May 2017 | the ATTRACTION issue

Isle of Man Premier Magazine | no. 64 | May 2017 | the [ATTRACTION] issue

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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 friends or colleagues, add a picture to our Facebook and we’ll send you some doughnuts.

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UPFRONT

#64

[ATTRACTION]

Isle of Man Premier Magazine | no. 64 | May 2017 | the [ATTRACTION] issue

£ priceless

#64

the ATTRACTION issue BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

WWW.GALLERY.CO.IM

INVESTMENT BUSINESS T E C H N O LO G Y

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O N T H E A G E N D A n N O 2 9 n M AY 2 0 1 7

INVESTMENT - WOMEN NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY T H E Y M A N A G E M O N E Y

B U S I N E S S - T H E L AW O F AT T R A C T I O N

T E C H N O L O G Y - G E N D E R PAY G A P S B E T W E E N COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS REVEALED

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edito

elcome to another edition of your favourite lifestyle magazine. In this issue we begin by exploring the attraction of social media, something most of use can’t imagine living life without. Why are we so attracted to it and dependant on it now?

If you’ve been paying attention to the world around you, one thing you won’t have missed is the news about “fake news.” We talk about the problem with Fake News on page (14). If you’re a fan of writer Clare Bowie she questions what’s the big attraction about motherhood on page 17, and we visit a local attraction, a boutique spa-cation based in Laxey on pages 34-35.

Isle of Man | Home & Interiors | May 2017

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

The Grange - Knocksharry £1,150,000

Oakland - Glen Vine £695,000

ARE YOU IN? You can also view paparazzi photos on our facebook page.

Wendy Shimmin explores the Law of Attraction and asks can positive thinking make you more successful? The Law of Attraction is one of life’s biggest mysteries and very few people are fully aware of how much of an impact it has on their day to day life. Whether we are doing it knowingly or unknowingly, every second of our existence, we are acting as human magnets sending out our thoughts and emotions and attracting back more of what we have put out. Turn to page (44) and learn all about The Law of Attraction and Positively Isle of Man, a group to nurture positive thinking among the Island’s business community.

If you’re attracted by the TT each year we have a competition for you to win exclusive access to TT 2017 VIP hospitality, turn to the paparazzi section.

So all that remains for me to say is positive things come to positive people, so practice a good demeanour about life. Enjoy every day and stop complaining. Don’t hate people, that’s negative energy. The more positive you are, the stronger your attraction for positive things is going to be.

So go grab a coffee and plant yourselves firmly in your seats, lets get started.

SR

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Gallery, Agenda, Places, and Paparazzi are trading styles of 221LTD. Registered in the Isle of Man no. 125981C.

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UPFRONT

CONTENTS PICKS MAY CONTAIN SATIRE

UPFRONT

Batboy lives with Elvis in a trailer park

So what is “fake news,” and how does it differ from the traditional news? On many subjects tabloid newspapers are about as accurate as the graffiti in a pub toilet, and people don’t just use tabloids for looking at half-naked soap stars - they actually form ideas after reading them. What about Fox News, targeted to America’s racist uncles, or Russia Today, where Facebook simpletons can learn the news that the “mainstream media” suppress, courtesy of that impartial friend of free expression Mr V Putin? All of these are various degrees of unreliable, but they aren’t fake news in the true sense of the term. When legitimate news organisations (those with a smidgen of respect for their audience’s intelligence) talk about “fake news” they are specifically referring to news sources that are created to spread individual stories, usually through social media, that are highly misleading or completely untrue - like the story that the Pope endorsed Donald Trump (he didn’t), or the idea that Barack Obama was born in Africa (he wasn’t). Sometimes they even look real and have real-sounding addresses - like BBCnewsflash.com - but their only purpose is to spread a story very rapidly, and then once they’ve done their damage dissipate like an eggy fart. Traditional news sources might be compromised by the biases of the people who own them, and organisations like Fox News may well assume their audience believe fake news.

However, one-sided cheerleading for a political party is still a different category of dishonesty to a made-up conspiracy about politicians running a paedophile ring from the basement of a pizza restaurant. You can explore the biases of a newspaper, but anybody who has tried to reason in a Facebook thread about vaccines turning you into a giraffe knows that accepting this stuff is like choking off the oxygen supply to the part of your brain in charge of reason.

Weaken democracy with this one weird trick

THE PROBLEM WITH BEING ATTRACTED BY FAKE NEWS WORDS Grant Runyon ILLUSTRATION Josh Bale

If you’ve been paying attention to the world around you, one thing you won’t have missed is the news about “fake news.” Fake news has been all over the real news, but there’s also a lot of news in the fake news about how the real news is fake too. Confused? You should be, but imagine if your attention span is so short you couldn’t make it this far into the article without an animated picture of a cat eating spaghetti. You would have given up, perhaps decided whether you agree with me based on the illustration, possibly even shared my article to a peer group of gullible fools. That might make you a pretty good target for fake news, but luckily for you I’m a news source you can trust - like the Sunday Sport.

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Don’t believe the hype

The true danger of fake news is that it isn’t just confined to the gullible, but also people who have never developed a healthy cynicism about news sources. Although the category of people who think that gay marriage causes the sea level to rise is reassuringly small, the category of people who nonetheless haven’t formed an opinion about issues like man-made climate change is worryingly

HOME

large, and some of them might be swayed by the gay marriage sea level lobby if those are the only people they know who talk about the issues. Fake news is like background noise that drowns out rational scepticism, and it can sow such confusion that people don’t act, whilst nations or powerful businesses do. A good example is our friends in the Kremlin, who have been particularly cunning in exploiting this climate of confusion. The supposed interference in the American election is probably the most topical example, but a more interesting one is Russia’s role in the conflict in Syria.

Russia isn’t shy about publicly supporting the Syrian government, a vital regional ally, and that’s the line you’ll see taken in its official statements and Russia Today (RT), its English-language propaganda outlet. Nobody should ignore the history of western governments in spreading propaganda and nobbling elections (hello Latin America!) but the Russians ran with that idea and came up with something novel. The Syria situation is maddeningly complex even if you are interested in geopolitics, but alongside RT the Kremlin muddies the intellectual waters with an unprecedented network of fake news, spawning misleading social media stories and circulating fake testimonies that serve not just to directly promote Russian interests but also to prevent people in other countries forming a unified opinion that might force their leaders to take action. Meanwhile the Kremlin, not troubled by democratic disagreement, has time to pursue its goals.

“You can explore the biases of a newspaper, but anybody who has tried to reason in a Facebook thread about vaccines turning you into a giraffe knows that accepting this stuff is like choking off the oxygen supply to the part of your brain in charge of reason.”

We should ask where fake news comes from, and why it exists - what motivates people to spend their time and effort making things up?

Whether fake news is about political leaders or celebrities making love to farm animals the modus operandi is the same - to spread quickly, replicate and mutate, like that cold which has infected half of the Island in the last six months. The difference lies in the ultimate aim: nobody will have their world-view changed by a story about Eyebrows McBoyband ending up in A&E with something stuck up his bottom, but if enough people lose the ability to tell real stories from fake ones then we edge closer to a situation where whole swathes of society are slightly confused about very complex issues, and no longer trust anybody to explain opposing views to them. Because you live in a democracy (aside from Gallery readers in North Korea), and you need to be somewhat informed in order to vote, this is a very big problem.

UPFRONT

HOW THE SUBURBAN GARAGE HAS DRIVEN

The garage is the most prosaic, the most functional, the least insulated and probably the messiest place in a house. Yet perhaps precisely because it is so marginal a space, it has been able to accommodate an almost limitless range of uses. A garage can be adapted, adopted and reimagined as anything from workshop or music studio to fetish dungeon and it has become, in a way, the nexus of contemporary culture and commerce.

Disney and Hewlett-Packard’s original unassuming sheds are now museum pieces, preserved and restored as cultural artefacts.

This cultural status is counter-intuitive. When we think of creativity we tend to think of cities, of the serendipitous collision of classes and races, the sparks of inspiration that occur when people are crammed together in diverse communities and the most brilliant minds are drawn to the multicultural magnet of wealth. That, at least, is the contemporary urbanist consensus.

By Edwin Heathcote

Yet, weirdly, it may just be the suburbs - the bland, boring, ecosystem of identical houses and undifferentiated closes - that have been the engine behind the developments in tech, music, film and engineering which have been driving growth all these years.

The consequences are looking painfully clear. If fake news gets a foothold in democracies the result can be a giant snowball of misinformation, rolling downhill at speed and blanketing a metaphorical alpine village with an avalanche of Trump. In a very real sense, human civilisation is at risk of being destroyed because of your weird aunt who keeps sharing stories about Diet Coke giving you cancer. You can either try and reason with them, or just ignore it and ten years later they’ll be rounding you up and making you work in a coal mine.

Steve Wozniak (left) and Steve Jobs n There is Gwen Stefani and Kurt Cobain and the rise of garage bands. And, of course, there are garage sales, home gyms, recording studios, artists’ studios and galleries.

The garage, it seems, is an empty vessel, capable of accommodating almost any fantasy.

Architecturally, even when they are integrated into the highly finished, commercial product of the modern house, the garage tends to have a raw, unfinished quality at

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odds with the domesticity of the dwelling that engulfs it. With its exposed brick walls, concrete floors, steel-rack shelving and heavy mechanical door systems, it represents the encroachment of industrial space into the domestic.

Appearing unfinished, a place where the structure of the house is frankly revealed rather than obsessively concealed, it remains one of the few spaces (perhaps together with the cellar and the loft) which

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allow the imposition of imagination and the boundless possibilities of reinvention.

If the garage is the space of invention, it is also a site of existential angst. Lester Burnham suffers his midlife crisis in his mancave garage. There are countless other films in which the garage becomes a transformational space, such as Back to the Future, where it doubles as a lab. It is also the scene of real-life tragedies, with people using this hidden space to kill themselves by leaving

the engine running and slowly letting the fumes overcome them. The garage is the one room in the house that has no windows, it is the most private and, consequently in a strange way, the most intimate room.

It can become the space of obsession.

There is the almost sexual desire for the car in the garage, think of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or another, older but just as magically transformational version in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Or even Batman’s bat cave - the essential high-tech man cave and a glorified suburban garage and space of transformation.

Oddly, at exactly the moment we are potentially realising the value of the garage, it is going out of fashion.

New urban developments (at least in the west) tend to disdain the car in favour of public transport.

It is an angle that developers can hold up as a virtuous commitment to walkability and urban intensification but one which, coincidentally, saves them a huge wad of cash. Meanwhile, suburban development of the type that drove huge postwar growth in the US and Australia but also on the edges of most historic European cities, is frowned upon as sprawl. The result is an unprecedented housing crisis in popular cities such as London, New York, Paris and elsewhere. continued...

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22 FEATURE: Attracted by Fake News TRAVEL

n Apple, Google, Amazon, Hewlett-Packard and Walt Disney. What do they have in common? Multibillion dollar turnovers? Rapacious capitalism? Sure. Yet perhaps more interestingly, every one of them started off in a suburban garage.

CREATIVITY AND INVENTION

No, YOU’RE the fake news

Of course, if you’ve read this far the chances are you mostly agree with me. To true believers and Trumpers, my entire argument is fake news. According to their logic, all governments are as bad as each other, so why not believe Russia, or a website full of shouty bigots, or one of the bad guys from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark? We all have our biases, but in the case of Russian media the distinction is that people in Britain and America are largely free to criticise the way their news sources operate, and to use news sources that criticise their governments.

No matter what your mate who worships Wikileaks and Russia Today thinks, the same level of freedom does not and will never exist under Vladimir Putin. RT is not the BBC. This concept is quite apparent to anybody with the time or inclination to think about media bias, but the paradox is that people gullible enough to fall for fake news stories will also believe those people who accuse real news sources of being fake news, further reinforcing a spiral of mistrust and confusion.

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Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard at the 1989 dedication of their garage as the ‘Birthplace of Silicon Valley’ © HewlettPackard

Places: The Suburban Garage

WIN

PAPARAZZI

EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO TT2017 VIP HOSPITALITY THE 2017 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES FUELLED BY MONSTER ENERGY IS ALMOST HERE AND GALLERY MAGAZINE IS OFFERING ONE LUCKY READER AND THEIR GUEST THE CHANCE TO GET EVEN CLOSER TO THE ACTION WITH A PAIR OF VIP HOSPITALITY TICKETS UP FOR GRABS FOR RACE DAY ON MONDAY 5TH JUNE.

ON TREND:

THE ISLE OF MAN’S BOUTIQUE SPA-CATION Words by: Lisa Gadman Photography By: Dave Silvester, Colby Studio

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new booking surge for spa mini breaks has recently emerged in the UK as Brits seek to combine relaxation with a romantic weekend away. According to Bing Ads Spring Travel Insights report, Spa mini breaks made up nearly a quarter of total search volume relating to short breaks. Spa mini-breaks were found to be most popular amongst the millennial demographic, with half of searches coming from the under 35 year old group. So what does this mean for the Isle of Man? Local 5 star boutique retreat, Seascape of Laxey Bay, is setting the pace for this emerging trend in thcree Isle of Man offering guests 5* luxury Bed and Breakfast accommodation with Sea Spa facilities which is so highly coveted they have an exclusive 3 month waiting list. Hotelier and entrepreneur Michelle Hitchen had the vision of building the ultimate setting to create the perfect spa-cation (“spa vacation”) combing opulent rooms and decor, fine foods, infra-red sauna, relaxation suites and outdoor hot tub overlooking awe-inspiring sea views of Laxey Bay. Built in 2008, Seascape of Laxey Bay is a cathedral of relaxation; boasting floor to ceiling glass which immerses every room with beautiful light. “As you walk through the doors, you are presented with

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panoramic views from all sides, and it feels as though you are walking into the ocean” comments owner Michelle. The retreat was designed by local architects Penketh Millar to Michelle’s vision which was influenced by contemporary architecture in Marbella, Lanzarote and Australia. The architectural design brings the outside world in, making the most of the panoramic seascapes. The building has split levels with a lofty 3m ceiling which never changes height so the line of sight to the ocean is never interrupted.

Hues of white, ivory, silver and pale gold reside throughout the retreat’s opulent decor, from the stylish furnishings imported from Marbella to the ivory silk cushions and rugs which together create a reflective, relaxing space. The decor is an eclectic mix of bespoke local artist’s glass pieces, Nancy Corkish paintings, Buddhist artwork and eastern antiques gathered during Michelle’s travels. “Every piece has a story and is a talking point. My husband Glenn and I wanted to help people truly relax in their surroundings, enjoying breathtaking sea views whilst diving into Glenn’s fine cooking made with local ingredients”.

Drawing upon her natural entrepreneurial spirit, Michelle saw a gap in the Isle of Man market for creating a 5* luxury bed and breakfast with Spa facilities, thus launched Seascape of Laxey Bay in 2016 and exclusive Sea Spa Day packages in ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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onday’s calendar includes the RL360 Quantum Superstock Race and Monster Energy Supersport 1 Race as well as SES TT Zero and Sure Sidecar Race 2 qualifying. All the leading stars including John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson, Conor Cummins and Bruce Anstey will be on the track going head to head for honours.

“Understanding our guests do not dream the same dreams of luxury is also important; everyone is different and we aim to be in tune with our guests from the moment they arrive”.

The VIP Club package gives guests all day access to the hospitality suite with complimentary bar, breakfast and a gourmet hot and cold buffet as well as the opportunity to meet stars past and present behind the scenes. You’ll also receive a goody bag that includes official TT merchandise, an ear piece radio to tune in to Manx Radio’s TT commentary, a copy of the official TT programme and race guide.

To win all you have to do is answer this question correctly:

HOW MANY ISLE OF MAN TT RACES HAS JOHN MCGUINNESS WON?

early 2017. “I felt drawn to the idea of setting up a luxury bed & breakfast with spa on the island, especially to share the beauty of the Seascape building, its architecture and stunning views—the response has been phenomenal”.

TT legend Charlie Williams, a seven time race winner, will be the host for the day and a series of great riders past and present, from road and circuit racing, will be appearing in the VIP hospitality unit throughout the day.

Email your answer (By 19th May) to:

vipttcomp@gallery.co.im

Impeccable service and unsurpassed luxury have become synonymous with Seascape. Meticulous in its attention to detail at every customer touchpoint, from the opulence of the furnishings and surroundings down to the choice of floral arrangements, softness of the Spa towels and sourcing delicious local ingredients of its breakfasts – luxury is ingrained in every part of the retreat and its setting a new standard in spa mini-breaks. Michelle believes “understanding our guests do not dream the same dreams of luxury is also important; everyone is different and we aim to be in tune with our guests from the moment they arrive”.

All of the race winners and podium placed riders will also be coming in to the VIP unit as soon as the race is finished to share their personal thoughts on the day’s races and to meet fans and sign autographs.

But if you’re not lucky enough to win there are still ‘late availability’ hospitality and grandstand tickets available to buy. www.iomtt.com

For more information on Seascape’s 5* Luxury Bed and Breakfast facilities and Sea Spa Day packages visit www.platinum-retreats.com or email info@ platinum-retreats.com.

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50 TRAVEL: Seascape of Laxey Bay

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66 Paparazzi: TT VIP Competition

THE REST UPFRONT

Edito...........................................................................................................................5 The Attraction of Social Media......................................................................8 What's on...............................................................................................................10 Me & My Pet..........................................................................................................12 Attracted by Fake News.................................................................................14 News in Numbers...............................................................................................16 GIVE..........................................................................................................................18 MISC........................................................................................................................20

EVENTS

The Wedding of Rachel Burnett & Sam Liver.............................22

CULTURE

Culture Vulture........................................................................................26 Culture News...........................................................................................27 Isle of Architecture Competition.....................................................28 UPLOAD....................................................................................................30

TRAVEL

Seascape of Laxey Bay..................................................................................34

AGENDA

PLACES

Feature Properties.........................................................................49-68

APPETITE

Recipes...................................................................................................................70 Tequila it Makes Me Happy!...............................................................72 Wine Talk..................................................................................................74

FASHION & BEAUTY

Get the Look............................................................................................76

ACTIVE

Isle of Man Cyclefest.............................................................................80 Active News.............................................................................................82

HARDWARE

Gadgets.....................................................................................................86 Phone Home............................................................................................88

PAPARAZZI

It's Hip Hop..............................................................................................90 TT VIP 2017 Competition....................................................................94

Business News........................................................................................38 Appointments.........................................................................................41 Women Need to Manage Their Money..........................................42 The Law of Attraction.........................................................................44 Cyber Security........................................................................................46

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UPFRONT

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COVER CREDIT

The Manx Mermaid of Gob-Ny-Ooyl

Photography & Styling: Clare Payne - www.clare-payne.com Model: Charlotte Meechan Makeup: Lorna Meechan - f: Lorna Meechan Beauty/Holistic Therapist

Sirens of legend and folklore have long held a reputation for their unrivalled beauty and their power to attract and lure sailors to wreck their ships on the rocks.

The Manx Mermaid of Gob-Ny-Ooyl befriended the Sayle family who lived at the end of the Cornah River Valley. The family kept a cow and a few sheep but mostly they fished the seas around the mermaid's haunt near to Bulgham. She brought the family good fortune and a plentiful catch in exchange for the gift of apples or "land eggs". Despite her beauty, there were no reports of the Mermaid of Gob-Ny-Ooyl using her powers of attraction and her enchanting singing voice for anything but good!

