One of the biggest companies based in Athol Street, Douglas, announced today it is to move to new premises.

Zurich International Life (ZIL) has commissioned a new-build office on the Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road. The international insurance company employs 220 staff from the Athol Street base and has been based in the island since 1982.

Clive Baker, CEO of ZIL, said: ‘ZIL’s move to new, purpose-built premises on the Isle of Man Business Park confirms our commitment to the island, and our support for the local economy.

‘We are working with our employees to listen to what they would like to see in their office environment and are excited about delivering this in late 2017.’

Seamus Nugent, managing director of Dandara, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Zurich International Life to the Isle of Man Business Park and look forward to working with them in delivering a new purpose-designed office for their dynamic, international operations and workforce.’

Experienced chef Claire Duke has joined the team at Braddan-based kitchen and bathroom specialist HAUS, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge in catering and cookware.

Claire, who was previously a senior sous chef at the Hilton Hotel and sous chef at the Regency Hotel on Douglas promenade, will initially manage HAUS’s new tableware and cookware department.

HAUS sales director Bob Love said: ‘Claire is an excellent chef and will be a huge asset to our showroom, bringing with her technical and trade skills which she can use to enhance our customer experience.’

After 25 years trading under the In-toto franchise, HAUS is now an independent supplier of quality kitchens, bathrooms and, most recently, bedrooms.

Claire originally became involved with the company last year when she hosted a series of popular Christmas cookery master classes at HAUS’s headquarters on Cooil Road.

Claire, whose new role will see her hosting and catering for similar in-store events, said: ‘The showroom is ideal for demonstrations, with so much space and a range of functioning appliances including combi-steamers, induction hobs and working ovens allowing people to try before they buy.’

Her new position will also develop into a home economist role, with her assisting customers with choice of appliances and tableware products to complement kitchen installations.

She said: ‘The layout of any kitchen is hugely important and the designers at HAUS make sure they take into account space and flow. They take into consideration the clients’ specific requirements and can tailor specifications to suit.

‘It’s the same with tableware: we can advise on the collection and we can tailor a selection to the customers’ needs.’

Claire will also be able to demonstrate the use of appliances and other products after installation, offering tuition in the customers’ homes. She said: ‘I’ll be able to help clients by offering personal tuition in their own kitchens using their own equipment. It’s not the same when you learn in another kitchen.’

Claire initially trained in catering at the Isle of Man College in 2000 and has since worked in various local fine dining establishments, but her experience is not restricted to the island: during the college course, she spent time on working trips to Madrid to assist her development.

She also took an eight-month pastry apprenticeship in Switzerland, she worked for two years in the south west of France and she also spent a year in Australia where she developed a passion for fresh fish and fusion cooking.

Claire added: ‘I’m really looking forward to meeting new clients and getting back in the kitchen! I’m excited about tapping in to new people and developing new ideas.’

The mother at the centre of a row over breastfeeding at an island swimming pool insists she didn’t set out to get compensation.

Victoria Hodgson secured a £2,000 out of court settlement from the Western Swimming Pool board following an incident in which she was told to stop breastfeeding her baby daughter Amelia.

In an email challenging the pool’s policy on breastfeeding, she wrote: ‘I felt tearful and sick with nerves. I was saddened and humiliated. I thought we lived in more liberated times. Just because I am confident enough to, heaven forbid, leave the house and breastfeed in public, it doesn’t mean I should have to face criticism, ridicule and public humiliation.’

But Western Swimming Pool board chairman Adrian Christian has insisted they would never discriminate against any woman who chooses to breastfeed.

He said the pool has a policy not to allow any food in the pool or poolside and that while mothers who want to breastfeed are given support, they are asked to do so in the cafe, spectators’ area or changing rooms.

Mrs Hodgson had visited the baths with her husband Stephen and their four children at the end of July 2014 when she was told to stop breastfeeding Amelia on a step in the middle of the infant’s pool. She claims she was told it was causing offence to some of the younger lifeguards.

