Summer Patrick, 15, of Douglas Nursing Cadets, was named cadet of the year at St John Ambulance’s annual contest.

It involved a uniform inspection by director of youth Rosie Hawes, and an interview with chief operations officer Bill Castelow, outgoing cadet of the year Robbie Brown and governor’s cadet Louise Coase. A 20-minute first aid scenario, judged by Steve Crowe from the Ambulance and Paramedic Service, included treating a casualty who had fallen and injured her arms and leg.

Aiden McMahon, of Ramsey Division, will be deputy cadet of the year.

Summer is pictured with her trophy at the front with the other three cadets that took part.

Support agencies and Isle of Man College staff have provided students with information and guidance on how to survive Christmas.

The Students’ Guide to Surviving Christmas Fayre was aimed at keeping students safe while enjoying festive celebrations and offering support to those for whom Christmas can be a sad, lonely, difficult or stressful time.

Student welfare officer Julie Bibby said: ‘Lots of students participated in the activities, which provided information in a fun and interactive way, and chatted with the stall holders. We hope they picked up some helpful tips as well as knowledge of local support agencies.

The theme of Victim Support’s stand was ‘two types of punch’, one being a pleasant drink which students could sample, and the other being violence.

A representative said: ‘We hope everyone has a safe and peaceful Christmas but if anyone experiences violence, including within a relationship, we are here to help.’

DASH (Drug Advice Service and Helpline) focussed on ‘legal highs’ with a lucky dip.

Some students got chocolate while others got an unpleasant surprise, coming into contact with a rubber snake, a furry long-tail or toilet brush .

The Road Safety Team urged motorists not to drink and drive

Motiv8, the addiction service which offers support for problems with alcohol, drugs and gambling, invited students to pull crackers containing a Christmas treat and a safety message.

Cruse Bereavement Care was on hand to remind students they can support people of any age who have been bereaved.

Meanwhile, the college’s student services staff discussed what sexual health services are available over Christmas and encouraged safe sex by giving out condoms .

They also encouraged healthy eating, giving out 100 calorie snacks provided by Shoprite.

Members of the island’s Joint Women’s Council have enjoyed a guided tour of the Manx Blind Welfare Society’s headquarters.

The society was established by an act of Tynwald in 1936 and is one of the oldest, completely independent charities on the Isle of Man.

Now based at Corrin Court, Bemahague, Onchan, it delivers a wide range of services to over 600 blind or visually impaired members of our local community.

Ian Cooil, the society’s principal officer told the women that a volunteer force of over 240 people plus a small staff team offer a variety of facilities, such as companionship, a large library of talking books delivered free by the Post Office weekly to members, news recorded from the local newspapers and relayed weekly to personal receivers donated to those who need them, transport, meals and emotional and practical support.

JWC members saw specially-designed ovens and talking microwaves, specially-adapted computers, talking clocks and a variety of equipment, all provided free to those with visual problems.

Mr Cooil said that the society’s mission was to help blind and visually impaired members of the community lead inclusive, independent lives, free of discrimination With that in mind, he encouraged the JWC, whose members come from women’s organisations throughout the island, to urge the government to press forward with the drafting of an Equality Act for the Isle of Man, which will help to eradicate all forms of unreasonable discrimination in our society and benefit those in our community with sensory and other disabilities.

The Income Tax Division is reminding residents with outstanding matters of the ways they can settle their affairs.

There are several ways to pay, including an online service which can help avoid potentially large queues at the Income Tax Division office as the January 6 payment date for 2012/13 personal tax assessments and 2013/14 payment on account notices approaches.

To register for government online services, visit www.gov.im/onlineservices and then follow the links to enrol for Tax Services.

Season passes giving Isle of Man residents unlimited travel on all scheduled Isle of Man Railways’ services are now on sale at the Welcome Centre at Douglas Sea Terminal.

Ian Longworth, director of public transport, said: ‘We are getting a lot of inquiries and I am happy to be able to confirm that 2014 residents passes are currently available and prices have been held at 2013 rates.’

Residents’ passes cost £75 for adults and £37.50 for children.

They can be used for unlimited travel on all Isle of Man Railways’ timetabled train and tram services during 2014 but are not valid for special events including the Rail Ale Festival, Island At War, Pie in the Sky or Dining Car trains.

