A Manxwoman who enjoyed a distinguished career in the Foreign Office has died aged 89.

Florence Grace Cowley was born at Baroose in Lonan in 1925 but left the Isle of Man in 1961 to take up a post in the Foreign Office in London.

Postings followed to Reykjavic then, in 1964 one to Belgrade in Yugoslavia, followed, in 1965, by another to Baghdad. She ended up being evacuated from the embassy in Baghdad and returning home via Damascus.

Further postings followed, in 1967 to Salisbury in Rhodesia. In 1965, the Rhodesian government had made a declaration of independence from Britain and civil war prevailed at the time.

In 1969, she moved on to Dehli, returning to the Foreign Office in London for two years between 1971 and 1974. One of the crowning moments of her career was being appointed a member of the order of the British Empire in 1970, just nine years after she joined the Foreign Office.

Further postings followed to Kingston in Jamaica in 1974 and Warsaw in 1976. Around 1979, she achieved one of the top posts for an ambassador’s personal assistant , in Bonn in West Germany. Late in 1982 she took up her final posting to Wellington in New Zealand and was offered a cottage in the grounds of the High Commissioner’s residence but she declined, choosing instead to return to the Isle of Man, after a short stay in Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire.

Once back in the island she returned to her roots and bought a cottage in Ballabeg, Lonan where she settled with her dog, leading a full social life and supporting various charities. Latterly, she moved to the sheltered accommodation at Cooil Roy in Laxey. For the past nine months she had been a resident in the Ellan Vannin home in Kingswood Grove, Douglas.

In her early life she was a pupil at Ballagawne School, which closed in 1932 then at Laxey school until she left in 1939.

She worked as a secretary, variously at the Britannic Assurance, Isle of Man Water Board and Shannon Kneale and Co. Other posts were with the Palace and Derby Castle Company Ltd and, for some years, she was a secretary at Noble’s Hospital for Dr Dorothy Panin, the island’s first woman doctor who had delivered her at the Jane Crookall maternity wing. She also worked for Doctor McPherson, Mr Owen, the ENT specialist and Guy Almond, the orthopaedic specialist.

The Bridson & Horrox Group is expanding into the UK after joining forces with County Print, of Altrincham, near Manchester.

Darren Horrox, managing director of the Bridson & Horrox Group, said: ‘We are broadening our horizons and it makes sense for us to strengthen our partnership with an established print firm in the UK for the benefit of both companies.

‘County Print is a highly respected firm and the ideal partner with which we can build our foothold in the UK market.

‘This alliance will hopefully lead to more business for both companies in both locations.’

He added: ‘The alliance means we will be able to cater for even more customers, thanks to our connection with County Print, while maintaining the high standards of efficiency and customer service for which Bridson & Horrox has always been renowned.’

County Print was established more than 50 years ago and numbers multi-national companies and government departments among its clients.

Managing director Wayne Rayson said: ‘We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with the Bridson & Horrox Group, a business that is at the top of the market and has shown with the recent introduction of its digital hub that it will remain a leader in the industry.

‘The group has shown it is the industry leader in the Isle of Man and we will both benefit from this alliance.’

Earlier this month Bridson & Horrox Group converted part of its print and distribution complex at Print House, Hills Meadow, Douglas, into an open-plan centre for digital printing.

Special Constable Andy Culshaw has been voluntarily serving the community in the police force since 2006.

On duty every Friday from 6pm to 3.30am, he visits all the youth clubs in the north, and if operational demands allow, calls into pubs in the north to speak with licensees and customers.

He has been nominated for our Community Police Officer of the Year Award by Department of Education youth officer Grainne Burns.

‘He is always smiling and good humoured and is great at chatting and getting to know young people,’ she said.

‘This has helped reduce the barrier that can exist with the police. Having an identified, dedicated, interested and involved special officer has certainly helped my team of youth workers in doing their work with young people, especially on a Friday evening when things can be quite hectic.

‘He is available to deal with any difficulties that may occur in an sensitive and low key manner.’

Andy explained his role was to let young people know the emergency services are there to help, and they can ask any questions to their neighbourhood police officers.

He shows the younger children what police vehicles and uniforms look like. And they enjoy the chance to sit in the cage at the rear of the vehicle.

Andy said: ‘I think this work is so important for the community so that children are confident they can talk to police about anything that is worrying them and if necessary it can be followed up.

‘Some of the sessions can involve conversations about alcohol, anti-social behaviour, drugs, bullying, online issues and any other issues the children need to talk about. I feel some of the children just need some reassurance about safety on a regular basis.

‘I also think that when you are a young person you don’t seem to see obvious dangers so a chat with a police officer can often be reassuring.’

Andy, 42, lives in Ramsey with his wife and family, and said he felt ‘overwhelmed’ to be nominated.

He joined the constabulary in 2006 as one of the first community volunteer groups and was based in the Northern Neighbourhood Policing Team in Ramsey.

Following training he became a special constable in 2011. Special constables are a dedicated group of volunteers that have the same powers as a regular police officer.

He encouraged anyone that has the skills to be able to communicate and assist people in all situations or want to get involved in any community events to either apply to become a special constable, or join the community volunteers section.

• Nominations have now closed.

A campaign to encourage dog owners to pick up their pets’ faeces has had a positive impact according to a report produced for Douglas Council.

