Police officers yesterday recovered cocaine, some cash and a ‘mobile stun device’ or Taser from an addess in Ramsey.

A 25-year-old man was arrested and detained on suspicion of possession of controlled drugs, money laundering and possession of a prohibited weapon.

He has since been charged and will attend Court on Tuesday.

Detective Constable Doug Ross of the police force’s proactive team said: ‘It is not often that we seize prohibited weapons from people on the Isle of Man.

‘However it is a concern that on this occasion the weapon was seized along with class A drugs and cash.

‘These offences will be taken seriously. We are happy to have removed a potentially harmful weapon from our streets.’

To report crime, phone 631212 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Crimestoppers is an independent Manx charity established to enable callers to pass information anonymously.

The fire and rescue service has published a five-year strategic plan that will underpin its vision of ‘Making the Island Safer’.

The document, which was laid before Tynwald this week, is aimed at reducing risk within the local community.

It focuses on five strategic areas of work needed to maintain a high performing service that meets future demands:

People engagement

Partnership evolvement

Protecting the vulnerable person

Delivering a high quality, effective and efficient service

Development and growth

The fire and rescue service has evolved over recent years to provide a wide range of emergency and fire safety functions. As well as attending fires, firefighters deal with events including road traffic collisions, water rescues, line rescues and hill searches. They also work with other emergency services to support the response to environmental emergencies such as snow storms and flooding.

The fire and rescue service has changed in recent years in order to meet budget savings targets. The Department of Home Affairs has reiterated that it has no plans to close any fire stations and remains committed to protecting frontline emergency services wherever possible.

It has not been universally popular.

Earlier this firefighter Justin McMullin resigned, complaining about the cuts. Our story about that online was one of the most-read stories on iomtoday.co.im this year.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/firefighter-stands-by-web-comments-after-quitting-1-7616719|Click here for a reminder.}

Chief fire officer Kevin Groom said: ‘People are living longer and are being encouraged to stay in their own homes wherever possible, so we need to keep them safe. Partnership working is vital. Something as simple as a volunteer identifying and reporting a faulty smoke alarm during a home visit could help save a life. As well as the human cost, UK statistics show that one fire death costs the economy £1.65million.’

He added: ‘The strategic plan identifies continued investment in our people and infrastructure, including the new live fire training facility, a replacement fire and ambulance station opposite the airport in Ronaldsway and the relocation of Port Erin fire station to the current southern ambulance station. Our people are our greatest asset and I am proud to lead such a team of dedicated professionals to deliver this plan.’

The ‘switch to gas’ in social housing is important to tackle climate change, a government Minister told Tynwald.

But Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne’s comments were greeted with incredulity by some MHKs who said converting to more expensive gas heating would do nothing to tackle fuel poverty.

Mr Gawne has been asked by Lib Van MHK Peter Karran to investigate domestic boiler control products which he said would save on heating bills.

Mr Karran said trying to force local authority tenants to switch from oil to gas boilers is ‘certainly not doing anything to help the fuel poverty problem’.

This prompted the Minister to retort: ‘The member and his party do not seem particularly bothered that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are being introduced into the environment at an alarming rate and are likely to lead to significant harm to the planet and to the future of humankind.

‘However, my department does believe it is important to reduce carbon emissions. So the switch to gas is important. I think it is an excellent thing to do.’

Douglas South MHK Bill Malarkey said he was ‘completely stunned’ by Mr Gawne ‘telling us all that we have got to have gas central heating because it is environmentally friendly when oil has halved in price in the last 18 months, and gas has gone up!’ He added: ‘One power station in China puts out more muck in a week than the whole Isle of Man does in a year.’

Graham Cregeen (Malew and Santon) said: ‘It may be OK for the Minister to be saying we have got to be responsible for the change in the climate. But is he not also concerned about those people who cannot afford to heat with gas?’

Housing chiefs say they are adopting ‘innovative new ways of working’ to meet the demand for affordable homes.

As well as providing financial assistance to first-time buyers, the government’s housing division works with local housing authorities, planners, developers and construction professionals to influence the supply of new-build and refurbished properties.

Almost £70m has been invested in public sector housing and more than £6m provided in financial assistance to first-time buyers.

