Mec Vannin, the Manx nationalist party, says graffiti daubed outside the Lieutenant Governor’s house is nothing to do with it.

The words ‘Mec Vannin’ were spray painted in large letters across an entrance road to Government House, at the Nook, Onchan.

A Mec Vannin spokesman said: ‘Although Mec Vannin is the name of the Manx nationalist party the incident is not linked to the party as it works strictly via constitutional means and eschews direct action of this nature.’

‘Mec Vannin’ means ‘Sons of Mann’ in Manx Gaelic.

Five of the spectators injured during the Senior TT accident on Bray Hill remain in hospital this morning (Sunday).

All five have limb injuries, four of which have been described as ‘serious’ but all patients are reported to be in a stable condition.

All of the injured spectators were visitors to the Isle of Man.

Jonathan Howarth, the rider involved in the incident, has now been discharged from hospital.

A total of 10 spectators were taken to Noble’s Hospital after Friday’s incident. Five have now been discharged.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/six-spectators-remain-in-hospital-after-tt-bray-hill-crash-1-5750791|Click here to read a previous report about this}

Individuals and groups involved with creativity or culture are invited to share their talent with schools.

It’s part of the Island of Culture 2014, which will be the largest cultural celebration in the Isle of Man’s history.

Department of Education and Children Island of Culture adviser Jo Overty is building a database for head teachers to select from – so they can who is willing to offer what at their age range and in their areas.

Jo said: ‘We have had a good response to date.

‘But we would welcome more local individuals and groups, involved in creativity and culture, to share their time and talents with schools during Island of Culture 2014 and to go onto a database on our wiki, so schools can contact them.’

Island of Culture will be the focus for all schools from September this year.

Volunteers have already come forward in the categories of music, art, drama, photography, textiles, history, sciences, and visiting speakers.

They include film making workshops by Mannin Shorts, workshops with Sayle Gallery artists, and talks from the Isle of Man Home Guard Re-enactment Society.

Meanwhile, retired teachers Noreen and Stanley Atkinson have offered to give talks on life and education in Kenya and Cairo, where they have both taught.

And Korean chemistry teacher Minsum Ravitch is happy to share some of his country’s culture, as well as offer activity-based sessions on science.

The Isle of Man Arts Council and the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure announced the launch of Island of Culture in March.

Spread over 12 months, it will celebrate the artistic and cultural life we enjoy through dance, music, theatre, the visual arts and literature, cultural festivals, film and digital innovation. Everyone will have a chance to be part of our rich cultural life and inspire creativity, especially among young people.

In addition to the Arts Council’s existing grant scheme, island-based arts and cultural organisations can submit funding applications for support to run arts/cultural programmes, events or activities in 2014.

The very best of these will be awarded Arts Council funding and the right to be labelled part of Island of Culture.

Anyone interested in sharing their talent with schools should call Jo Overty on 686080 or email jo.overty@doe.gov.im

For more information go to www2.sch.im/groups/decislandofculture2014/ and www.islandofculture.im/

A local student will represent generations of Manx scholars at the memorial service of a man who provided them with a home from home when they arrived in the USA.

Duane LeTourneau died last week at the age of 86.

From 1984 and 2009, Duane and his wife Phyllis welcomed 42 Department of Education Ella Olesen scholars into their home for the first few days of their year at the University of Idaho.

They were neighbours of Ella Olesen, who was of Manx descent and after whom the scholarship is named.

Former Ella Olesen scholar Katie Taylor, who is back doing a PhD, will attend the service on June 26. She previously presented the couple with an illuminated address – a certificate signed by then Education Minister Eddie Teare – as thanks for their hospitality.

The LeTourneaus were known to their ‘girls’ as ‘Granny and Grandpa Idaho’.

John Gill of the DEC said: ‘We at the DEC are very sorry to learn of the death of Duane LeTourneau who, along with his wife, Phyllis, provided a warm welcome and a home from home in Idaho to generations of students from the island who were awarded the annual scholarship. The fact students maintained contact with the couple, many years after completing their studies, shows the affection in which they were held. Our sympathies are with the LeTourneau family at this sad time.’

University student Eleanor Drinkwater’s childhood fascination with the Amazon has culminated in her leading an expedition there later this month.

Eleanor, aged 20, of Douglas, is studying developmental and cell biology at the University of Edinburgh.

Here, she explains what the Peru expedition involves and what she expects to experience in the field:

------------------

It is probably a good thing I am not afraid of spiders.