(Reference: Manx Fairy Tales, Sophia Morrison, edited by Bob Carswell.)

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THE ATTRACTION OF

SOCIAL MEDIA

WHY I’M GLAD I DIDN’T GROW UP WITH IT WORDS Ria Wolstenholme ILLUSTRATION Russ Atkinson

UPFRONT

Social media is something I can’t now imagine living my life without.

I essentially spend every day carrying an address book that acts as Facebook, a photo album that acts as Instagram and a diary for all to see with a restrictive character count that acts as Twitter at the touch of a button on my phone. But it wasn’t always this way. I used to use a house phone to call my friends to see if they wanted to meet at the park, and the first time I used an instant messenger wasn’t until I was about 13. I did in fact use to live my life without social media, so why am I so attracted to it and dependent on it now?

The truth is, it’s not just my generation who have been sucked into it. A recent poll showed that three-quarters of UK children spend less time outside than prison inmates, and that a fifth of the children did not play outside at all on an average day.

With this in mind, it’s scary to think what could become of the future generations children. Will the storyline of Pixar’s Wall-E come true? Will we end up devolving into lumps of flesh, sitting in floating recliner chairs and only interacting through computer screens?

If you have met a small human in the last 3 to 5 years, you’ll be familiar with the question “does your phone have any games on it?”. This has now evolved to “can I take a Snapchat?”. My now 10-year-old cousin could work my iPhone with the greatest of ease by the time she was 6. It scared and astounded me all at once, trying to fathom how someone so young had the technological capability of most 20 year olds.

This new craze of living your life online, and letting ‘likes’ on posts determine your self worth is a concept that sadly has taken hold of many of us. The unique power that it has over young people is scary and confusing to many, but also understandable and totally explanatory when you see what a huge role it plays in day to day life.

What I worry about the most, is how this new way of life affects young people’s self esteem. Researchers at UCLA recently conducted a study to see how social media affects the minds of young people. They scanned the brains of a few dozen teenagers as they watched what looked like an

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Instagram feed. The study found that when teens saw their own pictures had received a high number of likes, they showed a greater activation in an area of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. This is an area that’s part of the brain’s reward circuitry - the part of the brain that’s making you feel good about yourself.

childhood being anonymous to everyone apart from my immediate friends and family. The exposure this new online world is giving kids is something to be treated with extreme caution.

This shows us just how ingrained our belief that likes equate to popularity has become.

We believe that the meaning of a post is worthless unless it shows a certain level of appreciation from others. The world of a child, teenager or young adult now revolves around the image they put out on social media, with some creating a posed aesthetic online to appear a certain way and gain a certain following. Popularity doesn’t start in the classroom anymore, it’s moved on and is rapidly evolving.

A social media account can provide anyone with a lot of information, misconceptions and opportunities to take advantage of vulnerable people. Revealing too much about where you live, what you spend your time doing and what you look like online opens a new door for people who don’t have good intentions to go from just watching you through their screen, to doing something a lot more serious and frightening. Being a victim of online grooming, harassment and bullying are unfortunately all possibilities when you put yourself online, so approaching it with caution and a sensible attitude is extremely important.

That said, it’s important to acknowledge that social media has changed the world for the better in many ways. I feel that my own and the younger generations are some of the most open, accepting and forward thinking thanks to the exposure to the internet, and the availability of information that comes with it. We’ve created movements, we show support and we stand as a united front with something as simple as sharing, retweeting or liking something.

There’s a real sense of community and support, and it’s an amazing thing to be a part of.

Although I have fallen into the dark hole of social media and the cravings for likes more times than I like to admit, I’m glad that I didn’t grow up around it. I spent my

Not all social media is bad and dangerous, but if not used correctly, it can become just that. It’ll be interesting to witness where it takes us next.

“We’ve created movements, we show support and we stand as a united front with something as simple as sharing, retweeting or liking something.

There’s a real sense of community and support, and it’s an amazing thing to be a part of.”

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UPFRONT

WHAT’S ON now – 2.5.2017

GANDEY’S CIRCUS

//DOUGLAS RUGBY CLUB, DOUGLAS// There’s a red hot Latin flavour with Gandey’s new human thrill circus performance. Suitable for all the family.

No animals involved.

Tickets from 01624 654654 or via the website www.visitiom.co.uk

now – 06.05.2017

SOPHIA MORRISON: THE FIRST CURATOR //MANX MUSEUM, DOUGLAS// Sophia Morrison is probably most wellknown now for her storybook ‘Manx Fairy Tales’, but she did much more than collect Manx fairy stories.

Learn about her varied life and work from promotion of Manx language and culture to her involvement in Manx politics and publishing – Sophia Morrison was a person who made things happen. www.manxnationalheritage.im

03.05 - 05.05.2017

CELTIC MEDIA FESTIVAL //VILLA MARINA, DOUGLAS// This annual festival celebrating all that’s best in the Celtic world is coming to the Isle of Man for the first time. Mostly aimed at professional media people, there are a number of events open to the public. www.celticmediafestival.co.uk

06.05 – 10.09.2017

THIS IS SUMMER

//HOUSE OF MANANNAN, PEEL// An exhibition featuring highlights from the Manx Press Pictures archive held at Manx National Heritage.

Manx Press Pictures, operating out of Prospect Hill, was owned and run by Bill Peters. Bill and his team were contracted to supply press pictures for both the Isle of Man Examiner and the Isle of Man Times.

From 1956 to 1980 they photographed thousands of events on the Isle of Man, anything from Tynwald Day, sporting events, visiting celebrities, news and social events to weddings. From the thousands of Manx Press Pictures photographic negatives, one thousand have been selected and digitised for the years 1956 – 1979. They give a ‘snap shot’ of events which took place from May to September, months often referred to on the Isle of Man as ‘the season’.

To see all 1,000 images, visit This Is Summer online at www.imuseum.im/ search/thisissummer/

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MAY 06.05.2017

27.05 – 02.092017

//PROMENADE SUITE, VILLA MARINA// Live music event: Free local artists in Gardens on Fountain Stage 12.30 - 5.30pm.

Ticketed concert (£22) in Promenade Suite in the evening, featuring international artists.

//MANX MUSEUM, DOUGLAS// Few people in in the world can say that they raced against Hailwood and Sheene, and even fewer can say that they earned the respect of both. This exhibition brings together motorcycles, memorabilia and previously unseen photographs from Mick’s private collection.

BIG WHEEL BLUES FESTIVAL

Theatre style seating general admission.

Tickets available from 01624 600555 www.villagaiety.com

12.05 – 14.05.17

ISLE OF MAN CYCLEFEST

//MILNTOWN ESTATE, RAMSEY & THE NORTH// Based in the north of the Island, the spectacular Milntown Estate is the hub of three days of epic challenges and cycle-based fun. With events for all types of cyclists young and old, this truly is a festival for all velo-lovers. A new addition for 2017 is the Friends Provident International Street Velodrome – a heart pounding, action packed theatre of track style cycle sport, with a forty metre banked circuit.

But it’s not just cycling, the music festival hosts a variety of local and international musicians including Davy Knowles, Mec Lir and Jamie Smith’s Mabon, as well as award winning Elephant Sessions.

For more information and to buy festival wristbands, go to www.iomcyclefest.com

17.05 – 20.05.2017

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM – DARK TOURS

//MANX MUSEUM, DOUGLAS// Inspired by the Manx Museum’s collections, take part in an immersive theatre tour as Labyrinth: History in Action tell some of the Island’s darker histories throughout the museum galleries by torch light. Not for the faint-hearted (or children under 8)! Tours last 60-90 minutes and include climbing stairs, standing for prolonged periods and confined spaces.

An event to celebrate International Museums at Night Festival.

Various tour times, not suitable for children under 8. Tickets available from the Manx Museum Shop. www.manxnationalheritage.im

SUPER 10 – MICK GRANT, THE TT YEARS

Free admission, donations welcome.

Kindly supported by Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. www.manxnationalheritage.im

24.05-25.05.2017

ISLEXPO

//VILLA MARINA, DOUGLAS// Now in its second year, ISLEXPO will celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit captured by the Isle of Man’s mantra ‘Where You Can’ and encourage brilliant business men and women to step out of their everyday, to challenge the status quo, and see things from a fresh perspective.

Once more hosted by the Department of Economic Development, this year’s ISLEXPO has shifted focus from getting started to inspiring growth. Expect inspirational speakers, informative workshops, interactive or hands-on delegate content, lively panel discussions, pitching competitions, a Gala Dinner, artisan food and drink and much more.

ISLEXPO is free to attend, and you can find out more about the speakers and events, and register your interest at www. islexpo.com

27.05.2017

THE LIGHTNING SEEDS

//BUSHY’S TENT, BOTTLENECK CARPARK, DOUGLAS// Headlining at the Carole Nash Stage to mark the 20th anniversary of the Bushy’s TT Beer Tent are the LIGHTNING SEEDS! Hits such as Pure, Life of Riley, Lucky You, Sugar-Coated Iceberg and Three Lions make them the perfect partners to help us celebrate - and there’s even local support from the Ballaghs and others.

Doors open at 6pm. TICKETS ARE £10 + booking fee (over 18s only).

Brought to you by Triskel Promotions.

Booking via www.facebook.com/ bushysbrewery/events or at www. buytickets.at/triskelpromotionslimited ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

As the lights turn off, join us for an evening of immersive theatre and tales of the Island’s darker histories

PERFORMANCE TIMES Wednesday 17 May 7pm Thursday 18 May 7pm (includes hot pot supper) Friday19 May 6.30pm & 8pm Saturday 20 May 6.30pm, 8pm & 9.30pm

TICKETS Available from the Manx Museum Gallery Shop Adult £12, Children £6 (Hot pot supper evening £20)

UPFRONT

ME & MY PET

Human Questions: Leanne Gregory Age? 26 Likes? Yoga, animals & video games.

Dislikes? Animal cruelty & rude people.

If animal what would you be? I’d be a Cat. Independant but gets fed daily.

Favourite food? A tough call between Fajitas and my homemade Lasagne.

Where do you work? I own a new Pet Services business based in the North of the island called Happy Paws. We can be found on Facebook: Happy Paws - IOM.

Where do you live? Ramsey Where are you originally from?

Ramsey... I don’t get around much.

Do you have any more pets? Dog called Jedi, Cat called Timmy and 2 Bunnies called Arnie & Lily.

Would you have any more pets?

Absolutey, it is a life long dream to own a Horse!

The best and worst thing about having a pet is? Best - Unconditional Love & Cuddles. Worst - When they cross over Rainbow Bridge.

Interesting fact: I can touch my nose with my tongue and I have a Diploma in Canine Behaviour.

T? ING PE TEREST RY.CO.IM ES@GALLE AVE AN IN DO YOABUOUHT YOURSELVES - FEATUR TELL US

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

••••

UPFRONT

Give an animal a home

Pet Questions: Sally Breed? Retired Racing Greyhound Age? 9 Likes? Sleeping, Pigs Ears, more sleeping, gravy bones, more sleeping and cuddles.

Dislikes? Rain and being told to make room for others on the Sofa.

Betty Betty spent several months in our Cattery sick-bay because she had to have treatment for kidney stones, and ultimately she had an operation to remove them. She suffers from stress which means that she can sometimes urinate outside of her litter tray and so her new owner will need to take precautions when they first take her home and cover up soft furnishings.

Betty is incredibly affectionate and so it’s a mystery as to how she became a stray. We don’t know her age for certain but we think she is relatively young - she’s certainly very playful and mischievous - and so she will give her new owner years of love and companionship.

If human what would you be? Definitely a Princess.

Favourite food? Pigs Ears.

Why do you love your human? I love all of my humans because they shower me with love every day.

If you had one wish what would you wish for? For all of the retired Greyhounds to find a new home as great as mine.

Interesting fact: I recently had to have my leg amputated because early stages of bone Cancer weakened my bone and it broke when I took a tumble. I have done a great job at learning how to walk on 3 legs and I have been given the all clear.

Sally’s family are currently trying to raise funds for her Vet bill as it was an unexpected blow - emotionally and financially. A fund page has been set up and it has helped the family massively already.

The link for the page is www. gofundme.com/helpsallyflops BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Dolly Dolly she is a small dog with a big personality. She is only two, and full of life, and she already knows lots of tricks – she really is a very intelligent girl and needs to be stimulated (and so being left alone for long periods is an issue for her). She will need an active new home because she can walk and run for miles, and we recommend that she does not live with children or other dogs because she is very reactive towards her fellow canines. She makes up for her lack of love towards other dogs with her affection towards her human friends, and Dolly’s new owner will have years of fun with her provided they invest in further training.

ManxSPCA • Ard Jerkyll, East Foxdale • Tel: 851672

www.manxspca.com

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UPFRONT

THE PROBLEM WITH FAKE NEWS WORDS Grant Runyon ILLUSTRATION Josh Bale

If you’ve been paying attention to the world around you, one thing you won’t have missed is the news about “fake news.” Fake news has been all over the real news, but there’s also a lot of news in the fake news about how the real news is fake too. Confused? You should be, but imagine if your attention span is so short you couldn’t make it this far into the article without an animated picture of a cat eating spaghetti. You would have given up, perhaps decided whether you agree with me based on the illustration, possibly even shared my article to a peer group of gullible fools. That might make you a pretty good target for fake news, but luckily for you I’m a news source you can trust - like the Sunday Sport.

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

MAY CONTAIN SATIRE

Batboy lives with Elvis in a trailer park

So what is “fake news,” and how does it differ from the traditional news? On many subjects tabloid newspapers are about as accurate as the graffiti in a pub toilet, and people don’t just use tabloids for looking at half-naked soap stars - they actually form ideas after reading them. What about Fox News, targeted to America’s racist uncles, or Russia Today, where Facebook simpletons can learn the news that the “mainstream media” suppress, courtesy of that impartial friend of free expression Mr V Putin? All of these are various degrees of unreliable, but they aren’t fake news in the true sense of the term. When legitimate news organisations (those with a smidgen of respect for their audience’s intelligence) talk about “fake news” they are specifically referring to news sources that are created to spread individual stories, usually through social media, that are highly misleading or completely untrue - like the story that the Pope endorsed Donald Trump (he didn’t), or the idea that Barack Obama was born in Africa (he wasn’t). Sometimes they even look real and have real-sounding addresses - like BBCnewsflash.com - but their only purpose is to spread a story very rapidly, and then once they’ve done their damage dissipate like an eggy fart. Traditional news sources might be compromised by the biases of the people who own them, and organisations like Fox News may well assume their audience believe fake news.

However, one-sided cheerleading for a political party is still a different category of dishonesty to a made-up conspiracy about politicians running a paedophile ring from the basement of a pizza restaurant. You can explore the biases of a newspaper, but anybody who has tried to reason in a Facebook thread about vaccines turning you into a giraffe knows that accepting this stuff is like choking off the oxygen supply to the part of your brain in charge of reason.

large, and some of them might be swayed by the gay marriage sea level lobby if those are the only people they know who talk about the issues. Fake news is like background noise that drowns out rational scepticism, and it can sow such confusion that people don’t act, whilst nations or powerful businesses do. A good example is our friends in the Kremlin, who have been particularly cunning in exploiting this climate of confusion. The supposed interference in the American election is probably the most topical example, but a more interesting one is Russia’s role in the conflict in Syria.

Russia isn’t shy about publicly supporting the Syrian government, a vital regional ally, and that’s the line you’ll see taken in its official statements and Russia Today (RT), its English-language propaganda outlet. Nobody should ignore the history of western governments in spreading propaganda and nobbling elections (hello Latin America!) but the Russians ran with that idea and came up with something novel. The Syria situation is maddeningly complex even if you are interested in geopolitics, but alongside RT the Kremlin muddies the intellectual waters with an unprecedented network of fake news, spawning misleading social media stories and circulating fake testimonies that serve not just to directly promote Russian interests but also to prevent people in other countries forming a unified opinion that might force their leaders to take action. Meanwhile the Kremlin, not troubled by democratic disagreement, has time to pursue its goals.

“You can explore the biases of a newspaper, but anybody who has tried to reason in a Facebook thread about vaccines turning you into a giraffe knows that accepting this stuff is like choking off the oxygen supply to the part of your brain in charge of reason.”

Weaken democracy with this one weird trick

We should ask where fake news comes from, and why it exists - what motivates people to spend their time and effort making things up?

Whether fake news is about political leaders or celebrities making love to farm animals the modus operandi is the same - to spread quickly, replicate and mutate, like that cold which has infected half of the Island in the last six months. The difference lies in the ultimate aim: nobody will have their world-view changed by a story about Eyebrows McBoyband ending up in A&E with something stuck up his bottom, but if enough people lose the ability to tell real stories from fake ones then we edge closer to a situation where whole swathes of society are slightly confused about very complex issues, and no longer trust anybody to explain opposing views to them. Because you live in a democracy (aside from Gallery readers in North Korea), and you need to be somewhat informed in order to vote, this is a very big problem.

Don’t believe the hype

The true danger of fake news is that it isn’t just confined to the gullible, but also people who have never developed a healthy cynicism about news sources. Although the category of people who think that gay marriage causes the sea level to rise is reassuringly small, the category of people who nonetheless haven’t formed an opinion about issues like man-made climate change is worryingly

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

UPFRONT

No, YOU’RE the fake news

Of course, if you’ve read this far the chances are you mostly agree with me. To true believers and Trumpers, my entire argument is fake news. According to their logic, all governments are as bad as each other, so why not believe Russia, or a website full of shouty bigots, or one of the bad guys from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark? We all have our biases, but in the case of Russian media the distinction is that people in Britain and America are largely free to criticise the way their news sources operate, and to use news sources that criticise their governments.

No matter what your mate who worships Wikileaks and Russia Today thinks, the same level of freedom does not and will never exist under Vladimir Putin. RT is not the BBC. This concept is quite apparent to anybody with the time or inclination to think about media bias, but the paradox is that people gullible enough to fall for fake news stories will also believe those people who accuse real news sources of being fake news, further reinforcing a spiral of mistrust and confusion.

The consequences are looking painfully clear. If fake news gets a foothold in democracies the result can be a giant snowball of misinformation, rolling downhill at speed and blanketing a metaphorical alpine village with an avalanche of Trump. In a very real sense, human civilisation is at risk of being destroyed because of your weird aunt who keeps sharing stories about Diet Coke giving you cancer. You can either try and reason with them, or just ignore it and ten years later they’ll be rounding you up and making you work in a coal mine.

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UPFRONT

in NUMBERS NEWS

21,000

Silver smart cards have been issued to around 21,000 senior citizen residents on the island. The card replaces the 60+ senior citizen concessionary travel pass currently used.

The Isle of Man’s inflation rate has risen to the highest it’s been since May 2012. In March the rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Prices Index, stood at 2.2 per cent. That’s up from 1.9 per cent in February.

2018 The regeneration of Castle Street is set to commence in the early part of 2018. The Castle Street scheme will create a brighter and more vibrant feel to the northern end of the high street in Douglas.

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£5

The Isle of Man gets a new set of coins - including a £5 piece. It’s the first set to be released in 12 years.

The price of a standard letter to the UK and Isle of Man will increase by 2p to 47p from May 15. Isle of Man Post Office is pleased to continue to offer family and friends a free postage service to any British Forces Post Office address when sending standard letters and packets of up to 2kg.

