Businesses on Peel Road in Douglas claim trade has been hit by the ongoing major roadworks in the area.

The road reconstruction on Peel Road is one of the biggest projects seen in the Isle of Man in recent years.

And with the disruption expected to last until this time next year, retailers in the area have admitted that business is being affected.

Robert Byers, co-owner of Waltons, said: ‘It’s fair to say we have experienced a downturn in trade, but it was expected.’

Keith Inskip, who runs the franchise at McDonald’s, agreed. He said: ‘We have seen a downturn in our takings unfortunately as we have been directly affected by the roadworks.

‘However, we have been able to avoid job losses through good business planning from the moment we heard that the roadworks were coming to the area.

‘My main message is that McDonald’s in Douglas is open for business as usual.’

The £4.3 million project to reconstruct the ‘switchback’ Peel Road, which began in March, was originally expected to take 80 weeks to complete. Work will switch next week to the inbound section of road between Belmont Hill and Circular Road.

Director of highways Richard Pearson said: ‘The project is still progressing well.

‘We remain ahead of the 80 week programme. However, it is still too soon to confirm an early completion date as we have a Manx winter to work through and significant excavation remains which always has the potential to throw up unforeseen issues.

‘Significant sections of the Pulrose junction and the outbound lane have been completed. A substantial length of the new drainage kerb has been laid and a new drainage crossing has been installed at Belmont Hill.

‘This 450mm diameter pipe will improve the drainage of the whole catchment including alleviating flooding on Peel Road itself.

‘Work on the inbound section of road between Belmont Hill and Circular Road will commence next week. From a driver’s perspective the number of traffic lanes will not change, however traffic will be switched to run on some of the new sections of road while the remainder of the old road is reconstructed.

‘Towards the end of the month, the length of road controlled by temporary traffic lights will be shortened, allowing for a slightly improved overall traffic flow.

‘All businesses remain open as usual. The department would like to thank residents, businesses and the travelling public for their continued patience.’

Details of a £79 million claim relating to extended warranty service contracts sold by a UK power firm have been heard in the Douglas High Court.

Island-registered Powerhouse Insurance Ltd was placed into voluntary winding up in July 2010 and liquidators Eric Walls and Keith Steven appointed the following month.

In April 1998 PIL and another Isle of Man registered company PowerPlan Company Ltd entered into an insurance policy whereby PIL agreed to indemnify PowerPlan in relation to cashback claims arising from extended warranty service contracts sold by Scottish Power.

PowerPlan went into administration in September 2003 and Douglas MacDonald was subsequently appointed liquidator.

In March 2010 PIL entered into a deed of release with PowerPlan in which it was to pay £125,000 in full and final settlement of all past, present and future claims made in relation to the insurance policy.

But PowerPlan’s liquidator said it was induced to enter into the deed as a result of misrepresentations made by various PIL representatives and in August this year Mr MacDonald obtained an order in the Newcastle upon Tyne District Registry rescinding the deed with £125,000 being paid to the claimants. That payment has been made.

Then PowerPlan submitted a claim against PIL for £79,212,250 relating to actual individual claims received from customers who had purchased the extended cashback warranty.

PIL’s liquidators asked the high court to determine whether PowerPlan’s £79 million claim should be admitted and whether they should accept its proof of debt claim.

In his witness statement, Mr Walls said: ‘Keith Steven and I as joint liquidators of PIL have accepted the claim of PPCL in the amount of £79,212,250. The PPCL claim has been accepted subject to any guidance, ruling or order given by the court.’

But Deemster David Doyle said he did not intend to give ‘any guidance, ruling or order’ on the claim as the liquidators were ‘far better placed than this court to come to a judgment on the validity of the claim’.

He said: ‘The evidence before the court indicates that the liquidators in this case have already accepted the claim. The liquidators are misguided in their attempts to receive the court’s sanction of such a decision. No such sanction is required.’

The Deemster said he could see no good reason for converting the creditors’ voluntary liquidation into a liquidation subject to the supervision of the court.

