Gallery | May 2012 | Glutton

Isle of Man Style Magazine | no 8 | May 2012 | the glutton issue

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# 08

the glutton issue FEATURING

Eat That The Good Fight Literary Glutton Beckii in Wonderland Marie Antoinette Cakes of the World The TT Marshal

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Great day out on the course today, I’ll upload some more pics later.

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Bring on TT 2012!

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Isle of Man Style Magazine | no 8 | May 2012 | the glutton issue

£ priceless

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edito.

Because Quality Matters

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# 08

the glutton issue FEATURING

Eat that The good fight Literary glutton Beckii in Wonderland Cakes of the World Gruesome Gourmet The TT Marshal

There are so many ways to be gluttonous.

The practice of indulgence is common, so can we rely on inner will power to conquer our demons?

This issue will challenge your beliefs, your perception of yourself, literature that you read and historical figures you revile.

So far, and yet so near… The TT races are dominating our conscious as the 2012 season dawns. Inside, we have the antidote to your impatience. Guy Martin, Dave Molyneux, Conor Cummins, Ian Hutchinson and rookie TT rider Billy Smith answer our questions at the recent TT press launch. We also pay tribute to the TT Marshal, after all - no Marshals no races. Fingers crossed for the 2 weeks of great weather we always seem to get at the end of May/ beginning of June.

We look at fashion history from Historical Fiction Authoress, Madame Guillotine, and a dose of the divine from International Bestselling Authoress, Lorna Byrne.

Fear not, we also have our classics to dish out this issue; your horoscopes, things to do in May, artist of the month; and Me and My Pet. Back to business takes us on a Manx Telecom Corporate Challenge Parish Walk fest this month; we also delve into the realm of Manx businesses and local Manx opinion on Island based international conglomerates.

We ask the Beyond Brooke boutique why they opened up shop in Laxey in our fashion section and present Beckii Cruel, our May celebrity (in Japan) fashion model.

Keep your eyes open for the new gallery distribution stands. Check out the facebook site and website for details on all distribution outlets.

Now go grab yourself a coffee, a big slice of choclate cake and get stuck in to the Gallery May issue, the Islands 100% calorie free take away.

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contributors

#6

Writers Organic

Tanya Hanson Rick Jones Rose Hill Ells Prichard Chris Bell Mimi Bishop Theo Leworthy Ben Clarke Louise Bralsford Jodie Sheppard Liz Corlett Anne Moorhouse Leon Flemming

Kate Bertram Gary Hooks Anne Marie Michael Deering Tom Croft Bonzo Slater Ella Pritchard Phil Taylor Bill Carden

Design Studio Emma Cooke Russ Atkinson Steve Redford

Grant Corlett

Photography Shan Fisher Peter Kwiecinski

Illustrations Helena Mathews Russ Atkinson Theo Leworthy

#8 Glutton This isn’t a private party and there’s no VIP area (there is a jacuzzi though...). Entertain us with jokes, ideas, YouTube clips etc

Models Beckii Cruel

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Makeup Artist Heather Maddrell

Contribute

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Hairstylist Emma MacDonald Nellie Georgieva

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insight

highlights INTRO

INTRO

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Words |Liz Corlett

Beckii

I’m fairly confident that if I were to start getting up at 6am every day, I could conquer the world. But I’ve been saying this for quite some time now, and I stopped believing my own bunk a while back. I just can’t do it. Every day, after wearing out the snooze button, I drag myself out of bed with nothing less than howling anguish, as though reliving my own birth trauma. Every day is like Monday.

THE GOOD FIGHT

All of this is simply a long-winded way of saying that one man’s punishment is another’s pleasure. And before you begin to worry where this is heading, what interests me is why we tend to be judgmental of choices and pursuits we don’t share ourselves. I’m thinking specifically of those which require hard graft, self-discipline and sacrifice. Endurance sports, for instance, or writing a novel (or even simply reading a difficult one). For every person who lauds such endeavours, there’ll be another tutting from the sidelines, muttering something about the grafter being ‘a glutton for punishment’.

Are people wary of these ‘gluttons’ because the self-isolation required for achievement somehow smacks of turning one’s back on the tribe? Or is it a more basic truth: that they make us feel bad about our own underwhelming Life CV? As a hopeless lotus-eater, I know what it feels like to be daunted by the obscenely fit go-getters of

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in erland Wond GALLERY

ION MAY

Decadent & Deathlyrts Dese

2012

FASH

ISLE OF MAN STYLE MAGAZINE

this world, the sort of people who have the legend ‘One Life. Live It’ printed on the spare tyre cover on their Jeep. The hi-jinks of Ironmen, mountaineers and ultramarathon runners remind me of the sort of punishments the ancient gods meted out to transgressive mortals, usually involving never-ending pain and fruitless labour.

On the flip side, as a veteran sea swimmer, I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of almost hostile incredulity. I’ve lost count of the number of times my mental health has been called into question, usually in such non-PC terms that even Ricky Gervais would blush (‘nutjob’ and ‘mentalist’ being two of the choicest). At times like this, some sort of Physics law comes into play: the less likely someone is to take up your hobby, the more likely they are to prick it with a pin.

As she patted the powder onto her already pallid cheeks, she must have reflected with some wonder and sadness about the fact that not too long ago, her toilette had been one of the high points of the court day, attended by dozens of courtiers, all vying for attention and dictated by an arcane and complex etiquette that had been handed down for generations.

Photographer & Styling: Shan Fisher Models: Beckii Cruel Makeup Artist: Heather Maddrell Hairstylist: Emma MacDonald Salon - Nellie Georgieva Asst - David Fisher & Craig Bell Clothing & Sweets: The Mill Shop Cakes: Allison Ratcliffe - manxcakemaker.com Vintage Furniture: Jayne Kelly - Florence & Rose Location: Tynwald National Park & Arboretum 7

TRAVEL

TRAVEL

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41 Beckii in Wonderland

50 Marie Antoinette Isle of Man Entrepreneurs

Isle of Man Entrepreneurs

What is the biggest case the team has dealt with?

Charles: Alan has dealt with some large asset tracing cases, some

involving hundreds of millions of dollars and being global in nature.

Are high value civil trials difficult to handle?

Charles: All trials are difficult in their own way. They all need a vast

amount of preparation. The client only has one chance to put their case forward, so you have to get it right first time around and be ready for anything.

Do things ever go wrong at trial?

Charles: Trials never go according to the game plan. Witnesses don’t turn up, evidence and points come up that weren’t expected. It isn’t like TV; you have to be adaptable and ready to change the game plan anytime. That’s what makes it interesting.

How have things changed over the last 5 years?

Charles: There are more lawyers than there used to be. When I

qualified near enough 10 years ago, there were less than 100 qualified advocates on the Isle of Man. When Alan qualified, he was the 24th practising advocate. Now there are over 200 advocates. Having said that, there are very few that do court work of the sort of value and quality that we do. There will always be a need for good trial lawyers.

FIVE STAR LUXURY - HALF AN HOUR FROM HEYSHAM

BUSINESS

Our room boasted locally sourced luxury toiletries, sumptuous pillow top mattresses, wi-fi, champagne and a bath in which it’s big enough to loose someone in. Despite the temptation to relax, a peek outside into the cobbled street soon persuaded us to explore, so the champagne remained on ice.

About The business:

Specialising in high value and complex international matters, the firm is led by directors Alan Gough, Charles Coleman and Helen Gough.

Chic country wear boutiques, interior design showrooms, antiques, wine bars, super feminine gift shops and cosy pubs provide the feel-good factor to Kirkby Lonsdale, not to mention the selection of tea rooms & bakeries. An abundance of dining choices at Avanti, The Royal and Plato’s restaurants provide the robust culinary competition for The Sun, but their seasonally sourced menu is hard to beat. Exceptional breakfasts can be tailored to your every requirement; the home made granola and award winning sausages from neighbouring Dales Butchers are examples of The Sun’s attention to every detail.

Nothing was too much trouble during our stay at The Sun. Even our soggy dogs were provided with fresh towels after a bracing walk on Barbon Fell. The warm welcome and market town contrast to an Island environment yet so close to Heysham make this a perfect stopping off point either to or from Douglas.

CONTACT THE SUN: EMAIL@SUN-INN.INFO 015242 71965

Kirkby Lonsdale is a perfect English market town in miniature,

CHURCHMOUSE HOUSE INFO@CHURCHMOUSECHEESES.COM 015242 72896

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BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

You are a small firm. Is that deliberate?

Alan: Yes, we are specialists and trade on our reputation. Clients still manage to find us.

How does Isle of Man law differ to UK law?

With 36 years of practice behind him, Alan is widely regarded as the Isle of Man’s “go to” lawyer when matters really become difficult. He has acted in many of the Island’s most significant international and domestic cases. He is more than just a “safe pair of hands”.

Charles: The law in the Isle of Man is very similar to the way it is practised in

Charles Coleman is rapidly becoming one of the heavyweights of the trial bar following a string of recent successes. Noted for his cross-examination skills and courtroom advocacy, Charles is known for taking on difficult characters and achieving results for his clients, especially in complex financial and corporate cases.

How did you get into the law?

Helen Gough is a newly qualified advocate who provides litigation support services to Alan and Charles.

Do you specialise?

As a team, they offer a litigation service that is second to none on the Island, often acting for clients expected to instruct larger firms.

Alan: Yes, we are a litigation firm, we specialise in high-value corporate and chancery cases and also some criminal law. We can turn our hands to anything, but corporate and chancery work is our specialty. If it goes to court, we can do it.

England and Wales, but they have Judges, we have Deemsters and the court of appeal is called The Court of Appeal there, it is called The Staff of Government Division here. Procedurally, there are differences, some substantive differences, but not many.

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54 The Sun Inn

ISLE OF MAN STYLE MAGAZINE

It’s sad now to walk around Versailles, and see those delicately hued rooms now crowded with tourists, where once the air was filled with the scents of the most beautiful garden imaginable.

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BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Without marshals in all the right places, There’ll be not one sprint for the aces.

What’s it like to conduct a trial? Do you feel the pressure?

But when we’re out on the course,

Charles: Not really. If you feel the pressure, you probably shouldn’t be

Where do you see the firm going in the future?

IOMTTMA

Words | Bill Carden

A MOST DAUNTING ASSIGNMENT

Alan: Our core business is and has always been High Court and Chancery litigation. Keeping the firm small means that we can pick and choose our cases and ensure that client service levels are kept high and cases get the advocate and the time they deserve. We don’t put a “team” of newly qualified people on our cases. If we grew too much then there would come a point when we will have to chase the work. At the moment, work chases us.

Anyone who has journeyed around the Isle of Man will not have failed to have used the circular route from Douglas to Ramsey in the north travelling in a clockwise direction; roads that many of the local residents and commuters use every day. It is a route that takes you past the Islands capital heading south and at the Quaterbridge public house turns right and heads out towards Peel in the west. At Ballacraine corner it changes direction again turning right and heads north towards Kirk Michael and Ramsey.

This route meanders through small rural hamlets, villages and open countryside, deep glens and open moorland and as it leaves Ramsey the route turns once again and heads south; climbing past Mount Snaefell to close on 1,400 feet and then dropping back to sea level as the course brings you back to Douglas. In all a picturesque route around a beautiful island with the most diverse terrain you will find anywhere.

LITIgATION SpEcIALISTS

The road in question is obviously the TT Course and the description is one lap of the course as it would be during a race. It is generally a scenic country road most of the time but becomes a somewhat awesome challenge when closed for racing during the TT & MGP road races. At this point it ceases to be a public road for commuters, residents, all traffic and pedestrians and it becomes a 37.73 mile race course where the tough diverse terrain becomes a major testing ground for the most intrepid rider and the most resilient pieces of motorcycle machinery, putting their skills and endurance to the test.

gough Law has been created out of the very successful litigation department of what was gough Advocates. The new company will be unique in the Isle of Man in that we will be the only practice offering solely litigation and advocacy services. Many other practices seek to be all things to all men! We will do what we do best – argue cases in courts and Tribunals.

Closing a normal public road nearly 40 miles long and turning it into a race course is in itself a major feat to accomplish; consider all that has to be in place before any practice or race can start.

than happy about how things have turned out. I studied marine biology at university.

• Prior to the event the hundreds of property owners living on the course are contacted so the occupiers are all aware

4th Floor Anglo International House Bank Hill Douglas Isle of Man IM14LN t: +44 (0) 1624 629100 | e: enquiries@goughlaw.im | www.goughlaw.im

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BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

The Queen loved to douse herself with eau de fleur d’oranger (orange blossom water); simple violet, rose and jonquil scents or more complex perfumes made with vanilla, musk, lavender, iris, jasmine and lily or lemon, cinnamon, angelica, cloves and coriander. It seems that everywhere she went. She wanted to be surrounded by gorgeous smells.

HARDWARE

there.

Charles: By accident, I never intended to become a lawyer, but now I am more

ISLE OF MAN STYLE MAGAZINE

There was a definite emphasis on the senses – Versailles at this time was absolutely foul smelling and the courtiers did everything they could to keep the smell at bay. Marie Antoinette’s rooms were scented with a profusion of fresh flowers, melted pastilles, pot pourri, oils and perfumed sachets. She particularly loved the fresh scents of orange blossom, lemon, rose, lavender and violet and her rooms would have smelled heady and sweet as you entered them.

The TT & MGP Marshals No Marshals No Races

THE ISLE OF MAN’S

GOUGH LAW

The Queen’s preference was for light fabrics and pale, pastel colours such as a soft lemon yellow, dove grey, pale

Before she applied her make up, she would carefully cleanse her skin with Eau Cosmetique de Pigeon, followed by Eau des Charmes astringent and then Eau d’Ange, a gentle whitener. After this white paint was carefully applied to her face, followed by a dusting of scented powder then khol around her eyes and a touch of rouge to her cheeks. Sticks of pomade scented with rose, carnation or vanilla

were used to gloss her lips, eyebrows and eyelashes.

HARDWARE

Words | Anne Moorhouse

GOUGH LAW is a specialist firm of litigation advocates, offering advice and assistance in the conduct of contentious legal disputes.

Marie Antoinette would change three times in the course of the day: first of all there would be a formal silk or velvet gown to be worn to Mass, followed by a lighter, more informal muslin, lawn or cotton dress for the rest of the day and then finally a gorgeously elaborate evening dress to be worn to dinner, concerts or balls.

Marie Antoinette took as much care of her person as she did her clothes and her beauty regime was extensive. At night she would sleep wearing gloves lined with wax, rose water and sweet almond oil and she treated her hair with a wash of saffron, turmeric, sandalwood and rhubarb in order to accentuate that strawberry blondness.

Alan: In some ways, when I started practicing matters progressed much more slowly. Letters went by post and took days to be turned around, now everything happens by e-mail and letters are turned around the same day. Technology has assisted us greatly, storing documents as scanned images on a central server means I can view them from wherever I am in the world. All of this helps us provide the service that top-quality clients expect. Some things have remained the same though. At the end of the day, if a matter goes to court you are still relying on talent and the advocacy skills of the man on his feet in the courtroom to put your case forward for you. We specialise in litigation, because those are the skills that we have.

You have been practicing for 36 years; you must have seen big changes during that time?

more outward looking and cosmopolitan than its Lake District contemporaries. Lake Windermere and Settle Station (for the SettleCarlisle Railway) are thirty minutes away in different directions from Kirkby Lonsdale which is on the edge of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria. It is perfectly placed for visiting the Dales, Lake District and Forest of Bowland. A short walk from the sweeping Ruskin’s View through the churchyard and cobbled streets bursting with character, takes you to scores of independent retailers such as award winning Church Mouse Cheeses. John & Jules’ cheese emporium complete with home made tapas and wine tasting on a Friday evening, was our base for the second half of our stay. Over the cobbles from The Sun Inn to Churchmouse House the stylish self catering accommodation is perfect for families, walkers and weekenders and can accommodate up to seven people.

Once worn, favourite dresses were kept and carefully looked after so that they never looked anything less than brand new but others were given away to her ladies in waiting.

green and lilac. Again, Madame Bertin was inventive, taking an almost poetic pleasure in thinking up names for different shades – ‘Incendie de l’Opera’ was a vivid orange red; ‘Cheveux de la Reine’ a soft gold inspired by her hair colour and, most poetically, ‘Caca Dauphin’ was a pale brown.

This quickly mounted up when you were ordering dozens at a time along with shoes, perfumed fans, feathers and extravagant hair decorations.

Dress - Ted Baker Light Techno Dress £179

BUSINESS

Strictly speaking, Marie Antoinette’s wardrobe purchases were supposed to be restricted to orders of thirty six dresses for the summer and thirty six for the winter, but the Queen adored fashion and so ordered far more. According to etiquette she was only supposed to wear dresses once and had to change three times a day, so clearly, seventy-two dresses a year wasn’t going to cut much of a dash at Versailles.

At some point along the line, etiquette had decreed that eighteen pairs of pastel coloured gloves scented with violet, hyacinth or carnation and four new pairs of shoes had to be ordered for her on a weekly basis. Her weakness for the designs of Rose Bertin was also a problem, as each of her gorgeous dresses cost around 1,000 Livres, sometimes even 6,000 Livres each.

She had an unerring, exquisite taste; the beautiful objects owned and worn by Marie Antoinette still exert a tremendous fascination today. Sadly, the ravages of the Revolution resulted in the destruction of Marie Antoinette’s fabulous wardrobe and much of her belongings being looted, sold abroad or lost forever, but enough remains

‘Nothing was too much trouble during our stay at The Sun. Even our soggy dogs were provided with fresh towels after a bracing walk on Barbon Fell.

The warm welcome and market town contrast to an Island environment yet so close to Heysham make this a perfect stopping off point either to or from Douglas.’

Fears that an old watering-hole would be a salutatory reminder of a misspent youth evaporated in the refurbished bar which included chocolate Labrador stretching in front of one of the two roaring log fires. A welcoming fusion of old and new, the traditional bar extends into the contemporary restaurant and four of the eleven distinctive bedrooms accommodate dogs who can chill out with you in the bar downstairs. The novelty of a dog friendly hotel delighted dogs and boys alike who chased upstairs to discover their shared rooms.

Marie Antoinette was given a fixed allowance of 120,000 Livres a year for clothes and accessories, a vast sum that was somehow never quite enough (she spent 258,000 Livres in one year).

Ironic then that Marie Antoinette’s own tastes inclined towards the discreet and modest. To the ordinary people, she was a haughty, spoiled, pampered creature who delighted in extravagance and ceremony, whereas those who were closest to her, knew that on the contrary she preferred simplicity and a total lack of pomp and fuss.

However, as getting out of bed early benefits no-one but myself, and even that’s in doubt, I may just remain a glutton for lie-ins.

The Good Fight

Revisiting an old destination is always a gamble, but returning to The Sun Inn, Kirkby Lonsdale complete with boys and dogs, was one that paid off. At first glance The Sun is unique. The upper storeys are held in place by three stone pillars and is set amongst buildings dating back to the fourteenth century. This singularity continues inside under the ownership of Mark and Lucy Fuller who have fully refurbished the inn to five star standard earning revues from The Guardian and entry in the Good Hotel Guide.

Marie Antoinette’s clothes collection was vast, three rooms were put aside at Versailles to store it. The rooms were open to public so it was possible to visit the Queen’s clothes, just as you could go and watch her have dinner or walk past on her way to Mass in the morning, I suspect that for the fashion mad ladies of Versailles, a trip to the Queen’s wardrobe was viewed with as much reverence, if not more, as seeing her in person.

At the end of her life, Marie Antoinette’s cosmetics were reduced to a tarnished mirror, a swansdown puff with some powder and a vial of scented water.

You might even say that without selfchallenge, we don’t experience the full gamut of human emotions - never stray beyond our middle register - which is why explorers’ tales of hardship, peril and victory against the odds have enthralled through the ages. Quite apart from the personal rewards of self-challenge, there’s the potential of an inspiring or beneficial legacy. What sort of world would it be if no-one ventured beyond their comfort zone or the supposed limits of their endurance?

There’d be no Sistine ceiling, no Bell Rock lighthouse, no footprints at the North or South Poles.

But outwardly grim challenges can be deceptive. As any skydiver will know (and any sea swimmer, come to that), the adrenaline rush unleashed by conquering gut fear and faintheartedness is sensational; a snatching of life from the jaws of death.

And then, as the old chestnut goes, nothing worth having comes easily. For some people, the greatest pleasure comes through struggle rather than sybaritism, and the larger the obstacles blocking their path to the prize, the more profound the joy in smashing through them.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

for us to have a very good idea of the luxury that she liked to surround herself with.

Marie Antoinette was the beautiful Queen of France who became a symbol for the wanton extravagance of the 18th century monarchy, and was stripped of her riches and finery, imprisoned and beheaded by her own subjects during the French Revolution that began in 1789.

“WHY THE WORLD NEEDS GLUTTONS FOR PUNISHMENT” It’s not like this for everyone: I know, because I’ve met them, that there are people who spring up in the morning like toast, crisp and ready to go. People who, and I shudder involuntarily as I write this, actually enjoy jaunting around at five minutes past dawn. The world is made up of larks and night owls, and you can no more be both than you can sign up for the Sharks and the Jets at the same time.

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Words | Madame Guillotine

8

of what happens and what is required during road closure.

• A course contractor installs the course furniture including some 2,500 straw bales, 750 units of Recticel [air fence], hundreds of prohibited and restricted area signs as well as many strategically placed large round bales used as protection and various other protective structures.

• At many of the marshalling locations around the 37.73 miles there are storage shelters or wooden locker boxes which house the marshalling equipment. These shelters or boxes are delivered to their required location before the start of TT and left in place until after the MGP has finished. Most of the mountain section marshalling locations are equipped with permanent purpose built shelters.

• Prior to the start of the TT, a local scaffolding company erects a large number of platforms on hedges, breaks in walls and various other seemingly odd places all around the course. These platforms afford good visibility to the marshals whilst keeping them out of the line of fire; many of these scaffold structures are used by the marshals’ with flags who man the course and need to be seen clearly by oncoming riders.

Alongside the course furniture placement are the ropes and barriers; found at hundreds of road junctions and access ways all around the course; much of this equipment is put in place by marshals and security companies.

• There are medical teams stationed around the course, Hogg Motorsport, St John Ambulance and Red Cross deal with some of the first aid along with many of the race marshals.

• The Rob Vine Fund provides the finance for the medical equipment at all marshalling locations; the average cost of an Immediate Care Case and a Scoop

Stretcher is around £1,000 per location and there are around 110 of these kits around the course.

• The Rob Vine Fund is Registered Charity No 954 [Isle of Man] and incorporates Motorsport Medical Services and the Hogg Motorsport Association.

They oversee all the medical support throughout the event including recruiting the doctors and paramedics who are on duty around the course and assigned to the 2 rescue helicopters • Backing up the medical services are two medically equipped AIRMED helicopters; fully crewed and on stand-by to attend course incidents. They are based at two strategic locations around the course.

• There are 9 motorcycle mounted travelling marshals, also specifically stationed around the course. These are ex TT and MGP riders who act as additional marshals and can travel to the scene of an incident, even during a race and assist with any emergency and deal with all AIRMED helicopter landings. They are all fully trained in first aid and carry extra emergency equipment.

• Communications are also obviously very important for all the officials around the course; TETRA radios are used to keep everyone informed. TETRA is the same system used by all the emergency services and enables every radio operator to speak with anyone on the course. There are currently somewhere in the order of 300 of these radios out on the course.

• There is also a course maintenance team, who check the suitability of the course throughout the year and monitor it during the periods of practice and racing. Any defects or hazards that are discovered, or reported from day to day, will be dealt with by the course maintenance team.

ISLE OF MAN STYLE MAGAZINE

• The government department [DOI] carry out all maintenance to the course and provide the marshalling course equipment. This includes delivery of scores of barriers and ropes, course brushes, shovels and oil absorbent material. They also paint several miles of black and white kerb edges around the entire course every year. During TT they are responsible for the one way system in place on the mountain section of the course; a problematic job in itself.

• Race Control is another team of volunteers who are vital to the event, they man the control tower and oversee the running of the races and manage the whole event. It is through Race Control that all radio traffic flows for reporting and seeking assistance.

Just for the statisticians among us here are a few more facts related to the course setup: There are a little under 1,200 race flags distributed around the course.

There are 187 fire extinguishers at specific marshalling locations.

There are 347 tubs of oil absorbing material.

There are 226 brushes and 207 shovels.

There are 41 portable toilets in specific locations.

Putting this into perspective, all of the previously mentioned undertakings and equipment needs to be in place before any practice or race can take place.

When you consider the road closes at 6.00 pm for an evening practice and is generally ready for racing in about 20 minutes; that is quite an achievement.

As you can see there are many concerns that annually face the organisers and promoters of the events [TT & MGP] not least is how to achieve and manage the hundreds of volunteers and service providers needed to make sure the festival and races go ahead. It is a job that takes many people many hours throughout the year, working in numerous departments and groups, individually ensuring their specific part of the scheme of things is calculated to safeguard the smooth running of the event.

