BBC Antiques Roadshow specialist Marc Allum will be the guest at this year’s Author’s Breakfast, organised by the Isle of Man Fund for the Blind.

In addition to numerous television appearances, Marc is a best-selling author who has written 16 books on antiques, arts and collectables. The latest edition of the popular Allum’s Antiques Almanac will be launched next month.

Marc said: ‘It’s such a pleasure to be able to combine my love of antiques and writing with such a worthwhile cause. I’m looking forward to my visit to the Isle of Man and helping the Isle of Man Fund for the Blind and Manx Blind Welfare Society.’

The annual Author’s Breakfast, held since 1994, raises money for Manx Blind Welfare Society. This year’s event will take place at the Palace Hotel, Douglas, at 9.30am on Monday, November 23.

Tickets are £23 and include a full English breakfast.

Marc is expected to recall anecdotes from his almost two decades as a regular guest on Antiques Roadshow, as well as discussing some of the unusual objects he’s discovered during his career as an art and antiques journalist, writer and broadcaster.

There will also be a chance to hear about the 2016 edition of his Alamanac, which is packed with interesting and quirky facts about some of the most peculiar and sought-after historical objects.

Manx Blind Welfare Society Volunteers Coordinator & Events Organiser Debbie Thomson said: ‘Securing Marc Allum for this year’s Author’s Breakfast is a real coup. He’s a highly-regarded expert in the antiques field, as well as sought-after speaker and respected author on art and collectables.

‘We’re hoping Marc might bring along some of the more unusual items from his personal antiques collection, and there may be an opportunity for people in the audience to have their treasured collectables appraised.

‘If you’d like to bring something along, just let us know when you book your ticket and, time-allowing, we’ll see if Marc can reveal anything about its history and value.’

She added: ‘The Author’s Breakfast is always one of the highlights of the year, and we expect this year to be as popular as ever. We’d advise booking tickets early to avoid disappointment.

‘I’d like to thank the Isle of Man Fund for the Blind for organising this event, which will help raise important funds to allow the Society to continue providing services and support to blind and visually impaired people in the Island. The Fund works tirelessly on a huge range of fundraising events and its support is invaluable.’

Tickets for the Author’s Breakfast are available from Corrin Court in Onchan or by calling 674727.

The first Friday evening fixture of the Canada Life Premier League season takes place tomorrow evening.

St John’s entertain St Mary’s under the floodlights at United’s Mullen-e-Cloie ground, kicking off at 7pm.

The westerners will host another four Friday night games between now and the middle of February against Union Mills, Marown and St George’s in the top-flight and Corinthians in Canada Life Combination One.

This week’s game could go either way with both teams out of form.

Both sets of Saints have only won once in their last six games.

The Johnners are short on goals having only troubled the scorers once in their last four fixtures.

Conversely visitors St Mary’s problems are at the other end of the pitch, the Bowl outfit having conceded 26 goals in their last six at an average of more than four a match.

St John’s recent poor run has seen them drop to third bottom in the standings, just one point ahead of Ramsey and the dreaded drop zone.

St Mary’s will hope to have former St John’s player-manager Nick Hurt back in their side as they take on his former club having missed his influence at the back in Saturday’s defeat by Union Mills.

This one will be close with both teams desperate for some points to fire them up the table.

League leaders St George’s make the trip over the mountain this weekend to take on Ramsey at Ballacloan.

Geordies have been back to their best in recent weeks netting an astonishing 46 goals in their last five games alone.

The Glencrutchery Road outfit’s glittering array of attacking options should fire their side to another three points this week as they aim to keep their pressure up on title rivals Peel at the top of the standings.

The Sunset City side have a tougher task in store as they make the trip to Glen Road and Laxey.

After three successive defeats the Miners beat DHSOB last weekend to revive their ailing Railway Cup qualification hopes.

With confidence boosted in the home camp, Peel will need to produce a good performance to come away with all three points.

After last week’s aforementioned defeat, DHSOB need to claim some points from their trip to Ayre if they are to remain in Railway Cup contention.

Rushen on the other hand can book their place in early December’s semi-finals with a win over Marown in Crosby.

The Spaniards have hit their straps in recent weeks and Furo Davies et al should prove too much for Dave Brew’s plucky promoted side.

Saturday’s final scheduled match sees Corinthians take on Union Mills at Ballafletcher.

The Millers boosted their survival hopes with a good win over St Mary’s last time out. Corinthians sit seven points better off than Mills in the table and should just shade this one.

A teenager from Tromode has donated £660 to Manx Blind Welfare Society as a ‘thank you’ for the charity’s support of his cousin.

