A cookery school chef who grew up in Castletown and now works in Oxfordshire has beaten dozens of other cookery school professionals from across Britain to win the accolade of Best Young Rising Star at the British Cookery School Awards held on Monday at the Vintners’ Company in London.

Jamie Foy, aged 29, was nominated for the award by his colleagues at The Weber Grill Academy.

Jamie is assistant manager at the Weber Grill Academy, which is the UK’s only dedicated and year-round barbecue cookery school.

He trained to be a chef at the Isle of Man College and his first job was at Riley’s Garden and Lifestyle Centre.

Nigel Barden, head judge of the British Cookery School Awards, said: ‘We were looking for an individual, under 30 years old, that is set to be a cookery school star of the future. The winner had to be someone who lives and breathes their cookery school, and plays a vital role in the business’s operations.’

Jamie added: ‘I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a chef but in my second year at college I realised how much I admired my teachers and was inspired by them.

‘I’ve always had a special bond with Weber® ever since my first job at the garden centre and I am very lucky to have a job that I love so much. To be chosen as a finalist against the other brilliant professionals was a fantastic feeling, but winning has totally blown my mind! I am truly honoured.’

With more than 400 cookery schools now operating in the UK, The British Cookery School Awards – sponsored by Kenwood, Analon and Premier Foods – honour all those excellent cookery schools that go above and beyond to deliver a first class cookery school experience.

The awards aim to celebrate the important role that cookery schools play in driving Britain’s passion for cooking good, homemade food. As well as the prestige of winning an award, each category winner will receive £1,000 worth of Kenwood products.

The Cookery School Awards 2013 took place at the Vintners’ Company in London, hosted by BBC Radio 2’s food and drink presenter Nigel Barden.

The judging panel consisted of Nigel, Telegraph food writer Xanthe Clay and Guy Lincoln, senior lecturer at Leeds Metropolitan University’s Centre of Hospitality and Retailing Management.

The Isle of Man’s deaf champion Gareth Foulkes has just accepted a role helping to implement the island’s Disability Discrimination Act.

Mr Foulkes has been appointed as chairman of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) forum, an advisory group set up to guide the Isle of Man government on implementing the Disability Discrimination Act.

He said he was pleased to take on the role and added: ‘The initial task is for the group to agree a timescale for DDA implementation. We will also offer advice around what constitutes a ‘reasonable adjustment’ for disabled people and introduce an award scheme to recognise good practice in disability access from employers and service providers.’

The DDA forum was announced in April’s Tynwald by Social Care Minister Chris Robertshaw and Mr Foulkes said a time scale for implementing the act is to be agreed by the end of the year.

In February this year Mr Foulkes started a two-year term as the island’s deaf champion looking after the rights and well being of deaf people in the island. Speaking at the time, he said: ‘The primary aim is to ensure that deaf people’s life, health and liberty are not put at risk in the Isle of Man through lack of appropriate communication support. For example, sign language interpreters, of which there are none in the Isle of Man.’ Since he arrived Mr Foulkes has been running deaf awareness training courses.

Make your own willow lantern to add some winter sparkle.

St Ninian’s Lower School’s design technology department, in conjunction with Onchan Commissioners and Manx Arts Development, is offering three stand-alone workshops.

They take place at the school’s Bemahague site on Tuesday and Thursday next week (November 26 and 28), and Tuesday, December 3.

Constructed from willow and a wet strength tissue paper, the lanterns are fairly straightforward to construct and are very weatherproof, some can survive being outside for months.

They add quite a magic sparkle when illuminated by a candle or one or more glowsticks and Onchan Commissioners have welcomed their addition to the community torchlight procession in Onchan on December 5.

The workshops are free with all materials supplied by Manx Arts Development. They take place from 3.30pm to 6pm.

To book a place contact the lower school office on 648900.

A pole vault group has got off the ground at the National Sports Centre for the first time.

It was made possible thanks to a £500 donation to the Sports Development Unit from former pole vaulter Alan Croll.