Jockey William Buick is flying at the moment and is worth backing each way at the second day of the Doncaster meeting today. Channel 4 is showing the first four races. Good luck

Today, THURSDAY

DONCASTER: 1.40 Aqlaam Vision (William Buick) 2.10 The Gold Cheongsam (Buick) 2.40 Ben Hall (Buick) 3.15 Phiz (Buick) 3.50 Raven Ridge (Buick) 4.25 Saloomy (Buick) 5.0 Proud Chieftain

WOLVERHAMPTON: Watch out for Gamgoom, jockey Mickael Barzalona in the 7pm (NAP)

The Isle of Man’s under-18 side will continue their preperations for October 12’s FA County Youth Cup tie with a friendly against Liverpool County FA’s at the Bowl on Saturday tea-time.

The game kicks off at 5.30pm and admission is free.

Friday, September 13

At the Bowl - 8.40pm kick-off

Paddy Power Masters’ League

Braddan v Ayre United

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Saturday, September 14 (KO 2.30pm)

Canada Life Premier League

DHSOB v RYCOB

St George’s v Michael United

Laxey v Ramsey

Union Mills v St John’s United

Corinthians v St Mary’s

Castletown v Rushen United

JCK Division Two

Ronaldsway v Colby

Gymns v Ayre United

Douglas and District v Malew

Marown v Douglas Royal

Onchan v Braddan

Douglas Athletic v Pulrose United

Canada Life Combination One

RYCOB v DHSOB

Michael United v St George’s

Ramsey v Laxey

St John’s United v Union Mills

St Mary’s v Corinthians 2pm

Rushen United v Castletown

JCK Combination Two

Colby v Ronaldsway

Ayre Unitde v Gymns

Malew v Douglas and District

Douglas Royal v Marown

Braddan v Onchan

Pulrose United v Douglas Athletic

Friendly (At the Bowl 5.30pm KO)

Isle of Man U18s v Liverpool CFA U18s

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Sunday, September 15

Friendly (9.15am ko at the Bowl)

Laxey v Liverpool CFA U18s

Paddy Power Masters’ League

Corinthians v Colby A 2.10 pm ko @ Bowl

Laxey v Marown 3.40 pm ko@ Bowl

Warehouse Fitness Women’s League 2.30pm KO

DHSOB v Corinthians

Gymns v Douglas Royal

Peel v Castletown

The 22nd annual Shoprite Cycle 4Life Mountain Course Challenge, due to take place on Sunday, has been postponed.

Organisers have made the decision due to a poor weather forecast, which includes heavy rain and strong winds.

The entire event, including the family ride on the promenade, will now take place on October 20.

Peel Badminton Club’s AGM takes place on Thursday, September 12 at the Corrin Hall, Peel starting at 7.30pm.

All old and new members are welcome to attend. Please bring along your racquets as there will be a club night after the meeting.

A murder is going to take place at Government House.

The Children’s Centre, a charity for families and children, is organising a murder mystery event at Government House thanks to the permission of Lieutenant Governor Adam Wood and his family.

The drama is being staged by WASP Productions, who have run a string of successful murder mystery events and always promise stories which have a sting in the tail.

After being served with champagne and canapés, guests will love being able to put their detective skills to the test as they set about trying to uncover ‘whodunnit’. The fun and games takes place on Thursday, September 26, starting at 6pm.

The Children’s Centre’s fundraising coordinator, Susie Cox, said: ‘Government House is such a fantastic location to host this event and we would like to thank Mr Wood and his family for their generous hospitality.

‘We’re thrilled to have been able to host this fantastic evening in such an iconic Manx building and very much look forward to seeing the WASP Productions performance. Get your tickets ASAP because this event is sure to sell-out!’

Mr Wood said: ‘I am delighted to provide the venue for this inventive fundraising venture which will help The Children’s Centre’s many projects and services for families and children across the island. I’m sure the participants in the murder mystery event will have a lot of fun while also raising funds for a very worthy cause.’

The plot of Game, Set and Murder centres on Roger Fairlawn, the president of Fairlawn Tennis Club, who invites guests to the annual tennis club dinner and prize presentation.

Tickets are £25 and can be bought by calling Susie Cox on 676076 or by emailing fundraising@thechildrenscentre.org.im

For more information on WASP Productions go to {http://www.murdermysteriesiom.com/latest-production.html|this site}

Community groups are being urged to apply now for grants from the Manx Telecom It’s Our Community scheme which over the past few years has donated tens of thousands of pounds to good causes across the island.