Conor Till raised the money through sponsorship when he took on his first-ever triathlon. He entered the demanding sprint event in Ramsey alongside his stepdad and uncles, and decided it was a good way to raise money for the charity.

The 17-year-old’s cousin, Imogen Christian, had to start wearing glasses aged just three. Her condition required very strong prescription lenses, and the society provided support and advice to Imogen’s family as she adapted to her new glasses.

Two years on, Imogen is in fulltime education and still benefiting from the society’s support.

Conor, who finished 4th in his group of 13, explained: ‘Manx Blind Welfare Society’s support was invaluable for Imogen and her parents, and I wanted to do something to say thanks. Because of the charity’s work with Imogen, we’ve seen just how much the society does for blind and visually impaired people across the Island and how it relies entirely on donations, fundraising and legacies.

‘This was my first triathlon, so it was quite a personal challenge, but it also seemed like a perfect opportunity to raise some money to donate to the Society to help it continue its important work.’

Society volunteers’ coordinator and events organiser Debbie Thomson added: ‘The society provides support for hundreds of people in the Isle of Man with a wide range of differing sight issues, from those with newly-diagnosed impairment to people who have been blind since birth.

‘Our work relies entirely on the generosity of the Manx public and donations like Conor’s. We were thrilled he decided to raise money for us, and we’d like to congratulate him not only on the tremendous amount he raised, but also for his success in the triathlon.’

Would you like to learn to draw?

The House of Manannan is offering you the chance from Monday, November 2, to Thursday, November 5.

Local illustrator Quinn Shipton will hold free classes between 2pm and 4pm each day.

The event is part of the ‘Big Draw’, campaign across the British Isles promoting drawing.

Over the four sessions, Mr Shipton will help guide and inspire people to create characters, landscapes, storyboards and help bind your own book.

Workshops are suitable for all artists over eight years of age and can be enjoyed individually or as a block of four.

The workshops will use the current exhibition at the House of Manannan, ‘Dusty Sees it Through’, for inspiration.

For more information visit www.manxnationalheritage.im/whats-on/detail/the-big-draw or call 648090 to reserve a place.

Ramsey Commissioners have slammed a scheme submitted by Shearwater Ltd to build 11 detached houses with associated landscaping on the site of the former Grand Island Hotel, Bride Road.

The lead member for works and development, Graham Jones, reminded members that the government’s planning committee had specifically requested that any replacement of the Grand Island should be a landmark development appropriate to the location, something unique and special, of high design, landscaping and aesthetic quality.

‘While quite nice, quite large properties, I think this falls short of what is required’, he said. ‘What we have here is just a housing estate’.

Chairman Richard Radcliffe agreed with Mr Jones.

‘It is just another boring estate, well away from the original agreement,’ he said. ‘It is not iconic, nor is it a landmark.’

It was agreed to lodge an objection in the hope that it would be rejected by the planners and that the developers would be asked to come back with something better.

They also objected to plans to build a dwelling in the grounds of Rheast Mooar House, Andreas Road, Ramsey, stating it was against the local plan which did not allow ‘back land development’.

Local authorities do not determine applications. They can only make observations to the planning committee.

More than 150 clients and friends of KPMG joined the firm to celebrate key appointments at Coast Bar & Brasserie.

The evening celebrated the appointments of Micky Swindale to director at KPMG Isle of Man and Jon Tricker’s recent appointment to managing director at KPMG Gibraltar.

Following 18 years at the firm, Micky has oversight for KPMG’s advisory practice, and is responsible for building new markets and relationships for KPMG across all its service lines, including its 70-strong audit team and 20-strong tax team.

Jon joined KPMG Gibraltar from Deloitte where he was made a partner in 2010.

Jon has significant experience having served as audit partner on a variety of clients and industries, especially financial services – funds, insurers and banks – and also online gaming, both of which have been key markets in the ongoing growth of the Gibraltar practice.

KPMG also announced the appointment of five associate directors in the Isle of Man practice.

Ed Houghton, associate director – audit, will become engagement leader on a number of client relationships whilst maintaining his exposure, and specialism on international LSE listed organisations.

Ed has been with KPMG Isle of Man for 12 years, primarily within the audit department. During this time he has also undertaken secondments to KPMG UK Transaction Services working on financial due diligence for acquisitions and a Bank dealing with distressed debt.

Ed has worked on a number of significant LSE Main Market & AIM engagements delivering audit and advisory services, on IPOs, fund raisings, restructures and acquisitions. He is a qualified chartered accountant.

Kristan King, associate director – deal advisory, has spent 16 years with KPMG.