The steam railway starts its 2014 timetable on Friday, March 7, and operates until November 5. The Manx Electric Railway starts operating on Friday, April 4, and the Snaefell Mountain Railway from Friday, April 11, both until Sunday, November 2.

A passport-sized photograph is required to obtain a resident’s season pass. Full details and application forms can be obtained at the Welcome Centre or {http://www.gov.im/publictransport/Tickets/residents_season.xml|here.}

A leading Manx supermarket and independent bakery are joining forces to give us our daily bread.

Shoprite has reached an agreement with Noa Bakehouse to retail its range of fresh bread in the Manx food retailer’s main Little Switzerland store.

Loaves have been available since the beginning of December and are selling well.

Noa Bakehouse hand craft and bake fresh bread daily and deliver it to the Shoprite store every morning shortly before 10am.

The loaves are sold the same day from a Noa Bakehouse-branded area within Shoprite’s bread section.

Shoprite will sell the four popular Noa Bakehouse sourdough variants;

l A seeded rye loaf that has seeds rolled into the dough, made with a mixture of rye, white and wholemeal flour

l A white sourdough hand-rolled baguette

l The hand shaped ‘Laxey White’ that is made using exclusively Manx Laxey Mill flour

l A ‘Manx Wild’ loaf, the bakehouse signature loaf made with a mix of stone ground wholemeal and Laxey king flour.

Noa Bakehouse founder Miles Pettit said: ‘If you visit the bakehouse you will see that we have gone back to basics, making bread patiently over three days in a traditional way using a sourdough leaven that harnesses the raising power of wild yeasts.

‘We don’t use a battery of additives or preservatives.’

He added: ‘Shoprite are a great partner for us as they are passionate about food, understand what we are trying to do and are a great supporter of local producers. They have been very supportive in helping us to list in their store.”

John Speakman, senior buyer at Shoprite, said: ‘Noa Bakehouse is an outstanding example of a local producer who has developed a premium quality offering and one that we are keen to support and help to develop their business.’

‘Local producers provide a significant boost to the local economy over imported goods and are also helping to increase the island’s sustainability and independence.”

Work is due to start next month to convert and extend the former Water Authority treatment works in Greenfield Road, Douglas, to provide modern engineering facilities for Isle of Man College.

Tynwald approved spending of £3.08m to the Department of Education and Children on Tuesday.

Minister Tim Crookall is due to go back to Tynwald in June to seek approval for funding for the project’s second phase. That would see enlarged and improved facilities being created at the college for four construction crafts – brickwork, joinery, painting and decorating and plumbing – in the space vacated by engineering.

He said the project would produce well trained tradesmen and engineers for the benefit of the economy.

Douglas North MHK John Houghton moved an amendment calling for college apprentices to carry out work on the project, under the supervision of qualified tutors.

He said it could lead to savings of more than £2m. But he failed to get Tynwald support for the amendment, with a number of members raising potential issues with his idea.

The motion was passed with only Liberal Vannin MHKs Peter Karran (Onchan) and Kate Beecroft (Douglas South) voting against.

Phase one is due to be completed by August 2014 and open to students the following month.

A 30-year-old man who worked for Port St Mary Commissioners collapsed and died after drinking cleaning fluid but the precise reason remains unclear, an inquest has ruled.

James Lewis Charles Wade of Bay View Road, Port St Mary, died on February 14 or 15 after drinking a product used to clean alloy car wheels.

The substance, called ghb (gammahydroxybutrate) and also known as liquid ecstasy, was at one time marketed as a legal high but was banned in 2009. Pathologist Dr Christopher Clague told the court the fluid was used as a solvent for paint stripping and was known to be particularly dangerous if taken with alcohol. He said toxicology reports revealed a potentially lethal concentration of the substance in Mr Wade’s body.

James Wade’s father, Brian Wade told the court his son had suffered depression in the past but was happy and optimistic at that time.

He said his son had seemed ‘a bit down’ on February 14 and that evening they received a telephone call from James’s wife, Zara Wade, saying James had taken something and had been sick.

‘I could hear Jamie vomiting in the background and I told her to telephone an ambulance, or take him to hospital and we would meet them there,’ he said.

But Mr Wade said Zara phoned again and said she would not call an ambulance because James had objected. He said they set off from their home in Foxdale to go to Port St Mary and when they reached Colby the telephone rang again.