The council ran its ‘We’re watching you’ campaign in four areas around the capital using posters to drive the message home.

The posters, made from a light absorbing material, were designed to glow in the dark and showed a pair of eyes watching the area.

The council’s report contained statistics on the number of incidents of dog fouling before during and after the campaign. The figures suggested the campaign, combined with the media coverage had been positive as all four areas targeted had shown a reduction.

Councillors heard members of the public had responded well to the campaign with many supplying information to the council about dogs which were at large, allowing wardens to take action.

Councillor Bill Malarkey, who is a member of the environmental services committee which oversaw the campaign, said they were pleased with the results.

‘We are going to examine the cost of running the campaign year round and rotating it around different areas of the town,’ he said.

He added the council was now practising a stricter policy on dog excrement with owners being automatically taken to court rather than being issued with a fixed penalty.

‘Really we want witnesses to tell tales, to report other dog owners who allow their pets to do this and don’t clean up after them,’ he said.

The council is in the process of relaxing its summertime dog ban on the northern end of Douglas beach so dogs would no longer be excluded from the area at the Summerland end of the beach during the middle part of the day. This should be in place for this summer.

RamseyDog Club has been celebrating after several of its members excelled at Britain’s most famous dog show.

The club’s chairman Lisa Walker said four of their members had achieved recognition at the show held in Birmingham and involving around 21,500 dogs of all shapes and sizes.

Mrs Walker said: ‘You can imagine our delight at our brilliant results.’

Amy Carswell, who is 16, and her two-year-old border collie Alfie took first place in the Young Kennel Club obedience class.

Mrs Walker said: ‘She had to go away last year and compete in some qualifier rounds and she won her class in that. Dogs are allowed to lose a maximum of five marks and she lost just half a mark, which took her through to the final. That took place at Southport.’

For the Starters’ obedience class, competitors have to walk to heel in a large circle, including a turn and a halt. There is also a test of the dog’s temperament and a recall test where the dog assumes a sitting or a down position. He (or she) then has to remain in position while the owner walks away then respond by going to the owner when called.

The best veteral dog was won by a boxer dog called Razzle, owned by Gemma Stockton.

‘Gemma often competes off island with Razzle and he won the best veteran dog class for animals aged over seven. Razzle also went on then to win the best boxer class overall,’ Mrs Walker said.

Another best veteran in his class was Norwich terrier Rocky, owned by Tracy Norrey.

Finally, Lou Jackson won third in the A-class inter-regional obedience section with her Australian shepherd dog, also called Razzle. The class includes various more compex obedience tests including a retrieve.

Ramsey dog club meets three days a week for obedience training and agility.

A £1,500 rebranding exercise is planned this spring for Douglas tip (Eastern District Civic Amenity Site).

Councillor Bill Malarkey, who is chairman of the committee which controls the tip said it was important to promote the message that as much waste as possible should be recycled.

To that end colour coding is to be used to make it clearer for visitors to see where items should be deposited, ensuring they end up in the appropriate receptacles for recycling or for disposal at the incinerator (energy from waste plant) which in turn generates power.

Additional skips will be provided to take cardboard and the skips are to be more conveniently sited within the compound.

Mr Malarkey said: ‘We want to get the message out that it is not waste and it’s not a tip. It’s a recycling centre because everything that ends up there has some value.

The revamped site, called the Eastern Household Recycling Centre will be launched on May 1 and it will be closed for two days in April so the reorganisation can take place.

Mr Malarkey said they had investigated using automatic number plate recognition systems to monitor vehicles entering the tip so it would be more apparent if people were visiting to dispose of commercial waste. But the council is currently awaiting advice on the legality of using such a system from the Attorney Generals’ chambers. Meanwhile, he said the likely cost to the council to install a system had increased to around £20,000 which could be prohibitive.

He added, a dispute with the Crossroads Caring for Carers charity was continuing as the charity had not paid outstanding bills for disposing of unsaleable items which the council classifies as commercial rubbish. He said the bills stretched back more than a year and proceedings to recover the money were being instigated which made further discussion with the charity inappropriate.

This week’s Manx Independent leads with a story about the latest review into the Manx health service.

Among its findings were that some patients are facing a year delay in cancer diagnosis.

Other headlines in the paper include:

Murder trial latest

Police in £21m fraud swoop

Space dream is still alive

No comment from HSBC on Manx accounts

Value your own home before you pay rates

Flybe London service starts

Inquiry into Sulby Claddagh status

TT 2015 launch

The Manx Independent is in the shops now.

Significant amounts of cash and business records have been seized by police conducting a £21m fraud and money laundering investigation in the island.

The police are today continuing their inquiries.

Officers from the force’s financial investigation team yesterday executed six warrants in and around Douglas in the investigation into multiple fraud and money laundering offences.

A number of these searches are continuing, taking considerable time to complete.

Officers from the Manx force, supported by HM Revenues and Customs and the UK’s National Crime Agency, are today (Thursday) still working on the matter.

A Manx force spokesman said that there would be continued police activity in and around Hill Street in Douglas and Manor Park in Onchan as a result.

In total, 13 warrants have been executed and seven people have been arrested across the UK, Guernsey and the Isle of Man as part of the investigation.

Yesterday, the Manx police force said there had been one arrest in the Isle of Man.

They have not been more specific about where the seven arrests took place.

Significant amounts of cash and business records have been seized and will be subject of further investigation.

