care for them.

The departments have been fortunate to secure a second speaker for the session, Dr Ann Johnson, who has more experience than most of dementia.

Dr Johnson originally trained as a nurse and then moved on to become a lecturer in nursing at the University of Manchester before being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease seven years ago at the age of 52.

Dr Johnson is an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Society, working tirelessly for them as well as being involved in national TV and radio coverage, giving lectures and speaking at many events, describing the cause of dementia and her own personal journey.

In recognition of Dr Johnson’s work she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Bolton for her outstanding contribution to health care. Dr Johnson will bring both her personal perspective, as a person living with dementia and her wealth of knowledge to this information session. This in turn will help to demystify dementia and demonstrate that life doesn’t just stop once a diagnosis is given.

Following the information session there will be an opportunity to look around the exhibition stands, where a range of information will be available both in written material and through the knowledge of those manning the stands.

If you want to attend the information session, but the person you are caring for would need support in your absence contact 685645 and your needs can be discussed and possibly support provided, to enable you to attend.

THE island’s director of public health has raised his concern that cases of the sickness bug norovirus could increase as schools re-open for the start of term today (Monday).

Dr Parameswaran Kishore is urging parents to take precautions to ensure that the spread is reduced.

‘My real worry at this stage is normally norovirus virality reduces around Christmas time with schools being shut,’ he said.

‘But with schools opening on Monday cases will start increasing as people go in and pick up the virus there.’

He urged parents not to send their children to school if they showed symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea.

And they should not return to school until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.

He said: ‘I understand it’s difficult for parents to take two days off to look after children who are perfectly well.

‘In the past we have had to close one or two schools, and that affects all parents then.’

In addition, good hygiene, in particular, thorough hand washing is essential.

Dr Kishore said in the UK reported cases of norovirus increased by 72 per cent from 2011 to 2012. And he said it was estimated that for every confirmed case, there were 288 unrecorded ones.

He said that while norovirus figures were unreliable in the island as most people did not seek medical attention, it was clear there had been ‘a lot more’ cases last year than in previous years.

Dr Kishore said the rise was due to the ‘virulence’ of the stomach bug, saying: ‘It’s very easily transmitted.’

MANXMAN Chris Stott has joined the advisory board of a prestigious new exhibition at a leading museum in the USA.

The Satellite Gallery at Maryland’s National Electronics Museum will be a permanent exhibition and is scheduled to open in March.

It will present the history of satellites and the technology they use, as well as providing a setting for the satellite industry to interact with the public and recruit students to the industry.

Originally from Onchan and now living in Houston, Chris launched ManSat in 1998.

As chief executive of the firm, Chris works closely with the Isle of Man Government in the preparation of its satellite filings to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

He said: ‘I’m honoured by the appointment, not to mention somewhat humbled.

‘The calibre of those involved on the advisory board, and the Gallery’s task force, is incredible, and includes Dr Joseph Pelton, president of the Society of Satellite Professionals International and founder of the Arthur C Clarke Foundation.

‘Dr Pelton is a giant in the industry and was my former Dean when I was a student at the International Space University in 1995.

‘My role on the board will be to advise on the creation of the new satellite museum, along with integrating it into STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] education to both promote greater awareness of the industry and to help guide the very best students to consider working in our industry.’

Since the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, the technology involved with satellites has developed to become a vital element of the world’s telecom infrastructure.

Today, military and commercial satellites contribute $200 billion to the global economy each year.

Chris added: ‘On a personal level, it’s a privilege to be asked to join the advisory board of an exciting new exhibition, but it is also welcome recognition for the work we do with ManSat, and the Isle of Man’s progression within the space sector, particularly in light of the Futron think tank report published in the US, which found that the island continues to “punch above its weight” in the industry.’