THE Burlesque revival sweeping across the British Isles will tease and tantalise as it reaches the Villa Marina this month.

If you are up for a fabulous new experience, the island’s very first Burlesque International Festival will add a bit of glitz and glamour into your winter diary.

Bursting on to the front covers of magazines and propelling names such as Dita Von Teese on to the international celebrity scene, Burlesque has made a renewed impression on the cultural landscape.

The show coming to Douglas on Thursday, February 21, will comprise eight international award-winning burlesque artists who have performed in Las Vegas, Paris, Monte Carlo and London. They are: Betty the Naked Showgirl whose look oozes sensuality; Portuguese belly dancer Veronique Divine; Eliza Delite, winner of the UK Females Crown at the World Burlesque Games 2012; winner of the 2012 Triple Crown at the games, Anna the Hulagan, who will whip you into a fire frenzy with her mesmerizing and sensual strip-fire hula hoop act; vaudeville freak show diva Vivid Angel; the old-fashioned Scarlett Belle and Frankii Wilde, who has the innocence of a modern day Marilyn with the allure and seduction of Veronica Lake. Cheeky compere Duke De Milo, with his luxurious lashes, opulent furs and a tongue like a razor wit chainsaw, will host the evening.

The show is produced by the ‘King of Burlesque’ Chaz Royal, who is behind numerous shows across the States and Europe, including the London and Amsterdam Burlesque Festivals.

The show starts at 8pm.

Tickets cost £27.50 or £30 for table seats. They are available from the box office on 600555 or at www.villagaiety.com

l The organisers of the night regret that the burlesque group the Folly Mixtures can no longer appear. Anyone who bought tickets specifically to see the Folly Mixtures and does not wish to attend the Burlesque Festival will be refunded in full. Otherwise all tickets already sold for the show are still valid.

THERE is serious and growing concern about the recruitment of secondary school teachers, the Education Minister told MHKs.

Tim Crookall was quizzed in the House of Keys over his department’s policy on encouraging newly qualified teachers to get jobs within island schools.

The Minister replied it was a ‘very timely question’ as the ‘recruitment of secondary school teachers in particular is a matter of serious and growing concern for the department and for secondary heads.’

He explained that the market for secondary school teachers was highly competitive and the island was losing out to UK authorities because ‘we cannot make unconditional job offers to the best candidates we want to recruit’.

Mr Crookall said there was a special problem here and his department was talking with colleagues in Economic Development to look at ways of resolving it.

MHKs were told that newly qualified teachers, who are Manx workers, are able to apply for both internally and externally advertised posts - and can, if they want, be notified by email about all such vacancies whether they are living on or off-island.

In the past two years, 39 newly qualified teachers have been appointed to either full or part-time posts within the department, Mr Crookall said.

He stressed that while newly qualified teachers appointed to primary schools are invariably Manx workers, his department faced ‘significant challenges’ in securing sufficient secondary teachers.

‘Whilst we would always give preference to Manx workers, where available, we have to cast the recruitment net as wide as possible to ensure secondary schools are fully staffed. Therefore, there is a need to regularly appoint non-Manx workers into secondary posts as the alternative would be having classes without teachers.’

Mr Crookall insisted this did not disadvantage Manx workers, providing they are able to teach the subjects where the vacancies arise. ‘Obviously it is not possible to appoint a PE specialist if the vacancy requires a maths teachers,’ he pointed out.

Bill Henderson (Douglas North) said there needed to be a ‘common sense’ policy to ‘promote local aspiring talent’ to securing jobs in island schools.

WEARING a t-shirt and suit, lone ranger Ed Byrne took to the Villa stage armed only with his floppy hair, specs and a mic.

And he won us over from the get go.

The Irish comedian, known for his slots on TV quizzes and that Carphone Warehouse ad, shot straight from the hip with ‘you’re my favourite crown dependency’.

The self-confessed nerd and Star Trek fan (he is the anagram of Be Nerdy) had done his homework. In fact he’d done more than that, he’d only gone and walked all the way from Douglas to Laxey that afternoon. The keen walker had intended to head up Snaefell too but, realising just how far it was, hailed a cab back to the capital instead.

His stand-up show, in aid of island charity Junior Achievement, brimmed with family anecdotes and acute observations which had people laughing back the tears.

His wit attacked the subject of customs (‘anyone who can highjack a plane with tweezers deserves the plane’), the Grand Canyon (‘Americans are too proud of it. It’s as if they dug it themselves. It was like that when they found it and it’s not like you’d miss it’) and being married (‘on my wedding day I stood up with the wife I love, in front of the people she loves the best and the people she loves the best out of the people I know’).

The father broached the subject of parenthood, particularly of projectile excrements and youngsters wearing inappropriate clothing.