Related story:

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/updated-story-arrest-in-21m-money-laundering-investigation-1-7161638|Our story on this topic yesterday.}

The Dursley Stott Spring Handicap Road Races take place this evening, Thursday, over the NSC perimeter roadway.

Entries for the Isle of Man Veteran Athletes’ Club organised event are now closed. The 5km walk will start at 6.30pm, followed by the 10km run at 7.15pm. Handicaps will be based on age. Post-race refreshments will be served at Manx Harriers clubhouse.

More details on www.iomvac.co.uk

Fixtures at a glance

Friday, March 20 - Microgaming Cross-Country League and Championship prize presentation evening at the Claremont Hotel.

Presentations commence at 7pm for the younger age groups (under-nine, u11 and U13). Presentations for age groups under-15s upwards start at 8.30pm.

Medals will be presented to the top-three in each age group from the championship that took place on January 18. Trophies will be presented to all athletes who completed at least four out of the six rounds. Visit www.iomaa.info cross country page for more information.

Sunday, April 26 - Sara Killey 50km Walk over the northern section of the Parish Walk route between Peel and Ramsey fire stations via Kirk Michael, Ballaugh, Jurby, Bride and Andreas.

Entry fees go towards raising funds for the National Firefighters Charity.

For more information and entries go to: https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=1917 http://sarakilleywalk.co.uk/

Sunday, August 9 - Microgaming Isle of Man Marathon and Half-Marathon, based at Ballacloan Stadium, North Shore Road, Ramsey. To enter visit isleofmanmarathon.com

Entry fees are £23.40 for affiliated members and £29.25 for non-affiliated members. All participants receive a medal, goodie bag and buffet. Entries close July 30. For more information email iomvaclub@yahoo.co.uk or visit isleofmanmarathon.com

Sunday racing will take place at this year’s Blackford Financial Services Pre-TT Classic road races.

Organised by Southern 100 Racing, the annual Pre-TT event on the Billown Course normally takes place over the Bank Holiday Weekend, but with the TT dates a week later this year it has not been possible to use the holiday Monday.

The club has now confirmed that Royal Assent has been given to instead run the climax to the event on Sunday, May 31.

Practising will start on the Friday evening of May 29 and continue on the Saturday afternoon, prior to the opening practice on the Mountain Course for the TT proper.

The confirmed schedule for the Blackford Financial Services Pre-TT Classic road races is as follows: Friday, May 29, roads close 6.05pm to 9.25pm; Saturday, May 30, roads close 12.15 to 4.15pm; Sunday, May 31, roads close 1pm to 8pm.

With 10 days remaining until entries close, the event organisers have so far received 184 entries for the seven races scheduled to take place.

Ian Hutchinson was unable to attend this week’s TT launch as he was testing in Spain.

It was announced yesterday that he will ride a three-cylinder 675 MV Agusta for Tsingtao Racing/Hampshire MV Agusta in the two Supersport races.

He will aso ride the factory backed machine in the North West 200.

The Bingley Bullet returned to the TT last year on a Milwaukee Yamaha after missing the 2013 meeting through injury. He also missed 2011 after having won a record five TTs in one week in 2010 on a Padgett’s Honda.

There’s a new Fuel Poverty Strategy coming in England. But where’s the one for the Isle of Man? In fact, why don’t we even have a proper definition of ‘fuel poverty’ in the island when it’s clearly rife?

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On March 3, 2015, the Department of Energy and Climate Change published the UK government’s fuel poverty strategy for England together with its response to a consultation it ran in July last year.

It describes how their government plans to meet a fuel poverty target introduced by the Fuel Poverty (England) Regulations 2014, which came into force on 5 December 2014.

This says the government has to ensure that as many fuel-poor homes in England as is ‘reasonably practicable’ get to an energy efficiency rating of Band C by 31 December 2030 - a long way away, but a target at least. The UK’s definition of fuel poverty is ‘any household which spends more than 10 per cent of its income on fuel where the heating regime provides a temperature of 21ºC in the living area and 18ºC in the remaining rooms’.

In the nearer-term (thank goodness) it also brings in some interim targets - so that as many homes as possible reach a minimum energy efficiency rating of Band E by 2020, and Band D by 2025. It also announces some additional funding, which will be available to tackle fuel poverty - and a series of forthcoming pilots on key areas such as the health aspects of fuel poverty, and on looking at (rural) off-gas-grid properties.

All this is good, though as ever in these days of widening inequality, too little too late. It’ll be complemented by new regulations (not yet made), which should encourage landlords to upgrade their domestic or commercial rentals in the private sector, so they achieve a ‘minimum energy efficiency standard’.

This strategy builds on other existing UK energy efficiency measures - in particular, the Energy Companies Obligation, and the Green Deal and its predecessors. There’s talk, to be fair, of a Manx equivalent of the Green Deal, and it’ll be good to see details sooner rather than later...

Why’s all this happening? Well, the UK’s government estimates that households in fuel poverty in the least energy efficient homes (described as Bands F and G) typically face energy costs that are £1,000 more than those in more energy efficient homes. And fuel poverty itself is, helpfully defined in the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 as occurring when ‘a member of a household on a low income lives in a home that cannot be kept warm at a reasonable cost’.

