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YOUR ISLAND, YOUR NEWS

September 14 to 20, 2021

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Brialtagh Ellan Vannin

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Emergency services had to lock down a Port St Mary house after its occupant in- gesteda life-threatening ‘sub- stance’. Thepolice, thefire service and the ambulance service were called on Thursday to an address onVictoriaRoad. Thesubstancewas sodan- gerousthatthepolice,fireser- vice and Civil Defence spent the weekend ensuring the premiseswere safe. Policedidnot saywhat the substancewas. A police spokesman said: ‘Atnotimewerethepublicput at risk and there are no ongo- inghealthconcernsforthein- dividual.’ Danger house cleared

TURNTOPAGE 4 by JoanneClague byManxresidentswithexperiencein theoilandgasindustries,wasgranted alicencebytheManxGovernmentfor rights to a 266 sq km area offMaug- hold Head that had been explored by BP in the 1990s. Crogga said it be- Dowe have £800bn of gas reserves? An election candidate is calling on the government to ‘come clean’ over gas deposits beneath Manx territo- rial waters. Trevor Cowin claimed at a requi- sitionmeeting forGlenfaba andPeel that there is a potential £800bn gas deposit in the seabed. He told theExaminer: ‘I think the public are entitled toknow. Ourpeo- ple should be aware of what national assetswehaveandthevalueof them. Any country in the world would be mad not to exploit their natural re- sources. ‘If the information I have been given is true, and I have no reason to doubt it, this ismassive for the Isleof Man in terms of jobs and the whole infrastructure that goeswith that.’ In2018, Crogga, a company set up

DEBTTO HELPUS TOGO GREEN

Covid travel rules relaxed PAGE 3

page6

£400mwill also help buy SPC boat 20yearsofManx

byAdrianDarbyshire

The Manx government has taken on £400mof newdebt, just aheadof thegeneral elec- tion, to fund a range of green projects and investments. But the Treasury insists that with an historically low interestrateof just1.625%, the deal is a very good one for the taxpayer.

languageschool Laa-ruggyree sonney da Bunscoill Ghaelgagh

Cav set for CWGames BACKPAGE

Some £400m of green bonds – a first for the island – were offered to institutional investors lastweek intranch- es of £100,000. The offer was oversub- scribed, reportedly attract-

ing £635m of interest from investors. Tynwald approved the debt issue at its June sitting this year. Borrowing will be

TURNTOPAGE 4

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ISLEOFMANEXAMINER

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NEWS

Teenagerwho kickedapolice officer sentenced

COURT

l CallumRyan Ivan Bratty, aged20, of DerbyRoad,Douglas, has appeared incourt chargedwithassault causingactual bodily harm. Thecasewas adjourned until September23at therequest of advocate PaulGloverwhosaid that therewerea large amount of casepapers andCCTVfootage to review. Bailwas granted. l A15-year-oldboy from Douglashas appeared incourt viavideo link chargedwithwounding with intent tocause grievousbodilyharm. He is alsocharged withthreecountsof possessionofdrugswith intent tosupply, two countsofpossessionof drugs, andonecount of money laundering. Hecannotbenameddue tohis age. Theoffences arealleged tohavebeencommitted onMay 1. Thecasewas adjourned until September 15when he isdue toappear in juvenilecourt. He is remanded insecure accommodation. l JasonCraigQuayle, aged23, ofReayrtny Chrink, Crosby, has appeared incourt chargedwithprovoking behaviour. Theoffence is allegedto havebeencommittedon June4. Thecasewas adjourned until September23at the request of advocate Ian Kermode. Bailwas granted in the sumof £500with conditions to liveathis homeaddress andnot contactwitnesses. l Achargeof common assault ona female, againstAaronPaul Field, aged22, ofDerbyView, Castletown, hasbeen withdrawn. Thecourtheardthat thecomplainant inthe caseno longerwishedto proceed. l PaulAnthonyKnighton, aged23, of StationPark, Colby, has appeared in court chargedwithbeing drunkanddisorderly andassaultingapolice officer. Thecasewas adjourned until September21 at therequest of advocate PaulRodgerswhoasked for time toconsider thecasepapers andfor policebodyworncamera footage tobeviewed. Bailwas granted.

Your island, your news

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Isle of Man Examiner Peel Road Douglas Isle of Man IM1 4ED

If youhaveacomplaint about an iteminthenewspaperwhichconcerns Inaccuracy, intrusion, harassment or discrimination–oryouwishto comment onanyaspect of ourservice, contact theeditor, RichardButt, Isle ofManExaminer, PublishingHouse, Peel Road, Douglas IM15EDorphone himon695602. Alternatively, youcanwrite to IndependentPressStandards Organisation, c/oHolbornHouse, 20-23HaltonHouse, Holborn, London, EC1N 2JD. Theemail address forcomplainants iscomplaints@ipso.co.ukand for inquiries is inquiries@ipso.co.uk Call 03001232220 Email our reporters: newsdesk@iomtoday.co.im Don’t forget to include your telephone number Telephone 695697 Sport: sportsdesk@iomtoday.co.im Telephone 695669 Advertising: ads@iomtoday.co.im Telephone 670000 Family notices: family@iomtoday.co.im Telephone 670000 HOWTO COMPLAIN

Defence advocate Paul Rodgers said that his client had previously been given a probationorderwhichended inDecember 2020but, due to thepandemic, themajorityof the work had been done over thephoneandtherehadbeen fewermeetings. ‘Itismysubmissionshehas nothadthebenefitofafull or- der,’ said the advocate. ‘She would send a letter of apology if given the chance to do so.’ MrRodgerssaidthatMack- ie worked on licensed prem- ises and asked for any ban to stillpermithertoattendwork. Magistratesagreedtoallow the licensing ban to not apply toher attendingwork. Magistrates’ chair Julian Ashcroft told Mackie: ‘It’s a shameyoudidn’tlistentoyour friendandwalkawayfromthe situation.’ She must also pay £125 prosecution costs, which she willpay, alongwiththefine, at a rate of £100permonth.