Since 2011, approaching 500 affordable homes have been built. Half this total has been additional properties for first-time buyers and public sector tenants, and half replacement housing for substandard public sector properties.

Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: ‘The department is fully committed to helping people find a suitable place to live.

‘We are working with developers through the planning and design stages of new developments to ensure we can achieve the range of properties needed to satisfy local demand. This also includes the flexibility to change the type of house in response to market conditions. The latest successes include homes at Shipyard Road in Ramsey, Ballakilley in Port Erin, Ballawattleworth in Peel and Cronk Cullyn in Colby.’

For further information about affordable housing visit the government website {https://www.gov.im/categories/home-and-neighbourhood/affordable-housing/|here}

Twenty young people celebrated after graduating in a pioneering apprenticeship scheme with Lloyds Bank.

The youngsters, said to be setting a shining example, were praised at a special ceremony last week.

Chief minister Allan Bell was there to witness the ceremony and he told Business News: ‘It’s a very positive development for Lloyds Bank.

‘The apprentices who have now graduated today are to be congratulated on the excellent job they have done.

‘It’s an investment not just in their future but in the future of Lloyds Bank and in a broader sense in the island and this is what we really need all employers to do.

‘We have to improve the skills base of the island to ensure that the island generally can compete internationally in the future.

‘This is a great step forward today. The team have all done extremely well and I congratulate Lloyds on the hard work.’

Peter Reid, island director and head of operations at Lloyds Bank said: ‘Twenty people have graduated which is fantastic news.’

He told the audience that the apprenticeship scheme could not have happened without the support of the island’s government, in partocular the Department of Economic Development.

Mr Reid said there was an ‘open door’ provided by the government when details of the scheme were first being drawn up.

Mr Reid said the course was fundamentally designed to set up a future potential for careers ahead. The course has lasted just over 12 months and in that time a lot of work has been completed. The apprentices came up in turn to receive certificates and a goody bag.

Dan Gallagher, 20, told Business News: ‘You know what, this is really fantastic.

‘I’ve finished the apprenticeship but I feel there is a lot more that Lloyds want to help me with’. He said that he had learned things that gave him a much wider perspective of the world.

Former Castle Rushen student Dan said the team of apprentices all worked well together and he is looking forward to advancing his career with Lloyds.

Former St Ninian’s High School student Katie Gregory, 18, said it was a ‘big achievement’ to graduate because of the amount of work that was put in. She said that she has been working in telephone banking with the company dealing with customers from all over the world over the phone. She was looking also to advance her career with the bank.

Meanwhile a delighted Mr Reid promised this year’s course was only the beginning and further projects were now planned for the future.

The police force is asking the public for support as five of its officers take on the New Year’s Day dips in Douglas Bay, raising funds for Manx Cancer Help.

People are asked to ‘Pledge £1 for a Paddle’ to support their fundraising efforts on behalf of the local charity, which offers psychological and emotional support for anyone affected by cancer.

The on-duty officers will be taking a short break from the beat to wet their feet in the shallows of the freezing Irish Sea.

They will be in uniform, from their ankles up.

Inspector Cathryn Bradley, of the central neighbourhood policing team, said: ‘Our officers will be taking part in the 2016 New Year’s Day Dip in Douglas Bay to raise funds for Manx Cancer Help. As the officers are only able to have a short paddle, and we are aware that people may be a bit strapped for cash after Christmas, we thought that it would be wonderful idea if people were able to “Pledge £1 for a Paddle”.

‘Manx Cancer Help is a hugely worthwhile local charity, and one that is important to so many people – our officers included – that we felt this would be a fantastic opportunity to raise funds and help the charity to continue to provide its vital services in the Isle of Man. We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has already donated via our JustGiving page, which is a great start towards our £500 target.’

Established in 1983, Manx Cancer Help provides specialist psychological therapies for people with cancer, their loved ones, and individuals working within cancer care. It offers a series of free confidential sessions, face-to-face and over the phone, as well as drop-in days and a range of complementary therapies.

Andrea Chambers, chief executive officer of Manx Cancer Help, added: ‘We are delighted to have the support of the Isle of Man Constabulary, and were thrilled with the idea of the “Pledge £1 for a Paddle” appeal. Every donation, no matter how small, really does help us to continue providing our services within the local community, and we are hugely grateful for all funds raised for Manx Cancer Help.’