One of these groups is the TT Marshals Association [IOMTTMA Ltd]; not mentioned above, they are annually faced with a most daunting assignment. They are tasked with recruiting and training volunteers for the purposes of marshalling the races and the assignment is indeed a daunting one. For racing purposes, the course is divided into 12 sectors and each sector divided into numerous marshalling locations, there are somewhere in the region of 259 locations needing to be manned by marshals. It is therefore easy to see that a considerable number of volunteers would be needed to adequately marshal the course. Currently over 500 marshals, as a minimum, are needed for every practice or race and all these volunteers must be in all the specific marshalling locations before any practice or racing can take place. To ensure there are enough marshals for the event the association twice annually contacts all the volunteers on their data base, some 7,000 of them, to ask for their services as marshals; in recent years a figure of some 1,700 marshals have signed on during the TT & MGP races.

There are obviously more people working tirelessly in the background to make these events a success, it is always a problem when writing an article such as this that certain groups and individuals are missed; this is not intentional. Credit should go to all those who give up their time and most cover their own expenses doing their part.

The Manx Government and to a great degree the Manx people, also deserve acknowledgment for supporting and financing the festival and races.

Please support the races here in the Isle of Man; there is nothing else anywhere in the world like them. Additional volunteers are always welcome at every TT Festival and never more so than during the Manx Grand Prix later in the year; the MGP usually experiences less visiting marshals to help meet the manning levels. There are also fewer doctors and paramedics available for the MGP; could you help?

behind the wall hedge and gorse, Then we’ll get on with the races.

500 plus needed, before it can start, the least required before bikes can depart.

So join the legendary marshalling crew, bond with the races, like tangerine glue and support the event from the heart.

There’s marshalling duties plenty to do, and definitely a task there ideal for you.

A radio to use or a flag you could wave, by the side of the course, if you feel brave, and even a job if you’re new.

So if marshalling you feel an attraction, where you get very close to the action.

To the marshals’ office, go along, where you fill a form and sign on, and let the races become your distraction.

You may feel a desire to take part and volunteer in some way, maybe as a marshal or a member of the medical team but are unsure how to do so or what to expect; please contact the following.

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN MARSHALLING THE RACES please contact info@iomttma.com FOR ANY MEDICAL PERSONNEL please contact Dr David B. Stevens MBE dbs@mms.org.im

© Bill Carden 2012.

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BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

104 TT Marshals

Gough Law

contents Intro The Good Fight Eat That Glutton facts Alpha Consumers

06 08 09 10

Events Sport & Dinning Event Ernst Eisenmayer Exhibition Camra Real Ale Festival Manx Dinning.im Junior Achievement Wizards Tower House Fashion Show

12 12 13 13 14 14

Upfront Things to do Horoscopes Community News in Numbers Me & My Pet Culture Artist of the Month The Seven Deadly Sins Literary Glutton Upload Tractors to Trammers Lorna Byrne

4

16 17 18 20 22

24 26 27 28 29 32

Fashion Bang on Trend Beyond Brooke Beckii in Wonderland Beckii Cruel Interview Marie Antoinette Ask the Expert

36 38 41 48 50 52

Travel The Sun Inn Kirkby Lonsdale Norway

54 56

Appetite Asparagus Readers Recipe Cakes of the World Queenie Festival The Restaurant Reviewer

60 61 62 64 67

Business Entrepreneur On the Sofa - Gough Law Business News On Net, on the move Parish Walk Corporate Challenge Manx Business Entrepreneur On the Sofa - Greenlight TV Manx Telecom Intelligent Cloud Movers & Shakers

70 72 74 76 78 80 81 82

Hardware Phone Home Gallery Gadgets TT Marshals TT Rider Profiles Guy Martin TT Rider Profiles Dave Molyneux TT Rider Profiles Conor Cummins TT Rider Profiles Ian Hutchinson TT Rider Profiles Billy Smith

86 88 90 92 94 95 96 97

Music Saffron Music Artful Emperor Simon Campbell Jinner Wisdom

100 103 104 106

Paparazzi Tesco Easter Party Mandy Moo 40th Birthday The Outback Bar George Colours The Courthouse Artisan The Crescent

107 107 108 109 109 110 111 111

Boardom

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Isle of Man style magazine

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intro

The Good fight

6

Isle of Man style magazine

intro

Words |Liz Corlett

I’m fairly confident that if I were to start getting up at 6am every day, I could conquer the world. But I’ve been saying this for quite some time now, and I stopped believing my own bunk a while back. I just can’t do it. Every day, after wearing out the snooze button, I drag myself out of bed with nothing less than howling anguish, as though reliving my own birth trauma. Every day is like Monday.

“why the world needs gluttons for punishment” It’s not like this for everyone: I know, because I’ve met them, that there are people who spring up in the morning like toast, crisp and ready to go. People who, and I shudder involuntarily as I write this, actually enjoy jaunting around at five minutes past dawn. The world is made up of larks and night owls, and you can no more be both than you can sign up for the Sharks and the Jets at the same time.

All of this is simply a long-winded way of saying that one man’s punishment is another’s pleasure. And before you begin to worry where this is heading, what interests me is why we tend to be judgmental of choices and pursuits we don’t share ourselves. I’m thinking specifically of those which require hard graft, self-discipline and sacrifice. Endurance sports, for instance, or writing a novel (or even simply reading a difficult one). For every person who lauds such endeavours, there’ll be another tutting from the sidelines, muttering something about the grafter being ‘a glutton for punishment’.

Are people wary of these ‘gluttons’ because the self-isolation required for achievement somehow smacks of turning one’s back on the tribe? Or is it a more basic truth: that they make us feel bad about our own underwhelming Life CV? As a hopeless lotus-eater, I know what it feels like to be daunted by the obscenely fit go-getters of

because quality matters

this world, the sort of people who have the legend ‘One Life. Live It’ printed on the spare tyre cover on their Jeep. The hi-jinks of Ironmen, mountaineers and ultramarathon runners remind me of the sort of punishments the ancient gods meted out to transgressive mortals, usually involving never-ending pain and fruitless labour.

On the flip side, as a veteran sea swimmer, I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of almost hostile incredulity. I’ve lost count of the number of times my mental health has been called into question, usually in such non-PC terms that even Ricky Gervais would blush (‘nutjob’ and ‘mentalist’ being two of the choicest). At times like this, some sort of Physics law comes into play: the less likely someone is to take up your hobby, the more likely they are to prick it with a pin.

You might even say that without selfchallenge, we don’t experience the full gamut of human emotions - never stray beyond our middle register - which is why explorers’ tales of hardship, peril and victory against the odds have enthralled through the ages. Quite apart from the personal rewards of self-challenge, there’s the potential of an inspiring or beneficial legacy. What sort of world would it be if no-one ventured beyond their comfort zone or the supposed limits of their endurance?

There’d be no Sistine ceiling, no Bell Rock lighthouse, no footprints at the North or South Poles.

However, as getting out of bed early benefits no-one but myself, and even that’s in doubt, I may just remain a glutton for lie-ins.

But outwardly grim challenges can be deceptive. As any skydiver will know (and any sea swimmer, come to that), the adrenaline rush unleashed by conquering gut fear and faintheartedness is sensational; a snatching of life from the jaws of death.

And then, as the old chestnut goes, nothing worth having comes easily. For some people, the greatest pleasure comes through struggle rather than sybaritism, and the larger the obstacles blocking their path to the prize, the more profound the joy in smashing through them.

7

intro

EAT THAT ROSIE HILL

It’s eggy genocide, chaps, I tell you!

SO YOU’VE ALL FOUND YOURSELF IN THE WEIRD PART OF YOUTUBE AT SOME STAGE (DON’T LIE), AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHERE I FOUND MYSELF RECENTLY. I was watching a video of someone eating 32 eggs in a minute, and then another of some guys who have made things like a 100,000 calorie burger and a 217,000 calorie ‘bacon tree’. But why is this competition eating,/speed eating/general over eating considered acceptable or just a ‘bit of fun’ by so many people (*cough* Americans *cough*)?

Surely it’s crazy how we’re trying to tell the next generation how important having a healthy diet is, but at the same time broadcasting contests on hugely popular channels such as ESPN and Fox of people stretching their stomachs full of hot dogs to the point of bleeding internally - all for some money?! Gluttony on two levels! And people wonder why the USA fails to provide free health care... Although, is it not equally disturbing that we find enjoyment in watching people shove food inside of themselves? After all, if we (and I use the term ‘we’ loosely) didn’t find this entertaining it wouldn’t be such a popular culture to start with, as competition organisers wouldn’t gain nearly as much money. Maybe we only have ourselves to blame.

Most people would jump at the chance to eat as their way of earning a living, me included, but I really struggle to get my head around people competition eating as their career and therefore having strong chances of ending up with gastroparesis or stomach ulcers, rather than just working their way up

8

the career ladder the normal way. Maybe professional speed eaters have aspired since they were a kid to get to where they are. By the by, I don’t think the wise words ‘make the most of your talents’ when it comes to earning a living particularly applies here, unless you want the blame for their consequently soaring cholesterol levels.

On one side of the planet you have 600 hot dogs being made for a single competition - less than half actually being eaten - all in the name of sport (yes, apparently it’s a sport), and on another continent you have 200 million people starving to death. Is there not something a bit wrong here?

I don’t mean to sound stereotypical, but I’m afraid it’s simply the truth that America is the land of the competition eating (with the Japanese closely following suit). The culture started in 1916 by US immigrants who would down hotdogs to prove their patriotism.

I personally can think of easier ways to show off my American side, like waving the stars and stripes flag or singing the national anthem but hey-ho.

Here are some of the best (best being most disgusting) records - all of which are held by Americans or Japanese:

- Takeru Kobayashi ate 15 cow brains in 15 minutes.

- Eric Booker ate 49 glazed doughnuts in 8 minutes - Joey Chestnut ate 68 Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs in buns in 10 minutes.

I can’t imagine any charities that aim to help the lack of food situation in Africa condoning competition eating.

On one side of the planet you have 600 hot dogs being made for a single competition - less than half actually being eaten - all in the name of sport (yes, apparently it’s a sport), and on another continent you have 200 million people starving to death. Is there not something a bit wrong here?

On another note, as the sport of eating has become more competitive, something a tad ironic has happened.

Competitors just aren’t fat anymore.

Logically, they simply can’t eat as fast or as much as normal-sized people, due to their appalling fitness and metabolic rate. I’m thinking not even being able to win at eating (their speciality) has to be an obese overeater’s biggest and most effective wake up call.

I realise I haven’t exactly outlined any of the pros in favour of competition eating, but to be honest there’s not much fun in a balanced argument.

So just a bit of food for thought really... and, er would you like fries with that?

- Don Lerman ate over 3 packets of salted butter in 5 minutes.

Isle of Man style magazine

intro

GLUTTONY FACTS FATTEST PERSON

THE WORST FOOD IS PIES!!

London is home to the world’s fattest man; 58 stone Keith Martin.

FATTEST NATION United States of America, with 30% of the population being classified as obese.

THE SWISS AND FRENCH are the biggest caviar consumers.

RICHEST MAN

MOST EXPENSIVE CHAMPAGNE

Carlos Slim Helu, worth $69 Billion dollars aged 72.

Shipwrecked 1907 Heidsieck: $275,000!

IN THE WORLD OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS Hosting a party takes on new meaning, especially when the budget is six figures or more to spend on a one-day celebration.

Some of the highest profile celebrities think nothing of investing on a single event an amount that far exceeds!

Lindsay Lohan’s 20th Birthday cost $100,000 for a dinner for 3 people!!! Paris Hilton’s 21st party cost $75,000 per guest and for Naomi Campbell’s 36th birthday she spent a shocking $1.8 million for the occasion!!

THE GREATEST PRICE PAID

is $17,275,000 million (£12,000,000) for the vintage 1963 Ferrari 250 GT, sold to Chris Evans on 14 May 2010.

Pies generally contain at least half of your daily calorie intake.

WORLDS GREEDIEST

ANIMAL

MOST EXPENSIVE HOTEL ROOM

The larva of the polyphemus moth (Antheraeapolyphemus) of North America consumes an amount equal to 86,000 times its own birthweight in the first 56 days of its life. In human terms, this would be equivalent to a 3.17 kg (7 lb) baby eating 273 tons of food.

$65,000 per night, Royal Penthouse Suite, Hotel President Wilson, Geneva.

THE MOST WASTEFUL COUNTRY

in the world is the United States with 760kgs per person per year, followed by Australia at 690kgs, Denmark at 660kgs and Switzerland at 650kgs. The United Kingdom came in at joint 8th position with 560kg per person per year.

because quality matters

9

INTRO

ALPHA CONSUMERS LOUISE BRALSFORD

Last month Daily Mail Online - don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it - reported: ‘Supersize mum who dreams of becoming the world’s fattest woman reveals she’s marrying a CHEF.’ A 33-year old woman from Arizona had met a lovely chap over the internet and they hoped to achieve her ultimate goal of 115 stone. Romance indeed.

Often we hear about teenage girls eating next to nothing to shrink themselves down to unhealthy proportions. While Feederism and its variants are not exactly state secrets, it’s difficult to understand the sense of achievement someone can gain from reaching the kind of target weight one would associate more with Jabba the Hutt than Cheryl Cole.

Challenges based around food and drink are hardly few and far between. Back in the day, whenever doughnuts were served at school we all tried to finish them without licking our lips to get the sugar off. Other favourites include the Mars bar challenge (5 in one sitting) and the Cream Cracker Contest (how many in 30 seconds - no water allowed). Then you enter the realms of teenagedom and it’s all about how many Jägerbombs you can handle. It is rare to turn on the television these days and not to be able to locate old episodes of Come Dine With Me. A recent discovery of yours truly is Man v. Food - a documentary about an American called Adam Richman who travels to different eateries, pushing his digestive tract to the limit. Richman’s quest to win against food as an enemy is entertaining enough. However, for some real food-based battles you need to get on t’internet and YouTube some competitive eating.

Competitive eating is a (dubious) sport.

As to the contest itself, the clue is in the title - competitors have to eat one hell of a lot in a limited time frame. The kinds of status afforded by excessive eating is not a novelty confined to our times. The Romans felt that it was so important to eat their bodyweight’s worth of food during luxurious banquets that they threw up at regular intervals in order to maximise their intestinal capacity and ensure that they

10

could sample every morsel placed before them. Please note that these tactics are not recommended or condoned for any lucky individuals to be facing the challenge of the Bohemia Tasting Menu. Flash forward to the 17th century, and Rubens’ artwork shows a contemporary appreciation for women with something to hang on to. But with competitive eating it’s not such a casual or enjoyable or artwork-inspiring experience.

Usually the individual contest will last about 15 minutes, and in the professional circuits, prize money can go as high as $10,000 and beyond. Obviously not as impressive as the cult-like status many attain as a result of Jägerbomb-related victories.

But still. The most popular countries for competitive eating are the US and Japan, and the ‘sport’ now comprises events which are quite different from their humble origins of pie-eating contests at a local county fair. The fact that there is a sizeable community who take this seriously is evidenced by the nicknames given to the champion chompers: Arnie ‘Chowhound’ Chapman, ‘Munchin’ Mike Longo, Ian ‘The Invader’ Hickman, Todd ‘The Hungry Genius’ Greenwald, Joey ‘Jaws’ Chestnut (currently ranked numero uno by the IFOCE) and Takeru ‘The Tsunami’ Kobayashi, to name but a few.

Surprisingly, not all of these prizewinning eaters are fatty-boom-booms. No, honestly.

Take Natsuko ‘Gal’ Sone, the Gobbler of Kyoto (not her actual nickname, but one she should perhaps consider) and member of catchily-titled girl group Gyaruru.

‘Gal’ combines her competitive eating and singing careers by cramming in sushi during instrumental interludes. Somehow I can’t imagine the likes of Beyonce (prebaby obvs) taking the opportunity of an

instrumental break to do anything apart from show us that she doesn’t think we’re ready for this jelly. But back to ‘Gal’. She’s a skinny minnie but still managed to come runner up in the world-famous Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, a fiercely fought competition which takes place every 4 July at Coney Island.

While obviously a great source (or sauce?) of delight to many, eating contests predictably have their problems. Only last September, an Ukrainian man was victorious in a dumpling eating contest, won a jar of sour cream, but promptly died before he had a chance to sample it. The following month, emergency services in Edinburgh were summoned to a restaurant when contestants in a curry-eating challenge started vomiting and fainting after sampling a dish which in the past had caused nose bleeds and hospitalisation. And there can be all sorts of side effects - not only the obvious obesity and high blood pressure but also water intoxication - which sounds like a contradiction in terms - and gastroparesis.

And also, doesn’t it seem a bit wrong for people to be having all these eating competitions when there are lots of people in the world with barely enough food to get by?

Food is one of those things pretty much everyone has an opinion on. There are cake cravers and there are carrot crunchers, there are those who prefer pizza and others who survive on salad. As a general rule, a balanced diet with a little of everything is a good one to aim for. But one thing’s for sure: in this weird and wonderful world, people’s attitudes to food (attifood maybe? No, don’t think that’ll catch on...) never cease to amaze.

Or in some cases, simply repulse.

ISLE OF MAN STYLE MAGAZINE

EVENTS

events

Sporting & Dinning Club Event “Question of sport” The Palace Hotel Douglas

This year’s Sixth Form Ball was held at The The Sporting & Dining Club’s “Question of Sport” event in March, sponsored by PwC, raised a total of £2814.00 for two charities -

£1407.00 each for Isle of Man Sport Aid and The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer.

Twenty-two teams of 10, named after the teams participating in the Euro 2012

Championships, met at the Palace Hotel & Casino on 8th March. A great night was had by all.

Ernst Eisenmayer Art beyond exile exhibition The Sayle Gallery Douglas

The opening of the Sayle Gallery’s exhibition, Ernst Eisenmayer: Art Beyond Exile on 5 April attracted a glittering array of the Island’s political and artistic establishment including the Lieutenant Governor and his wife, the

Mayor of Douglas and members of Tynwald and the Arts Council, as well the exhibition’s sponsors, Sayle Gallery Artists and Friends.

Exhibition Curator, Professor Fran Lloyd spoke enthusiastically about the Vienna-based

artist and Eisenmayer’s daughter, Jan Daws, shared her father’s humorous account of his internment in the Island.

Get paparazzi at your events paparazzi@gallery.co.im 12

Isle of Man style magazine

events

Camra Real ALe festival Douglas

Over 1,500 people attended the CAMRA Real Ale Festival. Over 4,500 pints were drunk – and they ran out of beer!

His Excellency Lieutenant Governor Mr Adam Wood officially poured the first pint of Bushy’s Golden Ale. In addition to 62 different beers, there were 15 real ciders and perries.

During the three days, over 4,500 pints of beer and 800 pints of cider and perry were drunk. They had completely sold out by early Saturday evening.

Manxdinning.im Celebrates Launch Isle of Man business Centre Douglas

New local start-up ManxDining.im celebrated the launch of its dynamic new service at a preview event on Monday 16th April.

The web service developed by ManxDining.im aims to make it easy for people to choose and

book restaurants and order takeaways online, as well as bring greater visibility and access for local restaurateurs.

fantastic feedback about the platform with over 20 restaurants and takeaways signing up pre-launch including L’Experience, The Mailbox, Portofino and JAR Restaurant..

The fledgling business has already received

Get paparazzi at your events paparazzi@gallery.co.im because quality matters

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events

Junior Achievement conjures up wizard weekend King Williams College Castletown

Pottermania broke out in the Island when King William’s College was transformed into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the weekend.

a fundraiser organised by Junior Achievement Isle of Man, attracting hundreds of wannabe wizards and witches who arrived by ‘Hogwarts Express’ from Douglas to attend classes ranging from potion-making to divination.

*Warner Bros. Entertainment and J.K. Rowling were not responsible for the event but kindly granted Junior Achievement Isle of Man permission to use the HARRY POTTER® trade mark and other materials.

The two-day Harry Potter-themed* event was

fashion show - Fun & fundraising Tower House Douglas

A fashion show with clothes by M&Co was held at Tower House in Douglas on Monday 2nd April. The show was in aid of local charities dealing with vulnerable children.

Get paparazzi at your events paparazzi@gallery.co.im 14

Isle of Man style magazine

UPFRONT

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upfront

listings: what to do in May

listings

things to do May 2012

11.5.12 - 12.5.12

Manx National Rally

// www.manxautosport.org The Manx National Rally, the Island wide closed road asphalt rally. This year, the Manx National Rally is a qualifying round for the following championships:

1 Eurocars Motorsport Manx Rally Championship.

2 REIS - Get Connected MSA Asphalt Rally Championship.

3 ANWCC Stage Rally Championship.

4 Fuch Titan Race ANCC Stage Rally Championship.

5 Formula 1000 - Super 1000 Rally Series.

12.5.12 - 13.5.12

Manx Transport Heritage Museum Open Weekend // www.manxtransportheritagemuseum.org Until now, the guided walk ‘(The Way We Were’) has only been available for pre-booked groups. On the Sunday, Manx Transport Heritage offers everyone the chance to join in on the walk. The group will leave the House of Manannan at 2pm. The museum is also open from 1pm5pm.

14.5.12 - 16.9.12

The Douglas Bay Tramway Horse drawn trams

The horse trams, operated by Douglas Borough Council, are the oldest working horse drawn tramway in the world.

In addition to riding the trams this year, you can arrange to visit the stables and tram sheds at the northern end of the Promenade. We did this last year and crowned Charles the gallery Top Trump Tram Horse 2011. Have a read of the October on our website www.gallery.co.im. To arrange a visit, call the Tramway Superintendent’s office on 696335£16.50, Starts 9pm.

Stockcar Racing

// www.onchanraceway.com Island stockcar racing takes place within Onchan Pleasure Park at Onchan Stadium.

The gates open at 1pm. Practice will take place from 1.15pm and the racing from 2pm. Adults: £6, OAPs: £3, Children: £2.

Family Ticket (2 Adults & 4 Kids): £16.

13.5.12 - 18.5.12 Walking Festival

// www.visitisleofman.com Re-discover the pleasure of walking at the Isle of Man’s annual Walking Festival which takes place between May 13th and 18th. The festival offers five days of walks located across the Island which are graded individually to suit walkers of all abilities.

19.5.12

HSBC Manx Youth Games

// www.gov.im/sport/sportsdevelopment/games.xml The games will begin with the opening ceremony. With 11 sports, HSBC offer an exceptional experience for participants between the ages of 8 and 15 years to take part in a professional sporting event.

20.5.12

30.5.12

// www.isleofmancreamery.com 12pm-4pm There will be cow milking, a BBQ, creamery tours, cheese sampling, milkshakes, ice cream, face painting, bouncy castles, sumo-wresting, a giant slide, a merry go round, go karts and Onchan entertainers! Phew, now that is a listy event index. All proceeds will be donated to the Isle of Man Special Care Baby Unit.

// www.villagaiety.com Off the Kerb Productions in conjunction with DCCL present Rich Hall, the well-known grouchy, deadpan US stand-up comic, returning to the Gaiety Theatre this summer. Looking like a Pearl Jam roadie, Rich is a master of absurdist irony while eschewing the human condition.

Winner of the Perrier Award 2000 and two Emmy Awards, he often appears on BBC2’s show Q.I. Tickets: £16.50, Starts 9pm.

Isle of Man Creamery Charity Open Day

16

7th - 14th - 21st - 28th

Off the Kerb Productions

Isle of Man style magazine

upfront

SAGITTARIUS

(22nd November – 21st December)

Taurus (20th April – 20

th May)

rking us. You’re likely wo Gluttonous Taur cash. tra ex e ak th to m very hard this mon s and up your resource g. You’re building on str t of is as bl rt a fo m gs co in auty and however, br The desire for be . w profile. The 21st, ed lo viv a re g in be ep ay ke m d an e relationship lov A e. your “nest” in May nc de nfi and increased co . personal energy is indeed a Taurus David Beckham ir, ss ?

Ye us ’s. r fo ck Be ng t he modeli your kecks ou saster! Why isn’t STARS: Sexy, get month. What a di is th , himself, himself, le ey El on r m fo *, ng He is modeli e for the ladies ey us no to ut gl a with * Supposedly Now here is a man lf… se m hi d an lf, himse

GEMINI

VIRGO

This month, you’re enjoying extra attention and appreciation for you.

This is due to Venus, the goddess of love, moving through your sign from the 3rd forward. Get your best knickers/boxers out. Increased social, romantic, and creative activity is likely, especially around the 6-8 and 22nd. More clarity comes to your career this month.

Recent relationship challenges and personal frustrations will begin to dissipate this month. Finances are a big focus and possibly a concern, as always. Stop stressing. It’s good advice. The 22-23 can bring a pleasant surprise or bonus. Career prospects and your reputation improve considerably after the first week of May, due in part to your natural habit of being overbearing and a natural workaholic.

(21st May – 20th June)

CANCER

(21st June – 22nd July)

Career goals, Cancer! Daily affairs free you up to tend to more worldly goals. Don’t be afraid to express yourself now. Be sure to reconnect and stay in touch with acquaintances and relatives in May. Make up for lost time. Friendships enliven from the 21st forward. Love has a private feel to it this month.

You’re not yet ready to share your feelings with the world, keep them to yourself please, nobody likes an open show of emotion.

LEO

(23rd July – 22nd August)

People you meet this month are likely to be a source of inspiration.