Grants can be given for a wide range of purposes from buying equipment, to decorating club rooms or other meeting places. Your organisation can request anything from £100 to £1,000 and each application is judged on a case by case basis.

Last year a total of around £5,000 was donated to 12 organisations from across the island with projects ranging from buying gardening equipment, to paying for new doors for a community centre, and to cover the costs of printing advice leaflets.

Recipients in recent years have included primary schools, Scout groups, over 60s clubs, veterans’ associations, church groups, sports clubs, and youth bands.

The 2012 awards included grants to Castletown Over 60s Club for new UPVC double doors at Morton Hall, and for the Manx Workshop for the Disabled to buy equipment for its woodworking department. Hand bell ringers at St German’s Cathedral bought new hand bell pads thanks to an It’s Our Community donation, and the Burma Star Association received a grant to help pay for taxis to transport veterans to meetings and lunches.

Other recipients were Ashley Hill School Gardening Club, Manx Eating Disorders Support Group, Isle of Man Sport, Crossroads Care, Ballakermeen High School Learning Support Services, Maughold Social Club, Peel Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, and Victim Support.

Mike Dee, Manx Telecom chief executive, said: ‘The It’s Our Community scheme is ideal for small groups and clubs to obtain funds to pay for a whole range of projects. The application process is very simple as we understand that the volunteers who run many groups haven’t got the time to spend on filling in lots of forms to apply for grants, so we make it as quick and easy as possible via an online form. There are now only a few weeks to go before the application deadline so we want to hear from as many groups as possible about their ideas to put It’s Our Community grants to good use.’

To apply for a Manx Telecom It’s Our Community grant, go to www.manxtelecom.com/itsourcommunity. The deadline for applications is September 30, 2013.

Ben Carling, strength and conditioning coach at the Isle of Man Sport Institute, is pictured putting 15-year-old Douglas RFUC player George Blackwell through his paces at the NSC using the electronic equipment bought with a 2012 Manx Telecom It’s Our Community grant.

A one-day conference organised by the Manx branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society will takes place on Saturday, September 28, at the Palace Hotel, Douglas.

It will provide up to date information for anyone interested in learning more about this life-changing neurological condition.

The conference – ‘Together to Beat MS’ – is part of the national society’s 60th anniversary, and features speakers and experts both from the UK and the Isle of Man, including John Litchfield, vice-chairman of the MS Society UK and Dr Wojciech Pietkiewicz, consultant neurologist at the Walton Centre in Liverpool, as well as health professionals offering advice on how local services can help people with Multiple Sclerosis. There will also be a presentation from David Downie MBE, the Operations Manager at the Hyperbaric Medical Unit giving expert advice on how his unit can help alleviate many of the symptoms of MS.

Derek Patience, chairman of the MS Society Isle of Man, said: ‘It is five years since this branch hosted a conference like this, and those who attended were able to learn so much about the condition from experts who rarely, if ever, visit the Isle of Man.

‘This 60th anniversary event is an update as a great deal has changed in the MS world since 2008: more symptom-relieving drugs, more exciting research into possible cures, even a more coherent health service strategy locally.

‘“Together to Beat MS” is an opportunity for anyone who is interested in MS – those who have it, their families, their friends, even other health professionals – to find out the latest information from the experts.’

To find out more, and to reserve a place, call the MS Society on 452207, email mssocietyiom@manx.net. Places are limited. ‘Together to Beat MS’ runs from 10am to 4pm including lunch. It free to anyone with MS, and costs £10 for others.

The island’s army cadets have a new commandant and for the first time the new man at the helm is from within the cadet force rather than the army.

Dean Johnson, who has been a volunteer officer with the cadet force for some years, said he was delighted to take up the post and hoped to swell the number of recruits.

Speaking of his new role he said: ‘I suppose it means the buck stops with me. The title sounds grandiose but it really means I’m responsible as the senior ranking officer for the island’s army cadet force.’

In the island, the organisation boasts 130 cadets and 35 adults - lower numbers overall than the neighbouring areas of Lancashire and Greater Manchester but measured per capita, that’s still three times the size of any other area in the North West.

‘Whether we do something better or whether the Isle of Man is simply more community-minded, I don’t know, but that’s been the case historically for a number of years,’ he added.

The numbers equate to two and a half per cent of all eligible young people joining, compared with less than one per cent in the UK.

