Gallery | March 2014 | The COMMUNICATION Issue

Isle of Man Premier Magazine | no 28 | March 2014 | the [COMMUNICATION] issue

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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Gallery is published eleven times a year as a fresh yet discerning guide to all that happens on the Island and beyond. Not too arty farty superior or too serious, written by the people of the Isle of Man for people everywhere.

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CONTRIBUTORS

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Lisa Jones Hannah Goodby Michelle Tonnesen Linda Huxley Anne Berry Jennifer Parkes Nadia Alkahzrajie Grant Runyon Les Able Suzy Holland Rebecca Lawrence Rachel Green Theo Leworthy Liz Corlett Anne Moorhouse Leon Flemming Bonzo Slater Ella Pritchard Phil Taylor Bill Carden

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Gallery recycles all its storage and packing materials, boxes and any old magazines that are returned. We don’t get that many fortunately. We love to know our readers hang on to previous copies but when you move or find that they’re taking up too much space, drop them down to the recycling bins. If you want to find out more about recycling, call: 01624 686540. We put this on the green strip to look eco innit... That’s smart!

Disclaimer. All rights reserved. Any form of reproduction of Gallery Magazine, in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the written consent of the publisher. Any views expressed by advertisers or contributors may not be those of the publisher. Unsolicited artwork, manuscripts and copy are accepted by Gallery Magazine, but the publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage. All material, copy and artwork supplied is assumed to be copyright free unless otherwise advised. Contributions for Gallery should be emailed to editorial@gallery.co.im. Names have been changed to protect the innocent and no penguins were harmed in the manufacture of this magazine, you can’t prove nuffing. Why are you still reading the small print? How about researching what really makes the best paper aeroplane?

Test them with your colleagues and if you send us a picture of yours we’ll send you a Mars bar..

INTRO

#28

[COMMUNICATION] Isle of Man Premier Magazine | no 28 | March 2014 | the [COMMUNICATION] issue

£ priceless

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

WWW.GALLERY.CO.IM

CONTRIBUTE contribute@gallery.co.im Rip it, scrap it, comment, critique, research, report. Opinions wanted on politics, business, news, home, property, music, gadgets, sports and culture. Something annoyed you and you want to tell the island?

We’re here for you. If you’d like to see your name in... er... print, get in touch.

ADVERTISE ad@gallery.co.im We understand that the medium is the message. The quality of a magazine reflects on the businesses that advertise within it. Gallery is the Isle of Man highest quality magazine and premium print media option for stylish and progressive brands. If you have a business or strategy to promote get in touch. We don’t have pushy sales people and won’t try and badger, coerce, harass or try to sell you something you don’t want.

Call us on 07624 249249 or drop us an email...

FEATURE features@gallery.co.im If you are an artist with work to exhibit, an event or entertainment organiser with an event coming up or a business with some exciting news or a new product to feature, get in touch. We’re keen to feature anything of interest that will entertain our readers.

edito

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n this issue our theme for March explores all things communication. We start on page 10 with an article by Donna White who examines the way the brain determines gender. Kate Davies then keeps us on theme with advice on communication breakdowns on page 15. If that’s not your thing then perhaps a good old rant will sort you out, see Grainne Mason’s rant article on page 22.

We have a special Me & My Pet this month featuring Angie Lee and Louie, a foster dog from the Manx SPCA on pages 20-21. As always our Culture section will keep you up to date on all things cultural in the month of March, and beyond, starting on page 29.

We challenge you to eat as your belief dictates with a list of 10 culinary challenges starting on pages 56-57. If you’re looking for a new home our Places property section is full of advice and great homes to take a look at starting on page 63.

Page 81 is where our bimonthly business supplement Agenda begins. A whole 32 pages covering the Manx Budget, providing Tax advice, advising on apps for unfocused minds and Simon Pack at RL 360 shares his business travel tips with us on page 110.

If that isn’t enough for you why not point, assess, stare or even poke fun at the faces in our Paparazzi pages?

Until next month.

SR

Gallery Magazine, Quay House, South Quay, Douglas Isle of Man, IM1 5AR T: 07624 249249 E: info@gallery.co.im www.gallery.co.im

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Published with gusto in the Isle of Man by

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BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

5

APPETITE

WILKINS WATCH of the MONTH

OMEGA’S SOCHI 2014 OLYMPIC WINTER WATCH THE APPLIED INDEXES ON THE MATT BLACK DIAL ARE COATED WITH WHITE SUPER-LUMINOVA EMITTING A BLUE LIGHT AS ARE THE POLISHED, FACETTED RHODIUM-PLATED HANDS.

www.wilkinsthejeweller.co.uk

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ISLE OF MAN STYLE MAGAZINE

APPETITE

THE SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN 45.5 MM “SOCHI 2014” LIMITED EDITION In February of 2014, OMEGA travelled to the Russian Federation to assume the responsibilities of Official Timekeeper at the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games – a role the brand filled for the 26th time since 1932.

BREAKING THE ICE OMEGA has never taken the production of these commemorative timepieces lightly, each illustrating just how proud the company is to be an integral part of the Games. Serving to underscore this point are the occasions where the brand has taken the extraordinarily brave step of creating a brand new watch from the ground up, building one-off movements and designing unique cases. Originally, OMEGA produced editions that did duty for both the summer and winter events, but in 1994 the Olympic Winter Games entered a new era with the event now being staged at the mid-point of the four-year Summer Games cycle, and the dedicated Winter Games edition was born.

THE GENTS FEATURED WATCH’ HAS A 45.5 MM BRUSHED AND POLISHED STAINLESS STEEL CASE AND A MATCHING BRACELET. ITS UNIDIRECTIONAL ROTATING DIVING BEZEL IS FITTED WITH A MATT BLACK CERAMIC RING WITH A CHROMIUM NITRIDE DIVERS SCALE. THE WHITE DOT AT 12 O’CLOCK ON THE DIVING BEZEL IS FOLLOWED BY BLUE- AND RED-LACQUERED MARKERS FOR MINUTES 1-5 AND 6-10, RESPECTIVELY – A TRIBUTE TO THE FLAG OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

76 Strand Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 2EW Tel: 01624 690450 Email: enquires@wilkinsthejeweller.co.uk www.facebook/wilkinsjewellers BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

True to the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M design, minutes 11-15 are also indicated on the bezel in a subtle silvery lacquer. The timepiece has a brushed screw-in caseback embossed with the “Sochi 2014” Olympic logo and engraved with “Si14” and the limited edition number (0000/2014).

The applied indexes on the matt black dial are coated with white SuperLumiNova emitting a blue light as are the polished, facetted rhodium-plated hands.

The exception is the minute hand which emits a green light, as does the dot at 12 o’clock on the diving bezel. This feature makes it easy for divers to keep track of their time at a glance. The timepiece has central hour, minute and seconds hands and there is a date window at 3 o’clock.

The Seamaster Planet Ocean 45.5 mm “Sochi 2014” Limited Edition is powered by the OMEGA Co-Axial calibre 8500, the movement that has defined the way mechanical watches are being made in the 21st century. The movement is equipped with the brand’s exclusive Si14 silicon balance spring and the result is a timepiece so reliable that OMEGA delivers it with a full four-year warranty. The watch is water resistant to 60 bar (600 metres / 2000 feet).

TECHNICAL DATA CRYSTAL | Domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides CASE | Steel DIAL | Black WATER RESISTANCE | 60 bar (600 metres / 2,000 feet) SIZE | Case Diameter: 45.5 mm

FEATURES Chronometer Date Helium escape valve Limited edition Screw-in crown Unidirectional rotating bezel

www.wilkinsthejeweller.co.uk

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INTRO

HIGHLIGHTS UPFRONT

UPFRONT

CULTURE

CULTURE

APPETITE

APPETITE

WORDS | Donna White

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good for you

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wholesome

if you say

THE MANX PASSION IS A UNIQUE EVENT AND A HUGE CHALLENGE. THE KEY IS TO KNIT A COMMUNITY TOGETHER, NOT JUST THE ACTORS, SINGERS AND MUSICIANS, BUT ALL THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES TO MAKE IT WORK.’

DONNA WHITE EXAMINES THE WAY THE BRAIN DETERMINES GENDER AND COMMUNICATION

T

he moment you discover you’re pregnant, it’s a question which preys on your mind and interests everyone around you – whether you have a preference or not.

Without a question, parents will testify the experience of raising one is very different from the other. People might say “girls are gentler” or “boys are better at maths”.

But is the gender gap down to biology – or because society makes us that way? In the past, it was widely considered that parents nurturing girls to play with dolls, and boys to use building blocks, is what shaped their personalities, their interests and their futures. But new evidence suggests babies start to show signs of male or female behaviour even before they are aware of the sex divide.

So, girls are genuinely more multi-tasking, using both sides of the brain easily, while boys are more likely to concentrate on one side at a time. In boys, the right side of the brain forms more internal connections and works more independently. Which is why they focus on right-sided activities like maths and taking things apart to see how they work.

NEW EVIDENCE SUGGESTS BABIES START TO SHOW SIGNS OF MALE OR FEMALE BEHAVIOUR EVEN BEFORE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE SEX DIVIDE

AND IT ALL COMES DOWN TO DIFFERENCES IN THE BRAIN. For a long time, we divided the brain into the left and right hemispheres, attributing verbal skills and logic to the left, and visual, spatial and creative patterns to the right.

We believed girls used more of their left brain, and boys more of their right. But the latest research reveals language activity occurs in both sides. However, the large bundle of nerve fibres which connects the two sides of the brain tends to be thicker in girls.

Professor John Geake, a member of the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience at Oxford University said: “There has been some research in boys who have difficulty reading, which suggested this was down to them having weakening connections between the two sides of the brain. It’s certainly the case that the connective tissue is thicker and more robust in females.

“Another area where there seems to be differences is in the parietal cortex – the back of the brain in the area where you tend

is generally found in baby girls.

They respond more to the distress of others, showing greater concern through sad looks, sympathetic noises and comforting.

The systemising or S-type brain is more often possessed by boys. They love putting things together, building towers or vehicles. They also react better to toys with clear functions, buttons to press, things that light up, or devices that cause another object to move.

These differences explain why girls tend to talk before boys. They process language more easily, and chatter along in their early years, practicing vocabulary and grammar.

The greater the presence of this hormone, the less these babies were able to make eye contact and develop language quickly – traits of the female brain – and the more they went on to display a male brain – direct aggression, such as pushing, hitting and punching.

But there is also a “balanced brain”, type B, which is a combination of both. One way to detect if your girl has a typical female brain is to watch how she might approach a group of playing children as a newcomer.

Or how she accepts a new child into her group of friends.

They also have more control over their voices, finding it easier to modulate their tone. This leads to little girls who enjoy singing from an early age, unlike their brothers.

BUT HOW EARLY IS THE GENDER GAP APPARENT?

If she has an E-type brain, she is more likely to stand and watch, to check out what’s going on, and then try to fit in with the game or activity. This usually leads her to being readily accepted.

In one experiment in a hospital maternity ward, when babies were presented with images of a smiling human face and a mechanical mobile, girls were more drawn to the face, whilst boys were fascinated by the object.

A typical boy with an S-type brain is more likely to hijack the game buy trying to change it, grabbing everyone’s attention.

As a host, girls are more attentive to the newcomer. Boys often ignore the child’s attempt to join in.

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen claims this is because girls focus more on emotions, while boys are simply interested in how things work. According to his theory, every baby is born with a particular brain type – male, female or balanced. This is outlined in his book The Essential Difference: Men, Women and the Extreme Male Brain, published by Penguin.

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newcomer who is boss. For example, they might select the toy which the newcomer is allowed to play with – and insist on this as a condition of them being accepted into the group. Professor Baron-Cohen discovered that this is determined by a biological factor: prenatal testosterone. With the help of women having amniocentesis, he was able to measure testosterone levels in the foetus.

The empathising brain or E-type

to scratch your head. Boys have more brain cells back there than girls. And this is the area which deals with spatial awareness – explaining why the male is more drawn to watching football on television.”

Certainly, by 12 months, girls make more eye contact than boys. The balanced brain is rare, but combines the male and female traits. Therefore, a child may welcome a newcomer into their group of friends, but be aggressive in the way they show the

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Professor Baron-Cohen said: “There was a time when women were prescribed a synthetic female hormone (diethylstilbestrol), in an attempt to prevent repeated spontaneous miscarriages.

“Boys born to those women were likely to show more female-typical, empathising behaviours, such as caring for dolls.”

As director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, Professor BaronCohen believes people with autism may have an extreme of the male brain – good at systemising, very bad at empathising.

“Two largest sub-groups of autism are classic autism, and Asperger syndrome,” he explained.

“Both share certain features: a difficulty in developing social relationships; a difficulty in communications; the presence of unusually strong, narrow interests; and a strong adherence to routines.”

Vegetarians often pose a challenge to chefs and restaurateurs alike, but they are not alone in this respect.

This touring drama promising ‘all the Bible’s best bits’ is bringing together not only experienced and novice actors, singers and musicians together with a supporting cast of craftsmen, welders, electricians and seamstresses, but also horses, lambs and even the odd sheep.

“Today, it is recognised there may be a partly genetic component.”

But before you start to panic that little Ethan isn’t going to be the next Robbie Williams, or that baby Jessica will never make a NASA scientist, it is important to remember every child is an individual and may not follow the same patterns of their gender. Nor does it make them any less special if they do. Professor Baren-Cohen says: “The theory is saying that, on average, males and females differ in what they are drawn to and what they find easy, but that both sexes have their strengths and their weaknesses.

Neither sex is superior overall.”

Michael Lees and Jan Palmer Sayer

‘Right from the outset I wanted this to be a community production,’ said director Jan Palmer Sayer. ‘Very much in the spirit of Island of Culture 2014, which seeks to leave a lasting legacy, I wanted the cast to include people who’d never acted or sung before but who, bolstered by this experience, might choose to go on and perform again.’

No stranger to the Isle of Man where she first adjudicated in a one-act play festival at the Erin Arts Centre in 2005 after being

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appointed a member of GoDA (Guild of Drama Adjudicators) in 2001, actor and director Mrs Palmer Sayer holds a degree in drama and education from Middlesex University and recently retired as head teacher of Herstwood, a specialist arts college in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

She also combined running her own theatre company, Shattered Windscreen, with studying for an MA in Theatre and Performance Studies, awarded to her in 1998.

The Manx Passion completed, she will be returning to the Island in July to adjudicate in the NDFA (National Drama Festivals Association) 41st British all-winners final.

Island of Culture 2014 Director Michael Lees said: ‘From the outset I knew I wanted a professional director for what was to be a hugely ambitious production. I’ve known Jan for a good number of years through her role as an adjudicator so I was delighted that she accepted the Isle of Man Arts Council’s commission to direct the Passion, and her husband Derek, to professionally stage-manage the production. We’re also fortunate to have Cyd Waters as our musical director, a highly accomplished professional music consultant, musician, choreographer and teacher with extensive experience in community projects, and the talented Tim Price who has written a wonderful score.’

Manx-born Tim Price, 23, from Ramsey holds

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a live performance where you have to take into account the physical challenges the actors will be facing. I’ve had to be flexible, too, because the timing varies according to the site where the production’s being staged, so the Manx Passion is proving a huge and exciting project.’

Tim Price

a Masters degree in composition from the University of Bangor. He said: ‘My approach to composing the score and introducing a strong spiritual element is founded on my Christian faith. The music’s very much been shaped by my understanding and interpretation of key events in the Bible, such as the Crucifixion, Creation and Nativity.

But at the same time I’ve been mindful to introduce an element of drama that doesn’t overpower the performance as a whole. The score is mostly orchestral, combined with some subtle electronic elements and choral sections.

‘At first I thought I’d been asked just to compose some backing music – but working closely with Cyd the musical director I’ve ended up writing a score that’s about three hours in total. I’ve written film scores before, but not composed for something like this;

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Mrs Palmer Sayer said: ‘We have had a tremendous response from the Isle of Man community, Manx people as well as those new to the Island. We didn’t hold auditions as such – this was very much a community response to our request for cast members, supporters and helpers.

‘The cast spans a really wide age group, from seven-year-old Emily Bridson to Denis Cross who’s in his 80s. Also in the cast is 2013 Young Singer of Man finalist Michelle Jamieson, who’s 16 and playing Mary. These, and many others, are fantastically talented people.

‘Carrie Hunt of the Broadway Theatre Company has provided us with some incredibly gifted young performers; then we have the Isle of Man Wind Orchestra, a choir from Bunscoill Ghaelgagh, the Lon Dhoo male voice choir and our own Passion choir. This is a 20-strong scratch choir we’ve formed, among them people who have never sung before, so this is real “Gareth Malone” stuff.

‘That’s what’s really exciting about this production; it’s giving so many people who’ve never acted or sung before a voice.

VEGANISM Veganism is a natural extension of vegetarianism; it is a choice of lifestyle that avoids using or consuming animal products. Whilst vegetarians choose not to consume meat flesh, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as products such as fur and leather and, in doing so, live a cruelty-free lifestyle.

‘The Manx Passion is a unique event and a huge challenge. The key is to knit a community together, not just the actors, singers and musicians, but all those behind the scenes to make it work.’

Meanwhile a group of men, working out of a shed in Port Erin, have made many of the props, including a Manx cross and a Noah’s Ark. The group is part of the Men in Sheds movement that began in Australia in 2006; an association of men, mainly retired or semi-retired, who pool their technical skills to help largely community but also private projects.

Men in Sheds member Tony Sharples said: ‘Everyone’s having a whale of a time. Making props for the Manx Passion is proving a great community project, bringing all kinds of different skills together. We’ve made 11 swords - five Roman and six Greek – four spears, a set of birds, a Herod’s throne made out of a dining chair, a Noah’s Ark, a “multifunctional” Mary’s House and a Manx cross along with two “supplementary” crosses.

The main cross is 14-feet high, which we had to build to a scale that would be in keeping with the actor who’s playing Jesus, John Walker, and is six-feet-two tall. There are also

technical aspects to consider, because at the heritage sites we can’t dig into the ground to secure the cross.

Heaven: Roasted butternut squash with kale and almond pecan Parmesan

‘The Ark poses its own set of problems. Not only will it have to be transported to different sites around the Island but it also has to be assembled during the performance, so we’ve built it in six pieces and will have to train the actors how to put it together live. In everything we’ve built we’ve had to combine practicality with adding to the sense of drama and magic, while not detracting from the actors’ performances…and that’s been quite a challenge.’

Hell: The sample platter of fresh steak at the end of the slaughterhouse tour

PESCETARIANISM For all intents and purposes, pescetarians represent your closet vegetarian – ethically aware enough to eliminate meat from the diet, but also conscious of the ridicule that would follow the wholehearted approach of also removing seafood.

Despite this, the diet is both ethically and environmentally enlightened whilst the health benefits are also substantial. In fact, pesceterians are likely to live longer than meat-eaters; whilst they can smugly admit that they do not contribute to deforestation, and save water. Most importantly, there are significant environmental benefits that follow, such as the reduction in carbon

The Manx Passion has been adapted from the York, Chester and Wakefield cycle of Mystery Plays by Christopher Denys, former principal of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company.

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BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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WORDS

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What do the men and women who govern us do all day? They sit in front of their screens and gawp at Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, YouTube, Amazon, eBay, Flickr and TripAdvisor. A list released last year of the websites most visited by British MPs reveals that what they get up to at work makes them no different to the rest of the population: they cyberloaf.

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From Frommusic musicicons iconstotosnakes snakesand anddaggers, daggers, here hereisisyour yourguide guideofofwhere wheretotofind findsome someofof the thetop toptees, tees,sweats sweatsand andaccessories accessoriesaround. around.

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To this end I started 2014 by downloading five apps: Workrave, Rescue Time, Nanny for Google Chrome, Focus Booster and Remember The Milk. The initial result was disappointing. The computer wouldn’t sync to my BlackBerry and I kept forgetting the login details for the different sites. Worse still, a whole new way of being unproductive opened up to me: I started obsessively checking my progress on the productivity apps.

1212 1010 STYLE STYLETIP TIP Get Getyour yourkicks kicksatat Asos Asoswith withsporty sporty hi-tops hi-topstotocomplete complete the thelook. look.

Nanny for Google Chrome

1. 1.

The The Illustrated Illustrated Mind Mind @@ Hymn Hymn - £30, - £30, 2.2.

Lazy Lazy Oaf Oaf - £15, - £15, 3. 3.

New New Look Look - £12, - £12, 4.4.

Marks Marks && Spencer Spencer - £14, - £14, 5. 5.

New New Look Look - £12.99, - £12.99, 6.6.

New New Look Look - £14.99, - £14.99, 7. 7.

River River Island Island - £13, - £13, 8.8.

New New Balance Balance @@ Asos Asos - $55, - $55, 9.9.

Worn Worn ByBy @@ Hymn Hymn - £32, - £32, 10.10.

Marks Marks && Spencer Spencer - £14, - £14, 11.11.

Vans Vans @@ Asos Asos - £57, - £57, 12.12.

Lazy Lazy Oaf Oaf - £75 - £75

1010

David Ryan Polgar, a US pundit and lawyer, has come up with a metaphor to describe our new affliction. He says we are getting mentally obese: we binge on junk information, with the result that our brains become so sluggish they are good for nothing except more bingeing.

Now recognising myself as mentally obese, I have decided to give them a go. The target is simple: to maximise work done in the office and minimise time spent looking at pictures on Twitter of people carrying dogs in baby slings. I don’t want to go cold turkey on cyberloafing, as tests have shown that in small quantities it perks you up. I just want to learn moderation.

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Even the young bankers who work such long hours that their employers have started banning them from coming to the office for the entire weekend seem to do more loafing than lending. At a recent conference I heard the heads of HR at two top investment banks complaining that data from these bankers’ computers show that less than half of their time in the office was spent on work. A study from Kansas State University backs this up: the average US worker spends 60-80 per cent of their time online at work doing things that are quite unrelated to their jobs.

The obvious answer is to go on a crash diet, reducing the amount of junk information we consume. Having tried – and failed – over the past couple of years to resist the temptation of Twitter through mere willpower, I’m in search of something stronger. Various readers and colleagues have pointed me towards the hundreds of apps that are supposed to help with the addiction, but until now I have resisted on the grounds that the answer to technology overload surely cannot be still more technology.

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LISA JONES

Apps for Unfocused Minds

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STYLE STYLETIP TIP Monochrome Monochromewas was big bigon onthe thecatwalk catwalk and andnow nowon onthe the high highstreet. street.

The first one I tried was Nanny for Google Chrome – which does for information what the Atkins or the Dukan diet did for food, by outlawing or restricting certain websites. My own Bermuda triangle of productivity is Twitter, email and eBay, and so I told the app to allow me respectively 15, 30 and five minutes on each. Alas such limits were broken almost at once, causing a

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1111

1. 1.

New New Look Look (online (online exclusive) exclusive) - £12, - £12, 2.2.

River River Island Island - £4, - £4, 3. 3.

Accessorize Accessorize - £10, - £10, 4.4.

River River Island Island - £55, - £55, 5. 5.

Asos Asos - £8, - £8, 6.6.

Miss Miss Selfridge Selfridge - £37, - £37, 7. 7.

Warehouse Warehouse - £20, - £20, 8.8.

New New Look Look - £12.99, - £12.99, 9.9.

Miss Miss Selfridge Selfridge - £14, - £14, 10.10.

New New Look Look - £9.99, - £9.99, 11.11.

New New Look Look - £6.99 - £6.99

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message to flash up that said in huge, shouty type: “Shouldn’t you be working?

The site you are attempting to access has been blocked by Chrome Nanny.” My wrist thus slapped, I became at once a bolshie teenager. How dare my computer tell me what to do? After some searching, I found a button to disable it, which I clicked with glee. Twitter seemed more tempting than ever.

Workrave The next kind of information diet works by getting you off the screen altogether.

Workrave is a bit like the 5:2 diet – which forces you to fast two days a week. It features a cute little lightbulb with a smiley face that warns: “Time for a micro-break”, followed by increasingly shrill and distracting warnings, culminating in the whole system freezing up so you have to take a break, like it or not. This is maddening, especially when it happens at the very moment you had finally stopped skiving and were getting down to some work.

Remember The Milk Having decided that apps which rely on stick were not my thing, I turned to those that use carrot.

Remember The Milk is a glorified system of online lists, which invites you to write down everything you want to get done and set a deadline.

When you have done them you tick them off, and send bragging tweets about how well you are doing.

Remember The Milk is a relatively sound concept, though not as sound as writing a list on a piece of paper – which requires no password or logging on, and the action of crossing something off a list with a pencil is much more satisfying than clicking a box on the computer.

A list has the even bigger advantage that you cannot automatically shower your followers with junk tweets that say: “I completed 2,401 tasks with @ rememberthemilk in 2013.”

Rescue Time More promising is Rescue Time, which is the Weight Watchers of information diets. It is a data-gathering system with targets, which monitors everything you do on the computer and displays the results on a pretty dashboard. A “productivity pulse” records how hard you work at different times during the day, and how well you are doing compared with your targets and with previous days’ performance. Thus I discover that I am unproductive in the early afternoon – which I knew anyway – and that today I did better than yesterday, which I also

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21/02/2014 19:17

HALAL

Heaven: Harira (traditional Ramadan soup) Hell: A subscription to the National Pork Producers Council and a ticket to their World Pork Expo

RAW FOODISM

Heaven: Potential starvation

Heaven: Crunchy red cabbage and green apple sesame salad

Hell: Bacon wrapped scallops

Hall: Anything barbecued

FRUTARIANISM

BREATHARIANISM

This is the practice of restricting your diet to, as you’ve guessed, raw food. Generally 90% of the diet consists of uncooked produce; raw fruit and vegetables; raw fish; and certain types of prepared meat. The theory goes that this is the natural instinct – after all humans are the only animals who cook their food. It is also said to be one of the best diets in terms of weight loss, due to the extra enzymes aiding with digestion and metabolisation. But, really, it’s because you’re essentially just fasting.

Breatharianisms claim that food and water are not necessary to sustain life – in fact it is alleged that it is possible to live off sunlight – and tea – alone. Although the scientific basis would seem intact, a worrying amount of believers have died successfully disproving this particular theory.

Heaven: Living atop a mountain…?

Hell: Living opposite an all-you-caneat buffet

FLETCHERISM In the 1930’s Horace Fletcher advocated a technique of chewing all foods at least 32 times before consumption, ideally until in a liquified state. Liquids should also be chewed so as to mix with your saliva. It was thought that this process would simultaneously make you stronger and limit what you eat. As they say, “Nature will castigate those who don’t masticate.”

PALEOLITHIC DIET

Fruitarians will only eat foods that can be harvested without killing or harming the plant. For instance fruit that has fallen naturally from a tree is acceptable; as opposed to a carrot, which would be murdered before it could be eaten. However it is recognised that a pure fruit lifestyle is unhealthy – so, as a rule, it only consists of about 80% of the diet, with the rest constituting of raw vegetables, such as carrots.

Heaven: Green mango smoothie Hell: Carrots (80% of the time) ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Also known as the Caveman Diet, this is a nutrition plan that centers around the presumed diet habitually consumed during the Paleolithic Era. Foods include fresh meats (preferably grass-fed and free range), seafoods, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts. However, participants will not indulge in dairy products, cereal grains, refined sugars or processed foods.

KANGATARIANISM Although still a relatively niche marker, kangaratarians are Ecoconscious vegetarians who are against the cruel treatment of animals in the production of meat. However, since kangaroos are wild, vegetarian animals who have had no exposure to chemicals and are still numerous in numbers, why not? Also known as semi-vegetarians; opportunistic meat eaters; hypocrites.

Heaven: I don’t even know where to start (Kangaroo?)