Unexpected opportunities to travel or expand your education emerge. Find romance with or through a friend or group association. Mid-month, you begin to see progress with finances and money-making endeavors.

Career matters push forward suddenly from the 21st. As per bloody usual, you’re taking charge, and others are following your lead.

because quality matters

(23rd August – 22nd September)

LIBRA

(23rd September – 22nd October)

May is a relationship-centered month, as humans spend time thinking about relationships, generally (you thought I was going to surprise you with a psychic prediction then, didn’t you?). Your mind becomes clearer, both with a partner and in your work (because I’m telling you it will happen, it will). You feel you have more information with which to make good decisions. Cultural events and other forms of learning and experience appeal this month.

SCORPIO

(23rd October – 21st November)

Work takes center stage in May, and there is life on the horizon.

Be prepared to live at a moment’s notice. It’s a strong month for solving problems, reorganizing, and tending to the practical details of your daily existence (as always). Friendships begin to straighten out mid-month after a period of some confusion of boundaries (this usually happens with at least one person for every living mortal).

Excitement on romantic and creative levels is in store for you this month.

More clarity in your love life begins to show itself from mid-month forward (it frequently does). People you meet are especially helpful and appealing, as they always are. While pastimes, hobbies, and entertainment are in strong focus in the first few weeks of the month.

Career picks up pace, and it becomes easier to get straight answers from bosses and co-workers (because now I’ve told you this, you will ask questions).

CAPRICORN

(22nd December – 19th January)

When it comes to work, it’s more about your working environment and the social aspect of your job that are set to improve significantly. Take pleasure in lending a hand to others and organising your workspace.

May is a period that brings a more outgoing, playful, and creative energy to your life.

AQUARIUS

(20th January – 18th February)

May is a strong month for social, creative, and learning endeavors (just like for every other sign in this piece). You are expressing yourself with extra charm. Financial complexities begin to unravel this month (as they always do).

Dealing with a partner is more straightforward after a feeling of treading water (very alike Sagittarius). Be patient.

PISCES

(19th February – 20th March)

You feel that you can move forward, but don’t kid yourself. Home life should be especially pleasant. Focus is on beautifying your surroundings, bring harmony to family relationships. Financial surprises are likely in May. You may have to rework a money-making idea or your budget, but the improvements will take you further in the long run.

ARIES

(21st March – 19th April)

You think you are experiencing a renewal of energy and vitality, you’re not. It’s a strong time for increased personal confidence, but the emphasis is on self-expression.

You are a little more self-centered than usual; don’t take it too far kids.

Physically, you are likely to be feeling strong or human. This is an excellent cycle for making personal changes in your manner or appearance, it’s not good. any self-improvement endeavors will be though. Personal projects that you begin now are likely to blossom, way down time road.

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upfront

AXA Wealth International Fundraising Event AXA Wealth International redefined Sports Relief with an array of fund raising events that saw them raise over £2,200.

15 staff and 2 police cyclists took part in a 2 hour sponsored cycle along Douglas Promenade, with 2 Senior Managers colourfully completing the distance on a tandem, generously loaned by Manx Blind Welfare Society.

The evening brought a Wii sports competition and Charity Auction at the Claremont Hotel. The auction raised just under £1,000 towards the charity in total and AXA would like to thank everyone who generously donated auction items.

In keeping with the sports theme items included a rally experience courtesy of Manx Auto Sports; a return ticket for car plus 2 from Isle of Man Steam Packet, Golf days at Castletown Golf Links, Rowany Golf Club and Mount Murray Golf Club, Duke Karting Experience for 4, 5 day passes to Mount Murray Gym; a fishing experience courtesy of Kelvins’ Tackle; a TT Course Trike ride from Mhoddy Dhoo, TT memorabilia donated by the Department of Economic Development, a Liverpool FC kindly donated a signed picture of Pepe Reina whilst Manchester United donated a football, signed by the current squad and management team.

LOCOG announces the Manx streets the Olympic Flame will be carried along.

The London Organising Committee Olympic Games (LOCOG) and Department of Community, Culture and Leisure announced the detailed route for the visit of the Olympic Torch Relay to the Island on Saturday 2nd June 2012.

Arriving by special plane from Liverpool, the Torch will arrive at Ronaldsway and be transferred to the National Sports Centre Stadium where its journey around the Island will commence.

Returning to dry land at Circus Beach, the Torch will proceed along Douglas Promenade with a stint on board a double deck horse tram. At Derby Castle, the transport theme continues with the Torch joining the Manx Electric Railway for a trip to Laxey for a photoshoot at the iconic Laxey Wheel before making its way to the Island’s ancient capital of Castletown.

Hon Tim Crookall M.H.K. said “This is a unique opportunity for everyone on the Island to feel the power of the Olympic spirit in the Given that the Relay coincides with the TT run up to London 2012” Festival, one of the highlights of the Relay will be a short trip along the TT Course from Quarterbridge to Braddan Church on a sidecar driven by local TT legend Dave Molyneux.

After leaving the TT Course the Torch will travel to Battery Pier joining the Douglas Lifeboat to launch down the slipway, commemorating the unique role of the Island in the RNLI.

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Currently, foster families are looking after 52 children in care on the Isle of Man. Fostering First are to host three drop-in sessions for anyone interested in becoming a foster parent.

As part of an awareness and recruitment campaign, the sessions are run in tandem with Foster Care Fortnight in the UK from 14th May - 27th May. Anyone interested in finding out more about becoming a foster carer is welcome and will have the opportunity to talk to Fostering First staff.

The drop-in sessions are at the following times and locations: Thursday May 17, 3pm to 7pm at The Children’s Centre, 96 Woodbourne Road, Douglas.

Tuesday May 22, 3pm to 7pm at Laxey Working Men’s Institute, New Road, Laxey.

Thursday May 24, 3pm to 7pm at Ballasalla Medical Centre, Main Road, Ballasalla.

Isle of Man style magazine

upfront

Boutique shoppers boost funds for children’s charity The Beyond Brooke boutique in Laxey is celebrating its recent opening by generously offering to donate 10 per cent of every sale to The Children’s Centre whenever a customer mentions the charity while treating themselves to something special from their gorgeous collection. Jan Hewitt opened Beyond Brooke in New Road in March this year and describes it as ‘a boutique that specialises in gorgeous fashion, in size 12 plus, for women who enjoy looking fabulous’. She said: “The Children’s Centre does so much great work across the Island’s community and as a business owner who is very keen on social responsibility, I wanted to do something practical to help. I know many of our customers will be mentioning The Children’s Centre when they shop with us, and I am sure they will be delighted that together we are helping to support the charity’s many projects and services for families and children.”

Beautiful Fashion For Real Women

Exciting Boutique in Laxey Beyond Brooke specialises in gorgeous fashion in size 12 plus for women who enjoy looking fabulous!

Susie Cox, Community Fundraiser at The Children’s Centre, said: “We’re very grateful for Jan’s generosity, it’s a wonderful gesture.”

Jan decided to open Beyond Brooke as she realised there was a lack of independent boutiques on the Island. She said: “My aim has been to create a really beautiful space, offering great quality, well designed and flattering clothing, and pretty accessories, in a lovely environment.”

We have some fantastic European brands bringing style and sophistication, and beautifully fitting dresses from the US add a touch of glamour.

Also in store: • Unique handmade jewellery • Lovely handbags and scarves • Luxury scented candle and other treats

Open Thursday to Saturday www.beyondbrooke.co.uk /beyondbrooke Tel: 866644 24 New Road • Laxey • Isle of Man

The Childrens Centre The Children’s Centre develops, manages, and pioneers a variety of community initiatives and services aimed at enabling children, young people, and families to realise their full potential. It is an independent Manx charity – undertaking its own projects and working with others – to put children, young people, and families first. because quality matters

The Children’s Centre is the Isle of Man’s leading children’s charity and works directly with over 1,000 children, young people and families each week. It runs 15 vital services across the Island including play groups, nursery care and after school clubs.

For more information go to www.thechildrenscentre.org.im

19

in NUMBERS NEWS

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1

jobs are to be created in the island’s flourishing fish processing industry.

million to be spent by Cable & Wireless Communications upgrading its 3G network around the Island.

£46k+ raised by Barclays staff for Hospice Isle of Man over the past year.

7

areas set to benefit as part of an islandwide makeover aimed at “boosting local economies and breathing fresh life into the high streets.”

12

1,664

more passengers passed through Ronaldsway in March compared with March 2011, an increase of 3%.

more new buses will be delivered to the island.

6th

place for Th e Honda TT L Endurance World Cham egends team in the pionship cl 24-hour Bol ass d’Or race at Magny Cou at the rs.

DREAMING ABOUT THE PERFECT FINANCIAL FUTURE? OUR EXPERT TEAM WILL HELP YOU MAKE IT A REALITY. Whatever your financial needs, we have financial specialists who’ll help make sure your future is built on solid foundations.

• Relationship Managers* • Savings Specialists • Mortgage Advisers • Investment Advisers Explore your financial options with our experts. Let’s talk today.

*Relationship Managers are available through our Premier Banking service. To qualify you must hold a balance of £50,000 or more (or currency equivalent) in cash or investments with us; or, if you have come to live in or are moving to the UK, an annual individual gross income of £100,000 or more (or currency equivalent) paid into a Barclays Wealth International account.

This item can be provided in Braille, large print or audio by calling 0800 400 100* (via TextDirect if appropriate). If outside the UK please call: +44(0)1624 684 444**. *Lines are open 8am to 8pm UK time Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm UK time Saturday and UK bank holidays. Calls to 0800 numbers are free if made from a UK landline. **Lines are open 8am to 6pm UK time Monday to Friday excluding UK bank holidays. Call costs may vary - please check with your telecoms provider. Calls may be recorded so that we can monitor the quality of our service and for security purposes. Barclays offers wealth and investment products and services to its clients through Barclays Bank PLC and its subsidiary companies. Barclays Private Clients International Limited, part of Barclays, is registered in the Isle of Man. Registered Number: 005619C. Registered Office: Barclays House, Victoria Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM99 1AJ. Barclays Private Clients International Limited is licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission. Barclays Private Clients International Limited, Jersey Branch is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission. Barclays Private Clients International Limited, Jersey branch has its principal business address in Jersey at 13 Library Place, St. Helier, Jersey JE4 8NE, Channel Islands. Barclays Private Clients International Limited, Guernsey Branch is licensed by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission under the Banking Supervision (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 1994, as amended, and the Protection of Investors (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 1987, as amended. Barclays Private Clients International Limited, Guernsey Branch has its principal place of business at Le Marchant House, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GY1 3BE.

’

Freddie-Dom & Sam

me&mypet

Species:

Freddie - Dom Manx boys Sam - Heinz 57 mongrel

Age:

Freddie - 6 and a quarter Dom - 4 and a little bit Sam - 60 dog years - crikey I’m not that old then! (10 human years)

Likes:

Freddie & Dom - Playing outside on our bikes and in the playground or on the Wii when it’s raining Sam - Belly rubs and doggy treats

Dislikes:

Freddie & Dom - Being told off because it’s never our fault!

Sam - Walks in the rain and anyone ringing the door bell

Human/Animal you would be:

Freddie & Dom - Padawan (Trainee Jedi knights) Sam - One of the cats that share my house - they get to sleep on the beds and not get shouted at

Wants:

Freddie & Dom - More Wii games, chocolate, and lots of sunny days in the summer holidays Sam - World domination (or I’d settle for belly rubs)

Interesting Facts:

Freddie & Dom -We can both roll our tongues. We have pet rabbits and guinea pigs as well as the cats and Sam. We are about to have a little brother or sister.

Sam - I talk and chase cats in my sleep and can lick almost every part of my body.

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Isle of Man style magazine

CULTURE

culture

24

My Name Is

Sarah Hendy

Isle of Man style magazine

culture

Sayle Gallery announces new Artist in Residence Sa rah He nd y has b e e n a nnou nced as the new A rtis t i n Re s i d e nce a t the Sayl e G al l e ry, D ou g las .

R a msey resi den t Sar ah g r ad u at e d w i t h a BA (Ho ns) i n Co nt empo r a r y Ap p l i e d A r ts f ro m He re fo rd Co l l ege o f A r t s i n 2 01 0 . He r ‘wear ab l e scu lp ture’ bea t o ff st i ff co mp e t i ti o n f ro m 6 o the r l o cal ar tis ts .

Ma rga ret C layd o n , Di re c t o r o f t he Sayl e G aller y, sai d : “Sa r ah’s ext e ns ive p o r t fo l i o showe d a pro gressi o n fro m i d ea t o f i n ishe d scu lp t u re. She was c lea r i n her mi nd that t he re s i d e ncy would provi de her wi t h an o p p o r tu n i ty to exte nd her use o f tex t i l es a nd o t he r mate r ials i n to a cap t ivat ing and ent hr al l i ng a r t ”

Margaret ad d ed : “ L ike all o f the ap p licants, her work was rev iewed by the Aes thetic Rev iew Team prior to inter v iew. Sar ah w ill be an as set to the Sayl e Galler y.”

Sar ah is d elighted to be ap p o inted as an Art ist in Res id ence, she said : “A lthough I have enjoyed wo r k ing in my ow n s tud io, I mis s the inter act ion w ith o ther ar tis ts and ar t lover s which actu al ly insp ires and inf luences my creatio ns . In my work, I exp lo re themes o f ad venture – p hys ical, emot ional and sp ir itual – and I am thr illed to now be ab l e t o embar k o n a new ad venture, which w ill undoub t edly inf luence my wo r k . It’s go ing to be ver y excit ing!”

Lo ca t i o n: The Sayl e G al l e r y, Vi l la Mar i na A rcad e, 1-3 Har r is P ro menad e, Douglas , IM1 2 HN Op ening ti mes: 1 0 a m – 5p m Tu e – Sat , 1 . 30 – 4. 30 p m Sundays , 1 p m – 5 p m Mo ndays Ad mis s io n: FRE E because quality matters

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culture

Co nt ribut ing writer of t he m onth

The Seven Deadly Sins

WANT TO WIN

£5 0

I have committed one every day of my life. The human tendency to commit sin is a luxurious indulgence.

CONTRIBUTING WRITER OF THE MONTH

A proud look, tales of white lies, the shedding of innocent blood for a taste sensation, devising wicked plots to shake enemy bones, finding yourself following that sweet smell of mischief to becoming a deceitful witness. As children we sowed discord amongst our friends. Are we damned for it?

Have you got something to say?

A short story, a rant, a profile, a statement? Every month we dedicate a whole page to you, Mr or Mrs Amateur Writer.

We want you to shoot from the hip with a 400 word article that you think our readers should take note of. In return we’ll reward you with £50.

Just e-mail your piece to: writerofmonth@gallery.co.im

How much notice should we take of our trespasses? Should we be unnerved at the heavens striking down the ‘wicked’ for a transgression? Or amused at the mythological psychology of those who do believe in such a dismal fate following human trait?

Sin was written by man to chill the marrow of social rebels. There is a demon allocated to each ‘unsatisfactory’ societal norm. ‘Pride’ suffers the worst repute, arm-in-arm with a familiar patron, Lucifer.

Lust: Asmodeus condemns us for this lavish and insatiable human behavior. Without the hardship of this killer tactile temptation, frankly, life wouldn’t be worth living, neither would we live it. No lust, no conception, no human race. If we were designed this way, then clearly Asmodeus perfected us by dispensing lust into the genetic equation.

Gluttony: Beelzebub, what a monster. Put your hands up if you’ve ever over indulged! I’ll bet that every man Jack, Jo and Jane on the Island has put their hand back into that beguiling cookie jar. If not, and I am the only one, please deliver unwanted cookies to me.

Greed: Similarly to gluttony, greed is every kind of indulgence, alike our theme, ‘glutton’. Mammon is to blame here, not us, so please forgive Gallery’s decadence this issue; we were prey to a terrible foe.

Sloth: Belphegor’s listlessness. Unfortunately, those pajama days you have

once a month are taken into consideration. Everyone needs a little spiritual and mental sloth now and again though troops! The doctors call it R&R. Give us a break!

Wrath: Amon/Behemoth is the anger hunter, hell bent on inciting inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. The sin of anger also encompasses anger pointed internally rather than externally, so we’re still screwed if we don’t vent. Damned if we do and damned if we don’t, let your demons loose!

Envy: A terrible human capability. Leviathan is responsible for this

despicable feeling of discontented or resentful longing, aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck. I frown upon us all for having felt a pang of this misdeed every now and again.

Pride: Succumbing to Lucifer’s will. But, don’t the most holy take pride in their faith? Do we not all feel a deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from our own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions widely admired? Perhaps we should be forgiven this? Do you think if we ask, we shall receive? Surely, a little dignity should never be scorned, or reviled.

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no experience? how to be a writer in ten simple steps go to >> www.gallery.co.im/cwotm

Isle of Man style magazine

culture

Literary Glutton Gluttony. The beginning, middle and end of any glorious and generous tale. From Machiavelli to Lord Byron, Michael Sadler to Wilkie Collins, greed has played its part in literary history as the driving force behind strife and dispute.

Good reasoning, justice, rationalisation and vindication wouldn’t manifest in fact or fiction without quarrel.

So why do we love a tale of feud? There are many theories in evidence of the human greedy condition. We long for a story we can relate to, indulge in, eager for a gripping tale that excites, galvanises and inflames us, which is why Jane Austen’s timeless characters and dismal societal chemistry still bewitches readers today.

The characters often present decadence. “The picture of Dorian Grey” by Oscar Wilde represents the perfect example of an avaricious hero. This ‘gentleman’ of sorts passes through his fictional locale with an air of licentious self-assurance, prepossessed with his own importance and falsified graces.

Manx writer, Chris Ewan’s self-possessed, uncompromising hero encounters betrayal and double-dealing, racing through life in turbo-charged thriller, Safe House. Rakie Keig, another of our Manx author’s, sets her scene at the Kirk Michael internment camp in 1940. The novel features zombies, late-night medical experiments in the camp’s medical facility, missing internees and a disease that reanimates the dead.

The most voracious characters are endearing by comparison to their insatiable architects. Their elaborate story lines and diverging formats say more about the writers than the plot. Homer’s Illiad is a genius and epic

because quality matters

poem in dactylic hexameters, a monumental 15,000 lines of perfect prose.

Within it, he vents and prophesies Achilles’ looming death and the sack of Troy, prefigured and alluded to more and more vividly, so that when it reaches an end, the poem narrates a complete tale of the Trojan War. Anne Radcliffe seems to have indulged in a personal rapturous daydream in the design of Mysteries of Udolpho.

Emily St. Aubert suffers the death of her father, intrigues with supernatural terrors in a murky castle and is afflicted by the machinations of a hotheaded Italian brigand.

More recently, we have Bright Young Person Nancy Mitford, a writer best remembered for her series of novels and biographies about upper-class life in England and France. Nancy covered figures such as Louis XIV, Madame de Pompadour, Voltaire and Frederick the Great. Her public persona was notable: she was invariably elegantly dressed (often by Dior or Lanvin), biographically journaling parables of her frenzied social life.

As readers, we lap up these sublime distractions from our own lives. Delighting in characters and writers throughout history and in the present day that offer more abundant fates than our own. Without these elaborate visionaries, where would we be? Living a more animated, dynamic life perhaps? Fulfilled, without ornate diversions of the mind?

An existence unaccompanied by overactive imagination and cultivated fantasy? No, I choose the contradiction.

Sometimes we need the escape. How better to bolt from life than to tuck into a good book, encountering environments, people and epochs completely unrelated to our lives, finding common ground and sympathy for portioned conceptualisations of an author’s personality.

Let them be as covetous as they wish, it makes for a great story.

27

culture

photo upload

The Monthly Upload

Want to win £50? All you have to do is email your entry with the subject ‘upload’ to: upload@gallery.co.im Try to follow a time of the year theme, make the files nice and big though, about

2MB is a good size to aim for. We do try to print every photo following the guide but we can’t get them ALL on the page full size unfortunately - they just wouldn’t fit!

£50

Photographer: Larissa Mccolgan

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Isle of Man style magazine

culture

because quality matters

29

culture

TRACTORS TO TRAMMERS

How one couple keeps focused on the Douglas horse tram service

O

n leaving the house most people check for keys and cash, but when Margaret and Dougie Dodd leave their home it’s keys, cash, camera, carrots and Polo mints.

The Dodds, both keen photographers, are, quite possibly, two of the most ardent fans of the ‘trammers’ - the horses that pull the tramcars on Douglas Borough Council’s horse tram service.

Armed with their cameras, pocketfuls of Polos and carrots the couple pay regular visits from their home in Regaby to the horses in the stables at Strathallan in summer, follow their performance in ploughing matches during the winter and, in the process, have amassed thousands of photographs over the past five years.

What began around 2007 as an interest in the tramcars, drivers and conductors grew to become an enduring fascination with the horses, mostly Clydesdales, after the Dodds got to know tramways superintendent Mike Crellin who has worked for the service for 30 years. Dougie explained: ‘Mike would let us know when something out of the ordinary was going to take place – such as training a horse to pull a sledge on the beach - so we could add to our photograph collection. We’ve also been given the unique opportunity to accompany Mike in winter when the horses are being fed out at the Clypse and have some wonderful shots of them in snow-covered fields.’

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The couple took up photography in earnest after they retired.

Dougie, a former RAF wireless operator, used to take photos of aircraft and his colleagues, at first relishing the ‘magical’ transformation when developing his photographs but now, like Margaret, he revels in the digital revolution that makes taking scores of photos so effortless. ‘We do sometimes wonder, though, if we take too many,’ said Margaret, adding that, on average, they each take around 200 photos during a ploughing match, occasions when the horses share centre stage with the tractors, another subject for their collections.

‘There’s a magic about standing on a balcony at the Villa Marina - especially during TT fortnight - and photographing the tram horses making their steady progress along the promenade, largely unfazed by the bikes and cars. The Clydesdale is a gentle breed, not temperamental at all and very comfortable around people,’ said Dougie who, on one occasion, was given permission to go on the ‘Vertigo’ ride on the promenade during the TT festival where he spent time suspended some 120 feet in the air hoping to take a shot from a new vantage point. ‘I was up there 10 minutes but no horse tram came along, after which time I had to come down because there was a queue of customers forming.’

Isle of Man style magazine

culture

‘The horses are all different,’ said Margaret. ‘At home we don’t have any pets, so we’ve got to know a few of the horses quite well. They each have a distinct personality. Mark is clever and has learned how to switch on the lights in the stable, Gwynne’s a real gentleman and popular for special occasions and Douglas is crafty.’

The Dodds do all they can to promote the horse trams. ‘People are always interested when I tell them I’m in the Isle of Man. It’s somewhere different for them and after the TT, Manx cats and kippers the horse trams are another popular topic.’

Margaret has made calendars featuring the horses as gifts for family and friends, one calendar serving as inspiration to friends of her sister in Scotland to come to the Island this summer and experience the horse trams first-hand. She observed: ‘When people see the horses and trams, it always brings a smile to their faces, and children love them. We took a group of children from Chernobyl on them and they were thrilled.’

‘The horse trams never lose their appeal; they’re part of our heritage,’ said Dougie, reflecting: ‘It would be tragic if the horse trams were to go. Just imagine, if everyone in the Isle of Man took just one trip during a season, how much income that could generate.’

Dougie and Margaret always make sure they travel on the first and last service of the season, are regular passengers throughout the

because quality matters

summer on the double-decker, taking photos from the upper open deck, and have enjoyed the Santa tram service. They recognise, though, that not everyone shares their affection for the horse trams.

Dougie said: ‘Some people claim they hold the traffic up on the promenade. They don’t. They’re the best traffic-calming measure, ever.’

Douglas Borough Council’s leisure services committee chairman Councillor Stephen Pitts said: ‘The Council is delighted that Margaret and Dougie Dodd have such an abiding affection for the horse trams. Over many years their photography has served to create a lasting record of the service. Their photographs provide a unique insight into the working lives of the horses and highlight the dedication of our dedicated tramways staff whose efforts contribute so much to the enduring appeal of the Douglas horse tram service.’

In 2012 the Douglas horse tram service celebrates its 136th year of operation. The 2012 summer season will operate daily from 9am to 4pm from Monday May 14 to Sunday September 16 inclusive.

Photography by Margaret & Dougie Dodd

31

culture

Lorna Byrne, an International Best Seller

W

hen I was asked to interview Lorna Byrne about her book signing on the 26th April in Waterstones, Strand Street for her new book: A Message of Hope from the Angels. I did a little research. Disappointed that this Internationally Best Selling Authoress wrote what I conceived to be a ‘self-help book for quirky divine seekers”, I ignorantly tossed the story aside.

Whilst wandering along the high street a few days later, I passed Waterstones and wandered in for a dawdle. I picked up a little historical fiction novel and curiously pondered over each literary gem on the way to the till. The Waterstones Event Manager, Linda Potts, was talking animatedly to her colleague about Gallery Magazine.

I mentioned that I worked with Gallery and found myself being scooted upstairs for the hard sell. She wanted to talk to me about Lorna Byrne. She said: “She isn’t who you think she is. She is a very normal woman. She’s lovely! Please give her a chance”.

I thought, ‘well, our theme is ‘gluttony’’. This is counter-gluttony.