He started in audit in the Isle of Man and New Zealand before moving into Deal Advisory in Manchester where he worked with corporate and private equity clients for ten years.

Kristan returned to the Isle of Man last year and has subsequently played a significant role in a number of high profile deals on the island.

In his new role, Kristan will continue to build on KPMG’s significant experience to date in developing M&A and debt advisory services and the strength of the team in these areas.

After seven years at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the UK, Robert Rotherham, associate director – Tax, spent the last nine years at KPMG.

Robert is a qualified accountant, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, England & Wales and a Committee member of the IOM Society of Chartered Accountants.

He is known for his regular contributions to business seminars and media commentary particularly on the topic of international tax developments.

Sandie Skuszka, associate director – VAT, joined KPMG in 2007 and is now in charge of VAT compliance and advisory services provided by KPMG Isle of Man and Gibraltar.

Sandie started her career in VAT with Isle of Man Customs and Excise as a VAT visiting officer before joining KPMG in 2007 and is qualified by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA).

Archie Watt, associate director – advisory, has worked for the last five years as head of eGaming at KPMG Isle of Man and Gibraltar.

As associate director, he will continue to be in charge of developing the gaming and IT Advisory practice across both jurisdictions.

Archie joined KPMG Isle of Man from KPMG London, where he was recruited as an IT advisory director in the information, communication and entertainment practice, with a particular focus on online gaming clients.

He worked on the bwin/PartyGaming merger and also worked on a number of acquisitions in the gaming sector and the public listings of 888, Playtech and PartyGaming, among others.

In addition to article contributions to various industry publications, Archie has also co-authored the report Online Gambling: A Gamble or a Sure Bet, and was consulted for the Remote Gambling Association report on the UK Government’s planned changes on taxation of online gaming.

Speaking at the event, Mike Fayle, managing director at KPMG said: ‘KPMG continues to build on its success thanks to our clear vision, rigorously maintained values, and above all, our people.

‘The new appointments reflect the diversity of the team and are a symbol of the firm’s longevity.

The continuity of such an extensive range of skills will continue to benefit our clients and strengthen our team for what I hope will be years to come.

‘As both cause and effect of KPMG’s position in the market on the Island, we have more of an advisory focus than our direct competitors.

‘Many of them have experienced audit teams, so we have differentiated ourselves by building a wider service offerings in tax and advisory and that has really paid off.’

Isle of Man mobile phone users may still have to pay roaming charges when travelling off island despite them being banned in the EU.

It was announced this week that the European Parliament had agreed to scrap the extra charges from June 2017 for using your mobile phone in countries across the European Union.

Roaming charges are added by mobile operators for calls, texts and internet browsing when phone users are abroad.

But a spokesman for the government’s Communications Commission said: ‘The Isle of Man is not part of the European Union, so cannot impose such reductions in tariffs on suppliers outside of the Isle of Man in respect of services provided to customers on the island, or on Isle of Man telecoms operators.

‘We are working with both Isle of Man operators to try to find innovative solutions to an issue that affects a number of people on the island.’

David Smith, marketing director of Manx Telecom, said: ‘Whilst the Isle of Man isn’t part of the EU, we will carefully monitor how the new rules are applied, the impact on the overall mobile propositions offered to customers overseas and indeed, whether all EU operators implement the rules.

‘Smartphones are driving increased use of mobile data through internet access, social media, apps, etc and the majority of this use whilst on-island is covered by an allowance provided as part of a Manx Telecom monthly package or a pay-as-you-go top-up, so our customers’ expectations of mobile data when roaming, are increasing.

‘With regards to mobile roaming charges for Manx Telecom customers, our roaming bolt-ons form just one part of our overall mobile value proposition.

‘We’ve also introduced a comprehensive free text alert service for our pay monthly customers, as we know that mobile data is often being used in the background, without the customer’s knowledge.

‘We are also upgrading our billing system which will allow us to offer our customers new tariffs which we believe will lead to improved confidence around mobile data use whilst roaming.

‘Our customers have clearly signalled this to be a priority and we are working hard to achieve this.’

Mike Fawkner-Corbett, of rival Sure, said: ‘We continue to work hard with our network partners around the world to drive down the wholesale cost of data, enabling us to pass savings onto our customers.

‘We’ve seen this already with data charges in the EU dropping from £5 per megabyte to 50p per megabyte this year.

‘We expect to continue cutting the price of data in the future. We have also ensured that all customers using data roaming have a usage limit in place to protect them from unexpectedly high bills, giving them peace of mind when travelling abroad.’

A statement from Sure added: ‘Sure will continue to negotiate roaming rates with each EU operator individually. Therefore Sure cannot guarantee that it will be able to match EU pricing which requires EU operators to charge the same price for data when customers are on the home network and roaming.’

