Douglas residents will be able to find out how they can receive help paying their fuel bills this winter at Douglas Coal Fund’s annual general meeting.

The meeting will take place on November 3 at 3pm at Douglas Courthouse. Voucher distribution meetings will then be held on November 15, December 13, January 17 and February 21 to receive applications. They will be held at 1pm in the church hall at All Saints in Douglas.

Only residents of Douglas are eligible for help and their total household income must be less than £300 per week. Applicants will have to fill in an application form and provide photo identification, a current utility bill, proof of all income for their household, and proof of tenancy or ownership of the property. Applicants should bring all necessary documents to the distribution meetings.

Health chiefs are investigating claims made by a widower about the care his wife received.

David Prater has released a 117-page document which includes a diary of the care and treatment his wife Eunice received in Noble’s Hospital, Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital, Beaconsfield Nursing Home in Ramsey and home care between 2014 and her death in July this year aged 83.

Mr Prater, aged 82, of Cooyrt Balleigh, in Ramsey, told iomtoday: ‘My intention was simply to make a diary of day to day care showing how well, or not, she was being cared for until she could come home for several years to come.

‘There was no intention to go public at all.

‘When I started out little did I know where it would be going.’

Mr Prater said that he hopes that the report, which has also been sent to all of the new MHKs, will give a voice to others who feel that they or their families may not have received the treatment and care they deserve from health and social care services.

‘All I want is justice for the many,’ he said.

Mrs Prater was taken to Noble’s Hospital by paramedics in October 2014 after falling out of bed.

She was later transferred to Ramsey and District Cottage Hospital, where she spent several months before being discharged in January 2015.

Further visits to hospital followed before she was moved to the Beaconsfield home.

She left there in June 2015 and returned home, where she was cared for by her husband, initially with help from private home care provider Adorn (which also operates Beaconsfield).

A range of government health and social care agencies also provided support up until the time of her death.

It was during Mrs Prater’s time at Ramsey Cottage Hospital that Mr Prater started keeping a diary.

He said her fall from a chair on December 17, 2014, was a ‘significant milestone in the absence of proper care’.

A damaged hip left her in considerable pain.

Her husband raised concerns about the positioning of her legs and about her loss in weight, which by January 2015 had dropped by 6.5kg since her hospital admission.

She could only take soft food as her false teeth no longer fitted properly.

Later when she was in the care home Mr Prater records his distress after seeing Mrs Prater’s appearance.

A week later, after Mrs Prater had returned home, district nurses took photos of three severe bed sores.

Mr Prater’s diary also raises concerns about an apparent lack of communication between care providers, and between staff and himself.

A DHSC spokesman said: ‘The Department of Health and Social Care is sorry for Mr Prater’s loss, and that he has been disappointed with a wide range of both government and private-run agencies.

‘Mr Prater’s document approaches 120 pages, and takes many hours’ reading. It is therefore inappropriate to make a detailed response at this stage without trivialising the issues raised.

‘The department has opened an investigation into the many issues raised, and will seek to meet with Mr Prater to discuss the matter in depth.

‘In view of the complexity of Mrs Prater’s needs multiple agencies were involved, and it will inevitably take some time to collate all the relevant evidence.

‘However, the department is committed to completing the investigation in a thorough manner, as quickly as it can.’

Adorn declined to comment.

Managing director Mike Fayle has launched a work life balance review with his staff.

Mr Fayle announced the move at a meeting with the workforce at KPMG in Athol Street, Douglas.

He told Business News it was one of the company’s ‘key initiatives’ and a couple of work groups, which don’t include senior management have already been set up to probe the issues.

More than 100 people work at the leading island tax, audit and advisory firm - 40 per cent are women and 60 per cent men.

Chartered accountant Mr Fayle, 62, is one of Athol Street’s longest serving professionals.

He told Business News he has strong views about the hours that people work, especially as research shows that for millennials and the younger workforce work/life balance is increasingly important.

He said: ‘I really have no time for that macho approach to work.

‘If you’re working six o’clock in the morning until 9pm or 10 pm at night you cannot be productive all of those hours. I absolutely defy anybody to come along and say that they are.

‘There are times when you really do need to put the hours in and when that time comes I am there.’

He added: ‘But you should sensibly be able to arrange your day to have civilised working hours.

‘And I strongly believe that, wherever you are in the business.’

He admits: ‘We have people that work very hard and it is a challenge almost to stop them working.

‘We want to be as flexible as we can but still meet our clients’ expectations.

‘Put at its very shortest, clients have demands and we are absolutely there to meet them. But within that I want to promote a much more flexible way of people working.’

He said: ‘I want to put it on a more formal footing.’

‘I want people to have an expectation that we will accommodate what they need.’

