Fear and suspicion stalk the once carefree Isle of Man. Where will they strike next? At me?

It was the telephone call to my office that started me off. The man’s voice was indistinct and sounded distant. He said he was calling from my bank, Lloyds, with reference to a cheque I had issued a short time ago . . .

It sounded like one of those high tech bank robberies!

But I knew what to do. If you put the phone down and then pick it straight up again to ring the bank the robbers are still on the line and listening in to you reciting your account details. I did slam the phone down but drove straight to my branch of Lloyds in Victory House.

Breathing heavily I rushed in and told the girl behind the counter that there was a bank robbery in progress. She looked alarmed. I was wearing my black urban terrorist bonnet against the cold and brandishing my walking stick. It’s a wonder she didn’t press the alarm button under the counter like they do in the movies.

I explained. Her name badge told me she was called Helen. She began urgently pressing computer keys and making telephone calls. It took some time. For a moment I thought she was actually in on the scam herself, working on the inside and rifling my account as I stood there.

But, I thought, surely girls called Helen didn’t do that kind of thing.

Eventually she told me all was well. It had been a genuine bank inquiry about the cheque. Helen told me that the call had come to me from the bank’s offices at Chelmsford. ‘They deal with our cheques,’ she said.

In Essex? They can hardly speak English down there.

I left the bank with Helen’s reassurances but not with an easy mind. My next sudden concern was whether the burglars had broken into the bijou residence while I was at work. I raced home. They hadn’t. It was now time for a drink or two. But the next day it was just the same.

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A man who insisted on saying that his name was Cowler (Cowley) rang to tell me there was a story in the Examiner saying that a man ‘aged 29k’ had appeared in court at Douglas. Methuselah?

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This week’s Manx crossword clue is from Richard Hetherington who says it was is in the Telegraph cryptic as follows: ‘Starting place for the three-legged race (4 2 3). Answer below.

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The Sun last week would have had Americans living in Britain cackling with laughter. It had a front page lead story about BBC Match of the Day presenter Danny Murphy being presented with a £2.5 million bill after an income tax mix-up. The headline all over the front page was: ‘Snatch of the Day.’ Snatch is an American slang word for female genitalia. When you come to think about it this could be a very clever headline indeed.

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I have three men friends who are in fairly advanced years, not unlike me. One has now fully recovered from a major operation. One of the others is just starting to recover from a major operation. The third underwent a fairly serious operation last week. I, however, am not in need of an operation.

What’s wrong with me?

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Andrew Kerr-Phillips refers to a story in the Manx Independent saying: ‘A man was found staggering down the middle of Woodbourne Road. A police patrol stopped and escorted him to the pavement but he was incoherent when spoken to. He could not articulate anything and was unable to explain what he was doing. The police came to the conclusion that he was drunk.’

Elementary my dear Watson.

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My Funnies File today yields an advertisement by Manx National Transport for its bus services in 1989: ‘Visit the Aquadrome the Island’s premier pool and spar facilities.’ Underwater boxing?

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Brian Head of Bowling Green Road, Castletown, has sent in a list of classroom exchanges entitled ‘Kids Are Quick’ starting with:

Teacher: ‘Maria, go to the map and find America.’

Maris: ‘There it is.’

Teacher: ‘Correct. Now class, who discovered America.’

Class: ‘Maria.’

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Answer to clue: Isle of Man. I must confess that I didn’t get it.

Amanda Dixon, of Rosien, Bay View Road, Port Erin, bought Carabas, Mill Road, Sulby, for £565,000.

It was bought from Stephen Dennis Worthing and Jane Bernadette Worthing.

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

John Robert Cannell and Lesley Jean Cannell sold 15 Banks Howe, Harbour Road, Onchan, for £457,500, to Kenneth Robert Fogelman and Audrey Elaine Fogelman, of Rutland.

Michael Frederick Smith and Julie Smith, sold ‘Eago’, West Ballaterson, Port E Vullen, Maughold, for £449,950, to Shabbir Hussien Shaikh and Kavita Bhargav Bhagwat, of Hertfordshire.