In less than two weeks from now I will be leading an expedition to the Amazon.

Robin Morrison, the other team member, invaluable for her enthusiasm and love of sloths came up with the timeless question, as to why there is no section on the risk assessment for jaguars.

I saw a jaguar for the first time on a trip to the zoo with my sister.

Her delighted exclamations of: “Oh look something else that’ll want to eat you in the jungle”, meant we spent most of our trip to the zoo safely in the café.

It is fortunate that we had Dr Ennos on side as, with saint-like patience, he went through our proposal pointing out things like, no, we really cannot head off into the jungle alone at night, and yes, we should keep a look out for spiders

We received expedition status from the University of Edinburgh and shortly after, financial support from the Davis Expedition fund.

Our project itself is to study whether agroforestry, a method of farming which involves planting a range of trees as well as the crop, is better for local ecosystems then traditional plantations.

To do this we will be looking at butterflies; essentially, more types of butterfly means a healthier ecosystem.

While in the jungle we will be staying at the Manu Learning Centre (MLC), which is responsible for introducing agroforestry to the area.

The research centre runs day-to-day under the watchful eye of Andy Whitworth, one of the few people I have ever met who, on sighting an alligator is more likely to throw himself bodily into a swamp to catch it rather than run in the opposite direction.

It is hard to know exactly what to expect, but with a risk assessment which reads like an adventure novel, 1500 species of butterflies to catch, and a research centre full of excitable scientists, this expedition does promise to be quite an adventure, and it is probably a good thing I am not afraid of spiders.

The timing of the recently installed traffic lights in Onchan have been changed after continued concerns were raised by the local authority.

Onchan Commissioners had contacted the Department of Infrastructure on a number of occasions, since the signals were installed in December 2012 as part of a major works scheme.

Initially, the department dismissed their concerns saying that the timing of the lights was not to blame for any traffic queues.

Instead, they said that any problems were ‘largely an issue of driver education’.

But it looks as though the department has finally agreed to the Commissioners repeated calls to change the timing of the lights.

Director of Highways Richard Pearson told the Isle of Man Examiner: ‘The department has been monitoring these signals since their installation and a number of adjustments have been made.

‘Notably a new programme was installed on May 24 and then further adjustments to timings were made in view of the evident congestion on the main road.

‘This issue appears to have been resolved following adjustments made on May 29, however we are still monitoring the signals.’

The Commissioners initial concerns were that Main Road traffic had to stop at the second set of signals when travelling both north and south.

In addition, they reported queuing stationary traffic on the Main Road from the Royal Avenue junction through the Avondale Road junction.

This was not witnessed by DoI officers when they assessed peak hour traffic flow at the end of February.

The department assured the local authority that there was no problem with the lights and that it was largely an issue of driver education.’

But last month, the Commissioners again wrote to the department indicating they were ‘not satisfied’ with the response that the timing of the lights wasn’t the problem.

And they again asked if changes were going to be made.

Concern about the pedestrian crossing lights not staying on long enough for pedestrians to cross safely was also raised.

In addition, one commissioner said that the sequence of the lights caused traffic to block the carriageway, making it unsafe for pedestrians to cross.

It was described as ‘an accident waiting to happen’.

Mr Pearson said that drivers needed to be reminded of rule 192 of the Highway Code which requires queuing drivers not to block pedestrian crossings.

• Do you think there is a problem with the timing of the traffic lights in Onchan? Have the recent changes to the timing of the signals helped the situation?

Email opinions@newsiom.co.im or write to us at Isle of Man Examiner, Publishing House, Peel Road, Douglas, IM1 5PZ.

The guest of honour at King William’s College’s Founders’ Day was Sir David Barnes CBE.

Sir David is a former Manx resident whose grandfather bought the Calf of Man to stop it being developed. He gave it to the Manx people.

Founders’ Day is the school’s prize-giving day.

The governors’ chairman, Nigel Wood, opened the ceremony with a welcome address before introducing KWC’s Principal, Martin Humphreys.

Deputy head Jane Corlett announced the names of the pupils to whom Sir David Barnes CBE presented this year’s awards.

Sir David then gave a spirited address which outlined links to the Isle of Man, his experience of national service during the Malayan Emergency, his role as a leading entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry and the many charitable and voluntary appointments which resulted in his being awarded honours as diverse as a CBE, Knight Bachelorhood, Honorary Membership of the British Veterinary Association and Centenary Medal of The Society of the Chemical Industry.

