The Isle of Man has signed two more tax information exchange agreements (TIEA).

Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK signed them with Italy and Lesotho on Monday in London.

The TIEA with Italy was signed by His Excellency Pasquale Terracciano, Italian Ambassador in London, and the TIEA with the government of the Kingdom of Lesotho was signed by Maanna Mapetja, the Acting High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Lesotho in the United Kingdom.

Minister Teare said: ‘These agreements are the island’s 30th and 31st TIEAs and the island now has 41 agreements that meet the OECD international standard on tax co-operation and transparency.

‘Italy is the 17th EU member state with whom the Isle of Man has signed an agreement that meets to OECD standard, while the agreement with Lesotho is the third the island has signed with members of the Southern African Development Community and it demonstrates the island’s continuing support to the OECD’s Global Forum commitment to sharing expertise and best practice on tax transparency and information exchange with developing nations.’

The number of people flying to and from the island has shot up.

According to statistics from the Department of Infrastructure, there was a 13.67 per cent increase in August of passengers using the airport, compared with the same month last year.

That was a rise of more than 8,700 to 72,718, bringing the cumulative increase so far this year to more than 7 per cent.

More details in Thursday’s Manx Independent.

Today, TUESDAY

THIRK SELECTIONS: 3.10 Nurpur (Jockey D Tudhope) 3.40 Celtic Sixpence (M Stainton) 4.45 Aquilla (M Harley) 5.15 War Poet (T Eaves - NAP)

YARMOUTH SELECTIONS: 4.30 Gabrial’s Star (S De Sousa) 5.0 Master of War (K Fallon- NB) 5.30 Smokethatthunders (L Morris)

CHEPSTOW SELECTION: 5.20 Be My Rock (O Murphy)

STRATFORD SELECTION: 5.35 Giant O Murchu (A Coleman)

UPDATED REPORT: Police investigating the death of a swan now say that it might have died some time ago.

Earlier today (Tuesday), police issued a statement referring to a ‘mindless act of animal cruelty’.

At about 5pm on Saturday (September 14) police were told that there was a dead swan in the harbour near to the bridge on Bowring Road in Ramsey.

They launched an investigation into animal cruelty and this morning made a plea for more information from the public through iomtoday.co.im and other Manx media.

However, after the police statement was reported, a member of the public told officers that they had observed a dead swan in the same location several hours before an incident was reported to the police.

Indeed, an elderly swan that nested in the area had not been seen for about two weeks.

Three youths, aged between 14 and 16, had been seen near the dead swan on Saturday. In spite of the suggestion that the bird’s death might have occurred some time ago, the police still want to talk to them.

Two were wearing light blue ‘hoodies’ and the other was wearing a black jacket. It is believed they walked towards town on Saturday afternoon.

The area was busy at the time as people were leaving the football stadium.

If anyone has any information they should contact Constable Mark Hempsall at Ramsey police station on 812234 or Crimestoppers 0800 555 111.

Peel’s Danny Bell has picked up this season’s first Canada Life Premier League Player of the Month award.

The talismanic midfielder bagged three goals in as many games as Rick Holden’s Sunset City side sandwiched good wins over St Mary’s and Ramsey with a narrow defeat at the hands of neighbours St John’s.

August’s Young Player of the Month accolade went to Ramsey Youth Centre and Old Boys’ Graham Kennish.

The teenage defender, who was third overall in the montly standings, helped the promoted side to a good win over northern neighbours Ramsey during the first few weeks of the season as Youthie began life back in the top tier.

Finishing between the aforementioned duo in the August leaderboard was St George’s Ciaran McNulty.

The island striker was just half a point behind Bell in second having scored three goals as the reigning champions rocketed to the top of the league standings.

Completing the top six are Danny Gerrard (St Mary’s), Johnny Holland (St John’s) and Frank Jones (St George’s).

The latter trio all accrued 5.5 points from Eric Clague’s player ratings panel during the opening month of the season, Gerrard impressing in the Bowl outfit’s midfield after a summer switch from Corinthians.

Further down the standings, another who was on the move in the summer, Danny Oram, slots into joint seventh place after he hit the goal trail for new club Rushen.

Corinthians centre back Stuart Smith is also a new name near the top of the list after a couple of eye -catching performances at the heart of the Whites’ defence.

Reigning Isle of Man Newspapers Goalkeeper of the Year Damyan Petkov is the month’s best placed custodian in joint 11th.

