The Isle of Man is to host a sporting event for children in the summer.

The INEOS GO Run for Fun will take place on Tuesday, July 21.

Primary school pupils will run or walk 2km at the National Sports Centre, Douglas.

Organisers say they hope a celebrity athlete will start them off.

GO Run for Fun, which encourages children into exercise, is backed by sporting heroes including former 60m world champion and world record holder Colin Jackson.

With more than 100 events involving 50,000 children held so far, the campaign aims to get 100,000 children running by 2016 – making it the biggest such initiative in the world.

GO Run for Fun is the idea of Jim Radcliffe, owner of INEOS, a manufacturing company in the UK, who has donated £1.5 million to establish a charitable foundation to encourage children to run for fun.

Jim said: ‘I’m passionate about getting as many children running as possible as early as possible. The idea is simple – to get children out of the house having fun. Running is the basis of so many sports. If children catch the running bug early, they are more likely to stick to it and this can only lead to them having more active and healthy lifestyles.’

Gianni Epifani, a sports development officer who works for the government, said: ‘GO Run for Fun happens throughout the UK, Europe and now America and it’s great to be chosen to host an event again.

‘Our 10-year Strategy for Sport highlights the importance of getting children involved in sport at an early age for their physical well-being, confidence and development.

‘Last year’s event was held in brilliant sunshine and saw more than 1,000 children, resplendent in the event’s colourful pink T-shirts, take to the track.

‘Olympic and Commonwealth Games athlete Helen Clitheroe started it off and inspired children, showing off her medals and talking about how she reached the pinnacle of her sport. What better way to get thousands of children active and excited about sport, standing them in good stead for later life.’

Speed cameras are to be put in various areas of Port Erin to investigate whether a 20mph speed limit should be introduced.

At the commissioners’ meeting on March 17, Nick Watterson proposed a notice of motion that they ask the Department of Infrastructure to explore the speed reduction be introduced in the retail area.

As the authority has taken over services such as street sweeping from government, he is concerned there will be more workmen in the road. Commissioners agreed there are various areas of concern relating to pedestrians, mainly young people going to and from school also elderly residents at the Four Roads, plus the increase in population given the new Ballakilley development will exacerbate the concerns.

In response to their request for feedback on a village-wide speed limit, the Department of Infrastructure will gather statistical information through the speed cameras, said clerk Jason Roberts.

Christine Sutton has joined Connect2HR as executive HR and training consultant.

‘I am really pleased to join Connect2HR’ said Christine.

‘I feel that the experience gained working in a multinational company as well as the manager development I previously implemented will allow me to add value to both existing andnew clients.’

A chartered member of the CIPD, Christine holds a Post Graduate Diploma in HumanResource Management and an Honours Degree in Applied Psychology.

Sue Hammond, director of Connect2HR said: ‘We are really pleased to have Christine joining us.

‘With more than eight years’ experience within the global financial services sectorand the breadth of experience she brings; from employee relations, strategicworkplace engagement initiatives and manager development, Christine is the perfect addition.’

Christine recently spoke at the Isle of Man CIPD conference on ‘implementing a workplace wellbeing programme’.

Connect2HR is a fast growing consultancy business based in the Isle of Man and offers a full range of HR services from administration, management and legal. They haverecently launched their manager training solutions which is offered both on the Islandand in the UK.

The Manx Independent is in the shops now.

Its lead story is the situation regarding Manannan.

Inside we also talk to air passengers who’ve also faced delays.

Headline of the week is probably ‘Man punched hole in fish tank’. Dozens of fish died.

It’s one of many stories from the courts this week.

Our 16-page features section, Island Life, includes the Isle of Man’s what’s on guide and seven days of television.

Island Life also looks at a book about the quirky side of the TT. In fact, you might recognise the TT rider on the front page blurb under the Manx Independent’s name. No prizes for the right answer, unfortunately.