The European Parliament has also ruled that an interim cap on charges will come into effect from April 30 next year, prior to the full ban across the EU in 2017.

Thousands of island residents who have spent part of their working life in the UK are to receive two separate pensions when they retire.

It’s the result of changes to the state pension being introduced in the UK from April next year.

The Isle of Man is planning its own changes with radical proposals to raise the retirement age, introduce a flat-rate £180 a week state pension and phase out the Manx Pension Supplement. Tynwald approved the reforms in principle in July.

But in the interim Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK is to seek Tynwald approval for a pension protection ‘safety net’ to guarantee no future pensioners are made worse off when the state pension systems in the UK and the island start to diverge.

Backbencher MHK Alfred Cannan (Michael), however, has questioned the rush to make changes. He said: ‘Why are we rushing headlong to change everything now when there is so much uncertainty?

‘We don’t know what the plans are for the future. Tynwald is being railroaded into this. There are potential risks for people getting close to retirement.’

The social security reciprocal agreement between the island and the UK is to be retained but in an amended form.

There will be no impact on existing pensioners or those who have only paid National Insurance in the Isle of Man.

But the split will mean future retirees who have worked and paid enough NI in both countries will receive two separate pension payments from April onwards, one from each government, rather than a single combined payment.

And there will be an added impact on those who have worked in the UK but lived and work here long enough to qualify for the Manx Pension Supplement.

The supplement pays up to an extra 46 per cent on top of the basic state pension but the amount payable to an individual is based on the amount of basic pension they are entitled to here.

Treasury will ask for support at the November Tynwald for changes to the Manx Pension Supplement scheme to ensure everyone retiring after next April gets the level of payment they were expecting. There’s also a proposed top-up provision to cover any other anomalies arising from the changes.

These safety net provisions will cost about £250,000 a year.

There are currently some 19,000 state pensioners in the island, and 9,000 of these have paid NI contributions in the UK.

Of those expected to retire in the next financial year, it is estimated that about 350 will have paid contributions in the UK and some of these may have also made sufficient contributions in the UK to qualify for the Manx Pension Supplement.

Member for Treasury Bill Henderson MLC said: ‘We are having to do this and nobody is going to be worse off as a result.’

Currently someone who retires after working 20 years in the UK and 20 years in the Isle of Man will be paid their state pension by the Manx social security division which will then bill the UK for its half.

This will no longer be possible when the two state pension systems diverge.

Ross Stephens, director of social security, said people would be given help in applying for their pension from the UK.

The number of qualifying years of NI contributions needed to get the new state pension in the UK has risen from 30 to 35. It remains 30 years in the Isle of Man. But a Treasury-commissined report has recommended that the number of qualifying years should rise to 45 here.

There’s a reduced programme of only five games in mixed hockey this weekend.

The pick of the day’s Bridgewaters Plate fixtures sees Canaccord Genuity Vikings C face Cammags on Saturdays lunchtime at the NSC.

Both sides played lower division opposition in the last round with Ian Perry’s Vikings easily defeating Southerners and Christian Steriopulos’s Cammags winning at Sharks. The two sides are fighting it out at the top of Mixed Division Two.

With the last match between them ending in a draw this once again promises to be a close match.

SATURDAY’S FIXTURES:

Bridgewaters Mixed Plate

Bacchas C v Crowe Morgan Valkyrs C NSC 2.05pm

James Harrison, John Harrison

Harlequins B v Bacchas Colts NSC 3.35pm

Alex Cave, Gary Corkhill

LJ Ravens v Canaccord Genuity Vikings B RGS12.35pm

Mark Entwisle, Vic Ferns

Canaccord Genuity Vikings C v Cammags NSC 12.35pm

Ian Duggua, Lindsay Riordan

PwC Mixed Under-16s’ League

LJ Rogues & Rascals v Bacchas RGS 2.05pm

Rob McKenzie, Sandra Smith

Psychoholic are not a prolific band in terms of their quota of live shows each year.

Indeed, they tend to turn out for TT fortnight and as such are not what you would call regulars on the local Manx live scene.

That said, when they do venture out it’s for an occasion and therefore makes the event a little more special.

With all of that in mind, the six-piece band will make their first appearance since TT 2015 this Saturday night for a Hop-tu-Naa special as Amber in Douglas plays host to this rock and classic rock covers behemoth.

