There is a record entry for the Sleepwell Hotels-sponsored Isle of Man Youth Tour which takes place this weekend.

The 12th edition of the annual race begins in earnest today (Friday) and sees no fewer than 373 youth and junior riders taking part, including 80 juniors - six of which are locals - and 50 Team Royal London 360 locals in the youth classes.

Such has been the popularity of the event that both the Junior and A boy categories were oversubscribed, with riders having to be turned away.

There are three stages taking place over the weekend, beginning with Friday night’s prologue time trials for junior and youth starting at 5.30pm on Douglas Promenade.

Saturday morning will then see a junior race over a tough Peel course, featuring 11 laps and covering a total distance of 102.7km, while the afternoon will feature the youth races over various distances around Ellerslie.

The final day of the tour will witness junior riders tackle a 92.6km race over six laps of a course around Bride, while in the afternoon the youth races take place over various distances on Ramsey Promenade.

The event forms part of both the British Cycling’s National Youth Circuit Series and the Junior Road Race Series.

The Isle of Man Youth Tour makes up the fourth round of the event of the Junior Road Race Series, following the previous round in Rutland last week, the CiCLE Classic, which was won by Manx rider Nathan Draper.

Team Isle of Man’s Matty Bostock also finished strongly as he claimed fourth place.

The top five riders in the current standings are Etienne Georgi, Robert Hogg, Robert Scott, Joe Holt, Charlie Quarterman and Joseph Fry (joint fifth), all of whom will be riding in the Isle of Man Youth Tour. Following last week’s win, Draper has moved up to 12th overall, with Bocky not far behind in 16th.

Also riding in Team Isle of Man colours this weekend alongside Bostock will be Owen Dudley, Nathan Hinks and Michael Moss. Another local rider, Matty Draper, is also riding for Team Velocity Globalbike.

The Dutch junior team, racing under the name of Sleepwell Hotels-Monkey Town Cycling, are participating in the event and are likely to be in the mix for honours.

The IoMYT also forms the second round of the National Youth Circuit series, with the first being at Hetton recently.

This saw a strong performance from Team RL360 (under superb guidance from Dot Tilbury) with notable performances from Amelia Sharpe (second in the under-14 girls) and Zachary Walker (fifth in u12 boys).

A match-winning performance from fullback Bryn Snellgrove booked Douglas’ place in next Saturday’s Manx Cup final on Thursday evening.

Snellgrove plundered 17 points as the Port-e-Chee side beat Ramsey 32-3 under the floodlights of Mooragh Park.

Ramsey led briefly through a Scott Kneale penalty, but that was quickly cancelled out by Snellgrove at the other end. With the game tied at three apiece, Snellgrove put Douglas in front with a well-finished solo try and he then made one for centre Steve Tansell to give Douglas a 13-3 half-time lead.

Rob Todd put Douglas ahead further when he was shunted over following a set lineout move. With 10 to go Ramsey lost prop Dave Hinks to the sin bin and with an extra man, Douglas made hay.

Snellgrove went in for his second and he then made another for Callum Randle. Inevitably, he converted both to make his personal tally 17 points.

Douglas now face Vagabonds in the final on May 9.

There have been a couple of changes recently in the Nick Barlow and The Bad Noise camp lately.

Namely the addition of James Hannah and Neil Williams on guitar and bass respectively, who join Nick Barlow on vocals and guitar, John Cleator on drums and Stu Dunn on keys.

The band, who are already well established on the island due to a fairly relentless schedule of live shows over the last year or so continue their trek with the announcement of the next batch of dates due to take place throughout May.

The dates will see the band take in the following venues: tonight (Friday) at The Creek in Peel for a hometown show, followed by another show on home ground on Saturday next week (May 9) at The Centenary Centre as part of the Bridge The Gap Blues Night alongside Alanna Cowley, Blue John and Papa Cass and Symbollix.

Saturday, May 16, sees the band move to Douglas and to the Queen’s Hotel on Queen’s Promenade.

Friday, May 22, they’ll play the Royal in Ramsey, and the following night the Station in Port St Mary, finishing up on Saturday, May 30, at Bar Logo in Ramsey.