Three people were treated for smoke inhalation after a fire in the early hours today.

Police, fire and ambulance crews were called to a fire on Christian Road, Douglas, at 2.04am.

Fire crews forced entry into the second-floor flat.

Two people were rescued from the property and given oxygen therapy.

A third occupant of the building from an adjacent flat was given medical treatment for the effects of smoke inhalation.

All three were later transferred to Noble’s Hospital by ambulance for further tests.

Fire damage was confined to the kitchen although the rest of the flat was heavily smoke logged.

The cause of the fire was found to be a frying pan left unattended on the hob.

Crews stayed at the scene for about 90 minutes to ensure that the property had been ventilated.

Police are appealing for help in finding a taxi vandal.

The silver Audi was attacked in Gellings Avenue, Port St Mary, overnight on Good Friday/Easter Saturday.

The car had a corrosive substance, similar to paint stripper, poured over every panel of it causing damage to the vehicle’s paintwork to such an extent that it will require a full re-spray.

The vehicle was parked in a private underground car park at the time of the offence.

A police spokesman said: ‘This crime is particularly impactive for the victim as the vehicle is used as a taxi and is her main source of income.

‘The vehicle is likely to be off the road for a significant amount of time to be repaired.’

‘Were you in the area overnight? Did you see anyone acting unusually? Local residents are asked to check their gardens for any discarded containers which may have appeared since the Easter weekend.’

Anyone with any information in relation to this matter is being asked to contact Constable Robin Arnold at Castletown police station on 822222.

This week, the amiable Paddy from Ask Buck shows IoMFoE’s Cat Turner around the business premises, and explains what happens to much of what we call ‘waste’.

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Commercial outfit Ask Buck (www.askbuck.com) is becoming a well-known solution to waste and recycling problems - both for commercial organisations and, increasingly, for households opting to drop items off.

Last week, owner Paddy showed IoMFoE round Ask Buck’s Ballasalla-based operation - and it was quite an eye-opener.

His amiable team were happy and willing to explain their jobs, and show me the impressive equipment the business has invested in to help turn the island’s rubbish into the raw materials for new products.

This takes up two warehoused-size buildings of around 6,000 square feet, and includes card balers, confidential shredding equipment, industrial bin-washers and an impressive array of equipment for, variously, crunching, slicing, shredding or powderising all sorts of plastics, rubber, wood, metal and other compounds.

The company will - for reasonable fees - collect all sorts of waste materials, from glass to metals, paper to plastics. We saw huge container loads of clothes-hangers, heaps of wheelie-bins, bales of card and paper, metal in all shapes and forms, computer innards and pallets and pallets of (sometimes unused) plastic product.....pretty much anything, excepting for food waste (which ideally our readers will be composting where they can).

It was a relief to realise that all of this didn’t have to go to incineration or landfill. It’s frankly madness - and in a very real sense, sheer wickedness - that in so many cases, ‘consumer’ items suffer the indignity of being made from precious and diminishing natural resources - only to be burnt or buried after just a single use: and often not even that!

We delved a little deeper into the destination for Ask Buck’s recyclates - and learned, for example, that those heaps of office paper which need to be properly disposed of to ensure customer confidentiality, are turned into fine shredding - then shipped off to a papermill in Lancaster, to be made into the ubiquitous and endlessly useful ‘blue roll’ which gets used for a million and one cleaning-up jobs...cardboard, too, ends up taking a boat trip, to be reprocessed (again in Lancaster) into more cardboard. Various plastics are cleaned, sorted and shipped to distribution centres in the UK, where they’re sold on the commodity markets.

But some things don’t leave the island. Much of the glass that’s sorted at Ask Buck heads off to Ballahara to be turned into eco-sand and the like, a great product that can be used to make colourful bricks, driveway toppings, even garden decoration and ‘hard mulch’. And the plastic that comes from discarded coat-hangers gets pulverised, and turned into eye-catching giant paper-clips, great for promotional giveaways or big filing jobs.

