September 2016 | the URBAN issue

Isle of Man Premier Magazine | no. 57 | September 2016 | the [URBAN] issue

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quality coverage PAPA RAZ ZI

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

BY GA

DE IN THE ISLE S MA OF MA LEN N

Y ER LL

CONTRIBUTORS

WHO WE ARE

EDITORIAL

PUBLISHER

Clare Bowie Hannah Goodby Michelle Tonnesen Linda Huxley Anne Berry Jennifer Parkes Sam New Maria Hill Jessica Ledger Grant Runyon Les Able Suzy Holland Rebecca Lawrence Adam Jazard Rachel Green Theo Leworthy Anne Moorhouse Leon Flemming Richard Evans Martin Fox Tim Bradshaw

Steve Redford T: 07624 249249 steve@gallery.co.im ADVERTISING SALES

Bev Lawley T: 07624 415096 bev@gallery.co.im ACCOUNTS

accs@gallery.co.im T: 01624 619540 laura@gallery.co.im DESIGN STUDIO

design@gallery.co.im PAPARAZZI

T: 01624 619540 paparazzi@gallery.co.im

ILLUSTRATIONS

DISTRIBUTION

If you would like a professional photographer to cover your event or party, get in touch.

Gallery’s paparazzi can attend your event, provide you with all images on CD for your use and also promote your event online and in print.

T: 01624 619540 www.gallery.co.im/distribution distro@gallery.co.im

Russ Atkinson Jon Moore Adam Berry Alex Probst

DESIGN STUDIO

Emma Cooke Russ Atikinson Alex Probst

GALLERY MAGAZINE

Quay House, South Quay, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 5AR Tel: 01624 619540 www.gallery.co.im

PHOTOGRAPHY

Peter Kwiecinski Matt Mousor Andrew Barton Shan Fisher

Tel : 619540 or email: paparazzi@gallery.co.im Recycle.

Gallery recycles all its storage and packing materials, boxes and any old magazines that are returned. We don’t get that many fortunately. We love to know our readers hang on to previous copies but when they take up too much space, drop them down to the recycling bins. If you want to find out more about recycling - call: 01624 686540.

Don’t forget you cn view all previous issues on our website.

from

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.

EDITO

UPFRONT

#57

[URBAN] Isle of Man Premier Magazine | no. 57 | September 2016 | the [URBAN] issue

£ priceless

edito

#57

the URBAN issue BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

WWW.GALLERY.CO.IM

99% ON THE AGENDA BUSINESS T E C H N O LO G Y

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O

ne of my colleagues just announced that they find starting the hardest part. I’m inclined to agree as, prior to that comment, I’d sat here for 20 minutes staring at a blank screen thinking of an introduction that nods toward our theme of Urban. You’d think that a monthly deadline would leave enough time to sit in the garden every few evenings, reading a little, thinking a little and taking time to plan this little section of the magazine.

Not the case. Each month I write this on the deadline as I have done for the last five years. Gallery’s life thus far seems like a blur, yet has taken over five years, where did that go? It seems a long time looking back but handing out the first magazine seems like yesterday.

It’s only when I look back through previous issues that I realise how much of the life and times we cover each month. I sometimes wonder how we get it all done in time. We do though, just.

Autumn/Winter seems to be just around the corner. The memory of the summer holiday is fading fast. As I type the wind is howling, the rain is lashing and despite promises of a singular sunny day before the month’s out, I don’t have much hope. I’ve lined up winter coats. I walked to work in the lashing rain. Yes, it’s the time of year that the Isle of Man prepares to go under cover. But look on the bright side; you can wrap up in cozy winter coats and scarves.

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

In this edition we look at all things Urban and lots more besides. As always we aim to educate, amuse and entertain. So fill in that summer holiday request for next year, get it booked, then turn the page and enjoy reading this months issue.

SR

FACEBOOK.COM/ GALLERYIOM

PUBLISHED WITH GUSTO IN THE ISLE OF MAN BY

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

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

5

WILKINS WATCH of the MONTH

Prestige and Elegance THE OYSTER PERPETUAL LADY-DATEJUST IS ROLEX’S CLASSIC FEMININE WATCH PAR EXCELLENCE. It is one of the most varied lines in the Oyster collection, each version an expression of another of the multiple facets of its femininity, each one refreshing in its elegance and refinement.

The Lady-Datejust concentrates all the attributes of the iconic Rolex Datejust in a small 26 or 28 mm case.

The timeless elegance of this gem for daily wear is enhanced by dials of subtle and shimmering colour, by noble materials and sparkling diamonds.

HEIR TO THE DATEJUST The classic Rolex feminine watch, the Lady-Datejust is in the lineage of the Datejust, the emblematic Rolex model that has been a byword for style and accurate timekeeping ever since its launch in 1945. The first version of this date chronometer appeared in the late 1950s, carrying its heritage of timeless elegance and functionality in a smaller size perfectly suited to a lady’s wrist.

www.wilkinsthejeweller.co.uk

FEMININITY IN ALL ITS DIVERSITY The Lady-Datejust comes in a wealth of versions to perfectly reflect the different personalities of its wearers. The range of materials and colours of the LadyDatejust is equalled only by the variety of bracelets and dials that enhance its style: steel models with a domed bezel; Rolesor versions with steel cases adorned with elegant 18 ct yellow, white or Everose gold fluted or diamond-set bezels; dials with subtle colours and the beauty of the materials expertly highlighted.

GOLD BY ROLEX The 18 ct gold of Rolex watches shines with a special radiance. This is due to the high-purity alloys created by the brand in its own foundry and the meticulous care with which they are cast before being formed, machined and polished in its workshops. Everose, an exclusive pink gold alloy patented by Rolex, owes its unique colour to its special composition that preserves the pink colour over time.

THE LADY-DATEJUST, SUPERLATIVE CHRONOMETER Like all watches in the Oyster collection, each Lady-Datejust is certified as a Superlative Chronometer.

This exclusive designation attests that it has successfully undergone a series of tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria, which exceed watchmaking norms and standards. These tests are carried out on the fully assembled watch, in order to guarantee its superlative performance on the wrist.

THE OYSTER CASE, SYMBOL OF WATERPROOFNESS AND ELEGANCE The Lady-Datejust’s Oyster case, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres (330 feet), is a paragon of robustness, proportion and elegance.

The crystal, with a Cyclops lens at 3 o’clock for easy reading of the date, is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire.

The waterproof Oyster case provides optimal protection for the LadyDatejust’s high-precision movement.

THE OYSTER PERPETUAL LADY-DATEJUST

PERPETUAL CALIBRES 2235 AND 2236 According to its size, the Oyster Perpetual Lady-Datejust is equipped with calibre 2235 (26 mm version) or 2236 (28 mm version), two self-winding mechanical movements entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex. Their architecture, manufacturing and innovative features make them singularly precise and reliable.

OYSTER, PRESIDENT AND JUBILEE BRACELETS According to the version, the LadyDatejust 26 is fitted with an Oyster or Jubilee bracelet, equipped with a folding Oysterclasp or the refined, concealed Crownclasp.

The Lady-Datejust 28 is offered, depending on the version and material on an Oyster or President bracelet or on an elegant Jubilee bracelet with a redesigned profile.

These bracelets benefit from the new concealed attachment beneath the bezel which ensures seamless visual continuity between the bracelet and case. They are fitted with a folding Oysterclasp or the elegant concealed Crownclasp.

The Superlative Chronometer status is symbolized by the green seal that comes with every Rolex watch and is coupled with an international five-year guarantee.

The unique way in which Rolex watches are designed, manufactured and tested, together with the exclusive innovations from which they benefit, push back the limits of performance for mechanical watches and make Rolex the benchmark for watchmaking excellence.

www.wilkinsthejeweller.co.uk

76 Strand Street, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 2EW T: 01624 690450 E: enquiries@wilkinsthejeweller.co.uk /Wilkinsjewellers

UPFRONT

CONTENTS PICKS

UPFRONT

orange and tried to peel himself. If only he’d stuck to “soft” drugs, like banana skins and the cannabis-scented joss sticks that your cousin got cautioned for shoplifting from Horseplay.

Dye of embarrassment I could write a book of tall tales that revolve entirely around the Tower of Refuge from 1980 onwards, but a personal favourite has to be our local variant on the myth that swimming pools contain a special dye that shows when you’ve peed in them.

This isn’t and has never been true, but that didn’t stop kids circulating terrifying tales about the time a kid from your brother’s class lost control during Pluto’s Playtime and was socially ostracised for leaving an orange/purple/lime green disaster puddle in the water next to the blow up sausage.

Logically, this would have meant that the small, suspiciously warm, kids pool would have been bright purple most of the time, but logic has no power over somebody who absolutely swears on their mum’s life that they saw a kid get decapitated on the rocks once.

The a-peel of illegal drugs The “war on drugs” had many fronts, incorporating efforts to put kids off narcotics via messages on the title screen of Golden Axe, the scary villain in the Michael Jackson Moonwalker movie, and the continuing existence of hippies. The anti-drugs campaign was also strengthened by the power of the urban legend, leading to numerous lurid schoolyard tales about the misadventures of various kids from your estate, older classes at school or just old enough to own a motorbike. Some of these undoubtedly had their origins in real tragedies, but the most memorable will always be the sad tale of the boy who took so much LSD that he thought he was an

URBAN LEGENDS OF MY CHILDHOOD

E-numbers were developed for chemical warfare You didn’t necessarily need illegal drugs to go crazy, as rumour had it that even the aisle of the local newsagent contained hidden multitudes of lethal, mind-altering substances. Long before parents were willing to excuse their badly-behaved offspring by self-diagnosing them with ADHD, poor behaviour was attributed to the presence of artificial additives in many children’s foodstuffs. Many of us will remember the kid who ate NERDS and ran under a bus, or the numerous perils said to proceed from scoffing too many Wham bars, fizzy Astro Belts or the MSG in a Chinese takeaway. According to some parents, effects of food you saw advertised during Emu’s Pink Windmill could range from causing cancer in rats, making your hair fall out or glueing up your insides so you gradually starved to death - given these warnings from our elders, it is amazing that any of us lived to be old enough to copy them and move to using factor 2 sunscreen and smoking unfiltered Silk Cut. Nightmare on Strand Street The moral panic over so-called “video nasties” was right in one respect, in that the wide availability of VHS horror movies would have an irreversible effect on the children who got access to them. It didn’t transform us into serial killers or Satanworshippers, but it did lead to a generation of twelve-year-olds who believed that spiritual corruption and gruesome murder were things that regularly happened to people in our community. It was a slippery slope: first you watch a bootleg copy of Hellraiser (ideally the X rated one where people actually died filming it), then you

My cousin has nunchuks and a bo staff You could say that frightening stories about drugs and the supernatural are a logical response to a barely-understood social menace that children feel powerless to doing anything about. Luckily there was one threat which you could prepare for: the epidemic of gang-related street violence was the problem, and the solution was ninja weaponry, martial arts training and sometimes the finishing move of WWF wrestler Jake “the Snake” Roberts.

Even here, we were reliably informed that innocent bystanders were being stabbed outside discos and shot in back alleys like Batman’s parents. Some people chose to cower away, but some people (my cousin) were inspired by the Karate Kid to train so hard that within a matter of weeks they could break an opponent’s neck with a single roundhouse kick and were unanimously agreed to be toughest in juniors, possibly even including year 11s. After training at the dojo, you then need to register your hands and feet as a deadly weapon, but whatever you do, do not tell the police about the nunchuks and ninja stars you brought back from the secret Japanese shop at Jurby Junk. The police don’t like criminals, but for some reason they also don’t want you to have the power to defeat a gang of five bikers just by yourself - probably because the cost of having them all in intensive care is very high. I am your sensei, and if you pass this technique on I will be forced to kill you.

Hai!

ISLANDS AND BRIDGES, THE ART OF ROGER DEAN IS ON DISPLAY UNTIL THE 19 NOVEMBER 2016 AT THE MANX MUSEUM IN DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN.

Three editions of Roger Dean’s retrospective books and pack of postcard prints of all the artworks featured in the exhibition are on sale in the Manx Museum Gallery Shop. The Isle of Man Post Office have also released a specially commissioned set of stamps.

Meeting Place

Mesa

Alpha

MAKING WAVES FOR 50 YEARS AND COUNTING, THE ISLE OF MAN WELCOMES ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST PROLIFIC ARTISTS AND HIS NEW EXHIBITION ISLANDS AND BRIDGES NOW ON DISPLAY AT THE MANX MUSEUM. His artwork has graced the covers of British rock bands Yes, Asia and Uriah Heep winning admiration on a global scale. In a poll of Rolling Stone readers five of his designs were selected in the top twenty best album covers of all time.

Pathways

Artist and designer Roger Dean’s enduring vision and landscapes created a new genre, inspiring artists and revolutionising gaming and album art to this day.

It is no wonder Roger Dean designed logos of major record labels Virgin, Harvest

WORDS Grant Runyon ILLUSTRATION Jacques Le Breton

11

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

10

CULTURE

The new exhibition Islands and Bridges, The Art of Roger Dean features 26 of Roger Dean’s most iconic paintings, a selection of them album cover designs as well as two architectural models. Exclusive to this collection is the work entitled ‘Meeting Place’ which was inspired by Niarbyl on the Isle of Man.

start talking to spirits in the mirror, within weeks you’ve bought a Ouija board and have made a pact with the devil by drawing a pentagram and setting fire to a picture of Cliff Richard. Your inevitable grisly death would serve as a moral lesson to future sleepovers, even if nobody could remember your actual name.

It says a lot about people that urban legends continue to flourish in an age where it should only take fifteen seconds to disprove most of them. If anything, the existence of the internet has made rumours and falsehoods proliferate to a degree where humanity’s collective store of unlikely stories probably outweighs our actual knowledge. Future generations will know little about our daily lives, as our historical records are more likely to contain tales of the time there was a finger in our hamburger, or a list of the different things that hospital doctors are rumoured to have removed from our bottoms.

I’ve done my bit for posterity by handpicking some of the finest rumours from my own childhood. I did come up with at least a hundred, but by the time I’d removed all the ones that were libellous or simply too unpleasant to print this article was all that was left. Call 01624 xxxxxx if you want to have a good time.

CULTURE

FEATURE: Urban Legends

and Vertigo becoming the in-house artist Photo © Jonathan for the UK progressive rock movement in the 1970s.

Not limited to ‘Prog Rock’, he also created the debut album cover and in 2015 the ‘ultimate collection’ cover for pioneering British group Osibisa. He designed the identity for sci-fi software company Psygnosis and redesigned the Tetris Worlds logo.

Dean’s prolific output includes architectural designs, stage sets, virtualreality simulators and housing. He founded the publishing house Dragon’s Dream and produced a full colour album size book of his own work that sat at number one in The Times best seller list for twelve weeks.

This publishing company continued its ground breaking format of fully illustrated books introducing the world to some of the foremost artists of the time including the

illustrator of the ‘Mabinogion’, the classic Welsh version of ‘The Arthurian Legends’, Alan Lee, whose designs and characters are now synonymous with Peter Jackson’s film interpretation of Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’.

