Top civil servant Chris Corlett has officially been appointed as chief executive for the government’s Department of Economic Development.

He has been the department’s acting chief executive since October 2012 when the DED’s Colin Kniveton went to Sark on secondment last year.

He had to apply for the job when it officially fell vacant.

After he returned from the Channel Island, Mr Kniveton was appointed as the chief executive of the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure.

Chris Corlett has been a chief executive in government since March 2003, first for the then Department of Trade and Industry and then for the Department of Social Care from April 2010.

The number of people out of work in the island has risen by 53 in the last month.

Statistics released today by the Treasury’s economic affairs division show that the number of registered unemployed in November stood at 1,117.

Twelve months ago there were 103 fewer people registered unemployed.

The news comes after job losses were announced over the last month at {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/travelwatch-anger-as-flybe-to-close-isle-of-man-base-1-6253019|Flybe}, the {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/thirty-to-lose-jobs-at-mount-murray-1-6250562|Mount Murray Hotel}, {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/business/company-lays-off-20-at-six-kingdoms-service-centre-1-6258837|Six Kingdoms} and {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/award-winning-factory-to-close-with-loss-of-35-jobs-1-6300017|CVI Technical Optic Ltd in Onchan.}

Many of those job losses have yet to be recorded in the official statistics.

During the month 198 people signed on and 145 people signed off. Of the total unemployed, 779 are male and 338 are female.

The Manx unemployment rate, 2.5 per cent, still compares favourably with most of the rest of the world.

In the UK it’s 7.6 per cent; USA 7 per cent; Republic of Ireland 12.5 per cent; Germany 6.9 per cent; Spain 27 per cent.

There were 280 positions vacant and held on file at the end of the month.

A detailed look at the unemployment figures shows there are skills shortages in some areas, for example in engineering, education, healthcare and for electricians, while there are far more people with a retailing or bar work background looking for work than jobs available.

More details in Thursday’s Manx Independent.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident involving a blue Ford Ka, which was parked in Princes Street, Douglas, between 1pm and 1.50pm last Thursday (December 5). Another vehicle, possibly a works van or pick up, has reversed into the front of the Ford Ka causing damage. The weather at the time of the incident was particularly bad and the driver of the van may not be aware of any collision. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked call police headquarters on 631212.

Volunteers from Isle of Man Bank’s ‘premium banking’ team spent two days working alongside Manx National Heritage pulling marram grass at the Ayres.

A common grass of sand dunes, marram has creeping roots and has an important ecological function, binding sand on the shore. Historically, in coastal areas of the north of the Isle of Man, Marram was used in preference to other thatching materials due to its ready availability.

Manx National Heritage’s Lhen cottage – Yn Thie Thooit (The Little Thatch) – was last completely re-thatched in 2009 and now requires some repair before a future new coating of thatch.

Bent collected by the Isle of Man Bank team under Licence from the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) will be used for carrying out repairs to the present thatch.

John Skillen, sites and maintenance officer for Manx National Heritage said: ‘Manx National Heritage owns nine thatched properties at Cregneash, Niarbyl and The Lhen. All but one of these properties is thatched with wheat straw, the exception being a cottage at The Lhen which is thatched with Marram Grass, otherwise known as Bent.

‘Traditionally, this was readily accessible roofing material available in the north of Island from the nearby dunes. MNH’s cottage at the Lhen is now the only property in the Isle of Man that is thatched with Bent. Pulling bent is a very labour intensive task and we were very grateful to have the assistance of Isle of Man Bank staff to assist us with this work.’

Gillian Bayley of the Isle of Man Bank said: ‘With the bank supporting employees to volunteer in local community projects, we were delighted to have the opportunity to work as a team in helping Manx National Heritage with their valuable conservation work. A very enjoyable and rewarding day was had by all who participated in the project.

‘It is important for businesses in the Isle of Man to support the local community and we would highly recommend other organisations to support MNH in their work through their organised community days.’