‘We have a strong team and I’m not planning any sweeping changes. Our motto is “Inspire to achieve”. It’s all about developing good citizenship skills for the future.’ he said.

Young sports leaders have been presented with their end of year prizes after clocking up hundreds of hours of coaching.

The Sports Development Unit’s Sure Sports Leadership Programme saw a very successful year of volunteering from 40 young leaders across the Isle of Man, who delivered an impressive 900 hours of coaching in after-school and community sports clubs around the island.

In order to qualify to participate in the programme back in September 2012, all sports leaders on the programme undertook a series of training workshops covering safeguarding and protecting children and leadership skills in addition to sports specific workshops in tag rugby, badminton, athletics, cricket, netball and hockey.

‘Without the support of sports leaders some primary schools would have struggled to provide extra-curricular activities for certain sports,’ said Trevor Christian from the Sports Development Unit.

Thanks to the support of Sure, an incentive of £50 and £100 Sure Vouchers have been up for grabs during each of the school terms for the leaders that have accumulated the most coaching hours.

Runner up for the summer term and winner of a £50 Sure voucher was Holly Williamson. Receiving a £100 Sure voucher for leading the summer term was Rebecca Kelly.

Rebecca was also awarded an iPad for winning the coveted title of Sure Sports Leader of the Year. This title is given to the leader showing the greatest commitment, enthusiasm and standards given to coaching and officiating in the community.

The programme will now be undergoing a revamp for next year with some exciting changes to the training opportunities for the leaders which the sport development team will be disclosing soon.

If you are in year 11 to 13 and interested in becoming a sports leader, contact the sports development office on 688592.

The island’s search and rescue dog charity received an alcoholic boost when members received a case of whisky to help raise funds.

The unusual collectors’ whisky box is to be sold in a specialist online auction in October and to support the charity the site, scotchwhiskyauctions.com, is waiving its usual commission fee. The Search and Rescue Dog Association uses handlers and dogs to find people who go missing

Whisky reviewer and SARDA volunteer Ralf Mitchell of ralfy.com supplied the six bottles which should raise around £400. For more information about SARDA contact Gary Wright on 205501.

A cycling endurance challenge raised £1,850 for Hospice.

The third Microgaming Lighthouses Challenge, promoted by SAS Events, was supported and sponsored by Microgaming, the world’s largest provider of online gaming software, which is based in the Isle of Man.

In this timed challenge, competitors rode between each lighthouse in the island choosing either a 100- or 53-mile challenge. Cycling teams also took part.

The course ran a clockwise route from Douglas with the short course finishing in Peel.

The 100-mile course involved more than 2,000 metres of climbing, which included the climbs to Cregneash and the Sloc, before taking in the northern plains and then the shorter climbs along the north east coast back into Douglas.

Mary Doyle, PR and marketing manager for Hospice, thanked Steve Shimmin of SAS Events and Microgaming forall their support of Hospice and congratulated all the competitors who took part in this tough event.

Next year’s Microgaming Lighthouses Challenge which will be Sunday, July 13, 2014. To find out more about SAS Events visit http://www.sasevents.im/

Pictured left to right is Mary Doyle, PR and marketing manager for Hospice with Steve Shimmin of SAS Events and Terri Cook, also of the Hospice fundraising team.

Since 2010 the trio of self proclaimed ‘rural misfits’ Phil Bell-Scott, Simon Kilgannon and Ben Scott have been cooking up post-psychedelic, post-punk indie rock’n’roll under the Cartesian Jetstream moniker.

They’ve made some memorable sounds at some memorable gigs, but only now is their debut album compiled and ready for release.

Eleven-track record Sleep Over will be set loose on hard copy on September 30, and when the band say ‘it was lovingly recorded and mixed in the finest studios we could find with the help of some very talented people’, they are talking about southern sonic magicians Ballagroove Records.

The physical release will be a lovely card-sleeved CD version with a 12-page colour booklet, with an immediate free download of the album for every CD order.

For now the album is available to listen to in its entirety at http://cartesianjetstream.bandcamp.com/ where you can download the lot for £8 (or more if you feel generous) or download tracks individually.

Keep an eye on the band’s well-subscribed Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CartesianJetstream) for upcoming videos and news of gigs.

