A victim of child sex abuse has launched a petition calling for tougher sentences for paedophiles.

Lisa Taylor, 45, has courageously waived her right to anonymity to speak about the continuing impact of the abuse the she suffered as a young girl, starting when she was just four and ending when she was eight.

She has written to all Tynwald members urging them to support her petition which calls for zero tolerance towards paedophiles whose offences she says destroys lives and families.

Her petition was prompted by a sentencing in a separate case.

Paedophile Andrew Mark Byrne, from Douglas, was jailed for five years and five months last month after admitting four charges of historic sex abuse dating back 20 years. He had kept graphic diaries which were included in the case.

Lisa, a special needs nursery nurse who has lived in the island for 19 years, admitted it was a big step to take to waive her right to anonymity.

Speaking from her home in Andreas, she said: ‘It’s something I have really thought hard about. I did wonder about remaining anonymous but I just feel it would still be a voice with no face behind it.

‘I want to say I’m a normal person, I’ve got a job, I’m happily married with two children.

‘But this has had a massive impact on my life. I have spent my life in and out of therapy and years on medication for depression. Last year a suicide attempt left me in intensive care for three days.’

Lisa’s petition calls for a review of sentencing powers in such cases.

In it, she states: ‘It is almost weekly that we are reading of cases of child abuse or child pornography on the island. Such cases are often treated with a leniency I cannot understand.

‘Why can’t we display zero tolerance towards paedophiles? Paedophiles destroy lives and families. They cause mental, social and emotional trauma to their victims that continues through life. They take away something priceless, something that can never be replaced: a child’s innocence.’

The court heard last month how Andrew Byrne had written in diaries of his desire to rape and kill young children.

Deemster Alastair Montgomerie said sentencing had been very difficult as children in the community need to be protected, but ‘there does need to be light at the end of the tunnel’.

But Lisa, whose abuser was in his 70s at the time and died in 1984, said: ‘For many victims of child sexual abuse, “there is no light at the end of the tunnel”.

‘With support you move on and try to live your life, but the horror you were subjected to at an innocent and vulnerable time in your life never leaves you.’

Lisa has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and borderline personality disorder, which she believes are linked to her early childhood trauma.

But she said: ‘I’m not ashamed of who I am or what has happened to me. I got over the shame a long time ago.

‘I feel more able to share my past than I am able to share my current mental health caused by my past, because of the stigma attached to mental health.

‘At the moment I’m in therapy and still living day by day but I’m much stronger than I was last year.’

You can find Lisa’s petition at change.org/p/allan-bell-tougher-sentencing-for-paedophiles-in-the-isle-of-man

More business men and women in the Isle of Man could benefit from courses on management that can ultimately lead to them becoming chartered directors.

This is according to the Isle of Man branch of the Institute of Directors which regularly organises courses as part of its company director programme.

Sally Bolton, director of Douglas-based law firm Corlett Bolton & Co and former chairman of the branch, speaks from experience having enlisted for a series of courses over a period of 18 months and in 2006 was awarded the IoD’s Diploma in Company Direction.

She said: ‘Law firms are now as competitive as other business sectors, no longer can they just bumble along.

‘It’s important to have business plans, even if they are not written down.’

She particularly believes more lawyers, particularly those in small practices, could benefit from the IoD courses.

A course on The Director’s Role in Strategy and Marketing’, which is part of the IoD Certificate in its company director programme, is being held in Douglas from September 30 to October 2.

The course leader for the IoD will be Murray Eldridge, a chartered director who has been a member of the IoD for over 12 years. His involvement with companies encompasses start-ups through to blue chip, global market leaders.

‘The programme is delivered by people who have real life, relevant and senior levels of experience of the subjects they are responsible for,” said Mr Eldridge. “Consequently, any academic theory addressed by the programme is tempered by and set in the context of real life examples by experienced practitioners.

‘While continuous personal and professional development is a benefit in its own right, the completion of a formally recognised programme like the IoD Certificate or Diploma and even that of Chartered Director, can open up wider opportunities and deliver unforeseen benefits.”

IoD programme director Alison Kennedy said: ‘The course on The Director’s Role in Strategy and Marketing is ideal for anyone looking to rise above the operational and then give strategic direction to their business or organisation. As with all IoD modules it works well as a ‘‘stand alone’’ but if anyone has or is considering the full IoD programme but been reluctant to commit then they are very welcome to come along to this course as a taster.’

She added: ‘The IoD Company Direction Programme is designed for directors who are busy people and this programme offers huge flexibility in study dates and timing.

‘Doing the courses and passing the Certificate and Diploma exams prove that a director knows the theory, the chartered director process validates a director’s actual experience and capability at a practical level.’

