Trading conditions, particularly in retail and construction, remain difficult despite the Manx economy now outstripping that of its Channel Island rivals.

The government last week hailed 30 years of consecutive economic growth, with national income hitting £4bn for the first time.

In contrast, Guernsey’s national income rose by 0.5 per cent to £2.18bn in 2013 while Jersey’s GDP was essentially unchanged at £3.7bn.

But while the Council of Ministers’ latest quarterly economic report shows that the Manx economy improved between April and June this year, it paints a picture of mixed fortunes.

Employment rose by 350 and unemployment fell to about 900.

But the report notes: ‘There are clearly still difficult trading conditions in the domestic economy, particularly retail and construction.

‘Strong employment levels should support these areas going forward, as they are dependent on general stability and confidence, which can only come through increased employment.’

Construction remains depressed, with some companies reliant on government contracts for the bulk of their work.

But the quarterly report states there is optimism that demand for construction services will increase in the medium term.

The retail sector continues to face serious challenges, with margins eroded by increasing costs and downward pressure on prices.

Ongoing roadworks disrupting access to town centres, the speed of progress of the Strand Street regeneration scheme, proposals to introduce car parking charges and increases to the minimum wage are all cited as concerns by the sector.

However, some new jobs were created in the last quarter and shops occupancy in Douglas has seen some improvement.

Banking and financial services, meanwhile, bucked the expected trend.

Despite the challenges facing this sector, the number employed in financial and professional services actually rose.

A small number of previously anticipated job losses within banking have been offset by job growth in the corporate service providers, insurers and professional financial services. ‘Anecdotal indicators in the financial services sector suggest growth in the 2nd quarter which is positive and counter to the trend expected,’ says the report.

It notes that recent HMRC decisions regarding the accessibility to the UK banking ring-fence from the Crown Dependencies and increased focus on transparency will put pressure on numbers of bank licences.

The second quarter of the year also saw the licensing of three new captive insurers on the Island, and the licensing of an additional fiduciary. There was growth in the number of pension schemes managed, up 35 or 3.9 per cent.

‘These early recovery signs, though fragile, are backed by anecdotal evidence from the relevant sectors,’ says the report.

Manufacturing and engineering grew in the second quarter of this year and are expected to perform strongly with industry surveys indicated firms are planning to recruit later in the year.

Manx firms are well placed to take advantage of an expected period of sustained growth in the global aerospace industry up to 2020.

But the CoMin reports notes that a minority of manufacturing and engineering firms are less positive about the coming quarter, citing a decline in orders for military hardware and a high dependence on a small set of very large global producers in the aircraft industry as threats to growth.

The e-business sector continues to thrive with two new licences going live, taking the tally to 56.

Passengers flying from Blackpool Airport are still having to pay a £10 ‘airport development fee’, even though the facility is going to close for good on Wednesday.

Island-based airline Citywing operates flights to and from the airport.

Once passengers have checked in they have to queue at a machine to pay the fee before they can go airside and catch a plane.

Sue Kendrick, corporate affairs manager at the airport, {http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/community/community-news/bosses-defend-asking-passengers-to-pay-fee-1-6888912|told the Blackpool Gazette:} ‘The ADF [airport development fee] is paid by all departing passengers aged 16 years and over in order that they can access the airside facilities at the airport. If passengers have purchased ADF tickets and accessed the airside areas then refunds would not be applicable.

‘The ADF is paid directly to Blackpool Airport Limited and forms part of its operating income, together with the funding provided by Balfour Beatty; all money received to date has been used to invest in airport infrastructure and cover operating costs.

‘This will continue to be the case while the airport remains operational together with the free car parking marketing offer.

‘It is likely that without the introduction of the ADF in 2009 the airport would have faced closure much sooner and we appreciate the support of all our passengers which has assisted in helping to sustain the operation into 2014.

‘The ADF also helped to fund the free passenger parking offer.

‘We also upgraded the passenger facilities in the departure lounge, new toilets and departure lounge carpet and we had a new and much improved catering and bar facility.’

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/blackpool-flights-suspended-1-6884324|Click here to read our latest story about Citywing’s response to the closure of Blackpool Airport.}

Police are looking for a driver they think saw an accident last night (Friday).

