The Waterfall pub in Glen Maye will re-open on Friday, December 12, with a new manager and a few minor refurbishments.

Mark Williams, who is also the manager of the Central Hotel in Castle Street in Peel, has now taken over at the Glen Maye pub as well.

The pub is located at the entrance to the glen, near the waterfall itself, south of Peel on the island’s west cost.

But it has been closed since November 3.

Mark said: ‘The pub has been getting a good clean and a lick of paint but nothing major from a refurbishment point of view.

menu

‘We’ll continue doing food. We’ll have a Christmas menu up throughout December similar to what we have on in the Central.

‘We’re going to put on a carvery on a Sunday, hopefully during December, but certainly by New Year, because I don’t think there’s anywhere you can go for a decent carvery at the moment.’

Mark has taken out a 10-year lease on the Waterfall and hopes to restore the pub to its former reputation.

‘We want to get the Waterfall back to the way it was, somewhere the locals can come for good beers but also with a reputation for good food.

‘We want to try to get locals back into the pub, make it a local pub again with real ales, the top half will be for food and the bottom half for drinks.’

‘I’ve been in the pub trade for 13 years now so I have plenty of hospitality experience.

MOVED

‘I moved to the island eight and a half years ago and before that ran a couple of pubs in the UK, I originally come from Lancashire.’

The pub will be open for food from noon until 9.30pm (7pm on a Sunday) while the bar will be open from 12 noon to midnight every night.

Houses in the new Ballakilley estate, which straddles Port Erin and Rushen parish, will have different postcodes depending on which side of the boundary they lie.

The discrepancy is ‘ridiculous’ agreed Port Erin commissioners (PEC), November 4, when they considered an email from Isle of Man Post Office’s production and statistics officer Louise Kneen.

Ms Kneen wrote the estate was originally postcoded as Port Erin, as instructed by the developer Dandara, however Rushen Parish Commissioners had subsequently contacted her to say (part of) the development should be coded as Port St Mary (Rushen parish is not a postal area).

Ms Kneen asked for the authorities to decide what it should be.

As dictated by the boundary, four roads in the estate lie in Port Erin and six roads will be in Port St Mary.

She wrote: ‘The postcodes are not yet active so no residents can use them at the moment, but as people are starting to move in imminently we need to act quickly as until the postcodes are activated no one will be able to buy the likes of home insurance etc.’

Commissioner Barbara Guy said: ‘It’s ridiculous, crazy,’ and fellow commissioners agreed.
The authority in Port Erin has applied to the Department of Infrastructure to extend its boundary to take in all of the estate. Other discrepancies include the rates, which are around four times greater on the Port Erin side of the boundary.

The authority in Rushen is opposed to the application and argues boundaries clash elsewhere – particularly in the area of the Four Roads near the estate, where Rushen and Port Erin also meet Port St Mary – with no problems and it can be serviced by the two authorities. RPC are content that services such as street lighting and bin collection could be effectively provided with co-operation between the two authorities.

Rates income from the houses will help RPC finance costs incurred from providing facilities on the recreational area on two fields which are part of the development and near Ballafesson.

In a statement, Port Erin Commissioners’ chairman Ged Power said the boundary extension application, ‘is a process (that) has been guided by officers at the Local Government Unit and has involved consultation and discussion with Rushen Parish Commissioners and our three House of Keys representatives.’
He added: ‘The application process is determined by the Local Government Act and is in line with previous boundary extensions in Port Erin when new developments adjacent to the edge of the village have been incorporated. The reasons for doing this have been to offer a consistent level of service, provide the residents with a sense of place and community and in line with both the Southern Area Plan and the Isle of Man Strategic Plan, offer a soft edge to the development of Port Erin which naturally forms the green gap between Port Erin and the Parish of Rushen.

‘The Ballakilley development is a significant asset to Port Erin and the south in general. It provides much needed modern housing, including 19 social houses which will be managed by Port Erin Commissioners and also 20 first time buyers houses, I’m sure it will follow the success of the neighbourhood around Ponyfields, Erin Way and Truggan Road where families enjoy the benefits of living in our village.’

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne is considering the application, however feedback from the department suggests authorities need to reach an agreement before such an application is likely to be approved.

Kevin Gillespie, Local Government Unit Manager emailed Port Erin in March: ‘In my opinion, the correct starting point for Port Erin Commissioners would be to engage with your counterparts at Rushen and see if there is a general agreement on their part to your proposal. Moreover, and unless there is an agreed political will firmly in place, it is very unlikely that the Department will consider favourably any such application made by Port Erin Commissioners under article 6 of the Local Government Act 1985.’

The family of a young boy from Onchan who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are trying to raise money for a special wheelchair.

This week’s Manx Independent has more details inside.

The main story on page one is the fallout of the Council of Ministers’ decision to {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/island-s-two-biggest-post-offices-to-shut-1-6958187|close two big post offices.’}

The paper has more details inside, including complaints from the public and explanations from Post Office bosses.

