Treasury officials have apologised after letters were sent out by mistake to staff at a Ramsey opticians wrongly suggesting employees’ National Insurance contributions had not been paid.

Keith Wild, director at Patricia Wild Optometrist, said the letters had caused concern among the practice’s staff.

He said: ‘The letters went to employees but not to us, the employer. It caused a bit of consternation to staff and extra work for our bookkeeper. When we queried it we were told that the cause has been discovered to be a computer glitch.’

Assessor of income tax Nicola Guffogg apologised for the error and revealed some 80 incorrect letters had been sent.

She said: ‘In this particular case the Division has made an error. As soon as the Division is aware of an error we write to the employees informing them the contributions from their employer have been recorded on the National Insurance record and that they need take no further action.

‘I understand that this will have caused the employees and employer concern and I am very sorry about this. The Division does endeavour to minimise the number of incorrect letters going out. At least the letters do make sure that any mistakes come to light quickly and not when the individual makes a claim to benefit that could then be refused.’

Mrs Guffogg explained that each year the Income Tax Division sends out some 6-7,000 letters to individuals letting them know they have not got a qualifying year for benefit purposes.

She said: ‘While most recipients of these letters have not paid enough NI contributions in the tax year in question, occasionally the reason for the letter being issued is because contributions they have paid have not been recorded on their NI record either because the employer has failed to comply with their obligations, or the Division has not processed the return correctly.

‘Of the 6-7,000 letters sent about 80 were incorrect this year.’

Construction of a new primary school building in Douglas will start in January if Tynwald approves spending of £8.9 million.

The new Henry Bloom Noble School – replacing the current Ballacloan and Fairfield sites – will be built on part of the old Noble’s Hospital site in Westmoreland Road.

In 2010, Tynwald granted the Department of Education and Children approval to spend £928,000 demolishing some of the existing buildings and carry out other preparatory works on the site.

This has been successfully completed.

Both the 106-year-old Ballacloan building in Demesne Road, and the 140-year-old Fairfield building, in Tynwald Street, fail to meet modern education standards but their limited footprints mean they can’t be adapted, said Education Minister Tim Crookall.

Open space for sport and activity – something key to government policy – is particularly lacking, something the new site would boast, the Minister said.

He added: ‘The existing buildings are not suitable for education of future generations of children.

‘While they would require costly work to lengthen their lives, they won’t provide the opportunities for future generations that a new, single, school will.

‘The educational benefits aside, the running costs of a new, larger building and grounds would be offset by savings in moving from a split site school in older, much less energy efficient buildings.

‘As well as an investment in our children, this project would provide welcome work to contractors and sub contractors at this time.’

The school would be open to pupils aged five to 11 at the start of the 2016-17 academic year.

The driver of a silver BMW involved in an accident with a bus outside Castletown last year has appeared in court charged with manslaughter and causing death by dangerous driving.

Raymond Adam D’Olier French of Ballaterson Fields, Ballaugh, entered no plea to those charges or to a third charge of causing serious bodily harm by dangerous driving.

A passenger in Mr French’s car, his 10-year-old daughter, Alexis French, who was a year six pupil at Ballaugh School, died in hospital at around 4.30pm the same day. Alexis’s younger brother and mother were also in the car and suffered injuries in the accident.

Mr French, who is 45, sustained serious injuries in the accident and appeared in court using a wheelchair. He is to reappear on December 16 and was bailed in the meantime in the sum of £1,000 to live at home.

The accident happened soon after 3.30pm on October 5 last year near Ballakaighen as Mr French’s BMW was heading north towards Castletown. The bus was heading in the opposite direction.

Emergency services including police, fire crews and ambulances all attended the scene and the road was closed for around six hours after the accident.

Ballaugh School headmaster Dr Graeme Cushnie described Alexis as a bright, hardworking and popular pupil who had many friends. She was a school librarian and keen on judo.

Seven passengers on the bus, including the driver were treated in hospital for injuries. All but one were later released.