He or she was driving a dark BMW from Ramsey towards Douglas at around 8pm and might have witnessed the incident at the Veranda, on the Mountain Road.

A small dark hatchback car left the road.

The motorist, and any other witness, is being asked to contact Ramsey police station on 812234.

Police are investigating the theft of an Ifor Williams four wheeled boxed trailer (similar to the one pictured).

It is white and removed from the Old Film Studios on Jurby Road, Ramsey.

Racking had been constructed inside the trailer, creating shelving which would leave marks if removed.

Police asking members of the public who have been offered or bought such a trailer to ring Constable Rob Midghall at Ramsey police station 812234.

Foxdale said goodbye to one of its most loved members of the community last week.

Catherine Frances Ada Cubbon passed away peacefully aged 86 at Castle View Nursing Home in Peel on Monday, September 29.

St Paul’s Church in the village was packed to the rafters for the funeral of Ada, who was best known for running the shop in Foxdale for many years.

Speakers had to be installed outside the venue so that people who could not get into the church could listen to the service and pay their respects.

Ada’s daughter, Shirley Watts, said: ‘Mum ran the shop for 38 years and loved every minute of it, she loved the community, Foxdale people have always stuck together.’

The collection plate at the the funeral received an amazing £1,100, which Shirley said her Mum wanted to go to St Paul’s Church and Foxdale School.

‘She’d be so chuffed we collected so much,’ said Shirley.

The tribute was read by former Archdeacon of the island, Brian Partington.

After the service a wake was held at Foxdale School before many people went on to the Baltic pub.

Shirley said: ‘People used to call her “Ada Foxdale” or “Radar Ada”, because she knew where to get the skeet.

‘The shop was her life, she loved it, she carried on after dad died but then retired to a little bungalow.

‘She missed the people coming in the shop though. People have said she was the last old Foxdale person.

Ada had four children – Shirley, Elizabeth, Elaine and James – 11 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Shirley said: ‘She used to say all the kids here were brought up with nothing and look what they’ve done. You don’t have to be born with a load of money.’

People even came from the UK to pay tribute with former MGP and TT rider Alan ‘Bud’ Jackson travelling to attend the service and pay his respects.

‘During the second hymn, “The Old Rugged Cross”,’ said Shirley, ‘I could hear a voice singing loudly above the others, and when I looked around it was John Kennaugh. He said afterwards: “I had to sing for your mother”.’

‘So many people have been so good. Stuart Lambie gave marvellous support, even after Mum left the shop he visited her a lot.’

‘The Women’s Institute did the teas at the wake, there were only four of them, when they saw everyone arriving they said to their husbands “get your coats off”.’

‘I would also like to thank Simon Mellor the undertaker from [funerla director] David Lancaster who was amazingly helpful in his handling of everything.’

A former Isle of Man resident who now lives in southern Spain, has bagged a third prize for the island in a recent bodybuilding championship.

Michelle Oldenburg’s mother was Manx born and she still has cousins, aunts and uncles on her mother’s side living in the island.

Because Michelle, who is 43, was born in the island, it was the Manx flag that she was flying when she took part in the Natural Bodybuilding Championships held in Madrid at the weekend.

‘I was born in Douglas and my father was Dutch and my mother Manx,’ she said.

‘My brother was born in Holland but after joining the army changed his passport to British.’

The demands of her father’s job in the oil industry meant they moved from country to country, rarely staying for more than a year in any one place.

‘We started moving and apart from five years in Singapore, we never stayed anywhere longer than that,’ she said.

After settling in recent years in Marbella, Michelle took up natural bodybuilding as a hobby and was approached by Spanish natural bodybuilding champion Alonso Lopez Barrios who wondered if she would like to compete in the current competition.

‘When Alonso asked me the first time, I thought he was crazy. I thought maybe he said that to everyone. But then a couple of weeks later I visited the gym where he trains, and as soon as I walked through the door he asked me again if I had decided to compete,’ she said.

‘It still sounded to me like a crazy idea but I decided I would regret it one day if I didn’t rise to the challenge.’

Having made the decision to take part, Michelle said she had been training since late July with help from Alonso and fellow athletes.