There are a number of reports from Tynwald this week, including a question on payments made regarding the Pinewood Studios deal.

We were in court when former Parish Walk winner Vincent Lynch appeared on a charge of provoking behaviour and when David ‘Butch’ Buttery was sentenced for possession of cannabis.

The paper also has the story of a benefits cheat who took £34,000 from the public purse.

After we revealed {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/business/144-houses-can-be-built-in-peel-as-appeal-is-dismissed-1-6958344|that Heritage Homes’ plan for 144 homes in Peel was going ahead} we have response from the town’s commissioners. Phil Gawne isn’t very popular there.

The Independent reveals Port Erin Commissioners’ response to the news that Rowany Golf Club is planning to shut. They want to help. But will it be enough?

With 12 pages of action-packed sport, the Isle of Man’s What’s On guide, your seven-day television schedule and an interview with former island resident and Status Quo drummer John Coghlan, the Manx Independent is a great read this week.

It’s in the shops now.

The US and China have issued a joint statement announcing that they have agreed reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, in anticipation of United Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations for an international climate change agreement in Paris next year

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Sometimes, it can feel as though there’s not much good news about on the climate front.

But then again, the picture can lighten a bit.

So it was, when, on November 12, the US and China issued a joint statement announcing that they’re committed to an ‘ambitious’ international climate change agreement, as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations which will take place in Paris next year.

The background to this stems from a meeting in 2011 involving the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol parties in Durban, South Africa.

One of the key outcomes of this conference was agreement to adopt a global climate change agreement, by 2015, to replace the Kyoto Protocol.

The new global climate change agreement would, they said, start in 2020.

In anticipation of the Paris negotiations, the European Council agreed, in October, a binding target for the EU to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030, as part of the EU Climate and Energy 2030 Framework – this, of course, affects the UK – unless the UK Government abandons its commitments to act as a good global citizen, something that’s been threatened from time to time.

So much for the ‘Greenest Government Ever’, Mr Cameron.

In the meantime, some countries have used the failure of bigger players such as the US and China to play a full part as an excuse to delay taking steps themselves.

Unbelievably, and shamingly, we in the Green Centre have actually heard from an MHK’s lips the phrase ‘there’s no point in the Isle of Man cutting its carbon emissions whilst China’s still belching them out’ – as if being able only to do little excused doing nothing.

It’s a bit like saying: ‘We’re only killing one or two people through our selfish inaction – so that makes it OK.’

However, that excuse appears to be falling away now.

Why so? Well, last week, on November12 – the US and China issued a joint statement of commitment to an ‘ambitious’ international climate change agreement in 2015.

Their statement sets out specific targets, which they hope will encourage other countries to announce their own ‘ambitious actions’.

So far, so good.

The US says that it will achieve an economy-wide target of reduced emissions by 26 per cent to 28 per cent below 2005 levels in 2025, making best efforts to achieve the top end of that target range.

And China, for its part, will:

– Achieve peak CO2 emissions around 2030, making best efforts to achieve peak emissions before 2030.

– Increase the share of non-fossil fuels in its primary energy consumption to around 20 per cent by 2030.

The two countries have also agreed to work more closely together on other climate change measures, including:

– Investing in joint clean energy research and development.

– Advancing carbon capture and storage and enhanced water recovery.

– Reducing hydrofluorocarbons.

– Reducing carbon emissions from cities.

– Promoting trade in green goods.

– Demonstrating clean energy on the ground, including energy efficiency in buildings and boilers, solar power and smart grids.

The UK government welcomed the announcement as a ‘clear sign that major economies are serious about getting a global deal in Paris’, which is a bit rich when they also keep rumbling about abandoning green aspirations themselves, but there you go.

Other companies and organisations have also welcomed the announcement, particularly as the US and China together account for 42 per cent of global emissions, and together with the 40 per cent reduction target from the EU, this accounts for more than 50 per cent of global emissions.

So what does this mean for us?

Well, the island’s government has made lots of noise about climate change commitments, but so far action has been derisory; what’s needed is practical action, and soon (and I mean this in the context of Manx energy generation and consumption, not just that which we might facilitate by leasing our seabeds for offshore wind and marine renewable developments – to help the UK Government achieve its own targets).

A good, if small, start would be the establishment of some real incentives for household, business and community renewable microgeneration, so as to give our residents choice and the prospect of price stability.

This would also help create new jobs, skills and opportunities – which are likely to be much-needed in our changing economic environment.

Let’s get on with it!

Eastern Land and Cattle Company Limited, whose registered office is at Ballakilleyclieu Farm, Barragarrow, Kirk Michael, bought Ballaquine House, Braddan, for £1,501,000.

It was bought from Dirk Heinz Hoehmann, by coroner, and, Kenneth Alan Quilleash, of 1-5 Church Street, Douglas, as coroner.

Other recent transactions lodged at the General Registry in Douglas are as follows:

David Michael William Batchelor and Jill Batchelor, of Tregea, Brookfield Avenue, Castletown, sold Springfield House, Brookfield Avenue, Castletown, for £950,000, to Werner Alberts and Yolande Hester Alberts, of South Africa.