The Director’s Role in Strategy and Marketing course embraces:

· Strategy and the board

· Strategic analysis

· Formulating strategy

· Enable strategy implementation.

Further information can be obtained from Alison Kennedy, IoD programme director on 0161 295 5655/07748 147864 or by emailing j.a.kennedy@salford.ac.uk

Fixture god Tony Mepham has served up an early season treat for Manx football fans at Douglas Road this Saturday afternoon.

Peel and St George’s, the two sides likely to be the main contenders for this season’s Canada Life Premier League title, go head-to-head in the west.

The pair traded blows throughout the last campaign, but it was ultimately Geordies who came off the ropes to land the top-flight belt on their way to a second Grand Slam.

The duo sparred three weeks ago in the Eric Fletcher Charity Shield. St George’s edged the encounter at the Bowl 1-0 thanks to Chris Bass Jr’s second-half header.

A sprinkling of pre-season rust ensured both teams lacked their usual match sharpness, something the duo will hope to have shed ahead of the weekend’s mouth-watering match.

Both camps are reporting near clean bills of health in the run up to match.

St George’s manager Chris Bass Sr is away, meaning Lee Dixon will take charge of a side that is at full strength.

Full-backs Julian Ringham and Ben Bradley have returned from trips away and will vie with summer signing Harry Weatherill and James McStay for a starting berth.

Dixon looks set to have selection dilemmas throughout with Sam Caine the only slight doubt with a back niggle.

Peel, who won both league encounters between the two sides last season, equally look to be at near full-strength with their only likely absentees Daniel Bell and Louis Parmar.

Bell is off-island, while winger Parmer is an injury doubt.

This all points to a cracking contest that, although not season defining, will be a useful gauge ahead of the months to come.

Despite a difficult off-season St Mary’s have hit the ground running winning their three opening games.

Player-manager Steven Priestnal has led from the front hitting nine goals along the way.

A Rushen side yet to win this season are the visitors to the Bowl this weekend in what should be another nip-and-tuck encounter.

Laxey put their 100 per cent record on the line when they travel to St John’s.

Elsewhere there’s a couple of early ‘six-pointers’.

There’s a tasty northern derby in store at Scooil Ree Gorree when Youthie host Ramsey with the pair having only a point between.

A Union Mills side that have yet to get off the mark and have shipped 15 goals in two games take on an Ayre team that has made has already picked up three points for its survival fund.

Mills will be eager to avoid a repeat of last year’s notoriously slow start to the season with at least a point from this one at Garey Mooar.

Saturday’s final game sees another of the relegation contenders, Marown, travel to Corinthians with the latter side favourites to pick up the points.

Wigan’s Rob Hodson secured a record-breaking win in Friday morning’s Manx Grand Prix Supporters Club SuperTwin GP.

The 28-year-old set a new SuperTwin race and lap record on his way to a flag-to-flag victory that saw him finish 53.123 seconds ahead of Ramsey’s Andy Dudgeon at the four-lap contest’s conclusion.

Nick Jefferies claim a remarkable third-place, 42 years after winning the Senior Manx Grand Prix in 1983, finishing a further 46.214 seconds down on Dudgeon.

With perfect conditions around the Mountain Course, Hodson was into his stride from the off on the Kawasaki 650 that Dan Cooper had rode at this year’s TT, setting a new lap record for the Twins with an opening circuit of 114.550mph smashing Philip McGurk’s old record of 112.572mph.

This gave Hodson a impressive lead of 28.396 seconds at the end of the first lap, something he would steadily build on until the finish.

A delighted Hodson told Manx Radio’s Chris Kinley after the race he was shocked to have won yet alone clinched a lap record: ‘I had clutch slip issues at the start of the first lap and I didn’t think I rode particularly well, but I adjusted the clutch during my pit stop and it rode like a dream after that.’

‘I also lost the front end going into the Conker Trees during the last lap and I thought I’d put it down. After that I nursed it home from there!’

Behind Hodson the battle for the other podium places was a nip-and-tuck one. Dave Bell was initially Hodson’s nearest challenger on the time charts, but he was forced to stop at Kerrowmoar on the first lap.

Andrew Farrell slotted into second upon Bell’s retirement and he continued to dice with the ever-green Jefferies and Dudgeon for a top-three place.

Dudgeon pitted at the end of the first lap for his scheduled stop and Farrell took advantage to move into a comfortable second spot. However, disaster was to strike the Irishman at the start of lap three when he was forced to retire at the Quarter Bridge when he fuel cap came loose after he pitted at the end of lap two.

