PEEL Football Club hope to return to their Douglas Road ground a week on Saturday after building work on the Tommy Clucas Community Sports Hall forced recent games to be played at St John’s Mullen-e-Cloie ground.

Main contractors for the build, JCK Limited, have been installing a septic tank this week behind the golf course-end goalmouth and there had been worries that wet sand in the area dug up may cause problems.

Fund chairman Kelvin Dawson said: ‘Everything is going well. The builders have been brilliant. They did encounter some wet sand so far down in the hole dug for the tank, but it was nothing major or out of the ordinary for this type of job. It certainly won’t hold up the project. It probably looks worse than it is. The tank should be laid in the ground today (Wednesday) and the hole filled in by the end of the week, so we’re still on schedule.

‘We’re delighted with the progress and the way things are going.

‘We took up the turf from the pitch before the work around the goalmouth started, so that is just waiting to be relaid once the work is finished, and will then need to be levelled.

‘It shouldn’t take that long, the boys are playing at St John’s on Friday night again, but hopefully, if all goes to plan, they could be back playing in Peel after this weekend. We’re still optimistic we will finish the entire project by April or May as originally planned so that would be brilliant.’

The steel frame of the building has now been erected by Wilson and Collins Ltd and Kelvin says that the cladding should be going up next week.

Referring to the colouring of the late Manx Grand Prix star and Peel footballer, Kelvin joked: ‘We asked for a ginger roof, but planning said no!’

The project has recently had to use some of its contingency fund and use cash which had been initially set aside for fittings and sports equipment on the building work.

‘There are always stumbling blocks with these projects, it won’t delay the building work, but any further donations would, of course, be welcomed,’ said Kelvin.

The new sports hall will have an enclosed 40 metre by 25m third generation artificial grass surface with LED lighting, equipped to host various sports, with associated facilities and a viewing area.

It is hoped that it will be used by local sports clubs, recreational youth/community organisations and the general community for sport and recreation purposes.

The Tommy Clucas Memorial Fund was set up following the death of popular Peel sportsman Tommy Clucas, who died while leading on the last lap of the Junior Manx Grand Prix in 2004.

Anyone who would like to make a donation to the fund or is interested in further information on the project can contact fund chairman, Kelvin Dawson, on 494894.

THE family of a teenager who was killed in a road accident last year has launched a petition calling for new government measures which they hope could save lives in the future.

Becky Spencer, whose brother Doug died when a pensioner turned across his motorcycle in February 2012, said they hoped the measures could save some families from experiencing a similar loss.

The petition calls for two measures – firstly a year-round campaign to promote driver awareness of motorcycles, and secondly some sort of compulsory assessment for elderly drivers to ensure their competence behind the wheel.

‘I know the government does a road safety campaign here but it is mainly concentrated at the TT and Manx Grand Prix periods,’ she said. ‘Local people are riding their bikes year round and also some residents go away for the TT and MGP weeks so they never see the campaigns at all.

‘There is sometimes a perception among drivers that it is the bike rider’s fault because they ride too fast or are being reckless so the message needs to be put out year round.’

Doug Spencer, aged 19, died on his way home from work when an 85-year-old driver turned across him into a driveway on the de-restricted section of road between Baldrine and Laxey. The driver admitted a charge of careless driving and a subsequent inquest ruled Mr Spencer’s bike would have been in view as the driver started to turn. The verdict was accidental death.

‘My dad also rides a motorcycle and is a TT and MGP scrutineer, and there does seem to be a few incidents over here involving bikers,’ she added.

‘I understand why old people want to carry on driving because it is part of their independence – but it is also for their safety as well as everyone else’s.’

What she would like to see is a test for eyesight as well as a test of elderly drivers’ reactions once they pass a certain age.

‘Everyone I’ve spoken to has been really keen and said they don’t understand how anyone could not think it was a good idea,’ she said.

A government spokesman said focused campaigns rather than continuous ones had more impact. For elderly drivers renewing their licence, medical conditions have to be declared and a medical assessment is made. Driving licences are issued for a maximum of 10 years up to 72. After that, drivers must then re-apply every three years to help catch medical conditions which develop.

The online petition started last Friday and so far has well over 100 signatures. It can be accessed at https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/isle-of-man-government-motorcycle-awareness-campaigns-and-tests-for-those-wishing-to-drive-after-70

THE first part of the Peel Road refurbishment plan is going to be completed more quickly than first announced.

Pulrose Bridge is due to close on Monday.

That closure was meant to last for nine weeks. But now that has been cut to five weeks.

The Department of Infrastructure said the change followed ‘an engineering review by the construction teams’.

The bridge is to be strengthened using concrete.

To speed up the works, additional concrete formwork equipment is being used so that several concrete pours can be undertaken at the same time instead of one after the other.

More workers will also be redeployed to the bridge work. They’re being taken away from other projects.

Monday’s Isle of Man Examiner will have more on this story.