A.E.Corkill (Removals) Limited, whose registered office is situated at Removal House, 39 Finch Road, Douglas, sold 27, 29, 31, 33, 35 and 37 Finch Road, Douglas, for £738,000, to Viking Estates (IOM) Limited, whose registered office is situated at Faaie Mooar, Port Lewaigue, Maughold.

Rozanne Violet Coward sold Lezayre View, Andreas, for £507,500, to Nicholas Paul Webb and Dawn Hazel Webb, of Dale Cottage, Orrisdale, Kirk Michael.

Scott Edward Taylor and Clare Marie Taylor, sold 11 Rheast Mooar Close, Ramsey, for £318,000, to James Peter Richmond, of 35 Greenlands Avenue, Ramsey.

James Cameron Cannon sold 14 Stonecrop Grove, Douglas, for £215,000, to Geoffrey Leonard Murphy and Kathryn Louise Murphy, of 37 Berrywoods Avenue, Governor’s Hill, Douglas.

Andrew Haydn Clucas and Sarah Elizabeth Laura Clucas, sold 7 Ballabrooie Close, Douglas, for £211,000, to Neil Christopher Orders and Carole Orders, of 7 Cronkbourne Avenue, Douglas.

Hazel Edina Crewe, of Knebworth, and Geoffrey Vernon Artes, of Hitchen, sold 42 Clifton Park, Ramsey, for £205,000, to Joseph Hugh McCartney and Linda Joan McCartney, of Riverside Villa, 5 Riverside, Ramsey.

Alistair Edwin MacLaren sold 59 Lakeside Road, Governor’s Hill, Douglas, for £192,950, to Benjamin John Ward and Kelly Taylor, of Flat 2, 12 Derby Road, Douglas.

Manx Gas Limited, whose registered office is situated at Murdoch House, South Quay, Douglas, sold a plot of land, part of The Whitehouse abutting Baltic Road, Michael, for £80,000, to Anthony John Lloyd-Davies and Pauline Lloyd-Davies, of Crossways, Grove Mount, Ramsey.

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We publish details of all sales unless we receive a written request from the police or probation service.

The late Bette Davis said: ‘Getting old ain’t no place for sissies.’

She was 81 when she died 27 years ago and things have changed a lot since then.

It’s not all that bad these days.

For me this has been getting ‘Special Assistance’ when having to go flying.

I have just had a second experience of this when going from Ronaldsway to Gatwick on easyJet.

At Ronaldsway there was just me and an elderly lady in a wheelchair to go through Gate No 1 where we were taken by lift to the departure lounge to be first on the aircraft.

Last time on easyJet, me and other ‘Special Assistance’ persons were not allowed to board first. We had to wait behind clearly able-bodied persons who had paid for what was called ‘Early Boarding.’

But not this time. It was they who had to wait for us, looking a bit miffed, I thought. Disability had prevailed over dosh.

At Gatwick, as usual, wonderfully kind and caring men and women took the wheelchair lady and me along all sorts of secret ways through the shopping arcade on electric buggies.

It was the same for the return flight from Gatwick with an easy ride through security to the holding pen where we had to wait for more nice men and women and their buggies to take us to our aircraft.

I think we all wondered fretfully whether we should tip these people. It would have been no problem if there was just one of them. But there are always quite a few.

All we could do was thank each one of them profusely and one of the men told me: ‘No need to thank me. It is I who have to thank you for keeping me in regular employment.’

I wondered if he was thinking about tipping me.

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Sean, a regular, directs attention to the Manx Independent and a story about the ice rink at what it calls the ‘Tynwald Mills Chopping Centre’ being open again from December 6 to January 5. He says: ‘They’re going to axe the place?’

Yes. The skids are under it.

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At one of my Walk and Talk sessions at the NSC, I was tipped off that one of the walkers behind me had just celebrated his 100th birthday. He is not a man for personal publicity I’m afraid but as a journalist I am content to preserve his privacy.

My only concern was that he would overtake me, like all the others do.

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The question of whether or not we live in or on the Isle of Man was raised in Times Past in the Examiner. Now I have been told by Isle of Man Newspapers that their house style is to say in the Isle of Man.

To say the other thing is just not on.

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One of my readers is Alan Franklin, librarian at Manx National Heritage, and he has told me the latest reference book relating to obscure matters is called ‘Sun Helmets of the World.’ He wonders if I wore a sun helmet when doing National Service in the Far East. I was there for nearly two years, it was five degrees above the Equator, and I did not wear a sun helmet.

Unkind people say this accounts for a lot.

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My former journalism colleague Colin Brown has been on about English usage in today’s news media, by which business enterprises ‘make a loss.’ As he says, they don’t make a loss. They make a profit and suffer a loss.

English abusage.

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Frank Bond of Doncaster contributes our latest Manx crossword clue and it’s a really nifty one. It was in the Daily Telegraph as follows: ‘Man is, whatever Donne says (6) – ISLAND.