Photographed: Marram grass pulling with volunteers from Isle of Man Bank

This week, Zero Waste Mann’s chair, Muriel Garland, highlights some simple ways in which we can keep ourselves and our families warm - without breaking the bank or burning unnecessary fossil fuels

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It’s that time of year again, when the temptation is to turn up the thermostat and light the log-burner.

But these can be expensive options, and they’re also not ideal from an environmental perspective.

Instead, consider the folllowing 10 tips from Zero Waste Mann as to how you can keep out the cold, and be safe in the event of dramatic snowfalls such as were seen in Spring of this year.

1 Insulate your loft. It is recommended that you use at least 12 inches/25cm of insulating materials to prevent leakage of heat through the roof of your home. Why pay to warm up the sky!?

2 Close your curtains in the evening. In addition, door curtains - to minimise draughts - also cut down on penetrating chills.

3 Wear layers of clothing. These trap heat effectively (just like a wearable version of double glazing), and if you find yourself moving into a centrally-heated or toasty environment you can always strip as many layers off as decency allows.

4 Have hot drinks and food available - it’s always good to warm yourself from the tummy outwards, and few things are as comforting as a nourishing mug of hot soup, a stew or a warm pudding.

5 Keep a store of food in cupboards. One of our members was snowed in for 5 days in March this year, and very thankful that she and her family had plentiful supplies of tinned and dried foods to hand.

6 Draught-proof any gaps - get some draughtproofing tape or newspaper, and make a project of going round your home finding and fixing any holes that the wind is coming through. Keyholes are notorious, as are under-door gaps. Have your children make a ‘sausage dog’ out of old wooly tights to keep the breeze at bay.

7 Insulate your hot water tank, so that energy spent on warming up your water supply isn’t dissipated as soon as it’s been used.

8 Keep radiators free from obstruction. It’s useful to dry clothes on them, but they can’t warm the room when this is happening; similarly, ensure that furniture’s not blocking the flow of heat from them into the room.

9 Lag your water pipes - this can prevent expensive and messy bursts following a freeze.

10 Put reflectors behind radiators - backing the wall behind a radiator with tinfoil helps to direct more heat into the room, instead of warming up the walls themselves, which doesn’t help you!

And lastly, if you know of people living near to you who are vulnerable to the cold - elderly, frail, caring for small children, or isolated - don’t forget to check on them from time to time in extreme weather.

The more we look out for one another, the better connected, and warmer (physically and socially) we’ll be!

I returned from a week’s R&R to find that The Thing out in Douglas Bay had moved yet again and was now almost sitting on the doorstep of the bijou residence.

I could see it clearly from my bedroom window so that if there were any women on board it with binoculars they could watch me getting undressed for bed.

But I thought that if they were Martian women they would not necessarily be interested in a male earthling with no clothes on.

All right. Let me explain. The thing about The Thing is that is has been in and out of Douglas bay for weeks now. But we never see it moving. We have been told that it is towed around by a tug and it is a seabed research rig used for the erection of offshore wind farms.

But I now believe that it isn’t a rig and it isn’t moved under tow. This is because it walks on those long legs it has and always comes and goes under cover of darkness.

It’s from Mars you see.

It is crewed by Martians who have come to start conquering our planet, starting with the Isle of Man for whatever obscure reason has led them to take this course,

(If they think they can use us as a tax haven they’d better talk to Chief Minister Bell. He’d soon see them off).

The evidence I have for what I say is that this so-called rig looks like the Martian war machines which invaded the earth in the 1953 film of H.G.Well’s science fiction novel ‘War of the Worlds’ The Martians were in space ships which moved over the ground on long legs, firing death rays at everbody. They were defeated only when they started dying of flu, a human disease which they had no resistance to.

But now the War of the Worlds is back, but not at a cinema near you It’s in Douglas Bay. The Martians are much older now and they qualify for the free winter flu jab that so many of us do in the Isle of Man. They are ready to try again.

When this is going to happen I can’t say. But if they have been getting the Examiner every week since they arrived and they read this today, they will realise that we’re on to them and I don’t think they will still be out there when Douglas wakes up tomorrow morning.