Dudgeon moved back up to second with Jefferies third, positions the two would maintain until the finish. Andreas’s Darren Slous threatened to crash the top-three party, but he was forced to stop to make adjustments at Ballaugh Bridge on lap four when sitting fourth. Slous would resume but ended up finishing 14th.

Manx newcomer Peter Moore came home 16th, just ahead of Ballaugh’s Stephen Nathan (15th), Ramsey’s Stephen Ault in 18th and Glen Vine’s Rob Temple in 19th.

Full report in Tuesday’s Examiner.

Manx Grand Prix newcomer Mark Purslow stormed to victory in Friday morning’s thrilling Lightweight MGP.

The 23-year-old from Bethania in Wales won by 21.825 seconds from Solihull’s Dan Hobson, with fellow Welshman Alex Sinclair another 21.688 seconds adrift in third.

Scarbrough’s Nick Anderson had set the early pace, but relinquished the lead on corrected time to Purslow midway through the second lap.

As Purslow pitted for fuel on the end of that circuit, Ballabeg’s Dave Taylor took to the lead as he elected not to pit till the end of lap three.

Taylor’s stategy seemed to be working and he was 4.209 seconds ahead as he made his stop ahead of the final circuit. However, disaster then struck for the 33-year-old as his Yamaha wouldn’t restart following the stop and he was forced to retire when in the lead for the second successive year.

Purslow took advantage to return to the top of the charts a position he wouldn’t relinquish as he built up a comfortable margin of victory thanks to a last lap of 108.180mph.

Full report in Tuesday’s Examiner.

Mec Lir, a Manx band who recently represented the Isle of Man played at the 2015 Lorient Interceltic Festival to great acclaim, were filmed at a press conference in the French town.

The short video of three of them playing a single violin went viral, with more than one million views on Facebook.

See it here: https://www.facebook.com/valoche.thomassin/videos/10207190020730352/

Members shown in the video are Adam Rhodes, Tomas Callister and David Kilgallon.

As a compassionate island, we will do our best to help the Syrian refugees.

Chief Minister Allan Bell described the humanitarian crisis engulfing Europe’s borders as the ‘biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War’.

He told iomtoday: ‘The harrowing scenes over the last days, particularly of the young boy washed up on the shore of Turkey, will touch the heart strings of every person in the Isle of Man.

‘The Isle of Man is not immune to the human tragedy which is unfolding around us. We are a compassionate government and we will do our best to provide humanitarian support this situation cries out for.’

There have been calls from the One World Centre and the Celtic League for the island to do its bit to help tackle the humanitarian crisis that is engulfing the borders of Europe - welcoming refugees to our shores.

But Mr Bell said the UK determines immigration policy and controls our external borders. Council of Ministers was keeping a watching brief on any policy developments in the UK regarding the Syrian refugee crisis, he said.

For more on this story, read the Examiner on Tuesday.

Malachi Mitchell-Thomas produced a breath-taking display to win Friday afternoon’s Full Factory Senior Manx Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old was in scintillating form aboard the Silicone Engineering Racing 600 Kawasaki breaking the outright lap record and Senior race record on his way to a comfortable victory of more than a minute and a half from Rod Hodson.

The latter, who won the day’s earlier SuperTwin MGP, finished 22.347 seconds ahead of Ramsey’s Andrew Dudgeon at the end of a gripping four-lap contest.

Mitchell-Thomas led from the off, but was pushed all the way by Wednesday’s Junior Manx Grand Prix winner Billy Redmayne who became the ninth member of Tommy Clucas’s illustrious 120 club with an opening lap of 121.021mph. However, the Laxey man’s bid for a MGP double began to unravel at the pit stops at the end of lap two.

Redmayne dropped five seconds to his rival as he struggled to put the bike back in gear at the end of his fuel stop, he was then hit with a 30-second time penalty for disobeying a marshal’s flag at Creg-ny-baa on lap three.

Despite his comfortable lead, Mitchell-Thomas continued to pile on the coals at the top of the time charts as Redmayne was forced to retire at Cruickshanks on the final lap. The Horwich teenager improved on his Junior lap record of 120.568mph with a last-lap charge of 122.221mph to finish well ahead of Hodson who did well to finish after losing his screen at Union Mills on the first lap.

Manxies Paul Smyth and Glenn Harrison joined Hudgeon in the top-10 finished seventh and ninth respectively.

Full report in Tuesday’s Examiner.

Wi-Manx marked an unprecedented year of growth with a ‘SuperManx’ theme at this year’s Royal Show.

The business celebrated in style with a busy marquee full of kid’s activities and fun for all the family.

It was one year on since becoming part of The Elite Group.

The ‘strategic partnership’ has seen Wi-Manx launch two island first products and win the award for Customer Service of the Year at the last Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence.