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The last Pun for the Educated: On Mersea Island in Essex there was a zoo.

Within in it there was a compound in which koala bears played happily up and down their eucalyptus tree and people came from near and far to see them.

One night some villains got into the compound and painted the tree purple.

The koalas were visibly upset and never went near the tree again.

Everyone made a great effort to clean up the tree.

The next day the headline in the local paper was: ‘The koala tree of Mersea is not stained.’

Ramsey’s ‘Save Our Post Office’ campaign gathered momentum last night (Wednesday) when close to 100 protesters gathered at the town hall to lobby commissioners as they arrived for their monthly board meeting.

The boardroom was soon packed with people and speakers were set up so those outside could hear what the commissioners had to say.

Shock waves swept through the town earlier in the week when Isle of Man Post Office announced it was closing its crown offices at Regent Street, Douglas and at the Courthouse, Ramsey, as together they were losing half a million pounds annually. Mannin Retail Limited, the company that owns Heron & Brearley, had been awarded the contract to operate both as sub post offices within its Spar shops, with effect from next April.

Commissioners’ chairman Nigel Malpass welcomed the protesters and said a public meeting would be held on Wednesday next (November 26) at 7pm in the West Wing of Ramsey Grammar School, with Post Office chairman, Graham Cregeen and his newly-appointed deputy Ramsey MHK Leonard Singer in attendance.

At last night’s meeting, commissioner Stephen Bevan said rarely had the Ramsey community been so upset by a government decision.

He felt it was ‘outrageous’ on many levels: in the way it had been presented as a ‘fait accompli’; that the commissioners had not been consulted; that the staff had not been invited to come up with their own business case; that Mannin Retail had been awarded the contract without it being put out to public tender – and that an operation which, according to Mr Cregeen had been losing hundreds of thousands of pounds a year had been allowed to carry on for so long.

‘That is mismanagement’, he said.

Read the full story in tomorrow’s Isle of Man Courier.

Confidence in the short-term economic prospects of the Isle of Man has fallen according to a survey by Island Analysis.

Results from a new survey showed that while half of respondents had the same level of confidence as last year, the number with less or much less confidence was much higher than those whose confidence had grown.

Island Analysis conducts the so-called Omnibus Survey every month, receiving the views of more than 500 Isle of Man residents on important topics.

The sample group covers a broad age profile, from 16 to over 70, with respondents from across the island, and a range of household sizes, from single occupancy to homes of seven or more, and employment types.

The survey gives public and private sector organisations insight into changing public attitudes and issues of concern through both snapshot analysis and longer-term comparative data.

The September survey showed 30 per cent of those who responded felt less or much less confident about the immediate future of the Manx economy, while just 11 per cent were more or much more confident.

The survey also showed more respondents felt not very confident or not confident at all (44 per cent) about the island’s medium-term economic prospects than felt confident or very confident (37 per cent).

Confidence in government was the top reason for improved faith in the economy, while those who expressed concern blamed a lack of confidence in government and cuts in spending and budget in ‘the wrong areas’.

Recipients were invited to highlight three personal issues of concern and areas for improvement, which provoked a diverse range of responses.

Among 16 to 29-year-olds a perceived lack of things to do, cost of off-island transport and the price of housing were all raised, as was the issue of cannabis legalisation. The cost and future of air links scored highly among older age groups, as did education and the cost of living. Benefits, immigration control, leisure facilities and the workings of government were also commented on.

The survey also asked recipients about how much leisure time they had during the week, and how they spend it. Most respondents said they enjoyed 11 to 20 free hours every week, with the majority of time spent watching television and films.

Chris Brock, chief executive officer of Guernsey-based Island Analysis said: ‘Once again the Omnibus Survey has delivered a fascinating insight into how the Isle of Man people feel about the future. While there are reasons to be more confident in the economy than a year ago, it seems more people are losing confidence than gaining it.

‘The fact cuts in spending are seen as ‘in the wrong areas’ suggests greater dialogue is needed between government and the public over how the budget is rebalanced.

‘We also asked about how people spent their leisure time, and the survey showed that, both during the week and at weekends, far less time is spent going out to enjoy local restaurants, bars, leisure facilities and live entertainment than watching TV, listening to the radio and reading. This may reflect a lack of confidence in the island’s economy, as people feel uncomfortable spending money on themselves, which, of course, has implications for this sector.

‘However, the outlook is not bleak. More than half of respondents remains as confident about the economy in the short-term as did last year and the split between confident and not confident for the medium term is almost equal, so there is still a great deal of trust and belief in the Manx economy.’

Island Analysis clients can have their own questions included in the Omnibus Survey for as little as £200 per question, making it a cost-effective method of measuring customer opinion reliably.

The Omnibus Surveys are also conducted in Jersey and Guernsey, giving access to public opinion across the Crown Dependencies.

The Omnibus Survey is used by private and public organisations as a valuable research tool.