For more information on the band and these dates, visit www.facebook.com/nickbarlowandthebadnoise

Tonight (Friday) sees four times world DMC champion Mr Switch return to the island and to The Courthouse in Douglas in particular.

Having rocked the dance tent at Mannifest in 2012, Mr Switch has also appeared at major UK festivals, Glastonbury and Bestival.

Mr Switch has also worked with the National Youth Orchestra for his BBC project ‘Concerto For Turntables’.

Entry to this event will be just £5.

For a preview of why Mr Switch is world champion in his chosen field, have a look at the embedded video or here www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0qAURtYnXs

Following their show at Amber in Douglas last Saturday with new boys on the scene Bloom, I’ve now received my copy of the brand new EP from Post War Stories entitled Visions: Live 2.

I’ll be reviewing the release in full here in my column next week. Until then, thanks for reading.

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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

There was just three games in the Kirby Estates Cowell Cup on Thursday evening.

In group A goals from the prolific Tom Hall and Kyle Sayle gave RYCOB a 2-1 win over Braddan to put the northerners top of the standings. Sean Goldsmith bagged the Swans’ consolation.

Peel finished their campaign by losing 5-0 to Ramsey at Ballacloan. Michael Simpson, Johnny Bignell, Michael Valerga and Danny Allison (2) were all on the scoresheet for the northerners.

In group B’s sole match, Douglas and District claimed their first Cowell Cup win beating Marown 1-0 thanks to Brian Tung’s goal.

Thursday, April 30

Kirby Estates Cowell Cup Group A

Braddan 1-2 RYCOB

Corinthians P-P Union Mills

Ramsey 5-0 Peel

Rushen P-P Laxey

Group B

Ayre P-P Onchan

Castletown P-P St Mary’s

Douglas and District 1-0 Marown

Peel and Rushen United go head-to-head in an Old Firm derby on Saturday afternoon looking to book a place in the final of this season’s Ascot Hotel Junior Cup.

The match between two of Manx football’s fiercest rivals is a repeat of last season’s final when Rushen triumphed 5-3 to lift the combination cup.

The Spaniards booked their place in the last four after beating Combination One champions DHSOB 2-0 on their own turf last time out courtesy of an Andrew Moody double, so will go into this weekend’s game full of confidence.

It’s been a rocky few weeks for Peel as the western club have missed out on both the Premier League and Combi One titles. However, the Sunset City’s route to the semis has been a high-scoring one, netting no fewer than 22 goals in just three games including a 10-0 hammering against Douglas Royal in the last round.

The other semi-final clash sees Combi Two side Braddan travel to Ballafletcher to take on 2013 winners Corinthians.

The Whites have beaten Union Mills and Laxey on their way to the last four, but it’s Braddan’s journey that has caught the eye.

Having defeated RYCOB in the preliminary round, the Swans have stunned Combi One opposition in the shape of Ayre United and St John’s.

Therefore, Corinthians will have to be wary of complacency if they are to avoid becoming the latest victims of the Victoria Road outfit and make the final.

DAVE NORTON

For the third successive week, the Isle of Man Newspapers Team of the Week selectors turn to the Hospital Cup for their inspiration.

There were four games in the Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation-sponsored competition on Sunday evening, all proving to be tight affairs.

It’s no surprise with several low scorelines that the side contains no fewer than five defenders.

The tightest tie was the first-round encounter between Gymns and Foxdale at Tromode.

The pair couldn’t be separated after normal and extra time, the relegated Premier League outfit eventually triumphing 3-1 on spot-kicks.

Full-back Jonathan Broad slots into a back-five alongside Alex Harrison (St George’s), Sean Quaye (St George’s), Stephen Halsall (Union Mills) and Nick Hurt (Peel).

The latter warmed up for his Isle of Man FA managerial debut against Leeds under-21s with an impressive performance at the back as the westerners beat Corinthians 2-1 in the pair’s quarter-final tie at Douglas Road.

Geordies duo Harrison and Quaye kept their side’s Grand Slam hopes on track with a clean sheet as cup holders DHSOB were beaten 2-0 at Glencrutchery Road.

Mills’ centre-back Halsall was one of the Premier League side’s top performers as they successfully negotiated a tricky first round tie with recently-crowned Division Two champions Marown at a wind-swept Garey Mooar.