‘I never in my life thought about competing in such an event, yet it has put me in contact with some very interesting people and I have managed to shed those extra inches I could never really seem to get rid of,’ she said.

‘Training was more concentrated and funnily enough I was eating more than I would normally.

‘The atmosphere at the compeititon was very friendly and in the end even on the stage everyone was generally enjoying the moment and was keen to interact with each other, even while waiting for the results.’

Mexico took first prize, South Africa second and Isle of Man third: ‘I was surprised and very happy with the result. I have now been asked to compete in Barcelona next month.’

The true heroes of the lifeboat organisation are the donors and the fundraisers who keep the organisation going.

Those were the words of Charles Hunter­Pease, the chairman of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, when he paid a visit to the Peel Lifeboat station last week.

Charles heaped praise on the people who give up their time and money to enable the service to operate as effectively as it does.

‘After 190 years now, we’ve only ever depended on voluntary contribution from people like you,’ he said to the massed ranks boat crew, shore crew and fundraisers of the Peel lifeboat.

‘During the last three years, during the economic recession, we have hit record figures of donations – that is phenomenal.’

Charles was on a three day visit to the island, visiting each lifeboat station and attending one of the general combined meetings of the island’s service. He was also interested in visiting the birthplace of the RNLI and in finding out more about the life of Sir William Hillary, who founded the service from Douglas during the 1820s.

‘Having been a volunteer for 25 years, I felt that I had to come and visit Sir William Hillary’s grave,’ said Charles. ‘I have just read the book about Sir William and without his vision, without his dream, we would not be here today.

‘I’ve enjoyed my time in the island. I’m here to say thank you to all our volunteers, to our fundraisers, to the shore crews, to the boat crews, because without the volunteers the service will not be able to operate.

‘The island is a wonderful place, full of characters who make our lifeboat stations run. They are phenomenal stations, and they do a valuable job for everybody.

‘190 years on, we have saved over 149,000 people. That’s almost twice the population of this island. That is a phenomenal achievement, and it is entirely down to volunteers and a wonderful group of staff.’

The Speaker of the House of Keys, Steve Rodan SHK, is to pay tribute in Flanders to Manxmen and women who fell in the First World War.

Mr Rodan, who will be accompanied by Alex Downie MLC, will be among delegates attending the 49th plenary session of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly in Ashford, Kent later this month which has taken as its theme ‘commemoration of British and Irish involvement in the First World War’.

Central to the session will be a day-long visit to the battlefield sites of Flanders on Monday, October 20, when delegates will be accompanied by Dr Andrew Murrison MP, Prime Minister David Cameron’s special representative for the centenary commemoration of the First World War. The group will also include three historians: Professor Keith Jeffrey of Queen’s University, Belfast, Dr Glyn Prysor, senior historian at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWCG) and Lynelle Howson, assistant historian at CWGC.

Events planned include a visit to Ypres, specifically to the Island of Ireland Peace Park, also to the Black Watch Memorial and to the Menin Gate Memorial where, at the Last Post ceremony, Mr Rodan will lay a wreath on behalf of the people of the Isle of Man to the memory of those who fell. As current president of the Royal British Legion, Isle of Man County, he will also be playing a lament on his bagpipes at one or more of the wreath-laying ceremonies.

Mr Rodan said: ‘The British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly is a powerful forum for strengthening the close ties that link the Isle of Man, Britain and Ireland. Nowhere is this more clearly evidenced than in our united commitment to honour those who lived, fought and died in the First World War, a conflict that in some way or other, will have touched all our lives.

‘It is fitting, therefore, that delegates will be coming together in Flanders this month to reflect on and remember those darkest of times and their lasting impact on nations and communities world wide.’

The line-up of speakers for the Isle of Man’s first TEDx event is taking shape, with NASA astronaut Colonel Ron Garan (USAF ret.) and Manx blues star Davy Knowles confirmed to appear.

TEDxDouglas takes place at the Youth Arts Centre in Kensington Road, Douglas, on Monday, November 10, and the conference will feature a wide range of speakers with powerful, thought-provoking ideas and guest performers.

A former F-16 fighter pilot, Ron was selected by NASA in 2000 and his first space flight was in 2008 to the International Space Station, returning to the ISS three years later.