The family returned for a swim two days later and Mrs Hodgson was once again told to stop breastfeeding.

Speaking to the Examiner, she insisted that she had breastfed in the water there ‘numerous times’ before. She said: ‘If what I was doing was so dangerous, in breach of the adult-child ratio etc, why was I not approached immediately, the first time I did it? It obviously wasn’t such a risk. If it was such a hygiene risk, why was I not spoken to sooner?

‘I was never out to get compensation. I never ever said anything about compensation at either incident. Compensation was not my main motive.

‘I wanted to speak out so they don’t treat anyone else the way they treated me and so that any woman who needs to breastfeed while at the pool and has other children to supervise is allowed to breastfeed at least at the poolside.’

Mrs Hodgson emailed her complaint on August 4, entitled ‘compensation claim for breach of the Breastfeeding Act 2011’, sought a written apology, proposals for ‘reasonable compensation’ and an undertaking to change the pool’s policy on breastfeeding.

Following the incident, the pool board ordered an independent review. This concluded that while breastfeeding in the pool may be interpreted as a legal right, circumstances as a whole had to be considered given potential ‘untold harm’ to other bathers, spectators and staff.

Critics are kicking up a stink over the resumption of dredging operations at Peel harbour.

Last year a specially-engineered temporary storage facility was excavated at Poortown to dump the potentially-contaminated silt. But a Public Accounts Committee report concluded the project was mishandled and financial regulations ignored.

On May 12, dredging operations resumed with JCK tasked with removing 2,000-3,000 tonnes of river stone by long reach excavator from alongside the boat park. The stone is taken to JCK’s recycling site where it is washed and graded. The stone is recycled but any silt is taken to Turkeylands which is licensed for temporary storage. The potentially-contaminated material is stored in plastic membranes. Harbours officials hope to resume silt dredging after TT.

But Peel resident Trevor Cowin said: ‘It looks like silt, it smells like silt, it is silt – with some stone mixed into it.’ He said silt was leaking from wagons onto the road. See letters page.

Final year fine art students will showcase their work at an end of year degree show in Douglas.

The degree students’ work will be displayed at their exhibition, entitled ‘Essentia’, at Market Hall on North Quay.

It will be open from Monday to Saturday from tomorrow (Friday) to Tuesday, June 14 between 9am to 5pm.

This will be the first year that University College Isle of Man, formerly known as Isle of Man College of Further and Higher Education, will have students graduating with a bachelors degree awarded by the University of Chester.

Over their three years studying, the students have worked with film, photography, ceramics, printmaking, textiles and other digital processes.

Higher education manager Gail Corrin said: ‘The use of Douglas Market Hall for the Fine Art and Visual Communications degrees is an excellent example of how island based higher education contributes not only to the students’ academic and professional development but importantly how it also enriches our broader community.

‘This exhibition is testament to the quality and capability of students as artists.’

Disruption caused by the regeneration scheme in Castletown led to the closure of Market Square Preparatory School.

The regeneration of the square - involving new paving - began last summer and ended in February.

The school – which opened in January 2013 and closed in January this year - was in Manannan House, which is on the square.

An extra blow was delivered when the local authority began a scheme to refurbish the Civic Centre, which is behind Manannan House. The work affected access to the school’s car park, where parents would park to drop off their children.
‘We were fighting a losing battle,’ said a spokesperson for the nursery. ‘You could not get into our car park. It was not safe walking through two building sites to reach us. We were surrounded by wagons and diggers.’

The school also had plans to open a second school for children aged three to 11 in Douglas; a planning application submitted in 2014 has recently been withdrawn because of delays with planning. 
‘It did not get on the agenda of the planning committee ... There has been a lot of hard work and disappointment.’

Laxey Woollen Mills will again be the venue for Bill Snelling’s popular and now traditional TT photographs exhibition.