The album captures the signature Cartesian Jetstream sound; lo-fi vocals in a swirl of guitars and effects, all built around a solid percussive, bass-driven groove.

Opener My Captain is as close to straight-up indie as things get, Cat Lick Kids reminds us ‘it ain’t where you’re from, it’s where you’re at’, and Forever, with it’s leap of faith message, approaches ballad territory.

Personal highlights include the Eastern flavours and floating quality of closer House of Gardens, while Miniature Minotaurs has the drive and conviction of the band at their finest – it’s a journey.

Check it out.

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The Manx Sound Exchange is Lee Brooks’s ramblings on the rumblings of the Isle of Man’s music scene and appears in the Manx Independent every Thursday. Help support the scene by emailing lee.brooks@newsiom.co.im or calling 695674 with Manx music news, reviews and photos

Lack of co-operation from the Douglas Development Partnership has been blamed for the Isle of Man Farmers’ Markets (IoMFM) not having a market in the capital.

Chairman of the IoMFM, Sheila Gawne, revealed that it had tried very hard to open a market in the town, but was thwarted by the partnership as it wanted the farmers to commit to a market before it knew the full extent of the costs involved.

Peter Birch, from the Original Fudge Factory in Ballasalla, recently wrote to the island’s authorities asking for their support in opposing the European continental markets, which he claimed were doing a ‘great harm’ to retailers outside Douglas.

Continental markets in the spotlight

He said the island’s farmers’ market asked to hold a monthly market in the same area as the continental market in Douglas, but had been refused on the grounds of health and safety due to access for emergency vehicles, said Mr Birch. He asked why the continental markets were allowed to be held in the same location.

DDP’s Chris Pycroft responded that comments about the farmers’ market were untrue. ‘We were really keen to try and encourage local producers to put on a market in Douglas, but we could not get enough people [farmers],’ he said.

But Mrs Gawne said the IoMFM tried hard to open a market in town and held a series of meetings with the then Douglas town manager Gill Anderson between July and November 2011.

‘We were looking to see what the opportunities were of ourselves operating our monthly market in the same vicinity as a market planned by the DDP,’ she said. ‘The results from these meetings ended up being rather disappointing.

‘The upshot of these meetings was that due to lack of confirmation from the town centre manager regarding any subsidies we, due to our limited financial resources, could not progress with this matter without putting our members at financial risk.’

She said: ‘We are individual traders, we have to be very, very careful, the only revenue is from pitch fees from stall holders, we did not want the farmers’ market to fold, traders could say: “Forget it, we are just not coming”.’

Mrs Gawne added: ‘We had to commit to go down and do a market before they [the DPP] would tell us what costs we would incur, nothing was very forthcoming. If we had it at North Quay, we would have to tell them we wanted to do it before they would tell us the help they would give us.’

DDP suggested the market be held in Castle Street, but the IoMFM was concerned because of the lack of footfall there and also a stipulation that the stalls go in front of empty shops – so be spread out – rather than in one spot.

It also had concerns about restrictions on loading and unloading, the cost of licences, road closure and clean up.

She added: They [DPP] were not happy about the butcher having his usual hog roast as this would be conflicting with the other catering outlets in the town.

‘The IoMFM felt this was just another obstacle being put in our path. We could not have a hog roast, because it would upset other catering, but you look at how the continental markets are. At the end of the day, they had gas cylinders, hot food, the outlets were set up as we wanted it.’

However, there is potential to hold markets in the market hall in Douglas, she said, and the IoMFM has lodged an expression of interest about holding markets there. ‘It could be used for all sorts of things. With a little bit of imagination it can be a centre piece of Douglas.’

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Tomorrow (Sunday) a harvest time farmers’ market will be held at the Southern 100 clubhouse car park, off Castletown bypass, from 1pm to 4pm.

There will be a wide variety of fresh vegetables, baked goods, bedding plants, locally produced meat, hot food, and the Southern Vintage Tractor Club will have a display of static machinery and tractors.

There will also be the opportunity to see the freshly harvested grain being rolled. Car parking and entry is free.

Mushroom and toadstool enthusiasts met for the first foray of the newly-formed Isle of Man Fungus Group.

Members scoured Glen Mooar and took about 15 specimens back for identification.

Finds included a plums-and-custard mushroom, black crampball and an orange eye-lash fungus.

