Entrepreneur Chris Sams Rafferty, has branched out to form Pomegranate PR with husband and business partner, Kevin Rafferty.

She said: ‘We’ve been using our marketing and business skills on our own brands for several years, including our award winning natural and organic skincare company, Pomegranate Organics, which continues to grow.

‘When the opportunity to work with a brand new company in a completely different field arose a few months ago we handled the branding, wrote the copy for and designed the website, as well as creating materials and graphics for a UK launch.

‘One thing led to another and we quickly found ourselves with more projects and Pomegranate PR was created,’

The 57-year-old of Tromode told Business News that she could see room for another marketing/pr business in the island.

She added: ‘There’s no pretence at being a big full service agency, we’re small with loads of experience and low overheads and we can call on a small group of trusted freelancers if we need them for specific projects.

‘There seems to be a niche for this type of business in the current economic climate and we are happy to fill it.’

Pomegranate PR also offers business support services.

Kevin Rafferty heads up that side of the business offering administration, management and executive support services to businesses and family offices as well as executive mentoring and advice on all aspects of corporate governance.

Mrs Sams Rafferty was once managing director of international marketing communications agency, High Profile Marketing, for 15 years with offices in the Isle of Man, the UK and Ireland.

She used to run a Pomegranate shop in Onchan but this closed about two and a half years ago.

The business is now mainly run online although she does go to shows and exhibitions and still keeps in touch with customers.

One of her pals is BBC Radio 2 personality Janey Lee Grace who has championed some of the Pomegranate products over the years.

Find more about Pomegranate PR at www.pomegranatepr.com

The island’s Food and Drink Festival gets under way on Saturday.

The festival continues to be the promotion of local produce and businesses, and visitors this year will be able to experience new activities, meet new producers, taste a new beer and see a unique demonstration.

New producers to the festival include Noa Bakery with artisan breads, Mannbiltong with their tasty Manx beef speciality and Manx Pies to Go, made on the island with locally-produced ingredients.

In the CAMRA bar, visitors will be able to enjoy PC Brew, recently launched by Bushy’s to mark 150 years of the Manx police force and Manx coffee porter, brewed by the Doghouse Brewery for the CAMRA festival earlier in the year.

New activities in the Farm in the Festival area include a demonstration of the complete production chain from newly harvested wheat, through flour making to baked breads. Meet some farmers, find out more about Laxey Glen Mills flour, collect some recipes and be inspired to bake. Visitors will also be able to see where their milk comes from – straight from a cow.

Conor Cummins is well known to many – but probably not as a pancake maker, aided and abetted by Dot Tilbury. See him in action on Sunday at 3pm.

For full details of the programme, including demonstrations by The Fabulous Baker Brothers, go to {www.gov.im/food|This site}

Youngsters can try out locally-made produce, ride on mini-tractors, see farm animals, and much more at an open day and produce show being held at The Children’s Centre’s Community Farm on Saturday, September 28.

The Farm, based at Wallberry Farm on the Carnane Estate off the Old Castletown Road in Douglas, will also play host to a wellie-throwing tournament, a scarecrow competition and archery – and there will also be a produce show with lots of cake classes for baking enthusiasts.

Chrissy Cannell, farm team leader, said: ‘We have had a fantastic response to all the open days we have held so far, so we wanted to organise another event to allow more people to see what we do at The Community Farm and have a fun day out in the process.

‘One of our main aims at The Community Farm is to reconnect people with the countryside and to devise fun ways for them to discover how farms work. As well as being fun many of the events at the open day have an educational aspect to them.’

The open day takes place from 10.30am to 3.30pm. As there is no parking at The Community Farm those travelling to the open day by car are asked to leave their vehicles at Kewaigue School car park.

There is no fee for parking and there will be a free shuttle bus service from the car park to The Community Farm every 15 minutes.

Since The Community Farm project began in January 2011, staff and volunteers have been creating an environment in which children and young people from across the Island can learn, from practical experience, the skills needed to care for animals and to grow crops.

Visitors will be able to find out more about the range of projects which help the island’s community.

The Community Farm is a charitable project run by The Children’s Centre and relies on donations and voluntary workers supporting the project.