In addition to five profiling questions created by Island Analysis, organisations can request for specific questions to be included, either for an immediate one-off answer or as part of an ongoing longer-term project requiring regular feedback from customers.

Clients can include up to 20 bespoke questions, which Island Analysis can assist to structure, and choose a target audience, including which of the Crown Dependencies, or combination of islands, they would like to survey. The survey is distributed via email and results are delivered within two weeks.

Mr Brock said: ‘Island Analysis has built up its research expertise and reputation over a period of seven years, with clients drawn from public and private sectors in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. We have a wealth of economic, social and environmental data and information available to us which can enhance any research data collected for a specific client.

‘Accurate sample management is crucial to the credibility of any survey and one of the major weaknesses of off-the-shelf online surveys is the lack of accurate sampling and generating the required number of respondents to have an acceptable margin of error.

‘The way the Omnibus Survey is conducted ensures that the sample achieved in each survey truly reflects the island population profile as a whole and that the required number of respondents is surveyed.’

David Cameron has given his seal of approval to an island company’s luxury Christmas puddings.

The UK prime minister was in Atherstone, Warwickshire visiting Aldi’s headquarters after the announcement that the supermarket chain would be creating 35,000 new jobs.

He tucked into a festive pud made by Port St Mary company Berries during a sampling session.

As revealed by Business News thousands of the Manx-made puds will be appearing on the shelves of the chain’s 500 UK stores.

Berries managing director Karl Berrie, 42, posted the news on Facebook by saying: ‘Guess who has been asking about the Isle of Man and our three star vintage Manx Christmas Puddings? Only the Prime Minister himself, Mr David Cameron!

‘Following a tour of Aldi’s depot, Mr Cameron undertook a quick sampling session of Aldi’s products including our 3 star Gold Award Winning Vintage Manx Christmas Pudding.

‘Mr Cameron enjoyed our Christmas Pudding so much that he was interested in how Aldi “discovered” our Christmas Puddings. Wow, wow, wow!’

An ecstatic Mr Berrie, who works around 100 hours a week, added: ‘What fine company we are now in! I wonder if the Prime Minister will be thinking Manx and will be having one of our Christmas Puddings on Christmas Day. I very much hope so.’

Mr Berrie told Business News it was mo re than likely he would be sending one of the puds to Mr Cameron’s base in London.

The Aldi puds order was secured after the company exhibited at the BBC Good Food Show, said Mr Berrie.

The deal was clinched after he was invited to the chain’s UK base in Atherstone.

Mr Berrie added that it was now all systems go for the Manx order to appear on the Aldi shelves from November 23.

And there is extra joy for Mr Berrie as details of his enterprise are contained in publicity material and brochures being published by Aldi.

Later it was revealed Karl’s Vintage Manx Christmas Pudding made for Aldi Stores was judged Best Christmas Baked Product at the Quality Food Awards in London.

The same product was placed second place overall for the best Christmas food product.

Mr Berrie also revealed that he is due to make a return visit to Aldi’s UK headquarters next month (December) to discuss possible new ideas for the future.

Meanwhile he is keeping fingers crossed over plans to find a base for a purpose built premises as the company experiences rapid expansion.The latest is a planning application for approval in principle to develop on a 6,000 sq ft site near the DEFA headquarters in St John’s . It would accommodate production areas and a small retail shop.

The Prime Minister met with Aldi’s group managing directors to hear about the supermarket’s plans to invest more than £600 million in UK expansion. Aldi plans to more than double employee numbers in the UK as it opens over 550 new stores.

A fundraising day will take place at the island’s seven Shoprite stores as well as the Iceland supermarkets in Douglas and Ramsey tomorrow (Friday).

The initiative is in aid of Project 21, which brings together five charities – Manx Mencap, Down’s Syndrome Isle of Man, Autism in Mann, Manx Gateway and the Isle of Man Special Olympics.

All funds raised will go towards the running costs for Centre 21, a headquarters and social centre for people with learning disabilities which opened in 2007 and has been used by many charities to extend the range of activities they offer members, from drama and music to different sports.

Staff will be donning fancy dress and customers will be invited to estimate the number of sweets in a jar to win a grocery voucher, guess the bear’s birthday and decide the weight of a cake. Other prizes include a Robinson’s Hamper and a joint of meat from the Butcher’s Counter. The charity will also be running a bag pack service in some of the stores.

Project 21 director Elan Karran said: ‘Shoprite’s staff have been hugely supportive in developing this event and we are very grateful to both the company and its staff for their assistance.’

Police are appealing for witnesses to an arrest of a man by a male police officer.

The incident occurred around 10.20am on Monday, November 10, in the area of The Terrace, Woodbourne Road, Douglas.

Anybody with information should contact police headquarters on 631212.

Crowe Clark Whitehill has acquired the accountancy, fiduciary and audit businesses of the late Philip (Pip) Thomas.

Mr Thomas was a well-known figure among the island’s business community and, with a view to his impending retirement, had concluded negotiations with Crowe Clark Whitehill but then sadly became very ill.