£2,500 16

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2015 The Strand Centre in Douglas recently announced Tesco has dropped plans to open an Express store. The supermarket chain has surrendered a provisional alcohol license it was given in 2015. The license was never officially granted after a legal challenge from Shoprite.

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Douglas Borough Council is reminding traders in the town centre that from June 30 2017 it will no longer issue licences for A-boards and that any existing advertising boards will not be permitted to remain on the public highway in the borough after that date.

Dog walkers are reminded their animals must be on leads at the Ayres National Nature Reserve to protect ground nesting birds. The requirement comes under bylaws and extends until Monday 31st July. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to £2,500.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

WHAT’S THE BIG ATTRACTION ABOUT MOTHERHOOD? 9 truths about being a mother Words by: Clare Bowie

The temporary birthing high: “Look, I produced a person!” Sadly all that birthing bravery disappears the minute you leave the hospital, so your next leg wax or eyebrow thread nearly kills you. What happens in the labour room stays in the labour room.

You lose touch: Donald who? Sugar free gluten, frayed-edge wide-leg cropped jeans; what are you people talking about? Most parents are just trying to get through the day without spag bol splattered on the wall for crying out loud.

Voices in your head: You get better at filtering out other people’s advice because it’s your baby and she can cry if she wants to. So back off with the boob squeezing, baby burping master class in judgement and crack on with the ironing if you really want to help. #friendshipgoals

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Wardrobe crisis: You really don’t know what to wear. You feel like Brie Larson emerging from “The Room”; how do you even know what’s fashionable anymore after months of jeans with massive stretchy bands? Oh, and your feet may have grown; so glad I can now bin off my 58 pairs of redundant shoes!!

Presents: “I loved my new party dress” said no baby ever! It’s a bit of a light bulb moment when you realise that less is more on the present front for a couple of years.

They couldn’t give a Rudolph about Santa, have no interest in clothes and will not feel rejected if you haven’t hired a magician.

More money = more wine people.

Socially stunted: You forget how to socialise! You’re either too cautious; fretting about mobile signal, scared of cocktails and late nights or you act like a caged teenager, slamming shots and dancing on tables like there’s no tomorrow. Until tomorrow starts with a small child on your face at 5.30am.

Morning!

Parties: When they get older it’s all about the party but you soon learn the two golden rules of the birthday party. 1. Everyone must win something in pass the parcel. 2. Do not, under any circumstances, play musical statues, unless of course you enjoy singling out excited children and dashing their hopes and dreams in public.

Fluids: You become obsessed with hydration for you and your offspring. Milk for babies, water for toddlers, and for you it’s coffee to wake you up and wine to wind you down. You would drink more water but there’s really no time left in the day and the bladder is not quite what it was. You are now officially a persona non grata on the kids trampoline.

The car spa: Life has changed, there’s a lot more under eye-concealer and dry shampoo clogging up your scalp but you still manage to squeeze in a bit of me-time here and there. You may well end up doing your make-up on the move but the simple pleasure of driving off in a car by yourself in total silence is better than any massage.

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UPFRONT

OUR COMMUNITY

GIVE

DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES CARE AT HOME TRUST IS ASKING LOCAL AND BUSINESS COMMUNITIES TO ‘WEAR SOMETHING PURPLE’ ON FRIDAY 7 JULY 2017

The Trust helps to fund and provide ‘Hospice At Home’ specialist palliative care on the Isle of Man, providing respite and end-of-life care for all with life-limiting medical conditions in their own home where that is the patient’s preference.

Could your company take part and help provide high quality nursing support and care at home throughout the Island?

For further information visit the Trust’s website. www.hospiceathome.im

ISLE OF MAN POST OFFICE STAFF BAKE SALE RAISES £361 FOR RED NOSE DAY 2017 On Friday 24th March staff from Isle of Man Post Office celebrated Red Nose Day 2017. An incredible £361.64p was raised for the initiative.

The Post Office took part in the day by holding bake sales around the business where by staff baked a range of delectable items, cakes and biscuits, ready for the day which were then brought in and sold to

raise monies for the initiative.

The Red Nose Day initiative was first launched in 1988 and has since which become something of a British institution.

The day is held every two years and the money raised helps people living incredibly tough lives in the UK and across the rest of the world.

CHARITY HOPES TO MAKE ‘MONEY, MONEY, MONEY’ AT ABBA TRIBUTE CONCERT SUPPORTED BY THE ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY ABBA fans will be able to say ‘Thank You for the Music’ once again as a leading tribute act returns to the Isle of Man in August.

South Douglas Old Friends Association has hosted performances by acclaimed tribute performers ABBA Reunion for the past two years, attracting audiences of more than 600 each year and raising more than £10,000 for the charity.

Thanks to public demand the group

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will be back at the Villa Marina to perform more of the biggest disco hits of the 1970s and 1980s, and the Steam Packet Company is again supporting the charity by covering travel costs for the group.

The concert is on 18th August and tickets are on sale now from the Villa Marina box office or www.villagaiety. com.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

NEDBANK PRIVATE WEALTH STAFF MAKE RECORD DONATION TO CHARITIES More than £30,000 will be donated to charity thanks to staff at Nedbank Private Wealth.

Staff across its offices is Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey raised £15,191.24 throughout the year which is an impressive increase of 12.5% on the sum raised the previous year.

This demonstrates the tremendous effort staff put in to fundraising, through social

events, raffles and cake sales.

The amount raised by staff was matched pound-for-pound by the company, giving a total overall fund of more than £30,000, of which £25,000 was donated straight away to the staff-nominated charities.

The five staff-nominated charities were Wish Upon a Dream in the Isle of Man,

Hospice Isle of Man, Priaulx Premature Baby Foundation in Guernsey, Jersey Heart Support Group, and Friends of Chernobyl’s Children. While the first four charities do an outstanding job of supporting the local communities in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, the latter charity is recognised worldwide for its campaigns supporting children from badly contaminated areas of Belarus.

SELL-OUT FASHION SHOW RAISES MORE THAN £2,000 FOR MANX BLIND WELFARE SOCIETY Manx Blind Welfare Society’s first fashion show attracted a capacity audience and raised more than £2,000 to support its work with blind and visually impaired people across the Isle of Man.

volunteers and members took to the catwalk to model the clothes.

The event, which showed off a range of clothing available to buy from its shop, The VIP Store, took place on Sunday (5th March) at the Society’s headquarters, Corrin Court in Onchan.

UCM Afternoon tea for Hospice Isle of Man

The show presented a sample of the nearlynew clothing the public has generously donated to The VIP Store, which opened in Strand Street, Douglas, in 2015. Society staff, BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

To find out more about the work of MBWS, visit www.mbws.org.im.

£204 was raised by Cross College GCSE Hospitality students and full time NVQ Hospitality and Catering students over a two week period. The Cross College GCSE students held two afternoon teas where they asked customers and staff to make donations to Hospice Isle of Man. The students also kindly donated all their tips!

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UPFRONT

ONLINE / OFFLINE

You Don’t Need Tinder To Start A Fire WORDS Joshua Pattinson

Tinder has a split personality disorder. One side sort of reminds me of those spinning sticks you get at kebab shops. Everything’s on show and it looks pretty disgusting. But at the end of a night, with your inhibitions melted away, you suddenly convince yourself it’s something of a good idea.

The other side of things is for really goodlooking people who want to find other really good-looking people who are DTF. Thankfully I don’t fit into the first category, but unfortunately I don’t fit into the second one either. Is there any hope?

It seems that romance was the last garrison of human interaction unadulterated by mobile tech. Now that’s gone to shit as well.

Apparently now the most important quality in another person is not their personality, but their proximity.

If you find yourself on Tinder, mostly it’s because you’re single and don’t want to be. And the reasons why you’re single aren’t going to go away now that you’re on Tinder. It’s good for NSA hook-ups, according to some.

It turns the old adage finding a needle in a haystack on its head. It’s the needles you’re looking through, maybe you’ll find what you’re after if you look hard enough, but you’ll encounter a lot of pricks along the way.

Human capability is unbounded. We figured out we could mine metal from the earth.

We then built cool stuff out of it. Like space ships. Then we put people in those space ships and sent them to the moon. Woah.

Mind-bending stuff.

And yet my experience of Tinder thus far is a carousel of contrarians, of everything wrong with the world. How have we gone from space ships to relationshits? What has the world come to when we feel that identifying ourselves as either a dog-person or a catperson is an interesting thing to say?

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Get a grip. Syrian children are being blown up like microwaved tomatoes by Trumpian missiles, and we’re like “that’s definitely a toupee”. Perspective is key.

But, when every resting moment is occupied by Tinder-swiping or Facebookscrolling, then I think we’re losing perspective on what’s important.

You know what’s worse than the people who are so attractive they feel like they don’t need to write a bio? People that do write a bio. A bite-sized bio says nothing about who you are. And the really deep quotes give new meaning to the phrase artificial intelligence.

Tinder is the same. When we mediate conversation through silicon and copper and what comes out the other end is sort of like a conversation only with all the meaning stripped out and only the words left.

But it’s a maturation phase. The Internet’s

“You know what’s worse than the people who are so attractive they feel like they don’t need to write a bio? People that do write a bio.”

Saying you like food, music and films is a little like pointing out the Isle of Man is an island. Everyone’s complex, but you don’t get that through computers, they’re not subtle enough.

not been around too long. In the 90’s, the Internet’s youth, it was all garage-geekery and porn pics that loaded one line at a time like Tetris.

I’m on dangerous ground here in sounding like a) a grumpy old man and b) an agony a Aunt. I don’t think I’m either. I just think that Internet connectivity shouldn’t get in the way of our interconnectivity.

The Internet is going through puberty. And we should be sympathetic. There’s reticent love, but I’m malcontent too. It’s got great potential for democratisation, freedom of expression and globalised community, but it can’t keep its head down in class.

I’m not preaching to ceremoniously throwing down the iPhone like a gauntlet.

To skip naked through wind-brushed meadows hand-in-hand with a beautiful blonde, bouncing ringlets and daisy chains, into the sun.

Instead it’s round the back of the bike shed on a Monday morning with a fag in it’s mouth, chatting breeze to who’ll ever listen about how they got drunk on a concoction from mum and dad’s booze cupboard at the weekend.

Apparently still nursing a hangover.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Discover Your Perfect Retreat with Us 5* LUXURY RETREAT & SEA SPA Luxurious rooms, fine food, relaxing atmosphere, spectacular views and impeccable service.

Indulge your senses in our Sea Spa with hot tub, relaxation suite and infra-red sauna.

Seascape • Pinfold Hill • Laxey • Isle of Man • IM4 7HP T: 07624 484634 • E: info@platinum-retreats.com

www.platinum-retreats.com Turn to Seascape article on page 34-35

EVENTS

THE WEDDING OF RACHEL BURNETT & SAM LIVER

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Location: St Peter Church, Onchan.

Reception: King Edward Bay Golf Club, Onchan Photos By: Shan Fisher-www.shansphoto.com

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

EVENTS

continued...

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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EVENTS

continued...

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Isle of Man Arts Council present

Saturday 17th June 2017 Conductor: Stephen Bell Leader: Lyn Fletcher Guitar: Craig Ogden 7.30 pm, Doors open at 7pm

the

HALLÉ Villa Marina, Douglas, Isle of Man

Ticket prices from £16.50 (includes booking fee)

Consessions available Sunday 18th June 2017 Come and Play Session (Heroes and Villans)

Conductor: Jonathon Hayward Leader: Lyn Fletcher Presenter: Tom Redmond

Tickets available from: Villa Marina & Gaiety Theatre and Welcome Centre Ticket Hotline: (01624) 600555 www.villagaiety.com

2pm, Doors open at 1.30pm The Hallé is supported by the National Lottery through funding provided by Arts Council England and Isle of Man Arts Council

CULTURE

#ILOVETHISBUILDING

COMPETITION Here are just some of the entries received so far for our exciting new #ilovethisbuilding competition to win a weekend at the Manx National Heritage cottage at the Lhen. Thanks to everyone who’s entered so far.

CAMERA OBSCURA Paul Kane

NIGHTLIFE Peter Killey

17 MARKET STREET PEEL Lynn & Ian Chambers

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DOUGLAS RAILWAY STATION

Jeremie Kanter

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

See below to find out how you can enter your photograph of your favourite building and have a chance of it being published in Gallery magazine and on Isle of Architecture social media, as well as being part of the Isle of Architecture #ilovethisbuilding exhibition at Noa Bakehouse in July.

GALLERY #ILOVETHISBUILDING COMPETITION RULES LOW IN THE VALLEY OF CRONKDOO NEAR DRUIDALE. Julie Lawton

n Only entries sent to isleofarchitecture@ gmail.com will be accepted. n Only one photograph per entrant (colour or black & white). n Must be an original photograph (minimum 1mb) of a building in the Isle of Man, captioned #ilovethisbuilding and with up to 100 words explaining why you chose it. n The competition is open to amateur and professional photographers aged 18+.

ALBION TERRACE, RAMSEY John

Watling

n By entering this competition, photographers agree to the images being published in Gallery magazine and on Isle of Architecture social media channels and website. n Exhibition print costs (foam board only) will be covered by Isle of Architecture

WEDDING CAKE Paul Dougherty

LAXEY FLOUR MILL. Mrs Chris Hunt

n A select number of images will appear in Gallery in April, May and June, and shared via the Isle of Architecture social media pages (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) and website. n The winner will be announced in the July issue of Gallery and at the exhibition. n Entrants’ email addresses will be automatically added to Manx National Heritage’s mailing list.

ST ADAMNANS CHURCH LONAN Jenny Bury OLD LONAN CHURCH Adey Callister

Closing date for entries: Monday 8th May

n Prize is non-transferrable and subject to the following conditions: Your voucher must be redeemed directly with Manx National Heritage before 31 December 2018. The booking must be made within that time, but your stay may fall beyond the expiry date. Vouchers cannot be refunded. If the value of the stay is more than the voucher value, the voucher holder will be responsible for paying the difference. Minimum night’s stay applies. Find out more at manxnationalheritage.im/visit/staywithus

COTTAGE IN ONCHAN Ann Bury

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CULTURE VULTURE What’s on Now - September DRAWN STEEL THROUGH THE SEASONS //MILNTOWN ESTATE AND GARDENS, RAMSEY// A year long perspective of Robert Jones’ sculptures observing the change of nature and light in the stunning Milntown gardens.

The sculptures are abstract, with many reflecting shapes and forms often found in nature. Others lean to a more industrial form, such as ‘Punk’ which has been placed near the Milntown’s water wheel. Entry to the gardens is £3.50 adults, £1 children and £3.00 for OAPs. Open every day except Tuesdays. www.milntown.org

Now – end of 2017 ART WORKSHOPS // ISLE GALLERY, ST JOHNS//

ArtReach at the Isle Gallery has released dates of their popular courses for 2017 including beginners classes in acrylics, watercolours and oil painting, ceramics, printing and much much more. There are separate workshops for teenagers and children. The classes are supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council and sponsored by Old Mutual International.

Full details, costs and booking forms can be found online.

MAY 02.05 – 31.05.2017 REM-EMBERS EMBLAZONED //STUDIO 42, PORT ST MARY//

An exhibition of brand new work from David Madrell who describes this work as ‘Depictions from a ream of dreams’.

Gallery open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm (4pm Saturdays) www.facebook.com/studio42

12.05 – 18.06.2017 THIRTY-SEVEN AND THREEQUARTERS //SAYLE GALLERY, DOUGLAS//

A photographic exhibition of work by James Marvin which shows an unusual view of the Isle of Man TT Course, taken during the 2015 and 2016 races. James has photographed the roads, road sides and surrounding landscape that the TT course occupies. Through a series of medium and large format photographs he provides a quiet and calm outlook on the course, turning away from the TT races as an event.

The exhibition will be accompanied by an artist’s book of the same name. www.jamesmarvinphoto.com | www. saylegallery.im

www.theislegallery.com

now – 07.05.2017 CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH //SAYLE GALLERY, DOUGLAS//

In this joint exhibition, mother and daughter Julie and Alice Fayle will show a development of a non- traditional, imaginative and ethereal use of cloth. There are similarities in qualities of fragility but differences in techniques, subject matter and product. www.sayle.gallery www.facebook.com/saylegallery

now – 14.05.17 FALSE IDOLS //THE ISLE GALLERY, TYNWALD MILLS//

This exhibition of new work from artist James Duggan will include both large scale and smaller paintings - many influenced by his highly regarded street art and murals. As always, expect some surprises from Jimmy, who will be reintroducing found items as well as adding some pop surrealism to his contemporary portraiture. www/facebook.com/jamesdugganart | www.facebook.com/theislegallery

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CULTURE NEWS

21.05 – 25.06.2017 JULIE ROBERTS AND NICK BARLOW //THE ISLE GALLERY, TYNWALD MILLS//

An exhibition featuring illustrations and sculptures around the theme of Animals. www.facebook.com/theislegallery

17.06 -18.06.2017 HALLE ORCHESTRA //VILLA MARINA, DOUGLAS//

Manchester’s world famous Halle Orchestra is to appear at the Villa Marina on Saturday 17 June, with Stephen Bell, conductor, Leader Lyn Fletcher and Craig Ogden (Guitar).

Tickets from £16.50 On Sunday afternoon there is a Heroes and Villians themed ‘Come & Play’ session, presented by Tom Redmond. It’s too late now to sign up, but if you go along you’re likely to see and hear a number of local musicians playing with the orchestra.

Tickets from the box office and Welcome Centre, and through the ticket hotline on 01624 600555.

FORMER VICAR GENERAL DONATES PORTRAIT TO TYNWALD LIBRARY

Peter Farrant has donated a portrait to the Tynwald Library which depicts him wearing his robe of office as Vicar General of the Isle of Man, a position he held from 1974 to 1995.

Commissioned by Mr Farrant, an eminent retired advocate, the pastel drawing is by renowned local artist Svetlana Cameron whose portraits of former Speakers of the House of Keys Tony Brown OBE and David Cannan, and of former President of Tynwald Clare Christian OBE hang in the Legislative Buildings.

Mr Farrant presented the portrait to the President of Tynwald Steve Rodan MLC in a short ceremony during which members heard Mr Rodan extend his sincere thanks to him for donating such a ‘gracious gift’, a personal portrait which would now be on public display in the Tynwald Library.

www.villagaiety.com ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

LIVE SCREENING COMES TO RAMSEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Thursday 11th May sees the launch of the Northern Theatre Experience – Live Screening Theatre events at Ramsey Grammar School in the Sixth Form Lecture Theatre.

PWC HELPING BRING HIT MUSICAL ‘THE PRODUCERS’ TO THE ISLE OF MAN Classic musical comedy The Producers is set to hit the boards at the Gaiety Theatre in May with help from co-sponsor PwC Isle of Man. The acclaimed Broadway musical, based on Mel Brooks’ much-loved Academy Award-winning movie, is being recreated

by Douglas Choral Union and is set to be a fantastic experience for theatre lovers.

It will run from May 6 to May 20, with a total of 11 performances, and it’s the first time the show has been performed in the Island.

The musical debuted on Broadway in 2001 and ran until 2007, winning a recordbreaking 12 Tony Awards. It opened in London’s West End in 2004 and has since enjoyed two successful UK tours.

The show tells the story of New York producer Max Bialystock, who has been left impoverished after a string of flops, as he recruits timid accountant Leopold Bloom to help him pull off Broadway’s greatest scam.