IT is a year since Karen Hanly and Peter Halpin and their store, Hanly’s, won £3,000 worth of free advertising in the Business Accelerators Contest, backed by Isle of Man Newspapers.

Diamond House on Westmoreland Road, where Hanly’s is based, is also home to Salon Rouge, which is owned by Karen, but is a hive of activity for self-employed businesswomen who provide a wide range of hair and beauty treatments.

The building also has a very large warehouse and for the first couple of year’s trading the space was rented out by Karen and Peter as storage space.

Over time the couple came up with idea after idea of how the space could be put to better use.

Peter said: ‘One evening after work we sat at the table armed with a bottle of wine and the Yellow Pages and we literally went through it from start to finish looking at each and every business category and asked ourselves ‘Could we?’

IDEAS

‘Following on from this a number of possibilities stood out and we did more research to assess the viability of each idea. Unfortunately none of the ideas, which ranged from an international catering school with restaurant to a launderette could justify the level of investment that would be required – not only that but as strange as it may sound they didn’t feel right for the building.’

It was a couple of weeks after their brain-storming session that Karen came up with the idea of converting the warehouse into a gym. ‘I thought it was a great idea,’ said Karen, ‘but Pete was far less enthusiastic.

‘Generally speaking I am the ideas person and Pete, as the accountant, tries to rein me back in by talking numbers. It is one of the reasons we work so well together as a team. After about a week of carrying out some intensive market research it was actually Pete who suggested creating a ladies only facility.

‘There are a lot of women, myself included, who would like to go to the gym and keep fit but who are either too self-conscious when men are in the gym, or they simply won’t go at all. We didn’t need to think about it any more – this was going to happen.’

The couple say they have gone through every possible emotion imaginable up to January 21 this year when Warehouse Fitness opened its doors.

Peter said: ‘We brought in Peter Tyreman as our architect as we had worked with him before when he did plans for our home.

‘We didn’t expect the planning process to be easy but we hadn’t anticipated how emotionally draining it would be – even getting builders to tender for the work proved to be difficult and we had to put the project out to tender twice.

‘Eventually we appointed Carlton Construction as our contractors and work finally began in the summer.

DEVASTATED

‘I am always the cautious one who analyses everything to the nth degree – and so I was absolutely devastated when, two weeks after work had begun, I got a call from the bank to say they would not be able to offer us a loan.

‘I remember sitting in the car (which was parked at the side of the road) and feeling my world crashing down.

‘I went home and told Karen the news and I think we just sat in silence for about an hour.’

Peter had prepared a comprehensive business plan and the couple knew that the plans they had would work, but in these current times, with the credit departments of banks being far tighter with loan finance than they have ever been, they had not realised how significantly the bank would ‘‘discount’’ their projections.

The couple decided, perhaps with blind optimism, that somehow they could work things out.

They had some savings and so they knew the first few payments to the contractor were covered.

Over the course of the construction work Karen admits that there were a couple of occasions when they nearly rang the contractor and asked him to stop work but somehow, by scrimping and saving they managed to make the payments on time.

Karen said: ‘We were 65 per cent into the project with perhaps enough cash left for one more payment and Pete contacted the bank again with updated plans showing how much we had managed to invest ourselves.

‘At this point the bank came back very quickly with a positive response confirming they would see us through to the end.

‘The sheer relief was indescribable.’

VISION

The vision the couple had was to create a perfect place for women to exercise and socialise, while retaining the warehouse feel to the building. It certainly appears that their vision has been realised.

Not only have they invested significantly in the structure of the building, they have also given a lot of thought to the equipment and finishings.

The main gym area has a New York warehouse feel to it with its high metal beams and industrial air conditioning pipes.

There is even a view of the night time Manhattan skyline which has been beautifully painted by Dawn and Gemma from Interior Rehab.

There are some items of equipment that the couple believe are new to the island.

The treadmills include Virtual Active which is a suite of fully interactive, cinema quality, video based cardio workouts.

Users will be engaged on all levels as the workouts include audio soundtracks and ambient soundtracks in addition to stunning video footage.

The incline of the machine adjusts to match the terrain shown in the video. There are also two Krank Cycles which provide an upper body cardio workout – these can be used by everyone but importantly they also offer the opportunity of a cardio workout for members who are in wheelchairs or have limited leg mobility.

The gym also has two studios in which a wide variety of classes run from early morning until late evening and a separate strength training room.

But it seems Warehouse Fitness is not just about going to the gym to work out, there is a strong relaxation theme running through the building too.

RELAX

There is the spa area which houses a jacuzzi, sauna and aromatherapy steam room; a seaweed bath and salt rub treatment centre, and finally the Karma Coffee Lounge which is a tranquil place to relax either before, after, or even instead of the workout!

One large room in the building remains empty and the couple have applied for planning permission to use this as a crèche facility for gym members which will allow mums with young children to come to the gym.

Despite owning half of the business even Pete is not allowed into this women’s only development and the couple have employed a dynamic team to help them deliver the highest possible levels of customer service.