Ateenagerwhokickedapolice officer and shouted ‘get back toyourowncountry’hasbeen handedasuspendedsentence. AmyMackiewas put in leg restraintsafterbeingarrested when she got into a rowat the PalaceHotel. After pleading guilty to as- saulting a police officer and being drunk and disorderly, the19-year-oldwassentenced 60days incustody, suspended for two years, andfined£200. Shewasalsomadethesub- ject of a two-year suspended sentence supervision order and banned from entering licensed premises, and pur- chasing or being sold alcohol for sixmonths. We previously reported that police were called to the Palace Hotel on July 18 at 3.35amafter a report of a dis- turbance there. WhentheyarrivedMackie and her male friend were be- ingejectedbystaffandshewas saidtobeunsteadyonherfeet, slurring her words, and had

by court reporter

glazed eyes.

Palace staff said they were happy for thematter tonot be taken further if Mackie, who lives at Quayside Lane, Ram- sey, left but she refused and started swearing. Her friend tried to usher her away but after she was warned about her behaviour she swore at police and told one officer: ‘Get back to your own ******* country. Get off me you ******* slag.’ LEG RESTRAINTS She was subsequently ar- rested and as she was be- ing taken to a police van she kicked one of the officers on the legtwiceandendedupbe- ingputonthegroundinlegre- straints. The court heard that the teenager has previous con- victions for assaulting police, resisting arrest, and being drunk anddisorderly.

WEATHER

W ednesday Dryandbright.

T oday Cloudywithpatchy rainat first, becoming brighter.

Recorded forecast updatedsix timesdaily: 0900624 3300 Shipping forecast

updatedfive timesdaily: 0900624 3322 Weathermann, directtothe forecaster(24 hours):0900 6243200 Service providedby Ronaldsway Meteorological office

T hursday Dryandbright.

F riday Rainclearing later.

Sunrise 6.50am

Sunset 7.36pm High tide 5.25amand5.50pm

S aturday Bright or sunny spells.

Lowtide 11.55am

Most read iomtoday.co.im 1, Disgruntled customer threw cutlery holder at McDonald’s staffmember when he discovered he hadn’t been given a hash brown 2, Benefits fraudster worked for coroner 3, Advocate of self-styled ‘paedophile hunter’ says his client is not awell man 4, R plate driver who drove off a cliff onMarine Drive is punished 5, Kitchen porter committed benefit fraud 6, Manx resident racks up £25,000medical bill in UK 7, Howdoing a friend a favour landed this man in court 8, Conor Cummins: From racing bikes to coffee beans, I’d love to take the business off island 9, Spitting at a police office lands offender with a jail sentence 10, Falcon found covered in cooking oil 11, Crosby Co-op opening later this week 12, Offender is banned frompubs

Remembering our debt Thewreath-layinggroup (Left toright): RonSargent, CaptainNigelMalpass, LesClarke, CaptainMikeBrew, Alan PrestonandGlynnNoon

Merchant Navy Day has been marked with a ceremony at theWarMemorial inRamsey. TheMerchantNavyensignwasraisedat the Courthouseandalsoflownatthetownhall.Les Clarke read messages sent by the Queen and

PrimeMinister Boris Johnson. These acknowledged the country’s debt to themerchantmarine during bothworldwars and in the time since. The wreath of remem- brancewas laidby captainMike Brew.

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newsdesk@iomtoday.co.im

Restrictionsontravel areeasedforresidents

Agovernmentreviewofdeath certificates since the start of the pandemic has identified tenadditionaldeathsasbeing Covid-19 related, taking the total number of deaths in the island to 48. The government said that morethan1,400deathcertifi- cates fromJanuary 2020had been reviewed for any men- tionofCovid-19, regardlessof whether the individuals had thevirus at the timeof death. In some instances, ‘the cause of deathmay only have been confirmed after a pro- longedperiod’, it said. Threeof the10deathsnow classified as Covid-related were reported on Monday (September 6). Since then, seven other deaths have also been identi- fied as covid-related. Deaths are no longer re- ported on the government’s Covid-19 online dashboard. Director of public health DrHenriettaEwartsaid: ‘Hav- ing completed our review of death certificates going back to the start of the pandemic, we will continue to monitor causes of the death on the Is- landonaweeklybasis forour ongoingsurveillancereports. ‘This will ensure we have the full picture and that all Covid-related deaths are in- cluded in official figures and is in line with methods uti- lisedby other jurisdictions.’ Chief Minister Howard Quayle said: ‘It is absolutely vital thatthegovernmentand thepublichas the fullpicture inrelationtoCovid-19andthe loss of life inour community. ‘Given the wider range of settings and time delay that can occur in certification, the Council of Ministers has agreedthat theweeklypublic health surveillance reports will be used as the primary method for reporting Covid- relateddeathsgoingforward. ‘Whilst this will mean a shifttoweekly insteadofdai- ly reporting of any Covid-re- latedfatalities, it is important thateveryonecanhaveaccess toaccuratedataandthat they can have faith in the com- pleteness of that data.’ Thereportsareatcovid19. gov.im/guidance-for-public- health/weekly-public-health- surveillance-report/ related deaths added to island’s total toll 10more Covid

risk’ with regard to vaccinating this age group. Public health director Dr Henri- etta Ewart said that the government would ‘look at what comes out from the [UK] chiefmedical officers indue course,andthentherewillbeanissue of howwe assess that for our context on island’. TheChiefMinisterwasalsoasked whether there were any plans to in- troduce vaccine passports to attend certaineventsandvenues (likenight- clubs),whichwill be thecase inScot- land fromOctober 1. England however recently an- nounced itwouldnot be introducing vaccine passports in these contexts. Mr Quayle said the government wouldbe ‘monitoring the situation’. MrAshfordsaidthat ‘Atwearenot suggestingthatwearegoingtobe im- posinganyrestrictionsonanyevents on island’.