Another Mills stalwart making the hypothetical XI after their side’s 2-1 victory is Karl Dobbin.

Dobbin was a influential presence in the Millers’ midfield through the match, helping his side to break up several promising Marown attacks.

Joining the Mills man in the middle of the park are Frank Jones (St George’s) and Jordan Meads (Foxdale).

Jones served up a trademark box-to-box display as the Premier League champions produced a dominant display against their near-neighbours from Blackberry Lane.

Winger Meads was one of Division Two team’s standout performers as they ran Gymns close.

Up top the man that fired Richard Easthope’s side through on spot-kicks to a quarter-final tie slots in to the XI.

Mark Connor takes his place in the team alongside Marown youngster Stuart Morris, the silver boot holder producing a lively performance throughout against hosts Mills.

Another promising teenager fills the number one jersey, Corinthians’ Glenn Walker claiming the gloves after a good showing against Peel.

There’s some crunch games in this weekend’s Manx football programme.

The semi-finals of the Ascot Hotel Junior Cup take place on Saturday, as does the remaining last-four tie in the Paul Henry Gold Cup.

Saturday afternoon will also see the second promotion spot in JCK Division Two decided. Douglas Athletic currently sit second in the standings, but a win for Gold Cup finalists RYCOB in their final match of the league campaign against Foxdale would see them join champions Marown in the Premier League next season.

On Sunday the three remaining Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation Hospital Cup quarter-finals will be played ahead of Monday morning’s semi-final draw.

Saturday, May 2

Ascot Hotel Junior Cup semi-finals

2.30pm Peel v Rushen

2.30pm Corinthians v Braddan

Paul Henry Gold Cup semi-final

2.30pm Douglas Royal v Marown

JCK Division Two

2.30pm Foxdale v RYCOB

Canada Life Combination One

2.30pm Union Mills v Michael Utd

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Sunday, May 3

Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation

Hospital Cup quarter-finals

5.30pm St George’s v Rushen

5.30pm Gymns v St Mary’s

5.30pm St John’s v Union Mills

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Monday, May 4

Kirby Estates Cowell Cup Group A

6.45pm Braddan v Ramsey

6.45pm Rushen v Laxey

Group B

6.45pm Ayre v Onchan

6.45pm Castletown v St Mary’s

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Tuesday, May 5

Canada Life Combination One

6.30pm St George’s v Union Mills

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Wednesday, May 6

Canada Life Premier League

6.30pm Union Mills v DHSOB

A gallery at the Manx Museum in Douglas is set to inspire nostalgic recollections of the island’s seaside holiday boom.

The exhibition, which opens tomorrow (Saturday), features items and themes associated with entertainment and amusement during the peak tourism period of the early 20th century.

Included in the items on display are tourism promotion posters and leaflets, costumes, games, a Punch and Judy puppet theatre, as well as photographic representation of the Palace Ballroom complete with disco glitter ball as a nod to the Palace Lido.

The display also includes a seaside tent while interactive activities include deciding which saucy seaside postcards to censor, a dressing up box of holiday attires from the era, and a selection of puppets to put on your own show.

Visitors are also encouraged to ‘tickle the ivories’ on the piano and put on their own entertainment.

It is being held in the Manx Museum Exploratorium, a concept that was developed in February 2014 to coincide with the First World War ‘This Terrible Ordeal’ exhibition.

Museum bosses say the idea behind it is to create an interactive space for all ages featuring items and exhibits linked to the adjacent gallery.

In this instance the activities are themed around paintings by John Miller Nicholson, and the Exploratorium seeks to bring the paintings to life for visitors.

Nicholson’s work included scenes celebrating the Manx tourist heyday and in particular the entertainment on offer to the holiday maker. These paintings will feature in the re-opening of the National Art Gallery on May 23, replacing the First World War exhibition that closed in early April.

Katie King, community outreach and learning support officer of Manx National Heritage, who has developed the display, said: ‘The Exploratorium concept was created to extend and bring to life a central theme within the art gallery displays.

‘It also shows that it’s possible to have fun in a museum as well as presenting an opportunity to learn through play which is a strong education tool.

‘We want to engage people of all ages, particularly children and help them develop an enthusiasm for and understanding of a period in the island’s recent history. We also hope that the display will bring back happy memories for an older generation.’