Mr Fayle added: ‘I’m quite relaxed, not so much about flexi time because that has connotations, but more I mean flexible working.

‘Somebody working in a way that suits the needs of their outside life is much more likely to be productive when they are here.’

Mr Fayle said the thing that was ‘king’ was delivering the best possible service for clients.

‘But once you accept that then I think flexibility is an absolute benefit, it’s almost a no-brainer.

‘It also says an important thing about whether or not we trust people. I’m an enormous believer in trusting people.

‘It implies if you have rigid rules that you can’t trust people, which is totally contrary to the type of organisation we want to be.’

Mr Fayle said: ‘We have a couple of work groups which don’t include any of our senior management teams, and we will invite them to come up with their proposals on what they would like to see.

‘The only thing I have promised is that everything they say will be taken very seriously.

‘I suppose the easy banner it comes under is work life balance. People talk a lot about it but what do we do to achieve it?

Asked if he thought it might be something that other companies in the island might be spurred into looking at he said: ‘Obviously if it takes the view that we should have productive, contented staff then I would certainly wish that on any other organisation.’

In the early hours today two fire alarms were set off maliciously.

The incident happened between 1.15am and 1.30am in properties on Tynwald Street and Mona Street in Douglas.

Acting sergeant Alan Shimmin said: ‘Fire crews and police officers were deployed as a result of the alarm activations, and upon arrival it was discovered that the glass plate on the emergency alarms had been smashed deliberately without good reason.

‘Not only is this a complete waste of resources it is troubling to think that whoever was responsible didn’t consider the potential consequences with wasting the emergency services time. An investigation has started to identify those responsible.

‘If you have any information please contact police headquarters on 631212.’

I HAD a bird in the back of my car one day last week, a nice little thing but what you might call a little bit flighty.

Now this might be seen a salacious way of getting people to read this week’s column. Well if it has I am sorry to disappoint you.

This bird really was one. A chirpy little brown thing and I really did have it in the back of my car.

I’m not sure how it got into the car in the first place. I had left the door open while I took some items to load into it before setting off for work. It must have happened then. But I didn’t realise it.

It was when I was driving on my way that I saw the bird apparently sitting on the back of the car just outside the rear window. As far as I was concerned it was welcome to if it wanted to have a lift until it was near its destination.

Then I realised that it wasn’t on the outside of the car. It was just inside the rear window. But now it was ready to let me know of its presence. It was suddenly fluttering round inside the car as I drove on.

Clearly it had reached where it wanted to be and wanted me to let it out - and I had to oblige.

I was driving down Bray Hill in busy traffic at the time. But I had to upset the people behind me by pulling over to let them overtake and also so that I could let the roof of my Mini One down to let the bird escape. It also happened to be raining at the time.

What my fellow drivers thought of this white-haired old half-wit deciding he wanted to drive for the rest of his journey in the rain I don’t know.

I got the hood back up again and everything was back to normal. But the incident had taught me a lesson.

In future I must be careful what kind of birds I have in the back of my car.

THE new Treasury Minister is Mr Alf Cannan MHK. Alf is a happily voter friendlly forename you must admit. His predecessor was Eddie Teare, also with a nice voter friendly name.

I think of them in terms of Alf and Eddie.

Doesn’t this have a jaunty sound to it as if they should be on the bill at the music hall, like Eric and Ernie?

Let us hope that Alf at least will also give us something to smile about in the coming months and years.

THIS week two crossword clues, with a nod to regular supplier Richard Hetherington, have been sent in by ‘Another Richard.’ They are from The Times.

‘Statesman, smart chap getting Isle of Man residence (4, 7-4).’

‘Island on the brink of success and socialite (3, 5, 4).’

MARY Cringle sends me a copy of the set lunch menu offered at the The Abbey Restaurant which offered as a first course: ‘Grilled watermelon with beetroot humus and goats cheese mouse.’

Well why not? If there’s cheese the mouse will come to the table free of charge. But it won’t realise what it’s in for.

THERE are more anonymously supplied Malapropisms. ‘The ferry ran aground. It hit a sandbag.’

‘The troops are getting marbelised.’

‘It passed the suspection.’

I have also been reminded of one coined in Margaret Thatcher’s Time by the incomparable Willie Rushton – ‘Prime Ministerial Tension.’

CROSSWORD: Alec Douglas-Home and Man About Town.

FUNNIES File: A shop called Glowing Embers at Dartford in Kent offered for sale ‘Louis Cannes’ fire surrounds’.

NEW definitions. Gargoyle. Olive-flavoured mouthwash.

Cat Turner from Isle of Man Friends of the Earth finds a company doing great things in the energy efficiency market

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It’s not often we get to see novel technology that’s already tested and working commercially at the Green Centre.

So it was a nice surprise for George Fincher of Manx Energy Advice Centre and myself to meet Mark Huelin, of Tadpole Energy, and discover a small device with a big impact.