Thegovernmentisalsopublishing a revised plan titled ‘learning to live inworldwithCovid-19’whichsetsout its decisionmaking over next one to threemonths. It isavailablefromgov.im/covid19. The Isle of Man Examiner’s re- porter asked what will happen with regard to the vaccinationof children aged 12 to 15. The UK’s JCVI (whose advice the island follows) has decided not to recommend this, but the UK’s chief medical officers have now said that the age group should receive at least one dose. Health Minister David Ashford said in the briefing that he would think it unlikely that the UK govern- ment would go against JCVI advice, but that if they did so, theManx gov- ernment would have to seek advice from its own public health profes- sionals and ‘weighup that balanceof

Chief Minister Howard Quayle and HealthMinister David Ashford have announced the easing of travel re- strictions for residents. Residents aged 18 and over who are not fully vaccinated will (from the last flight and ferry tomorrow, Wednesday) no longer have to apply for aManxTravel Permit. And those residentswho are fully vaccinatedwill no longer have to ap- ply for a vaccination exemption. Landing forms will still be re- quired for all travellers, including a healthdeclaration form. Also fromThursday thisweekthe government isremovingtherequire- ment for testingandisolationforany resident who is not fully vaccinated, so long as they have only travelled withintheCommonTravelArea (the UK, Ireland and the Crown Depend- encies) in the past ten days before travelling to the island.

by Paul Hardman

Scanners will also be installed at border points to allowpeople to ‘self serve’ by scanning the digital QR codesontheirtraveldocumentation. Lastly, Peel harbour will be par- tiallyreopeningfromThursday, Sep- tember 16. However, there will be ‘limited windows for docking’ and booking will be required. MrQuaylesaidthat theCouncil of Ministers hadmade these decisions ‘aftercareful consideration’ andthat it represented ‘another baby step’. This briefing was the first ‘rou- tineupdate’ held sinceAugust 5, and Mr Quayle said that this time gap re- flected the ‘broadly stable situation both here and across the water’, and that therehadbeena ‘plateau’ incase numbers on island.

Theprotest that highlightedrawsewage beingdumped inPeel bayattracteddozens of peopleearlier thismonth MIKEWADE2109095 (17)

Newsewageworksplannext year

Asiteselectionprocess foranewsew- ageworks inPeelwon’t be completed until early 2022, saysManxUtilities. Meanwhile, the authority says there are no operational issues with the existing pipeline that releases sewage near the breakwater. Protesters have called on the gov- ernment to warn the public against swimming in Peel bay, and for action to be taken as soon as possible to im- prove bathingwater quality. The issue led to a demonstration onSeptember 5. Manx Utilities is meeting Peel

TheMU says its ‘thorough assess- ment’ will consider environmental, operational, population, technical andfinancial considerations. Included in the assessment is the optiontopumpawaytoMearyVeg, the central treatment works that serves Douglas, Onchan, and towns and vil- lages in the south. Thespokespersonsaid: ‘Thereare no operational issues with the Peel outfall and the pipeline is inspected regularly alongwithall other outfalls around the island. ‘The pipe-laying work which has

been taking place in Peel in prepara- tion for a treatment solution will re- start once methods of working near the fuel pipelines have been agreed with the operator and how to safely workwithinsomechallengingground conditions have been resolved. ‘During the pipe-laying activities, Manx Utilities has taken the oppor- tunitytoreinforcesomewatersupply infrastructuretomaximisethebene- fitsofcivilworkswithinthequayside.’ Representatives from the MU are briefingthetowncommissionersthis Thursday.

by JoanneClague

Commissionerslaterthisweektopro- vide anupdate onprogress tofinding a solution. A spokesperson said: ‘Manx Utili- ties remains committedtodelivering anappropriatetreatmentsolutionfor sewagefromthePeel catchmentarea. ‘Aswehavepreviouslyadvised,we have been undertaking assessments ofpotential sitespreviouslyknownto usandsitesnotifiedtous throughthe public calls for sites process.’

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ISLEOFMANEXAMINER

www.iomtoday.co.im Tuesday, September 14, 2021

NEWS

newsdesk@iomtoday.co.im Debt at lowinterestwill be efficient inthe long term

FROM PAGE ONE

governmentwasthefirsttoissueeth- ical sovereignnotes in sterling. It quotes David Katimbo-Mug- wanya, fund manager at Edentree InvestmentManagement, who said: ‘They’ve not tapped the market for thelast20yearsandnowisjustabout the perfect issuance conditions: rates at rock bottom, spreads at the tightest that they’ve been, demand for green bonds quite heavily over- subscribed.’ The Isle of Man is classified as a sovereign issuer by credit ratings agency Moody’s Investors Service. which rated the bonds as Aa3. HSBCstructuredtheSustainable FinanceFrameworkunderwhichthe bond was issued and was one of the banks alongside Barclays and San- tanderactingasjointactivebookrun- ner to deliver the funding.

efficiency, affordable housing, edu- cation andhealthcare. ‘The Isle of Man has a clear com- mitment to net-zero emissions by 2050 and this fund raising will sup- port the island in staying at the fore- front of the transition to a lower carbon economy, including the tar- get for transitioning to 75% renew- able sources for electricity by 2035.’ Unlikethebondstakenoutprevious- lyonbehalfofwhatwas thentheWa- ter Authority and Manx Electricity Authority to fundmajor infrastruc- tureprojects, the latestborrowing is direct debt. The island has stolen amarch on theUKwith its entry into the ethical bondmarket,with theWestminster government planning to issue green gilts later thismonth. Bloombergreportsthat theManx

renewableenergygenerationaswell as floodprotectionmeasures. There are alsoa raftof social pro- jects such as improving access to education, essential healthcare and affordable housing. However,specificswillneedtobe decidedbythenextadministration. Details of the repayment schedule will be outlined innext year’sBudg- et. FormerMHKBillShimmins,who is still currently amember of Treas- ury, said the policy issues will be for the next administration to deter- mine. Hesaid: ‘Tynwaldprovidedaman- date for this debt issue at the June sitting. The investors receive a fixed returnof 1.625% for 30 years. ‘This is avery lowrate, the timing washelpful tosecure thisas interest

