Sarah Astin finished runner-up in the senior women’s race at round two of the UK Cross Challenge series in Cardiff at the weekend.

Having finished a disappointing 28th in the opening round at Sefton Park, Liverpool in November, the Manx woman was back on form at Blackweir Fields.

The event was won by pre-race favourite, Sarah’s Aldershot Farnham and District clubmate Lily Partridge, in 25min 57sec, with Sarah 13s adrift.

Further rounds take place at Milton Keynes and Birmingham.

Christa Worth has completed her ICAEW ACA qualification and been promoted to supervisor in the audit and assurance department at Moore Stephens.

In her new role, Christa will lead a team assisting a wide range of clients including CSPs, insurance companies and funds with business assessment and auditing.

Company partner Andrew Dixon said: ‘Christa continues to impress Moore Stephens clients with her professionalism and dedication – I am very pleased indeed to have her on our team. We are all very proud of her.’

Christa joined Moore Stephens Isle of Man as a permanent member of staff in August 2011, following summers working as a student in the audit and assurance departments.

She graduated from the Isle of Man Business School, where she gained a first class BA (Hons) in Business Management as a Moore Stephens bursary student.

She has earned an impressive range of awards and prizes from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) including the Quilter Prize in September 2014 for the Corporate Reporting examination, the Little Prize in early 2014 for Business Planning Taxation, the Howitt Prize in 2013 for the Financial Management paper, and the Watts Prize in 2012 for her Audit and Assurance paper.

She is the first student in the Isle of Man to have won so many international prizes.

‘Moore Stephens is a great place to pursue my career,’ said Christa, ‘Not only have they given me every support with my education and professional development, but most importantly they have given me the encouragement to excel.’

The winners of the 2014 Olive Lamming Creative Writing Competition have been announced.

The competition is administered by the Isle of Man Literary Society and supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council.

In 2013 the competition had received poor response so there had been concerns about the 2014 event.

However, this proved unfounded with more than 50 entries being received evenly spread across the three categories of poetry, short story and non-fiction prose.

The prizes were presented by the great-great-niece of Olive Lamming, Joanna Crookall.

First prize in poetry went to Hazel Teare for ‘The Spectre at the Feast’. In second was Janet Lees for ‘Revenant’ and third was John Canavan with ‘Only Girls’.

The Short Story prize was won by Jacqueline Morrey-Grace for ‘The Millionaire’s Secret’ with second prize going to Claire Cannell for ‘The Love Song of J.Alfred Phynoderree’.

In third was Fiona Cregeen with ‘Someone Else’s Game’.

In the non-fiction section the winner was David Atcheson for ‘Remembrance’. In second place was David Carter with ‘Cinema at the Centre of the Universe’ and in third, Clive Sutton with ‘The Lucky Generation’.

Each prize winner was asked to talk briefly about their work with David Atcheson saying that his piece was his thoughts on Remembrance Day being about universal grief and that things can change witout forgetting the past. David Carter said his piece was about his memories of living in the cinema in Douglas.

Jacqueline Morrey-Grace said she started writing last February after an illness gave her time to write. She said her short story looks at the power struggle between two characters and why they continue to be friends. To finish off, each of the three poets spoke about their poems before reading them. The society also launched a book containing all the entries for the 2014 competition which is now available at Waterstone’s for £9.50 as a pape-bound hard copy with more than 300 pages.

There is also an ePub version available in Kindle format through Amazon and a pdf ebook uploaded to sellfy.com available from.dpdotcom/olivelamming.html

The ebook versions cost £3.85. The Isle of Man Literary Society thanked the Isle of Man Arts Council for its support of the competition and also Ramsey Crookall for its sponsorship in publishing the book.

All entrants are being asked to sign a copy of the book which is being kept by the till in the coffee shop at Waterstone’s.

Tynwald voted overwhelmingly in support of spending up to £2m of reserves on a rate revaluation project.

Treasury is committed to completing the revaluation of the island’s 40,000 domestic properties by February next year.

Valuations will be based on capital values across nine different bands, rather than rental values as at present.

Eddie Teare, Treasury Minister, told Tynwald it was a ‘tight timescale’ which gave him problems and inherent risks.

Replying to a question from Speaker Steve Rodan about how many appeals he would anticipate, Mr Teare said: ‘I have no idea is the honest answer.’ But he said he would expect fewer appeals than if revaluation was carried out on the old rental values.

The February 2016 deadline was agreed at the October sitting of Tynwald following a debate on a select committee’s report into the domestic rating system.

The committee was set up to investigate a petition of redress of grievance presented on Tynwald Day back in 2009 by David Buttery.

It made a series of recommendations including that a reate revaluation site:iomtoday.co.imvaluation of ratable values of homes should be carried out every five years - irrespective of whether there is any reform of the rating system.

Chris Thomas (Douglas West), who chaired that committee, expressed caution in Tynwald this week about rushing the process.

Mr Teare described him as a ‘Doubting Thomas’. He said: ‘Treasury is complying with the wishes of this court. We are between a rock and a hard place.’

The last general rates revaluation took place in 1972 and was based on rental values from the late 60s.

This was at a time when properties in rural areas were let at low rents, resulting in lower rateable values than properties in towns and villages.

Tynwald supported the move to draw down up to £2m from the reserves fund for the domestic rating revaluation project, by 22 votes to two in the House of Keys and seven votes to one in the Legislative Council.

Agriculture Minister Richard Ronan says he is looking to improve transparency in the payment of farming subsidies.