‘Zara rang the mobile and just said Jamie’s dead. We arrived at the same time as the ambulance and saw Jamie lying on the kitchen floor and it was obvious that he was dead.’

Evidence from Zara Wade said how she had gone into the kitchen and found her husband vomiting. She said she had called Mr Wade then called an ambulance.

Former partner Emily Watterson said James had taken recreational drugs in the past and this had been a source of disagreement between them, but she said he was not indiscriminate and researched anything he took carefully first.

Giving a narrative verdict, coroner John Needham noted significant inconsistencies in Zara Wade’s evidence and the delay in calling an ambulance: ‘Whether that would have saved Jamie’s life is not known. Dr Clague’s evidence suggests the prognosis would still not have been good,’ he said. He added there had been some Valentine’s day friction saying: ‘I can’t rule out that he acted as a cry for help after an argument, but this remains to a certain degree open.’

An island political organisation has highlighted damaging allegations made against the government in a report on the multimillion-pound Sefton Group bailout.

According to a statement from the Liberal Vannin party, the report of the Economic Policy Review Committee on the government’s handling of the bailout highlights gross misconduct by those in high office in relation to the approval of the purchase and lease back scheme for the Middlemarch site by Douglas bus station.

Party chairman Roy Redmayne said according to the report: ‘Those responsible for approving (the scheme) were acting outside the strict confines of the Land and Property Acquisition Fund.’

He said the fund was set up to buy strategic assets for the nation but according to the policy review committee ‘the government was stretching its authority in the use of the fund well beyond the fund’s fundamental purpose’ in its dealings with the Sefton Group. The committee’s report continues: ‘However, as we have shown, the government acted in a manner which stretched its powers to the limit, and then, we think, beyond.’

The statement from the party also notes that the critical report has been overshadowed by the news of another radical restructuring of government departments which was announced recently.

During the earlier part of this year the government announced a £4.5m bailout package for the Sefton Group.

The multimillion-pound deal included a £1.3m loan as well as an additional £3.2m to buy back the Middlemarch Douglas development site.

The Sefton Group PLC is a Manx company which owns the Sefton and the Palace Hotel Casino on Douglas promenade, along with the Sefton Express hotel near Ronaldsway airport.

At the time, managing director of Sleepwell Hotels Mark Wilson criticised the government’s action, saying it created a biased and dysfunctional commercial environment, with unfair competition. He added: ‘This makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for Sleepwell Hotels to trade profitably in the future.

‘The Sefton Group is now free, with its government support, to undertake a policy of anti-competitive discounting and uncapped re-investment secure in the knowledge the government will have to support its underwriting.’

Chief Minister Allan Bell defended the government’s intervention back in April insisting it was justified given the scale of the Sefton Group’s role in the local economy.

‘There will be questions about the deal, naturally, but I believe it is the right and responsible thing to do in the circumstances,’ he said

But Mr Redmayne said the chief executive of the Sefton Group made it very clear the company was not in the dire straits that had been painted in the Tynwald debate.

He said the committee had contradicted the chief executive’s strong stance in defending the company’s position but cited confidentiality as a reason to provide no evidence to support their finding.

‘The vigorous defence of statements made to the contrary by the Chief Minister clearly had a profound effect on Tynwald members when approving the actions of the Council of Ministers,’ the party statement says.

The Tynwald debate focused on how the Sefton Group was financially structured and whether it could continue functioning with or without support.

‘We are at loss to know how public money could be approved, given that Tynwald members and the tax payers still do not have a clear picture of the true financial situation of the Group at that time,’ Mr Redmayne said.

‘The Party also believes that the Committee has not dispelled the perception that the support was given via The Old Boys’ Network and calls for an independent ombudsman with lay members to officiate.

‘Finally, given the cavalier approach to the law by ministers, we oppose the idea suggested by Mr Ronan of giving more power to central government and having a top down rather than a bottom up approach, which we think is naive, fundamentally-flawed and has to be vigorously resisted.’

Sefton Group debts fell from a high of £96 million in early 2010 to £24 million this year. The £1.3 million loan is repayable over a five-year period.

The police have issued advice to residents about ensuring they have a crime-free Christmas.

Crime prevention officer Mike Radcliffe said: ‘I realise that I say the same things every year but experience repeatedly shows that, as throughout the rest of the year, the majority of offences committed during the holiday period are opportunist. You might be busy trying to arrange a myriad of things – parties, family visits, buying last-minute presents, deciding what to eat for Christmas dinner. However, don’t be too busy to take basic precautions - “think security”.’