Hell: Forgetting to lock the door when a policeman turned opportunistic thief walks past

Heaven: Chewing gum Hell: Competitive eating

Heaven: Bacon wrapped scallops Hell: Continental breakfasts

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BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Gallery_Guernsey_GG25_March_2014.indd 61

HARDWARE

FEATURE FEATURE ARTICLE

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STYLE STYLETIP TIP AAvarsity varsityvibe vibeshould should remain remainininyour your wardrobes wardrobesfor forspring/ spring/ summer summer2014.

2014.

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WOMEN WOMEN Say Sayit itloud loudand andwear wearit itproud proudwith witha aslogan slogan across acrossyour yourchest. chest. Carry Carryyour yourthoughts thoughts ononyour yoursleeve sleeveinto intospring springwith withbold bold typography typographyand andlogo logomotifs. motifs.

Fluorescent Fluorescentprints printsare arealso also noticeable noticeableononthe thehigh highstreet streetright right now, now,sosobebesure suretotobebeseen seenininanan array arrayofofpsychedelic psychedelichues! hues!

Hell: Being told, “Good for you!”

After reciting the many global and personal benefits of the lifestyle

Halal foods are the foods that Muslims are allowed to eat under Islamic Shari’ah – which specifies both what foods are permitted to be eaten and how they must be prepared. Prohibited foods – or haram (meaning forbidden in Arabic) include pork or pork by-products; animals not slaughtered in the correct manner and in the name of Allah; carnivorous animals; birds of prey; and alcohol. Halal is one of the most humane methods of slaughtering an animal; second only to not slaughtering an animal, with the goal of limiting the pain that must be endured (before being eaten).

Once completed the blood is allowed to drain from the animal, since Muslims are prohibited from consuming animal blood.

KOSHER Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of Kashrut – Jewish dietary law.

Essentially, pork; rabbit; eagle; owl; Catfish; sturgeon; and any shellfish, insect or reptile are all forbidden, as they are non-kosher. Also, other types of meat and fowl must be slaughtered in the ritualized manner, otherwise they are not acceptable, whilst meat and dairy products must be separated at all times, to avoid irony. The only time the rules of kosher can be broken is in a life-threatening situation, such as potential starvation.

HARDWARE

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STYLE STYLETIP TIP Say Sayit ityourself yourselfon on your yournails nailswith with intricate intricatenail nailart artpens. pens.

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Heaven: Grilled halibut with peach and pepper salsa

56 Eat As Your Belief Dictates

WORDS WORDS&&LAYOUT LAYOUT: JORJA : JORJAHELMOT HELMOT

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emissions, just one of many issues with meat production.

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37 The Manx Passion

10 Male Brain - Female Brain PAGE TITLE

WORDS | Tom Burke

HERE’S A LIST OF 10 OTHER CULINARY CHALLENGES

It’s important to point out that not all girls will have E-type brains, and not all boys S-type. This explains why some girls are ‘tomboys’ and why a few boys may be more sensitive than their rough-and-tumble friends.

There are those with a balanced brain, who have the best of both worlds. “In the 1960s and 70s these gender differences were put down to parenting.” Said Professor BaronCohen.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Eat as your belief dictates.

A PROMENADE PERFORMANCE TO BE STAGED AT SITES AROUND THE ISLAND THIS EASTER IS AN AMBITIOUS COMMUNITY THEATRICAL EVENT ON A TRULY BIBLICAL SCALE.

GIRLS ARE GENUINELY MORE MULTI-TASKING, USING BOTH SIDES OF THE BRAIN EASILY, WHILE BOYS ARE MORE LIKELY TO CONCENTRATE ON ONE SIDE AT A TIME.

21/02/2014 19:17

MOTORING NEWS

knew already. The app encourages you to spend too long poring over the data, which is not terribly productive. Also, the data show if I am emailing, but do not know whether I am doing productive emailing or gossiping with a friend.

THE ALL-NEW BMW & MINI PLATFORM ANNOUNCED

Focus Booster Having rejected four diets, I have at last found one that works for me. Focus Booster is beautifully simple and involves neither stick nor carrot.

BMW have confirmed that the new UKL1 front and four-wheel drive platform will underpin 11 new models, spanning the BMW and MINI brands.

It is a little timer that sits at the top of the screen and runs for 25 minutes, after which you can take a five minute break. You press start, and a line slowly advances across the screen reminding you that during that time you should be focusing. Even I can concentrate for 25 minutes, and for some reason I cannot explain I have not cheated once. Strange though it seems, my cyber skiving problem appears to be miraculously solved.

The new MINI will be the first model to benefit from the new platform. As many as eight model lines of the new MINI are expected, including three and five-door hatchbacks and replacements for the Cabriolet, Clubman, Countryman and Paceman. A sporty MINI MX-5 rival to replace the Roadster and Coupe models are also planned.

The UKL1 BMW will be revealed in early 2014. Here we take a look ahead at the new MINI Hatch, the new BMW 2 Series Coupe and the new BMW 4 Series Convertible.

…However, it is early days, and miracle diets tend not to work for long; in time I may slip backwards and start gaining mental flab again. Mr Polgar warns that curing mental obesity is tougher than physical obesity because you cannot tell how you are doing by looking in the mirror.

Yet he says technology will soon make this easier. Various wearable products – including a headband called Melon – are about to come to market that measure brain waves and display the data on your screen, telling you when your brain has got so torpid from excessive YouTubing that action is needed.

Possibly that will make a difference. Yet I suspect a better answer lies not with technology but with people.

A highly efficient young acquaintance tells me that neither apps nor alarms on her phone are powerful enough to make her stop work at 6.30pm.

ALL NEW, ALL MINI: The New MINI Hatch… a Classic Reborn

THE ALL NEW BMW 2 SERIES COUPE

Reinventing an icon like the MINI is no easy task. According to its designer, Sir Alec Issigonis. On the one hand, you have to create a vehicle that exceeds the demands of modern, 21st century motoring. On the other, you have to stay true to the classic Mini, and a design philosophy that has laid the foundations for over 50 years of success. To meet this twin challenge, MINI took an entirely new approach to create a car with a difference.

Defined by energy, passion and a desire to challenge limits, the rebellious power of the new BMW 2 Series Coupe is exhilarating, leaving all conventions behind. Its extraordinary agility is an immediate revelation, as is its supreme efficiency.

The new MINI is striking, and unmistakably modern. Even the classic detailing of the Chrome Line exterior draws the eye in new, different ways. At the same time, however, the latest MINI generation showcases its legendary DNA more proudly than ever, and gives drivers that wonderful feeling of reconnecting with an old friend.

The only thing that succeeds is a call from the woman she uses as her occasional personal assistant. It does not matter that she has paid the woman to phone her; it is the sound of a human voice that makes the difference.

Together with the distinctive front and rear design, the dynamic body, clever interior functionality and the unexpected amount of space in the cabin, every component of the new BMW 2 Series Coupe from the design to the steering is conceived for maximum sportiness. Innovative technologies, such as standard Dynamic Traction Control, optional Variable Sport Steering, Adaptive M Sport suspension and numerous driver assistance systems, are available to enhance your new driving experience in the NEW 2 Series Coupe.

‘The New Original’ – distinctly familiar, yet completely fresh from the ground up. MINI set the standard in 2001, raised it in 2006 and now does so again in 2014.

THE ALL NEW BMW 4 SERIES CONVERTIBLE The new BMW 4 Series Convertible is being referred to as a “fifth generation premium convertible”. That’s correct if you count the four previous generations of 3 Series Convertible, but this is the first to be called 4 Series. Like the 4 Series Coupe, it’s distinguished from its predecessor by a new body that is longer, wider and lower than before - making it look both sportier and more elegant.

BUCHANAN.

Equally, when I told a friend that Focus Booster was changing my life, she looked unmoved. With a boss who was forever looking over her shoulder, the need for an app to keep her mentally fit was zero.

The new BMW 4 Series Convertible, like the Coupe, takes a tangible step forward in terms of refinement and comfort. It’s a classy car with more room inside than before, plus a bigger boot, as well as some clever new touches to set it apart from the 3 Series.

Dynamic, elegant and incredibly sporty, the Convertible is a fascinating car. Regardless of whether the top is up or down – BMW designers and engineers have created a vehicle that provides an exhilarating sense of air and light.

FOR ALL THINGS BMW ISLE OF MAN VISIT: Buchanan BMW & MINI, Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road, Braddan, Isle of Man, IM2 2QZ T: 01624 616161 M: 076124 480267 www.buchananbmw.co.uk

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108 Apps For Unfocused Minds

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

118 BMW & MINI Motoring News

CONTENTS UPFRONT Edito.........................................................................................................................................5 Wilkins Watch of The Month.............................................6 Listings...............................................................................................................................8 Male Brain - Female Brain..........................................10 What’s On...............................................................................................12 News in Numbers......................................................................14 Communication Breakdown....................................15 Current Affairs................................................................................................16 Give......................................................................................................................................18 Me & My Pet.......................................................................................20 Rant...................................................................................................................22

APPETITE Chef Speak.......................................................................................................52 Recipes.....................................................................................................................54 Eat As Your Belief Dictates...............................................56 Wine Talk.............................................................................................................58

EVENTS Julia & Jonathan’s Wedding Day........................24 Equiom Ladies Lunch.................................................................................26 Emily & Robert’s Wedding Day....................................28

HARDWARE Motoring News.......................................................................................118 Phone Home............................................................................................120

CULTURE Culture Vulture..........................................................................................30 Culture News..................................................................................................31 Upload...........................................................................................................................32 Paint & Print........................................................................................................34 Culture Vannin.........................................................................................36 My Name Is.........................................................................................38 Island Of Culture 2014 .............................................................40

TRAVEL Grand Hotel Timeo..........................................................................60 ACTIVE Sports News................................................................................................114 Athlete Profile............................................................................................116

PAPARAZZI Artisan......................................................................................................................122 Nexus..........................................................................................................................122 Jar Bar......................................................................................................................123 The Railway...................................................................................................102 Tahiko......................................................................................................................124 The Outback................................................................................................126 The Crescent................................................................................................126 The Thirsty Pigeon....................................................................127 Misc.............................................................................................................................128

Isle of Man | Home & Interiors | March 2014

inside:

s family home s ertie premier prop house & home ... and more

The best place to find a new place in the Isle of Man

THE BEST PLACE TO FIND A NEW PLACE IN THE ISLE OF MAN FROM HIGH UP ON THIS ROCKY PLATEAU THE WORLD LOOKS BEAUTIFUL, AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT HOLIDAYING IS REMEMBERING THAT INDEED IT IS.

63 OFFSHORE BUSINESS

NEWS

EVENTS

COMMENTS

Issue 5

OFFSHORE BUSINESS NEWS, VIEWS & COMMENTS

2014

MANX BUDGET IN NUMBERS UK TAX - SURELY NOT PRIVATE EQUITY - SINNERS OF SAINTS TECHNOLOGY - SURE INTERNATIONAL, 4G NETWORK INVESTMENT - A UNIQUE BOUTIQUE PLUS - MOVERS & SHAKERS, APPS FOR UNFOCUSED MINDS & BUSINESS TRAVEL TIPS

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FASHION & BEAUTY Beauty Bulletin........................................................................................44 High Street Fashion Trends.......................................46 Head Candy Hair Salon.......................................................48 Male Beauty Products.............................................................50 8

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

SOMETHING (OR SOMEONE)

IS MISSING

WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE FOLLOWING ROLES TO JOIN OUR LITTLE TEAM

GRAPHIC DESIGNER PUBLICATIONS

SALES/CLIENT ACCOUNT MANAGER

We require a Graphic Designer to join us in creating all things Gallery.

Ideally you have experience from a similar role. If you’re just starting out you will need to be proficient in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

Most of all you will need to be creative, quick and not be afraid of deadlines.

FULL TIME /FREELANCE

We are looking for an experienced media sales professional who thrives on developing and selling marketing and media packages for clients and project development. Ideally you will be a keen writer, The right person would feel comfortable as the face for Gallery at parties, events and functions.

FULL TIME /PART TIME

JOBS@GALLERY.CO.IM

UPFRONT

WORDS | Donna White

DONNA WHITE EXAMINES THE WAY THE BRAIN DETERMINES GENDER AND COMMUNICATION

T

he moment you discover you’re pregnant, it’s a question which preys on your mind and interests everyone around you – whether you have a preference or not.

Without a question, parents will testify the experience of raising one is very different from the other. People might say “girls are gentler” or “boys are better at maths”.

But is the gender gap down to biology – or because society makes us that way? In the past, it was widely considered that parents nurturing girls to play with dolls, and boys to use building blocks, is what shaped their personalities, their interests and their futures. But new evidence suggests babies start to show signs of male or female behaviour even before they are aware of the sex divide.

So, girls are genuinely more multi-tasking, using both sides of the brain easily, while boys are more likely to concentrate on one side at a time. In boys, the right side of the brain forms more internal connections and works more independently. Which is why they focus on right-sided activities like maths and taking things apart to see how they work.

NEW EVIDENCE SUGGESTS BABIES START TO SHOW SIGNS OF MALE OR FEMALE BEHAVIOUR EVEN BEFORE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE SEX DIVIDE

AND IT ALL COMES DOWN TO DIFFERENCES IN THE BRAIN. For a long time, we divided the brain into the left and right hemispheres, attributing verbal skills and logic to the left, and visual, spatial and creative patterns to the right.

We believed girls used more of their left brain, and boys more of their right. But the latest research reveals language activity occurs in both sides. However, the large bundle of nerve fibres which connects the two sides of the brain tends to be thicker in girls.

10

Professor John Geake, a member of the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience at Oxford University said: “There has been some research in boys who have difficulty reading, which suggested this was down to them having weakening connections between the two sides of the brain. It’s certainly the case that the connective tissue is thicker and more robust in females.

“Another area where there seems to be differences is in the parietal cortex – the back of the brain in the area where you tend

to scratch your head. Boys have more brain cells back there than girls. And this is the area which deals with spatial awareness – explaining why the male is more drawn to watching football on television.”

These differences explain why girls tend to talk before boys. They process language more easily, and chatter along in their early years, practicing vocabulary and grammar.

They also have more control over their voices, finding it easier to modulate their tone. This leads to little girls who enjoy singing from an early age, unlike their brothers.

BUT HOW EARLY IS THE GENDER GAP APPARENT? In one experiment in a hospital maternity ward, when babies were presented with images of a smiling human face and a mechanical mobile, girls were more drawn to the face, whilst boys were fascinated by the object.

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen claims this is because girls focus more on emotions, while boys are simply interested in how things work. According to his theory, every baby is born with a particular brain type – male, female or balanced. This is outlined in his book The Essential Difference: Men, Women and the Extreme Male Brain, published by Penguin.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

The empathising brain or E-type is generally found in baby girls.

They respond more to the distress of others, showing greater concern through sad looks, sympathetic noises and comforting.

The systemising or S-type brain is more often possessed by boys. They love putting things together, building towers or vehicles. They also react better to toys with clear functions, buttons to press, things that light up, or devices that cause another object to move.

But there is also a “balanced brain”, type B, which is a combination of both. One way to detect if your girl has a typical female brain is to watch how she might approach a group of playing children as a newcomer.

Or how she accepts a new child into her group of friends.

If she has an E-type brain, she is more likely to stand and watch, to check out what’s going on, and then try to fit in with the game or activity. This usually leads her to being readily accepted.

A typical boy with an S-type brain is more likely to hijack the game buy trying to change it, grabbing everyone’s attention.

As a host, girls are more attentive to the newcomer. Boys often ignore the child’s attempt to join in.

Certainly, by 12 months, girls make more eye contact than boys. The balanced brain is rare, but combines the male and female traits. Therefore, a child may welcome a newcomer into their group of friends, but BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

be aggressive in the way they show the newcomer who is boss. For example, they might select the toy which the newcomer is allowed to play with – and insist on this as a condition of them being accepted into the group. Professor Baron-Cohen discovered that this is determined by a biological factor: prenatal testosterone. With the help of women having amniocentesis, he was able to measure testosterone levels in the foetus.

The greater the presence of this hormone, the less these babies were able to make eye contact and develop language quickly – traits of the female brain – and the more they went on to display a male brain – direct aggression, such as pushing, hitting and punching.

Professor Baron-Cohen said: “There was a time when women were prescribed a synthetic female hormone (diethylstilbestrol), in an attempt to prevent repeated spontaneous miscarriages.

“Boys born to those women were likely to show more female-typical, empathising behaviours, such as caring for dolls.”

As director of the Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University, Professor BaronCohen believes people with autism may have an extreme of the male brain – good at systemising, very bad at empathising.

“Two largest sub-groups of autism are classic autism, and Asperger syndrome,” he explained.

“Both share certain features: a difficulty in developing social relationships; a difficulty in communications; the presence of unusually strong, narrow interests; and a strong adherence to routines.”

GIRLS ARE GENUINELY MORE MULTI-TASKING, USING BOTH SIDES OF THE BRAIN EASILY, WHILE BOYS ARE MORE LIKELY TO CONCENTRATE ON ONE SIDE AT A TIME. It’s important to point out that not all girls will have E-type brains, and not all boys S-type. This explains why some girls are ‘tomboys’ and why a few boys may be more sensitive than their rough-and-tumble friends.

There are those with a balanced brain, who have the best of both worlds. “In the 1960s and 70s these gender differences were put down to parenting.” Said Professor BaronCohen.

“Today, it is recognised there may be a partly genetic component.”

But before you start to panic that little Ethan isn’t going to be the next Robbie Williams, or that baby Jessica will never make a NASA scientist, it is important to remember every child is an individual and may not follow the same patterns of their gender. Nor does it make them any less special if they do. Professor Baren-Cohen says: “The theory is saying that, on average, males and females differ in what they are drawn to and what they find easy, but that both sexes have their strengths and their weaknesses.

Neither sex is superior overall.”

11

UPFRONT

WHAT’S ON

WHAT’S ON MARCH 2014

03/08.03.14

CHRISTINE WILD: THE BEST OF BROADWAY //GAIETY THEATRE//

A fast-moving, highly polished production. A tribute to Broadway musicals combining 700 costumes, with 250 local talented performers.

This is an all-singing, all-dancing production for the whole family.

06/09.03.14

ISLE OF MAN DARTS FESTIVAL //VILLA MARINA//

The Isle of Man Darts Festival returns to the Villa Marina, where you can watch top TV Darts players in action competing for over £22,000 in prize money. Free event for spectators. www.villagaiety.com

www.villagaiety.com

14.03.14

PIANO SERIES 2014: WILLIAM SHAW SPONSORED BY MRS ANN KAY //ERIN ARTS CENTRE//

14/15.03.14

MURDER AT 50,000 FT

//HYDRO HOTEL, QUEENS PROMENADE// A three act Murder, Mystery, Dinner, Theatre including two-course meal. Starts at 7.15 pm.

William has played the piano since the age of three. Born in Conwy, North Wales, he was a participant in many competitions as a child, as both a pianist and trumpeter. He attended Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester for 5 years where he was taught by Bernard Roberts and Murray McLachlan. He has also performed as a soloist alongside the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. He studies as a soloist at The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, for which he received the Julian Jacobson Prize for Piano Performance last year.

www.murdermysteriesiom.com

Playing works by Bachs, Beethoven, Liszt & Sciabin.

Manx swing band 40th Anniversary Concert. Starting at 8pm. Tickets £6 available from the Welcome Centre, Douglas.

information@erinsrtscentre.com www.erinartscentre.com

18.03.14

THE WAR HORSE //VILLA GAIETY//

15.03.14

MANX SWING BAND

//CENTENARY CENTRE, PEEL//

www.villagaiety.com

20/22.03.14

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES //GAIETY THEATRE//

A second encore screening due to popular demand. Based on Morpurgo’s novel and adapted for the stage by Nick Stafford, War Horse takes audiences on an extraordinary journey from the fields of rural Devon to the trenches of First World War France. Filled with stirring music and songs, this powerfully moving and imaginative drama is a show of phenomenal inventiveness. At its heart are astonishing life-size puppets by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, who bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to thrilling life on stage.

Based on author Eve Ensler’s “Vagina Interviews” conducted with over 200 women from all around the world. Written by Eve Ensler, Directed by Colin Snell and Produced by Carl Parker. The ultimate girls night out featuring Kym Marsh (Coronation Street), Lisa Riley (Emmerdale) and Sue Holderness (Only fools and horses).

www.villagaiety.com

26.03.14

www.villagaiety.com

JIMEOIN - YES, YES, WHATEVER...? //VILLA GAIETY//

Hilarious stand-up from one of Live Comedy’s internationally acclaimed masters! Jimeoin returns in 2014 with his ever-evolving live show. A fluid mixture of his signature observations, with hawk-eye dissection of the absurdities of life and how we live it.

Unsuitable for Under 14’s. Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult. www.villagaiety.com

12

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Mortgages?

We’ve got it all Helpful banking, making things easier Whether you are an existing mortgage holder, a first time buyer, looking for a buy to let or equity release, pop in and talk to our Personal Mortgage Advisers who will help you every step of the way.

We’re making banking easier... ask us how!

Call in to any branch iombank.com/helpfulbanking Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @iombank

YOUR HOME OR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

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. Over 18’s only. Security required. Calls may be recorded.

UPFRONT

in NUMBERS NEWS

9

The Isle of Man’s Zoe Gillings placed 9th overall at the snowboard-cross World Cup at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She narrowly missed her chance to compete in the final.

54

January 2014 was recorded one of the worst ever Januaries for weather, with 25 days of more than 1mm rain recorded and only 2 days without rain! The wind also had an average speed of 54 knots (62 mph).

24-9

The so-called Isle of Man “toilet tax” has been approved, despite a 6,000 signature petition opposing the £50 charge. Manx politicians voted 24-9 in favour of its introduction following nearly two hours of debate in Tynwald.

15

7,801,000

A recent bowel-screening programme on the Island has recently saved the lives of 15 people.

Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the Isle of Man after lung and breast cancer. The initial screening was for residents aged between 60-69 but the department has extended the range up to 75.

Since the transfer of the Media Development Fund to Pinewood Film Advisors in October 2012, Treasury has approved four projects in film production and invested a total of £7,801,000!

1,182 14

There are 1,182 people In the Isle of Man that are out of work.

At time of print, the level of unemployment on Island is 2.6%

2015 From 2015, students in England will no longer sit GCSE’s in the core subjects but they will instead study the English Baccalaureate with other changes in other subjects to follow. The Isle of Man is to go through consultations to decide if they will make the same changes.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

FEATURE

WORDS | Kate Davies

COMMUNICATION

breakdown

It’s long been said that men and women communicate differently, but a new study might just prove it. The modern man may moisturise, cry and be more in touch with his feelings than ever before but, when it comes to telephone conversations, emotions go out of the window and he only tends to call if he wants something. So how can couples communicate constructively?

UNDERSTANDING HIM Men, it seems, only phone when they want something.

According to a study I came across, from Across, which analysed nearly 500 calls and investigated the phone habits of over 2,000 UK adults, this is because men and women disagree over what they consider a “quality” phone call. Men consider “quality” calls those which allow them to “get what they want”, such as information about what time to meet for dinner.

Women, on the other hand, more frequently look to forge an emotional connection with the person on the other end of the line. The reasons for this are varied, as women’s and men’s brains work differently physiologically. But a large part of why the sexes communicate differently has to do with how they process their emotions.

Communication stems from emotional awareness, so if we’re brought up to be more laterally logical and less emotional like men are - then it will be harder for us to communicate in a way other than to convey information, such as what time we’ll be home for dinner or whether the kids have been dropped off at school.

This results in women expecting men to be as emotionally aware as they are themselves, and can lead to a woman thinking her man doesn’t get her emotionally.

But this isn’t necessarily the case: Men are just as capable of deep emotional thought and feeling as women are - they’re just not used to expressing it.

COMMUNICATION CONUNDRUM While these days we might feel like we’re in constant communication all the time, really it’s a misconception.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

These days people are communicating by texting and using facebook, but they’re not doing it in an intimate way that allows them to be closer emotionally. It’s an assumed contact rather than an actual contact.

We’ve become so used to communicating about the mundane events of everyday life - such as what time to meet at the pub or quick texts consisting of ‘How r u’, that the times when we do really ‘connect’ with each other resonate strongly within us.

The trouble is just finding the time.

So how do you ensure that you have a meaningful conversation with your partner, either on the phone or in person?

Practice.

While the research confirmed that men and women communicate differently, the way they reflect on good communication is very similar.

All those involved in the study, whether male or female, agree the best conversations occur when in comfortable surroundings, away from daily distractions and in a relaxed environment - usually sitting or lying down, and ideally with a cup of tea or glass of wine at hand.

TOP TIPS ON COMMUNICATING 1. Assume nothing: Talking on the phone means you don’t have any body language to pick up on. Instead of reading into things, be clear, concise and prepared to listen.

2. Save yourself: You’ll have more quality conversations the more time and space you make for them.

3. Ritualise your time: The British Association for Sexual and Relationship Therapy (BASRT) suggests setting aside at least 30 minutes to discuss issues with your partner. The best conversations are those that take place with space and time. So put the kids to bed, kick your feet up, have a cup of tea and give yourself time for a good chat.

4. Be clear: Successful communication involves saying what you feel and need, not asking your partner to be involved in a guessing game. Your partner isn’t a mind reader. Say what you need out of the relationship. If, then, you don’t get it, then at least you’ll know you asked for it.

5. Know when to quit: Nothing will be resolved if the discussion goes awry.

Schedule another time and spend some positive time together in the interim.

6. Write it down: If you’ve got gripes with your partner, say nothing, write it down and sit on it for a few days.

Then, take a look at what you’ve written and only discuss the bits that still feel bad to you. Very often you realise that whatever was upsetting you wasn’t your partner, but your bad day at work.

15

UPFRONT

CURRENT AFFAIRS Welcome, dear reader, to Current Affairs; your chance to pose any number of questions to the Island’s business community.

1.

BRUCE ELLIOTT,

Group Commercial Director, Boston Limited

3.

MARK WILSON,

Managing Director, Sleepwell Hotels

2.

SANDRA TAYLOR,

Personal Insurances Manager, Rossborough Insurance

4.

BOSTON

Q.

1.

What were the most exciting products launched at ICE that will affect the Isle of Man?

A.

Many of the hottest new products launched at ICE 2014, the world’s largest online gaming conference, had a strong social gaming component; none more so than social betting exchange Tedbets.com. This Isle of Man headquartered start-up won the inaugural Game to Watch competition, with a distinguished judging panel comprising industry executives from William Hill, Freemantle Media Group, and Unity Technologies declaring Tedbets’ as “The Game to Watch 2014”.

Tedbets is being heralded as the ‘first real money site that lets you bet your mates on anything’. Licensed in the Isle of Man and launching in February 2014, Tedbets allows users to bet their friends for real money or virtual currency on sports, entertainment, politics and anything else they can think of.

It is the first site to be licensed to let users create their own unique bets on anything they can imagine. CEO Scott Burton said: “Tedbets is thinking big for our first year as an online operator. We have some amazing features planned for Tedbets that will help us create the most complete wagering offer ever.”

In addition to Tedbets, the Isle of Man is proving fertile ground for companies in the burgeoning peer-to-peer exchange market, with TailorBet and BuddyBet also licensed in the Isle of Man.

ED HOUGHTON,

Senior Manager, KPMG

Next month, we invite you to ask our experts on the topics that matter to you.

Simply send your questions to editorial@gallery.co.im.

16

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

THE CURRENT AFFAIRS PANEL

ROSSBOROUGH INSURANCE

Q.

2.

When I move into a new house, is it ok to leave the locks as they are or do they need changing?

A.

Considering how careful we are at keeping our homes safe most of the time, it’s amazing to see how many people are prepared to move into a new house without changing the locks.

A recent survey found that while 30% of movers change the locks on all external doors and a further 12% change the lock on the front door, the remaining 58% fail to take any action at all.

And, in fact, a contents insurance claim is at risk of being turned down if a previous owner or tradesman uses a spare set of keys to commit a burglary.