So here she is, Lorna Byrne, International Bestselling Authoress, ‘blessed with the gift of sight’. Make of it what you will…

Tanya: What gave you the inspiration to start writing your books?

Lorna: People need help with dieting, with giving up smoking and

other, more serious habits. My books can help people who have said that it wasn’t until they asked their ‘guardian angel’ to help them that they started to feel as though unexplained coincidences would occur.

Tanya: When did you start seeing these angels?

Lorna: From the moment I opened my eyes I remember seeing

angels. There are pictures of me with my hands out as an infant. It’s natural for me, just as you walk around seeing people, I see people and I see them. When I was a child I would play with my brother, Christopher. I grew up with him, it wasn’t until I was much older that I found out he died before I was born. If I had have said to my Mum and Dad that I saw people, I think they would have had me institutionalised.

Tanya: What was growing up like for you?

Lorna: I was a slow learner growing up; my parents and doctors classed me as ‘retarded’. It wasn’t like now, people weren’t aware about dyslexia back then.

Tanya: If you are dyslexic, how have you written the books?

Lorna: I was told one day that I had to write them. I didn’t want

to, I put it off for a long while. One of the angels told me to write the books, that people needed the comfort and needed reminding of their presence. It wasn’t until after my husband’s death that I consented to writing them. I couldn’t read or write, I was told that help would come and it did.

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When I got started, so many people around the world volunteered to help me, someone even went out and bought a computer for me that transcribes everything I say. I had no money; I was a widower at this stage.

Tanya: How did you get through the death of your husband?

Lorna: When I was 10 years old, an angel came to me and told me that my husband would die. I was told that we would live a very happy life together, but that we wouldn’t grow old together. I was angry with that for a long time. I met Joe, and I was sad that we would have children, we would have the same as every couple, the tears and the joy, all of the usual, but had to part so soon.

Tanya: Did you tell him about your sight?

Lorna: I had to tell him about them. One night he was bringing me

home from the pictures, I told him that I had something to tell him.

He asked what that was, and I told him “I see angels, physically.”

He laughed at me you know! He said: “Lorna, only priests see angels, not ordinary people like you and me.” I said to the angels “That’s it! He’s gone! I won’t ever see him again!” They told me not to worry. He rang the next day. Following that, he knew very little.

Tanya: Do you have any advice to anyone in life?

Lorna: Just remember that you have a guardian angel; you have to remember to live life, live life to the full. Remember to smile whenever you can. Even when you’re doing something small, like going for a walk, remember that you are alive. You must always help others and most of all; you must love yourself and know that you are loved unconditionally.

I would also say that being a parent is the most important job in the world, it is more important than a career, more important than being the president of a country. To be a parent, you shape and mould your children into creative, caring and loving people.

So many children around the world, abroad and down the street from me are suffering unnecessarily. Children are very precious; sometimes we forget that.

Tanya: How would someone communicate with his or her guardian

angel?

Lorna: Just ask. Ask them for help when you need it. You have to be listening to yourself, that is where your answers come from.

Tanya: Your book?

Lorna: I am really looking forward to going to the Isle of Man. I until my husband died, I had never been outside of Ireland. Now I’m travelling the world! I have been told a lot about the Isle of Man. I am really looking forward to meeting all of the people I am going to meet there. I hope my new book will help people.

Isle of Man style magazine

culture

because quality matters

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W H E N I T COM ES TO D I ST R I B U T I O N. . .

W E M A K E A S TA N D

For a full list of distribution locations take a look at www.gallery.co.im/distribution

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POSITIVE REFLECTION OUR FASHION BANNER IS NOW AVAILABLE Quality brands need quality media placement. Our divider banners align you with a relevant Gallery section and offers a creative design opportunity.

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FASHION

Bang on trend

who to envy, what to wear and the new season trends to covet

It Starts With An Idea

ALICE by Temperley’s timeless, feminine designs combine meticulous detail and embellishments with an English eccentricity and personality drawing on everything British; Temperley is the modern day ‘Cool Britannia’. ALICE has been worn by a range of fabulous fans including Emma Watson, Jessica Biel, Beyonce and Rihanna.

Fashion brand It Starts With An Idea ‘ISWAI’ is the brainchild of Made in Chelsea star Caggie Dunlop, launched to get young creatives involved in promoting and sharing their talent by designing and creating a range of fashion pieces. The concept will continue to grow as new designers continue to get involved. Currently there are five different styles of designer t-shirt available: Religion - New York - Da Vinci Rebellion - Universe.

Each cost £42 and are available from the ISWAI website www.iswai.co.uk

We just adore Dior!

Their latest sunglasses range is simply beautiful. They have so many great designs it is such a hard decision with which ones to pick. The ‘hello sailor’ pretty striped red ones will be perfect for out and about having fun in the sun, but then the achingly cool aviators are just ideal for crusing about the town... and don’t even get us started on the chic Jackie O style black ones... hmm, choices choices.

Totes a trendsetter Millie Mackintosh

setter Trende month of th

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Out of all the crazy folk who crop up on addictive pseudo-reality tv shows Miss Mackintosh has really stood out. I mean it would be hard to miss her looking jaw-dropping in her recent FHM lingerie photoshoot, but none the less this girl has the know-how to get noticed. Her wardrobe daily staples are all in a very monochrome muted tones; but always sheer, sexy and very well cut.

Then for that wow-factor she is brave with colours, and flaunts her assets. Make sure you check out her VIP collaboration with Lipsy, there are some beautiful evening wear pieces.

Always pretty and often pouty, Millie Mack we salute you!

Flip reverse it.

Super cool new Australian brand Reverse is now in store at Eclectic, Liberty Wharf.

These are the dresses which had all the crowds up on their feet cheering at their lastest fashion show!

They’re dramatic different and perfect for partying. With edgy cut-outs and pretty tailoring this is a new brand we’re keeping a close eye on.

Reverse is exclusive to Eclectic.

Isle of Man style magazine

fashion

Beautiful Fashion for Real Women

How does it feel to have opened your own boutique?

Beyond Brooke is a new independent Boutique opened in Laxey. We met up with owner Jan to find out what this lovely Boutique is all about.

So Jan let’s start with telling us about the name Well it’s an interesting story actually. Brooke Elliot is a very glamorous and successful American actress. What makes her special is that she is a size 18. It is amazing to see such a beautiful and self-assured, plus size woman in the limelight.

During a magazine interview Brooke was asked how she felt about being a sex symbol, she answered “oh gosh, I always thought that would be beyond me!” So, the name ‘Beyond Brooke’ was born. Her style and confidence is the inspiration behind our collection, every single item has been individually selected with this in mind.

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It’s my baby, the whole thing! It’s exciting, a rollercoaster ride. Best of all, people seem to love it.

What was the inspiration behind having it in Laxey though?

Really, it was the unit. I fell in love with it. The prices for a small place in Douglas would have been unfeasible. I looked at a lot of places, but they needed work and they were a quarter the size of this. So when I saw this place, I thought, it just lends itself to what I want to do with it, such high ceilings, and it’s really big!

Beside that, Laxey has blossomed recently; we have the Hodgson Loom Gallery and CrafTea Tea Rooms. We have a beautiful material store across the road too.

What inspired you?

Ever since I came to the Isle of Man 7 years ago, I thought that there was a gap in the market for an independent boutique. You find them everywhere in places like Edinburgh, they have so much personality and you can spend a whole day going from one to the other. There isn’t anything like that for my age group, not anything at all. There’s definitely a gap for it; lovely, fashion led, hardworking clothes, well fitting and flattering pieces for sizes 12 and up.

Did you have a problem shopping when you came over?

I missed it. I used to shop in Edinburgh a lot, in places like Sam Thomas.

The feel of it, the personable service was great. I used to go back a lot to shop, but I’ve been on the Isle of Man for a while now and I’ve just stopped going over as much.

Do you pick all of the clothes that go into the store?

Yes, I do everything.

I was surprised to find some of the clothes at £35 though!

Yeah, they are great quality too.

A lot of people have said that.

The jewellery starts at £4 and our ethically sourced dresses, handmade in Bangladesh, start at £80. I wanted to keep the prices competitive.

How often will you change the clothing lines?

I want it to be constantly moving.

It depends on how much I sell. I only have 3-4 of everything and once they have gone, they will be replaced. Not only that, but some of those 3-4 will be in a different colours or patterns.

Isle of Man style magazine

fashion

A girl should be two things... classy & fabulous - Coco Chanel

Gorgeous fashion for women who enjoy looking fabulous!

Is any of the stock exclusive to your store?

The bags certainly are! They are from a company called Earth Squared. They are really popular. There was a woman who wanted one on Facebook in Poland, I had to ship it off to her! They are so beautifully made though, gorgeous!

The designs are thought up in Scotland and sent over to Vietnam to be made and are fairly traded. 2 Vietnamese people now manage the workshop over there. They have just started selling to the US too!

because quality matters

Tell us about the vintage jewellery!

I said that I wanted them for the shop; I totally fell in love with them when I saw them, they haven’t sold yet though.

The woman who makes them thinks it’s because people believe they are old and second-hand. They aren’t! They are unused vintage gems, sourced from factories that were closed during World War II. When people went back into these factories to redevelop, they found boxes of them.

They are vintage, but they have never been used before, they are from the 30’s and 40’s! Each pair is different, completely individual.

B e yo n d B r o o k e - 2 4 New R oa d, L ax e y. T el 8 6 6 6 4 4 - www. be yo n d b r o o k e .c o.u k

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i i k c e B

in d n a l r e d n o W 012 MAY 2 N O I H Y FAS ALLER

G

Photographer & Styling: Shan Fisher Models: Beckii Cruel Makeup Artist: Heather Maddrell Hairstylist: Emma MacDonald Salon - Nellie Georgieva Asst - David Fisher & Craig Bell Clothing & Sweets: The Mill Shop - Tynwald Mills Cakes: Allison Ratcliffe - manxcakemaker.com Vintage Furniture: Jayne Kelly - Florence & Rose Location: Tynwald National Park & Arboretum Dress - Ted Baker Light Techno Dress ÂŁ179

Apricot Polkadot Chiffon Tie Puff ÂŁ27

Atlantic Ocean Crop Sweat Pea Jean ÂŁ45

Mint Velvet Top £69 FC Jeans £77

Soaked Fairy Dress ÂŁ59

Apricot Flock Spot Chiffon Dress ÂŁ29

Cakes Allison Ratcliffe - manxcakemaker.com

May fashion shoot model: Beckii Cruel

fashion

Hi, my name is Beckii Cruel. I live In Ramsey. I am 16 years old and go to Ramsey Grammar. I am … Quite… Famous in Japan.

What do you do?

I dance and sing. In Japan they call it an ‘Idol’. Basically, you just appear as a personality. It’s a big part of the culture over there and I happen to be popular through my YouTube videos.

I started doing it in my junior years and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything other than the job I have right now. I just love what I do so much, and I guess if I had the choice, I would do what I do for the rest of my life.

How did you get started?

It’s kind of a long story, but in 2007 I bought some manga Japanese comics.

They’re interesting; you read them back to front. I was like… Wow! I researched more and more about it and realised so much Japanese culture. I was in transpire. I saw the girls that dance on the YouTube videos and copied them, it looked really fun and I like dancing anyway, then nothing happened for ages and one day I had about 10,000 hits. I was like; “Wow, where did all of these people come from?”

How did that happen?

It had just blown up really, people were sharing it with their friends, and it had a massive viral effect. News people wanted to report on me and it just kept growing and growing and growing until a record company called Takoma, they are really big in Japan, said “do you want to do a DVD and a single? I said: “Okay!”

How did you cope with singing?

They flew me off to Japan within 6 months. I stayed there for a week and I recorded my first debut DVD, which was my first time producing music as well. It was scary, I’m not a singer by trade, and I am a dancer. It was fun; it definitely made me more

Beckii Cruel confident in myself. I mean, I had all of these really big people believing in me… So, maybe I’m not all that bad after all.

Would you change things?

I try to not regret things in my life. There are always things where I think, I shouldn’t have done that, I shouldn’t have said that. But, I make a process of thinking “I’m not going to regret that because it gives me too much of a stressful headache.

With what I do, you nitpick at everything, it’s not healthy, and everyone else looks at you like that so why should you look at yourself like that too?

Any idols?

I’m not sure to be honest. As far as celebrities go, I don’t think I couldn’t compare myself to any. I admire them, but my life is great as it is. I don’t want to be anyone other than myself; I think it’s a healthy way to be.

Produced: 7 records from 2009 to present (6 records in Japan and 1 in the UK. Reaching No. 8 in the Club top 40 Dance Charts and No. 15 in the Commercial Top 40 in December 2011).

Full-length dance DVD (Japan).

Two Japanese/English textbooks with DVDs. Working on: An album with London Music Producer, Tom Nicholls.

A fashion collection called “Manx Idol” with Faye de Boorder.

Showing in the London Alternative Fashion Week on April 16th 2012.

A range of jewellery and accessories by Deer O Deer, London.

More recording work in the pipeline in Japan this year.

Possibility of working in China later this year.

’

Fashion shoot make-up and application tips...

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Words | Heather Maddrell

First of all start with a well moisturised face - I used Clinique Moisture Surge Intense £30.00

Finish eyes with a coat of Clinique High Impact Mascara, £16.00 and a pair of your favourite fluttery false lashes!

Then I used a light foundation for Beckii’s skin as she’s young and doesn’t need such full coverage - try something like MAC Face and Body Foundation. £25.50.

Highlighter is so important for youthful glowing skin, Benefit Highbeam £18.50, is a must have! Apply to cheekbones and pat in with middle finger to blend.

A full coverage concealer is a must for a ‘doll like’ look - MAC Studio Fix Concealer hides a multitude of sins! £13.50

Smile and apply a pink blush to the apples of your cheekbones, Bobbi Brown Blush in Peony, is such a pretty shade - £18.00.

For eyes I used a champagne coloured shimmery eyeshadow all over the lid and a peach colour in the socket line. Chanel Quad in Eclosion would be perfect £37.00.

Finish off with a coat of pink gloss, try Estee Lauder Pure Colour Gloss in Frivolous Pink, £16.00

Isle of Man style magazine

May fashion shoot model: Beckii Cruel

because quality matters

fashion

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Words | Madame Guillotine

t n e d a c e D y l h t a e &D s t r e s e D Marie Antoinette was the beautiful Queen of France who became a symbol for the wanton extravagance of the 18th century monarchy, and was stripped of her riches and finery, imprisoned and beheaded by her own subjects during the French Revolution that began in 1789.

At the end of her life, Marie Antoinette’s cosmetics were reduced to a tarnished mirror, a swansdown puff with some powder and a vial of scented water.

As she patted the powder onto her already pallid cheeks, she must have reflected with some wonder and sadness about the fact that not too long ago, her toilette had been one of the high points of the court day, attended by dozens of courtiers, all vying for attention and dictated by an arcane and complex etiquette that had been handed down for generations.

Ironic then that Marie Antoinette’s own tastes inclined towards the discreet and modest. To the ordinary people, she was a haughty, spoiled, pampered creature who delighted in extravagance and ceremony, whereas those who were closest to her, knew that on the contrary she preferred simplicity and a total lack of pomp and fuss.

She had an unerring, exquisite taste; the beautiful objects owned and worn by Marie Antoinette still exert a tremendous fascination today. Sadly, the ravages of the Revolution resulted in the destruction of Marie Antoinette’s fabulous wardrobe and much of her belongings being looted, sold abroad or lost forever, but enough remains

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for us to have a very good idea of the luxury that she liked to surround herself with.

Marie Antoinette’s clothes collection was vast, three rooms were put aside at Versailles to store it. The rooms were open to public so it was possible to visit the Queen’s clothes, just as you could go and watch her have dinner or walk past on her way to Mass in the morning, I suspect that for the fashion mad ladies of Versailles, a trip to the Queen’s wardrobe was viewed with as much reverence, if not more, as seeing her in person.

Marie Antoinette was given a fixed allowance of 120,000 Livres a year for clothes and accessories, a vast sum that was somehow never quite enough (she spent 258,000 Livres in one year).

At some point along the line, etiquette had decreed that eighteen pairs of pastel coloured gloves scented with violet, hyacinth or carnation and four new pairs of shoes had to be ordered for her on a weekly basis. Her weakness for the designs of Rose Bertin was also a problem, as each of her gorgeous dresses cost around 1,000 Livres, sometimes even 6,000 Livres each.

This quickly mounted up when you were ordering dozens at a time along with shoes, perfumed fans, feathers and extravagant hair decorations.

Isle of Man style magazine

EDITO

Strictly speaking, Marie Antoinette’s wardrobe purchases were supposed to be restricted to orders of thirty six dresses for the summer and thirty six for the winter, but the Queen adored fashion and so ordered far more. According to etiquette she was only supposed to wear dresses once and had to change three times a day, so clearly, seventy-two dresses a year wasn’t going to cut much of a dash at Versailles.

Once worn, favourite dresses were kept and carefully looked after so that they never looked anything less than brand new but others were given away to her ladies in waiting.

Marie Antoinette would change three times in the course of the day: first of all there would be a formal silk or velvet gown to be worn to Mass, followed by a lighter, more informal muslin, lawn or cotton dress for the rest of the day and then finally a gorgeously elaborate evening dress to be worn to dinner, concerts or balls.

The Queen’s preference was for light fabrics and pale, pastel colours such as a soft lemon yellow, dove grey, pale

because quality matters

green and lilac. Again, Madame Bertin was inventive, taking an almost poetic pleasure in thinking up names for different shades – ‘Incendie de l’Opera’ was a vivid orange red; ‘Cheveux de la Reine’ a soft gold inspired by her hair colour and, most poetically, ‘Caca Dauphin’ was a pale brown.

Marie Antoinette took as much care of her person as she did her clothes and her beauty regime was extensive. At night she would sleep wearing gloves lined with wax, rose water and sweet almond oil and she treated her hair with a wash of saffron, turmeric, sandalwood and rhubarb in order to accentuate that strawberry blondness.

Before she applied her make up, she would carefully cleanse her skin with Eau Cosmetique de Pigeon, followed by Eau des Charmes astringent and then Eau d’Ange, a gentle whitener. After this white paint was carefully applied to her face, followed by a dusting of scented powder then khol around her eyes and a touch of rouge to her cheeks. Sticks of pomade scented with rose, carnation or vanilla

were used to gloss her lips, eyebrows and eyelashes.

There was a definite emphasis on the senses – Versailles at this time was absolutely foul smelling and the courtiers did everything they could to keep the smell at bay. Marie Antoinette’s rooms were scented with a profusion of fresh flowers, melted pastilles, pot pourri, oils and perfumed sachets. She particularly loved the fresh scents of orange blossom, lemon, rose, lavender and violet and her rooms would have smelled heady and sweet as you entered them.

The Queen loved to douse herself with eau de fleur d’oranger (orange blossom water); simple violet, rose and jonquil scents or more complex perfumes made with vanilla, musk, lavender, iris, jasmine and lily or lemon, cinnamon, angelica, cloves and coriander. It seems that everywhere she went. She wanted to be surrounded by gorgeous smells.

It’s sad now to walk around Versailles, and see those delicately hued rooms now crowded with tourists, where once the air was filled with the scents of the most beautiful garden imaginable.

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fashion

Ask the Expert

Ask the Expert Claire Britnell

Store Manager - The Mill Shop - Tynwald Mills

Mint Velvet colour block dress - £79. Mint velvet scarf

Hackett men’s polo. Get into the spirit of the

with tassels - £39, perfect dress for a summer wedding

summer’s Olympics and the Jubilee with a polo shirt

or party. Match with neutral coloured heels.

from this British brand.

£85

Not Your Daughters Jeans. Coloured denims are a

Jane Shilton wedge sandals - Dress up or dress down

massive trend this season and these suck you in and

in great essential colours and more importantly; they’re

give your bum a fantastic shape. Everyone who buys

really comfy to wear.

these jeans always comes back for another pair, they’re

£115

that good!

£109.95 52

Isle of Man style magazine

TRAVEL

Check in & book your seats now.

If you’re in the travel business then this banner space could be just the ticket... call 249249 and ask about booking this space

travel

Five Star Luxury - half an hour from heysham Words | Anne Moorhouse

Revisiting an old destination is always a gamble, but returning to The Sun Inn, Kirkby Lonsdale complete with boys and dogs, was one that paid off. At first glance The Sun is unique. The upper storeys are held in place by three stone pillars and is set amongst buildings dating back to the fourteenth century. This singularity continues inside under the ownership of Mark and Lucy Fuller who have fully refurbished the inn to five star standard earning revues from The Guardian and entry in the Good Hotel Guide.

Fears that an old watering-hole would be a salutatory reminder of a misspent youth evaporated in the refurbished bar which included chocolate Labrador stretching in front of one of the two roaring log fires. A welcoming fusion of old and new, the traditional bar extends into the contemporary restaurant and four of the eleven distinctive bedrooms accommodate dogs who can chill out with you in the bar downstairs. The novelty of a dog friendly hotel delighted dogs and boys alike who chased upstairs to discover their shared rooms.

Our room boasted locally sourced luxury toiletries, sumptuous pillow top mattresses, wi-fi, champagne and a bath in which it’s big enough to loose someone in. Despite the temptation to relax, a peek outside into the cobbled street soon persuaded us to explore, so the champagne remained on ice.

more outward looking and cosmopolitan than its Lake District contemporaries. Lake Windermere and Settle Station (for the SettleCarlisle Railway) are thirty minutes away in different directions from Kirkby Lonsdale which is on the edge of Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cumbria. It is perfectly placed for visiting the Dales, Lake District and Forest of Bowland. A short walk from the sweeping Ruskin’s View through the churchyard and cobbled streets bursting with character, takes you to scores of independent retailers such as award winning Church Mouse Cheeses. John & Jules’ cheese emporium complete with home made tapas and wine tasting on a Friday evening, was our base for the second half of our stay. Over the cobbles from The Sun Inn to Churchmouse House the stylish self catering accommodation is perfect for families, walkers and weekenders and can accommodate up to seven people.

Chic country wear boutiques, interior design showrooms, antiques, wine bars, super feminine gift shops and cosy pubs provide the feel-good factor to Kirkby Lonsdale, not to mention the selection of tea rooms & bakeries. An abundance of dining choices at Avanti, The Royal and Plato’s restaurants provide the robust culinary competition for The Sun, but their seasonally sourced menu is hard to beat. Exceptional breakfasts can be tailored to your every requirement; the home made granola and award winning sausages from neighbouring Dales Butchers are examples of The Sun’s attention to every detail.

Nothing was too much trouble during our stay at The Sun. Even our soggy dogs were provided with fresh towels after a bracing walk on Barbon Fell. The warm welcome and market town contrast to an Island environment yet so close to Heysham make this a perfect stopping off point either to or from Douglas.

Kirkby Lonsdale is a perfect English market town in miniature,

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Isle of Man style magazine

travel

‘Nothing was too much trouble

during our stay at The Sun. Even our soggy dogs were provided with fresh towels after a bracing walk on Barbon Fell.

The warm welcome and market town contrast to an Island environment yet so close to Heysham make this a perfect stopping off point either to or from Douglas.’

contact the sun: email@sun-inn.info 015242 71965 churchmouse house info@churchmousecheeses.com 015242 72896 because quality matters

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TRAVEL

SOLA, NORWAY

The good, the bad and the beautiful Norwegian hotel words | Doreen Cunningham

image: Kristin Folsland Olsen/www.visitnorway.com

Ever had a holiday that didn’t go to plan? Or, to be more precise, have you ever had a holiday that went wrong in every way you could imagine, and more? Ending up with you wondering why you didn’t just stay home, get some wine and chocolate in, and have a nice bath.

The whale-grey waves, crashing in from the North Sea, the sky shuddering navy and billowing pillow-white, scarred by orange as the sun sinks, the sighing of the sand as I plough through, the wind breathing, whispering, lifting and cooling my mind. And, there, just peeping over the sand dunes, the secret ingredient in the wellbeing that I now feel spreading from my toes to my ears.

We’ve all been there. For me it was Norway. I love the place. But on this visit, I have one last night to get through before I fly back from Stavanger, and I am counting the hours, minutes and seconds.

But hang on, what’s this I’ve grumpily stumbled into, en route to the airport? Simply put, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

Being on the beach at Sola reminds you how lucky you are to be alive. The sky is open and pours light onto the sea, and the long stretch of sand, and the visitors spotted across the landscape.

These visitors include, to my great good fortune and sudden, growing delight, me.

It is a view that heals and calms and invigorates. It wouldn’t be Norway if you weren’t being invigorated would it? My mood sheds like a skin as I pad through the palest of dunes towards the water. image: Fredrik Schenholm/www.visitnorway.com

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Isle of Man style magazine

TRAVEL

Ultimate relaxation after all that fjordswimming and canoeing exertion...

The Sola Strand hotel is anchored a little back from the sea. Like a shell you discover washed up on the sand, it’s wholly different but seems to belong there. Inside, you might think I’d had enough of water after drinking in the beach, but no. The spa pool is something else. Filled to the brim, I find it empty and sink into the warm clear.