Janet Wendy Collins and David Lindsay Collins sold Cranfield, Ballacollister Road, Lonan, for £355,000 to Nicholas Mark Cowell and Emma Louise Cowell, of The Glebe, Church Road, Lonan.

George Hanmer and Valerie Lesley Hanmer sold 9 Cronk-y-Berry, Douglas, for £295,000, to Russel Cripps and Deborah Joy Cripps, of 3 Ballakermeen Close, Douglas.

Bernice Mary Addenbrooke, by trustee, Elizabeth Anne Kelly, of 11 Fairway Drive, Rowany, Port Erin, as trustee, and Jacqueline May Addenbrooke, of Hertfordshire, as trustee, sold 4 Ballabridson Park, Ballasalla, for £275,000, to John David Musgrove and Gillian Louise Musgrove, of Willand, Main Road, Colby.

Brett Anthony Hammonds sold 56 Hailwood Avenue, Governor’s Hill, Douglas, for £220,000, to Lyncot Property Limited, whose registered office is situated at 8/9 Hill Street, Douglas.

Brenda Ann Fulstone-Young sold 4 Pairk Beg, Port Erin, for £197,500, to John Colin Davies and June Davies, of Wirral.

The Department of Health and Social Care, whose registered office is situated at Markwell House, Market Street, Douglas, sold 14 Reayrt ny Cashtal, Malew, for £145,000, to Jason Richard Corcoran and Charmain Catherine Corcoran, of 11 Africa Court, Salisbury Street, Douglas.

Derrick William Cooper and Decima Cooper, of Winterbourne, Hillberry Green, Douglas, sold a parcel of land, part of the Hillberry Estate, situated at the north west of Glencrutchery Road, Douglas, for £15,000, to Mumba Holdings Limited, whose registered office is situated at 33-37 Athol Street, Douglas.

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

Creechurch Capital has gained global recognition after being awarded silver in the Investment Management Company of the Year (Isle of Man) category in the prestigious Citywealth International Financial Centre Awards 2015.

Creechurch achieved its shortlisting for the second year, beating off competition from a number of large, well-established companies.

The company was commended for its absolute commitment to service and for its vision to deliver a personalised, agile model to meet the needs of its clients.

Now in their fourth year, the Citywealth International Financial Centre Awards highlight the excellence of the advisors and managers in the private wealth sector in the major international financial centres.

achievement

John Greenwood, chief executive officer of Creechurch Capital, said: ‘To be recognised at the Citywealth International Financial Centre Awardsis a phenomenal achievement for the team and something we can be truly proud of.

‘To compete with such successful companies and win silver demonstrates our credibility for such a young company.’

Digital currencies and bitcoin in particular have faced a bit of a hammering in recent weeks.

Headlines in respectable papers such as the Financial Times and The Guardian have shed negative headlines on the validity of the cryptocurrency phenomenon.

The Guardian ran a story headlined: ‘Bitcoin is the worst investment of 2014. But can it recover?’

The FT ran a warning from Gavin Andresen, the man considered to be theleading custodian of the bitcoin code, in which he said bitcoin is dangerous and people should steer away from using it.

Bitcoin is the biggest name in the world of digital currencies and fears have been expressed in some quarters that it is popular for instance with drug dealers and criminals as a way of conducting sinister underhand dealings.

early days

Russell Kelly, director of KPMG in the island reacted to the ‘negative’ publicity. He said: ‘It’s still being treated as a speculative investment by some people because it is in such early days. You just have to look at what happens to other investment type commodities. The oil prices collapsed in the last two or three weeks; oil is on track to be the worst investment of January 2015.

‘It’s just the way things move when there is an element of speculation around them. I think you have got to look forward to when cryptocurrency becomes more of a steady state and a day to day used medium of exchange.

‘And in terms of safety you have to take your own precautions on how to look after your assets.

‘Cash can be equally as unsafe if you wish it to be if you don’t look after it properly. I think you have to go into any new technology or any new idea with your eyes open and be aware of the risks and as its use expands and becomes more prevalent across society then protocals change and security/safety systems develop.’

Paul Davis, managing director of Counting House (I0M) Ltd said: ‘Bad news sells newspapers, good news doesn’t. When did you last see a headline that said yesterday there were 19,900 successful commercial flights on which no one was hurt, killed or injured?