He spoke of pre-pubescent girls wearing slogans like ‘gorgeous’ across their bums (‘Fisher Pricestitutes I call them’) and spotty oiks armoured with crude rapper t-shirts. Apparently, rap star LLCoolJ’s name stands for Ladies Love Cool James - a nickname gained at school. ‘Mine would be LLEdBTGPHAAF... Ladies Like Ed But They Generally Prefer Him As A Friend,’ quipped the lanky comic, who had already stated: ‘I’ll never sleep with a woman skinnier than myself - we’d just start a fire.’

His improvised involvement of the audience was quick, clever and relatively kind. Although he did relish an attack on the girl who claimed to have met Christian Slater on the prom in front of Colours. And although this reporter was not looking forward to making notes on the front row, awkward attempts to write inconspicuously were unnecessary. Because, despite some rather surprising vulgarity, this comedian was a genuinely nice chap.

He ended with an impression of Scottish porn!

THE whole family can rediscover the island with Manx Activity Trails (MATs) this half term.

MATs Maps are a brand new way of discovering, exploring and enjoying our beautiful Isle of Man. 

Created by Sharon Corris, of Douglas, this range of innovative maps for walking and driving expeditions around the island also include fun questions for everyone to answer, similar to a treasure hunt.

Sharon explained: ‘The walking trails are about two miles long and are suitable for all ages and abilities, so are a fun and affordable local activity. 

‘They are a fantastic excuse for a get-together with the whole family, friends or colleagues and an excellent way to get some fresh air and fun.  Showing off the best of the island, they are ideal for residents, regular holidaymakers and first time visitors. Plus the two driving trails take you around all 24 Millennium Stones. Have you seen them all?’

Over the festive period MATs Maps created a Christmas Trail and hosted a competition to help keep the children occupied over the school holiday. The competition ran alongside the walking trails and encouraged kids to find colourful festive-themed clues that were randomly placed around each of the four walking trails in Port St Mary, Ramsey, Douglas and Peel. The winner of the Under 7’s category was Abe Maddocks, who did the Port St Mary Trail with his family.  And the winner of the Over 7’s was Matilda Clague, who did both the Ramsey and Douglas Trails with her family. 

Both winners received a digital camera, so they can record their future Manx adventures. Another competition is planned for Easter.

MATS Maps can be bought in island shops (including WH Smith in Douglas and Presence of Mann in Laxey) and online at matsmaps.com They cost £5.99/£6.99. Bespoke trails can be created for birthday parties, school trips, and other special family days out. Call 466269 or email sharon@matsmaps.com for more details. 

SAT in the laundry room of a terraced house in Douglas, a group of men are enjoying Viennese pastries with coffee as they discuss philosophy.

Another man enters and lets out a loud nonsense sound ‘Lanke trrgll!’ The seated men respond loudly, ‘Pi pi pi ooka ooka zueka zueka!’

The scene is not fictional, but the strange reality that was Hutchinson internment camp in 1941.

The brilliant if odd vitality of the scene is owed to the presence of Kurt Schwitters, one of the most important artists of the 20th century, confirmed in the latest exhibition at the Tate Britain gallery in London.

Schwitters in Britain opened last week, an exhibition of 150 collages, sculptures, paintings and sound poems, focussing on the last eight fruitful years of the artist’s life, spent fleeing Nazi Germany and settling in Britain.

Schwitters is best known as a Dada artist, eagerly taking up the rejection of reason and logic, instead trusting in nonsense, irrationality and intuition.

If reason leads to something as terrible as World War One then reason itself must be rejected.

Schwitters took this further in his 1919 invention of ‘Merz’, which was ‘essentially the combination of all conceivable materials for artistic purposes’.

So in addition to paint, canvasses in the Tate exhibition also feature bus tickets, feathers, spoons, ping pong balls, doilies, a lobster shell and two small china dogs.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, for most people Schwitters’ art was at best simply baffling, but the scorn of others was rather more ominous.  

In 1937 his art featured prominently in the infamous Nazi exhibition of ‘degenerate’ art.

One photograph shows Hitler and his entourage apparently laughing at one of Schwitters’ large canvases on which is written in large letters ‘Take Dada Seriously!’

By this time Schwitters had already ignored an invitation to go for an ‘interview’ with the Gestapo and instead fled, first to Norway and then Scotland.

However, once in Britain he was deemed an ‘enemy alien’ and sent for internment in the Isle of Man.

He arrived in Hutchinson camp, Douglas, in July 1940, joining 2,000 other mostly German and Austrian men behind the barbed wire fence closing in the terraced houses around Hutchinson Square.

Schwitters was among the 10 per cent minority in not being Jewish - a reflection of the extent to which the British authorities erred on the side of caution in interning all foreign nationals when war broke out.