Born in Ashford, Kent, England in 1944 Dean spent much of his childhood moving around the world, living in Cyprus, Greece and Hong Kong with his British army father. As a young boy with the freedom to roam, landscapes of such variation seem to have prompted both curiosity and fascination in the extraordinary, the floating islands and exotic habitats which have become so characteristic of his work, continue to evoke wonder and joy in all who see them.

Green Parrot Island

Floating Jungle

Yellow City

The exhibition is generously supported by Flying Dragon Promotions Ltd, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Claremont Hotel and media partner 3FM. © Roger Dean 2016

30

28

Water Dragon

Returning to London in 1957 and achieving numerous awards including that at the Royal College of Art where he began his career in the field of design.

He invented the ‘sea urchin chair’, a foam chair, which, though appearing spherical would conform to the sitter. Later, his “retreat pod” chair design was featured in dystopian crime film A Clockwork Orange.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

31

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

CULTURE: The Art of Roger Dean

ACTIVE

ACTIVE

technology

all

“C

onversation is the new interface.” The tech community’s use of this expression does not mean that we are going to start talking to each other more on a human-to-human, face-to-face level. It means rather that we will be talking more to robots, specifically those artificial intelligence programs that pop up on the likes of Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Slack and so on, to help you with tasks from scheduling to shopping.

Rather than going to a website to find information or downloading yet another app, we will summon these artificial intelligence assistants to do our bidding.

Bark “find me a flight to Chicago on Saturday” into your phone and a “bot”, which understands your location and the fact that you mean this Saturday, will return

66

agenda

66

ON THE AGENDA

the

MANN, THAT WAS ONE TOUGH DAY! T

rage

he muddier and wetter it gets, the more Tough Mann fans love it!

This year was no exception with 560 competitors finishing the Tough Mann Adventure Challenge in association with Manx Telecom. The 10km course at Ballamoar Farm, Ballaugh, featured 25 obstacles including muddy bogs, rope scrambles and monkey bars. Joey Bond won with Neil Brogan second and Ben Campelton third. First woman was Anna Kenny with Kirree Quayle in second and Ali Clague third respectively. Manx Telecom provided GoXtreme Action Cams for each of the individual category winners, and Fitbit chargeHR activity wristbands with heart monitors for the team winners.

Words: Maija Palmer (FT)

“There is no way for a chatbot to be interesting or terribly useful right now,” says Mr Mugan.

TECHNOLOGY

with some choices.

Chatbots will become the predominant way we interact with companies. Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, Google Now, Amazon’s Alexa and Facebook’s Messenger are among prominent examples. In addition CB Insights, a venture capital database, has identified 21 start-ups building virtual assistants designed to help with everything from finding restaurants to monitoring your health. These have collectively raised over $120m in funding from venture investors.

You know the trend for chatbots is exploding when an accounting software company builds one. Sage, which has been providing small and medium businesses with business software for more than 35 years, is planning to launch a chatbot this summer. This will help anyone from freelancers to small business owners manage invoices and expenses. Send the agenda

the Mountains jersey. For all the finishers there was a commemorative tee-shirt and a Bushy’s beer for over 18s, and a soft drink for under-18s. Other category winners included:

Female U21 – Kirree Quayle Male U21 – Shaun Kelly Female Senior – Sammy White Male Senior – Joey Brogan Female Veteran Over 40 Anna Kenny Male Veteran over 40 Ray Whitfield

Manx Telecom’s support for the event included offering a free Pic2Go service which allowed competitors who registered for it to have official photos of them in the race automatically uploaded to their own Facebook page. A total of 525 registered for Pic2Go with over 8,000 photos being uploaded. Pic2Go uses software which automatically recognises race numbers to identify competitors. As the race numbers aren’t visible in many of the photographs where competitors are under water or crawling through mud, you can see a gallery of all the official photos at http:// isleofman.in/toughmann and purchase images or order prints, with all profits going to charity. £1 from every entry fee will be donated to Tabitha’s Trust, the charity which helps families affected by child bereavement.

Event organiser Kez Wardell said that a total of £750 had been raised for the charity so far, but more could follow from competitors who had collected money from sponsors.

There were also two special King and Queen of the Mountain prizes for the fastest male and female competitors to reach the top of ‘Killer Hill’ which ascends 1,000 feet in the first two kilometres of the course. Anna Kenny was crowned Queen of the Mountain, and Graham Furner King of the Mountain. They were presented with distinctive polka-dot design jerseys inspired by the Tour de France King of

67

AGENDA: Helpful Chatbots

112

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

For more information and results go to www.toughmann.com | http://mt.im/ toughmannphotos BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

113

112 ACTIVE: Tough Mann 2016

THE REST UPFRONT

Edito...........................................................................................................................5 Urban feature...........................................................................................10 What’s On..................................................................................................12 Me & My Pet.........................................................................................................14 News in Numbers....................................................................................16 Urban Myths.........................................................................................................17 Give..........................................................................................................................18 MISC.......................................................................................................................20

PLACES

Feature Properties................................................................................79

EVENTS

FASHION & BEAUTY

Victoria Bevan & David Parvin Engagement Party................22 Emily Magee & Phil Cooper’s Wedding Day..............................26 Ladies Day.........................................................................................................28

Dental Braces........................................................................................100 Get the look............................................................................................101 Beauty Bulletin.................................................................................................102

CULTURE

APPETITE

The Art of Roger Dean.......................................................................30 Culture News..........................................................................................32 Culture Vulture.................................................................................................34 Animator Eloise................................................................................................36 The Art of Roger Dean Opening Night Event Photos............38 UPLOAD....................................................................................................40

TRAVEL

Urban Destinations..........................................................................................44

AGENDA

In The News........................................................................................................48 Movers & Shakers..............................................................................................52 Office Workers Can Learn From The Olympians.............................54 Frosty Reception...................................................................................56 Severn Deadly Investment Sins.......................................................58 Top 10 Money Tips For Students.....................................................60

8

KPMG Global Report.......................................................................................62 Helpful Chatbots Are All The Rage.........................................................66 Planes, Trains & Cruise Liners with Plan.com......................................70 Drones Go Into Business................................................................................74 Looking For Keyboards?...............................................................................76 Digital Detox....................................................................................................78

If you Like Pina Coladas..................................................................104 Recipes.....................................................................................................105 A Pig's Ear of A Night...................................................................................106 Wine Talk...............................................................................................108

ACTIVE

Sailing Novice In Ocean Race....................................................................110 Tough Mann 2016.............................................................................................112

HARDWARE

Motoring News..................................................................................................116 Gadgets................................................................................................................118 Phone Home......................................................................................................122

PAPARAZZI Are you in?..............................................................................................123/130 ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

COVER COVER CREDIT

1

COVER: the URBAN issue

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Photographer & Styling: Shan Fisher | Model & Hairstyling: Kasuma Christian | Makeup Artist: Heather Maddrell | Location: Groudle Glen Railway Station

9

URBAN LEGENDS OF MY CHILDHOOD WORDS Grant Runyon ILLUSTRATION Jacques Le Breton

UPFRONT

It says a lot about people that urban legends continue to flourish in an age where it should only take fifteen seconds to disprove most of them. If anything, the existence of the internet has made rumours and falsehoods proliferate to a degree where humanity’s collective store of unlikely stories probably outweighs our actual knowledge. Future generations will know little about our daily lives, as our historical records are more likely to contain tales of the time there was a finger in our hamburger, or a list of the different things that hospital doctors are rumoured to have removed from our bottoms.

I’ve done my bit for posterity by handpicking some of the finest rumours from my own childhood. I did come up with at least a hundred, but by the time I’d removed all the ones that were libellous or simply too unpleasant to print this article was all that was left. Call 01624 xxxxxx if you want to have a good time.

Dye of embarrassment I could write a book of tall tales that revolve entirely around the Tower of Refuge from 1980 onwards, but a personal favourite has to be our local variant on the myth that swimming pools contain a special dye that shows when you’ve peed in them.

This isn’t and has never been true, but that didn’t stop kids circulating terrifying tales about the time a kid from your brother’s class lost control during Pluto’s Playtime and was socially ostracised for leaving an orange/purple/lime green disaster puddle in the water next to the blow up sausage.

Logically, this would have meant that the small, suspiciously warm, kids pool would have been bright purple most of the time, but logic has no power over somebody who absolutely swears on their mum’s life that they saw a kid get decapitated on the rocks once.

The a-peel of illegal drugs The “war on drugs” had many fronts, incorporating efforts to put kids off narcotics via messages on the title screen of Golden Axe, the scary villain in the Michael Jackson Moonwalker movie, and the continuing existence of hippies. The anti-drugs campaign was also strengthened by the power of the urban legend, leading to numerous lurid schoolyard tales about the misadventures of various kids from your estate, older classes at school or just old enough to own a motorbike. Some of these undoubtedly had their origins in real tragedies, but the most memorable will always be the sad tale of the boy who took so much LSD that he thought he was an

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

orange and tried to peel himself. If only he’d stuck to “soft” drugs, like banana skins and the cannabis-scented joss sticks that your cousin got cautioned for shoplifting from Horseplay.

E-numbers were developed for chemical warfare You didn’t necessarily need illegal drugs to go crazy, as rumour had it that even the aisle of the local newsagent contained hidden multitudes of lethal, mind-altering substances. Long before parents were willing to excuse their badly-behaved offspring by self-diagnosing them with ADHD, poor behaviour was attributed to the presence of artificial additives in many children’s foodstuffs. Many of us will remember the kid who ate NERDS and ran under a bus, or the numerous perils said to proceed from scoffing too many Wham bars, fizzy Astro Belts or the MSG in a Chinese takeaway. According to some parents, effects of food you saw advertised during Emu’s Pink Windmill could range from causing cancer in rats, making your hair fall out or glueing up your insides so you gradually starved to death - given these warnings from our elders, it is amazing that any of us lived to be old enough to copy them and move to using factor 2 sunscreen and smoking unfiltered Silk Cut. Nightmare on Strand Street The moral panic over so-called “video nasties” was right in one respect, in that the wide availability of VHS horror movies would have an irreversible effect on the children who got access to them. It didn’t transform us into serial killers or Satanworshippers, but it did lead to a generation of twelve-year-olds who believed that spiritual corruption and gruesome murder were things that regularly happened to people in our community. It was a slippery slope: first you watch a bootleg copy of Hellraiser (ideally the X rated one where people actually died filming it), then you

start talking to spirits in the mirror, within weeks you’ve bought a Ouija board and have made a pact with the devil by drawing a pentagram and setting fire to a picture of Cliff Richard. Your inevitable grisly death would serve as a moral lesson to future sleepovers, even if nobody could remember your actual name.

My cousin has nunchuks and a bo staff You could say that frightening stories about drugs and the supernatural are a logical response to a barely-understood social menace that children feel powerless to doing anything about. Luckily there was one threat which you could prepare for: the epidemic of gang-related street violence was the problem, and the solution was ninja weaponry, martial arts training and sometimes the finishing move of WWF wrestler Jake “the Snake” Roberts.

Even here, we were reliably informed that innocent bystanders were being stabbed outside discos and shot in back alleys like Batman’s parents. Some people chose to cower away, but some people (my cousin) were inspired by the Karate Kid to train so hard that within a matter of weeks they could break an opponent’s neck with a single roundhouse kick and were unanimously agreed to be toughest in juniors, possibly even including year 11s. After training at the dojo, you then need to register your hands and feet as a deadly weapon, but whatever you do, do not tell the police about the nunchuks and ninja stars you brought back from the secret Japanese shop at Jurby Junk. The police don’t like criminals, but for some reason they also don’t want you to have the power to defeat a gang of five bikers just by yourself - probably because the cost of having them all in intensive care is very high. I am your sensei, and if you pass this technique on I will be forced to kill you.

Hai!

11

UPFRONT

WHAT’S ON

LOCAL WHAT’S ON

03.09 – 04.09.16

08.09.2016

//JURBY AIRFIELD// Action all the way with both cars and bikes tacking to the two lane drag strip, with some of the fastest cars and bikes from the UK coming over for this event, including for the first time on the Island Julian Web with his Split Second Jet Dragster. This car has run 300mph at the Elvington records event and is sure to set Jurby alight and will be joined by home grown talent in the form of Ian Merryweather in his Manx built 1200bhp 1938 Fiat Toplino Dragster, Banzai.

T: 07971 172210 www.straightlinersonline.co.uk

//ISLAND WIDE// The opening night of the Isle of Man Film Festival – the Big Movie Pub Quiz. Four locations around the Island on one night, with big prizes to be won. £5 per team of up to five people. Register at The Trafalgar (Ramsey), The Albert (Port St Mary), The Creek (Peel) or The Alpine Café (Douglas) or contact zoe@isleofmanfilmfestival.com In association with the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. www.isleofmanfilmfestival.com

JURBY DRAGFEST

04.09.2016

SUNDAY OPENING

//MANX MUSEUM, DOUGLAS// The Manx Museum opens its doors on a Sunday once again, offering a great day out for visitors and locals alike. 10am – 5pm.

T: 01624 648000 www.manxnationalheritage.im

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MOVIE PUB QUIZ

11.09.2016

DEMOLITION DERBY

//ONCHAN STADIUM// The 2016 Stockcar Racing season ends with a BANG! After a full afternoons racing, including Dash for the Cash races, the End of Season Demolition Derby, where 25 championship points and prize money is awarded to the last car mobile. This could change the 2016 points championship standings which are awarded throughout the meeting. Gates open at 1pm for a 2pm start.

T: 07624 432232

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

SEPTEMBER 11.09.16

END TO END MOUNTAIN BIKE CHALLENGE

//ISLAND WIDE// A mountain bike challenge from one end of the Island to the other, taking in a variety of terrains and requiring different skills to complete the event. 75km in total, riders require a certain level of fitness to complete the event and a high level of skill to compete for honours. The race is now one of the biggest in the mountain bike calendar and attracts over 800 competitors to the Isle of Man www.manxe2e.org

17.09 – 18.09.2016

FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

//VILLA MARINA GARDENS, DOUGLAS// The very best of local produce with samples, live cookery demonstrations, chef and student chef competitions, children’s activities, live music and much more. £3 per day or £5 for the weekend. Under 16’s free, no ticket required. Saturday from 10am until 9pm and Sunday from 10am until 5pm.

24.09 – 25.09.2016

ISLE OF MAN CYCLING CHALLENGE

//TT COURSE// Your chance to ride this historic tarmac and enjoy feed stations round the course and a massage on your return to the Grandstand.

On the Saturday you can choose to ride 1, 2 or 3 laps of the 37.7 mile (60.7 km) TT Mountain Course, starting and finishing in the pit lane as a solo rider or as part of a relay team. Or take part in the 24 hour Endurance Challenge. Full details of entry costs, prizes and how to take part on the website. www.isleofmancc.com

24.09.2016

MANX LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS

//GAIETY THEATRE, DOUGLAS// Manx Last Night of the Proms at the Gaiety Theatre.

Tickets £12.75, concessions available.