And he told Tynwald that all options would be considered – and did not rule out publishing names of recipients.

But he stressed it had to be fair and in the long term interests of farmers and the wider business community.

Questions about reform of the Countryside Care Scheme were raised in Tynwald by Peter Karran (Lib Van, Onchan) who asked Mr Ronan to publish the payments under the scheme.

The Minister replied that the amounts of payments are currently published online in six bands.

But no names of recipients are published and the department is currently unable to do so as this does not expressly form part of the terms and conditions that applicants sign up to at the start of the scheme each year, he said.

‘Acknowledging recent interest in this area, the department has raised the topic of transparency in the recent consultation on amendments to the Countryside Care Scheme with a view to looking at improving transparency of scheme payments. It may be worth noting that as the scheme moves towards full flat rate payments, the degree of transparency will automatically increase as payments will be directly related to farm size.

‘I’m aware of the growing public interest in this matter and I think it’s important all areas of subsidy are treated equally and fairly, especially with regard to the business community.’

Mr Karran suggested the information should be in the public domain. ‘Will he consider with the signing up next year we will have open payments with the named individuals who actually get the support, in the interests of transparency?’ he asked.

Mr Ronan replied: ‘I have said this is part of the consultation document where everything is being considered.

‘But I think it is worth at this point mentioning with regards to the European rules and free trade the EU take a view that publishing details of Common Agriculture Policy payments is important but also recognises the rights of individuals. Currently monies paid to companies are published but monies paid out to private individuals are not.’

Mr Ronan said, closer to home, payments made under the Enterprise Act detail recipients of the grants but do not list the payments going out.

‘Everything is being considered but we have to do, I believe, what is right in the long term interests of the farmers and the business community as well,’ he added.

Graham Cregeen (Malew and Santon) suggested there are five farmers who currently receive more than £100,000 in CCS payments.

Alfred Cannan (Michael) asked why, given the Minister’s comments about openness and transparency, the department in its recently published document had ‘completely disregarded’ Tynwald’s views that capping payments at £50,000 is an option that should be considered and put out for proper consultation.

Mr Ronan replied: ‘We have to recognise the European rules we work within. The £50,000 cap is nowhere near the UK, EU, our competitors. We want a fair level playing field.’

The Minister was also quizzed over live exports of animals. He said this was ‘a complex area which we need to balance carefully as the export of animals is an important form of trade which brings money onto the island and also provides the opportunity for the growing sales of high quality breeding stock into the UK.’

Mr Karran pointed out that the vast exports of live exports were not for trade but for slaughter. Mr Ronan said introducing measures would simply encourage exporters to operate outside the scheme.

More on CCS on page 19

Manx consumers are unlikely to benefit from falling world gas prices.

Manx Gas is locked into a fixed price contract for this year’s supply, while the Manx Utilities Authority has warned that its 2015 tariffs, due to be announced in March, are unlikely to fall.

In contrast, consumers in the UK are seeing bills tumble. British Gas and Scottish Power both announced price cuts this week.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister has written to consumer watchdogs to ask them to keep an eye on forecourt petrol prices.

Manx Gas agreed a fixed price for this year’s gas during 2014. The world wholesale price of gas fell by 28 per cent over the past year but Manx Gas and its customers are locked in to paying the agreed rates for the remainder of 2015.

John Davies, group commercial director for Manx Gas parent company International Energy Group, said: ‘We forward purchase with our customers in mind as we want to protect them from predicted increases in the wholesale price.

‘Historically, this strategy has been effective and means that, whatever the global price does, it is not something that impacts on us immediately. As a result of us taking this approach we have been able to minimise tariff increases.

‘However, this strategy means that in 2014 we committed to buying a fixed volume of gas for 2015 at a fixed price, sadly before the market prices fell and so we are locked into these prices for the rest of the year.’

Mr Davies said that there was no way for it to predict the drops in energy prices, but suggested that customers may see the benefit in their next round of negotiations.

He said: ‘For a number of years, the global wholesale price of energy has seen significant increases and the recent fall in prices was not something that energy companies could have predicted.

‘We are currently negottating forward purchases for 2016, which will be secured at the best possible cost.’

Citing unexpectedly low demand due to warmer than average weather, the company raised the price of gas by 2.9 per cent and their standing charge by 3 per cent in September 2014.

Manx Gas, which has an effective monopoly on providing mains gas in the island, has cut the price of fuel a number of times, most recently in 2009.

The price of heating oil, which is provided by competing private sector companies, has plummeted more than 16 per cent in a year.

So central heating bills for those who use heating oil have dropped, while those who use gas have seen a rise.

Meanwhile, the nationalised Manx Utilities Authority, whose electricity is primarily generated with gas-burning turbines, also has long-term agreements in place with energy wholesalers meaning it will not benefit from falling prices.

According to a spokesperson, the MUA has ‘a considerable percentage of its fuel costs hedged for 2015/16 to protect the island electricity consumer from potential fuel price spikes’.

They emphasised that variation in wholesale prices is only one aspect of the costs they must pass on to customers.

They said: ‘Manx Utilities’ cost base predominantly reflects the substantial investments made in the island’s generation and network infrastructure during the last decade, and less so on variable costs such as the cost of natural gas.’

The Chief Minister told iomtoday that he was keen to ensure that falls in oil prices are passed on to the Manx consumer. Allan Bell has written to the Office of Fair Trading asking staff there to monitor the situation.