August Canada Life Player of the Month standings (top 19) 1, Daniel Bell (Peel) 7 points; 2, Ciaran McNulty (St George’s) 6.5; 3, Graham Kennish (RYCOB) 6; 4=, Danny Gerrard (St Mary’s) 5.5; 4=, Johnny Holland (St John’s) 5.5; 4=, Frank Jones (St George’s) 5.5; 7=, Danny Oram (Rushen) 5; 7=, Mark Wolfenden (Laxey) 5; 9=, Paul Rowley (Laxey) 4.5; 9=, Stuart Smith (Corinthians) 4.5; 11=, Adam Cregeen (Rushen) 4; 11=, Lee Gale (Peel) 4; 11=, Steve Martin (St John’s) 4; 11=, Damyan Petkov (St John’s) 4; 11=, John Roberts (Ramsey) 4; 11=, Daniel Tate (Ramsey) 4; 11=, Sam Theobald (Laxey) 4; 11=, Ashley Webster (Laxey) 4; 19=, Chris Bass Jr (St George’s) 3.5; 19=, Neil Brogan (St Mary’s) 3.5; 19=, Sam Caine (St George’s) 3.5; 19=, Grant Dawson (St George’s) 3.5; 19=, Chris Kelly (Union Mills) 3.5; 19=, Jake Sansbury (Castletown) 3.5; 19=, Matty Woods (Peel) 3.5.

Leading the way to be crowned Isle of Man Newspapers’ Referee of the Year is Bulgarian official Neshko Marinov with an average mark of 83.

Referee standings after August (Canada Life Premier League games only) 1, Neshko Marinov 83 marks average; 2, Chris Taggart 81; 3=, Tommy Crowe 80; 4=, Peter Lewis 80; 4=, Andy Lodge 80; 4=, Tony McMeiken 80.

l The Isle of Man’s senior island side begin their latest FA Inter-League Cup campaign at Cumberland this Saturday, September 21.

Pizza Hut has announced it will open a takeaway in Douglas.

There had been speculation that the restaurant chain would open a full restaurant in the Isle of Man.

But a statement published on its Facebook page indicated otherwise - to the disappointment of Manx fast food fans.

It read: ‘We would have dearly loved a full restaurant, however this was not an option after over 10 years of trying to agree the deal with the Head Office Company.

More on this story in the Manx Independent - in shops Thursday morning.

The Hall Caine Prize for Creative Writing 2013/14 was launched this week, with the theme of ‘heroes’.

The prize, which is in its fourth year, is open to students aged 21 and under who are in full-time education in the Isle of Man. They are invited to pen a short story, a memoir or the opening chapter of a novel.

Judges will look for strong characterisation, good narrative flow and, above all, imaginative story-telling.

Gloria Rukeyser, who is a great granddaughter of Sir Hall Caine and lives at the novelist’s historic home, Greeba Castle, founded and sponsors the prize to foster the love of writing.

The 2012/13, competition, which had ‘journeys’ as its theme, attracted 1,045 entries, nearly double the number it received the previous year, setting judges a difficult task.

Launching the new prize ahead of the island’s second Manx Litfest, Gloria – herself a writer and journalist – said: ‘This year’s theme is particularly appropriate given that 2014 marks the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. But students don’t have to write pieces about the past. They are free to interpret the theme in any way they wish. In the three years the prize has run, what has stood out has been the imaginative way young writers have interpreted the chosen title.’

The prize has four categories: Primary, in which entrants must write up to 500 words, with prizes of £100, £75 and £50; Key Stage 3 – up to 1000 words with prizes of £150, £100 and £50; Key Stage 4 – up to 1500 words with prizes of £175, £125 and £75 and Key Stage 5/Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education – up to 2000 words with prizes of £200, £150 and £100. Up to 10 highly commended entrants in each category will receive prizes of £25.

Teachers and lecturers at the DEC’s primary and secondary schools, King William’s College and the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education English departments will judge the prize.

The closing date for entries is Friday, January 24, 2014. All entries must be accompanied by an entry form and entries themselves must not carry identifying markers, such as the author’s name or school. They must contain an accurate word count. Entries that don’t adhere to this won’t be considered.

Entrants are advised to study the full rules, which will be advertised in all schools and at the Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education, can be viewed at www.gov.im/hallcaine or can be obtained by contacting jo.overty@gov.im

It is hoped that schools will include the competition in their Island of Culture 2014 activities. The competition is again a validated Children’s University activity and entrants will receive three hours’ credit in their passports for taking part.

Alex Downie MLC says that the island should help other small states develop their economies.

He was speaking after returning from leading a Tynwald delegation of Leonard Singer MHK and the Clerk of Tynwald Roger Phillips to the 59th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference, hosted by the Parliament of South Africa in Johannesburg.

They joined representatives from around 175 Commonwealth parliaments and legislatures to discuss issues of mutual concern at the conference, which took for its theme ‘Effective Solutions to Commonwealth Developmental Challenges’, and to hear the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, 2013 vice-patron of the CPA, address the audience of some 600 parliamentarians and parliamentary officials gathered in the Sandton Convention Centre.