To pledge £1 or more, please visit the Isle of Man Constabulary’s dedicated fundraising page at JustGiving.com/David-Cubbon1. All donations will go directly to Manx Cancer Help.

At noon in Peel on New Year’s Day, three members of the Friends of Robert Owen House will brave the elements and take a dip in Peel Bay raising money for FROH and two other charities, Peel Lifeboat and Multiple Sclerosis.

The founder of the charity and current patron, June Young, will along with two other members Lynn Ilott and Kieran Thomas give up their New Year’s Eve celebrations so that they will be ready for the dip into the cold Irish Sea.

A special sponsorship form has been produced and is available by downloading from.robertowenhouse.org or send your details to froh@manx.net or ring 622314 for a copy to be posted out.

Retiring Secretary Brian Whitehead said: ‘We all do crazy things in life in the name of charity but running into the Irish Sea on New Years day must be something special. Let’s start 2016 in BIG style by supporting these brave volunteers and the three charities.’

New Year dips have been getting more popular over the years.

If you’re organising one, email newsdesk@newsiom.co.im with details.
Don’t forget to include your phone number.

The square in Castletown re-opened for parking at midday today (Friday).

Commissioners’ chairman Alwyn Collister urged the public to make the most of the parking and its close proximity to shops and support traders by visiting the town.

The square has been closed to traffic since the summer when the regeneration scheme began.

It has deterred the public from visiting the town, causing misery for traders.

They said the disruption had brought the town ‘to its knees’ and in an article in the Examiner said if the public did not support them, there would be nothing left.

Mr Collister said he is delighted with the swift progress made by the contractors, who were originally meant to finish the scheme in February next year.

The authority was also criticised by trader Nic Couchman for cancelling rather than postponing the Christmas lights switch on, which was meant to take place on December 5.

He said the event would have attracted some people into town.

A switch on will be held in the town – but of the civic centre’s new lights – in a carol concert with Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band on Tuesday, December 22, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm

The trailer of Samantha Barks’ new film has been released.

The 25-year-old Manxwoman plays a starring role in Bitter Harvest, a $21 million production directed by George Mendeluk, alongside Max Irons, Terence Stamp and Barry Pepper.

It made its world premiere at the American Film Market on November 9 in Santa Monica, California, during which it was sold to international distributors who will release it within their territories in the New Year.

> Watch the trailer by clicking this link

The film is set between the world wars and is based on the true events of the Holodomor famine, which killed millions of Ukrainians through ‘extermination by hunger’ between 1932 and 1933.

The plot follows the journey of Yuri (played by Irons), a man born into a family of Ukrainian warriors who struggles to win the approval of his stern grandfather Ivan (Terence Stamp) and father Yaroslav (Pepper), and the heart of Natalka, played by Samantha.

Yuri finds his life changed forever with the invasion by the Bolsheviks and the subsequent persecution of his family and fellow countrymen as Stalin’s regime of terror extends across Eastern Europe.

Former St Ninian’s High School student Samantha rose to prominence in 2008 when she appeared in BBC show I’d Do Anything.

She went on to play Eponine in the London stage version of Les Miserables for a year, June 2010-2011, before reprising the role in the hit 2012 film adaptation alongside Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway.

The Friday Lunchtime Choir will sing traditional carols to raise funds for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal.

The choir will be joined by young players from the Manx Youth Orchestra when it performs in the departure lounge at the Sea Terminal in Douglas on Monday, December 21, from 1pm to 2pm.

The choir has made several appearances to raise money for charities and has supported the Salvation Army appeal in the past.

The choir, part of the Department of Education and Children’s music dervice, rehearses at the Salvation Army Citadel in Lord Street every Friday during term time, 1.15pm to 1.45pm.

Anyone is welcome to join the choir, regardless of ability.

Maggie Richardson, head of the music service and the choir’s conductor, said: ‘Our aim is to have fun while singing music that is appropriate for members, so not too hard but with challenges such as improving breathing, tone and confidence.

‘We don’t take ourselves too seriously and are friendly and welcoming. Anyone wishing to have a go at singing is welcome to join us – either just on December 21 or as a longer-term member.’