Ron is also an aquanaut, having spent 18 continuous days living and working on the ocean floor as part of a joint NASA-NOAA research mission to Aquarius, the world’s only undersea research laboratory.

He is also science advisor to Nobel Laureate Mohamed Yunus and a social entrepreneur and Google evangelist.

An acclaimed blues guitarist and singer, Davy hails from Port St Mary and is now based in Chicago, but regularly returns to the island and performed at the recent I Love Culture show at the Villa Marina. Davy will speak at TEDxDouglas, as well as performing.

The conference will be split into three sessions – the first from 2pm to 3.30pm, the second from 4pm to 5.30pm and the third from 6pm to 8.30pm.

Tickets are priced at £30 for one session, £40 for two sessions, and £50 for the full day. They will be available via the Villa Gaiety box office and will be on sale soon.

TEDxDouglas is being curated by Emma and John Quirk, with the talks being streamed live on the internet and uploaded to the main TED website afterwards for worldwide viewing.

Emma said: ‘We have been inundated with ideas for talks from prospective speakers, and have narrowed the list down and will be unveiling the full line up in the next week or so. We would like to thank everyone who has got in touch with a proposal, and for those who miss out on this occasion, we are aiming to make this an annual event, so there should be future opportunities to reconsider any idea that hasn’t been included on this occasion.

‘TED is such an inspiring community, and the thought of the first TEDx event coming to the island certainly does seem to have inspired some fantastic ideas.

‘The TED philosophy is about the power of ideas to change attitudes, to make people question the world around them and how they live their lives. We can’t wait to finalise the running order for the sessions and let the public see what we have in store.

‘We are also keen to hear from any companies, or individuals, who would like to support TEDxDouglas – there are several sponsorship opportunities available, and we’d be happy to discuss options with anyone interested in getting involved.’

TED - which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design - is a non-profit organisation devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short talks, normally no longer than 15 minutes.

The movement has developed a worldwide following of millions since the first one-off event in 1984.

TEDx events are independent from the main TED conferences, but operate under the same banner and follow similar principles and guidelines. There are more than 30,000 talks in the TEDx online library from presentations in 130+ countries.

‘TEDster’ Chris Stott, also CEO of Manx satellite company ManSat Ltd, is the licence holder for TEDxDouglas.

He said: ‘The list of speakers Emma and John have compiled covers such a variety of innovative ideas, covering a wide range of subjects, and the response from prospective speakers has been so pleasing to see. The event is gearing up to be a must-see as this year’s Island of Culture celebrations draw to a close.’

The sermon at Castletown’s civic service, held in Arbory Methodist chapel on September 28, was inappropriate, said town commissioner Colin Leather, October 6.

Mr Leather congratulated chairman Richard McAleer on the service, but said: ‘The sermon (by Rev Canon Dr Jules Gomes) was not in keeping with the function. It’s the first time I have ever seen people walk out of the civic service, it had nothing to do with the occasion, I felt the chairman was let down, it could have been one of the best civic services for a long time … it was far too heavy and too long, there were children in there. There is a time and a place for everything, that was not the time.’

Mr Leather later added: ‘The sermon was about broken Britain, how when kids went to Sunday school there was less crime than today … the whole idea of the civic service is it’s a celebration of the community, not Hyde Park corner listening to someone spouting off. As a community we work together and recognise what everybody does and the sermon detracted from what was going on.’

Mr McAleer thanked everyone who took part, Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band and Balley Chashtal band and he said Victoria Road primary school choir was ‘excellent’.

Dorothy Faragher thanked Lee Wilie and Tim Horton for preparing the civic centre, where there was a reception.

Not everyone agrees with Mr Leather. On Rev Canon Dr Gomes’ Facebook page, Rob Callister wrote: ‘A wonderful Civic Service this afternoon in Castletown. The sermon given by Revd. Canon Dr. Jules Gomes certainly made you sit up and think about the link between the church, crime and family values.’

Rev Canon Dr Gomes said: ‘The sermon was absolutely central to the community because I addressed the issues that are causing the breakdown of the community; I addressed it academically on the basis of very expensive research and I’m open to anybody challenging me on that. I had a very positive response from a number of members of the congregation.’