A specialist microscope, bought thanks to a Manx Lottery Trust grant, was used to identify some of the more challenging species.

The group was founded following workshops held by Scots fungi expert Nev Kilkenny in 2012 and an annual general meeting in June.

The autumn event programme, featuring forays and workshops, is available at www.manxbiodiversity.org

It includes weekend workshops run by Nev, on September 28 -29 and October 26-27.

Participants will gain confidence in their identification skills, including edible and inedible species. The aim is for them to provide reliable records of common Manx fungi and help their conservation.

Chairman Liz Charter said fungi are a ‘fascinating part of our biodiversity’. Call Liz on 695741 (work hours) or email fungusiom@gmail.com

The babies born at Noble’s Hospital on the same day as Prince George have been given a Manx tartan blanket to celebrate the occasion.

Four babies – a boy and three girls – were presented with the special blankets, embroidered with their date of birth, July 22, by the Department of Health.

Kate Cowley gave birth to a little girl, Aalin. And not only does mum share a first name with the Duchess of Cambridge, baby Aalin – which translates in Manx as beautiful – came in at the same weight as the third in line to the throne: 8lb 6oz.

To top things off, proud parents Kate and David are also parents to a son called William.

The other babies who share the same birthday as the new prince are Rachel Moss, Isabella Lacey and Meidas Svedkauskas.

The Isle of Man’s women’s hockey side underlined their quality as they successfully defended the Inter-Islands Tournament title at the NSC over the weekend.

A hard-fought 1-0 victory over Bermuda kicked off the Manx side’s tournament campaign on Friday night, Lou Slater’s early goal setting the scene for the rest of the tournament.

It was more of the same on the Saturday as the mighty Manx registered the same scoreline against Guernsey through another Slater strike.

A very strong Jersey side proved a tougher test in the next game, but a fine finish from captain Kim Carney was the difference between the two sides.

With the Manx already confirmed in the final, a hard-fought goalless draw with fellow finalists Orkney completed an exhausting but undefeated day of group games.

In front of a 250-strong crowd, Sunday’s final match started as another cagey affair, with much industry but few attacking spoils for either team in the opening 25 minutes.

Just before half-time, however, the deadlock was broken by a surging run from the dominant Zoe Carney who fired the ball into the danger area.

After good work from Sarah Blackman, the ball was coolly slotted in by Inter-Island debutante, Valkyrs’ Imogen Manning.

This lead, however, was not to last long. A clever Orkney penalty corner routine found Charlotte Thompson on the back post, who scooped the ball exquisitely past Sami Jordan in the Manx goal.

The Isle of Man were not to be denied as they retook the lead on the stroke of half-time.

Carney again was the spark, bamboozling an Orkney defender from a penalty corner before solidly striking the ball into the goal from the top of the D.

As the second half started the Manx, led by Vikings captain Kim Carney in midfield, started to exert their influence and created space for impressive youngster Laura Atkinson to stretch her legs.She took the ball down the right and hit a fine cross to the back post which Blackman did well to deflect into the goal at full stretch.

As expected, Orkney pushed and pushed until the final whistle through player of the tournament Caron Bews but is was all to no avail as the island defence, marshalled excellently all weekend by Kirsty Bowley and Nicci Cain, ensured that the game finished 3-1 leaving the Manx to celebrate tournament victory.

There was some close racing in all classes during round seven of the Isle of Man Kart Racing Association’s Championship at JCK Circuit in Jurby on Sunday.

Abbie Thompson-White scored a clean-sweep of wins in the Honda Cadet class.

Starting from pole she led every lap of the race to win by 25.84 seconds from young Leo Dooley followed by Ciaran Teare, Owen Dooley, debutant Corey Dale and Emily Dooley. Thompson-White set the fastest lap of 56.03s.

Andrew Johnson claimed the opening heat in the Honda Senior with Tanisha Beattie the remaining two heats. The final saw a further battle between these two drivers but it was Beattie who fought all the way to take the chequered flag by just 0.68 of a second from Johnson and Wayne Smith. Beattie and Johnson jointly set the fastest lap of 53.88s.

Stuart Hutchinson claimed a full-house of wins in the Honda Senior Heavy class with a fastest lap of 55.19s.