They aim to produce the worst show ever and run away with millions, but they soon learn that show business can kick you in the teeth.

Tickets for The Producers are now available at www.villagaiety.com

“Obsession”, starring Jude Law will be the inaugural production, preceded by a complimentary reception for ticket holders at Milntown. This initiative has been made possible by the support and encouragement of the IOM Arts Council who provided the school with a start-up grant to provide the facilities necessary to create an experience to rival other live screening venues, including the “home of live screening” Ballakermeen High School! The Arts Council have been the driving force behind this as part of their remit to provide opportunities to access the arts. Live Screening programmes at venues like Ramsey Grammar School ensure that the Manx public has access to performances and exhibitions from all over the world.

Tickets are on sale for the inaugural show via the Villa Gaiety box office.

Those purchasing tickets before Thursday 4th May will also be invited to a complimentary drinks and refreshments reception at Milntown at 5 pm.

ISLE OF MAN POST OFFICE CELEBRATES THE ISLAND’S RICH ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL HERITAGE Isle of Man Post Office is proud to present a vibrant and artistic ‘Isle of Man Festivals’ miniature sheet featuring five popular Manx festivals that celebrate the Island’s cultural heritage.

The stamps which have been designed locally by Isle of Man Advertising are out now.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Each stamp on the miniature sheet has a value of 75p, a festival image and micro text featuring words relevant to the specific event.

The Isle of Man Festivals stamp issue can be viewed and ordered at www.iompost.com/ festivals.

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UPLOAD

THE MONTHLY UPLOAD

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YOUR PHOTOS £50

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6 Christopher Arrowsmith 7 Krysia Boruch 8 Bruce Parkinson 9 Claudia Schulz 10 Audrey Guniava 11 Alice Evers

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Want to win £50? All you have to do is email your entry with the subject ‘upload’ to: upload@gallery.co.im. Make the files nice and big though, 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 pages full-size unfortunately - they just wouldn’t fit!

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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ON TREND:

THE ISLE OF MAN’S BOUTIQUE SPA-CATION

Words by: Lisa Gadman Photography By: Dave Silvester, Colby Studio

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new booking surge for spa mini breaks has recently emerged in the UK as Brits seek to combine relaxation with a romantic weekend away. According to Bing Ads Spring Travel Insights report, Spa mini breaks made up nearly a quarter of total search volume relating to short breaks. Spa mini-breaks were found to be most popular amongst the millennial demographic, with half of searches coming from the under 35 year old group. So what does this mean for the Isle of Man? Local 5 star boutique retreat, Seascape of Laxey Bay, is setting the pace for this emerging trend in thcree Isle of Man offering guests 5* luxury Bed and Breakfast accommodation with Sea Spa facilities which is so highly coveted they have an exclusive 3 month waiting list. Hotelier and entrepreneur Michelle Hitchen had the vision of building the ultimate setting to create the perfect spa-cation (“spa vacation”) combing opulent rooms and decor, fine foods, infra-red sauna, relaxation suites and outdoor hot tub overlooking awe-inspiring sea views of Laxey Bay. Built in 2008, Seascape of Laxey Bay is a cathedral of relaxation; boasting floor to ceiling glass which immerses every room with beautiful light. “As you walk through the doors, you are presented with

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panoramic views from all sides, and it feels as though you are walking into the ocean” comments owner Michelle. The retreat was designed by local architects Penketh Millar to Michelle’s vision which was influenced by contemporary architecture in Marbella, Lanzarote and Australia. The architectural design brings the outside world in, making the most of the panoramic seascapes. The building has split levels with a lofty 3m ceiling which never changes height so the line of sight to the ocean is never interrupted.

Hues of white, ivory, silver and pale gold reside throughout the retreat’s opulent decor, from the stylish furnishings imported from Marbella to the ivory silk cushions and rugs which together create a reflective, relaxing space. The decor is an eclectic mix of bespoke local artist’s glass pieces, Nancy Corkish paintings, Buddhist artwork and eastern antiques gathered during Michelle’s travels. “Every piece has a story and is a talking point. My husband Glenn and I wanted to help people truly relax in their surroundings, enjoying breathtaking sea views whilst diving into Glenn’s fine cooking made with local ingredients”.

Drawing upon her natural entrepreneurial spirit, Michelle saw a gap in the Isle of Man market for creating a 5* luxury bed and breakfast with Spa facilities, thus launched Seascape of Laxey Bay in 2016 and exclusive Sea Spa Day packages in ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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“Understanding our guests do not dream the same dreams of luxury is also important; everyone is different and we aim to be in tune with our guests from the moment they arrive”. early 2017. “I felt drawn to the idea of setting up a luxury bed & breakfast with spa on the island, especially to share the beauty of the Seascape building, its architecture and stunning views—the response has been phenomenal”.

Impeccable service and unsurpassed luxury have become synonymous with Seascape. Meticulous in its attention to detail at every customer touchpoint, from the opulence of the furnishings and surroundings down to the choice of floral arrangements, softness of the Spa towels and sourcing delicious local ingredients of its breakfasts – luxury is ingrained in every part of the retreat and its setting a new standard in spa mini-breaks. Michelle believes “understanding our guests do not dream the same dreams of luxury is also important; everyone is different and we aim to be in tune with our guests from the moment they arrive”.

For more information on Seascape’s 5* Luxury Bed and Breakfast facilities and Sea Spa Day packages visit www.platinum-retreats.com or email info@ platinum-retreats.com.

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TRAVEL

TRAVEL NEWS JOIN THE PARTY ON FRED. OLSEN CRUISE LINES’ BOUDICCA THIS SUMMER, RIGHT IN THE HEART OF LIVERPOOL! Make the most of the August Bank Holiday this year with a memorable ‘Summer Party Night’ aboard Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Boudicca in Liverpool, on the evening of Monday 28th August 2017. Boudicca – one of Fred. Olsen’s most popular and friendly ships – will be in port during the city’s annual ‘International Beatleweek Festival’, taking place from 23rd to 29th August 2017, and Fred. Olsen is delighted to have secured one of the best-known Beatles tribute acts around – The Backbeat Beatles – to entertain guests live on this very special party evening.

A feast of fun, food and fantastic entertainment awaits Fred. Olsen guests, as they are docked in the heart of Liverpool, in the shadow of the iconic Liver Building.

Guests (over 18s only) will be treated to a taste of the Fred. Olsen cruise experience, with a sumptuous five-course à la carte dinner, served by attentive waiting staff in the elegant surroundings of Boudicca’s Tintagel, Four Seasons and Heligan Restaurants.

sharing a twin-bedded Interior Room, and include accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, VAT and port taxes.

Fred. Olsen will be offering a total of 10 sailings from Liverpool during its 2017/18 cruise season, starting with a 26-night ‘Bermuda & the America’s Cup’ adventure on 9th June 2017, which has been speciallydesigned to take in all the action and spectacle of the 35th America’s Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Entertainment for Fred. Olsen’s ‘Summer Party Night’ will include the world-famous ‘Backbeat Beatles’, and the hilarious Stan Boardman, Liverpool’s favourite TV comedian. A late-night DJ will continue this special Merseyside celebration into the early hours.

After revelling in the evening’s festivities, guests can retire to their comfortable, spacious room for a restful night’s sleep on board Boudicca. The following morning, they can then enjoy a delicious full English breakfast, or a lighter Continental choice, with a wide selection of pastries, cereals and fruits, before disembarking for home and reminiscing on a great evening of fun and laughter.

To find out more about Boudicca’s ‘Summer Party Night’ in Liverpool and how to book your place, please call Fred. Olsen’s Reservations Department on 01473 742 424 (Monday to Friday 8am – 8pm / Saturday 9am – 5pm / Sunday 10am – 4pm).

Prices for this very special Liverpool ‘Summer Party Night’ start from just £99 per person, based on two adults

For group bookings of 20 or more, please contact Fred. Olsen’s dedicated Group Sales Department on 01473 746169 or e-mail group.sales@fredolsen.co.uk (Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm).

BEN-MY-CHREE ROUND-THE-ISLAND CRUISE SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY 24TH JUNE Tickets are on sale now for Ben-my-Chree’s round-the-Island cruise, which is scheduled for Saturday 24th June.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Onchan Silver Band during the cruise, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has announced.

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passengers the opportunity to enjoy spectacular views of the Manx coast.

The cruise fare is just £28 for adults and £15 for children aged between five and 16.

Children aged four and under are free.

The concert is part of the band’s 80th anniversary celebrations and will see 25 players perform seven pieces of music specially commissioned for the anniversary, one for each of the kingdoms seen from the Isle of Man.

Passengers will be able to choose from a selection of three hot dishes, including a vegetarian option, and enjoy an ice cream and a non-alcoholic drink. Special dietary requirements, such as gluten-free or vegan, can be accommodated but the Steam Packet Company must be informed at the time of booking.

The vessel will depart Douglas at 7pm for a cruise lasting around four hours, giving

The bar will not be open, as the vessel is not licensed to sell alcohol while it is in

Manx waters, but passengers are welcome to bring their own alcoholic beverages to drink with their food.

To make a booking call in at the Ferry Travel Shop, Sea Terminal, Douglas or call the Reservations Team on 661661.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

INVESTMENT BUSINESS T E C H N O LO G Y

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INVESTMENT - WOMEN NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY T H E Y M A N A G E M O N E Y

B U S I N E S S - T H E L AW O F AT T R A C T I O N

T E C H N O L O G Y - G E N D E R PAY G A P S B E T W E E N COMPUTER PROGRAMMERS REVEALED

in the news

KPMG Sadly Announces Death of Managing Director, Mike Fayle

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he partners of KPMG are very sad to announce the death of their muchloved Managing Director Mike Fayle.

Mike had been receiving treatment at the Christie Hospital in Manchester since early January but his condition deteriorated and he passed away on the 1st April with his family around him. Mike was one of the islands leading liquidation and

restructuring practitioners and passionate about the arts and culture, working with the Manx National Heritage for many years.

Russell Kelly, who will step up into the role of Managing Director of KPMG Isle of Man and Gibraltar, said “It is with a heavy heart that I take on the mantle from Mike, he has been a wise and inspirational leader for us for many years, indeed for most of the

time our firm has been on the Isle of Man, and we will all miss him terribly. Mike’s wife Viv and son Tom are very much in our thoughts.” Kevin Lloyd, the Chairman of the KPMG Islands Group, of which the Isle of Man and Gibraltar form a part, said “We have lost a great partner, mentor, man and friend.”

A successful result for the Knox Group of Companies

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ecently Knox Financial Services’ sold its Lasenby Knox business to Edgewater Associates, which follows closely behind Edgewater Associates’ acquisition of MBL Financial.

Steve Locking, former Managing Director at Lasenby Knox moves on to continue his career in the financial advisory arena.

Discretionary fund manager Creechurch Capital, which is part of the Knox Financial Group, will also see its Head of Investments move to Edgewater Associates to pursue a career in the financial advisory space as the Knox Financial Group of companies focuses its services within the discretionary marketplace. The Knox Financial Group will retain its Lasenby Knox brand in the UK. Commenting on his team’s exit, Steve Locking said: “As the Knox Financial Group

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moved its strategy away from the IFA market, the leadership team worked with us to ensure a positive exit. We’d like to thank them for this support and we look forward to making more announcements around our new firm’s official launch in due course.”

Mary Brady, chief operating officer at Knox Financial Group added: “We see increasing opportunities in the local market for our discretionary management services which complements Creechurch Capital’s significant growth internationally. Six years from launch and eight international industry awards later, we’re ready to build on these strong foundations.

“Even though we are choosing to exit the advisory space, Steve and his team have done an excellent job for us and we wish them the very best for the future.”

ON THE AGENDA

Submit RL360° Quantum applications on the go with RL360°’s tablet app

ACSP arranges two sessions of Introduction to Beneficial Ownership Act 2017 seminar

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L360° has launched a tablet app, which will allow applications for the flagship regular premium savings product RL360° Quantum to be submitted instantly online.

The easy-to-use paperless system will save time and money and will provide a flexible and secure solution for both advisers and their policyholders.

To begin submitting RL360° Quantum applications online, an adviser must have terms of business with RL360° and be registered to use our Online Service Centre (OSC).

Once registered, the app can be downloaded for free after which the adviser can contact RL360° for activation. However an adviser’s business is structured, the app’s set up can be modified to fit their particular requirements.

To find out more, visit RL360° Quantum website www.rl360quantum. com

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he popular topic of beneficial ownership has prompted the Association of Corporate Service Providers to arrange two sessions of a seminar ‘An Introduction to the Beneficial Ownership Act 2017’ on Thursday May 23 with John Wilkinson, Director Registries, DED Companies Registry.

Sponsored by DQ Advocates the seminar will be at the Upper Hall, Loch Promenade Church, Douglas.

Registration for the morning session will be at 11.30am for a 12noon prompt start and at 1.30pm for a 1.45pm prompt start for the afternoon session.

Each session is expected to last approximately one hour.

For bookings contact Antonia King: aking@acsp.co.im.

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The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the original amount invested. Exchange rate changes may affect the value of investments. Nedbank Private Wealth is a registered trade name of Nedbank Private Wealth Limited. The parent of Nedbank Private Wealth Limited is Nedbank Group Limited, which is incorporated in South Africa and is regulated by the South African Reserve Bank. The ultimate parent of Nedbank Private Wealth Limited is Old Mutual plc, which is incorporated in England and Wales. The latest audited report and accounts, and details of the credit rating are available at www.nedbankprivatewealth.com.

Nedbank Private Wealth Limited is licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority and is a participant in the Isle of Man Depositors’ Compensation Scheme as set out in the Compensation of Depositors Regulations 2010.

For full details, please see www.iomfsa.im. Registered office: St Mary’s Court 20 Hill Street Douglas Isle of Man. The Jersey branch is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission and is a participant in the Jersey Banking Depositor Compensation Scheme. See www.gov.je/dcs for full details of the Scheme and banking groups covered. The London branch is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registration No: 313189. Your eligible deposits with Nedbank Private Wealth Limited, London branch, are protected up to a total of £85,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the UK’s deposit guarantee scheme. Any deposits you hold above the £85,000 limit are unlikely to be covered. Please ask for further information or visit www.fscs.org.uk. The UAE representative office in Dubai is licensed by the Central Bank of UAE. Licence No: 13/191/2013. Representation in South Africa is through Nedbank Limited. Registered in South Africa with Registration No 1951/000009/06, an authorised financial services and registered credit provider (NCRCP16).

in the news

Top rankings and international recognition for law firm Cains

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eading Isle of Man law firm Cains has been awarded top rankings in the internationally-recognised 2017 Chambers Global guide.

The annual guide, which objectively rates lawyers and law firms on a global basis, has given Cains top ‘Band 1’ recognition in both Corporate & Finance

Equiom expands into Japan

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nternational professional services provider Equiom has announced the acquisition of Solid Japan, a Tokyobased corporate services business with an

and Dispute Resolution.

Each year, the world’s best lawyers and law firms are ranked based on the in-depth research of more than 170 editors and researchers.

This year’s guide acknowledges Cains’ Dispute Resolutions department as a leader in complex commercial dispute

international client base. Solid Japan was established in 2008 and offers a comprehensive suite of services to support inbound investment into Japan. The acquisition further complements Equiom’s existing Asia presence in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Equiom’s Global CEO, Sheila Dean commented: ‘This acquisition is a tremendous achievement for Equiom as it allows us to expand into a new jurisdiction with excellent growth opportunities. We have always viewed Asia as a key market in terms of the company’s growth ambitions and as one of the strongest economies, Japan is a great place to do business. Solid Japan’s team of experts are extremely experienced in the local market with an in-depth understanding of business establishment and support processes and I am pleased to be able to welcome them to Equiom.

Edgewater acquires Knox IFA business

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dgewater Associates has acquired Knox Financial Services’ Lasenby Knox IFA business.

This deal follows Edgewater’s purchase of MBL Financial last December, creating a new IFA powerhouse on the Island.

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Edgewater Associates – which is part of Manx Financial Group Plc – will ensure all Lasenby Knox clients will be transferred across and continue to receive excellent service throughout the transition. Knox Financial Services will retain its Lasenby Knox brand.

work, with one source saying “I was very impressed with them: they offered a very quick turnaround of work. They have the technical expertise, but were also very commercially minded.”

A total of nine Cains lawyers are individually ranked within the guide’s editorial including Richard Vanderplank, Andrew Baker, Mike Pinson, Tim Shepherd, Seth Caine and Robert Colquitt, with managing director Andrew Corlett named as an ‘Eminent Practitioner’.

MTG strengthens its technical solutions division

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anx Technology Group (MTG), a leading technology solutions provider headquartered in the Isle of Man, has acquired Omnitec, an IT services provider and hardware reseller.

The acquisition enhances MTG’s already strong technical service capabilities and its deep industry experience in financial services, e-Gaming, manufacturing and healthcare. The addition of Omnitec to the Group allows MTG to meet the growing customer demand for end to end technology solutions.

ON THE AGENDA

movers & shakers

Equiom appoints Matt Tabb as Global Head of Corporate Communications

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eading international professional services provider Equiom is pleased to announce the appointment of Matt Tabb as Global Head of Corporate Communications. The appointment comes as a result of Equiom’s ongoing expansion into new jurisdictions and diversified service lines.

Matt joins the team with over 19 years’ experience in the UK marketing communications industry having worked with some of the world’s biggest brands including P&G, MasterCard and IKEA. He previously held senior roles within well-known UK marketing agencies, Arc/ Leo Burnett, Wax Communications and BWP Group. Through various roles, Matt has a proven track record of increasing profitability and client base. At Equiom, he will be responsible for overseeing all strategic marketing activities across Equiom’s various business lines within the eleven jurisdictions that the business operates in.

Matt commented on his new role: ‘I am excited to be joining such a dynamic team. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities of marketing a global and fast-moving organisation. Many aspects of my previous experience will translate well into this position and I know I will be able to bring a fresh perspective to Equiom.’

ON THE AGENDA

Mayor appointed for 2017-2018 municipal year

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ouncillor Debra Anne Marie Pitts has been selected to serve as the Mayor of Douglas for the 2017-2018 municipal year.

At a special meeting of the council held on Friday March 31 Members voted unanimously to agree the recommendation made by the executive committee.

The Mayor Select, who represents Derby Ward, is the daughter of the late

Dot Pitts, who served as Mayor in 20082009 and Councillor Stephen Pitts who held the office in 2001-2002.

Accepting the nomination she said she was ‘delighted’ to have been selected, adding: ‘I’d like to thank my fellow councillors for having the confidence in me to carry out the important role of first citizen.’

Edgewater Staff Celebrate Exam Success at IOM Insurance Institute Annual Dinner

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dgewater is pleased to announce that two of its rising stars, Samantha Hall and John Walker, were presented with awards for outstanding academic achievement in insurance and financial services at the recently-held annual dinner of the Insurance Institute of the Isle of Man. Client Manager Samantha received the Young Achiever’s Award which acknowledges the outstanding achievement of young professionals aged under 35 in the local insurance and financial services industry. To date, Samantha has completed four of the six

examinations required by the Personal Finance Society for Diploma status – an impressive feat at the tender age of 18.

Paraplanner John was presented with the Financial Planners and Insurance Brokers Association Award for the highest examination mark achieved in financial services on the Isle of Man for his Certificate in Financial Planning (CertPFS). Moreover, in a first for the Isle of Man, John received the Worshipful Company of Insurers Prize from Dame Inga Beale (CEO of Lloyds of London) for the highest mark in the UK in completing the CertPFS.