Sir David emphasised the importance of ambition, aspiration, energy and the role of what he referred to as ‘bounded anarchy’ within today’s education and professional systems.

‘It is my experience and belief that there is a great quantum of stored energy in each and every one of us,’ he said.

‘Aspiration is the trigger that will release that energy.’

He added: ‘I dare say that your principal may feel that he presides over bounded anarchy every day.

‘I hope he does for, in my opinion, that is what a first-rate education is about: encouraging aspiration, discovering that stored energy in each individual and its constructive and formative release, the instillation of enthusiasm and commitment.’

In closing, Mr Humphreys returned to thank Sir David, guests, pupils and parents for their attendance and achievements over the course of the academic year before announcing the retirement of Barbara van Rhyn, head of English at KWC for 10 years.

‘It is with mixed feelings of celebration and regret that I announce the retirement of our longstanding head of English, or as we all know her, Mrs Van Rhyn,’ he said.

‘I will miss the company of a dedicated and inspiring individual, a true educator who goes above and beyond the call of duty for the benefit of the school.

‘Mrs Van Rhyn took a persistent and personal interest in the development of each and every one of her pupils over the years and for this she was loved by faculty and student body alike.

‘On behalf of the entire King William’s community, I would like to wish Mrs van Rhyn farewell and a long, happy and anarchy free retirement.’

An inquest held into the death of a TT rider who crashed during a practice session, on the A3 road at Ballacrye, one mile beyond Ballaugh village, on Monday, May 27 has recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.

Coroner John Needham ruled that popular Japanese rider, Yoshinari Matsushita, 43, a graphic designer, had died due to multiple injuries consistent with that of a motorcycle accident.

The inquest heard evidence from James Crowe, who was the deputy sector marshal at Ballacrye on the evening of the incident.

Mr Crowe told how he was marshalling on the course from Rose Cottage to Ballacrye Road, Ballaugh.

The court heard how it had been raining and there were damp patches at the sides of the road, but away from the racing line.

A lack of adhesion flag had been held out and the practice session was not being timed due to the weather conditions.

Mr Crowe had a clear unobstructed view for about 100 metres down the road, when at approximately 7.35pm, Mr Matsushita approached from Ballaugh at a speed of around 150 to 160mph, which was not excessive for that location, with no other riders in the vicinity.

The marshal said that he saw the bike go over a rise in the road and the front wheel lift to about a foot in the air, which was not unusual. The front wheel came down and landed straight but when the back wheel came down the bike started to snake.

The bike weaved from left to right (known as a tank slapper in biking terms) and the rider tried to correct this but the handlebars kept turning.

The bike veered to the left, hitting the left hand curb, then lifted off the ground and looked like it exploded in a mass of debris as it hit something which was later established as a road sign and tree.

Mr Crowe said that he heard an impact noise, then a plastic scraping sound and saw a large shower of debris.

He pressed his emergency button and ran to the incident.

When he arrived at the scene he saw the rider was lying on the road with his helmet off and could see that Mr Matsushita was clearly dead. The helmet was later discovered to have a fracture to the left side of the jaw protector.

Evidence was read out in court from a vehicle examination report, from vehicle examiner, John Cassidy. The report showed there were no faults with the bike which had been professionally prepared for racing.

A toxicology report showed that the deceased had no alcohol or other drugs in his system at the time of his death.

Mr Matsushita was declared dead at the scene at 7.45pm with the cause being recorded as head, face and leg injuries.

His racing manager, Fumiyo Asada, who has known him for seven years, identified his body at Noble’s Hospital, and his wife, Chieko, attended the inquest.

Coroner Needham recorded the verdict of death by misadventure and thanked Mrs Matsushita for attending the inquest, he expressed his sincere condolences to her.

He added that if there was any comfort to be taken, it could be taken by the facts that her husband’s death was instantaneous, so he did not suffer, and that although it was a cliche, he died doing what he loved.

Following on from Friends of the Earth’s recent Bee Action Day, Alice Quayle, an organic gardener, describes how anyone can use beautiful but tough plants and flowers which can (usually) thrive in Manx conditions, to create a buzzing haven for bees, birds and butterflies.

One of the things I love best about spring and summer is seeing the bees out and about, bumbling and bimbling about their business, or mobbing some patch of flowers that are particularly bee-friendly: like a gang of tiny teddy bears on some urgent (honey-related) mission.