I am a different person in that pool. I’m just a pair of eyes floating on the top of the water, playing in the rippled light and pressed against the huge glass wall, towards the ocean and sky. It’s difficult to emerge and resume my normal weight and twolegged existence. But if I don’t get out of the pool I won’t be able to tell you about the rest of this deeply lovely place.

The night I was there, one of the function rooms had just been cleared up after a wedding party. Sabres adorn the walls and an intricate, wooden model ship creates a centrepiece. As I imagined the beaming wedding guests, a few ghostly pirates mingled too.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Two of the halls are practically ships. One is built of polished wood interior taken from a frigate, the Kong Sverre. It’s atmospheric to the hilt and this is no surprise when you learn that the Kong Sverre was Norway’s largest naval ship, built in 1860, had 52 cannons and was named the ‘Horror of Europe’. Another is actually the original smoking lounge from a cruise ship, Montroyal, which sailed between England and Canada in the 1900s.

The bedroom. Wall split by a long window to let the beach panorama in, a sparkling chandelier in case you miss the light playing on the surf when the sun goes down, an adjoining room with a soft bed the size of Jersey that I sink into and ahh.

I am sleepy just thinking about it so I’ll move onto breakfast, which also made a big impression.

There is a combined menu and buffet breakfast, which is good and bad. Good because no one will stop you from eating until you can’t eat any more. Bad because I guarantee that you are going to make a

minimum of four trips and return to your table carrying much more than is elegant or polite. The honey is like toffee and heavenly when spread with butter on the homemade white bread. Be sure you don’t miss the vat of organic strawberry milk. And if you have any room left, I recommend the cooked breakfast too.

I know this isn’t coming across as particularly balanced. I’m trying to think of a reservation I had about the hotel. It was too short a stay, obviously, and I haven’t yet got an excuse to go back. The printed promises of wine tasting, whiskey tasting, CHOCOLATE tasting for God’s sake, a concert in the old stone church built in 1150, sandcastle building, tennis, volleyball, ocean fishing, surfing, ocean rafting, fjord sightseeing… have all remained printed promises on the leaflets by the welcome desk. Also, a major complaint, I can’t move in and this makes me very angry indeed.

Ok I give up. Just go there. You’ll see what I mean. www.en.sola-strandhotel.no

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W H E N I T COM ES TO D I ST R I B U T I O N. . .

W E M A K E A S TA N D

For a full list of distribution locations take a look at www.gallery.co.im/distribution

APPETITE

appetite

Asparagus After several months surviving on root vegetables and cabbages, spring is now in full swing and the British asparagus season is finally upon us. Chefs and foodies make the most of this tantalisingly short season which begins in early May and lasts for just 6 weeks. Although asparagus is available throughout the year from various foreign countries, freshness is everything and eating great tasting asparagus every day for a month beats buying imported asparagus from the supermarket in October. In order to enjoy your asparagus for such an intense period it is essential to be able to identify fresh produce and to have some varied recipes to hand. Whilst we source some of our asparagus for the restaurant from on island, the quantities produced here are very low. So keep your eyes peeled for British asparagus in your local supermarkets.

Make sure you always look for the freshest specimens, smooth skinned and bright coloured with a tight head. If the spear looks dry and woody the chances are it is old. Early asparagus can be thin and is best suited to sautĂŠs or being grilled. Fatter, juicier spears come later in the season and are often served whole, grilled, steamed, or boiled, alone or in salads.

The key to cooking asparagus is keeping it simple in order to accentuate the deep green sweetness of this vegetable. Asparagus is delicious served simply with some melted butter, as a soup served with toasted hazelnuts or in a light, yet substantial, vegetable salad with goat’s cheese, peas, broad beans, asparagus tips and baby salad leaves. But to truly enjoy this vegetable the addition of an egg to any dish is a must; poached, fried or soft boiled the rich egg yolk is a great accompaniment to the mighty asparagus.

Grilled asparagus with Staarvey Farm poached egg Serves 4 Ingredients: 1kg medium to thick asparagus spears 15 mls olive oil 10g salted butter 4 organic Staarvey Farm eggs (available at Farmer’s markets and food stores around the island) 2 tsp white vinegar Sea salt and black pepper

Method: 1. Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly. Then break off the woody ends, you will feel where this happens naturally by snapping the spears carefully with your hands. Peel the asparagus, starting about 5cm from the top to remove the woodier outside. Set aside.

2. Heat the frying pan on a medium heat, add the olive oil to the asparagus and add the asparagus to the frying pan. Cook the asparagus for around 3 minutes, turning occasionally and add the butter half way through. Season with salt and pepper 3. Meanwhile, poach your eggs. In a large pan of lightly simmering water add the vinegar. Break the eggs into cups and pour into the water in one fluid movement. The eggs will take between 2 and 4 minutes (depending on their size and if they are stored in or out of the fridge). Gently take the egg out with a slotted spoon and test for doneness.

4. When the eggs are ready remove them to some kitchen paper to dry off and season them with salt and pepper.

5. Place the cooked asparagus on the plates with an egg on top. Drizzle over some of the melted butter from the pan.

Words & Recipe | Phil Taylor, Restaurant owner 14North, 14 North Quay, Douglas, 664414, www.14north.im

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Isle of Man style magazine

Readers Recipe

appetite

Fried Chicken with Spinach, Tomato and Mozzarella

This dish makes for a beautiful and speedy light lunch, a delicious dinner. Perfect for entertaining, it is simple to make, baring the air of a complicated gourmet recipe. So it should impress those seasoned, food critical friends of yours!

Method:

Serves: 2

The garlic has to turn a little golden. Don’t burn it, as it may become quite bitter. Now is your time to add more herbs (rosemary, chili and oregano) to taste.

Preparation Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients: 500 g chicken breast, pounded thinly 300 g fresh spinach 3 tbsp Olive oi 2 cloves of garlic 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 200 g buffalo mozzarella 1 beefsteak tomato

because quality matters

Wash your spinach and trim it carefully.

Prepare your chicken breast by marinating it in fresh olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chili flakes, minced garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper. Put the chicken aside.

Add some oil and chopped garlic to a small pan over a medium heat.

Add the fresh spinach to the pan and cook it for 5-8 minutes on medium heat with 1/3 cup of water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper, and then place it onto a plate.

In the same pan, add a little olive oil and your chicken breasts. Lightly brown them on each side for 4-5 minutes.

Whilst they sit in the pan top the chicken breasts with your cooked spinach and add slices tomato and mozzarella. Place a lid on the pan to allow the cheese to melt.

Serve with a tossed salad, drizzled with a little olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

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appetite

CAKES OF THE

WORLD

by Helina Mathews

cake |kāk| noun

an item of soft, sweet food made from a mixture of flour, shortening, eggs, sugar, and other ingredients, baked and often decorated

Key Lime Pie America Made with aromatic Key Limes from the Florida Keys. First made in the late 19th century by a millionaire’s cook called ‘Aunt Sally’. No cooking is required because the lime juice reacts with condensed milk causing the filling to thicken.

Black Forest Germany Named after a speciality liquor (Schwarzwalder Kirsch(wasser) from the Black Forest mountain range in Germany. The liquor is distilled from tart cherries and gives the cake it’s distintive flavour.

Victoria Sponge England Named after Queen Victoria who loved to eat sponge cake with her tea.

Typically filled with lashings of fresh, whipped, double cream and strawberry jam. A much loved favourite in the world of cake.

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Isle of Man style magazine

appetite

Daifuku Japan A confection made with glutinous rice and a sweet red bean filling. Soft and squidgey to touch and kind of weird to eat, these little delights come in a variety of colours. They became popular in the 18th century and were sometimes given as gifts for special occasions.

Thai Sandwich Thailand This is literally a sandwich cake, made from bread and a sweet, sauce filling.

The filling is made from coconut milk, sugar, eveaporated milk, wheat flour, salt and egg. Food colouring is added to give the filling it’s unusual colour.

Ravani Syrup Cake Greece Made from semolina which has been lightly infused with either lemon or orange zest. This cake can be made with either small or large semolina but the best cakes are made from both. Alternative flavours; cinnamon or coconut.

King cake France This name comes from the biblical three kings. Unusual-looking and colourful, this cake is traditionally eaten from the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas until Mardi Gras. Some people have ‘King Cake parties’ which are held every week right through the carnival season.

Lamington Australia This cuboid treat is named after Lord Lamington, who was Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. It consists of chocolate covered sponge, sprinkled with desicated coconut. Mmm.

because quality matters

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appetite

TOP SEAFOOD CHEF PASCAL PROYART TO ATTEND QUEENIE FESTIVAL 2012 Pascal Proyart, head chef of one of the most highly acclaimed fish restaurants in London ‘One-O-One’ will be attending this year’s Isle of Man Queenie Festival.

Pascal will be cooking up a whole host of seafood delights including some superb French classics with a Manx twist during the Saturday and Sunday of the festival held on the quay in Port St Mary as part of the Relish cookery theater.

Pascal was born and raised in a similar size fishing village to Port St Mary, on the Brittany coast, where his family have been restaurateurs for three generations. His formal chef training began at “Les Sorbets” Hotel School in Noirmoutier where he remained for two years, before his military service in Africa.

Pascal then spent a decade working in a number of hotels and restaurants throughout Europe, with Yves Mattagnes and Jacques le Divellec at the two-star Michelin Sea Grill in Brussels and the two-star Michelin Le Divellec in Paris.

Amongst many of his accolades Pascal has won a number of catering industry awards including a “Trophée Lauffer Delta d’Or, and a Silver Plate from “Chaîne des Rôtisseurs” in 1996.

He has also made a number of TV appearances on the BBC’S Celebrity Master Chef and The Good Food Channel’s Market Kitchen.

Pascal’s philosophy on cooking has always been to use the freshest fish and he shares a strong belief in sustainability.

Tim Croft, festival organiser commented, “It is fantastic that the Isle of Man Queenies festival now draws some of the world’s best chefs. When I spoke to Pascal and explained to him what the key messages of the festival were, including sustainability and conservation he couldn’t wait to put Queenies on his restaurant menu and also take part in the festival.”

The 2012 Isle of Man Queenies Festival takes between 29 June and 1 July. To see a whole host of top chefs cooking up a storm be sure to attend the many interactive cooking demonstrations taking place on the quay in Port St Mary on Saturday 30th and Sunday 1 July!

Isle of Man Queenie Festival 2012 www.queeniefestival.com Restaurant One-O-One, www.oneoonerestaurant.com 64

Manx Queenies & Stilton 454g Manx queenies 100g stilton 250ml double cream 100ml white wine (optional) salt & pepper vegetable oil for cooking Method: Place a frying pan on a high heat and add small amount of oil.

Add Manx queenies to the pan and cook quickly for 2-3mins.

Place Manx queenies in a dish , then place pan back on heat and add white wine.

Reduce wine by half, add cream and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat and crumble in stilton. Do not re-boil as it will split.

Return Manx Queenies to the pan allow to heat back through, season to taste.

Serve in a dish with crusty bread and salad.

More recipes at www.queeniefestival.com Isle of Man style magazine

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appetite

Identifying Features: A carefully honed ability to spoon forkfuls into the mouth whilst taking notes with the other hand.

Distinctive Markings: A notebook, and an array of disguises.

Natural Enemies: Waiters that hover and ask her what she’s writing and any other restaurant reviewers. Especially ones with different opinions.

Mating Call: “Share the assiette of mini - desserts?�

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Isle of Man style magazine

appetite

The Restaurant Reviewer

Z

ara sighed and pushed the menu to one side. Another hard day, sampling the best IOM chefs have to offer. Exhausting. And to think people say she has the best job in the world.

They think it’s just free food and a chance to sit at the island’s best restaurant tables. If only they knew.

For a start, there’s all the relentless fine dining. Does anyone realise how many circuits she has to do in the gym to work it all off? She’s risked life and limb for the restaurant cause – take that canapé she choked on at one restaurant launch last year, if it hadn’t been for the swift Heimlich from the quick-thinking Maître D’, that prawn dumpling would have been her last. It’s a dangerous job being a restaurant reviewer, she can tell you.

‘People just don’t understand how hard it is to eat, have a critical opinion about what you’re eating, and then manage to write it down without being noticed’, Zara tells anyone who will listen. It’s not such a dream job after all. Zara thinks the best job is not being a restaurant reviewer, but being a restaurant reviewer’s guest. They don’t have to hide a notebook under the table or search

because quality matters

for new ways to say the food was great.

They just have to turn up, eat, and come up with the odd printable quote every now and again. Zara’s discovered she’s very popular since she turned restaurant critic, everyone now wants to come with her. The best ones know they have to be prepared to meekly order whatever Zara tells them to, and have quiet voices. She can’t risk anyone else blowing her cover like one notable date with a foghorn of a voice who broadcast to the whole restaurant ‘So when’s this review coming out then?’. That was him off her list of lunch dates.

To preserve her anonymity – the IOM is a small place after all – Zara has a whole array of disguises; wigs in a range of colours, glasses, and a couple of outré hats that pull down low over the eyes.

She’s even pretended to be pregnant a couple of times – although the tottering heels and the couple of glasses of Château-Lafitte she insisted on trying may have given her away. But everyone’s a critic these days though, and if there’s one thing that Zara hates, it’s a budding restaurant reviewer with a different opinion to hers. She always points them in the direction of Tripadvisor. No

deadlines, no demanding editors, ‘and no spell check’ she adds when she’s feeling particularly bitchy.

She’s use to commenting on her food, and can’t stop herself when her friends are cooking for her. ‘Good punchy flavours – not sure exactly of what though’, or ‘tastes just like a meal I had on an Air India flight once…’ were a few of her more memorable quotes. She’s not invited out to supper much anymore. But it doesn’t matter. With a new restaurant opening every few weeks and new menus to review, Zara’s hardly desperate for a ‘home-cooked’ lasagne.

But her life changed when she got an iPhone for Christmas. There’s GPS to make sure she doesn’t get lost, the online thesaurus comes up with 101 different ways of saying ‘tasty’, and she can Google the chef. And better than anything – it’s got a dictation app so she can talk into it instead of taking notes. Just don’t mention the time it accidentally fell into a Hungarian Goulash…

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BUSINESS

refreshingly simple recruitment...

PORTUGUESE SPEAKING ACCOUNTANT An opportunity has arisen for a Fully Qualified Accountant to join a start up group based on the Isle of Man. It is essential that you speak fluent Portuguese and have previous experience of working with International clients.

To register your interest visit www.epl.im or call 615600

business

Isle of Man Entrepreneurs

About The business: GOUGH LAW is a specialist firm of litigation advocates, offering advice and assistance in the conduct of contentious legal disputes.

Specialising in high value and complex international matters, the firm is led by directors Alan Gough, Charles Coleman and Helen Gough.

GOUGH LAW You are a small firm. Is that deliberate?

Alan: Yes, we are specialists and trade on our reputation. Clients still manage to find us.

How does Isle of Man law differ to UK law?

With 36 years of practice behind him, Alan is widely regarded as the Isle of Man’s “go to” lawyer when matters really become difficult. He has acted in many of the Island’s most significant international and domestic cases. He is more than just a “safe pair of hands”.

Charles: The law in the Isle of Man is very similar to the way it is practised in

Charles Coleman is rapidly becoming one of the heavyweights of the trial bar following a string of recent successes. Noted for his cross-examination skills and courtroom advocacy, Charles is known for taking on difficult characters and achieving results for his clients, especially in complex financial and corporate cases.

How did you get into the law?

Helen Gough is a newly qualified advocate who provides litigation support services to Alan and Charles.

Do you specialise?

As a team, they offer a litigation service that is second to none on the Island, often acting for clients expected to instruct larger firms.

Alan: Yes, we are a litigation firm, we specialise in high-value corporate and chancery cases and also some criminal law. We can turn our hands to anything, but corporate and chancery work is our specialty. If it goes to court, we can do it.

England and Wales, but they have Judges, we have Deemsters and the court of appeal is called The Court of Appeal there, it is called The Staff of Government Division here. Procedurally, there are differences, some substantive differences, but not many.

Charles: By accident, I never intended to become a lawyer, but now I am more than happy about how things have turned out. I studied marine biology at university.

Isle of Man style magazine

Isle of Man Entrepreneurs

What is the biggest case the team has dealt with?

Charles: Alan has dealt with some large asset tracing cases, some

involving hundreds of millions of dollars and being global in nature.

Are high value civil trials difficult to handle?

Charles: All trials are difficult in their own way. They all need a vast

amount of preparation. The client only has one chance to put their case forward, so you have to get it right first time around and be ready for anything.

Do things ever go wrong at trial?

Charles: Trials never go according to the game plan. Witnesses don’t

turn up, evidence and points come up that weren’t expected. It isn’t like TV; you have to be adaptable and ready to change the game plan anytime. That’s what makes it interesting.

How have things changed over the last 5 years?

Charles: There are more lawyers than there used to be. When I qualified near enough 10 years ago, there were less than 100 qualified advocates on the Isle of Man. When Alan qualified, he was the 24th practising advocate. Now there are over 200 advocates. Having said that, there are very few that do court work of the sort of value and quality that we do. There will always be a need for good trial lawyers.

business

Alan: In some ways, when I started practicing matters progressed much more slowly. Letters went by post and took days to be turned around, now everything happens by e-mail and letters are turned around the same day. Technology has assisted us greatly, storing documents as scanned images on a central server means I can view them from wherever I am in the world. All of this helps us provide the service that top-quality clients expect. Some things have remained the same though. At the end of the day, if a matter goes to court you are still relying on talent and the advocacy skills of the man on his feet in the courtroom to put your case forward for you. We specialise in litigation, because those are the skills that we have.

What’s it like to conduct a trial? Do you feel the pressure?

Charles: Not really. If you feel the pressure, you probably shouldn’t be

there.

Where do you see the firm going in the future?

Alan: Our core business is and has always been High Court and Chancery litigation. Keeping the firm small means that we can pick and choose our cases and ensure that client service levels are kept high and cases get the advocate and the time they deserve. We don’t put a “team” of newly qualified people on our cases. If we grew too much then there would come a point when we will have to chase the work. At the moment, work chases us.

You have been practicing for 36 years; you must have seen big changes during that time?

THE ISLE OF MAN’S

LITIgATION SpEcIALISTS

gough Law has been created out of the very successful litigation department of what was gough Advocates. The new company will be unique in the Isle of Man in that we will be the only practice offering solely litigation and advocacy services. Many other practices seek to be all things to all men! We will do what we do best – argue cases in courts and Tribunals.

4th Floor Anglo International House Bank Hill Douglas Isle of Man IM14LN t: +44 (0) 1624 629100 | e: enquiries@goughlaw.im | www.goughlaw.im because quality matters

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business

BusinessNews

CWC announce million pound network investment Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC) has announced further investment of £1 million into their 3G Nokia Siemens Network.

The CWC mobile network, which reaches 99% of the population, has been built using the most advanced technology available, allowing regular updates to continually improve customer experience.

As well as upgrades to existing sites, the telecoms giant has committed to building a further 7 mobile sites before the Summer, furthering improving user experience in key populated areas.

Andy Bridson, Chief Commercial Officer at CWC, said.

“For CWC, the customer experience is central to everything we do and we never take our eyes of what the customer wants in the short, medium and long term. When we built our mobile infrastructure in the Isle of Man we invested in the most advanced technology available and we continue to invest at pace to ensure our customers have the communications infrastructure they need to make the most of technologies available to them.”

The million pound investment will enhance coverage in Ramsey, Douglas, Castletown and Colby. Bridson explained that continual network investment is part of CWCs’ ongoing commitment to the Isle of Man. “We will continue to bring innovative products and new services to the Island. The next highoctane product in mobile is 4G LTE. Our Isle of Man mobile infrastructure supplied by the industry leader, Nokia Siemens Networks, has been designed and is ready for 4G LTE once the spectrum bands have been released and approved. Our world is set to change, CWC has made the right investments and as soon as LTE licences and handsets are available we will be ready to switch.”

CIO award for Information Systems Division The Isle of Man Government has been recognised as offering some of the best information technology in the UK. CIO Magazine publishes its top 100 CIO (Chief Information Officer) list annually, recognising IT leaders and company directors who are transforming their organisations through technology leadership.

This year, CIO Magazine names Information Systems Division (ISD) Director Allan Paterson and Chief Technical Officer Peter Clarke at number 83 in the list.

Hon John Shimmin MHK, Minister for the Department of Economic Development, welcomed the news, he said: “Harnessing technological advances is essential for business change and key to enabling Isle of Man businesses to remain competitive. ISD plays a key role in Government’s modernisation agenda and this recognition from the UK provides a good benchmark of the Isle of Man’s performance against organisations many times our size. It also reinforces how we are trying to make technology work better to support the Government’s business needs.”

Andy Williams, Head of Business Systems at ISD, said: “Obviously the Isle of Man Government is not part of the UK but to be recognised in this way, measured against the UK’s regional governments, local authorities and large companies is a major achievement.”

Easyjet topped the list in 1st place. Companies named in the top five include Severn Trent Water (2nd) and Marks and Spencer (4th).

RBS International has made significant investment into its market-leading specialist online banking platform, eQ Recent investments in the FX and money market deposit capabilities have created a ‘onestop-shop’ service, which is unique to eQ users in the offshore marketplace. The new features offer eQ customers a single platform from which they can conduct payments and handle their cash management needs, as well as more sophisticated banking requirements such as FX and money market deposits. The improvements provide increased control for clients, allowing them to personalise dealing levels for firms or individual users.

Bill Shimmins, Island Director, RBS International, commented: “The addition of FX and money market deposit enhancements to the eQ system brings greater efficiency for customers conducting online banking, it is the only such system in the offshore arena.

These changes have been implemented in response to feedback from clients who indicated that they would prefer to manage the various aspects of their money on one dedicated platform. eQ has been continuously upgraded since its launch 12 years ago, enabling it to remain an innovative technology. Further investment in eQ is already planned for 2012.” eQ was researched, developed and built by a team of IT and banking specialists in 2000 and is regularly used by financial intermediaries, financial advisers and corporate clients in the offshore marketplace.

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Isle of Man style magazine

BusinessNews

Manx2 to drop booking fees and transaction charges Isle of Man-based Manx2.com has announced it is abolishing all charges on credit and debit cards and all booking and transaction fees from today (Thursday 19th April).

All of these charges are now fully incorporated into the advertised price of the flight and throughout the booking process.

Travel surcharges have been the subject of huge public and political unrest for a number of years. Last year, a super-complaint from Which? to the UK OFT, resulted in the UK Government announcing measures to try and outlaw credit card surcharges in the future. However, many companies have simply responded by transferring card charges onto high booking fees instead.

David Buck, Managing Director of Manx2.com said: ‘We listen to our customers, so rather than increasing or renaming the charges, as some companies have done recently, we have chosen to remove all transaction and booking fees including debit and credit card charges. We have no booking fees, debit card or credit card charges that appear at the end of the booking.’

Manx2.com’s prices also include all taxes, a guarantee of no fuel surcharges, a free 10kg carry-on bag allowance, free online check-in, free transfer to an earlier flight on the day of travel as well as free parking at Blackpool and Gloucestershire Airports. In addition, Manx2 offer a ‘rescue service’ for any passengers who miss their flight and they will re-book passengers onto the next available flight for just £30.

business

Space Conference The Scientific Preparatory Academy for Cosmic Explorers (SPACE) is a nascent undergraduate space university that fills a gap in the current space education pipeline. It will provide an undergraduate programme dedicated to multidisciplinary international space education and handson research.

This new academy has been established on the Isle of Man due to its favorable business environment and the Government’s interest in developing space technology.

Tim Craine, Director of Space Commerce at the Department of Economic Development, confirmed his department’s commitment to this niche sector, he said: “Over the last decade, the Isle of Man has been pro-actively developing its space industry and is now able to boast a cluster of space related companies based on the Island including satellite operators, insurers, manufacturers, space tourism, global space related not for profit organisations, space related academic institutions and many more. We believe that the Island has built a solid reputation and is now known and respected around the world as a centre of excellence for space related activities.”

Although space research is exciting, SPACE’s ultimate aim is to expand from a research institution into an accredited four-year university. A space conference in July and a space retreat this winter are both steps towards that. The conference is entitled SPACE: from Foray to Habitation and will be held on the Isle of Man at the Sefton Hotel in Douglas, from July 9-10, 2012. It has already attracted numerous high profile speakers and delegates.

Future Group becomes Tri Island Future Loans Limited, a member of the Future Group of Companies, has acquired the Isle of Man consumer loan book of Citi Financial.

The acquisition, which took effect from March 2012, is a major extension to the Future Group portfolio. The company will open a new office in Douglas next month so they can extend the face-toface contact to Isle of Man clients as they do in the Channel Islands.

This latest acquisition follows the successful purchase of the Citibank loan book for the Channel Islands in 2011. Future Groups success in Jersey and Guernsey has centered on their independent and local based decision-making. In 2011 alone, Future Group advanced over £20 million to local customers in the Channel Islands.

Future Group is a bespoke, privately owned business looking after clients in Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, and the UK. The company benefits from over 40 years combined finance experience across the team, which is led by Directors Craig Dempster and Denny Lane.

The Group will now be providing services to Isle of Man customers including loans, leasing, hire purchase, factoring and a variety of other lending products including mortgages. because quality matters

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BUSINESS

BusinessNews

On the Net, on the move Stephen Kane, Head of Sales at Cable & Wireless Isle of Man examines the rising use of mobile data and how businesses are coping with this new cost.