Mind you, if they are, we could be in trouble.

l Last week I was pondering fretfully on memory loss and this brought in an email from Alan Quayle who was born and brought up in Ramsey and now, at the age of 67, is ashamed of something which happened in his early youth, before he was seven years old, when he went walking with a girl of similar age to Ballure Glen.

‘I think we were hand-in-hand. I remember walking up but then it is a complete blank. Did I leave her there, deserted, abandoned? Now exiled in Colby, whenever I return to my birth town, I find myself looking up the beach to see if she is still there.

‘Her name was Penelope Walmsley. I hope that if I did desert her that it did not have a long term effect. If the same lady is still not shell-shocked from my behaviour I would be more than grateful if she can remember and let me know. I hope I was a young gentleman and returned her to the bosom of her family.’

Well at least you remember her name Alan.

l Willie Kinvig tells me the Examiner published a photograph with a caption saying: ‘This red telephone box and Derbyhaven may be removed.’

The residents of Derbyhaven had better get to that phone box and call the cops.

l This week’s extract from a letter of complaint sent to local authorities is: ‘My lavatory seat is cracked. Where do I stand.’

Sure has completely upgraded its Isle of Man network paving the way for the installation of its 4G network early next year.

Andy Bridson, chief executive officer at Sure said: ‘We continue to invest heavily in the Isle of Man.

‘We have been instrumental in providing value into the telecoms market and we will continue to deliver new technologies in both consumer and business markets that provide customers with quality, reliability, value and speed.’

A number of operators in countries across the world, including the UK, have begun rolling out 4G networks and the feedback has been positive, says Sure.

The business claims accessing the internet via mobile devices is set to become a great deal faster and more convenient with the launch of Sure’s 4G service in the second quarter of 2014.

The key advantage of 4G is that it offers data speeds many times faster than existing 2G and 3G networks.

Sure says: ‘In fact 4G will provide the replacement technology that the world has been waiting for, a service for the home that provides high speed broadband and mobile, without the need to pay for a home phone line. 4G data performance will be the same or better than home broadband speeds.’

In a statement Sure say that over the next six months there will be a significant shift in technology which will see 4G being like 3G ‘on steroids’, and to allow the island to gain maximum advantage, Sure is upgrading its entire network.

A spokesman said: ‘This provides the first genuine opportunity for wireless mobile speeds to overtake landline speeds and is happening in a world where data and access to the internet, at high speed, is becoming a basic expectation.

Mr Bridson said: ‘Many of us already use our mobile devices for accessing the internet, but 4G is set to revolutionise the ease and speed woith which we can access all types of media.’

Sure’s news comes as Manx Telecom continue to move towards 4G.

Last month Business News reported Manx Telecom is linking up with global firm Huawei as it invests £10 million in 4G over the next three years. In addition to building the network’s infrastructure, Huawei will also supply the latest 4G devices enabling customers to take advantage of super-fast services with increased mobile broadband speeds several times faster than current 3G services.

Huawei will also update Manx Telecom’s 2G & 3G networks to the latest generation technology, improving performance across the entire mobile network.

Mike Dee, Manx Telecom chief executive officer said: ‘Building a 4G network is a significant undertaking in terms of both investment and engineering.

‘Over the next three years we will invest £10million in 4G and we are very excited to announce our partnership with Huawei. ‘

Island-based Hansard Global plc has announced a change in its directorate.

The company has appointed Andy Frepp as an independent non-executive director of the company with effect from January 1, 2014.

Andy is a Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries and, having joined Barrie and Hibbert in 2007, was the chief executive Officer until Barrie and Hibbert was acquired by Moodys in 2012.

He is currently managing director responsible for Moodys’ Analytics Insurance Solutions.

Prior to Barrie and Hibbert he held numerous roles within Scottish Widows from 1988 to 2007.

From 2003 to 2007 he was the director of sales and marketing for Scottish Widows Investment Partnership, the asset management company of Scottish Widows.

He was also the president of SWIP US Mutual Funds and a board member of SWIP external funds. Andy will be joining the Audit, Remuneration and Nominations committees of the company.

Dr Leonard Polonsky, chairman of the company, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Andy Frepp to the Board.