This is because a policyholder must demonstrate that they have taken reasonable care when making what they hope will be a successful claim. If items are stolen, an insurer may want to see evidence of forced entry before paying out on a burglary claim.

When you consider how much it actually costs to move home these days, it makes sense to spend the extra few pounds for peace of mind. It is also worth changing the de-activation code on any burglar alarm.

For those in the rental sector, you will need to check that you are allowed under your tenancy agreement to change the locks.

While it is worth asking the landlord to pay, the likelihood is that you, as tenant, will have to foot the bill.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Q.

3.

Q.

Do additional flights such as BA’s direct to London City make a difference to business tourism on the Isle of Man?

‘Businesses should be more transparent’ appears in the media a lot, why is this and how is it being achieved?

A.

A.

THE CLAREMONT HOTEL

The most immediate answer to your question is yes; anything that enables people to get to and from the Island is clearly of vital importance to all forms of tourism.

In simple terms, for the Isle of Man to develop its role on the international stage a grown-up business travel infrastructure needs to be in place. Of course, there are lots of constituent elements to this also, and we have made great progress over recent years. We now have a great telecommunications infrastructure, a growing skills pool, global sporting icons and have seen investment in hotels, bars and restaurants from some operators. We have certainly seen growth in heritage and railway interest, travel, and event tourism, such as the TT and the former Grand Prix.

Increased business tourism and the subsequent investment it brings means more value to our internal infrastructure, more value to our retailers, hoteliers and other lifestyle service industries and, as such, a greater capacity to protect our allround cultural and Island heritage. All of these factors contribute to the quality of life necessary to appeal to growing commercial sectors and ultimately lead to greater interest from a diverse array of potential international investors.

International marketing efforts aside, although certainly not forgotten, it is that first tangible impression which really makes the difference, a rule that the Claremont has been working towards for years.

KPMG

4.

Following the financial crisis of 2008, there has been increased pressure from investors for real insight into business activities, the way they operate, and the way they are are managed, in order to promote awareness and understanding.

This is visible from changes in the way regulators oversee businesses, updates in corporate governance regimes, and the continuing evolution of financial statement disclosure requirements to social and ethical reporting. Changes in the UK Corporate Governance Code 2012 include the requirement for Audit Committees (the independent Board committees which oversees the audit process and recommend the approval of financial statements to the Board) to specifically report to shareholders in their own capacity within the Annual Report, on how they have identified and satisfied themselves regarding the key risks impacting the business and financial statements. This is a clear attempt to improve transparency and responsibility.

This is followed up with a significant change in the form of audit reports for companies adopting the Code (mainly LSE Premium Listed entities), whereby significant audit risks and their approach to these are disclosed in specific detail – this represents a real change in the transparency of audit performance and reporting! The goal is that specific clear information is reported on how a business operates and the risks they face.

For businesses adopting the Code, these shifts in transparency need to be considered early in the Annual Report process to allow consideration of their implications. We are working with clients now on drafting these reports where the intended release is not for a number of months. It is inevitable that this transparency agenda will continue to impact on businesses as stakeholders seek information to understand businesses better.

17

UPFRONT

OUR COMMUNITY

GIVE

COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

MANX CANCER HELP STARTS 2014 ON A HIGH Manx Cancer Help rounded off a hugely successful 30th Anniversary year in 2013 with donations from two prominent local businesses, Gelling Johnson Farrant and Royal Skandia.

Law firm Gelling Johnson Farrant raised £5,175 through Make a Will month while staff at Royal Skandia raised £5,600 for the charity during 2013.

Make a Will month, which was launched in September, encouraged members of the public to get a straightforward Will written in exchange for a minimum donation of £75 to Manx Cancer Help. Of the 193 information packs Gelling Johnson Farrant sent out, 64 people took up the offer.

Pictured is Mary Doyle, PR and Marketing Manager for Hospice with one of the lucky winners of a prize draw that was held in December. Joyce Fayle (second left) won an Ipad Air. Also pictured is Rosie Rowlands representing Moore Stephens with Robert Byers, Managing Director of Waltons Digital World.

WALTONS DIGITAL WORLD AND MOORE STEPHENS SUPPORTING REBECCA HOUSE

It was particularly fitting that Joyce won a prize as her grandson, Reece Duggan attends Rebecca House, the children’s hospice.

Joyce was delighted to win her prize and said she was particularly pleased that the children’s hospice was benefitting from this prize draw as she knows first-hand the huge difference Rebecca House makes to the families that need the services.

29 children attend Rebecca House. The children’s unit costs over half a million pounds each year to continue to provide these services.

The prize draw raised £1,222 which will be used to purchase a laptop and an Ipad for the older children that attend Rebecca House.

LITTLE FUNDRAISER SAMMIE HAS A BIG HEART

Sammie Earl may only be nine-years-old but she has already raised more than £250 for The Children’s Centre. The Victoria Road School pupil began carol singing when she was three and every year since has been raising funds around Castletown where she lives with her mum Cath and dad Mark, and her four-year-old brother DJ. Mark, who works as Senior Facilities Officer at The Children’s Centre, said: “Sammie was interested in where I worked and one day she just said that she wanted to go carol singing to ‘raise funds for the children’. She was only three at that time, and it was all her idea. Cath took Sammie carol singing and we’ve supported her ever since.

Over the years Sammie’s friends have joined in so there’s now a little group of carol singers who go around Castletown. Our son David also sings with them and we’re really proud of them both.”

Susie Cox, Community Fundraiser at The Children’s Centre, thanked Sammie and her family and friends for their support - and all of the Castletown residents who have made donations to the carol singers over the years.

18

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

HOSPICE ISLE OF MAN OPEN NEW YOUNG PERSONS’ CHILL OUT ROOM JADE’S PLACE - TAKE OFF YOUR COLOURS

It was with pleasure, but tinged with sadness, that Hospice Isle of Man officially opened a new chill-out teenage room recently.

“I know this room will help make a difference to the young people we look after and the appointment of someone trained to work with this age group will be a significant impact on them.”

The bright, vibrant room, based at the charity’s premises at Strang, Douglas is called Jade’s Place and is a lasting legacy to a young girl called Jade Quirk. Jade died, aged 17, in March 2013 and her family, along with the support of the well-known local charity Oskar’s Dreams, donated funds towards this much-needed and appreciated room.

The room will be used by young adult patients and siblings within the family unit, along with children and grandchildren of patients that use the adult services at Hospice or the children’s hospice Rebecca House.

Not only will the room provide somewhere for these young adults to relax but it will be used as a counselling room if required.

Oskar’s Dreams have also generously offered to donate towards the appointment of a specific support worker for young people.

Jade’s Mum, Dawn Herbert said: “Oskar’s Dreams have supported the children’s hospice, Rebecca House, for over five years and have raised over £240,000, so when my daughter sadly died last year we wanted to do something that was a lasting legacy to her and would be a real and meaningful way of supporting young adults for years to come.”

The Northern Committee also raised over £10,000 from their project - Just A Taste cookbook which contains Jade’s recipe for cupcakes. I know she loved to make cupcakes, and the inspiration for the front cover was Jade. The artist, Joan Cranshaw, was so touched by Jade’s story that she designed the front cover drawing of cupcakes based on this inspirational young lady.

“We were really touched when her close friends from Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel came along to the official opening.

They came into the room, got really comfortable on the bean bags and cosy sofas. In fact it was hard to get them to move out so other guests could have a look round!”.

Dawn added: “The room is called Jade’s Place, all her favourite colours and themes, have been included in the design of this special place.” “Jade also loved the rock group You Me At Six & met them in March 2012. Their album Take Off Your Colours was one of her favourites – that’s why that strapline is after the name of the room.”

Margaret Simpson, Chief Executive of Hospice said: “Some people will associate Hospice and the work we do with the older generation but sadly young people will require the services we provide.” “Jade was an inspirational young lady who touched the lives of everyone she met so to have her remembered in this way, which will provide support for future young people we come into contact with, is a lovely way of thinking about her.” “I would like to thank Dawn and Ronnie Herbert and Oskar’s Dreams for their continued support of both Hospice and Rebecca House, our children’s hospice.”

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

19

UPFRONT

me& mypet

ANGIE LEE

Do you have any more pets? No

Breed: Human

Would you have any more pets? Yes. When I retire I would love to foster more dogs.

Age: 44 Where do you live on the Island? Port Erin Where are you originally from? Lancaster What do you do for a living?

Primary School Teacher

20

The best and worst thing about having a pet is..? Loyalty, companionship and unconditional love….the worst thing – I don’t think there is anything, for me nothing outweighs the benefits of having a dog.

Likes: Georgie, my late dog. Louie, my current dog. My family and friends, my job, especially the children. Volunteering at the ManxSPCA. Chips and chocolate!

Dislikes: Animal neglect and cruelty.

If you were an animal, what would you be? A White English Bull Terrier, my favourite breed of dog.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

me&mypet ANGIE & LOUIE

Give an animal

A HOME e Hughi Hi, I’m Hughie and that’s my

Why did you choose a rescue pet? For me, it would only ever be a rescue dog. It is so rewarding to know you are giving a dog a second chance in life. Animals who have been neglected, unloved or given up reluctantly by families who are no longer able to care for them have so much love to give and, although they are happy and loved at Ard Jerkyll, they are desperate for a home and family of their own.

LOUIE Breed? German shepherd cross bulldog Age? I will be 3 in April.

Likes? Squeaky toys, sausage and steak and having my back scratched.

Dislikes? Having a bath.

If you were human, who would you be? Brad Pitt, because my human keeps telling me I am very handsome.

Why do you love your human? She rescued me and gave me a loving home. She also gives me lots of treats.

If you had one wish what would you wish for? That my little brother Hughie, who has been at the MSPCA for over two years, would find a loving home just like me.

brother on the opposite page. His mum brings me sausages and all kinds of treats when she visits Ard Jerkyll but I wish I had a mum of my own. I have to have a big and expensive operation soon to fix my cruciate ligament and my friends at the ManxSPCA and lots of other people are helping to find the money but all I really want is my own special person to love. I’ll be ready to go to a foster home by Easter so maybe it could be you……?

Layla Layla is such a pretty little cat but nobody seems to notice her. Please come and meet her and perhaps take her home. Like all the animals at Ard Jerkyll she’ll be given a full MOT before she’s re-homed, so she can start her new life with all the advantages we – and you – can give her. She’ll be microchipped, wormed and neutered and our staff will always be ready to help with advice after you’ve taken your new best friend home – you’ll become part of the Ard Jerkyll family! If you can’t adopt you might enjoy volunteer dog-walking or cat-cuddling and socialising – give us a call on 851672.

Ard Jerkyll means High Hopes in Manx Gaelic and that’s what we want to give to the animals in our care.

ManxSPCA ARD JERKYLL, EAST FOXDALE • TEL: 851672

www.manxspca.com BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

21

UPFRONT

rant words: Grainne Mason illustration: Will RJ Davis

W

hen Sartre said that 'Hell is other people', he must surely have been thinking of other people who make you wait.

For example, in any supermarket I will unfailingly, like a lemming to a clifftop, rush towards what I think will be the fastest-moving queue.

Only, of course, it won't be, because that morning the cashier will have overdosed on Mogadon, have the manual dexterity of a tortoise, and will be sitting at the till with the broken conveyor belt. Ahead of me will be someone who has at least three items without a barcode. The commotion this causes requires the intervention of at least two supervisors, a manager and the fire brigade to resolve. I usually keep myself occupied at this stage by trying to stifle the blood-curdling screams fighting their way up my wind-pipe.

My favourite customers though, are the magicians who produce chequebooks.

Remember those?

22

Well, grit your teeth and smile through your tears, because it's going to be another ten minutes before anyone can even locate a working pen, and a shop assistant old enough to remember how to process the cheque. And that's before we even get to the idiots who can't remember their pin numbers.

Don't even think about using one of those self-service tills either, because I've noticed that they seem particularly alluring to individuals with the lightning reflexes of a sloth and the IQ of a banana. Your blood pressure will never recover from this type of assault. Only hardened queuers with experience of hostage-negotiation should attempt this queue.

Some waiting periods can be particularly painful. I once developed a terrible backache and, fearing all kinds of potentially lethal conditions, crawled off to see my doctor. I was so relieved to see only one other patient in front of me, an old lady with what looked like a huge photo album on her lap. We both sat stoically

enduring some wrist-slitting music while we waited (It amazes me that a profession whose Hippocratic Oath states 'First, do no harm', insists on piping that suicide-inducing muzak through to their patients). Anyway, the old lady smiled sweetly at me and said “Doctor always likes to see my new cat photographs, you know� and her smile gave way to a maniacal grin. I tried to smile back through the pain.

Well, she was in there for a full 40 minutes, and I could hear the two of them laughing merrily over pictures of kittens chasing socks, while I slithered to my knees, overtaken by yet more excruciating spasms. I guess that's why they're called waiting rooms...

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

EVENTS

EQUIOM SPONSORED LADIES LUNCH | p 26

WEDDING DAY Julia Wilson & Jonathan Broad | p 24

WEDDING DAY Emily Davies & Robert Cattle | p 28

EVENTS

JULIA WILSON & JONATHAN BROAD - WEDDING DAY Ceremony - St Mary’s Church | Reception - Villa Marina | 27th July 2013

paparazzi@gallery.co.im

PHOTOGRAPHER - SHAN FISHER- WWW.SHANSPHOTO.COM

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

The perfect setting for the perfect day Photographer | Peter Kwiecinski

SPECIAL CARS SPECIAL OCCASIONS PRIVATE HIRE

Almost 25 years of creating amazing outdoor & indoor experiences

View our stunning fleet of cars at

Tel: 844959 / 843336

FOR

AND

www.platinumcars.im Email: david@platinumcars.im

Tel: 07624 357498

Room Transformation Starcloths • Theming • Lighting Coloured Chair Covers and Sashes Coloured Cloths and Napkins Candelabras • Dancefloors

or email candida@manx.net

www.a3islandmarquees.com & www.iomfinishingtouches.com PO Box 2, Peel Isle of Man IM99 9Y

EVENTS

EQUIOM SPONSORED LADIES LUNCH RAISES THOUSANDS FOR MANX BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP Location - Portofino Restaurant | 15th February 2014

Sheila Dean, Group Managing Director of Equiom, recently hosted a fund raising lunch for 80 ladies at Portofino in aid of the Manx Breast Cancer Support Group.

The funds will go towards the much needed £600, 000.00 required to build the dedicated breast cancer unit at Nobles Hospital. Over £10,000 was raised on the day following a raffle and auction for

26

some fabulous prizes very generously donated by over 20 local businesses.

Guests enjoyed a two-course meal and a fantastic fashion show

by Claire Christian Couture featuring the Spring/Summer 2014 Cruise Collection.

PHOTOGRAPHER - PETER KWIECINSKI- WWW.DOLLSFACTORY.NET ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Now you can fly direct to Glasgow

see www.citywing.com for details

EVENTS

EMILY DAVIES & ROBERT CATTLE - WEDDING DAY Ceremony - Kirk Braddan Church | Reception - Meadows Pavilion Golf Club | 11th October 2013

paparazzi@gallery.co.im

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PHOTOGRAPHER - MATT MOSUR | WWW.MATTMOSUR.COM ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

THE MANX PASSION Island of Culture 2014 | p 40 COVER PHOTO CREDIT: MATT MOSUR

CULTURE VANNIN

CULTURE NEWS

MY NAME IS

Manx Heritage Foundation becomes Culture VANNIN

All things cultural

Ice Mann at the Farm Yard Studio

| p 36

| p 37

| p 38

CULTURE

WHAT’S ON

CULTURE VULTURE What’s on...

01.03.14

14.03.14

30.03.14

INSPIRED BY LIGHT AND LAND

OUTSIDE IN

//THE ISLE GALLERY, TYNWALD MILLS, ST JOHNS//

//JABBERWOCKY, DUKE ST, DOUGLAS//

THE FUREYS WITH DAVEY ARTHUR

Petrina Kent revisits the Manx landscapes with a series of new paintings reflecting the beauty of the Island. Until 24 March.

An exhibition of new work from local artist Jimmy Duggan. Until 31 March.

www.theislegallery.com

15.03.14

01.03.14 BLUES AT THE INSTITUTE: 9 //LAXEY INSTITUTE// Peter Woodman, JDS Collection, Bus Pass Blues Band, The Big Wheel Blues Band.

Tickets £5 from www.bigwheelblues.com, Peter Norris Music Ltd, or 07624 492105.

CELEBRATION IN COLOUR //HODGSON LOOM GALLERY, LAXEY//

Isle of Film, I love Film series

PAINT AND PRINT

//THE STUDIO THEATRE, DOUGLAS//

//SAYLE GALLERY, DOUGLAS//

Live screening of the Royal Ballet production direct from the Royal Opera House, London with Sarah Lamb and Steven McRae.

// RAMSEY// The launch of a new album from Calum Stewart & Heikki Bourgault. Formed through an existing musical friendship and rooted in their respective traditions, Calum and Heikki explore an interceltic link, marrying old melodies together with new in an inspiring, assertive and dynamic interplay.

More details from www.islandofculture.im

12.03.14 WAR HORSE

30

ERIN ARTS CENTRE

www.facebook.com/HodgsonLoomGallery

SLEEPING BEAUTY

‘HUNTERS MOON’ ALBUM LAUNCH

Tickets £10 from www.etickets.im/cc or via www.centenarycentre.com

//PORT ERIN//

07.03.14

10.03.14

Due to overwhelming demand this is an EXTRA SHOW!

A vibrant mix of abstracts, landscapes and botanical studies from local artists Gillian Hinds, Howard Shimmin and Jodie Buckley. Until 12 April.

19.03.14

New work from Charlotte Jane Henry, Bruno Cavellec, Peter Heasey and Andi Howland. Until 30 March.

//PEEL CENTENARY CENTRE//

Tickets £15/£12.50 from Villa Gaiety box office, The Welcome Centre, www. villagaiety.com or 01624 600555.

Coming up in March 3rd Monday lunch with guest speaker: Debbie Kenyon, Manx Blind Welfare.

12th March - ‘Anna Karenina’ 26th -‘Blackball’ 31st Monday lunch with guest speaker Katie King, Manx National Heritage: ‘Happy Holidays in the IOM in Victorian and Edwardian Times’.

Tickets from 01624832662, information@ erinartscentre.com or visit the centre. www.erinartscentre.com Silk painting workshop with Jean Buck for children aged five and over.

22.03.14

Tickets £5 available from the ground floor counter.

DIAMOND NIGHTS

For more information call: 01624 696461.

//PEEL CENTENARY CENTRE// The ever-popular Neil Diamond tribute act. £10 all proceeds to Breakthrough Breast Cancer IOM. Tickets from www.etickets.im/cc or via www.centenarycentre.com

23.03.14 EWAN McLENNAN + support

//THE STUDIO THEATRE, DOUGLAS//

//JABBERWOCKY, DUKE STREET, DOUGLAS//

Encore screening of the acclaimed National Theatre production.

Award winning folk singer, songwriter and guitarist.

Tickets £15/£12.50 from Villa Gaiety box office, The Welcome Centre, www. villagaiety.com or 01624 600555

Tickets £15 from Jabberwocky or www. etickets.im/jp

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

PLANS COMING TOGETHER FOR DOUGLAS CARNIVAL Plans are coming together for the biggest community event Douglas Borough Council and Douglas Development Partnership will stage this year: Douglas Carnival on Saturday July 19th.

Town centre manager Michelle O’Malley said: ‘Douglas Carnival is free to enter but those taking part will need to complete an entry form, available for download from douglascarnival.im.

‘It’s still early days yet, but we’ve already drawn up a whole range of categories, such as Best Float, Best Walking Group, Best Band, etc. These and many others will attract some fantastic prizes – some cash, others goods or services. There’ll also be more music, live bands…maybe even a headline act, but we’re keeping that under wraps for now. What’s important right now is to get creative,;think “carnival” then log on for your entry form.’

Council leader Councillor David Christian said: ‘There is a great deal of work being put in behind the scenes to ensure that Douglas Carnival is a spectacular event that will attract people from all over the Island.

‘The festivities are due to start around 2pm on the walkway along Harris Promenade where there will be family-focused activities including entertainment, stalls and concessionary outlets. Then at 6.30pm the whole of Douglas promenade is set to come alive with a parade of floats, bands, groups and cavalcades, and later the street festival switches to the North Quay which will host the after party.

VIEW THE LATEST ARTWORK FROM “THE FACE OF MODERN BRITISH IMPRESSIONISM” SHERREE VALENTINE DAINES AT GENESIS GALLERY February 2014 saw the release of two stunning new limited editions by award winning British artist Sherree Valentine Daines.

Daines enjoys a formidable reputation as the UK’s finest figurative talent. Her work is held by many major public spaces including the Barbican, the Tate and the Lord’s Museum, and she numbers several members of the royal family amongst her private collectors. Famous names in the world of show-business have sat for her, including Joanna Lumley and Michael Parkinson, and she has become a familiar face on television, earning the title of ‘artist to the stars’ in the Express.

Her exquisite new work demonstrates yet again why she has been officially voted the UK’s leading Impressionist. ‘Your Days, My Days’ celebrates her extraordinary achievements over 30 years and is available to purchase in the gallery. A stunning full colour retrospective, it combines Sherree’s personal history and cultural inheritance with a beautifully presented exploration of her oeuvre.

Genesis Gallery on Victoria St, Douglas, is an innovative art venue which offers an outstanding collection of collectable editions and previously unseen, high-end original artwork from around the world to a discerning audience of collectors.

‘This presents the perfect opportunity to enter into the spirit of Island of Culture 2014 and “Be Inspired. Be Involved”. For the after party we want to see the harbourside take centre stage and for all the cafés, pubs, restaurants and other businesses there to really get behind the event and come up with ideas that will not only create a great party atmosphere but also increase footfall and spend because, as I said in my recent budget speech, for Douglas Carnival to be a true success it must bring commercial benefit to the town.’

For regular carnival updates follow Douglas Town Centre Management on Facebook.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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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 fullsize unfortunately - they just wouldn’t fit!

£50 r

winne

Kieran Horrox

Claire Schreuder Alan Clague

Pauline Guest

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

Eve Aycock

Shelley Kilpatrick Jannette Phair

John Kelly

Pauline Guest

Jeff Kirby

Luke Phair

Prashanth Sharon Kanes

Charlotte Tomlinson

John Crossley

Matt Betteridge Felix Galbraith

Gerry

Charlotte Tomlinson BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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CULTURE

WORDS | Jennifer Parkes

PAINT&PRINT As the Island celebrates its reputation as the Island of Culture in 2014, from 7-30th March the Sayle Gallery is host to a group exhibition of four local artists’ works: Charlotte Jane Henry, Bruno Cavellec, Peter Hearsey and Andi Howland.

Cavellec, Henry and Hearsey are highly regarded painters and printmakers within the Island’s artistic community and, while all three work with similar mediums, each brings their own unique style, inspiration and story into the mix.

With Andi Howland’s remarkable photography furthering the diversity of artwork on display, Paint & Print offers a select experience of the raw artistic talent harboured right here in the Isle of Man. Here, Jennifer Parkes speaks to some of the exhibiting artists about what visitors can expect from the upcoming showcase:

CHARLOTTE JANE HENRY ‘I was inspired to create the exhibition Paint & Print as I use both mediums in my own artwork. To add a diversity of styles, I invited my fellow exhibitors Bruno Cavellec and Peter Hearsey, both highly respected painters and printmakers, and Andi Howland, who has an admirable passion for photography. We are all good friends, which has helped us to work as a team in creating this event!

THE ISLE OF MAN IS RICH IN ALL AREAS OF THE ARTS

‘As well as showing ten new pieces, I am displaying my large Triptych painting which has only been publically exhibited once, at The Manx Museum, when it won First Prize for Best Manx Subject in the Singer & Freidlander Awards.

‘The Isle of Man is rich in all areas of the arts and, combined with its heritage and natural beauty, I believe it deserves to be celebrated as the Island of Culture and I feel privileged to be exhibiting during its special year.’

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

BRUNO CAVELLEC ‘The main inspiration behind most of these new paintings is the lyrics of musician Nick Barrett; in particular, a song called “Your Black Heart” – it resonated so deeply with me that it ended up mirroring my darkest thoughts.

I knew then that I was on my way to producing some of the most honest, painful and personal work I have ever had the courage to put on a canvas before.

I KNEW THEN THAT I WAS ON MY WAY TO ‘A particular line had a huge, unexpected impact PRODUCING SOME OF on me and helped me to get in touch with those THE MOST HONEST, feelings – it goes like this: “It stays with me, PAINFUL AND this memory will always be a part of me”. I felt PERSONAL WORK I devastated but, at the same time, so alive that I HAVE EVER HAD THE could tell myself “I know who I am”.

COURAGE TO PUT ON A CANVAS BEFORE ‘The other inspiration behind the last two pieces I created was the tragic death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, an artist whose work I loved with a passion beyond words. He inspired me with his insane talent, his dedication and commitment to his roles. For me, he will forever remain the actor who portrayed, with so much brilliance, the frailty of humanity; in my own way, I want to give him something back.’

PETER HEARSEY ‘Using paint and print, I simply like to record what I see and also, sometimes, record the recent past, which is often so quickly forgotten.

‘In the past, I’ve done work concentrating on how Douglas has changed over the years; I did a series of pictures that the Arts Council bought, of the changing face of Douglas, and that seems to be a theme that I have carried on, perhaps subconsciously. One fairly big piece that I have THERE ARE A LOT been working on for this show is a scene of OF CONTEMPORARY Douglas Harbour, how it used to be when it was YOUNG ARTISTS a working harbour, and I’m experimenting with COMING UP IN BOTH the ways that I’m printing.

THE ART AND MUSIC ‘I’m always amazed by how many artists SCENES WITHIN THE there are on the Island, and the music scene ISLAND THAT ARE is very vibrant – Davy Knowles in particular PRODUCING SOME has gone on to great things. There are a lot of REALLY INTERESTING contemporary young artists coming up in both THINGS the art and music scenes within the Island that are producing some really interesting things.’

ANDI HOWLAND ‘Instinctively, I’m drawn to light and expression, to shape and texture. I seek out subjects that resonate with me on some level. Sometimes that can be colour, composition, contrast or emotion. I try to visualise how I want the image to look and make an assessment on what camera or format is best suited; I normally know if the INSTINCTIVELY, I’M picture will work better in colour or black & DRAWN TO LIGHT white, film or digital.

AND EXPRESSION, TO SHAPE AND TEXTURE. ‘I use a variety of different mediums in my I SEEK OUT SUBJECTS work; both traditional and modern. A lot of THAT RESONATE my personal work is shot on film as it makes WITH ME ON SOME me think and work in a different way. The LEVEL. SOMETIMES tonal range from a black & white negative THAT CAN BE COLOUR, cannot always be replicated in a digital COMPOSITION, camera and I still find something special CONTRAST OR EMOTION in developing my own negatives. There’s a romanticism with film I’m not ready to let go of.’

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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CULTURE

Culture VANNIN launched MANX HERITAGE FOUNDATION BECOMES CULTURE VANNIN AS PART OF ISLAND OF CULTURE CELEBRATIONS Culture Vannin is the new name for the Manx Heritage Foundation.

The well-established organisation has been inspired by Island of Culture 2014 to change its name to reflect how it works to promote our culture in inclusive, engaging and creative ways.

Culture Vannin has a strong and proud history of supporting and promoting Manx culture through development, education and grant-giving work since the Manx Heritage Foundation was set up by Act of Tynwald in 1982. The organisation has been a pioneering force in so many fields – publishing books, CDs, DVDs and apps on all aspects of Manx culture, developing resources and curriculum for our Island’s schools, recording the changing nature of our Island through photographs, oral history and film, funding individuals, community groups and events.