In February 2012, the then Social Care Minister for the Isle of Man, Chris Robertshaw, rebuffed Kate Beecroft’s request for a definition of IoM fuel poverty (which would have enabled government to measure the issue, and then benchmark progress in fixing it: if you don’t measure something, you can’t tell when you’re headed in the right direction). He said: ‘I believe to focus now on a narrow isolated indicator such as the concept of fuel poverty would be to take a step backwards – it would perpetuate what is clearly a flawed approach.’

Well - maybe. But have we really taken any steps forward in the intervening years? We have not. Last week we read in the local press that we can expect electricity prices to keep rising, because of the woeful derelictions carried out by previous incumbents at the then MEA. And we already know that we live on an island where gas prices are allowed to rise if the gas company is in danger of not achieving ‘acceptable’ levels of profit - a shocking and immoral state of affairs, as if a given level of profitability were a God-given right and not a function of market forces, good management and customer demand.

Back in 2012, Mr Robertshaw also said: ‘Outside of the relationship of fuel costs to income of a given household at a given moment must be the importance of the heat insulation characteristics of Manx homes, be they public or private properties, and this will remain a focus for my department.’ But there’s little help for poorer homeowners in insulating their properties - grants are being withdrawn in a number of areas as I write - though you can still find decent deals at some commercial DIY stores and the like, if you keep your eyes open.

Why do we continue to lag behind even the UK, in this Dickensian attitude to the primacy of profit over care of the vulnerable? The UK’s no paragon of transparency and fairness, but it leaves the island looking frankly shabby. It’s time we fixed this.

For sources, see the UK DECC release ‘A strategy to end cold homes for good’, dated March 3, 2015, and ‘DECC: Consultation outcome: Cutting the cost of keeping warm: a new fuel poverty strategy for England’ (also March 2015) and, for Mr Robertshaw’s comments, IoMToday 16 February 2012.

It was International Women’s Day on Sunday of last week and it was celebrated on Manx Radio by The Three Graces (Beth, Kate and Jo) who also present the weekday ‘Women Today’ programme.

This prompted me to wonder when it’s going to be International Men’s Day. I asked one of the young women who also work at Manx Radio, Alex Wotton, a broadcast journalist, and she was quick to let me know.

She said, with one of those smiles they learn at mother’s knee: ‘Every other day of the year.’

I have found out by making safer inquiries that International Men’s Day is celebrated in 30 countries throughout the world and the next one will be on October 13.

This means we men will have to organise ourselves to do the day justice. But how?

I wonder if we could get the women to tell us how to do it.

All l can suggest is that the main centre of the world wide celebrations should be the Isle of MAN.

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This week’s Manx crossword clue comes from John Corrin. It was in the Sunday Times as follows: ‘Delivery from pal on island (8).’ I must warn that this is a tricky one. You have to know a little about cricket.

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Sara Goodwins at Loughtan Books in Maughold tells me about talking to a customer across the water who wanted to know where to send a payment to.

She said: ‘As I spelled out the various Manx names she commented on how unusual they were and we had an interesting discussion about the resurgence of the Manx language. Her payment duly arrived correctly addressed in every detail, ending with a flourish ‘Isle of Wight.’

I wouldn’t mind betting that’s where she lives.

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Crossword: ‘Chinaman.’ Mr Corrin says it was one of Richie Benaud’s trickest deliveries.

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Manx Radio programme producer Catherine Nicholl received an email starting: ‘This is a one-off email and apologies if you get it more than once.’

Sorry. Can you say that again please?

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The Times had a reader’s letter reporting a sign on an Edinburgh tram saying: ‘Passengers who leave the tram of their own accord do so at their own risk.’ They’re safer being kicked off?

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A reader, anonymous, says he visited a restaurant on one of the Ionian Islands of Greece with the English version of the menu offering some kind of fish called ‘Switch’.

I would order that, even if I might be told that it’s off.

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Out of my Funnies File comes a 1998 Examiner report that the Lieutenant Governor and Lady Daunt were back at Government House after a holiday and their ‘fist engagement will be on Sunday’.

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Kids Are Quick.

Teacher: ‘Simon. Tell me frankly, do you say grace before eating?’

Simon: ‘No sir. I don’t have to. My mum is a good cook.’

Daniel James Neades and Cara Neades, of 3 Parsonage Glebe, St John’s, bought Grenaby Farm, Grenaby, Malew, for £1,900,000.

It was bought from Catherine Anne Hague Tate.

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

Michael Lewis Hodgson and Glenna Mae Hodgson, sold Ballawyllin, East Baldwin, for £820,000, to Neil Howard Taverner and Graciela Taverner, of Barrowcroft, Shore Road, Castletown.

Peter John Shimmin, of 1 Sunnyside Terrace, Minorca Hill, Laxey, and Helena Fiona Shimmin, sold Holmlea, Rencell, Laxey, for £410,000, to Gordon Alasdair Cobb and Diane Margaret Faragher, of 33 Governor’s Hill, Onchan.

Peel Town Commissioners, whose registered office is situated at the Town Hall, Derby Road, Peel, sold a parcel of land at Mill Road, Peel, for £301,650, to Mac’s Builders Merchants Limited, whose registered office is situated at Kerrowdhoo, Main Road, St John’s.

Margaret Avril Lawson, of Surrey, and Sydney Wilfrid Colvin, of 32 Mount View Road, Onchan, sold 21 Kensington Road, Douglas, for £205,000, to Andrew Michael Patrick, and Paola Fleur Patrick, of 8 Harris Terrace, Douglas.