A family-run Manx food producer has shown that when it comes to business success, the proof really is in the pudding.

For a second year running, Berries at Aaron House in Port St Mary have triumphed at the Guild of Fine Food’s Great Taste Awards with an old family recipe which has been passed down through their family by a Great Aunt.

Last year, they scooped a major 3 Star Gold Award for their Vintage Manx Christmas Pudding – an accolade that resulted in Berries supplying the iconic top London department store Fortnum & Mason.

This year it was the turn of their Manx Traditional Christmas Pudding aged with a Fine Cognac to win the plaudits, picking up the highest award again with 2 Gold Stars.

Kathryn Berrie, founder of Berries, said: ‘We are thrilled to learn of this new award. It really does prove that quality does shine through.’

Berries have experienced incredible success this year. They now supply Partridges of London – a prestigious Royal Warrant holder – and numerous high-end delicatessens and food halls across the UK.

The Great Taste Awards are the acknowledged benchmark for speciality food and drink in the UK and have been described as the Oscars of the food world. Nearly 10,000 products were entered this year.

All of Berries’ award winning products will be available to buy at this year’s Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival at the Villa Marina Gardens this weekend.

Because of limited space, the Christmas Puddings are only made in small batches and customers are advised to pre-order their pudding as soon as possible (due to the limited number available).

To place on order telephone 835702 or visit Berries’ new mail-order website www.berries.co.im which is due to launch at the beginning of November this year.

The car park at South Barrule plantation could be extended if government planners approve the application.

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture has applied (13/91013/B) for the work at the car park, at Shoulder Road, near Foxdale.

If approved, 40 additional parking spaces, including two disabled spaces, would be created.

In the application it states: ‘Extension of existing car park at South Barrule Plantation to accommodate additional requirements due to new recreational developments in the area including Ape Mann Adventure Park.’

Work would include removing tree stumps and filling in hollows, depressions and ditches.

Crushed slate would be used and the slope of the extension would be graded to match the existing car park.

New post and rail fencing would be installed to mark the car park’s boundary and two gates would be fitted to provide access into and out of the car park extension.

As well as Ape Mann Adventure Park, which opened in the plantation this year, there are also mountain bike trails to enjoy.

And opposite the car park, in Watertrough Park Plantation, Laser-Mayhem offers participants the change to play laser tag.

PokerStars, based in Onchan, is one of the largest egaming companies and operates the two largest online poker sites in the world: PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

The firm, which boasts more than 85 million registered players, recently passed the milestone of dealing their one hundred billionth hand of online poker.

Head of corporate communications Eric Hollreiser reveals why the Isle of Man is a great place to do business and why the company is pleased to be sponsoring the award for Volunteer of the Year at this year’s Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence at the Villa Marina on November 21.

‘Volunteerism, and the responsibility that comes with the idea of being a volunteer, is really part of the fabric and culture of this company, from the founders and senior executives on down.

‘It’s something we believe in strongly and encourage among our employees because we recognise that the gift of time to a charity or a community cause can be just as valuable as a gift of money.’

He cites the example of the day last winter when the snow fell and a call went out to help farmers rescue sheep buried in drifts.

‘Our Head of Corporate Giving went round the office, looking for volunteers: by lunchtime we had 60 people – including our CEO – out with wellies and shovels, helping in the search,’ recalls Eric.

PokerStars’ presence in the island began seven years ago with just six people. Since then, they have grown into an organisation which now employs 1,600 people around the world.

The Isle of Man is home to their corporate headquarters and all their senior executives are based here, among more than 200 staff.

It’s no accident that PokerStars has thrived in the island: it was carefully chosen for a number of reasons, as Eric explains.

‘A number of years ago, the Isle of Man created a very sound, smart, forward-looking set of regulations around egaming, building on the strengths the island already had in finance, insurance and regulating complex global businesses. We found that their regulatory scheme was very consistent with the way we look at the business: that is, being very responsive and responsible to consumers, and focussing on the key elements of our business where it’s important that things are done right, such as security and IT protection and consumer fund protection.