Prices at the pumps have falling in recent weeks in response to falling global oil prices – but the Manx motorist is still paying much more than the UK average.

The price of unleaded petrol at Ellan Vannn Fuels’ filling station on Peel Road had fallen to 118.9p a litre.

Prices for unleaded peaked at 149.9p a litre in May 2012.

But the UK average price for unleaded fuel has fallen to 107.46p a litre – more than 10p less than the lowest price here.

The annual rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index, fell to 0.2 per cent last month, down 1.1 per cent from November.

Mr Bell said most of the fall in the inflation rate was due to the drop in oil prices.

He said: ‘I have written to the Office of Fair Trading asking them to carry out a review to ensure the reduction in oil prices is passed on to the consumer.

‘It’s a message that we are watching them and expect customers to benefit from any cost savings.’

Mr Bell said that he was concerned that further drops in global energy prices could lead to deflation in the island.

He said: ‘One area we need to be careful of is that there is a prediction that the world price of oil is likely to drop further.

‘If that happens, we could move into a period of deflation which could have a significant economic impact. Deflation is just as dangerous as inflation in many ways.’

He said that in periods of deflation, there was a disincentive to spend or invest because prices could drop further, so economic activity would drop.

PwC Men’s Premier

The game of the day takes place at the NSC on Saturday afternoon when Bacchas A meet Crowe Morgan Valkyrs A in the top flight.

The two sides have both made winning starts to the season and the outcome of this match is sure to have a big impact on the destination of the title.

Bacchas have come out on top in recent seasons and will be keen to continue that trend.

Opponents Valkyrs will be determined to keep their 100 per cent record intact and secure victory.

PwC Men’s Division One

Celton Manx Castletown A put their unbeaten start to the season on the line when they meet struggling Bacchas Colts at Castle Rushen on Saturday morning.

Paul Kelly’s Castletown side have been in good form so far this season scoring 14 goals and conceding just once and they will feel confident of claiming both points on offer here.

Opponents Bacchas have struggled so far and will be aiming to secure their first points of the season.

However, if they are not on top form they could suffer a third successive defeat.

PwC Women’s Premier

Crowe Morgan Valkyrs A will try to keep their unbeaten start to the season going when they meet LJ Ramsey A in Saturday’s lunchtime fixture at QEII.

Leanne Miller’s Valkyrs will be hoping to rival Vikings A for the title but will know that they cannot afford to slip up in this match.

Opponents Ramsey drew their first match against Bacchas before being soundly beaten by Vikings last week.

Julie Chesterton will be looking to her northern side to show an improvement here.

PwC Women’s Division One

A top-of-the-table clash sees Celton Manx Castletown B take on Saracens at King William’s College on Saturday.

Both sides have made unbeaten starts to the campaign and will be hoping to maintain their records here.

Amy Dawson’s Castletown side have secured two comfortable victories so far this season and, while Saracens couldn’t quite repeat their heroics of their first match, Ruth Watterson’s side have also taken two wins.

This promises to be a close match which could go either way.

Saturday’s fixtures

PwC Men’s Premier Division

Bacchas A

v Crowe Morgan Valkyrs A NSC 2.05pm

Bacchas B v LJ Ramsey A RGS 2.05pm

Saracens A

v Canaccord Genuity Vikings A CRHS 2.05pm

PwC Men’s Division One

Celton Manx Castletown B

v Harlequins B CRHS 3.35pm

Bacchas c v Harlequins A NSC 11.05am

Bacchas Colts

v Celton Manx Castletown A CRHS 11.05am

Crowe Morgan Valkyrs B

v Canaccord Genuity Vikings B QEII 2.05pm

Canaccord Genuity Vikings Colts

v LJ Ramsey B RGS 12.35pm

PwC Women’s Premier Division

Celton Manx Castletown A

v Bacchas A CRHS 12.35pm

Crowe Morgan Valkyrs A

v LJ Ramsey A QEII 12.35pm

Canaccord Genuity Vikings A

v Crowe Morgan Valkyrs B NSC 12.35pm

PwC Women’s Division One

Harlequins B v Bacchas B QEII 3.35pm

Saracens v Celton Manx Castletown B KWC 12.35

Crowe Morgan Valkyrs C

v Harlequins A QEII 11.05am

Canaccord Genuity Vikings B

v LJ Ramsey B RGS 11.05am

Canaccord Genuity Vikings Women’s C

v Bacchas C NSC 3.35pm

With the league sides having a rare week off, the Shimmin Wilson Manx Trophy opener and second game in the Shimmin Wilson Manx Bowl take centre stage this Saturday.

In the Trophy, Vagabonds B entertain Shield champions PDMS Southern Nomads at Ballafletcher.

Nomads won both games in the Shield on their way to an unbeaten title and Vagas, who were last season’s champions, will be keen to make amends.

Skipper Kim Tomlinson stood down at Christmas and he has been replaced by the evergreen Johnny Beckley.

Beckley is extremely versatile and can play in the back row or in either half-back role and provides Vagas with an almost endless variety of moves from the back of their set-piece.

He may lack Tomlinson’s dynamic running but makes up for this with his ability to mix the plays up and use his reliable boot to kick out of trouble or in behind the defence when attacking.

The Vagas’ backline also boasts Mr Linebreak himself, Arno Cruywagen.

His direct running can punch holes in any defence and the Nomads’ midfield will have their work cut out to stop him.

The southerners, however, are not Shield champions for no good reason.