Bill has staged the exhibition using images from his TT FoTTofinders archives for the past nine years.

As usual the exhibition is free to enter but donations for the Manx Grand Prix Supporters’ Club helicopter fund would be greatly appreciated.

‘This year’s exhibition will contain getting on for 200 photographs,’ said Bill.

‘There will also be some art work from motorsport artists. The idea, as always, is to amuse, entertain and inform.

‘The pictures are mostly new ones this year, but the famous smoking bantam picture (showing a rider out on the course while apparently smoking a cigarette) will always be there,’ he said.

‘We always try to find pictures that I can put a story with.’

The exhibition is usually complemented by a bike on display - no mean feat as the exhibition area is on the first floor up fairly steep steps - and Bill has been trying to finalise a possible display machine.

The photograph accompanying this article is typical of many of the photographs on display, which tell a story.

Bill said: ‘It was taken at Hillberry and it shows Arthur Wheeler. He had broken down there and he is being towed away by a policeman who appears to be using a length of string.

‘We put out a call on Facebook and we have now even managed to find the identity of the policeman, who we are told is Bill Campbell.’

Bill’s exhibition runs from May 30 to June 11, 9am to 5pm, including Mad Sunday. Disabled access is limited as both the exhibition, in the Hodgson Loom Gallery, and the adjacent tea rooms are on the first floor. Parking is easy as the mill has its own car park. For visitors travelling from Douglas, head into Laxey on the New Road and turn right down the hill by Laxey Co-op, just after the Bridge pub. Head down the hill, under the Manx Electric Railway bridge, over the river bridge and into the car park. Further details from amulree022@gmail.com or on 862238.

A drugs mule who changed her story three times when police arrested her, had more than £8,300 worth of heroin concealed in her body.

Sharon Marie Kirk was intercepted by police acting on a tip off, when she disembarked from the 6.15pm sailing from Heysham on February 17.

Linda Watts, for the prosecution, said suspicions were aroused when the 40-year-old booked the crossing for cash just moments before departure.

Held by police at the Sea Terminal, she said she was called Louise Johnson and was coming to visit her sister-in-law ‘two minutes down the road’ in Peel.

She couldn’t say how long she was planning to stay, she had no bank card and just £2.70 in cash. She had no formal identification on her and when asked how she planned to fund her stay, she said a family member would transfer money to her sister-in-law.

When she was searched, a letter was found in her real name of Sharon Kirk, and her story changed again.

This time she told police she gave a false name because she was having an affair with a married man in the Isle of Man. She was arrested on suspicion of bringing drugs to the island and possessing them with intent to supply.

An x-ray at Noble’s Hospital revealed three packages ‘concealed internally’, Mrs Watts said.

However, despite the x-ray evidence, Kirk continued to deny having any drugs and said the x-ray was ‘wrong’.

But when told she must remain in hospital until the situation was resolved, she spontaneously produced three packages and was taken to the police station. There, she admitted bringing packages to the island but said she did not know what they contained. She told police she had been threatened and this would be backed up by text evidence on her telephone. No such evidence was found.

The total quantity of heroin was just over 83 grammes, worth £8,308. She admitted offences of bringing heroin to the Isle of Man and possessing it with intent to supply.

Defending Kirk, who comes from Ashbank Road, Norris Green in Liverpool, Peter Russell said his client had been taken advantage of.

‘Clearly she made the wrong decision, but hindsight is a wonderful thing,’ he said.

‘This is a lady who is normally a law-abiding citizen. She is vulnerable and was exploited.’

Passing sentence, Deemster Alastair Montgomerie said it had been a ‘catastrophic decision’ for someone of previous good character and he was keeping the sentence as short as possible.

She received five years’ custody, concurrent on each offence. A forfeiture and destruction order was made for the heroin. She is excluded from the island for five years.

Money laundering is all about cleaning dirty money and that’s not changed since the days of the gangsters of Chicago or the notorious Krays in London’s underworld

That’s the message from former Metropolitan police detective Mark Hewitt.