Ashleigh, Jess, Joanna, Kate, Lizzy and Rachel each bring different skills and experience to the team which helps to ensure all members are well looked after and there are classes available to suit everyone.

Karen freely admits that everything is not yet perfect.

‘At the end of the day Pete and I are not gym people and we do not have a franchise in the background.’

Phone – 679419

Email – info@warehousefitness.co.uk

Website – www.warehousefitness.co.uk

Facebook – warehousefitnessiom

ALL of the Isle of Man’s GPs will be meeting for an educational and training session on Tuesday afternoon next week.

This is a follow up to a successful meeting held in December last year.

Doctors’ surgeries will still be open and able to deal with simple queries, book routine appointments and deal with requests for repeat prescriptions. Practice nurses will also be available.

The Department of Health has provided GP cover based from surgeries in Douglas, the south and the north to deal with any urgent problems which cannot wait until the following day.

Patients should contact their own surgery, but may be phoned back by a GP from another area.

Urgent appointments and home visits will still be available but in the event of a life threatening illness it is recommended that the emergency services are contacted by dialling 999.

GPs have been working over the past few years with the Department of Health to provide a primary care service of high quality which is accessible and affordable. During this educational afternoon, GPs will have presentations from hospital consultants about chronic pain control and orthopaedic problems.

They will also be discussing drug and alcohol problems in the island, and how GPs can diagnose and treat psychological problems in young people more effectively to stop these continuing into adult life.

GPs have been working with their consultant colleagues to try to reduce hospital waiting lists by developing more skills in primary care.

Dr Alex Allinson, chair of the GP subcommittee, said: ‘This afternoon will allow GPs to provide a better and more comprehensive service to their patients.

‘We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this meeting, but trust that patients in the Isle of Man recognise the need for on-going GP training and development of services provided by their local surgery.’

OUR Chief Minister has an alter ego in St Albans – at least that’s the suggestion on a website which specialises in claiming compensation for people who opted out of public sector pension schemes.

The Bristol-based company, Cutting Edge Claims Ltd, trading as SerpsReviews.co.uk contains a column of glowing testimonials from its many satisfied customers who eulogise about the service and compensation they have received.

One of those featured, with photograph, is Mr R Hart of St Albans, who, under the heading ‘substantial offer’ tells readers: ‘In terms of outstanding customer service and knowledge I couldn’t have chosen a better company to manage my claim.

‘Every question I had was answered and I now have a greater understanding of my situation, this alone would have been worth it.

‘After two months I received a letter awarding me £13,000, I was also offered the option of cash and this of course is the option I took.

‘SerpsReviews did not charge me anything at all and I received the full amount offered. Needless to say I am extremely satisfied.’

But to even the least observant of readers, this clearly is not Mr R Hart of St Albans – or it’s not his photograph at least – because the smiling face on screen is none other than Chief Minister of the Isle of Man Government and Ramsey MHK Allan Bell.

IT seems Mr Bell was amused but somewhat nonplussed by his guest appearance on the web site.

A government spokesman on behalf of Mr Bell said: ‘We understand this site chooses images at random from the web to accompany its testimonials.

‘I think they were probably very surprised to discover that on this occasion they’d selected a photo of the political leader of the Isle of Man.

‘They have obviously been drawn to an image of a distinguished looking statesman, with a particularly honest and trustworthy appearance.

‘The £13,000 compensation mentioned would certainly have been very useful in these times of financial challenge.

‘On a more serious note, the Chief Minister has never endorsed this website and we have requested that the photo be removed.’

Mark Knight of SerpsReviews.co.uk was clearly surprised to find they were featuring the island’s top politician among their testimonials.

‘They are all genuine testimonials, and we have to be able to prove they are genuine,’ he assured the Manx Independent.

‘But the pictures we use on the website to go with them are stock images which are applied by the company that designs our web pages. We pay for each picture. None of them is of us or of anyone that we are aware of.

‘Of all the people we could have chosen...We did have to add an extra picture to the site recently and we probably googled something like ‘‘images of an older man’’ to find one.’

Since iomtoday contacted the firm, Mr Bell’s image has now been replaced with a picture of another man.

MANX actress and singer Samantha Barks is to film in the Isle of Man later this month for her latest starring role.

Filming has started on The Christmas Candle and the crew is due to arrive in the Isle of Man in late March.

The Christmas Candle is a festive story about miracles both ordinary and extraordinary, set in rural England in 1890.

Samantha has landed a lead role.

The talented young Lonan woman shared the stage at this year’s Oscars with the rest of the Les Miserables cast, including Hugh Jackman and Russell Crowe.

Also cast in The Christmas Candle are Susan Boyle, John Hannah, Hans Matheson, Lesley Manville and Sylvester McCoy (the sixth Doctor Who). The film will be directed by John Stephenson, who visited the island in 2003 to make Five Children and IT starring Eddie Izzard and Kenneth Branagh.