None of this is entirely straight-forward, though: Paddy explained that- great as it is when people recycle their plastic bags, if they must use them - a single till receipt left in one can ‘contaminate’ the batch . So everything has to be sorted, cleaned and separated if it’s to be granted a second life. Some of this, Paddy’s team does at the warehouse - but of course the more they have to do, the more time it takes and the more it has to cost; so it’s well worth taking the time, if you’re using Ask Buck’s services, to do a decent job yourself - and if in doubt, give the team a ring on 825826. They’ll be glad to tell you what works best in recycling and what to watch out for.

It’s great to see that the idea of saving valuable resources from the ground is becoming more mainstream all the time, and also to appreciate the wide variety of materials that can now be recycled. Check it out - Ask Buck - you might be surprised!

It came as something of a surprise when it was announced that campaigning in the forthcoming UK General Election began on Monday of last week.

It seems to have been going on since . . . well, I don’t know.

Fortunately it will be all over when their election has been held on May 7.

But the next few weeks will come in useful for certain people in the Isle of Man – the men and women who intend to stand in our General Election to the House of Keys in September next year

You, ladies and gentlemen, will need a supply of political clichés when speechifying and they are flying all around us like shotgun pellets at the moment.

There are some you will need to borrow. You must promise ‘to go the extra mile’ and ‘give 110 per cent’ and insist that you ‘want to make a difference’.

(No, not like Hitler, even thought he really did make a difference).

‘Sustainability’ sounds good, even if you don’t know what it means.

You must also want to ‘grow the economy.’ (There must be one planted in a greenhouse somewhere).

You might also aver solemnly that ‘ordinary people’, which politicians by inference mean not themselves, must be enabled to ‘fulfil their potential’.

Not, perhaps, if they are homicidal maniacs.

Finally you can, if you really insist, talk about ‘community’ and ‘passions’ – but never ever ‘challenges’.

I would say that when you hear a candidate say ‘problems’ instead of challenges, get ready with your X.

I would advise voters who hear candidates say challenges to give them a smack in the mouth.

Now that’s what I would really call a challenge.

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The answer to last week’s pub quiz question ‘Which King of England said a hearse, a hearse, my kingdom for a hearse’ can be announced today.

He was King Richard the Interred.

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Both Sara Goodwins and Richard Hetherington report this week’s Manx crossword clue which was in the Telegraph cryptic as follows: ‘Youngster with knowledge about one set of races (6).

Answer at foot of column

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Everyone needs a little financial advice these days and one of my favourites is credited to the writer Ernest Haskins: ‘Save a little money each month and at the end of the year you will be surprised to learn how little you have.’

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Ian Wrigley has had a thought about the diesel locomotive, bought by the Department of Infrastructure, which has been giving technical problems. He has written a song about it called: ‘Pardon Me Boy, Is That Our Broken Down Old Choo Choo?’

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The television critic of The Oldie magazine said the funniest line he heard was in the programme ‘Call the Midwife’, with a nun saying: ‘Using a condom is like wearing socks when going for a paddle’

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My Funnies File of 1998 tells of a news item on Manx Radio with a warning against buying ‘dangerous children’s presents’.

At the same time Silverdale Glen in the Isle of Man was advertising its ‘huge children’s playground’.

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In my Times Past feature in the Examiner, Geoff Corkish MLC remembers being made a member of the Examiner Young Folk’s League when he was 10 years old.

I wonder if they would have let him in if they knew he was going to grow up to be a politician.

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I am assured that there is a house in Peel, I don’t know where exactly, called ‘Peel Bananas.’

What else would you do with them?

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Extracts from letters written by NHS secretaries: ‘The patient’s medical condition has been remarkably insignificant with only a 40 pound weight gain in the past three days.’

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Crossword answer: Kitten

The jury in a murder trial has been hearing evidence from a consultant psychiatrist.