‘That was first and foremost why we came. Second was the technical infrastructure here: existing businesses on the island with the knowledge to manage a complex-IT-driven business. ‘

To illustrate why the technical infrastructure is important, Eric goes on to explain that, at any given moment, around 400,000 people can be playing poker online, all at the same time:

‘We hold the Guinness Record for the largest ever single online tournament where we had 225,000 people playing in one tournament, with hands being dealt and chips put into the pot on thousands of tables simultaneously.’

As well as the online game, PokerStars is also one of the largest producers of live poker tournaments around the world and will soon to be sponsoring the first-ever visit of the UK and Ireland Poker Tour to the Isle of Man at the Villa at the end of October.

Poker, Eric says, is not just about luck: ‘Skill plays a very important role in the outcome of the game. It’s about understanding probability and numbers, as well as luck, but there is skill involved in what you do during the course of a hand or a game – each hand includes a number of skill-based decisions, which is why the best players keep on winning in poker.’

‘You also need a lot of stamina to play in tournaments: a lot of poker players have very rigorous exercise regimes and poker attracts a lot of former athletes like Boris Becker. Another more recent convert is Rafa Nadal who represents PokerStars around the world. He’s just learning poker and absolutely loving it - it really feeds his competitive spirit!’

Last year, PokerStars brought another bit of excitement to the island when they acquired the Irish online company, Full Tilt Poker. As well as moving their licence to the Isle of Man, the acquisition also entailed bringing the company’s enormous servers over from Dublin. This was such a major logistical undertaking that they had to hire a giant Hercules transport plane, more commonly used for carrying troops and military vehicles, to do the job.

Eric believes that the Isle of Man has proved to be a great place to do business because of the business-friendly environment the government has created: ‘You can establish a business here in a really efficient way that is competitive around the world,’ he says, adding:

‘We’ve been very happy with our experience here in the Isle of Man. I think we have been a very responsible, responsive and successful company here partly because of our belief in being part of the community and hiring in the community whilst also bringing in talent and experience to the island. I think we’ve grown into being a highly respected company where a lot of people want to work and that makes us all very happy and proud.’

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Do you work tirelessly for your favourite charity, or your local community? Maybe you know someone else whose efforts you think should be recognised?

If so, you have until October 5 to submit your entry.

Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence offers awards in sixteen different categories, covering private sector businesses, public sector and charitable organisations and individual awards.

This year’s Awards Night will take place on November 21 at the Villa and will be compered by Hugh Dennis, the star of BBC television’s hit comedy, ‘Outnumbered’.

You can find entry forms for all the award categories at www.iomtoday.co.im/afe

In a Manx Sound Exchange special, we recall events in April, when the musical community banded together to raise money for popular Port Erin guitarist Dave Lang, who had fallen seriously ill in Croatia. Dave tells his story in his own words

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The gist of the story was that I had fallen seriously ill in Zadar, Croatia, and had to undergo emergency surgery. My family faced mounting medical bills so Lenny Conroy of Triskel Promotions organised a fundraising gig at Port Erin’s The Bay, featuring many of the island’s musicians. The gig raised over £1,000 to support my family and me.

During my recovery my younger daughter, who had made an announcement about me at that gig, brought a copy of the April 29 Isle of Man Examiner with her when she next visited me, and I was immensely moved by the level of support I’d been given by Manx people. The story of the fundraising gig was even covered in the Croatian press, which I discovered later.

This is an outline of what happened at the time of my surgery and since.

I was suddenly taken ill at the home of my Croatian partner, Marinela Djakovic in the evening of April 17 and taken by ambulance to Zadar Hospital. By sheer good fortune the admitting doctor recognised the symptoms as Type A Aortic Dissection; the rupture of the abdominal aorta. This is relatively rare, extremely dangerous, and potentially life-threatening, requiring immediate surgery. Mortality is very high – many patients don’t even survive the journey to a hospital!

The nearest hospital with the necessary skills is Firule in Split, a three-hour ambulance journey. I was immediately transferred there and by the early hours of April 18 I was in surgery. The surgeons in Split told Marinela I had only a one per cent chance of survival! I was clinically dead three times during surgery but recovered each time, to the amazement of the surgeons and nurses. The operation lasted 17 hours; my aorta and the aortic valve at the top of my chest were completely reconstructed.