Second rower Steve McHugh has been running in tries all season and he provides some muscle up front.

Prop Ally Kelly has also scored in his last two outings so he shouldn’t be discounted either.

Outside the pack is where Nomads are at their most dangerous.

Dan Bridle is a handful whether at stand-off or centre and Adam Boyd is a powerful and pacy runner out wide especially on the counter.

The form book clearly suggests a Nomads win, but Vagas should be strong this week and it’ll be a close game.

In the Manx Bowl, Ramsey B will hope to put their disastrous start firmly behind them when they meet Emerging Nomads at the Mooragh Park.

Skipper Gareth Hinge had just nine men last Saturday after a series of injuries, man-flu and holidays saw the first team take six of his squad.

Jake Severs, Will Wren and Ethan Benjamin should all be available this Saturday, although John F. Watling is likely to be rested as he recovers from injury.

Nomads beat Castletown in a friendly last Saturday with former Ramsey man Orry Watterson picking up a brace. It was his birthday this week and I’m sure Ramsey will have a present for him. This too should be a close one with the smart money following Nomads who maybe on a roll.

Fixtures – all ko @ 2.15pm

Shimmin Wilson Manx Trophy

Vagabonds B v PDMS Southern Nomads

@ Ballafletcher

Shimmin Wilson Manx Bowl

Ramsey B v Emerging Nomads @ Mooragh Park

Police are investigating a burglary in Kirk Michael.

There were no new reported break-ins overnight and officers believe the Kirk Michael incident occurred earlier in the week but only came to light yesterday.

That burglary takes the total number since January 9 to 37.

A police spokesman said: ‘Although it would appear that no burglaries have occurred last night, this isn’t a signal for people to let their guard down.

‘Please continue to take sensible security precautions, and doors and windows locked. Neighbours are asked to remain vigilant, and report any suspicious activity. If it is something happening there and then, such as unknown people at an address, or the sound of breaking glass, then call us on 999.

‘More routine stuff, such as historic sightings can be called in on 631212.’

He added: ‘We’d also remind the public that although this spate of offences has caused a lot of understandable concern and unrest, the likelihood of becoming a victim remain very small indeed. There are around 36,000 dwellings on the island, and our continued combined vigilance and hard work will help minimise further victims, and bring offenders to justice.’

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/the-chances-of-becoming-a-victim-of-crime-really-do-remain-very-small-here-1-7066688|Reported on this site last night: Chances of being a victim remain small}

The GH Corlett Woods Cup kicks off in earnest this weekend with five ties taking place in the preliminary round on Saturday.

The pick of the games is arguably at Springfield Road where in-form Malew are the visitors to Division Two leaders Douglas Athletic.

The hosts are enjoying a superb season so far and boast a seven-point lead at the top of the table, ableit having played three more games than their nearest rivals.

However, this weekend’s clash could be a tricky one for Athletic, with Malew going into the game on the back of four wins and a draw in their last five outings.

Athletic won the previous league meeting 6-3 back in November, but this one could be a bit closer.

Another tight affair could be in store at the Station Fields where Colby and Pulrose United go head-to-head.

Just one place separates them in the league - in favour of fourth-placed Colby - but three wins on the bounce mean that Pully should be full of confidence.

Douglas Royal’s recent good run came to an abrupt end at the hands Marown at the weekend so they will be desperate to get back to winning ways when they take on an Onchan side buoyed by a dramatic extra-time win over Foxdale in the FA Cup.

Braddan welcome Castletown to Victoria Road hoping to avenge a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the southerners recently, while the final game sees RYCOB travel to Foxdale.

DAVE NORTON

Penthouse Dive, a band that are certainly no strangers to the local gigging scene through their fairly prolific number of shows each year particularly around TT fortnight, make another of their regular appearances at Jaks Bar in Douglas this Saturday night.

The three piece band that features Mark Riley on guitar/vocals, Dave Cain on bass/vocals and Ian Hughes on drums play covers from the likes of ZZ Top, Foo Fighters, The Police, Thin Lizzy and the like.

This band is certainly very popular on the covers circuit so are well worth checking out if those influences sound like your cup of tea!

For more information on the band and any of their forthcoming shows, please visit www.facebook.com/groups/penthousedive

Now, whilst we’re on the subject of classic rock covers bands, there’s a new kid on the block so to speak.

This new kid comes in the shape of Gunslinger, a brand-new band to the Isle of Man music scene, although each member of the band has certainly put their hours in with various other local bands over the years.

If you have a penchant for AC/DC, Airbourne, Thin Lizzy, HIM, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Queen and Billy Idol amongst others, then these boys will definitely be well worth a look at when they eventually hit the scene.

Expect gig dates to be announced imminently!

Pay a visit to www.facebook.com/Gunslingeriom for further information.

Local acoustic singer/songwriter Chris Gray will re-commence his ever-popular Songs From The Sofa acoustic sessions at the Amber Bar in Douglas in the very near future.

For those looking to play, please contact Chris via his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/chris.j.gray

Whilst we’re talking all things acoustic, The Creek Inn in Peel plays host to an acoustic set by local heroes, 3 Million this Friday.

The band are of course known mostly for gigging with their full four piece electric line-up that features Chris Honour (guitar/vocals), Joe Crookall (bass), Gary Smith (guitar/vocals) and Matthew Woods (drums), but in recent times they’ve ventured out and tried it all in an acoustic guise, which work really well. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/3MillionIOM

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

Steve Leach brings the latest rumblings, murmurings, news and views on forthcoming events in and around the island’s music scene. Help support the scene by emailing leachsteve@hotmail.com

Agreement should be reached regarding work requested but not yet done by the Department of Infrastructure before services such as road sweeping and pot hole repairs are transferred to local authorities.