Athletics development officer Trevor Christian said they desperately needed fibreglass poles as their aluminium poles can’t be used in competition and are only a training aid, but cost was a barrier.

Mr Croll, who was a pole vaulter at Loughborough University in the late 1950s, said: ‘I am so pleased to be able to give back to a sport which I had enjoyed so much during my days at university.

‘It is fantastic to be able to help break down financial barriers to participation in this exhilarating event.’

Eleven athletes attended the group, led by level two coaches from Manx Harriers and Western AC. After a warm up the athletes got swinging into the long jump pit.

Mr Christian said: ‘It was a great start to what will hopefully be a thriving group going into the future and help produce more vaulters like Olivia Curran who hopes to compete in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games next year.’

He added: ‘We owe a big thanks to Alan for his support as poles are not cheap and are specialised pieces of kit that come in different specifications based on the size and speed of the athlete.’

‘We need about 10 poles to cater for a wide range of athletes which will cost in the region of £3,000. So if any other sponsors are out there who can help, please get in touch.’

Sessions are for athletes aged 11 and over, on Tuesdays from 5.50pm. To take part or to sponsor the poles, call Trevor on 688576 or email trevor.christian@gov.im

Police are investigating a driving matter which occurred at around 10.40am on Saturday (November 23) in the area of the 32nd Milestone on the Mountain Road.

It involved an orange Ford Focus ST and a black Subaru Impreza.

Many other people were using the road at this time and officers would particularly like to speak with the drivers of two vans who were in the area.

If you can help, call Ramsey police on 812234.

An island woman was stabbed to death by her mother-in-law after telling her she was moving back to the Isle of Man and that she would never see her grandson again, a court has heard.

Heather Emmonds has admitted killing Tina Casey, 42, at her home in Holywell near Whitley Bay in February. She denies murder on the grounds of loss of control and diminished responsibility.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Ms Casey, nee Halsall, was planning to return to the island so Emmonds, 58, would lose touch with her young grandson.

The prosecution claims Emmonds twice tried to poison Ms Casey. And while her grandson was upstairs, Emmonds allegedly repeatedly stabbed Ms Casey.

Police became aware of the death after Emmonds, of Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, crashed her car on February 4. Officers found handwritten notes about the crime. In a note to police, she wrote: ‘I didn’t intend to kill Tina Casey, it was a moment of madness and impulse.’

Alistair MacDonald QC, prosecuting, said she planned the murder, taking a change of clothes and trying to burn bloodstained clothing.

Ms Casey’s mother married a Manxman and the family moved to the island when he came out of the Army. Ms Casey was born in Army barracks in Germany and moved to Tyneside from the island 16 years ago.

The trial continues.

A team of volunteers from the HSBC bank in Douglas has helped the Manx Wildlife Trust with a number of tasks at the nature conservation charity’s Close Sartfield Nature Reserve.

Close Sartfield is in the northwest corner of the Ballaugh Curragh, the largest wetland site in the island and an Area of Special Scientific Interest.

The site was bought by the trust in 1987 and covers 30 acres of curragh, damp hay meadows, marshy grassland, bog and developing birch woodland.

Many wildflowers may be seen on site throughout the summer, including six species of orchid which are at their best in June and July.

At this time of year, royal fern, the largest of the British ferns, turns a copper colour and makes a magnificent display on the hedge banks going down to the bird hide.

Just behind the hide, a project carried out by the Manx Wildlife Trust’s regular team of volunteers, or ‘Midweek Muckers’ as they’re more commonly known, reclaimed almost an acre of bog from advancing bog myrtle and scrub, allowing previously declining wetland plant species, such as marsh St John’s-wort, bog bean and bog pimpernel, to thrive.

In recent months, the bog myrtle has flourished and so the trust’s reserves officer, Tricia Sayle, took up HSBC’s offer of help to clear this particularly invasive species.