Immediately after being installed, ‘wet’ heating systems start to deteriorate and lose efficiency. This can be from radiators that require constant bleeding, end-of-line radiators not gaining surface temperature, pump failures caused by corrosion and rattling pipes – and more.

Many heating engineers respond by fitting a magnetic filter – but this only sweeps up corrosion, and needs annual maintenance.

They may try inhibitors, which in time dilute as fresh water enters the system (meaning more cost to the customer if they have to top up).

So what to do?

Well, Mark introduced us to the ‘Tadpole’, an innovative bit of kit which improves heating systems’ efficiency, while saving money. Yay!

United Kingdom Accreditation Service tests show Tadpole’s energy savings of up to 22 per cent – eyebrow raising enough, but they’re confident enough to guarantee a 10 per cent saving in year one, or your money back.

In terms of cost/benefits, typical UK paybacks (assuming a £1K fuel spend for space heating) are around 36 months; at £1.5K, they’re down to two years. As fuel prices are higher in the Isle of Man, payback periods should theoretically be even shorter.

The way in which the Tadpole works is pretty simple. As your boiler comes on, and the pump kicks in, a vortex is created within the chamber.

In the middle of that vortex is a low pressure zone which draws gasses out of solution – in particular oxygen – which is removed via a dip-tube to an automatic air-vent.

With less air in the system, water conducts heat better, giving better heat transfer where it’s needed.

As for the water that circulates back to the boiler, it does so at much higher temperature.

This is where the energy savings come from.

Furthermore, reduced corrosion cuts unplanned maintenance, extending your boiler’s life, as it doesn’t have to work so hard.

Tadpoles come in various sizes and can be quickly and easily fitted on new boilers or as retrofits.

To find out more, visit www.tadpoleenergy.com

An inquest has opened into the death of a 66-year-old Onchan woman who died after a road accident last week.

Joan Marie Corran, a librarian, who lived at Falkland Drive, died after being hit by a van at around 9.50am on October 18.

The accident occurred at Royal Drive in the vicinity of its junction with Royal Avenue.

A post mortem examination gave a cause of death as head injuries, due to, or as a consequence of a road traffic collision.

Coroner of inquests John Needham opened the inquest this morning (Thursday) and adjourned it to a date to be fixed.

Westmoreland Properties Limited, whose registered office is situate at Atholl House, 29-31 Hope Street, Douglas, bought Diamond House, Demesne Road, Douglas, for £850,000.

It was bought from D & J Properties Limited, whose registered office is situate at Sunnybank, Stoney Mountain Road, East Foxdale.

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

F & G Limited, whose registered office is situate at Matrix House, Balthane Industrial Park, Ballasalla, sold Matrix House, Unit 3, Parkway, Balthane Industrial Estate, Ballasalla, for £450,000, to Hasselt Limited, whose registered office is situate at 29-31 Hope Street, Douglas.

David Kevin Porter and Susan Mary Porter sold 47 Ard Reayrt, Ramsey Road, Laxey, for £404,000, to Nathan James Newton Bradley and Rachel Anne Bradley, of 43 Westbourne Drive, Douglas.

Karla Jane Mayor, of Geneva, Switzerland, sold Fasteeagh Foyr, Douglas Road, Peel, for £315,000, to Department of Infrastructure, whose registered office is situate at the Sea Terminal, Douglas.

Elizabeth Jane Annett sold 1 Ashberry Avenue, Saddlestone, Douglas, for £315,000, to Joan Butler, of 7 Hailwood Avenue, Governor’s Hill, Douglas.

Elizabeth Sinclair-Clacher, of Flat 4, Erinville, The Promenade, Port Erin, sold 4 Milner Park, Port Erin, to Harriet Victoria Phillips and Ryan Downey, for £267,000, both of Imperial Court, Victoria Road, Douglas.

Lee Craig Hunter and Carol Ann Hunter, sold 19 St Catherine’s Drive, Douglas, for £240,000, to Alexander Gale and Sarah Elizabeth Galef, both of 23 Sycamore Grove, Douglas.

Viking Containers Limited, whose registered office is situate at European House, Peel Road, Douglas, sold Warehouse/Store, Lake Road, Douglas, for £217,500, to Kirondolam 3 Limited, whose registered office is situate at European House, Peel Road, Douglas.

Kathleen Elizabeth Willoughby, of 4 Marine Gardens, Ramsey, sold 9 All Saints Park, Lonan, for £188,000, to Glynis McHale, of 15a Berrywoods Grove, Governor’s Hill, Douglas.

Christina Caroline Warrilow, of 10 Harcroft Meadow, Douglas, sold 9 Doves Croft, Abbeyfields, Douglas, for £182,000, to Joanna Maria Hills, of 7 Hillberry Meadows, Douglas.