I particularly enjoy seeing some small creature in the garden working hard whilst obviously happy (whether I‘m relaxing or doing a spot of outdoor work myself). I exclude longtails from that sentiment, of course.

Manx bees have a headstart over their British neighbours. I heard a visiting judge at a honey show once saying that Manx honey tastes much better than honey from his native Yorkshire, because we have so many more wildflowers than where he comes from. He said - ‘your honey actually tastes of flowers!’ Also, we have healthier bees, thanks to the sea around us preventing the spread of disease, plus an import ban on honeybees.

However our Manx honeybees, bumblebees and similar micro-creatures have had to face the atrocious (and ridiculous) weather of the last few years. Snow, rain and cold means less chance to get out and forage, so they need all the help they can get to find food. That’s where we can do them a favour by choosing their favourite bee-friendly flowers for our gardens (with the bonus of seeing the garden buzzing with life on fine days).

It seems a bit surprising, but many summer flowers in gardens are absolutely useless for bees. Many modern varieties have no nectar, or have frilly complicated ‘double’ flowers that bees cannot wade through. Old-fashioned ‘cottage garden’ varieties, and garden herbs, tend to have simple flowers and plenty of nectar, often with ultraviolet markings (invisible to us) pointing the way to the nectar.

So, as a rule of thumb, garden herbs and old-fashioned perennials are the best bet. Planting in blocks of 3 or more makes them easier to find. Bees need a continual supply of food from early spring until autumn - so the best bee-friendly gardens have a variety of early and late-flowering plants. If you can’t be bothered with flower borders, then shrubs or a mixed hedge flowering from spring to autumn are brilliant too. There’s a list below of some of the best.

A bonus of many ‘tried and tested’ older plant varieties is that they are as tough as boots, can stand up to bad weather and Manx slugs, and so don’t need cosseting with chemicals (the fewer chemicals in the garden, the better for bees, birds and butterflies). One other thing small wildlife really appreciates in a garden is water (eg a water feature trickling over mossy rocks). Also hugely useful is the odd bit of untidyness and variety rather than a zero-tolerance policy.

You’ll find more plants, pictures and leads at: http://bumblebeeconservation.org/ and via links on the Isle of Man Friends of the Earth Facebook page. Here are some super-tough & brilliantly bee-friendly flowers, all of which are best to plant out when 8-10 inches high and hardened off to help foil the slugs.

~ Spring and early summer

Heather, Daffodils, Bluebells, Primroses, Forget-me-nots, Wallflowers, Dandelions (!!), Honesty, Aquilegia, Thrift, Campanula trailing, Aubretia (Aubretia/ Primroses a bit prone to slugs).

~ Spring-flowering bee-friendly shrubs and trees

Cherry, Cherry Plum & Plum (these do spread/send out suckers), Willow, Crab apple and Apple, Ornamental fruit trees (cherries, plums etc) (only the single-flowered ones are useful)

Forsythia, Currants, Gooseberries, Flowering currants, Broom (Cytisus), Hawthorn, Cotoneaster, Berberis.

~ Summer

Herbs ~ Lavender, Thyme, Mint, Marjoram, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, Fennel (on sandy soil), Goldenrod, Knapweed. Less slugproof & better in sun/dry/sand - Borage, Chives, Lemon balm, Hyssop, Anise Hyssop, Catmint, Vipers Bugloss (the bumblebees’ favourite).

Tall/climbing ~ Oriental poppy, Teasle, Comfrey (sprawls), Perennial Wallflower ‘Bowles’ Mauve’, Foxgloves (poisonous). If dry/sandy: Mallow, Verbascum, Lupins, Agastache.

Lower / Ground cover ~ Hardy geranium (Cranesbill - not ‘pelargonium’), Allium, Creeping Thyme, Trailing Bellflower, Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla Mollis), Nasturtium, Clover, Periwinkle. A bit less tough - Aubretia, Alyssum, Antirrhinums (snapdragons), Calendula, Phacelia (dry/sand).

~ Summer Shrubs & trees

Lilac, Ceonothus (stunning blue flowers), Perennial wallflower (purple flowers), Buddliea (‘butterfly bush’), Elder, Escallonia, Hebe (aka Veronica), Honeysuckle (climber).

~ Late Summer & Autumn plants

French Lavender, Nasturtium, Goldenrod, Marjoram, Ivy, Rudbeckia, Ice plant (Sedum Spectabile), Michaelmas Daisies (Aster) (last 3 prone to slugs), Crocosmia (but beware, these can be hard to get rid of!).