A 3m long bronze poppy railing will form the centrepiece to a newly-designed remembrance garden in Port St Mary.

The garden, on Bay View Road, was first opened in June 1975.

The local authority decided it was in need of a facelift, which seemed appropriate in this, the centenary of the outbreak of World War One.

Previously, the garden comprised a flagpole, seats, flower beds and pathways all accessed from a 1.7m opening off the pavement through a round pergola on top of dashed rendered walls.

The new design will open this all up and create a widened access.

The surface will be finished in dark grey coloured granite paving with a wavy pink line widening from the pavement to the flagpole, where it forms a curved area centring on the flagpole with a new poppy themed bronze screen as a backdrop to the flagpole.

names

It will display the names of service personnel from Port St Mary killed or missing in the two World Wars.

The area which is not to be paved will be grassed and the existing bench seating re-positioned at the outer edge of the paved area facing towards the flagpole.

The roadside boundary will continue to be formed by a low stone wall with rounded coping.

Iron railings on the side overlooking the harbour will open up the views of the sea from the site.

A dedication service will be held in the garden at 10.30am on November 11, prior to remembrance services.

A police officer was assaulted by a man in custody last night.

The officer was not injured but the force says the man is to be charged.

A vehicle was damaged in a car park in Ramsey yesterday afternoon (Saturday).

The white Renault Clio was hit by another vehicle in the Shoprite car park in Bowring Road soon after 1.30pm.

Police constable Chloe Keegan wants to speak to anyone who saw what happened.

Witnesses should ring her at Ramsey police station on 812234.

sBest-selling crime fiction writer and poet Sophie Hannah will be the guest at this year’s Author’s Breakfast, organised by the Isle of Man Fund for the Blind.

The annual event, held since 1994, raises money for Manx Blind Welfare Society, which works with blind and visually impaired people in the Isle of Man. This year’s Author’s Breakfast will take place at the Mount Murray Hotel and Country Club at 9.30am on November 24.

Tickets, priced £23, are available now.

Sophie is best-known for psychological thrillers including Little Face, Hurting Distance, A Room Swept White, Lasting Damage, Kind of Cruel and The Carrier, and two of her novels, The Point of Rescue and The Other Half Lives, were adapted for ITV1 television’s Case Sensitive, starring Olivia Williams and Darren Boyd.

Her work has been translated into more than 20 languages, won the Specsavers National Book Award for Crime Novel of the Year 2013 with The Carrier. Her books have been listed for many other industry awards, including the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award in 2007 and 2008, the IMPAC Award, the Independent Booksellers’ Book of the Year Award and a Barry Award.

She also wrote The Monogram Murders, published last month. This was the first Hercule Poirot novel since Agatha Christie’s death, and was approved by the legendary author’s estate.

Sophie has also published five collections of poetry, and her poems are studied at GCSE, A-level and degree level across the UK.

She said: ‘I’m really looking forward to visiting the Isle of Man and very pleased to be able to address the Author’s Breakfast. It is always a pleasure to talk about my work, and particularly at an event supporting work with the blind and visually impaired.’

Manx Blind Welfare Society volunteers’ coordinator and events organiser Debbie Thomson added: ‘We are absolutely delighted an author as respected and popular as Sophie will be speaking at the Author’s Breakfast. This is always one of the highlights of the year, and the audience is in for a real treat when Sophie talks about her career, her novels and one of her latest books, The Telling Error.

‘Last year’s Author’s Breakfast, with Ann Cleves, was a sell out and we expect this year’s to be just as popular.’

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

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

Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management is sponsoring the International Company of the Year Award at this year’s Isle of Man Newspapers Awards for Excellence.

‘It’s a great award for us to be sponsoring. We have an increasingly global clientele and one of our seven values is: “For us there are no foreign markets”,’ explained Dermot Hamill, Canaccord’s Head of Wealth Management Isle of Man.

Canaccord Genuity (previously Collins Stewart) was one of the original Awards for Excellence sponsors and the company is now in its ninth year backing the event.

‘We have a desire to create excellence in everything we are doing so being associated with something that is all about delivering excellence is a great fit with this ethos.

‘Our clients also demand excellence and for us that means being focussed on providing good solid investment performance,’ said Dermot.