Daniell Charles Metcalfe, of 21 Birchill Grove, Onchan, and Karen Marie Metcalfe, sold 6 Prince’s Street, Douglas, for £196,000, to Brett Anthony Hammonds, of 56 Hailwood Avenue, Douglas.

Keith Davey, of Apartment 155, Spectrum Apartments, Central Promenade, Douglas, and Joanna Marie Hall, sold 8 Murray’s Lake Drive, Mount Murray, Santon, for £195,000, to Oliver Charles Linton and Lisa Alison Frearson, of 62 Ballaquark, Farmhill, Douglas.

Clara Oates, by trustee, Dorothy Joyce Brew, of Lonan, 1 Marlborough Crescent, Clifton Park, Ramsey, as trustee, and Isabel Leonora Hamill, care of Ellan Vannin Home, sold 15 Nursery Avenue, Onchan, for £132,500, to Paul Arthur Unwin and Vivien Unwin, of 5 Briarfield Avenue, Birch Hill, Onchan.

Audrey Bradley, by personal representatives, Yvonne Alice Patsourakis, of 2 Maple Avenue, Peel, as personal representative, and Sarah Madaline Bradley, of London, as personal representative, sold 9 Ballagyr Park, Peel, for £75,000, to Emmanouil Patsourakis and Yvonne Alice Patsourakis, of 2 Maple Avenue, Peel.

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

The GH Corlett Woods Cup semi-finals take centre stage on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday, March 21

GH Corlett Woods Cup semi-finals

2pm Colby v Braddan

2pm Douglas Athletic v D’Royal

Canada Life Premier League

2.30pm St George’s v Union Mills

2.30pm Peel v Rushen Utd

2.30pm Laxey v Corinthians

2.30pm Ramsey v Ayre

2.30pm DHSOB v Gymns

JCK Division Two

2.30pm Malew v Governor’s Ath

2.30pm Onchan v Castletown

2.30pm Marown v Foxdale

2.30pm Douglas & District v RYCOB

Canada Life Combination One

2.30pm Union Mills v Ramsey

2.30pm Gymns v Ayre

2.30pm St Mary’s v Laxey

2.30pm Corinthians v Peel

JCK Combination Two

2.30pm Foxdale v Braddan

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Sunday, March 22

Appleby 16-18 League

10.30am Laxey v Ramsey

10.30am Onchan v Peel

5.15pm Braddan v Corinthians @ the Bowl

Warehouse Fitness Women’s FA Cup semi-finals

2.30pm Gymns v Corinthians

2.30pm Peel v DHSOB

Paddy Power Masters League

2.30pm RYCOB v Braddan

2.10pm Union Mills v Douglas & District @ Bowl

3.40pm Marown v Corinthians @ the Bowl

Castletown resident Jonathan Rea is in Thailand for round two of the FIM Superbike World Championship this weekend.

The event takes place on the all-new Chang International Circuit located near Buriram in the north eastern part of the country,

Rea and fellow Brit Leon Haslam scored a win and a second place apiece in the season opener at Phillip Island, Australia to hold the joint lead.

A public inquiry is to be held to clarify the common land status of the Sulby Claddagh.

Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Richard Ronan told Tynwald he wanted to ‘put the issue to bed once and for all’.

Plans to charge a £15 administration fee for a permit to camp at the Claddagh were put on hold for a month after acting Attorney General John Quinn said he wanted to check the legal position.

Brenda Cannell (Douglas East) had claimed charging a fee may be unlawful.

She said: ‘This is the last piece of common land in the Isle of Man. How can the Minister consider making a charge?’ she asked.

The Minister admitted the issue of common land was a ‘grey area’ and in respect of his department’s legal powers or vires to make a charge there was a ‘lack of clarity over the status of the area’.

But he said his department had taken advice from the Attorney General’s chambers and were led to believe they did have the legal vires to charge and that it was not common land.

However, he said he now intended to go to public inquiry to clarify the position.

Mr Ronan said he didn’t believe it was the role for government to be running campsites although he recognised the importance of Sulby Claddagh for tourism.

The permit, which up until now has been free, allows camping over the Easter weekend and the whole summer season.

Mr Ronan said the £15 cost covered the administration of the permit, and contributed to the campsite’s £35,000 annual running costs. He said a charge had been considered ahead of the system being introduced in 2011.

Before the permits were introduced there had been ‘mayhem’ with anti-social behaviour causing lots of problems but the police were now more comfortable with the situation, he said.

Work is beginning on breeding the best Manx bee possible.

This follows the EU’s decision to allow the island to ban the importation of bees, to protect Manx hives from the deadly varroa virus, which is decimating hives worldwide.

The Bee Improvement Committee, a subcommittee of the island’s Beekeepers’ Federation, is focused on breeding the most fertile queen bee with the best temperament.

‘All queens are different in temperament,’ said committee chairman Keith Osborn. ‘Some are easy to handle, they do not create swarming, they also breed. The whole idea is to encourage the bee to make as many eggs as possible.’

Working towards improving the Manx bee, Roger Patterson, from the UK’s Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders’ Association visited the island in January and gave a seminar attended by 25 bee keepers. He returns in April and – with the bee keepers’ permission – inspect as many hives as possible to begin selecting bees with the best attitude for breeding.