The two men from the Isle of Man whose dead bodies were discovered above a pub in Stoneclough near Bolton on Monday have been named.

They were brothers Torin and Jacques Lakeman, aged 19 and 20 respectively.

The men were found in a room above The Grapes, in Market Street, at about 2.15pm.

Police and forensic experts spent hours combing the scene for evidence after the discoveries were reported.

It is understood that the deaths are not being treated as suspicious. The precise cause of death has not been confirmed, but murder has been ruled out, while it is believed the pair did not take their own lives.

The brothers were former students at Castle Rushen High School, where their mother is a teacher, and the Department of Education issued a press release at 11am.

It read: ‘Staff and students of Castle Rushen High School were deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the deaths of Torin and Jacques Lakeman; two brothers who were ex-students of the school.

‘Jacques Lakeman, who attended Castle Rushen High School from 2005 to 2010, is remembered by staff as an intelligent and talented student who had a wicked sense of humour and a talent for playing the guitar. He utilised his musicianship outside of school, where he played in a band.

‘Jacques was always wearing a smile and his fun and friendly nature was contagious, making him popular among his peers. Jacques left CRHS in 2010 to study A Levels at Ballakermeen High School. He had recently left the Island to live in the UK.

‘Jacques’ younger brother, Torin, who attended CRHS from 2006 to 2013, was described by his previous form tutor as “a lovely, caring individual who would do anything for anyone”.

‘He is remembered as a lively student, popular with both staff and peers. He was an eminently talented public speaker and a Corporal in the Isle of Man Combined Cadet Force (CCF), through which he achieved numerous qualifications. He successfully completed his A Levels at CRHS and was studying Physics with Planetary and Space Physics at Aberystwyth University.

‘The effect on the whole school community has been more pronounced as the boys’ mother, Mrs Sarah Lakeman, is a long-standing modern foreign language teacher at Castle Rushen High School.

‘The thoughts of everyone at the Department of Education and Children and Castle Rushen High School are with the family at this difficult time.’

Professor Qiang Shen, director of the Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science at Aberystwyth University said: ‘Torin was a 2nd year Physics undergraduate, who was planning to specialise in Planetary and Space Physics.

‘He was an intelligent student, achieving some excellent grades during his first year, particularly in applied Physics and Astronomy modules. He will be sadly missed, and fondly remembered by staff and students alike at the Department of Physics and the Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science.’

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Two men from Isle of Man found dead in Bolton

Up to 10 retained firefighters could be made redundant to meet future budget cuts.

Chief fire officer Kevin Groom said the decision to cut the number of part-time fire crews would be ‘very much a last resort’ – and was not something the service would choose if any other options become available.

But in a discussion document leaked to the Examiner he said: ‘The stark reality we face is that in the short and medium term we may no longer have the financial resources necessary to maintain our current firefighting establishment.’

The island’s Fire and Rescue Service will have reduced the number of full-time firefighters from 58 to 50 by April next year, and the number of retained firefighters from 111 to 107, by not replacing personnel when they retire. Some £1m has been saved through cost savings in the past five years.

Fire chiefs say the number of full-time officers, all based at Douglas fire station, cannot be reduced any further without a significant impact on frontline services.

The island’s fire stations at Laxey, Ramsey, Kirk Michael, Peel, Port Erin and Castletown are all manned by 16-17 retained firefighters. There are also eight part-time firefighters based at Douglas.

The senior management team say measures already taken should be enough to meet required savings targets this year and next. But if further budget cuts in 2016-17 make it necessary to reduce the number of retained crews, it will be done in a phased way.

Phase one will reduce one retained station to 12 personnel, meaning this station will only be able to provide one pump to an incident.

If further headcount losses are necessary, phase two will be see either another retained station reduced to 12 or each station, excluding one pump stations, cut by one member of staff. Depending on the scale of savings needs, it may be necessary to carry out both options.

Mr Groom notes that redundancy is an extremely sensitive issue and must be seen to be as fair as possible. The option of voluntary redundancy is being explored.