The change in name recognises how important culture is to our daily lives – to our sense of community, our sense of who we are as a nation and how we project that internationally. As part of the launch, a new website with a fantastic archive of videos, photographs and oral history interviews will go live, making material recorded over the years available to everyone, everywhere: www.culturevannin.im

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SOME PROJECTS WE’VE DEVELOPED FOR 2014 INCLUDE: The launch of our new website with its fantastic archive of videos, photographs and oral history interviews 1,000 words in Manx in a year challenge – learn a few words each day, adding up to 1000 over the year Feddan Mooar and Prash books for flute and brass instruments to be used by the IoM Music Service Manx Gaelic video a day: posted on the Manx Gaelic YouTube channel Commissioned music for brass band (Robert Quane), Manx Youth Orchestra (David Kilgallon) and Folkestra (Katie Lawrence) A new podcast series for absolute beginners in the Manx language: www. greinneyder.podomatic.com Culture Vannin summer school (August) – a week of Manx language, music and culture for Years 6-11 Tin whistle taster sessions for adults – try something new for Island of Culture Manx music and dance schools concert series Norwegian Manx Project song and tunebook and EP. Working with the Archibald Knox Society to celebrate 150th anniversary of Knox’s birth – special journal edition and musical celebration in St German’s Cathedral featuring a new commission for harp group (Rachel Hair)

Chairman of Culture Vannin, Hon. Phil Gawne MHK, commented: “Our culture is key to who we are. It guides us in the way that we relate to each other within our communities and in projecting an image of ourselves internationally. A vibrant and dynamic living culture has at its heart what we have to say and how we want to say it, is how we choose to define our world. It is about the stories and images that shape our strong sense of belonging, no matter where we once started. Culture Vannin builds on a strong legacy of grant-giving and development work which has been at the forefront of publishing on aspects of Manx culture, custom-made educational resources for our schools, Manx language, music and dance.

Culture Vannin takes our culture forward in creative, innovative ways. We invite you to join us on that journey!” www.culturevannin.im

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

CULTURE NEWS

2014 REIH BLEEANEY VANANNAN AWARDED TO CLARE KILGALLON

ISLE OF MAN COMPETITION WINNER PERFORMS IN LONDON CONCERT HALLS

At a recent ceremony in the Villa Marina Arcade, the Chairman of Culture Vannin, Hon Phil Gawne MHK, presented the annual cultural award the Reih Bleeaney Vanannan to Onchan resident Clare Kilgallon.

Ziyu Shen, who last year won the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition held at the Erin Arts Centre, Port Erin, has now fulfilled two of the London engagements offered as part of her first prize, supported by the Tertis Foundation and Isle of Man Arts Council.

The award is made each year to a person or group, nominated by the general public, who are seen to have made an outstanding contribution to Manx culture.

Clare was introduced to Manx culture at a young age when she became a member of Aeglagh Vannin, learning songs, dances and stories from Mona Douglas. She has followed in the footsteps of her mentor, passing on the tradition to students of the Manx youth music movement, Bree, and to her own children, who are key players in a number of Manx music and dance groups.

Well-known as a Manx Gaelic singer, Clare regularly performs at Manx cultural events and features on various musical recordings.

She leads the Manx language choir Cliogaree Twoaie and often represents the Island with them. Clare is also a long-term member of Manx dance groups Bock Yuan Fannee and the Manx Folk Dance Society. Clare's enthusiasm for traditional Manx culture has been invaluable and Culture Vannin is delighted to present her with the award this year.

CLOTHING COLLECTION CREATED FOR SCHOOL’S CELEBRATION OF CULTURE MILAN, New York, London…and Douglas!

The fashion world’s latest hotspot is Scoill Vallajeelt, where pupils today showed off their bespoke spring 2014 collection to the media.

Ziyu, who was only 15 years old at the time, was the youngest ever competitor in the competition, since it was founded in 1980 on the Isle of Man. On Thursday 30th January 2014, her performance at the Royal Festival Hall, London, with pianist Anthony Hewitt, was received with a standing ovation. Greetings were sent to Ziyu from backstage, by Jason Evans, the London Philharmonia’s principal trumpet, who is one of the Youth Ambassadors of the Isle of Man’s Island of Culture 2014, at a post-concert reception given in her honour by the management of the London Philharmonia, who had promoted the concert. As the audience left the Royal Festival Hall on the South bank of the Thames, there were flashing images of the Three Legs of Man on the walls of the centre.

On Sunday 2nd February 2014, Ziyu fulfilled a lifelong ambition - playing at the world renowned Wigmore Hall, London with pianist Anthony Hewitt. Here, she gave the UK premiere of the work specially commissioned for the competition, by the master of the Queens Music, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies; she gave the World premiere at the Erin Arts Centre, Port Erin, during the final stage of the competition which was held in March last year.

Notables attending the Wigmore Recital included His Excellency Liu Xiaoming Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China and wife; His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man and his wife; previous governors, Air Marshal Ian MacFadyen and his wife Sally, and Sir Timothy and Lady Daunt, who all attended a reception for over 50 invited guests hosted by the Tertis Foundation. President of Tynwald, Mrs Clare Christian, who was unable to attend, sent Ziyu a letter wishing her great success in her career.

The next Lionel Tertis International Viola Festival and Competition will be held in March 2016. This year the Erin Arts Centre is holding the 3rd Barbirolli International Oboe Festival and Competition, 5th -12th April, as part of Island of Culture 2014, which is supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council.

The children have, since the autumn term, worked with former Burberry designer Calum Harvey, who has taught them about the history of fashion and the skills that go into making clothes.

cycling and customising the material, the children had an opportunity to try techniques like dyeing, printing, weaving, cutting and making garments,’ he said.

Last week, Calum oversaw the children going into full production with their clothing range, which is now on display in the front entrance of the school.

‘After meeting the School Council, inspiration from the 1960s was the starting point for our research and design work.

Calum explained that the children had brought back to life used and unwanted clothing, material and accessories. ‘Through up-

‘Pupils from different year groups have all taken part in making their mark on the pieces that will be on display at the school during Island of Culture 2014.’

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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ARTIST AND ILLUS TRATORS Would you like to se e your work featured in Gallery Magazine?

Simply get in conta ct with us mynameis@gallery. co.im

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

S...

I E M MY NA Ice Mann at the Farm Yard Studio MY NAME IS... Darren Jackson MY JOB IS... Sculptor / Model maker / Farmers muck mover THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD WOULD BE... Fireman / Hero MY WORST HABIT IS... Flatulation IF I COULD CHANGE ONE THING IN MY LIFE IT WOULD BE...

Maybe a little fitter and less flatulation IF I HAD TO ONLY EAT ONE KIND OF FOOD FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE IT WOULD BE... Herdwick Lamb, the best lamb in the world IN BED I WEAR... Nothing IF I COULD BE A CELEBRITY FOR A DAY, IT WOULD BE... John Tucker THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR IS... Winter for ice sculpting and summer for farming ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR. TRUE OR FALSE? Depends whose side you’re on THE BEST ADVISE I’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN IS...

‘If’ poem, don’t let money be your master IF I COULD HAVE ONE QUESTION ANSWERED IN THE WORLD, IT WOULD BE…Why is all the money the world owed by so few THE 3 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE ARE...

Workshop tools, family and friends THIS IS A PICTURE OF MY DREAM HOUSE... It’s not built yet!

WHAT PLANS HAVE YOU GOT FOR 2014? Our website www.farmyardstudio.com is to be launched next month so watch this space!

At the FarmYard Studio, we have set up an Ice Workshop and Clay studio here on the Island, we work in a whole array of materials from Ice to wood, bronze, butter and clay!

I am currently working on an RNLI sculpture for Ramsey and we hope to be involved in the Island of Culture later on this Year.

We have just returned from two international Ice carving competitions in Canada where we picked up the Carvers choice Award and the Peoples Vote so were over the moon with that!

We will be displaying some Ice carvings at the Peel Cathedral Wedding Fair in March.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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CULTURE

A PROMENADE PERFORMANCE TO BE STAGED AT SITES AROUND THE ISLAND THIS EASTER IS AN AMBITIOUS COMMUNITY THEATRICAL EVENT ON A TRULY BIBLICAL SCALE.

This touring drama promising ‘all the Bible’s best bits’ is bringing together not only experienced and novice actors, singers and musicians together with a supporting cast of craftsmen, welders, electricians and seamstresses, but also horses, lambs and even the odd sheep.

Michael Lees and Jan Palmer Sayer

‘Right from the outset I wanted this to be a community production,’ said director Jan Palmer Sayer. ‘Very much in the spirit of Island of Culture 2014, which seeks to leave a lasting legacy, I wanted the cast to include people who’d never acted or sung before but who, bolstered by this experience, might choose to go on and perform again.’

No stranger to the Isle of Man where she first adjudicated in a one-act play festival at the Erin Arts Centre in 2005 after being

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appointed a member of GoDA (Guild of Drama Adjudicators) in 2001, actor and director Mrs Palmer Sayer holds a degree in drama and education from Middlesex University and recently retired as head teacher of Herstwood, a specialist arts college in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire.

She also combined running her own theatre company, Shattered Windscreen, with studying for an MA in Theatre and Performance Studies, awarded to her in 1998.

The Manx Passion completed, she will be returning to the Island in July to adjudicate in the NDFA (National Drama Festivals Association) 41st British all-winners final.

Island of Culture 2014 Director Michael Lees said: ‘From the outset I knew I wanted a professional director for what was to be a hugely ambitious production. I’ve known Jan for a good number of years through her role as an adjudicator so I was delighted that she accepted the Isle of Man Arts Council’s commission to direct the Passion, and her husband Derek, to professionally stage-manage the production. We’re also fortunate to have Cyd Waters as our musical director, a highly accomplished professional music consultant, musician, choreographer and teacher with extensive experience in community projects, and the talented Tim Price who has written a wonderful score.’

Manx-born Tim Price, 23, from Ramsey holds

Tim Price

a Masters degree in composition from the University of Bangor. He said: ‘My approach to composing the score and introducing a strong spiritual element is founded on my Christian faith. The music’s very much been shaped by my understanding and interpretation of key events in the Bible, such as the Crucifixion, Creation and Nativity.

But at the same time I’ve been mindful to introduce an element of drama that doesn’t overpower the performance as a whole. The score is mostly orchestral, combined with some subtle electronic elements and choral sections.

‘At first I thought I’d been asked just to compose some backing music – but working closely with Cyd the musical director I’ve ended up writing a score that’s about three hours in total. I’ve written film scores before, but not composed for something like this;

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

THE MANX PASSION IS A UNIQUE EVENT AND A HUGE CHALLENGE. THE KEY IS TO KNIT A COMMUNITY TOGETHER, NOT JUST THE ACTORS, SINGERS AND MUSICIANS, BUT ALL THOSE BEHIND THE SCENES TO MAKE IT WORK.

a live performance where you have to take into account the physical challenges the actors will be facing. I’ve had to be flexible, too, because the timing varies according to the site where the production’s being staged, so the Manx Passion is proving a huge and exciting project.’

Mrs Palmer Sayer said: ‘We have had a tremendous response from the Isle of Man community, Manx people as well as those new to the Island. We didn’t hold auditions as such – this was very much a community response to our request for cast members, supporters and helpers.

‘The cast spans a really wide age group, from seven-year-old Emily Bridson to Denis Cross who’s in his 80s. Also in the cast is 2013 Young Singer of Man finalist Michelle Jamieson, who’s 16 and playing Mary. These, and many others, are fantastically talented people.

‘Carrie Hunt of the Broadway Theatre Company has provided us with some incredibly gifted young performers; then we have the Isle of Man Wind Orchestra, a choir from Bunscoill Ghaelgagh, the Lon Dhoo male voice choir and our own Passion choir. This is a 20-strong scratch choir we’ve formed, among them people who have never sung before, so this is real “Gareth Malone” stuff.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

‘That’s what’s really exciting about this production; it’s giving so many people who’ve never acted or sung before a voice.

‘The Manx Passion is a unique event and a huge challenge. The key is to knit a community together, not just the actors, singers and musicians, but all those behind the scenes to make it work.’

Meanwhile a group of men, working out of a shed in Port Erin, have made many of the props, including a Manx cross and a Noah’s Ark. The group is part of the Men in Sheds movement that began in Australia in 2006; an association of men, mainly retired or semi-retired, who pool their technical skills to help largely community but also private projects.

Men in Sheds member Tony Sharples said: ‘Everyone’s having a whale of a time. Making props for the Manx Passion is proving a great community project, bringing all kinds of different skills together. We’ve made 11 swords - five Roman and six Greek – four spears, a set of birds, a Herod’s throne made out of a dining chair, a Noah’s Ark, a “multifunctional” Mary’s House and a Manx cross along with two “supplementary” crosses.

The main cross is 14-feet high, which we had to build to a scale that would be in keeping with the actor who’s playing Jesus, John Walker, and is six-feet-two tall. There are also

technical aspects to consider, because at the heritage sites we can’t dig into the ground to secure the cross.

‘The Ark poses its own set of problems. Not only will it have to be transported to different sites around the Island but it also has to be assembled during the performance, so we’ve built it in six pieces and will have to train the actors how to put it together live. In everything we’ve built we’ve had to combine practicality with adding to the sense of drama and magic, while not detracting from the actors’ performances…and that’s been quite a challenge.’

The Manx Passion has been adapted from the York, Chester and Wakefield cycle of Mystery Plays by Christopher Denys, former principal of the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company.

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CULTURE

Mrs Palmer Sayer said: ‘From the first rehearsal it was clear how tremendously moving the writing was; we could feel the power of the text, no more so than when we read through the Crucifixion scene.

whole production. Rather than seeing the different sites in terms of posing problems, I’ve been keen to embrace the challenges they present and let the locations determine the shape the performance.’

‘Some of the audience will be there for the spiritual experience but I would like to think others will come because the Manx Passion is an extraordinary piece of community touring theatre suitable for the whole family, a dramatisation of Bible highlights, from The Creation to Noah’s Flood.’

‘We wanted the Manx Passion to be an all-Island production so looked at lots of different sites and settled on a mix of locations. Some, but not all, are based around a church. In Ramsey we’re using Mooragh Park so we’ll be introducing humour into the Noah scenes, where we can use the children’s water feature to great effect and will be setting off fireworks from the island in the middle of the lake.

John Walker plays Jesus. He said: ‘It is a real privilege to be cast in the role of Jesus in such an important event as part of the Island of Culture celebrations. Initial rehearsals, while intensive, have been hugely positive, with everyone involved embracing both the dialogue and demanding nature of open-air performance. The Passion text, adapted by Christopher Denys, is incredibly powerful and setting this against the backdrop of locations such as Rushen Abbey, Mooragh Park and Peel Castle only adds to the spectacle.

‘Having grown up as a Catholic, performing the lines said at Mass every week has a real impact - especially scenes such as the Last Supper and the Sermon on the Mount - both in terms of the reverence required but also how dramatic Jesus’ teachings and actions must have appeared to the people of the time.

‘The whole event, not only in terms of a religious experience but also as a celebration of Manx culture, with dancing, folk songs and livestock, will be amazing to behold: even if certain scenes are certainly not for the fainthearted.’

Performed largely outside, the Manx Passion will be shaped by the Manx weather.

Whatever the weather, the performances will go ahead, Mrs Palmer Sayer assured, adding: ‘I’m used to directing performances in the dramatic cliffside setting of the Minack open-air theatre in Cornwall, so coping with the Isle of Man weather won’t be a problem.’

The plays are being staged around the Island at various sites, including Peel Castle and Rushen Abbey.

‘The plays will work differently, depending on the site, and that’s an added appeal of the

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‘Rushen Abbey affords tremendous opportunities to stage a great promenade piece of theatre and the Guest House is perfect for the Last Supper scene. The performance there will be about a three-hour marathon so we’re hoping the audience will take advantage of the setting and perhaps bring a picnic as they watch the action unfold.

‘And I just had to use Peel Castle as one of the locations. It’s a wonderfully dramatic setting where The Passion will take place with the cross raised and set against the skyline.

Allison Fox, Manx National Heritage’s curator of archaeology said: ‘Manx National Heritage is pleased to play host at Rushen Abbey and Peel Castle to two of the Manx Passion performances. Rushen Abbey is a very atmospheric site and the promenade performance of the entire Manx Passion here will really be a fabulous experience. The Passion scene at Peel Castle also promises to be extremely evocative. Manx National Heritage is always seeking fresh ways to help bring the nation’s most famous sites to life for all of our visitors and we are sure that this innovative, exciting and emotional production will find the perfect backdrops at Rushen Abbey and Peel Castle.’

Every element of the production is being tailored to reflect the Manx setting, including the costumes. ‘Already the Linen Service Company in Ballasalla has generously donated 70 sheets we can use for some of the costumes,’ said Jan Palmer Sayer. ‘We’re still in the design stage, but what I want is for the costumes to suggest Manx trades and

industries past and present - maritime and mining, finance and hospitality, for example.

And for the colour palette, again I want it to reflect the Manx landscape.’

In March, rehearsals will resume in earnest.

‘Casting people who’ve performed before with some who’ve never been on stage in their lives makes for a potent mix. Drama is a powerful medium; challenge people and you see them grow. As a director, that’s very rewarding.’

Stage manager Derek Palmer, Jan Palmer Sayer’s husband, said: ‘From a practical perspective the great thing about the Manx Passion will be making it all work, bringing Jan’s amazing concept for the production to life. I’ve every confidence, though, because what we’re seeing every day is the sheer enthusiasm and commitment of absolutely everyone involved.’

MANX PASSION PERFORMANCES: Sunday April 13th 2pm: Creation, Nativity and Passion - Rushen Abbey.

Monday April 14th 6.30pm: Creation Mooragh Park, Ramsey.

Tuesday April 15th 6.30pm: Nativity Church of St John the Baptist, St John’s.

Wednesday April 16th 6.30pm: Creation - King William’s College.

Thursday April 17th 6.30pm: Nativity - Kirk Maughold.

Good Friday, April 18th 12noon: The Passion - Peel Castle.

Good Friday, April 18th 6.30pm: The Passion - Church of St Anthony, Onchan.

TICKETS PRICED £5 FOR ADULTS AND £1 FOR UNDER 18s (under-16s to be accompanied by an adult) are available from Monday March 17th from the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal or from the Villa/ Gaiety box office, 600555 www.villagaiety.com (Peel Castle not suitable for the disabled. No formal seating at Peel Castle or Rushen Abbey; audiences may sit on the grass).

www.islandofculture.im ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

FASHION &BEAUTY

HIGH STREET FASHION TRENDS | P46

BEAUTY BULLETIN

HEAD CANDY

BEAUTY PRODUCTS

Beauty news and reviews

DDP competition winners Head Candy Hair Salon | p 48

Hello Boys - male beauty products | p 50

| p 44

BEAUTY

BEAUTY BULLETIN

BURCH BEAUTY Designer Tory Burch has branched out into beauty. A decade after the fashion label was born, you can now wear - and smell like - the brand, with the luxe collection of fragrance, skincare and make-up. The range sold out within hours of hitting counters but has been re-stocked exclusively at Harrods.

METROSEXUAL MANIA

Make some room in your bathroom cabinet. The average male’s grooming regime costs three times as much as their gym membership. The average 30-something man admits to spending over £100 per month on pricey potions and spa trips, according to a recent survey

by Debenhams. Guys are willing to splurge up to £50 on a moisturiser and up to £40 on wrinkle-busting eye creams. Clinique’s Age Defence For Eyes, Elemis Deep Cleansing Facial Wash, Clarins Moisture Balm and YSL’s Touche Eclat were rated as the most wanted beauty products on ‘the man shelf’.

DAY SHIFT Make-up removal isn’t featuring highly on to-do lists.

In a 24-hour day, women sport a full face of cosmetics for nearly 13 hours, according to a poll of 2,000

by Beurer health and wellbeing brand. The typical woman ‘puts on her face’ at precisely 8am and spends 11 minutes applying it. It’s not until 8.47pm that the average woman removes her make-up, although a quarter said they don’t remove the slap until 10.30pm.

Do your cosmetics sums and the average woman spends more of her life wearing make-up than not.

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BEAUTY QUICK-FIX Lazy Brits are on the hunt for quick-fix products that save them time and effort. More than a third (38%) crave an instant hair wash pill that prevents hair from getting greasy, according to a survey to mark the 2014 Product of the Year. Convenience products top the winners list, with Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser scooping the Moisturiser category and Head & Shoulders Leave on Treatment triumphant for best Shampoo & Hair Treatment.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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Head Candy is an established unisex hair salon in the heart of Douglas owned by Karyn & Alex, who each have over 17 years hairdressing experience. Alex trained in London then worked for Vidal Sassoon for 7 years before moving to the Isle of Man 7 years ago. Karyn trained at “Barry’s” the well known Irish Hairdressing college in County Galway, Ireland, before moving to the Isle of Man 16 years ago. Thanks to their loyal customers they have featured in the Best Business Guide for the past 14 consecutive years.

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On top of the great prices Head Candy also offer an “Early Bird” discount - All dry cuts for both ladies and gents are £8.50 before 10am.

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

BEAUTY

HEAD CANDY HAS RECENTLY STARTED TO EXPAND FURTHER AND ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING TALENTED, PROFESSIONAL HAIRDRESSERS AND NAIL TECHNICIANS WITH EXPERIENCE TO JOIN THE TEAM ON A VERY COMPETITIVE RENT-A-CHAIR OR 50/50 BASIS.

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SIMPLY VISIT US IN THE SALON OR GIVE US A CALL 5 MARKET HILL, ISLE OF MAN, IM1 2BF

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

TEL: 663207 49

BEAUTY

BEAUTY PRODUCTS

HELLO BOYS

The male beauty product market is one of the fastest growing in the industry. Gone are the days of just stealing your missus products, men are now out there demanding the very best for their skin; here are a selection of the top hits...

TRAVEL

Dermalogica Daily Clean Scrub £20 If you need a quick daily scrub then this is the one for you. Calms skin before shaving and soothes the skin afterwards too!

Aveda Dual Action Aftershave

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Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Spot Treatment Gel

Benefit Boiing

£40

If you have a blazing red blemish ruining your look then simply cover it up! This concealer blends into skin perfectly so noone will know.

Reduce discolourations caused by sun damage and erase blemish scars with this radiance achieving wonder-product.

£17.50

Tom Ford Noir Eau De Toilette for Men

£25

Crème de la Mer The Eye Concentrate £130

This 2-in-1 moisturiser and aftershave helps shave minutes off your morning. This product improves skin-barrier strength by 47%, makes your skin tone and texture more even and miraculously reduces razor burns and ingrown hairs.

Not only is this product hydrating, it even contains skin renewing ingredients; reducing the appearance of dark circles, puffiness, lines and wrinkles! No one will ever know you were up late.

This gorgeous scent is laden with notes of Tunisian Orange Flour Absolute, accented with smoky Oak Moss Lichen and the rich leathery essence of Leatherwood Resin, resulting in a deep, manly, sensuous fragrance.

Aveda Hydrating Lotion

Benefit The Porefessional

Sisley Extract for Hair and Scalp

£34

£24.50

£85

Fight against the skin-drying Winter cold this November with an easy solution – a simple hydrating lotion! For all skin types, this gentle moisturizer quenches dehydrated skin and leaves skin feeling moisture-refreshed.

Quickly minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines for smoother-than-smooth skin! This silky, lightweight balm will give you glowing youthful skin. Its oil free formula and added Vitamin E will help protect skin from free radicals.

This spectacular product fortifies and encourages hair growth so the need for a toupee won’t be quite so pressing. It enhances volume, vitality and revives body and bounce.

£45

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

APPETITE

EAT AS YOUR BELIEF DICTATES

Vegetarians often pose a challenge to chefs | p 56

CHEF SPEAK

APPETITE NEWS

RECIPES

What are they cooking for MUM om Mothers Day? | p 52

The NEW Courthouse | p 53

Lorraine Pascales Model Kitchen | p 54

APPETITE

CHEF SPEAK WITH MOTHERS DAY FAST APPROACHING WE ASK OUR ISLAND CHEF’S WHAT THEY WILL BE COOKING FOR MUM ON THE 30 MARCH.

Dariusz Sparza

Andrew Colson

SALT Bar & Kitchen

The Claremont Hotel

For starters, I would prepare King prawns and Parma ham on a bed of rocket leaves with flakes of Parmesan, with a glass of Alan McCorkindale Sauvignon Blanc. For mains, I would serve a Manx surf and turf of local Manx fillet steak and local lobster marinated in garlic butter. This I would serve with a glass of El Coto Rioja Crainza.

Andy’s mother’s treat for Mothers day will be a roast shoulder of Manx lamb with Lyonnaise potatoes and mint jus. Followed by dark chocolate and Drambuie tart, with vanilla pod ice cream.

Stephen Kelly The Boatyard

I would cook roast lamb as my mum always made the best roast when I was little, and Eton mess for dessert, as she loves anything with meringue in it.

Allan Durairaj Portofino

As a starter, poached hens’ eggs and crunchy asparagus spears drizzled with a light lemon hollandaise sauce and crispy pancetta. For the main course, a pan-grilled supreme of salmon coated in a chive and prawn velute, served with buttered Manx farm potatoes and vibrant green beans.

Finished with freshly prepared strawberry tartlet filled with smooth crème patisserie, fruit coulis and white chocolate shavings.

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Noel Breaks JAR

For my mum, I’d cook carrot and coriander soup to start. Smoked garlic and tarragon chicken Kiev for mains, and apple crumble soufflé with popcorn ice cream. This would be served with a cup of tea because she’s teetotal!

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

APPETITE

The NEW

COURTHOUSE

S

aturday the 22nd of March is the date that we will host our launch party for the New Courthouse. After completing a transformation and redesign of the ground floor bar and restaurant, we know we will have the same impact and effect our initial launch had 5 years ago on the Island’s bar, restaurant and club scene.

We have decided to bring back what we did best and provide our customers with what they loved most, a glamorous and stylish interior to suit our location and building.

Our new décor will provide the perfect backdrop on which to showcase our new wines and cocktails and a fabulous new food menu. The menu will focus on deli-style platters of the most amazing meats and cheeses from award-winning suppliers, local lobster and crab, gourmet homemade burgers, 28-day aged Manx steaks and a concise and punchy menu of classic British dishes.

We have looked at our prices and have recognised that times have changed, and we have addressed this with our new competitive pricing structure.

with its new layout and lighting, will re-establish itself as the number one choice for the more discerning customer.

People I speak to seem to have a lot of fond memories of classic nights out at The Courthouse, I am convinced with our reinvention we will be coming back to claim our crown as the best bar, restaurant and club on the Island, watch this space…

The DJ’s in the bar will ensure the atmosphere is perfect and the club,

Andy Hardy | Managing Director

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Free Parking, Children’s Menus & Play Area, Delicious Food & Drinks Follow us on Facebook, email info@theswisshouse.co.uk or tel: 801657

APPETITE

LORRAINE PASCALE’S

LORRAINE PASCALE KNOWS A FAIR FEW THINGS ABOUT CRITICISM. THE MODEL-TURNED-TV CHEF WAS ONCE, OF ALL THINGS, ACCUSED OF BREAKING A CUSTOMER’S PEARLY WHITES WITH A VANILLA CUPCAKE SOLD IN HER SHOP, THE CUPCAKE BAKEHOUSE, IN CENTRAL LONDON. BUT THE 41-YEAR-OLD WASN’T ABOUT TO GIVE UP BECAUSE OF ONE DISGRUNTLED PUNTER. Career chameleon Lorraine Pascale’s latest guise sees her judging Sky Living’s new cookery competition, My Kitchen Rules. The 10-part series sees Pascale and Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton judge dishes made by six pairs of amateur cooks in their own homes, with the winning couple scooping a £25k prize.

If you fancy a shot at cooking victory, here are three recipes, taken from Pascale’s latest book, A Lighter Way To Bake.