This included even those born and raised in Britain, such as one of the few Italians in Hutchinson camp who swam for Britain in the 1936 Olympics and would proudly wear his Great Britain training top around the camp.

Hutchinson camp soon came to be known as the artists’ camp, containing artists of effectively all of the art styles suppressed in Germany at that time.

Within weeks a camp university had started up with lectures being given on the lawn by historians, architects, linguists, archaeologists and much else besides (including a lion tamer who would carry around a small lasso, ready to impress fellow internees by using it to pick flowers).

Thanks to the understanding attitude of H. O. Daniel, the camp captain, Schwitters was soon found studio space in which to work and take students. But he and his colleagues had to be resourceful to achieve the volume of art supplies they needed; they would dig up clay for sculpture, mix brick dust with sardine oil to create paint and rip up linoleum for etchings.

The exhibition does not comment on the Manx landladies who must have had a shock upon returning to their commandeered homes in 1944 and finding wallpaper ripped down and paintings across the walls.

Schwitters’ very ‘Merz’ extension of this resourcefulness was reported in a note by his friend Fred Uhlman.

It said: ‘The room stank. A musty, sour, indescribable stink which came from three Dada sculptures which he had created from porridge.

‘The porridge had developed mildew and the statues were covered with greenish hair and bluish excrements of an unknown type of bacteria.’

It is probably for the best that there are no porridge sculptures included in the Tate exhibition.

However, Schwitters’ portrait of Uhlman (pictured top right), painted for a fee of £5 in his attic room, has pride of place. It is a striking reminder of Schwitters’ formal artistic abilities beside his more well-known Dadaist work.

Although distressed by captivity, the artist put on a brave face and came to flourish in the Isle of Man, producing more than 200 pieces of art during his 16 months in the island.

He became a veritable camp celebrity, both in his art and his lively personality.

Indeed, the camp was even treated to performances of his 40-minute sound poem, Ursonate (see right for weblink), which caused such an impression on those present that its entirely meaningless refrains were soon adopted as greetings within the camp.

The Tate has on display Schwitters’ appeal for release from October 1940. It states: ‘As artist, I cannot be interned for a long time without danger for my art’. But he had to wait until November 1941 for freedom.

He first went to London but failed to find the reception and income he had been hoping for - in one exhibition of 40 works, priced between 15 and 40 guineas, only one was bought (the same pieces are today being sold for £500,000).

He soon retreated to the Lake District, where he fared little better, having to rely on donations from wealthier friends and the meagre income raised by selling portraits and landscapes to the locals who regarded him as little more than odd.

There he died in 1948 at the age of 60, with his last great work unfinished - the Merz re-working of a barn he had received funding to buy not long before.

Tate Britain’s Schwitters in Britain exhibition allows us to recognise one of the key figures of modern art, and it enables us to improve our understanding of one of the many great ‘aliens’ who once graced Manx shores.

The exhibition opened on January 30 and continues until May 12.

Tickets cost £10 with concessions available. Visit www.tate.org.uk

MANX football results from Saturday, February 9:

Canada Life Premier League

Corinthians 3-4 St Marys

DHSOB P-P St Johns

Laxey P-P Gymnasium

Rushen United 4-3 Peel

St Georges P-P Marown

Union Mills 0-1 Castletown

GH Corlett Woods Cup

Colby 0-2 Michael

Foxdale 1-2 Pulrose

Ronaldsway 4-2 Douglas Athletic

RYCOB 3-5 Ayre United (after extra-time)

JCK Division Two

Malew 1-9 Douglas Royal

Onchan P-P Douglas and District

Canada Life Combination One

Castletown 4-6 Union Mills

Gymnasium P-P Laxey,

Marown P-P St George’s

Peel P-P Rushen United

St John’s P-P DHSOB

St Mary’s 4-3 Corinthians

JCK Combination Two

Ayre United P-P Douglas Athletic

Colby 5-1 Malew

Douglas Royal P-P Pulrose United

Michael United 9-0 Douglas and District

BREEDING like rabbits may be a common expression, but there’s much more to it than most people imagine – certainly if you have any aspirations of being a show winner.

And it’s certainly a view endorsed by Alec Hogg who recently came away with a clutch of trophies from this year’s Burgess Premier small animal show in Harrogate.

A life-long breeder of rabbits and a show regular, Mr Hogg last won there more than 30 years ago in 1976.

The show, which has been running since the 1920s, this year boasted more than 3,000 small animals including 1,700 rabbits, making it the foremost event of its kind.

‘It is really the equivalent of Crufts but for rabbits,’ Mr Hogg said.

‘Really I’m delighted about it because it is quite an achievement.

‘To win your breed class is excellent.’

‘I’ve been breeding them all my life and the secret really is in the selective breeding,’ he said.