Last week the Fire and Rescue Service announced it is seeking to recruit a team of community volunteers to work alongside firefighters and support staff. Only in May it began recruiting both whole time and retained firefighters.

Tony Taylor was a finalist in the Dulux Trade Ultimate Professional Decorator Awards 2014.

Tony was shortlisted for the nationwide competition by the paint manufacturer as part of its annual campaign to recognise the most professional decorators in the British Isles.

The Ultimate Professional Awards saw homeowners across the UK nominate local painters and decorators who they felt embodied excellent service and consistently delivered high quality, professional workmanship, while going above and beyond.

Judges commented on Tony’s dedication to self-improvement through training courses and his outstanding customer service.

Tony got through to the final stage of the competition, in Birmingham, where he competed with nine other finalists for the title of the UK’s Ultimate Professional Decorator 2014.

Tony of Port-e-Chee Avenue, Douglas, said: ‘I made it to the top 10 out of the whole of the UK. I unfortunately didn’t win, however this was an achievement to get this far and a good recognition for the Isle of Man.’

Samantha Balloch, marketing manager for Dulux Trade, said: ‘Tony is a great example of a tradesman who works extremely hard for his clients.

The Isle of Man Taekwondo team is celebrating getting onto the medal table at the sixth Commonwealth Taekwondo Championships in Edinburgh.

This was the first time the island had sent a team to the prestigious event, which was organised by British Taekwondo.

The six-strong team came home with a bronze medal in the syncro pairs and several other fine performances.

Isle of Man Taekwondo Association’s Richard Halsall said: ‘I was very proud to carry the Manx flag into the sold out Meadowbank Stadium with our team during the opening ceremony.

‘It was great to be accompanied by Tosha, the Commonwealth Youth Games mascot, who was very popular with the competitors from as far afield as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Nigeria.

‘The Isle of Man is very well known in taekwondo now due to world number one Aaron Cook fighting for us, so it was great for the island to medal in the martial arts side of taekwondo, and we are grateful to Luke Cook, Aaron’s brother and coach, for coming along to support us over the weekend.

‘Lisa Meads did a fantastic job coaching us all in elite Poomsae (forms) and we were so pleased that she herself won bronze with Jay Suico in syncro pairs, just missing silver by a tiny margin of 0.05.’

Richard added: ‘While I didn’t get past my semi-final, Jay made it through to the finals of the individual under-50s male section, and just missed bronze by 0.02, which is as close a margin as I’ve ever heard.

‘Likewise, Katie Meads made it to the finals of the very competitive world class under-30 females, and while she finished outside the medals, it was a brilliant performance.

‘Cadets Leah Morley and Hannah Doyle rose to the occasion and performed well in their first major international, and we hope to see them compete internationally next year.’

Places on the Isle of Man taekwondo team are open to students regardless of club or association, with a squad being sent to both the European and World championships in 2015.

For further information, please email iomtkd@hotmail.co.uk or text 432152.

Teachers’ increasing workloads and pension contributions were some of the issues discussed at the National Union of Teachers’ island branch autumn general meeting.

Attending the meeting in his first visit to the island was Seamus Searson, the newly appointed regional officer for the North West of England.

During his visit he visited Marown School, headed by Ian Longshaw.

He described the purpose-built primary as a ‘good example of a rural school’ and described Mr Longshaw as ‘an excellent head teacher’.

Island branch secretary Karl Flint said it was an example of what they would like to see replicated, and what they are keen to protect.

Mr Searson said: ‘Workloads are increasing here, and in England it’s out of control.

‘Unions are working very hard to cut back on work load and put professionalism back into teaching.’

He said too much emphasis on administration was taking teachers away from children and teaching.

Talking about pensions, he said expecting teachers to work until they are 68 was a ‘real worry’. Pension contributions have increased while real wages have fallen 14 per cent over the last four years.

Mr Searson, who was regional officer for another teaching union in Northern Ireland for eight years, believes unions need to work together to the point that there should only be one teaching union. In the island, the NUT has more than 400 members – all teachers and trainee teachers – and represents about 50 per cent of the workforce.