MY KITCHEN RULES IS ON SKY LIVING HD ON THURSDAYS AT 9PM. MORE RECIPES CAN BE FOUND IN A LIGHTER WAY TO BAKE BY LORRAINE PASCALE.

BAKED STORE-CUPBOARD CHICKEN WITH LIME, HONEY & SOY (Serves 4) 8 chicken pieces, skin removed (drumsticks, thighs or a mixture of the two) 8 garlic cloves, peeled and gently crushed 1tsp chilli powder Leaves from 3-4 sprigs of thyme Juice of 1 lime Salt and freshly ground black pepper A few mint leaves FOR THE GLAZE: 3tbsp honey 1tsp English mustard powder ½tsp soy sauce ½tsp Worcestershire sauce Zest of 1 lime FOR THE SAUCE: 300ml chicken stock 2tsp cornflour Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220C (Fan 200C/ gas mark 7).

Toss the chicken pieces on a large roasting tray with the garlic, chilli powder, thyme, lime juice and salt and pepper. Lay them out in a single layer and pop them into the oven to bake for 25 minutes.

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Meanwhile, mix the honey, mustard powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lime zest in a small bowl to give a sticky glaze.

Once the chicken has been cooking for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and brush over half of the glaze. Then brush over the remaining glaze after another 10 minutes of cooking. Pop it back into the oven for the remaining 5 minutes, or until the chicken is piping hot in the centre and cooked through.

Remove from the oven, transfer the pieces to a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Put the roasting tray on a high heat on the hob. Pour in all but about three tablespoons of the chicken stock, stirring all the time and scraping up any yumminess from the bottom of the tray. Blend the cornflour with the remaining stock to give a smooth liquid and pour this into the tray, stirring constantly.

Let this bubble away for two to three minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened. The sauce may have a few lumps, which you can just sieve out before serving. Season to taste and remove from the heat.

Serve two pieces of chicken per person with a little sauce poured over and a scattering of mint leaves on top. This is delicious served with some brown rice and vegetables.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

APPETITE

WILD MUSHROOM TART WITH SHERRY & ONIONS (Serves 8 as a starter or 4 as a main) 4 sheets of frozen filo pastry, defrosted Spray oil (vegetable or sunflower spray’s fine) 2 onions, finely sliced 200g chestnut mushrooms, halved or quartered 100g oyster mushrooms, sliced 100g mixed exotic or wild mushrooms, sliced, halved or quartered, depending on their size and shape 25g unsalted butter 1 garlic clove, finely chopped Leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped 100ml sherry 50g pine nuts, toasted 50g wild rocket Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180C (Fan 160C/ gas mark 4). Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and set aside.

Lay the four sheets of filo out on top of each other and cut the stack in half down the length, then divide it into quarters across the width. This will give you eight stacks of about 12cm squares.

Fold an edge of about 1cm wide inwards all the way around each of the stacks to create a small border. Arrange each one on the baking sheet as you go, and then spritz with a little oil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes until crisp and golden brown.

Meanwhile, spritz a little spray oil into a large frying pan set over a medium heat and gently fry the onions for about six minutes, or until they’re just going soft and a little golden brown.

Then, add the mushrooms and cook for a further minute, before adding the butter, garlic, rosemary and seasoning, stirring around to coat the mushrooms.

Continue to cook this for eight to 10 minutes until everything is really soft.

Then turn the heat up to high, pour in the sherry and allow to bubble down for two to three minutes. Be careful, as the sherry may flame up a bit, in which case the flames will go as soon as the alcohol burns off. Taste the mushroom mixture, season if you feel it needs more and remove from the heat.

Remove the pastry squares from the oven once they’re cool enough to handle and arrange on serving plates.

Divide the mushroom mixture between each square, scatter the pine nuts and rocket over, and serve.

BLUEBERRY & LIMONCELLO DRIZZLE CAKE (Serves 12) Preheat the oven to 170C (Fan 150C/ gas mark 3) and set the shelf in the middle. Spray a 20cm round, loosebottomed, deep cake tin with oil, line the bottom with baking parchment and then set aside on a baking sheet.

FOR THE SPONGE: Spray oil (vegetable or sunflower spray’s fine) 125g caster sugar 100g unsalted butter, softened 100g full-fat Greek yogurt 2 eggs, lightly beaten 250g self-raising flour 4 egg whites 2tsp baking powder ½tsp vanilla extract Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons (if waxed, wash them in hot, soapy water and dry them to get rid of the wax before using) 200g blueberries FOR THE TOPPING: 50g icing sugar, sifted 2tbsp limoncello (or lemon juice for an alcohol-free version)

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Put the sugar, butter and yogurt into a food mixer or large bowl and beat like mad with a whisk until well combined.

Now, this mix is not going to go all light, fluffy and pretty like its full-fat cousin, but you’re just looking for some semblance of uniformity (it will have quite a few little lumps in, but that’s OK).

Next, add the two whole eggs and half of the flour and beat for a good few minutes, until the mixture is well blended and starts to look a little smoother.

Whisk the four egg whites until light and frothy then fold them into the mixture with the rest of the flour, the baking powder, vanilla extract and lemon zest and beat until you have a smooth batter. Finally, stir half of the blueberries through.

Pour the mixture into the tin and smooth it down evenly with the back of a spoon. Arrange the remaining blueberries, flat side down, on the top in a few lines across the centre. Pop into the oven for about 25-30 minutes until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. The top should be quite a light golden brown and the sponge will feel firm to the touch.

Meanwhile, to make the topping, put the icing sugar into a small bowl. Stir in the limoncello (or lemon juice) to give a smooth, runny mixture and set aside until ready to use.

Once the cake’s cool, place it on a serving platter or cake stand. Slowly spoon the topping all over the sponge and allow it to pour over the edges beautifully. Cut into 12 wedges and serve. If making in advance, keep it in the fridge.

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APPETITE

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Vegetarians often pose a challenge to chefs and restaurateurs alike, but they are not alone in this respect.

HERE’S A LIST OF 10 OTHER CULINARY CHALLENGES VEGANISM Veganism is a natural extension of vegetarianism; it is a choice of lifestyle that avoids using or consuming animal products. Whilst vegetarians choose not to consume meat flesh, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs, as well as products such as fur and leather and, in doing so, live a cruelty-free lifestyle.

Heaven: Roasted butternut squash with kale and almond pecan Parmesan Hell: The sample platter of fresh steak at the end of the slaughterhouse tour

PESCETARIANISM For all intents and purposes, pescetarians represent your closet vegetarian – ethically aware enough to eliminate meat from the diet, but also conscious of the ridicule that would follow the wholehearted approach of also removing seafood.

Despite this, the diet is both ethically and environmentally enlightened whilst the health benefits are also substantial. In fact, pesceterians are likely to live longer than meat-eaters; whilst they can smugly admit that they do not contribute to deforestation, and save water. Most importantly, there are significant environmental benefits that follow, such as the reduction in carbon

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emissions, just one of many issues with meat production.

Heaven: Grilled halibut with peach and pepper salsa Hell: Being told, “Good for you!”

After reciting the many global and personal benefits of the lifestyle

HALAL Halal foods are the foods that Muslims are allowed to eat under Islamic Shari’ah – which specifies both what foods are permitted to be eaten and how they must be prepared. Prohibited foods – or haram (meaning forbidden in Arabic) include pork or pork by-products; animals not slaughtered in the correct manner and in the name of Allah; carnivorous animals; birds of prey; and alcohol. Halal is one of the most humane methods of slaughtering an animal; second only to not slaughtering an animal, with the goal of limiting the pain that must be endured (before being eaten).

Once completed the blood is allowed to drain from the animal, since Muslims are prohibited from consuming animal blood.

Heaven: Harira (traditional Ramadan soup) Hell: A subscription to the National Pork Producers Council and a ticket to their World Pork Expo

KOSHER Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of Kashrut – Jewish dietary law.

Essentially, pork; rabbit; eagle; owl; Catfish; sturgeon; and any shellfish, insect or reptile are all forbidden, as they are non-kosher. Also, other types of meat and fowl must be slaughtered in the ritualized manner, otherwise they are not acceptable, whilst meat and dairy products must be separated at all times, to avoid irony. The only time the rules of kosher can be broken is in a life-threatening situation, such as potential starvation.

Heaven: Potential starvation Hell: Bacon wrapped scallops

FRUTARIANISM Fruitarians will only eat foods that can be harvested without killing or harming the plant. For instance fruit that has fallen naturally from a tree is acceptable; as opposed to a carrot, which would be murdered before it could be eaten. However it is recognised that a pure fruit lifestyle is unhealthy – so, as a rule, it only consists of about 80% of the diet, with the rest constituting of raw vegetables, such as carrots.

Heaven: Green mango smoothie Hell: Carrots (80% of the time) ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

APPETITE

Eat as your belief dictates.

WORDS | Tom Burke

RAW FOODISM This is the practice of restricting your diet to, as you’ve guessed, raw food. Generally 90% of the diet consists of uncooked produce; raw fruit and vegetables; raw fish; and certain types of prepared meat. The theory goes that this is the natural instinct – after all humans are the only animals who cook their food. It is also said to be one of the best diets in terms of weight loss, due to the extra enzymes aiding with digestion and metabolisation. But, really, it’s because you’re essentially just fasting.

Heaven: Crunchy red cabbage and green apple sesame salad Hall: Anything barbecued

PALEOLITHIC DIET Also known as the Caveman Diet, this is a nutrition plan that centers around the presumed diet habitually consumed during the Paleolithic Era. Foods include fresh meats (preferably grass-fed and free range), seafoods, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts. However, participants will not indulge in dairy products, cereal grains, refined sugars or processed foods.

BREATHARIANISM Breatharianisms claim that food and water are not necessary to sustain life – in fact it is alleged that it is possible to live off sunlight – and tea – alone. Although the scientific basis would seem intact, a worrying amount of believers have died successfully disproving this particular theory.

Heaven: Living atop a mountain…?

Hell: Living opposite an all-you-caneat buffet

FLETCHERISM In the 1930s Horace Fletcher advocated a technique of chewing all foods at least 32 times before consumption, ideally until in a liquified state. Liquids should also be chewed so as to mix with your saliva. It was thought that this process would simultaneously make you stronger and limit what you eat. As they say, “Nature will castigate those who don’t masticate.”

KANGATARIANISM Although still a relatively niche marker, kangaratarians are Ecoconscious vegetarians who are against the cruel treatment of animals in the production of meat. However, since kangaroos are wild, vegetarian animals who have had no exposure to chemicals and are still numerous in numbers, why not? Also known as semi-vegetarians; opportunistic meat eaters; hypocrites.

Heaven: I don’t even know where to start (Kangaroo?)

Hell: Forgetting to lock the door when a policeman turned opportunistic thief walks past

Heaven: Chewing gum Hell: Competitive eating

Heaven: Bacon wrapped scallops Hell: Continental breakfasts

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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APPETITE

WORDS | Anne Berry | The Wine Cellar

A

also have low sulphur, but not be certified, so there is no way of telling from the label - confusing!

Many wines are clarified using products derived from animals or fish. In the past, this would rarely have been questioned.

Nowadays, we are more aware of what we are eating and drinking as well as being more educated about wine, so the question becomes more relevant.

Hell: More are non-certified than certified, so it is difficult to know from the label. Ask your local wine merchant, The Wine Cellar.

ny vegetarian wine? A relatively new question but one that wine merchants are asked more and more frequently. Along with vegan wine, organic wine, biodynamic wine, kosher wine?

VEGETARIAN Most wines are fined before bottling. Fining is the process for removing suspended solids generally found following the fermentation process, giving the wine its clear, bright appearance.

Any solids in the juice will have an electrical charge. When the fining agent is added, it attracts and binds with particles with the opposite electrical charge, which then sink to the bottom of the tank.

These fining agents are also used to soften astringency and tannins.

For non-vegetarian wines, products such as gelatin and albumen are used. These are derived from animals and fish, so strict vegetarians would not feel comfortable drinking them, although they do not give any flavour or character to the finished wine.

In Spain, egg white is often used. In traditional wineries in Rioja, the owner’s wife (or husband!) can sometimes be seen sitting separating eggs for this purpose and then taking the yolks home to make the traditional egg custard to enjoy later!

Heaven: stacks of choice Rioja Vina Real Crianza, Louis Jadot Clos de Loyse.

Hell: separating that many eggs!

VEGAN For a strict vegan, none of the above would be suitable. They would need to find a

Heaven: Lots of wines are made using organic practices Cuma Cabernet Sauvignon, Thelema Sauvignon Blanc practicing, but not certified.

DRINK AS YOUR BELIEF DICTATES TOO! wine that had been fined using Bentonite, which is a volcanic clay discovered in Fort Benton in USA and a popular fining agent. Another vegan friendly alternative is Sparkolloid, which is made from seaweed.

Heaven: plenty of Nostros Sauvignon Blanc, Rioja Cune Crianza.

Hell: nothing to tell you that it is vegan.

ORGANIC Many wineries now apply organic principles to their wine making, which means they use no chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers in the vineyard. Some go for certification, which involves a period of conversion to organic, while others just use the principles without feeling the need to go for certification.

Until eighteen months ago, wines could only be labelled as ‘wine from organically grown grapes’ as there was no legislation governing the wine making once the grapes arrived in the cellar. From harvest 2012, wines from organically grown grapes in Europe have been allowed to be labelled as organic, if they comply with the new regulations regarding the level of sulphur added to the wine. Thus it follows that a wine labelled as organic will have low sulphur levels. However, a wine from a winery practicing organic methods may

BIODYNAMIC Biodynamic wine making is taking organic to the extreme and wineries have to be certified through an organisation called Demeter, which applies strict regulations.

The basic principle is that the farm is seen as a living organism. They can only import a limited amount of organic fertilisers, the aim being to produce their own through the introduction of livestock into the farm.

Fifty percent of feed for the livestock must be produced within the farm. There are a number of biodynamic composts which can be produced and are then applied to the vines and this is applied according to the lunar cycle.

Heaven: great care means biodynamic wines tend to be well made.

Hell: still quite new, so not too many available, Chablis Domaine de la Boissonneuse.

KOSHER WINE Wine has special rules and regulations that are unlike any other kosher food. With an important exception, kosher wines must be created, bottled, opened, handled, and poured only by Jews. If a non-Jew handles the wine — e.g. pours a cup of wine, or passes the bottle — the wine becomes not kosher.

Heaven: Odjfell Cabernet Sauvignon - available later this year.

Hell: There’s no other choice!

THE WINE CELLAR • TENNIS ROAD • DOUGLAS • IM2 3QW TELEPHONE: 01624 611793 • EMAIL: anne@thewinecellar.im

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

TRAVEL

Grand Hotel Timeo | p 60

TRAVEL

ALL ABOARD SICILY’S

GRAND HOTEL TIMEO

BY ORIENT EXPRESS

NADIA ALKAHZRAJIE DINES IN THE SHADOW OF MOUNT ETNA It’s always grumbling, says Anna Bink of Grand Hotel Timeo, every few months there will be some activity, just to let us know it’s still there.

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We look out from the terrace at the culprit, snowcapped and beautiful, Etna’s slopes peter into Catania’s gentle foothills and the broad plains of the Messina Strait. From this distance the mount looks serene and innocent, like you could nestle a cherry in the dimple of its frosted summit; it’s only as dusk darkens the rock face to an iconic silhouette that you sense a raw potency.

Surrounded by ancient groves of cypress, almond and sweet orange blossom, Hotel Grand Timeo sits high in the hills of Sicily’s east coast on a plateau overlooking the bay of Taormina. Adjacent to the hotel, a Greco-Roman theatre nestles into the cliff,

the blue Ionian Sea visible through crumbling columns. It’s part of a landscape so improbably picturesque that when the Prussian, Baron Otto Gelling, painted a series of watercolours depicting a town with a smouldering volcano in the background and an ancient theatre at the fore, his critics thought he’d gone on a flight of fancy –that’s until they came to see for themselves, bringing the first ripples of tourism to Taormina.

Then just a modest villa with eight rooms, the Timeo quickly evolved to accommodate Europe’s aristocratic literati during the last decade of the belle époque. Tennessee Williams, John Cocteau

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

TRAVEL

WITH EVENING VIEWS OVER THE TWINKLING BAY, THE 60-SEATER RESTAURANT SERVES NUEVO SICILIAN CUISINE WHILE MUSIC FROM THE GRAND PIANO BURBLES RELAXING CLASSICS IN THE BACKGROUND.

and Truman Capote all stayed at the Timeo, as did DH Lawrence who lived here for four years while penning Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and Guy de Maupassant, who famously said of Taormina: “It is only a landscape, but a landscape where you seem to find everything on earth to seduce the eyes, the spirit and the imagination.” By the 1950s, celebrities from the worlds of cinema, music and theatre had joined the nightly gatherings on the famous literary terrace, where they would mingle and sip cocktails as the sun dipped low in the sky and the smell of jasmine and hibiscus lingered in the warm dusk.

This year the hotel celebrates 140 years of hospitality; recently acquired by OrientExpress and refurbished in high baroque style, the Timeo is just as beautiful and imposing as it ever was. My junior suite boasts bags of old-style glamour, a marble bathroom at each end and views of the sea and mountains beyond, while the balcony overlooks the infinity pool and the colourful gardens that wind down to meet the tiny

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

cobbled lanes of the Borgo Medievale, the oldest part of town where craftsmen trade unusual handmade goods. Taormina itself is full of designer shops and stylish shoppers, but back at the Timeo time hovers around the early part of the last century, so that Hercule Poirot himself wouldn’t look out of place wandering among the plush velvets and polished wood floors.

With evening views over the twinkling bay, the 60-seater restaurant serves Nuevo Sicilian cuisine while music from the grand piano burbles relaxing classics in the background. Head chef Roberto Toro trained in Germany, but his preference is for the traditional food of his native Sicily cooked to fine dining standards. As you’d expect from an Island, seafood is celebrated on most menus, and crudo, the Italian version of sashimi, is one of the most popular ways to eat it. Raw tuna and sea-bass Carpaccio in citrus marinade is a plate of fresh flavours and soft, silky textures, contrasted with a delicate and crunchy strip of smoked black

bread, while a starter of zucchini flowers filled with goats cheese ricotta brings crisp pods filled with the mild and milky cheese, loved by Sicilians for its richness and versatility.

The pasta course delivers two quintessentially Sicilian dishes; Pasta alla Norma hails from Catania on the east coast and is one of the Island’s most iconic dishes.

The simple sauce uses little more than fresh tomatoes and fried egg plant, sometimes with a little crumbled chilli or garlic, but the superior quality of these seasonal ingredients elevates even the most basic versions to a sumptuous dish that’s all about the perfect balance of sugar and acid. The Timeo’s Pasta alla Norma uses super sweet tomatoes, a little basil on the side and a scattering of the piquant ricotta salata.

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TRAVEL

ALL ABOARD SICILY’S

GRAND HOTEL TIMEO

BY ORIENT EXPRESS

The maître D’ tells us that this is his favourite pasta dish, the one that he makes regularly at home, and he also gives us a taste of ricotta infornata; milder and milkier than the salty salata, infornata is produced by baking the soft cheese in the oven until it develops a lightly charred crust on the outside and a pale coffee colour within.

The second ‘national dish’ of Sicily is fat spaghetti with a dry sauce of anchovies, pine nuts, raisins, and crunchy fried breadcrumbs –fishy and punchy, it’s the humble anchovy and its rich oils that make for a flavoursome salty-sweet mouthful.

Roast suckling pig comes in melting chunks with a soft disk of truffled potato fondant and a fruit infused meat jus, while rosepink beef is served with dinky tempura vegetables and a trio of sauces, including a balsamic reduction and a creamy mustard sauce with enough kick to add husky savour to the beef. Simple and precise cooking emphasises the quality of the meat here, and for the most part Sicilians prefer purity of flavour uncomplicated by too many herbs

and spices. For dessert there’s a selection of miniatures including a frozen pistachio parfait and a tiny crisp cannoli filled with sweetened ricotta – a sticky ending for sure, but mercifully light after three courses.

Along with the Archineri Etna Rosso, a lush medium-bodied red with notes of cherry, red apple and cedar, we also try a glass of Moscato di Noto, a lovely dessert wine from the Planeta winery made with grapes from the north-eastern province of Syracuse; light with soft honey, date and apricot flavours, I’d happily drink this any day of the week.

Much more of a viscous liquid dessert is the ‘Ben Ryé’ Passito di Pantelleria Donnafugata Marsala, lush and raisiny amber nectar with hints of tobacco and orange peel.

A rare cigarette on the terrace and it’s time to contemplate the undeniable magic. Like the stately homes of Europe, many of these grand old edifices have fallen into disrepair, but the Timeo is no such relic. Having survived the bombing of Taormina in ’43 and an earthquake in ’68, the Timeo saw in

the ‘70s with a new clientele of rock stars, while Etna famously erupted smoke rings in the background. Surrounded by a landscape of natural drama, the hotel is a gracious addition that’s less formidable than you might think; despite the grandeur and the illustrious guest list that’s included Robert de Niro and Bob Dylan in recent years, the Timeo, once acclimatised to, is supremely comfortable and reassuring.

FROM HIGH UP ON THIS ROCKY PLATEAU THE WORLD LOOKS BEAUTIFUL, AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT HOLIDAYING IS REMEMBERING THAT INDEED IT IS.

Grand Hotel Timeo, Via Teatro Greco 59, 98039 Taormina (ME), Sicily, Italy www.grandhoteltimeo.com

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Isle of Man | Home & Interiors | March 2014

inside: s

The best place to find a new place in the Isle of Man

me family ho perties o r p r e i m pre ome house & h ... and more

% have you got the best rates? so have we.

If you are marketing your mortgage offers, this full page, seen by the Isle of Man house hunters and home buyers is available from ÂŁ427 per month.

Find out more on 07624 209726 or email places@gallery.co.im

are you looking to find a place?

a

publication

PLACES

Welcome to Places, are you looking to find a place in the Isle of Man? Isle of Man | Home & Interiors | March 2014

inside:

The best place to find a new place in the Isle of Man

es family hom erties premier prop e house & hom and more...

FROM HIGH UP ON THIS ROCKY PLATEAU THE WORLD LOOKS BEAUTIFUL, AND PERHAPS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT HOLIDAYING IS REMEMBERING THAT INDEED IT IS.

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INVOLVED IN PROPERTY? PLACES IS THE PLACE FOR YOU Places is the Isle of Man’s only publication dedicated to multi - agent, high quality property related listings and features.

Places offers ultra competitive rates for high impact premium property goods and services marketing. If you’re an agent, developer, or supply products and services to the home owner, get in touch. Places is published monthly in Gallery magazine and online at: www.gallery.co.im

GET INCLUDED IN THE NEXT EDITION T: 07624 249249 A

PUBLICATION

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PROPERTY & FEATURES Heritage Homes, Foxdale..................................................................66 Open Plan Living...................................................................................................68 Property Revamp.................................................................................................70 Brookfield, Main Road Ballaugh ..................................................71 Ballacraine, St John’s..................................................................................72 Bride Road, Ramsey.........................................................................................74 Cronk Y Berry, Douglas..........................................................................74

Whitestrand, Peel.................................................................................................75 Colden Road, Douglas..................................................................................75 Park Close, Glen Vine................................................................................76 Peveril Road, Peel...............................................................................................76 Kerrowgarrow Road, Greeba ......................................................77 Ballatessan Meadow, Peel.................................................................78 Treljah Lane, Glen Maye.......................................................................78

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SPRINGFIELD RISE, FOXDALE FULLY FURNISHED - 4 BEDROOM SHOW HOME WITH GARAGE This delightful semi-rural development of semi detached and detached homes is on the outskirts of Foxdale from awardwinning local property developer, Heritage Homes.

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his delightful semi-rural development of semi-detached and detached homes is on the outskirts of Foxdale from award-winning local property developer, Heritage Homes.

Situated close to the heart of the village, Springfield Rise is within walking distance of the excellent village school, just 10 minutes from the nearby city of Peel and only 15 minutes’ drive from the Island’s capital, Douglas.

The Oak is a stunning 4-bedroom detached former show home which features a superb level of specification and living accommodation.

On the ground floor, the spacious hallway leads through to a generous living room with feature fireplace. Double doors open into the superb open plan diningkitchen, which includes stone worktops

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and a comprehensive range of top quality integrated appliances.

Upstairs, the master bedroom has stylish fitted wardrobes and a luxurious ensuite bathroom. Bedroom two also has its own en-suite shower room, and there are two further bedrooms - both with fitted wardrobes - plus a fabulous family bathroom.

Premium quality fittings, a superior level of specification and meticulous attention to detail has resulted in the highest levels of finish throughout this superb, energy efficient family home, which has been designed and constructed to awardwinning standards.

The Oak comes complete with all furniture, carpets and flooring, fixtures, fittings and accessories - it’s all ready for you to move into - just bring your toothbrush!

FOR SALE AT £479,950 Price includes: - Luxury kitchen by top German manufacturer with stone worktops and integrated appliances - Luxurious bathrooms and ensuites - Stylish fitted wardrobes - ALL furniture - ALL carpets, flooring and curtains - ALL fixtures and fittings - ALL accessories For full details or to arrange a viewing please call: 01624 615000 or visit the Heritage Homes Sales Suite, 22 - 24 Victoria Street, Douglas. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK. ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

PLACES

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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PLACES

Once upon a time, we were all happy to live in small rooms, each duly fit for their own purpose but not much else.

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n recent years though, the trend for open-plan living has become unstoppable. Now, we all want integrated homes, where multiple rooms blend into one to give the ultimate feeling of space and togetherness.

As a nation, we’ve especially come to love kitchen-diners - a perfect sociable space for entertaining guests, or for all the family to be together, even if they’re doing different things. Separate dining rooms also tend to only be used on ‘special’ formal occasions, and tend to lie empty the rest of the year, but a kitchen-diner will be used every day, making the best use of your home’s potential.

So, if you have a separate kitchen and dining room (or another room that could be put to better use) adjacent to each other, creating one big kitchen-diner is a great way to improve your home and add value - but it’s not simply a case of getting out your sledgehammer and letting the wall have it.

The first thing to establish is what sort of wall it is both stud-partition walls (plasterboard over a wooden frame, or old-fashioned lath and plaster) and partition walls (bricks or blocks) are usually straightforward to remove. The former are rarely load bearing (although they can occasionally become load bearing over time) while the latter can be structural.

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Main supporting walls, which are made of bricks, blocks or stone, are also structural.

Structural walls should never be taken down without using proper supports and inserting a steel beam to take the weight the wall was supporting.

Identifying a plasterboard stud wall is easy - it sounds hollow when you knock on it, but note that other walls can sound similar, so don’t take any chances. Look at the floorboards too (if they are original): if they are parallel to the wall, the wall is structural because the floor joists will run under it at a 90 degree angle.

Consult a structural engineer if in doubt though, because it’s just not worth taking a risk - removing a structural wall without supporting it properly could make your home liable to collapse. A structural

engineer will also be able to calculate what size of steel beam is needed in place of the wall you’re removing.

Unless you live in a listed building - in which case, you’ll need consent from your local council’s conservation department you shouldn’t need planning permission to remove an internal wall. You may, however, need the permission of the freeholder if your home is leasehold, because knocking down a wall could potentially affect the whole building.

Work like this must comply with building regulations. A building control inspector (either from the local council or a private company) will want to see the steel beam in-situ (it must be covered in fireproof plasterboard) and check that everything complies. Even removing non-structural walls can be a matter for building control, if, for example, it would create a layout that breaks fire regulations.

open to

new ideas

As well as taking down the wall, there’s a lot of other work associated with going openplan, which is easy to overlook.

You may have to replace the flooring and move radiators, pipes, sockets and switches, as well as replastering and repainting the mess around the removed wall.

So, ultimately, there’s no denying an open-plan dream can involve a lot of work and expense.