‘He brings with him a wealth of experience and my fellow directors and I look forward to working with him in the years to come.’

Heritage Homes has made a legal bid to quash a planning condition preventing it from redeveloping the Castletown Golf Links Hotel.

In the high court, the lawyer acting for the developer described as ‘perverse and absurd’ a condition in the Southern Area Plan that does not permit new or replacement buildings in Langness unless their use is connected with the golf course.

But Derbyhaven residents and the owner of the Castletown Golf Links, Philip Vermeulen, have challenged the move by Dandara.

They want the Golf Links Hotel to be retained as a hotel, and believe both landscape proposals relating to Langness in the Area Plan should be scrapped as their don’t afford sufficient protection for the area - and they argue a new plan should be developed specifically for the peninsula.

Fort Island Developments, in which Heritage Homes owns a 50 per cent stake, purchased the Golf Links Hotel in 2012 for £2.5 million. The landmark hotel had been closed since 2007.

South African businessman and Derbyhaven resident Philip Vermeulen believes the hotel is a national asset and should not be turned into flats.

Landscape proposal LP21 states that ‘new or replacement buildings on Langness should not be permitted except for use ancillary to the operation and use of the golf course or, in the case of the former hotel site, for hotel accommodation’.

Elsewhere, the Area Plan states that proposals for redevelopment of the hotel will not be permitted unless it can be demonstrated it’s no longer commercially viable.

In court, Heritage Homes’ advocate Tom Maher said the government accepted LP21 should be removed. He told the court: ‘LP21 is a perverse, unlawful policy. Everybody now agrees this should not be there - it’s absurd. Government concedes an error was made. The politicians over-ruled the expert civil servants.’

He pointed out LP21 applies to the whole of the Langness E11 area which includes Derbyhaven. And he claimed the challenge by Mr Vermeulen, the Golf Course company he owns and the Derbyhaven Residents’ Society, was an ‘apparent attempt to frustrate any development’ of the hotel. He argued Mr Vermeulen appeared motivated by commercial factors. A deferred judgment is expected.

The Home of Rest for Old Horses in Richmond Hill, Braddan, is holding Christmas Opening weekends this Saturday and Sunday as well as the following weekend (December 14 and 15, and 21 and 22).

The café will be serving home-made vegetable soup, toasties, cakes, tea and coffee. The gift shop will be open, a raffle held and Santa will be in his grotto with some of the home’s donkeys. Free admission.

The home will be open fom 10am to 4pm.

Live audio webcasting of all parliamentary proceedings will be introduced next year.

MHKs voted unanimously to support the move during last week’s House of Keys sitting. MLCs also backed the proposal in the Legislative Council that same day.

Live sound-only webcasts of proceedings in the Keys and LegCo will be available on the tynwald.org website from January 28. There will also be a play back facility so you can listen to items you’ve missed.

Infrastructure Minister David Cretney tabled the motion for a live and listen again audio system on behalf of the Tynwald management committee.

He told MHKs: ‘It is an important principle of parliamentary democracy that proceedings of the legislature should be open and accessible.

‘In ancient times this meant holding our sittings on a Hill, where the Lord of Man with his Council and Keys would be clearly visible to all. Today we meet indoors. But there are public galleries in all three Chambers, and anyone is welcome to attend.

‘People cannot always come in person. Whether they have come in person or not, people may wish to find out about our proceedings after the event.’

All Tynwald proceedings are broadcast live on Manx Radio but for Keys sittings only question time is broadcast and LegCo is not covered at all.

The Tynwald website was launched in May last year and is now ready to launch audio webcasting.

Mr Cretney told MHKs: ‘Technology moves on. Sound can now also be webcast over the internet, and this technology has been adopted by many other parliaments.

‘This is not just a technical innovation. It is a way of letting more people listen, to more of our business.’

The impact of online shopping on high street sales has been revealed in a survey of the island’s retail sector.

A retail strategy report commissioned by the Department of Economic Development will be laid before this week’s Tynwald sitting.

It included the results of a survey of 1,000 households which reveals how increased online shopping has affected levels of trade, particularly in Douglas, which now attracts 60 per cent of expenditure on high street comparison goods, compared with 70 per cent in 2006.