APPLEBY ANNOUNCES PARTNER PROMOTIONS

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eading offshore law firm Appleby has announced two lawyers from the Isle of Man office have been promoted to Partner.

Andrew Harding, Counsel in the Corporate department at Appleby, specialises in forming, restructuring and terminating Isle of Man investment funds and has been involved in several multimillion pound deals.

Juan Thornley, also a Counsel in the Corporate department, advises on a range

of corporate matters from mergers and acquisitions to private equity and asset finance transactions.

Legal 500 UK, a guide that profiles and ranks lawyers, has highlighted the expertise of both lawyers.

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wealth & investment

Words By: Clare Barrett (FT)

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he wealth management industry is not immune to gender politics. In a competitive market managers are asking themselves whether they should step up their marketing efforts towards female clients. But do women need to change the way they manage their money?

A record 125 women made this year’s Sunday Times Rich List, which tracks the UK’s wealthiest 1,000 individuals. However, its compilers said “almost all of them are involved in ventures with their husbands or other family members, or have inherited their wealth”.

Many wealthy women appear happy to let their other halves take responsibility for their finances. My biggest problem with this? Us chicks tend to live longer and will probably be the ones picking up the financial pieces after our blokes have passed on. Plus, our demographics mean we need to make our income last longer in retirement, and — assuming we bear the brunt of childcare responsibilities — address the earnings gap we will almost certainly be saddled with.

A sobering analysis from the UK’s Institute for Fiscal Studies has found the gender pay gap widens significantly after women have their first child. Before they start answering to cries of “mummy”, the average woman in the UK earns 10 per cent less than the average man. By their time their first child is 12, mothers are paid a third less on average, leading the IFS to posit they are missing out on promotions or simply accumulating less experience.

Sadly, there is also a general lack of experience in managing money. Advisers tell me they are most likely to be contacted by female clients who have just been hit by a curveball — be it the death of a partner, being diagnosed with a serious illness or divorce.

The answer is for women to get more involved while they are happy, healthy and (ideally) single. “Even for many highly intelligent women on substantial salaries, the default setting is still often to let their partner handle investment decisions.

Women are also more likely than men to pick a discretionary style of wealth management. Nearly two-thirds of the portal findawealthmanager.com female clients seek to set the parameters of the investment strategy but delegate day-today decisions to professionals.

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Wealth managers ask if women need to change the way they manage their money The default setting appears to leave women in the dark about investing However, the cost/return ratio on wealth managers’ discretionary strategies is something investors of either gender should be wary of in today’s incomestarved markets. The average private client with money in a steady growth-focused discretionary portfolio achieved a return of 2.3 per cent in 2015, according to private client indices provider ARC. This is after administration costs but before charges for planning or advice. Adding those will not leave much to play with.

Nor should we assume it is just women who shy away from being hands-on in managing their money. My friend Nick recently split up from his male partner of 10 years. He’d left all the financial decisions to his partner. After they split, he confessed to feeling “helpless”. Although he was the higher earner, he struggled to rent a flat and set everything up himself. Nick admits

now he should have got more involved.

As you might have guessed, I wear the financial trousers at home. My husband has zero interest in our finances (although I’m sure he would take an interest if the money ran out). Regardless, I have given myself the Sisyphean task of educating and involving him in what I do with our money.

There are three reasons for this.

First, our marriage is a partnership. He should know, and have a say, about where and how our money is invested.

Second, if I get hit by a bus he will stand a greater chance of knowing what to do in my absence.

And third, if you can explain a complicated subject to someone with no natural interest in it, you have a much better chance of understanding it properly yourself.

ON THE AGENDA

Investments - Cannabis ETFs: joint venture

M

arijuana lovers whose habit befogs their judgment can now outsource investment decision making to the Toronto stock exchange. The world’s first marijuana-themed exchange traded fund. Dreamy returns are expected.

But buyers should be aware of the very different business models rolled up in the fund.

Marijuana sales in North America grew about 34 per cent in each of the past two years, to $6.7bn, according to Arcview. Americans in states where weed is permitted account for almost 90 per cent of that. But under US federal law, dope is as illegal as heroin. This explains why the Horizons Medical Marijuana Life Sciences ETF will trade in Canada, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to decriminalise recreational use.

The ETF is tied to Solactive’s North American Medical Marijuana index. The top three-quarters of constituents measured out by weight have gained a mind-blowing 80 per cent on average in the past six months. One is Insys Therapeutics, a

US biotech that generates revenues from opioids but spends a fifth of its research budget on cannabinoid drugs. Less relevantly, the ETF also contains Scotts Miracle-Gro, which sells fertilisers and plant food. A quarter of the stocks are denominated in US dollars. That will make the ETF, which is priced in Canadian dollars, susceptible to exchange rate risk.

Some of its holdings also have limited liquidity. For every C$5m (US$3.7m) of new ETF units that the sponsors create, they would need to buy a fifth of the daily volume of CanniMed Therapeutics. This shows how ETF-related demand can put pressure on the price of individual stocks.

Marijuana investing, like dope smoking, will remain a niche pursuit.

Connoisseurs boast they can distinguish between such strains as Strawberry Cough and Pineapple Express. If so, they retain the discernment to select stocks more carefully than an ETF allows.

Global Economy - Wealth of global billionnaires climbs to $7.7tn

T

he global super-rich became even wealthier over the past 12 months, with figures from the latest Forbes billionaires list revealing that the total net wealth of the 2,043-strong members of the elite club rose to $7.7tn in 2017.

In 2016, there were 1,810 billionaires worth a total of $6.5tn, with an average wealth of $3.6bn.

The 2017 list are richer, Forbes revealed, with the average billionaire now worth $3.8bn.

Bill Gates tops the list for the fourth consecutive year with an estimated $86bn fortune – an increase of $11bn since last year.

Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive

of Amazon, the online retailer, is the fastest gainer. His wealth increased by $27.6bn over the year to a total net wealth of $72.8bn.

Two hundred and twenty-seven women make the 2017 list, up from 202 a year earlier. Zhou Qunfei, founder of Lens Technology, the touchscreen manufacturer, is the wealthiest self-made woman, and Alexandra Andresen, 20, and her sister Katharina Andresen, 21, from Norway, are the youngest on the list, both worth $1.2bn.

The US has the most billionaires, with its 565 topping Europe’s 530. China individually now has 319, and the AsiaPacific region can now claim to be home to the most super-rich, with 720 billionaires in total.

Book Reviews Jessica Mitford’s ‘Hons and Rebels’, her memoir of growing up in one of Britain’s most famous aristocratic families between the wars. Family finances play second fiddle to politics, but it is amusing to read how Lady Redesdale managed the family budget making up for her husband’s failed investments in undersea recovery of pirate gold. If only he had had a wealth manager!

ON THE AGENDA

The Mandibles, by Lionel Shriver. As a counterpoint to booming markets, reading Lionel Shriver’s dystopian novel will bring you back down to earth with a crash.

Set in 2029, it follows the fortunes (read: ruin) of a middle-class American family as the debt-burdened US economy implodes and inheritances evaporate.

agenda

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in-business Words by: Wendy Shimmin

H

ow many times have you heard successful people say their achievements are down to building a great team around them? Or that they had a seemingly chance encounter or opportunity which created an amazing chain of events? Or they just never gave up their dream, no matter what got in the way?

While many would call this luck, there’s a school of thought that says this simply demonstrates the Law of Attraction – that if you focus positive thoughts and energy on a certain outcome, you are likely to achieve it. If, on the other hand, you dwell on the problems that could happen and the things that stand in your way, it’s a lot less likely you’ll get where you want to.

The term Law of Attraction was coined more than 100 years ago although the basic premise of positive thinking and “do as you would be done to” is a feature of cultures and religions that go back way before – think of karma, for example, found in both Hinduism and Buddhism, or the “as you sow so shall you reap” teachings found in the Bible.

In the last century or so the idea of the Law of Attraction has been picked up by both business gurus and various new age proponents, including American authors Esther and Jerry Hicks who, somewhat bizarrely, claimed the contents of their book on the subject had been “channelled” to them by a group of non-physical beings.

It’s also spawned a lot of pseudo-scientific analysis and even suggestions that it is some kind of “secret” that’s been kept from the masses by famous, successful and wealthy people.

But, mystical insights and conspiracy theories aside, the Law of Attraction has some underlying basic truths to consider.

Having a positive outlook can put you in a much better position to succeed – enthusiasm and passion are infectious, a person who is motivated often works harder and is easier to support, positivity has a good vibe and it creates a dynamism that helps make things happen.

Just think of some of the most successful business people you know – say Richard Branson or Steve Jobs – and there’s a common theme of can-do attitudes and a zest for change and progress. They are without doubt positive people who inspire their colleagues, employees and even their customers to participate in their success.

Three local advocates of positive thinking are businesswoman Jan Tinsley, children’s nursery owner Gary Peirce and MHK for North Douglas, Ralph Peake, who

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The Law of Attraction Can positive thinking make you more successful?

“We want to encourage people to stop moaning and complaining and start using a positive attitude, focus on what they want and make good things happen”

have between them set up Positively Isle of Man, a group to nurture positive thinking among the Island’s business community.

The formation of the group grew out of their shared friendship and interest in the book Think and Grow Rich by American motivational author Napoleon Hill, who also expounded the Law of Attraction.

“We used to meet and talk about how we could use positive thinking to achieve the things we wanted and, using ideas from the book, how we could support each other,” says Jan. “We often discussed how many of our colleagues would benefit from joining in but it took us until January 2016 to pluck up the courage to make that invitation and form the Positively Isle of Man Group.”

Open to everyone, the group meets once a month from 7.30am to 9.00am (something which requires a positive response in itself but is designed to fit around attendees’ busy schedules).

Its aim is simple: “We want to encourage people to stop moaning and complaining and start using a positive attitude, focus on what they want and make good things happen,” says Jan. “We agreed that who you spend time with matters – a lot! So, we wanted to provide a safe environment where we could be positive, optimistic and thoughtful without the draining effect of the nay-sayers, the glass half-empty people, who we all know can be so draining and debilitating.”

Each month the group focusses on a topic, usually based on one of the chapters from Think and Grow Rich, and also features a book review and a special guest who will talk about their life and career.

These have included self-made millionaire Julian Woods, marketing expert and philanthropist Professor Hugh Davidson, Paralympian Ian Sharpe and most recently entrepreneur Philip Vermeulen.

“Our guests have been an inspiration,” says Jan. “We ask the same 10 questions to them all and their stories of accomplishment, wisdom, striving, resilience, modesty, humour, learning, success and failure have been enthralling.

We’ve heard about how they’ve achieved their dreams and we’ve heard about their challenges and shared these lessons too.

“What comes across is the authenticity of these amazing people and how their success and happiness has been a reflection of everything they have been, thought, said and done in their life. A lesson to us all that staying true to our positive selves will hold us in good stead.”

Attracted to positivity? The next Positively Isle of Man meeting is on 18th May at The Talk of the Town Restaurant in Nobles Park. Doors open at 7.30am for a 7.50am start, finishing at 9am. For further details please email mrspositivity@ positively.im

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RL360 Insurance Company Limited. Registered Office: RL360 House, Cooil Road, Douglas, Isle of Man IM2 2SP, British Isles. RL360 Insurance Company Limited is authorised by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority. Registered in the Isle of Man number 053002C.

“Security by design involves everybody making sure they are working securely, whatever role in the company they have”

technology

Biggest risk to a company’s cyber security is worker complacency Survey finds UK employees are among the worst at protecting data Words By: Hannah Kuchler (FT)

C

yber security has been creeping on to agendas of corporate boards across the world, as more directors fear their companies could be the next big victim of a hack attack. The dangers include losing customer data or hardwon intellectual property, and general disruption to the business.

However, they face a struggle not only against cyber criminals, but also with workforce complacency. Staff either do not understand their role in the complex challenge of security systems or cannot yet be persuaded to care.

British workers in particular fail to protect their data and devices. According to a study last year, the Barclays’ Digital Development Index, the UK came ninth in a survey of 10 countries, behind Brazil,

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China and South Africa.

Barclays said the lack of digital skills in the UK left businesses and individuals at risk: 13 per cent used password-generating software, compared to 32 per cent in China and India; 41 per cent changed important passwords regularly; and the majority of people have stored payment information on websites they frequently use.

The rise in phishing attacks - when a criminal sends an email that lures its readers to click on an infected link or download a dodgy document - means workers need even more knowledge.

Telecoms company Verizon examined 10,000 phishing incidents in its 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report, and found 1,000 had led to a data breach. Al­most one in three phishing emails is opened by their targets and 12 per cent of recipients click on links. People in time-pressured professions - such as lawyers, journalists and public relations executives - who often receive urgent external emails, are among the most frequent victims.

What people will open and how they

think of documents from both known and unknown sources is absolutely alarming, they assume an email is safe if it has been through the corporate firewall.

Many companies send fake phishing emails to test their own staff. The US Department for Homeland Security tricked workers by offering free tickets to see US football team the Washington Redskins.

But those who clicked on the email link and went to a ticket collection point found mandatory cyber security training courses instead of a fun freebie.

Justin Clarke-Salt, co-founder of Gotham Digital Science, part of security specialist Stroz Friedberg, says more attention needs to be paid to increasing awareness. He adds hackers need to deceive only one user to enter a system.

“In the last couple of years, we’ve seen an enormous increase in the amount of highprofile breaches. We’re seeing [the use of] previously un­known malware [malicious software] doubling.”

Companies are also falling victim to “business email compromise”, when a cyber criminal impersonating the chief executive or chief financial officer asks workers in the accounting department to transfer money. By manipulating workers’ fears of delaying a senior executive’s request, the hackers have money transferred to their accounts.

Since January 2015 there has been a 1,300 per cent rise in identified losses to this scam in the US alone, totalling more than $3bn, the FBI has said.

Companies can provide two-factor authentication or password managers, and restrict the websites workers visit and what devices they add to networks.

But Rob Horton, senior product manager of NetReveal, an anti-fraud platform belonging to BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, says security must be built in. “Security by design involves everybody making sure they are working securely, whatever role in the company they have. Whether an employee is working with a customer, delivering a service or writing code in an application, there needs to be accountability.”

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technology

“A lot of times this is sort of the first time that it has been brought to their attention, that this is an area that investors are interested in”

Gender pay gap between computer programmers revealed Study finds difference is wider than national average

A

s tech companies have moved towards more transparency around diversity figures, a growing number have also lifted the lid on an even more sensitive subject - the pay gap.

Those figures can be controversial because the biggest pay gap between men and women is found in the role of computer programmer, a job that dominates many tech companies.

Male computer programmers make 28 per cent more than their female counterparts, after adjusting for differences between jobs and workers. That gap is four times larger than the US national average, according to a recent study from Glassdoor.

Despite, or perhaps because of, these differences, an increasing number of tech companies have started to conduct pay-gap audits, ranging from industry giants like Microsoft and Intel, to newer companies

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Words By: Leslie Hook (FT)

like Facebook and Airbnb.

Some of them, such as Salesforce and Cisco, have publicly committed to spending millions of dollars to adjust pay discrepancies uncovered during their audits. Last year, Salesforce said it had spent $3m on adjustments, and the company expected to spend a similar amount in a new review this year, following several acquisitions.

One of the reasons that companies have recently starting publishing their pay analysis data is not only to attract women and to be more equitable - but also in response to shareholder activism. A number of sustainable investment companies have filed shareholder resolutions demanding pay audits at large tech groups, including Apple, Amazon, eBay and Qualcomm.

“A lot of times this is sort of the first time that it has been brought to their attention, that this is an area that investors

are interested in,” says Heather Smith, analyst at Pax World Management, a mutual fund focused on sustainable investment strategies.

Pax led a shareholder resolution in 2015 asking Apple to conduct a pay audit, a request that the company agreed to. It has filed or co-filed half a dozen similar requests with other tech companies. When this happens, most companies agree to conduct a pay audit before the matter comes to a vote.

In the tech industry overall, the gender pay gap is about 6 per cent, once adjusted for different types of jobs and experience levels, a level that is similar to the US overall, according to Glassdoor.

However, the tech companies that have published the results of their pay-gap data report very small gaps of 0.1 per cent of 0.2 per cent, or no gap at all.

ON THE AGENDA

Isle of Man | Home & Interiors | May 2017

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

The Grange - Knocksharry £1,150,000

Oakland - Glen Vine £695,000

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FEATURE PROPERTY

RAMSEY ROAD, KNOCKSHARRY, PEEL, ISLE OF MAN

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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£1,150,000 The Grange was converted from three original Manx stone barns dating back to the late 1800’s, comprising 2, two storey buildings linked by a newly built single storey structure. The windows have been replaced with modern high quality ‘tilt and turn’ units. External shutters have been retained to blend the character of the outbuildings with modern contemporary living. All rooms have been wired for a variety of optional extras including CCTV, remote control heating, TV and broadband, zoned dimmer lighting.

The main lounge (Approx 36’7 X 24’6) is a magnificent room with striking coastal views and triple double doors leading out to a courtyard garden. A full height picture window affords spectacular westerly views to St Patrick’s Isle, Peel Castle and Peel Hill. On a clear day the Mourne Mountains are clearly visible. A Manx stone fireplace

relieved by facing brick works with the open fire. This contemporary room also has a mezzanine level vaulted ceiling. Oak wood flooring throughout and spiral staircase that leads up to the mezzanine level.

Outside you have 10 acres of agricultural land adjacent to the railway line. Currently tenanted by a local farmer.

The general grounds extend to landscaped gardens of 1.3 acres and is approached along a sweeping coastal driveway. Once inside the main entrance is a courtyard and flower garden.

A Manx Stone Cottage which was the former staff quarters is presently used for storage and in need of refurbishment.

Also a barn/Shed 85’ in length - provides flexible leisure usage subject to necessary permissions.

continued...

5 Bedrooms | 5 Bathrooms | 3 Receptions BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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FEATURE PROPERTY

continued...

KEY POINTS:Â n A unique and imposing coastal residence n Complete refurbishment and extension to the highest standard n Combines contemporary living while retaining character n Incredible rural and sea views n The property stands in 1.3 acres with a Further 10 acre field along the coastline n 3 Receptions, 5 En-Suite Bedrooms, Utility and Wine Cellar n In addition to the main house is a Guest House/Staff Quarters

Contact Black Grace Cowley to arrange a viewing I t: +44 (0) 1624 645 555 | e: info@blackgracecowley.com w: blackgracecowley.com I a: 51 Victoria Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IMl 2LD

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HOW THE SUBURBAN GARAGE HAS DRIVEN

CREATIVITY AND INVENTION Words By: Edwin Heathcote (FT)

Steve Wozniak (left) and Steve Jobs n There is Gwen Stefani and Kurt Cobain and the rise of garage bands. And, of course, there are garage sales, home gyms, recording studios, artists’ studios and galleries. The garage, it seems, is an empty vessel, capable of accommodating almost any fantasy.

Architecturally, even when they are integrated into the highly finished, commercial product of the modern house, the garage tends to have a raw, unfinished

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quality at odds with the domesticity of the dwelling that engulfs it. With its exposed brick walls, concrete floors, steel-rack shelving and heavy mechanical door systems, it represents the encroachment of industrial space into the domestic.