The band, whose line-up is made up by Shelly Rourke on vocals, Kevin Cleator and Dave Rourke sharing guitar duties, Steve Rowe on bass, Lindsay Rowe on keys and Ian Hughes on drums, cover the likes of Deep Purple, AC/DC, Queen, Rainbow, Led Zeppelin, Queens Of The Stone Age, Velvet Revolver, Thunder, Foo Fighters, The Darkness, Bon Jovi and Van Halen among many others.

If this sounds like your kind of thing, then this show is highly recommended!

The doors open at 8pm for the Halloween Extravaganza and then the band will hit the stage just after 9pm.

For more information on the band, visit www.facebook.com/Psychoholics

Elsewhere, Konstruktion continue their relentless live schedule with one of their regular appearances at Jaks.

The duo, featuring Joy White on vocals and Nige B on keyboards and vocals, specialise in dance anthems from the modern chart to ‘old skool’ classics appear at the Douglas bar on Saturday night.

For more information on Konstruktion, visit www.facebook.com/iommusic

If you have any Manx band-related news for inclusion or any music for review, please let me know by emailing leachsteve@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading, more next week!

Cheshire Bowl holders PDMS Southern Nomads take on Dukinfield at King William’s College on Saturday in the competition’s semi-finals.

Conveniently the game kicks off at 1pm to allow everyone plenty of time to get in front of a telly for the World Cup final at 4pm.

Nomads are aiming for their second successive Bowl final after beating league side Ashton on Mersey in last season’s competition.

Dukinfield are based in the Manchester area and play their league rugby in the Cheshire (South) division along with Manx sides Ramsey and Vagabonds.

Earlier this month they beat Ramsey 39-24 at Dukinfield but suffered something of a reversal at Ballafletcher when they fell 36-20 just two weeks ago.

Dukinfield currently hold fourth place in the standings and may yet be a good outside bet for promotion.

The club joined Cheshire RFU in 1880 and between 1996 and 2003 enjoyed the coaching services of Mike Ford, the current director of rugby at Bath and former England defence coach.

At the heart of Dukinfield on match days is stand-off Gaz Callan.

He’s the goal kicker and playmaker and he bagged 15 points last week as his side beat previously unbeaten Eagle.

Away from Callan, there’s plenty of danger in the Dukinfield back-row. Openside Mike Connole ran in two against Ramsey and is clearly a man to watch.

Nomads, however, have a team packed with danger men. They disposed of a feisty Ramsey B side last weekend and remain unbeaten in the Manx Shield albeit at a very early stage.

Last season’s skipper Chris Beaumont was in sparkling form last week even at the unusual position of second row. He scored one and made one and looks a natural for the role.

Mark Young is the new captain this season and he had a solid game at 10, while the two outside pacemen, Alex Lewthwaite and Greg Danes, look like they have the wheels to threaten most defences.

Much will depend on the side which Dukinfield bring. If they put out their first choice XV Nomads may struggle, however, many sides use this competition as a proving ground for younger talent and this may just suit Nomads who have a very settled squad.

Fixtures: Saturday, October 31

Cheshire Plate semi-final

PDMS Southern Nomads v Dukinfield @ King Williams College ko 1pm

An elderly woman was indecently assaulted in a supermarket.

It happened in the Douglas branch of Tesco at about 1.30pm on Sunday, October 18, between tills 12 and 13.

Police say the woman, who was in her 70s, was assaulted by a man who was 5ft 11ins tall, with ash blond/greying hair.

Officers say he had a ‘distinctive’ walk and was wearing a blue anorak and light jeans.

Police are appealing for witnesses to this incident to contact Constable Lana Gardner at Lord Street police station on 631212.

Police have re-opened the main route between Douglas and the south of the island.

Five vehicles were this morning involved in a crash outside the Forge restaurant (formerly the Hop Garden) at Mount Murray, Santon.

Police, fire and ambulance dealt with the incident.

What do you get if you cross a soapy mouse and a badger with an STI? A crowd tickler of a night in front of Irish comic Dara O Briain!

And it was thanks to a healthy dose of audience participation that helped give Dara some of his best lines on stage at the Villa Marina last night.

We heard from policeman Steve who lives in that little castle in Douglas bay, and teenager Calum an aeronautical engineer - by day - responsible for all the critical parts of every aircraft in the world.

Contributions from the front row also provided the plot for a new TV cop drama that focuses on the unlikely part played by that badger in a murder investigation.

The Mock the Week host quickly cottoned on to the fact that all it takes to work a Manx crowd is a reference to the Isle of Man.

He was perplexed at the need for four variations of the Jinny the Witch song depending on whether you’re from Peel, Ramsey, Castletown and Douglas, why that mouse needs to be lathered, and why Onchan is named after a yoghurt!