Kate Hegarty, director of Wi-Manx said of the two day event: ‘The Royal Show has become a great way of interacting with our customers face to face and this year, once again, we wanted to make a great effort to entertain the kids.

‘We achieved this by running a cape photo competition which went down really well with parents and children.

‘The ‘‘superhero’’ photo with the most likes on Facebook won an iPad Mini and the winning photo had more than 300 likes.

‘Similar to last year when we teamed up with Big Beat for Hospice, this year we wanted to involve a charity again and we were really pleased to welcome Victim Support to share our space over the two days.

‘They managed to raise more than £110 which is fantastic because we know how important fundraising support is to local charities.’

With a messy play area for kids and hundreds of cups of free tea and coffee for visitors (kindly donated by local business CuppaCo.com), the Wi-Manx team certainly stood out from the crowd with their red “W” super hero capes.

Rachael Cringle, corporate account manager, said: ‘The Royal Show is a great family event and you have to embrace that.

‘I was looking after the business desk in our marquee and I had some really interesting conversations with local business owners.

‘People are always very responsive towards Wi-Manx, especially in the business community, so it was fantastic to go out there and represent the brand at such a well-established event.’

It’s been a whirlwind 12 months for the telecoms provider.

Having won the Customer Service of the Year Award at last year’s Awards for Excellence, the company then went on to gain a full telecoms licence and since the beginning of 2015 they have brought out two new island first B2B services; a hosted contact centre product and a new range of global services designed to give local businesses a global reach.

Kate Hegarty concluded: ‘Looking to the future we are eagerly awaiting the introduction of Fixed Number Portability (FNP).

‘In preparation we are further enhancing our SIP product to carry inbound as well as outbound traffic and we will launch our own number range.’

Three riders had to be airlifted to hospital after accidents in today’s Senior Manx Grand Prix.

The race was red flagged following three separate but simultaneous incidents on the course at Brandywell, Mayhill and the 33rd.

David Taylor (Brandywell) and Martial Mourra (Mayhill) were both taken by airmed to Noble’s for treatment, as was Donald Gilbert (Creg Ny Baa), who was reported to have leg and hand injuries. Nicholas Pauet and Simon Matthews both came off at the Creg Ny Baa but were reported to be OK. as was Robert Nelson following an incident at the Waterworks.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/sport/motorcycling/mgp-malachi-mitchell-thomas-victorious-in-senior-1-7444750|Race report.}

There is a full entry for the 19th annual Manx International Classic Trial this weekend.

A combined field of 220 riders will ride a variety of twinshock and pre-65 machinery.

It begins with a 34-mile scenic tour of the south and west of the island on Saturday, starting from the Southern 100 paddock at 8.30am.

The spectacular coastal locations of Pooil Vaaish and Scarlett and includes a variety of streams, gulleys, climbs and tree roots, making up 31 sections along the way. It will contain premier and alternative clubman routes.

Sunday will see the field leaving at 8am from the TT Grandstand in Douglas for the traditional run north to the Sulby valley, via a variety of tracks over the open hills, before returning to the finish at Douglas Rugby Club for a well-earned pint after a 38-mile trek.

Sunday’s 32 sections will include the Cluggid Gate and Cronk Garrow in Sulby Valley, together with some new additions.

The event has again attracted riders from far and wide, with entrants from Australia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and Germany as well as the UK, Ireland and Isle of Man.

Last year’s Pre-65 winner Eddie Aitken returns, along with former victors Paul Heys, John Maxfield and Dave Thorpe.

Saturday route: 8.30am Poyll Vaaish (3 subs); 8.50 Ballarock (2); 9.10 Sloc Corner (2); 9.35 Cronk Fedjag (2); 10am Glen Rushen Gulley (2); 10.20 Arrasey Glen/Plantation (5); 11.30 South Barrule Quarry (3); 11.55 Old Stoney Mountain (3); 12.20 Tosaby (2); 1.10 Billown Glen (3); 1.40 Scarlett (3). Sunday: 8am Ballacreetch (2); 8.25 West Baldwin Bridge (3); 9am St Luke’s track (1); 10am Bullrenny Farm (3); 10.35 Cluggid Gate (3); 11 Cronk Garrow (1); 11.35 Snaefell Gully (2); 12 Agneash Mines (3); 12.40 Ballacowin (1); 12.55 Glen Roy (2); 1.20 Creg-y-Cowin (2); 1.40 Ballawyllin (2); 2pm Bim’s Field (2); 2.20 Douglas Rugby Club (2).

Entering Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence can be good for your organisation, previous applicants say.

There are 16 awards up for grabs for companies both small and large, public sector teams, charities, cultural organisations and individuals.