‘We took six rabbits over so it was quite a car full. People think it’s nothing but they want to try it - one of my rabbits was on the table being judjed for two hours,’ he said.

Mr Hogg went to Harrogate with his wife Sheila and their friends Ian and Lesley Radcliffe.

The winning rabbits, which are Polish red-eyed whites, are a small variety weighing an average of just two pounds.

One of Mr Hogg’s rabbits won best of breed for the Polish red-eyed white variety. The same animal also won the best rabbit in the Fancy category and eventually finished as second Best in Show – out of all the animals in the hall.

The small animal show included a wide variety of other animals, not just rabbits but guinnea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, mice and rats.

Another of his rabbits won the St Ledger Stakes class for being the best in that group.

‘I’m delighted because really it is a once in a lifetime thing to achieve,’ he said.

Entrants flock to the show from far and wide - not just from the British Isles but a number also come across from the continent.

‘It’s one of those shows that really attracts the cream of the cop – all the best exhibitors go to it. It’s a difficult one to win – or even do well in.

‘It’s the reason why you do it in the first place. My wife says I’m going to be out in the rabbit shed for weeks on end now!

‘The appeal of it is in the breeding and striving for perfection.

‘You want to get the best - I certainly do – but you have to put the work in to it,’ he said.

YOU are invited to star in a film made by island artist and film maker Simon Buttimore.

Simon and his friends are currently holding an exhibition This Is Art at the Sayle Gallery in Douglas.

He is working in the gallery everyday while the exhibition runs and has invited you to pop in with your own USB memory stick.

He is offering to make a film of you for free, which you can then take away with you on your stick.

But it won’t be just any film.

The innovative artist will distort the images in a variety of exciting and weird ways, with multi-images layered with a range of special effects to make something original for your phone, for you to post on Facebook or as a loop for your own computer.

The exhibition, which runs until February 24, is sponsored by the Isle of Man Arts Council. It also features work by members of the Retina Group – a collective of VJ artists interested in sound and vision, special effects processing and video art installation.

THE annual One Act Festival of Plays returns to the Erin Arts Centre with a whole array of Manx talent next Thursday (February 14).

The Port Erin festival often includes some off island drama groups but this year’s three-day MADF (Manx Amateur Drama Foundation) event, sponsored by the Isle of Man Arts Council, is an all-island affair.

Eight groups, including three youth teams, will battle it out to win 12 trophies, including the Northern Arts Rose Bowl for Best Play. MADF president Olga Gray urged: ‘Please join us for three days of whirlwind activity that features enthusiastic and talented artists from all over the Isle of Man. You will enjoy a daring, imaginative and diverse collection of one act plays. The festival offers a really affordable and enjoyable way to experience the pulse of the Manx drama scene.’

The trophies will be awarded at the end of the final night. The adjudicator Mike Kaiser (GoDA) will also judge the first round of Young Actor of Mann on the Sunday.

Each evening begins at 7pm. Tickets are £8 (students £1) and available on the night or from the box office on 832662. Visit www.madfest.im

2013 Schedule:

Thursday, February 14

• Hog the Limelight present The Ginger Men by Roy Clarke.

Open All Hours’ s-s-s-tuttering Yorkshire shopkeeper, Arkwright, alternately aided and impeded by his ‘errand boy’ G-g-granville, finds ingenious and devious ways to solve the problem of being overstocked with Jamaican Ginger Cake.  

• The Legion Players present Kecks by John Chambers.

Karen and her mother Petula are in an exclusive lingerie shop, preparing for Karen’s wedding night (with adult content).

• Rushen Players present The Reluctant Witnesses by Les Clarke.

A number of people who witnessed a terrorist bomb scare are assembled in a police interview room.

Friday, February 15

• Broadway Theatre Company, Youth Group present After Midnight Before Dawn by David Campton.

Six characters awaiting death, having been sentenced for witchcraft in the late 1600s/early 1700s. 

• Stage One Drama School present The Chrysalids adapted by David Harrower from the novel by John Wyndham.

A group of young people living in a post holocaust world who have the power to communicate telepathically.

• Freelance Players present The Sky is Overcast by Anthony Booth.

During the German occupation of France in 1943, Max Benoit, a member of the Resistance, and his family struggle to overcome the hardships and danger they face.

Saturday, February 16

• Rushen Players present The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard. Following the actions of two theatre critics watching a ludicrous set up in the style of a whodunit.

• Service Players present Taking Stock by Rob Johnston.

Five women meet in the staffroom of the supermarket where they all work. One of them will receive disturbing news about her daughter but is comforted by the friendship and understanding of her friends (with adult content).

Trichotomy

Fact Finding Mission

IF you fancy some contemporary jazz to warm up your winter nights, look no further than the new album from Australian piano trio Trichotomy.