His quick fire, expletive-laden delivery and laugh till you cry punchlines leave you exhausted.

As Dara Tweeted after the show, you had to be there!

And with the Irish stand-up back on stage at the Villa tonight you’ve got another chance to do so.

Four of the current top six teams in JCK Division Two go head-to-head on Saturday afternoon.

With Douglas Athletic seemingly running away with top spot, the focus is on the chasing pack and the fixtures computer has thrown up two tasty-looking clashes in Gymns v Pulrose United and Colby v Braddan.

Gymns are Athletic’s nearest challenges at the moment but face a stern test at home to a Pully side which was unlucky to lose 3-4 to Douglas Royal last time out to a controversial late goal.

Three points separate the sides in Gymns’ favour and the Tromode side should just about have the edge in this one, but Pulrose will know that, if they are on top of their game, the points could be there for the taking.

Colby versus Braddan also promises to be a close contest, with the sides only separated by virtue of goal difference in the Moonlighters’ favour. Form suggests a Colby win but on paper this game really could go either way on Saturday.

Douglas and District could surpass last season’s points total with a win at Douglas Royal, although the Whites will go into the match as favourites to claim victory, while Governor’s Athletic have the unenvious task of travelling to runaway leaders Douglas Athletic.

A close game looks in store at Clagh Vane where Malew entertain Michael United, while Castletown travel to the Nivison Stadium to face Onchan.

Scaanjoon has created a new version of his Hop-tu-Naa song, Creepy Folk Comedown, to make it more accessible to younger children.

Based on the island’s superstitions and folklore, the song was originally recorded at DAM Studios and released in 2006.

With the support of Culture Vannin and Frank Woolley, another version has been created, featuring new lyrics and a score suitable for children’s choirs.

An animation video inspired by Hansel and Gretel has also been produced by Origimedia of the original version to provide a reference tool for teachers.

Scaanjoon’s Nigel Brown says he hopes it will inspire a new generation of children to enjoy Manx fairy tales.

‘Creepy Folk Comedown is based on the superstitions and folklore of the island, including those surrounding the Beltane festival in May where bonfires were lit on the island to ward off the creatures of the night.

‘While the song was inspired by Beltane, the tone, content and atmosphere of the song make it perfect for Hop-tu-Naa.’

Scaanjoon aims to write modern Manx music with a darker, more serious edge based on his interpretation of Manx fairy tales, folklore and superstition.

The original song, funded by a grant from Culture Vannin, includes Christy D as the creepy folk choir and Nigel playing a 12 inch kitchen knife for percussion.

Nigel, a civil servant, said: ‘My interest in superstition, myth and fairy tales stems from my days as a history student in Queen’s University in Belfast.

‘I used to take a break from my essay writing by looking over books which contained this subject matter and I always looked for links to the Isle of Man.

‘It was also a useful place to explore traditional folk music, and it opened some doors to watch some amazing folk music sessions.’

Scaanjoon (Manx for ghost) produced his first album in 2006, Creepy Folk Come Down. It was highly commended by Ireland’s Hotpress magazine.

Scaanjoon has put out music on YouTube since 2012. Visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCklUnMN0Ks

No action will be taken for now against Manx Gas over changes to its charges, Chief Minister Allan Bell told MHKs.

There has been widespread criticism at the utility firm’s move to introduce a banded standing charge but lower the unit price of gas from January.

The issue was raised again in the House of Keys by Peter Karran (Lib Van, Onchan), who queried the voluntary regulation agreement that had been signed.

Mr Karran said: ‘It is quite alarming that gas consumers pay £961 for the same equivalent gas as a consumer in Liverpool for £548, Belfast at £514, and Dublin.

‘Allowing for the fact that we have a situation where Belfast and Dublin are supplied from the same gas pipeline, how does he justify the agreement that has been allowed to be agreed with the company, which is a monopoly?’

Mr Bell replied he did not know whether these figures are accurate or not, but if they were, he suggested Mr Karran took them to the Office of Fair Trading get them verified and take appropriate action.

The Chief Minister said the agreement brought in from January this year provided ‘binding but light-touch’ regulation, allowing Manx Gas free to manage its business as it sees fit, so long as it does not increase profits above the agreed limit of 9.9 per cent of the capital employed.

He said the OFT has scrutinised the changes and confirmed they are intended to be revenue neutral for Manx Gas, with some consumers paying more for their gas and some ‘a lot less’ and overall, no one will pay more than £25 annually than they do today.

Mr Bell said: ‘For those reasons, it is not proposed at this stage to take any action. The OFT will, however, be monitoring the situation and will make representations to Manx Gas under the regulatory agreement should it become necessary.’