Time and again people tell us that, win or lose, the process of filling out the entry form caused them to pause and assess what they had doing over the previous 12 months.

When you are caught up in the everyday running of a busy company, a highly committed public sector team or a charity with many demands on its resources, it can be a really valuable exercise to stop for a moment, and realise how far you have come and what you have achieved.

Continent 8 Technologies won the award for Company of the Year at last year’s Awards for Excellence.

Head of product Stephen Trimble said: ‘For us, going through the process of filling out the form and putting our entry in was a great opportunity to look at our business.

‘We found that we were actually impressed by our achievements – we’re doing so much that’s good here and we don’t usually shout about it.

‘But when we read our submission we realised just how much we have achieved.’

This year, as in the previous nine years, the winners will be decided by a panel of independent judges.

Between them, they represent all areas of business on the island, from finance and law to engineering, IT and construction, along with representatives from the public sector and local charities.

Stephen said: ‘The other positive thing about entering is in terms of raising your profile locally and having your entry reviewed by the great and the good of the business world in the Isle of Man.

‘Some of them might not have heard of your business, charity or enterprise and you will have had a unique opportunity for them to have read your submission and know all about you.

‘I’d definitely encourage anyone to enter because, whether you win or not, you will get a lot out of it.’

There are full details of all 16 award categories at this year’s Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence and entry forms to download at www.iomtoday.co.im/afe

The deadline for all entries is Friday, September 25 at 5pm.

Braddan Commissioners have spent £42,000 on the former railway line in the parish.

They say no major work has been done on it for 20 years.

The old railway line, running from Douglas to Peel, has been the ‘Heritage Trail’ for many years and is used by cyclists and walkers.

Along the section of the path from Union Mills to the TT access road, new gates and barriers have been installed, the path has been resurfaced, encroaching vegetation has been cut back, and drainage has been improved, making the trail more accessible for cyclists and walkers.

Further projects will focus on the historical and natural interest of the area.

Colin Whiteway, Braddan Commissioners’ clerk, said: ‘The green barriers we’ve installed are specifically designed to deter motorcyclists while still allowing cyclists, prams, buggies, wheelchairs, and mobility scooters. Cyclists do have to dismount, but this is much easier than opening and shutting a gate, and increases safety for pedestrians.

‘We have had one of our residents test them with a mobility scooter, and can confirm that the trail is very easily accessible.’

After a tender process the commissioners awarded the contract to Landscape Design and Management Ltd for cutting back foliage and verges, clearing ditches and improving drainage. The old railway station at Union Mills has been tidied up, with dead trees and branches removed. Vegetation and silt have been scraped away from the path, which has been resurfaced where required.

Andrew Jessopp, chairman of Braddan Commissioners, said: ‘In the spirit of the “No Waste in Braddan” campaign, we’ve used the road planings from Strang Road to resurface as much of the path as possible.’

New picnic benches, made for the commissioners by the Manx Workshop for the Disabled, have also been placed at the station.

Mr Jessopp added: ‘We’re delighted to be able to improve the experience of the growing number of people using the trail. With the recent rise in geocaching we’ve seen a huge increase in leisure walkers – there are over 80 caches on the trail, making it a popular “power trail” for geocachers on the island – and we want to make sure everyone who wishes to use the route is able to.

‘As the trail is easily accessed from many residential areas between Braddan and Douglas, the new, smoother surface makes it a great route for those wishing to walk or cycle to work.

‘With the recent installation of dog waste bag dispensers, and plenty of litter bins along the path, it’s also the perfect place to walk your dog.

‘The next phase of our improvements will focus on the history of the trail and the wildlife in the area. Running alongside the River Dhoo, it is a fantastic place to see some of the rarest species of plants and animals on the island.’

He added: ‘We have consulted with the Manx Wildlife Trust and are in the process of creating new information boards, in partnership with the Department of Infrastructure and Department of Economic Development, who are renovating the boards along the full length of the trail.

‘Users of the trail can also expect to see further restoration of the railway crane at Union Mills, and more information on the history of the station, in the near future.’

Four groups are preparing to bring a pantomime to stage that will be judged by panto darling Christopher Biggins.

The Battle of the Pantos returns to the Gaiety Theatre for a second year tonight (Saturday).

TV celebrity Biggins, who was crowned King of the Jungle in I’m a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here, takes the role of head judge and will be taking questions from the audience.

Alison Lodge of Stage Struck Productions said: ‘All the groups have been rehearsing during the summer months and are ready to take on the challenge.

‘Performing on the Gaiety stage is a very different proposition from the local productions and it is going to be very interesting to see how each group adapt their pantomime for a 20-minute performance. ‘Having Christopher Biggins as head judge is a real coup for the Isle of Man.’