Port Erin commissioner Nick Watterson was not at this week’s meeting, but emailed his thoughts which were read out by clerk Jason Roberts.

He had read an Isle of Man Examiner report (also published here on iomtoday) on Castletown commissioners’ comments relating to ensuring agreement on financing work not completed is reached before the transfer to authorities of various services.

Port Erin commissioners agreed with this stance, requesting the ‘caveat’ is a good suggestion.

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne has written to authorities that ‘matters are progressing well’ in time for the transfer in April.

To help authorities cover the costs, gate fees at the incinerator would be frozen for a year and Mr Gawne enclosed a breakdown of the projected gate fees: £79.50 a tonne until 2016; then £102 a tonne in 2016/17; £124.50 a tonne in £2017/18; and £147 a tonne in 2018/19.

The latest Isle of Man Newspapers Team of the Week returns to the bread and butter of the Canada Life Premier League for its inspiration.

After the Paddy Power FA Cup last week, Saturday’s six top-flight games provide the fodder for the hypothetical XI.

St George’s won the day’s big clash with Laxey 3-1 at Glencrutchery Road and three from that match make it into the TotW.

Geordies’ skipper Frank Jones bagged a brace as the league leaders took advantage of Peel’s free week to move four points clear at the top.

Joining Jones in the side is club-mate Jack McVey, the midfielder picking up his second TotW stripes of the season after a good all-round performance against the Miners.

Stand-in Laxey keeper David Thomas completes the trio from that game, the defender making several fine stops to limit the division’s top scorers to three goals.

In front of Thomas the side’s back four in anchored by St Mary’s duo Tom Charmer and Karl Clark.

The former Castletown players were in sparkling form as St Mary’s kept a third clean sheet of the league campaign in their 3-0 win over Corinthians.

Joining the Saints are northerners Jordan Kelly (Ramsey) and Neil Brown (Ayre).

Youngster Kelly probed well from fullback all game against Union Mills on Satruday, having a hand in a couple of goals as his side battled to a 3-2 win.

Brown was also on a winning side on Saturday, the Ayre stalwart impressing at the back as promoted United beat Michael 4-1 to all but secure their place in the top-flight next season.

Slotting in alongside the aforementioned Jones and McVey in midfield are Rushen’s Chris Shimmin and DHSOB winger Gary Quirk.

Shimmin was man of the match as the Spaniards beat relegation-threatened Gymns 6-2 at Croit Lowey, while Quirk was on the scoresheet as Old Boys beat St John’s 5-1 to rack up a sixth win out of seven at Blackberry Lane this season.

Up top Quirk’s team-mate, and new Isle of Man FA squad member, Darren Hudgeon makes his first TotW appearance of the campaign after a brace in the win over the Johnners.

Partnering him in attack is Ayre’s hat-trick hero Elliott Cureton, the former RYCOB man making his fourth TotW outing of the term.

Refereeing honours go to Manx fotoball’s most renowned moustache wearer, Tony McMeiken, for a second time this campaign after he impressed with the whistle during Geordies win over Laxey.

Team of the Week 17/01/15

Goalkeeper

David Thomas (Laxey)

TotW apps this season: 1

Defence

Jordan Kelly (Ramsey ) TotW apps: 1

Tom Charmer (St Mary’s) TotW apps: 1

Karl Clark (St Mary’s) TotW apps: 5

Neil Brown (Ayre United) TotW apps: 2

Midfield

Gary Quirk (DHSOB) TotW apps: 2

Chris Shimmin (Rushen) TotW apps: 2

Jack McVey (St George’s) TotW apps: 2

Frank Jones (St George’s) TotW apps: 4

Attack

Darren Hudgeon (DHSOB) TotW apps: 1

Elliott Cureton (Ayre United) TotW apps: 4

Referee

Tony McMeiken (St George’s v Laxey)

RotW apps: 2

Refurbishing work is still continuing on the Willaston estate in Douglas, the council’s housing and property committee chairman has confirmed.

Councillor David Ashford was responding to queries raised about why certain work had not been completed on some properties in the estate, which is the biggest public sector housing estate in the island.

‘The contract is still continuing,’ he said. ‘That’s why some doors have not been done yet.’

Questions were also raised about the money being invested in the properties and whether outright demolition and rebuilding, as happened in Pulrose, wouldn’t be a better long term option.

But Councillor Ashford said at £70,000 on average, per property, this was a preferable option compared to rebuilding costs which would be around £135,000 per property.

‘This estate was built in the 1940s and it is starting to get old now but the work being done will extend the lives of the homes by around 25 years,’ he said.

It would be totally impractical to move residents out, as some had suggested, while the work was being done, he added.

‘There are 735 “units”, by which I mean houses or flats, in Willaston,’ he said.

‘Where would be put so many people if we were offering alternative accommodation while the work was being done?’

A motorist lost control of his vehicle on the main coast road between Kirk Michael and Peel last night.

The car ended up on its room in a stream surrounded by small trees just north of the Devil’s Elbow.

The driver rang 999 from the scene.

Fire appliances from Kirk Michael and Peel along with police and ambulance were sent the the scene.

The control staff continued to talk to the occupant and were then able to narrow down the area before fire crews arrived.