01624 600555 www.villagaiety.com

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

28.09 – 2.10.2016

30.09 – 02.10.2016

//ISLAND WIDE// The Manx Lit Fest now in its 5th year has events for adults and children across the Island including a Poetry Slam, visiting authors and the chance to show off at The Book Fanatics Quiz Night. Programmes available now, and full details on the Facebook pages and the website. www.facebook.com/manxlitfest www.manxlitfest.com

//ISLAND WIDE// An opportunity to explore some of the unusual or less publicly accessible historic properties, lands and buildings that celebrate the Isle of Man’s rich heritage and culture over two long weekends. Heritage organisations and private owners Islandwide join together to open their doors and share their knowledge of historic treasures.

MANX LIT FEST

ISLE OF MAN HERITAGE OPEN DAYS

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Freddie Ralston Breed: Human Age: 13 Likes: Ponies & Football Dislikes: Tidying my bedroom If animal what would you be: A Seagull - because they fly and steal people’s chips.

Favourite food: Chips Where do you live on the Island: Foxdale Where are you originally from: Foxdale!

Dee & Tigger Breed: Ponies

Why do you love your human: Because he lets me do fun things like Jumping, Hunting & Cross Country.

Age: Dee is 24 and Tigger is 19 Likes: Eating and jumping Dislikes: Dressage

If you had one wish what would you wish for: For no ageing or growing so we can ride forever.

If human what would you be: Dee would be an old man reading a newspaper, Tigger would be a cowboy.

Interesting fact: Both ponies are very popular and have a fan club of previous owners & riders.

Favourite food: Barley Rings

Do you have any more pets: No Would you have any more pets: Yes The best and worst thing about having a pet is... Mucking out stables

?

TING PY.ECT TERES@ O.IM IN ER N LL A A G E V ES A R DO YOU HT YOURSELVES - FEATU BOU

TELL US A

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

Give an animal a home

H

Gibbons arrive as part of prestigious breeding programme

A

pair of silvery gibbons has arrived at the Curraghs Wildlife Park, which has been chosen to participate in a prestigious breeding programme.

The animals – the first lesser apes the park has housed – will prove a major attraction for visitors.

Nakula, an 11-year-old male, moved from Perth Zoo in Australia to Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent a year ago.

He was recently paired up with Slamet, a nine-year-old old female who was born at Howletts.

The gibbons are settling into their new enclosure, which has been two years in the preparation and incorporates an island and a rope bridge.

ollie’s previous owner’s child developed allergies and so Hollie came to us in May for re-homing. She had a pretty rough time in sick bay for several weeks, but she has now been given the all-clear and is in one of our socialisation rooms. She’s a middle-aged cat and although she’s very friendly she can be a little timid at first until she warms to you.

She especially enjoys having her cheeks being stroked! She only has a few teeth left so she prefers sachet food because it’s easier to digest. Hollie has never been a wandering cat and she will stay close to her new home, when she finds one, and not roam too far; and she isn’t used to traffic and so a house in a quiet area would be more suitable for her. She’s a beautiful cat and she will make a perfect companion for her new owner – could this be you?

Hollie

The wild silvery gibbon lives exclusively on the Indonesian island of Java but the population of 2000 adults of breeding age is threatened by habitat destruction and the illegal pet trade.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists it as ‘endangered’.

There are just 45 silvery gibbons in European zoos – more than half of them at Howletts.

Lola

L

ola has featured in Gallery before, but she is still with the Society because English Bull Terriers are a ‘specialist breed’ and people who like this type of dog tend to have one already. Lola will need to be the only dog in a household, and so re-homing her is taking longer than usual. Her affectionate and loving nature has led her to ‘national stardom’ – she was selected to be Bill Sikes’ dog, Bull’s Eye, in the recent production of Oliver! at the Gaiety Theatre. She absolutely loved being the centre of attention, and behaved impeccably in all her performances. The children in the cast all wanted to take her home, of course, and several members of the audience have been to Ard Jerkyll to meet her … and so this could be the beginning of a new chapter in Lola’s life. Who knows, she might appear in a TV show next!

ManxSPCA • Ard Jerkyll, East Foxdale • Tel: 851672

www.manxspca.com

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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UPFRONT

NEWS 3

in

NUMBERS

Little King Louis IPA (Hooded Ram Brewery) was the only Isle of Man product to be awarded 3 gold stars in the UK Great Taste Awards 2016. Laxey Flour Mills, Noa Bakehouse, Isle of Man Meats and Isle of Man Creameries were also awarded stars for their products.

40%

£9,805

donated by the Rotary Club of Rushen & Western Mann to local and international charities in year to June. Among the local charities receiving funds were Hyperbaric Chamber, Beach Buddies, and Rushen Baton Twirlers.

3.6%

reduction in gas tariffs from 6 September which, when added to earlier reductions this year represents and total reduction for the average central heating customer of £61 per year (figures: Manx Gas)

is the date of the Manx General Election.

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400

2

Around 400 people are said to have attended the first Pokemon Go Lure Event on Douglas prom when the game was launched here at the end of July. Sadly this figure can’t be verified as everyone was staring at their phones.

goals in six minutes early in the second half helped Peel seal a 2-1 victory over the league champions St Georges in the football season’s opener, the Charity Shield on 5 August

Over 40% of Easyjet’s evening services to the Island have been ‘excessively late’ over the peak summer period according to statistics released by TravelWatch. The pressure group had earlier warned that the reduction in flights to and from Gatwick would cause difficulties, and recent cancellations and delays seem to back this up.

The Legion Players’ Drama Society production of ‘Night Mother’ won 2 awards at the British All Winners Play Festival – the Amateur Stage Trophy, and the Buxton Trophy for the Most Promising Youth Participation for Michelle Jamison, who won this for the second year in succession.

2 ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

UPFRONT

THE PARENTAL URBAN MYTH HANDBOOK Words: Clare Bowie

11 lies all parents tell their kids Bedtime! This only works before your kids learn to tell the time but until then bedtime can be whenever you want and those suckers will believe you.

There’s none left. What this really means is “you’ve had enough sweets sunshine, but I can’t be bothered arguing with you about it, plus I’m keeping some of that stash for myself later”.

Santa is watching you! To be fair this is not strictly a lie because he/she is actually watching and there is a valuable lesson about consequences to be learnt here and of course bribery.

Wow, you did brilliant. Ok, they may not have done so well but a little shielding now can do no harm before they grow up and realise how crap they are at sports, reading, drama, social interaction, swimming (delete as appropriate).

It’s chicken, just eat it! Pork, lamb, beef; just tell them it’s chicken and those fickle little so and so’s will eat it. It’s a win-win because now they’ll eat their dinner and learn about duping and false advertisement. #lifelessons

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

We’ll see. No good can ever come from a “we’ll see” response but it’s a valuable lesson in conflict avoidance and noncommittal procrastination.

You’re just helping them really.

We’ll come back another time. A little false hope to get you off the hook. Genius!

The shops are closed, pokemon’s dead, there’s no batteries left etc.

These lies trip off your tongue so easily you don’t even think of them as lies any more.

Even the kids do it, “Yes, i’ve brushed my teeth, charged my ipad, tidied my room”. A little deceit never hurt anyone!

I don’t know. Can you imagine how much wine drinking time you would lose of an evening if you actually answered all of those endless questions in their entirety. You have to have set realistic boundaries here, if you claim ignorance enough times they’ll soon stop asking and watch more youtube instead.

You must have lost it. This means, I’ve thrown it out or given it to your cousin and I am now praying that you won’t see him playing with it the next time we go round to his house. Oops.

I’m leaving without you. We know they know we don’t really mean it don’t they?

Instilling abandonment issues in a child may not be ideal but what doesn’t kill them and all that..

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UPFRONT

OUR COMMUNITY

GIVE who lives in Kirk Michael, and he admits that he is not a cyclist by any stretch of the imagination. The first day of the challenge consists of cycling from London through the South Downs towards Portsmouth where he will catch the overnight ferry to Caen. Upon arrival he will be setting off straight away; cycling a mammoth 87 miles to Evreux where he will catch some rest before setting off on the final leg of his journey towards a spectacular finish at the Champs-Élysées in Paris. He embarked on his journey on 1 September.

RAMSEY MAN GIVES A MANX TWIST TO THE ‘22 PUSH-UP CHALLENGE’ Combat Stress was set up in the years immediately following the First World War, offering treatment for conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety and has helped more than 100,000 ex-service men and women in the last 96 years. PTSD affects soldiers in shocking numbers with an estimated 22 US veterans committing suicide each day, prompting the ’22 pushup challenge’ that began in the US and has spread far and wide, resulting in snippets of film of fundraisers doing 22 push-ups for 22 days flooding social media.

His completed challenges include a 22 mile walk, a 22 mile cycle, 22 kayak rolls, as well as a 220 foot abseil (with 22 volunteers) and most recently a kayak polo match in Ramsey’s Mooragh Park on 22 August. And on the 10 September, 22 volunteers will pull a 10-tonne truck – kindly lent by Mezeron - along Ramsey Promenade. He’s also planning a Golf tournament at Ramsey Golf Club – so if you’d like to get involved just call or text James on 077493 013721, or you can make a donation to Combat Stress at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/JamesKellett3 www.combatstress.org.uk

Sure has supported Nathan by providing him with a phone so that he is able to update friends, family and supporters on his progress.

LOCAL BUSINESSMAN GETS ON HIS BIKE WITH SUPPORT FROM SURE

Local businessman Nathan Evans has set himself the challenge of riding an immense 237 miles from London to Paris in three days for a local cancer charity, with the support of Sure.

Cycling is a fairly new hobby for Nathan,

All of the money raised is being donated to the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity, a charity which is very close to Nathan’s heart after he sadly lost his mother to the illness.

If you would also like to support Nathan you can donate through his Just Giving page www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ Nathscycle

ANTHONY NOLAN (ISLE OF MAN FRIENDS) 25TH ANNIVERSARY DINNER Isle of Man Friends of Anthony Nolan have been raising vital funds for blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan for 25 years. To celebrate we are holding a 25th Anniversary Dinner on Friday 11th November 2016 at the Best Western Palace Hotel and Casino, Central Promenade Douglas starting at 7.30pm.

We wanted someone special to help us celebrate and so we have as our guest speaker a long standing supporter of Anthony Nolan, called Dominic Holland (Comedian, author, broadcaster and after dinner speaker) whose father was born

on the Isle of Man and brought up in Onchan. Dominic is a regular on Channel 5’s the Wright Stuff and Have I Got News For You. In addition he is a well respected author and all the proceeds of one of his novels called “Open Links” goes to Anthony Nolan.

Tickets are £65 (Tables of 10 are £600) and can be obtained by contacting Ivan Bratty on 852486 or emailing ivanbratty@ manx.net. www.anthonynolan.org

Be the one to inspire...

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PALACE BINGO SUPPORTS NEW MANX CHARITY

The Palace Bingo will host a fundraising event this month in support of a Manx charity designed to improve facilities and support for teenagers and young adults who have complex and lifethreatening medical conditions.

The event will take place on Tuesday 20 September in aid of ‘Bridge the Gap’, which was established by Foxdale resident Fiona Barker, along with family and friends, to support teenagers when their medical care is transferred from children’s to adult services at the age of 16. The charity is working with Youth Services and Noble’s Hospital to create the position of a Youth Worker at the hospital. Patients will receive friendship and support from the charity’s Youth Worker in a safe and age-appropriate environment at Noble’s, as well as meet other users to form a peer support network.

The Palace Bingo will run the charity event; tickets cost £20 each and will include a buffet and Bingo Books for all attendees.

T: 01624 682797 or email contact@bridgethegap.im.

STEAM PACKET COMPANY PASSENGERS DONATE ALMOST £15,000 TO ROB VINE FUND

Generous passengers on board Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessels during the 2016 TT festival donated almost £15,000 to the Rob Vine Fund.

Collections on sailings raised £14,913, meaning more than £235,000 has now been donated since the first annual Steam Packet Company collection for the Fund was held in the mid-1990s.

The Fund was established in memory of Rob Vine, a competitor who died after a crash at the Black Dub during the 1985 Senior TT. This year’s cheque was presented to Dr David Stevens MBE, Secretary and Director of the Rob Vine Fund, Registered Charity No 954 (Isle of Man). www.robvinefund.im.

www.bridgethegap.im

M&CO CHARITY WALK

M&Co have been raising awareness and money for Cancer Research UK. On the 23rd and 24th July we had a coffee morning selling teas, coffee and cakes. Also on the 24th five members of staff walked over 10 miles from Douglas to Peel Promenade. Starting at 9:30 and finished at 14:00. So far we have managed to raise over £1,000 in donations and sponsors!

YOUR CHANCE TO FIND OUT ABOUT FOSTERING Anyone interested in becoming a foster carer can find out everything they need to know at a series of forthcoming drop-in events: Wednesday 28th September (6-8pm) Thursday 27th October (12-2pm) Friday 25th November (5-7pm) All held at Bourne House, 97 Woodbourne Road, Douglas.

If you can’t make any of the above dates or times, the Fostering First Team are also happy to meet for an informal chat at a time to suit you. Please reach out to the Team to arrange.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

www.aafiom.org fosteringfirst@thechildrenscentre.org.im Isle of Man Fostering Ltd. Registered Charity Number 1056

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UPFRONT

MISC

Just random things to amuse you.

URBAN

WORDS TAYLOR JONES

BREXIT DEVALUES ANOTHER EUROPEAN INSTITUTION...

GANGSTA'S MULLER RICE As he walked through the valley of the shadow of death, it seems Coolio took a look at his career and realised that there was nothing left. He was blastin’ and laughin’ so long, even his manager thought his mind was gone. You know he really hates to trip, but he’s got to work, so he packed in the music and released a cookbook. That’s right, Coolio, the very same educated fool with money on his mind that had the hutzpah to release an album called El Cool Magnifico (uninspiringly translated, The Magnificent Cool), finally realised that the world of urban music just wasn’t ready for his hair, or his music.

So, when the streets are behind you, and you’ve already turned to Big Brother to eviscerate the last remaining shreds of your dignity, where do you go? The obvious choice is, of course, the same world that provided Gordon Ramsay with the platform to build an empire upon the foundation of profanity and gave Adam Richman a heartbeat that flitters somewhere between a blue whale’s and a hummingbird’s.

It’s no surprise then that in a profession that made gave The Hairy Bikers a chance, Coolio was able to publish a book with golden quotes like “This dish ain’t just called Karate Meat cus’ it’s got an Asian kick to it. It’s called Karate Meat cus’ it will beat you up like a pigeon in prison” and “[My mom’s] chicken would literally put on tennis shoes and run the f%&* into your mouth”. Thank you Coolio, for everything you’ve given to us.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 5-0 KIND

In 1900, the Michelin company released its first guidebook intended to encourage road trips through France. The tyre company, in a thinly veiled yet genius attempt to boost sales, were basically telling people to destroy their tyres by driving to some of the most expensive and geographically diverse restaurants and eateries in the 3rd largest country in Europe. Marketing was much easier when people couldn’t check facts on the internet. Nowadays, the world famous company, which comes in at #392 on Forbes’ Global 2000 list, uses more elaborate forms of guerilla marketing to get people to buy their products (if using a chubby white man can be classed as elaborate), however they still have the power to determine the way in which the public classes a restaurant.