Ian Anderson, aged 46, has denied murdering Mr Roberts whose body was found at the Andersons’ house in Queen Street, Castletown in the early hours of December 1, 2013.

Dr Ramneesh Puri interviewed defendant Ian Anderson and studied transcripts of his police interviews and telephone calls before telling the court he believed the defendant fitted the criteria for a borderline personality disorder and had experienced ‘morbid jealousy’.

Dr Puri also said Mr Anderson’s claims not to remember some of the events preceding the death of 60-year-old gardener Neil Roberts were credible.

He told the court: ‘It’s not unusual for people involved in traumatic events like that not to remember because of the high levels of the cortisol stress hormone. Research has suggested up to 40 per cent of people involved in such an incident have memory lapses.’

He also added people with a personality disorder often were less able to deal with stress.

Under cross examination. Linda Watts queried the rigour of Dr Puri’s research asking why he had not sought corroboration of his findings by speaking to members of Mr Anderson’s family, former employers and friends.

But under re-examination by defence advocate Dawn Jones, Dr Puri said: ‘I believe if I had spoken to others, I would have found many more examples of personality disorder.’

Dr Puri said such a disorder could have grown out of stresses suffered in childhood and he said it could mean a person lacked normal coping mechanisms to deal with stress, often turning instead to alcohol, for example, or experiencing angry outbursts.

The case continues.

Amelia Ventures Limited, whose registered office is situated at 14 Athol Street, Douglas, bought Merchant House, 24 North Quay, Douglas, for £1,185,000.

It was bought from Equimann Leisure Deus Limited, whose registered office is situated at Armitage House, Ridgeway Street, Douglas.

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

Lazer Investments Limited, whose registered office is situated at 21 Castle Street, Douglas, sold 14 Castle Street, Douglas, for £425,000 to Castle Bay Seafoods Limited, of Mill Road, Peel.

Barbara Jean Hyde sold Hyston, Ballabridson Park, Ballasalla, for £350,000 to Sheila Irene Christian and David Fell Christian, of Greenlands, Orrisdale Road, Ballasalla.

John Terence Kinvig, of Leeds, sold 7 Hillberry Meadows, Governor’s Hill, Douglas, for £267,500, to John Russell Hall and Judith Hall, of Maycomb, Pinehurst Avenue, Saddlestone.

Anthony John Quine, of 53 Lezayre Park, Ramsey, and Hillary Catrina Quine, sold 8 Little Meadow, Andreas, for £230,000, to Brian Thomson and Lisa Anne Thomson, Flat 3, 57 Royal Avenue West, Onchan.

Brian William Gordon sold 45 Lakeside Road, Onchan, for £225,000, to Lyncot Property Limited, of Hill Street, Douglas.

Kenneth Lowes and Barbara Dawn Lowes sold 24 Queen’s Road, Onchan, for £188,500, to Gavin James Laing, Flat 6, 8 Fairfield Terrace, Douglas.

Luc Omar Raes sold 15 Close Cowley, Anagh Coar Estate, Douglas, for £170,000, to Philip Richard Gunnell, 1 The Crofts, Ballaughton Meadows, Douglas.

Maria Crompton, of 1 Howe Road, Onchan, and Margaret Pauline Hannah, of Springfield Grange, Stevenson Way, Farmhill, Douglas, sold 17 Allan Street, Douglas, for £122,500, to Dean Adam Hall, of 82 Hillside Avenue, Douglas.

Andrew David Pease, of 8 Brookfield Terrace, Foxdale, and Aimee Louise Pease, of 18 Magher Breck, Ballawattleworth, Peel, sold 24 Bemahague Avenue, Onchan, for £85,000, to Andrew David Pease.

Christopher Walker and Mona Judith Walker, sold 26 St German’s Place, Peel, for £80,000, to Ian John Walker.

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

The P&O ferry that was used to take passengers from Northern Ireland to the Isle of Man was damaged in Manx waters yesterday.