There has been a seismic shift taking place in the mobile phone markets over recent years, one which is causing every mobile operator around the world to rethink their game plan.

What is the subject that is causing so much consternation in telco boardrooms across the globe? Quite simply, it’s the move away from voice calls and text messages to data driven usage. Data use is rocketing. According to the GSA (Global mobile Suppliers’ Association), worldwide mobile data usage was estimated to be just over 2 Exabytes in 2010 (an Exabyte is a 1 with 18 zeros after it) and estimates that it will rise to 14 Exabytes by 2014.

This fundamental shift in the way customers are using their mobile phones has created a situation whereby some mobile operators are racing to increase data charges in their attempts to halt revenue decline. In the Isle of Man, we see one operator charging one of the highest rates in Europe, at fifty two pence per megabyte.

Social media society The increase in mobile data usage is largely driven by the rise in smartphones and mobile broadband. Initially, it was BlackBerry that ruled the roost but over the past five years, we’ve seen the iPhone and various Android phones rise to prominence, all designed to continually access the internet in order to update e-mail and social media applications.

The speed that network operators are giving mobile users to access the internet, access to free media content from sites like BBC iPlayer and the increasing use of social media have all played a huge role in driving the use of mobile data. Smartphone users usually have at least one social media app on their handset, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or LinkedIn. As these all connect to the Internet and can download data throughout the day, they make it very difficult for businesses to predict data usage and the resulting bills.

Some may think that the answer is for companies to prohibit their staff from using these apps, but for me this is too simplistic a response. Beside the fact that social media is increasingly used for business purposes, a new trend in the corporate world is for staff to use their own devices, with a tariff paid for by the company. This is the growing expectation that results from generation Y entering our workforce. This means that firms are put into a more difficult position when it comes to dictating what their employees should or shouldn’t use their mobile phones for, and it opens up new arguments relating to security and data protection...

A conversation for another day!

Avoiding the shock Returning to the topic of cost once again, businesses have become far more aware of the need to find excellent value when it comes to their mobile data pricing. There is a clear realisation that they need to fix the cost of data in order to avoid bill shock at the end of the month.

Importantly, the plans are not constrained to usage within the Isle of Man and come with allowances of free UK data as part of the base package. This means that your staff can continue working online whilst they are travelling, without having to worry about the bill at the end of the month.

This acknowledgment that smartphones enable people to continue working wherever they are has also been reflected in the range of ‘boosters’ that come with the business plans. These innovative addons halve the price of calls and data use when the user is traveling in the UK and Ireland, whilst another makes it free to receive calls whilst traveling anywhere in the world.

By developing price plans that do not penalise mobile data usage, Cable & Wireless is acknowledging the need for businesses to access the Internet from anywhere and at anytime. If indeed, 14 Exabytes of mobile data are downloaded by the year 2014, then who knows how much data will be accessed by 2020?

The only certainties are that mobile data use will continue to grow, and that Cable & Wireless can help ensure customers won’t be getting any surprises in their bills, no matter how much mobile data they use.

Cable & Wireless has acted to make life as easy as possible for businesses by introducing new price plans that give users and their employers the security of unlimited data usage. This means that the monthly cost of the plan will never be increased by data-hungry smartphones downloading at all hours of the day and night.

74

Isle of Man style magazine

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The Manx Telecom Corporate Challenge Manx Telecom Parish Walk Saturday 23rd June Have you and your business colleagues got what it takes to win the Manx Telecom Parish Walk Corporate Challenge?

The category is a new addition to the Island’s biggest mass participation sports event. It’s a great team building opportunity, and many of the corporate teams already entered are using the event to raise money for their nominated charities.

Winners of the Corporate Challenge will each receive a Sony Xperia Active mobile phone from Manx Telecom, having clocked up the highest combined total mileage.

Mike Dee, Manx Telecom CEO, said: “As well as being a fun event for all

participants, the Corporate Challenge is also an excellent opportunity for businesses to raise funds for the charity of their choice.”

Mike added: “We have been providing timing for the Parish Walk for several years, but this is the first time that the event will feature live tracking. For us, it is the perfect way to use our technological expertise to enhance what is already a fantastic sporting and community event. We’re very proud to be sponsoring the Manx Telecom Parish Walk for the next three years and delighted with the number of entrants who have already signed up this year.”

Entrants for all categories in the Manx Telecom Parish Walk have until one minute to midnight on Sunday 13th May to register. Each Corporate Challenge team must have a team of four to enter. The walk starts at the NSC at 8am on Saturday 23rd June. To enter, or for more information, go to the official website at

The Manx Telecom Corporate Team

We met up with Gavin Smith, Fenella Costain, Keira Corteen and Dave Clarke from the Manx Telecom team to ask what preparations they are doing for the Parish walk.

Name: Gavin Smith Age: 34 Occupation: Marketing Communications Supervisor Gallery: So Gavin, what’s your routine?

Gavin: Well, I get up at 6am for a Sunday walk. I am tackling The Sloch at the moment, and I live round the corner from there. That bit is a psychological and physical hurdle for a lot of people. Last Sunday I went up The Sloch, down and back again, that was a good 11-mile round route for me.

I’m suppose to be doing about 20 miles a week, my body isn’t as in tune as it used to be, I’m 34 now. Up until the age of about 21, I played a lot of football and did quite a bit of running; it was the peak of my fitness really.

Then you find a girl, you get married, you settle down and you have the children, my life is very busy. Fitness hasn’t been a big part of my life.

Gallery: What appealed to you about the Parish Walk?

Gavin: Well, from an employee point of view, I work for Manx Telecom and it’s great to be a part of the event. But the nature of the event quite suits me. It’s about endurance, more to do with staying power really.

Where my physical ability may not carry me, my mental ability has to take over and push. We’ll see how far my mind and chicken legs will carry me!

Gallery: What charities are you supporting?

Gavin: My 8 year old was born very early, he came 3 months early. I suppose it was kind of a shock. He was at the old Nobles, one of the first patients into the new Nobles Hospital. You’d never know now.

I’ve already raised about £11,000 for the Special Care Baby Unit at Nobles Hospital. I’m hoping to raise some more for them, so that’ll drive me on!

My other charity is the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID).

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Friends of the family recently lost their little boy, they are walking for FSID. I thought ‘I would like to do that as well’.

Gallery: Do you think you’re going to make it?

Gavin: Who knows! My plan is to get into a certain state; my plan is not to stop. There are plenty of people that have managed it with no training at all! From my point of view, I’m trying to raise some money, so I’ll be training pretty hard.

Isle of Man style magazine

BUSINESS

Name: Fenella Costain Age: 54 Occupation: MT Customer Accounts Manager Gallery: Hi Fenella, tell us your routine?

Fenella: I live in Dalby so walk down to Niarbyl and back, it’s not very far but it is all uphill on the way back. I try to do it most nights, but I’m a fair weather walker.

Gallery: What’s your favourite roadside refreshment?

Fenella: I like to drink water, eat melon and the occasional bit of chocolate; also like jam sandwiches.

Gallery: What’s your aim?

Fennella: I am walking to Rushen for the third time and hoping to make it in 5 hours; it’s just a bit of a stroll really!

Name: Dave Clarke Age: 47, but age is just a number!

Occupation: Currently work in T3, but I have moved to the Business Help Desk in Dalton Street for a few months.

Name: Keira Corteen Age: 18 years old Occupation: Clerical Assistant in the Billing Department.

Gallery: What’s your routine then Keira?

Keira: One long walk and two short walks a week with work colleagues or my boyfriend’s mum (who I have also roped into doing the parish).

Gallery: What’s your favourite roadside refreshment?

Keira: Water, lots of it!

Gallery: What’s your aim?

Keira: Just hoping to get to Rushen within the time limit. It’s my first time doing the Parish!

because quality matters

Gallery: What’s your routine?

Dave: Training has not really started as I have been in the garage every night and weekend for the last 2 months building the race bikes in preparation for the Pre & Post TT races, but the work is nearing completion now.

I am also a Chief Sector Marshal for the TT, looking after the section of the course between Kerrowmoar and Ramsey Hairpin. So over the next few weeks, I will regularly be walking out to Kerrowmoar and back to check the road, signage and equipment in preparation for the TT. This is probably going to form the basis of this years training with a couple of longer works in the run up to the Parish. Parish Walk training is part of my fitness program for the Manx Grand Prix races in August too!

Gallery: What’s your favourite roadside refreshment?

Dave: Energy drinks and Mars bars, although I did enjoy that small beer at the top of the Sloch last year!

Gallery: What’s your aim?

Dave: If I can get to Peel in less than 8 hours, I will be happy, any further will be a bonus. I was slowed last year by injuries on the run up to the event, and by badly blistered feet due to a late change of footwear, so hopefully I have learnt from that!

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FEATURE

Offshore financial centres generally embrace the substantial contributions that international businesses bring to their economy in terms of local spend in restaurants, local services, transport, together with their investments in office accommodation and employment creation. Though, for reasons unchallenged, some sections of the Manx community remain unconvinced of the benefits and can be quite averse to international ‘come overs’ and ‘stop overs’ diverting business from Island SMEs. Department of Economic Development’s Tim Craine, Director of Business Development for the Isle of Man Government said: “I think it’s partially down to communication. I think that there is a job to be done through the media to the man on the street to better explain whys and wherefores of Government policy and the benefits that economic diversity and growth bring to the Island.”

Tim added: “There are very significant benefits to the economy in having international players investing generally in the Isle of Man, including job creation and added tax revenue which can, in turn, be used by Government to both maintain and enhance services.

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It is said by some that Manx businesses and local Manx people can harbor some form of resentment toward international conglomerates with a presence on the Island.

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Manx Business

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Tim also commented: “retail is a different and complex area where there is a need to provide consumer choice, whilst at the same time keeping town centre retailing viable and ensuring that local retailers continue to be able to compete.”

The gap between local Manx business and international business conglomerates on the Island is fairly palpable. Business figures are those that locals know of, but never see.

Ben Sowery, Radio Broadcast News Reader at 3FM Isle of Man said: “The only time you’ll ever really hear of the animosity is when the proposals are in place for a conglomerate to come over.”

Ben added: “For example, this talk of Curry’s/PC world is scaring local electrical retailers, but once the dust has settled, you never really hear much about it again.”

Joshua Dillon, a local musician says: “It’s not something I usually think about but I would say that it further divides people. The poor staying poor and the rich getting richer. In my mind it all comes down to greed. There’s lots of money, but not enough for everyone to be billionaires.”

The Isle of Man is celebrated world wide for its tourist attractions. Visitors are already planning their May/June flock to the Island, dizzied by the next hotly marketable Superbike in the TT Races.

With comprehensive communication between the Isle of Man Government, the internationally based businesses and locals, the Isle of Man would provide the perfect haven for international business and tourism alike.

Joshua adds: “The guys at the top tend to think about how much profit they can make but forget about the people at the bottom, they also forget the effects on other businesses too.”

Isle of Man style magazine

Demand more from your bank...

Welcome to Premium Banking In today’s economic climate, managing and protecting your wealth is essential. Equally important is the trust and confidence you have in your bankers.

Premium Banking is an enhanced, highly personalised relationship managed banking service that starts with one simple and fundamental question: “What do you want from us, how can we help?” Understanding this enables us to tailor the service to meet your own very unique and personal requirements.

Quite simply, if you expect and demand more from your banking and wealth management, Premium Banking delivers. Asset or income qualifications apply.

Your gateway to our expertise.

If you demand more from your bank, contact Premium Banking on 01624 637674 or call in to any branch for details.

Isle of Man Bank Limited (IOMB). Registered Company Number: 1 Isle of Man. Registered Office: 2 Athol Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM99 1AN. Licensed by the Financial Supervision Commission of the Isle of Man and registered with the Insurance and Pensions Authority in respect of general business. Premium Banking service is offered subject to status, Terms and Conditions apply. Calls may be recorded.

music

BusinessNews

Isle of Man Entrepreneurs Greenlight TV

Rob | Dave | Rich

Born: Rich: Let’s just say we cover a pretty wide spread of years...

Dave: On the Isle of Man and lets just say I’m the youngest

Schooled: We did the lot, some better approved of than others

About The business: Greenlight is one of the biggest motorsport production companies in Europe, especially in terms of events and broadcast hours. We’re filming Le Mans cars, GT cars and Formula One cars, rally cars, road racing motorcycles, motocross and powerboats, travelling across Europe, Asia and the USA, working for the biggest names in motorsport and the biggest television broadcasters in the world.

First Job: Rich: Driving a delivery van in London Dave: Running a bicycle shop for the then Girlfriend’s Dad Rob: Planting flowers

What led to the creation of your business?

What has been your greatest achievement in the last year?

Favourite car: Rich: Too many to list

It was the only way to create a permanent future in the uncertain world of TV production, which is famously fickle.

Growing a business in this economic climate.

Dave: Red E-Type Convertible Jag Rob: Porsche 911

Favourite book: Rich: Winnie the Pooh Dave: The Grand National (as long as I win) Rob: The Feathermen by Ranulph Fiennes Music of the moment: Rich: Diana Krall or

Madeleine Peyroux Dave: Bus Pass Blues Band on the Isle of Man and Temper Trap off it Rob: Paul Weller

What did you do before?

We all worked in different sides of the media industry. We ended up together in one place for a couple of years doing motorsport television before we started up Greenlight.

Do you have any funny broadcast stories?

Last holiday: Rich: It’s all a big holiday here...

We can’t print that!

Happiest when: Rich: In a pitlane. Any pitlane, as

What has been your biggest challenge?

Dave: Tunisia Rob: Morocco

long as it’s loud Dave: With Steph, Cai and Caragh (the family) Rob: Either in the south of France or at Old Trafford because quality matters

Answering the previous question without consulting a lawyer!

What are your plans for the future?

Keep on growing!

What advice would you give to would-be entrepreneurs in the broadcast industry?

Rich: It’s harder than it looks.

Dave: Put in the hours and keep smiling (on the outside at least)!

Rob: Don’t take up too many hobbies!

Isle of Man style magazine

BusinessNews

Manx Telecom launches Intelligent Cloud

BUSINESS

Manx Telecom unveiled Intelligent Cloud recently, a new product which will make cloud computing a viable and cost-effective option for all businesses. Developed by Manx Telecom in partnership with market leading hosting technology firm VMWare, Intelligent Cloud is the only Isle of Man-based VMWare-powered solution with free bandwidth - a fact which makes it an attractive choice for businesses looking to control IT costs.

In layman’s terms, Intelligent Cloud allows a business to buy IT services from Manx Telecom in the same way as it would pay for power from an electricity supplier. If required, Intelligent Cloud allows a business to host all of its IT needs with Manx Telecom in a secure and resilient environment, removing the need to own and manage in-house networks and servers. Manx Telecom can now offer customers the option of hosting all of their IT and voice needs by using Intelligent Cloud in conjunction with its existing Intelligent Voice service.

For larger businesses that wish to use existing in-house networks and servers, Intelligent Cloud can provide extra capacity as and when required, therefore removing the need for further capital investment in additional IT hardware. Cloud is ideal for a business that needs to flex their IT capacity up and down or for those needing a joined up business continuity plan. Intelligent Cloud also offers 24 x 7 x 365 technical support, 100% dedicated hardware, easy and rapid scalability, VMware trained technicians and many other cost benefits, plus full disaster recovery and back-up solutions.

Gavin Jackson, Director, vCloud & Service Providers, EMEA, VMware said: “We are pleased that Manx Telecom has entered the VMware Service Provider Program. The VMware Service Provider Program was created for partners who offer cloud computing and hosted IT services to enterprise, small and medium business customers and we’re excited to welcome Manx Telecom.”

The Intelligent Cloud launch was held at The Claremont, Loch Promenade, on March 29 presented by Stuart Paul, Manx Telecom Data Centres Director; Fergal McKenna, Manx Telecom Sales Director; Stephen Trimble, Manx Telecom Enterprise Hosting and Solutions Manager; and Justin Olivier, Systems Engineer from VMWare. Due to the fantastic response to the launch of Intelligent Cloud a second presentation was held at Manx Telecom Headquarters, Isle of Man Business Park, on April 25.

Stuart Paul said that Intelligent Cloud was a significant development for Manx Telecom and added that the new product’s flexibility would make it a viable option for a wide range of businesses.

He said: “We have made a huge investment in the Island’s telecoms infrastructure, spent £15million on the Island’s only purpose built data centre, and now we are investing in the best cloud solution available. With Intelligent Cloud we can provide a cost-effective and efficient solution for all of our customers’ IT and telecoms needs. And our customers have the reassurance of knowing that at the heart of this new product is our Douglas North Data Centre which has the very highest standards of resilience and security which is vital for all cloud solutions.”

All of Manx Telecom’s guests who attended the Intelligent Cloud launch were offered a free one-month trial of the new product. For more information about Intelligent Cloud go towww.manxtelecom.com/cloud

Stuart Paul, Manx Telecom Data Centres Director, speaking at the Intelligent Cloud launch.

Manx Telecom account manager Roberta Castle with Shoprite representatives David Mathieson, left, and Nic Gotrel, right.

because quality matters

Chris Quayle, from Evolution, left, won a Nokia Lumia 800 smartphone in a prize draw at the Intelligent Cloud launch event. Fergal McKenna, Manx Telecom Sales Director, presented him with the prize.

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business

Isle of Man Round Table discussion on Offshore Renewable Energy THE Department of Economic Development has hosted a round table discussion to discuss the significant opportunities of offshore renewable energy in the Isle of Man’s territorial waters, which occupy approximately 4,000 sq km in the Irish Sea. The event, which took place on Friday 20th April in the Barool Suite, Legislative Buildings, Douglas, was attended by over 50 delegates, consisting of representatives from corporate service providers, Government Departments and organisations with an interest in green technology, including the Isle of Man Friends of the Earth.

Under the ‘All Islands Approach’, Energy Ministers from the British Irish Council and the Isle of Man Government have agreed to cooperate on commercialising the major wind and marine resource in and around the British Isles to meet future needs and for export into Europe. The discussion was intended to raise the Island’s profile as an ideal location to develop offshore renewable energy projects, an interconnector transmission hub and to provide operation and maintenance bases to enable the export of renewable energy to the UK. Prior to the event, site visits were arranged to the Manx Electricity Authority power station and to Douglas Harbour to view the area suitable for redevelopment. An excursion was organised at sea on the Government Fisheries’ patrol vessel to view the measuring equipment available for use on the vessel.

The format of the day involved a presentation on the ‘All Islands Approach’ to offshore renewable energy by Laurence Skelly MHK, Political Member for the Department of Economic Development with responsibility for Energy Policy and Clean Tech; a presentation by Dr Ken Milne, Senior Manager for Energy Policy on opportunities in the Isle of Man and Laura Hanley MSc, Project Officer for the Manx Marine Environmental

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Assessment gave an overview of the Isle of Man Marine Plan and the stakeholder led Manx Marine Environmental Assessment.

There were three simultaneous round table discussions on the themes of offshore wind, marine renewables and operation and maintenance bases during the afternoon.

Laurence Skelly MHK, Political Member for the Department of Economic Development with responsibility for Energy Policy and Clean Tech, explained: ‘Today’s Round Table discussion has provided the perfect platform for stakeholders to network and engage in topical discussions on new technology and environment solutions. In the current economic climate, we all share the same aim in doing everything we can to save and reduce costs and it is important that we take advantage of the opportunities for our Island to benefit from the use of renewable energy.’

Dr Ken Milne, Senior Manager for Energy Policy, commented: ‘This event has been very useful and the Department of Economic Development is pleased to have been able to give an update on the latest developments on offshore renewable energy opportunities in the Isle of Man. We will continue in our aim to attract inward investment in the Clean Tech sector, which hopefully will help to create new jobs through providing low carbon goods and services.’

Isle of Man style magazine

Movers&Shakers

New Branch Manager for HSBC in Ramsey HSBC has appointed Mandy Kelly as the new Branch Manager in Ramsey.

Mandy joins HSBC from Bradford & Bingley International, now Alliance & Leicester, where she worked for nine years, in both Customer Services and Compliance roles.

Originally from the UK, Mandy moved to the Isle of Man from Wallasey when she was nine years old, she was educated in Ramsey and has lived in Peel ever since. Married to Neil, she has three grown up children, two currently working in the finance industry and the youngest involved in catering. Outside of work, she enjoys walking, cycling and trips to France in her campervan.

Mandy’s appointment follows the recent refurbishment of HSBC’s branches in the Isle of Man, which has seen the introduction in Ramsey of a range of state of the art automated banking equipment and new customer meeting rooms.

Commenting on her appointment, Mandy said: “I’d heard some wonderful reports of HSBC and the Ramsey branch, its staff and its customers, and am pleased to say my first few weeks here have exceeded my already high expectations. The team is committed to providing a superior level of customer service and I’m looking forward to what the future holds.”

Ian Bush, Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management in the Isle of Man, added: “I am delighted to welcome Mandy to HSBC. She has a real enthusiasm for customer service and an excellent understanding of customers’ banking needs, which are ideal qualities for leading our team in Ramsey. Off the back of our branch refurbishment programme, I know Mandy is keen to build on our success to date and maintain the high quality service we offer to our fantastic customers in Ramsey.” because quality matters

Anna McChesney has been promoted to Deputy Marketing Manager by the Sefton Group Anna McChesney has been promoted to Deputy Marketing Manager by the Sefton Group.

Anna will apply her expertise across the Group, marketing The Sefton, Sefton Express and the BEST WESTERN Palace Hotel & Casino. In particular, Anna will work with the marketing and operational teams to promote the Group’s special events and packages, such as tribute acts and themed nights, through social media inconjunction with print and radio advertising.

She will also continue to drive the Casino’s ‘V’ Membership scheme launched at the end of last year, under which members receive exclusive offers and invitations to Casino events, as well as special offers across the Sefton Group’s hotel and leisure facilities.

Anna said: ‘The Sefton Group has a range of brands, so our job is identifying what our customers want and basing our events, offers and promotions around that, using various forms of advertising.

‘Working within the hospitality industry presents its own unique challenges, which is particularly true of the Sefton Group, operating in a range of markets with different consumer requirements. It is fast-paced and we need to be both forward-thinking and ready to react!’

business

New trustee joins The Children’s Centre board Mike Gardner, a retired Chartered Accountant who spent his entire career with KPMG, has joined The Children’s Centre’s Board of Trustees. The Island’s leading charity for children and families is governed by a voluntary Board of Trustees, which delegates the dayto-day running of the organisation to a Chief Executive and a Senior Management Team. Mike, who lives in Kirk Michael, says he is delighted with his new appointment and is looking forward to playing a part in supporting the charity’s comprehensive range of services across the Island.

Mike said: “I have always been impressed by The Children’s Centre’s work and the positive impact it has had over many years in providing services and projects which benefit everyone in our community. I look forward to working with my fellow trustees and to making a contribution towards The Children’s Centre’s continued success.”

Mike’s association with charity goes back some time as he has taken part in several adventure challenges to raise funds for the charity. In March this year Mike completed the Abu Dhabi Triathlon, which involved a 3km swim, 200km bike ride and a 20km run.

Group Marketing Manager, Naomi Finch, said: ‘Anna brings excellent skills and knowledge to the team and I am confident she will continue to do an excellent job.

There are lots of exciting projects and events coming up for and within the Sefton Group and I feel confident Anna will shine in this new role.’

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business

Movers&Shakers

KPMG Isle of Man announce promotion of Simon Nicholas to Director

Isle of Man Bank welcomes experienced lawyer to Board of Directors

Audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG Isle of Man is pleased to announce the promotion of Simon Nicholas to Director.

The advancement is part of an orderly succession from Neil Duggan, who has announced his retirement.

Isle of Man Bank Limited has appointed former Appleby Senior Partner Paul Morris to its Board as a Non-Executive Director with effect from 1st April 2012.

Simon has been an Associate Director within KPMG Isle of Man’s Audit Division since 2010. He has over 13 years experience of providing audit and advisory services to the firm’s financial services clients, specialising in the insurance and funds sectors.

Prior to moving to the Island, Simon worked with KPMG Bermuda for seven years, before that he was with Mazars in London.

Simon is an active participant in the Isle of Man Captive Association, serving on the Executive Committee and on the Marketing & Strategy Sub-Committee. Simon also has significant investment and derivative experience, including private equity and alternative investments. Simon’s advisory credentials include risk and compliance, financial management and transaction services, including London and SEC mergers and acquisitions, public company due diligence and public / private offering documents.

Managing Director of KPMG Isle of Man, David McGarry said: “Having joined us two years ago, Simon has made a major contribution within our audit division, sharing his extensive specialist knowledge with our clients. If anybody is suited to fill Neil’s shoes it is Simon and I look forward to the contribution he will make to the firm going forward with great expectations.”

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Mr Morris, who was born and educated in the Island, has a law degree from the University of Sheffield. He qualified as an Isle of Man advocate in 1981 and was a partner at a number of law firms before joining Dickinson Cruickshank where he was partner from 1999 until his retirement in 2011.

A former president of the Isle of Man Law Society, he continues to work as a consultant for Appleby, which merged with Dickinson Cruickshank in 2009.