rates are rising and projected to go higher as inflation builds. The debt issue provides very efficient long- termfunding.’ Chief financial officer Caldric Randall said: ‘We have beendelight- ed by the strength of institutional demand for our debut issue of sus- tainable bonds. ‘This demonstrates that inves- tors recognise the Isle of Man’s fis- cal strength and, through our new Sustainable Financing Framework, the government’s commitment to protecting and enhancing the envi- ronment in the Isle ofManaswell as investing in the community for the long term. ‘The eligible projects covered in theSustainableFinanceFramework encompassabroadrangeofareas in- cludingcleantransportation,energy

repaid over a 30-year period. It will providethestate-ownedSteamPack- etwith£85mtohelpfunditsnewves- sel. Theborrowingwillalsobeusedto refinance the ferry company’s £75m debt andManx Utilities’ £178mcon- solidated loan fund, releasing that money for a host of greenprojects. These are outlined in the govern- ment’snewlypublishedSustainable Finance Framework. They include measures to sup- port the island’s climate change tar- get of going carbon neutral by the year 2050. Proceeds from the issue of green bonds could be used to support the purchaseof electricvehicles, invest- ment inactive travel andthedrive to

‘Credible source toldme we had gasworthbillions’

Officer is knifed

A police officer was attacked withaknifeinRamseyonSun- day. The incident took place at about8pmaspolicewerecon- ducting inquiries. The female resident at the house atwhich thepolicehad calledwas also injured. Both the police officer and the resident were treated in hospital for serious but not life-threateningknifeinjuries. One person has been ar- rested and officers from de- tectives are investigating. Doctorwill not see you RoutineGPappointmentswill not be available from 1pm– 6pmonThursday,September 16, as GPs attend their latest education session. Anyone who needs to see a doctor urgently should ring their surgery for an appoint- ment with the on-call GP. Practices will remain open during the afternoon for pa- tients to collect test results, make future appointments and order repeat prescrip- tions as normal. This session is focused on Covid-19,dermatologyanddi- abetes services. Company Medefer, which provides virtual outpatient services to UKNHS Trusts, is joining the session to update GPs on the waiting list initia- tiveacrossvariousspecialities at Noble’sHospital.

FROM PAGE ONE

appraised was contained in sandstone reservoirs a mile beneath the seabed fromwhich the fossil fuel was expected toflownaturally. MrCowinsaidtheinformationhehas been given relates to the seabed to the southof the island. MrCowinsaid: ‘Iwasgiventhis infor- mationbyaverycrediblepersonwhogot it froma very credible source and I have no reason to doubt it. From what I can gather, the government is hiding this in- formation fromthe public. ‘Why hasn’t the government come cleanon this? Itwouldbe ridiculous not to exploit it.’ The government had not responded to our request for a comment as the Ex- aminerwent to press.

Lee and Tim Crookall said they would support drilling for gas if the figure was correct, while Ray Harmer said he was sceptical of the reserve, and Geoffrey Bootsaidtakingadvantageof thedeposit went against thenet zero-carbontarget. Candidate Kate Lord-Brennan de- clined to comment. Mr Cowin said: ‘Natural gas is recog- nised as the preferred transitional fuel. Weneedgastotransitiontozero-carbon.’ When Crogga launched its explora- tion in October 2019 it came in for criti- cism from the Green Party, which said extractionof gaswouldamount tofrack- ing, andthisshowed ‘uttercontempt’ for the Manx parliament’s recognition of a climate emergency. At the time, Crogga said the gas being

lieved there was ‘a sizeable reservoir’ of gas in the licence area. BPdiscoveredgastherebutsaidthere wasnotenoughforcommercialexploita- tion. TheCrogga licenceexpired inApril last year. Mr Cowin claims the government is reluctant toact because anatural gas re- source doesn’t tally with renewable en- ergypoliciesandamoveawayfromfossil fuels. At therequisitionmeeting, candidate LeoCussonsof theIsleofManGreenPar- ty said there was no market in offshore gas and any exploitation of the resource wouldbe a ‘backward step’. Independent candidates Michael

Cheffledfrompolice

TV presenter and former MP Michael Portillo has been spotted inPort StMary. The government con- firmed that he was here film- ingoneof his railway-themed televisionprogrammes. Mr Portillo was last on the island in 2011, when he was filming his Great Railway Journeys series. Portillo visiting MrPortillowas snappedbyan Examiner reader inPort StMary

A chef who refused to leave a nightclub thenranawayfrompolicehasbeenfined £1,100. Callum Robert Dubost claimed that Bordello staff were discriminating against himdue tohis clothing. Incourthepleadedguiltytothreaten- ing behaviour and escaping lawful cus- tody. Prosecuting advocate Rachael Braid- wood told the court that police were called to the nightclub on Loch prome- nade at 1.30amon June 27. StaffhadreportedDubost refusingto leavebutwhenofficersarrivedtheyper- suaded him to walk to Walpole Avenue with them.

The23-year-oldtoldpolicehewasbe- ingdiscriminatedagainst becauseof his clothing. Officers explained to him that bouncers had the right to refuse entry. Dubost, who lives at Tynwald Street, Douglas, then became angry, swearing and refusing to leave the area. Despite continued attempts by offic- erstopersuadehimtogo,Dubostcontin- uedtoswearandrefusetoleavesohewas subsequently arrested. At first he offered hiswrists to police tobehandcuffedbutthenranofftowards VictoriaStreet,withpolicegivingchase. Anofficergrabbedhimbythe jumper andthebothfelltothegroundbutDubost then got up and ran away again.

Police couldnot findhimbut he later went to police headquarters. The court heard that he has previous convictionsforassaultingapoliceofficer and assaultwith intent to resist arrest. Dubost opted to represent himself in court, declining the use of a duty advo- cate. Hesaidthathedidnotagreewithallof theprosecution facts and told thecourt: ‘I didrunaway. I havea fear of thepolice, the community mental health would back me up. I did swear, but I work in a kitchen, it’s part ofmy vocabulary.’ Magistrates fined Dubost £600 for escaping lawful custody and £500 for threatening behaviour.