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

The Secretary of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere programme will next week formally inaugurate the Isle of Man into the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

At an event at the Manx Museum on Tuesday, Mr Han Qunli will present Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK with a certificate marking the island’s achievement.

The International Co-ordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere announced the island’s acceptance into the world network in March 2016.

The accolade – which was the result of two years’ work compiling a weighty submission – recognises that the island is a ‘special place for people and nature’.

The island is the only entire jurisdiction to hold Biosphere Reserve status.

Mr Quayle said: ‘This recognition from UNESCO will bring great economic, environmental and reputational benefits to the island and is something we should all be immensely proud of.

‘We are honoured to welcome the secretary of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere programme to the island from Paris for this auspicious occasion.’

Professor Peter Bridgewater, a previous Secretary of the Man and the Biosphere programme, who advised the island on its submission, will also speak at the event, having travelled from Australia.

Professor Bridgewater said: ‘It’s a significant honour that the Secretary of the Man and the Biosphere programme has chosen to visit the Island personally to present the certificate recognising the Island’s accession to the World Network of the Biosphere Reserves.

‘By visiting the island, he will be able to gain a first-hand impression of what a great place it is, and take those impressions back to UNESCO and the wider world.’

For more information about Biosphere Isle of Man, visit this site

In international news today it was reported that the world’s biodiversity is in great danger.

Click here to read one report

The doors of the Castle Mona remained firmly closed today as it was revealed its owners, the Sefton Group, is in talks with a ‘credible’ interested party.

And it emerged the group, which in the words of its chairman is ‘frustrated’ to find a solution, has decided to write down the value of the historic building to £2.5 million.

The Sefton Group also announced a further increase in profitability.

Group chairman Clive Parrish said of the interest shown by the unnamed potential buyers of the Castle Mona: ‘They seem to be a credible interested party’.

Brett Martin, chief executive, said: ‘We have been in discussions for three or four months and they have done a lot of homework.

‘It has not just been a general enquiry, they have had architects and surveyors in and have spent money on the programme.’

But it seems the doors remain firmly shut to Isle of Man Newspapers.

After last Friday’s annual meeting with shareholders Business News requested to be allowed to go inside the so-called ‘Georgian gem’ but the request was turned down point-blank.

Earlier this year another reporter from Isle of Man Newspapers asked if access could be given to take some interior photographs to show readers the current state of the building inside but that request was also declined.

Earlier this year the then Chief Minister Allan Bell told MHKs in the House of Keys: ‘The Castle Mona is a privately-owned building.

‘I think it is absolutely disgraceful the way the building has been allowed to deteriorate, and I hope the company listens to public opinion and the concerns which are being expressed about the continuing deterioration of what is a major national asset and part of our heritage.’

But chairman Clive Parrish told Business News on Friday: ‘The problem is it is an unused property that to the layman may look worse than it is.

‘There are over 300 registered buildings on the Isle of Man.

‘Castle Mona is an important building. We are looking for a solution for it.

‘We have had issues around when the former Chief Minister for instance spoke about it in terms of it being a disgrace.

‘We have got people interested in acquiring it. They know it’s not going to be inexpensive to refinance.

‘We need to keep control commercially over the information around the building.

‘For example our insurers picked it up that the former Chief Minister had said the building was about to fall down. They picked that up on Google and put in a call in to Brett asking what on earth was going on.

‘Their minds were put at rest.’

Mr Parrish hinted that allowing the newspaper in ‘could create more problems for us in finding a solution.

‘Whilst people might be interested in what it looks like, by doing that by putting it in the public domain, could actually create more problems than it solves.’

Chief executive Brett Martin said: ‘We had a structural survey undertaken about 18 months ago and it came out fine. Compare and contrast that with the former Chief Minister saying what he said having never set foot in the building in our ownership.’

Mr Martin said the interested party that had come forward had spent ‘long long days in there with architects, surveyors, structural engineers, stone experts working out where the stone was originally quarried.

‘They have not been put off.’

Mr Parrish added: ‘That is why we believe they are credible. They have invested a lot of their own money so far.’

Mr Parrish, who has been on the board since 2005, and chairman for a couple of years, said: ‘The board remains committed and is as keen to see the Castle Mona brought back to life as much as anybody else in the Isle of Man.’

Mr Parrish described the Castle Mona as the group’s biggest ‘drag anchor’ and one the group is keen to see sold off.

Mr Parrish said the board of the Sefton ‘is as frustrated as the local populace and if we can find a solution for it that is feasible and sensible for us as the current owners of it then we remain open to offers.’

Inside the group’s annual report are notes about the Castle Mona and the decision to devalue the property.