At the Small Branches Conference sessions Mr Downie spoke about ‘Ensuring Technical and Legislative Capacity for Ethical Tax-raising in Small States’ while Mr Singer spoke on ‘Self-determination, self-sufficiency and self-governance’.

Mr Downie said: ‘I was glad to be able to explain some of the substantial contributions of the Isle of Man in sharing its expertise on ethical tax-raising in small states. The island should play a leading role internationally in showing the way forward for small states in developing their economies. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association plays an important part in this process.’

Mr Singer added: ‘Both Alex Downie and I have made many useful contacts over the course of this week with influential politicians from all parts of the world, some of whom wish to come to the island to continue the dialogue with us and learn more about the island. This is an indispensable part of ensuring that people understand the real characteristics of the Isle of Man.’

The Microgaming Health and Care Trust has donated £5,000 to equip the Hospice Isle of Man’s new minibus with everything that it needs for wheelchair use.

The Hospice’s minibus is used on a daily basis for patient care, mainly to transport patients in and out of The Hospice’s Scholl Centre day unit.

It is also used to transport patients to and from Hospice appointments, for therapy services such as aromatherapy.

The Hospice’s new minibus is now equipped with a wheelchair lift, oxygen holders and a manual side step to facilitate easier access into the vehicle. The new minibus has been in use since July, and is already benefiting many Hospice patients and their families.

Jackie Raleigh, service support manager at the Hospice, said: ‘The Hospice’s minibus is a vital component to the services that we provide. This donation allows us to offer this important service to all patients, irrespective of their level of ability. We’d like to thank the Microgaming Health and Care Trust for their generous donation.’

The donation was made to the Hospice following a recommendation from the Diana Princess of Wales Care at Home Trust. Established in 1998, the Diana Princess of Wales Care at Home Trust works with the Hospice to facilitate Hospice at Home services in the Isle of Man.

The main aim of Hospice at Home is to provide care and support for those patients who have chosen to remain at home; a new minibus with wheelchair accessibility certainly helps to deliver these services.

Trevor Kirk, trustee of the Diana Princess of Wales Care at Home Trust, said: ‘Having worked with the Hospice for many years, we recognised how important it was to have a minibus which was wheelchair accessible; this is why we recommended that the Hospice seek funding for this. We are so pleased that the Microgaming Health and Care Trust was able to support this project; we thank them for their kind donation.’

Dr Roy Clague, trustee of the Microgaming Health and Care Trust, said: ‘The Hospice is a fantastic local charity that provides invaluable services to the island. Naturally we are delighted to be able to support them. This donation will ensure that all their patients can be transported safely, with ease; it will make a real difference to the local community.’

Pictured left to right: Dr Roy Clague, Microgaming Health and Care Trust, Christine Bloomer, Community Services Manager for Hospice Isle of Man, Trevor Kirk, Diana Princess of Wales Care at Home Trust, and Dr John Wardle, Microgaming Health and Care Trust.

The chief executive of the British Isles’ largest offshore travel group, based in the Isle of Man, has been invited to speak at one of the UK’s most prestigious travel conferences next month.

Brian Kelly, chief executive officer of the Online Regional Travel Group, will be one of just a handful of specially chosen experts speaking at the Travel Directors’ Summit, at the Emirates Stadium in London on October 3.

Organised by Elman Wall, a leading independent firm of travel industry accountants, the event is invitation only and will see 200 delegates from privately owned leisure and business travel companies in attendance.

Many of those there will be representing some of the travel industry’s most famous blue-chip brands.

Brian will participate in a debate called ‘B’Leisure: What Business and Leisure travel can learn from each other’.

Each sector is distinctly different, both in terms of the knowledge required to do the job but also the sales techniques deployed.

He is uniquely placed to discuss this subject, being just one of a select group in the British Isles who have successfully developed distinct business and leisure brands.

In the Isle of Man, business travel is managed through Mann Link Travel on Athol Street in Douglas; leisure travel is managed through Mann Link Travel on Parliament Street in Ramsey and Richmond Travel on Duke Street in Douglas.

In the Channel Islands, Bellingham Travel in Jersey and Wayfarers World Travel in Guernsey both have distinct business and leisure divisions.

In addition, the Online Regional Travel Group also owns and operates a number of successful websites including www.justtheflight.co.uk, www.manxferries.com, www.manxflights.com and www.flybelfast.co.uk, as well as powering the travel and accommodation booking engines on affiliate websites including www.motorcycleadventures.im and www.manXtreme.com

The Group is now very much seen as an IT specialist within the travel sector thanks to the way it has pioneered travel technology, delivering what the market demands before anyone else.

Brian said: ‘The Elman Wall Travel Directors’ Summit is known throughout the industry as the flagship conference for privately-owned companies, and I am honoured to have been asked to participate and be one of the guest experts.