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Weare tryinghardto finishas soonaswecan

COURT

l LewisShawTumelty, ofBalladoyneEstate, St John’s, has appeared incourt chargedwith causing seriousbodily harmbydangerous driving. He is alsoaccusedof possessionofdrugs. Theoffences arealleged tohavebeencommitted onDecember 12 last year. Thecasewas adjourned until September23at the request of advocateJane Graywhosaidthat she hadonlyrecentlybeen instructedandtimewas requiredtogo through thecasepapers. l ClaireMcKeown, also knownasRadcliffe, aged 33, of SpringValleyRoad, Douglas, has appeared in court chargedwithbeing drunk inchargeof achild under 10years. Thecasewas adjourned until September21. AdvocatePaulRodgers whosaidthatdiscussions werecontinuingwiththe prosecution. Theoffence is allegedto havebeencommittedon July 10.

bringing skilled people from off the island during the pan- demic, andremedialworks to concrete surfacing. In July 2020, an addition- al £750,000 was allocated to the scheme after it went over budget. A new deadline for completion of March 2021 came and went, with the DoI promising the scheme would be finished by the end of Au- gust. InMay,aparliamentaryse- lect committee criticised the scheme, stating: ‘The prom- enade scheme continues to be heavily delayed, has no de- finitivebudget, andcontinues to cause severe disruption to businesses, residents, the wider public and the econo- my.’ In July, it was announced that the revamp of the 2.6km length of the promwould be completed by the end of Sep- tember.

Road closure notices that ex- tendtoOctober8couldsignal a further delay to the much- anticipated full opening of Douglas promenade. But the Department of Infrastructure says it’s just a precaution against poor weather conditions and that the scheme is being complet- ed as quickly as possible. A spokesman for the DoI said: ‘Auldyn Construction is progressing on the final sur- facing along Douglas prom- enade. BALANCING ‘Astheworkreaches itsfin- ish the contractor is balanc- inganumberof roadclosures, both daytime and night time, in order to get the scheme completed.’ Thespokesmancontinued: ‘BoththeDepartmentof Infra- structure and Auldyn Con- structionareworkinghard to

by JoanneClague

minimise disruption to busi- nesses, residents, motorists and pedestrians while work- ing towards a tight schedule of works. ‘Final surfacing works are weather dependent so some additional time has been al- located to the road traffic no- tices.’ Auldynhas outlined a pro- grammeofworks that started yesterday (Monday) and, the contractor states on the My- Promwebsite, ‘is set to com- mence over the next four weeks’ – which would take the scheme beyond the end- of-September deadline. Auldyn has warned of po- tential disruption, stating: ‘Some of the work is weather dependent, for example con- cretecannotbepouredinpoor weather and the work force

The junctionat thebottomof Broadway

under way on the £25m pro- ject. The scheme was due to be completed by October 2020 but there have been a series of delays for numerous rea- sons, including a shortage of workers, with difficulties in

may be relocated to another area along the promenade.’ The DoI spokesman told the Examiner: ‘Every endeav- our isbeingmadetocomplete as soon as possible.’ Thesagabeganthreeyears agothismonthwhenworkgot

NATIONAL BRAND

33% *

£ 4 .50 EVEN LOWER PRICE

£ 6 .75 LOWPRICE

on extra virgin olive oil

Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 litre

by Sainsbury’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 litre

*SAVING BASED ON COST OF NATIONAL BRAND AT SHOPRITE COMPARED TO COST OF SAINSBURY’S OWN LABEL BRAND AT SHOPRITE (ISLE OF MAN) ON 13/09/21. PACK SIZES MAY VARY BETWEEN NATIONAL BRAND & SAINSBURY’S AND COMPARISON INCLUDES OFFERS. PRICES AND PACK SIZES CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS. SOME LINES MAY ONLY BE AVAILABLE IN LARGER STORES. ALL PRODUCTS OFFERED SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES. PHOTOGRAPHS FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. E&OE.

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FEATURE

E very year on July 5, thousands gather inSt John’s to celebrateTyn- waldDay bywatching an open airmeeting of the island’s parliament gather on the iconic four-tieredhill. The proceedings are spoken in bothEnglish andManx as all bills that have receivedRoyal Assent in the proceeding 12months are promulgated. Just across the road fromthis one of the island’smost distinc- tive landmarks, is another slice of history, where theManx language comes alive every day of the year The Bunscoill Ghaelgagh last week celebrated 20 years since it opened its doors. The school is the only one in the worldwhere children are taught their lessons solely inManx. The aimis that childrenwho attend the school are able to learn the languagefluently, something which continues to be a success. The Examiner spoke tohead teacher JulieMatthews about the anniversary, andwhy the language revival is alive andwell within the school’swalls. She said: ‘We are really excited to be celebrating our 20th year as the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh. ‘The Manx language is so im- portant to our culture and identity and it’s wonderful to see how it has enriched the lives of a succession of pupils and their families as they followed their primary curriculum throughManx. ‘We are in a lovely situation now whereformerpupilsregularlycome back and help current students in the classroom.’ The history of the Bunscoill Ghaelgagh really startswith the Manx-language pre-school play- group,Mooinjer Veggey. They developed out of an inter- est in the possibilities of reviving the fortunes ofManxGaelic from the grass roots and took its initial inspiration and guidance from thoseworkingwithinScottish Gaelic-mediumplay-groups during the late 1980s and early 1990s. TheMooinjer Veggey play- groups proved successful and gradually led to a demand for con- tinuedManx-mediumeducation at primary school level. In response to parental demand thefirstManx-mediumclasswas established inSeptember 2001 by theDepartment of Education in partnershipwithMooinjer Veggey andSheshaght ny Parentyn, the parent’s organisation. TheManx-mediumclass initial- ly operatedwithin amainstream primary school, Ballacottier School inDouglas. Nine children attended the firstManx-mediumclass andwere taught by a teacher assistedby a nursery nurse. Mooinjer Veggey play-groups continued to provide the greatma- jority of pupils for theManx-medi- umclass over the next fewyears. In2001, the school officially opened, but itwas not until Janu- ary 2003, that it found its per- As theBunscoill Ghaelgagh celebrates 20 years, reporter Siobhán Fletcher delved into the history of the school and its role in theManx language revival.