But balanced against the space, light and better standard of living you’ll gain from it, it’s probably a challenge you’ll want to take on.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

THE DEVONSHIRE BALLANARD WOODS, DOUGLAS

Located within our award-winning gated Ballanard Woods development, this superior 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom home provides over 4,000 sq.ft. of luxury accommodation.

Prices from ÂŁ1.7 million.

Finished to the highest specification, the Devonshire offers the perfect combination of space, luxury and refinement: 5 spacious double bedrooms all with en-suite bathrooms Fabulous open plan living and entertaining areas Luxury German designed kitchen with high quality appliances Award-winning development

For full details please call:

01624 615000 Visit ballanardwoods.com Call into our Sales & Marketing Suite, 22-24 Victoria Street, Douglas, Isle of Man

To scan the code, download a QR code reader app for your mobile phone. Prices and details correct at time of print. All images indicative only.

PLACES

FEATURED PROPERTY

BRIDE ROAD, RAMSEY £399,000 Excellent views -

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‘Barrule Cottage’ is an extended and modernised detached Manx cottage benefitting from stunning panoramic sea and hill views, Ramsey is located within a few minutes drive. The property is presented immaculately throughout, having three double bedrooms (one en-suite), two bathrooms, two reception rooms and a modern kitchen. There are approximately 2/3 acre of gardens where you can enjoy sea, mountain and countryside views to Ramsey and Maughold Head, along with off road parking for four cars.

HARMONY HOMES, RAMSEY OFFICE T: 818222 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

CRONK Y BERRY, DOUGLAS £310,000 Two conservatories -

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A superb link detached chalet bungalow, which has been fully modernised throughout.

This light and airy property has a lounge/ dining room featuring a wood burning stove, a modern fitted kitchen, three double bedrooms (two with eaves storage), newly installed bathroom and separate shower room. The property also benefits from two conservatories both overlooking the south facing rear garden which is a real sun trap, catching the sun until late into the evening.

There is also a front garden and an integral garage. New boiler and radiators have recently been installed, as well as extra insulation in the loft and a new electric switch board. Viewing this property is highly recommended.

HARMONY HOMES, DOUGLAS OFFICE T: 616200 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

PLACES

COLDEN ROAD, DOUGLAS ÂŁ369,500 Close to finance sector -

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This deceptively spacious detached house is situated in a quiet residential area within a short walking distance of the finance sector and town centre.

The well presented accommodation has a generously sized sitting room and separate dining room. The modern kitchen is fitted with an excellent range of natural wood finish and shaker style matching cupboards. There are three bedrooms, bedroom one is a double room with twin velux double glazed roof/ wall windows and generously sized wardrobes with sliding doors. There is also a recently refitted family bathroom with dual aspect windows. Outside there is an easily maintained front garden which is screened with mature hedging, coloured flowers and shrubs. To the rear there is a paved yard with gated access. A concrete vehicle hard standing provides access to an electrically controlled integral garage.

HARMONY HOMES, DOUGLAS OFFICE T: 616200 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

WHITESTRAND, LHERGY DHOO, PEEL ÂŁ650,000 4 7 5 3 Great views Beech House and Roadside Cottage offers the opportunity to purchase a five bedroom house and an adjoining two bedroom cottage which have the benefit of a semi-rural setting with sea and rural views, sitting approximately just one mile outside of Peel. Beech house comprises two reception rooms, fitted kitchen, utility room, five double bedrooms (two of which have en-suites), family bathroom Bedroom one is a large and sunny room which overlooks the rear gardens and hill side. Roadside cottage offers a spacious lounge with a multi-fuel burner, fitted kitchen, bathroom and two double bedrooms with vaulted ceilings. There is parking with both properties and both have private rear gardens which have a stunning back drop on to the rolling fields HARMONY HOMES, PEEL T: 845252 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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SUNNYHILL

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unnyhill is an excellent example of an extended Manx cottage that has been lovingly renovated, extended and modernised to a very high standard.

Situated in a desirable residential area, the property has been converted with two separate living areas; a spacious cottage and a generously sized first floor apartment which works well for its present owner but, can be altered by the simple removal of a panel to the ground floor.

The cottage living area has retained many original features and the charm associated with this style of residence which comprises a spacious lounge, a fully fitted kitchen with dining area, rear sun lounge, study and double bedroom with en-suite. The cottage also has a generously sized office area which could be used as an additional reception room.

Look again... ... there’s more to Sure than mobiles!

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The apartment benefits from its own private entrance and offers a spacious lounge, a fully fitted kitchen with dining area which has feature exposed beams and an open plan mezzanine seating level with three bedrooms including a master en-suite. The apartment is a complete family sized separate residence.

The property also has an integrated garage and ample parking to the front with lawn, mature boarders and patio area. To the rear is a lower patio with steps to garden with lawn and fruit bushes.

‘Sunnyhill’ offers the option of two separate residences which could be converted into one substantial residence.

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Thousands of islanders have already chosen Sure fo great value mobile, broadband, home phone and TV

Come and visit the Sure stores in Strand Street Doug Parliament Street Ramsey or Orchard Walk Port Erin For full terms and conditions see www.sure.com

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

BALLACRAINE, ST JOHNS

£1,100,000 4

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Viewings are highly recommended for this superb and unique property.

HARMONY HOMES, PEEL T: 825252 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

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PLACES

FEATURED PROPERTY

PARK CLOSE, GLEN VINE £499,950 Floor to ceiling rustic brick -

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This superbly presented detached house is a beautiful example of ‘Potton’ design, featuring exposed beams throughout. The property comprises of a large airy lounge with feature floor to ceiling rustic brick Ingelnook open fire and French doors opening to a paved sun patio. There is also a dining room, study, cloakroom, conservatory and breakfast kitchen. On the first floor there is a bathroom and four bedrooms, the master having a recently fitted en-suite bathroom with separate tiled shower cubicle. Many of the rooms in the property benefit from being wired for ‘Bang & Olufsen’ integrated music and television systems. Outside is a detached double garage with a hobbies/storage room above and a generous driveway for several cars. The front garden is laid to lawn with a crescent flower bed, whilst the rear is laid out for ease of maintenance and faces in a westerly direction, thus enhancing on the maximum sunshine hour.

HARMONY HOMES T: 616200 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

PEVERIL ROAD, PEEL £399,950 Vegetable garden -

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‘Brottby’ circa 1890, is a delightful Victorian semidetached residence with lots of character such as Manx slate fireplaces and large windows with decorative glass panels. Set over two floors, the property comprises three/four bedrooms and two reception rooms, a bespoke kitchen and breakfast room, bathroom and separate toilet. In addition to this there is also a conservatory, two attic rooms, a double garage and off-road parking. There are front and rear gardens including a vegetable garden.

HARMONY HOMES, PEEL T: 845252 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

PLACES

KERROWGARROW ROAD, GREEBA £329,500 - No Onward Chain Farm house style -

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‘Soalt Veg’ is a delightful detached stone barn conversion, set in an idyllic semi rural location. The charming ‘upside down’ accommodation has a spacious, light and airy open plan living room/dining kitchen with triple aspect windows, a vaulted ceiling with exposed A frames, all providing plenty of farm house style character. On the ground floor there are two double bedrooms (one with an en-suite shower room); a family bathroom and a study/utility room. Outside are generous lawned gardens to the front and side and a deep parking area to the rear with space for approximately six cars. Internal inspection is highly recommended.

HARMONY HOMES, DOUGLAS T: 616200 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

Buying, selling or remor tgaging?

Make the right move with Hannan Law

Hannan Law, 5 Hill Street, Douglas IM1 1EF For a competitive quote, please T + 44 1624 628900 or E conveyancing@hannanlaw.im

PLACES

A TOUCH OF NORDIC IN THE IRISH SEA What happens when a Scandinavian family takes on a house renovation project on the Isle of Man? The results are efficiency and minimalism – in the form of a complete revamp from dark and cluttered to light and simple! 60 days was all it took – and the project was no mean feat.

There is not an inch of this 5-bedroom property just outside Douglas that has not been changed in some way.

Not just the big things like the kitchen, bathrooms and the location of walls have been altered; every little detail has been thought through, from door handles and toilet roll holders to window panes and wardrobes.

“There were a lot of decisions to be made – and in a very short period of time. On top of our day jobs, it was slightly stressful to be project managing a comprehensive renovation like this, going to the site every day and pitching in wherever possible.

But it was exciting too – and completely worth every drop of blood, sweat and tears when you see the final result today. This is definitely OUR home,” say the couple. None of them are in the building business, but they had some previous experience with house renovation on a smaller scale.

“WE WERE VERY LUCKY WITH THE EXCELLENT LOCAL TRADESMEN WE ENGAGED. THEY UNDERSTOOD THE BRIEF WE GAVE THEM AND JUST GOT ON WITH IT. WE ARE QUITE PARTICULAR PEOPLE, AND COMING FROM SCANDINAVIA WE EXPECT A CERTAIN STANDARD OF WORK AND MATERIALS.” Most of the materials were sourced through local outlets. However, opting for a style that is not the predominant one on the Island, meant they had to go online as well – for example to get just the right type of wooden flooring, LED spots or underfloor heating.

They had their share of challenges too: the wrong tiles were delivered; there were large scratches and holes drilled in the wrong places on the Silestone worktops; and it took no less than three attempts for the manufacturer to get the stair runner right!

house is ‘It’s very white!’ Which is true. We like to create a blank canvas and then use art, textiles and furniture to add colour. It keeps it contemporary, yet personal – and also makes it easy for someone else to move in and add their own touches if we sell it one day.”

The consistent colour theme throughout the house of white, beige and grey tones lends it a calm, yet homey atmosphere – just the right balance between sleek and cosy, as one would expect from a contemporary, Scandinavian home.

“Most people really like what we’ve done to the house and enjoy spending time in our home – it sure makes us happy every day, and that’s what’s important to us.”

“Some people’s reaction when entering our

BEFORE

AFTER

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

...helping you move

BROOKFIELD MAIN ROAD, BALLAUGH ÂŁ249,995 (No chain)

A four bedroom townhouse in Ballaugh for sale FULLY FURNISHED and recently renovated throughout.

The property comprises of a high quality Magnet fitted kitchen, 2 luxurious bathrooms, half glazed oak panelled interior doors and new high quality carpets throughout.

T: 01624 812823

The property has panoramic windows, high ceilings and many period features. The property is available fully furnished and just some of the highlights include: a red SMEG fridge freezer, solid oak furniture throughout, John Lewis chandeliers throughout, two leather sofas and made to measure blinds are also included in the price.

E: mcanty@cowleygroves.com

PLACES

FEATURED PROPERTY

BALLATESSAN MEADOW, PEEL £250,000 offers over 4 3 1 1 Corner plot This modern, well presented, semi detached house is situated on a select development in Peel, within a few minutes’ drive of schools and all local facilities. Downstairs there is a lounge, leading into a good sized kitchen diner, a utility room and cloakroom. Upstairs are three bedrooms and a family bathroom. The property boasts a lovely lawned garden with a timber shed, a single garage and driveway for one car.

HARMONY HOMES, PEEL T: 845252 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

TRELJAH LANE, GLEN MAYE £375,000 Negotiable 4 4 2 1 Southern views ‘Ballatreljah House’ offers spacious family living in a beautiful setting.

Located in the popular and peaceful village of Glen Maye, this detached house has a large rear garden with a lawn and paved patio area. It enjoys wonderful views over the countryside to the rear of the property. There is parking for several cars and a detached garage. Inside, the house benefits from a lounge with a real wood burning fire, open plan kitchen/breakfast room and cloakroom downstairs, with four bedrooms (one en-suite) and a family bathroom upstairs.

HARMONY HOMES PEEL T: 845252 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

EA 80 Y RS EST.1934

imagine comfort

EXTRA SAVINGS

ON SELECTED LEATHERS

Heritage Colour Collection

within our Heritage Sofa Colour Collection* • See instore for details

85 Parliament Street, Ramsey, Isle of Man IM8 1AQ T: 01624 813636

www.millichaps.co.im The only Stressless® Comfort Studio on the island!

Come and meet your Stressless® Comfort Experts. *Stressless® Heritage Colour Collection available in Batick leather range cream, brown, burgundy or black, and Paloma leather range sand, chocolate, light grey or black. Available on Stressless® Sofas excluding the Ergo sofa models. Offer excludes Stressless® recliners & accessories. Reduced promotional discount on sofa orders in these 8 promotional colours only. Orders placed 1/1/14 to 24/12/14. Main image features the Stressless® Winsdor sofa group.

PLACES

FEATURED PROPERTY

CARRICK BAY VIEW, COLBY £750,000 Southern views -

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A spacious and well appointed true bungalow enjoying far reaching Southern views. The property consists of two generously sized reception rooms - both of which have doors leading into the conservatory, a sitting room with dual aspect windows with views over the South of the island towards Port St Mary, a breakfast kitchen, utility room and a double glazed glass roof conservatory leading to a paved terrace and garden.

The property also has four double bedrooms (two en-suite) and a family bathroom. Outside there is a tarmacadam driveway with parking and turning areas which provide access to the double garage and attached garden store. The grounds of the property extend to approximately 3/4 acres. There is also a large timber summer house, decked patio, greenhouse and timber implement shed. To the side of the property is a substantial, gated hard standing suitable for motor home or boat parking.

HARMONY HOMES, T: 835252 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

BALLAMANAUGH ROAD, SULBY £499,950 Close to Sulby Glen -

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Primrose Cottage is an immaculately presented detached country house situated within a sought after location in Sulby, adjacent to the Ballamanaugh Estate. The property is located within a short distance of the Sulby Glen Hotel, Post Office, convenience store and the highly regarded Sulby Primary School, with Ramsey still only a 5 minute drive away. The light and spacious property enjoys pleasant views over adjacent farmland and the beautifully manicured gardens.

The property retains many features of a traditional Manx farmhouse, whilst complimented by a modern and spacious interior. The accommodation comprises of three reception rooms, a breakfast kitchen, utility room, four double bedrooms (master en-suite and dressing room), cloakroom and a newly fitted family bathroom. Outside there is parking for five vehicles (PP granted for a detached two car garage) and approximately ¼ acres of private landscaped gardens. Current asking price is a reduction of £100,000 from the original price.

HARMONY HOMES, T: 835252 www.harmonyhomes.co.im

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OFFSHORE BUSINESS

NEWS

EVENTS

COMMENTS

Issue 5

March 2014

MANX BUDGET IN NUMBERS UK TAX - SURELY NOT PRIVATE EQUITY - SINNERS OR SAINTS TECHNOLOGY - SURE INTERNATIONAL 4G NETWORK INVESTMENT - A UNIQUE BOUTIQUE PLUS - MOVERS & SHAKERS, APPS FOR UNFOCUSED MINDS & BUSINESS TRAVEL TIPS

Space to Flourish Planning • Design • Installation – Complete Solutions for Offices across the Isle of Man

01624 616939 | descon@desconltd.com | www.desconltd.com DESCON LTD | DESIGN HOUSE | TROMODE | ISLE OF MAN | IM4 4RG

On the Agenda...

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KEY CONTACTS EDITORIAL & DESIGN Steve Redford DD : (+44) 7624 249249 steve@agenda.im

Sure International New 4G Network

In The News

ADVERTISING SALES Rachel Morris DD: (+44) 7624 209726 rachel@agenda.im

CONTENTS

CLIENT RELATIONS Laura Macgregor DD: (+44) 7624 249249 Laura@agenda.im Disclaimer: All rights reserved. Any form of reproduction of Agenda Isle of Man Magazine, in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the written consent of the publisher. Any views expressed by advertisers or contributors may not be those of the publisher.

Unsolicitedartwork,manuscriptsandcopyareacceptedbyAgenda Magazine, but the publisher cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage. All material, copy and artwork supplied is assumed to be copyright free unless otherwise advised.

Manx Budget In Numbers

In The News .......................................... 84-90

A Unique Boutique .................................. 100

Sure International 4G Network ........ 92

A List Events ................................................. 102

Manx Budget in Numbers ................... . 94

Movers & Shakers ...................................... 104

UK Tax - Surely Not .................................. 96

Apps For Unfocused Minds .............. .. 108

Private Equity ............................................. ... 98

Business Travel Tips...............................110

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A Unique Boutique

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UK Tax - Surely Not

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Apps For Unfocused Minds

A-List Events

Business Travel Tips by: Simon Pack RL360 83

IN THE NEWS

Business Agenda

IN THE NEWS

Sure Results Exceed Batelco’s Expectations

Sure exceeded expectations in 2013 in terms of both revenue and customer growth, according to its parent company, Batelco Group.

In its financial results for 2013, Batelco said that increased roaming and improved handset sales had ensured that Sure’s revenues were 3% above forecast in the final quarter.

Isle of Man to host 2018 CSPOC plenary The Isle of Man is to host the 2018 Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), the Speaker of the House of Keys, the Steve Rodan SHK, has confirmed after returning from the 22nd CPSOC plenary in Wellington, New Zealand.

More than 50 Commonwealth Speakers and presiding officers were among the 180 delegates who attended the conference at Wellington’s Parliament Buildings between January 21st and 24th hosted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Rt Hon David Carter.

Mr Rodan, who was accompanied by the Clerk of Tynwald Roger Phillips, said: ‘I am pleased that the conference accepted the offer extended by Madam President and me to hold the 2018 CSPOC plenary in the Isle of Man. ‘I am delighted that the conference has entrusted the Isle of Man to host this prestigious biennial event in 2018, the first time a nation as small as ours has been afforded the honour.

Importantly, CSPOC 2018 presents a unique opportunity to showcase the Island and the Manx parliamentary system to the world. I look forward to joining with Madam President and Members of Tynwald in welcoming Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth “family” to our shores to further the valuable discussions and deepen the lasting relationships the CSPOC plenary encourages.’

Mr Rodan also expressed his gratitude to the New Zealand Parliament for having arranged a stimulating and rewarding programme, which focused on reconnecting parliaments with the public and parliamentary privilege.

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Furthermore, revenues on a ‘like for like’ basis saw 3% overall growth in mobile services, 11% growth on broadband & TV Services and 57% growth on wholesale revenues across the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

The purchase of Sure and other companies has been welcomed as a great success by Batelco, with the report stating that “Batelco Group is very pleased with its purchase and as anticipated, the acquisition has had a very positive impact on the Group’s performance.” This impact has seen the group achieve 18% year-on-year growth and an increase in its subscriber base to 9 million.

The report also confirmed that Batelco continues to invest in the Isle of Man and, this year, is looking forward to introducing 4G mobile services.

“Among our plans in 2014 is the roll out of superfast 4G LTE for four of our new operations, including Sure in the Isle of Man,” said Batelco Chairman Shaikh Hamad Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa. “This is in line with our strategy to extend our expertise across our entire Group to deliver greater benefits for our customers wherever they may live.”

Andy Bridson, Chief Executive of Sure in the Isle of Man has been pleased with the smooth transition to becoming part of Batelco Group.

“2013 was a momentous year for Sure as we became part of Batelco Group. These financial results show that Sure continues to excel and deliver services that our customers enjoy and value highly. We are committed to leading the way for telecommunications services in the Isle of Man, and the introduction of 4G/LTE this year will see our customers enjoying some of the fastest mobile broadband speeds available.

“I am grateful to my colleagues for working so hard to continually exceed our customers’ expectations and for ensuring that the transition to new ownership has been both smooth and very successful.”

IN THE NEWS

MM&C creates new brand identity for Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce has launched a new brand identity to reflect its members diversity and agenda to modernise the organisation.

The new image, created by Douglasbased marketing and communications firm MM&C (Mainstream Marketing & Communications), is designed to illustrate how Chamber members are working together to drive forward the economy across all key sectors. At the heart of the new brand identity is a distinctive logo which gives the Island’s traditional triskelion symbol a modern twist. Jane Dellar, Chief Executive of the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce, said: “The new brand is strong, determined, contemporary and distinctive. I think it represents the many aspects of Chambers’ businesses working together. We are extremely grateful to Craig Wolstencroft and his team at MM&C for all their hard work which they provided completely free of charge.”

Craig Wolstencroft, Managing Director of MM&C, said: “The Chamber has used the same branding for around 10 years and in that time the Island’s economy has undergone a dramatic transformation. As a Chamber member we felt that it needed a new brand identity to reflect the diversity and dynamism of the economy today, while also illustrating the Isle of Man’s traditional values of resilience and adaptability.

We are proud to have created a new brand which fits the Chamber’s plans for the modernisation and growth or the organisation.”

Manx Radio Celebrates Golden Jubilee As“Heartbeat” Of The Isle of Man Manx Radio, the first commercial station to broadcast in Britain, is celebrating its Golden Jubilee after five decades of turbulence, challenge and controversy as the “heartbeat” of a nation living on an island in the middle of the Irish Sea. Its birth in a relatively momentous 1964 was the year which also saw the launch of BBC2 and the Beatles, the Kinks and the Rolling Stones become international icons.

It was summer when Manx Radio made its first tentative broadcasts from a caravan parked in a field near Douglas, the Island’s capital and it was officially opened in November that year. Its first broadcast was on 91.2FM and was a test relay of the June TT race commentary.

There were those who hoped it would develop into a highly profitable commercial station, broadcasting into the UK and Europe; those hopes were, however, rapidly dashed by the refusal of the UK to grant the necessary broadcasting licence.

Ultimately, and reluctantly, it had to accept the role of being the Island’s national station, but running on an uncomfortable mixture of advertising revenue and subsidy from the Isle of Man Government which is still the case today.

“When you look back over those 50 years it seems that Manx Radio faced a crossroads every decade with a series of reports on its future and the inevitable funding issue and little has changed,” says managing director Anthony Pugh, a former senior BBC executive who recently notched up 10 “stimulating and challenging years” as managing director of Manx Radio.

“I think the people of the Isle of Man have taken Manx Radio to their hearts, there is immense loyalty from listeners and in a month one in seven of the population listens to the station at some stage and there is a very high percentage in times of crisis.”

Middle-aged it may be, but Manx Radio shows no sign of settling down into a complacent broadcasting life and allow itself to wallow in nostalgia. It has kicked off its Golden Jubilee year by moving from the strapline of ‘The Sound of Your Life’ to ‘The Nation’s Station’.

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EITHER YOU SEE IT OR YOU DON’T O p p o r t u n i t y. I t ’ s n o t a l w a y s o b v i o u s , b u t w h e n y o u ’ r e a l w a y s l o o k i n g f o r i t , i t b e c o m e s p o s s i b l e t o f i n d . A t N e d b a n k P r i v a t e We a l t h w e v a l u e o p p o r t u n i t y a n d p u r s u e i t r e l e n t l e s s l y. I t ’ s h o w w e f i n d n e w a n d i n n o v a t i v e f i n a n c i a l s o l u t i o n s f o r y o u a n d y o u r m o n e y.

UNITED KINGDOM

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ISLE OF MAN

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JERSEY

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U N I T E D A R A B E M I R AT E S

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SOUTH AFRICA

Nedbank Private Wealth is a registered trade name of Nedbank Private Wealth Limited.

Nedbank Private Wealth Limited is licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission. Registered office: St Mary’s Court 20 Hill Street Douglas Isle of Man.

www.nedbankprivatewealth.com

IN THE NEWS

Appleby advises Manx Telecom on AIM listing Appleby has acted for Manx Telecom PLC in connection with its recent flotation on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange, raising £156m.

Appleby corporate partner Simon Cain led the Isle of Man team, which included counsel Gill Crennell and associate Alexandra Watterson, and worked alongside Linklaters. The IPO, which was oversubscribed, provided a successful exit for Hg Capital and CPS Partners following their investment in 2010.

Equiom named in Private Client Practitioner’s Top 25 Most Admired UK Firms

Appleby banking partner and group head of corporate and commercial in the Isle of Man, Faye Moffett, led the team advising Manx Telecom on the refinancing of the group which was put in place for the transaction.

Equiom, the leading international trust and corporate services provider with offices in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Malta is delighted to announce that it has been named in Private Client Practitioner’s ‘Top 25 Most Admired UK Companies 2014’.

Simon Cain commented: “We are very pleased to have been involved in this flotation which marks a significant milestone in the continued growth of this well-established and essential Isle of Man business. Manx Telecom plays an important role in positioning the Isle of Man as a global centre of excellence for eBusiness and Appleby is pleased to have worked together with them to secure this future. The success of this substantial IPO is also a clear and timely demonstration of the faith placed in the underlying strength and the future prospects of the Manx economy by the City of London.”

Private Client Practitioner, a publication for leading private client professionals, introduced the rankings in order to celebrate the largest and most successful private client-centric advisory businesses. The list, which is published annually, includes leading law firms, accountancy practices, independent financial advisers and trust companies in the wealth management sector.

Equiom’s Group Managing Director, Sheila Dean commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have once again been included in Private Client Practitioner’s ‘Top 25 Most Admired UK Companies 2014’.

Isle of Man has very successful ICE 2014 The e-Gaming team for the Department of Economic Development and representatives from the Isle of Man’s e-Gaming sector have reported an extremely high number of enquiries from potential new business showing serious interest following a highly successful ICE Totally Gaming event in London last week.

Howard Quayle MHK, the Department’s Political Member with responsibility for e-Gaming, joined the Isle of Man delegation for part of the event. He commented: ‘Undoubtedly ICE 2014 has been a great success for the Isle of Man. From the hundreds of people who came to the stand and from experiencing first-hand the collaborative and partnership approach that Government and industry take, it is clear that the Island is a highly professional, respected key player in this industry.

‘It was also apparent from the visitors to the stand that I spoke with that many potential licensees were already favouring the Isle of Man over other jurisdictions and were looking at how to proceed to do business with us.

‘The broader e-Business sector, which includes e-Gaming, has grown very rapidly such that it now represents over 14% of the Isle of Man’s economy and directly employs over 1500 people. I am confident that the relationships developed at ICE 2014 will ultimately translate into new jobs and further economic benefit.

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Peter Greenhill, CEO, e-Gaming, Department of Economic Development said: ‘The quality of the attendees at the Isle of Man stand surpassed all expectations.

‘At ICE we met senior representatives of diverse businesses seeking to relocate to the Island from all aspects of gaming ranging from potential licensees, software houses and software developers through to those with innovative, patented new ideas in standard sports book and casino models.

‘The Isle of Man already has 56 licensed e-gaming operators and my team is now working with around 15 businesses who are actively considering locating here. Our world class technology infrastructure, stable economy, internationally respected regulation and supportive Government were quoted as reasons why we were being chosen – and of course a cost effective operating base that welcomes new companies, their staff and their owners.’

FEATURE

F33l th3 l0v3

A bit neglected? Not really getting a satisfactory service?

Make a date with us, and soon everything will be rosy. www.rl360.com You’ve got our number.

RL360 Insurance Company Limited. Registered Offi ce: RL360 House, Cooil Road, Douglas, Isle of Man IM2 2SP, British Isles. RL360 Insurance Company Limited is authorised by the Isle of Man Government Insurance and Pensions Authority. Registered in the Isle of Man Number 053002C. A Member of the Association of International Life Offi ces.

IN THE NEWS

Local firms helping Isle of Man students aim high Local firms from the Island’s aerospace and space sectors are helping to propel Manx students towards a future career in engineering by supporting their entry to a prestigious rocket-building competition.

RLC Ronaldsway, Swagelok, SES, Cavendish Trust, Carrick Consulting and ManSat have each agreed to sponsor a team of secondary school students to participate in the UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge.

This is the largest model rocket showcase in the UK and is run with the aim of inspiring students to enter the world of aerospace and science. Teams compete in regional heats with winners going through to a UK national competition.

Douglas Borough Council sets the 2014-2015 rate levy at 397p The new rate equates to a 0.5 per cent increase over the previous year; in real terms a rise of 4p per week for a typical three bedroom semi-detached house.

At a special public meeting of the Council held on Wednesday January 29th Council leader Councillor David Christian presented a Budget he described as ‘affordable and confident’.