It’s that investment performance which has led to Canaccord Genuity enjoying an enviable client retention rate and a business that has continued to grow for the last 14 years, primarily by word of mouth recommendation.

‘It’s a great testament to the skills and commitment of our people.

‘We’re all very focussed on doing what we think is best for our clients. We’re very focussed on identifying and growing and building those opportunities and we’re always looking to provide some level of added value.

‘It’s not one thing but a combination of things and just that desire to want to do your best and to want to continue growing for your clients,’ explained Dermot.

Their latest quarterly results showed that their Assets Under Management increased by 27 per cent over the course of the year. They will soon complete a major upgrade of systems and processes, begun last year, which will ensure that they have the infrastructure to support future growth from its current level of £11 billion AUM

‘Increasingly the world of offshore is changing, so we’re finding ourselves competing with people onshore and that will just continue to evolve. Our system changes are all about ensuring that we have the right infrastructure to compete,’ explained Dermot.

With a global client base, Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, which also has offices in Jersey, Guernsey and London, could be based anywhere, so why the Isle of Man?

Dermot said: ‘We’ve had a lot of success here over the last couple of years and we have continued to evolve here. We have a very stable team and we recently recruited two more portfolio managers, bringing the total to seven, as well as four dealers in the front office.

‘People use us because of our ability to execute, to perform, to achieve whatever their requirements are. Investment performance is one part of that service delivery and excellence is another.

‘Both our assets and our brokerage business continue to increase as a result of longstanding client loyalty and the new business that we have successfully acquired.’

There are 16 categories at this year’s Awards for Excellence for companies, individuals, public sector teams and charitable organisations.

The event takes place at the Villa Marina in Douglas on November 20.

Find out more online, www.iomtoday.co.im/afe

A giant beach cleaning session is planned for the north of the island this month to complete a long summer’s work to remove rubbish which been gathering amongst the sand dunes for decades.

The charity Beach Buddies is teaming up with Chartered Financial Planners Blythe Financial, for a special event on Saturday, October 18, which is hoped to attract as many as 100 volunteers for the final assault on a two mile stretch between Ballaghennie and the Point of Ayre.

Blythe Financial is the latest company to support the charity with a three year sponsorship of a beach bin at the Ballaghennie Ayres Nature Reserve.

‘We believe there is more than 20 years’ of rubbish along this coastline which was unearthed from the sand dunes in the storms at the beginning of the year,’ said Beach Buddies’ founder Bill Dale.

‘We have covered the stretch of beach from Jurby to Ballaghennie, and this last section to the Point of Ayre will conclude a fantastic effort by our volunteers.

‘The glorious summer weather has made life a lot easier for everyone, but there has still been an amazing amount of energy and time put into this task, collecting rubbish and some extremely large items which have clearly been there for a very long time.’

Alan and Sue Blythe, owners of Blythe Financial, who are keen conservationists and whose dogs love walking along this coastline, hope that their special event will be attended by regular Beach Buddies’ volunteers, and that lots of new faces will join in on October 18 and get involved in the spirit of beach cleaning.

‘We love this stretch of beach,’ said Sue and Alan. ‘It’s such a shame that there is so much rubbish which has gathered over the years. But we have seen what can be done further down the coast, so we are very keen to get involved in this final big event to leave this beautiful section of the Isle of Man’s coastline looking at its very best.’

The event starts at 10.30 am on Saturday, October 18, meeting at the lighthouse at the Point of Ayre, and all equipment is provided by Beach Buddies, including bin bags, gloves and litterpickers, and Beach Buddies removes all rubbish collected afterwards. Volunteers are required to bring decent walking boots and clothing suitable for weather conditions on the day.

Families and children are warmly welcomed, and also well behaved dogs. There is no need to register beforehand. Anyone can arrive on the day, even if it’s for their first ever involvement with beach cleaning.

‘We would love to see as many as 100 people, even more,’ added Bill. ‘We always get good support for events in the north, but this is a very special occasion, and probably one of the final ones along this beautiful coastline until the winter.

‘It’s good fun, it’s relaxed and there’s always a warm welcome, and volunteers can do as much or as little as they like. It’s all about like-minded people getting together to do something for our lovely Island and the wildlife. For just a little bit of our time it makes a massive difference.’