Mr Thomas died on October 14 this year.

Andy McLarney, who worked with Mr Thomas since 1995, has since joined Crowe Clark Whitehill as business services manager.

He said: ‘Pip will be sorely missed.

‘His experience of the industry was extensive and he enjoyed the respect of his colleagues and clients.

‘I am pleased to have joined Crowe Clark Whitehill, a firm with which Pip and I had an excellent working relationship.

‘I am looking forward to continue serving our former clients, working with a new team and forming links with new clients.’

Crowe Clark Whitehill director John Cowan said: ‘Pip Thomas was a trusted name in accountancy circles, so we were pleased to be approached by him when he was looking to relinquish his business interests ahead of his retirement, as his practice was a good fit with our own.

‘We are also pleased to welcome Andy McLarney to the firm.

‘Andy will help ensure a seamless transition for his and Pip’s clients and be a valuable asset to the team as we develop our business.’

accountancy careers

Mr Cowan knew Pip Thomas for more than 35 years as they started their accountancy careers on the same day in 1979 at the Pannell Fitzpatrick induction course at Warwick University.

He said: ‘Pip was a good influence on me and a big help. We studied together and out of an intake of about 75 on that course he finished third and I fourth!

‘We will all miss him enormously.’

www.crowecw.im

Pictured right: Crowe Clark Whitehill’s Andy McLarney, centre, with directors Phaedra Bird and John Cowan

The Isle of Man College’s new £4.9 million engineering department has been officially opened by Department of Education and Children (DEC) Minister Tim Crookall MHK.

The project has seen the former water treatment works on Greenfield Road converted into the new facility which contains workshop environments where students can work on industry standard equipment, along with laboratories for testing engineering materials.

The building has been named the William Kennish Engineering Centre after the pioneering Manx inventor, and the ceremony was attended by two of Mr Kennish’s great-great-grandsons, Cliff Kennish and Dana Smith.

Assistant principal at the college Joanne Richardson introduced the speakers while principal Geoff Draper gave a welcome address.

Speeches were made by both great-great-grandsons before Mr Crookall unveiled a commemorative plaque and programme manager for engineering, Brian Young, led a tour of the new building.

Mr Crookall said: ‘Education seeks to support the island’s economy by equipping students with skills for life and the workplace.

‘With a view to better meeting the needs of the community and economy, we have extended the range of further and higher education courses and improved the quality and range of vocational options.

‘The creation of these modern training facilities is a big step towards achieving those aims.

‘This is a facility to be proud of, and one that will provide students with the highest quality of training.’

William Kennish was born in 1799 and grew up on his father’s Cornaa farm along the Cornaa Valley at the foot of North Barrule.

He was apprenticed to shipwright Thomas Crellin of Douglas at the age of 12 and worked at Ramsey Shipyard before joining the Royal Navy aged 22.

William Kennish emigrated to the USA in 1848 and died in New York in 1862.

His inventions included novel hydraulic engine valve gear, a diving machine for the recovery of gold and a method for concentrating fire on the broadside of a ship of war.

A successful appeal was launched to help fund the visit of Mr Kennish’s family by author Robert Stimpson who wrote a book about the life of the inventor.

War hero Hector Duff was given the lifetime achievement award at last night’s Isle of Man Newspapers Awards for Excellence.

Mr Duff, who’s 95 and lives in Onchan, fought in the desert in North Africa and in the Normandy landings.

He frequently gives talks to schoolchildren about his time in the war and is president of the Onchan branch of the Royal British Legion.

Mr Duff, who joined the Manx police force after the war, is the recipient of the British Empire Medal, the Military Medal, the Tynwald Honour of France’s Légion d’honneur.

The other winners were:

Microgaming for public sector achievement: Health and Social Care Teaching Unit

First Names Group award for small enterprise: Segway Ltd

Domicilium award for excellence in the use of technology: Triumph Actuation Systems

Claremont award for customer service: Wi-Manx

Continent 8 Technologies award for charity, cultural and social enterprise: Fishermen’s Mission Isle of Man

Dervico Isle of Man award for medium enterprise of the year: Regency Travel

Tynwald Mills award for volunteer of the year: Brenda Charlton of Riding for the Disabled

Thomas Miller award for innovation and independent thinking: Strix

AXA Wealth International award for company of the year: Continent 8 Technologies

Riva Financial Systems award for teamwork: Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre

Isle of Man Bank award for business person of the year: David Kneeshaw of RL360

Canaccord Genuity Wealth award for international buiness of the year: Roger W Smith Ltd

Friends Provident International award for young achiever of the year: Anna-Lucia Phillioos

Pokerstars award for marketing and PR effectiveness: plan.com

Celton Manx award for corporate social responsibility: Microgaming

Isle of Man Government Freedom to Flourish award: Isle of Man Creamery

Last week’s Employment & Skills event had a new face among its exhibitors as plan.com take to the floor to showcase their latest vacancies, which seem to be growing by the week!