Supervised by Tricia, fundraising and wildlife advocacy officer Anne Marie Kilgallon and ‘Midweek Muckers’ Alan Jones and Godfrey Pitts, the volunteers from the bank cleared a significant amount of bog myrtle and also replaced one of the gates between two of the meadows and made one of the reserve’s boundary fences more secure by replacing a number of the fence posts. The bank paid for all of the materials and some of the tools used on the day.

Neil Helmer, HSBC’s planning and support manager, said: ‘As gold corporate members of the Manx Wildlife Trust, we are once again delighted to be able to provide practical support to the charity.

‘This is the third year that we have helped the trust with practical tasks on their nature reserves and yet again it was a great opportunity for our staff to get hands-on experience of the trust’s invaluable nature conservation work.’

The Manx Wildlife Trust thanked HSBC for its support.

Complete a message in a bottle and keep it in your fridge – that’s the message being promoted by the Isle of Man Lions’ Club.

For some years now the club has been encouraging people to collect from them a free plastic emergency bottle which contains essential details about the holder – useful should they be struck by a sudden illness or accident.

The green and white plastic bottles contain forms, filled in by the holder giving a range of useful information from details of medication, ailments and allergies to emergency contact details and information about any dependants.

The bottle can be kept safe inside the fridge – where it will survive a fire – and place stickers on the fridge door and inside the front door to alert any emergency services about its presence.

Dennis Kneale, of the Lions Club, said: ‘We are keen to publicise this again because we still come across people who do not know about it, even though we have given out around 12,000 bottles.’

Scheme patron is former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe. Bottles are available from Noble’s Hospital, some doctors or direct from Mr Kneale on 661838.

Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK said he had made clear his concerns about Flybe’s decision to close its island base when he met the airline’s chief executive officer Saad Hammad.

Mr Hammad met airline staff to brief them on the possible changes immediately before meeting the Chief Minister and Minister of Infrastructure David Cretney MHK at Ronaldsway airport.

Mr Bell said there had been a ‘frank but amicable’ exchange of information. ‘I made our concerns very clear,’ he said.

He said he outlined his concerns at the potential loss of job for the Flybe crews, the importance of good airlinks for the Manx economy and the significance of the patient transfer service to Liverpool.

Flybe only signed a three-year deal to operate that service - for which the Manx government pays £1.6m – in September.

Mr Bell said the Flybe boss had stressed that no final decisions had been made with regard to routes and redundancies. However, it is clear that the island base will close.

He said: ‘Flybe no longer feels the Liverpool route is viable. We need to retain an early morning flight out and a late night flight back. Manchester was identified as the only profitable route of its links to the Isle of Man. I’m optimistic the Manchester link will continue in some form.’

Mr Bell said a range of options were considered including the possibility of island-based crews being redeployed to Flybe’s Manchester hub and the option the an aircraft being stabled overnight at Ronaldsway for early morning flights. There is a privately-operated aircraft service centre based at Ronaldsway that could provide engineers, he added.

Mr Bell stressed it wasn’t a problem specific to the island as Flybe was fighting for survival and needed to take drastic action. He added: ‘We are already talking to number of airlines who have expressed an interest in picking up some or all these routes.’

Historian Peter Kelly will present a magic lantern show in the upper hall of the Promenade Church, Douglas, in aid of the Philippine Disaster Crisis Fund on Monday.

The show will be a chance to see the haunts of the island’s Victorian and Edwardian visitors, as well as views of Manx life from original glass slides in Mr Kelly’s collection.

The Methodist Church has provided the hall free of charge and the proceeds will be divided between the disaster fund organised by CAFOD and the Methodist Relief and Development Fund to assist with the relief work in the Philippines.

Admission is £5 payable at the door and includes light refreshments served by members of the island’s Filipino community.

The show takes place on Monday, December 2, at 7.30pm and people are advised to arrive early in order to secure a seat.

There are no plans to introduce an energy regulator, Tynwald was told.

But Chief Minister Allan Bell revealed Manx Gas was willing to enter into a more formal regulatory agreement with government.