Fire crews made the vehicle safe and cut a hole in the vehicle to get the driver out.

The driver was removed and placed on a stretcher, which was transported to the road across the fields to a waiting ambulance using Kirk Michael’s Pinzguaer six-wheeled drive vehicle.

Station officer John Cashin, the fire officer in charge of the incident, said: ‘This was an excellent example of multi-agency working and shows how important our continued training and working together is.’

He praised all those involved, not just those on scene but also the work of the control staff for getting the location from the driver who would have been in some discomfort, possibly disorientated and difficult to find without the persistence of the control staff.

Every year, without fail, my mum whips up a batch of the most delicious marmalade. It arrives in January - the only time of year when the bitter Seville oranges are available - and disappears by about February, spread liberally on as much toast as my household can consume.

Now I’m a mum, I feel it’s about time I popped my marmalade cherry, and got my hands sticky in the kitchen too. Besides my own mum, help of another kind is on hand in the form of Marmalade: A Bittersweet Cookbook by Sarah Randell, food director of Sainsbury’s Magazine, who’s written some lip-smacking recipes for marmalade and what you can do with it - marmalade-glazed bacon sandwiches anyone?

“Marmalade is part of our British culinary psyche, it represents us on breakfast tables all over the world and is something we are, justifiably, very proud of,” she says. And according to Randell, our love of marmalade dates back to the 18th century, when it was first made commercially by the Keiller family in Scotland.

“Mrs Keiller and her husband, who was a grocer, took stock of a batch of Seville oranges from a Spanish ship that had to dock unexpectedly on the coast of Dundee. Mrs Keiller set about making them into marmalade and Mr Keiller sold it. Around the same time, home cooks were beginning to experiment with recipes for marmalade-type preserves. But the name marmalade stems from the Portuguese word ‘marmelada’, which refers to quince paste.”

Paddington Bear boosted the preserve’s profile in the Fifties with his love for marmalade sandwiches - and now the film’s doing just that again, with sales of marmalade up 88% at Waitrose.

“We always had marmalade on the breakfast table at home. We were more of a toast and marmalade family than bacon and eggs, so it has always been part of my life,” says Randell. “A few years ago, I was asked to join the judges for The World’s Original Marmalade Awards. I was fascinated by the range and variety sent in from around the world, hundreds and hundreds of jars and every one was different. I was hooked.”

Her idea of a perfect marmalade is “a bright clear jelly with tender peel suspended evenly in it - the peel should be tender but still have a slight bite”.

Her recipe for Classic Seville Orange Marmalade begins with the words, “Put the radio on”, so that’s just what I do...

But sadly, after two days of prep, I over-boil my concoction at the final stage and end up with a fragrant - but very runny - goo.

It’s disappointing after the effort, but it tastes amazing, so I pour it out into my jars and slap on labels reading ‘Kate’s Runny Marmalade’.

Make your own marmalade while Seville oranges are in town - or just try one of Sarah Randell’s recipes using it..

:: Wrinkle Test - For anyone who doesn’t know what a ‘wrinkle test’ is, after your saucer’s been in the freezer for about 15 minutes, place a spoonful of marmalade on it. Push your finger through the marmalade on the plate - you’re looking for it to wrinkle and not flood back in to fill the gap. If it’s not ready, turn the pan back on, simmer for five minutes and test again.

Make your own marmalade

(Makes about 7 x 340g jars)

Ingredients

1kg bitter Seville oranges

Juice of 1 fat lemon

2kg granulated sugar

Method

DAY ONE

Put the radio on. Halve the oranges and, using the tip of a knife, flick out any obvious pips on to a double-layered square of gauze (or muslin), about 30 x 30cm. Squeeze the juice from the oranges into a very large bowl (or a large lidded plastic box), add any extra pips from the squeezer to the gauze and add any fleshy bits of orange to the bowl.

Now, cut each orange half into quarters and, using a knife, scrape out the membranes inside - put these and any more pips you find on to the gauze square. The next job is to shred the pithy peel as uniformly as possible into thin, medium or chunky shreds, as you wish; discard the buttons from the ends of the fruit as you go. Transfer the shredded peel to the bowl too.

Gather the gauze square together to form a money-bag shape, twist the top and tie it with string - an extra pair of hands comes in useful here. When you tie the string, leave one long end - you can use this to tie the gauze pouch onto the pan handle and immerse it in the liquid when you cook the peel.

Put the pouch into the bowl to join the peel and juice. Add 2.25 litres of cold water, making sure everything is as immersed in the water as it can be, then cover with cling film (or a lid) and leave it overnight. I usually put the bowl in the cellar or garage.

DAY TWO

The next day, tip everything from the bowl into a preserving pan and tie the gauze pouch to the pan handle so it sits on the base of the pan. Bring the whole lot to simmering point over a low-medium heat and simmer the peel until it is really soft - you should be able to squish it easily in your fingers; this will take about one-and-a-half hours. The liquid will reduce as the peel simmers, and you will see a tidemark around the inside of the pan.

Once the peel is soft enough, remove the gauze pouch from the pan, pressing it against the side with the back of a wooden spoon as you do so, to extract as much pectin as possible from the pith and pips - put the pouch into a bowl and leave it for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, halve and squeeze the lemon and tip the lemon juice into the pan with the sugar; stir over a low heat. Give the gauze pouch a final squeeze to extract the last of the pectin into the marmalade; wearing clean washing-up gloves makes this easier. You can now discard the pouch, as its work is done.