Plans to build ‘fit for purpose’ sheltered housing in Peel have been approved.

The Peel and Western District Housing Committee’s have been given the green light (14/01136/B) for a 40-unit sheltered housing scheme on land next to Croit Ny Greiney, in Douglas Road.

It would accommodate the current residents of phases two and three of Westlands.

In the application Peel and Western District Housing Committee outlined major changes to sheltered housing.

It wants to demolish the bungalows and flats at Westlands deemed ‘not fit for purpose’ and replace them with homes that will be fit for purpose for at least the next 50 years.

The committee states that in future it wants to demolish Westlands’ phases two and three and replace it with a 33-unit sheltered scheme.

It also wants to demolish the west end of phase one and 12 bungalows and extend and refurbish the existing phase one building to provide 39 units. The remaining 12 bungalows would then be converted to six mobility bungalows.

The committee describes Westlands as ‘dated and substandard’, most of which does not comply with the Disability Discrimination Act.

It states the 44-year-old sheltered housing scheme does not meet the needs of the existing tenants and is also not attractive to applicants on the waiting list or tenants who could transfer from and release public sector houses.

A Heritage Homes site manager has picked up a top prize in the regional stage of the prestigious construction industry ‘Pride in the Job’ awards.

Mark Patton has been named as a regional winner for Northern Ireland and Isle of Man in the Single Home category for his work on the unique three-storey residence Wardfell in Ballasalla.

Heritage Homes’ managing director Seamus Nugent said: ‘The award recognises Mark’s commitment to high standards, to the project and to our clients.’

Now in its 34th year, the National House Building Council’s Pride in the Job is considered as the house-building industry’s most prestigious awards programme and honours the best site managers from across the UK.

Mark, who has worked for the Dandara Group for more than 22 years, was the only local site manager to reach the regional final in the Single Home category this year.

He will now go forward as a candidate for the national stage of the competition, the Supreme Awards.

Seamus said ‘This is the fourth time Mark has been shortlisted in the regional stage of this competition which is a great achievement in itself, but to be representing the region in the final stage is remarkable.’

Work on the prestigious private property of some 9,000 sq.ft. is now complete.

Seamus added: ‘The result of months of hard-work from a dedicated team of local tradesmen can be seen at Wardfell.

‘As a company, we’re proud to have such an experienced and dedicated site manager overseeing executive developments such as this.’

The 10th Northern Ireland and Isle of Man regional award ceremony for 2014 took place at the Culloden Hotel in Belfast. There were two other regional winners and the runners-up were awarded ‘Seals of Excellence’. The early stages of the competition were judged over 18 months to ensure site managers were assessed at every stage of the build. The Single Home Regional Award winners, including Mark, will now be assessed for the Supreme Awards by a panel of independent judges led by an NHBC Regional Director. The overall national winners will be announced at a gala ceremony in London in January.

A group of firefighters at Ramsey Fire Station have raised £310 for the Movember campaign.

Retained firefigher Tynan Pritchard said: ‘It went down well so we’re thinking of doing it again next year –we might even do a calendar.’

Asked if he was keeping his newly formed facial hair, he said: ‘No, mine’s in the sink already!’

The Movember Foundation raises money towards saving and improving the lives of men affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems. The foundation challenges men to grow moustaches during the month of November to spark conversation and raise funds for its health programmes. Visit uk.movember.com

The Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society’s series of winter lectures in the Manx Museum lecture theatre in Douglas continues on Saturday when Pete Geddes explores the island’s mining heritage.

Although the industry’s peak was in the 19th century, there is evidence that mining was going on in the Bradda Head area in ancient times, as stone mauls (heavy hammers) associated with very early copper mining were unearthed there in the Victorian era. Indeed, Bradda is a part of the island where metal ore-bearing rock and its accompanying tell-tale veins of quartz are conspicuous in the cliffs.