~ Late Summer and Autumn shrubs and trees

Fuschia Magellicana (‘Manx’ fuschia).

~ Late Autumn/Winter

Flowering Ivy (a crucial bee food), some Viburnums, Gorse.

FAITHFUL followers of these profoundly thoughtful reflections on the life and times of the Isle of Man in the early 21st century might now be remembering with shock and awe the accuracy of my forecast during this year’s Phoney Spring that we are in for the finest summer weather in living memory in 2013. It all started to come true in TT Week.

Go on, be fair. You who were here will be able to remind those of us who take flight from the TT just exactly what they missed, at great expense to themselves.

Yes I know those other weather forecasters at Ronaldway say it’s not going to be all that good during this week. But there is a reason for this.

I am in close consultation with the Manx Weather Gods and they say this is necessary for them to give their full attention to get things going properly in good time for July.

This sort of work takes planning and they have asked me to prepare the people of the Isle of Man for the exciting times still to come.

(We often curse the Manx Weather Gods. But they are a delightful couple. They call themselves Tate and Lyle. Isn’t that sweet?)

For one thing it will be great news for the new Manx shipping company, the Ellan Vannin Line.

They can expect their first season to be hugely successful as the hundreds of thousands of sun-seeking holidaymakers pour in to Douglas and Ramsey. We wish them well.

But let us hope that when they open their Ramsey office they take care not to be allocated the telephone number 81 1909.

Fortunately, the beach at Douglas is in good shape after its years of summer solitude. It will be thronged with sun-seekers again. But there could be problems here. Where are all the deck chairs which used to be stacked on the promenades? Did the corporation sell them all off to Benidorm?

(It doesn’t matter about the wind breaks they used to have. The winds blew themselves out during the Phoney Spring).

Otherwise, what about the rowing boats, the beach donkeys, the Felice’s ice cream kiosk at the bottom of Broadway and the yachting pool in the sunken gardens? The corporation will have to send out for more tram horses so that the service can go back to its old high frequency schedules.

Also, in these relaxed moral times, the sun will be hot enough for the corporation to recruit fruity girls as topless conductresses to collect the fares on the trams. That should put some bounce into the rate fund.

Just one proviso. If my forecast is wrong for this summer I will try it again in 2014. I’m bound to get it right eventually.

IN TT Week Manx Radio had an interview with an American journalist who was convinced that the TT could have enormous interest for television audiences in the United States. This reminded me of a man called Warwick Charlton, one of Britain’s most successful and imaginative publicists, who settled in the Isle of Man in the 1960s and took himself off to America to try to sell the TT to the productions companies. He told them:

‘It’s like Rollerball in Brigadoon.’

THIS week’s Manx crossword clue from Karl Campbell goes: Is lesson too long for Wight and Man? (5) – ISLES. (Christine’s Cryptic X-Word Collectioon).

This year’s Manx Telecom Parish Walk has one of the most competitive fields ever assembled in its 100-year history.

Vinny Lynch and Richard Gerrard, joint winners from 2012, head the start list, along with four-time winner Jock Waddington – returning after a break – and Michael George who is a regular contender for victory but has yet to win the event.

Six-time women’s race winner and defending champion Sue Biggart is also on the entry list along with Janice Quirk, the 2009 winner whose time that year of 15hr 58min 35sec, is the fastest ever recorded by a woman.

A total of 1,493 walkers have signed up for the event on Saturday, June 22.

Event director, Ray Cox, says it promises to be one of the most exciting races in the 100-year history of the event, and potentially one in which the quality of the field produces some record times.

He said: ‘This year’s Parish Walk marks the centenary of the event in its current format, and I’m delighted to say that we have a field of exceptional quality to mark the occasion. With so many previous winners who have all achieved superb times it will take very special performances to win both the men’s and women’s titles this year.’

Although the number of entrants for 2013 is well down on last year’s record-breaking figure of 1,818, Cox says that it’s still a magnificent total and will make it a superb event as always.

‘This year’s total is on a par with the number of entries in 2007 – which was a record at that time. To have almost 1,500 people signing up to take part in an event out of a population of 84,000 is still remarkable and I think that this year we will see a greater proportion of entrants actually starting the race.’