It was so bad that P&O had to cancel later sailings.

Meanwhile, the Steam Packet says the repairs to the stricken Manannan fastcraft are going well.

The vessel has been out of action since Sunday after it was damaged.

As we reported {http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/updated-story-manannan-to-stay-out-of-action-for-fifth-and-sixth-day-1-7198787|yesterday,} the Steam Packet hopes to have the Manannan back in action on Saturday.

Steam Packet boss Mark Woodward said: ‘Work is progressing well to repair the damage to the trim tab and water jet steering gear, and I thought it might be of interest to share some photographs of the scale of the damage.

‘I would also like to scotch some of the rumours circulating on some social media platforms and forums. We have never attributed this damage to fishing gear. What we have said is that it is because of debris in the water.

‘The nature of the damage – the worst we have ever seen – suggests that something very substantial was ingested.

‘Since 2007 there have been 17 recorded major incidents where our ships have been damaged and passengers have been inconvenienced by disrupted schedules as a result.

‘This latest incident is likely to cost in excess of £100,000 in repair costs alone.

‘It is interesting to note too that P&O Express, the ship we chartered to cover yesterday’s Belfast service because of the damage to Manannan’s steering gear, was itself damaged when leaving the island yesterday. It reported a trim tab failure, similar to what happened to Manannan. As a result they had to cancel their own sailings yesterday afternoon and evening.’

This first picture (picture 1) shows the A-frame linkage for the activation of the ‘trim tab’ ride control or ‘ride stabilising system’ which is located below the two damaged water jets and has been subject to trauma, distortion and failure.

The second picture (picture 2) shows the reversing flap, which is critical for the safe manoeuvring of the vessel and also shows evidence of heavy trauma. This equipment is fabricated from high quality 12mm thick marine grade stainless steel plate and the damage is similar on both starboard side water jets.

Mr Woodward added: ‘It should also be noted that the damage was incurred seven days after the vessel recommenced seasonal operational service and just three weeks after leaving dry-dock. All of this equipment was fully inspected during the docking period by Steam Packet Company engineering staff, along with Classification Society Surveyors and all found to be in good order.

‘The degree of damage is unprecedented both locally and also in the community of other fast ferry operators globally that we converse and network with on a regular basis.’

A new law to crack down on smoking has been hailed as a postive step forward.

A Bill to strengthen tobacco legislation has received its first reading in the House of Keys.

The Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2015 contains a number of proposals aimed at protecting children in particular from exposure to tobacco products and tobacco advertising.

Specifically the Bill proposes:

A ban on tobacco displays

Further controls on tobacco advertising

A ban on the sale of tobacco products from vending machines

The introduction of the ability to issue fixed penalty notices (fines) for smoking offences.

The Bill has been reviewed following consideration of the feedback received from the recent public consultation, with a summary of responses available {https://www.gov.im/dhsc/ConsultationDetail.gov?id=477|here}.

Member for Health and Social Care Alfred Cannan MHK, said: ‘It is important that we recognise the damage that smoking can have on people’s health.

‘We must do everything we can to minimise the risks for children and young adults in particular. This move is a positive step forward as it restricts the visibility and availability of tobacco products and will help to reduce the appeal of smoking and impulse buying of tobacco.’

The Bill will bring the Isle of Man into line with other jurisdictions, such as England, which have already banned the sale of tobacco from vending machines and the display of tobacco products at the point of sale.

Health chiefs say there is evidence that tobacco displays in shops and tobacco advertising influence young people and increase the likelihood of them taking up smoking.

Point of sale tobacco displays increase the likelihood of impulse buying, which can impact on people who have quit or are trying to stop smoking, resulting in relapse.

In addition, there has been growing concern that children are buying tobacco products from vending machines, which are often not supervised, meaning that age checks cannot take place.