Although the Island’s economic climate was less ‘sombre’ now Councillor Christian cautioned: ‘The Isle of Man is far from leaving its difficulties behind and the Council still faces much uncertainty over the future size and shape of its budgets, its services and its workforce.’

In his presentation he emphasised that over the past five years the Borough rate had been increased by just 12p in the pound, ‘At 3.1 per cent, well within Manx inflation of 21.5 per cent. In two of those years there was no increase at all,’ he added.

The modest increase had been achieved, he said, ‘while government kept passing on increased costs estimated at more than £800,000 that, on its own, is a 30p in the pound increase which, if passed to the ratepayers, would have been a 7.8 per cent increase.’ And he reminded his fellow Members, of the Council’s ‘pattern of consistent capital investment over five years’ which, excluding housing, amounted to £10.2 million.

Achieving savings was a central theme to Councillor Christian’s presentation. Through prudent financial management those savings had amounted to £2.9 million over the past five years, notably through efficiency measures limiting pay awards, not replacing some vacant posts and funding some capital investments through reserves.

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The top prize in the Challenge is the opportunity to compete in an international fly-off at the world-famous Farnborough International Air Show against winning students from America and France, plus an all-expenses paid aerospace trip to Paris and Toulouse and a £1,000 cash prize for their school.

The five Isle of Man teams – three from St Ninian’s High School and one each from Ballakermeen and Castle Rushen High Schools – are challenged to build a rocket that will safely launch and return to earth two raw hen’s eggs within strict height, time and weight conditions. The technical, teamwork and business demands of the task are designed to encourage the students to work together in the same way that aeronautical engineers and other space scientists are required to do.

Mortgages?

We’ve got it all Helpful banking, making things easier Whether you are an existing mortgage holder, a first time buyer, looking for a buy to let or equity release, pop in and talk to our Personal Mortgage Advisers who will help you every step of the way.

We’re making banking easier... ask us how!

Call in to any branch iombank.com/helpfulbanking Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @iombank

YOUR HOME OR PROPERTY MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

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. Over 18’s only. Security required. Calls may be recorded.

TELECOMS

4G

Following the announcement that Sure has entered into an agreement with leading Chinese telecoms equipment supplier, Huawei Technologies, to build a new 4G network in the Isle of Man, island businesses can soon expect to use a mobile network that rivals landline technologies, says Andy Bridson, CEO at Sure Isle of Man.

One thing I am regularly asked is,

“What is 4G and what will it mean for my business?”

To put it simply, 4G is the latest generation of mobile communications standards and follows on the heels of 3G, 2G and all the ‘bits’ in between such as 3.5G. The key development of 4G is a step change in performance of mobile data, both in a raw speed and the latency that customers will experience.

LTE will give peak download speeds of over 100Mb/s, and for average speed should give a tenfold increase over what customers experience today. The 4G data experience will put mobile on a par with the very best landline networks and, as a result, will make mobile devices even more useful from a business perspective.

These hugely increased data speeds make it possible to access all Internet services wherever you are. No longer will you have to find a Wi-Fi hotspot to watch a video whilst on the move. File-sharing will become much quicker, with data being transmitted in a blink of an eye, enabling businesses and individuals to keep in touch with each other in realtime.

By making mobile an even more flexible and powerful tool, businesses are in an excellent position to further integrate

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mobile technologies into their toolbox.

This will only strengthen the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phenomenon, which is seeing companies move away from a centrally controlled hardware selection policy to a devolved system in which users make their own choices about which devices they want to use.

There are likely to be users in most companies who already own 4G enabled devices but which currently can’t make use of their 4G capabilities. This will change later in the year when Sure launches its 4G network and, in the same way that Internet users are changing industries across the globe by demanding ever better Internet-enabled services, colleagues who own 4G devices will quickly want to see them used to their full potential on Sure’s 4G network.

Confidence to use 4G The real advantage for businesses using 4G services is not to be found in better quality video but in faster access to backend applications and data, all of which is protected by even greater security than is found on older technologies. This means you can allow 4G devices on your corporate network with confidence.

When it comes to BYOD, having confidence in your network’s security is crucial. Traditionally, companies have sought to choose the types of devices allowed into their networks but BYOD has turned this way of working on its head.

However, just because your colleagues are choosing the devices they wish to use, doesn’t mean that you have no control over them, the control has just changed in nature and is now about device and data management.

Sure has worked with the leaders in mobile device security and management to enable you to manage the influx of devices that you have to work with in the BYOD environment. A simple dashboardstyle console enables you to remote manage and if necessary wipe devices with any operating system, taking away the nervousness that many companies have when faced with BYOD for the first time.

The advent of 4G is going to make business a truly mobile pursuit. Mobile data communications will be as fast, if not faster than landline technologies and most importantly for the Isle of Man, Sure is not only leading the way to 4G but is fully prepared to help the island’s businesses make the most of this transformative technology.

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MANX BUDGET

MANX BUDGET in NUMBERS

1

The Isle of Man’s economy is the largest of the Crown Dependencies for the first time ever!

No.

4.3

A significant restructuring of government will save the Isle of Man £4.3m this year.

11,000 Total government spending in the Isle of Man equates to nearly £11,000 (£10,892) per person, according to Treasury figures.

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The Isle of Man is quoted as being the 8th wealthiest nation on earth in terms of per capita GDP.

2

%

Personal allowances have been increased by 2% to £9,500 and £19,000 for jointly assessed couples.

350,000 Additional marketing fund of £350,000 for the ICT sector.

40.6 Infrastructure will see its budget for 2014-2015 cut by more than 10%, to £40.6m.

2020

Vision 2020 forecasts that the Isle of Man economy can grow from 3-4% each year up to 2020.

600

Since 2010, Treasury said 600 government posts had been cut - 8% of all staff.

3.9 Spending of Health and Social Care, with a £3.9m increase (2%), and the creation of a £2m fund to pay for any recommendations from the current review being carried out at Noble’s hospital.

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Capital programme of £72m includes £50m for construction schemes, including £17m for local authority housing.

Constuction spend up by £6m on last year.

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Nursing Care Contribution payment increased from £110 to £111 per week.

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5.6%

Economic Development £6.1m, (£6.4m in 2013 - down 5.6%)

In addition to the £1.5m of revenue savings announced last year a further £1m saving from general efficiencies.

Maximum income tax liability, the ‘tax cap’, remains at £120,000 but is changed to a five-year agreement with the taxpayer to update it.

Education and Children £96m, (£98.2m in 2013 - down 2.1%)

5.6%

Environment, Food and Agriculture - £14.7m, (£13.9m in 2013 - down 5.6%)

2%

2.6%

Health and Social Care £190.8m, (£194.7m in 2013 - up 2%)

Home Affairs - £30m, (£29.2m in 2013 - down 2.6%)

10.9%

Means-testing of Child Benefit and a reduction of the Christmas bonus from £82.50 to £40 a year to control growing costs of universal benefits.

120,000

2.1%

1.2%

Infrastructure - £45.6m, (£40.6m in 2013 - down 10.9%)

Treasury £108m, (£106.7m in 2013 - down 1.2%)

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TAXATION

UK Tax Surely not!

The end of the 2013 / 14 tax year is fast approaching and thoughts will turn soon to tax return completion. But now might be a good time to review your tax affairs in their entirety.

A point which is often missed by Isle of Man residents is the extent to which UK inheritance tax (‘IHT’) can impact, even if there is no connection with the UK, other than owning UK assets. Non-UK nationals are still exposed to IHT on UK situated assets which are held directly.

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UK property and share portfolios are the most common examples of the types of asset that give rise to the exposure. Other assets may be exposed, depending upon their nature and whether any reliefs might be available.

Avoiding the exposure is fairly straightforward, depending upon the type of asset. As a general rule, divesting of the assets or transferring them to an Isle of Man company eliminates the exposure.

If divesting of the assets is not a realistic option, then transferring the assets to an Isle of Man company is standard advice if the assets are valuable. The IHT threshold is currently £325,000, and effectively £650,000 for a married couple if assets devolve to the surviving spouse on death. If the assets in question are more valuable, then there is a real exposure.

A valuable share portfolio may not cause too many issues when it comes to a

transfer of ownership, but careful thought needs to be given in the case of UK real estate. First, the transfer to a company will attract Stamp Duty Land Tax (‘SDLT’).

Planning to avoid this charge is ill-advised.

The first question you might ask is whether the trade-off between the costs – the SDLT and initial and ongoing costs of company ownership – and the benefits warrants the transfer. The benefits need to be quantified.

IHT exposure is the most obvious issue.

The exposure is at 40% of the value in excess of £325,000, at current rates, or £650,000 for married couples if the assets pass to the surviving spouse on death.

The other potential benefit is an income tax saving for investment properties.

UK rents are subject to UK income tax at personal tax rates if property is held personally. If the rents are significant, this means the rates can be as high as 45%.

Isle of Man companies, on the other hand, are taxed at a flat UK income tax rate of 20%.

Even if the rents are not significant enough to attract the top rates of income tax, depending upon circumstances, it may be possible to reduce the tax liability through debt. Ultimately, this will depend upon the trade-off between UK and Manx tax liabilities if the transfer is selffinanced.

At Abacus, we offer a range of innovative ideas for effective tax planning and mitigation of tax liabilities for individuals, companies and trustees.

The Capital Gains Tax (‘CGT”) position has become slightly more complex in recent times. Commercial property causes no problems, but if the property is residential and not let to third parties, two changes introduced during 2013 may have an impact.

These apply to property held by ‘non-natural persons’, the prime example of which is a company. The charges apply to property valued in excess of £2m: • An annual charge based upon the property value; and • A new capital gains tax charge, based upon the value at 5 April 2013.

A new rate of SDLT (15%) on non-natural persons acquiring property valued in excess of £2m immediately preceded these changes.

There is one further point to factor in. From 6 April 2015, the UK is introducing a new CGT charge on non-residents holding UK residential property. It is highly likely that it will apply to all non-residents, irrespective of the method of ownership – personal, company, partnership, trust, and so on – and that there will be an overlap with the 2013 provisions applicable to property valued in excess of £2m.

Again, though, as for the changes in 2013, this charge will only apply to residential property. Commercial property escapes all of these new charges, including the punitive SDLT charge.

To discuss your individual tax requirements or to find out more information on how we can assist you, please contact: Andrew Cardwell, Tax Director Abacus Trust Company Limited 1st Floor, Sixty Circular Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 1AE, British Isles andrew.cardwell@abacusiom.com Tel: +44 1624 689614 Licensed by the Financial Supervision Commission of the Isle of Man

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FEATURE - EQUITY

Private o Sinners

WORDS

MICHELLE P. TONNESEN

Few business have been more vilified over the last decade than the banking sector; but when a certain Mr Romney ran for US presidential candidate in 2012, the world’s scrutinising eyes were suddenly on the private equity industry.

Now, what is the bone people have to pick with these guys – and what is it all about?

Here are the brief facts…Private equity is finance provided in return for an equity stake in potentially high growth companies.

Instead of going to the stock market and selling shares to raise capital, private equity firms raise funds from institutional investors such as pension funds, insurance companies and high net worth individuals.

Private equity firms generally take the shape of partnerships in which a group of managers use these funds, along with borrowed money and their own commercial acumen, to help build and invest in companies to nurture expansion, new product development, or restructuring of the company’s operations, management or ownership. The firms typically acquire companies and seek to increase their value over the course of several years in the hopes of realising a profit by selling them or through public stock offering.

According to the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA), there are around 500 private equity funds managed in the UK. These currently back around 3,800 companies, employing approximately 1.2 million people across the world. The UK is the largest European centre for the management of private equity investments and funds.

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Not only are a number of private equity funds located on the Isle of Man, as one would expect, but in fact a wide range of local companies are, or have at some point been, owned by private equity firms – from health and elderly care to transport and telecommunications businesses. Private equity is simply one method of corporate ownership alongside publicly traded companies.

Now what’s wrong with that? In principle nothing – if you believe in capitalism, of course. Nevertheless, overall coverage of the industry has tended towards the extremes – either blasting the field for cutting jobs and killing workplace cultures, or defending it as vital to turning around ailing firms and boosting the economy in general.

The bad reputation stems from the undeniable cases of aggressive, debtfuelled deals with the sole objective of turning around quick profits while spreading any losses to employees and other stakeholders in the companies they take over, thus generating high returns for its investors.

Some critics argue that the nature of private equity nurtures a culture which normalises

Equity or Saints

value extraction and views companies as bundles of assets and liabilities to be traded, disregarding the inarguable fact that companies are made up of people too.

But private equity funds do not all work like this. They can also buy companies and make real improvements to make them profitable and sustainable over the long run. Top private equity firms tend to have a performance culture in which everything possible is done to increase the value of the companies in which they invest.

While horror stories exist, in some cases private equity takeovers can lead to healthy updates to management methods and practices. These can include improved alignment between business strategies and employee rewards, greater focus on key talent issues such as retention, and even a willingness to invest in hiring and higher pay. Thus, the growth of private equity can be seen to have made a big difference to not only the opportunities to sell a business, but also how to run a business.

Like in all industries there are good guys and bad guys. The truth most likely lies somewhere in between these narratives. There are cases of private equity firms creating jobs – and

destroying jobs; of risky, high leverage deals – and low-geared ones too.

The general perception in the market seems to be that the field has moved past the time where slashing research budgets and skimping on customer service at acquired firms was the order of the day.

That’s not to say that everything always runs smoothly these days with private equity deals.

The future of private equity is one of the more intriguing questions for the corporate finance world. In the beginning, private equity returns were often exceptional.

However, as the industry has matured and become more competitive, returns have settled down; indeed many private equity

groups have struggled during the recession.

As these funds face a credit-constrained world, like every other company, they must adapt to thrive. Bain & Company’s Global Private Equity Report 2013 states that the industry faces an intensely competitive deal-making environment worldwide, and challenging fundraising conditions.

Yet the prognosis isn’t entirely bleak.

According to McKinsey, the sector’s strengths have come not from its use of leverage but from its ability to marshal resources, both human and financial; its strong incentives to adapt quickly; and its active ownership. The age of the megadeals may have vanished, but opportunities do exist. The winners will be firms which efficiently adjust to the harsher environment.

At the end of the day, private equity is an investment strategy – not a political paradigm or regime. However, striking the right balance between value extraction and value creation in their investments will undoubtedly determine not only their future performance, but also the public’s opinion of the private equity funds.

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BOUTIQUES

Creechurch Capital

a unique boutique R Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make the biggest difference

ecently named as one of the next generation of boutiques

by Citywire’s Wealth Manager magazine, Creechurch Capital prides itself on remaining true to this philosophy’ taking a firm stand on capping its growth, so it is small, but perfectly formed.

Creechurch Capital Limited is an awardwinning boutique DFM regulated by the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission.

Since forming in 2010, it has opened associated offices in Manchester and London.

The business is built around the needs of its clients as it uniquely blends investment expertise and personalised service to provide a luxury product to the standard its clients expect.

The experienced team worked for large investment management companies but had the vision that a personalised, agile model would provide clients with what they need performance and service. This was fuelled by an unwavering passion to put clients’ interests ahead of the shareholder demands or constraints of a board that can come with larger organisations. From a standing start,

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Creechurch Capital has experienced fast growth with a diversified client base across the globe.

Creechurch Capital CEO, John Greenwood recognises the importance of a high-calibre team who share the business’ values; in a firm this size, each person’s contribution really matters. The team looked around the wealth management industry at how clients were being recognised and rewarded for their loyalty, and the experience they were receiving. Many clients were receiving bespoke rewards, but only in as far as they could choose how they wanted to be rewarded from a menu of options. The team felt that this still put clients into boxes and would never provide them with a service as individual as they are.

Whether it’s a hotel, restaurant or clothes, the beauty of a boutique is that you can get something that little bit different and it is more personalised to you. In the same way, Creechurch Capital treats every client’s portfolio, starting with a blank piece of paper and the individual objectives, so the solution is a perfect fit.

Other beautiful boutiques…

John Greenwood gives his pick of the best boutiques he’s come across on his travels…

The Left Shoe Company is a handcrafted bespoke shoe company.

Wild at Heart - at Liberty is a boutique and imaginative florist

The shop, which has outlets across the world, will make an individual pair of shoes using 3D scanning technology.

Beautiful flowers can completely transform any space, and since 1994 Wild at Heart has brought seasonal inspiration to offices, restaurants, hotels and private homes. The team works with great names from the fashion, media, business and hospitality industries, with a huge variety of styles and budgets.

The total appearance and character of a shoe can be personalised for you by selecting subtle details such as choice of calf, suede, grain leather, colour, width of instep and welt or thickness and material of sole.

LSC London Store • 6 Princes Arcade • St James’s • London • SW1Y 6DS

www.leftshoecompany.com

From single arrangements to dramatic architectural displays, customers are assigned a dedicated florist to design, install and maintain flowers.

www.wildatheart.com

Standard Bank Kicks Off 2014 eGaming Social Calendar

AGENDA

A-LIST EVENTS

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Over 75 guests joined Standard Bank on Thursday 23rd January to celebrate the first of the year’s eClub parties. Held at Bar George in Douglas, the pre-ICE expo gathering featured South African wines provided by Standard Bank, with nibbles provided by event co-founders Continent 8 Technologies.

To kick off the night, guests were also treated to a rousing and well-received live music session from local outfit The Chris Winchester Band. The eClub is a social meeting place for anyone involved in eGaming on the Isle of Man or those with an interest in the sector.

As well as providing a social venue, the eClub party also gives colleagues and friends the opportunity to chat informally about ideas and issues within eGaming on the Island. For more information, follow us on www.facebook.com/IsleofManeClub or join the Isle of Man eClub Group on LinkedIn.

APPOINTMENTS

MANX TELECOM APPOINTS NEW SALES MANAGER Manx Telecom has appointed Anne Lemonofides as a Sales Manager for its Chameleon product portfolio.

Chameleon is the brand name for the company’s suite of UK focussed smart SIM solutions aimed at M2M (Machine To Machine) and SSM (Strongest Signal Mobile) partners. Chameleon is already the mobile product of choice for a wide range of connection critical markets including providing protection for remote workers, remotely monitoring systems, or improving business efficiency. It offers the flexibility to roam on any network, but provides a more cost-effective option when compared to traditional roaming solutions. Choosing Chameleon also gives Manx Telecom’s partners access to an innovative management portal which allows greater control of their service than a traditional UK network operator would provide.

Anne will be based in the UK and work alongside Paul Craig who is also a Chameleon Sales Manager. The Chameleon team is completed by Isle of Man-based Product Manager Sarah Creighton and Account Manager Suzanne Mealin. Prior to joining Manx Telecom Anne Lemonofides worked for Vodafone and she has more than 20 years’ experience working in the IT and telecoms industries. This includes several senior roles in account management, business development and sales, and she has worked for Vodafone, Orange, Mitel, and Dimension Data.

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SKANCO APPOINTS DEE MCLOUGHLIN AS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Professional IT services company Skanco Business Systems Ltd is seeking to expand its business in the Isle of Man with the appointment of Dee McLoughlin as business development manager.

Over the last five years as a sales account manager at Skanco, Dee has managed and developed some of its top accounts, focussing on driving new projects through and introducing new products to the Island’s businesses.

Managing director David Butterworth said “With the Island’s economy continuing to grow, we’re looking to increase business and we see Dee as a crucial part of this. During her time at Skanco, Dee has proven to be a key asset to the company and we’re delighted that she has taken on the challenge of this new role.”

The position will see Dee build on her experience, proactively focusing on new business development within both Skanco’s existing customer base and new businesses on the Island.

Dee said “I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to develop new business for the company and am very excited to be working alongside such a strong and dedicated team.”

Graduating from Sheffield Hallam University with a Sports Science degree, Dee began her career as a trainee recruitment consultant in Leeds, focusing on new business generation. Over the six years with the ATA Group PLC, she worked her way up to running the Manchester team.

LEON TAKES THE REINS IN LATIN AMERICA FOR RL360° RL360° has appointed a new key member of staff as the company forges ahead with plans to expand into the Latin American market.

Leon Sears has taken on the role of Regional Sales Manager, Latin America and will get to work immediately on shaping RL360°’s future in the region.

Leon has a solid foundation of contacts he can call upon, having worked on Latin American accounts for the major part of his career.

“It’s a really exciting time for me personally and for the company,” said Leon. “I believe there’s a lot of potential in Latin America. It is still a young market compared with various others around the world but it’s a very profitable, fruitful market.

“I think we are getting to the stage where the economies of the various countries are doing very well and outperforming developed markets. It’s time for people to stand up and take notice.”

Born in Flint, North Wales, Leon moved to the Isle of Man when he was 11 and attended Park Road and St Ninian’s High School. After toying with a career in computer programming, a period of sales work during his gap year changed his mind.

Leon began work in sales support at Friends Provident in 2003 and worked his way up to a field sales role.

At the end of 2010 he took on full responsibility for field sales in Latin America and travelled regularly to the region.

PWC ISLE OF MAN STRENGTHENS ITS MANAGEMENT TEAM PwC Isle of Man has announced that three of their long standing professionals have been promoted due to growth within the firm.

Wendy Jessup has been promoted to Senior Manager in the assurance department. Wendy joined PwC Isle of Man in 2003 and qualified in 2006. In 2008 she then undertook a secondment to PwC London’s technical team where she advised on complex financial reporting matters. She returned to the Isle of Man in 2011 and has further developed her technical role including speaking at a number of high profile local events.

Johann Marais has been promoted to Senior Manager in the actuarial department. Johann heads up PwC’s Isle of Man actuarial team and his promotion will allow him to develop his extensive experience and knowledge of the Isle of Man insurance and pension industries.

Tracy McAvoy has been promoted to manager in the assurance department.

Tracy’s promotion will enable her to build on her wealth of knowledge across the financial sectors within the Island.

Ian Clague, Senior Partner at PwC Isle of Man said: “We are proud to congratulate these outstanding professionals, who each demonstrate real-life examples of what it means to be a leader at PwC. They have already proven their ability to adapt to new challenges, to provide distinguished client service and to nurture the careers of those around them.”

APPLEBY APPOINTS NEW LOCAL GROUP HEAD IN THE ISLE OF MAN Appleby is pleased to announce that Partner, Faye Moffett, a leading banking and finance practitioner, has been appointed as Head of the Corporate and Commercial Practice Group in the Isle of Man. The appointment is effective 1 February 2014.

Faye, who also leads the Banking & Asset Finance team in the Isle of Man, will be responsible for leading the largest corporate and commercial team on the island which comprises four partners and 16 associates.

A qualified Isle of Man advocate, Faye joined Appleby in 2004 as an associate before becoming a partner in February 2006. She specialises in banking and finance transactions, including property finance, aircraft and ship finance matters.

She has particular experience in providing opinions on Isle of Man companies and on cross-border security and insolvency issues and has been recognised as a ‘Leader in her Field’ by Chambers UK, The Legal 500 UK and PLC Which Lawyer.

Sean Dowling, Managing Partner of Appleby (Isle of Man) LLC commented “Faye is taking over the responsibility of leading the Isle of Man Corporate and Commercial group from Nick Verardi. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Nick for his enormous contribution to the success and growth of Appleby to date.

Whilst it is sad to see good friends leave, Nick does so with our warmest wishes.”

PWC ISLE OF MAN WELCOME NEW DIRECTOR TO THEIR ADVISORY TEAM Former Deloitte partner Steve Billinghurst has joined PwC’s advisory team. Steve has worked in the offshore environment for 13 years in Jersey and more recently since 2009 here in the Isle of Man. During that time, Steve’s audit and business advisory experience covered many industries, such as financial services - banking, fiduciary, funds (private equity and vanilla), egaming, property and commercial - retail, manufacture and distribution. Steve has also provided to his clients corporate finance transaction services including the preparation of information memoranda, working capital reports, financial assistance reports and pre acquisition due diligence reports.

Steve’s broad range of industry knowledge acquired offshore and onshore will frame his role at PwC which will be to help develop the advisory practice with a particular focus on data and systems assurance for ‘data rich’ business, internal audit and transaction services.

Commenting on Steve’s appointment, senior partner Ian Clague said: “I see Steve as a fantastic addition to our team. His broad range of experience complements Mike and Gordon’s insolvency and restructuring background and means we have a combined service proposition that is second to none.”

Steve commented: “It is great to be back in the profession and I am looking forward in this new role to helping clients create added value through the provision of PwC’s advisory services.”

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SOMETHING

(OR SOMEONE)

IS MISSING

WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE FOLLOWING ROLES TO JOIN OUR LITTLE TEAM

GRAPHIC DESIGNER PUBLICATIONS

SALES/CLIENT ACCOUNT MANAGER

We require a Graphic Designer to join us in creating all things Gallery.

Ideally you have experience from a similar role. If you’re just starting out you will need to be proficient in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

Most of all you will need to be creative, quick and not be afraid of deadlines.

FULL TIME /FREELANCE

We are looking for an experienced media sales professional who thrives on developing and selling in marketing and media packages for clients and projects development.

Ideally you will be a keen writer, The right person would feel comfortable as the face for Gallery at parties, events and functions.

FULL TIME /PART TIME

JOBS@GALLERY.CO.IM

FEATURE FEATURE ARTICLE WORDS

LISA JONES

Apps for Unfocused Minds What do the men and women who govern us do all day? They sit in front of their screens and gawp at Twitter, Facebook, Gmail, YouTube, Amazon, eBay, Flickr and TripAdvisor. A list released last year of the websites most visited by British MPs reveals that what they get up to at work makes them no different to the rest of the population: they cyberloaf.

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Even the young bankers who work such long hours that their employers have started banning them from coming to the office for the entire weekend seem to do more loafing than lending. At a recent conference I heard the heads of HR at two top investment banks complaining that data from these bankers’ computers show that less than half of their time in the office was spent on work. A study from Kansas State University backs this up: the average US worker spends 60-80 per cent of their time online at work doing things that are quite unrelated to their jobs.

David Ryan Polgar, a US pundit and lawyer, has come up with a metaphor to describe our new affliction. He says we are getting mentally obese: we binge on junk information, with the result that our brains become so sluggish they are good for nothing except more bingeing.

The obvious answer is to go on a crash diet, reducing the amount of junk information we consume. Having tried – and failed – over the past couple of years to resist the temptation of Twitter through mere willpower, I’m in search of something stronger. Various readers and colleagues have pointed me towards the hundreds of apps that are supposed to help with the addiction, but until now I have resisted on the grounds that the answer to technology overload surely cannot be still more technology.

Now recognising myself as mentally obese, I have decided to give them a go. The target is simple: to maximise work done in the office and minimise time spent looking at pictures on Twitter of people carrying dogs in baby slings. I don’t want to go cold turkey on cyberloafing, as tests have shown that in small quantities it perks you up. I just want to learn moderation.

To this end I started 2014 by downloading five apps: Workrave, Rescue Time, Nanny for Google Chrome, Focus Booster and Remember The Milk. The initial result was disappointing. The computer wouldn’t sync to my BlackBerry and I kept forgetting the login details for the different sites. Worse still, a whole new way of being unproductive opened up to me: I started obsessively checking my progress on the productivity apps.

Nanny for Google Chrome The first one I tried was Nanny for Google Chrome – which does for information what the Atkins or the Dukan diet did for food, by outlawing or restricting certain websites. My own Bermuda triangle of productivity is Twitter, email and eBay, and so I told the app to allow me respectively 15, 30 and five minutes on each. Alas such limits were broken almost at once, causing a

message to flash up that said in huge, shouty type: “Shouldn’t you be working?

The site you are attempting to access has been blocked by Chrome Nanny.” My wrist thus slapped, I became at once a bolshie teenager. How dare my computer tell me what to do? After some searching, I found a button to disable it, which I clicked with glee. Twitter seemed more tempting than ever.

Workrave The next kind of information diet works by getting you off the screen altogether.