He told Business News: ‘It’s essentially taking money that is dirty and sometimes it literally is dirty money, if it’s drug money.

‘Somebody threw a couple of hundred thousand pounds of money on my desk and it was drug money, it stank of drugs. That was dirty money.

Mr Hewitt said people working in compliance and banks and other aspects of the finance industry in the island were in the ‘front line’ of the battle against money laundering. Mr Hewitt said a layman’s definition of money laundering is ‘cleaning dirty money.’

He said: ‘That’s basically it. And that’s not changed since, you know, the gangsters in Chicago in the 1920s and the Krays in the East End.’

Mr Hewitt said prison sentences in the island for money laundering offences can be up to 14 years and that ‘reflects the seriousness of this.’

Mr Hewitt has held a number of detective roles in London’s Met police specialising in financial crime.

He was a detective inspector in a confiscation unit known as the London Regional Asset Recovery Team.

Mr Hewitt was in the island to conduct courses with compliance officers and others from businesses, run by island-based investigations company Expol. Mr Hewitt

said he wanted to stress just how serious a crime money laundering is.

And he said by its very nature it often creates and spawns other crimes.

He told Business News: ‘What cheers me about coming to the Isle of Man is the fact that the regulatory system and the adherence to it and the seriousness with which the island takes the regulations is heartening.’

The meeting with Business News took place in the same week of the major anti-corruption conference in London with world leaders including the island’s chief minister Allan Bell.

Mr Hewitt claimed chief minister Mr Bell could ‘hold his head high’ at the top-level gathering.

Mr Hewitt said the island takes anti money laundering regulations very seriously indeed

‘The message that I always put out is that the biggest danger regarding issues of anti money laundering is complacency.

‘You have to take a pragmatic common sense approach to the business that you have got. But you always have to look at it with a critical eye and certainly I tell the delegates in my training lessons that . . . I show them their personal liabilities under the legislation, which are onerous.

‘There are are serious penalties if you transgress in this field but if you are sensible and you are diligent then there is no way that this legislation can catch you out.

‘Because, to get convicted of a criminal offence you must do criminal acts.

‘So if you are diligent and you do your job and abide by the rules, as I’m sure the vast majority of people in the regulatory sector in the Isle of Man do, then they have nothing to fear with this legislation and the regulations.’

In regard to the leak of information from the so-called Panama Papers, Mr Hewitt said he ‘would be very surprised’ if anybody from the Isle of Man falls foul of it.

‘If you get that much money swilling around mathematically then some of it will be dodgy. That goes without saying. I’m certain there will be issues to investigate, particularly around politically exposed persons.’

But he said he would be ‘very surprised’ if the Isle of Man was implicated in anything illegal ‘given the seriousness of the legislation and regulatory system’ here.

He said the island’s government gets involved at an early stage [in transparency issues] ‘and that’s what I like’.

Pointing to a weighty document of more than100 pages he said: ‘I read the recent GSC [Gambling Supervision Commission] guidance and I must say this guidance is among some of the best I’ve ever read, it’s excellent, absolutely excellent.

‘It’s succinct, to the point and gives practical advice backed up by the legisaltion. I’ve seen guidance in other jurisdcitions and that’s about the best I’ve seen,’ [from the Isle of Man.]’

Mr Hewitt was speaking to Business News shortly after giving two training courses for people involved in compliance in the island including anti money laundering officers, who deal with these issues day in day out.

He said the law must be covered year on year so people don’t get complacent, hence the importance of these training sessions runby Expol.

Mr Hewitt, who left the police force in 2013, said he found that the people involved in the courses were ‘engaged and professional and as good as it gets.’

Former experienced Manx police officer Robert Kinrade, a director at Expol, said further anti money laundering courses were in the pipeline along with other courses of interest to the island’s professional business community.

training@expol.co.uk

A retail chamber meeting will take place at Peel Town Hall today (Thursday) to discuss regeneration progress, car parking management in the town centre, and promotional campaigns for retail in Peel.