Samantha’s profile has been on a steady rise since making her name on BBC’s I’d Do Anything.

Samantha said: ‘Having just landed from the Academy Awards I had an hour to unpack and repack and get to set. I’m very excited to be part of The Christmas Candle and I’m loving every second.’

The Christmas Candle is a story based on the novel by bestselling author Max Lucado.

Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens in the small village of Gladbury – except at Christmas. Legend has it that every 25 years an angel visits the village candlemaker and touches a single candle.

Whoever lights the Christmas Candle receives a miracle on Christmas Eve.

But in 1890, all that is about to change.

With the arrival of David Richmond, a sceptical young minister, Gladbury’s humble candlemaker, Edward Haddington, must fight to preserve his family’s legacy. When the Christmas Candle goes missing, the miraculous and the human collide in the most astonishing Christmas the town of Gladbury has ever seen.

Laurence Skelly MHK, Member for Department of Economic Development with responsibility for film and media, said: ‘I’m pleased our recent partnership with Pinewood Shepperton continues to deliver quality productions to the island.

‘We all know that every film made here uses our local talent and skills, but on this occasion we are extremely proud that the Manx talent will be on-screen as well as off-screen! More importantly, it offers local businesses another opportunity to benefit from local spend – accommodation, retail, transport, facilities – towards the end of the off-peak tourist season.’

Isle of Man Film’s Hilary Dugdale added: ‘The Christmas Candle marks our 102nd production made since 1995. It is an uplifting story which has the makings of a seasonal classic and we hope it will be ready for December.’

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Samantha Barks is friends with actor Russell Crowe and they are not in a relationship, according to her father.

Sam was this week linked in the media to the Gladiator star.

Australian magazine New Idea magazine suggested that the couple had developed a ‘special relationship’.

But Sam’s father, Richard, who lives in Lonan, told the Daily Mail that Sam and Russell were ‘simply friends’ and not in a relationship.

Sam tweeted: ‘Rumours are hilarious and not true!’

GLENSIDE, the residential care home in Douglas, said goodbye to its last resident on Monday as it prepared to close down for good at Easter.

All 57 residents have now been moved to alternative accommodation after consultation with them and their families.

Douglas North MHK Bill Henderson expressed his anger at the closure, saying: ‘I’m desperately unhappy with the closure of this building. It has been a magnificent place over the past few decades.

‘I fought to stop this happening in 2008 with my colleague John Houghton. Hundreds of thousands were spent on a new kitchen and new cark park. We have a rising elderly population that needs to be cared for.

‘The government keep pumping out this spin that people want to stay at home as long as possible but it’s a complete mistruth. Of course people like to stay in their own home as long as they can, but there comes a time when a person will know themselves that they are too frail or feel too lonely to live at home, especially if they are on their own.’

He added: ‘That’s when they need a place like Glenside with the safety and security it provided. This has been a top factor in my constituency.

‘This “live at home” policy has been rolled around Britain from the Thatcher years. It’s a complete falsehood. It’s been proven that it actually costs more to care for someone at home than it does in a residential home.

‘The failings of this scheme were recently highlighted in the UK when one person was left for days after they died in their own home because the care providers had changed contracts and there was a mix up over who was providing care.

‘Our island’s elderly population has been potentially a ticking grey time bomb for 20 years now, the government needs to plan for it – it could cause a bigger explosion than the MEA and VAT.’

A spokesperson for the Department of Social Care said: ‘All the residents have now been moved and their care needs and preferences were discussed at great length with them and their families before they were relocated.

‘They have moved to various different locations around the island such as Reayrt Skyal in Ramsey, Thie Meanagh in Douglas and Southlands in Port St Mary.

‘All staff have either moved to other jobs, been transferred within departments or retired themselves.’

The Day Centre at Glenside, run by Age Concern, will also remain open until Easter.

SO many contenders have come to the table, and so many have fallen, at a Douglas restaurant’s mammoth burger-eating challenge.

One month into the Grill in the Park’s ‘Mann vs Food’ contest, only three people have managed to polish off the giant portion.

Challengers find themselves staring down the barrel of a two pound beef burger, topped with cheese, bacon, salad, mushrooms and served with chips and coleslaw.

They have 45 minutes to clear their plate and avoid the £17.50 price tag to eat free of charge.

Noble’s Park restaurant owner Stuart McMurdo explained: ‘I did it in my first ever restaurant 20-odd years ago, but with steak. I’ll be honest, it was good business. Two people would do it, but 10 more would come to watch.’

Staff weighed up whether the gimmick would ‘cheapen’ the restaurant, but decided a sense of fun would prevail and launched ‘Mann vs Food’ through Facebook. As Mr McMurdo put it: ‘It went crazy from there.’

The challenge for the restaurant is to strike a balance between the portion being modest enough so that people fancy their chances, but big enough so that the restaurant isn’t handing out free food every night.

And that balance looks to have been met, with 72 contenders so far, and just three victors finishing within 45 minutes.