He was replying to a question from Kate Beecroft (Lib Van, Douglas South), who suggested an ‘awful lot’ of the public do not have faith in the Office of Fair Trading as a regulator and an independent regulator was needed.

Mr Bell said the Council of Ministers supported the principle of competitive markets with regulation only being introduced where ‘absolutely necessary’.

He said: ‘The focus of energy regulation is on the gas market, where Manx Gas has a monopoly position and customers generally face significant costs and practical barriers if they wish to change their fuel choice.

‘The OFT maintains a close watch on the gas market. It has worked closely with Manx Gas since the last price investigation and has, based on commercially confidential information, been able to see that profits have been kept within what the OFT considers to be an acceptable range.

‘The company has expressed a willingness to go further and enter into a more formal voluntary regulatory arrangement to ensure effective performance, and this is being explored through the OFT and Treasury, which will report back to CoMin in due course.’

He added: ‘While the OFT and Treasury are exploring regulation, whether voluntary or statutory, it is not anticipated there would be a new energy regulator, and the role would be encompassed in an existing structure, rather than creating a new bureaucracy.’

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa is due to arrive in the island today (Monday) for a four-day visit.

Cardinal Wilifred Napier is scheduled to meet with government officials from the International Development Committee.

The senior Vatican official will celebrate mass at St Mary of the Isles Church, in Douglas, on Wednesday.

He said: ‘I’d like to talk about the whole way in which the pope is elected. I think people would be very interested in that.

‘I’d also like to communicate about what the church is doing, and what its challenges are. How we can assist each other spiritually, psychologically and of course financially.’

And he will be visiting Isle of Man Post Office’s headquarters. Integrated Mailing Solutions processes the European donation payments for Cardinal Napier’s charity the Catholic Archdiocese of Durban.

He will have a tour of the headquarters and Hills Meadows site, as well as meet staff involved with processing the donations.

Cardinal Napier was ordained as a priest in 1970, became a bishop in 1980 and succeeded Denis Hurley as Archbishop of Durban in 1992.

He was one of 115 cardinals who took part in the conclave at the Vatican to elect Pope Francis in March.

Work is going ‘very well’ to dismantle the Solway Harvester.

That’s according to Stephen Carter of the Laxey Towing Company, which is undertaking the work.

The scallop dredger has been moored in Douglas for about 13 years, after it sank in rough seas in January 2000 with the loss of all seven Scottish crewmen.

Last week large sections of the stern were cut away and then lifted away by crane.

Mr Carter said: ‘Work is going according to the plan and weather dependent we are hopeful it will be finished by Christmas.’

He added: ‘There is a lot of work going on in the inside which you can’t see. It involves lots of cutting things internally to free things on the outside.’ Picture: JM131122 (29)

Attorney General Stephen Harding today denied charges of perjury and perverting the course of justice ahead of his trial.

His trial before Deemster Peter Birkett at the Court of General Gaol Delivery is due to open on Wednesday and is estimated to last three weeks.

Today Mr Harding, 51, of Greeba Avenue, Glen Vine, took his place in the dock to be formally arraigned on the two charges he faces – and pleaded not guilty in each case.

He is accused of acts against public justice contrary to Section 347 of the Criminal Code 1872 (as amended) by allegedly creating and submitting false documentation to the Advocates Disciplinary Tribunal on diverse dates between April 1, 2010 and September 30, 2010.

He is also accused of an offence under Section 1(1) of the Perjury Act 1952 (as amended).

The Crown alleges that having been lawfully sworn as a witness in proceedings before the tribunal, in which he was the accused, the defendant wilfully made a statement he knew to be false.

This was namely a file note of February 23, 2010, said to be a record of a 10-minute telephone conversation he had with Jeremy Carter, an advocate acting for Street Heritage Limited when in fact there was no such telephone call at that time.

To each charge, Deemster Birkett asked how he pleaded, to which the defendant replied in a clear voice: ‘Not guilty’.