The report notes that ‘under the present economic environment the directors having taken professional valuation advice considered it prudent to make a temporary provision against the carrying value of Castle Mona and accordingly wrote it down to £2.5 million.’

The hotel was closed in 2006 by previous owners, Skyland Investments, taking staff and guests by surprise.

The Sefton Group bought the building, reportedly for around £4 million, in February 2007 with plans to turn it into a four-star hotel but following the downturn in the economy this did not happen and it has remained closed ever since.

Meanwhile shareholders heard that the SeftonGroup has announced a further increase in profitability.

Profit for the financial year ending December 31, 2015 was £411,000, an increase of 60 per cent on the 2014 figure.

There has also been the completion of a deal to refinance the Palace Hotel and Casino site and a 10-year renewal of its casino licence.

The refinancing has been facilitated in the main by Allied Irish Bank (GB).

Knox Capital Solutions (KCS), an island based broker is said to have played a significant role in facilitating the deal.

Mr Parrish told Business News : ‘As a board of directors we are absolutely delighted that we have got to the position where we are.

‘It’s been a long journey and we have a business that is profitable and we are now in a position with a high street banker as our primary lender, who will work with us. We now have time to look at a future clear strategy for the business going throught 2017 and beyond.’

Talking generally about the prospects for the group he said: ‘I genuinely believe that we have secured a longer term future in what we have achieved this year.

‘There are still a lot of hurdles to jump over or hoops to go through not least the uncertainty around Brexit and what impact that will have on the island. But we are in a better place to deal with it now than a while ago.

Mr Parrish said the meeting with shareholders had been a ‘healthy debate.’

He said: The positive financial results we have announced for 2015, coupled with the deal to refinance the Palace Hotel and Casino site, really does underline the Sefton Group’s long-term commitment to the Isle of Man.

‘This deal will help to provide an even more robust financial platform upon which we can develop our flagship hospitality and leisure operations for the benefit not only of our customers, employees and shareholders, but also for the island and its visitor economy.’

Forty people could be made redundant under plans announced today by Manx Telecom.

Gary Lamb, Manx Telecom boss, said: ‘Today we are announcing the launch of a “transformation programme”, which will turn Manx Telecom into a more agile, creative and effective company, and improve our ability to compete in the fast changing telecoms world in which we operate.

‘This programme will last for 18 to 24 months as we reshape the business and make a significant investment in technology to aid this transformation.

‘The first stage of the programme is to change the organisational structure of our business.

‘For the past nine months we have recruited to improve our capability across many areas of the company, and in order to further reshape our business, we have today announced a voluntary redundancy programme for up to 40 employees.

‘I believe the “transformation programme” is an essential part of our evolution, to help better position us for an exciting future.’

First to step on to the battlefield in the upcoming coffee shop franchise conflict in Castletown is Costa Coffee, which opened on Friday.

Coffee Republic is also to open a branch – in the square – and is busy recruiting for a November launch.

Costa, in the meantime, is settling into its new premises between the castle and the harbour, renovated at a cost of £300,000, which was funded from Manx National Heritage and Manx National Trust’s charitable funds.

The historic building – which has previously served as soldiers’ married quarters, a military library, a customs office, a police store and latterly as the town’s social security office and sits on a former Civil War gun emplacement – was transferred from government ownership to MNH. The Costa franchise paid for the interior of the building to be fitted out.

MNH said the deal has ensured the protection of the view from Castle Rushen and brought a vacant property back into sustainable use.

MNH director Edmund Southworth director said: ‘Re-using a historic building in this way is a good example of partnership.

‘We have worked closely with the Fancy a Coffee team and local firm of architects, Horncastle Thomas, to create a sympathetic but innovative development which is in keeping with this amazing location and provide much needed facilities for our visitors. I am grateful to our main contractor JCK for their work which proved to be technically challenging because of the proximity of the site to the harbour and historic ground conditions.’

He added: ‘Castletown is a great destination and we welcome tens of thousands of people to MNH sites there.

‘This heritage-led regeneration builds on the existing strengths of the town and makes it more sustainable for the future. We are grateful for financial support from the government’s town and village regeneration fund and from Castletown Commissioners – which has helped the Trustees create a new landscaped open space outside the building.’

Rory Dorling, from Fancy A Coffee Limited, said: ‘The Costa team in the UK are really excited about the launch of Costa in Castletown, which is one of the most prestigious and scenic locations that the brand will operate from.

‘We’re also pleased to have created seven new jobs.’

More details of the investment at the port of Heysham have been announced.

The Lancashire port is the main destination for Steam Packet travellers from the Isle of Man and is a familiar location for many people who live in the island.

A new link-span bridge at the port will mean it can accommodatge larger roll on-roll off (roro) vessels operating on the Irish Sea.

The £10m investment by owners Peel Ports will create a fourth berth for freight and passenger traffic and help operators to respond more effectively to growing demand.