Appearing unfinished, a place where the structure of the house is frankly revealed rather than obsessively concealed, it remains one of the few spaces (perhaps together with the cellar and the loft) which

allow the imposition of imagination and the boundless possibilities of reinvention.

If the garage is the space of invention, it is also a site of existential angst. Lester Burnham suffers his midlife crisis in his man-cave garage. There are countless other films in which the garage becomes a transformational space, such as Back to the Future, where it doubles as a lab. It is also the scene of real-life tragedies, with people using this hidden space to kill themselves ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard at the 1989 dedication of their garage as the ‘Birthplace of Silicon Valley’ n Apple, Google, Amazon, Hewlett-Packard and Walt Disney. What do they have in common? Multibillion dollar turnovers? Rapacious capitalism? Sure. Yet perhaps more interestingly, every one of them started off in a suburban garage.

The garage is the most prosaic, the most functional, the least insulated and probably the messiest place in a house. Yet perhaps precisely because it is so marginal a space, it has been able to accommodate an almost limitless range of uses. A garage can be adapted, adopted and reimagined as anything from workshop or music studio to fetish dungeon and it has become, in a way, the nexus of contemporary culture and commerce.

Disney and Hewlett-Packard’s original unassuming sheds are now museum pieces, preserved and restored as cultural artefacts.

This cultural status is counter-intuitive. When we think of creativity we tend to think of cities, of the serendipitous collision of classes and races, the sparks of inspiration that occur when people are crammed together in diverse communities and the most brilliant minds are drawn to the multicultural magnet of wealth.

That, at least, is the contemporary urbanist consensus.

Yet, weirdly, it may just be the suburbs - the bland, boring, ecosystem of identical houses and undifferentiated closes - that have been the engine behind the developments in tech, music, film and engineering which have been driving growth all these years.

by leaving the engine running and slowly letting the fumes overcome them. The garage is the one room in the house that has no windows, it is the most private and, consequently in a strange way, the most intimate room.

It can become the space of obsession. There is the almost sexual desire for the car in the garage, think of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or another, older but just as magically transformational version in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Or even Batman’s bat cave - the essential high-tech man cave and a glorified suburban garage and space of transformation.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Oddly, at exactly the moment we are potentially realising the value of the garage, it is going out of fashion. New urban developments tend to disdain the car in favour of public transport.

It is an angle that developers can hold up as a virtuous commitment to walkability and urban intensification but one which, coincidentally, saves them a huge wad of cash. Meanwhile, suburban development of the type that drove huge postwar growth in the US and Australia but also on the edges of most historic European cities, is frowned upon as sprawl. The result is an unprecedented housing crisis in popular cities such as London, New York, Paris and elsewhere. continued...

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HOME

continued...

Kevin Spacey in ‘American Beauty’

Hewlett and Packard in their garage workshop n This is not a defence of the suburban, rather an elegy for the idea of a space that can be anything you want it to be.

n Frank Lloyd Wright enters the story as perhaps the first major architect to recognise the life-changing potential of the car. His Robie House (in Chicago, Illinois) of 1908-1910 was, according to the authors, the first to integrate a garage into the structure of the house itself. Cars had previously been stored in separate outhouses more akin to stables as they were considered a serious fire risk. Work started on Robie House in the same year that the first Ford Model T rolled off the production line, so the history of the suburban garage and of avant-grade architecture are surprisingly intertwined.

The title of a small new book by the artist Olivia Erlanger and architect Luis Ortega Govela is Garage: Hate Suburbia. The lovely, slightly whimsical (self-published) book proposes the garage as “the silent hero of the 20th century”. Erlanger and Govela bring together an illustrious cast of characters to illustrate the garage’s status in contemporary culture, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Lester Burnham, Kevin Spacey’s character in American Beauty. For Burnham, they say, the suburban garage is a place where he can “light up, work out, jerk off”, the ultimate man cave to accommodate a midlife crisis.

The batcave in the 1960s TV series of ‘Batman’

n The surge in property prices across many cities has led to young adults staying far longer than ever before in their parental homes. Garages are now being adapted and expanded as accommodation for grown-up children.

A sort of diametric opposite to the granny flat. The baby flat, perhaps.

Dick Van Dyke in ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ (1968)

n The reason the garage is so open to adaptation is that it is, effectively, redundant.

Designed for an era when cars would rust and leak oil when left out in the open, they are not really needed for modern cars.

Perhaps that redundancy chimes with the contemporary crisis in masculinity. What was once the male space is now defunct. It needs to be reappropriated and what was once the site of the male midlife crisis is now having to adapt to another kind of crisis altogether.

Robie House in Chicago,

by Frank Lloyd Wright, 1908-10

n Yet other characters roll in and out of the story, too. There is Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs’ hairy early partner, who is said to have developed Apple’s early products in a garage, even though he himself relates that the garage was mainly used for warehousing (sometimes the myth becomes stronger than the reality).

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As garages themselves are adapted, their very substance has become the stuff of architecture.

Architect Teddy Cruz, working on the urban cross-border phenomenon which is San Diego/Tijuana, pointed out to me how many Mexicans, often involved in the construction industry over the border, have taken the detritus from demolished and defunct garages from the postwar suburban building boom in the US and repurposed them south of the border as elements in remarkable self-built dwellings.

Colourful, distinctive mid-century garage doors now appear as walls and lean-tos, as gates and porch shelters in some occasionally brilliant examples of adaptive and inventive reuse.

The suburban garage truly is, it seems, the gift that keeps on giving.

Photographs: Tom Jamieson; Getty; Lorey Sebastian/DreamWorks/20th Century Fox/ Greenway/REX/Shutterstock; CSU Archives/Everett Collection/Alamy; Hewlett-Packard

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...find your and make the move to Ballakilley, Port Erin...

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To book a viewing or find out more please contact our Sales Team:

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FEATURED PLACES Our pick of the market this month at £1m+ RIVERSIDE

Patrick Road, St Johns £1,100,000 This is a unique opportunity to acquire a country property which has been previously operated as a trout farm providing private members fishing. The property is set within an amazing setting of approximately 6.5 acres of landscaped gardens, large lake and additional ponds.

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5 Bedroom | 4 Bathroom | 4 Receptions

LORNE HOUSE

Douglas Street, Castletown £4,000,000

One of the most important houses in the Isle of Man, Lorne House has played a central role in the history of the Manx nation and its fortunes have long been entwined with those of Castletown.

This landmark house, which dates from 1826, was formerly the official residence of the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man when Castletown served as the Island’s seat of government.

A magnificent late Georgian house with distinctive Regency architectural flourishes, Lorne House, rich in original features and designed for entertaining on an ambassadorial scale, has been faithfully restored to its former splendour by the present owner who has also created a sensitively designed two-storey wing out of the former domestic offices to provide more intimate three-bedroom family accommodation which, while independent, may also be incorporated into the main residence.

With grandly proportioned formal reception rooms and bedrooms and a lower ground floor complete with office and communications centre Lorne

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7 Bedrooms | 6 Bathrooms | 8 Receptions

House, which now extends to some 16,000 sq ft, could not only serve as a sumptuous private home with generous staff accommodation but also provide opportunities for housing business and conference centre operations.

BLACK GRACE COWLEY 01624 645555 ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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iombank.com/mortgages Call us today 01624 637000 Like Isle of Man Bank on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @iombank Isle of Man Bank Limited (IOMB). Registered Company Number: 1C Isle of Man. 01624 637000. Registered Office: 2 Athol Street, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM99 1AN. Licensed by the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority in respect of Deposit Taking, Investment Business and registered as a General Insurance Intermediary. Subject to availability. Over 18’s only. Security required. Calls may be recorded.

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ALTERNATIVE ISLAND LIFESTYLES

11559 LAIKA LANE, CAPTIVA ISLAND, FLORIDA, US, $6.9M SAINT-GERMAINBEAUPRÉ, CREUSE, LIMOUSIN, FRANCE, €4.2M

Where On Captiva Island, just off Florida’s Gulf Coast. Southwest Florida international airport is an hour and 10 minutes by car, while Tampa airport is about 2.5 hours.

What A 4,736 sq ft property with two bedrooms and a deck overlooking the sea.

The property was built in 1990 for US artist Robert Rauschenberg.

Where In Crozant, a small commune in central France, 50 minutes’ drive from Limoges international airport.

What A 16th-century, 15,000 sq metre fortified château with Grade I historic monument status and almost 17 hectares of land. The six-bedroom property was recently restored to its former grandeur.

Why The home is one of only 200 on the island, providing exclusive use of the beaches.

Who The Bell Team, thebellteam.com, tel: +1 239 851 0168

HOMES FOR BUYERS SEEKING AN ALTERNATIVE ISLAND LIFESTYLE

Why The château is surrounded by a moat, offering an alternative island lifestyle. Steeped in history, the waterways are thought to date back to Roman times, and the castle was attacked repeatedly during the hundred years’ war.

The drawbridge is still in use, but it is now automatic for convenience.

Who Hamptons International, hamptons-international.com, tel: +44 20 3151 7275

BYHOLMEN, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, 25M KR (€2.64M) Where Byholmen is one of 30,000 islands in Stockholm’s archipelago. It is a threehour boat trip to Stockholm’s port, and then a 25-minute drive to the city’s international airport.

What An eight-hectare island with two properties. The main property dates from

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1912 and has 180 sq metres of living space including four bedrooms. There is also a three-bedroom guesthouse with a sauna, as well as a boathouse and workshop.

packed with perch, pike and walleye for fishing. Between trips you can trek through the woods or swim in various coves around the island.

Why The private island is ideal for escaping into the wilderness: it is miles from the nearest shop but surrounded by water

Who Skeppsholmen Sotheby’s International Realty, skeppsholmen.se, tel: +46 73 983 80 16 ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Comfort evolved NEW! Stressless® LegComfort™. Touch sensitive buttons reveal the elegantly integrated electric footrest. Individual comfort is fulfilled by adjusting the length of the footrest. Visit us instore today and discover your ultimate Stressless® recliner.

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A. J. Millichap Ltd 85 Parliament Street, Ramsey, Isle of Man IM8 1AQ T: 01624 813636

millichaps.co.im

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FEATURED PLACES Our pick of the market this month at £500,000+ GLION SHUGAL

Ballaugh Glen, Ballaugh

Situated in an elevated position with beautiful views overlooking Ballaugh Glen and surrounding farm land, Glion Shugal is a beautiful family home set in approximately 6 acres. The property provides super family acoomodation with potential to be extended and modernised further. The ground floor provides well laid out family space with the kitchen/family room at the heart of the

GARFORTH GRAY 01624 667788

Glen Vine Road, Glen Vine

£695,000

bedroom with luxury En-Suite bathroom and dressing room, five further Bedrooms, two benefitting from luxury En-Suites and there’s a luxury family bathroom. A newly fitted Firebird oil fired central heating boiler is installed together with newly fitted hot water tanks and uPVC double glazed windows. There is also air conditioning to the first floor.

6 Bedrooms | 4 Bathrooms | 4 Receptions 62

home. There is a good sized sitting room overlooking the garden and surrounding fields. Upstairs there are 3 double bedrooms with family bathroom. The property enjoys a pretty country cottage garden to the front with fields extending to the front and right with a metal shed providing storage/ cover for vehicles. The property has a good degree of privacy and potential.

3 Bedrooms | 2 bathroom | 2 Receptions

OAKLAND

This superior, modern, executive detached house is situated in a sought after residential location with lovely countryside and hill views. The property has been finished off with extremely high quality fixtures and fittings throughout and offers spacious, well laid out family accommodation arranged over two floors. Briefly comprising on the ground floor of a 29 ft lounge, dining room and family room. To the first floor, master

£549,000

BLACK GRACE COWLEY 01624 645556 ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

The Renewable Solutions Provider Making a World of Difference

Low cost heating and hot water for homes in the Isle of Man Ecodan heat pumps from Mitsubishi Electric clearly offer a viable, low-maintenance, cost-effective alternative to traditional heating systems. Suitable for the vast majority of homes on the island, there has never been a better time to switch to a cleaner, greener heating and hot water solution that could save you money.

Ecodan could also qualify for the ‘Comfy Heat’ electricity tariff from Manx Utilities, bringing further cost savings.

Ecodan. Clearly efficient, clearly renewable.

For further information call

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or visit ecodanerp.co.uk/IOM4

Local RIBA chartered practice, Hugh Logan Architects, can help to provide a unique solution in order to realise your needs, desires and aspirations for your property.

H U G H L O G A N A R C H I T E C T S

HUGH LOGAN

Riba

manaGinG DiReCToR PRinCiPal aRChiTeCT

“Good design can and will

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H u g H Lo g a n a r c H i t e c t s Bridge court 10 Bridge street c a s t L e tow n i s L e o f M a n i M 9 1 a X

Principal & Founder, Hugh Logan Architects

Phone 01624 825872 email HugH.Logan@HLa-iM.coM Web www.HLa-iM.coM

A one hour initial consultation is free of charge.

Solutions vary and can include — • Property Extension • Property Replacement • Remodelling to improve functionality • Remodelling to improve appearance

Services and advice are also provided for — • Development potential • Energy Conservation • Planning Consent • Building Regulations Colour variations

BRIDGE COURT 10 BRIDGE STREET CASTLETOWN ISLE OF MAN IM9 1AX

PHONE 01624 825872 EMAIL MAIL@HLA.IM WEB WWW.HLA.IM

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THE AGA RANGE COOKER

Swedish physicist Gustaf Dalén wanted a machine that would cook, heat the house and dry laundry all at once

The Aga is so evocative of a cosy middle-class life in the English countryside that it inspired a whole sub-genre of fiction: the Aga-saga.

The range cooker was invented in Sweden in the 1920s by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who was stuck at home after being blinded in a lab accident. In this state — so the tale goes — Gustaf Dalén was so moved by his wife’s struggles with chores that he invented a machine that would cook, heat the house and dry laundry all at once.

The Aga (Aktiebolaget Gas Accumulator) was the world’s first heat-storage oven. Unlike normal ovens which blast out hot air, it has a cast iron centre that continuously gathers heat and slowly releases it to its ovens and hotplates. It is a slower way of cooking that, the company’s website claims, “locks in the flavour”.

First produced in the UK at the start of the depression in 1929, the Aga was an instant success thanks to marketing that stressed its low running costs. Even in the age of central heating, it remains the go-to appliance for a kitchen in need of rustic charm: the spiralled handles on the hotplates; the enamel coating in colours such as “British Racing Green” or “Pistachio”.

Aga cookbooks have been in production since 1933 and they can still be bought today.

The march of the Aga was halted by the credit crunch in 2008, and by the eco-unfriendliness of a cooker that can guzzle up to 40 litres of oil a week to heat a kitchen during summer. In 2013, Aga fought back with an electrical version that has the same homespun feel, but that can be turned off either by flicking a switch, or by touching a button on your smartphone.

DESIGN CLASSICS NUMATIC’S HENRY VACUUM CLEANER In the 37 years since the first smiling face was drawn, an estimated 10m machines have been sold In 1980 at a trade fair in Lisbon the company Numatic was demonstrating its latest vacuum cleaner: a squat cylinder drum, with a bright red base and a black patent top, on wheels. To pass the time, a Numatic team member took a pen to the display model and doodled a smiley face. By accident, a design sensation was born.

There is power in anthropomorphization. With its animated eyes and mouth, the long black hose (holding the floor tool), naturally became the nose. After the face, came the name: Henry. And once Henry was on the market, machines in different colours with different usages (such as for carpet cleaning or use on wet surfaces) were made. So Henry also became available as James, George, Charles, Harry — and Hetty, pinkcoloured with long eyelashes. The names loudly emphasise the fact

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it is a British-based company and the factory in Somerset now makes a point that all parts are made and assembled in the UK. Yet people don’t like it just because it is British. They like it because it is a plaything. It was popular with cleaners who felt they could talk to the machine during their working day. Similarly it is popular on the domestic market among those who just want to add a bit of charm to the dull task of cleaning the home.

In the 37 years since that first face was drawn, an estimated 10m smiling vacuum cleaners have been sold. During that time the exterior design has remained the same. Yet its innards are constantly being updated to keep up with the technical and environmental

race: the latest models are quieter, have more powerful suction and a class-A rating for energy efficiency.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

At Manx Glass and Glazing we also offer a variety of glass products for your home improvements. From glass for your greenhouse or shed, picture frames, tabletops, bespoke mirrors or glass splashbacks we can meet your requirements.

With the launch of a new showroom showing the latest conservatory roofing systems and new coloured windows and doors our team of staff are happy to discuss any improvements you are considering. We are also proud to announce we are the Island’s only Network VEKA Installer.

Network VEKA is a nationwide organisation representing only the very best local uPVC window and door companies in the industry. It’s not easy to become a member, so homeowners know that when they see the Network VEKA logo, that company is committed to upholding strict standards of workmanship, training and customer satisfaction. With a service of care, knowledge and attention to detail, it’s this element that creates a point of difference for Network VEKA.

Create your dream living space

Come and visit our showroom or get in touch for a consultation on home improvements tailored to your needs.

Visit our website: www.manxglass.com Showroom: Composite, Solidor and Palladio doors

Manx Glass and Glazing have been serving the Isle of Man for over 30 years and provides only top quality, affordable aluminium and UPVC Double Glazed Windows, Double Glazed Doors, French Doors, Sliding Patio Doors, Bi-folding Doors, Sun Rooms and Conservatories and Facias and Soffits all expertly fitted by our own qualified experienced fitters.

Every window or door we supply is tailor made for your home to virtually any width and height that you may need.

We offer a comprehensive range of high quality composite and PVC panel doors available in various styles, colours, designs and glazing options at very competitive prices.

All our window and doors are fitted with A rated double glazing keeping your home wonderfully warm and draught free. All frames are reinforced and have high security locking systems fitted as standard to keep you and your house secure.

At Manx Glass and Glazing you have options for the glass in your windows and doors such as Stained Glass, Solid and Glazed, Bevelled Glass, Diamond Lead and Georgian Bar Designs, Triple Glazed and a large range of matching window boards, window furniture and hardware including window and door handles, letter boxes and door knockers.

10 YEAR INSURANCE BACKED GUARANTEE

30 COLOUR AND WOODGRAIN OPTIONS ON ALL VEKA PRODUCTS

SNUGBOROUGH TRADING EST. - BRADDAN - ISLE OF MAN - IM4 4LH PHONE 01624 674573 | enquiries@manxglass.com

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4 MAJESTIC COURT,

QUEENS VALLEY, RAMSEY Reduced by £200,000 for quick sale

Majestic Court is an exclusive building of only 4 luxury apartments. Located on the 1st floor the immaculate accommodation is very well planned and is enhanced by high ceilings all with deep covings and most with ornate ceiling roses, tasteful décor and quality fixtures and fittings.

Comprises: n 24’ Drawing Room with views across the grounds n 18’ Dining Room, 12’ Study n Superb 17’ Dining Kitchen, Utility n 3 Excellent En Suite Bedrooms n Private balconies front and rear n Garaging and Private Store Room n Generous communal lawned gardens n Lift access and Security entry system n A viewing is highly recommended

£495,000 DeanWood, Lezayre House, 87 Parliament Street, Ramsey Tel. 816111 or ramsey@deanwood.co.im www.deanwood.im - Ref: DRP00297

Manx Paving & Slate We stock and supply natural stone paving in Granite, Slate, Limestone and Sandstone in a wide variety of colours, we also carry the full range of Tier Stone panels and our own pre cast concrete paving copings and walling.