Workrave is a bit like the 5:2 diet – which forces you to fast two days a week. It features a cute little lightbulb with a smiley face that warns: “Time for a micro-break”, followed by increasingly shrill and distracting warnings, culminating in the whole system freezing up so you have to take a break, like it or not. This is maddening, especially when it happens at the very moment you had finally stopped skiving and were getting down to some work.

Remember The Milk Having decided that apps which rely on stick were not my thing, I turned to those that use carrot.

Remember The Milk is a glorified system of online lists, which invites you to write down everything you want to get done and set a deadline.

When you have done them you tick them off, and send bragging tweets about how well you are doing.

Remember The Milk is a relatively sound concept, though not as sound as writing a list on a piece of paper – which requires no password or logging on, and the action of crossing something off a list with a pencil is much more satisfying than clicking a box on the computer.

A list has the even bigger advantage that you cannot automatically shower your followers with junk tweets that say: “I completed 2,401 tasks with @ rememberthemilk in 2013.”

Rescue Time More promising is Rescue Time, which is the Weight Watchers of information diets. It is a data-gathering system with targets, which monitors everything you do on the computer and displays the results on a pretty dashboard. A “productivity pulse” records how hard you work at different times during the day, and how well you are doing compared with your targets and with previous days’ performance. Thus I discover that I am unproductive in the early afternoon – which I knew anyway – and that today I did better than yesterday, which I also

knew already. The app encourages you to spend too long poring over the data, which is not terribly productive. Also, the data show if I am emailing, but do not know whether I am doing productive emailing or gossiping with a friend.

Focus Booster Having rejected four diets, I have at last found one that works for me. Focus Booster is beautifully simple and involves neither stick nor carrot.

It is a little timer that sits at the top of the screen and runs for 25 minutes, after which you can take a five minute break. You press start, and a line slowly advances across the screen reminding you that during that time you should be focusing. Even I can concentrate for 25 minutes, and for some reason I cannot explain I have not cheated once. Strange though it seems, my cyber skiving problem appears to be miraculously solved.

…However, it is early days, and miracle diets tend not to work for long; in time I may slip backwards and start gaining mental flab again. Mr Polgar warns that curing mental obesity is tougher than physical obesity because you cannot tell how you are doing by looking in the mirror.

Yet he says technology will soon make this easier. Various wearable products – including a headband called Melon – are about to come to market that measure brain waves and display the data on your screen, telling you when your brain has got so torpid from excessive YouTubing that action is needed.

Possibly that will make a difference. Yet I suspect a better answer lies not with technology but with people.

A highly efficient young acquaintance tells me that neither apps nor alarms on her phone are powerful enough to make her stop work at 6.30pm.

The only thing that succeeds is a call from the woman she uses as her occasional personal assistant. It does not matter that she has paid the woman to phone her; it is the sound of a human voice that makes the difference.

Equally, when I told a friend that Focus Booster was changing my life, she looked unmoved. With a boss who was forever looking over her shoulder, the need for an app to keep her mentally fit was zero.

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TRAVELL IN G

A OM R F

TO B

s s e n i s s u p i B lT e v a r T

As International Sales Director for RL360°, Simon Pack is a seasoned traveller.

Here, he offers his top 10 tips for making getting from A to B that little bit easier:

1.

Pack the night before to give yourself time to recheck that you have everything.

2.

Go through a mental check list to make sure you have all of your work clothes if travelling at weekends – cuff links, ties etc.

3.

Do you have the right adaptors for the countries you are visiting? South Africa is different than most others worldwide.

4.

Ensure all electronic gadgets, phones etc. are fully charged before you leave home.

5.

When booking hotels ensure they have free WiFi.

6.

Leave early for the airport, the worst case scenario is you have to sit around for a few hours – travel stress free.

7.

Know where the airport lounges are and, if you are a frequent traveller, buy a Priority Pass.

8.

Set your watch to the time of the country you are travelling to before you depart.

9.

Aim to sleep on the plane based on the time you are travelling to and not just when you are tired.

10. Ignore all health warnings and enjoy the wine – it’s free!

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Business Travel Gadgets Whether you’re on a road trip or heading on a long-haul, transatlantic flight, you’ll need these essential gadgets to keep you connected, productive, organised, and entertained.

Grid-it (organisation system) World travelers often have an assortment of gadgets that can fling around by unruly airport baggage handlers, or simply filter through your clothes in your luggage -- but no longer. Grid-it is a simple organisation system made up of dozens of elastic bands that hold devices firmly to the inside case. It’s slim and features a rear zippered pocket for more storage.

Travelon luggage tags (organisation)

Kensington AbsolutePower (power accessory)

One of the many pet peeves to air travelers is finding luggage as it rolls along the pick-up belt.

With a unique-looking travel tag, it’s far easier to see your bag as it rolls along the conveyer belt.

These tags are bright and colorful, and will save valuable time when you’re heading out to your final destination.

Universal plug adapters (power accessory) If you’re traveling to a different country, you’ll need a number of plug adapters so that any power cords you bring with you so you can plug-and-play instantly. If you know the country you are going to, buy at least two so that your laptop and phone can receive simultaneous charging.

Innergie PocketCell (phone battery pack) With more power accessories, high-end smartphone users will know full and well that modern day devices, despite their glitz and feature-set, may not last the full day. This pocket-sized power accessory will keep your smartphone powered up all day, with fast charging capability and a “magic cable” for the three most common devices out on the market, including micro-USB, mini-USB, and the 30-pin iPhone connector.

Power is one of the key things that many forget when traveling long haul. This accessory keeps your devices, including laptops and USBpowered devices charged with up to 100 watts of power. It’s small, light, and comes in a range of detachable adapters that can power up a range of devices, including iPhones and other smartphones, and almost every kind of laptop on the market.

EatSmart Precision Voyager

(luggage scales)

Whether you’re popping across for a quick-trip or making a long-haul flight, most come back with a few gifts or additional items. Make sure you don’t bump your luggage weight limits with one of these compact, lightweight (crucially!) and accurate luggage scales to make sure you fall within airline guidelines.

Kensington KeyFolio Pro 2 (tablet keyboard accessory)

As many travelers are swapping their bulky, heavy laptops for tablets, one of the main disadvantages is access to a keyboard.

Kensington’s KeyFolio is a universal removable keyboard for the most common 10inch devices, and compatible with most Android devices. Powered

by Bluetooth, it includes a stand to secure your tablet at the perfect angle.

Brookstone HDMI pocket-sized projector (pocket projector) This pocket projector is perfect for presentation on the fly. It cranks out 1080p highdefinition video up to 60-inches diagonally, and connects all HDMI-based devices. It can run for up to two hours on a single charge, and includes dual built-in speakers. All this, and it fits in the palm of your hand, or even in your pocket. (And, if you want to crank it out to play games from your smartphone in your hotel room, we won’t tell anyone.)

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Navigating complex networks?

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ACTIVE

2013 IN NEW OFFICES Did the move go ok? | p 29

SPORTS NEWS A round up on everything sports | p 114

COMMONWEALTH GAMES SHOOTER UNI Student Ben Kelly | p 116

ACTIVE

SPORTS NEWS ISLE OF MAN AWAITS THE PRINCES AND PRINCESSES OF DARTNESS THE COUNTDOWN HAS STARTED TO THE START OF THE 29TH ISLE OF MAN INTERNATIONAL DARTS FESTIVAL AT VILLA MARINA COMPLEX ON DOUGLAS’ SEA FRONT, WHICH RUNS BETWEEN MARCH 6-9. ACTION WILL GET UNDERWAY AT THE FOUR DAY EVENT ON THE THURSDAY EVENING WITH A NEW RANKINGS COMPETITION. Over the three days there will be mixed, ladies and men’s pairs competitions, the island playoffs for the Winmau World Masters youth competition plus the prestigious men’s and women’s singles.

Many of those who featured in January’s BBC-televised, Lakeside World Championship at Frimley Green will toe the oche in what should be an absorbing encounter.

Prize money for this the 29th tournament has been increased to a record £28,500 with Specsavers and Quids Inn joining those backing the tournament.

With defending champ Stephen Bunting - crowned Lakeside World Champion in January - opting to move from the British Darts Organisation to the rival PDC, it means there will be a new name inscribed on the Manx trophy this year – but who?

The new event on Thursday evening offers early arrivals the chance of a cash bonanza, plus BDO Category C rankings points. The men’s and women’s singles will be sponsored by Okells Brewery and Specsavers respectively. Prize money will be paid down to the last 16 in each event.

Twenty four hours later and the action on the oche will focus on the mixed pairs, while under-18s eyeing up a future in the sport have the opportunity to make their mark in the Winmau youth playoffs, with a £500 top prize and qualification to the World Masters finals in the north east of England on offer to the winner.

On Saturday the palatial Villa Marina venue will play host to the prince and princesses of dartness as the prestigious men’s and women’s singles will be held.

Martin Adams, who has never won the Isle of Man title will be keen for a good run in the Manx title while Tony O’Shea, Darryl Fitton and 2013 world champ Scott Waites will be keen to make up for their disappointing performances at Frimley Green. Scotland’s Ross Montgomery – winner of the Dutch Open – would like to become only the third Scot to lift the title.

And much interest will focus on former Manx champ Ted “The Count” Hankey who has returned to the BDO after a spell with the PDC. Action will be equally keen in the women’s singles and defending champ and former world champ Anastasia Dobromyslova can anticipate a tough struggle to retain her title.

Leading the challenge will be world champion Lisa Ashton from Lancashire but former Manx winners Trina Gulliver MBE, Deta Hedman and Julie Gore likely to lead the challenge. In addition to a plethora of international players – including a large contingent of Dutch sharpshooters, there will be a whole host of county players from the UK, keen to make the big breakthrough in the sport.

Admission to the Villa Marina is free of charge for spectators. www. facebook.com/IOMDartsFestival

MANX BLIND WELFARE SOCIETY ON TARGET FOR ACOUSTIC SHOOTING The Manx Blind Welfare Society launched an innovative new activity at its headquarters in Februry – acoustic shooting.

Designed for the visually impaired, but open to all, acoustic shooting involves the use of adapted rifles fitted with special sights, which measure the level of light reflected from the target and convert it into sound. Participants wear headphones to hear the sound, which becomes more frequent the closer they are to the target.

MBWS Visually Impaired Shooting Coordinator Dave Wilson said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for the Island’s visually impaired to take part in a sport they never imagined they would.

“There has been almost two years of planning, the facilities have been inspected and cleared by relevant authorities, and now we are ready to get started. We’re very

114

proud to be able to offer this sport at Corrin Court, as there are fewer than 30 clubs with these facilities in the UK.” He added: “Acoustic shooting is a longestablished sport, and providing these facilities here in the Island could lead to competitive opportunities in the future.”

MBWS Chief Executive Ian Cooil added: “Our aim is to provide a diverse range of activities for our members, from afternoon teas at Corrin Court to kayaking at the Mooragh Park, and, where possible, involve the wider community in the events we arrange for the visually impaired.

“This is an exciting new experience for our members, and it is open to all. There is no upper or lower age limit, it is available for any level of sight impairment and most mobility issues can be catered for.

“There will be opportunities to help us by volunteering to assist during acoustic shooting sessions, and we will also be offering corporate teambuilding events.”

MBWS provides a range of important services and support to more than 600 people with serious sight loss in the Island.

It relies entirely on donations to fund its services which are mainly provided for free to members.

To find out more about acoustic shooting or the work of MBWS, visit www.mbws. org.im or www.facebook.com/ manxblindwelfaresociety ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

ACTIVE

EXPERTS ADVISE ISLE OF MAN SPORTS PEOPLE ON COPING WITH INJURY

The latest talent day of the Isle of Man Sporting Excellence Programme

Leading local sports performers and coaches were given expert insight into coping with injury during a Talent Day of the Isle of Man Sporting Excellence Programme.

[IoM CGA – kit]: Modeling the Glasgow 2014 Team Isle of Man kit are, left to right, cyclist Tom Black, swimmer Laura Kinley, and shooter Tim Kneale who won a bronze medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

The Programme, delivered by Kelly Holmes Education, is now in its second year and continues to inspire and prepare a new generation of sporting champions.

KUKRI TO SUPPLY TEAM ISLE OF MAN KIT FOR GLASGOW 2014

Sporting performers and coaches from across a broad range of sports attended the Talent Day at the National Sports Centre, Douglas, on Saturday (January 18), including many who are focused on qualifying to join Team Isle of Man at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Olympian and World Champion rower Toby Garbett, British athlete Dani Christmas, leading Sport Psychologist Chris Gooder and Physiotherapist Victoria O’Donnell were on hand to offer their experience and advice on preventing and recovering from injury. Mark Bennett MBE also returned to the Island to continue his coach development training.

Toby’s workshop included a range of exercises to develop improved core stability and provided an understanding of the long-term benefits.

He explained: ‘Core stability training targets the muscles deep within the abdomen which connect to the spine, pelvis and shoulders, which assist in the maintenance of good posture and provide the foundation for all arm and leg movements.’

‘There are many benefits to core stability training. Not only can it maximise performance, but will help reduce the risk of injury resulting from bad posture. It will also increase strength and flexibility and protect the spine and skeletal structure.’

After a day of Coach Development and Sports Psychology, the coaches re-joined the sporting performers for a team quiz before a final question time.

There was a surprise for the audience when Dame Kelly Holmes appeared by video link, and explained how coping with injury can be a major part of any athlete’s career, including hers.

The next Talent Day takes place at the NSC on March 23.

Toby Garbett leads Island sports performers in his Core Stability workshop BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Sportswear firm Kukri is supplying the kit for Team Isle of Man’s Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games squad. Kukri’s association with Island’s national team goes back to when they provided the kit for the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India.

In addition to providing sportswear to some of the leading Commonwealth Games teams - including Team Isle of Man and Team England - the company is also a leading supplier to amateur and professional teams in cricket, hockey, football, rugby league and rugby union. Currently the company’s sportswear is worn by Lancashire and Somerset county cricket clubs and the London Wasps rugby union team.

The design of tracksuits and casual wear for competitors and officials has been finalised, and Team Isle of Man will wear the stylish blue, yellow, and red Kukri casual apparel for the teams’ parade at the opening ceremony.

Some details are still to be confirmed about the design of competition kit for some of the sports in which Team Isle of Man will be represented at Glasgow 2014.

A capacity crowd of 60,000 is expected to be in Celtic Park to watch the ceremony organised in collaboration with Jack Morton Worldwide, which is the company that organised the opening and closing ceremonies for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games in Manchester 2002 and Melbourne 2006, as well as the critically-acclaimed ceremonies at the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association is the organisation responsible for the publicity, fundraising, travel and support for Team Isle of Man’s participation at the Commonwealth Games. It is a registered charity and relies upon fundraising events and donations to fund Team Isle of Man’s participation. Fundraising initiatives are being planned in the countdown to Glasgow 2014 and donations to support Team Isle of Man can also be made at: www. cga.im

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ACTIVE

SHOOTER AIMING TO MAKE COMMONWEALTH GAMES DEBUT UNIVERSITY STUDENT BEN KELLY HAS HIS SIGHTS FIXED ON REPRESENTING TEAM ISLE OF MAN AT THE 2014 COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN GLASGOW. IN THIS ATHLETE PROFILE WE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HIS ACHIEVEMENTS IN SHOOTING, AND HIS AMBITIONS IN THE SPORT.

Age: 20 Home town: Port St Mary University: Edinburgh Napier University, studying Biomedical Sciences (2nd Year) Sport: Target Rifle Sports club: Isle of Man Shooting Club (St Johns), Edinburgh University Rifle Club Sporting achievements Ben started shooting at 12 years old in Port St Mary Rifle Club. He developed his skills and started competing five years ago. Commonwealth Shooting Federation (European Division) Championship held at St Johns in September 2013, scored 592 out of 600 in the men’s individual 50m prone and came away with a silver medal.

He also exceeded the qualifying standards for Commonwealth Games. In August 2013 during the National Small-bore Rifle Association (NSRA) National Meeting at Bisley, Surrey, came third in the Double English Match ‘A’ Class. He also came third at the Junior International Target Shooting Match in Bisley, Surrey during August 2011, and in June 2011 whilst taking part in Nat West 2011 Island Games, Isle of Wight, Ben came second in the individual event and third in the team event earning silver and bronze respectively. Aside from Ben’s target shooting achievements he also competed as part of the Isle of Man’s Rugby 7s team in the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games.

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Target events for Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Ben’s main event will be the Men’s 50 metre Prone Rifle.

Aims for 2014 Ben says: “At the Commonwealth Games my aim is to make it into the final and only the top 8 Commonwealth shooters can achieve this. In addition to this I am taking part in the Great Britain Junior International Target Shooting Championship at the National Shooting Centre, Bisley, in August and I am hoping to come first in the prone event this year. At the Isle of Man National Easter Shooting Festival in April I hope to place in the top three. I am currently ranked number three junior in Great Britain and very much hope to be selected for the squad and represent Great Britain in their events.”

How does being on the Glasgow 2014 Support Programme help you?

Ben Said: “As I am currently attending university and based in Edinburgh it is very difficult to utilise all of the wide variety of resources on offer within the Support Programme. However, I have been involved in some of the Kelly Holmes workshops and these have really helped me by giving lots of pointers and different approaches to my training. I have also had some coaching sessions specific to shooting and I do gain a lot from them.”

run by the Isle of Man Sport Institute and allows competitors chosen by the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association to receive expert advice and support. The support provided by the Sport Institute to the selected competitors is funded by the Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association. Those selected for the programme can access a range of services from Sport Institute experts including physiotherapy, sports nutrition advice, sports psychology, sports massage, and strength and conditioning training.

However, selection for the Glasgow 2014 Support Programme does not guarantee that they will be chosen to represent Team Isle of Man at the Commonwealth Games.

What do the Commonwealth Games mean to you?

Ben is really hoping that he is able to take part in the Commonwealth Games. He said: “Representing the Isle of Man gives me great pride, it is where I was born and will always be my home. Being a part of putting the island on the sporting map would be a great achievement for me. In addition, I receive support from lots of people including family, friends, coaches, sponsors and Sport Aid, so doing well in the Games would be a perfect way of repaying this support.”

The Glasgow 2014 Support Programme is

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

HARDWARE

THE ALL-NEW MINI & BMW PLATFORM ANNOUNCED

MOTORING NEWS BMW 2 Series, MINI Hatch & BMW 4 Series Convertible | p 118

PHONE HOME The latest mobile phone news & reviews | p 120

HARDWARE

MOTORING NEWS THE ALL-NEW BMW & MINI PLATFORM ANNOUNCED BMW have confirmed that the new UKL1 front and four-wheel drive platform will underpin 11 new models, spanning the BMW and MINI brands.

The new MINI will be the first model to benefit from the new platform. As many as eight model lines of the new MINI are expected, including three and five-door hatchbacks and replacements for the Cabriolet, Clubman, Countryman and Paceman. A sporty MINI MX-5 rival to replace the Roadster and Coupe models are also planned.

The UKL1 BMW will be revealed in early 2014. Here we take a look ahead at the new MINI Hatch, the new BMW 2 Series Coupe and the new BMW 4 Series Convertible.

ALL NEW, ALL MINI: The New MINI Hatch… a Classic Reborn

THE ALL NEW BMW 2 SERIES COUPE

Reinventing an icon like the MINI is no easy task. According to its designer, Sir Alec Issigonis. On the one hand, you have to create a vehicle that exceeds the demands of modern, 21st century motoring. On the other, you have to stay true to the classic Mini, and a design philosophy that has laid the foundations for over 50 years of success. To meet this twin challenge, MINI took an entirely new approach to create a car with a difference.

Defined by energy, passion and a desire to challenge limits, the rebellious power of the new BMW 2 Series Coupe is exhilarating, leaving all conventions behind. Its extraordinary agility is an immediate revelation, as is its supreme efficiency.

The new MINI is striking, and unmistakably modern. Even the classic detailing of the Chrome Line exterior draws the eye in new, different ways. At the same time, however, the latest MINI generation showcases its legendary DNA more proudly than ever, and gives drivers that wonderful feeling of reconnecting with an old friend.

Together with the distinctive front and rear design, the dynamic body, clever interior functionality and the unexpected amount of space in the cabin, every component of the new BMW 2 Series Coupe from the design to the steering is conceived for maximum sportiness. Innovative technologies, such as standard Dynamic Traction Control, optional Variable Sport Steering, Adaptive M Sport suspension and numerous driver assistance systems, are available to enhance your new driving experience in the NEW 2 Series Coupe.

‘The New Original’ – distinctly familiar, yet completely fresh from the ground up. MINI set the standard in 2001, raised it in 2006 and now does so again in 2014.

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

HARDWARE

THE ALL NEW BMW 4 SERIES CONVERTIBLE The new BMW 4 Series Convertible is being referred to as a “fifth generation premium convertible”. That’s correct if you count the four previous generations of 3 Series Convertible, but this is the first to be called 4 Series. Like the 4 Series Coupe, it’s distinguished from its predecessor by a new body that is longer, wider and lower than before - making it look both sportier and more elegant.

BUCHANAN.

The new BMW 4 Series Convertible, like the Coupe, takes a tangible step forward in terms of refinement and comfort. It’s a classy car with more room inside than before, plus a bigger boot, as well as some clever new touches to set it apart from the 3 Series.

Dynamic, elegant and incredibly sporty, the Convertible is a fascinating car. Regardless of whether the top is up or down – BMW designers and engineers have created a vehicle that provides an exhilarating sense of air and light.

FOR ALL THINGS BMW ISLE OF MAN VISIT: Buchanan BMW & MINI, Isle of Man Business Park, Cooil Road, Braddan, Isle of Man, IM2 2QZ T: 01624 616161 M: 076124 480267 www.buchananbmw.co.uk

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PHONE HOME

Sony Xperia Z1 Compact With an incredibly sharp camera, super speedy processor and a waterproof design, Sony has proven that great things come in small packages with the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact.

This handset presents everything that made the Xperia Z1 great, only this time it’s in a compact version that is perfect for your pocket and easily fits in the palm of your hand. The 4.3-inch, 342 pixels per inch display delivers stunning images for your photos or video playback.

Jelly Bean, meaning it is exceptionally fast, as well as lasting around the clock.

Hurry and get down to the Sure store to get your hands on the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, a decision you definitely won’t regret!

Free on the £46/m Sure Smart Ultimate plan.

If you lack confidence when it comes to photography the great thing about the Z1 Compact is that it does the work for you. The Superior Auto feature on the 20.7 megapixel camera recognises up to 36 scene types and automatically adjusts to help you get the best out of your photos, any time and any place – even underwater!

With the Z1 Compact, you’ll never have to worry about losing your contact list, music or photos because this remarkable phone comes with Xperia Transfer, a fantastic, ultra-easy app which allows you to move messages, apps, bookmarks and more from your old Android or iOS device to your new Xperia Z1 Compact. No need for computers anymore, this app transfers directly from phone to phone!

If you think these incredible features will drain your battery life fast, think again. With a 2,300mAh battery, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact will happily run all day. You can get up to 600 hours of standby time and 18 hours of talk time. The Compact is powered by a 2.2GHz quad core Qualcomm processor and Android 4.3

Moto G by Motorola Don’t let this colourful, customizable phone fool you into thinking it isn’t anything less than a serious top performer.

This is the first smartphone launched by Motorola in the UK since it was taken over by Google and the specifications are impressive, for the price. Helped, largely, by its quadcore speed technology, the Moto G is fast and able to multitask in a fantastic way. This means no more shutting down Youtube when you want to send a text or email.

Better still, is that despite all of this, battery performance is not negatively affected, the Moto G still boasts an all-day battery capacity with mixed usage of up to 24 hours. apps.

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Another desirable element to the phone is its use of Android OS v4.3 (Jelly Bean) with a guaranteed upgrade to 4.4. Also, if you are already an android user, the benefit of being able to download the Motorola Migrate makes switching a cinch. You connect the two phones directly via Wi-Fi, which requires nothing more than pointing the camera on your old phone at the QR code displayed on the Moto G, for the transfer to start automatically. Then the app will pull across call logs, text messages, pictures, movies and music off the old phone over to the Moto G. you can even continue using the phone for other functions at the same time, making it a very pain free solution to switching phones.

The phone has 720p HD video cameras on the front and back, and with an internal memory capacity of 8GB standard, you won’t be short of room for all your photos and videos. Another great feature of this phone is that you can touch anywhere on the screen to take a photo when you are using the camera, making “selfies” that much easier to take with your friends!

With 7 different coloured snap-on shells available you can also customise the Moto G to suit your moods and suit your style, as well as keeping it protected. The textured plastic casing provides extra grip, and protection, allowing for fewer clumsy mistakes.

Available from Manx Telecom from free at £20 per month over 24 months on Smartphone 150 tariff.

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO: WWW.MANXTELECOM.COM/SHOP, CALL 624 624, OR POP INTO THE STORE IN STRAND STREET.

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NIGHTLIFE

MISC

THE RANDOMNESS OF

MISC

THE PAGE WHERE WE SHARE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE’VE FOUND THIS MONTH THAT JUST DON’T HAVE A HOME ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE MAGAZINE.

TOUJOURS TINGO

Our favourite book is back! And here are a few phrases to get you started this March...

S klidem Anglicana (Czech) As calm as an Englishman Ubbriaco come un mariano inglese (Italian) As drunk as an English sailor Filler a l’anglaise (French) To slip away like the English Ah, to be British...

QUEEN B

Some people have a passion for music so extreme that they are willing to spend time and money studying it, and The Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University is just the place for that. They have begun to offer a class called ‘Politicising Beyoncé’: the study of the talented Beyoncé. Tutor Kevin Allred said he was using the singer’s career to explore American race, gender and sexual politics through video and lyric analysis and readings from black feminists. Mr Allred also said he wanted to help students at the university in New Jersey think more critically about media consumption. “This isn’t a course about Beyoncé’s political engagement or how many times she performed during President Obama’s inauguration weekend,” he said.

WONDER-BRA

FOOD PORN

A South Korean woman known as The Diva has possibly the best job ever. She makes £5,600 a month by simply streaming herself online eating three hours a day.

Park Seo-yeon has quit her day job at a consultancy firm to focus all her energy on her daily meals on camera. Tens of thousands watch her every day as she serves up huge meals in her Seoul flat and eats them, live, on a streaming site.

"People enjoy the vicarious pleasure when they can't eat this much or find that food at night or are on a diet," Park told Reuters.

"Loneliness is another crucial factor. The show is addictive as you can communicate with thousands of people at home." Well, I know I’m jealous.

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A Japanese lingerie company has created a bra which it says can only be unhooked when its wearer is in love.

Ravijour says its bra monitors the “true love rate” aka heart rate of its wearer and sends the information to a smartphone app. It would then pop open automatically once it is satisfied that your heart rates says that you are in love. Ravijour claims its unusual product will protect women from unwanted advances but critics point out there are other situations in life - such as job interviews - which also make the heart race faster but which do not require a bra to suddenly pop open (well that would certainly be something!).

Check it out!

Isaiah Webb, aka “Mr Incredibeard” knows how to work his beard, creating simply amazing structures and winning numerous competitions!

FUTURE MADE UP

A US teenager could be set for a Hollywood career thanks to her amazing self-taught make up skills. Stephanie Fernandez, 18, from Shreveport, Louisiana, has become a master in creating macabre make-up and has shared them with the world through a series of YouTube videos explaining her techniques. She said: "I have always been a fan of character transformation and I was about 14 years old when I first decided to experiment with makeup. What started out as a bored day at home experimenting with makeup, has become my career aspiration, reputation and ultimately the love of my life." The film student combined her make-up skills with photography to create a series of images which she calls ‘Colours of My Mind’. It features themes ranging from nature-inspired hues for green to a frightening realistic representation of a bullet wound to the chest for red. She added: "My makeup has been getting more recognition than it ever has and that alone inspired and was the motivation for this visual art piece."

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