Pupils at theBunscoill Ghaelgagh inSt John’s

PICTURE: DAVEKNEALEDK210910-12

Helping bringManx back from the brink

manent home in the village of St John’s, in anold school building whichwas recently vacated. The Bunscoill Ghaelgaghwas officially established therewith25 childrendivided into two classes. At this point, theywere still the ultimate responsibility of the head teacher of St John’s Primary School. However, by 2006 the Bunscoill Ghaelgaghbecame a ‘stand alone’ separate primary school with its ownhead teacher, BnrMatthews. Since then it has gradually in- creased innumbers to its current four classes ranging across the pri- mary age-groups. It is nowofficiallymanaged by theDepartment of Education, Sport andCulture. MrsMatthews said: ‘Having started offunder the auspices of theManx language education char-

ity,Mooinjer Veggey, we are nowa fully-fledgedpart of DESC, while still working closelywithMooinjer Veggey to developManx teaching and learning resources.’ Childrenmoving ‘up’ fromthe Mooinjer Veggy playgroups en- counter familiar songs, rhymes and routines, and in some cases, fa- miliar staff, so a degree of continu- ity is ensured. A spokesperson forMooinjer Veggy highlighted the charity’s his- toric linkswith the school and said: ‘We are delighted that the Bun- scoill has been running for 20 years andwe look forward to the next 20 to see it’s further development.’ The school’s role in the revival of theManx language cannot be overstated. In2009,UNESCOlistedtheManx languageasextinct,whichledtopu- pilswritinglettersasking: ‘Ifourlan-

own special edition of BBC North West Tonight. Intermsofcelebratingthissignif- icantanniversary,headteacherJulie Matthewsstressedtheimportanceof marking the occasion. She said: ‘We would love to en- courage all members of the Gaelic speaking community, and anyone interested in taking part, to join us inour celebrations during the year. ‘Over theyearswehavehadmany visitors from around the world in- terested in our little language and how the island has brought it back fromthebrinkofextinction,withthe school playing a key part. ‘Other minority languages are greatly interested our story as they seek to learn fromour success. ‘In the words of Manx language activistLeslieQuirk: “Thedifference withthe languagerevivalnowis that it has children.”’

JulieMatthews, head teacher

guage is extinct thenwhat language arewewriting in?’ The classification was later changed to ‘critically endangered’. As recently as late last year, the pupils of the school produced their

7

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Vets’ staff shortages because ofCovid

byGemmaNettle

Arg Beiyn, the island veterinary practice, has had to stop taking on newclients. This isasaresultof increasedde- mandduringthepandemicandstaff shortages caused inpart by Brexit. Louise Bawden, practice direc- tor at Arg Beiyn, said staffwere ‘ex- hausted’. She said: ‘We don’t want to turn anyone away, we’re just trying to protect the wellbeing of our staff at the moment, they’re really worn out. ‘We currently have a third of the vets we used to have so two thirds have gone because of Brexit. ‘We’ve also had Covid where we’ve had a huge increase in people gettingnewpetsthathasneverbeen seenbefore. ‘The pandemic has been really, reallytoughandnowwecan’tgetvet- erinary staff and our current staff are worn out from the increased workload.’ Staff have been leaving due to stress in an effort to protect their health. Shecontinued: ‘Someare leaving because it’s not a very nice profes- sion towork in anymore. ‘We’ve had the effect from both the Brexit side and theCovid side.’ Laura Bruder, also a practice di- rector at Arg Beiyn, added: ‘There usedtobealotmorevetsbut it’sbeen challenging because you’re asking someone to move their whole life

‘Obviously as the staff numbers drop, that pressure gets worse and the staffbecomemore tired. ‘It’s not necessarily something that’s very attractive to vets who couldbe inEnglandwhere they can go home at the end of the day and switchoff.’ Thepractice isnot currentlyfill- ing out animal health certificates which allowowners to legally bring theirpets totheUKwithoutanysort of quarantine. Ms Bawden stressed the process of filling one out took twohours. ‘Whenwehaveafullpracticeand wehavetwohoursallocatedtothose,

over here. ‘Veterinary as a profession has really grown and we train our own nurses, we are the only training practice in the island currently, but that’s not quite enough. ‘We actually thought since we wereCovidfreeforsolongthatmight entice people here but it didn’t.’ Based in Onchan and Ramsey, Arg Beiyn provides emergency care for animals 24/7. Ms Bruder added: ‘That’s one of the things that’s different in the Isle ofMan-regardlessofhowmanypeo- ple we have working for us, we pro- vide emergency care all the time.

ArgBeiynpracticedirectors LouiseBawdenandLauraBruder

Bothdirectorsmade it clear that thoughthey’renottakingonnewcli- ents, they are happy to give advice on the phone if a person is worried about their pet. ‘If there’sananimal that issuffer- ingwewoulddoourbest tohelp,’Ms Bawden added.

it just makes no sense when we’ve got sick animals that we can’t fit in because of it,’ she said. Ms Bruder added: ‘They did do popups to allowpets tobe seenby a vet ifyouweretravelling-theywould specificallydotheanimalhealthcer- tificates.’

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Podcast bewitches festival

Manxculturewasrepresentedatthe weekend’s London Podcast Festi- val,whichcelebratespodcasts from around theworld. The festivals gave creators a chance to perform – and record – episodes of their shows live in front of an audience. Michael Moorcroft attended the festivalwithhispodcast ‘TheMage’s Well’ which focuses on ‘all things witchcraftand spirituality.’ Mr Moorcroft, aged 28, is origi- nally fromRamsey, but now lives in London. He launched the podcast early last year, after he took up an inter- est in witchcraft, to provide ‘guid- ancetothoseontheirjourneywithin witchcraftand spirituality.’ He said: ‘I saw a huge gap in the market andwanted tofill that.

by Siobhán Fletcher

At the festival,MrMoorcroftcol- laboratedwith ‘Honey and the Hex’ – also known as sisters Tansie and TatumSwithenbank – who explore the origins of English and Scot- tish folklore through a progressive lens. Hewas invited to talkabout clas- sic fairy tales from the Isle of Man, such as the myths of the Buggane, the Moddey Dhoo and Manannan, as well as some lesser known ones - withsome soundand lighting trick- erytopunctuatetheBugganetalefor goodmeasure. He said: ‘That went down really well with the audience, they were scared and then they started laugh- ing.