Scotsman Stuart, who moved to the island with his Manx wife, said the competition has made for an interesting insight into the national character.

‘One of the things I’ve learned, is if you tell a Manx person “you can’t do that”, they’ll go on and give it a good go!’ he said.

‘£17.50 doesn’t break the bank if you fail either. We’ve had a table of 12 in who admitted none of them were likely to finish, they were there to have fun. One of them did it though!’

He admits not much money is made on the burgers themselves, but the buzz the challenge has created has been infectious, with customers at other tables sometimes even ordering extra drinks just to stay longer and watch. Challengers pose for a photograph before hand, and are presented with a white napkin to wave if they give up. Then the 45-minute countdown begins.

‘We don’t supervise, we trust them, and we’ve only had one person who we would’ve disqualified for cheating, but they didn’t finish anyway,’ said Stuart.

The concept for the next eating challenge is already being cooked up, as the chef develops a boneless pork rib to be served inside a giant bloomer. Stuart is even looking at making up t-shirts and little trophies to present.

Twenty-one-year-old Douglas man Matthew Rockwell was one of those who came to within a whisker of completing the challenge.

‘It was hard.

The burger is really nice and meaty, but the bread is the killer,’ he said, offering the following advice to future contenders: ‘Stack everything up on the burger, the bacon, the chips, everything, and eat it all together.

It’s definitely do-able!’

THERE were five more people out of work in the island in February compared with January, according to the latest statistics from the Treasury.

The total figure is 1,181.

It means the unemployment rate for the island is 2.6 per cent. In the UK, where unemployment has been falling in recent months, the rate was 7.8 per cent in January.

February’s data from the UK is not yet available.

Compared with a year earlier, 138 more people are out of work in the Isle of Man according to the official statistics.

There will be more detailed coverage of these figures in Monday’s Isle of Man Examiner.

IF you’ve been waiting to find out first-hand whether bendy buses are suitable for Manx roads, then you’re in luck.

The vehicles will be trialled on a number of routes tomorrow (Saturday), and the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure is eager to highlight the specific times due to a number of inquiries and interest from the public.

DCCL Minister Graham Cregeen MHK said: ‘We have been receiving many requests from people who would like to take part in the trial and see for themselves what the truth is about articulated buses.

‘To provide an opportunity to do this, we have scheduled an articulated bus to operate a limited number of services between Douglas and Ramsey on Saturday.’

He added: ‘The trial is providing very useful evidence to support an informed decision with regards to the suitability and safety of articulated buses on Manx roads.

‘While there have been some reliability issues due to the length of time the buses were idle, the trial is progressing well. We have encountered no major issues on the roads during school runs or positional services and the behaviour of pupils who have travelled on the articulated buses has been exemplary.’

The articulated bus will be operating on the following services:

Service 3 from Douglas to Ramsey, leaving Douglas at 9.40am

Service 3 from Ramsey to Douglas, leaving Ramsey at 10.47am

Service 5 from Douglas to Ramsey, leaving Douglas at 1.05pm

Service 3 from Ramsey bus shelter to Ramsey Cottage Hospital, leaving at 3.09pm

Service 6A from Ramsey to Douglas, leaving Ramsey at 3.55pm

Full timetables are available from {http://iombusandrail.info/|iombusandrail.info}

A SCHOOL is seeking the support of the public to help its garden grow.

Staff and pupils at St Ninian’s Lower School at Bemahague are creating a community garden in the corner of a sports field.

The plot will not only help pupils learn about growing things but will provide an ecological and sensory area for everyone to enjoy, as school grounds are open to the public.

Teacher Jim MacGregor said: ‘The garden is being designed by pupils and they will be learning how to grow and tend vegetables and plants.

‘We have marked out a 400 metre square plot and have 105 trees being delivered in mid-March, by the Woodland Trust, to form hedgerows.

‘We will then be getting into planting and developing the site.

‘The plan is to sell some of the produce grown so that any profits can be put back into the garden for new seeds and equipment for next year.’

Mr MacGregor said pupils from Year 7 to Year 9 – including children in the school’s progress zone, which includes the special needs unit – were involved in the project, the latter building bird and bat boxes for the garden in design and technology lessons.

He is hoping the community and companies will get behind the project. He said: ‘We would welcome donations of plants, seeds and manure but we are also in need of a potting shed and greenhouse, paving slabs or railway sleepers, sand and gravel, fruit trees, pairs of wellies and overalls and gardening tools.

‘We have a lot of enthusiasm but few resources, so any assistance would be welcomed.’

Anyone who can help should contact Mr MacGregor on 648900 or email him on J.MacGregor@snhs.sch.im

A NEW children’s activity initiative is to be trailed during the Easter holiday, aimed at primary school aged children to combine exercise and an appreciation of the natural world.

The pilot Go Wild and Get Active sports session will be held at Curraghs Wild Life Park in Ballaugh on Tuesday, March 26, operated by Manx Sport and Recreation (MSR), and uptake has been brisk with all 64 places already being snapped up.