There was some close racing in the in the Rotax Max 125 class with Rob Watson claiming heats one and three and Rob Birnie claiming the second. The final saw Watson back on form to take the lead, finishing 0.36 of a second in front of Birnie and Alex Maxwell. Birnie set the fastest lap 47.17s.

Chris Swinden claimed a full-house of wins in the Rotax Max 177 class with a fastest lap of 48.13s.

The Junior TKM four-stroke class saw some excellent racing between all the drivers, but it was Rory McCann who has just returned from racing in the UK shone through claiming all three heats and the final honours. McCann also set the fastest lap of 48.18s.

Joshua Thompson-White, who also has just returned from racing in the UK, was a strong contender and drove excellently throughout, but had to settle for second place. Kealan Beattie had his best result since joining this class, finishing third. Well done to the remaining drivers Adam Godby, Jordan Guest, Andrew Birchenough and Liam McCann.

Driver of the day was awarded to novice Corey Dale in the Honda Cadet class.

Results (Finals only)

Honda Cadets 1, Abbie Thompson-White; 2, Leo Dooley; 3, Ciaran Tear; 4, Owen Dooley; 5,Corey Dale; 6, Emily Dooley. Honda Senior 1, Tanisha Beattie; 2, Andrew Johnson; 3, Wayne Smith. Honda Senior Heavy 1, Stuart Hutchinson. Rotax Max 125 1, Rob Watson; 2, Rob Birnie; 3, Alex Maxwell. Rotax Max 177 1, Chris Swinden. Junior TKM four-stroke 1, Rory McCann; 2, Joshua Thompson-White; 3, Kealan Beattie; 4, Adam Godby; 5, Jordan Guest; 6, Andrew Birchenough; 7, Liam McCann.

The change of date for the Manx 20km race walking championships at Andreas proved popular with local and a visiting GB international athletes alike.

One such supporter from the UK was Alex Wright who represented Britain with distinction in the recent world championships in Moscow over 20km.

He was visiting the island with former Manx Harrier and junior international Lauren Whelan. Also in attendance was national endurance coach mentor Andi Drake who presented the awards at the conclusion of racing.

The women’s 20km race had the potential of an exciting battle between reigning UK champion Bethan Davies, Welsh counterpart Heather Lewis and top Manx female Michelle Turner.

The men’s event was an entirely local contest, but no less interesting with Parish Walk winner Michael George and 100-mile National champion Richard Gerrard, among others, up against the junior duo of Alex Eaton and Adam Cowin.

Davies took a keen hold and the overall lead in the early stages, closely tracked by Lewis, with the local trio of George, Gerrard and Turner 30 seconds in arrears after 5km. Eaton and Cowin took their time to get into the longer event in only their second outing at the distance.

By halfway, everything had closed up considerably with the top-five separated by only seven seconds.

Turner wisely stopped at halfway, a recent illness finding her still feeling less than 100 per cent.

Former Kent walker Becky Collins, now racing for North Down AC, also called it a day at 10km happy to record a sharp 54min time.

Eaton made his charge after a patient first half. By the following lap he was up to second position and by three-quarter distance he had taken the lead, chased by George.

It was a lead young Eaton was not to relinquish and, racing with pace judgement way beyond his years, he took the overall win with an impressive personal best of 1hr 40min 52sec, almost 10 minutes quicker than his debut 20km walk last year at Ronaldsway.

George was 20s down, with top female Lewis third overall a couple of minutes behind George setting a lifetime best of 1:43.35 some two minutes quicker than her previous best.

Gerrard picked up his pace in the latter stages to take third man and Bethan Davies was second woman home despite suffering stomach and sickness problems in the latter stages.

Richard Wild was another to pace his race to perfection, recording a fine personal best inside 1hr 50min for the first time. Adam Cowin was a bit out of sorts, letting his pace slip in the last half of the race - but hopefully will have learned a lot from this outing.

In the 5km event, Tom Partington recorded a fine personal best and looked very tidy, which should fill him with confidence for his upcoming English Schools debut in Birmingham. Runner-up Becky Greatbatch recorded a sound over-distance performance in preparation for her appearance at the same event.

Isaac Quayle and Alexander Kneale were very closely matched in the junior mile, finishing two seconds apart.

Thanks to the race officials and supporters who turned out in showery weather and Andreas Village Commissioners for the facilities.