Written references to mines in the area are first found in historical records dating from the Norse period of island rule, when in 1246 King Harald of Mann and the Isles granted a charter to the monks of Furness Abbey – in what is now south Cumbria and the mother monastery to Rushen Abbey – giving them the right to dig at Bradda for metal ores.

Fast-forwarding to the 17th cen http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/education/teachers-share-workload-fears-1-6983435 tury, Captain Edward Christian was writing that the rocks of Bradda Head contained ‘much silver’ but it would appear that the closeness to the sea – and no doubt the turmoil of the English Civil War – made it too difficult to do anything about it.

After the 1660 Restoration of King Charles II in England and Charles, 8th Earl of Derby, in the island, mining of lead and copper ore in the Isle of Man became more systematic, with both lead and copper ore being extracted. The Lord of Mann granted permission for a smelting mill to be constructed. However, hopes that seams of coal would be found in the island ultimately ended in failure and disappointment.

In 1700, mining was taking place in the north west of the island, with 2,271 tons of iron ore being shipped from the Maughold area and in 1708 the Douglas merchant John Murrey had a lease on all the Manx lead and copper mines as long as he paid the Lord £3 per ton of metal ore dug up. However, within a few years he surrendered his lease and the Earl of Derby was offering incentives for others to try their luck at mining. Strangely attempts to mine at ‘Foxdayle’ in the 1720s ‘met with least success’ – though that may be because at the time zinc had no value.

It was in the 1780s that miners from Cumberland were encouraged by landowner John, 4th Duke of Atholl, to try for metal ores in the Laxey Valley. After a slow start the area became a major source of British lead and silver ore as well as by then more valued zinc. The greatest testament to this success is, of course, the giant Lady Isabella waterwheel built in 1854 and in his talk Pete Geddes will explain how that monumental aid to draining the mines of water came to be built.

Other mining waterwheel cases and ruined mining engine houses can be seen in other parts of the island, such as Foxdale, where Victorian miners – some originally from that great centre of mining, Cornwall – achieved success where earlier generations had failed. However, by the 1930s the island’s period of successful mining was over, leaving us only relics of an era of great industry.

Pete Geddes’ talk will begin at 2.30pm on Saturday and will be followed by tea.

The stage is set for the 2014 Annual Gymnastics Invitational competition, set to take place this weekend at Ellan Vannin Gymnastics Club.

Competition starts on Saturday, December 6, at 1.30pm and will run until 5pm. It resumes on Sunday, December 7 at 10.30am until 2.30pm.

The event is set to showcase the talent of many of the island’s younger gymnasts who will compete against teams from Derbyshire, Sandbach, Cheshire, Yorkshire and Lancashire.

The successful gymnasts selected to represent the Isle of Man include Abigayil Mellor, Maya Kewley, Sasha Bailey, Jenna Nicol, Sophia Read, Cody Smith, India Trimble and Margarita Spitsyn who will make up two teams in the girls’ novice category.

In the level four girls’ competition, the Isle of Man teams will include Jasmine Hamer, Reine Temporaza, Grace Roberts, Leah Bibby, Emma Sutton, Keely Shimmin, and Enya Beattie.

Level three gymnasts include Lucy Worthington, Chloe Donnelly, Sinead Hands, Lauren Wright and Lauren Kerruish.

The NDP2 Boys teams are made up of Jackson Katz, Callum Kewley, Oshin Kaighin, Hugo Hughes, Ewan Mcllraith and Max Yates.

The Open U14 boys’ category will see Joshua Morrison, Callum Kewley and Conor Esp compete for the island, while in the Open over-14 level, Nick Harvey, Robert Jones, Glenn Yates and Anton Ivshin will represent the Isle of Man.

Tara Donnelly, who represented the island at the recent Commonwealth Games, and Ciara Goddard, who has represented the Isle of Man at the Island Games previously will compete as individuals in the Senior FIG competition and are expected to perform some very complex routines.

All are wished good luck in their final preparations for the competition.

The general public, including children of all ages, are encouraged to come along to the event to experience the sport and to support their local teams.