Known within jazz circles for being one of the most consistent and inventive acts around, they have been playing together for 13 years and their experience certainly shows on Fact Finding Mission.

This is not some celebration purely of piano, but of modern jazz in general.

So they are joined by musicians on percussion, reeds and guitar to lend it a more rounded sound that doesn’t exactly stretch into folk but certainly nails the jazz sound.

The problem with several tracks on Fact Finding Mission, though, is that they seem to sit back and take it a little too easy, making some of the tracks have the presence of little more than shopping mall soundtracks.

But there are exceptions to this, and the obvious, most notable one is the title track.

Fact Finding Mission uses samples of presidential statements, all the time shrouded in mystery within music that asks as many questions as it answers, creating a filmic vision that lets your imagination run wild.

It’s brilliant, but the mastery of this song is not repeated elsewhere quite enough.

There are some wonderful and haunting melodies to be had on the record, but there are also moments too embedded in the jazz lounge and not taking the chance to thrill.

Wreck-It Ralph

Official Soundtrack

IT is set to be a thoroughly popular kids film, see the review above, and the soundtrack to Wreck-It Ralph will be in the shops for you to sing along to.

The film itself tells the tale of an arcade-game bad guy who embarks on a quest to convince people he’s actually a good guy. The film explores a wide range of arcade games, such as 80s platform games, cart races and shoot ‘em ups. Packed with original songs and some with some classics among them as well, the CD contains 25 tracks. The original score has been put together by Henry Jackman and other contributions come from Kool & The Gang, Owl City and AKB48.

The music transports you through different eras of computer game technology, providing an interesting link between the film content and the music.

By Peter Naldrett

Twitter @peternaldrett

DO you dance like a left-footed dad at a wedding?

Does John Travolta have more groove in his little finger than you have in your entire body?

Well now is your chance to improve your dance floor status.

Represent Dance Company has just launched its new Absolute Beginners Funky Street Dance Class for adults (over 21s).

Head dance instructer David Cowley explained: ‘What we call “street” or “hip hop” dance started life in the clubs in the 1970s as a fun, high energy, funky social dance. And we want to get back to basics with this brand new dance experience for adults.’

He said: ‘Although a lot of people - especially the kids we teach - really enjoy working hard to master difficult and impressive dance moves they’re definitely not for everybody and I wanted to create a class that is all about having a good time to good music - as more of a social experience. The aim is for it to be a really good night out that brings back that feel good atmosphere.

‘There’s not been a class like it on the island before. Line dancing, salsa and other styles have all proved really popular because of the relaxed, social atmosphere you find there and this is definitely a similar experience but with a totally different dance and music style to what’s been done before. It’s not just dance steps though - students will learn the right way to groove to the beat, how to use their whole body when they dance and how to create that hip hop style in every move.’

He added: ‘A lot of adults have contacted us over the years asking for lessons just in how to dance in a nightclub. If they really pay attention to the details that we go over in this new class not only will their dancing look great but they’ll have a foundation to build on if they ever want to progress to the more advanced moves that we teach in other classes.

‘So although it’s primarily designed to be a really good night out, it’s the perfect introduction to the street dance community that we’ve built here on the island as well.

‘Students can expect straightforward steps and routines, great music and of course it does burn the calories as well, so it’s the perfect way to get to work on those New Year’s resolutions.’

The classes take place between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Tuesdays at Fiesta Havana in Douglas. No previous dance experience is necessary. Pay £5 on the door.

For more information call David on 408545, email info@representdance.co.uk or visit www.representdance.co.uk

CHILDREN who care about their community have gained their school the prestigious Investing in Children award.

Ballacottier pupils concerned about their safety while walking to and from school campaigned for a crossing on Stevenson’s Way, writing to Infrastructure Minister David Cretney MHK.

And now a new crossing has been created.

In addition, pupils are involved with Braddan Commissioners’ scheme to revamp a playground near the school. They spoke to the board about the type of equipment they wanted to see and are seeing their ideas coming to fruition.

And helping pets is also a priority. They persuaded teachers to run an art competition to celebrate World Animal Day. The entry fee was a tin or packet of pet food and pupils collected enough for three large hampers that were donated to the ManxSPCA. The charity displayed winning artwork at its sanctuary, Ard Jerkyll.

Ballacottier is the fourth school to secure the Investing in Children benchmark since two local evaluators, Nigel Bennett (St John’s) and Annette Baker (Ballakermeen High School), were appointed last spring.

Schools seeking accreditation must prove they not only listen to, but act on, pupils’ initiatives.

Mrs Baker interviewed children independently of teachers to check their views have made a genuine difference to school life.