‘I started the Online Regional Travel Group in 1982 and it has grown from a one-man band to become the largest offshore travel group in the British Isles.

‘This has not been without its challenges in establishing both leisure and retail divisions, and I am looking forward to sharing these with the delegates next month.’

Deborah Potts, head of marketing and communications at Elman Wall, said: ‘We are delighted Brian has accepted our invitation to participate in the annual Travel Director’s Summit.

‘As the owner of one of only a few companies operating successfully in both the business and leisure sectors, we feel he is the natural choice to take part in our debate and deliver advice about the challenges this faces, as well as offer any advice to people who may be looking to diversify their business.

‘The conference aims to deliver a diverse educational experience for delegates and

‘I know Brian’s contribution will be eagerly anticipated and very thought-provoking for them all.’

www.ortg.co.uk.

Moore Stephens partner Ayuk Ntuiabane will address more than 100 of the superyacht industry’s key professionals and owners at the Monaco Yacht Show later this month.

He will address Marine Money’s annual Superyacht Finance Forum at the opening of the prestigious event.

Speaking at the Forum for the third time, Ayuk will present his professional views on optimising yacht ownership and operations in light of the recent VAT changes in the EU including Croatia’s EU Accession, the new VAT regime in France, the Spanish matriculation tax and a round-up of other important VAT trends.

He said: ‘The EU in 2013 witnessed unprecedented changes in value added tax on yachts and yachting.

‘The Superyacht Finance Forum will again be a great opportunity to explore important lessons and discuss strategies to correctly reposition yacht operations in the Mediterranean.’

The Superyacht Finance Forum is in its sixth year and now seen as a ‘must attend’ event on the superyacht industry calendar.

This year’s assembly begins at 8.30am on Tuesday, September 24 at the Auditorium Rainier III and is followed by a networking cocktail reception.

‘The Monaco Yacht Show is a key event for us as a firm and the Isle of Man, so again this year we have a large team attending,’ said Clive Dixon, senior partner in Moore Stephens Isle of Man.

‘Monaco attracts a broad spectrum of people in the superyacht industry – Ayuk opening it all as a key speaker at Marine Money’s Superyacht Finance forum is a great way to launch this year’s event.’

To find out more about Moore Stephens Isle of Man visit www.msiom.com; you can also follow the firm on Twitter www.twitter.com/MSIOM, Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MooreStephensIOM and LinkedIn http://goo.gl/lhsrl.

In this special article, Greg Ellison, chief

executive of Boston Group in the island gives his views on the future for offshore centres.

In its recent market-sizing report, The Boston Consulting Group (no connection to Boston Group, of which I am the chief executive) highlights a slight decline in the relative proportion of global wealth placed offshore, from 6.4 per cent to 6.3per cent.

But what does this mean for international offshore centres such as the Isle of Man?

 The first point to recognise is that this statistic is relative. During 2012, offshore wealth grew by a very healthy 6.1 per cent and is projected to increase to a predicted $11.2trn by the end of 2017.

That said, there are a few notable changes to the dynamics of the offshore and onshore environments that should be recognised.

 I believe offshore jurisdictions are, and will continue to be, influenced by the following four dynamics:

1) An acceptance that independent jurisdictions have the right to set their own tax rates as long as they can financially stand on their own two (or three) feet and fall in to line with international standards on transparency so that it is clear who is running and who is funding offshore structures.

2)To be competitive, an offshore jurisdiction must offer propositions based on service delivery, expertise and the strength of their legal system. The days of purely tax led propositions are behind us.

3) As organisations within established and developing nations continue to seek global opportunities, and the dynamics of family wealth evolve (particularly in the Middle East and Asia), so will we see increased mobility of capital. This will lead to more cross border international planning opportunities and a latent demand for jurisdictions and organisations to satisfy these requirements.

4) Further development in supra-national co-operation agreements such as FATCA, coupled with support from groups such as the G20 and the Paris based OECD, to reduce tax leakage.

What’s more, for jurisdictions to remain ‘white listed’ they will not only need to sign up to these international agreements, but also have the machinery in place to deliver when called upon.

So, how well placed are we in the Isle of Man?

In my opinion, Allan Bell has done a fine job in taking the lead to position the island at the forefront of international transparency, to drive a more diversified economy, and to recognise when to negotiate and when to fall into line with international expectations.

The onus is now on the business leaders to choose how to respond within this jurisdictional context.

I expect consolidation across the whole of the finance sector, particularly in owner-managed sectors such as fiduciary, where the rising cost and complexity of compliance and regulatory change will require scale to absorb increased costs and maintain profitability.

Further, to be successful I believe organisations need to recognise opportunities to build international reach so that their offering can be part of a global solution for increasingly complex client demands.

Those organisations that are mindful of these factors, and act to change their business models to take account of them, will retain a great opportunity to flourish in the Isle of Man.