‘We never see an article in the Manx press saying that 50,000 people drove to work yesterday safely. If one car with a kid in the back crashes on a roundabout then it is headline news.

‘The same applies in the bitcoin world. All the good stuff gets minimal press but the bad things get maximum press.’

Mr Davis believes that ‘pundits are now heavily on the bandwagon because they smell blood.’

But he believes the technology is not under threat. He claims it is highly successful.

technology

He talked about the so-called ‘block chain’ technology that is involved in the underlying development of bitcoin.

He said: ‘The technology is not under threat at all, it is extraordinary, it is highly successful. Savvy people in Silicon Valley are seeing the future of the block chain as a way of dealing with many things and not just payments. Payments are just one application of block chain technology. Block chain is massively successful, it is widely adopted and it’s being widely considered for all sorts of other applications beside payments.’

He added: ‘That’s the good news story, it’s an amazing piece of technology. Distributed approval of transactions could revolutionise land registries, aircraft registration, flight plan approvals, shipping, anything where there is a need for some sort of authority to confirm that a transaction is valid is susceptible to block chain technology. And we are only just seeing the start of that.

‘If you’re wondering why cryptocurrency is attracting more venture capital than any other product in the world at the moment that’s the reason; these guys are sharp, they work on technology and they can see the future.

‘The money is not going into bitcoin as an investment it is going into the technology as something that will drive the future of the world.’

Mr Davis said there was a massive bubble at the start of the century when the ‘world and his dog’ climbed aboard and bought internet stocks because prices were going up.

He said much of what we do is now dependent on the internet.

But now the ‘bubble has burst but the technology has continued.’

Mr Davis said in his opinion it was a good thing that the bitcoin speculative bubble has also burst. ‘It has driven money out of the market that should never have been there in the first place and has focused attention back on bitcoin as a way of paying for things.’

‘It was never intended to be an instrument of investment , it is supposed to be a technical way of paying for things.’

blindingly good

Mr Davis contended: ‘If you use bitcoin as a way of paying for things in your daily life, it is blindingly good.’

In fact Mr Davis went to say bluntly: ‘It is blindingly better than credit cards, debit cards cheques in the mail, bank transfers, almost anything you can think of.’

Mr Kelly said the notion of bitcoin was that it was designed as a medium of exchange.

‘The fact the speculative bubble is coming to an end is a positive thing. Having a more stable price and a more realistic price is positive.’

On the association with crime Mr Davis claimed that if anything new is adopted then ‘bad people will find a way to use it badly.

‘Think of the automobile: There would be no ram raiders, no high speed police chases and no drunk drivers if we hadn’t invented the car. Are those reasons for not inventing the car? No, because you think of all the good things the car does.

‘The single most dangerous facilitator of crime in the world is cash. There are far more illegal transactions for cash every day than there are for bitcoin. Any government bleating that we have to stop this bitcoin thing because it will be used by criminals to buy drugs and guns, whatever, had better think sharply about getting rid of cash first.

‘Bitcoin is much more traceable than cash.’

He explained there is always a permanent electronic record of bitcoin transactions.

‘If I go and knock over an old lady in the street and steal her cash from her wallet and give it to various people there is no trail of those transactions.’

Isle of Man

Mr Kelly said that in the Isle of Man it is something ‘that is obviously new, quite exciting and something that should have an economic impact.’

Mr Kelly said they could draw comparisons with the early days of the eGaming industry.

‘We have to be fully aware of the risks of adopting new technology and we have to maintain a position within the industry and undoubtedly our thought leadership position.

‘We have put ourselves out there as an economy and thus far the government have been supportive of that and we have to think where we go next.

‘There has been some tremendous activity in the Isle of Man over the last six to nine months in the bitcoin space and we now have to think of the next step and moving it forward.

‘I think the next step is to get some sort of enhanced legal and regulatory framework in place.

‘We have the registration regime in place but we need to move that forward a step.’

Mr Davis said he liked Mr Kelly’s notion of thought leadership.

He said cryptocurrency was likely to have an increasingly important role in the proposed new ICT ‘university’ in the island .