It is estimated that the Manx Telecom Parish Walk will attract around 5,000 spectators, with another 5,000 support crew out on the road helping friends and family taking part in the event. Following the success of live trackers in last year’s race, the devices will be used again for 2013 so that the progress of the leading walkers can be followed online. The trackers transmit GPS information to the official Manx Telecom Parish Walk website www.parishwalk.com showing a map of the course with a real time display indicating the location of each competitor.

Everyone who reaches Santon, or one of the checkpoints farther along the course, will receive a commemorative medal specially commissioned by Manx Telecom to mark 100 years of the race.

The Parish Walk can trace its roots back to the 1850s, but the first event that is comparable to the modern format was held in 1913 (see below).

A leading figure from the Middle East will be one of the guest speakers at the island’s third aviation conference on Thursday.

Ali Ahmed Al Naqbi will be flying in from the United Arab Emirates in his capacity as founding chairman of the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA).

He is one of a star line-up of speakers due to be assembled at the Villa Marina, Douglas.

ICM Aviation in the island has organised the gathering and spokeswoman Jenny Oliver told Business News: ‘This is our third conference and it looks as if it will be bigger and better than ever before.

‘We have around 150 delegates coming from places as far afield as Israel, Switzerland, Russia, the USA, Malta and France.

‘We are delighted with an impressive line-up of speakers including Mr Al Naqbi.’

The title of his address is ‘Operating business aircraft in the Middle East.’

Jenny said this year’s theme is The Global Connection, reflecting the global reach of the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry and the continuing emergence of the island as a major international business centre.

Owning and managing an aircraft in the Isle of Man and what FATCA means for aircraft owners will be the title of the address by Mark Byrne. director of ICM Aviation.

At the end of June last year the island’s aircraft registry registered its 500th aircraft. This was only five years after the register was set up.

Current director of civil aviation Hartley Elder will speak about the register’s latest figures and will concentrate on the registry’s new online systems.

Jenny said this year’s event includes more chance for delegates to network and see more of the island.

This includes a post-conference reception at Castle Rushen with travel there by steam train. And on Friday there will be the opportunity to visit the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry followed by a tour of the TT mountain course by coach with live commentary by former TT rider Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle.

The Up and Running-sponsored Arthur Jones Bradda Fell Race takes place this Sunday, starting and finishing at Bradda Glen car park.

Start time for the seventh counter in the Rentokil Manx Fell League is 10am. There will be an earlier start at 9.15am for any runner who expects to finish in over 3hr 30min. Registration is from 8.30am until 9am for the early start and 9.15am until 9.45am for the main start. Race distance is 24km with 1,250m of ascent.

Full safety equipment is mandatory and will be checked at registration. Minimum age for entry is 18 years on race day.

Competitors are asked to park outside the Bradda Glen if possible to ensure the café customers have ample parking space. Marshals are still required for the race. Details are on manxfellrunners.org where a route description and map is also available.

Aspiring young reporters will be given advice by one of the Isle of Man’s best known journalists at a workshop at the family Library.

Paul Speller will host the Press Gang event, for seven to 11-year-olds, on Saturday, June 22.

It will be a chance for budding journalists to put pen to paper, and learn the rules of reporting, whilst having a go at writing a news article.

They will even have a chance to hear some tales about the funnier side of life in a newsroom from Paul, who has been involved in the media in the island for more than 20 years.

Father of two Paul is a former news editor and acting editor at Isle of Man Newspapers and is now a freelance journalist, working for both local and UK national publications.

He is well known for his hard hitting and humorous columns on everything from politics to family life and, during his career, has put every chief minister on the spot, met soap stars and football legends and interviewed celebrities ranging from Samantha Barks to Doctor Who.

Paul, said: ‘I first knew I wanted to be a journalist when I was seven, so I imagine there are others out there of similar age who might appreciate the chance to learn a bit more about the job.

‘We’ll take a look at the basic writing skills for a reporter – skills that can be used for writing in any form – as well as investigating what makes a good story and we’ll have a go at making our own headlines.

‘It will be informal and fun – and the skills we learn will be just as handy for writing homework as working on a newspaper.’

The aspiring reporters will also be able to turn the tables on Paul and get him to answer their questions, instead of Paul being the one doing the asking, as he is used to!

Librarian in charge at the Family Library, Mary Cousins, said: ‘We are delighted to have secured Paul’s expertise for this workshop, which is one of many events we have lined up for a packed summer of activities, including our summer reading scheme – details of which will be revealed soon.’