Bill Shimmins, Managing Director of Isle of Man Bank, commented: “It is a pleasure to welcome someone of Paul Morris’ stature and experience to the Board. I am confident the Board will benefit from his wealth of experience and intricate knowledge of the island’s commercial landscape.”

Mr Morris, added: “I am honoured to be invited to the Board of Isle of Man Bank which, as Company number one on the island’s Companies Registry, is something of a local institution.”

Mr Morris has been a bank customer since 1974 and is married to Joy, who used to work for Isle of Man Bank. He enjoys cricket and golf in his spare time and is a member of the MCC and a former Captain and President of Ramsey Golf Club

Mann Link Travel has appointed Sally Glover as their Business Travel Manager.

Sally has almost 25 years’ experience in the travel industry and will lead a team of seven staff at Mann Link’s Isle of Man office in Athol Street, Douglas. Her responsibilities include client relationships, team building, account management, and business development.

Sally said: “I’m delighted to have joined Mann Link Travel to work with the only dedicated business travel department on the Island. Mann Link Travel has a reputation for providing unrivalled standards of service for business travellers and I’m looking forward to working with an already experienced and knowledgeable team.”

Mann Link Travel is part of the Online Region Travel Group Ltd (ORTG). The group boasts the largest combined dedicated business travel operation in the British Isles, including Bellingham Travel in Jersey and Wayfarers World Travel in Guernsey, servicing over 500 companies across the three Islands.

Brian Kelly, Managing Director of Mann Link Travel and CEO of ORTG, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Sally to Mann Link Travel. Sally’s background and expertise will enable her to play a vital role in the future of our business travel department.”

Isle of Man style magazine

HARDWARE

hardware

Phonehome Nokia Lumia 710 You can have a new phone every day with the Nokia Lumia 710! A range of different coloured covers are available and you can match them by changing the home screen colour too - but there is much more packed behind this smartphone’s 3.7 inch Gorilla Glass touchscreen.

The Windows Phone 7.5 Mango operating system and 1.4GHz processor combine to make the Lumia 710 quick and responsive when using its unique features. The 5 megapixel camera, with LED flash and HD video, allow you to capture stunning

images displayed beautifully on the Nokia ClearBlack screen. With 8GB of internal memory there’s plenty of room to store all your photos, videos, and music. It also boasts Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth and Internet Explorer 9 which mean that connectivity options are second to none - and it all comes at a competitive price!

Key Features: • 5 megapixel camera • 8 GB internal memory • HSPA internet access • Windows 7.5 Mango • 1.4GHz Scorpion processor

Available from Manx Telecom for FREE on Pay Monthly or £310 on Pay As You Go with a free SIM pack.

Best prices guaranteed by Manx Telecom’s Price Match Promise

The Nokia Lumia 710 is available in blue and black. To see for yourself what it has to offer, visit Manx Telecom’s store in Strand Street, Douglas, call 624 624 for more information, or go to www.manxtelecom.com

The Multimedia Mobile Videos, music, photos, everyday we experience media in a multitude of ways with new and exciting clips being sent to us through a variety of social media platforms. As your friends and contacts share their experiences and the things they find interesting, you need a phone that can cope with the huge amount of media that is sent its way.

The Sony Xperia U is that phone.

Built with the hugely popular Android operating system, it is designed to be the media player you need. The 3.5” Reality Display powered by Sony’s famous Mobile Bravia engine, plays videos with incredible resolution and gives your photos, taken with the 5 megapixel camera, the high quality reproduction they deserve.

The camera doesn’t just take highresolution pictures, it also does so quickly as it switches from sleep mode to taking the photo in less than a second, and so you don’t have to miss a moment.

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As for music, you can plug the Xperia U into speakers and let the xLoud loudness enhancement do justice to your favourite tracks or if you’re watching a movie, just plug in the headphones and let surround sound take over.

The Xperia U is a phone for mobile living, you can download tracks via the preloaded Music Unlimited app from the Sony Entertainment Network and enjoy the changing colours on the base of the phone as it synchronises with the shades of sound you’re listening to.

The 1Ghz dual-core processor means that the Xperia U is never short of processing power to run your favourite apps, stream your videos or play your music.

Just pop into the Sure store to pick one up for free on the £25 per month

Smart200 price plan.

www.suremobile.com

Isle of Man style magazine

FREE

Smartwatch

with Sony Xperia S Only £49 on a £35/m Smart plan

Sony XPERIA S • Android smart phone with PlayStation® certified games • Razor-sharp clarity HD 4.3” display • 12MP camera with light sensor

Term and conditions apply, subject to availability.

See www.surecw.com for details

includes unlimited high speed data and unlimited texts.

HARDWARE

Gallery gadgets Go on, eat them all up - you know you want to... Nom nom!

Pancake party No, not the thin, cupboard essentials eliminating type often enjoyed on Shrove Tuesday, but the thick, fluffy American take on pancakes that are often drowned in maple syrup, knobs of butter, cream, peanut butter - you know the drill, anything that is almost guaranteed to slash the productivity of your arteries in the lick of a spoon, and this contraption from US (where else?!) manufacturer ChefStack plops them out in a mere 45 seconds at a rate of 200 per hour.

If you’re planning a competitive eating contest in the near future then one of these is surely a pre-requisite but allow a couple of weeks for delivery from the other side of the pond and a few spare pennies to cover the whopping, yet almost entirely justifiable $3,500 price tag. www.chefstack.com

Dieting specs Believe it or not, and I’ve a feeling that like me you’ll be inclined to sway toward the ‘not’ end of the spectrum, scientists in Japan have developed special specs (not the ones pictured, incidentally) that magnify your food but not your hands in

an effort to fool your brain into thinking you’ve actually eaten more than in reality than you have. Tests have backed this up, although I can’t help but think that those taking part probably had a genetic headstart on us Westerners.

ANT WE W OF ONE !

E THES

Here comes the science part If you’ve shaved your head and purchased a pair of novelty glasses recently this piece of kit might not look out of place in your kitchen.

It’s a Heidolph VV Micro Rotary Evaporator and can be reappropriated to distill flavours from any foodstuff imaginable, allowing you to add flavour to dishes without altering the texture or look of the other ingredients.

Better than slicing bread...

Israeli designer Tal Zur has invented a clever device that takes the knife out of the bread-slicing equation.

It’s a ceramic and silicone device that you wrap around your loaf prior to baking, only to tug both ends (no, that’s not a bizarre sexual act) which slices the bread up for you. They’re called Hallah Handles and you don’t have to be of Jewish faith to enjoy them or appreciate her ingenuity.

It’s the kind of thing that you just know that Heston Blumenthal has one or two of, ticking over at The Fat Duck at all times. That mango and raspberry parfait? Think again - it’s actually Beef Wellington.

Too lazy to slice your own bread? Rather concentrate on stuffing your face? You need Hallah Handles.

Technogluttony in numbers...

206 Million computer products and 140 million phones are discarded in the US every year. Worldwide, annual electronic waste is 50 million tons

70% of the heavy metals in U.S. landfills come from our outdated electronics and include toxins like lead and mercury. Only 15% to 20% of our gadgets are recycled

Those pesky Deceptacons were no match for Ramòn and his souped-up mobility scooter... That’ll teach them not to give way at zebra crossings.

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Isle of Man style magazine

GALLERY .......................... .......................... .......................... .......................... ..........................

GALLERY .......................... .......................... .......................... .......................... ..........................

GALLERY

Black & white & read all over (TheIsle Isleof ofMan*) Man) (The

GALLERY

hardware

Words | Bill Carden

IOMTTMA

A most daunting assignment Anyone who has journeyed around the Isle of Man will not have failed to have used the circular route from Douglas to Ramsey in the north travelling in a clockwise direction; roads that many of the local residents and commuters use every day. It is a route that takes you past the Islands capital heading south and at the Quaterbridge public house turns right and heads out towards Peel in the west. At Ballacraine corner it changes direction again turning right and heads north towards Kirk Michael and Ramsey.

This route meanders through small rural hamlets, villages and open countryside, deep glens and open moorland and as it leaves Ramsey the route turns once again and heads south; climbing past Mount Snaefell to close on 1,400 feet and then dropping back to sea level as the course brings you back to Douglas. In all a picturesque route around a beautiful island with the most diverse terrain you will find anywhere.

The road in question is obviously the TT Course and the description is one lap of the course as it would be during a race. It is generally a scenic country road most of the time but becomes a somewhat awesome challenge when closed for racing during the TT & MGP road races. At this point it ceases to be a public road for commuters, residents, all traffic and pedestrians and it becomes a 37.73 mile race course where the tough diverse terrain becomes a major testing ground for the most intrepid rider and the most resilient pieces of motorcycle machinery, putting their skills and endurance to the test.

Closing a normal public road nearly 40 miles long and turning it into a race course is in itself a major feat to accomplish; consider all that has to be in place before any practice or race can start.

• Prior to the event the hundreds of property owners living on the course are contacted so the occupiers are all aware

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of what happens and what is required during road closure.

• A course contractor installs the course furniture including some 2,500 straw bales, 750 units of Recticel [air fence], hundreds of prohibited and restricted area signs as well as many strategically placed large round bales used as protection and various other protective structures.

• At many of the marshalling locations around the 37.73 miles there are storage shelters or wooden locker boxes which house the marshalling equipment. These shelters or boxes are delivered to their required location before the start of TT and left in place until after the MGP has finished. Most of the mountain section marshalling locations are equipped with permanent purpose built shelters.

• Prior to the start of the TT, a local scaffolding company erects a large number of platforms on hedges, breaks in walls and various other seemingly odd places all around the course. These platforms afford good visibility to the marshals whilst keeping them out of the line of fire; many of these scaffold structures are used by the marshals’ with flags who man the course and need to be seen clearly by oncoming riders.

Alongside the course furniture placement are the ropes and barriers; found at hundreds of road junctions and access ways all around the course; much of this equipment is put in place by marshals and security companies.

• There are medical teams stationed around the course, Hogg Motorsport, St John Ambulance and Red Cross deal with some of the first aid along with many of the race marshals.

• The Rob Vine Fund provides the finance for the medical equipment at all marshalling locations; the average cost of an Immediate Care Case and a Scoop

Stretcher is around £1,000 per location and there are around 110 of these kits around the course.

• The Rob Vine Fund is Registered Charity No 954 [Isle of Man] and incorporates Motorsport Medical Services and the Hogg Motorsport Association.

They oversee all the medical support throughout the event including recruiting the doctors and paramedics who are on duty around the course and assigned to the 2 rescue helicopters • Backing up the medical services are two medically equipped AIRMED helicopters; fully crewed and on stand-by to attend course incidents. They are based at two strategic locations around the course.

• There are 9 motorcycle mounted travelling marshals, also specifically stationed around the course. These are ex TT and MGP riders who act as additional marshals and can travel to the scene of an incident, even during a race and assist with any emergency and deal with all AIRMED helicopter landings. They are all fully trained in first aid and carry extra emergency equipment.

• Communications are also obviously very important for all the officials around the course; TETRA radios are used to keep everyone informed. TETRA is the same system used by all the emergency services and enables every radio operator to speak with anyone on the course. There are currently somewhere in the order of 300 of these radios out on the course.

• There is also a course maintenance team, who check the suitability of the course throughout the year and monitor it during the periods of practice and racing. Any defects or hazards that are discovered, or reported from day to day, will be dealt with by the course maintenance team.

Isle of Man style magazine

hardware

The TT & MGP Marshals No Marshals No Races Without marshals in all the right places, There’ll be not one sprint for the aces.

But when we’re out on the course, • The government department [DOI] carry out all maintenance to the course and provide the marshalling course equipment. This includes delivery of scores of barriers and ropes, course brushes, shovels and oil absorbent material. They also paint several miles of black and white kerb edges around the entire course every year. During TT they are responsible for the one way system in place on the mountain section of the course; a problematic job in itself.

• Race Control is another team of volunteers who are vital to the event, they man the control tower and oversee the running of the races and manage the whole event. It is through Race Control that all radio traffic flows for reporting and seeking assistance.

Just for the statisticians among us here are a few more facts related to the course setup: There are a little under 1,200 race flags distributed around the course.

There are 187 fire extinguishers at specific marshalling locations.

There are 347 tubs of oil absorbing material.

There are 226 brushes and 207 shovels.

There are 41 portable toilets in specific locations.

Putting this into perspective, all of the previously mentioned undertakings and equipment needs to be in place before any practice or race can take place.

When you consider the road closes at 6.00 pm for an evening practice and is generally ready for racing in about 20 minutes; that is quite an achievement.

As you can see there are many concerns that annually face the organisers and promoters of the events [TT & MGP] not least is how to achieve and manage the hundreds of volunteers and service providers needed to make sure the festival and races go ahead. It is a job that takes many people many hours throughout the year, working in numerous departments and groups, individually ensuring their specific part of the scheme of things is calculated to safeguard the smooth running of the event. because quality matters

One of these groups is the TT Marshals Association [IOMTTMA Ltd]; not mentioned above, they are annually faced with a most daunting assignment. They are tasked with recruiting and training volunteers for the purposes of marshalling the races and the assignment is indeed a daunting one. For racing purposes, the course is divided into 12 sectors and each sector divided into numerous marshalling locations, there are somewhere in the region of 259 locations needing to be manned by marshals. It is therefore easy to see that a considerable number of volunteers would be needed to adequately marshal the course. Currently over 500 marshals, as a minimum, are needed for every practice or race and all these volunteers must be in all the specific marshalling locations before any practice or racing can take place. To ensure there are enough marshals for the event the association twice annually contacts all the volunteers on their data base, some 7,000 of them, to ask for their services as marshals; in recent years a figure of some 1,700 marshals have signed on during the TT & MGP races.

There are obviously more people working tirelessly in the background to make these events a success, it is always a problem when writing an article such as this that certain groups and individuals are missed; this is not intentional. Credit should go to all those who give up their time and most cover their own expenses doing their part.

The Manx Government and to a great degree the Manx people, also deserve acknowledgment for supporting and financing the festival and races.

Please support the races here in the Isle of Man; there is nothing else anywhere in the world like them. Additional volunteers are always welcome at every TT Festival and never more so than during the Manx Grand Prix later in the year; the MGP usually experiences less visiting marshals to help meet the manning levels. There are also fewer doctors and paramedics available for the MGP; could you help?

behind the wall hedge and gorse, Then we’ll get on with the races.

500 plus needed, before it can start, the least required before bikes can depart.

So join the legendary marshalling crew, bond with the races, like tangerine glue and support the event from the heart.

There’s marshalling duties plenty to do, and definitely a task there ideal for you.

A radio to use or a flag you could wave, by the side of the course, if you feel brave, and even a job if you’re new.

So if marshalling you feel an attraction, where you get very close to the action.

To the marshals’ office, go along, where you fill a form and sign on, and let the races become your distraction.

You may feel a desire to take part and volunteer in some way, maybe as a marshal or a member of the medical team but are unsure how to do so or what to expect; please contact the following.

For those interested in marshalling the races please contact info@iomttma.com For any medical personnel please contact Dr David B. Stevens MBE dbs@mms.org.im

© Bill Carden 2012.

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RIDER PROFILES

GUY MARTIN AGE:30 INTO:SUPERBIKES

T

he Lorry Mechanic, the TV presenter, the racer.

There’s no limit to this man’s talents.

This year, the North Linconshire racer is following in his Father’s tire tracks, racing in the Tyci TAS Suzuki Team for TT 2012.

Gallery: Why? Guy: It’s a box to tick! I have loads of boxes to tick in life… One is to go and win a TT, so I’m going to win a TT. I’ve loads of boxes, loads and loads of boxes. I’ve got loads of ongoing boxes and the TT is an ongoing box that needs ticking. I do it, because I’ve set myself a goal and I enjoy doing it.

Gallery: What inspired you to get on a bike?

Guy: Get it wrong and your dead. What else is left in this world? I don’t know what percentage of people get killed in TT, but they’re fairly high.

I just want to get out there.

Gallery: Would you say that you’re a thrill seeker?

Guy: Well, no, no.

Gallery: I noticed that you’re not wearing team clothing…

Guy: I do, I was bloody hot! Bloody hot! Do you want me to put it on? I should have had my team shirt on today. I borrowed Hector’s (Manager) fleece, but it’s a bit too warm for a fleece.

Gallery: Do you feel that the TT has made you famous?

Guy: No. I don’t crave the attention. I’m not scared of telling people the truth in an interview like. Of course, the TT is getting more popular. Maybe it has a bit, yeah. Oh, I don’t care if it’s made me famous or not, I just love racing motorbikes, that’s why I’m here.

There are upsides to all the attention. Riding for these boys, he’s a good crack (points to Hector).

Gallery: How do you train?

Guy: Well, Tristan Palmer and another’un are army training, we did a

race in Scotland, those boys are professional. They’ve been in this army camp for a month, they finished 10th, I finished 3rd. He said he thought I would be the fittest person in the pits. I’m hands on. I’m a truck mechanic, that’s my job, that’s what I’m going back to in the morning. That keeps you fit; it’s a physical job. Which is ideal for this TT job.

So, in one sentence I can say no, I don’t train. In the next sentence I can say I train 12- 14 hours every day. So, we’ll go with that, I train 12-14 hours a day (laughs), every day, 6 days of the week. There isn’t a man out there that trains more than me!

Gallery: Are there any questions that you have always wanted to be asked by journalists that they haven’t asked?

Guy: (Whistles) Well, I would like someone to ask me about my tool collection. I’m passionate about a lot of things in life, a lot of things. My big thing is the tools of my trade. I’ve got a Snap-on toolbox. I think my toolbox is mega. I’ve made lots of them myself. I’ve got certain tools for certain jobs.

Gallery: What happens if you don’t win?

Guy: It could always be worse. If I don’t win one, I’ll go back the next year, and the next year!

Gallery: What happens if you do win one?

Guy: I’ll pack it in.

Gallery: Really?

Guy: Yeah!

Gallery: to Hector: Doesn’t that frighten you?

Guy: He’s bloody retiring Gallery: Nah, you’ll get the fever and come back the following year.

Guy: Nope. Like I said, it’s all about ticking boxes, I’ll just move on to the next one. There’s no point in going back.

Gallery: What’s the next box?

Guy: Ehm, I’ve got an inkling to go to Mount Everest, Hector’s coming with me.

Hector: NO! No I’m not. (Both laugh)

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Gallery: Do you always stand by your convictions?

Guy: I’d like to think that if I say I’m going to do something, I’d do it. I’d like to think that it should be on my headstone or summit when I’m dead, yeah: ‘He wasn’t shy ‘a’ graft. He said he was gonna do it and he did it.’

Something like that, dead simple.

what’s driven me to being the way I am now. I rebel against the routine.

I hate the routine.

(Pulls a book out: The Chimp Paradox by Dr. Steve Peters.)

I’ve only just got into it; I was like ‘bloody hell’. My Mrs. got me the copy, reasons why you do things; it’s a simplified version of how the brain works.

(Someone hands him a very large cup of tea and he starts laughing)

Understand and manage your emotions and thoughts.

Gallery: Top five on your bucket list Guy: 1. Win a TT 2. Climb Everest 3. Finish on the podium in the British Downhill Race 4. Be happy, what makes me happy is having boxes to tick 5. Continue with my job, I love my job Guy: I’ve done the End-to-End mountain bike race, 3 times. I finished about 85th, I think.

Gallery: What is the most important of those to you?

Guy: Being happy. You only get out what we put in. Some were born with a silver spoon and some aren’t. If you want to achieve what you want, you’ll do it. You’ll do whatever it takes to achieve that goal. That time you spend whinging about how hard up you are, that time could be spent knuckling down and working. There you are, you’ll be doing something about it. For me, it’s black and white.

We’re all different though I ‘spose. I’ve met people that are happy with what they’ve got. No big goals in life, just happy.

I’m different to my Brother; he’s got a wife and kids. Sometimes I wish I’d be more like that, but I’ve always got to be doing something.

Gallery: Grass is always greener on the other side.

Guy: Course it is, course it is. Sometimes I do wish I were like him. I’m getting married though! I have a crackin’ wife-to-be.

Guy: It’s like a default setting. You don’t have to think about what your doing, it’s just happening.

I like this, you say it’s an interview, but we’ve just been talking about interesting stuff. I like that. I want to have interviews like this.

Gallery: what are your Passions: 1. Job 2. Snap-on collection (toolbox) 3. Pushbike Gallery: Do you plan on having children?

Guy: Never say never, say never. No. Not at the moment though. The Mrs. works for Eli Lilly and Company. Healthcare Development Manager for the North East, she’s 32. She has a great job. We’re at that sort of age aren’t we?

Gallery: It’s a beautiful day isn’t it?

Guy: Lovely, lovely day.

Gallery: Is this where you’d usually be found at events?

Guy: I just stay out the way. I get asked the same questions 10 times.

Nice people, nice people. I ain’t got time for it. This place is nice though.

(Karl Harris walks up. Guy tests Karl on the names within the TT course and bends in the road.)

Guy: What comes after Cronk-y-Voddy?

Karl: Is it a chicane?

Guy: You’ll come back in a box my Dear.

Karl: I don’t know names, I could talk us round the circuit, I know where I am, but I don’t know names like you do.

Guy: Go on. You tell us then, yeah. Okay, okay, we’ll do a lap on practice week.

Gallery: Why do you think you are the way you are?

Guy: Why is it like that? I think it was the way I was brought up. My Dad’s a crackin’ bloke, I used to work with him on the weekend and that. He was such a stickler for routine, absolute military precision. I just thought, whatever happens to me, I don’t want to be like that. There is loads of bits of mi’ Dad I do want to be like. Loads. I’ve always thought that ‘what ever happens in my life, do not do that’, from being 10 year old. That’s

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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RIDER PROFILES

DAVE MOLYNEUX AGE:48 INTO:SIDECARS

D

ave Molyneux the TT Sidecar racer with 14 TT wins, more TT wins than any other sidecar TT racer.

He is also joint-third on the all-time wins list with Mike Hailwood.

Planning to be back in TT in 2012, Dave is teaming up with world champion passenger Patrick Farrance. The pair last competed together in 2010, finishing second in the Sure Sidecar Race 2 and will again be racing the Kawasaki backed ZX-6R machine.

Gallery: Why do you do it?

Dave: I love it. I just love it. I get a really big kick out of it and I’m getting on in years now, so it helps keep me young. This is my 32nd year, so I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve done it since I was 16 years old.

My Dad started racing when I was 2, so it’s always been in my family and I’ve been fortunate. It’s taken me all over the world: South Africa, Australia, everywhere, all over Europe! It’s been a pleasure, I’ve been very lucky in life to get to do it and be successful at it.

My Father lost his life racing in the Ulster Grand Prix in 1976 when I was 14, 3 years later I started racing. People couldn’t believe it, they said ‘why would you do this when your Dad lost his life doing it?’. Since then I’ve collected a few injuries, lost a bit of skin, spent some months off work, but I still get back out there.

Gallery: How do you prepare for the race?

Dave: I just work hard, I don’t go training and I’m not particularly athletic. I don’t do any of that sort of stuff. Fortunately, a lot of my work is to do with motorbike racing, so that’s it, that’s my training.

Gallery: What is the day job then?

Dave: I build motorbikes! Engine work, welding, fiberglass, I do a bit of painting. I built 90% of the sidecar myself! Some of it is farmed out to big manufactures that build wheels and that, but I built the main part of it.

Gallery: What’s your highest point?

Dave: I took a year off in 2010 for personal reasons, to get the house built.

I’ve been training since I finished the build. For the last 18 months I’ve been training for this year’s TT, I had that first ride on the 9th September.

The minute I got back on that bike, I thought to myself ‘I really want to do this, more than ever’. In all of those years of racing, I’d never had a break like that. Returning really lit the fire and enthusiasm that I had when I first got into it.

Gallery: Who are you looking forward to seeing race?

Dave: Outside of my own class, I’m really looking forward to seeing Ian Hutchinson having a good go at it. It’s going to be very difficult for him with those injuries and you’ve got to admire the fella for his determination. I would also like to see Conor do well, because he’s a home lad and he lives down the road from me. I went to school with his Dad! Gallery: Scared?

Dave: There are bits that concern me a little bit, I approach them and think ‘oh, here we go again’, but you do and you’re all right afterwards.

The top of Barregarrow is the most daunting thing on a sidecar. It’s a rollercoaster ride. The bottom is just as bad. But you’re there, then you jump off the roller coaster and 10 seconds later your doing it again.

I had a crash at Glencullen, it’s not like it affects me in how I approach it speed wise, but the day I can’t face that is the day I stop.

I want the TT to be as safe and successful as possible. We all want that.

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hardware

CONOR CUMMINS AGE:25 INTO:SUPERBIKES

A

t just 25 years of age, Conor is one of the hottest prospects currently plying his trade ‘between the hedges’. After a stunning year in 2009, the Manxman was set to continue that form and challenge for more wins in the 2010 season. That season came to an end at the Isle of Man TT. A big crash in the Senior TT brought knee, back and arm injuries. Despite this, Conor proved himself to be just about the fastest rider in road racing.

He has now recorded more 131+mph TT laps than any other rider and set the fastest lap of the entire TT festival at 131.5mph - from a standing start - a new lap record for the Superbike TT.