Hog The Limelight, directed by Norman McGregor Edwards, will perform Cinders, The True Story.

They have told the audience to expect ‘a rip-roaring, fantastic night of fun and silliness’.

Port St Mary Cabaret Party, directed by Sarah Smiley, is staging The Belle of Port St Mary.

A spokesman said: ‘We had such a fabulous time competing last year and we can’t wait to do it all again.’

They thanked organisers for pulling together the ‘showcase of local talent’.

Cinderella will be brought to the stage by Peel Pantoloons.

Director Mel Read said: ‘Peel Pantoloons have such a wonderfully talented cast and have all worked very hard. We had a massive success in December and are really pleased to be able to bring back the show for a second time.’

And last year’s winners, Marown Players, will perform Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, directed by Sonya Quayle.

A spokesman said: ‘We are so excited to be taking part in this very special evening.

‘To think our little community panto will get to be performed on the glorious Gaiety stage is so exciting!

‘We’re working extremely hard to make the most of this wonderful opportunity by putting on the very best show we possibly can.’

Joining Biggins as judges are four experienced actors and producers: broadcaster Paul Moulton, dance teacher Pippa Salter, Carl Parker of Parker & Snell Company and James Turpin of JT Productions.

Gary Chatel, a veteran of the theatre, will compere the evening once again ensuring everything runs smoothly and everyone enjoys the show.

The Battle of the Pantos, sponsored by Digitote, starts at 7.30pm (doors open 7pm).

Tickets priced from £14 with family tickets available. Book online at www.villagaiety.ticketsolve.com

Celtic League spokesman Bernard Moffatt has renewed his call for the BBC licence fee system to be replaced – and says the record number of prosecutions here for evasion, and failed prosecutions, are a cause for concern.

iomtoday reported this week that record numbers have been prosecuted in the island this year for TV licence evasion.

Some 82 cases have been dealt with by the courts this year with a further 63 pending. Of those dealt with, 49 resulted in conviction.

A total of 451 cases were brought to courts in the Isle of Man since 2001. Of these, 284 resulted in a fine. There was one absolute discharge, 11 conditional discharges, seven cases were dismissed and 85 withdrawn. A further 63 cases are pending.

The figures have been uncovered using an Access to Government Information request by campaigner Caroline Levesque-Bartlett who has started a petition, signed by more than 167,000 people so far, calling for the BBC licence fee to be scrapped.

Celtic League’s Mr Moffatt said the fee should be locally collected and distributed.

He said of the figures for evasion: ‘It just indicates to me the lack of diligence on the part of elected members about what is essentially legislation that has been imported to the island from the UK.

‘It is certainly a cause for concern – not just the number of people actually prosecuted but the number of failed and abandoned prosecutions is dramatic. For every one of those people who ultimately will have done nothing wrong they and their families will have been put through something of an ordeal.

‘It’s time the government got a grip on this situation. Everyday I tune into the 6pm news on RTE. I don’t send a TV licence fee to Enda Kenny. The licence fee should be collected here and disbursed here to support our own media industry.’

Ms Levesque-Bartlett believes the BBC licence fee is out-dated, relies on criminal sanctions to force people to pay, and places an unfair burden on the poor.

She has conducted a study on BBC licence fee evasion across the British Isles to support her petition which she plans to send to the UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale.

The figures she has obtained show that woman are disproportionately targeted, accounting for 62 per cent of prosecutions and about two thirds of convictions in the island - the average across the British Isles is 70 per cent.

Like most parts of the UK, the maximum fine for TV licence offences in the Isle of Man is £1,000.

Until 2013, the average fine was £150 but in 2015 it has been £200, although a quarter of convictions so far this year have been for £300.

In contrast, the average fine in England is £170, but only £70 in Jersey, £80 in Northern Ireland and £75 in out-of-court settlement in Scotland.

The Celtic League has previously questioned the legal basis of enforcing licence fee payment here. Provisions in UK Communications Act were extended to the island in 2003 but it is unclear how the provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Acts which preceded it were extended here.

As at the end of the 2013-14 there were about 33,000 TV licences in force here contributing some £4.8m to overall BBC licence fee income.

Glenfaba and Peel go to the polls on Thursday, September 10.

The constituencies are to elect new MHKs after Tim Crookall (Peel) and David Anderson (Glenfaba) were elevated to Legislative Council.

Earlier this week, we asked Peel’s candidates to tell voters why they should vote for them.

Today it’s Glenfaba’s turn.

Geoffrey Boot

David Talbot

A requisition meeting has been called by the Captain of the Parish of Patrick, Pat Costain, for the forthcoming Glenfaba by-election.