The meeting will run from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.

The replacement bridge in Laxey will open tomorrow night (Friday) for the TT Festival.

Villagers have beeninformed of the temporary opening.

Recent work by the Department of Infrastructure has focused on the installation of a temporary road surface to connect the village and allow traffic to cross during the busy TT period.

A single lane will operate on a two-way basis, with priority given to vehicles travelling in a northerly direction from Old Laxey Hill. Pedestrians should continue to use the temporary footbridge that is in place. Infrastructure Minister Phil Gawne MHK said: ‘The temporary opening honours a commitment given by the Department to have a functioning bridge in place for the TT festival.

The full scheme is scheduled for completion in September, although the Department says it will try to open the bridge earlier if possible. The new bridge will replace one destroyed by flooding last winter.

Mr Gawne said: ‘We have this week written to Laxey residents to provide an update on the progress of the scheme.

I’d like to thank everybody for their patience and cooperation while this work takes place. The end result will be a bridge that is better equipped to survive the sort of flooding that devastated homes and businesses in the village at the end of last year.’

Friends of the Earth’s Cat Turner explains how the Isle of Man joined in with groups across the United Kingdom to celebrate five years of no fracking...

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Groups across the United Kingdom joined together on Saturday to celebrate the fact that it has remained fracking-free for the past five years .

This despite the best efforts of their government to get this damaging practice under way, seemingly wherever it can and at whatever cost to human and environmental health, as well as local economies.

In the Isle of Man, Friends of the Earth and other Green Centre colleagues chose to celebrate this great news, in particular lending support to their friends at Frack Free Lancashire, wearing T-shirts sent to the island by local organiser Jasber Singh.

Yorkshireman George Fincher, still smarting from the after-effects of the War of the Roses, couldn’t be winched into a FFL T-shirt but nevertheless lent vocal support: these Yorkshiremen have long memories.

Even a free T-shirt couldn’t sway him!

Nick Rice, event organiser, said: ‘Today we’re celebrating the success of local campaigners across the UK - who together have so far successfully stopped their government in its tracks, in its attempt to go “all out” for fracking.’

The demonstration, held at 2pm outside Tynwald on Saturday, also marked IoMFoE’s concern at the Manx Government’s own commitment to fossil fuel exploration, with the Department of Economic Development having made a number of announcements about the potential awarding of licenses to prospect for fossil fuels in the Irish Sea.

Such activity would fly completely in the face of Manx government commitments to help cut CO2 emissions, and in addition entails a range of additional environmental, economic and human risks.

It was great to be joined on the day by FoE Northern Ireland’s Philip Allen, who was over on one of his regular visits to the island.

Philip is well known to many Manx people, following his well-received and absorbing talk on permaculture, economics and human wellbeing two years ago – and his engaging explanation of the economic and agricultural benefits of the hemp-growing industry in Ireland.

There hemp is becoming a profitable crop for manufacturing the building material hempcrete, making animal fodder, fabrics, paper, biomass, cosmetic and medicinal products, as well as a number of other purposes.

Just as terrific was the fact that on our march to Tynwald, we gathered a couple of new supporters. Byron and Declan were intrigued by the posters, and asked what it was all about; on learning the answer, they immediately offered to join in and lend some youth support – great to see and much appreciated.

The CEO of RBS International has told Business News the company is committed to the Isle of Man.

Andrew McLaughlin spoke out as the company announced it was planning to pull staff out of Royal Bank House in Victoria Street,Douglas.

The NatWest branch in Victoria Street will also be closing as part of the changes during 2017.

Staff will switch to working in other RBS-owned premises in Douglas and the company is planning a £4m refurbishment programme for them.

The RBS owns the Isle of Man Bank and NatWest.

Mr McLaughlin told Business News that the changes would make make the banking experience better for customers.