Paul, who used to be an assistant youth worker with the Department of Education and Children’s youth service in his spare time, added: ‘I’ve always been a great fan of the Family Library, which I think is a fantastic facility, so I’m delighted that I have been given this opportunity to stage the workshop there.

‘Over the years, I’ve spoken to many school groups about journalism and have found that some of the most pertinent questions have come from the children in the years three-six age group, so I’m looking forward to being put on the spot.

‘Hopefully, the workshop could help put one or two on the right path to a career as a journalist - which is a fantastic job - or at least give them a better idea of what’s involved, while also helping a little with their writing skills.’

The workshop takes place in the Family Library, Westmoreland Road, Douglas, from 1.30pm to 3pm on Saturday, June 22. Tickets are £5. To book a place, contact the Family Library on 640650.

The Isle of Man Post Office has admitted that – in many cases – it’s cheaper to post items destined for Europe and the rest of the world via the UK.

It says it’s because of the agreement it has in place with Royal Mail.

As a regular user of the online shopping site eBay, Dave Evans, of Ballacrosha, Ballaugh, posts items to ‘anywhere that will buy them’.

He explained: ‘At the moment if I want to send a 2kg packet (top of the airmail packet weight limit) to a European destination the cost is £24.94 – that’s direct.

‘Now here’s the thing, if I were to send it to a UK address first the cost would be £6.85, if then it is sent on to Europe by Royal Mail the cost is £13.65 – that gives a total of £20.50 and therefore a saving of £4.44. The package goes just as far and is handled just as much by the Isle of Man Post Office and Royal Mail as far as I can see.’

He said: ‘You can actually start saving money on a European destined packet weighing 750g onwards to the 2kg, saving from £0.79 to £4.44.

‘Rest of the World items can make a saving too by the two stage method – of course it’s not the most practical of processes!’

He was told by the Post Office it was due to the agreement it has with Royal Mail: ‘Some agreement that is.’

Mr Evans said: ‘I appreciate we’re on an island so extras have to be considered (fuel, transport, etc), but in my simple world I can’t understand the logic of who set the prices. The service is good and still cheaper than any courier I’ve found but I wish I could get a proper answer out of them – not just the agreement blanket one’

Isle of Man Post Office commercial director Lisa Duckworth said: ‘Whilst he says that “they just throw the blanket over it, or it’s down to the agreement between them and Royal Mail” this is the reason for the price differential.’

She said: ‘We have a commercial agreement with Royal Mail for distribution of mail around the world. On top of this we have our own internal costs to get mail from the island into Royal Mail’s international distribution network.

‘We are too small a postal administration to negotiate a mail exchange agreement with 192 countries around the world directly and have to use an agent. Whenever this occurs costs are always going to be higher than going direct.’

She said: ‘I am pleased Mr Evans is happy with our service and whilst it is currently cheaper to take the two stage approach, delivery times may take longer, when time is usually of the essence for eBay users.’

Meanwhile, Mr Evans said there was another benefit of posting items via the UK. While the Isle of Man Post Office doesn’t offer certificate of posting compensation for standard airmail items to Europe or rest of the world destinations, Royal Mail does.

Ms Duckworth said: ‘Mr Evans makes a fair point with regards to the lack of compensation available for our international airmail service and I will ensure we consider the introduction of this when we next review our tariffs and terms (for introduction in April 2014).

A charity rounders tournament is being organised to raise funds for The Children’s Centre.

Teams are being urged to sign up as soon as possible for the event at Vagabonds Rugby Club, Ballafletcher Road, Braddan, on Thursday, July 11, at 6pm. Deadline for entries is Tynwald Day, Friday, July 5.

The winners will be crowned Rounders Champions but, says Susie Cox, fundraising co-ordinator at The Children’s Centre, the emphasis will be on friendly competition and having fun.

‘Rounders is a great game that anyone can play and we want the tournament to kickstart our summer of fundraising events.’

The charity is looking for teams of nine, and the price is £10 per head and £5 for children under 15. It’s open to everyone from corporate teams looking for a social get together while raising funds for a good cause, to teams of families and friends just wanting to have a fun night out.

The Pavilion in Port St Mary will be providing catering for the event with a barbecue, and the Vagabond’s Rugby Club bar will be open throughout.

The Children’s Centre thanked everyone who has helped to stage the tournament, particularly sponsors Paragon Recruitment.

Entry forms can be found at www.thechildrenscentre.org.im or by emailing susiecox@thechildrenscentre.org.im – or you can call Susie on 676076 for more details.