Community sports development officer Kirsty Cooper said: ‘It has been taken up really well. It’s a mix of physical activity and learning about the animals.’

The four- to 11-year-olds will be split into two groups. Kirsty explained that exercise will be based around fun games on the ‘bouncing pillow’, and circuits and assault courses in the grassy areas.

The younger children will be guided around the butterfly trails, and take part in an animal actions circuit, where they will combine learning and exercising by mimicking characteristics of the animals as they are shown around the park, such as standing on one leg at the flamingoes and waddling with the penguins.

The older children will face a fact-finding mission using the information at each enclosure.

MSR’s Gianni Epifani said: ‘The scheme has really come about by Manx Sport and Recreation and the Curraghs Wild Life Park, exploring opportunities to work together, and you could argue, the scheme is a good example of two divisions within the same department (DCCL) working well together and utilising resources.

‘The scheme offers an opportunity to marry exercise and wild life and I’m sure, it will offer a great experience for the children who attend during Easter.’

He added that if the pilot scheme goes well, follow up events in the summer for young people and adults at the park during the summer would be considered.

A TEAM of volunteers smashed the record for beach cleaning in the Isle of Man after collecting an incredible 75 bags of rubbish in just over an hour at Ballaugh Cronk at the weekend.

Many residents from the nearby area, some of whom were volunteering for the first time, joined in the session organised by Beach Buddies.

The session was also supported by two members of Ballaugh Commissioners – Heather Melvin and Peter Cannan – who have been keen supporters of beach cleaning along the parish coastline.

Ballaugh is well known as one of the main collection points for rubbish, but the huge amounts of debris – particularly plastic bottles – was a daunting prospect for the volunteers as they started the session.

Regular volunteer Tim Cross, who took part with his wife Jane, said: ‘A stretch of beach approximately 500 metres long was well and truly covered in litter, with one section that had an incredible amount of plastic bottles. The heart sank.’

However, around 90 minutes later the area had been totally cleared of all rubbish, with more than 1,600 plastic bottles separated by the volunteers for recycling, together with a large bag of tins cans and metal.

Numerous large plastic barrels, commercial fishing gear and nets, and one full barrel of used diesel oil, were also amongst the massive collection.

‘The glorious weather conditions undoubtedly made a difference,’ said Beach Buddies organiser Bill Dale.

‘But every single one of the volunteers has to be congratulated for the exceptional effort to completely clear an area of coastline which is well known as having a constant litter problem. We had 45 volunteers, which is a record number for Ballaugh, and collected 75 bags full of rubbish, which beats the previous record set last autumn by PokerStars staff at Gansey.

‘It was a truly fantastic effort by everyone – and I think everyone left with a great sense of achievement.’

The next ‘Big Team’ beach cleaning session will be staged this Sunday morning at Fisher’s Hill, starting at 10.30am for one hour. Litterpickers, gloves and bin bags will be provided by Beach Buddies, who will also arrange for collection and/or recycling of all rubbish collected.

Volunteers are advised to wear warm clothing and good walking boots – and new volunteers are warmly welcomed to join in.

This week, Liz Kelly, a former co-ordinator of IoM Friends of the Earth and longtime campaigner, looks at developments in how pedestrians and traffic co-exist – and wonders if there’s a better way.

‘Naked roads’ is a term used for a way of managing traffic by taking away such street furniture as traffic lights, stop signs, crossings, railings and speed bumps. It’s been introduced in countries such as Holland, Germany and Sweden – perhaps surprisingly, with really positive effects.

The approach has also been trialled in parts of England.

Meanwhile, in the Isle of Man, we continue to separate pedestrians from traffic by putting railings along the roadside at junctions, and by installing ever more sets of traffic lights.

One of the problems with this is that the railings inhibit the freedom of pedestrians, so that cars don’t need to slow down (or at least, their drivers perceive this to be the case).

Thus, the cars take precedence and proceed at a pace to suit their drivers.

Furthermore, traffic lights take the drivers’ attention away from the road to the lights.

We all know how dangerous it is to look at a mobile phone while driving a car – yet signs and traffic lights are taking our attention away from the road all the time.

A recent audit done by Westminster City Council showed 44 per cent of personal injury accidents are at traffic lights.

Traffic lights make us stop when we could go, and take our eyes off the road.

So before we continue with this line of trying to separate motorists and pedestrians, we might well look at the alternatives.

In many senses, motorists have been made arrogant by the system and have been encouraged by authority to believe that they do own the roads: after all, they pay the road tax – so the roads are theirs!

The counterargument to this is, of course, that paying road tax doesn’t mean that those roads belong to them anymore than the street lights belong to rate payers.

In terms of managing the risks of mixing people and traffic, that old bugbear ‘Health and Safety’ has, as many of us know, taken over from good old common sense.