Now, I am not a fancy man by any stretch of the imagination. I believe food is food, and just because my single ring of calamari was served with a peppermint fondant that was meant to perfectly compliment the horseradish leaf on which it lay does not mean that I would take your food over anywhere else. I am far more of “street food” kind of guy (if you disregard a very long week in Bangkok that redefined the term “explosive” for me). As long as I’m getting edible food by the kilo for very little money, I’m happy. You don’t need to tell me where the chicken came from, or even which bit of the chicken I’m eating, as long as I haven’t had to take out a loan to buy it like I would in any restaurant pretentious enough to display a tyre company’s approval above their door.

However, it appears even the insalubrious sanctorum of the streets is not safe from the forces of critics and rubber merchants, as now in Singapore, a street food stall that serves $1.50 meals has been awarded one of the most coveted awards in cooking (second only to the Masterchef trophy). Chan Hon Meng of Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle (it sounds better in Cantonese) has built his business to the point where its achievements can actually be compared to that of Marco Pierre White, and from the sounds of things it is completely deserved!

World’s Wildest Police Videos is a very well-known show in the United States. For anyone that isn’t instantly aware of the concept from the name, this is a 30 minute show that, outside the borders of the U.S.A, is often used as evidence to demonstrate what people mean when they claim that our transatlantic cousins are not the sharpest bunch. It shows car chases that occur when criminals (normally petty thieves) decide that today is not their day to be incarcerated, and in almost heroic fashion, judge that their 1982 Chevvy S-10 can outrun a fleet of modern police cars. It would be easy here to make some kind of joke about the lack of police brutality on the show and the staggeringly high proportion of white criminals, but that’s a conversation for another day, long in the future. For now, we will focus on the more lighthearted topic at hand; aliens.

No matter how many Americans get a bit overly confident in their ability to dodge oncoming traffic, one thing you can guarantee that will never show up on any kind of network-run police show is the appearance of our interplanetary friends. This is a country that can’t even admit they have an alien testing facility in the middle of the desert that nobody knows about and nobody has seen inside but is definitely real and you’re just ignorant if you don’t believe in it. WAKE UP PEOPLE. However, it seems that the Irish don’t have the same issue with confidentiality. In fact, they’re more than happy to show the world when an actual UFO shows up on their streets and is chased by police. In Gorey, Ireland (calm down Easterners you’re not getting a real mention from me), that’s exactly what happened when a homemade UFO took the roads and was instantly apprehended in one of the slowest and most mundane chases ever recorded on camera. The little 10 foot art installation, made by Ali Kemal Ali, was stopped by police, before they were convinced to get involved and switch the sirens on in order to raise awareness for the local youth arts festival in which the UFO would be appearing. I guess the drivers were just lucky they were green…

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Urban Pidgey Safari With fear of treading into that tempting world of hyperbole, I think it’s fair to say that Pokemon Go has taken over the world. Like a Shyamalan-esque sixth sense, people have begun to see the spirits of their childhood pop up everywhere, from People’s Park to the wreckage of the car they just crashed trying to catch ANOTHER BLOODY PIDGEY. These are some of the best and weirdest stories from the urban hunting ground that the world itself has become.

1. The Derek Redmond 400m race at

the 1992 Olympics was, up until now, the single moment in history that I went back to when I needed a reminder of the power of dedication. However, that story of glory has now been promptly and unceremoniously leapfrogged in my “inspiration” youtube playlist by two New Zealanders who were so desperate to get their hands on the plaudits of owning a gym that they kayaked for half an hour to reach one that had, for some reason, been put out at sea. Not good enough for you? Well, within the same day, the guy who loaned them the kayaks went out and took the gym for himself.

All’s fair in love and Pokemon.

2. For anyone that has played the game,

you will know that the world is facing a plague that could rival God’s locusts on the land of Egypt and although it may not quite “devour all that you have left”, it certainly is “something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now”. I am of course talking about the emergence of the Pidgey.

The burden upon the existence of all that drags us towards the eternal pit of despair, and apparently the perfect distraction for a very brave father-to-be.

Jonathan Theriot had the nerve to post a picture of a Pidgey sat next to his wife whilst she was in labour. Jonathan, if it’s not your new daughter, it will be your wife, either way prepare to suffer the destroyer to come into your house and smite you. (that’s 3 direct bible quotes by the way. Just in case you were counting)

3. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt, they say. Fortunately for one 19 year old player in Wyoming, the fun didn't have to stop after she found a dead body in a natural water source near her house. Respect the dead and all, but if they can't be caught, they're in the way.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

EVENTS

VICTORIA BEVAN AND DAVID PARVIN ENGAGEMENT PARTY

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Location: Da Vinci’s Photos: Dollsfactory.net

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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Festive Planning Made Easy The festive season is fast approaching so now is the time to get organised.

Whether you are thinking of dining out with the family, the annual office shindig or celebrating with friends, it’s important to get these things sorted now before your favourite places get booked up.

Getting yourself in the mood and ready for the party season is much more than just getting your Christmas jumper out and ordering a turkey. It’s all about looking good, feeling great, choosing the perfect gifts and enjoying yourself.

In fact, why not put this magazine down, get on your phone, tablet or computer, head over to miquando.com, and start planning your celebrations right now.

You can join thousands of other #cleverbookers in the Isle of Man who are using MiQuando to book a whole range of services online.

MiQuando makes life simple •

Quick and easy to use

•

Convenient – book any time, wherever you are

•

Email/SMS confirmations

•

Read reviews to make choosing easier

•

On your mobile, tablet or desktop

•

A wide variety of local businesses and services

•

Book in advance or find last minute availability

QUICK EASY

& AVAILABLE

24/7

1. Search for a restaurant

2. Book online

3. Choose the date and time for your occasion

Bars and restaurants Choose from a wide selection of local restaurants, from traditional Christmas cuisine to something sensationally spicy…and everything in between.

Party Prep Ensure you’re ready for the party season by booking all your hair, beauty and grooming appointments too – not just for the ladies!

Treats and Gifts Need some Christmas present inspiration? MiQuando also has that covered.

The Barber shop

The Beauty bar

Dye-Namic

Appointment at 21

Good for you

Rock hard nails

Sweeny Todd

The signature rooms

The vanilla room

Beauty code

Loose knots

The Castle Apartments

Savina’s Secrets

Rendezvous Lounge

Afternoon Tea at the Empress

Isle of Man Flight Training

It’s the morning after, and you discover that you might have overdone things A little – Don’t worry we’ve got that covered too.

If you’ve thrown a few too many shapes on the dance floor and are feeling the effects, get yourself booked in for a massage, or if it’s a bit more serious you might want to consider a local physiotherapist or osteopath – there’s plenty to choose from.

If you’re really in the dog house, you can even book an appointment with a local advocate!

11:41 AM

Messages

4. Confirm booking

Miquando

Contact

5. Check your email to see the details

(ref Hi, Your Booking been 145525701) has 8/2016@ Confirmed - 28/0 The 19.30 PM with - Find it, Courthouse @ it, Rate it Click it, Book

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EVENTS

EMILY MAGEE & PHIL COOPER’S WEDDING DAY

Location: St Thomas Church, Douglas, followed by reception at Niarbyl.

Photos: Shan Fisher (www.shansphoto.com)

Looking for an escape this Winter?

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

EVENTS

Watch this space...

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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EVENTS

LADIES DAY

Location: Douglas Rugby Club - Port-e-chee

‘Douglas Rugby Club hosted the 10th edition of Ladies Day at Port-e-Chee, and the oversubscribed event attracted a full house of 80 girls. Club stewardess Anne Howarth, ably assisted by husband Paul, Steve Higgins and Steve Howarth, served a sumptuous buffet and dispensed biblical amounts of fizz. The record-breaking attendance was blessed by sunshine and entertainment, and the last guests were poured into Douglas at 9pm to continue the ‘lunch’. Thanks to Portofino, The Creek Inn, Utopia and Robinsons for contributing prizes and floral’s, and when head’s had cleared on Monday morning, next year’s event received bookings . . . ‘

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

CULTURE

CULTURE VULTURE What’s on

Now –04.10.2016 MAKEMARKET: A CREATIVE INDUSTRIES TAKEOVER //MARKET HALL, DOUGLAS// The creative industry takeover of the Market Hall continues with workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions, talks and opportunities for everyone, whether you already make a living in the creative industries or you just want to have a go.

September’s calendar includes architecture, poetry, advertising and more.

For full details of what’s on offer and how to book workshops see the Facebook page. www.facebook.com/MakeMarketIOM

Now – 18.09.2016 RNLI: HOPE IN THE GREAT WAR //HOUSE OF MANANNAN, PEEL//

A national touring exhibition produced by the RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and funded by Arts Council England. The exhibition celebrates timeless courage during the First World War, telling the story of six heroic RNLI rescues, with family friendly interactive displays.

See the First World War through the eyes of those living on the coast of the UK and Ireland and honour the courage of RNLI rescuers and survivors. Find out about the effects of war on Manx RNLI crews, and how the people of the Isle of Man incredibly managed to crew and maintain six RNLI lifeboat stations in the midst of the war zone that was the Irish Sea. www.manxnationalheritage.im

now 1 11 2016 ISLANDS AND BRIDGES – THE ART OF ROGER DEAN //MANX MUSEUM, DOUGLAS// An exhibition featuring artworks by internationally renowned artist and designer Roger Dean; best known for his album covers for bands such as Yes, Asia and Uriah Heep. Roger’s fantastical imagery has become a symbol of the progressive rock genre and is much loved by fans worldwide.

Roger has been responsible for posters, books, the revolutionary publishing companies ‘Dragon’s Dream’ and ‘Paper Tiger Books’, Eco architectural, furniture and stage design, as well as typefaces, logos and iconic designs for computer games company, ‘Psygnosis’ and ‘Tetris

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Worlds’ as well as a redesign of the Tetris Logo.

Admission free. www.manxnationalheritage.im

04.09 – 25.09.16 BLACK & WHITE CONTEMPORARY ART //THE ISLE GALLERY, TYNWALD MILLS//

A group show of monochrome original prints, photographs, drawings, collage and ceramics from artists including - Simon Park, Colette Gambell, Kate Jerry, Shelby Sandyford-Sykes, Juan Moore, Phil Kneen, Mark Boyd and Vici Blackburn. www.facebook.com/theislegallery

08.09 – 11.09.2016 ISLE OF MAN FILM FESTIVAL //ISLAND WIDE//

The Isle of Man Film Festival returns for its 5th year at various venues around the Island. Film reviewer Mark Kermode returns to host the main events, and the festival hopes to build on the success of last year with great events, brilliant special guests and the international short film competition.

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08.09 – 09.10.2016 SIMON BUTTIMORE: A RETROSPECTIVE //SAYLE GALLERY, DOUGLAS//

28.09 – 2.10.2016 MANX LIT FEST

//ISLAND WIDE// The Manx Lit Fest now in its 5th year has events for adults and children across the Island including a Poetry Slam, visiting authors and the chance to show off at The Book Fanatics Quiz Night. Programmes available now, and full details on the Facebook pages and the website. www.facebook.com/manxlitfest www.manxlitfest.com

Second and last Friday of

every month SAYLE GALLERY ART CINEMA CLUB //SAYLE GALLERY, DOUGLAS//

The Sayle Gallery Art Cinema Club is a small group of Art Film enthusiasts who get together on the second and last Friday of every month to watch strange and interesting cinema. Run originally by late artist Simon Buttimore, now continued in his honour by friends Zoë and Nadia. Join the club on facebook to see what films are coming up and suggest your own. www.facebook.com/ groups/587317068103781/ Live Streaming events in September include The Deep Blue Sea (National Theatre live), Norma (Royal Opera House), Cymbeline (Royal Shakespeare Company) and the National Theatre’s The Threepenny Opera (October 4) all at the Studio Theatre, Ballakermeen School. Tickets from www. villagaiety.com

For this tribute to much loved polymath and Island character Simon Buttimore, the Sayle Gallery will be exhibiting his own works, his films and playing his music as well as showing photographs and paintings of the man himself by many of the Isle of Man’s best known photographers and artists. www.sayle.gallery www.facebook.com/saylegallery

19.09.2016 – 01.10.2016 CHINESE WHISPERS //HODGSON LOOM GALLERY, LAXEY// An intriguing exhibition of work from the IOM Quilters, based on the old game of Chinese Whispers and a further theme, ‘Within the frame, outside the box’. www.facebook/hodgsonloomgallery

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SAYLE CELEBRATES THE LIFE AND WORKS OF SIMON BUTTIMORE September sees a major exhibition at the Sayle Gallery featuring the works of the late Simon Buttimore, who tragically died following a road accident in January this year.

Words: Suzy Holland

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

Simon was a real Renaissance man. In a moving tribute at his funeral, director of the Sayle Gallery Damien Ciappelli said that Simon ‘embodied the spirit of true artist unfettered by conventional thinking or preconceived notions’ with his artistic endeavours ranged from painting to music, from sculpture to animation, wood-carving to experimental film.

Simon lived a bohemian, teetotal, vegan life in the north of island, interested in the land and his beloved horses, but at the same time was pushing technological boundaries with his later films and animations. For this major retrospective of Simon’s work, the Sayle Gallery will be divided into two: one section will be dedicated to the man and his life-style at Ballafrog, with a slide show of images from across the years, large scale photographic prints and some of his 3D works, with the second gallery given over to his films and high tech experimental art. And Simon’s own music will be played throughout.

Simon was a passionate advocate of the value of the visual arts and railed against the idea that artists should be treated as

pariahs, firmly believing that artists and art galleries should be supported by public funds, just as museums and libraries are. But perhaps above all Simon will be remembered for his compassion, and the support and encouragement he gave to other artists – many of whom have lent works for this exhibition.

Supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council.

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MAKING WAVES FOR 50 YEARS AND COUNTING, THE ISLE OF MAN WELCOMES ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST PROLIFIC ARTISTS AND HIS NEW EXHIBITION ISLANDS AND BRIDGES NOW ON DISPLAY AT THE MANX MUSEUM. His artwork has graced the covers of British rock bands Yes, Asia and Uriah Heep winning admiration on a global scale. In a poll of Rolling Stone readers five of his designs were selected in the top twenty best album covers of all time.

Pathways

Artist and designer Roger Dean’s enduring vision and landscapes created a new genre, inspiring artists and revolutionising gaming and album art to this day.

It is no wonder Roger Dean designed logos of major record labels Virgin, Harvest

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and Vertigo becoming the in-house artist Photo © Jonathan for the UK progressive rock movement in the 1970s.

Not limited to ‘Prog Rock’, he also created the debut album cover and in 2015 the ‘ultimate collection’ cover for pioneering British group Osibisa. He designed the identity for sci-fi software company Psygnosis and redesigned the Tetris Worlds logo.

Dean’s prolific output includes architectural designs, stage sets, virtualreality simulators and housing. He founded the publishing house Dragon’s Dream and produced a full colour album size book of his own work that sat at number one in The Times best seller list for twelve weeks.