The funding will also see a new pontoon built to support offshore crew transfer vessels, a new port entrance created and various improvements to the port IT and terminal operating systems.

Work will begin in November and is expected to be completed by October 2017.

A new link road connecting the port and the M6, bypassing congestion in Lancaster, is set to open on October 31.

The changes bring into question a Manx government decision to spend £3.5m on a site in Liverpool for future use by ferries from the island as the current facilities need to be replaced.

It could be argued that improvements in Heysham mean that the link to Liverpool is less necessary.

Heysham is one of seven statutory harbour authorities owned and operated by Peel Ports, with deep water harbouring able to accommodate some of the world’s biggest RoRo vessels and numerous daily sailings from providers such as Seatruck, Stena Line and the Steam Packet.

Port director David Huck said: ‘This is a transformational time for Heysham port. We’ve already been working with local partners to maximise the benefits of the Bay Gateway link road project to the community.

‘Now our major investment to increase capacity and flexibility will further strengthen the port’s role as a logistics hub for the region, particularly for services to Ireland and the Isle of Man. We’ve also built in an element of future-proofing, giving us the ability to accommodate projected volumes for many years to come.’

The port has 1,000 metres of berthing space and 120,000 square metres of multi-user warehousing.

In 2015 around 325,000 units of cargo were transported through the port, a large proportion of which were cars, with Heysham being a key location for vehicle imports and exports. It employs around 80 staff and has its eyes firmly set on further growth and investments in people, processes and technology.

The connection to the road network will soon to be helped by the opening of the Bay Gateway link offering a direct connection to the M6. There is also a branch rail line from the port connected to the North West coastal line.

Heysham is also the closest port for several major offshore infrastructure projects including the proposed National Grid connection of Moorside nuclear power station in Cumbria and the Dong Energy Walney Extension wind farm, which can be seen on a clear day from the island.

The Liverpool landing stage proposal

Photos taken today show the work in progress at the £800,000 roadworks in Foxdale.

Work began this week to reconstruct the highway through Higher Foxdale.

The initial phase of the scheme involves the widening and re-profiling of Mines Road junction, including the construction of a new retaining wall.

A section of the main road is also being excavated to a depth of more than two metres in order to install a new large diameter storm water drain.

The government says these photographs show the work in progress and ‘clearly demonstrate’ why a full road closure is required.

Access to properties and businesses is being maintained.

The work was originally pencilled in to start in September. But that was put back to Monday this week.

Now it’s likely that it will not be completed until after the TT races next year.

Read our report from earlier this week

The closure of the main road through the village means that there are many diversions in place.

What do you think?
Do you live in Foxdale? How has the Department of Infrastructure handled the situation?

Email opinions@newsiom.co.im

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A would-be drug dealer was unmasked when his special delivery was intercepted at the Douglas sorting office.

Paul James Galbraith, who celebrated his 21st birthday this week,was the intended recipient for more than £3,000 worth of cannabis, packed in DVD boxes and addressed to his home at Clifton Terrace in Douglas.

For the prosecution, Hazel Carroon said when the two packages arrived at the main sorting office on January 28, staff were suspicious and called out the police.

The parcels were addressed to Mr J Burrows, but bore Galbraith’s address. One contained 80 grammes of cannabis worth £1,600 and the other 78.7 grammes worth £1,574.

Miss Carroon told the court early the following morning police executed a warrant at Clifton Terrace and carried out a search of Galbraith’s home. This revealed a further 1.9 grammes of cannabis resin, worth just over £10, as well as drugs paraphernalia, including digital scales. A mobile phone and a laptop computer were also seized in the raid.

The court was told various messages contained in the mobile phone implied the defendannt was involved in the supply of drugs. In addition, the computer showed evidence of research into Bitcoins that can be used as a hard-to-trace payment method. The computer also contained software allowing the user to access the internet anonymously.

The defendant was arrested and initially offered no comment during police interrogation. Subsequently he claimed ignorance about the package but accepted the address on it was his.

At an earlier court appearance, Galbraith had denied being concerned in bringing the drugs to the Isle of Man and attempting to possess them with intent to supply. However he changed his plea to guilty at his latest court appearance.

In the light of the guilty pleas no evidence was offered by the prosecution on a charge of possession with intent to supply in April this year, or on possession of cannabis resin on January 29. Both charges were withdrawn by the court.

The prosecution also offered no evidence on two further charges of producing a drug and possessing it with intent to supply on January 27.

Deputy High Bailiff Jayne Hughes agreed to adjourn the case for preparation of a pre-sentence report. She told Galbraith all sentencing options would remain open and he was to return to court on December 6. In the meantime he is bailed.