Entry is £5 for adults and children go free.

Dementia sufferers in the island can now benefit from a new type of treatment.

Three Reminiscence or ‘Rem’ Pods, which were made famous by their appearance on Dragon’s Den, have been donated to the Department of Health and Social Care by the Leagues of Friends of Noble’s Hospital and of Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital.

The pods are effectively pop-up rooms that recreate a variety of historic settings, such as a living room or a vintage shop.

A 1960s living room pod was purchased for Noble’s Hospital, with two pods – a dance hall and a seaside scene – purchased for Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital.

Volunteer service manager Alison Lester, who is a member of a working group on dementia care and investigated using RemPods, said: “The idea behind the pods is that they recreate familiar and memorable settings from a patient’s past, drawing on their long term memory.

‘Accessing these familiar environments, particularly during times of confusion and distress can be comforting and reassuring for patients, especially when they find themselves disoriented by unfamiliar surroundings such as a hospital ward.’

It is estimated that around 1,100 people are living with dementia in the Isle of Man.

Barbara Scott, Director of Operations (Acute Services) at Noble’s Hospital, said: ‘The research and feedback on the pods to date across the UK shows that they have been very successful.

‘We are grateful to both Leagues of Friends for these very generous donations which will enhance the care for our patients with dementia.’

An inquest into the death of a man who died in hospital after being rescued from a Port Erin house fire has recorded a verdict of accidental death.

Edmund Campion Morrison, who was 91, was injured in the fire at his home in Station Road on February 14, and later died in hospital on February 23.

The official cause was given as pneumonia and smoke inhalation.

Mr Morrison was also said to be suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) at the time of his death and an examination also showed signs of possible lung cancer.

Coroner of inquests John Needham read out written statements from 18 witnesses after which Douglas Fire Station Commander, Nigel Cain, and Manx Electricity Authority electrical engineer Alan Capon both gave oral evidence.

The deceased’s wife, Jean Morrison, had been making broth in the kitchen of the couple’s bungalow ‘Pegasus’ at 61 Station Road.

She said that she had seen her husband walk past the doorway and go into their front bedroom carrying an electric heater.

He then shouted: ‘Get some wet towels’ to his wife who then handed some to him at the bedroom door.

Mrs Morrison said that when she returned to the kitchen the next thing she knew she was being ushered out of the house by a woman she did not know.

The woman was Linda Preston who said that she had been driving along Station Road when she had seen thick smoke coming from the bungalow.

Ms Preston said that there were red hot flames coming from a front window which was cracked so she entered the house and shouted ‘Hello’.

She went to the kitchen and found Mrs Morrison who she helped outside.

Mrs Morrison said: ‘Don’t forget my husband’, so Ms Preston went back inside the house but found an interior door handle too hot to touch so she went back outside.

Paul Renshaw, who lives across the road, said that he saw smoke coming from his neighbour’s house and went in to find Ms Preston helping Mrs Morrison out of the house so he assisted them.

He said that he could not see for the smoke, but he could hear ‘grunting noises’ and tried the kitchen door but it was too hot to touch so he went back outside.

Passer by John Morton also ran into the house and said that there was black swirling smoke with flames reaching the ceiling.

He shouted ‘Anybody there’ but got no reply. He went to the side of the house where he met Mr Renshaw and the two women leaving the house.

Mr Morton said that the window then cracked and blew out.

Ambulance services and firefighters had arrived on the scene and Mr Morrison was rescued from the blaze. His face and arms were said to be ‘black with soot’ and his forehead and ears were burned.

Mr Cain, who prepared an expert report in respect of the fire, said that in conclusion, the most likely point of origin had been the area of an electrical socket in the front bedroom and that the cause had been electrical due to a fault or physical damage to the socket.

There was no evidence of smoking or deliberate fire and the portable heater was not plugged in at the time of the fire.

Mr Cain said that there was no evidence an appliance was at fault and that plug and socket were the most likely ignition source.