The island’s Met Office has been crunching the numbers to reveal the statistics for last month’s weather.

There was plenty of settled and fine weather for much of April, but with a change to colder, showery conditions from the north towards the end of the month.

Daytime maxima averaged 11.5°C, which is about half a degree above the long term mean for April.

The warmest day was the 23rd, with 17.3°C achieved at the airport.

With clear skies though, overnight temperatures were cold, with an average minimum air temperature of 4.5°C, and 13 nights with a ground frost at Ronaldsway (the most since April 1986).

The coldest was the morning of the 27th, with an air temperature of minus 1.1°C, and minus 7°C on the grass.

There have only been two occasions on record when we have had such low air temperatures later in the spring. They were -3.0°C on April 29, 1973, and -1.4°C on May 3, 1978.

Rainfall was close to average with 51.1mm. The wettest days were the 3rd and 10th with over 10mm each measured at Ronaldsway.

Over 205 hours of sunshine was burned onto the cards; about 35 hours more than the long term mean. The best day was the 21st with 13.6 hours.

Wind speeds were a little below average at 10 knots over the month, with no gales.

The strongest winds were on the 12th, with gusts to 43 knots at Ronaldsway.

There were five days with fog, and two with hail.

Weather permitting, a flotilla will sail from Peel on Sunday to celebrate the Manx fishermen who saved 160 people in a heroic wartime rescue.

In the presence of Lieutenant Governor Adam Wood and Chief Minister Allan Bell, thousands of biodegradable poppies will be scattered in the sea to mark the centenary of the sinking of the Lustitania.

The British ocean liner was torpedoed and sunk by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, with the loss of 1,198 lives.

The Peel fishing boat Wanderer was one of the first boats on the scene and rescued 160 people.

Regardless of the weather, the public are invited to attend a special indoor service at Peel lifeboat station at midday on Sunday (May 3) before the ceremony, and attend a special lecture at the Centenary Centre at 3.30pm,

Mark International Dawn Chorus Day with the Manx Ornithological Society.

The society is inviting people to join them on a walk through Silverdale Glen this Sunday morning and enjoy this natural event.

It’s a chance to try and identify the various songs and calls of the woodland birds.

Budding bird watchers should meet at the cafe by the car park at 5am. Leading the event is Tim Earl.

A bacon bap and a hot drink will be available for the ‘early birds’.

Ramsey Young People’s Project will hold its annual general meeting on Tuesday (May 5).

It will take place at 6pm at Waterloo Road Youth Centre.

The charity has moved from The Shed at the Tram Station, which was designated for the new transport hub, but continues to stage drop in sessions at the Youth Centre in Waterloo Road.

The sessions offer the young people of Ramsey somewhere to hang out with their friends, and ask advice from the youth workers.

They are held on Wednesday and Friday evenings, and may soon be held on a Saturday night.

Anyone who is interested in becoming involved in supporting the scheme is welcome to attend the annual general meeting.

Ramsey Young People’s Project is a registered charity that relies on fundraising to continue providing the facility for the young people of the north.

Contact RYPP@hotmail.co.uk

MiCards used by social security customers to collect their cash at the post office are secure, the Treasury Minister insisted.

Eddie Teare was giving a written reply to a House of Keys question from Chris Thomas (Douglas West) over security measures for the MiCards.

The cards are being trialled at Foxdale and Anagh Coar post offices.

Tee times for the Nedbank Private Wealth Order of Merit at Peel Club on Sunday, May 3.

7.40am D. Dancox, M. Walton, T. Grant; 7.50am P. Daniels, S. Keegan, N. Cartwright; 8am J. Corke, L. Cowin, P. Glover; 8.10am C. Kneen, A. McAuley, K. Moore; 8.20am G. Hunter, Daryl Callister, R. Noon; 8.30am J. Evans, T. Dick, J. Raeside; 8.40am G. Smith, I. Kelly, N. Caine; 8.50am M. Sutton, J. Arneil, M. Astall; 9am C. Taylor, F. Murdoch, A. Walker; 9.10am G. Ashe, C. Keenan, P. Lowey; 9.20am R. Norman, A. Gault, P. Skelton; 9.30am R. Moore, G. Kelly, J. Ward; 9.40am R. Hughes, J. McMullan, G. Skillicorn.