After the surgery I spent several days hooked up to a respirator and dialysis, and the surgeons didn’t know whether or not my brain had been affected by the loss of oxygen. Marinela stayed nearby throughout, and my two daughters travelled to Split so they would be with me when I came round. My elder daughter, Amelia, is a student at Salford University and my younger daughter, Elise, lives and works in the Isle of Man. They were the first people I saw when I regained consciousness – and thank God I hadn’t suffered brain damage! I recognised them, I could talk, and I was in one piece – although at that stage I had no idea where I was or what had happened to me.

The rest of the story is just as dramatic. The surgeons described my survival as miraculous, I was known as ‘the miracle man’. However, I had a huge shock two weeks after surgery when my physiotherapist tried to get me to stand up for the first time, and I realised I couldn’t. I was so weak and I was also having problems with many of my motor functions – I couldn’t co-ordinate. This was normal because of the length and type of surgery, as well as having had many blood transfusions during the operation.

I was transferred from Firule in Split to Zadar Hospital at the beginning of May to continue rehabilitation. I was finally discharged from Zadar Hospital at the end of May. I could still barely walk and I’d had to re-learn a lot of motor skills, e.g. brushing my teeth while standing up without falling over!

Gradually, thanks to great Croatian food and care from Marinela, regular visits to Zadar by my daughters and sister, and wonderful support from the many friends I’ve made in Zadar, I started to make good progress. I exercised regularly inside and outside our apartment, pushing myself to walk further every day. By the end of June I was able to walk reasonable distances, up to 3km (against medical advice, but I was pushing the limits). Every day I got stronger and by the beginning of August I was even able to ride my bicycle again – something I didn’t think I’d be able to do for many months. That enabled me to go back to parts of the Zadar coastline which I love but hadn’t seen since before my surgery.

I’m acutely aware that in spite of the great progress, I’m still at high risk. There is a danger the aortic dissection could recur at any time over the next two years, without warning, but since the surgery my whole philosophy has changed. Before, it was very easy to say ‘live for the moment’ without really appreciating its true meaning. Now, I am so grateful when I wake up every morning for having the chance to live another day; I know I’m living on borrowed time and I never take anything for granted. More than ever before, I always look on the good side of things now, not the bad. I hope that makes sense.

One more thing; I’m a musician and one of the things which really distressed me when I finally came out of hospital was that I was too weak to play guitar. However, some of my closest friends in Zadar are writers and musicians and two of them put gentle pressure on me to gradually start playing again. The crowning achievement of my recovery so far was when, on August 26, I played with these musicians in a nine-piece band in a short concert in the ninth century church of St Donatus. This church is the ‘symbol’ of Zadar so playing there meant so much to them and to me – a very special occasion, and a sign that I was well on the way to recovery.

The regular visits by my daughters played a key role and were only possible because of the fundraising gig at The Bay and financial support from friends in the Isle of Man, the UK and abroad.

Also, although insurance paid for the bulk of my medical fees I still had to find a percentage of the cost myself as well as paying for prescriptions. The surgery alone cost £10,000! I couldn’t have met those costs without help from the fund set up after the Bay gig as well as individual contributions. That support also helped me travel back to the island last week. I’d been told that I would never be able to fly on a commercial airline again because the change in pressure could damage the repaired aorta. However, a cardiologist I saw privately told me my heart was strong and healthy – which had undoubtedly been the reason I’d survived surgery which would have killed many people – so there was no reason why I could not fly. So last week I did. My elder daughter Amelia flew to Zadar to ‘collect’ me and bring me home as I’m not allowed to carry heavy bags! Again, the fund was absolutely invaluable in covering our travel expenses back to the island.

I would just like to say thank you to everyone who cared and helped us. Thank you to everyone who supported me and whose kindness helped me to recover against all the odds.

Success is brewing for one Douglas coffee shop employee.

Szilard Hathazi has been named the best barista in Costa’s individual franchise estate, which includes more than 330 outlets.

And he is now set to compete against Costa UK regional finalist winners in the UK finals in Telford next month in a bid to compete in the world final.

Szilard, who works in the Sea Terminal outlet in Douglas, created espressos, lattes, cappuccinos, flat white coffees and his own speciality drink to impress the judges.