Market share across the island has fallen from 84 per cent to 70 per cent.

However, one retail centre has bucked the trend – Tynwald Mills’ market share has increased to just under 6 per cent from 3.5 per cent.

Given this trend towards online shopping, the strategy recommends that more work is done to develop an effective Manx retail presence on the internet.

The Retail Sector Strategy, drafted by consultants PBA Roger Tym in collaboration with leading retailers Peter Horsthuis of Robinsons, Stephen Bradley of Tynwald Mills, Manx Co-op’s Andrew Corrie and JAC Stores’s Chris Blatcher, as well as Carol Glover from Isle of Man Enterprises.

The household survey findings indicate shifts in food spending patterns since 2006 are also revealed in the household survey findings.

Just under half of all spend (49 per cent) goes to stores in Douglas, compared with 60 per cent in 2006. Store openings and reinvestment in the interim by Shoprite and Co-op have attracted increased shares of expenditure to Ramsey (20 per cent, up 2 per cent), Peel (9 per cent, up 3 per cent) and Port Erin (7 per cent, up 1 per cent).

Multiple retailers, none of which are headquartered in the Isle of Man, operate 17 per cent of non-food stores – in Douglas this rises to 36 per cent.

Some 40 per cent of bulky goods spending was in out of town stores.

The strategy identified an action plan to tackle four key aims - supporting variety and competition, maximising on-island expenditure, developing the indigenous retail sector and creating high quality town centre retail environments.

This included the idea of setting up a Town Centre Enabling Fund, which could buy up land and use surplus public sector properties to attract private retail development.

But the DED has ruled out such a move, at least in the short term, noting in its report to Tynwald: ‘This is aspirational and there is an acceptance within the working group that funding is unlikely to be available in the current financial climate.’

The strategy also considers the impact of the ‘Tesco tax’, under which 10 per cent corporate tax rate was extended in April this year to major retailers with an annual profit of more than £500,000.

It means Tesco, M&S and other UK giants will now pay tax to the Manx exchequer based on profits generated here, rather than to the UK taxman.

However, the report notes that some Manx retailers are also subject to the extension, reducing their scope for additional investment.

Is the Department of Community, Culture and Leisure out of control with its spending?

That was the question levelled by Michael MHK Alfred Cannan at Minister Graham Cregeen in the House of Keys.

He said it seemed to be the attitude of some departments to ‘spend, spend, spend’.

In the soon to be scrapped DCCL he cited examples including new double-decker buses, minibuses and the bendy bus trial.

Mr Cannan asked the Minister why his department has an expected overspend of £500,000 this financial year.

The Minister said the figure was an estimated shortfall in net expenditure made on September 30: ‘The estimated shortfall arose as a result of projected savings that are unlikely to materialise due to not implementing articulated buses and delays in procuring the systems necessary to introduce a revised fare structure and reduce lost monies on the buses.’

He added: ‘The department is confident that as a result of the efforts of the management and the co-operation of the Treasury a supplementary vote is currently viewed as unlikely.

‘However, as we are still less than eight months through the financial year, any prediction regarding the end of year position remains an estimate.’

Chief Minister Allan Bell has welcomed a commitment from the UK Government to further strengthen its working relationship with the island.

Mr Bell held positive discussions with Lord McNally, Minister of State for Justice, during the British-Irish Council in Jersey.

Since then, Lord McNally has written to the Chief Minister to reaffirm his support towards the island’s partnership with the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) – which manages the UK Government’s constitutional relationship with the Crown Dependencies – and other key UK departments.

In the letter, Lord McNally said: ‘I also recognise that engaging internationally is an area which is increasingly important to the Isle of Man.

‘I understand that there may be occasions where you wish your voice to be heard separately on issues where you feel strongly that interests differ significantly from those of the United Kingdom.’

He added: ‘The relationship between the UK and the Isle of Man is a positive and mutually beneficial one and it is vital that we continue to be good neighbours to one another.

‘My department will continue to work with you to find further ways to improve our processes and help ensure that our relationship is managed as effectively as possible.’