Gallery: Why TT? Conor: It started off with being intrigued, you know, I wanted to see what it was all about. I knew about it as a spectator, I was already born with oil behind my ears. My Dad raced in the Manx Grand Prix and the TT. So I’ve been brought up around it.

I used to be adamant that I would never do it though, I had a complete change in circumstances and at the end of 2005. I thought, well, I’ll have a go, if I didn’t like it I was going to just put the bike in the van. That didn’t happen, I’d been bitten by the bug. I have a love and passion for it.

That has been what’s kept me going, I want to win it. I don’t race to make the numbers up, none of us do.

Everyone seems to have a great relationship here! Everyone gets on! The rivalry comes in race week! We still bump into each other in the bar and have a drink though. We all have a crack, but come race day, we want to beat each other.

Gallery: How do you train?

Conor: I do a few things really. I do a lot of gym work, a lot of mountain biking, off-roading and motocross, Enduro trials riding, yeah, it’s really good. When you’re training with something that wants to rip your arms off, it bodes well when you come to ride a superbike. They are big, powerful beasts. You have to have the strength to hold on to it, strength and stamina.

Gallery: What do you have respect for most in the industry?

Conor: Good question! I’ve a lot of respect for people who can run a successful team. Especially in these last few years when money has been tight. Anyone that can be successful in these times gets my upmost respect, anyone that can win round the TT course. It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do in your life. Mentally anyway.

Gallery: What drives you?

Conor: The want to win! I’m passionate about my sport and I want to win, I really enjoy it. As long as I’m smiling, I’ll be riding a bike.

Gallery: Is there anything that frightens you?

Conor: Spiders (Laughs). Not really, no. Not to sound too, you know, but I’ve had a big accident, I was close to, well, I don’t know how close I was to…

I was bloody lucky to walk away from it. After that it puts things into perspective. I had a good take on life anyway, but it tweaks it a bit when something like that happens to you.

Gallery: Will you be more cautious because of it?

Conor: You appreciate things more. The biggest thing for the TT and road racing in general is to respect it when it’s needed. The TT course demands respect, but if you start getting a bit too carried away, you can find yourself in a bit of bother.

Gallery: Is there any part of the course that frightens you?

Conor: No. I respect it. There are parts of the course that are more demanding, physically and mentally than the others, but you get your head round it, I’m not scared of any parts of the course. I’ll show a bit more respect to the place where I fell off. I’m a racer though; I’ve got to be going hard. I can’t afford to be going around corners thinking; ‘I’m going to roll off’. That can be the difference between winning and losing.

Gallery: I’ve got my fingers crossed for you.

Conor: Spot on! Nice one.

because quality matters

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RIDER PROFILES

IAN HUTCHINSON AGE:31 INTO:ALL SOLO CLASSES

H

utchinson’s 2010 season came to an abrupt halt during a British Supersport Championship at Silverstone. Hutchinson was struck by another rider as he lay on the track and suffered compound fractures to his tibia and fibula in his left leg.

After 16 operations and skin grafts, the injury forced him to miss the start of the season, and he ultimately withdrew from both the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT 2011, where he had enjoyed so many victories in the previous year.

‘Hutchy’ is back for TT 2012, looking to pick up where he left off, flying on the exotic Swan Yamaha in all of the main solo classes.

Gallery: What’s the latest?

Ian: Well, you know, I’m getting a bit bored of living off of the back of what I did that year at the moment, it’s becoming embarrassing coming to chat shows and events like this saying that I’m going to be ready to come racing and stuff. In all honesty, I’m not 100% sure, but I’ve got an unbelievable team behind me to get back racing. At some point I have to come back and do them justice.

Gallery: It was a hugely serious injury that you sustained though wasn’t it?

Ian: I’ve talked about it a lot and everyone knows that I’ve had loads of operations and stuff. I don’t really need to keep going on about it. I just want to get this thing off my leg that’s been there for so long.

Gallery: When is it coming off?

Ian: I’m going back next week. It will be 3 months since I broke it. I’m having an x-ray to find out where we are at. Last time, I kept chasing the injury and I was in and out of the hospital nearly every day to ask if it was any better than the previous. This time, they said to have a bit of faith in it and leave it for the full 3 months, come back and we’ll make a plan. It should be right by then.

Gallery: Is there a big difference to the first time?

Ian: Yeah, I mean, it’s a totally different injury to last time. The bones haven’t been snapped this time. Last time, my whole leg was in jeopardy, but this time I walked out of the hospital that day. It’s pretty painful at times, but so long as I walk on it as much as I can, it’ll be all right.

Gallery: You’ve been riding though, and getting to the gym? Keeping fit?

Ian: Yeah, I’ve not been able to do as much as I normally do. I usually do a bit of cycling and stuff aswell. I can do as much in the gym as I used to do. I feel like if I put in every bit of effort when I can’t be racing bikes, then I can’t really ask much more of myself than that. The team has been putting that bike together since November, the bike takes time to build and so do our bodies.

Gallery: That bike is going to be such a sweet thing to ride.

Hutchy: Yeah! Every time I see it, it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! I just love riding, and that is the highest spec Yamaha motorbike on the market at the moment. They told me that if I can’t do it, it wouldn’t be out there. It seems like a shame to have a bike like that here without someone to ride it. It’s down to me.

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hardware

BILLY SMITH TT ROUKIE FOR AFC WIMBLEDON

T

his year, AFC Wimbledon have taken on a new challenge, they are entering a Manx team into the TT Lightweight Class.

It isn’t just the team that is new to the TT races this year; the rider Billy Smith is entering for the first time.

However, he has proven himself by winning the Manx Grand Prix.

Gallery: How did you get started?

Billy: Firstly, I had never been on a bike in my life until I was 30 years old.

I passed my road test in 1999 and bought a Yamaha R1, had a lot of near misses and took up racing in 2003 up at Jurby. I enjoyed a couple of seasons over there; I did the Manx Grand Prix in 2006 and again in 2007 and 2008. 2009 I missed due to injury and went to a detox place in Thailand. I had no intention of ever racing again. I couldn’t work for 6 months. There was a medium there. He said to me, “I can see you on a bike with sponsorship.” I told him: “No way”. Low and behold, I came back and beat all of my previous times; I thought yeah, I like this. I came back again in 2011 and won! Here I am now, sitting here with sponsorship for the TT! Gallery: So, you’re a TT rookie in the new Lightweight Class?

Billy: Yeah, TT rookie, racing a brand new Suzuki SV 650 Supertwin TT special, amongst Michael Dunlop, Ryan Farquhar, Michael Rutter, William Dunlop, Cameron Donald and Ian Lougher, to name a few. The Lightweight Class is for 600 cc bikes. It’s not a real superbike. They can probably get to 160-165 mph though! They aren’t slow. I think this is going to be a safe class for everyone. They other bikes are getting a little too fast.

Gallery: Are you looking forward to it?

Billy: Yeah, yeah I am. Fair play to Leslie and Tina for all of the hard work they have put in. I got a phone call from them after the Manx Grand Prix, I thought it was a wind-up, to tell you the truth; I thought it was a joke.

The work that they have done, it is incredible. I’m really proud of them.

Gallery: Have you got any practice in?

Billy: We were testing on 29th May. Gallery: Are you scared?

Billy: No, not really. On the road, it’s different. We can’t wait for TT. I really am looking forward to it; I just hope that we get good weather. I hope that no one is injured.

Gallery: What do you think of the high death rate?

Billy: You do have that secret little buzz; ‘one mistake and I’m bloody gone’. That sort of gets the adrenaline going. It must be a male thing. You do think of it, it plays on your mind, but as soon as your visor goes down, it adds to the excitement. I don’t think it’s that selfish of me, I mean, I don’t have a wife and kids, so it’s just me.

Gallery: Are you doing any training?

Billy: Walking, mountain biking, only about 3-4 times a week. I’m not a fanatic.

Gallery: How have things changed for you?

Billy: Well, if you’d have told me a year ago that I would be riding in the TT, I would have told you that I’ve just ordered the men in white coats to come and take you away. I would never have believed it. Now, I can’t believe my luck, not many people can say that they rode in the TT, eh?

Gallery: It must be amazing.

Billy: Well, when I won the Manx Grand Prix, I didn’t believe I was doing it whilst I was doing it. It was amazing. People were cheering me when I had finished, I still couldn’t believe it.

Gallery: What are you going to do after this?

Billy: It’s a young mans game really. I can’t answer until I know what it’s like. I would race until I’m 50, but come and see me after the TT and I’ll let you know if I’ll be doing it again.

Gallery: Anyone you’ll be watching?

Billy: Oh yeah, I’ll be watching and helping all I can! I want to be a part of it all. Ben Wylie, my team mate, I’ll be routing for him.

because quality matters

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COUNTDOWN IS ON FOR THE 2012 SES TT ZERO ELECTRIC BIKE RACE

hardware

Race is on to break the 100mph lap

EIGHTEEN competitors, the highest number of entries since the inaugural race in June 2009, have confirmed their participation in the 2012 SES TT Zero Challenge; all vying to be the first to break the 100mph lap on an electric bike around the world famous Mountain Course.

Now in its fourth year the TT Zero emissions race has captured the imagination of universities, corporations and hi-tech institution, and this year is no different with teams from a range of institutions and organisations across the globe lining up on the starting grid.

The current record lap holders in the TT Zero race are US Based outfit Team Segway Racing MotoCzysz from Portland, Oregon

with a lap of 99.604mph which they set in 2011. However, recent technological advancements, such as increasing the speed of vehicles by offsetting the weight of an increased battery whilst retaining high voltage means that MotoCzysz will be facing stiff competition from the likes of Japanese Team Mugen and Indian Team Agni, who set the benchmark for the event with its stunning success in 2009.

The riders taking part this year include seasoned TT competitors such as Michael Rutter and seventeen-time champion John McGuinness who will be making his TT Zero debut, piloting Team Mugen’s 120 horsepower Mugen EV machine, as well as newcomers Bournemouth Kawasaki/Zytek Automotive and TGM IOT – Vienna.

John McGuiness and Michael Rutter want that SES TT Zero Trophy

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MUSIC

music

Solus Entertainment premières latest Emin album in London and announces live Eurovision show production for 300-million TV audience.

Baku’s favourite son, singer songwriter Emin, managed globally by Douglas, Isle of Man-based Solus Entertainment and accustomed to performing in arena-sized venues in his home country Azerbaijan and in Russia, hosted a gathering of UK music industry heavyweights in the rather more intimate surroundings of a cocktail lounge in London’s Knightsbridge to première his latest album, ‘After the Thunder’, due for release on May 21st on the record label Saffron Music Limited, also headquartered in Douglas.

The 32-year-old Azeri has also been invited to be the interval act in this years Eurovision grand finale in Baku on May 26 and Solus Entertainment is show producing the eight-minute live interval show for a TV audience estimated at 300 million.

Emin took centre stage in the aptly named Baku restaurant’s lounge on London’s Sloane Street where he was supported by members of his team including David Bainbridge and Alistair Audsley, joint heads of Solus Entertainment, top producer Brian Rawling (James Morrison, Olly Murs, JLS) of Metrophonic Music, responsible for creating the singer’s new, more assured style.

This was the second album international album launch for Emin and Audsley, who also heads Saffron Music and is an experienced promoter of European artists to Russian audiences, explained the origins of the Manx-Azeri connection: ‘Back in 2009 I was introduced to Emin as a credible link between Russian and the UK music industry, so I flew out to Moscow, went to one of his concerts and it soon became clear to me Emin had both great talent and great potential.

‘My first call was to David Bainbridge, my business partner, who has been in the business for many years working with some huge names - and is not easily impressed.’

Bainbridge said: ‘These days I tend to look for reasons not to take on a new client…but that wasn’t the case with Emin and I could understand why Alistair was interested in our putting together a management package as a platform from which to launch Emin internationally.’ He added: ‘Over the past year Emin’s been growing in stature as a performer but perhaps more importantly, he’s a genuinely humble, nice guy who has a tremendous talent.’

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Audsley continued: ‘Of course, with the UK Emin had chosen just about the hardest market in the world to crack. By the time of our launch première in Knightsbridge, however, Emin had gained acceptance from the music industry as a credible artist.

‘The background to this was that “Wonder” - his first album, a collaboration with Brian Rawling, recorded on our Saffron label and released in 2011 - had been so well received and became a BBC Radio 2 Album of the Week. At the same time Emin achieved coverage in magazines including a feature in Esquire, appeared on This Morning and Titchmarsh and Solus Entertainment had hosted a showcase at the Savoy hotel for him; also, through a licensing deal with Saffron Music, we got him signed to EMI Music Germany with international options.

‘All of which meant that by the time we held the “After the Thunder” reception in London there was a collective acknowledgement among the people from the music industry there that Emin is a viable pop star and a well rounded performer, whose career is really taking off. Nick Phillips, the former head of Warner Music UK and Brit Awards chairman, has been consulting on A&R and introduced Emin on the night and Brian, [Rawling] who really doesn’t often appear at industry events was also there to support Emin.

‘With “After the Thunder” Emin is showing not only greater confidence, range and emotional depth in terms of his singing, but also that he’s a gifted songwriter…And there’s more to come, as we continue to couple his singing and songwriting skills with the creative vision of Brian and his production team.’

This can be heard in the opening track, the supremely confident Baby Get Higher which is already being played by Radio 2 and Magic and is sure to be a UK airplay chart hit in the summer months. Another track, Dead Roses, showcases an edgier, piano-led ballad style while Heart Keeps Beating is the first time Emin has recorded a number in English and Russian. (He says translating a song from English to Russian is easy enough, but explains: ‘Musically, Russian is really difficult to translate into English.’)

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Emin Agalarov was born in Baku, but moved to Russia with his family when he was three where his father, Araz, founded a hugely successful business empire.

Educated in Switzerland and the US Emin showed a similar flair for business, establishing a multi-million-dollar fashion and retail operation he continues to head, at the same time working with his father on a range of large-scale construction projects across Russia.

And all the while he’s been developing his singing career over the past six years after being inspired in his youth by singers such as Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdink and his inspiration, Elvis Presley.

Married to Leila Aliyeva, daughter of the president of Azerbaijan, he divides his time between Moscow and London where he maintains a home in Knightsbridge and where his three-year-old twin sons recently started nursery school.

Already huge popular in Baku, Moscow, Kiev and St Petersburg the singer is working with Audsley and the team at Solus Entertainment to increase his UK profile, acknowledging that to become internationally recognised cracking the UK record market is vital.

The evening at Baku of canapés and cocktails - including a potent Azeri-recipe punch - saw Emin, looking effortlessly stylish in a three-piece suit that whispered ‘couture’ as befits a man who heads a fashion empire, speak of his ‘journey’ since 2005 and pay tribute to influential producer Rawling for ‘re-inventing’ him and giving him ‘new and amazing opportunities’ to develop as an artist. Before introducing a video of highlights from ‘After the Thunder’ the artist said how proud he was to have been invited to sing in his home town at the Eurovision grand finale, a show where he’ll be performing before an audience of 22,000 in Baku’s Crystal Hall and a TV audience estimated to attract around 300 million viewers.

The Eurovision deal is a huge vote of confidence in the singer and a coup for Solus Entertainment, which has been invited by the Azeri government to produce the eight-minute slot. Show director is Solus Entertainment’s Peter Bird.

Audsley explained: ‘It’s a huge honour for us, as an Isle of Man company, to be given this fantastic opportunity and Peter is one of the top and most creative show directors in the world; he’s worked on shows for Lady Gaga, produced the Millennium Dawn event in New Zealand and the 2011 Rugby World Cup

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opening and closing ceremonies in South Africa. He’s also been responsible for refining Emin’s stagecraft that wowed the audience at his spectacular annual concert in Baku late last year.’

Speaking at the launch première Peter Bird said he’s masterminded a ‘sensational’ entrance for the singer who’ll be performing in front of 29 TV cameras. Bird is clearly excited by the prospect of being given free rein by the Eurovision authorities. ‘The scale of the production’s enormous - a real “windowonto-the-world” opportunity for Emin and the country - and the Azerbaijani people are being just so amazingly supportive and tremendously professional.

We presented ideas and they really liked them. Effectively we’ve been give a blank canvas and can do whatever we want…so we are. Often in this business when you’re planning a spectacle people say “why?” In this case they’re saying “why not?” which is great. The set will be amazing, very “tongue-in-cheek pulling-out-all-the-stops” in style with Emin’s musicians supplemented by a full orchestra and dancers. Without giving too much away these eight minutes are going to be “megawatt” Emin.’

‘After the Thunder’ will be released on the Saffron Music label on May 21st . www.emin-music.com www.solusentertainment.com The Eurovision song contest final is on Saturday May 26. www.eurovision.tv Baku London, 164-165 Sloane Street. www.bakulondon.com

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ARTFUL EMPEROR Words | Bonzo Slater

“What If?” is possibly the most frequent question on History’s exam paper. So, answer the following (showing your workings in the margin): What if George Harrison hadn’t joined the Beatles but instead a) went off to that London to hang around the famous folk club Les Cousins and join the 60s British acoustic boom and b) picked up great guitar habits from both Leonard Cohen and Richard Thompson? One response certain to get you an A (probably starred) would be that the outcome would be a lot like Jeff Jepson.

Jeff is a Manxman who’s travelled a fair bit both geographically and musically before booking his home ticket. From Douglas to London and Liverpool via Bangor and London (again) before boarding the Ben My Chree, he’s a guitarist and songwriter who’s been taking his time to carefully hone his craft both as a recording and live performer. The result is emotive and expansive, eloquent and ecstatic, one that’ll caress your ears and steal your heart.

A present of a guitar for his tenth birthday set Jeff on the course of many a boy to much bedroom balladeering, soaking up the inspiration offered by Dylan and Cohen with a healthy dash of Elvis Costello for good measure. University (Bangor) saw him step out onto the stage but his career really kicked off with a move to London and many stints at Soho’s 12 Bar Club thus becoming part of the four piece acoustic band Henry. After Henry’s demise he headed back Up North to Liverpool joining the acoustic collective The Random Family at the famous St. Bride’s Church club, spending several years supporting such folk luminaries as Martin Carthy, Dave Swarbrick, Martin Simpson and The because quality matters

Unthanks. Home always beckoned from the Pier Head though, bringing him back last year to put together his first album.

“Artful Empires” has all of the atmosphere of an undiscovered classic from the early 70s, echoes of Nick Drake and Steve Hackett blending evocatively with hints of Neil Young and George Harrison. Jeff’s vocals range from a sublime semi-alto to a mellow West Coast tenor, giving full range to his beautifully perceptive lyrics. Songs like “Fall of the Romans” and “Odette” show a pop sensibility underpinned by canny construction whilst “1001” transports you into the world of George Harrison where all things must pass with the exception of the flutey Strawberry Fields mellotron. Some like “The Other Half” and “Aligned” with its shadows of Rufus Wainwright simply put shivers down your spine. And this isn’t an experience simply confined to record. An adept live act, he can silence the most crowded pub (as at the Albert recently) into rapt appreciation. A rare talent for any band, for a solo acoustic singer/player an exceptional one.

Currently working on the follow-up album (scheduled for release this autumn) you can catch Jeff next at Jabberwocky on Friday 25th May or if you’re Across in TT Week in June (1st-5th) at the “Fire In The Mountain” festival in Aberystwyth. Otherwise he’s set to appear at Mannifest in August where he’s sure to cause a stir.

There’s nothing a music writer hates more than putting their head into Fate’s noose but here I’ll make an exception. This man will be a star.

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21st Century Schizoid (Blues) Man Words | Bonzo Slater

Simon Campbell is a blues guitarist with something of a dilemma. You see, he isn’t really a blues guitarist at all.

Which given he was nominated for two National Blues Awards for his debut solo album “ThirtySix” and has graced many a blues stage since with the likes of such talents as Davy Knowles, presents him with a slight PR pickle.

But Simon has never been one to be boxed in by journalistic convenience. In nearly 40 years before the musical mast, he’s done pretty much most things an axeman can do. That hasn’t however seen him rest upon his many laurels, with his move to the Island giving him a creative Indian Spring that looks all set to turn into a long hot summer.

From his small beginnings as a young guitarslinger in Ramsbottom armed with his beloved Flying V, this fellagh went on to take care of a lot of business. Serving his apprenticeship with hard rockers Whitefire (fitting in a degree in Chemistry at Salford in his spare time), he then tasted the high life as part of Europapop combo Little Brother, signing to Polydor for a cool half a million pounds. Their sole album “Survivor” (co-produced by the legendary Big Jim Sullivan) went down very well in Europe, with Simon still receiving royalty cheques to this day. The band’s break-up saw him going back to his rockist roots as part of The Method along with ex-10CC drummist Mick Gilbourne and Sad Cafe’s Mike Hehir, spending the next couple of years touring extensively in the UK and Europe. He then found himself part of the indie scene, joining The Disciples with Rick Downson and Millhause combining much touring with also releasing a mini-album much praised by amongst others Q Magazine.

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As sometimes happens, a period of “normal life” followed with Simon founding the web design house Erskine Design but all the while there was both live and recording session work. 2008 saw La Famille Campbell seduced by the charms of Ellan Vannin, coming over for Simon and wife Angela to supposedly enjoy a pleasant semi-retirement by the shores of Port St. Mary. Well, that was the plan.

Falling into the company of many Manx musicians made Simon realise he should pick up his guitar again and give it it a damn good thrashing (in the nicest of ways). With the able assistance of his partners in crime The Very Very Bad Men, Simon was able to give full vent to his bluesy inclinations, leading to the release in 2011 of his critically acclaimed solo album “ThirtySix”. And thus the stereotype was struck. Bloke in early 50s...plays blues...must be a bluesman then. Well yes, and also quite decidedly, no.

The follow-up album “Broken Hearted” (to be released next spring), sees him not only skipping merrily betwixt genres but also showing his light and dark sides with one side acoustic and the other electric. But even then it isn’t quite that simple. Acoustic tracks like “The Knife”’s Cohen-esque tale of the cold tragedy of a transvestite murder show how light can cast shadows, just as the electric “The Man” with its echoes of Neil Young brings it forth from the darkness of unrequited love. This album certainly shows that Simon is no mean lyricist either.

And if that wasn’t all, he is plotting that most curious thing for a guitarist, an electronic music EP. Working with Island synth boffins Danny Kneale and Andy Otten, don’t be surprised if Simon changes his spots all over again.

The past they say is another country. For Simon Campbell the future is the World.

See more about Simon on the interweb : www.simoncampell.com

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Words | Bonzo Slater

JINNER WISDOM If there’s one thing Simon Cowell could be most sincere with about us folks, it’s that Ellan Vannin Has Talent. The thing is sometimes that talent tends to have its light hidden beneath a bonnag. For Christy De Haven, the time has at last come to step out from the shadows and bloom in the warm sunshine.

She’s always had a love of music but her first forays into the scene began but ten years ago. Starting out presenting a late night indie show on Energy FM and then becoming part of music management company Running Media (counting Corinne Bailey Rae and Davy Knowles amongst her charges), the desire to write and perform grew until it became impossible to deny. Taking her first steps as a backing singer with the likes of Anna Goldsmith, Christine Collister and Truman Falls, she also tentatively set out with her guitar and an ever burgeoning collection of songs to Open Mike nights like the legendary Trafalgar’s. Her eureka moment though was the discovery and mastery of the Loopstation, allowing the live experience she imagined in her head to come to full fruition. Support slots followed for amongst others Derrin Nauendorf, Juliet Turner, Dan Donelly and Simon Campbell, the critical acclaim from which finally confirming an album as the logical progression.

Although seeing herself more of a songwriter/sidewoman than a solo artist, the forthcoming album “Girl Undone” shows Christy blossoming in self-confidence to become a performer content in her own skin. She’s still her own harshest critic, (like many musicians believing an audience will scent the slightest error) but her 106

vocals have assumed an authority of maturity that propels her lyricism into an entirely different class.

A daughter of both Tennessee and Mann, Christy has all of the transatlantic sensibilities of that shared childhood. At once firmly planted in Celtic roots but also a traveller on Americana’s rolling train, she has taken such breadth of experience and made it all her own. Whilst she suspects such eclectic influences might leave listeners a little confused, that’s a doubt firmly laid to rest by the new album.

Sometimes Kate Bush, sometimes KD Lang, most surprisingly sometimes Joni Mitchell but always herself, she takes everything from the Allman Brothers to Peter Gabriel to George Harrison to Karen Carpenter and distills it into her exclusively own gorgeous moonshine. From the driving rhythms of “Wolverine”, through the Joni Mitchell-esque tones of both the title track and “Lily Let Me Drive” (featuring one Davy Knowles on lapsteel guitar) to the tenderly triumphant “This Is The Life”, “Girl Undone”’s songs stand equally tall, all richly deserving their place in the sun.

With any luck the album (on vinyl with an attached CD!) should be out in time for Christy’s appearance with Christine Collister at Peel Centenary Centre on 26th May. If you can’t catch her there, plans are afoot for gigs in “unusual venues” but if you prefer a more predictable one then she’ll be playing the Garden Party in July.

Christy need look no further for fortune to find her. This is the life for her.

Words | Bonzo Slater

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