View our display at our Derbyhaven premises.

Old farm Buildings Derbyhaven T: 824211 E: manxpaving@manx.net www.manxpaving.com

WOODLAND I N T E R I O R S KITCHENS ● BEDROOMS ● BATHROOMS Traditional & Contemporary Designs Free Planning, Design & Estimates, Complete Installation inc Associated Trades, Bespoke Worktops in Hardwood & Soid Surface, Replacement Doors Standard and Made to Measure, All Leading Brands of Appliances, Sinks, Taps & Accessories.

TELEPHONE: 816182 / 481124 www.woodlandinteriors.org.uk

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FEATURED PLACES Our pick of the market this month at £250,000+

BALLAGORRY HEIGHTS

Glen Mona, Maughold £345,000 Attractive modern detached house originally constructed by local reputable builders Hartford Homes Ltd very well looked after and tastefully decorated by the present house proud owners with updating works during recent years including the re-fitting of the master en-suite shower room and family bathroom. In addition the gas fired central heating boiler has been replaced with an energy efficient condenser combi boiler.

The tastefully decorated accommodation briefly comprises: canopied entrance, entrance hall, cloakroom, lounge, superb 26’ open-plan dining room and kitchen, utility room, 16’ dedicated office/study/hobbies room etc, 4 good 1st floor bedrooms, master en-suite shower room and family bathroom.

In addition to the gas fired central heating for which the boiler has been serviced on 8th March 2017 the windows are uPVC double glazed and for ease of maintenance the fascias, soffits and bargeboards have been finished in PVC.

4 Bedroom | 2 Bathroom | 2 Receptions

24 HILLBERRY HEIGHTS

DEANWOOD 01624 620606 Governors Hill, Douglas

£289,950

A large well presented and extended semi-detached family house situated in a sought after residential location. Close to all local amenities, schools, shops and bus routes.The large family reception room and lovely fitted kitchen/diner with double doors leads to a stunning conservatory.The property also has gas fired central heating and is double glazed throughout. The property boast five bedrooms (one En-Suite, one with WC) and a family bathroom.

Outside you will find a well maintained and fully enclosed rear garden with decked area and off road parking for one car.

5 Bedrooms | 2 Bathroom | 1 Receptions PROPERTYWISE 01624 662820 68

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Open for lunch and dinner, Enzo’s Restaurant offers modern international cuisine with an Italian twist.

Enzo and the team look forward to welcoming you into their cosy relaxed atmosphere and spoiling you with a creative menu, complimenting wine list and selection 52 Bucks Road of specials.

Douglas Call 622653 to book your table or email enzosrestaurant@manx.net

OPENING TIMES: Lunch Mon-Fri 12-14.30 Dinner Mon-Sat 18.30-21.30

APPETITE

Recipes PEPPERONI PIZZA OMELETTE

BAKED EGGS WITH BAYONNE HAM & PARSLEY CREAM (Serves 4) n 40g butter, softened n 4-8 slices Bayonne ham n 8 eggs n 2tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley n 100ml double cream n Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper n Crusty French bread, to serve n Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/ gas mark 2.

(Serves 2-4) n 250ml passata n 2tbsp tomato puree n 3 garlic cloves, grated n 6 large free-range eggs n 2tsp dried oregano n A drizzle of olive oil n 150g sliced pepperoni n 2 balls of mozzarella (about 125g each), drained n 2tbsp fresh oregano leaves n 30g Parmesan cheese n A small handful of basil leaves n Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper To make the tomato sauce, heat the passata, tomato puree and garlic in a saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer to reduce until the sauce is nice and thick. This will take eight to 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and dried oregano and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a little olive oil in a 24cm non-stick ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Pour in the egg and stir until it is almost fully cooked, removing the pan from the heat when the omelette is still a little runny and wobbly in the middle.

Sprinkle with the oregano and then place the pan in the oven for eight to 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the ‘pizza’ is set.

Generously butter four individual ovenproof dishes or ramekins and place on a baking tray. Divide the ham slices between the dishes, laying them over the base and up the sides. Crack two eggs into each dish and then top with some of the parsley and the cream.

Season with salt and pepper and bake for 12-15 minutes until the eggs are just set.

Remove from the oven and immediately grate the Parmesan over the top. Scatter over the basil and serve at once, directly from the pan.

Scatter over a little more parsley and serve warm, with crusty French bread.

Gently spread the tomato sauce all over the omelette. Cover with the pepperoni, then tear the mozzarella into pieces and scatter it over.

Recipe from: Stay-Happy Ways To Lose Weight by Tom Kerridge is published in hardback by Bloomsbury, priced £20.

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Monthly spending going up and up?

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An impressive 4 bedroom detached dormer bungalow with integral single garage and ground level bedroom with en-suite.

A spacious five bedroom detached home, featuring a large formal living room, separate dining room and sunroom.

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Here at New Manila we are constantly striving to improve fixed until 31.05.2018 variable after that APR is the overall and quality in our service order to THE OAK MAINE COURT THE CEDAR THE OAK cost for comparison A stunning 4 bedroom detached Award winning 4 bedroom, three A 4 bedroom home with a A 4 bedroom detached home with give our customers the very best Thai home with garage. Includes light storey townhouses, minutes from separate dining room, study, family garage. Featuring a large hallway, fittings, carpets, wallpaper, soft As a result the beach Portproud Erin townto room and open-plan breakfast/ spacious living room, dining room food experience. weand are furnishings and fire surround. centre. kitchen with bi fold doors. and large breakfast-kitchen, ORDER YOUR introduce our new online£384,950 ordering website!

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A 3 bed end mews home with This 3 bedroom home with single Like Isle of Man Bank on Facebook spacious living room and double garage includes a lounge, doors into an open plan kitchenkitchen-dining room, and @iombank Follow us on utility Twitter dining room. downstairs WC.

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freshly prepared meals from New Manila Restaurant Toand findhave out more online. You can even pay online them please our at Sales delivered straight to your doorcontact in no time all. Team:

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEPavailable UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE Delivery in Douglas and Onchan 01624 615000 7 days a week. iomsales@dandara.com Delivery available all Islandoron dandara.com visitFriday/Saturday,

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newmanilaiom

NEW MANILA RESTAURANT | MARATHON TERRACE | QUEENS PROMENADE | DOUGLAS | IM2 4NH

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 Isle of Man Financial Services Authority in respect of Deposit Taking, Investment Business and registered as a General Insurance Intermediary. APR stands for Annual Percentage Rate and is an interest rate which takes account of the full amount of interest on any money borrowed plus the timing of repayments and any other charges that you have to pay. It may not take into account any reduction in interest rate following the maturity of the initial product. The frequency of Specification may vary subject to house type and build stage. Full details available on request. Prices and details correct at time of going to print. Image indicative only. the interest payments, for example monthly or quarterly, affects the calculation. Rates correct as at (01.03.2016). Subject to availability. Over 18’s only. Security required. Calls may be recorded.

APPETITE

Words by: Jamie Lewis @lewislewis.im

WHY DID THE MEXICAN PUSH HIS WIFE OFF THE CLIFF? Tequila! It makes me happy! Never before has my complete and utter adoration for something been so succinctly summed up by a song lyric. Arguably Mexico’s most holy of exports; Tequila has – somewhat – ironically earned itself the reputation as the go-to spirit for the provision of all things reckless.

Those of you that know me personally, will know that I’ve a deep rooted love for all things 80’s - neon lights, electronica, tiki tipples, Depeche Mode, bad Tom Cruise movies – one thing I can never forgive the decade for however, is its abysmal treatment of the Aztec nectar – orange juice and grenadine, seriously? Jokes aside, I imagine tequila’s bad rep is primarily down to the fact that there’s just so much bad tequila out there, with so many of them not actually containing that much of the star ingredient – Agave.

Agave? I hear you cry… ¿Que eso? Well, erm, it’s basically a spikey Mexican plant which looks a bit like a cactus, it’s pronounced ‘Uh-Gah-Vee’ and its closest relative is the lily flower. It’s juiced, then cooked, then fermented and distilled to make Tequila.

Easy, right?

Wrong! The process is traditionally incredibly labour intensive and oh so artisanal. Good tequila should really be made from 100% agave, and with each agave plant taking between five and twelve years to reach maturity, it’s a pretty lengthy process! And, whilst there are tons of

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differnet varieties of agave that grow in Mexico – 200ish, to be sort of precise – only one Agave can legally be used to produce Tequila (#oneagavetorulethemall); ‘Agave Tequiliana A Weber Blue azul’, but you can just call it Blue Agave.

The Aztec people of generations past believed that their gods – for want of a better word – impregnated the blue agave plant with a liquid that would erase painful memories. A theory that I’m willing to accept as the gospel, following many a morning-after spent piecing the few painful memories I have left together, yet still finding myself wondering how the heck I got home!!

In essence and to conclude, have some bloody respect!

It ain’t all about Margarita’s you know… #tequilabucketlist This month, I thought about giving you my top secret recipe for the most incredible margarita you’re ever going to taste. But then I remembered something, it’s top secret! So instead, I’m giving you the next best thing; a list of my top ten tequila cocktails EVER (I.D.S.T), a tequila cocktail bucket list if you will - you can even tick them once you’ve sampled them!

Ernest & Rita – bath & bottle, Isle of Man Tequila, elderflower liqueur, pink Grapefruit, lime (Ok, a little bit cheeky and whole lot egotistical – I created this one – but by far my most favourite creation, like ever.)

The Green Wasp – Filter + Fox, Liverpool Habenero infused blanco tequila, lime, coriander, cucumber, agave

Shuck & Smoke – Callooh Callay, London Blanco tequila, chipotle falernum, sweetcorn syrup, lime, mole bitters

Heléna – MVP, Dublin Tequila, apple kimchi, violet

Pasteque Asteque – Experimental Beach, Ibiza Tequila, cayenne & coriander spice tincture, hierbas, watermelon juice, rosemary, lemon, agave

La Mandarina - Green Door, Berlin Tequila, madarine, smoked salt, tonic water

Deacon Blues – Outerlands, San Francisco Tequila, Cynar, vanilla, allspice, lemon

Southbound Saurez – Clyde Common, Portland Reposado tequila, Becherovka, house horchata, lime, agave

Ginger Smash – Employees Only, New York Tequila, Clement Creole Shrubb, ginger root, kumquat, lime

Curious Prescription – Attaboy, New York Reposado tequila, pear brandy, manzanilla sherry, salted mezcal caramel syrup, lime juice, habanero bitters ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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ALL PRODUCTS OFFERED SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES. PHOTOGRAPHS FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. E&OE

APPETITE

WORDS BY | Anne Berry | The Wine Cellar

ATTRACTION ONE OF THE MAJOR INFLUENCES OF PURCHASING A PRODUCT IS THE APPEARANCE AND THIS IS CERTAINLY THE CASE WITH WINE. THE LABEL DESIGN AND BOTTLE SHAPE ARE VERY IMPORTANT. WINE IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST BEVERAGES AND SOME WINES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR CENTURIES, BEARING THE NAME OF THE CHATEAU OR DOMAINE. In certain regions in France, there are laws that determine the detail that must appear on a label and there is less variation, but in other countries the label designers have a blank canvas. For the more traditional wine producers who work hard every day of the year to make wine, the label is less relevant. They believe that people should buy the wine for what it is and not judge it by its label, but for most consumers, whose knowledge is fairly basic, the look of the bottle will influence their decision. What attracts us to a bottle?

It is 100% Chardonnay, giving it a creamy palate with flavours of mature yellow apple, white peach, almond and lemon zest. Looks good and won’t disappoint!

MAYBE A MODERN LABEL? Two Pinot Noirs, both from Chile and both £9.95 and both very good wines!

Which would you pick?

IS IT THE SHAPE? This Verdicchio from Monte Schiavo is a dry, crisp, lemony fresh white wine from Italy’s Marche region, and stands out on the shelf because of its traditional green amphora shaped bottle. It is delicious with fish, but also makes a lovely refreshing wine for sipping in the garden after a long day at work. At £7.95 it is ideal any day of the week. Looks good, tastes good!

Santa Macarena is a single estate wine from one of the most coastal vineyards in San Antonio in Chile. It is bright, aromatic and fresh with subtle oak playing a supporting role.

The emphasis on the delicious red fruit flavours, drinkability and enjoyment. Very versatile, it is lovely on its own, but also works well with anything from salmon to duck.

When purchasing a bottle as a gift, this might draw the eye. Franciacorta in northern Italy is becoming better known for its sparkling wines produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and made using the traditional (Champagne) method of production, giving it fine bubbles and a real elegance.

Nostros Gran Reserva Pinot Noir comes from the Casablanca Valley to the south San Antonio. This is a more subtle Pinot, that slowly opens up to show hints of flowers and violet followed by notes cherry and strawberry, leather and then coffee, gun powder and vanilla at the end. Delicate, subtle texture with seductive tannins and better suited to hard cheeses or even game dishes.

Packaged in an elegant square-bottomed bottle, this opens with fragrances of peach blossom, stone fruit and citrus.

MAYBE THE NAME? Does the name Mad Fish make you want to buy it or does it put you off?

This fresh unoaked Chardonnay (£12.45) comes from Western Australia close to the coast where two ocean currents meet.

Fish get confused in the currents and can often be seen leaping in the waves, hence the name.

The wine has peach and melon aromas, a bright fruity palate with a fresh acidity and fine balance. Try it with barbecued prawns or salmon.

OR THE ‘CONCEPT’? LOVE OR HATE THE IDEA? These come from Toro in northern Spain and are all produced from Tinto de Toro grapes, a variant of Tempranillo.

The Young Man (£10.45) is from the youngest vines and only sees a touch of oak ageing. Our very popular Middle Aged Man (£15.75) shows more depth and character. He is from 100 year old vines and spends 12 months in oak and our Gnarly Old Man (£28.95) comes from 19th century vines and is aged in oak barrels for 16 months. He’s a very complex character, best accompanied by a slow cooked leg of lamb!

All three are bio-dynamic, unfiltered and made using the most natural methods possible.

We are all attracted to different labels and bottles, which leads to the wonderful variety on the shelves.

Come in to The Wine Cellar, spend time browsing and deciding which of them attracts you the most!

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

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

FASHION

GET THE LOOK ALESHA DIXON’S second collaboration with Little Black Dress has just landed, and you’re going to want it all. But the star of the eight-piece range? It’s got to be the black applique maxidress.

Featuring a beautiful floral overlay and choker neckline, it’s the perfect spring showstopper. n Alesha Dixon for Little Black Dress Flower Embroidered Maxi Dress with Lace Choker Detail, £115 (www. littleblackdress.co.uk)

HOLLY WILLOUGHBY proves the hanky hem trend works for occasionwear too, with the monochrome dress she sported at the Television and Radio Industries Club Awards. Holly’s dress isn’t available in the UK (it’s by US designer Rosetta Getty), but you can emulate the chic look by teaming this midi skirt and cold shoulder top from JD Williams. n JD Williams Mono Stripe Cold Shoulder Jumper, £24; Joanna Hope Stripe Skirt, £45 (www.jdwilliams.co.uk)

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FASHION

WE LOVED FEARNE COTTON’S Seventies-inspired suede skirt and lurex jumper combo at the opening of her pop-up charity shop in River Island, London. Knowing Fearne the skirt is probably vintage, but Motel Rocks’ purple faux suede mini is a bargainous version with bags of retro appeal. n Motel Rocks Nadia Mini Skirt, £30 (www.motelrocks.com)

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FASHION

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WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TREATED YOUR TOOTSIES TO SOME FUNKY NEW SOCKS? For the most fabulous feet in town, look no further than Chatty Feet (www.chattyfeet.com), where you can snap up designs entitled David Sock-knee, Albert Einstoe, Stephen Toeking and Kate Middle-toe. Available in adult and children’s sizes, from £5 a pair.

HER PREGNANCY MAY HAVE COME AS A BIT OF A SHOCK, but Made In Chelsea’s Binky Felstead has embraced maternity fashion, with a string of stylish red carpet appearances - and it’s not all posh designer clobber either. At the 2017 Television And Radio Industries Club Awards, the 26-year-old wrapped her bump in a very cool burgundy Bardot dress that’s just £12 from Boohoo. n Boohoo Maternity April Off the Shoulder Midi Dress, £12 (www.boohoo.com)

OH, HOW WE LONG FOR EVERYTHING IN KATE MIDDLETON’S WARDROBE. The designer frocks may be a little on the pricey side, but these gorgeously green Monica Vinader Siren Wire Earrings (available from www.monicavinader.com) - as worn by the Duchess Of Cambridge on St Patrick’s Day are just about affordable at £125. Snap them up while you can!

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ACTIVE

13th & 14th May 2017

ISLE OF MAN CYCLEFEST HAS SOMETHING FOR ALL THE FAMILY!

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Expect retro riffs, giant slabs of electric blues and plenty of fretboard fireworks!

Of course, the perfect soundtrack needs the perfect gastronomic accompaniment and what better way to spend a day than sampling the local produce from our artisan food and drink village! So sit back and relax in a Cyclefest deckchair, sip on a freshly made smoothie, a reviving coffee or a classic cold beer and decide what next takes your fancy: A New York style hot dog perhaps? Freshly fired pizza?

Jamaican? African? Those unbeatable Manx Queenies? Boasting an enviable provenance and a list of taste awards as long as the Gran Fondo, hungry cyclists and adventurous foodies alike can get well stuck in!

F

ollowing its first successful sun blessed festival in 2016; Isle of Man Cyclefest presented by Isle of Man Bank is back for 2017 and is bigger and better still. Taking place over the weekend of 13th and 14th May, this unique cycling and lifestyle event will once again be based in the stunning grounds of Milntown Estate, with two days of family entertainment, packaged together with an irresistible artisan food and drink village and a raft of spectacular cycling events for the whole family… and it’s all set to a wonderful soundtrack of unbeatable live music!

Indeed, the festival’s ‘Roots & Rhythms’ line up has something for all tastes, from blistering guitar solos to heart-breaking melodies, and from the traditional music of Mann to a taste of America. The packed music roster is split between the main PokerStars stage and the new Village Stage, which is kindly supported by IOM Arts Council. Here festivalgoers can kick back and enjoy performances from Celtic super-groups MABON, Mec Lir, Elephant Sessions and TRIP, along with award winning Country and Americana courtesy of Laura Oakes, William the Conqueror, Flats & Sharps and Katy Hurt, as well as exciting breakthrough artists Dan Bettridge, Kizzy Crawford and Danielle Lewis.

Headlining the music line up, however, is the Isle of Man’s very own music superstar, Davy Knowles, who is stopping off at Milntown as part of a worldwide tour! Davy will perform with his full U.S. touring band on the PokerStars main stage, the evening of Saturday 13th May in what promises to be his most exciting Island concert to date.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

And visitors don’t even have to worry about entertaining the little ones as Cyclefest is going to do it for them! The festival’s dedicated play area will allow kids large and small to have a go at everything from Giant Jenga to face painting, meeting birds of prey and trying their hand at local crafts.

Local children’s hospice Rebecca House will be organising lots of fun and games too - and that’s if you can drag your little ones away from our purpose built beach!

But guaranteed to thrill kids of all ages (as well as their parents!) is the newest addition to the Cyclefest party. Standing at well over 7 feet tall and full of tricks and laughout-loud humour, the world famous Titan the Robot is the ultimate crowd puller!