Preheat the oven to 140C/fan 120C/gas 1. Keep stirring the marmalade from time to time to help dissolve the sugar. This is an important stage, so make sure all the sugar has dissolved before you move on to the next; it can take 15 minutes or so. I find that any pips I have missed usually pop to the surface at this point; scoop them out with a teaspoon. Put a few saucers in the freezer for the wrinkle test (see below) and put your jars and lids in the oven for 15-20 minutes to sterilise.

Now, bring the marmalade up to a rolling boil and boil it for 20-25 minutes or until it has reached setting point (use the wrinkle test). When the marmalade is ready, take the pan off the heat. Leave to settle for 15 minutes; this will help to distribute the peel evenly and make it less hazardous to pot. Give it a gentle stir in one direction to disperse any air bubbles.

Using a measuring jug and a funnel, transfer your marmalade into hot sterilised jars. Seal and leave the marmalade to cool completely. Give the jars a second wipe over with a hot cloth and dry them before labelling. Store the jars of golden marmalade in a dry, cool place, where it will keep for at least a year.

The Centenary Centre in Peel has certainly come along way since it first opened its doors 11 years ago.

And it is greeting the new year with new additions, new faces and, most importantly, a packed, exciting line up for the year ahead.

Already, there are more than 70 acts booked for the year ahead, including a programme of five acts, held throughout the year, for which a season ticket can be bought.

If the idea of watching English folk act Faustus, folk legend Vin Garbutt, Scots folk icons Ali Bain and Phil Cunningham, Galician piper Anxo Lorenzo and duo Chris While and Julie Matthews appeals, all for a price of £55, saving £11 in the process, then you should hurry down to the centre to get yours now!

Faustus, in particular, is a huge name to look forward to. The band features the all-star line up of Benji Kirkpatrick, who also plays with Seth Lakeman and Bellowhead, Paul Sartin, also from Bellowhead, and Saul Rose, from the Eliza Carthy band.

Faustus came together in 2006 as an evolution of the award-winning band Dr Faustus. Their eponymous debut album in 2008 saw them nominated as the Best Group in the 2009 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

Touring saw them headlining at festivals, as well as playing sell-out concerts.

After a two year break they returned in 2011 and released the new album Broken Down Gentlemen in spring 2013.

They are appearing on Saturday, March 21.

Chairman Dave McLean is thrilled with the state of health the popular arts centre finds itself in.

He says he is frequently astonished when he steps back and looks at what has been achieved over the past decade.

‘Honestly, I didn’t think it would get this far,’ said Dave.

‘I’m astonished when I walk into the place. If you remember what it was like, it was a scruffy old village hall with plaster and paint coming off the walls.

‘When we started we used the chairs that were there, and they were those horrible old plastic chairs that after you sat in them for half an hour your bum went dead.

‘Now we have the lovely seats we have now, we have these fabulous dressing rooms, and PA and lighting rig most centres twice our size would give their eye teeth for.

‘Most of all though I’m proud when our visiting artists tell us they never get treated anywhere as well as they do in the Centre.’

Such is the level of success enjoyed by the venue, Dave is worried that the amount of acts will put an unfair strain on the volunteers.

‘I just worry that we put on too much pressure on Mark and Mick, the sound and light guys,’ he said.

‘We are always looking for new volunteers. It’s is not a closed shop, “cliquey” place at all.

‘We’re really welcoming to anyone who wants to help, particularly to anyone with any technical ability.’

‘At the moment we’re just as keen to find people to run the tea and coffee for us!

‘It’s not a bad deal, really. You come along, make up the tea and coffee, sell it during the interval and then you can watch the gig afterwards.’

The island’s local authorities are setting their rates for the forthcoming financial year.

Ramsey Commissioners have set the town rate at 348p in the pound, unchanged from the two previous years.

The lead member for finance, Lawrie Hooper, announced the figure at the public board meeting this week.

A report on revenue estimate details for 2015-2016 will be presented at the board’s next public meeting on Wednesday, February 18, starting at 7pm.

Braddan Commissioners agreed to set their rate for 2015/16 to 215p, a reduction of 4p on the previous year’s rate.

They said they accepted that this was an unusual situation given the austerity measures that all government was experiencing, but there were a number of reasons for this decision.

A statement from the clerk, Colin Whiteway, reads: ‘Firstly the authority is still feeling the beneficial effect of not having to make any financial provision to defend, or make any payment to Charles (Buster) Lewin for his, now failed, attempt to sue the commissioners.

‘Secondly the board have decided to use some of the reserves to progress a number of improvement schemes including the upgrading or installation of streetlights in and around Ballafletcher Road and Cooil Road.

‘Thirdly, the addition of new properties on to their rate list means an increase in income, and the chairman, Mr [Andrew] Jessopp stated that the authority’s present day income should reflect the present day running costs to the authority.

‘He also stated that the board had made a judgment call on the cost implications of the transfer of services from central government.

‘Whilst they anticipate being able to manage this transfer of services at no additional cost this year, he did offer a note of caution by saying that this would be carefully monitored throughout the year, and any additional costs may require the rates to increase in the following year.’

Mr Jessopp again stressed that a reduction in the rate would not result in a reduction in service and they do have further improvement plans, the details of which will be released in the commissioners’ forthcoming business plan.

Marown Commissioners have decided to increase Marown’s rates by 6.16 per cent, meaning a rise from 1.46p in the pound to 1.55p in the pound.