Keep your home secure: lock all windows and doors when going out; use timer switches for lights when your house is empty; don’t leave keys in door locks; keep valuables such as handbags, phones and vehicle keys well away from front and back doors; where possible, lock cars in garages; If you have an intruder alarm, remember to use it; keep presents hidden away before Christmas; if you ‘hide’ or store larger items such as bicycles in a garden shed or outbuilding, make sure they are secure to prevent burglary and can also be useful where the homeowners are elderly.

Alert police of any suspicious incidents.

If going away, tell a neighbour and leave a key with a trusted friend or neighbour.

Don’t forget to cancel newspapers and milk if you have them delivered. Have your neighbour take post into the house – unopened Christmas cards and letters are a sure sign that a house is empty.

Bicycles are always popular Christmas presents – they’re also popular with thieves. Write down serial numbers of all valuable presents and where possible mark your postcode on the item.

Don’t carry your purse or wallet on view on the top of your handbag or shopping bag. Remember to keep your bag fastened.

Teacher Hollie Devlin has been given her Duke of Edinburgh gold award by Prince Philip himself.

She was among hundreds of young achievers from across the UK who attended an event at St James’s Palace.

Hollie, who lives in Onchan, is a modern foreign languages teacher at Ramsey Grammar School where she achieved her Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

She also helps run the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Ramsey Grammar School and last year she completed her gold award by undertaking a four-day 50-mile walking expedition in Snowdonia alongside a group of sixth formers from the school.

Hollie worked tirelessly through the five sections of her DofE programme to achieve her gold award. Her activities included helping at Guides, badminton, taking part in the Young Enterprise scheme and a residential pack holiday involving Brownies and Guides.

Hollie said: ‘The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award was a fantastic experience for me. Not only did I make lifelong friends in Young Enterprise, but I became more confident as a person, developed good team work and communication skills.

‘These have become invaluable in my profession as a teacher. I am still involved with the Guide Association as I am now a leader in a Girl Guide Group and help co-ordinate the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award at Ramsey Grammar School.’

The latest installment of Isle of Man Newspapers’ Team of the Week features no fewer than five debutants, three of which are from the same side.

Ramsey Youth Centre and Old Boys’ impressive 5-1 victory over Michael United in the Canada Life Premier League last Saturday not only kickstarted their fight for survival, but also propels a talented trio into the TotW limelight.

Lining up in a four-man defence alongside Martin King (DHSOB), Alan Harrison (Laxey) and Johnny Holland (St John’s) is Youthie full-back Dylan Parish. The talented youngster was in fine form as the northerners blunted United’s attack and provided a solid platform for the Scoill ree Gorree side to build upon.

King and Holland went head-to-head at Blackberry Lane, with the latter’s side just edging the contest 1-0 thanks to Nick Hurt’s goal. Both impressed during the match, especially King who drew the plaudits from both teams for his display at centre-back, while Holland ousted Union Mills defender Richard Cannell for the TotW left-back role.

Harrison slots into the other central position after he continued his fine form with an excellent showing for Laxey during the Miners’ 5-3 victory over Rushen United.

Taking his place in between the sticks is King’s team-mate Danny Mead who impressed in nets for Old Boys to earn his second TotW appearance of the season.

Another Youthie player makes his debut in a three-man midfield in the shape of Ruairi Poole who also shone during the northerners’ aforementioned 5-1 win, getting on the scoresheet in the process.

Alongside him are two more regular TotW stars, Johnny Callow and Nick Hurt.

Laxey’s dynamic midfielder Callow and St John’s player-manager Hurt both grabbed important goals on Saturday as their teams won 5-3 and 1-0 respectively.

Leading the line this week are three players who managed to plunder no fewer than nine goals between them at the weekend. Star of the show was RYCOB’s Oliver Blaker who demolished Michael with a four-goal haul to empthatically seal all three points for Youthie’s survival fund and claim his TotW debut.

Also earning his first appearance in Team of the Week this season is Matty Cain who helped himself to a hat-trick as Union Mills thrashed Castletown 8-2.