But he still has some way to go to secure a place at the Champion of Champions finals at Vinopolis in London on October 23.

Originally from Romania, the 28-year-old lives in Douglas and has worked for franchise-holders Fancy A Coffee for the past two and a half years.

During this time he has developed his coffee making skills by creating a variety of coffees as well as his own speciality drink, Cassis Cortado, which combines blackcurrant, chocolate and ristretto.

Szilard said of his success: ‘People in the Isle of Man have a special appreciation for coffee and many of my customers share in my passion which is fantastic.

‘I love keeping up to date with current trends and trying new and innovative things with coffee. I can’t wait until the final next month when I hope to be in the top three and get a place in the Champion of Champions final.’

Asked how he learnt his trade, Szilard said: ‘We do in-store training and I was trained by the manager in the 65 Strand Street shop two years ago.

‘To become a barista I had to complete a written test about Costa and then a practical test. We have to make all the drinks to a high standard.’

If Szilard is crowned overall champion he will win a 10-day trip for two, with spending money, to a country of his choice with a Costa connection.

And ever dedicated to his trade, he said that he would like to go on something of a busman’s holiday where he could find out more about coffee – possibly Brazil!

The Costa Barista of the Year competition first launched in the UK in 2006.

It operates on a global scale where contestants from all of Costa’s 28 international markets can compete for the Champion of Champions title.

Previous finalists have helped to influence future drink ranges, working alongside specialists to develop the chocolate and orange mocha latte drink, launching this September.

A proposed hike in the fees charged to keep a boat by Port St Mary’s outer breakwater – from £104 to £180 – has outraged boat owners who have outlined their concerns in letters to the local authority.

Port Erin resident Peter Addison wrote: ‘I am far from happy about this – the plot at the moment is only a rough bit of land.’

There are ‘a number of boats and trailers’ which have been abandoned, he wrote, adding: ‘May I suggest you remove all items from these plots and rent them out again, thus earning an income and keeping our rentals at a reasonable amount’.

He said he wants to keep his plot and asked if the £180 new fee could be reduced.

Boat owners Mark Teese and Ian Scott also wrote in opposition to the proposed hike: ‘We think that the proposed new annual cost is nothing short of extortionate given the state/condition of the park at this time.

‘A few years ago rentals were massively increased and improvements were promised at that time, however, to this date none have been forthcoming.’

They asked for details about the ‘proposed improvements and when they will be done’.

They added it would be wise to consult with boat owners about any improvements to the area ‘and what is practical to implement’.

The boat bays are not surfaced properly or defined, they need more ‘tie down points’, electric or water points, and markings such as double yellow lines to stop cars parking in front of the boats, they wrote.

They asked the local authority: ‘How can you justify such a massive increase on what at present is an area of waste ground?’

At their meeting on September 4, Port St Mary commissioner Rebecca Sinfield proposed they discuss the matter in private and subsequently make any decision made known to the public in due course.

It is understood a statement was to be made at a meeting yesterday (Wednesday) evening, after the Manx Independent went to press.

A new rewards system at Ballakermeen High School is already proving popular with both students and staff.

From the start of the school term, the Douglas school scrapped its ‘merits’ rewards system, which deputy head teacher Annette Baker described as being ‘quite unwieldy’ and ‘not meaning anything’ to the students.

It has been replaced with Vivo Miles, an online rewards system which is being introduced in a growing number of schools in the UK.

It works by giving students the opportunity to trade in ‘Vivos’ which they have earned and then saved up to exchange for goods in an online shop.

At present, items in the online shop include top-up cards with Manx Telecom, vouchers for Sure Strike bowling centre in Ramsey, Subway vouchers and a Laser Mayhem experience for two.

Students can also choose for a donation to be made to an appointed charity.

Mrs Baker said: ‘So far, we have had very positive feedback from both staff and students.’

She said it provided an ‘extra incentive’ for students to perform at their best and ‘keeps student morale high’.

Points are awarded for positive achievements both inside and outside the classroom.

Staff have chosen 12 categories so far, including improvement in achievement, excellent achievement and out of hours learning.