The new chairman of the Isle of Man branch of the Institute of Directors is Clive Parrish, director of Douglas-based business consultancy CDP Associated Ltd.

Mr Parrish said: ‘I am taking over with the branch in great shape.’

He succeeds Sally Bolton and said: ‘Under Sally’s leadership membership has risen to over 250 with an improving level of diversity, both in business backgrounds and the increasing number of women becoming members.’

Mr Parrish, who has served on the IOM branch committee for more than six years, said he hoped to continue the work that had already been done in providing a range of educational and CPD events.

He added: ‘The committee and I remain committed to taking the branch forward and engage with as many members as we can to help them make the most of their membership of the Institute.’

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission and Estonian Tax and Customs Board have signed an agreement to cooperate and share information between the two gambling authorities.

Based on the principles of protection of consumers and preservation of public order, the agreement’s objective is to improve regulatory standards both in the online and land based sectors, through exchange of knowledge, provision of assistance and establishment of a good working relationship.

Both regulators look forward to building on the provisions within the agreement to explore and improve the consumer protection opportunities that cooperation offers, to streamline processes and to create efficiencies for business.

In welcoming the agreement, Steve Brennan, chief executive of the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission said: ‘The agreement builds on the Isle of Man’s commitment to international co-operation and provides a strong endorsement of the excellent reputation and international standing that the Island has earned through more than a decade of sound regulation of gambling activity.’

A former King William’s College student has invented a new device which helps people keep in touch with their mobile phones.

The ‘stylish’ new gadget, called the iBeacon, provides a discreet way to keep your handset tucked away safely, without the all-too-common problem of missing calls.

Ronak Pathak, whose parents still live in the Isle of Man, grew tired of playing ‘voicemail tennis’ with his wife.

The iBeacon is a small, discreet beacon that clips on to the outside of a bag.

The beacon then alerts users to incoming or missed calls and text messages via a speaker and LED system, while the phone remains securely inside the bag.

Ronak says mobile phones have become an integral part of daily life and we all rely on them for calls that are too important to miss.

However, the sizes of handsets have increased as more useful functionality has been added which, combined with significant concerns over health risks, has led to mobiles being commonly kept in bags rather than pockets. This often results in calls being unheard or missed as the recipient rummages through their bag. The iBeacon provides an affordable solution to this problem by making the phone both more audible and easier to find, without adding significant extra cost on to the already huge price of owning a mobile.

The flashing LED also provides a peace of mind for the owner, alerting them to any calls or messages that are missed, rather than having to be distracted from what they are doing to dig into their bags and check their phone so frequently.

Designed by the makers of the TomTom, the iBeacon is compatible with all mobile phones, tablets and notebooks and is available in a wide range of fashionable colours to match bags discreetly.

The iBeacon can be pre-ordered from.ibeacon.co and the crowd funding site

www.kickstarter.com

The team from new Isle of Man-based call centre Yello have headed to Amsterdam for the iGaming Super Show starting today (Tuesday).

The contact centre has enjoyed two very successful open days, receiving more than 250 applications for the 100 jobs it is looking to create on the island by the end of the year.

Yello’s state-of-the-art contact centre, which will open officially later this month, has already attracted interest from big industry names on the Isle of Man and elsewhere.

The company will offer tailored inbound and outbound services, including sales, lead generation, customer service, customer retentionand Virtual Office, in up to 16 different languages. ‘We’re very excited to be attending the iGaming show, where we’ll be showcasing the range of bespoke services that Yello can offer to the betting and gaming industry,’ said Mark Irvine, chief operating officer of Yello.

‘We’ll be at the show from June 11 to June 14 and we’re looking forward to the opportunity to network with potential clients and industry contacts’.

Business News was the first to reveal Yello’s plans.

While the focus is on the betting and gaming sector, Yello will also be servicing a wide range of clients in different sectors including telecoms, travel, tourism and retail from all around the world.

They offer a dedicated VIP management service as well as having an outbound call team who will reactivate lapsed accounts and stimulate player activity, and use VOiP and live chat to handle player’s needs.

‘We also have a significant number of letters of intent from several online casinos, a well-known slots developer and a local IoM business in telecommunications,’ added Mark. ‘We have made significant b2b and b2c client gains and with one of our areas of expertise being retention, reactivation and VIP management, hopefully this will make us more appealing to prospective clients as we want to get it right first time for our clients and their customers’.

info@yello.com