The meeting will take place on Monday (September 7) at 7.30pm at Foxdale Church.

Both candidates, Geoffrey Boot and David Talbot, will be giving a view of their concerns and policies after which the parishioners will have the opportunity to put questions to them.

The constituency of Glenfaba covers the parishes of German and Patrick, including the villages of St John’s, Foxdale, Patrick and Glen Maye.

From the general election in September 2016, the Keys will be re-organised into 12 two-seat constituencies from the current mix of one, two and three-member constituencies.

Peel and Glenfaba will effectively merge at that point and return two members between them.

The 2015 Microgaming Isle of Man Triathlon Championships and team event take place this Sunday, starting in Mooragh Park at 9am.

There will be two events, one over the sprint distance and the other double that length over what is recognised as the standard distance (1500m swim/40km cycle/10km run). There are team and individual categories in each.

Numbers are down a little this year as the event is unfortunately clashing with the Bala Triathlon in North Wales, which is a qualifier for next year’s World Trial Championships.

A number of regulars are missing, namely Hannah Howitt, Lynsey Elliott, Andy Nash, Paul Cubbon and a few more. Also, Joseph Ricciardi qualified for the elite’s at Leicestershire so he is missing too. It is possible that the Isle of Man event may be brought forward to July next year to avoid the clash with Bala.

The swim will be held in Mooragh Park lake, providing a spectacular sight for spectators and a perfect introduction to open water swimming for first-time triathletes.

The cycle course goes towards Bride and Andreas, then back to Ramsey promenade. One lap for the sprint and two laps for the standard. The run takes place in and around the Mooragh Park area, so spectators and supporters can watch all of the elements of the race.

Leading names to watch out for in the sprint distance race include Becky Storrie, Russ Collister, Tristan Gell, Thomas Isaac, Jamie Dudley and Lisa Dunwell. In the standard distance look out for Juan Kinley, Antony Bell-Scott, Graham Stigant, Ryan Downey, Karen Shimmin, Paul Swindale and Simon Lowe.

There are 45 entries for the sprint event and 42 for the standard race.

A full report and pictures from the Microgaming-sponsored event will appear in next week’s edition of the Manx Independent.

The initial idea was sound. The Isle of Man would set up its own commercial station to rival Radio Luxembourg.

Independent commercial radio was bound to appear to challenge BBC Radio just as ITV had already done with BBC TV. So in June 1964, a decade before the UK, Manx Radio was born.

Now we call it the ‘national’ station and given the amount of airtime Allan Bell and Co get every week you can be in no doubt that the government has a big stake in it. However, the original idea was a commercial station like Luxembourg and you didn’t exactly hear the ‘goings on the parliament in Luxembourg’ being blasted out by RL.

MR fell at the first hurdle when the Manx government asked the UK for a licence. The UK obliged but set the station the strength of a light bulb.

The Manx government should have called their bluff then but later in the decade, with UK commercial radio set to launch, the Manx government toyed once again with the idea of a viable money-making station the UK acted and legislated over the Manx government’s head. Constitutionally the Isle of Man was put firmly in its place!

So we had Manx Radio costing money instead of making money. We couldn’t turn it off because that would have made the government of the day look foolish. So we turned it into ‘the Nation’s Station’.

I don’t remember much of Manx Radio in the early 70s. I don’t think people bothered with it much. There were far more exciting stations pumping out pop music and colour TV had arrived!

In my view if there was one thing that turned around the fortunes of Manx Radio for a time it was its news and current affairs. The ‘two-man band’ of Charles Guard and David Callister – Mandate became a ‘must hear’. Guard and Callister were voracious in their quest for news and adept at grilling those foolish enough to offer a news release. I know because often I left Manx Radio feeling decidedly ‘toasted’. Callister also took over the Mannin Line and transformed its fortunes.

In tandem with this was a keen news team always anxious to pip the print media. They tracked you down, they got the story. The whole thing seemed to be run on a shoestring and the news room was just that, a herd of ‘journos’ chasing stories with ‘a cupboard’ at one end where the news was pushed out. It was so unsophisticated that if you were in the newsroom you had to keep your voice down when they were reading the news.

Often you would be asked to do an interview live – no chance to dodge the questions. I can say with some knowledge that governments of the day were wary if not sometimes hostile to Manx Radio. MR took no prisoners.

I can’t track the point at which the station started its transition to the bland. Charles Guard moved on fairly early on but Callister remained to keep Mandate interesting for several more years. The ‘Moan-in Line’ limped on but was eventually culled down to its once weekly outing. Replaced in the week by ‘Talking Heads’, which tries to be passably provocative, but lacking the unregulated anarchy the ‘Moan in’ had.