This week, IoM Friends of the Earth’s Cat Turner wonders whether Nobles Hospital could take a leaf (possibly an organic lettuce leaf) out of the books of an enlightened Detroit hospital.

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It was Hippocrates (460-370BC) who said it best: ‘Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food’.

It’s hard to overstate the extent to which good, fresh food can boost your health and mood – or how chemical-ridden, nutrient-free stodge can contribute to a really unhappy life.

So it was great, this week, to read about a hospital based in Detroit, which has decided to take matters into its own hands and ensure the best possible diet for its patients and workers.

The facility has hit the news by opening a $1m organic greenhouse and garden, where it’s now producing a truly mind-boggling array of vegetables, fruits, salads and herbs in its 1,500 square feet of space.

The staff are growing at least 5 types of kale alone (and kale is a real powerhouse of nutrition). In addition there are a mindboggling 23 types of heirloom tomatoes, plus strawberries, microgreens (that’s the sprouted seedlings of various plants, which are absolutely harvested at their most nutritious and are absolutely bursting with vitamins), and various types of squash, aubergines, hot and sweet peppers, herbs and much more.

The growing space is being put to other really good uses too –its leafy lobby makes a wonderful venue meetings, entertaining, teaching schoolchildren and musical events. It also gives patients somewhere terrific to hang out in the day, which I imagine is a big morale-booster for long-stay folks who are missing their gardens.

Credit for this inspiring project has to go to the hospital’s CEO Gerard van Grinsven, who decided that the facility should be about ‘well care, not sick care’, and it’s part of a wider range of initiatives he’s started.

It made me wonder why we don’t put all that open space around Nobles Hospital to similar use.

After all, whilst there’d be an initial cost, the list of benefits is persuasive: the Detroit hospital is ensuring its patients get the very best diet they possibly can, and saves a massive amount on bought produce.

In addition, it’s established a farmers market where the surplus is sold and its own café has become a popular destination for diners even when they’ve no hospital business: apparently it’s a real money-spinner. The menu includes a huge and colourful organic salad bar, teas made from the hospital’s own-grown herbs, fresh fruit smoothies and juices and an array of main courses supplemented by vegetables so fresh they’re practically still alive.

The hospital gardeners work closely with the kitchen staff, and they also get advice from those doctors with a particular interest in nutrition – so they can select plants to grow for great taste, but also for particular nutrient quality.

It’s particularly interesting to consider how the produce is used not just for catering purposes, but increasingly also medically (instead of relying on commercially-manufactured pharmaceuticals). Readers might remember that I wrote a fortnight ago about the wide array of hedgerow remedies available to intrepid foragers – but of course there are many cultivated plant remedies too, and they can be at least as powerful as their pharmaceutical equivalents.

I’m not recommending a return to the dark ages here – as recently as the 1930s, around 90 per cent of medicines prescribed by doctors or bought over the counter were derived from herbs, and it’s only since the rise of the big pharmaceutical companies that we’ve been press-ganged into abandoning these for expensive, synthetic alternatives.

For example, a typical treatment for battle wounds in the Fisrt World War involved garlic (a natural antibiotic) and sphagnum moss (which makes a great natural antiseptic dressing).

It’s nice to envisage our local hospital cultivating some of its own treatments, and keeping its funds out of the hands of Big Pharma.

And imagine the difference in food miles!

Aside from the helpful impact on the environment, food that’s freshly picked has a much higher nutrient content than that which has been travelling for several days or weeks before it hits the supermarket shelves.

But of course it’s not just the age of a carrot that destroys its vitamin content (though that plays a big part): just as important is the quality of the soil it’s grown in, and here again the Detroit hospital has scored a big ‘win’, because it’s farming organically, without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides which so undermine soil, and therefore plant, health.

The British Food Journal once published a study which compared the vitamin and mineral content of 20 different types of vegetable, as they were in 1930 against what was available in 1980.

It found that the average calcium content had plummeted by 19 per cent, iron by 22 per cent, and potassium by 14 per cent. Alarmingly, a similar study around the time also found that you’d need to eat eight oranges today to get the same level of Vitamin A that your grandparents would have gained from just one!

So there are lots of persuasive reasons why something along these lines might be considered – from cost savings and job creation, to better patient care, and from new sources of income (farmers market and café) to general wellbeing and loveliness! I’d be in favour of it, wouldn’t you?

David Cameron says the Isle of Man is not a tax haven. He should have seen us when we were shouting loudly about it to the outside world and lots of rich people were coming across the water to us for the good of their wealth. This was in the early 1960’s.

Dave was born in 1966. He missed it.

I didn’t.

We called them New Residents.

They were often the likes of retired British colonial officials used to living and working in foreign lands along with the natives.