MichaelMoorcroft, of TheMage’sWell podcast,withTansieandTatumSwithenbankof theHoneyand theHex

ofmymindwhen I’mproducingmy shows,whenI’mdoingtheresearch, when I’m picking the topics I want to cover. ‘I’mon a little bit of a conversion mission you could say.’ The audio from the showwill be availableonallmajorstreamingplat- formssoon, asseparateepisodes for eachpodcast.

He said: ‘If I can have a person listen to this who doesn’t believe in spirituality, who doesn’t have a spiritual bone in their body –which I don’t necessarily believe, I think everyone is spiritual to some extent –[IhopeIcanmakethemthink] “you know what, there could be some- thing to this”. ‘I’ve always got that in the back

‘It was quite sudden, I wanted themto jump out of their seats a lit- tlebit. Itriedtomakeitasimmersive as possible.’ The show received rave reviews fromthosewhowatched it live. Inresponsetonon-believerswho would approach his subject mat- ter with mirth, he had a simple re- sponse.

Drink-driver hit parked car

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wasdescribedas slurringher words,havingglazedeyes,and unsteady onher feet. The court heard that she has no previous convictions. Defence advocate Richard Halsall said that the couple had been collected by a rela- tiveandweredrivenhomeaf- ter the meal but once home, Neale had got upset and had taken the car. He continued: ‘She drove around the corner, about a third of a mile. She is ex- tremely unlikely to be before the court again.’ Mr Halsall said that Neale was arranging to pay for the damage to the parked car. MrsHughesgaveNealeun- tilNovember12topaythefine.

A drink-driver who crashed into a parked car has been fined £800 and banned for two years. Susan Christine Neale, of Croit ny Glionney, Colby, ad- mittedtheoffenceafterfailing abreathalysertestwitharead- ing of 66. The legal limit is 35. High Bailiff Jayne Hughes also ordered the 33-year-old to retakeher test at the endof her ban. Police were called to Glen Road inColby onAugust 22 at 1am after a report of a traffic accident. When police arrived they found that Neale had crashed her Nissan Qashqai into a parked car. She was uninjured but

NSCpool is shut

The National Sports Centre’s swimming pool will be closed until Saturday as work is car- ried out on the adjacent lei- sure pool andflumes. A statement from the NSC on the closure said: ‘Sincere apologies for the short notice andtheinconveniencetoallof our customers. ‘ The d i s rupt i on and

fumes from the leisure pool works has deemed it unsafe for this side of the building to be opened for the rest of this week.’ ‘We will provide further details to those on a swim membership via email and customers booked into aqua classes will be called to ar- range a transfer or a refund.’

Balances between £10,000 and £5,000,000. Interest is paid annually on 31 October. Rates correct as at 8 September 2021. *AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate and illustrates what the interest rate would be if interest was paid and compounded each year. Skipton International Limited (Skipton) is licensed by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission and is registered in Guernsey: 30112. Skipton is a wholly owned subsidiary of Skipton Building Society. Skipton is licensed under the Banking Supervision (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 1994, as amended. Skipton is a participant in the Guernsey Banking Deposit Compensation Scheme. The Scheme offers protection for ‘qualifying deposits’ up to £50,000, subject to certain limitations. The maximum total amount of compensation is capped at £100,000,000 in any 5 year period. Full details are available on the Scheme’s website www.dcs.gg or on request. Skipton is not licensed by the Isle of Man (IOM) Financial Services Authority and deposits made with Skipton are not covered by the IOM Depositors Compensation Scheme. To help maintain service and quality, telephone calls may be recorded and monitored.

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ReturnofFilmFestival TheIsleofManFilmFestival isset to makeareturnnextmonthaftercan- cellationsbecauseof thepandemic. Itwill beheldbetweenOctober 7 and 10 at venues island-wide. oursmallbutdedicatedteamarere- ally proud of. by Siobhán Fletcher

during [the]Covid-19 lockdown, lay- ered with visuals of leading Manx artists creating works inspired by these voice collages, accompanied by newly-composed piano pieces basedontraditionalManxmelodies which compliment the themes and ideas of eachof thefilm’s 12 parts. ‘Together they form a mesmer- ising immersive experience which transports us into new spaces of thought and seeing, allowing us to re-imagine what an ideal future for the Isle ofManmight look like.’ Unfortunately, on the night the film lost out to ‘Garech Browne: TheLastDaysatLuggala’ byScratch FilmsLimitedandRTÉ, Ireland’sna- tional television and radio broad- caster. However JamesFranklin, online and education resources officer at CultureVannin,emphasisedthat it’s the taking part that counts. He said: ‘It was amazing to be in the mix, alongside films from the BBC, SkyArts andRTE etc. ‘It is a great bit of proof that the IsleofMan isat that sort of level - es- pecially as Island Utopias was very much a collaborative project with theartisticandwidercommunities.’ The filmcan be viewed in full on theCultureVanninwebsite.

‘This year,we’re returning to the islandeventsceneafterapandemic- enforcedbreakwith something of a soft relaunch ahead of a bigger re- turn to festival form in 2022 for our tenth anniversary. ‘Our focus for 2021 is primarily onthetalentsof thefilmmakersand creativeswehaveonour island,who have managed to continue creating moviemagicthroughoutareallydif- ficult year. ‘Everyyearweensurethefestival provides opportunity for local pro- jects tobe screened, but it felt really important that for our return, we brought thisright intothespotlight.’ RichardHird, co-directoradded: ‘We can’t wait to get back in front of audiences to celebrate cinema – it feelslikeamoreimportantyearthan ever for us to escape into the world of filmand storytelling. ‘We’ll be bringing back some of ourmost popular events, including themoviepubquizwhichisafavour- ite for filmfans of all ages, aswell as partnering with amajor local event provider to screen an iconic movie