When he isn’t sharing red carpets and the biggest stages with A-list celebrities, Titan can be spotted at many of the world’s largest festivals and sports arenas. Now he’s adding Isle of Man Cyclefest to that itinerary so come and say hello… if you dare!!

Meanwhile, those seeking thrills and spills can try their hand at the spectacular Friends Provident International Street Velodrome. Offering a new level of spectator entertainment and creating a fun filled competition for all ages and abilities, the Street Velodrome (as seen on TV) is revolutionising cycle sport. For kids big and small, our Street Velodrome provides exciting and hilarious cycle entertainment!

Tickets for Isle of Man Cyclefest are on sale now at www.iomcyclefest.com With adult day tickets starting at just £10 and concessions for weekend passes and children, Isle of Man Cyclefest is the place to be this May and is fast shaping up to be the must-see, must-do family event of the year! What are you waiting for?

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ACTIVE

ISLE OF MAN STEAM PACKET COMPANY BECOMES RACE SPONSOR AT MOUNTAIN BIKE ENDURANCE CHALLENGE

In its first year, the event attracted just 16 competitors but last year 278 riders took the start.

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company will be title sponsor of two race categories at this year’s Conister Bank Longest Day Longest Ride event.

the Steam Packet Company will be title sponsor of the Solo Male and Solo Female competitions, where the winners are the riders who cover the most miles.

Almost 100 entries have already been received for this year’s running, on 1st and 2nd July, including riders from the UK, Ireland and even Denmark.

Established in 2010, the annual mountain bike challenge sees hundreds of riders tackling a challenging and diverse 5 kilometre course at Conrhenny Plantation for 24 hours.

The prize for the winner in each category will be all expenses paid entry to a UK mountain bike competition over the summer, including free return travel for a car and two people contributed by the Steam Packet Company.

Each year the 24-hour challenge raises money for a nominated charity, with more than £29,000 collected since 2010. This year funds will support Organ Donation Isle of Man.

There are eight prize categories and

www.ldlr.im

VETERAN WALKER SIGNS UP FOR DANDARASPONSORED HARBOUR2HARBOUR WALK ONCE AGAIN A veteran Harbour2Harbour Walk participant who inspired the introduction of a second, shorter route to the annual event has signed up for 2017.

Charlie Quirk, 73, who has confirmed he will join the walk on Sunday 21st May, helped encourage a second starting point being introduced for this year as part of efforts to get more people involved.

The fourth Harbour2Harbour Walk, again sponsored by award-winning developer Dandara, hopes to beat last year’s record-breaking entry of 319 walkers, and surpass the almost £4,000 raised for charity in 2016.

The walk begins on Port Erin beach and follows a nine-mile coastal route to Castletown. The second start point will be next to the RNLI station in Port St Mary, the shorter route covering around five and a half miles.

To enter or find out more about the event, please email H2Hreg@ hubclubsci.im, call Janet on 838180 or visit www.hubclubsci.im.

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JOIN CHARITY TEAM ON GREAT WALL OF CHINA CHALLENGE Manx charity Junior Achievement Isle of Man is inviting people to join them on the adventure of a lifetime, trekking the Great Wall of China. The fundraising challenge will take place in April 2018 to support the charity’s work with more than 5,500 young people in the island’s schools.

The trek has been arranged in association

with a challenge specialist and the eightday fundraising adventure has been scheduled to start on April 8, 2018, the highlight of which will be a five-day trek along the 6000km-long landmark.

For an informal chat contact Alex Day, 666266, mailto:alex.day@jaiom.im or visit jaiom.im/events

COACH OF THE YEAR SPONSOR APPLAUDS ISLAND’S SPORTING TALENT

Sponsor of Isle of Man Sport’s Coach of the Year award Crowe Clark Whitehill has applauded the island’s sporting talent.

Presenting Isle of Man women’s hockey team coach Raj Nandha with the award, the accounting firm’s director Phaedra Bird congratulated Mr Nandha on his success in encouraging his players to be the best they can and praised the island’s top athletes for their sporting achievements at home and abroad.

MANX TELECOM EXTENDS PARISH WALK SPONSORSHIP TO 2020

Manx Telecom has extended its sponsorship of the Parish Walk to 2020, and announced that there will be more live streaming of this year’s event with cameras at key points around the course.

The company became title sponsor in 2012, but its support for the event goes back to 2007 when it began sponsoring the official timing and results service.

Both announcements were made at a media launch this week as part of the countdown to this year’s Manx Telecom Parish Walk on Saturday June 17th which starts as usual at the NSC at 8am.

To enter this year’s Manx Telecom Parish Walk go to www.parishwalk.com – the final entry deadline is midnight on May 7th.

HELP TEAM ISLE OF MAN TEE OFF TO AUSTRALIA The Isle of Man Commonwealth Games Association (IOMCGA) is pleased to announce the date of its annual fundraising Corporate Golf Day as Friday 26th May. Kindly sponsored by Standard Bank and in association with the Isle of Man Business Network, the Golf Day will be held at Ramsey Golf Club to raise funds to help send a national Isle of Man team to the 2018 Games on the Gold Coast, Australia.

Team entry costs £250 for a team of four players who can enjoy pre-game bacon baps, four-ball competition, a full 18 holes, a presentation and meal afterwards.

Last year’s IOMCGA’s Corporate Golf Day was a great success and was won by Mann Link Travel.

To register a team please email: kparrish@ burleigh.co.im. www.cga.im BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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SPORT

TAKING ON THE CHALLENGE OF THE KILIMANJARO TREK

W

e recently caught up with Neil Morgan as he puts in the hours training needed when preparing for the challenge of his life reaching the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Neil took time out of his busy training schedule to describes the route, and educates us on the five ecological zones he will be passing through during his experience later in the year. (21st September -

1st October 2017)

If you see him out and about training over the next couple of months give him the thumbs up for encouragement.

Tell us about the challenge ahead...

The aim of the challenge I am taking part in is to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. It will be quite a challenge and experience.

Mt Kilimanjaro is the highest freestanding mountain in the world and also the highest mountain on the African continent at 5,896m.

The challenge will in total, entail 7 days trekking via the Machame route: 5 days to reach the summit and a further 2 days to descend.

The Machame route is one of the more scenic and popular routes. It approaches Kilimanjaro from the south and offers an excellent chance of reaching the summit due to the more gradual acclimatisation to the altitude.

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One interesting point I’ve read, is that as you climb Kilimanjaro you pass through five ecological zones:

1.) The first being the The Cultivated Zone This area receives the most rainfall annually, coupled with many rivers which are formed from merging streams of glacier run-off from the top of the mountain.

This zone is made up of small villages and farmland, which amongst other things, is used to grow bananas and also for coffee production.

2.) The second is the vast Forest Zone The wildlife in this zone includes monkeys, olive baboons, leopards, mongooses, elephants, black rhinoceros, giraffes and buffaloes.

Many of these animals are known to visit the mountain slopes, but I understand it’s a rare occurrence to spot any of them.

3.) The third zone is The Heather & Moorland Zone The temperature in this zone can soar above 40 Degrees Celsius during the day, and plummet below freezing at night.

Coupled with increased winds and decreased rainfall, giant heathers, wild grasses and a rocky trail replaces the trees and mud of the forest.

This area has little cloud protection, so I’ll need to make sure I have plenty of sun cream to hand.

4.) The fourth zone is The Highland Desert There is a mean annual rainfall of less than 200mm a year.

The plant life that exists has to put with fierce, burning sunshine and sub-zero temperatures - all in the same day.

This particular area is where the mountains volcanic activity is most evident, with volcanic rock stretching as far as the eye can see.

5.) The final zone is The Summit Zone The lower section of this zone is made up for scree that is quite difficult to climb; hence the summit bid being made at night, when the evening dew had settled and frozen, knitting the screen together and making it more stable underfoot.

Which Charity are you raising funds for?

My trek will be in memory of my much loved Nanna, with all funds raised going to Arthritis Care Ellan Vannin in the Isle of Man. This cause is close to my heart, especially when I remember how much she struggled with arthritis.

Arthritis is a very common condition, causing pain and inflammation to the joints. I was shocked when I learnt 1 in 10 people on the island suffer from it.

How can people donate?

If you’re interested in following my efforts as I prepare for this challenge, or if you have any advice for me, please feel free to join my Facebook group or sponsor me through my Just Giving page:

www.facebook.com/groups/ KilimanjaroTrek2017

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/NeilMorgan18 ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

HARDWARE

GADGETS

WORDS Rebecca Evans

After being spoiled for the last two issues with themes that lent themselves easily to the gadget section, I must confess I was a little stumped when I was given this month’s magic word ‘attraction’. I must confess my initial thoughts were of a nature that would not be at all suitable for a family magazine.

It was time to think outside the box, as it were. I was positive I could pull together a solution, but this just didn’t seem to be my field. The answer to this quandary and I seemed to be poles apart. Thinking makes me hungry and I found myself standing in front of the fridge. That’s when it hit me - I mean literally that’s

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when the heavy souvenir magnet landed on my foot. It was like a rather violent sign from the writing gods. So here we go, a selection of the best magnetic gadgets and gizmos on the market. I hope you find them as irresistible as I did.

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HARDWARE

The Running Buddy Pouch

As someone who has recently taken up running I’ve discovered a problem. Where do you keep your phone/keys/cash when you’re head to toe in pocket-less lycra?

Armbands can be uncomfortable, and that Velcro can chafe like nobody’s business.

Bumbags have a tendency to ride up, or slip down, and let’s face it they’re not attractive.

So in the course of researching this article I was excited to find a solution.

The Running Buddy Pouch uses strong magnets and a folding design to hold firm to your waistband without the need for a belt or any other kind of attachment. The pouch is made with dri-fit fabric on the outside to protect your skin, and has a water-resistant lining to protect your stuff. Available in different sizes it also features a headphone port and the clever design means it won’t bounce around or unfasten, no matter how hard you work out. Perfect for sports & fitness, it will also come in handy to discreetly store your money & documents whilst travelling. Mine’s already on the way.

Running Buddy Pouches starts from £14.99 on www.amazon.co.uk

The Hendo Hoverboard

Now dear reader, before you get TOO excited, this gadget is still in the prototype stages so not available to purchase yet, but if like me you’ve spent the last 28 years waiting for someone to invent this, then be assured that the wait is almost over.

The clever people at Arx Pax have been developing their Hoverboard using magnetic field architecture (MFA to the initiated) since 2013 and have already produced various prototypes which have been successfully ridden. How does it work you ask? 4 engines each produce a dynamic magnetic field, which when put in contact with a conductive surface create an electric circuit. This circuit in turns creates a secondary magnetic field, and the two repel each other creating a levitation style lift. Simple.

The next stage of development is to work on steering, which is sketchy in the existing versions, to say the least. The experts say it’s all in hand though, so budding Marty McFlys should start saving now. There’s just the small matter of needing to coat King Street in copper plate, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Magnetic Beer Bottle Hanger

Fridges and Fridge magnets are made for each other. Well that’s half true at least. But traditionally, the magnets stay on the outside of the fridge. Not anymore.

You can follow development at www.hover.arxpax.com

The magnetic beer hanger is designed to be on the inside of your fridge, where it adheres securely to the roof. Each strip can hold up to 3 bottles of beer by their lids, using super strong magnets.

The average fridge has space for 4 or more strips, allowing you to fill that dead space above the top shelf with a whole case of beers and leaving more space below for the healthy stuff. Or pizzas.

With the added bonus of having your cold ones at eye level, organised and leak-proof, this would make the perfect gift for the home-brewer or beer aficionado in your life.

The magnetic beer hanger is available from www.amazon.co.uk at £18.68 for 2 strips.

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HARDWARE

PHONE HOME UNBELIEVABLE CAMERA QUALITY Mobile phones come with cameras as standard… but almost none come with cameras like this!

in the back, both of which come with wideangle lenses so you can fit everyone into your selfies.

The Sony Xperia XA1 sports an incredible 23 MP front camera and an 8 MP camera

If you prefer the art of film making to photography, you won’t be disappointed.

The XA1’s powerful cameras are designed to capture fantastic moving images even when it’s getting dark. Both front and rear cameras come with low-light video capabilities, so you can keep shooting as the sun goes down and you don’t even have to worry about capturing sound because the X-Loud stereo recording system delivers crisp audio in tough conditions.

Beyond the cameras, the XA1 packs a punch with its 64 bit Octa-Core processor powering the latest Android N operating system. The powerful chipset means the phone is capable of delivering on the most complex business tasks and once the working day is over, it lends itself to gaming just as well as it does to manipulating spreadsheets.

Don’t miss the fantastic Sony Xperia XA1, come and try it at the Sure stores now: you can find us in Strand St Douglas, Parliament St Ramsey and Orchard Walk Port Erin.

A STYLISH PHONE WITH A GREAT CAUSE! THE IPHONE 7 RED™ SPECIAL EDITION

over its predecessor the iPhone 6, so what’s different now?

The iPhone 7 has been out since last September, so you’re probably wondering why we’re reviewing it eight months later.

We all know it has top specs, a sleek design, better camera, and improved battery life

Well, Apple stirred things up last month with the launch of a new, limited edition, red version of its signature iPhone to support HIV/ AIDS charity (RED). Although Apple have been in partnership with (RED) for over 10 years, this is the first time that Apple has supported the charity through its flagship smartphone.

Every (RED) purchase contributes directly to the global fund to fight AIDS, so every Special Edition iPhone sold helps in achieving an AIDS-free generation, and you can be part of the change. Show your support, and snap up an iPhone 7 (PRODUCT)RED™ Special Edition, while stocks last.

To date Apple have raised over $130 million through the sale of their (RED) products, money which supports valuable HIV/ AIDS programmes in Africa that provide counselling, testing, and medicine that prevents the transmission of HIV from a mother to her unborn child.

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PAPARAZZI

BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT

“I don’t listen to that much hip-hop really” says Keiran Hannifin, aka Han-FX, as we sit down to talk about his development and future plans as one of the Island’s premier MC’s. It’s hard to believe having listened to ‘Partners in Rhyme’, the sax-tinged album from Han-FX and Jor-DMC, but as the album plays through it becomes apparent that Han has a slightly different background than would be expected from such a natural MC. 90

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Words By: Joe Holland Photos By: Jay Stockdale (JS Photography)

Originally from Rugby in Warwickshire (having moved here aged 1), Han finished school and found himself working in an office. But aged just 21, and in a far-cry from the urban destitution that plays such a large part in the early development of many hip hop artists, he packed it all in for a simpler lifestyle living in the woods just outside of Union Mills with his dog. Getting by selling tables and chairs he had made, as well as rabbits he had caught (and a few paintings) Han felt he had much more to offer as a woodsman than he ever could as an office drone. But after 3 years of the cold, wet and dark he began to feel creatively unfulfilled, and the isolation of life in the woods was beginning to get to him.

After returning to a more social lifestyle - moving into a new house, playing bass in various local reggae bands (including the infectious Rusty Jam Revolution with whom he recorded an 8-track album ‘Live at Laxey Dub Club’) - he started to perform with looped beatboxing and improvised lyrics. Following an impromptu performance with Jor-DMC (amongst others) and their combined love of layering beatboxed loops with live instruments, the seeds that would become ‘Partners in Rhyme’ were sown.

Heading down to Ballasalla to Gypo Buggane’s Ballagroove studios, the six tracks were recorded in a day and were supposed to make up a fairly strippedback, acoustic hip-hop album made on the cheap. Han, however, “started to miss [his] saxophone player”, Patrick Leith, and felt the album needed to have an extra dimension to its sound. So Han went on a spontaneous recording holiday to Paphos in Cyprus (where Patrick was now living) to lay down a “wall of sax”.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

After a week of recording and “passion fruit daiquiris in Jacuzzis”, Han came back to Gypo with a sound that would set them apart from other ‘loops and rhymes’ artists.

Since the album was released, Han and his ever growing collective of Manx hip-hop artists have been cementing themselves in the local music scene, already releasing a fantastically produced video online and five more videos with “proper production values, explosions, jet-skis, everything” planned . They’ve been gigging prolifically around the Island from small family-orientated acoustic gigs to full live band sets and have shows coming up in TT as well as a slot at One Love Festival in Kent later on in the year.

Apart from a love of the outdoors and child-friendly acoustic gigs in cafes, what sets Han apart from most people’s idea of hip-hop is his focus on conscientious, socially aware lyrics.

Listening to ‘Partners in Rhyme’ you can hear Han’s dedication to making sure that his listeners are aware of the frightening, maddening, and ultimately bizarre world we are living in. “Warning!

Parental Guidance: this show contains the truth” Han raps on album opener ‘Hip-Hop News’, and after listening to the album fuse hip-hop with reggae, blues and psychedelia and jump lyrically from lampooning society’s over reliance “unsocial media” to the beautiful tribute to nature and the woods he called his home, I’m inclined to believe him.

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PAPARAZZI

WIN

EXCLUSIVE TT2017 VIP

To win all you have to do is answer this question correctly:

HOW MANY ISLE OF MAN TT RACES HAS JOHN MCGUINNESS WON? Email your answer (By 19th May) to:

vipttcomp@gallery.co.im

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ACCESS TO HOSPITALITY THE 2017 ISLE OF MAN TT RACES FUELLED BY MONSTER ENERGY IS ALMOST HERE AND GALLERY MAGAZINE IS OFFERING ONE LUCKY READER AND THEIR GUEST THE CHANCE TO GET EVEN CLOSER TO THE ACTION WITH A PAIR OF VIP HOSPITALITY TICKETS UP FOR GRABS FOR RACE DAY ON MONDAY 5TH JUNE.

M

onday’s calendar includes the RL360 Quantum Superstock Race and Monster Energy Supersport 1 Race as well as SES TT Zero and Sure Sidecar Race 2 qualifying. All the leading stars including John McGuinness, Michael Dunlop, Ian Hutchinson, Conor Cummins and Bruce Anstey will be on the track going head to head for honours.

The VIP Club package gives guests all day access to the hospitality suite with complimentary bar, breakfast and a gourmet hot and cold buffet as well as the opportunity to meet stars past and present behind the scenes. You’ll also receive a goody bag that includes official TT merchandise, an ear piece radio to tune in to Manx Radio’s TT commentary, a copy of the official TT programme and race guide.

TT legend Charlie Williams, a seven time race winner, will be the host for the day and a series of great riders past and present, from road and circuit racing, will be appearing in the VIP hospitality unit throughout the day.

All of the race winners and podium placed riders will also be coming in to the VIP unit as soon as the race is finished to share their personal thoughts on the day’s races and to meet fans and sign autographs.

But if you’re not lucky enough to win there are still ‘late availability’ hospitality and grandstand tickets available to buy. www.iomtt.com

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NIGHTLIFE

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Hottest Destinations.

Legendary moments.

Escape the Rock.

CLUBBING • BEACH • FUN • ADVENTURE • PARTY HOLIDAYS FROM THE ISLE OF MAN

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today k o o B IT EPOS D W LO Per *

£50 just alance Pay b

n Persoeparture

fore d ks be 4 wee

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PARTY DESTINATIONS: IBIZA • AYIA NAPA • KOH SAMUI • CORFU • TZANTE • KAVOS • MAGALUF

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Did you know we have a dedicated Isle of Man team who will help you choose your perfect Diamond?

We’re still here to help. Contact us today.

We will be launching our diamond, bridal and jewellery collections online very soon.

Telephone: 01624 690450

|

www.wilkinsthejeweller.co.uk