In the Isle of Man they tended not to have too much to do with the Manx natives.

They usually settled down in and around Ramsey, for some inexplicable reason, and when it came to socialising they did it largely among themselves and one of them, somewhat wickedly, invited me to attend a Sunday drinks party at his home.

As he opened the door to me he whispered: ‘Don’t let on that you’re Manx. Just listen in to their chat. You might get something out of it.’

I did.

The general conversation, I found, was largely confined to discussion of the merits or otherwise of the guests’ respective accountants and advocates and others handling their financial affairs.

One of the restrictions they faced was that they had to prove that the Isle of Man was their ‘centre of life’, where they made their home, with visits back to the UK strictly limited.

As a result it was inevitable that I, in my undercover role, was button-holed by a lady and her husband who asked me: ‘And how much time are you allowed to spend off the rock?’

I told them I could go off the rock any time I wanted for as long I wanted.

They were taken aback and immediately demanded to know which bright boys in Athol Street were handling my tax refugee status.

‘We must give them a ring,’ the lady said.

It was time for me to break cover. ‘I don’t need people like that,’ I said. ‘ I’m Manx you see. I was born here.’

For a moment they confronted with admiration this masterly piece of advance tax planning and its sheer simplicity.

I thought for a moment that they might ask me how my parents had thought up such a wheeze for me.

They finally came to terms with the fact that they were in conversation with one of the natives.

They were a nice couple. They didn’t move on quickly to more comfortable interlocutors.

They began asking me questions.

Eventually the lady asked me if I spoke Manx.

I told them I knew a few words, like ‘thie veg’.

I explained that this meant ‘little house’ which was the outside toilet at the homes of quite a few Manx people in country areas at the time.

The lady steered around this delicately.

She asked: ‘Do you know enough Manx to translate for me that motto we see with the Three Legs of Man?’ She made a commendable attempt at ‘Quocunque jeceris stabit.’

Now that really threw me.

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Jim Barnaby raises a question of literary style relating to an item on Manx Radio online saying: ‘One thousand 400 operations at Noble’s cancelled.’ He says: ‘Is this the same as 1,400 operations or one thousand four hundred operations?’

I’d like to think that this is a cutting remark.

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I have been sent a list of statements for the pleasure of Lexophiles (lovers of words) which I will slip in from time to time, starting with: ‘A bicycle cannot stand alone: it is two tired.

Lexophiles sound like people who enjoy going to dinner at L’Experience.’

The latest property sales recorded at the General Registry.

Peter Firth and Paula Firth, of 3 Colden Road, Douglas, bought 6 Mountain View, Douglas, for £230,000.

It was bought from Mildred Kelly, of Springfield Grange Nursing Home, Stevenson Way, Douglas.

Other recent property transactions recorded at The General Registry in Douglas are as follows:

Eileen Alice Tomlinson and Jean Margaret Tomlinson, sold 16 Ballakneale Avenue, Port Erin, for £225,000 to Celumet Limited, whose registered office is at 39 Ballacriy Park, Colby.

Dawn Michelle Germishuys, of 4 Marine Close, Onchan, as trustee and Carolynn Ann Lemos Da Silva, of 8 Marine View Close, Onchan, as trustee and James Arthur Cowley by trustees, sold 8 Marine View Close, Onchan, for £217,500 to Matthew James Lund and Joanne Lyndsey Lund, of 24 Greeba Avenue, Glen Vine.

Marathon Court Nursing Limited, whose registered office is at Marathon Court Nursing Home, Victoria Road, Douglas, sold 2 Drury Terrace, Douglas, for £200,000 to De Winton Properties Limited, of 5 Market Place, Peel.

John Woods, sold Meadowside, Erin Way, Port Erin, for £180,000 to Ian Richard Hargreaves and Rachel Anne Kelsall, of Fairfield, Athol Park, Port Erin.

Patricia Faragher, sold 75 Ballamaddrell, Port Erin, for £167,000 to Robert John Sheffield and Jane Sheffield, of Avondale, Shore Road, Gansey.

David William Christian Clugston and Heather Clugston, sold 2 Bay View Villas, Cronk Road, Port St Mary, for £162,500, to David William Christian Clugston.

Cleveland Victor Perry, of Craiglea, Ramsey Road, Peel, sold 8 and 9 Albert Street, Ramsey, for £110,000 to David Robert Lyness, of 49 Cooil-ny-Marrey, Waterloo Road, Ramsey, and Glenys Ada Lyness, of 21 Cooil-ny-Marrey, Waterloo Road, Ramsey.

Charles Allan Quine, of 37 Ballaquane Road, Peel, sold Hawthorn Cottage, Ballachurry Road, Greeba, for £85,000 to Nicholas Alexander Brown, of 25 Highfield Crescent, Onchan.