He also described Royal Bank House as an ‘austere modern office block.’

The bank will be ‘completely overhauling’ its Athol Street branch and the floor above to create a ‘modern banking centre.’

And the Regent Street branch will also be refurbished to ‘improve banking facilities’ for customers.

A new team of 20 is also being taken on to deal with specialist risk services based in the company’s Howard Pearson House building atSummerhill.

In a statement Mr McLaughlin said: ‘We are starting our branch modernisation programme in the Isle of Man and intend to build a world class modern banking centre in the heart of Douglas.

‘Far too often companies invest in building head offices rather than investing in the customer.

‘The days of banking in remote head offices are over for RBS International.

‘Our customers and colleagues are incredibly loyal and passionate about their bank and this investment is designed to make it easier for everyone to go about their business.’

RBS International confirmed it will ‘consolidate all of their activities in Douglas across their banking centres in Regent Street, Athol Street and Howard Pearson House, exiting the premises they currently lease at Royal Bank House and their NatWest branch in Victoria Street during 2017.

Mr McLaughlin stressed the project was not at all about reducing the headcount of the company.

He said the move will lead to ‘much better customer service’ as the company makes full and better use of space atits premises in Athol Street and Regent Street.

And he stressed the company was committed tohelping to build the economyof the Isle of Man.

However there was concern in some quarters that RBS International are planning to leave Victoria Street

DanDavies said on Twitter: ‘Sad this. I worked there and it was a brilliant workplace.’

Mr Davies, who is director of change and reform in the Isle of Man Government, told Business News he worked there for a number of years until 2006 band described it as a ‘flagship building’ and one of the best corporate premises in the island with superb views from the roof garden.

Another Twitter user said: ‘This is very sad.’

Two anglers ended up in the water after their boat was involved in a collision with a fishing boat off Douglas Head at the weekend.

The anglers were on board an 18-foot boat when it was involved in the accident with the larger vessel and was capsized.

The larger boat towed the anglers’ upturned boat back to Fort Anne Jetty where members of the coastguards’ team refloated it and helped to put it on a trailer. No call out was made to the Douglas lifeboat. A spokesman for the coastguards said the three anglers were not injured.

‘The were wearing lifejackets and so they were safe and well,’ he said.

The incident happened sometime soon after midday on Sunday in an area of water off Douglas head. The parties involved were believed to be local and the other boat involved in the incident was also believed to be local.

THE Department of Transport across the water is taking action to make learner drivers there be more courteous to elderly and vulnerable motorists.

They have to fill in a voluntary online log to show what progress in this they are making before taking their driving tests.

If they are doing that over there what about the Department of Infrastructure doing it here in the Isle of Man?

I say this as an elderly and vulnerable motorist.

Unfortunately my fellow motorists are not always courteous to the likes of me.

This seems to be just because I prefer to drive rather more slowly than most of them. If I am going to have a crash I want it to be at as low a speed as possible, so that I can live longer to, if necessary, have another one.

It certainly happens when I am tootling along admiring the scenery and the fine weather in my convertible Mini One with the hood down, I hear other drivers banging on the horn. They seem to think this can achieve something useful.

But I have a childlike faith in my fellow motorists. I am sure they are actually just friends of mine saying hello or people who recognise me as a media celebrity (Isle of Man only; terms and conditions apply) and they wish to show their appreciation of my work.

In that case I would wish to show them my appreciation. You really are a hoot.

WE have all been following the drama involving North Douglas MHK John Houghton and his being cast into the wilderness by Tynwald.

This cropped up on Stu Peter’s ‘Talking Heads’ programme on Manx Radio and he suggested that there should be a charity record made on the lines of ‘Free Nelson Mandela.’

It would go something like ‘Free Good Old John Houghton.’

THIS week’s crossword clue has come in from Andrew Crooks.