This publishing company continued its ground breaking format of fully illustrated books introducing the world to some of the foremost artists of the time including the

illustrator of the ‘Mabinogion’, the classic Welsh version of ‘The Arthurian Legends’, Alan Lee, whose designs and characters are now synonymous with Peter Jackson’s film interpretation of Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’.

Born in Ashford, Kent, England in 1944 Dean spent much of his childhood moving around the world, living in Cyprus, Greece and Hong Kong with his British army father. As a young boy with the freedom to roam, landscapes of such variation seem to have prompted both curiosity and fascination in the extraordinary, the floating islands and exotic habitats which have become so characteristic of his work, continue to evoke wonder and joy in all who see them.

Returning to London in 1957 and achieving numerous awards including that at the Royal College of Art where he began his career in the field of design.

He invented the ‘sea urchin chair’, a foam chair, which, though appearing spherical would conform to the sitter. Later, his “retreat pod” chair design was featured in dystopian crime film A Clockwork Orange.

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The new exhibition Islands and Bridges, The Art of Roger Dean features 26 of Roger Dean’s most iconic paintings, a selection of them album cover designs as well as two architectural models. Exclusive to this collection is the work entitled ‘Meeting Place’ which was inspired by Niarbyl on the Isle of Man.

ISLANDS AND BRIDGES, THE ART OF ROGER DEAN IS ON DISPLAY UNTIL THE 19 NOVEMBER 2016 AT THE MANX MUSEUM IN DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN.

Three editions of Roger Dean’s retrospective books and pack of postcard prints of all the artworks featured in the exhibition are on sale in the Manx Museum Gallery Shop. The Isle of Man Post Office have also released a specially commissioned set of stamps.

Meeting Place

Mesa

Water Dragon

Green Parrot Island

Floating Jungle

Yellow City

The exhibition is generously supported by Flying Dragon Promotions Ltd, Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Claremont Hotel and media partner 3FM. © Roger Dean 2016

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CULTURE NEWS

ISLE OF MAN FILM FESTIVAL 2016

September 8-11

(From the 5th at the Manx Museum) s

a st a s a ts t a a at a t ts a s s a at t t s ss which saw Sir John Hurt visiting the Island as special guest, an exclusive preview of sponsor Pinewood’s new movie, and an exciting anniversary screening of The Goonies under the stars. ff

This year’s schedule is hosted at various locations around the Island including the Broadway Cinema at the Villa Marina, the beautiful Gaiety Theatre, and some of the best known boutique venues and historic sites. This year boasts something for everyone and super low-priced events again ensure accessibility. n In the lead up to festival weekend the Manx Museum hosts an exciting programme of features and short films including some of the best Manx productions of the past 20 years, specially chosen movies for our younger audience, and past winners of the festival competition. These screenings will be held during the daytimes from Monday 5th September. n The festival launches its first movie pub quiz this year, which will be held on Thursday 8th evening at various venues around the Island. North, South, East and West will fight it out for prizes and prestige. n On Friday 9th, the festival kicks off its outdoor programme in association with Manx National Heritage and ELS with two classics screened within the castle walls of the iconic Castle Rushen: Robin Hood Prince of Thieves and Labyrinth. Due to popular demand, Labyrinth will screen again on the Sunday evening. n The Saturday 10th takes in a movie tour of the Isle of Man for visitors and local film fans alike, and in the afternoon, the BFI presents a special event at the Manx Museum before the action moves to the Gaiety Theatre where patron Mark Kermode interviews another special guest. n On Sunday 11th there is a chance to see the shortlist of films for this year’s short film competition and later in the day, winners are awarded their prizes by Mark at the closing ceremony which also showcases the shorts that have been produced on the Island this year. s

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AARDMAN GETS THE STAMP OF APPROVAL On August 12th the Isle of Man Post Office celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Academy Award®-winning studio Aardman with a special collection of stamps, featuring a variety of their most loved animated characters, whilst commemorating six iconic onscreen moments hand-picked by Aardman’s creative team.

The collection stars childhood favourites: Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Morph, Timmy, and Trixie and Cuddlepuss of Creature Comforts fame. As a part of the celebration, two additional stamps have been created of Morph on a visit to the Isle of Man to complete the eight-piece set.

The stamp collection can be purchased at iompost.com/aardman.

ENTRIES INVITED FOR THEATREFEST16 PLAY-WRITING COMPETITION Entries are being invited for the TheatreFest16 New Work Award.

The play-writing competition invites writers from the island and around the world to submit a new one-act play based on ‘Journeys’, the theme for the TheatreFest16 programme of three new works making their debut over the weekend of September 23 to 25 at the Studio Theatre, Ballakermeen High School.

The winner will have his or her play performed during TheatreFest17.

Launched in 2015 with the theme of BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

‘Slavery’ the TheatreFest15 New Work Award went to Steve Harper, a retired BT manager from Norfolk, for Morning Star, a play set in a Bristol inn in 1848.

Mr Harper’s play, described by competition judge Colin Dolley of the Guild of Drama Adjudicators as a work with an ‘intriguing, vibrant script’, ‘sharp dialogue’ and ‘compelling narrative’, will have its debut performance on September 23.

Isle of Man Arts Council vice-chairman Michael Lees said: ‘Steve Harper rose brilliantly to the challenge of what was a very difficult subject to write about and has set a high standard for future New Work awards.

‘We see the play-writing competition not only as an opportunity to encourage new writing talent - be that talent in the island,

the British Isles or anywhere in the world – but also to attract established writers, and for the journeys theme to shape and inspire this year’s submissions as powerfully as slavery did last year.

‘TheatreFest is all about “the new”: new works, new places and new people. And by “new people” I mean not only those new to performing or working behind the scenes, but also new audiences and new writers. In short, it’s about new creative opportunities for everyone.’

Entries can be submitted by email to iomartscouncil@gov.im or mailed to Isle of Man Arts Council, Hamilton House, Peel Road, Douglas, Isle of Man, IM1 5EZ. Closing date December 31, 2016. www.iomarts.com

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THERE’S NO STOPPING ANIMATOR ELÖISE – NEW ARTIST IN RESIDENCE AT THE SAYLE GALLERY The new Artist in Residence at the Words: Suzy Holland Images: Elöise White

Sayle Gallery is mixed-media artist and experimental animator Elöise White. Elöise is newly graduated from Staffordshire University with a BA in Stop Motion Animation and Puppet Making – a specialisation she hit on during her Art Foundation year at the Isle of Man College (now UCM) – and for her year-long residency will be producing a documentary-style animation celebrating the Island’s creative culture.

Elöise, who moved to the Island when she was 2, lives in Peel and studied at QE2 before heading for the college and then university, and she is looking forward to this year out of full-time education before embarking on a Masters in Creative Technology.

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“Growing up I was entranced by the world of Bag Puss and Tim Burton’s ‘Corpse Bride’, and when I went to first the college and then to University I was able to develop my weird and whimsical style further, inspired by such animators as Jan Svankmajer and Joanna Quinn,” says Elöise. “I began thinking I’d be an illustrator but tutor Kathryn Scarlett at the college encouraged me to see that my narrative style could be suited to 3D character design and animation, so I was delighted to find such a specialist course at Staffordshire. This year as Artist in Residence is a great opportunity to extend my practice in traditional animation methods.”

Elöise has already entered her graduate film ‘Misophonia’ into a number of film festivals – including the Isle of Man Film Festival which takes place this month – and plans to do the same with the film she is working on as Artist in Residence at the Sayle.

“I have had so much support from the artistic community here, and my residency film will celebrate this, and the Island’s culture,” says Elöise. “I started my year at the Sayle Gallery in August and I’m really looking forward to showing the traditional animation processes to visitors. It’s a real challenge to be ‘on show’ the whole time in the Gallery, but I’m sure I’m up to it!”

The Sayle Gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday throughout the year, and Elöise’s final exhibition will take place in July 2017.

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ARTIST EILEEN SCHAER HITS A MUSICAL NOTE Words: Suzy Holland Image: Eileen Schaer

Not only are there two Eileen Schaer paintings on display in the public rooms of the new London hotel Flemings, Mayfair, but she’s also been the subject of a music magazine interview. When she was contacted by writer Owen Peters to talk about musical influences on her art she was, it’s fair to say, a little perturbed. What on earth could she say that would interest him? A great deal it turns out.

Eileen was born and brought up in Liverpool, and when her parents ran a restaurant/pub near The Cavern, the four Beatles and other music legends dropped in for a meal and to watch TV in a little side room, and the young Eileen was soon to be found hanging out with friends and musicians in the Mardi Gras club, The Philharmonic Hall and the Liverpool University Students Union, and listening to poetry readings from the likes of Roger McGough, Brian Pattern and Andy Roberts.

Anyone too young to remember the 1960s, or whose knowledge of the exciting Liverpool scene of those times is a bit sketchy, will be enthralled by the stories about Eileen’s younger life and the influence music from then and more recently from India has had on her art and it’s perhaps the insights into her younger life as she moved from Liverpool with husband, artist David Fletcher, first to London and then the Isle of Man which are most illuminating. Although Eileen’s social network growing up included the Liverpool Art College, it wasn’t as an artist – she is self-taught and didn’t pick up a paintbrush

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until 1970 - David and Eileen rubbed shoulders with some of the major names in the art world of the time and she took more of interested in other people’s work and styles, despite having her own accepted into Royal Academy Summer Shows and other London galleries.

Owen Peters is just as interested in Eileen’s art as in her musical tastes and his gentle yet probing interview sheds an interesting light on her practice and her works and Eileen comes over here just as she does in person: modest and unassuming with a delightfully wicked sense of humour. If you like her paintings, then you’ll love this interview.

(The full interview is available to read on the US’s longest running online music magazine: www.furious.com/perfect/ eileenschaer)

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‘ISLANDS AND BRIDGES: THE WORK OF ROGER DEAN’ OPENS AT THE MANX MUSEUM Roger Dean, whose work ranges from architecture to graphic art books, is perhaps best known for the album covers he produced for iconic rock bands Yes and Asia, and more recently the covers of video games such as Shadow of the Beast, all of which appear in this exhibition, alongside a work inspired by the Isle of Man, ‘Meeting Place’.

At the opening of this landmark exhibition Roger was visibly moved, and, he said, honoured to be presented with a framed collection of the stamps he has designed for IOM Post, which were also launched that day. Roger said that like many young boys he’d been a keen stamp collector, but had never imagined his own artwork appearing on stamps.

The exhibition continues until 19 November 2016

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UPLOAD

THE MONTHLY UPLOAD

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YOUR PHOTOS

£50 ner Win

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1 Rich Mooney 2 Roelf Odendaal 3 Margaret Woolnough 4 Griff 5 Audrey Guniava

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6 Alan Clague 7 Gareth Pryce-Jones 8 Christopher J Arrowsmith 9 Ben Caley 10 Audrey 11 Lauren Wilkinson

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12 Janette Phair 13 Rennie Hollings 14 Saoirse Matthews 15 Pauline Guest 16 Krysia Boruch 17 John Fraser

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, 4MB 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

TRAVEL

URBAN RETREATS

Urban retreats are the latest travel craze to hit the city centre scene. From Barcelona to Belgium, to London and New York, hidden sanctuaries are everywhere! Read on to discover our top picks...

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NEW YORK

From the neon lights of Times Square to Wall Street’s looming skyscrapers and Central Park’s leafy paths – New York pulsates with an uncontrollable energy. This metropolis is the world’s media, fashion, finance and cultural hub.

A few jam-packed days is all you need to explore this city’s many world-class attractions and unforgettable icons, historic streets, plentiful boutiques, capacious department stores and ethnic enclaves. Combine exploration with pit stops at gastronomic bistros and trendy bars – all of which further enhance this city’s magical urban buzz.

Stay: At the OUT NYC – an urban resort at the heart of Midtown Manhattan. With its expansive open spaces, glass exterior and sleek lobby, it’s unlike anything else you’ll find in this city – theoutnyc.com

Eat: Home to some of the best (and now most unique) pizza in America, it would be rude not to sample at least one stone-baked extravaganza whilst in the area. Motorino Pizza, East Village, boasts a mouthwateringly, artisanal menu featuring Neapolitan-style pizzas with just the right amount of char. Feeling daring? Choose the Margarita and Brussels Sprouts Pie.

Do: Soak up New York City’s skyline with an unforgettable helicopter experience. Roof top bars only offer so much, if you want the real deal (and a panoramic view); this is how to do it!

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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BARCELONA

If it’s a combination of shabby yet sexy you’re after then this is the city for you.

From idyllic Gothic courtyards, to jampacked beaches, insane Modernista architecture and dusk-till-dawn nightlife Barcelona has something to suit all.

It’s in this city; you’ll discover the celebrated sights of Park Guell, La Sagrada Familia and the Picasso Museum. Combine sightseeing with a trip to one of the many traditional Tapas bars and Old Town

scenic plazas, serving up moreish bites of Tigres (stuffed muscles), Croquetas de Jamón (ham croquettes), Patatas Bravas (aioli-infused potatoes) and of course, cold cervezas at the barrel load. When the sun goes down, things only get hotter.

Head to Las Ramblas and join the many merry-makers keen to sample Barcelona’s legendary nightlife.

Stay: Hotel Pulitzer, just off the Placa Catalunya, on the edge of the Old City – Bergara, 8, Barcelona, 08002 – hotelpulitzer.es

Eat: Tapas at Quimet I Quimet, crammed with dusty bottles of wine, this traditional tapas bar, although miniscule, what it lacks in space, it makes up for in delicious dishes – Poeta Cabanyes, 25, Poble-sec - Mon-Fri noon-4pm, 7pm-10.30pm; Sat, holidays noon-4pm

Do: Explore Gaudi and Modernisme – Park Guell, Sagrada Familia and La Pederera – just a snippet of the inspiring architecture this city has to offer. by bike, foot, or tram.

Don’t speak the local lingo? Worry not almost every one living in this delightful part of world speaks English perfectly (more often than not, French, Italian and German too)!

Stay: In the Urban Lodge Hotel, a mixture of urban design and country style in Amsterdam´s Sloterdijk Station area – urbanlodgehotel.com

Eat: At the Public Library, Central Station asides from the incredible architecture, complimentary WiFi and world newspapers, the seventh floor cafe (La Place), with its birds eye balcony and enviable views, serves a delicious smorgasbord lunch.

AMSTERDAM

Despite its hedonistic reputation, Amsterdam’s alter ego is one of homely charms, gastronomic delights, ‘normal’ nightlife and cultural treasures.

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

What to do in this city? Lose yourself in a maze of canals, do a spot of window shopping, check out some of the local coffee haunts and visit one of the many great art museums…the best way to explore all this compact metropolis has to offer is

Do: Step inside Van Gogh’s ‘weird yet wonderful’ world at the Van Gogh Museum, Postbus 75366, 1070 AJ Amsterdam - tickets available both on the door and at vangoghmuseum.nl

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TRAVEL

LONDON

Whether you choose to sample the eateries of pepper Westbourne Grove, the boutiques of Notting Hill or the individual antiques and high-end food stalls of Portobello Road, London has something to offer all.