Amendments have also been included in the Bill for introduction of the ability to issue fixed penalty notices for smoking related offences under existing regulations which are enforced by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture, including any new offences that are created in the future.

There are ‘strong indications’ Costa Coffee will open in Castletown.

The announcement comes in a week of good news for the town when approval of the regeneration scheme and extension of the civic centre were given.

Town MHK Richard Ronan said: ‘There are strong indications Costa Coffee will be in town.

‘They will operate near the police station in an area known as the quarterdeck, by the harbour and opposite the entrance to Castle Rushen.

‘I would like to think there will be an announcement very shortly. I hope there is good news.

It is a wonderful place the quarterdeck – it’s a tremendous area that needs bringing back to life.

‘It will be a stimulus of more investment and a major attraction for Castletown and visitors will love it.’

Nationalist firebrand Bernard Moffatt says it’s time for the Manx people to say ‘enough is enough’ to the government.

In his latest release, writing as the director of information for the Celtic League, Mr Moffatt lambasts the island’s political leaders and focuses on the increasing number of charges that have been imposed.

He says the Isle of Man has been turned into a ‘giant cashpoint’ for the government.

He adds of the island’s politicians ‘they’re arrogant, self serving, politically narcissistic and they want to empty your pocket’.

The rest of his latest comment reads:

What do you do about a government that stopped listening that arrogantly piles charge after charge on the public whilst pretending the opposite is the case?

The current spat about charges for stands at Tynwald [letter in this week’s Examiner from Mec Vannin secretary Cristl Jerry] is small beer in the litany of increases that government has applied in the past few years. A sewerage charge introduced at £50 and rising, the withdrawal of pensioners benefits, changes to social security and pensions on the way – and there’s only one way they are going and that’s down!

This week people around the island will see rates bills, most increased by above inflation, drop through the door.

More importantly they are accompanied by a statement saying the government wants to consult on a new rating system. They want it to be more ‘accurate and fair’ this is Orwellian double-speak for ‘they want it to increase’.

Cynically, the government plays of one interest group against another. They have in recent years hiked the rates for social housing up by well above inflation knowing that a significant section of the property owning public would support this. However it is all smoke and mirrors and every section of Manx society is now impacted by charges, levies and licence increases.

The ‘Prospect Hill Cabal’ are not only voracious in terms of the fiscal impact their increasingly erratic policies generate they are cheeky with it.

Recently the Treasury Minister justified stripping a free TV licence of a pensioner of over 75 years by saying blithely that some pensioners could afford a Sky TV package.

All over the island pensioners in some instances are struggling to pay utility bills (which increased here as they decreased in Ireland and the UK) or put food on the table.

It is not just pensioners all elements of society are impacted – some with secure incomes can weather the storm – but for others it is a nightmare. For all there is a realisation that this government is out of touch or out of control or both.

What is to be done? On some internet social media there’s talk about the next election and indeed some of the existing members of the house seem to take this seriously as evidenced by the indecent scramble to secure lucrative vacant positions in the Legislative Council.

Who would have thought 40 years ago that a body that produced independent thinkers such as the late Jack Nivison, willing to challenge the norms of the day, would be would become a refuge for rejects? Indeed the last refuge of a set of self-serving scoundrels.

Dispiritingly an election will bring no significant change as evidenced by those who have entered the ‘House of Keys’ before, only to become familiars of its narcissistic politics.

In other jurisdictions faced with such problems direct action was seen as the only road.

In the United Kingdom one of the most significant and contentious figures of the 20th century, Margaret Thatcher, was brought to her knees when she went too far and introduced the poll tax.

A quarter of a century on in Ireland anti-austerity protests show no sign of abating and no-violent civil disobedience is the norm.

So what about this ‘Sceptred Isle’ which is being turned into giant cash-point by the current government?

When will enough be enough?

When will worms turn?

A seven-day closure of the Mountain Road began at 8am on Easter Monday to allow preparation works to take place ahead of this year’s TT festival.