One of the main problems with it is that people have become so cocooned by it that in some cases they have stopped thinking for themselves and rather rely on the world being a safe place.

Unfortunately, however, this can have the opposite effect and people become complacent.

Drivers and pedestrians alike feel safe in the knowledge that road signs and signals will allow them a certain amount of ‘autopilot’, and the inevitable consequence is that motorists increase their speeds.

If the autopilot feature was removed or reduced due to lack of signage, then both parties would have to concentrate more keenly and this would slow motorists down and make them more aware and careful drivers.

You may wonder where the good old cyclist features, vilified as he so often is by drivers and pedestrians alike.

In my opinion he/she is a hero of the roads. Many European countries allow cyclists on the pavements – and before all you pedestrians start shouting, it can actually be a good idea.

A collision between a cyclist and a pedestrian is unlikely to end in death.

In fact both or either could be injured. You certainly can’t say the same for a car driver and a cyclist – or worst still a bus or lorry driver and a cyclist.

Yet cyclists are expected to share the same area that pedestrians are cocooned from. One has to wonder where the logic is in that.

Where street furniture – and at the extreme, even pavements – are removed, it’s been proved that everyone behaves more responsibly.

A small but good example of where this works is the North Quay scheme in Douglas – a great case of where we’ve really got it right.

Should we be considering extending this further? It’d be good to hear peoples’ thoughts.

If you’re interested in exploring this idea further, you might like to check out the following links:

• {http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4213221.stm|news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4213221.stm}

• {http://

• {http://

And if you’re interested to join a group campaigning for greener, more environmentally friendly transport (among a multiplicity of other things!) please contact iomfoe@manx.net, or check out our website at {http://www.foe.org.im.foe.org.im} – and come along to one of our monthly meetings to get involved.

We’d love to see you!

SAM Barks is in line to pick up a best female newcomer award from a leading industry magazine – and you can help.

The Manx actress and singer, who performed alongside fellow Les Miserables cast members at the the recent Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles, has made the shortlist of five compiled by Empire.

The prizes are decided by public opinion, and people are able to vote on the publication’s website at {http://www.empireonline.com/awards2013/|empireonline.com/awards2013/}

The winners will be announced on Sunday, March 24.

In October the 22-year-old picked up a coveted Hollywood Spotlight Award at the Hollywood Film Awards Gala Ceremony. And more good news followed when Les Miserables won three Oscars at the 85th Academy Awards – Anne Hathaway was named best supporting actress, Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell won best makeup and hairstyling, and the film also took the prize for best sound mixing.

In his recent Budget speech, Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK announced Sam, who attended Laxey School and St Ninian’s High School, in Douglas, would star in the next Isle of Man Film production.

‘Our latest film will be A Christmas Candle starring Susan Boyle and our own Sam Barks, which will begin filming in the next few weeks,’ he revealed.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/sam-barks-to-start-filming-christmas-movie-on-home-soil-1-5472923|Sam Barks to start filming Christmas movie on home soil}

RAMSEY Town Commissioners were critical of a government bill to introduce a register for landlords and enforce minimum standards of privately rented properties.

Members of the authority questioned the need for new legislation, though acknowledged the bill contained a number of good ideas.

The stated aim of the Department of Social Care’s Landlord and Tenant (Private Housing) Bill is to balance the rights of landlords and tenants in the private sector. It would require landlords to be registered, and along with letting agents comply with minimum standards set out by the DSC. Landlords who do not meet the minimum standards could be made to use a letting agent to manage their properties, and the legislation would empower the department to inspect properties and enforce standards.

Consideration could also be given to introducing of a fair rent system, or rent controls.

Commissioner Graham Jones said: ‘This is not the way to monitor housing, it’s yet another component of the inexorable time bomb toward total authoritarian control.’

He said that minister Chris Robertshaw had indicated it was only a tiny percentage of privately rented properties were thought to be sub-standard.

Mr Jones added: ‘It just sets up another tier of government. We need to give teeth to the existing legislation. I don’t applaud this document.

‘There are rules and regulations within the environmental health act. If they are not tough enough, then make them tougher.’

Lawrie Hooper agreed that telling good landlords they have to pay letting agents and registration fees could just end up driving rent prices up.

‘I agree with minimum standards,’ said Mr Hooper, ‘but this will just drive people out.’

However Dr Alex Allinson found some positives. ‘The reality is you are paying a premium price for a flat in Ramsey, you can pay £900 in today’s market. Some kind of rent control in the future can be an aspiration. If left to the market (to determine prices), we will have homeless people on the streets.

‘We debate long and hard about our own housing, yet there is a great disparity in the private sector. Most are properties of quite good standard, but you do get some that aren’t, with unscrupulous landlords and people should be protected from that.’

He added: ‘The one problem I have is another tier of government. It would create two extra jobs in government. Why don’t they allow the current people in stock to do the job? There are people who already inspect homes for a living.’

SMOKERS are to be reminded how much money they spend on their habit in the government’s latest attempt to cut the number of people who light up.