It was in The Times and contained a definition and wordplay and also described the Isle of Man when read as a whole, as follows: ‘Man for one regularly insulted (4)’

I SEE that Dr Helen Grieg of the Promenade Medical Centre in Douglas has been nominated by one of her patients for a Pride in Mann Award.

She is also my GP and she is doing her best to see if I can reach the age of 90.

If I do, do you think the Examiner will give me more money?

CROSSWORD: Isle. InSuLtEd.

ANDREW Kerr-Phillips draws attention to a headline in the Examiner last week saying ‘Snack van could run from Point of Ayre’.

He asks: ‘Why? Scared of lighthouses? Pharophobia?’

That should throw some light on the matter.

IAN Radford has returned from a visit to Rome to say he went to a bar which offered among other drinks a ‘Rusty Neil.’

Neil likes a Brown Ale?

COLIN and Margaret Brown have been on holiday to Tenerife where they found a sign outside a block of apartments saying: ‘The step is forbidden to person unaware to the complex.’

What was wrong with ‘Keep Out’ I wonder.

DURSLEY Stott writes to say the Ben-my-Chree cost £34 million when she was launched, not £10,million as I asserted two weeks ago.

That’s fine. Mrs Donald Gelling is still worth it.

FUNNIES File. The Examiner once reported that a new physiotherapy unit at Port St Mary ‘was able to deal with about 25 patients at full stretch.’

Was it lying?

SIGNS: On a shoe repair store in ‘Vancouver: ‘We will heel you. We will save your sole. We will even dye for you.’

l Times Past on pages 24 and 25.

Alarmed at the continued neglect of the island’s built heritage, last autumn the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society offered to host a meeting with like-minded groups to discuss what might be done to highlight and promote awareness of the plight of vulnerable buildings.

As a result, a network has been formed which already includes all the active Heritage Trusts on the island and national groups such as the Victorian Society, Steam Railway Supporters Association and the Antiquarian and Natural History Society.

Their mission is to draw the nation’s attention to buildings of architectural or historic value, and what’s at risk, and to encourage and support government, planners and developers to return to best practice, which sometimes need not cost much more than neglect.

The island did have both a conservation team in planning, and an active registration system. But the conservation team was disbanded/side-lined, and registration has almost entirely gone by the wayside, with the suggestions that buildings will only be considered for registration if they’re about to be demolished – but by then much of their historic character and value may be lost.

Unsympathetic alterations have also been permitted in years gone by – be they to registered buildings like Baillie-Scott’s own house, or allowing short-lived MDF reproductions on masonry facades that were supposed to remain intact.

It is absolutely recognised that, with rare exceptions, buildings cannot just be preserved – the ideal result is often if a building can be adapted to provide a sustainable use without damage to the important features.

Key to this is the availability of conservation support to/within the planning department and to owners/developers, and recognition of buildings of value and their registration if appropriate.

There are many cases such as Ballaughton Manor, which is now threatened with demolition of the remaining front wing, where registration was started but never followed through by the planning department.

Indeed, under a previous conservation officer many registration proposals were prepared but most eventually disappeared years ago into a ‘black hole’ in the planning department.

Some important buildings, such as the Castle Mona, are very much in the public eye already, but many are not.

A campaign is being launched to draw attention to buildings of value and buildings at risk, what neglect – by owners or government – can bring, and how sympathetic conservation and adaptation can bring new life to historic buildings.

Find out more about the Isle of Man Natural History and Antiquarian Society at www.manxantiquarians.com

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The Isle of Man Man Examiner is running a series of fortnightly articles on particular buildings on the groups’ agenda. This week’s edition featured the history of the Castle Mona, by Simon Artymiuk.

The 2016 Isle of Man TT starts at the weekend - and the Mountain Road will be one-way for a fortnight from tomorrow (Friday) evening.

The route will close at 9.30am from Barrule Park in Ramsey to Creg-ny-Baa to enable preparation work to take place.

When it road reopens at 4.30pm it will be one-way for the duration of the festival.