Of all the remarkable sights, there’s nothing quite as striking as the imposing landmarks of Nelson’s Column, Trafalgar Square, Westminster and Whitehall. Then you have the many West End theatres, the glossy galleries of London’s most

glamourous department store (Harrods) and the eight million objects in the British Museum’s permanent collection.

When visiting London, be sure to plan an itinerary!

Stay: At the Rookery – with its claw-foot tubs, brass shower fittings and open fires, it’s anything but chain hotel monotony.

Positioned just a short hop and skip from the Famous Fabric Night Club – rookeryhotel.com

Eat: At Borough Markets – it’s here you’ll be spoilt for choice with an array of enticing fresh fruit and vegetable platters, seafood salvers, specialty cheese wheels, crisp organic breads and just about anything else a fanatical foodie could be tempted by.

Do: Admire the National History Museum’s astounding dinosaurs and memorable exhibits. The colossal diplodocus skeleton, which overshadows the Victorian building’s stunning entrance hall, is a sight enjoyed mozzarella) and of course, the Navigli waterways – a network of canals partly designed by Leonardo da Vinci.

Stay: In Maison Moshino – a unique, contemporary hotel just a short stroll from the fashionable Corso Como district.

Rooms boast a surreal décor and the hotel itself provides a personal shopping service – NH Milano Palazzo, Moscova

MILAN

Milan, a Cinderella of cities, is celebrated for it many artistic gems, strong football presence, forward-thinking fashions and its gleaming crown of skyscrapers. It’s here you’ll discover Michaelangelo’s unfinished masterpiece, the astounding view at the top of Duomo’s 150 steps and the sights and sounds of Teatro alla Scala – the world’s most famous opera house.

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Milan’s thronging streets are not only heralded as a fashionista’s paradise, they’re home to an array of beautifully preserved 1930’s architecture, an abundance of classic and modernist art galleries, religious monuments, a handful of legendary takeaways serving panzerotti (a fried pastry triangle oozing with tomoto and

Eat: Dine on one Milan’s original orange and yellow, 1920’s trams. ATMosfera offers a five-star dining experience with wine, allowing you to enjoy your supper whilst touring the city – www.atm.it Do: Be inspired by the Last Supper, Milan’s most renowned attraction. Catching a glimpse of this Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece is said to be on par with nabbing front row seats at a Fendi fashion show, and even then, you’re only permitted a mere 15 minutes to admire this work of

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ON THE AGENDA n NO 23 n SEPTEMBER 2016

INVESTMENT-THE S E V E R N D E A D LY INVESTMENT SINS BUSINESS - OFFICE WORKERS CAN LEARN FROM T H E O LY M N P I A N S TECHNOLOGY - HELPFUL CHATBOTS

business news

Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management shortlisted for Investment Management Company of the Year in the Isle of Man

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anaccord Genuity Wealth Management has been shortlisted in the Isle of Man Investment Management Company of the Year category of the 2017 Citywealth International Financial Centre Awards.

The company has won the title for three years running and this is the sixth time that Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management

has been recognised at the awards.

Dermot Hamill, head of wealth management at Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management in the Isle of Man said: “We are very proud to be shortlisted for the Citywealth Investment Management Company of the Year in the Isle of Man again.

“The Citywealth Awards are important

as they highlight the expertise and services of the short-listed companies and, in part, the awards are voted for by our clients.

“Our focus has always been to provide high-quality investment advice and exceptional service to our clients. Winning this award three years running and being shortlisted again for 2017 is a great accomplishment and an excellent way to conclude our 20th anniversary year in the Isle of Man.” Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management has also been shortlisted for the Investment Management Company of the Year Channel Islands category.

Record wins for Island in food industry ‘Oscars’

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ocal food and drink producers have won a record number of Great Taste Awards – the ‘Oscars’ of the food industry.

The Guild of Fine Food, which runs the awards, announced that 26 Isle of Man products have won awards. Last year, 10 products earned the accolade and in 2014, four were recognised.

Billed as the world’s largest and most trusted, the awards are sponsored by such prestigious names as AGA, Harrods and

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Selfridges&Co. For the first time, as part of its Food Matters strategy, the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) held a free workshop to encourage producers to enter.

DEFA aims to grow the value of the food and drink industry by £50 million over the next decade.

For full details of the awards, visit https://gff.co.uk/awards/great-tasteawards/

ON THE AGENDA

Quinn Legal secures top accolades from Investors in People and the English Law Society

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uinn Legal, based in Ridgeway Street, Douglas, has secured the Investors in People Standard (IIP) and the English Law Society’s legal practice quality mark, Lexcel.

The Law Society’s accreditation scheme Lexcel is developed specifically for the legal profession. It is an optional, recognised accreditation scheme for law firms which gives assurance that a practice meets high

client care and business management standards. Law firms must undergo a rigorous initial then annual application and assessment process which includes conducting background checks and an onsite visit from an independent experienced trained Lexcel assessor.

James Quinn, Managing Director, said: ‘While we’re extremely proud to have secured both Investors in People and

Lexcel accreditation, it’s our clients and staff who are the main beneficiaries. They can be assured that the way we manage the practice has their interests at heart. There is a lot of choice in the legal services market, but being accredited with these two highly respected awarding-bodies demonstrates our commitment to client care and best practice.’

Businesses invited to enter badminton tournamen

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badminton tournament will pit businesses against each other.

The Badminton Association Business Badminton Tournament, sponsored by Ernst & Young, takes place at the National Sports Centre (NSC) on Saturday 17th September, 12 noon to 6pm.

Entering a team costs £50 and the

winning team will receive a prize. Teams must comprise a minimum of two men and two women, but can be bigger.

Entries are open until Wednesday 7th September. The format of the tournament will depend on the number of teams participating. It will either be played on a round robin basis or in two groups.

To enter the tournament or obtain more information, email Joshua.Green@gov.im

OFFSHORE LEGAL SERVICES

Supporting Youth, Education and Sport in the Isle of Man

IN THE NEWS

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business news

IoD Launches Competency Framework for All Directors

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new definition of “good business leadership” has been put forward by the Institute of Directors in launching a competency framework for all directors in the wake of the highly controversial collapse of retail group BHS. Described as a “new blueprint for success”, the IoD’s Director Competency Framework places traditional commercial expectations alongside a broader mix of behaviours and skills.

“Knowledge of finance and business strategy are put on the same level as the ability to encourage diverse views, political astuteness and decision-making in the face of uncertainty,” said Clive Parrish, chairman of the IoD’s Isle of Man branch.

“The Competency Framework is the first

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APPLEBY NOMINATED AS ‘ISLE OF MAN LAW FIRM ON THE YEAR’

eading offshore law firm Appleby has been nominated in the Citywealth International Financial Centre (IFC) Awards 2017 as ‘Isle of Man Law Firm of the Year’.

The company, which employs more than 70 people, including lawyers and other professional specialists on the Island, won the accolade in 2016.

Now in their sixth year, the IFC awards recognise and highlight excellence in the private wealth sector. A highly experienced panel of professionals from the wealth industry will select the winners alongside a public vote. The results will be announced

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of its kind in the world to apply to directors of companies of all sizes and sectors, including listed and unlisted companies and not-for-profit organisations,” declared Mr Parrish.

“Following widespread media coverage of the BHS saga, combined with allegations of unacceptable working conditions at SportsDirect, public faith in business to do the right thing has been severely shaken.

This makes the Framework’s emphasis on communication and building external relations very timely.”

The Framework provides every member of any board, in any sector or industry, in any country with a clear and comprehensive set of standards to guide their performance and development.

“It draws together the IoD’s many years of expertise and experience supporting and educating directors,” said Dr Suzy Walton, an ioD board member and chartered director who helped to craft the new guidelines.

“This is the first framework of its kind to provide a holistic picture of the knowledge, the skills and the mindset that every director needs to bring to their role to be fully effective,” she added.

The announcement comes at a time when the IoD is seeing a double digit increase in business leaders investing in their professional development. It believes that this in part is due to the high profile governance failures, meaning business leaders are increasingly aware of their responsibilities and part down to a recognition that good leadership makes good business sense. www.iod.im

at a presentation, held in London, on 18 January 2017.

David Pytches, Counsel in Appleby’s Private Client and Trusts Team in the Isle of Man, said: “We are delighted to be nominated for an IFC award yet again. The nomination recognises the knowledge, skills and experience of our practice in the Isle of Man, and our commitment to providing a first-rate service to our clients.

“The IFC awards have significant influence within the industry and we are very proud to have been nominated again, especially after our success as ‘Isle of Man Law Firm of the Year’ in 2016.”

KPMG APPOINTED TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW SCHEME

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he Remote Gambling Association (RGA) announced today that it has retained the services of KPMG to undertake a scoping study which will help to shape the development of NOSES; and to support and advise the RGA during the implementation process.

In February this year the Gambling Commission wrote to all remote gambling licence holders to inform them that it had decided that the industry should now take forward the project to design, introduce and run a national online self-exclusion system. The aim of the project is to provide consumers with a single process whereby they can self-exclude themselves from all online gambling operators that are licensed by the Gambling Commission. The website will also set out other measures that are available to help people to manage their gambling and will signpost specialist advice and support services for those who might benefit from them.

Micky Swindale, Director of KPMG Isle of Man, said: ‘KPMG are delighted to be working with the RGA on an important opportunity for the industry to work together to put in place a customer-focused, user-friendly system.’

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business/interview

“I

have faith that the island’s film industry is not dead,” declares Zoe Guilford, a director of the Manx Film Festival which is now in its fifth year and runs from September 8 to 11.

In an exclusive interview with Gallery, producer and entrepreneur Zoe adds: “There are opportunities out there which could prove both financially and socially beneficial for the island. With transparency, and building on the strength of our reputation, I think we can put the island back on the film-making map, following the slow years when we lost our competitive advantage.”

A director of the Festival since last year and part of the film-making community in the island since 2011, she points to the fact that it is now being acknowledged and embraced by Manx National Heritage, Culture Vannin and the Government’s Department of Economic Development (DED).

Having just started a contract with the DED for film and the creative industries, she adds: “In theory, this should align the indigenous film-makers of the island with the visiting Government-supported industry. Pinewood currently helps us manage the island’s film fund and in recent years they have shot successful movies such as ‘TT3D’, ‘Belle’ and ‘Spooks: The Greater Good’ here.

“I’m proud of the Isle of Man and want it to grow and do well. Having joined the DED I can see how much passion and hard work is going on behind the scenes to build business interests and diversity in the island.”

The other directors of the Festival are Dave Armstrong and Christy DeHaven with Ed Riley as secretary, Rich Hird as graphic designer and Laura Gill coordinator.

As well as having Arts Council backing its main sponsors – Pinewood and PokerStars – have returned to support the 2016 event while Manx Radio is on board as media partner and Manx National Heritage is partnering on some events.

Island’s Film industry is not dead Interview with Zoe Guilford Words: Les Able

“There are opportunities out there which could prove both financially and socially beneficial for the island.

BUSINESS/INTERVIEW

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51

movers & shakers

New position strengthens Sure’s enterprise offering First Names Group appoints new Chief Executive Officer

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eading trust, fund, real estate and corporate services provider, First Names Group has promoted Mark Pesco to Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Mark has been with the Group for over 12 years and is already a key member of the Group Management Committee. In his new role, Mark will head up the Group Management Committee overseeing the day-to-day management and leadership of the business, incorporating its key service lines. He will take over from Cengiz Somay, who decided to step down as CEO in July.

The quality of Mark’s leadership has been well recognised; in 2014 he won IoD Jersey Director of the Year for a Large Organisation and was also a finalist for the IoD UK Director of the Year award. In addition, he has been named in eprivateclient’s prestigious ‘Top 50 Most Influential 2016’ and the Citywealth ‘Leaders List’ for the last three years running.

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ure has appointed Andy Winslade to the professional services team in the role of professional services network consultant.

Mr Winslade joins Sure with an extensive engineering background and is qualified and experienced in the design, delivery and operation of largescale customer premises equipment (CPE) networking, delivering secure communication solutions.

In his new role he will primarily be responsible for pre-sales and network design architecture for the Sure Isle of Man business customer base, which is continuing to grow.

Mr Winslade has previously established network infrastructure systems in the defence sector, local government and the Royal Air Force.

Mike Phillips, chief executive of Sure Isle of Man, said: “Andy’s background and experience in systems launches and subsequent management will bolster our enterprise offering and ensure that we can offer complete, high-spec systems to our customers.

“Sure is continuing to grow in the Isle of Man and Andy will be a valuable resource for our professional services team.”

Mr Winslade said: “The team that’s in place at Sure is well-positioned to ensure further growth in the enterprise solutions space and I’m excited to be a part of that.”

Chrystals appoints Dafydd Lewis as Head of Residential Lettings

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afydd Lewis has been appointed Associate Director, Head of Residential Lettings and Management at Chrystals Estate Agency.

It is a welcome return for Dafydd, who previously worked with Chrystals as a Commercial Agent and Valuer in 2010. Born in Pembrokeshire in Wales, Dafydd first pursued a career as a professional rugby player as a fly-half with London Wasps. He has represented Wales at international level in rugby union sevens tournaments and also played for Cambridge University while he studied for a Masters Degree in Social Political Science at Hughes Hall College.

A former graduate in Sport Science from Brunel University, he is also a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS) and holds a Diploma in Surveying Practice from the College of Estate Management.

ON THE AGENDA

Manx Telecom appoints HR Transformation Manager

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anx Telecom has appointed Alex Gibson as Human Resources Transformation Manager. His role will be to help facilitate the development of infrastructure and resources to provide a platform which allows for changes to be implemented that are necessary for Manx Telecom to achieve its strategic goals.

Alex, who is originally from New Zealand, was HR Manager at Zurich Insurance PLC (Isle of Man) until August 2010, but his most recent role was as HR Business Partner at Zurich Insurance PLC (UK). Alex has now returned to the Isle of Man with his wife Emma and their three children. His CV also includes senior HR roles with Zurich Insurance’s Global Corporate Business in London and the General Insurance arm in Ireland. Alex has a great track record of broad HR roles, and his academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Business and Management

degree with majors in both HR and Marketing.

Alex commented: “I am genuinely excited to become a part of such a dynamic and innovative organisation, with a real sense of focus and appetite for change.”

John McChesney, Manx Telecom Human Resources Director, welcomed Alex’s appointment and commented: “Alex’s HR experience and expertise will play a very important role in helping us to make sure that we manage our change agenda in a way that ensures our people remain empowered and developed to ensure they can maintain the relevant technical, behavioural and professional knowledge and skills required to perform their jobs to the highest possible standard.

His appointment is part of our HR strategy which is designed to meet the needs of the business as it grows.”

Old Mutual International Isle of Man appoints Peter Kenny as managing director

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ld Mutual International Isle of Man, part of Old Mutual Wealth, the leading wealth management business in the UK and internationally, announces the appointment of Peter Kenny as managing director.

Peter will be responsible for leading the 430+ strong team, reporting to Steven Levin, CEO of investment platforms for Old Mutual Wealth.