From its Circular Road HQ, plan.com says it is shaking up the UK telecoms industry with its modern, flexible business-to-business proposition.

Financial director, Neil Kelly said: ‘Six months in we’ve already doubled in size, taking on 12 new staff in 2014 alone, and have secured over 190 mobile partners.

‘From technology and IT, to commercial and finance, we have some of the best talent in the business and we’re looking for more.’

He continued, ‘We’re rolling out solutions not seen before in the telecomms market, it’s a really exciting time to be a part of this dynamic team.

‘If you have a nose for sales, a passion for technology or maybe a head for numbers we want to hear from you.’

plan.com was among exhibitors at the Isle of Man Government Employment & Skills event last week at the Villa Marina. You can also visit www.plan.com for all of the latest vacancies, as well as keeping up to date with plan.com news on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Discussions are taking place about creating a new war memorial near Rushen Abbey in Ballasalla.

Malew Parish commissioners are concerned that the current memorial – a Celtic cross near the Poacher’s Pocket development erected in the aftermath of the First World War in 1923 – is eroding.

‘The cross is getting in quite a bad condition, there are a few cracks in it,’ said commissioners’ clerk Barry Powell. ‘So we looked at the possibility of a new memorial. It’s nothing more than a discussion at the moment ... The idea came about because this is the centenary (of the outbreak of World War One) and the poor condition - because of where it is (near a road leading to Colas’ Billown lime quarries), the HGVs over the bridge have not helped - it has been shaken a bit. It is unlikely it could be moved in its present condition, if we lift it, it will break up. If it does need to be replaced is there a more suitable location?’

He said the authority plans to meet the War Memorial Preservation Committee at the beginning of December. ‘If they think it’s a non starter it will go no further,’ he said.

There is no significant increase in suspected child abuse and neglect referred, investigated and assessed in the island, the Health and Social Care Minister assured Tynwald.

Howard Quayle explained an apparent 90 per cent increase in referrals from 729 to 1,385 by a new definition being applied to the figures from April 2013.

He said: ‘There is a variable pattern over the past three years, which is to be expected whilst the efficiency and consistency of the data is established. Prior to this there was no agreed mechanism for collating the information.

‘However, referrals that proceed to assessment – initial and core assessment – have remained stable in the past two years at 1,030 and 1,012 respectively.

‘Therefore you can be assured there is no significant increase in the suspicions of abuse and neglect referred, investigated and assessed on the island.’

But Speaker Steve Rodan, who raised the issue in Tynwald this week, insisted there was a problem with so many needless referrals with ‘social workers chasing cases that do not materialise into child protection cases’. He said there was a risk of cases ‘falling through the cracks’.

The Minister said: ‘I would rather save one child from abuse’.

Mr Rodan asked if this was a policy of ‘when in doubt refer’ – in which care it would be a return to a mistaken agenda that followed policy now discredited in the UK.

Mr Quayle said he had listened to the advice of the experts in his department.

In a written reply to a question from Mr Rodan at last month’s Tynwald sitting, the Health and Social Care Minister revealed his department received 2,198 logs of concern in 2013-14.

Of these, 1,385 or 63 per cent were confirmed referrals. Some 1,012 or 73 per cent required further investigation.

The previous year, there were 729 contacts resulting in referrals but a total of 1,030 initial or core assessments.

Mr Quayle said In the period April 2013 to March 2014, 188 child protection inquiries, involving a suspicion of abuse or neglect, were undertaken.

Questions were raised in Tynwald about a £336,000 payment from Pinewood to a Manx company owned by an executive director of the film group.

But Treasury Minister Eddie Teare insisted: ‘I can’t see what there is to investigate.’

He told Tynwald that the Manx Treasury pays an annual fee of £365,000 to Pinewood Film Advisors to manage its Media Development Fund investment.

But Liberal Vannin leader Kate Beecroft circulated in the court an extract from Pinewood Shepperton plc’s annual reports and accounts for 2014.

They show that during the year ending March 2013, the group signed a consultancy agreement for services related to the Isle of Man investment advisory agreement with Gasworks Media Ltd, a company incorporated in the island and whose sole shareholder is Steve Christian, who is also an executive director in the group.

The accounts show the total value of transactions during the year was £336,000, of which £111,000 remained outstanding for payment by the group as at March this year.

Mrs Beecroft asked the Minister if he was concerned that there was a conflict of interest.

She said: ‘Any other organisation, there would be an investigation into this to find out exactly what’s going on.’

Mr Teare replied: ‘I can’t see what there is to investigate. It’s open and transparent. There is no duplication. I feel there is nothing to investigate.’

He said he failed to see any conflict of interest, adding: ‘How the contract is managed by Pinewood is a matter for them. This is an agreed payment for an agreed service. This is a commercial contract managed in an entirely appropriate manner. This has proved to be a positive investment.’

Speaking afterwards, Mr Teare told the Manx Independent: ‘We are paying £365,000 as per the original agreement and no more.

‘No payment is made to Steve Christian. He is our point of contact with Pinewood and advises us on behalf of Pinewood.’