The choir’s 2016 season starts on Friday, January 15.

‘Why not make it your new year’s resolution to join us?’ said Maggie.

‘The health benefits of singing are well documented – and it’s a lot more fun than giving up chocolate.’

Beach Buddies will be holding their final event before Christmas with a beach cleaning session at Blue Point on Sunday morning, meeting at 10.30am.

They will then be having a break from beach cleaning team sessions over the festive period, but regular emptying of their special Big Beach Bins will continue throughout the period.

Beach Buddies founder Bill Dale said: ‘If you spot one which is close to full, or overflowing, please let us know and we will deal with it immediately.

‘We have 15 bins all over the island at the moment, and plan to at least double this number during 2016, which will be the 10th anniversary year for Beach Buddies. Anyone who may know of a potential sponsor willing to pay just £1.87 a day to sponsor a bin please get in touch.

‘Everywhere we have a bin, the response from the public has been simply fantastic, and the beaches alongside the bins are in better condition than for at least 30 years. We would love to expand this project all over the Island’s beaches, and also to other places such as glens, hillside walkways and the coastal footpath.

‘We will be going into Ramsey after Sunday’s session for a brief get-together and some refreshments, courtesy of Beach Buddies, from around 12.30pm. All welcome. All ages, all abilities. It’s nothing strenuous - we have lots of fit young volunteers to deal with any heavyweight finds!’

The mother from the Isle of Man who astounded many after posting her children’s wrapped Christmas presents on social media has appeared on breakfast television in the USA.

Emma Tapping was interviewed on Good Morning America on the ABC network.

Emma, who lives at the Eairy, hit headlines all over the world when she uploaded a photo of her Christmas tree surrounded by presents on instagram.

{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/woman-hits-headlines-over-the-number-of-presents-she-has-bought-her-children-1-7617291|Click here to read our story last week.}

She is interviewed on the US programme in New York.

{http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/mom-shamed-buying-christmas-presents-pushes-back-critics/story?id=35743972|Click here to see Emma on Good Morning America}

No fewer than 7,245 appointments with hospital consultants were cancelled at Noble’s in the past six months.

The figure was revealed by health chiefs in response to a series of a questions put by the Celtic League’s director of information Bernard Moffatt.

In his letter to Dr Malcolm Couch, chief executive of the Department of Health and Social Care, Mr Moffatt asked how many appointments and operations had been cancelled in the past six months, how many patients had been moved due to bed shortages and whether any still requiring care had been discharged to nursing homes. He also asked about staff shortages.

In the reply, the DHSC revealed that 7,245 consultants’ appointments have been cancelled by the hospital and a further 7,522 cancelled by the patient in the period from June 1 to the end of November this year.

There were 32 operations cancelled in May, 44 in June, 32 in July, 33 in August, 57 in September and 59 in October.

The department said that in the main, cancellations were due to patients being unfit for surgery, procedures rescheduled to be carried out elsewhere and time over-runs in theatre.

It said that two operations cancelled in May and three in July and October respectively were due to bed shortages.

Some 25 of the cancellations in September were due to bed shortages and the Festival of Motorcycling, it added.

The DHSC revealed that a total of 300 patients in the past six month have needed to be moved between wards, between the hours of 8pm and 8am to accommodate bed shortages.

Responding to the query about the number of patients still requiring care who have been discharged to private nursing homes, the DHSC said: ‘Our records indicate that six people in the last six months were discharged to a private nursing home — all in June 2015.

‘Our patient record system was upgraded in July, and it appears that some discharge coding errors may have caused inaccuracies since then. Please note, however, that nursing homes provide nursing care, and so discharging a patient to a nursing home does not involve the same considerations as when they go home.’

The department confirmed that there was not a full level of staffing on all wards and in all clinical areas.

To the question about whether treatment has been deferred because of staff shortages, the DHSC replied it did not have specific information but it is possible such situations have occurred.

Fourteen pupils from the Isle of Man got a chance to see working life in a big firm when they travelled to London.

The youngsters, from Ramsey Grammar School, Castle Rushen High School, Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel and St Ninian’s in Douglas enjoyed a behind-the-scenes visit to Accenture, Fenchurch Street, London.