Peter joins Old Mutual International with over thirty years’ experience in financial services, spanning both the life insurance and hedge fund sectors, having

MOVERS & SHAKERS

previously held the roles of chief operating officer, fund director and managing director of fund management and distribution companies. Prior to that, Peter worked for Zurich International Life where he held various positions, including that of strategic alliances and client services director with direct responsibility for 300+ staff across global locations. More recently, Peter was a Board Member of the Financial Services Authority on the Isle of Man. Peter has lived and worked in the Isle of Man for 27 years, having also worked in the UK and Asia.

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wealth & investment

Frosty Reception Words: Stephen Foley, (FT)

When today’s billionaires are awoken from their cryogenic sleep and have their brains attached to their new robot bodies, what will they discover about how the economy has changed?

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hey will discover that governments introduced a universal basic income for citizens, to counter the collapse in employment that accompanied automation and to free people to pursue more meaningful activities.

The techno-utopians of the early 21st century seized on the idea that the government should pay every citizen enough to live on. Of course they did.

Driverless vehicles wiped out jobs in the trucking industry. Internet shopping, automated warehouses and drone delivery drastically reduced retail sector employment. Pattern-recognition software was better at diagnosing disease and robot surgeons were less accident-prone than their human forebears, so medical doctors

went the way of the shaman.

The entrepreneurs who pioneered these technologies risked supplanting bankers in the pantheon of popular villainy and a universal income appealed as a means of keeping the mob at bay.

There were other reasons, too, that a basic income won support among the moon-shooting investors of Silicon Valley.

They understood the freedom to pursue one’s ambitions that comes from not having to worry about money.

They also remembered how lucky they were; how many people drowning in student debt had opted instead for a mundane paycheck when their talents would be better unleashed on a risky startup?

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Trailblazers such as Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz, through an organisation called GiveDirectly, and Sam Altman, president of the start-up incubator Y Combinator, who funded universal basic income (UBI) pilots in the second decade of the century, found enough evidence to silence the doubters, though no study could capture the impact on a full economy.

Conservative welfare reformers and liberal youngsters had combined to make it an unstoppable cause, however, and UBI was introduced in some form or another around the world.

The cryogenic dreams of a world where poverty and anxiety had been replaced by opportunity and fulfilment did not come true, however, instead, our frozen billionaires reawoke to a nightmare where UBI had exacerbated class conflict in many nations and introduced conflict between countries, too.

Governments had been faced with the same choices for UBI as they are with all spending programmes: increase government borrowing; shift resources from existing programmes; or raise taxes.

Politicians picked a little of all of them, but in a world of soaring unemployment and plummeting income tax receipts, each only seemed to make matters worse.

Central banks were more than willing to buy up the extra government bonds, in the name of quantitative easing, as the bond market maven Bill Gross had predicted in

“The cryogenic dreams of a world where poverty and anxiety had been replaced by opportunity and fulfilment did not come true”

2016, but that eventually stoked inflation that undermined the value of UBI. Governments scaled back social programmes for the most needy, such as people with disabilities, the mentally ill and the elderly, in favour of the universal payment. Plenty of young people were able, as a result of UBI, to go into the world of volunteering, but the philanthropic impulse was not enough to alleviate the extra distress.

UBI was conceived as a contract under which the beneficiaries of automation - such as tech companies themselves and the other businesses that are able to slash costs, as well as tech company founders and the employees who built and supervised the robots - subsidised the losers of automation. Except that companies with a fiduciary duty to their shareholders, and wealthy individuals with their pick of international addresses, were no more willing to voluntarily submit to higher taxes than they ever were.

Piecemeal efforts to get them to pay their fair share, such as limiting global capital flows and tax competition between jurisdictions, succeeded only in stoking international tensions.

Meanwhile, inequality had not been lessened and the howls of outrage over corporate and individual tax avoidance were as loud as ever. Loud enough, in fact, to wake the cryogenically undead.

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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 £75,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, the UK’s deposit guarantee scheme. Any deposits you hold above the £75,000 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).

WEALTH & INVESTMENTS

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55

feature -Investments

THE SEVEN DEADLY T INVESTMENT

SINS

Trusting one’s natural instincts is an under-rated pastime. At the other extreme, giving them too much sway a a s a a lead to some interesting behavioural tendencies amongst private and professional money managers alike.

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he idea of the seven deadly sins originated with the desert fathers who identified a number of evil thoughts or spirits that one needed to overcome. This idea, once brought to Europe, became fundamental to Catholic confessional practices as the Church used the doctrine to help people stop their inclinations toward evil before the occurrence of dire consequences. The deadly sins are directly contrary to the seven virtues, which are also extensively covered in the literature. However, it says something about human nature that popular media generally ignores the virtues and focusses almost exclusively on the deadly sins.

Financial textbooks have now moved on from their previous sole focus on the efficient market hypothesis and modern portfolio theory. Both of these rely to a lessor or greater extent on an assumption that the market is populated by investors making rational decisions based on having all available information. Modern finance theory now also includes recognition of human behavioural factors including

ON THE AGENDA

are hidden, layered costs that cumulatively greatly diminish our longer term returns.

Picking apart and minimising any initial, exit and ongoing investment/wrapper fees demands some time and energy but can add thousands of pounds of value over the life of an investment strategy.

cognitive biases such as framing (reacting to a choice in different ways depending on how it is presented), excessive loss aversion, and the impact of heuristics (quick decision making using mental short cuts).

Somewhat ironically, by now the human brain has over the course of millions of years of gentle evolution become extremely well adapted to living and hunting in tribes on the plains or in the jungles. City life and the ability to cope with an increasingly fast moving and rich world of technology and global information is a relatively new human evolution. Whilst our ‘caveman’ brain is excellent at making judgement based, informed decisions; it is less well suited to the financial world with its often opaque and highly complex information set. In this world, ill thought out, emotional decisions or information paralysis are constant problems.

The regulator quite rightly worries that the long lead time between making an investment decision and seeing the eventual result can encourage miss-selling WEALTH & INVESTMENTS

practices. At the other extreme, there are too many potential investors who can never quite bring themselves to enter the investment world and benefit from the returns on offer.

The seven deadly sins are: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. By way of contrast, the seven heavenly virtues are: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility. Perhaps it would be useful to look at every day applications for a few of the investment sins.

Investment Lust: investors chasing recent strong performance in the belief/ hope that this provides a likelihood of future gains. One of the most strongly pronounced traits, this encourages us to buy the hottest parts of the markets or funds, often just before they peak – think technology stocks in 1999 or property/ commodities in 2007. Lust is often a short term trait that can be allayed by putting recent gains into perspective with a longer term price chart or assessment of fundamental value.

Investment Sloth: overlooking total costs. The investment market offers both broad based and pockets of value; but there is a realistic limit to the capital growth and income returns that can be realised. Additional costs eat into these returns. Particularly harmful in this regard

Investment Wrath: is an interesting one and perhaps best defined as a short term reaction to an unexpected adverse event. Investors generally hate to lose money. Wrath comes in two versions: a short term loss making investment that is sold just before it bounces back, and a long term loss maker that is grudgingly held for perpetuity because to realise said loss would be an admission of defeat.

To this extent, wrath gets in the way of making considered decisions based not on yesterday’s purchase cost, or tomorrow’s imaginary price, but on today’s realistic potential to deliver a positive investment return.

This is a fascinating topic. Behavioural finance is rapidly growing in acceptance and popularity. There are many studies which measure the effects of, and outline techniques to minimise, such intrinsically natural human traits whether for long term buy and hold investors or short term traders. For the investor’s purposes, objective assessment of fundamental value, investment into a broadly diversified portfolio, and the firm application of rule based trading can all help to mitigate the effects of potentially flawed short term decision making.

It is perhaps true to human form that we have herein looked almost exclusively at the seven deadly sins. It will have to be left for next time to focus on the seven virtues!

Tom Richards MSc, Chartered FCSI Managing Director Thomas Miller Investment agenda

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feature -10 finance tips

RL360° Top 10 Money Tips For Students You’ve passed your exams, you’ve secured your place at university and you’ve probably just had the most carefree summer of your life. And now, the prospect of moving away and starting an exciting new life is just around the corner. It’s tempting to get to the campus and just go wild but, hard as it is, you’re going to need to do a little planning in order to survive in this brave new world. As your granny has been saying for years, money doesn’t grow on trees.

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So here are 10 finance tips from RL360° which should help you keep track of your pennies and, ultimately, ensure you haven’t completely spent up by the end of freshers’ week.

1.

DO YOUR RESEARCH NOW - You’re going to have to develop this skill for your studies anyway so why not get a head start before you even go? There are any number of websites out there ready and willing to train you on the basics of how credit cards work, tackling impulse buying and avoiding being ripped off. Try http://www.moneysavingexpert. com/family/Teenagers-cash-class

2.

LEARN TO COOK - You don’t need to bring yourself up to Masterchef level but knowing how to create tasty meals from the basics will prove invaluable. Your cash will stretch much further if you plan the majority of your meals in advance and make your ingredients and leftovers work for you. Remember, takeaways are pricey and a visit to the kebab van after every night out is soon going to put a strain on the wallet.

3.

4.

BUDGET STRAIGHT AWAY - Your bank account always looks particularly rosy at the beginning of the academic year. It’s full of lovely loan/grant/parental money and in all the initial excitement it’s easy to put a massive dent in the coffers. Allow yourself a little leeway at the start, by all means, but make sure you stick to a certain amount per week. Some students even have their loan paid into their parents’ account and receive a weekly allowance, just to be on the safe side.

STUDENT PRIVILEGE - Take advantage of the fact that there are untold savings to be had out there for students, from discount travel to free entry into certain galleries and music events. Whatever you do, make sure you sign up for NUS Extra http://www.nus.org.uk/en/nus-extra/ however don’t fall into the trap of spending more just because everything is cheaper.

That said, make sure you’re taking advantage of all those student offers, you’ll be sorry when they’re gone!

5.

BECAUSE YOU’RE WORTH IT - You’re probably worth more than you realise already. Just think of all of the books you own, for instance. If you’re not going to use your textbooks again, then make sure you get online and sell them to a good home. You’re always going to need books at university so make sure that when you need to get some new ones you pay for them with money earned from selling your old ones. And remember, you can always borrow books from the library for free.

6.

SUPERMARKET SWEEP - While you’ve no doubt noticed the special offers in supermarkets at home, you have no idea of the concept of cheap food until you have visited a UK supermarket. Without promoting one in particular, a quick online search will show you where you can get the best deals and then head there to buy basketfuls of own brand products.

You’ll be surprised, particularly coming from the Isle of Man, how much you can get for how little.

7.

GET A JOB - While it’s not always that easy to find time for paid employment when you’re studying full-time, you can get around this with a little creative thinking. Try taking part in paid online surveys or market research focus groups. Ipsos provides John Lewis or Amazon vouchers for completed surveys and companies such as Saros will pay between £30£100 for a few hours of your time.

8.

USE LESS ENERGY - No, we don’t mean lie around watching Jeremy Kyle and eating cereal, this is to do with gas and electricity. Turn down the thermostat if you’re in a shared house, switch off the lights when leaving a room and use energy saving lightbulbs. Don’t leave electricals on standby.

Also, when it comes to utility bills, shop around for the best tariffs and always remember to check with your landlord whether water is included in your rent. You don’t want to be landed with a surprise water rate bill at the end of term.

9.

ROAD TRIP - On your way to the boat or the plane, you’ll likely need to hop on the bus or train (unless you’ve brought your own car). It’s possible to find extra discounts if you know where to look. There are regular sales on bus and train tickets in order to fill seats and it’s not unheard of for companies to sell tickets for £1. Go to http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ deals/cheap-coach-train-ticket-deals to find the latest offers and deals

10. FUTURE FINANCE - It’s a long way off but it’s worth planning ahead for after you leave university. Don’t stick with your student bank account after graduation. There are deals out there for graduates switching accounts which could gain you hundreds of pounds a year through graduate-only 0% overdraft deals. As with all of the above, it’s about hunting around and being savvy.

Do you agree with our choices?

Email top10@rl360.com with your alternative top 10s.

WEALTH & INVESTMENTS

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in-business

Office workers can learn from the Olympians 60

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ON THE AGENDA

Abundant practice helps, but athletes’ motivation might also be helped by intense training.

Words: Andrew Hill (FT)

O

ne of the attractions of watching Olympians compete is trying to understand how and why ordinary people perform extraordinary feats. If there is one thing that distinguishes them from the average worker carrying out daily tasks it is this: practice.

For athletes, training seems to make up 99 per cent of their existence against the 1 per cent of time spent competing in events that the public get to see. And what training!

The Guardian recently described the “gruelling gym workout” of Adam Peaty, the breaststroke champion who was Britain’s first gold medallist at the Rio games. Staff at his local swimming pool “once saw him collapse [on his coach] after completing an exhausting weights session, such is his ferocious work ethic”.

In its analysis of the success of the US gymnasts, Time magazine lauded the work of national co-ordinator Martha Karolyi, who once obliged the team to go straight to the gym after a 16-hour flight. “I was like, this woman is crazy; I’m not going to make it, I’m going to die,” recalled the US star Simone Biles, the gymnastics all-around champion in Rio. “When is enough?” Tania, the endlessly patient wife of Mo Farah, asked in a documentary about the UK runner’s demanding build-up to Rio. Never, was the implicit message of his regime. Farah’s coaches’ main challenge seems to be to persuade him to take a break from his gruelling routine.

For most office workers, by contrast, a little training is quite enough and a “ferocious” desire to do more would be considered distinctly odd. Whereas Olympic coaches monitor and measure every aspect of the outcome of athletes’ training regimes, surveys suggest only a fraction of learning and development professionals actually assess the effect of their programmes on the business.

The Olympic parallels only go so far, of course. It is easy to con yourself that there are similarities between the US gymnasts’ post-flight gym session and a team of consultants, say, heading straight from the plane to a client meeting. But the business equivalent would be to ask that group to sit through a three-hour training session on how to apply new customer relationship management software.

The distance between the two worlds really becomes clear when full-time

IN-BUSINESS/FEATURE

“It’s not like he has a nine-to-five job and then clocks out on Friday night”

athletes seek normal employment. For a study of how former Olympic athletes coped, researchers interviewed “Emma”, who, when she became a primary school teacher, missed the structure and the striving for perfection that her training regimen had offered. “There’s no feedback really . . . I had no measure of how I was going — or was I going in the right direction? Of course as an athlete you have very high expectations,” Emma said. “I was overwhelmed by the fact that this wasn’t true any more.”

Is there anything that the study of Olympians and their intensive practice schedules could reveal to help office drones and their managers?

One question is what motivates the sportspeople. The traditional answer would focus on the rewards — the desire “to podium” or the longer-range benefits of sponsorship and celebrity that athletic success can bring. But this path leads unhelpfully to a vote for cash bonuses in business, when research suggests such incentives are not so useful in encouraging people to complete the complex tasks of the modern workplace.

A more interesting area to explore is whether athletes have a specific predisposition to train as hard as they do.