No Smoking Day’s theme this year is ‘Swap Fags for Swag’.

Focus groups showed that the cost of smoking is one of the main drivers for quitting. While health and family are also high on the list, it is the cost which gives many people the final incentive to quit.

The campaign is based on an average packet of cigarettes costing £7, and highlights what you could buy if you quit smoking for one day, one week, three months and a year. This ranges from a ‘swanky new lipstick’ or ‘taking the kids to the cinema’, to buying a ‘new TV’ or ‘taking the holiday of a lifetime’.

On Saturday, between noon and 3pm, as part of the island’s No Smoking Day activities, advisors from the Quit4You Stop Smoking Service will be based in Regent Street in Douglas, working from the Ambulance Service’s health improvement vehicle. They will be offering free carbon monoxide readings, plenty of tips to quit smoking, and a competition guessing the cost of cigarettes.

There will also be a ‘Big Cigarette’ parading in Strand Street, and balloons to giveaway.

On Wednesday next week, the Quit4You Team will be at the Isle of Man College’s health fair between 9.30am and 1pm; in Noble’s Hospital foyer between 12.30pm and 2pm, and at Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital’s training toom from 4pm to 5pm with the public welcome to come along to find out more information and support on offer.

Minister for Health, David Anderson MHK, said: ‘It’s important to remember that No Smoking Day is not about pressurising people to quit, but letting people know about free help and support that’s available if they do want to take that first step. Evidence shows that people are four times more likely to quit smoking if they combine using a product, such as nicotine replacement therapy, with sessions at their local stop smoking services.’

Anita Imberger, tobacco strategy coordinator, said: ‘Our Quit4You Team offer weekly drop-in clinics all around the island, providing practical advice, support and encouragement to anyone who wants to quit, and they’ll be available in Regent Street as well on March 9.’

As part of No Smoking Day activities, primary schools in the island were also invited to take part in a UK competition to design a poster around the theme of ‘What would you do with £49?’, which is the money the average smoker spends on cigarettes each week.

For more information about our local Stop Smoking Service, visit www.Quit4You.gov.im, phone Quit4You (Public Health) on 642404, or e-mail tobacco@gov.im.

For No Smoking Day posters or leaflets for your area, phone public health resources on 642645.

THE 2013 annual Relay for Life has been launched.

The 24-hour relay is open to everyone and takes place at the National Sports Centre track, on Saturday, August 24, from midday.

Dot’s Dream Foundation is organising this year’s relay and at the launch, outlined its ambitious aim – to raise £50,000 for Cancer Research UK to add to the £130,000 donated in the island since 2010.

Nicola Pitts said: ‘We want to put Relay For Life on the map and make it into one of the most eagerly anticipated annual community events in the island’s social calendar.’

About 60 people attended the launch at the Crescent, in Douglas, including survivors, new and existing teams and supporters.

There was a presentation by the committee on the reasons the relay is special to them and Celton Manx was announced as the event’s sponsor for the third year.

The campaign is intended not to be a sponsored event but a campaign by teams to fundraise in fun and inspirational ways, culminating in the 24-hour event.

Social, charity, corporate and school teams of all abilities are invited to join the eight teams that have already entered.

Nicola said: ‘Teams just need to register, get fundraising, then turn up on the day and celebrate their achievements.

‘We have motivated our teams to start fundraising early, whether they want to hold a big event, or save their pennies in a collection box, hold a cake sale or dress down day at work for example.

‘The emphasis is on you and your team having fun.’

The relay is over 24 hours to represent the fact that cancer never sleeps.

Survivors – anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis – together with their carers can register for free and are guests of honour.

They set off the event by completing the opening lap.

There will also be a Candle of Hope ceremony, where bags with candles inside are lit up for people to remember their loved ones.

She said: ‘In 2012 around 450 people took part in some way, and we’re hoping for around 500 this year and have exciting plans for family activities, games and entertainment through the whole 24 hours.’

Former Douglas Mayor Dot Pitts entered the relay in its first year, 2010, and Dot’s Dream Foundation entered a team in both 2011 and 2012.

There are more than 6,000 relays world-wide for Cancer Research UK. All the funds raised in the Isle of Man are designated and go directly to cancer research in the areas and centres that treat Isle of Man patients.

Register or donate online at relay.cancerresearchuk.org

Nicola said: ‘Cancer Research UK scientists are at the heart of most of the successes in cancer treatment that our patients benefit from now.

‘One in three people are diagnosed with cancer in their lives, but more and more people survive thanks to research.’

For more details email the committee at relayiom@gmail.com or go to the Relay for Life Isle of Man Facebook page.

THE Mountain Road remains closed this afternoon due to poor weather conditions.

The A18 Mountain Road, the B10 Beinney Phott Road and the A3 Tholt y Will road were closed overnight as snow settled on the mountain.

Conditions were reviewed by the police at 7am and again at 9am but the roads remained closed.

Another review will take place at 5pm.