An 18-strong school council is behind the initiatives that saw Ballacottier secure the award. Comprising children elected from each class, it has its own budget and motto – ‘working hard to help everyone in our school’. Pupils note ideas in class books and a suggestion box is well used, too.

Children organise their own lunchtime clubs. When the origami club ran out of paper pupils wrote to businesses for their scrap paper, with a kind donation allowing the club to continue.

In October, pupils organised the school’s Hallowe’en ‘Scaresco’ (instead of disco) where the chance to throw soggy sponges at teachers proved particularly popular. This raised money for children to use for prizes for competitions they organise and for a school team points cup, awarded each term.

Buying equipment to make outdoors and wet playtimes more fun was another initiative by school council, as was improving seating arrangements at lunchtimes.

Ballacottier joins Dhoon, Arbory and Fairfield schools in being awarded Investing in Children status.

Education and Children Minister Tim Crookall MHK and Department of Education and Children political member Juan Turner MLC presented pupils with the award at a special assembly.

THE son of a war veteran has launched a battle to get his father awarded the Second World War campaign medal he was apparently promised 65 years ago.

Eddie Power, of Ballasalla, has written to the UK Prime Minister calling for his dad to receive the Italy Star for his services with the Foreign Office’s highly secretive Political Intelligence Department.

Richard Power, 91, had worked as a engineer for the BBC before being asked to volunteer for the Political Intelligence Unit, which was based at Bush House in London.

Given the rank of Lieutenant, he was posted to Algiers where he set up transmitters on the front line to broadcast black propaganda to the enemy.

He went on to join 8th Army in the invasion of Italy and also served in Austria where he had a close shave with SS offices at one radio station where he stole their hats and badges.

Lieutenant Power was one of 30 members of the Political Intelligence Department who were informed after the war that were entitled to a medal for their war service.

But the Foreign and Commonwealth Office claims it has no record of this.

He has secured a copy of a letter from the treaty department of the Foreign Office dated August 1, 1947, which clearly showing that Richard Power was to be awarded Italy Star for his wartime service overseas.

That document had gone to the War Office but had come under the 50 year rule for classified documents, only surfacing recently thanks to the efforts of Hugo Swire, Tory MP for East Devon and currently a Minister of State for the Foreign Office.

Eddie, a Malew Commissioner, said he was ‘absolutely disgusted’ with the FCO. ‘They just don’t want to know,’ he said.

His father said from his home in Devon: ‘After what I have been through, why have I not had recognition?’

The FCO has since emailed his son in Ballasalla saying it will go back and search their records.

ISLE of Man Newspapers photographer Mike Wade has followed a bendy bus through the streets of Castletown.

You can find out how the bus did and see 12 of his photos in tomorrow’s (Monday’s) Isle of Man Examiner.

CAROL Hunter is head of the new corporate foreign exchange desk at Lloyds TSB Isle of Man.

She has been charged with the establishment and management of the bank’s new foreign exchange facility, designed to meet the growing requirement for businesses to provide bespoke foreign exchange services to their Isle of Man client portfolio.

The foreign exchange desk will respond not only to corporate standards of exchange but also to the more sophisticated service needs of businesses with competitive pricing and the ability to negotiate transaction costs with Carol directly.

Carol brings to the Lloyds TSB Corporate Banking team a wealth of experience in foreign exchange management gained over the course of a 15 year career in international banking which has resulted in her working closely with varied portfolio of retail, institutional, high net worth and corporate clients.

Her treasury and foreign exchange experience has also seen Carol assume a range of managerial positions.

She managed relationships with organisations such as trust companies, corporate service providers and other financial institutions.

In the 12 months prior to her recent appointment with Lloyds TSB, Carol headed up the foreign exchange desk at another international bank, where she gained the ACI Dealing Certificate with distinction. ACI, the Financial Markets Association, is the world’s largest professional body for dealers and back-office personnel operating in the wholesale financial markets.

Carol said: ‘This is a valuable opportunity to play a pivotal role in the establishment of a new corporate banking service that is in increasing demand within the global financial services markets.

‘Foreign exchange and its management forms an integral part of the island’s finance and I am proud to be at the forefront of an initiative that will provide Lloyds TSB’s customers with the resources they need to in-turn provide an enhanced service to theirs.

‘I would like to thank my colleagues at Lloyds for giving me the opportunity to add an important new service to the portfolio of the island’s finance sector.’

May Hooper, senior relationship Manager of Corporate Banking, Financial Institutions and Foreign Exchange, said: ‘I am very pleased indeed to be able to welcome Carol to the Lloyds TSB Corporate Banking team and to be part of this exciting new project.

‘Over the course of her extensive career Carol has gained a wealth of experience in foreign exchange services and their application in a variety of banking sub-sectors.