There was no evidence of smoke alarms fitted and strong winds blowing on the day may have intensified the fire after the window broke.

Electrical engineer Mr Capon said that there was no evidence of earth leakage protection being connected in the original installation of the house in the mid 1960s which suggested that the property wasn’t wired in accordance with regulations.

Mr Needham said in closing: ‘On the balance of probability there seems to have been a fault causing heat which resulted in a fire starting.

‘The historical electrical installation was inheritantly unsafe due to the lack of an earth connector. How the house came to be connected in this way is a matter of mystery and not something that cannot be investigated after this length of time.’

Thieves struck in Ramsey during the early hours of Monday.

Now police are appealing for anyone who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously to get in touch.

The area affected led from Market Square, along the Quay through to Derby Road.

Anyone who had any items removed from vehicles or unlocked premises is being urged to contact police.

A selection of tools and carrying cases have been recovered and officers would like to reunite the items with their owners.

Residents are being urged to ensure their vehicles are secure and to not leave items on view, especially coming up to the Christmas period.

Contact Constable Kath Giles at Ramsey police station on 812234 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Local tennis player Laura Feely has recently been in action at the Glasgow British Tour.

Playing in the main draw, Feely went up against Nicola Tweedy in her first match and raced into a 3-0 lead when her opponent unfortunately had to retire through injury.

In her next match against Glasgow’s Ellie Burn, Feely carried on where she left off by claiming an impressive 6-1, 7-5 victory to book her place in the quarter-finals.

In the last eight the Manx player was pitted against the number four seed Eleanor Scarffe of North Wales and, in an epic and extremely tough match lasting three and a half hours, Feely eventually triumphed 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

After a short break Laura was soon back in action in the semi-finals where she went head-to-head with the No2 seed Grace Dixon (North East).

Feely struggled to get going and lost the first set 6-0, however she regrouped and managed to fight back, pushing Dixon all the way before eventually going down narrowly 7-5 in the second.

Despite the defeat, Feely was very pleased to record a couple of rating wins and collect some valuable national ranking points which have moved her well into the top 100.

Laura would like to thank her sponsors Auxesia Ltd for all the support and help they provide, as well as Albany Tennis Club.

Feely will next be competing in a grade one British tour before representing the Isle of Man in the Winter County Cup.

Tom Mazzone has signed for the re-branded British Development Squad, Team Polypipe, for 2015.

The 21-year-old has spent the last few seasons racing in Europe, gaining experience and producing good, consistent results that he hopes will help him to have a successful year on his return to the UK.

Under the guidance of ex-professional Dean Downing, the team will focus on a targeted calendar of races based around the riders’ strengths that will include elite UK road and circuit races, time trials and selected UCI 2.2 events.

Tom would like to thank all his sponsors on and off the island for their continued support throughout 2014 which has been a massive help.

Suzie Man Wai Yau, of 75 King Edward Road, Onchan, bought 19 Turnberry Avenue, Onchan, for £395,000.

It was bought from Christine Shaw.

Other recent transactions lodged at the General Registry in Douglas are as follows:

Miriam Kitty Evans sold 46 Howe Road, Onchan, for £338,000, to Barry Jones Blythe and Margaret Rose Blythe, of 41 Ashberry Avenue, Saddlestone, Braddan.

Valerie Sampson by trustees, Paul Stephen Kinnin, of Auckland Chambers, Auckland Terrace, Ramsey, as trustee, and Andrew Charles Derby Lord, of Derby, as trustee, sold 39 Lezayre Park, Ramsey, for £245,000, to Pamela Jill Fee, of 13 Ivydene Avenue, Birch Hill, Onchan.

Jamie Robert Devereau and Colleen Theresa Devereau sold 28 Berrywoods Grove, Governor’s Hill, Douglas, for £205,000, to Jane Hill and Andrew David Hill, of 53 Port-e-chee Avenue, Douglas.

Fistard Property Investments Limited, whose registered office is situated at 1 Church Street, Douglas, sold 31 Parliament Street, Ramsey, for £150,000, to Fred Meadowcroft and Simone Meadowcroft, of 3 Croft Park, Andreas.