The news team also moved on with, in some instances, a move to the print media.

The old MR building is revamped. You don’t have to hush your voice these days in the news room while the news reader does their stint.

Comparatively recently you have specialist programmes. But is the recent ‘Women Today’ starting decades after the BBC’s Woman’s Hour thinking outside the box? Then there’s ‘Countryside’ a ‘lite’ audio version of the BBC ‘Countryfile’, with those two guys with the T. E. Brown accents!

The station has reverted back to those unloved days with a government that hates spending money on it but knowing they can’t get rid of it. Local alternatives Energy and 3FM compete in ‘popular’ output while struggling to stay alive in the real commercial radio sector.

Meanwhile in the artificial commercial world on Douglas Head government money flows in – and the voices of Allan Bell and his acolytes flow out! The Nation’s Station indeed?

Stand up comedian and television giant Jimmy Carr is returning to the island next week.

He will be performing at the Villa Marina on Tuesday on his ‘Funny Business’ tour.

The 42-year-old comedian last visited the island in 2013, and his return is expected to be just as popular with a performance consisting of short, fast and shocking jokes.

Carr often lets the audience take the reins, this frequently being a lead part in his stand up, making it a thrilling and very involved experience.

When asked whether the tour has a theme, he said: ‘Yes, the theme is wanting people to like you by telling jokes. Same as every stand-up show I think.’

The four-month-long stand up tour around the British Isles is his 11th.

He claims the secret to his success in comedy is hard work: ‘I will have probably written in the region of a thousand jokes, but only use about 250.

‘I think the trick to this job, if there is one, is to be writing constantly.’

Coming into the industry late, at the age of 26, Jimmy explained he didn’t expect comedy to be a career option.

‘There was less of an industry back then, so it was just about doing stand-up purely for the fun of it, not as any kind of means to an end.’

He had previously attempted to forge a career in tennis: ‘My dream as a child was to play at Wimbledon.

‘The closest I’ve got so far is watching Andy Murray win it.’

After tennis did not work out for him, he turned to another hobby of his, comedy.

This change in career path turned Jimmy’s life around, and he was soon the face of comedy shows such as Channel 4’s 8 Out Of Ten Cats, 10 o’clock Live and the annual television quiz The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, as well as featuring in shows such as QI and Have I Got News For You.

When asked about his success and how it feels being famous, he replied gleefully: ‘It’s great, thank you!

‘It makes the world a really friendly place a lot of the time.’

Carr is known for his outrageous jokes that can come across as offensive to the wrong ears but he sees his jokes in a different light.

‘Comedy is all about building up tension and then the release of that pressure,’ he explained.

‘Talking about taboo topics is a fast way to build tension and the more tension, the more laughs.’

He says he doesn’t really worry about offending people during his comedy.

‘If you believe in free speech, you have to allow people to say things you don’t like.’

He also claims one of the reasons why people don’t get offended is because it is ‘so obviously just jokes’.

And he said that he has never had a bad encounter with a fellow celebrity he has joked about.

‘No, people are generally great about it,’ he said.

‘People I’ve made awful jokes about come up and say hello and are fine with it.’

Tickets for the show cost £25.50, and can be purchased at the Villa Marina. Call 600555 or go www.villagaiety.com

An age restriction of 18+ applies. Doors open at 7pm for an 8pm start.

Three Manx Grand Prix riders are fighting for their lives in hospital.

Two came off their bikes during yesterday’s Manx Grand Prix Senior.

Both Peter Symes, who was involved in the incident at the 33rd, and David Taylor, who crashed at Brandywell, are described as being in a ‘critical’ condition.

French newcomer, Yvan Cardona, who came off his machine at Cruickshanks on Monday, August 24, is also described as being in a ‘critical’ condition.

The other riders who were hurt during the Senior yesterday were:

Martial Mourra (Mayhill): Likely to be discharged later.

Donald Gilbert (Creg Ny Baa): Discharged last night.

Andy Farrell (Creg Ny Baa)L Likely to be discharged later today.

Other riders involved in incidents earlier in the week:

Ken Davis, Tuesday, August 25, 13th milestone:. Comfortable.

Chris Dowling, August 29, Sulby Bridge: Comfortable.

John Tucker, August 31, VMCC Parade: Discharged last night.

Jason Brewster, September 2, Gooseneck: Comfortable.

Sjak Van Dijk, August 29, Sarah’s Cottage: Transferred to Netherlands.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/dutch-rider-dennis-hoffer-killed-in-mgp-crash-1-7430967|One rider, Dennis Hoffer, died during the festival.}