Students are also awarded for making a positive contribution to the school or the wider community, and outstanding sporting achievement.

Mrs Baker said: ‘There’s an ever-increasing number of categories as staff decide they would like different things from the rewards system.’

In addition, Mrs Baker said teachers can add their own individual categories, for example, to encourage students to bring in the necessary materials from home for an art class.

At the moment, points can be awarded to students by teachers, learning support staff and administration staff but it could soon be extended to the school caretakers too.

Students and their parents can log into the rewards system at any time.

It means students can keep up to date on what item they are working for in the online shop.

And parents can keep track of what areas their children are gaining points in.

Ballakermeen has paid an initial start-up fee to Vivo, and pays for items redeemed by students in the shop.

In the UK, many of the items that can be redeemed are from Argos. As there isn’t a store here, Mrs Baker has had to source many of the products herself.

Ballakermeen had an initial boost from a number of companies.

Mrs Baker said they would not be able to rely on continued donations but would be looking to negotiate good deals.

‘We’ve had brilliant support from Manx Telecom, Shoprite, Sure and Laser Mayhem.

‘There are other people we are hoping to get on board in the future.’

Mrs Baker said she was on the look out for new items to stock – they may include sporting equipment and even driving lessons.

Vivo was launched in 2008 and is now used in hundreds of schools.

According to the company, 96 per cent of schools say it has aided academic performance and 94 per cent report an improvement in student motivation and behaviour.

The government planning committee has approved the development of 155 homes being built at fields at Ballakilley in Rushen.

Heritage Homes’ application (13/00777/B) for 155 dwellings of various house types, from large family homes to sheltered accommodation, as well as public open space suitable for sport and recreational use together with an extension to the cemetery was this week approved – subject to the developer entering into a legal agreement to provide affordable housing as part of the development.

Affordable housing can be first-time-buyer housing or public sector housing.

Heritage Homes submitted its planning application after negotiations with the Ballakilley Working Party – which includes the Rushen MHKs, and representatives of Rushen Parish Commissioners, Port Erin Commissioners, Port St Mary Commissioners, Rushen Burial Authority, SPort Erin and Southern Nomads Rugby Club. The developer and the owners of the land, the trustees of the Elizabeth Clucas Trust, gave an undertaking that over 17 acres of public space would be provided alongside the proposed residential development.

A Maughold commissioner has spoken of his astonishment after he discovered a large number of cannabis plants being cultivated in a disused quarry inthe parish.

The retired detective inspector has complained to the Attorney General’s Chambers after a man detained in connection with the find received only a caution.

Mark Cowley, of Glen Mona, said he noticed a man ‘acting suspiciously’ around a disused quarry on the main A2 road in the Dhoon area.

Mr Cowley and another resident – an off-duty police officer – went to inspect.

‘We thought it was people after the eggs of nesting birds of prey, which has happened in the past there,’ he said.

The man ran off, and during a subsequent search of the quarry the pair made an unexpected discovery.

‘We found a large cultivation of cannabis. On the top of a little plateau was in excess of 50 or 60 plants, some of which were four feet high and mature,’ said Mr Cowley, adding that in addition he found two cultivation propagators with ‘a large number of plants at various stages of growth’.

‘It was a determined effort, there were bags full of stripped cannabis leaves. To get to the top you have to really climb. It was quite an industrial spot,’ he recalled.

‘You can imagine my surprise. Dumbfounded is the word. Little cultivations have been found in various places around the island, but not out in the open like this. It looked like a jungle.’

Mr Cowley said police arrived and he was later informed that a man ‘who was responsible for the cultivation’ was detained near to the scene later that evening.

‘I’ve not seen a cannabis cultivation quite like it in my career in the Isle of Man. From my experience, this guy was in no doubt growing it with intent to supply, which is serious,’ he said.

As a member of the local authority and interested party, Mr Cowley asked to be kept up to date with the outcome of the case, and said the police officially confirmed to him that ‘the offender was cautioned over this incident on the advice given by the Attorney General’s Chambers’.

‘In my opinion, based on the quantity of cannabis plants present, that a charge of possession with intent to supply should have been brought,’ he said. ‘However, this offender gets a caution, and released. The police informed me that they were satisfied that all the evidence and facts were put to the Attorney General’s representative with a view to a decision on how to proceed. It was the Attorney General’s representative that advised the police to caution in these circumstances, and so that is what they did.