Selection of a seven-strong jury for the trial was taking place today and prosecuting counsel Peter Wright QC is due to open the case for the Crown on Wednesday.

The Isle of Man Athletics Association says that a plan to erect a campsite at the National Sports Centre could jeopardise training facilities for Commonwealth Games athletes.

This week’s 104-page Isle of Man Examiner tells the story on the front page.

The paper also includes:

- New plans to extend Tesco’s Douglas store

- A report on the likely restructuring of government

- Pictures of the new diesel engine on its way from the USA to the Isle of Man

- Conor Cummins’ plans for the 2014 TT

- A preview of this week’s bus drivers’ tribunal. The paper reveals that union bosses had offered to put the tribunal on hold

- Bus Vannin’s answer when we questined why the Isle of Man was buying new buses, when Bus Vannnin’s old ones were good enough for Blackpool

- A 32-page supplement about last week’s Awards for Excellence

- Our monthly business features supplement, Business Word, which includes a round table discussion on e-gaming

The Isle of Man’s favourite newspaper is on sale now.

Police will be able to issue fixed penalty notices from April for minor traffic offences as an alternative to prosecution.

Tynwald approved the Road Traffic Regulation order last week.

Infrastructure Minister David Cretney was forced to withdraw the order in March after some members voiced concern that, far from dealing only with minor offences, a number of infringements covered were actually very serious.

A number of offences that had caused issue were then removed.

Onchan MHK Zac Hall had cited the example of furious driving, an offence which he pointed out actually pre-dates the internal combustion engine.

But last week he said he would support the move now that it had been omitted.

Minor traffic offences include careless or inconsiderate driving, exceeding the speed limit when the vehicle is displaying L or R plates, and failing to comply with the direction of a school crossing patrol.

The Minister said no new offences were being added. It is hoped that it will reduce costs and bureaucracy, while ensuring more serious breaches are still dealt with by the courts.

Longer jail terms for class C drugs offences have been approved by Tynwald.

Offences such as importing or supplying a class C drug, or possessing with intent to supply, previously carried a maximum prison term of five years.

Following Tynwald approval last week for the amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1976, this will increase to a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

It comes into effect on December 1.

The change was brought forward by the Health Minister David Anderson following consultation with the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.

In addition, Tynwald approved the island following the UK on temporary bans of ‘legal highs’.

When a temporary class drug order is made in the UK, temporarily banning a legal high for up to 12 months, it will automatically apply in the Isle of Man too.

Liberal Vannin leader Peter Karran MHK (Onchan) said that legal highs needed to be examined in the island, and should be ‘outlawed’.

Chief Minister Allan Bell has given his strongest hint yet that a major restructuring of government is on the cards.

Questioned in Tynwald about the future reform of the Council of Ministers, he said he intended to brief members on his proposals ‘in due course’ - and it was therefore premature to comment at this stage.

He did, however, rule out a suggestion from Zac Hall (Onchan) that a post of Foreign Minister should be created.

So what changes can we expect?

Mr Bell has already confirmed that there are strong arguments to at least look at the possibility of merging the departments of Health and Social Care.

The two departments were only split during the 2010 government restructuring under the then chief minister Tony Brown.

A merger would reduce the number of Ministers from the current tally of nine.

Mr Bell told Tynwald last month in a statement about government priorities in the year ahead: ‘The idea of remerging Social Care with Health into a Department of Health and Wellbeing is something which is actively under consideration at this moment.’

But another department could become a casualty of the reforms.

There has long been talk of the cash-strapped Department of Community, Culture and Leisure being disbanded, and its functions split between other departments.

However, Mr Bell appeared to hint of another significant reform being planned which could mean the creation of a new department and ministerial post, possible arising out of reform of the Chief Secretary’s Office.

In his statement to last month’s Tynwald he said his proposed changes to the structure of government would start with the Chief Secretary’s Office and the Council of Ministers, telling members: ‘We must have more robust means for developing policies and driving through change if we are to deal effectively with the critical issues our island faces. Government can no longer work in departmental silos.’