John Robert Cubbon, sold land at Ballafodda, Ronague, Ballabeg, for £75,000, to Vera Isabel Cregeen, of Cronk Drian, Ballagawne Road, Colby.

William Rodney Collinge, sold 22 St George’s Walk, Douglas, for £38,5000 to Richard John Brinkler, of 2 old School View, Eyreton Lea, Crosby.

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We publish details of all house sales unless we receive a written request from the police or probation service.

Top estate agent David Creane says the housing market has got quieter over the summer.

Mr Creane, who is the chairman of Cowley Groves, said that the company had a good April, May and June. But the next two months were ‘a little quieter than the previous months’.

He added: ‘Since the start of the year we have had a period of good activity followed by a lull followed by another period of good activity and another lull.

But it has to be appreciated the level of activity overall is much better than last year and we are selling a significantly higher number of units than last year. Our Ramsey office in particular is forging ahead and having an excellent period both in sales, rentals and listings.’

The Isle of Man doesn’t have an equivalent to the Nationwide or Halifax indexes, which monitor the property market and the land registry reports from the government are always subject to a lag in time.

So it’s difficult to get an accurate timely picture of the property market from any source other than estate agents.

Mr Creane said that there was ‘an abundance of property on the market for sale but not enough buyers’.

He added: ‘Some of these properties as I have indicated before are overpriced and will not achieve the figures aspired to and I would advise any vendor who is motivated to sell to speak to their agent and address the issue.

‘Those who are not in any rush to sell should perhaps think about renting if this is an option or identify the property you wish to go to and negotiate a suitable discount to enable the transaction to proceed. Alternatively it might be a good idea to rest it.

‘On a more positive note, it is very encouraging to read the good news on the economy front coming out of the UK and indeed the USA with the return of consumer spending, house price sales on the increase and the great news is that interest rates will remain low for the foreseeable future thus enabling the economy to recover.

‘This is good news for the Isle of Man where buyers can now plan with some certainty for the future.

‘The economy is improving and the low cost of funds will ensure this gradual recovery is sustained.’

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Take a look at the latest Isle of Man property sales here: www.iomtoday.co.im/news/property-news

A ‘boutique’ independent preparatory school opened its doors this month, offering pupils lessons in everything from fencing to French.

For Jane Subachus it was a ‘dream come true’ when the first reception class pupils (ages four and five) arrived at Market Square Preparatory School, based in Manannan House, in Market Square, Castletown.

Jane opened a pre-school there in January and that has now grown to 50 youngsters.

She plans to slowly build up the number of school classes by introducing a new year each September.

‘I’m so excited,’ Jane said.

‘Not often do you get your dream come true.’

While spending time living in New Zealand, she was particularly inspired by the way schools were run there, which she said meant children found it more fun and challenging.

She said she was impressed by the way her two boys were always keen to go to school.

When she returned to the island, she said it was ‘now or never time’ with her idea.

The pre-school was opened first and Jane said the school grew from there.

‘Some mums of children in the pre-school had half joked they wished they could stay.

‘I thought “why not?”,’ she said.’

Jane explained: ‘We want to offer pupils everything we can to give them a broad education.’

Accordingly, children are introduced to French and Spanish while they are in the pre-school.

And in the reception class, they learn the piano, fencing, and dancing.

One aspect that sets the school apart is that children follow the International Primary Curriculum.

Jane said: ‘It doesn’t have a teacher at the front, teaching. It involves the whole class.

‘It’s their own discovery, with the aid of a teacher. That way they get the greatest satisfaction out of learning.’

She said that Market Square Preparatory School wasn’t set up as a rival to the nearby Buchan School.

‘We’re something different,’ she said. We’re tiny, we have a maximum class size of 10 and we’re not going to exceed that.’

She said a benefit of small class sizes would enable more one to one time with pupils where necessary, and each child had an individual attainment level.

There is no outside space at Market Square Preparatory School. But Jane didn’t see this as presenting a problem: ‘It doesn’t prevent us challenging every sport the Isle of Man had to offer.’

She said the school would make use of the local amenities on offer – from using the sports facilities at the National Sports Centre to rambling in the island’s hills.

Jane is currently choosing a second site which would house the ‘main’ school, for pupils aged five to 11.

It’s hoped that it will open in September next year.

‘There are viewings every week for the school,’ she said.

‘If we’d had the bigger building I think we would have filled four classes with older children.

‘But we are going to learn to walk before we run so we make it the best we can make it.’

She said inspections by schools watchdog Ofsted will ensure standards are always high.

Jane gained the National Nursery Examination Board diploma in childcare qualification when she was 18.

She previously owned a private nursery from 1996 to 2006, when she sold it to move to New Zealand.

For details about enrolment at Market Square Preparatory School call 824940.

This week is Gas Safety Week, and is being supported by the Isle of Man’s Fire and Rescue Service and the Government’s Health and Safety Work Inspectorate.