Community spirit is a quality often said to be missing from modern life today, but not in Ramsey – according to retiring chairman of the commissioners, Nigel Malpass.

At a reception to mark the end of five years in office, he said the recent demonstration of community spirit and the will to help others in respect of Ramsey post office had made him think of how the north has so many ‘unsung heroes’.

This inspired him and his wife Gill to present a ‘Spirit of Ramsey’ award that subsequent chairmen could also present to an individual or organisation that fell into this category.

As first recipient, they chose retired schoolteacher Mike Boulton.

‘We had no hesitation in deciding that Mike would be the first recipient as, since we came to live in the island in 1987, it was his name above all others that was referred to when speaking of “unsung heroes”,’ he said. ‘He works tirelessly helping the youth develop their skills, whether it’s in music or sport.’

The couple decided it would be nice to have some traditional Manx music played during the chairman’s reception and they invited Mr Boulton and his young musicians to come along.

Captain Malpass added: ‘This gave me a good opportunity to surprise Mike and present him with the “Spirit of Ramsey” award which, as you can imagine, came as a complete surprise to him. I have had many messages since and it seems Gill and I couldn’t have chosen better.’

Captain Malpass officially stepped down as chairman at the annual general meeting of Ramsey Commissioners which took place on (Friday).

As Bernard Black, he banned mobile phones from his shop in Black Books, and as himself, Dylan Moran is more to likely to be seen sketching a sparrow than sending a tweet.

For his new show, Off The Hook, the Edinburgh-based Irish comedian, actor and illustrator is tackling the relentless charge of technology head on and considering the effects which all this enforced inter-connectivity is having on our minds and souls.

He will be appearing at the Gaiety Theatre on Monday next week (May 4).

‘Technology is a thing we just have to deal with, but part of the problem it’s created is that we have to be more discriminating in what we choose to spend our time on and to think about and talk about,’ Moran said.

‘You can only really find out what you think of something when you step back from the noise; it’s endlessly funny to me when I think about how we’re dealing with it.’

The title of his tour also taps into this idea.

‘I liked Off The Hook for its multiple meanings,’ he said.

‘One is the modern parlance for crazy, the other is if somebody has a feeling of liberation, and the final, biggest thing for me is about us not being available.

‘Of course, we are all so available to one another all the time; the oppression of connection rules us at the moment.

‘After we said goodbye to religion, we all embraced technology because, I think, a great many people want to be watched and want to be observed, and want to believe in a higher power.

‘There’s a great, inherent human trait to make and fabricate something bigger than yourself.’

Anyone who has seen Dylan Moran live will know that he likes to create a little bit extra for his audience with backdrops produced from his own illustrated works.

He said: ‘I’ve gone to town on the backdrop: every time I was having trouble with the show, I’d do a drawing instead.

‘I’ve generated a whole roster of people and creatures who live in these woods, so there’s a badger that’s a poet and a pig that ends up being Minister for Desserts.’

Aged 24, Moran became the youngest ever winner of the Perrier Award in 1996.

It led to him appearing on TV in Simon Nye’s BBC comedy-drama How Do You Want Me? and his own Channel 4 sitcom Black Books, starring alongside Tamsin Greig and Bill Bailey.

His name has also appeared in the credits for films including The Actors, Shaun Of The Dead and Calvary.

Moran said there was no greater buzz than going on stage and trying out new routines: ‘When you walk out and you’ve never said it before, that’s where the comedy exists.

‘Maybe that’s why live comedy has survived, because it has the danger element; for every comic out there, there’s no other way of trying this out except in front of an audience.

‘You might do this for 50 years and think you’ve worked out what’s funny, but at the same time you can always be surprised by a room full of people.’

Off The Hook starts at 8pm.

Tickets cost £25.50 for adults, concessions £23.50.

The three remaining Hospital Cup quarter-finals take place on Sunday evening.

Peel have already booked their place in the Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation-sponsored competition’s last four after they beat Corinthians 2-1 at the weekend.

Looking to join them in the hat for Monday morning’s semi-final draw will be Grand Slam-chasing St George’s who take on Rushen at Glencrutchery Road.