Completing the attacking trio is Cain’s Garey Mooar team-mate and November Young Player of the Month Joey Morling (see back page of this week’s Courier) who netted a brace and had a hand in several other goals on his way to earning a fourth TotW call-up of the campaign.

Claiming the refereeing honours is Gareth Jones for the second time this season after he impressed during the RYCOB v Michael match.

Team of the Week

Goalkeeper

Danny Mead (DHSOB) TotW apps: 2

Defence

Dylan Parish (RYCOB) TotW apps: 1

Martin King (DHSOB) TotW apps: 1

Alan Harrison (Laxey) TotW apps: 2

Johnny Holland (St John’s) TotW apps: 2

Midfield

Johnny Callow (Laxey) TotW apps: 3

Nick Hurt (St John’s) TotW apps: 2

Ruairi Poole (rycob) TotW apps: 1

Attack

Joey Morling (Union Mills) TotW apps: 4

Oliver Blaker (RYCOB) TotW apps: 1

Matty Cain (Union Mills) TotW apps: 1

Referee

Gareth Jones (RYCOB v Michael) RotW apps: 2

The final race walk of 2013 saw a healthy turnout in the senior and junior races at St John’s for round three of the winter league on Sunday.

First away in the Up & Running-sponsored event were the junior 1km and 2km races.

Northern AC’s James Read finished half-a-minute ahead of Tom Brennan in the shorter race and at 2km Stephen Waddington headed Archie Walter. Leah Goddard had a fine walk not far behind the boys.

A total of 15 starters lined up for the 5km which was held as a scratch race with a sealed handicap.

Kevin Walmsley and Peter Kaneen rolled back the years with Walmsley’s 25min 12sec impressive and Kaneen clocking a local over-50s record of 26.39, subject to ratification, one second inside Vinny Lynch’s 2012 time.

Tom Partington showed promise for the future with 27.48 on a far from easy course.

On handicap, Louise Smith won from under-17 Lauren Kinnin, who showed promise, and a fast walk from Sarah Goldsmith in third.

The 10km started on handicap with 43 making the finish line. Some 50 minutes after the first away, Alex Eaton started as backmarker and had a lonely journey until the last lap where he managed to catch the rear of the field.

Up front, Adie Corlett headed Janette Kneale and Jane Farquhar for the race win, with over-60 Ian Callister doing well on home turf. Good performances from Dale Farquhar with a pb and Dave Walker saw them in the top six.

Janette Morgan broke through the hour mark with a fine 59.36, joining a select group of women in the process.

The backmarkers produced the quickest times with Eaton 49.06, from Adam Cowin 50.06 and Richard Gerrard 50.54. Steph Quayle was second fastest woman in 66.21, from Rebecca Greatbatch 67.43.

l Round four on January 5 at Ronaldsway Industrial Estate, 9.15am for a 10am start.

Today, Saturday

CHELTENHAM CHOICE: 12.10 Kentucky Hyden 12.40 Shutthefrontdoor 1.15 Eastlake 1.50 Milan Bound 2.25 Johns Spirit (NB) 3.0 Zarkander 3.35 Glens Melody

DONCASTER TIPS: 11.55 Fix It Right 12.25 Clondaw Hero 1.0 Dreamy George 1.35 Robbie 2.05 Royal Irish Hussar 2.40 Off The Ground 3.15 Harry The Viking

LINGFIELD PICKS: 12.50 Seventh Hussar 1.25 Reggie Perrin 1.55 Shotgun Paddy 2.30 Key To The West 3.05 Waltzing Tornado 3.40 Playhara

SOUTHWELL SELECTIONS: 12.05 George Benjamin 1.10 Silly Billy 1.45 Starlight Princess 3.30 Dame Nellie Melba

WOLVERHAMPTON: 6.20 Libra Romana 6.50 High Net Worth 7.20 Funky Munky 7.50 Slope 8.20 George Fenton (NAP) 8.50 Al’s Memory 9.20 Proper Charlie

The weekend’s gales and wet weather have forced the postponement of all Saturday’s football.

The draw for the prelim round of the Paddy Power FA Cup will still be made this evening. Full details on iomtoday.co.im later.

A decision on tomorrow (Sunday’s) junior football will be made at 8.30am in the morning by junior league chairman Brian Callow.

The mixed hockey scheduled for Castle Rushen Astroturf has also been postponed with the high winds moving the goals about.

As it stands the rest of the scheduled hockey is still on as is the various rugby games around the island detailed below.