The event, called A Capital Experience, was organised in partnership with Career Ready, a UK charity linking employers with schools and colleges to open up the world of work to young people.

In the morning the students joined 1,600 other young people from across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, all of whom are beginning the Career Ready programme.

Students heard from motivational speaker Action Jackson, as well as Career Ready alumni who have achieved career success.

As part of their visit to accountancy firm Accenture in the afternoon students were given a masterclass on networking and communication by a team of international graduates.

Career Ready offers a programme of masterclasses, mentoring, workplace visits and internships that helps students prepare for the world of work.

The Isle of Man Cluster group has been working with Career Ready for two years to help students gain the skills, attitudes and experience they need to succeed in their future careers.

Student Rose Ten Donkellaar said: ‘We all learned loads about the world of work and a got a few tips on how to get ahead early.’

Morgan Skillicorn added: ‘It was a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting experience for everybody involved. My favourite part was seeing all of the new technology at Accenture, it was so cool!’

Laurence Skelly MHK, Minister for the Department of Economic Development, said: ‘I am delighted that these young people have had such a valuable and positive experience in London. It is very important that we engage with employers to help young people to understand the exciting and varied opportunities that exist in the world of work, on this occasion focusing on the IT sector.’

Anne Spackman, chief executive of Career Ready, said: ‘It is always fantastic to welcome students from right across the country to experience work and life in the capital. We know that for some of them it will have been their first trip to London, and to walk into the glass and marble towers of the capital and realise that they are welcome and that someone like them could work there, is an inspirational moment for students.

‘We hope that moment of inspiration will stay with them throughout the programme and motivate them to aim higher in their future careers.’

Payment of any outstanding amounts for 2014/15 personal tax assessments and 2015/16 payment on account notices are due on January 6.

There are several ways to pay tax bills, including an online service payment facility which allows people to avoid queues at the Income Tax Division office as the payment date approaches.

Anyone who is interested should register for government online services at www.gov.im/onlineservices

Staff at an Onchan care company have come together to donate Christmas food hampers to help the homeless in the island.

Carers and management staff at Complete Care all brought in a variety of different food to donate to Manx homeless charity Graih.

Katie Cheetham, registered manager at the company based in Onchan Village Walk which provides care and support for the elderly, said the organisation wanted to get involved with more charitable causes.

‘We have more staff now so we want to do something charitable every few months. I think that at Christmas time there’s a lot of people who don’t really have basic things like company and food.

‘For Christmas we wanted to do something a bit different and we decided to help Graih.

‘We’ve donated a range of food from Christmas cakes, crisps, tins and some nice quality food - a bit of everything really!’

All of the food will be donated to the Douglas charity which provides food, shelter and clothing for homeless people in the island.

Graih also helps people get support with substance abuse or health issues and find accommodation.

Michael Manning from Graih thanked the Complete Care team for their generosity. He said: ‘We’re extremely grateful for the support.’

To find out more about the charity and its work visit www.graih.org.im

An unemployed chef from Douglas died the day after taking an overdose of prescription medication.

Coroner John Needham recorded a narrative verdict on 51-year-old David Gledhill, of Mona Drive, saying he died from natural causes, namely broncho pneumonia affecting both lungs, potentially exacerbated by an earlier overdose of prescription medication and alcohol.

Toxicilogy tests on Mr Gledhill’s body found no more than therapeutic levels of prescription drugs in his urine and blood samples, albeit at the high end of the therapeutic scale.

Katherine Kelly, a friend, alerted emergency services on June 8, but he refused to allow an ambulance crew to take him to hospital and asked her to promise not to call an ambulance again.

His friends agreed to monitor him but only called for an ambulance 26 hours later, on the evening of June 9.

When paramedics arrived, he had stopped breathing and resuscitation attempts by a public spirited passerby and then paramedics failed.

However a post-mortem examination by Dr Ervine Long found the principal cause of death was broncho-pneumonia which would have developed over a period of some days. He agreed with the coroner that the presence of the drugs could be seen as something of a ‘red herring’ in terms of Mr Gledhill’s cause of death.

The court heard evidence from Miss Kelly, who said he suffered from arthritis and took medication to alleviate pain. She told the hearing people would go into his flat when he was drunk and steal items, including his medication.