An application from the defendant’s advocate, Stephen Wood, to vary the conditions of a curfew was rejected, but Mrs Hughes told him she would reconsider should he succeed in finding employment and it prove to be necessary. He was told to contact probation and co-operate with making the report.

Hop-tu-Naa celebrations have been taking place around the island with more planned.

Ghost trains were running on the Great Laxey Mine Railway on Sunday and will also be running this weekend.

Special effect lighting and spooky noises transform the railway tunnel into a spooky ghost tunnel.

Look out for the laughing skeleton, ghosts, witches, spiders, bats and skeletons tea party.

The ghost trains will run on Saturday from 1pm to 7pm and on Sunday from 2pm to 8pm.

The fare is £2.

Hop-tu-Naa parties were in full swing in Peel on Friday last week.

At Bunscoill Ghaelgagh, in St John’s, children in a range of fancy dress costumes including witches, spiders and skeletons could be found apple bobbing and enjoying a disco.

Peel youth club, meanwhile, hosted a Hop-tu-Naa party in the Masonic Hall as a fundraiser for the club.

There was fun for all ages with costume competitions, apple bobbing and a prize for the best turnip.

Cregneash hosts its annual Manx Hop-tu-Naa celebration on Sunday.

As well as carving turnips into spooky lanterns, there will be live Manx music, a sing-along to the Hop-tu-Naa song and the chance to join in the accompanying dance led by musicians John and Cathy Rhodes.

Make a herbal charm and other artsy crafts will be in Jinny’s Craft Cottage. There will also be baking demonstrations, Manx fairytales told by the fire in Church Farm parlour and the chance to learn about the superstitions associated with the celebration.

The turnip lantern parade at 4pm will mark the end of the festivities.

Admission is £6 for adults and £3 for children and visitors will receive a free turnip to carve (subject to availability).

The site opens at 10am.

The MNH site is continuing its ‘Turn up for turnips’ on weekday afternoons from 1pm until Friday.

Standard entry charges apply plus £1.50 per turnip.

On Saturday, the Steam Railway is hosting a Hop-tu-Naa Murder Mystery on the Manx Express.

Guests will try to unravel the murder that unfolds before their eyes and enjoy a four course dinner.

The train departs Douglas at 7pm and will return by 10.30pm.

Manx Hop-tu-Naa, celebrated on October 31, comes from the same roots as the Hogmanay in Scotland and is actually a New Year celebration.

Unlike the modern Scottish Hogmanay celebration, Manx Hop-tu-Naa observes the Celtic calendar and celebrates the New Year around this time of year.

Traditionally this is a time of great celebration as the harvest has been safely gathered and the nights are drawing in, which for those who worked by the light of day was considered a great blessing.

Hospice’s Mary Doyle has said they were unaware a popular fundraising event held during this year’s Douglas Carnival would land them with a bill.

Mrs Doyle was speaking in the wake of a £830 charge levied against the charity towards cleaning up costs following the Colour Me Rainbow event held during this year’s procession in July.

The Colour Me Rainbow feature sees supporters hurling cornflour-based powder paints at one another, and this year raised around £10,000 towards the hospice’s £4 million annual running costs.

Mrs Doyle was keen to stress the charity had an excellent working relationship with Douglas Council and had not complained to the media about the charge. However, she said she had been taken by surprise when it was imposed.

‘No one actually said to us that they were going to invoice us for half the cleaning costs,’ she said.

‘The first we knew about this was a call on October 10. Even as a charity, you can’t expect everything to be given to you free. You have to be practical and I would not have disputed it had I known. But it’s three months after the event; there was no discussion with me and I’m the only one that can sign it off. People make donations and don’t like to think part of it might be used on road cleaning.’

Councillors decided at a meeting last December to impose the charge towards cleaning, which was carried out at no cost to the charity following the Rainbow event in the 2015 carnival. At the same meeting they also decided to ask Hospice volunteers for extra help marshalling the event.

Council leader David Christian pointed out the charge covered only half the cost of the cleaning and that for the first two years the rainbow event had run, no charge at all had been made. He said this year’s charge was made ‘following discussions with Hospice representatives’.

‘Had Hospice chosen to stage the Colour Me Rainbow independently, rather than “piggy back” onto the carnival, the costs they would have incurred would have been considerably more and the organisational logistics of the event would have fallen to them.

‘It is not council practice to clean up public highways for third parties,’ he said.

Councillor Christian echoed Mrs Doyle’s view that the council and Hospice had enjoyed a cordial relationship and was therefore asking for only half the total cost incurred.

Mrs Doyle said 85 per cent of money raised from donations, legacies and events was spent directly on patient care and the charity was deeply indebted to all its supporters.

‘It is imperative that every penny raised is used to fund care – to receive a bill for over £800 for road cleaning of an event held in July is a sad culmination of what was a great event co-partnering with Douglas Borough Council.