The Department of Infrastructure last month announced the closure between Ramsey Hairpin and Creg-ny-Baa, revealing the measure was necessary to allow essential maintenance, including lining, ditching and sign maintenance, plus the resurfacing and re-profiling of the carriageway on the Keppel Gate section.

An eagle-eyed reader – perhaps more accurately described as a frustrated biker given the good conditions on the day – was perplexed, therefore, when they took a look at webcams on the government’s visitisleofman.com website at lunchtime on Monday and spotted what appeared to be a film crew setting up, followed by a car travelling at high speed.

A spokesman for the DoI confirmed their suspicions yesterday (Wednesday).

He said: ‘A German film production company were in the island over the weekend shooting a commercial for a new Audi car and Ducati motorcycle. They had been using various locations on the island and had permission from the DoI to use a portion of the Mountain Road while it was closed for the pre-TT works.’

The road remains closed but is scheduled to reopen at 6pm on Sunday – earlier if the work is completed in good time.

Hundreds of children of all ages took to a field in Cregneash on Easter Monday to try their hand at egg rolling.

The unusual challenge was the highlight of the village’s annual family fun day, where visitors were treated to hours of unbroken sunshine while much of the island was shrouded in mist.

More than 200 people took part in the first egg rolling event alone, where participants aimed to roll hard boiled eggs the furthest down a sloping field, and a second event later in the afternoon attracted another 70 challengers.

The day’s programme of events also included an egg decorating competition with chocolate Easter eggs up for grabs by the winners.

A special ‘Welly Walk’ gave the children an insight into life in Cregneash, giving them a chance to meet the horses, see the spring lambs and make a wish at the well.

A trip to the gardens gave them an early look at this year’s turnip crop ahead of Hop-tu-Naa, the heritage site’s biggest event of the year where children get to carve their own turnip from the gardens.

The day was organised by Helen Ashcroft, heritage site manager for Cregneash and the Sound.

She said: ‘It was a really successful event. It’s great the way the children are so engaged with life at Cregneash.

‘There might not be any bouncy castles at our Easter day, but everything we showed them is really wholesome and educational and they really enjoyed it.’

‘For the first egg roll, the whole of the top of the field was full of people. It was an amazing sight!’

She said that participants were encouraged to bring their own hard-boiled eggs for rolling, but they had plenty to go around.

‘I boiled up seven dozen eggs, mostly collected from around the farm, and there was only one left by the end of the afternoon’, she said.

‘Thanks go to all the volunteers from Friends of Manx National Heritage, the site staff who helped the day go smoothly – and thank you to all the happy families who came and made it such a special event.’

The cost of sending a letter to an address in the Isle of Man and the UK is going up by 2p.

The Isle of Man Post Office this afternoon announced the rise – from 42p to 44p – which will come into effect on May 5.

Sending letters and packets of up to 2kg to British Forces Post Office addresses will remain free.

Meanwhile, the Special Delivery service to the UK will increase by 1 per cent on most of its price bands with Special Delivery to Isle of Man addresses increasing by around 2 per cent.

Visit iompost.com for full details.

The case for extending the boundary of Port Erin so the village will embrace the whole of the new development at Ballakilley is being compiled by the local authority.

The development straddles the boundary of Port Erin and Rushen parish, meaning different rates (around four times greater on the Port Erin side), refuse and street lighting times, which the former authority said is anomalous.

The parish authority disagrees and said it copes with boundary issues elsewhere, also rate income from Ballakilley houses in the parish will help to finance the recreational land which is associated with the development.

The Department of Infrastructure wrote it is preparing a draft order for consideration by the Attorney General’s chambers. The department must also consult affected authorities and asked for evidence, including: ‘That the promoters’ area and the areas sought are really one community; that there is community of interest in all or most public services, social agencies … and communal requirements of the future; that the area sought is an overspill or outgrowth of the promoters’ area; and that the balance of advantage lies in the acceptance of the scheme, though it may generally be admitted that the area sought may be valuable in various ways to the local authority by whom they are now governed.’