The committee is also reorganising and enlarging the training apiary in St John’s to accommodate 10 teaching colonies.

Hives respond within just two hours to a new queen; it should take two to three years to see an improvement in the quality of Manx bees.

There is already a demand for Manx queen bees, which will only increase now the varroa-free status can be guaranteed. As this special status is shared with just two other European sites – Finnish Aland island and the Hebridean islands of Colonsay and Oronsay – Manx bees should be able to command more than the going rate of £25 to £40 per queen bee.

There is also a very valuable scientific element because supplying bees which are guaranteed varroa free is critical for research purposes.

The island’s bees are also free of the American foulbrood bacteria, meaning hives do not have to be medicated.

Keith said: ‘Our honey is as good as any you can get anywhere in the world.’

The organisers of this summer’s NatWest Island Games in Jersey have published the fixtures for the men’s and women’s football competitions.

Nick Hurt’s Isle of Man FA side being their campaign at lunchtime on Sunday June 28 against the Western Isles.

The following day they face Alderney, with a tough final group game against the hosts on the evening of June 30 to follow.

If Hurt’s men finish top of their group, they can look forward to a semi-final on July 2, with the competition’s medal matches taking place on July 3 at the recently refurbished 3G pitch in Springfield.

Michael Quilliam’s women’s side also begin their campaign on the same day as their male counter-parts also with a game against the Western Isles.

Gibraltar are up next on June 29, with the Manx side’s final group game against Gotland on the evening of July 1.

Like the men, the women’s semis and medal matches takes place on July 2/3.

Island Games football fixtures

Sunday, June 28

Men 1pm Western Isles v Isle of Man

Women 1.30pm Western Isles v Isle of Man

Monday, June 29

Men 1.30pm Isle of Man v Alderney

Women 1pm Isle of Man v Gibraltar

Tuesday, June 30

Men 6pm Jersey v Isle of Man

Wednesday, July 1

Women 5pm Isle of Man v Gotland

Thursday, July 2

Semi-finals/placement matches

Friday, July 3

Medal matches

Full list of fixtures can be found here.

Thursday, March 19

• Southern Swimming Pool, Castletown, Thursday, 9.15am-10am , circuits, 7pm-8pm, aquafit; Fridays, 9.15am-10.15 circuits, 6.30pm-7.30pm; Saturday, 10am-11am, yoga; Monday, 9.15am-10.15am, circuits, 2.10pm-3pm, aquafit, 6.30pm-7.30pm, circuits; Tuesday 2.30pm-3.30pm, aquanauts/rehab swimming, 6.30pm-7.30pm, yoga; Wednesday, 6.30pm-7.30pm, circuits.

• Zumba at 9.30am-10.15am, total tone at 10.15am, call Jane 201811. Legs, bums and tums at 7pm-8pm, call Lisa 438150. Also Monday, high intensity circuits at 6.30am, Wednesday and Friday 6.30am, call Shelley 487270. School Drop Boot Camp at 9.30am, also Wednesday and Friday at 6.30am, call Errol on 488105. Vibro-step classes at 12.15pm and 7.15pm, also on Wednesdays and Fridays at 12.15pm-12.45pm and Tuesdays and Fridays at 9.15am-9.45am, call Shelley 487270. Tuesday, Tae-Bo at 5.45pm-6.30pm, kettlebells at 6.30pm-7.15pm, call Kate 347160. Wednesday, kettlebell core, 6pm-7pm, also Saturdays at 9.30am-10.30am, call Kelly 220220. Elite Fitness, Douglas.

• Thighs, bums and tums, Laxey Working Men’s Institute, 9.30am. Also Tuesday, call 335635.

• Yoga, Iyengar (mixed) 9.30am-11am. Tuesday, men only class, 7pm-8.30pm; Wednesday, mixed, 6.45pm-8.15pm, 10 Perwick Bay, Port St Mary. Call 452791.

• Wheelie Active Parents (mums and buggies) 9.30am – 11am, Villa Marina reception, £2. Also Walk and Talk, Peel promenade, outside Harbour Lights Cafe, 9.45am – 11.30am, £1.50. Friday, Walk and Talk, NSC, Douglas, 9.30am–11.30am; also Mondays, Poulsom Park, Castletown, 9.45am–11.30am, £1.50. Racquet sports and boccia, 12.15pm–1pm NSC, £1.75; Walk and Talk, 5.30pm–7pm, NSC, £1.50. Tuesdays,Walk and Talk, NSC, 9.30am–11.30am, £1.50; Walk and Talk, Ramsey Mooragh Park, (meet Rugby Club), £1.50, 9.30am–11.30am. Call Gianni 688556.

• Hot yoga 7pm. Friday: kettlebells 7am and 1.10pm, get yoga fit 10am, hot yoga 6.30pm. Saturday: hot yoga, 10am and 11.30am. Sunday: hot yoga 10am and 11.30am. Monday: kettlebells 7am and 1.10pm, get yoga fit 10am, warm Pilates 5pm, hot yoga for beginners 6.30pm. Tuesday: 7am hot yoga, 5.30pm Pilates. Wednesday: kettlebells 7am and 1.10pm, get yoga fit 10am, hardcore 6 pack abs 5.45pm, Pilates 6.30pm at The Gym, Ramsey. Call 812100.

• Gentle Circuits, NSC, Douglas, 11am. Also Saturday. Call 688588.