The Manx Digital Currency Association was formed last year ‘to create and promote a jurisdiction of excellence for digital currency.’

journey

Laurence Skelly, Economic Development Minister with the Isle of Man Government told Business News: ‘This industry is all about technology rather than currency for us.

‘What we are doing and have already started on that road . . . is to regulate it.

‘There are many jurisdictions operating in this space but without regulation.

‘I think the industry still has a journey to travel and evolve before it finds its true feet and where it is actually going.

‘What we want to do is to ensure we have got the right environment to have consumer protection, which is why we want to regulate it, but also the right environment for innovation and the technology to flourish.

‘I would liken it to being quite similar to the eGaming industry.

‘If we think back to where that was 12 plus years ago in the Isle of Man. It came in with a bang; it fell off, then it came back stronger than ever once we had the appropriate legislation in place.

‘So consumer protection is of vital importance to us. We are not pursuing an industry without that in place. However we do need to balance that with the promotion and the environment for innovation and that technology to flourish.

‘We have quite a lot of businesses operating in this space at different levels and we are hoping we can use our experience and expertise in the ICT field to encourage that to grow and evolve and be stable and successful for the future.’

Asked about the publicity of criminal involvement in bitcoin Mr Skelly said: ‘We are working very closely with the regulatory bodies in the Isle of Man and our law enforcement [agencies] to ensure that we have got the approporiate anti money laundering laws in place.’

We want to bring cycling home.

That was the message to MHKs from Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly as he outlined the island’s bid to host the 2016 British Cycling National Road Championships.

Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK announced during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow that the island would be bidding for the Championships.

Mr Skelly told the House of Keys his department had worked closely with the Isle of Man Cycling Association, who have just formally submitted the bid. A decision is expected by the end of March.

He said, if successful, the championships will provide a platform to launch an annual homegrown cycling festival which he described as a ‘fine legacy’. ‘It is my intention to bring cycling home for this prestigious event,’ he said.

A budget airline could restore the air link between Heathrow and the Isle of Man – but don’t start packing just yet.

EasyJet has named the Isle of Man as one of several destinations it would prefer to serve from Heathrow rather than Gatwick airport.

The company was giving evidence to the UK’s Airports Commission, which is attempting to answer the vexed question of how to expand London’s airport capacity.

Due to publish its report after the UK General Election in May, the commission is expected to recommend an extra runway at either Gatwick or Heathrow.

EasyJet has thrown its weight firmly behind Heathrow, suggesting that they would base 30 of their aircraft there and serve seven British destinations, including the Isle of Man, if a third runway is built.

It would be the first time that the island has been connected to Heathrow since Manx Airlines was bought by British Airways in 2002.

But Dick Clague of passenger watchdog Travelwatch has warned that even if the runway were approved, it could be more than a decade before any flights took place.

He said: ‘Airport runway projects take a long time, and this one has proved very controversial so far.

‘It wouldn’t surprise me if we were looking at a 10-year timescale at the least.’

He said that the decision will depend on the policies of the next UK Government, which must then purchase the land, receive planning permission and then complete the lengthy construction project.

A 13-year-old girl is to have her hair cut off for charity.

Millie Turner, from Onchan, will have her long locks chopped off tomorrow (Friday) at the Vanilla Room in Onchan.

Kind-hearted Millie, who goes to Ballakermeen High School in Douglas, will be raising money for Hospic Isle of Man and Victim Support Isle of Man.

Her hair will then be sent to the Little Princess Trust to be used for children that have lost their hair through cancer treatments.

The hair is then used to make wigs.

Millie’s mum, Kirstie Turner, who works for Hospice, said: ‘Millie has had long hair all her life, she’s nearly 14 and decided she had had enough of having long hair.

So she decided to do something useful at the same time and as I work at Hospice Isle of Man she wanted to try to raise some money for the charity.’

Mary Doyle, public relations and marketing manager for Hospice, and Paula Gelling, manager for Victim Support Isle of Man both thanked Millie for her thoughtfulness and kindness in supporting the two charities.

To sponsor Millie visit the websites below.