Geordies beat cup holders DHSOB 2-0 in the last round on Sunday, gaining some revenge for Old Boys’ triumph in last season’s final.

It capped a memorable week for Chris Bass Sr’s men who picked up their fifth Premier League title in a row four days earlier.

The Spaniards, the last team other than St George’s to lift the top-flight title, have been inconsistent at best this season, underlined by their mid-table finish.

Wins over Douglas Athletic and Ayre in this competition will have bolstered confidence in the Rushen camp, but with Geordies homing in on a second clean sweep they will be hard to stop.

A closer game looks in prospect at Mullen-e-Cloie where St John’s host Union Mills.

The Johnners triumphed 7-3 in the first league fixture between the two in December, but as the Millers’ great escape bid picked up momentum drew the reverse fixture 3-3 in February.

The Saints have been missing some key players in recent weeks and will hope to have them back in the fold for what is likely to be a even and possibly high-scoring affair in the west.

The weekend’s third quarter-final pairs relegated Gymns with St Mary’s.

The Tromode outfit required extra-time and penalties to see off a plucky Foxdale last time out.

St Mary’s will be a tougher prospect than the Division Two outfit and go into the tie having won their last eight matches in all competitions.

This impressive run includes taking the prized scalp of Peel in their final league game last week.

Goalkeeper Max Thomas is suspended after being sent off in that match, however, Gymns will do well to exploit his absence with the rest of the player-manager Steven Priestnal’s side playing so well of late.

Tributes have been paid to TT legend Geoff Duke OBE who has died at the age of 92.

The six-times World Motorracing Champion, Sportsman of the Year in 1951 and six-times TT winner passed away yesterday (Friday) at the Elder Grange Nursing Home, in Douglas.

Lancashire born Geoff first came to prominence after winning the 1949 Senior Clubmans TT and the Senior Manx Grand Prix.

He won the Senior in 1955, and was declared the first rider to lap at 100mph.

Geoff’s final race was the 1959 Junior when he finished fourth on a Norton.

He was crowned Sportsman of the Year in 1951 and was awarded the OBE in 1953.

The continued growth of interest in Manx Gaelic was illustrated when Adrian Cain, the Manx language development officer for Culture Vannin, was invited to Guernsey to join the Guernsey Language Commission.

Often referred to as ‘Guernsey French’ or ‘patois’ Guernésiais is actually a form of Norman, and although in the year 2000 there were about 1,300 fluent speakers the number has fallen away sharply and most fluent speakers are now aged over 65, leading the language to be classed as ‘endangered’.

Very little of the language is taught in schools but Adrian was invited to Guernsey to talk specifically about the experience in the Isle of Man of developing an integrated adult language programme.

Language supporters and politicians from Guernsey have already travelled to the Isle of Man on several occasions and this appointment should lead to a close working relationship between the two island nations.

During his short visit Adrian Cain met the Chief Minister of Guernsey, Jonathan Le Tocq, who is a native speaker of Guernésiais and he also appeared on BBC Radio Guernsey.

Coincidentally, the Manx group, Barrule, also starred in a high profile concert in St Peter’s Port during his day ensuring that Guernsey had a great introduction to the music and language of the Isle of Man.

Adrian Cain is pictured presenting Jonathan le Tocq, Chief Minister of Guernsey, with a copy of the Manx version of the Gruffalo’s Child.

Technical problems with the Ben-my-Chree have caused disruption to sailings today (Saturday).

The Ben’s 8.45am sailing to Heysham and 2.15pm return service to Douglas have been cancelled.

The Steam Packet say the decision not to sail was made due to the forecast adverse weather combined with a temporary reduction in power to one of the vessel’s bow thruster units, which are used for manoeuvring in port.

It said the cause of the temporary power reduction is under investigation, but is believed to be due to an electrical control fault.

Manannan’s 7.30am sailing to Liverpool was delayed to accommodate passengers from the cancelled Heysham service.

Passengers booked on Ben-my-Chree’s afternoon sailing from Heysham should call the reservations team on 661661 to transfer to an alternative sailing.

Manannan’s 3pm sailing to Liverpool and 7.15pm return to Douglas are due to depart as scheduled.

A decision on the Ben’s 8pm sailing to Heysham will be made by 5pm.