In Tynwald last week, he said there was ‘no doubt’ the complexity and increasing volume of external matters had the potential to have a significant detrimental impact on the Manx economy and domestic agenda.

He added: ‘Consequently, the reforms under consideration include looking at ways that this critical and increasingly important portfolio can be further strengthened and supported and I will have more to say about this in my briefing to members.’

Castletown MHK Richard Ronan suggested the current department structure that had served the island for many years has ‘had its day’. He said policy should be centrally driven from ‘top down and not bottom up’. ‘You should be calling the shots,’ he told the Chief Minister

Mr Bell joked: ‘I’m already a dictator in most people’s eyes.’ He added: ‘The department structure we’ve had for the last 25 years has served the Isle of Man exceptionally well. From time to time we need to review that structure.’

Two Bus Vannin drivers are due to take their employers to tribunal this week in test cases brought by the Unite union.

David Kelly and Stephen Cowin are claiming unfair dismissal over changes to their terms and conditions, including loss of paid lunch breaks. It’s the latest twist in the long-running dispute that resulted in a series of strikes, the first over three days before last Christmas and the most recent during this year’s TT.

Mr Kelly and Mr Cowin are among 63 drivers who have submitted claims for unfair dismissal. Their hearing is listed for three days starting on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that lawyers acting for Unite put forward an offer to postpone the tribunal test cases if a joint commission is set up to attempt to negotiate a settlement - but the offer was rejected by the employer.

The Unite offer, seen by the Isle of Man Examiner, proposes the tribunal be stayed (suspended) until the end of January with the express aim of trying to resolve the cases by agreement.

Bus Vannin is urged to make an immediate payment of £400 to the drivers representing the 2012 pay award. It proposes a joint commission is established between the parties to discuss the way the new contracts were implemented and address the concerns of the drivers, as well as the views of the management. An independent expert would be brought in to facilitate the discussions.

The idea behind the commission would be to try to reach a consensus on driving operations over the coming months/years. If settlement terms could be agreed, the tribunal claims would conclude, the offer states. Additional compensation may be payable, it adds.

It is understood Bus Vannin rejected the offer on the basis that a joint expert could prove costly. It said it wanted to ensure efficiencies achieved through the new contracts are maintained. The Department of Community, Culture and Leisure declined to comment ahead of the tribunal.

The government department in charge of the island’s bus service has defended its decision to spend money on new buses to replace serviceable vehicles it sold to Blackpool Transport.

Bus Vannin, which is run by the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure took delivery of the first two of six new double-decker buses recently at a cost of around £200,000 each, despite selling vehicles to Blackpool which the buyers expect to use for a further 10 years following minor refurbishment.

The department is also trying to find savings of £1.7m for the year 2014-15, according to DCCL Minister Graham Cregeen, speaking in Tynwald last week.

But a spokesman for Bus Vannin has insisted the strategy makes good economic sense because they received a very good second hand price for the buses sold and the new ones will be safer, more reliable and cheaper to run.

‘It is much more cost-effective to receive a good price for these buses and purchase fewer but better new ones. Bus Vannin has reduced its annual parts bill from £448,000 in 2009-10 to a projected £230,000 per year, a saving of £218,000 per year in addition to having more fuel efficient buses - up to 9mpg from 4.85mpg - which has saved a further £200,000 per year.’

In addition, the DCCL has claimed selling the old buses avoided costly future maintenance which would have to have been done at increased expense off-island, while the new vehicles have better accommodation for wheelchairs, prams and push-chairs.

The department said a large number of Blackpool buses needed to be replaced at the same time and they had needed to buy new vehicles which complied with the UK Disability Discrimination Act.

Mr Cregeen told Tynwald all but £170,000 of the available £2,775,000 budget was committed to orders for six double-deckers, six single deckers, two minibuses and two works vans. The replacement programme meant they could get rid of 30 buses which were ‘an operational risk in terms of reliability and build quality’.