The department will include Port Erin’s response in a letter to Rushen Parish commissioners asking for the parish authority’s views. Then there will be an inquiry.

Classic coastal excursion ship MV Balmoral will return to the island at the end of June offering trips as far afield as Whitehaven.

The 1949-built ship last visited the island in 2012 but was withdrawn from service as her then owners were unable to afford to operate her in 2013 and 2014.

But now, thanks to a new charity which has raised over £250,000 from voluntary contributions, the Balmoral is back and asking for your help.

Volunteers are needed to publicise the ship and its sailings amongst other jobs.

Organiser Dick Clague said: ‘We need people to put up posters, help around the Sea Terminal, direct people to the Steam Railway and to do the same things in Ramsey and Port St Mary.

‘We need people to collect names and collate them, we need an army of people. We need to get new blood in to help.’

Further considerable help has come in the way of a grant from the Coastal Communities Fund.

The ship is scheduled to go into dry dock for final checks and preparations mid-April and make her maiden voyage Bristol on June 19.

It is planned to be able to offer afternoon excursions from Douglas to the Calf of Man on Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27.

On Sunday, June 28 there will be a trip from Douglas to Peel via the Calf of Man, returning via Port St Mary.

And on Monday, June 29, there will be the chance to sail from Ramsey to Douglas.

On Tynwald Day, Monday, July 6, the plan is for a full day excursion from Douglas to Whitehaven.

Donations to restore the Balmoral to service are still needed – details of how you can give can be found at www.tinyurl.com/donatebalmoral or cheques may be sent to MV Balmoral Fund Ltd, c/o 23 Adder Hill, Great Boughton, Chester, CH3 5RA.

More details of opportunities are available at www.tinyurl.com/balmoralsupport where you can also sign up to help.

Alternatively contact Dick Clague on834606 or via j.r.clague@gmail.com

The Liberal Vannin Party has raised more questions about the island’s investment in Pinewood Studios.

The comments come after the government sold about half of its shares.

In a statement, the party says: ‘There is no doubt that the news that Treasury have arranged to sell roughly half of its holding in Pinewood for a profit of 50 per cent is good news. Not such good news as the Treasury Minister, Eddie Teare, is portraying, but good news nonetheless.’

The party says: ‘In 2007 £50 million was transferred onto the balance sheet of CinemaNX Ltd, a privately-owned company, who advised Treasury on which films they should be investing in. This was not subject to a debate in Tynwald and in fact Tynwald members had no knowledge of this. It was a five-year contract and not one film made a profit, or broke even, in its own right during that time.

‘Various figures have been quoted by the Chief Minister, Treasury Minister, previous Treasury Minister and Oxford Economics. There is such a huge difference in their various assertions ranging from millions of gain to millions of losses that it is difficult to differentiate between what is fact and what is pure fantasy. What we do know for a fact is that at the end of the contract there was roughly £25,000,000 in cash remaining and other assets amounting to some £8,000,000. It is this £25,000,000 that was the subject of the debate in Tynwald together with the purchase of the Pinewood shares in June 2012.’

On November 25 the Treasury Minister told MHKs £10,300,000 remained in the Media Development Fund.

The party says: ‘In summary, and leaving aside any additional exchequer benefits and ignoring the £8,000,000 in other assets, between 2007 and 2012 the media development fund was depleted by some £17,000,000 and has been further depleted by some £14,700,000 up to the end of November last year.

‘So whilst we are delighted that a £2,500,000 profit on some of the Pinewood shares will be realised, we are sure that people will understand why we are not overly delighted about the results as a whole.’

Treasury Minister Eddie Teare MHK told the Manx Independent: ‘The [Lib Van] party has a track record of making ill-informed and often misleading statements in its campaign against economic opportunity in the sector, and this appears to be more of the same.’