• Pilates, beginners to intermediate, 38 Woodbourne Square, Douglas, 2pm, 5.30pm and 7pm. Call 491449.

• Chair-based exercise sessions, Onchan Youth and Community Centre, 1.30pm. Also Friday, Port Erin Methodist Church hall, 2pm; Monday, Ramsey town hall, 10.30am; Tuesday, Castletown Sandfield residents’ lounge, 2pm; Wednesday, Westlands’ residents’ lounge, Peel, 10.30am. Call 642668.

• Tai Chi Chuan, Lezayre parish hall, 2pm. Call Pete Jackson 898468.

• Mini tennis coaching, year 3, 4.30pm, year 4, 5.30pm. £3. Also Tuesday, adult beginners and improvers tennis coaching, 6pm. Douglas LTC, Kensington Road. £5. Call 302642.

• Iyengar inspired yoga classes, children’s yoga from 3.30pm-4.30pm yr3-yr6, 4.30-5.15 rec yr 2, teenage yoga 5.15pm-6.15pm, men’s yoga, 6.30pm-8pm, mixed ability hatha yoga, Monday, 9.15am-10.45am, adult Iyengar inspired yoga. Wednesday, 7pm-8.30pm adult Iyengar inspired yoga.. All at Laxey Football Club. Call Jane on 863130 or janepycroft@manx.net

• Unite, mixture of yoga and Pilates, 4pm-5pm. Also, Fridays 6pm legs, bums and tums, 7pm aerial suspension fitness. Saturdays, 9.30am zumba and 10.30am aerial fitness. Mondays, 6pm zumba and 7pm aerial yoga. Tuesdays, 6pm, fitness Pilates and 7pm kettlebells. Wednesdays, 6pm, high intensity interval training and fitness yoga. Jillian’s Unique Fitness Solutions, 48 Loch Promenade, Douglas.

• Manx Fencing Club, Ashley Hill School, Onchan, 4pm. Also seniors at Ballakermeen High School, Douglas, 5pm; Tuesday, Arbory village hall, beginners at 4pm and Grade 1+, 5pm; Wednesday, Ramsey Grammar School, juniors at 5pm and seniors at 6pm, also at Ebenezer Hall, Kirk Michael, juniors at 6.30pm and adults at 7.30pm.

• Southern Gymnastics Club, Ballasalla School, 4pm. Also Tuesday, Castle Rushen High School, 5pm. Call 473741.

• Northern Gymnastics Club, Ramsey Grammar School, 5pm.

• Men on mats - core strength/Pilates class, 6pm-7pm. £8. Jillian’s Unique Fitness Solutions, 48 Loch Promenade, Douglas. Call 376574.

• Anti-gravity yoga, 6.30pm. Also, pole fitness class at Savina’s Secret Studio, Glen Falcon Road, Douglas, 7.45pm. Call 203502.

• Western Athletics Club, QEII High School, 6.30pm.

• Zumba, Carrefour Health Club, Douglas, 6.30pm. Also Monday, 8pm; Wednesday, 9.45am.

• Cardiotone, Laxey Working Men’s Institute, 7pm-8pm. Also Monday 7pm-8pm. Call 452729/863602.

• Peel Badminton Club, Corrin Hall, Peel, 7pm.

• Aquafit, Western Swimming Pool, Peel, 7pm. Also Tuesday, 1.15pm.

• Aerobics and body toning, bring your own mat, Philip Christian Centre, Peel, 7pm. Also Monday, Park View hall, Kirk Michael. Call 455924.

• Zumba, The Institute, Laxey 7pm-8pm, also Tuesday 7.30pm-8.30pm. £5.

• Yoga, Cooil Methodist hall, 7.15pm. Call 494489.

• Fencing for all ages. Ashley Hill School, 7.30pm. Also Monday, Andreas parish hall, 4.30pm; Tuesday, Arbory parish hall, 4pm and Ebenezer Hall, Kirk Michael, 6.30pm; Wednesday, Scoill Ree Gorree sports hall, Ramsey, 5pm. Call 880863.

• Zumba, The Dance Factory, Onchan Park, 7.30pm. Call 425270. Also Tuesday.

Friday, March 20

• Pilates at The Pilates Studio, Viking Longhouse, Middle Wharf, Peel, at 9.30am and The Studio, Falcon Road, Douglas, at 1pm; Monday, The Pilates Studio, Viking Longhouse, Middle Wharf, Peel, at 9.30am and Colby Methodist hall at 6pm; Wednesday, The Pilates Studio, Viking Longhouse, Middle Wharf, Peel, at 5.15pm and 6.30pm. Thursday, The Pilates Studio, Viking Longhouse, Middle Wharf, Peel, at 10am (chair-based Pilates for older, frailer adults) and beginners’ Pilates, 6.15pm. Saturday, 10am, The Pilates Studio, Peel. Equipment provided. Ring Lizzy Main on 427401 or visit www.pilates-isle-of-man.co.uk

• Acrobatics, The Dance Factory, Onchan Park, 4.30pm.

• Manx ABC Boxing, Palace Terrace, Douglas. Juniors, 6pm. Seniors (age 16+), 7pm. Beginners welcome. Also Monday and Wednesday.

• Yoga, Morton Hall, Onchan, 6.30pm. Call 494489.