She said the day before he died he initially seemed in good spirits but later that day he telephoned her.

‘He said ‘‘I’m dead’’ and I could hear him popping pills out of a pack so I went back and flagged down a police car and asked the policewoman to come with me,’ she said. ‘David was slumped in his chair saying he wanted to die.’

An ambulance arrived but despite advice, Mr Gledhill refused to go to hospital. Routine medical checks gave no immediate cause for concern and there was no legal power to compel him to go to hospital so they left, asking his friends to keep an eye on him and call if his condition changed.

Recording his verdict, Mr Needham said Miss Kelly had not called an ambulance because she had ‘sworn on her brother’s grave’ to Mr Gledhill that she would not. It was left to a 17-year-old neighbour and friend of Mr Gledhill to make the call around 10pm on June 9 when she became worried by a change in his breathing.

Offering condolences, Mr Needham said: ‘It’s not up to me to speculate whether calling an ambulance earlier would have helped him to survive.’

Would dredging the rivers Dhoo and Glass have saved businesses and sports facilities from flooding?

In Tynwald, Chief Minister Allan Bell confirmed a review was under way a to see if there were any lessons to be learned from December 3 floods.

Douglas South MHK Bill Malarkey asked for reassurances that priority would be given to dredging Rivers Dhoo and Glass, which he claimed had caused most of the problems – and millions of pounds of damage to the NSC and to the businesses in Hills Meadow. ‘This could have been avoided had these two rivers been dredged years ago, and not neglected,’ he said.

Mr Bell replied: ‘Dredging of the rivers will obviously be very much at the forefront of people’s minds. To the businesses in that area it must be heartbreaking for them.’

But Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne told the Manx Independent: ‘Dredging the river would mean the water would flow more quickly to the pinch points so leading to more intense flooding. We need to slow the water down rather than speed it up.’

The Celtic League’s Bernard Moffatt, a former river worker, said dredging had to be done in conjunction with proper maintenance and work on flood plains.

He said a Rivers and Bridges section, set up in 1979 to succeed the Land Drainage Division, dredged rivers, built retaining walls in areas prone to landslip, repaired river banks, constructed weirs, underpinned bridges and constructed flood plains – and also did general maintenance.

He said: ‘Decades before there was any talk of government cuts or austerity, it was quietly wound down and its works curtailed. There is no reason at all why, with well maintained land drainage, any serious flooding should occur – let alone of main roads.’

Peter Caine, boss of KC Foods based at Hills Meadow, said the floods caused at least £150,000 worth of damage. Six vans, three fork lift trucks and 50 tonnes of food were lost to 4ft of floodwater. He said if high tide had been half an hour later, the destruction could have been much worse.

He said the weather that night had been ‘exceptional’ but that the capacity of drainage was ‘totally inadequate’.

Since starting writing the column, commentators, often in a pejorative manner, have described me as a ‘Marxist’, communist or left winger (they are a few of the nice terms!)

However, it’s all left me a bit confused because when I stood for the job of official for the TGWU everyone predicted I would not get the job because I wasn’t left-wing enough!

The office clerk, Renee, who had been there since Arthur Quinney’s day, was almost funereal when she told me days before the appointment interview: ‘It’s your politics. You’re a nationalist they will definitely appoint someone from the (Manx) Labour Party. You’re not left-wing.’

I remember being mildly amused at the idea that anyone in the MLP was left wing. However, I was mortified really as I’d even gone and bought a suit from M&S! So no one was more surprised when the panel appointed me. However I still didn’t feel left-wing and one of the first things I did was opt out of the union’s political levy.

When I was interviewed by Terry Cringle some months later he asked about my political affiliations outside of nationalism. I recounted: ‘I’m not a lefty. In some ways I’m a conservative with a small c. I have supported a lot of right wing ideas. You could call me a social democrat, but not a pacifist or a moderate when I see social injustice.’

The island had just gone through yet another ‘winter of discontent’, and Terry, who was every bit as canny then as he is today, pressed me to square the image with the reality. So I said, rather naively in hindsight: ‘What Manx workers want is a change of attitude by business interests. When attitudes change, the situation will change. It must happen. But there is no time to lose.’