‘This is an important service for Lloyds TSB corporate customers and for the island as a whole and our appointment of Carol to head up the project is testament to our commitment to employing the most highly qualified and driven individuals within their respective industries.

‘I would like to welcome Carol to the team and look forward to seeing what 2013 holds for Lloyds TSB corporate banking.’

ONCHAN Commissioners is holding a meeting on Friday to gauge public opinion on proposals for new House of Keys constituency boundaries.

The proposals drawn up by the Boundary Review Committee would see the current Onchan constituency, which returns three MHKs, being split into two.

It would see a large proportion of the Birch Hill electoral area, bounded by Hillberry Road, Avondale Road, Main Road, School Road, containing more than 2,500 people, plus a major portion of the Onchan parish electoral area, being joined to Laxey and Lonan to form the ‘East’ constituency.

The remaining area would form Onchan Urban – a working title only. The committee is also inviting feedback on constituency names, which might see the end of traditional sheading names such as Garff and Rushen. Constituencies would return two MHKs.

Last month the committee launched a public consultation on the draft plan.

Tynwald agreed the recommendation to divide the island into 12 constituencies each with two MHKs at the October sitting and varying by no more than 15 per cent in terms of their population numbers.

The meeting takes place at Onchan Youth and Community Centre, in School Road, from 7pm.

Commissioners and Onchan’s three current MHKs, Zac Hall, Peter Karran and David Quirk, are due to attend. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Maps are available for viewing at the Onchan Library or on the government website at {http://www.gov.im/ConsultationDetail.gov?id=361|www.gov.im/ConsultationDetail.gov?id=361}

SELLAFIELD Ltd has pleaded guilty to sending several bags of radioactive waste to the wrong facility.

The company is being prosecuted by nuclear regulators Environment Agency and the Office for Nuclear Regulation after four bags of mixed general waste, such as plastic, paper, tissues, clothing, wood and metal, from normal operations in controlled areas of the site, were sent to Lillyhall landfill site, in Workington.

The bags should have been sent to the Low Level Waste Repository, at Drigg, Cumbria - a specialist facility that treats and stores low level radioactive waste consignments.

Sellafield found the error was caused by a new monitor which had passed the bags as ‘general’ waste making them exempt from strict disposal controls.

All of the original four bags were retrieved from the landfill and returned to Sellafield for correct disposal.

Ian Parker, nuclear regulation manager for the Environment Agency, said: ‘We have carried out a thorough investigation in partnership with the Office for Nuclear Regulation and have already required Sellafield Ltd to take action to ensure this does not happen again.’

Following the guilty plea entered at Workington Magistrates’ Court, sentencing will take place at Carlisle Crown Court on March 8.

THE first intake of participants in a training academy designed to give unemployed people experience of the tourism and hospitality industry will complete the programme this week.

Based at the Rutland Hotel, in Douglas, the four-week course has seen 13 unemployed Manx workers, mainly school leavers but with some older participants, learn skills in areas such as reception, housekeeping and food production.

Linda Maddrell, human resources manager for Sleepwell Hotels, said: ‘It’s very much giving them the environment for them to learn in so other hotels can benefit from it as well.

‘It would be nice to see other hotels offer something similar and take larger numbers.’

Tony Kaneen, aged 26, of Lord Street, Douglas, said he had been unemployed ‘for quite a while’ so he jumped at the chance to take part in the training academy.

‘It’s probably the best thing I have done for a few years now,’ he said.

‘In the time we’ve had, I’ve learned quite a lot.’

He said hospitality was a sector that he could see himself working in, saying he enjoyed dealing with customers.

‘I’ve applied for jobs in the area of food and beverage and bar work but due to the economic situation at the moment there’s too many applicants for not that many vacancies and that’s been tough.’

At the end of the course participants will take a multiple choice exam, after which a certificate will be awarded to those successful by the Isle of Man College.

He said he hoped gaining the certificate would help prospective employers to see that he was committed.

Meanwhile, an 18-year-old man from Port St Mary who asked not to be named, said he had been unemployed since October, when his seasonal contract ended.

He said it was ‘frustrating’ applying for jobs and not even getting a response.

The programme also covered personal motivation, health and safety, food hygiene and customer service.

Linda said there had been a recognition by both the Department of Economic Development and the industry there was a need to have experienced staff: ‘Initiatives such as this are a perfect solution to the problem of both engaging with young persons who may be struggling in the current economic climate while meeting the growing needs of the Island’s tourism and hospitality employers without looking further afield.’

THE shocking report on the MEA loans scandal has been published.

Today’s Isle of Man Examiner has full coverage of the findings.

Page three is dominated by photos of a bendy bus wending its way through Castletown.

The ancient capital’s narrow streets are probably the hardest for any vehicle to negotiate in the island. You can find out how well it did in this week’s paper.