This will equate to an average increase of between £15 to £20 per household, per year.

A statement from the clerk, Alison Lynch, reads: ‘This, unfortunately, is as a result of the increased costs being passed on to the local authorities by central government. The fact that we do not hold large reserves like some other Local Authorities means that a small increase has had to be applied.’

Other authorities are still to set their rates.

Douglas’s rate-setting meeting will take place next week.

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Two new members have been appointed to the island’s Arts Council.

They are Dr Laura Rowles and Matt Creer, while David Wertheim and Alex Brindley re-appointed.

Dr Rowles is an educator, performer and composer and has a doctorate in ethnomusicology.

She is co-founder of Mannin Music.

A member of the Yn Chruinnaght committee, she has been involved in the organisation of events and has developed links with the other Celtic nations.

Matt Creer is a professional musician and songwriter who has recorded albums and singles, gigs locally and in the UK and nurtures talented young musicians at Rock Academy Isle of Man.

He recently enjoyed success in the UK iTunes charts.

A graduate of the Royal College of Music, he has worked with world renowned ensembles and musicians including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir George Solti and The Kings Singers.

The government said that their appointments came as the result of an open recruitment process.

Mr Wertheim is a businessman who was instrumental in bringing the Kurt Schwitters exhibition to the Sayle Gallery.

His interests and experience span the visual arts and music.

Mr Brindley is a radio disc jockey who is passionate about music and theatre.

The Arts Council is an advisory board to the Department of Education and Children and consists of eight members, chaired by Geoff Corkish MLC, political member of DEC with responsibility for the arts.

Its role is ‘developing and improving knowledge, understanding, practice and access to the arts in all its forms’.

Minister for Education and Children Tim Crookall said: ‘The Arts Council plays a crucial role in the island, not only with its support of grass root arts and community work, but also in enhancing our quality of life.

‘Island of Culture 2014, last year’s Arts Council-led celebration of the arts, is acting as a catalyst for cultural and economic growth and regeneration that will leave a lasting legacy for creativity and the arts in the Isle of Man.

‘Such a legacy will not only raise the profile of the Island but also bring an economic boost by making the island more attractive to residents, visitors, and investors.’

Members of the Arts Council, who are unpaid, serve a four-year period and can be re-elected once.

Talking about the new appointments, Mr Crookall said: ‘We had many strong applications and it is gratifying that so many people seek to contribute voluntarily to further the arts. The new membership represents a broad range of skills across the arts.’

Other members of the Arts Council are Michael Lees, Adrienne Burnett, Alan Jackson and John Quirk. Jo Callister is a non-voting representative of the Department of Education and Children.

The first island-based clinic to treat the eye condition ‘Wet’ Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) took place today at Noble’s Hospital.

It is the first step in moving the treatment for the majority of the island’s ARMD patients from the UK to the Isle of Man, where clinically appropriate, over the coming months.

The service is operated by the Department of Health and Social Care’s existing partner, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, with the clinicians now travelling to the island rather than patients travelling to Liverpool.

This means that patients will continue to receive treatment from a recognised and respected centre of excellence for ophthalmology as well as benefiting from the continuity of care under Aintree’s ophthalmic consultant Mr Ahmed Kamal.

‘Wet’ ARMD affects people in later life and is caused by the formation of abnormal tiny blood vessels under the part of the eye known as the macula.

These blood vessels damage the cells within the macula, causing a loss of central vision. The condition is treated with periodic injections into the eye which can prevent the growth of the blood vessels.

Only one eye can be treated at a time, meaning two separate treatments are required each time for patients with the condition in both eyes.

Until now this has meant the inconvenience of what can be an arduous and tiring journey to and from the UK, sometimes once or twice a month, for patients who are generally older and many of whom are frail. Eighty two per cent of ‘Wet’ ARMD patients require the support and care of an escort.

With the island’s ageing population and ‘Wet’ ARMD being a condition occurring in later life, the number of people diagnosed has been increasing year on year with the trend expected to continue.

Minister for Health and Social Care, Howard Quayle MHK, said: ‘I made it clear when I became Minister that securing on-island treatment for those with a wet macular condition was my number one priority. It has been a team effort and I am delighted that the department has been able to deliver on this commitment.

‘Change doesn’t happen overnight, but I hope this demonstrates to the public that we are listening to them and are serious about making the necessary improvements to care.

‘I want the public to see that action is being taken, that we are delivering on our promises and that we can be trusted to continue the work of reforming health and social care services.

‘Given the age of many patients with ARMD, some understandably struggle with journeys to and from the UK. For what can be relatively short appointments, patients can find themselves enduring 14-hour days with a 5am start.

‘Clearly this is less than ideal and I am sure patients, carers and the third sector groups who have championed an on-Island service will welcome this move.’

Treatment takes place in a new clinic at Noble’s Hospital developed especially for this service to meet strict standards for ventilation and infection control.

The clinic space sits alongside the existing Eye Clinic and this will ensure that future services can be developed from a single location.

Although there have been one-off costs to establish the facilities and buy the necessary equipment, it is expected that the on-island service will be cost neutral, with funds redirected from the savings made in the patient transfers budget.

The cost of transporting patients has been increasing markedly as the number of people with ‘Wet’ ARMD continues to grow, a trend that would have continued without on-island treatment.

This can now be avoided. In addition the department can explore the possibility of training and upskilling local staff to develop a ‘Wet’ ARMD service delivered by clinicians based at Noble’s Hospital, in the future.