The MoJ has worked on enhancing a number of areas in line with the recommendations of a Justice Select Committee Report in 2010.

Mr Bell said the vast majority of Manx legislation is now processed for royal assent within 20 working days.

And it has also helped to promote greater awareness of the island across Whitehall and to facilitate discussions with other UK departments on a range of important issues.

‘We are looking to explore further ways to represent ourselves on the international stage and the MoJ is providing valuable assistance in this area.’

Mr Bell added: ‘Lord McNally knows the Isle of Man very well and I look forward to working with him in the months and years ahead.’

The Manx government has set up an online book on condolence for former South African president Nelson Mandela, who died last week.

The tributes page is on its website.

It can be found {http://www.gov.im/nelsonmandela|here}

A service remembering Mr Mandela is taking place today.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/uk-news/uk-leaders-attend-mandela-service-1-6305820|UK prime minister David Cameron and all his living predecessors are there.}

The jury in the trial of Attorney General Stephen Harding have retired to consider their verdict.

Mr Harding, 52, of Glen Vine, denies perjury and acts against public justice.

The jury of five men and two women retired at 1.10pm to consider their verdicts on the ninth day of the trial at Court of General Gaol Delivery,

Itex (Isle of Man) Ltd is under new ownership following a management buyout by Alyson Hamilton Lacey and James Cochrane.

Alyson and James have acquired the offshore IT business from the C5 Alliance Group, which purchased Itex Holdings operations in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey in June 2013.

Managing Director Alyson said: ‘The Itex brand has long enjoyed a strong reputation in the Isle of Man and this is an exciting opportunity to build on the excellent products and service levels that have become our calling card over the years.

‘We have maintained a strong alliance with C5 and will continue to work closely with them.

‘This is the dawn of a new era for Itex (Isle of Man) – we have made a substantial investment in acquiring the business and we have great plans for the future, which will be unveiled over the coming months.’

Itex (Isle of Man) is a highly accredited provider of technology solutions for offshore markets, using its partnerships with leading global vendors to deliver independent advice and solutions to businesses, including the Manxcloud, launched in 2009 and delivered from state-of-the-art certified datacentres located in the Isle of Man.

James said: ‘We are renowned for the expertise and professionalism of our team, who take great pride in their deserved reputation as “service heroes” – whatever the issue, whatever the time of day, they deal with it.

‘We want to build on this reputation to create a “family business” ethos and provide a strong platform for the future development of Itex (Isle of Man).’

A Bill aimed at enabling the Post Office to seek new revenues to protect its services has passed its second reading in the House of Keys.

Post Office vice-chairman Richard Ronan said to maintain profitability and support services on the island, it was vital the Post Office could ‘continue its strategy of diversification and expansion into international markets’.

The Post Office (Amendment) Bill clarifies its main duty remains the delivery of letters.

Mr Ronan said: ‘This ensures that the focus of the Post Office remains on this vital area and that the provision of other services is available to the Post Office to allow it to introduce new products and services in a similar manner to other postal services around the world.’

The Bill also proposes to modernise its powers to take account of technologies introduced since 1993, when the last Act was brought in, including digital communication and data management, and hybrid mail solutions.

Mr Ronan said postal industries have had to change over the last 20 years following the introduction of new technology and customer expectations.

‘To protect their universal service obligation, they have sought to modernise and seek to extract more value from each piece of mail they handle and seek new opportunities.’

‘As with most change, the changing environment and technology in use poses both a threat and an opportunity.

‘Postal services around the world have faced significant challenges to their profitability.’

In the last five years the Post Office has lost 22 per cent of the volume of mail posted on island, which equates to a shortfall in revenue of over £2m.

Michael MHK Alfred Cannan raised his concern the Post Office would get powers that would directly interfere with existing private enterprises.

He said this would not create a ‘level, equitable playing field’.

A number of MHKs expressed disappointment there would not be a presentation on the Bill until next month.

It received its second reading, with only David Quirk (Onchan) voting against.

The Bill leaves open options for the operating model of the Post Office, such as corporatisation. This will be a matter for the Council of Ministers.