To support Hospice visit www.justgiving.com/Kirstie-Turner

To donate online to Victim Support visit www.justgiving.com/Kirstie-Turner1

Also visit www.littleprincesses.org.uk for more about that charity.

An inquest has been opened and adjourned on a man from Glen Maye who was found dead in bed at his home last week.

Adam Joseph Baker, a 29-year-old fisherman, was found dead on January 28 where he lived at Sound Road.

The court heard he was last seen alive on January 26. A report from Constable Colin Everden said there were no obvious injuries on Mr Baker’s body.

Coroner John Needham released Mr Baker’s body and adjourned the proceedings pending completion of enquiries.

A woman had to be cut free from her car this morning after an accident near Ramsey.

The emergency services were called out at about 7.30am after receiving a report of a car on its roof in a field next to the Jurby Road.

The motorist was taken to hospital by paramedics.

Information about support, services and benefits available to people with sight problems is being made available at ‘drop in’ evenings.

Manx Blind Welfare Society’s events can be attended by anyone whose life has been touched by visual impairment.

Starting tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm at the charity’s headquarters, Corrin Court in Onchan, the hour-long sessions will be a chance to have an informal chat about what services the society offers and find out more about the support available from other agencies in the island.

Social and welfare officer Michelle Brady said: ‘We provide support and services to more than 600 people with serious sight loss in the Isle of Man, but we know there are others living with visual impairments who are not receiving the support they need.

‘Some people who have long-term conditions don’t realise there is support in place to assist them to continue living as independently as they choose, while people who have recently been diagnosed with a visual impairment, including the parents of young children with sight problems, don’t always know how to access services, assistance and benefits.

‘We have organised these open evenings, which will be held every fortnight, because we want more people to understand what is available to them through the Society, other agencies or the Government. The sessions are also open to the family and friends of those with visual impairments who want to find out more.’

She added: ‘We hope people will take the opportunity to come along, meet some of our team and ensure they have all the information they need about the services, equipment and support we offer, what our colleagues in organisations around the island do and how they can access state assistance from the government.’

If you are unable to attend the open evenings, but would like to find out more about the support and services available to visually impaired people in the Isle of Man, call Michelle on 674727 or email mbrady@mbws.org.im.

To find out more about the work of Manx Blind Welfare Society visit www.facebook.com/manxblindwelfaresociety.

International development was top of the order paper last week when students from the island’s primary schools took over the Tynwald Chamber.

Dozens of pupils from Years 5 and 6 (aged nine to 11)took part in a debate as part of the award-winning Fairtrade Primary Conference on Thursday.

The annual event aims to teach the island’s young people about development issues.

Welcomed by Tynwald President Clare Christian, the delegates were treated to a keynote speech by Tom Allen of Trading Visions, an educational charity that works with the Divine Chocolate company and their producers, a Ghanaian farmers’ co-operative.

He also hosted a fairtrade chocolate workshop which included an all-important sampling session, while other workshops included poetry writing and the story of Fairtrade bananas.

All the children had the chance to participate in a debate in the Tynwald Chamber, where they argued for and against the motion that organisations in the Isle of Man should only use fairly traded tea, coffee and sugar.

The conference was organised by the One World Centre in conjunction with the Isle of Man Fairtrade Group and was supported by the Manx Co-operative Society.

This was the third edition of the conference, which was awarded Outstanding Fairtrade Campaign by the UK’s Fairtrade Foundation last year.

The New Inn pub, in Laxey, can be demolished and replaced with four homes.

An application (14/00349/B) by the pub’s former landlady, Meg Cowin, was originally turned down, with planners saying the development would increase the number of access points on to New Road, and that the bid failed to take pedestrian safety into consideration.

But Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne followed planning inspector Alan Langton’s recommendation that the appeal be allowed, and that the refusal be reversed.

The proposal is to demolish the pub and replace it with four detached homes, with two new accesses each serving two of them.

The houses will be at road level with land excavated behind to create parking spaces and terraced gardens supported by retaining walls.

At appeal, Mrs Cowin said the two points of access would be much safer than the ‘free for all’ for more than 12 cars.

And she said the development provided eight parking bays, compliant with Strategic Plan standards.