He denied that the Treasury was effectively paying Mr Christian.

‘The management of the contract rests with Pinewood under the terms of the contract’, he added.

Following a five-hour debate in June 2012, Tynwald approved a deal in principle to invest millions of pounds of reserves in Pinewood Shepperton.

The island took a stake of 9.89 per cent in Pinewood Shepperton from Peel Holdings at a cost of £12.23m taken from reserves and appointed the studio to act as investment manager for the £25m contained in the Media Development fund.

Steve Christian, founder and former chairman of CineManx, was appointed executive director of the Pinewood board in October 2012.

Tynwald has voted overwhelmingly to support a plan to sell the Nunnery for £5m to a company now leading a project to create an IT centre of excellence.

Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly MHK told Tynwald it was a ‘risk worth taking’ but that all reasonable measures had been taken to safeguard the government’s interests should the project not succeed.

He explained that a covenant would restrict usage of the site and that the terms of the deal would ensure that, if the site was subsequently sold for more than £5m, the Department of Education and Children would get the balance up to a cap of £2m.

The court heard that the original concept for an International Centre for Technology was devised by the Manx Educational Foundation, formed in 2011 as a Manx charity.

MEF had been asked to secure £12.5m of external funding as a condition of any sale.

But Mr Skelly told Tynwald that the funding model had changed. The plan is now to sell the site for £5m to a private company, International Centre for Technology Ltd, whose principal investor will be Business Doctor Investments Ltd with 75 per cent plus one share.

BDIL is the investment vehicle of the Business Doctor Consortium, a joint venture partner of Old Mutual, one of the largest insurance companies in the world, with 16 million customers, £290 billion of funds under management and which is owner of Manx licensed Nedbank and Skandia.

Island-based millionaire Philip Vermeulen, owner of Castletown Golf Links, is the most prominent member of the consortium. Mr Skelly said MEF and other private investors who invest would be minority shareholders. He said substantial due diligence had been undertaken but insisted no sale would go through until his department and Treasury were satisfied that process had been completed.

Mr Skelly said the government valuer was content the £5m sale price reflected the site’s value but that if there were no restrictions as to its use the value would be £7m.

He said two safeguards would be put in place to safeguard that £2m difference – a covenant restricting use with an option to pay £2m to remove that covenant subsequently; and a clause ensuring the DEC would be paid the balance if the site was sold for more than £5m, subject to a cap of £2m.

In addition, there is no longer a buy-back clause, which would have given the company double security.

‘Government interests are adequately safeguarded,’ Mr Skelly said.

He told Tynwald that no government department had given any commitments or undertakings to providing any form of funding support and any application for financial assistance grants would be handled in the normal manner.

The project was not dependent on taxpayers’ support, he stressed.

But some backbenchers expressed concern.

Bill Henderson (Douglas North) said it was a ‘hugely significant’ site. He said it was all very well ‘selling the family silver’ but that was not going to solve the island’s major issues.

Lib Van leader Kate Beecroft (Douglas South) said the deal was now a ‘very different animal’ and it should have gone out to open tender. ‘There are too many unknowns,’ she said.

Lib Van MHK Peter Karran (Onchan) tabled an amendment calling for the deal to be referred to the Public Accounts Committee.

Chris Thomas (Douglas West) raised concern about an option to sell nearly half of neighbouring Sangster’s field to ICT Ltd for £120,000 when it had been purchased by government for £1.2m.

Pudsey Bear and characters from the hit Disney movie Frozen joined Father Christmas in Ramsey last week.

They were there to add to the festive excitement when the Christmas tree lights in the Courthouse Gardens and Parliament Square were switched on to coincide with this year’s BBC Children in Need campaign.

Chairman of Ramsey Commissioners Captain Nigel Malpass led the countdown with Princess Elsa and Olaf the snowman switching on the Christmas lights.

Captain Malpass praised the event as a true community effort between the commissioners and the Ramsey Chamber of Commerce, with the support of tree sponsors Ramsey Rotary Club and Island Drainage and Groundwork Limited.

He said: ‘Princess Elsa, Olaf, Father Christmas and Pudsey were very busy all afternoon with long queues forming for those wanting photographs. It was a fantastic day and proves just how versatile the regenerated Courthouse area is and what a super location it provides for entertainment.’

Steven Bevan, speaking on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, said: ‘We were pleased that so many people came to Ramsey to join us for the lights switch on.

‘The estimated crowd of more than 1,500 enjoyed performances by Roc Vannin, Bunscoill Rhumsaa and Ramsey Town Band; this was a great community event enjoyed by families from all over the island.’

Ramsey Chamber of Commerce is also organising the Santa Trail on Sunday, December 7, when many businesses will be open between 12 noon and 5pm, there will be stalls in the street, a charity market in St Paul’s Square and, of course, the Santa Trail treasure hunt with hundreds of pounds in prizes.

There will also be late-night opening on the three Fridays in December leading up to Christmas, with more than 40 businesses opening until 8pm.