‘Here we have a criminal growing an illegal Class C drug on a large scale, who after he is arrested and processed, is cautioned and that is the end of the matter. How can the public be confident when such decisions are made?

‘I have now written to the Attorney General’s Chambers with my complaint, and await their reply.’

The Attorney General’s Chambers told iomtoday.co.im: ‘As with all matters brought to the attention of the Attorney General’s Chambers, the advice in this particular case was provided after careful consideration of all the facts that were presented at the time by the Isle of Man Constabulary.

‘Correspondence has been received from a member of the public and a response will be issued in due course.’

‘My Home, My Island!’ is the theme for this year’s Crowe Morgan Photographic Calendar Competition.

The competition is open to young people up to the age of 18 and entrants have until Friday next week to submit their entries.

Entries will be judged for their Manx content, photographic quality and dramatic or fun content.

Crowe Morgan partner David Morgan said the theme was chosen to coincide with the 2014 Island of Culture.

‘One of the objectives of this initiative is to promote a specific cultural programme for young people,’ he said.

‘Crowe Morgan are delighted to be involved and will be organising workshops to take place in schools and exhibiting photographs of past winners and explaining why the picture won.’

He added: ‘The competition has gone from strength to strength and we would like to continue the success and see even more photographs as this will make it harder for the judges to choose the winners.’

For more information and entry forms visit www.crowemorgan.com

Alternatively call into the company’s office at 8 St George’s Street, Douglas, or contact Michelle Kewley on 665100.

A poetry trail has begun around Douglas with posters going up showing the winning poems from a competition held by the Isle of Man Poetry Society.

Posters displaying the poems can be seen around locations such as the town hall, the library, bookshops and the Isle of Man Bank, which is sponsoring the event.

The poetry trail is part of the build up to Manx Litfest which will start on September 26.

A map showing the locations of the 20 winning poems will be appearing in the Manx Litfest brochure.

For information visit www.iom-poetry.org and the Manx Litfest site at www.manxlitfest.com

More than 200 people have helped celebrate the launch of the newly formed Isle of Man Chinese Association (IoMCA).

The group is made up of people whose families originally come from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Macao and aims to promote the communication and integration of Chinese culture through individuals, businesses and schools in the island.

The IoMCA already has 122 members and is hoping to create a forum that will help people to maintain their skills, language and culture in the island.

It’s also hoped that, in the long-term, the association will help to attract talented individuals and new business to the island, and make the Chinese language more accessible to anyone who may want to learn it.

Jenny Zhou, chairman of IoMCA, said: ‘Over the past couple of months there has been a very positive response from different businesses and individuals to our setting up.

‘We have several events planned in the future, such as Chinese New Year and the Chinese mid-season moon festival,’ said Ms Zhou.

Ms Zhou thanked the Isle of Man Government, Simcocks, Allen Chartering (IoM) Ltd, LTU Management Ltd, Dot Performance, Palace Hotel and Casino, Celton Manx Ltd, Ballakermeen High School, The Studio, Colby Photography, Crowe Morgan Chartered Accountants, Majestic Chinese Restaurant, Jade Harbour Chinese Restaurant, Hong Kong Delight Chinese Restaurant, Kirin Chinese Takeaway, New Hong Kong Chinese Takeaway, Silver Star Chinese Takeaway, Southern Asia Chinese Takeaway, Robinsons, H and E Cubbon Ltd, The Wine Cellar, Confederation of Chinese Association, Embassy of PR of China in the UK and the UK Association for the promotion of Chinese Education.

Special Olympics Isle of Man will hold their annual charity duck dash on Sunday at 2.15pm, at Silverdale Glen, Ballasalla.

Funds raised at this event will help to send a team of athletes to represent the Isle of Man in the Special Olympics European Summer Games, which are being held in Antwerp, Belgium, next September.

The starting point of the race is north of the boating lake and spectators are advised to wear appropriate footwear, as the path may be a little uneven in places.

The ducks will be released into the stream and people can walk alongside them right down to the finish line. The winning ducks are picked out and the prizes are awarded accordingly.