Misadventure was the verdict on a Southern 100 sidecar competitor who died after an accident during this year’s event.

Robert Leonard Paul Thomas, known as Paul, was the passenger in outfit number 10 driven by Anthony Houghton when he was thrown out of the chair at speed on the section of the course known as Osborne’s on the final lap of the final sidecar race on July 11.

The accident happened in warm, dry and sunny conditions on Thursday - the final day of racing - and the meeting was abandoned afterwards while investigations were carried out.

Mr Houghton, an experienced sidecar competitor who took part in the TT and was a S100 regular, said they had been around 10 yards behind outfit number nine, after Ballabeg hairpin.

‘Number nine seemed to slow down, perhaps because he missed a gear and we went to the right hand side. We were slightly behind at that stage. Number nine then moved to the right and collided with our front passenger wheel-arch with its right side. The force pushed us into the right hand kerb. I don’t think he saw us. We went down the kerb for 20 yards. We got back on to the road and lurched left and rubbed the bank on the other side.

‘If I hadn’t pulled out along side I would have run into the back of him. He had slowed quite a lot,’ Mr Houghton said.

Mr Houghton said he had not been aware Mr Thomas had parted company from the outfit.

Darren Hope was the driver of the other sidecar, number nine, with passenger Paul Bumphrey. Mr Hope who had also competed previously in the TT and S100 races, said he had missed a gear after Ballabeg hairpin and he felt a ‘light nudge’ on his right foot but did not realise the seriousness of the incident until later.

‘I was packing away when the chief scrutineer came to take the bike away and I knew then something serious must have happened,’ he said.

Mr Bumphrey said he felt only a slight contact then realised the passenger was missing from the other outfit and had tried to alert someone by gesticulating with his hand.

An accident investigation by Constable Edward Radcliffe said Mr Houghton’s outfit, with Mr Thomas as a passenger, was trapped between the kerb and Mr Hope’s machine. Mr Houghton’s outfit had been raised off the ground briefly by the kerb and had twisted as it re-established contact with the road, dislodging Mr Thomas from his position in the chair.

Mr Thomas, a gardener who lived at Ballasalla, had been thrown from the outfit, making contact with the wall at the side of the road, a boulder in the hedge and a utility box at the side of the road. Two witnesses told the court how they had witnessed Mr Thomas ‘barrel rolling’ down the road.

A post mortem examination by Dr Ervine Long found death was caused by massive blunt force trauma to Mr Thomas’ head, spine, chest and abdomen and he would have been beyond help.

Recording his verdict, coroner John Needham said: ‘He was not conscious at the end and would not have been aware. His injuries were not survivable, as the post mortem report confirmed.’ Mr Needham thanked the marshals and paramedics and offered condolences to Mr Thomas’ family: ‘He died doing something he loved, but this is still a huge sadness for you.’

Ramsey will be echoing to the sounds of carols in the run-up to Christmas.

Tonight (Thursday, December 12) Ramsey Rotary Club is holding a community carol service with readings in Ramsey Methodist Hall starting at 7.30pm with contributions from the Cushag choir, House of Keys, Ramsey Commissioners, Rotary Club of Ramsey, Ramsey schools, Ramsey Chamber of Commerce and the Inner Wheel Club of Ramsey.

Then on Wednesday, December 18, starting at 5pm children from Bunscoill Rhumsaa will be singing in the Courthouse grounds where, on Saturday 21st from 4.30pm Ramsey Commissioners are inviting everyone to celebrate the festive season in a community ‘Christmas Songs at the Courthouse’ event. To decide the programme of songs and carols you can select up to 10 of your favourites from a list at www.ramseycourthouse.com. (Submissions must be received by December 17).

And finally, sounds of an altogether different kind - most likely gasps and screams – will be heard on New Year’s Day when the Ramsey RNLI Chilly Dip takes place from 11am in aid of Ramsey RNLI and Bunscoill Rhumsaa. (Registration at Ramsey RNLI station from 10am. Fancy dress optional). For more details contact Ramsey@rnli.org.uk.