In his report, Mr Langton said: ‘Avoidable frontage accesses are undesirable here because, simply by their presence, they have a propensity to increase accidents.

‘However, what is proposed should be compared with what is there now: a length of car park where, but for some lightweight free standing barriers, vehilces could pull up, on or off at will.’

A number of planning conditions are attached to the approval.

The homes can’t be occupied until the parking and turning areas serving that property has been provided.

And development can’t start until planners approve details of a wall topped with steel railings the full length of the frontage between the two access points.

The New Inn closed its doors to customers in 2012. It follows the closure of The Coach and Horses and The Glen Gardens.

In the bid, it said trading figures had ‘shown a significant loss’ over the ‘last few years’.

Two previous bids for redevelopment were refused (12/00749) and (12/01674/B) due to loss of trees and insufficient car parking/ inadequately sited parking bays.

Only weeks into 2015 and Equiom Group is celebrating its second award success of the year.

Sheila Dean, the group’s managing director was crowned winner of the award for ‘Woman of the Year: Leadership’ in the professional services category at the Citywealth Power Women awards.

Sheila said: ‘To be recognised in my position as a female leader of an expanding global business is an absolute honour and I am delighted to play my part in championing women in the private client sector.

‘It is gratifying to be recognised by both the public and professional judging panel and I would like to extend my thanks to everyone who showed their support by voting for me.’

Sheila’s passion for business developed at an early age, and her successful career with Equiom has been founded on her belief in building partnerships with clients and intermediaries, some of whom she has worked with for over 20 years.

led the company

Sheila has led the company through two management buyouts and eight acquisitions and has been shortlisted and won numerous awards over the last four years.

The Power Women Awards were established by Citywealth to recognise individuals and companies which maximise the potential of women in wealth, to highlight the female leaders of today and tomorrow, and to create a platform for best practice to collectively exercise positive social influence on the sector.

The award comes hard on the heels of Equiom (Isle of Man) Limited being named Trust Company of the Year - Isle of Man at the Citywealth International Finance Centre Awards.

St German’s Cathedral in Peel will be hosting a wedding fair on Sunday, March 15, from midday to 4pm.

There will be lots of information on every aspect of getting married, including dresses and suits, venues, balloons, cars, photography, make-up and hair, plus much more. The Cathedral Choristers will also perform during the afternoon.

For more information on the event, and to book a pitch, call Helen Parry on 482516.

One of the birds of prey released from an aviary at the weekend was forced out of its cage and is unlikely to survive, according to the owner.

The pair of goshawks were set free in Greeba sometime between 5pm on Saturday and 3.30pm on Sunday by vandals armed with wire cutters.

Owner Alan Taylor believes that one of the pair, an older female, may not be able to feed herself in the wild.

He said: ‘The younger male is about eight or nine years old. He’s quite fit and active and might successfully fend for himself.

‘But the female is quite old, she’s about 14 and she’s really going to struggle to survive.

‘She’s quite unfit and she’s carrying an old injury, a dislocated hip, which she might aggravate if she tries to catch something.’

Mr Taylor discovered the attack on Sunday afternoon. He said: ‘I fed the birds on Saturday morning and when I went down to feed them on Sunday they weren’t there and great big holes had been cut in the fence.’

Rather than being stolen, Mr Taylor believes they were deliberately released.

He said: ‘The aviaries were cut up high, not to give someone access but to let the birds out. And it’s clear looking at the female’s aviary that she didn’t want freedom – they’ve had to go in there and chase her out, which is quite upsetting.’

He speculated that it might be the work of animal rights activists, but said that freeing the birds is likely to cause them more harm than living in captivity.

He said: ‘If they’ve done it out of a misguided sense of animal welfare, they couldn’t be more wrong. They were bred in captivity and they’re not used to fending for themselves.’

‘To have a hunting companion come to a miserable end because someone is trying to be kind is really distressing.’

The elusive birds prefer to stay hidden in heavily wooded areas. They are coloured blue and grey on their backs and have distinctive horizontally barred breasts.

Mr Taylor said he is certain that the pair won’t be together.

‘They don’t fly around much, so they’re most likely to be seen dashing from one patch of trees to another,’ he said.