John Eccles sold 14 Osborne Grove, Douglas, for £147,500, to Carmel Mary Browne.

Katrina Maria Hands sold 120 Ballaquark, Douglas, for £147,000, to David Andrew Joyce, of Clagh Vane, Ballasalla.

Elizabeth Green, by administratrix, and Felicity Kathryn Naomi Green, of Redcar, as administratrix, sold San Remo, 1a Coburg Road, Ramsey, for £130,000, to David Ian Sedgwick and Angelia Woerle, of Germany.

Elizabeth Cynthia Boultbee, of Croit-e-Caley House, Croit-e-Caley Road, Colby, sold Stuggadhoo Cottage, Stuggadhoo Crossroads, Marown, for £110,000, to Darren Richard Burgess and Lydia Charlotte Burgess, of 2 The Cottage, Greyney Mooar, Ballagawne Road, Colby.

Elizabeth Clucas Charitable Trust, by trustees, George Ramsey Martin Moore, as trustee, Mark Stephen Humphrey as trustee, Rebecca Charlotte Kelly, as trustee, and Ballakilley Homes Limited, whose registered office is situated at Dandara Group Head Office, Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road, Braddan, sold two parcels of land, part of the Ballakilley Estate, for £5,000, to Rushen Parish Commissioners, whose registered office is situated at Newlands, Ballagawne Road, Colby.

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

This week, Chris Burton of the Manx Energy Advice Centre, a charity offering information and support on energy efficiency and renewables, gives some sound advice

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I’m often quite surprised, when I travel around the island, to see so many houses light up like the forthcoming Christmas tree.

I am not talking about decorative Christmas lights here, but the windows, doors and conservatories of the houses and businesses of the island.

Windows and doors are the most difficult parts of a house to insulate and keep the heat in, but simple curtains and blinds, the heavier the better, will prevent much of your heat escaping.

Heat is similar to light: it radiates out from its source and, unless it’s stopped, it’ll leak out of your building wherever it’s able.

Double or triple glazing systems are standard nowadays for buildings, and doors have improved their draught-sealing capabilities immeasurably over the last 20 years.

Nonetheless, if you take a look at any building using thermal imaging cameras, the areas where most heat escapes are the windows and doors of the property.

Old buildings especially suffer, as they are not as thermally efficient as modern built homes – and in conservation and other areas there are limits as to what glazing systems planners allow.

Some secondary glazing on the inside is allowed, however, and this can make a big difference.

One tip for finding draughts around your house is this: on a windy day, light a joss stick, and go round all the windows and doors looking for where the smoke plume gets affected.

Then you’ll have the information you need to take action – by replacement or tightening up seals and gaps to try and eliminate as many of the draughts as possible.

Broadsheet newspapers, wrapped up tight and covered with a cloth covering, make good and cost-effective draft protectors for floors around the bottom of doors.

However you heat your home, you’ll want to keep as much of this heat in as possible.

Remember, you only have to pay for insulation materials once – but you pay for the heat you’re producing, when you’re under-insulated, every day.

At the Green Centre we are still getting people coming in for advice, and telling us that they don’t have the minimum 270mm or 11 inches of mineral wool in their loft.

If they take this simple measure, it’ll save up to £350 a year – and only cost about that to install.

A lot of properties, even new ones, only have 100mm – so topping up would cost perhaps £260, saving some £40 a year. Go and check what you’re using now – you may be surprised.

The big DIY stores in Douglas stock the materials you’ll need, and at present some have insulation products on special offer.

So take a look, have a walk round your house or business premises at night, and see what you can see. I’ll bet in many cases, all the lights will be visible through windows and doors. Well, join the club - you’re not alone. But if you can see the light, be assured that whatever your glazing system is, heat will be pouring out of these openings. Blinds and curtains are relatively cheap and will pay for themselves in a pretty short period of time, so give yourself and your home – and your wallet! – a little advance Christmas present.