There are some ducks still available at only £1 a go.

These can be bought on the day it the Silverdale Cafe from 11.30am or from ‘Head of Ducks’ Barry Dulson.

The Silverdale café will be open in the morning from 10am right through till 4pm.

Winners and spectators will gather in the cafe after the race to announce the prize winners and give the prizes out.

Prizes include fantastic homemade cakes, chocolates, sweets and, for adults only, wine.

A public meeting has been called this weekend to discuss the future of the long-closed Castle Mona Hotel.

The meeting at the South Douglas Old Friends’ Club on Finch Road has been called by taxi driver Martin Moore and follows news that the Sefton Group says its want to sell the Castle Mona into sustainable use – and admits that’s unlikely to be as a hotel.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/castle-mona-unlikely-ever-to-be-a-hotel-again-1-6056976|The story was an exclusive in this week’s Isle of Man Examiner. Click here to read it}

Mr Moore, who withdrew as a candidate in this year’s Douglas West by-election ahead of the poll, said: ‘Last time it was on the market I called a public meeting to highlight concerns that it may end up in the hands of a housing developer.

‘Since then the owners have done absolutely nothing with it and they’ve apparently had no intention of reopening it. It should be retained in hotel use. But the most likely outcome is it will be converted into apartments.’

The public meeting on Saturday begins at 2pm.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a hit-and-run road traffic collision which occurred between 4.50pm and 8.45pm on Sunday on Derby Road, Douglas, opposite Glen Falcon Gardens.

A parked blue Audi A4 estate car’s passenger side panels were damaged.

The offending driver failed to stop or report the accident.

Constable Eric Sloane at Lord Street police station wants to hear from witnesses. Phone 631423.

In a separate incident, on Saturday at about 10.30am, on Ham and Egg Terrace in Laxey, a vehicle travelling towards Laxey village hit a parked Ford Fiesta.

The driver’s wing mirror was damaged and needs to be replaced.

A police spokesman said: ‘Information suggests that the driver responsible was aware of the damage.’

Ramsey police are investigating. Phone 812234.

Police are looking for witnesses to a crash that happened in Onchan on Monday morning.

The accident happened at the traffic lights at the junction of Royal Avenue and Main Road at about 11.30am.

A silver Toyota Avensis travelling towards Laxey on the main road and a red Seat Alhambra joining the main road from Royal Avenue collided.

Damage was caused to both vehicles.

There were no injuries.

Constable Eric Sloane at Lord Street police station is investigating. Phone 631212.

Anyone who wants to settle in the Isle of Man will have to pass a test in the English language, it was announced today.

The Isle of Man Passport, Immigration and Nationality Office announced the requirement for foreign nationals applying to settle permanently in the island or taking up British citizenship here.

The change, which take effect from October 28 this year, is in line with a UK move to ensure that all applicants can speak English well enough to assist with their integration into the community.

Foreign nationals who apply for ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain (settlement)’ or to become a British Citizen (naturalisation) in the Isle of Man have to demonstrate, in addition to other criteria, their knowledge of language and life in the UK and islands.

Currently there are two ways to meet this requirement:

By passing the Life in the UK and islands test, a test based on the Life in the UK handbook and the Isle of Man Supplement, and taken at the Isle of Man College;

Or:

By obtaining a speaking and listening qualification in English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL) (with citizenship content) at entry levels 1, 2 or 3.

This course is also available at the Isle of Man College.. People who entered the Isle of Man on a work route cannot use this method to meet the requirement.

From October 28, applicants who wish to meet the knowledge of language and life in the UK and Islands requirement by passing the Life in the UK and islands test, which is a written test, will also be expected to have an English speaking and listening qualification (at level B1 of the Common European Framework of reference for languages or an equivalent qualification.)

It is expected that a relevant speaking and listening test will be available at the Isle of Man College from October.

It is envisaged that there will be one test per month as with the Life in the UK and islands test at present.

Details of dates will be available in due course.

Further information can be found on the Immigration Office website.

{http://www.gov.im/categories/travel,-traffic-and-motoring/immigration/knowledge-of-life-test/|Click here for the link}

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