He asked the public to report any possible sightings by calling him on 491799. Anyone with information about the attack should contact Peel police station.

Preparations have been made to convert part of a rehabilitation ward at Noble’s Hospital into isolation rooms in the unlikely event of an ebola outbreak here.

The plan was revealed by Health and Social Care Minister Howard Quayle when he was quizzed in the House of Keys over contingency funding for medical emergencies.

Mr Quayle said: ‘My department can respond to some emergencies within its financial reserves.

‘For example, we are spending an amount of money on ward 20 where we are going to have isolation rooms should there be an ebola outbreak, and then we are as prepared as possible.

‘I’ve ordered various protective clothing, boots, masks, visors, etc, so we are ready should that event happen. And that’s come from within our existing budget.’

Director of public health Dr Parameswaran Kishore stressed the chances of ebola arriving here were minimal as there is exit screening at airports in those West African countries where there is the disease and entry screening at UK airports. ‘None of these are foolproof,’ he added.

Dr Kishore said that if there was a suspected ebola case here, the patient would be held in isolation while the results of blood tests were awaited. If the tests came back positive, the patient would be transferred by RAF aircraft to the Royal Free Hospital in London.

He said those who volunteer to go out to West Africa to provide medical support in countries with ebola have to register their details and the island would be notified when they return. Not all will have had direct contact with ebola patients.

Detailed guidance has also been circulated to all medical staff including GPs, ambulance crews and A&E teams on what to do and when to suspect ebola.

An imported fever service hotline is available to help assess any risk, added Dr Kishore, who is due to retire next month.

Is the Council of Ministers’ new policy for Ramsey post office to stay in the town’s Courthouse?

Minister for Policy and Reform Chris Robertshaw appeared to signal a rethink when he was questioned in the House of Keys over the plans to close the town’s Crown post office.

But he said he was ‘comfortable’ with the idea of it becoming a sub-post office.

Mr Robertshaw was speaking as it was confirmed a newly-formed Ramsey Postal Co-operative has been set up and is preparing a bid to operate a sub post office from the Old Courthouse building - as it had asked for a deadline to be extended to the end of March so it can drawn up its proposals.

Under existing plans, the Crown post office would close and a sub-post office be set up in the nearby Spar store. The plans has sparked a protest march in the town and two public meetings.

In the Keys, the Policy and Reform Minister told MHKs: ‘Following the Big Debate, island residents resoundingly agreed that services should be provided in the community, where possible. Post offices are one of the services that should be provided in the community, and if we are to aspire to regional community centres, it would be most helpful if we could coalesce around the services, where appropriate, in one place.

‘The regeneration scheme for Ramsey identified the Courthouse, where the post office is currently located, as the hub of regeneration, so to see it lie empty, should the post office relocate, would be disappointing.’

His words prompted Michael MHK Alfred Cannan to ask: ‘Is it now policy from the Council of Ministers that the Ramsey post office stays in the Ramsey Courthouse?’

Mr Robertshaw replied: ‘The concept of policy developing in the centre through my office is an ongoing one. In some respects, the current situation with regard to the Post Office has brought the matters into focus and to a head.’

Asked what his position was regarding the Crown post office in Regent Street, Douglas, he said: ‘I have never pretended otherwise than I am comfortable to see Crown post offices become sub-post offices.

Lib Van leader Kate Beecroft (Douglas South) suggested it should not be about whether he is comfortable, it is whether the community and Tynwald members are comfortable.

‘Or does he think that, in his role as Minister for Policy and Reform, he is actually in charge now?’ she asked,

There was criticism in the House of Keys about the way the police handled media publicity during the recent spate of burglaries.

John Houghton (Douglas North) suggested there was a ‘dramatic shortfall’ of information that was put out – while the focus on social media meant some groups like the elderly had not been given reassurances about the work going on as part of the investigation.

He asked Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson: ‘There were almost 40 burglaries during the time and they appear now to have stopped for at least some seven days.

‘In order to discuss this very worrying matter more, would he arrange a presentation by the Chief Constable to members of Tynwald in order to update us on what was actually going on behind the scenes – and I am not looking for confidential issues, but what was going on behind the scenes – because there was a dramatic shortfall of information output to members of Tynwald, who were fielding enquiries.’