• Tai chi chuan, Murray’s Road School, Douglas, 7.30pm. Call 612305.

• Indoor bowls, Legion Hall, Port St Mary, 7.30pm. No experience necessary.

Saturday, March 21

• Pregnancy yoga, All Saints’ hall, Douglas, 10am. Call 461461.

• Yoga, Laxey Working Men’s Institute, 10.15am. Also Monday.

• Yoga, Arbory parish hall, 10.30am. Call 494489.

• Fun and fitness, NSC, Douglas, 11am-noon. Call 688588.

• St Mary’s football club mixed under 11s training, Pulrose football fields, 10.30am. Call 405859.

• Tae Kwondo beginners, Pinewood Complex, Pulrose, 10.45am. Also 6-7yrs, Wednesdays at 5.30pm and Monday and Wednesday, 8-13yrs at 6pm, all ages at 7.15pm. Text 432152.

Sunday, March 22

• Reikido, The Royal British Legion, Port Erin, 11am-12.30pm. Also Monday 8pm-9pm. Call Nick on 398955.

• Bowling club night, Port Erin Bowling Club, Breagle Glen, 4pm-6pm.

• Yoga and Nutrition, Karma Yoga Studio, Douglas. 6-7.30pm.

Monday, March 23

• Women’s activity morning, NSC, Douglas, 9.30am. Call 688556.

• Beginners yoga, 10am, Karma, 2nd Floor, 8 Victoria Street, Douglas. Also at 10am (over 60s half price, £5).

• Begin to Run ( running club for all abilities), Douglas seafront, meet Jubilee Kiosk, noon – 1pm, cost £2, call Trevor Christian for more details on 688576.

• Stretch ‘n’ Flex exercise, NSC, Douglas, noon. Call 688588.

• Disability swimming sessions, NSC, Douglas, 3pm-4pm, £1.55. Also Tuesday, 6pm-7pm.

• Aquafit, NSC, Douglas, 1.30pm. Also Tuesday at noon and Wednesday at 6pm. Plus deepwater aquafit on Monday at 7.15pm, and Thursday deepwater at 6pm. Call 688556.

• Circuit training, NSC, Douglas, 6pm. Also Wednesday at 6pm. Call 688588.

• Exercise Boot Camp, Corrin Hall, Peel, 6.15pm. Also Wednesday, Philip Christian Centre, Peel, 6pm; Thursday, Glen Vine Church hall, 9.15am.

• Bodyweight and cardiotone, Laxey Working Men’s Institute, 7pm. Call 452729.

• Women’s self-defence classes, British Legion hall, Port Erin, 7.30pm.

• Kirk Michael Badminton Club, Park View hall, 8pm. Call 878536.

Tuesday, March 24

• Fit2Go walking sessions, car park, Station Road, St John’s, 9am. For women looking to improve their fitness. £3.

• Pilates at 9.15am, 38 Woodbourne Square, Douglas. Pilates at 6.15pm Trinity Church, Ramsey. Also, balance and Pilates, 1.30pm, Cooyrt Balleigh, Ramsey. No floor exercise. Call 491449.

• Social-cise, social fitness sessions. Low intensity exercise, NSC main sports hall, Douglas, 2pm-3.30pm. Also, Boccia, 5pm-6pm. Everyone welcome.

• Cheerleading, All Saints’ Church hall, 4.30pm. Call 254499.

• No strings badminton, for novices, beginners and getting back into badminton, NSC, 5pm-6pm.

• Adult beginners and improvers tennis coaching, Douglas LTC, Kensington Road. 6pm, £5. Call 302642

• Pilates, the hall at Church on The Rock, Ramsey, 6.15pm. Call 491449.

• Zumba, Fiesta Havana, Douglas, 7pm. Email sjh@manx.net

• Tai Chi Chuan, Lezayre parish community hall, 7pm.

• IoM Karate Federation, Murray’s Road School, juniors 7pm, seniors 7.30pm. Call 612305.

• Badminton club, Arbory School, Ballabeg, 8pm-10pm. Call Liz on 466370.

• Early Morning Boot Camp, 6.15am-7am. Also Wednesday and Friday. Evening Boot Camp, 6pm-6.45pm, Tuesday and Thursday, and 9am-9.45am Saturday. Also kettlebell classes, Wednesday, 6pm-7pm, Saturday, 8am-8.45am, Marown Millennium hall. Call 465335.

Wednesday, March 25

• Gentle yoga, women’s class, Gena’s Dance Academy, Peel, 9.30am. Call 456782.

• Zumba classes, beginners, antenatal and postnatal 9.45am, zumba fitness, advanced, 10.45am at Zumba Isle of Man, Silvercraigs Hotel. Call 677776 or visit www.zumbaisleofman.com. Run by a GP.

• Balance and Pilates, 10.30am, Manx Legion Club, Douglas. (No floor exercise). Call 491449.

• Gentle body toning, NSC, Douglas, 11am. Call 688588.

• Chair-based exercises/stretch and flex, NSC, Douglas, noon. Call 688588.

• Thompson Travel Netball Club junior training, Braddan School, 6pm. For ages 10-14.

• Valkyrs Hockey Club training, QEII astro pitch, Peel. Juniors (8+), 6pm; Seniors (13+), 7.30pm. Call 801802.

• Iyengar inspired yoga, 6pm-7.30pm, Brightlife, Andreas. Call Kel on 452015.