Two workshops will take place with the first today (Wednesday) at Ramsey Fire Station, 2pm to 4pm, and a second tomorrow at Castletown Fire Station, 2pm to 4pm.

As part of the campaign Manx Gas will also be offering a cylinder amnesty where you can drop off any old gas cylinders or arrange to have them collected from your address.

They will donate £1 to charity for every cylinder returned.

Gas Safety Week is an annual safety week to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of caring for your gas appliances.

Every year thousands of people are diagnosed across the UK with carbon monoxide poisoning.

The gas can’t be seen, tasted or smelt and it can kill quickly without warning.

Signs of poisoning are headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness.

Some simple safety checks include; Check your gas appliances every year and have them serviced by a Gas Safe registered engineer regularly, check your engineer is Gas Safe registered.

You can check this at www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk or by calling 0800 408 5500.

The long-closed Castle Mona is unlikely ever to be a hotel again, its current owners admit.

Sefton Group boss Brett Martin said the aim was to sell the landmark into ‘sustainable use’– but doubted that would be as a hotel.

He said he was disappointed but not surprised that the Manx Education Foundation was no longer interested in leasing the building as a base for its proposed university centre for information and computer technology.

But he said the Sefton Group was actively talking to other potential purchasers and users.

Mr Martin said: ‘The property has been for sale for quite a while.

‘We initially had conversations with MEF which started quite a long time ago. They started off thinking it was a potentially good building. However, over the last seven to eight months their ardour had cooled somewhat.

‘When we heard that MEF were now looking elsewhere, it was a little disappointing but expected. It wasn’t really a surprise to us.

‘But it wasn’t the only option. We are talking to other people about the Castle Mona. We are still actively talking to people – potential purchasers and users – about options.

‘The idea is to sell it into sustainable use. I’m not sure whether that lies in hotel use. It could find a place in the world with a different use other than a hotel.’

If the MEF had gone ahead with the planned redevelopment of the Castle Mona as an ITC university, government would have underwritten the project to the tune of £5 million.

Earlier this year, the government agreed a £4.5 million bail-out of the debt-ridden Sefton Group, comprising a £1.3 million loan, repayable over five years, and the purchase and lease back of the Middlemarch site on Lord Street.

The company has reduced its debts by £72 million from a high of £96 million in the three years since new management took over following the departure of chief executive and director Graham Ferguson Lacey.

Mr Martin said the Castle Mona was valued for sale on the Sefton Group’s balance sheet for £4 million - roughly what the Group paid for it in 2007.

He said: ‘Our main focus these last couple of years has been the restructuring. We would like to get to a stage eventually where all the assets we own are earning their keep.’

He said that keeping an old building, which has not been in use for five years, came at a cost.

‘We are not looking to spend significant sums of money on the interior. But we have to keep on top of water ingress, drainage and security - that’s the reason why the windows are boarded up.’

He said the hotel, which was built in 1804 as the residence of the 4th Duke of Atholl, had a chequered history. But he said the nature of the building did not lend itself as an efficient hotel. He said he believed Mr Ferguson Lacey had been genuine in his intention of turning the Castle Mona into a 4* hotel when it was purchased by the Sefton Group in February 2007, two months after the hotel and leisure complex was closed suddenly by its previous owners.

But he said: ‘You have to bear in mind the world has changed since then.

‘The world was full of banks wanting to lend to businesses but by 2009 that whole business model had gone.’

Liberal Vannin MHK Peter Karran has written to the government’s buildings conservation officer to establish what safeguards had been carried out to protect ‘this important architectural and history [sic] building, which is part of our national heritage’.

The top post at the Isle of Man College, in Douglas, is being advertised.

The principal’s vacancy was created when Professor Ronald Barr was appointed chief executive of the Department of Education and Children.

In the advertisement in the Times Educational Supplement, it states: ‘Applications are invited for this post from suitably qualified and experienced senior managers with proven further, higher and vocational education experience.’

It continues: ‘The successful candidate would also advise the Department of Education and Children on all aspects of higher education, further education and vocational training.’

The principal will earn a salary of between £89,387 and £103,558.

The closing date for applications is September 27 and interviews are scheduled to take place in October.

It’s hoped that the successful application will take up the post on January 1, 2014. In the interim, Ian Sheard is the college’s acting principal.

Mr Sheard, who took on the role on September 1, said that he was enjoying his time in the post ‘immensely’.

He has worked at the college for more than 15 years as one of the assistant principals.

During that time, his roles have included student support, working with high schools to smooth students’ transition to the college, and giving them guidance and advice to help them move from the college into a job or further education.

He has also been involved with staff support in terms of their career development and in-service training.

Prof Barr was principal for three years, and in total worked at the college for more than six years.