Lib Van leader Kate Beecroft (Douglas South) asked whether the Chief Minister would meet with people who can show that their bills are actually going to be an ‘awful lot more’ than the £25 differential.

Mr Bell replied that he had given that £25 figure in good faith based on information supplied to him by the OFT. He said if any MHK has evidence that those figures are incorrect, they should go to the OFT, who he described as the ‘policemen’ of this particular agreement and who he said will take appropriate action.

John Houghton (Douglas North) asked the Chief Minister who was being ‘hoodwinked’. ‘Is it you, is it the public, or is it Manx Gas winning all the way to the bank?’ he said.

Mr Bell said if the spirit of the agreement is not complied with, then ‘we will be looking very seriously and very quickly at bringing in a proper regulatory structure.’

Hop-tu-Naa derives from the Manx Gaelic term ‘Shoh ta’n Oie’ meaning ‘This is the night’ and is a traditional Manx celebration that marks the Celtic new year, which falls on October 31.

It was a time when farmers celebrated a safely gathered harvest and made their preparations for the long winter ahead.

The Manx celebration has many unique features making it distinct to its English counterpart, Halloween.

>> Hop-tu-Naa guide: where to go and what to do

The occasion sees the customs of turnip carving and singing traditional Manx songs for sweets take centre stage.

Instead of carving pumpkins, the turnip or ‘moot’ is used to create lanterns for children to carry while they go singing around houses. The turnips are hollowed, carved with a scary face and illuminated by a candle.

Traditionally children in the island will then dress up in costume and carry their lanterns and sing for Hop-tu-Naa treats at door to door. In the past treats were once apples, bonnag and herring but now treats include sweets and money.

There is a variety of different Hop-tu-Naa songs that are sung with versions differing across the island. A popular choice of song is about ‘Jinny the Witch’, believed to be a real life resident of the island in the 18th century.

Braddan native, Jane Lowney, was believed to be a witch and was tried for witchcraft at Bishop’s Court between 1715-1716 and was sentenced to 14 day in prison. She died in January 1725 and is buried at Old Kirk Braddan.

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Hop-tu-Naa song: Douglas version

Hop-tu-naa, Hop-tu-naa,

Jinny the witch flew over the house

to get the stick to lather the mouse.

Hop-tu-naa, Hop-tu-naa

Your mother’s gone away and she won’t be back until the morning.

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Hop-tu-Naa song: Peel version

Hop-tu-naa, Put in the pot,

Hop-tu-naa, Scald my trot [throat],

Hop-tu-naa, I met an ole woman,

Hop-tu-naa, She was baking bonnags,

Hop-tu-naa, I asked her for a bit,

Hop-tu-naa, She gave me a bit, as big as my toe.

Hop-tu-naa, She dipped it in milk,

Hop-tu-naa, She wrapped it in silk,

Hop-tu-naa, trol-la-laa.

Jinny the witch went over the house, to catch a stick to lather the mouse.

Hop-tu-naa, trol-la-laa.

If you don’t give us something, we’ll run away with the light of the moon.

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Hop-tu-Naa song: Castletown version

Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa,

Jinny the witch went over the house to fetch a stick to lather the mouse.

Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa.

I went to London,

What did you see there?

I saw a lady baking cakes,

I asked for one, she gave me two.

The best o’ woman I ever knew.

Hop-tu-naa, Trol-la-laa.

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Hop-tu-Naa song: Ramsey version

Hop-tu-Naa, Hop-tu-Naa.

Jinny the Witch she ate the horse

She ate the mane and the tail of course.

Hop-tu-Naa, Hop-tu-Naa.

Jinny the Witch she ate the cow

But how she ate it, I don’t know how.

Hop-tu-Naa, Hop-tu-Naa.

Jinny the Witch she ate the sheep

She left the wool all in a heap.

etc.

Jinny the Witch she ate the hog

She ate the cat and she ate the dog.

Jinny the Witch went into the house

She ate the ringie, she ate the mouse.

Jinny the Witch, she’ll soon be in view

And if you’re not careful she’ll eat you too.

Jinny the Witch, she’s in your house

Give us a penny and we’ll chase her out.

If you’re going to give us something give us it soon

For we want to be home by the light of the moon.

Hop-tu-Naa, Hop-tu-Naa.

The latest Isle of Man Newspapers’ Team of the Week features no fewer than eight players who are making their seasonal bows.

The debutants are scattered throughout the hypothetical XI, starting at the back where St John’s Damyan Petkov dons the goalkeeper gloves.

The Bulgarian shot-stopper was in fine form as he frustrated western rivals Peel at Douglas Road on Saturday, restricting the Sunset City side to a 2-0 win.