As the island awaits next week’s budget, we report on how likely it is for taxes to rise.

Inside the paper, Economic Development Minister John Shimmin says why it’s necessary for his department to recruit three more staff. Meanwhile, we also report on why the wage bill for the Civil Service is dropping.

We focus on Tynwald’s scrutiny committees in a page feature. How have they changed politics in the island since they began 15 months ago?

The paper also focuses on the Southern Area Plan, which is to go to Tynwald next week. It’s not popular among many of the area’s politicians.

In the business pages, we look at a new men’s grooming centre in Pulrose.The area’s men can now go for a facial and a chest wax in the shop.

Sport includes details of the sports awards shortlist and celebrates Mark Cavendish’s most recent success.

The Examiner also includes a great competition in which you and three friends could win what’s called a ‘firemen’s breakfast’.

It’s a big fry-up served on a fireman’s shovel.

The Examiner is in the shops now.

Monday, February 11

Aries

(March 21 - April 20)

It seems that this week you are finding yourself in the right place at the right time. Look upon any chances to get ahead at work as a gift to be enthusiastically accepted. It is not a time to be either modest or difficult. If you are looking for romance or a special friendship, look to your friends. It is here that good contacts can now be made. Be open-minded socially.

Taurus

(April 21 - May 21)

A flurry of activity at work sees you in a spin. Balance this by being with relaxing people. Although your friendship circle is expanding, it is doing so slowly. This gives you the ideal opportunity to pick and choose who you spend your time with. The chance to increase your cash flow comes via an old friend. It is only worth considering if it does not bring a lot of stress with it.

Gemini

(May 22 - June 21)

A yearning for something new and fresh is strong at the moment. It is a prime time for new business ideas and making travel arrangements. It could be that a chance remark by a friend fires the imagination, so getting out and about with friends old and new would seem to be a good idea. Certainly it is no time to sit and wait for something to happen when you can be moving things along yourself.

Cancer

(June 22 - July 23)

Gather together all the knowledge that you need to progress an idea. Only then can you assess if it is a practical possibility. Friends and family are particularly helpful, so bounce ideas off of them. Some advice that is given may not be to your liking but try to keep an open mind. You need to encourage someone to be more romantic by setting a good example!

Leo

(July 24 - August 23)

With romance firmly in the air, this is a week to consider what you want to do next. Some Leos will decide to make proposals and others will decide to give it a miss. Either way you realise that some kind of action is needed if you want to change a situation. Courage and vision are needed. You have plenty of both when you know where you are going. Be honest with yourself.

Virgo

(August 24 - September 23)

Colleagues may be overstretched this week and you will find that a little sympathy is appreciated even if you cannot give any practical help. Taking charge at home could save you some cash but you need to avoid treading on someone’s toes! Bring some light conversation into a tense moment by mentioning holidays. Everyone needs something to look forward to!

Libra

(September 24 - October 23)

Someone who you met recently may be lingering in your thoughts. With romance in the air, anything is possible. Remember, though, your tendency to fall in love with love itself. Have fun finding out but be flexible. Pace yourself at work as trying to rush ahead could see you making mistakes. Keep abreast with what is happening with close relatives. They could need your input.

Scorpio

(October 24 - November 22)

A wave of generosity could see you overspending. Just thought that I would mention it! Although there are bargains to be had, do you really need them? Maybe it is better to concentrate on advancing your love life or a bit of early spring cleaning? Plan a holiday if that pleases you but be prepared to be flexible with the dates. Goals can shift quite rapidly.

Sagittarius

(November 23 - December 21)

What a lovely week to get to grips with projects at home! With your imagination in top gear and energy high, there is no stopping you. Loved ones will be pleased with the chance to get old tasks out of the way. This will also give you satisfaction. Of course, there are some tasks that you are very reluctant to tackle. Are they boring? Oh, just get them done!

Capricorn

(December 22 - January 20)

Delve into a family plot this week. Something could be going on that you are not aware of or someone may insist that they are OK when they are not. Allowing your more sensitive and caring side to come to the fore is good for everyone. A disagreement with a friend or relative can be sidestepped and dealt with at a better time. Show positivity.

Aquarius

(January 21 - February 19)

A new era is just beginning. Look back on the last year and see what you have achieved. Aiming to do even more in this year? Well, you will need a plan and a method. Take it one day at a time but be clear. Where do you want to be in one year’s time? Being both flexible and determined is the answer. When others question your path, ask them to explain.

Pisces

(February 20 - March 20)

Extra energy means lots of progress at home. Loved ones are inspired by your enthusiasm and vision. At work, however, it is best to slow down a little so as not to make mistakes. A move in a romantic direction needs to be considered carefully. A situation could change at a moment’s notice. Have Plan B to hand, especially where it involves finances.