The festival will celebrate a love of thebigscreen, andprovideanop- portunity for local filmmakers to showcase creative projects filmed or produced on the island. The festival was first founded in 2012byfilmmakersDaveArmstrong and Christy DeHaven and has since delivered awhole host of events, in- cluding Q&A’s with Sir John Hurt and Katharina Kubrick presented by festival patron, Mark Kermode, and themed outdoor screenings of muchlovedfamilymovies including ‘TheGoonies’ and ‘Labyrinth’. FOCUS Thefestival’sInternationalShort Film Competition, has attracted more than 500 entries in previous years,andnormallyplayshosttovis- iting filmmakers from around the world – though this year the exclu- sive focus will be on demonstrating the wealth of talent found onManx shores. Christy DeHaven, festival co-di- rector, said: ‘We’ve built up a list of eventsandguestsovertheyearsthat

ChristyDehaven, RichardHird, ZoeGuilford, DaveArmstrongandLauraGill. Photo: Steve Babb

The film ‘Island Utopias,’ which was written and directed by Sarah Mercer and produced by Culture Vannincompetedwithproductions frombignames likeSkyArtsandthe BBC for the Arts prize, given out on Thursday night (September 9). The film is described as ‘an im- mersion post-pandemic possibili- ties.’ It is a ‘combination of cut-up in- terviewswithpeople fromall walks of life in the Isle of Man carried out

with an importantManx link! ‘We really hope that audiences will get on board and join us for one or more events and we’re looking forward towelcoming you all back.’ Thefullprogrammeofeventswill beannouncedshortlyatwww.isleof- manfilmfestival.com, and via their socialmedial channels@IOMFF In other filmnews, Culture Van- ninhadthe island’sonlyentrytothe prestigious Celtic Media Festival, held lastweek.

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Theannual charityboxingevent, Thriller at theVilla, tookplace ina sell-out Royal Hall onFriday. Featuringnoviceboxers fromaround the island, theeveningraised thousands for charity.Morephotos inThursday’sManx Independent DAVEKNEALE DK210910(57)

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HeritageOpen Days return tothe island

funded and co-ordinated by MNH and delivered by a host of individuals and volunteers from across the heritage sec- tor. MNHdescribetheeventas ‘your opportunity to discover hidden spots, try out new ex- periences and celebrate the island’soutstandingheritage.’ Other events being hosted this year include abehind the scenes look at library and ar- chivesconservation, anatural historycollectionguidedtour at the Manx Museum, a look atMaughold’s early Christian monastery with Blue Badge guideMarinda Faragher, vin- tagevehiclerunningdayswith Jurby Transport Museum, a Niarbyl Folklore Tour with CultureVannin, aguidedtour of KingWilliam’s College and tour of BraddanCemetery.

Manx National Heritage’s Heritage Open Days event is returning for its 12th year, promising to be a celebration of the abundant heritage and culture in the island. It’s all free to enjoy and open to all the family, with a mix of new places and spac- es opening their doors along withthereturnoffirmfavour- ites fromprevious years. All events this year can be bookedontoaheadof timeun- less otherwise stated, and as the guided tours have limited places, Manx National Herit- age(MNH)arerecommending those interestedmake sure to bookearlytoavoiddisappoint- ment. Bookings open tomorrow, Wednesday, atmidday. This year’s highlights in- clude a rare glimpse inside

by Siobhán Fletcher

the former Castletown resi- dence of Captain Quilliam, a guidedstroll around thepubs onDouglasQuayandaguided tour of Peel Castle with a dif- ference - hearing about the people who lived their lives within its ancientwalls. The tour of Captain Quil- liam’s property is described as: ‘Arare opportunity to take a tour around this significant Castletownproperty,onceoc- cupied by Captain Quilliam who served at the Battle of Trafalgar.Eachtourwillbein- troducedbrieflybyBlueBadge Guide Helen Leigh, followed by free time to look around.’ This tourwill last approxi- mately one hour. Heritage Open Days are

Included this year is a rareglimpse inside the formerCastletownresidenceof CaptainQuilliam

line up has been designed to keep participants and organ- isers safe in the ongoing Cov- id-19 pandemic. Measures inplace include: l Smaller tour sizes so they canfacilitatesocialdistancing l Handwashing and/or hand gel stations available l Face masks are being wel- comed l There are more outdoor

MNH said: ‘The knowl- edge and enthusiasm of the remarkable hosts and guides whogiveuptheir time for free to inspire, educate and high- light the diverse history, cul- ture and architecture of the Isle of Man is tremendous and we thank them and you for your support and involve- ment.’ Understandablythisyear’s

events

Thosewishing to takepart in this year’s events are being asked to help MNH to keep everyonesafebynotattending anyHeritageOpenDayevents if they feel unwell with Covid related symptoms. All the open day offerings are listed, and tickets can be booked at manxnationalher- itage.im/whats-on

ISLAND MORTGAGES

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Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc is authorised and regulated in the UK as the non ring-fenced bank of the Lloyds Banking Group. The Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man branches of Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc are each separately licensed as regulated deposit-takers in their respective jurisdictions. Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc is independent from Lloyds Bank plc, which is authorised and regulated in the UK as the ring-fenced bank of the Lloyds Banking Group. For more information on ring-fencing visit international.lloydsbank.com/ringfencing Agreement will be subject to valuation and formal offer. Lending is at the Bank’s discretion and you must be 18 or over and resident in Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney or the Isle of Man to apply. Security will be required. Howmuch we lend, the rate available to you and the issue of a loan is subject to our assessment of your circumstances. The Bank conducts its business in accordance with local legal and regulatory requirements, including anti-money laundering requirements which require the Bank to disclose information that would otherwise be confidential in circumstances where the Bank suspects its customer is benefiting or engaging in criminal activity including tax fraud. Lloyds Bank International is a trading name of Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Isle of Man Branch. Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc’s registered office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Incorporated in England and Wales with company number 10399850. The Isle of Man branch of Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, principal place of business Villiers House, 2 Victoria Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2LN, is licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority. Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc, Isle of Man Branch, subscribes to the Isle of Man Code of Practice for Consumer Lending. This information is correct as of March 2021 and is relevant to Lloyds Bank International products and services only.