‘Whilst I understand their need to recover costs, at no stage did Hospice sign any agreement to this bill nor did we verbally agree,’ she said.

The new director of public health has promised to bring a fresh approach to the department of health and social care.

Dr Henrietta Ewart has served as interim director since April 2015 but has now been officially appointed, taking office in December.

Dr Ewart said: ‘Achieving improvements in health across our population requires collaboration across government and local communities.

‘If we are to work together to improve the island’s health and wellbeing it is important for the public to understand our change in approach and how we function.’

Public health focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of the whole population, delivering services in four key areas: health intelligence, health improvement, health protection and care advice.

The health of the public plays a key role in the government’s five-year strategy, designed to improve the wellbeing of the island.

Kate Beecroft MHK, Minister for Health and Social Care, congratulated Dr Ewart on her appointment, and said that the five-year strategy was ‘a lead contributor to our goal of helping people to take greater responsibility for their own health’.

Dr Ewart’s priority will be to ensure that the department is providing good information on public health.

For more information go to www.gov.im/publichealth, or follow it on Twitter: @publichealthiom

The annual service of remembrance in the island’s capital is set to take place on Sunday November 13.

The traditional remembrance day parade will assemble at 9.15am and set off from Market Hill at 9.30am. The procession will then head along Duke Street, Strand Street, Castle Street, Marina Road, St Thomas’ Walk, Market Street and Church Road Marina to St Thomas’ Church. On arrival, participants will file inside via the Finch Road entrance.

The church service will get under way at 10am, with Canon Philip Frear and the Archdeacon the Venerable Andrew Brown offering prayers.

At 10.40am, around 40 minutes later, the service will end. This will allow time for anyone present to parade to the War Memorial in time for 11am. There, the two minutes’ silence will be observed and this will be followed by the ceremonial laying of the wreaths.

A final parade will then form on the promenade roadway next to the War Memorial and once the salute is taken opposite the Gaiety Theatre by the Mayor of Douglas, Councillor John Skinner, the parade will head along Marina Road and retrace its steps to Market Hill.

Organisers have warned that if the weather proves poor, any or all of the parades may be abandoned, however, the two minutes’ silence at the war memorial at 11am will still go ahead.

Members of any organisations, both military and civil, as well as the public, are invited to take part in all, or some, of the event.

Douglas Council has also alerted motorists that between 9am and midday parking will be suspended on Harris Promenade and the road will be closed between Broadway and the north end of the Marine Gardens. There will also be varying road closures on lower Finch Road, Church Road Marina, Market Street and Harris Promenade between 9.30am and midday.

New Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan says he intends to review the island’s tax cap.

But he insisted in the House of Keys that the policy has been a success in encouraging jobs and investment as well as generating millions of pounds in tax receipts.

He was responding to a question from David Ashford (Douglas North) who suggested that in the current financial climate the tax cap was ‘just not equitable’.

The income tax cap for residents was introduced in 2006 as part of government’s policy to attract wealthy entrepreneurs to the island.

Last year it was increased to £5,000 to £125,000 a year for new entrants to the scheme. The rate remained unchanged in this year’s Budget.

Mr Cannan told MHKs: ‘All tax policies are under review as part of the budgetary process but I can confirm that I do intend to carry out a review of the effectiveness of the tax cap as part of that process.

‘However, we must acknowledge that the tax cap has been a successful policy. But it is the intention of Treasury to ensure all our policies are consistent with the Programme for Government being developed.’

Mr Ashford said the tax cap does need to be re-examined, especially in light of the fact that 61 individuals with £7.3m in assessed tax are paying an effective tax rate of 3 per cent, whereas the average effective tax rate for all taxpayers in the same year was 8 per cent.

‘Would the Minister agree with me that in the current climate that is just not equitable?’ he asked.

Mr Cannan said that half the individuals on the tax cap list appear to be making a significant contribution to the economy. In the 2014-15 tax year, 30 of the tax cap electors had companies employing about 1,748 staff paid in excess of £77m of remuneration, and contributing more than £10m in ITIP and £11m in National Insurance.

‘In the current climate it is absolutely vital we continue to build our economy and continue to offer our people the right jobs, attracting the right investment, and the right people to the island,’ he said.

But Mr Ashford asked: ‘Is he really saying that in the event that the tax cap disappeared, all those jobs would disappear as well?’

Mr Cannan replied: ‘This is a very competitive environment. Multiple jurisdictions offer the same or better incentives for high net worth individuals.

‘What is vital is that we maintain effective tax policy to ensure economic growth and that these individuals – the people with significant wealth – are investing properly, are creating jobs.’

Lawrie Hooper (LibVan, Ramsey) suggested that the eligibility for the tax cap should be linked to an individual’s direct or indirect contribution to the economy.