The arrangement will remain in place until 9.30am on Monday, June 13, when it will close for the day for signage to be removed.

It will revert to two-way traffic when it reopens at 4.30pm that day.

The Isle of Man Constabulary are offering a week of work experience for up to 15 Year 10 students during the first week of the school summer holidays, week commencing July 25.

PC Mike Griffiths said: ‘We offer a week of experience once a year as we are unable to offer meaningful experience during the weeks that the schools go out separately.

‘We like to give students an overview of most of the departments within the force and have found that the week in the summer holidays accommodates this really well.’

Students will gain an insight into neighbourhood policing, the dog unit, Financial Crime Unit, Custody, Joint Control Room, Youth Justice Team, CID, Community Policing, Roads Policing Unit.

‘This is a great opportunity to find out how the Police operate, and what situations we have to deal with on a daily basis. This week of work experience is invaluable for any Year 10 student who is considering a career in the Police’ added PC Griffiths.

To apply for a place, students will need to login to their account on www.employed.im and read the notice board which details how to apply for a placement. Should any students have any difficulty in applying, contact Lorna Trevethan, work experience coordinator at employed.im on 664000, or email lorna@employed.im for more details. employed.im has the contract to coordinate the Isle of Man’s Work Experience Programme in local schools.

The island’s next Lieutenant Governor, Sir Richard Gozney, will be sworn in to office at the Isle of Man Courts of Justice in Douglas tomorrow (Friday) morning.

The ceremony has previously been held at the Court Room in Castle Rushen, but this was deemed unsuitable on this occasion, to the consternation of many in the south, as the venue is no longer is in use.

However, Sir Richard’s first official engagement will be a visit to the island’s ancient capital in the afternoon following his swearing-in.

The court building will be closed to the public for the morning but will re-open from 1pm following the conclusion of the ceremony.

Measures to ease traffic problems on Fishergate are to be introduced ahead of another bank holiday weekend.

The early May bank holiday saw traffic chaos in Preston city centre, with drivers reporting two-hour queues to get out of the St George’s Centre car park.

Now Lancashire County Council has introduced new restrictions, which will come in force tomorrow.

These include stopping traffic turning right from Butler Street to Fishergate and restricting traffic on the lower section of Fishergate to buses and delivery vehicles.

The measures are being introduced following meetings between representatives of Preston’s business community and senior members of the county council’s administration.

An experimental traffic order has been put in place to prohibit traffic from turning right from Butler Street on to Fishergate, from Friday 27 May.

The order, which lasts for up to 18 months, will make it an offence for vehicles to turn right at the junction. If the measure is successful, the order will be made permanent.

In the longer term, a further experimental traffic order will be introduced in the Autumn which will restrict access on Fishergate from Theatre Street to Corporation Street to buses and delivery vehicles only. Cars leaving the St George’s car park will have to use Chapel Street to exit the city centre.

Speaking about the measures, county councillor John Fillis, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The Fishergate improvements have been a resounding success, making it a much more attractive place to be and attracting new businesses to the area. However, we have to acknowledge that at peak times the road network has struggled to cope with the volume of traffic.

“I am hopeful that these measures will introduce will have a positive impact but there are other factors that can help improve the situation. I’d like to encourage people to think about all of their parking and travel options, including the park and ride, which could reduce congestion at key times.

“The traffic arrangements on Fishergate rely on a certain amount of co-operation and give and take between drivers and pedestrians, and I’d like to ask everyone visiting Fishergate to bear that in mind.”

John Boydell, Chairman of Preston City Centre Business Improvement District, said: “We are pleased that Lancashire County Council has reacted positively to the concerns of business and that we’re now in an ongoing dialogue over measures to improve traffic flow in and around the city centre.

“There is common ground to seek the advancement of the city as a great place to work, live and visit, and we will continue to monitor the effectiveness of these measures to ensure Preston city centre remains vibrant and attractive to visitors, shoppers, businesses and investors”.