Onchan will be more colourful in spring after the 2nd Onchan Rainbows planted 200 bulbs to mark the Big Brownie Birthday celebration.

Tulips, daffodils, allium and crocuses were planted under the tree behind the war memorial after Philip Sutton of Onchan commissionsers dug 200 holes.

Scarlett Kirkwood, aged seven, is pictured.

A new venture to encourage young people to drive safely proved such a success that a second meeting is being planned for December.

The Manx Motor Meet held its first meeting at the Bowl in September with an emphasis on having fun and learning car handling skills without going fast.

Youth officer Voirrey Kennaugh said the idea came about after the tragic death of Onchan school girl Lucia Porter earlier this year: ‘Many of our youth workers expected young drivers to calm down after her death but they didn’t. It shocked them so we thought we ought to try and do something about it.

‘Tragically there have been a couple more since then and other serious accidents as well. We’ll never stop it completely but if we can reduce the risk that’s what we are aiming at.’

Joining the youth service at the inaugural meeting were the police, the government’s road safety team, Manx Autosport car club along with the fire brigade and local businesses such as Quayside Tyres and DMS.

Mrs Kennaugh said DMS have provided a car for participants to spot the faults. Dominoes, Macdonalds and Regency Travel had all supported the event which ran under the slogan ‘More Fun, Less Speed’.

A follow-up event is being planned for December 7 at the grandstand during the day. Organisers hope to run an auto solo challenge for young people to hone their skills on a timed course around cones. For more details see the Manx Motor Meet Facebook page.

New by-laws being considered for Castletown will make the town’s annual confetti carnival illegal and have a ‘detrimental effect’ on the festival

That was the warning from Castletown Festival Committee (CFC) chairman Tony Brown who urged commissioners to put plans to update the town’s by-laws out to public consultation.

The by-laws were last updated in 1991, said clerk Eddie Convery, who added some were ‘archaic’ and the new laws followed government’s model by-laws from 2012.

Mr Brown said CFC is concerned ‘that the new by-laws have not been issued for any public consultation and therefore most, if not all, town organisations from within our community will not be aware of the proposed new by-laws nor their implications.’

He pointed out CFC was only aware of them after the treasurer attended a local authority meeting on September 22 and the by-laws were included in the agenda.

CFC asked for a period of public consultation and suggested they follow government’s lead of a minimum of six weeks’ public consultation.

If the by-laws are adopted they will ‘have a detrimental affect on the operations of the Castletown festival’ and ‘on many other town organisations, most of whom are chartable and benevolent operated in most if not all cases by volunteers who are working for the good of the community.’

If the authority does decide to adopt the new by-laws, Mr Brown asked that references to ‘public places’ be deleted ‘due to the serious implications – unintended consequences to those raising funds for charitable causes’.

He said references to ‘street collections’ in by-law six could draw in all types of fundraising events.

A clause saying the name, organisation and amount raised must be published in the newspaper within 28 days of the collection should be changed, he said, because of the costs involved; instead the internet should be acceptable.

By-law nine relating to ‘offensive substances’ should be deleted or at least amended, he said, because the clause preventing the throwing or scattering of any substance will make the festival’s confetti carnival illegal.

If it is to be included, he asked there be a specific exemption for the festival’s annual confetti carnival.

Castletown Commissioners discussed the letter on Monday, October 6, and Kevin Weir said there is no need to hold a public meeting; for public consultation they will use the internet and put notices in public places. There will also be further liaison with the police, government and the attorney general. He proposed after consultation has taken place they discuss the bylaws in the public session of their commissioners’ meeting on December 1. Colin Leather seconded the proposal, provided they also write to every organisation in town.

Firefighters were called to a grill pan fire in Ballasalla on Saturday afternoon.

The property at Cooyrt Shellagh was evacuated by the occupant who raised the alarm after the smoke detector sounded in the property.

When firefighters got there the fire was out but the building heavily smoke logged. Te cooker was made safe and the property vented.

A fire service spokesman said: ‘It is important to ensure that you have a working smoke alarm in your property. They give you that early warning that allows you to raise the alarm, evacuate the property, and reduce any potential damage a fire can cause.’