Mr Watterson replied: ‘Certainly how the Constabulary get their message across to the media is something which I have talked to the Chief Constable about, but is ultimately a matter for the Chief Constable and the Constabulary.

‘I know that they have tried to reach out to older people and have visited older people’s homes and pensioners’ groups, in order to try and spread the word and reassure them.

‘With regard to a request for a presentation from the Chief Constable to Members, I will consider that and I will discuss it with the Chief Constable, but of course that would be a matter for him to decide rather than me because he must remain independent from my command.’

The Minister admitted that officer numbers had fallen ‘far faster’ than anticipated due to a number of factors mainly linked to UK terms of service.

Over the last two years, the Constabulary had lost around 50 officers from the frontline of which budget reductions only accounted for 25. He said the number was now around 194 when the budgeted establishment was 211.

The cost of living in the Isle of Man has dropped in the last 12 months, according to one measure of inflation.

The Consumer Prices Index says that prices fell, on average, by 0.2 per cent in January. They rose 0.2 per cent in December.

It’s the first time that the island has recorded deflation since the CPI measure was introduced in 2008.

Inflation measured by the Retail Prices Index, which includes mortgage interest payments and household expenditure such as buildings insurance, was up 1.9 per cent, down from 2.2 per cent in December.

While most people will welcome lower prices, they can sound alarm bells.

If people expect prices to fall further, they put off making purchases, which could trigger a recession as businesses lose trade.

But officials here say the deflation is down to one thing, cheaper oil.

The cost of petrol and oil has plummeted by 13.5 per cent and the cost of a litre of petrol slumped further this week when some garages put the price down to 116.9, which is still 10p more than the UK average.

Heating oil has also fallen sharply, by 26.7 per cent, while the cost of domestic gas has risen by 2.8 per cent.

But fuel is not the only thing to have got cheaper.

Food is, on average, 1.6 per cent cheaper than it was in January 2014. Vegetables are 12.8 cent cheaper and the price of potatoes (which are measured separately) has fallen by 9.5 per cent. Bread also costs 4.6 per cent less.

The Manx Legion in Douglas plays host to a Soul Night on Saturday.

In aid of the Koru Hospital Fund and with all proceeds going towards a school building in Kenya, the line-up is headed by well-known local soul band, Soul Suspects.

Making up this eight-piece soul behemoth are David Holland on piano/vocals, Lauren Simpson on vocals, John Caulfield on guitar, David Jones on bass, Stan Puzzar on drums/vocals, Jack Divers on trumpet/flugelhorn, Stephen Hind on tenor saxophone and Juan Quirk on trombone.

There set features tracks from the likes of Wilson Picket, Percy Sledge, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Otis Redding, Booker T and The M G’s, James Brown, The Ronettes and Jackie Wilson at one end through to ABBA, Elton John and Van Morrison at the other end.

If a bit of soul and R&B is your thing, then this will be well worth having a look at. For more information on the band, please visit their webpage at www.soulsuspects.co.uk

The bill for this event also features Claire Manning, Smokey Joe and Peter Dunn.

Ticket prices are a suggested donation of £8 and can be purchased on the door on the night or via John Oates on 271034.

After a very busy Saturday last weekend, Alex Harris makes his way to the Amber Bar in Douglas this Saturday for a solo acoustic show.

If anyone saw his sets at either the Carnival Live Lounge, in Strand Street, or The Queen’s pub last weekend, then you’ll know how good he is in a live situation.

Expect tunes from his back catalogue along with a few covers thrown in for good measure.

The doors open around 8pm and Alex should hit the stage just after 9pm.

For more information on Alex and his music, please visit www.facebook.com/alexharrismusic

Following on from the inaugural lunchtime acoustic session at the Carnival Live Lounge kicked off by Alex last weekend, this Saturday lunchtime sees the turn of the Chris Winchester Trio.

The acoustic session will run from 1pm to 3pm.

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Steve Leach brings the latest rumblings, murmurings, news and views on forthcoming events in and around the island’s music scene. Help support the scene by emailing leachsteve@hotmail.com