I went on, in a sign that I was even a bit ‘off message’ from my nationalist chums: ‘If the island is to seize the opportunity to become a successful offshore finance centre it cannot afford to have a disgruntled workforce.’

Well governments came and went and they never ‘seized the opportunity’. My attitude hardened so that several years later I was writing the foreword to the pamphlet ‘On Whose Terms – The Betrayal of the Manx Working Class’. However, I have never really read any left-wing writings other than Peter Ellis’s ‘History of The Irish Working Class’ and that was because I knew Peter personally.

My aversion to ‘the left’ and communism actually manifested itself earlier still in a more practical way when, in the early 1960s, I joined the Royal Observer Corps (a sort of auxiliary of the RAF – which effectively administered it) because at that time the threat was from ‘the Reds’ and it was very real. The Soviets even published, in the military newspaper Red Star, a map of targets ‘in the UK’ and included Ronaldsway and Jurby!

I started attending meetings before my 16th birthday because I was so keen to meet Khrushchev and the communist hordes head on!

We busied ourselves training comfortably in the front room of the Whitehouse Hotel on a Monday in the winter months, in front of a roaring fire, and on exercise in our uncompleted post (bunker) under Peel headland on long weekends in spring through to autumn and when even in summer at the depth of night the post was freezing!

The Russians never came and I left the Corps in 1966. Following the fall of Khrushchev things quietened down – although ‘the Corps’ carried on, being ‘stood down’ in 1991 and disbanded some years later.

My early union years are now a fading memory and the ROC service is even more a distant memory. Anyway, at least I’m no longer naive politically. I’m firmly wedded to Marxist Leninist dogma – I read as much in the comments of iomtoday.co.im recently! But although I am satisfied now that I am now ‘a die-hard left winger’ I still send Christmas cards because even Marxists are nice at Christmas!

Police have reported a busy night on the last Friday before Christmas

During the course of the evening there were 15 arrests for a variety of offences including drink driving, being drunk and disorderly, assault and possessing drugs.

A police statement said 13 of those people remained in custody this (Saturday) morning and reminded people to be aware of their limits when out drinking and ensure they know how they are going to get home.

Police have also appealed for witnesses after a crash between two vehicles at the junction of Alexander Drive and Selborne Road in Douglas. The accident happened at about 3pm on Friday and police would like to speak to one of the drivers.

Anyone with information should contact the police station in Douglas on 631212 or the anonymous Crimestoppers line on 0800 555111.

Residents are being encouraged to rescue old stamps from Christmas cards to raise funds for people suffering with leprosy.

The Leprosy Mission has started a campaign to collect used stamps which will be sold to collectors to raise money for the charity.

Leprosy is a disease which starts by the damaging of small nerves on the skin’s surface resulting in a loss of sensation and pain.

This loss of feeling can lead to injuries going unnoticed resulting in infection, muscle paralysis and disability.

On the island the stamp collection is being co-ordinated by the One World Centre, a charity which aims to encourage understanding and respect for the lives and cultures of people around the world.

Director of the One World Centre, Rosemary Clarke, said: ‘Leprosy is a truly terrible disease that affects sufferers and their families socially and economically as well causing disability.

‘The used stamps are sold on to collectors around the world and the money is used by the Mission for their work in 11 countries where leprosy is still rife.

‘Everyone tends to get a bit more post around Christmas so it’s a good time to collect, although the Leprosy Mission will accept used stamp donations at any point in the year.’

Stamps should be cut from envelopes with at least a 5mm space around each edge. There is no need to steam or peel them off the paper.

All stamps should be sent by the end of January to the Leprosy Mission at One World Centre, Thie Garey Ny Cloie, Foxdale Road, St Johns, IM4 3AS.

For more details call the One World Centre on 800464.

Over the past 30 years, the UK charity’s stamp and collectables campaign has raised more than £1 million.

As well as providing healthcare, the Leprosy Mission offers rehabilitation, education, vocational training, small business loans, housing and fresh water supplies and sanitation to tens of thousands of people each year.

Figures from the World Health Organisation show that there are around a quarter of a million new cases of leprosy diagnosed around the world each year.

There are also more than three million people living with irreversible disabilities as a result of the late treatment of leprosy.

To find out more about the Leprosy Mission and its work visit www.leprosymission.org.uk