Rugby fixtures

South Lancashire/Cheshire Division One

Sefton v Douglas @ Sefton

South Lancashire/Cheshire Division Two

Southport v Ramsey @ Southport

Vagabonds v Bowdon @ Ballafletcher ko 2.15pm

Shimmin Wilson Manx Shield – all ko @ 2.15pm

Douglas B v Vagabonds B @ Port-e-Chee

Castletown v Ramsey B @ Poulsom Park

Emerging Nomads v Western Vikings @ King William’s College

Hockey fixtures

PwC Mixed Division One

Celton Manx Cammags P-P IOMA Group Bacchas Colts

James Russell Sandra Smith

LJ Skye Ravens v IoMA Group Bacchas C RGS 12.35pm

Unappointed Karl Flint

Paragon Valkyrs C v HQ Harlequins A QEII 12.35pm

Gary Corkhill Mark Entwisle

Vikings C P-P Fearless Sabres

Unappointed

PwC Mixed Division Two

Celton Manx Cushags P-P LJ Skye Rookies

Dee Gimbert Barry Powell

Celton Manx Southerners v LJ Skye Robins RGS 2.05pm

Rob McKenzie Unappointed

IOMA Group Bacchas D v HQ Harlequins NSC 3.35pm

Andy Kneale Lindsay Riordan

Vikings D v Paragon Valkyrs D NSC 2.05pm

Jamie Brown Helen Cave

PwC Mixed Under 16s’ League

HQ Harlequins v IOMA Group Bacchas B NSC 12.35pm

John Harrison Mike McCarrick

Paragon Valkyrs v LJ Skye Rogues & Rascals QEII 11.05am

Nigel Birken Unappointed

The draw for the preliminary round draw of the Paddy Power FA Cup has paired Laxey and Peel together in one of only two all-Premier League ties.

The other sees Grand Slam chasing St George’s travel to top-flight strugglers RYCOB, while Division Two leaders Gymns host holders St Mary’s in another tasty looking match.

Ties to be played Saturday, January 4

Marown v Braddan

Union Mills v Ayre United

Ronaldsway v Douglas Royal

Colby v Foxdale

RYCOB v St George’s

Rushen United v Malew

Peel v Laxey

Gymns v St Mary’s

Pulrose v Douglas Athletic

Douglas and District v DHSOB

Byes for Castletown, Corinthians, Michael, Onchan, Ramsey, St John’s

A pizza delivery driver was allegedly forced to hand over cash to two masked men armed with hammers on Friday night, at around 10.15pm.

The incident happened in the area of Clifton Terrace, Douglas.

Following enquiries by officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and the Central Neighbourhood Policing Team, two men were charged with robbery the following evening (Saturday).

Detective Sergeant Paul Holland said: ‘We’d like to thank the public for their assistance. Officers have acted swiftly and there is no further threat to the community.’

Police are eager to trace anyone who was in the area at the time, especially a man who was walking his dog. Contact police on 631212, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111

It’s the end of an era for a theatre school.

After 25 years of success Gale Force’s Friday night music and drama sessions will be no more.

The news was broken at the end of a 25th anniversary gala concert at the Erin Arts Centre by the school’s president, Lady Anna New, who referred to the occasion as ‘a milestone event’ and one that marked a new chapter for founder and director Barbara Gale.

In tributes paid to Mrs Gale by the school’s vice-presidents she was variously and affectionately referred to as ‘redoubtable’, ‘very special’ ‘gracious’ ‘formidable’ ‘determined’ and a teacher ‘with a knack of spotting potential talent’. Additionally ‘Team Gale Force’ notably choreographer Paul Bradford and accompanist Wendy McDowell, were thanked for their loyal and long-standing support.

‘These are big changes, but these are changing times and Gale Force has always moved with the times,’ said Mrs Gale. ‘Nowadays so many more demands are placed on young people and they’re presented with so many more opportunities that committing to regularly attending Gale Force Friday night sessions has become one demand too many in their packed schedules.

‘In response there will be no more “Gale Force Fridays”. Instead I shall now be providing bespoke one-to-one private tuition for students of all ages, preparing them for exams, auditions, concerts, solo performances, public speaking, interviews and all types of other performing arts-related challenges. And of course I’ll be helping students prepare for the Manx Music Festival, effectively Gale Force’s “second home” where we have enjoyed truly exceptional success year after year.