In front of him there are two further seasonal newcomers to TotW in the shape of Michael Baker and Andy Crennell who make up two thirds of the back three alongside Max Murley.

Baker was in fine form at centre-back for Rushen United as the Spaniards continued their push for a place in the Railway Cup, shutting out their opponents in a 2-0 win over Ramsey.

Likewise Crennell excelled at the back for Peel during the westerners’ aforementioned hard-fought win at home to St John’s, while Murley produced a man-of-the-match performance for Laxey as they ended a run of three straight defeats with an excellent 2-1 win away at DHSOB.

League leaders St George’s emphatically continued their winning ways with an 11-0 thrashing of Ayre United, therefore it’s no surprise to see a couple of Geordies players in the latest Team of the Week.

Leading the way for the Glencrutchery Road is Chris Bass Jr who was in ruthless form in front of goal as he helped himself to a hat-trick against the Tangerines and thus earns what is surprisingly his first TotW call-up this season.

Joining him in a four-man midfield is team-mate Conor Doyle, Corinthians’ Connor Gorman and Union Mills starlet Brody Patience.

Doyle also managed to get on the scoresheet against Ayre and was later named man of the match for his efforts, while Gorman shone in the engine room for the Whites as the Ballafletcher side brushed aside RYCOB 7-0.

Patience is one of a number of prodigal talents within the Mills ranks and he produced a superb performance for the Garey Mooar outfit on Saturday, having a hand in three of his side’s four goals - including scoring one himself - as they edged St Mary’s in a seven-goal thriller at the Bowl.

Leading the line for the latest TotW are three attackers who managed to grab six goals between them at the weekend, with half of them being netted by Danny Oram. The Corinthians forward was in lethal form for the Whites, bagging a well-taken hat-trick to set his side on their way to their aforementioned 7-0 rout of Youthie.

Kerron Christian proved the difference for Peel in their 2-0 win over St John’s as he scored both goals to continue the westerners’ title charge, thus earning his place in the XI. While he may not have scored as many as the other forwards, Sean Gavin stole the show for Laxey as he netted a wonder goal late on to help the Miners defeat his former side DHSOB at Blackberry Lane.

His strike ensured Laxey’s return to winning ways and was a goal worthy of winning any game, therefore he duly collects his third TotW appearance of the season.

Claiming the refereeing honours this week is the newest face in the middle of Manx football this season, Steve Dowdall, who impressed during the Rushen v Ramsey game at Croit Lowey. As a result, Dowdall now leads the overall referee standings for the season with a 79-point average.

Team of the Week

Goalkeeper

Damyan Petkov (St John’s)

Team of the Week appearances: 1

Defence

Max Murley (Laxey) TotW apps: 2

Michael Baker (Rushen Utd) TotW apps: 1

Andy Crennell (Peel) TotW apps: 1

Midfield

Connor Gorman (Corinthians) TotW apps: 1

Conor Doyle (St George’s) TotW apps: 2

Chris Bass Jr (St George’s) TotW apps: 1

Brody Patience (Union Mills) TotW apps: 1

Attack

Sean Gavin (Laxey) TotW apps: 3

Danny Oram (Corinthians) TotW apps: 1

Kerron Christian (Peel) TotW apps: 1

Referee

Steve Dowdall (Rushen v Ramsey) RotW apps: 2

The government wants to identify potential sites for new homes in Castletown.

It’s part of what the Department of Infrastructure calls ‘the overall drive to support sustainable development and economic growth’.

It says the move fulfils a commitment made by Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK following the public inquiry into the Draft Isle of Man Strategic Plan 2015.

The department is inviting landowners and developers to put forward sites for consideration.

The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Friday, December 18.

The aim is to explore the potential for new housing development in and around Castletown.

It is hoped to identify a shortlist of sites that will then ‘undergo rigorous assessment to determine their suitability’.

The call for sites response form, site assessment framework, explanatory note and map are available on the Government website at www.gov.im/callforsitescastletown

Completed forms and any supporting material can be emailed to PlanningPolicy.DOI@gov.im or posted to Planning Policy Team, Department of Infrastructure, Sea Terminal, Douglas, IM1 2RF.

Mr Gawne said: ‘Our communities should have the opportunity to grow and develop in a way that suits their needs. There is concern that a lack of new housing is forcing young people who wish to stay in Castletown to leave in search of somewhere to live. The department is seeking to explore options to help Castletown remain a sustainable and thriving community in the south of the island.’

The department will publish a map identifying sites submitted, along with initial assessment scores and the recommended approach for the rest of the Castletown Review.