‘For 25 years Gale Force has been at the heart of island life. It has been truly rewarding to have worked with so many wonderful young people, nurture their talent and see them advance their careers.’

The concert also provided the opportunity for Mrs Gale to present two new trophies.

The Halstein Junior Cup donated by Mr and Mrs Halstein, whose sons Andrew and Jacob have proved to be two of Gale Force’s rising stars, went to Kate Lace and Evan Darroch, while Lady New donated a cup marking the 25th anniversary, which Mrs Gale determined would be presented to her senior students for all their on-stage talent and behind-the-scenes support.

Mrs Gale added: ‘Gale Force will be reuniting from time to time for special occasions and when we do it really will be “special” with 25 years’ experience driving the performance.

‘In other words Gale Force is most definitely not a spent force; it is simply a different force.’

For private tuition sessions, contact Barbara Gale on 496556, barbs@galeforce-online.net

The Isle of Man Choral Society has made a donation to Hospice Isle of Man.

The society raised £2,839.87 a result of the Brahms Requiem concert at the Villa Marina, Douglas.

At this concert the Isle of Man Choral Society, conducted by Julian Power, was supported by the Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra under its leader Tom Field.

The concert was sponsored by Tower Insurance, which covered most of the Villa Marina expenses.

Mary Doyle, marketing manager at the Hospice, thanked the Choral Society for its contribution to the charity.

The Choral Society will present at its next concert, again sponsored by Tower Insurance, in March 2014, during the Island of Culture 2014 celebrations, two works – Poulenc’s Gloria and Jenkins’s The Armed Man.

The latter was last performed by the society in 2006 under the baton of Pam Duchars, then director of music, and who died recently.

This work was originally chosen for its poignancy as being an anti-war mass and 2014 being the centenary of the start of the First World War.

The Isle of Man Anti-Cancer Association was able to distribute £230,500 to various organisations who fund research into cancer, its causes and treatment during 2013.

The money has also helped to pay for facilities and services at hospitals that provide treatment for patients from the Isle of Man.

One of the organisations who received money from Isle of Man Anti-Cancer Association again during 2013 was The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Many cancer patients from the island receive radiotherapy and other cancer treatment at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

The Association gave £30,000 towards the development of the new Papillon Suite at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Papillon technique is a specific way of administering radiotherapy, for the treatment of early stage rectal cancers.

The name comes from the French professor Jean Papillon, who popularised the technique of using targeted low-level radiation.

This treatment was introduced in the UK for the first time, at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in 1993, by Professor Arthur Sun Myint, who has been at the forefront of its development since then.

Professor Myint said: ‘Papillon is recommended for early stage rectal cancer patients who are not fit enough for general anaesthesia. One of the primary benefits of the treatment is that it avoids patients needing to have major surgery, which can be a risky procedure and results in the need for either a temporary or permanent stoma.

‘It’s an honour to be able to open the doors to our new dedicated Papillon Suite. The specialist team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and I have worked hard to enable Papillon to be recognised as a revolutionary form of treatment for rectal cancers and the increasing number of patients we are treating demonstrates we’re well on the way to doing this.’

President of Isle of Man Anti-Cancer Association, Malcolm Clague, recently toured the new facilities at the Papillon Suite, and met with Professor Myint.

He said: ‘It is fantastic to see how the money raised by Isle of Man Anti-Cancer Association is being used in such a positive way to develop facilities for the treatment of cancer patients. We are delighted to be able to support the work of Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, who provide excellent treatment to patients from the island.’

The financial support provided by Isle of Man Anti-Cancer Association was acknowledged on the plaque presented at the official opening of the Papillon Suite, with an inscription on a butterfly.

The butterfly design is continued on the plaque from the sculpture outside the new facilities by Emma Rodgers; its inspiration is taken from ‘papillon’ being the French word for butterfly.

Isle of Man Anti-Cancer Association thanked everyone who help it to raise money throughout the year, to enable us to be able to provide funding for facilities at hospitals who treat people affected by cancer from the island.

The association is also involved in various projects on the island, such as the Staywell Clinic (Cervical Screening), Psycho-Oncology Service (psychology and counselling specifically for people affected by cancer), and cancer awareness on a radio station.

It also raises money to fund research into cancer, its causes and its treatment.