“It’s not like he has a nine-to-five job and then clocks out on Friday night,” Susie Verrill, the partner of gold medal longjumper Greg Rutherford, told the Telegraph before the Rio games. “He trains every day, including weekends and birthdays and in the rain, snow and sleet. Some nights he will go to the gym at 10pm. He even trains on Christmas morning.”

In his book Peak , Anders Ericsson, who studies “purposeful practice”, explodes the myth of “natural talent” and the “gift” of willpower.

The psychologist’s academic work inspired the oversimplified “10,000-hour rule”, popularised by author Malcolm Gladwell as the key to mastery of any discipline.

Abundant practice does make perfect, Prof Ericsson writes, but it is also possible intense training produces “changes in the brain structures that regulate motivation and enjoyment”.

Athletes do not adore training — even among the many clichés peddled

by Olympians in interviews, few talk of wanting to work out — but neurologists wonder if they are better disposed than the rest of us to ignore the pain and boredom of constant practice in the interest of later glory.

Further research is needed, as scholars put it. But if scientists can work out how to identify and distil that form of motivation and inject a small amount into the workplace to inspire ordinary workers to improve, they really will deserve a medal. agenda

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in-business/KPMG

Words By: Mike Fayle, Managing Director, KPMG Isle of Man

Global report provides valuable insights for Isle of Man businesses CEOs confident of growth despite challenges of disruption and cybercrime

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hile 72 per cent of top executives believe the next three years will be more critical to their industry than the previous 50 years, the vast majority are confident in their company’s growth prospects, according to a recent report issued by KPMG. The 2016 Global Outlook, a survey of nearly 1300 CEOs worldwide, also revealed that 86 per cent of CEOs interviewed were confident in their home country’s growth, 85 per cent were confident in their industry and 80 per cent were confident in the global economy.

Major areas of concern related to customer loyalty, the impact of the global economy on their business if growth forecasts are not realised and a lack of time to think strategically in response to forces of disruption or innovation.

While the report is based on a survey of CEOs internationally, KPMG Isle of Man’s Managing Director Mike Fayle said there was much for Isle of Man businesses to consider in its findings: “The report shows that while most CEOs are optimistic about their company’s future prospects, the pace of change that is being driven by new technology across all industries is forcing businesses to re-evaluate their behaviour and their approach to the market.

“It is telling that despite their optimism, some 82 per cent of those surveyed are concerned whether their company’s current products or services will even be relevant to customers three years from now.

“Disruptive new entrants are transforming the way traditional businesses work and CEOs are recognising that they need to harness new technology and develop specialised talent to strengthen their capabilities and keep ahead of the game.

“With four in ten CEOs expecting to significantly change their operating model over the next three years, it’s a case of now or never for many to make an essential leap forward.”

The negative impact of new technology was a feature in the top risks identified by those participating in the report. Cyber security was at the top of the risk list in the 2016 report, despite not even making the top five in 2015, with 72 per cent of CEOs admitting they believed their organisation is not fully prepared for a cyber event.

Concerns were also voiced about the level of data and analytical sophistication within their companies, and their ability to connect with customers through digital channels.

Mike Fayle commented: “Cyber security is a huge concern for any business, wherever they are in the world, and it has to be a major consideration for the Isle of Man both from a financial and reputational point of view. The Chief Constable recently outlined the challenge that cybercrime ON THE AGENDA

41%

Indicated their companies will likely be transformed into a si nificantl di erent entity... in the next three years Mike Fayle, Managing Director, KPMG Isle of Man

“With four in 10 CEOs expecting to significantly change their operating model over the next three years, it’s a case of now or never for many to make an essential leap forward.” poses and the difficulty of providing enough resources to combat it in a small jurisdiction.

“Interestingly, in the Global Outlook Report, there was a strong willingness from respondents to share their experiences about privacy breaches and that shared learning is something that we could easily undertake here in the Isle of Man. We look forward to the 7th annual KPMG eGaming Summit taking place here on 8th September, which will generate discussion for many of these issues with an extended programme of presentations from disruptive technology experts.”

On a more positive note, 99 per cent of CEOs interviewed said they were taking action to develop future and existing talent and 96 per cent were expecting to increase headcount over the next three years.

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Believe that the next three years will be more critical for their industry than the previous 50

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aced with si nificant transformation plans and ever advancing technology, 99 percent of CEOs report taking action to develop existing or future talent. In line with these findin most s report some le el of

SKILLS GAPS emerging

developing talent Over

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96% From

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Report skills gap in key business functions.

This will likely create challenges...

Of CEOs who plan to increase their headcount over the next 3 years. This is up...

70%

say they are concerned about the number of issues which are now missioncritical, and in which they have little personal experience

“Cyber security is a huge concern for any business, wherever they are in the world, and it has to be a major consideration for the Isle of Man both from a financial and reputational point of view.

In last year’s survey

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all

“C

onversation is the new interface.” The tech community’s use of this expression does not mean that we are going to start talking to each other more on a human-to-human, face-to-face level. It means rather that we will be talking more to robots, specifically those artificial intelligence programs that pop up on the likes of Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Slack and so on, to help you with tasks from scheduling to shopping.

Rather than going to a website to find information or downloading yet another app, we will summon these artificial intelligence assistants to do our bidding.

Bark “find me a flight to Chicago on Saturday” into your phone and a “bot”, which understands your location and the fact that you mean this Saturday, will return TECHNOLOGY

the

rage

Words: Maija Palmer (FT)

“There is no way for a chatbot to be interesting or terribly useful right now,” says Mr Mugan.

with some choices.

Chatbots will become the predominant way we interact with companies. Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, Google Now, Amazon’s Alexa and Facebook’s Messenger are among prominent examples. In addition CB Insights, a venture capital database, has identified 21 start-ups building virtual assistants designed to help with everything from finding restaurants to monitoring your health. These have collectively raised over $120m in funding from venture investors.

You know the trend for chatbots is exploding when an accounting software company builds one. Sage, which has been providing small and medium businesses with business software for more than 35 years, is planning to launch a chatbot this summer. This will help anyone from freelancers to small business owners manage invoices and expenses. Send the agenda

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Even Scots are learning to talk with Siri, (search YouTube for “Apple Scotland ad”) the voice-activated virtual assistant on Apple iPhones.

bot a picture of a receipt, for example, and it will store this away with your expenses claims.

Kriti Sharma, who built the bot for Sage, says one of the challenges has been ensuring that it is not annoying. She has spent considerable time thinking about how the bot should react in different situations. Ms Sharma was keen to avoid a fiasco like Microsoft’s Tay chatbot, which was taught to parrot hate-filled posts by Twitter users.

Swear at it and the Sage bot responds with a sad face emoji and says “I’d rather talk about accounting”. Tell the bot you love it and it says you have excellent taste before gently steering you back to accounting. The responses sound remarkably similar to the self-deprecating but quietly determined way that Ms Sharma herself speaks.

“We are very careful about the frequency with which the bot responds, and we have built the personality over time,” says Ms Sharma. “I now need to hire someone to take this further — a bot personality trainer.” Such a person might be a creative writer rather than a technical specialist, she says.

A vision of a future job flashes in front of me: as newspapers shed journalist jobs in the face of declining ad revenues we are gradually rehired as microcopy writers providing the “voice” for robot interactions.

Companies would do well to invest in bot personalities. Remember Clippy, the animated paper clip that used to pop up on Microsoft programs when you were trying to type something?

“It looks like you are writing a letter,” Clippy would observe, sending users into such paroxysms of rage that Microsoft itself was openly mocking Clippy when it scrapped the software-based help system in 2002.

People dislike computer agents who disregard the human rules of etiquette, observed Stanford University student Luke Swartz in his 2003 thesis: “Why people hate the paper clip”.

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“Remember Clippy, the animated paper clip that used to pop up on Microsoft programs when you were trying to type something”?

The difference between Clippy and today’s chatbots is the arrival of deep learning, which makes computers capable of a far more complex level of pattern recognition and allows them to follow natural language and speech better.

However, they are still not “smart”, says Jonathan Mugan, co-founder and chief executive of Deep Grammar, a start-up company building a grammar-checking bot. “There is no way for a chatbot to be interesting or terribly useful right now,” says Mr Mugan. “The bot still doesn’t know what ‘Chicago’ is, it is just following trend data.”

The real revolution will be when bots understand the meaning of words as a human would, associating them with experiences it has had. This is not impossible, says Mr Mugan, although it would require a huge acquisition of data, with a robot possibly living with humans for several years to learn associations as child might. Helping an artificial intelligence program reach the level of understanding that a four-year-old child has is the goal, Mr Mugan says.

Of course, only one robot would have to do it once and then the programme could be copied a limitless number of times. Until then, prepare for some frustrating virtual interactions.

ON THE AGENDA

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technology/Events

Planes, trains and cruise liners Isle of Man company’s annual trip turns into an epic but exhilarating race to Bruges and back 70

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t was a simple idea: an annual company trip to unite staff from three different offices on a fun, relaxing weekend away. plan.com is a telecoms network provider based in the Isle Man, with offices in Manchester and Southampton.

The annual staff trip is something that the three-year-old company prides itself on and acts as a talking point for the year to follow.

This year’s trip was no exception. It was fun – but far from relaxing. And it very nearly didn’t take off.

Forty-two members of the Isle of Man plan.com team turned up for 7:30pm at Ronaldsway airport on Thursday evening, eager to find out where they’ll be heading.

But they didn’t get very far.

The flight was cancelled and it looked unlikely that they’d make their connection – a surprise cruise on-board a luxury cruise liner that would start in Southampton and land in Belgium, the beer capital of the world.

“They cancelled the flight at 8:30pm and we needed to be in Southampton the very next morning. Everyone grabbed their mobiles and we started to frantically book flights, ferries – anything that could get us to the UK as quickly as possible,” said Nicola Patterson, PA to the plan.com CEO and the event’s organiser. “With that many people needing to leave the Island, we had to book transport in batches of ten and take any seats we could find. In the end, we booked four different flights and the ferry.”

But getting to the UK was only the first step. Then came the hard part.

“It was like The Cannon Ball Run,” ON THE AGENDA

said Keith Curran, plan.com co-founder.

“We had people hiring cars, riding buses, catching trains and jumping onto internal flights. The timings were so tight that we could afford no further delays. We hoped that the traffic would be good to us.

Unfortunately, nothing is that easy.”

For one team who hired cars heading down from Manchester Airport to Southampton, there was nothing but delays.

“The hire car wasn’t ready and then we faced three different traffic jams,” said Steve Ward, Head of Customer Services. “I was biting my nails the whole way. I don’t have any left.”

Thankfully, everyone was on-board.

Just.

“We made it to Southampton with 30 seconds to spare. That’s not a joke – the car behind us was turned away by the boarding team for being too late,” said Steve.

But that wasn’t the last of the fun or the frolics.

“The idea was to board the liner in fancy dress. We all dressed up like rock stars because that’s how we felt when we saw the cruise liner,” said Ben Cummins, Senior Developer in the tech team.

“It was unbelievable. It was going to be a big surprise but the drama the night before meant that Nicola had to tell us where we were heading and why. However, nobody expected the cruise ship to be so big and so impressive. And we all managed to get dressed in our costumes. My team got some funny looks when we emerged from the toilets in Southampton airport dressed like rock stars from the seventies and eighties.”

Sixty-two plan.com employees boarded the cruise liner, dressed as everything from TECHNOLOGY/EVENTS

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“The hire car wasn’t ready and then we faced three different traffic jams,” said Steve Ward, Head of Customer Services.

Freddie Mercury to Slash, made it to Deck 15 and were instantly in their element. The pool party was already underway.

“I’m not sure how much sleep I got between Friday morning and Sunday night but it wasn’t much. It was a non-stop party of eating, drinking, dancing, getting thrown in the pool, karaoke and having fun. And that doesn’t even include our day in Bruges, which was amazing. Chocolate, beer and of course the tower that was made famous by Colin Farrell,” said Sergio Dos Santos, Head of Analytics.

If getting to the cruise liner was an adventure, so was getting back home to the Isle of Man. “We booked two coaches,” said Nicola, “but only one turned up. Have you ever tried ordering a coach on a Sunday afternoon? The mobiles came out again and we started frantically booking any form of transport just like we had on Thursday evening. Honestly – it was like some weird dream. We hadn’t slept much anyway so I thought it might have been my imagination playing tricks on me.”

What happens when you wait for a bus to arrive? You guessed it – three arrive at once.

“That was an awkward moment,” said Ben. “When we thought the coach would never arrive we’d grabbed a bus driver who was eating his lunch and convinced him to ring his boss, who was at a Christening in Bournemouth. Through him we managed to secure the transport we needed to get to Gatwick. Two small coaches and a luggage trailer arrived as promised, and then the original coach turned up at exactly the same moment.”

The good news is that everyone made it back to the Island in one piece – tired but happy.

“Life’s nothing without a bit of challenge and a bit of drama.” said the plan. com co-founder. “We’re announcing next year’s party in two weeks. We might just skip to the chase and enter the Gumball Rally!”

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technology/drones

DRONES GO INTO “W BUSINESS AND GLENN FLIES INTO THEIR SLIPSTREAM Words: Les Able

Drones are currently flying into the mainstream of business across the world and Isle of Man video producer, Glenn Whorrall, is determined to be in the vanguard of this fast-‐moving international innovation.

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e hear a lot about drones in the media and I think people are generally suspicious of them, but one thing is for sure they are here to stay. When operated in a safe and responsibly way they can really add value to businesses across a range of industries,” says Glenn, director of Douglas-based Your Movie Crew Ltd. “It’s time drones are given a positive makeover,” he adds. “For instance, I can offer aerial imagery services that a couple of years ago were only achievable by hiring an expensive helicopter. There are legal restrictions and flying a Small Unmanned Surveillance Aircraft (SUSA) is permissible up to a maximum height of 400ft and 500 metres distance from your take off point.

The craft must always be kept within visual line of sight of the pilot.”

Current legislation requires that anyone using a drone for aerial work must have permission from the Isle of Man Civil Aviation Administration. “I’m the first person in the Isle of Man to have been given a continuing CAA permission to fly a drone,” declares Glenn.

“Before I qualified I had to pass a groundschool and flight assessment in the UK which allows me to have all important specialised public liability insurance cover in place. I passed my flight assessment at Cotswold Airport in the summer of 2015.”

Glenn points to the fact that the potential for using a drone goes beyond collecting imagery for a marketing promotion, but it also extends to mapping services and data acquisition that can be useful in the construction and quarrying industries.

ON THE AGENDA

With his enthusiasm for the concept all apparent, he continues: “As a photographer it’s really interesting to be able to shoot the Isle of Man in such a unique way.

When you put the drone up 400ft and then look directly down on a landscape that has always been so familiar it looks totally different and opens up all sorts of possibilities.”

“The drone is now headed for all manner of businesses and industries and are likely to evolve into a multi-million pound market over the next four or five years. I want to be part of that market which can be a major benefit to the Isle of Man.” It was nine years ago that Glenn, who has a degree in art from Lancaster University, set up his business and it is now 97 per cent video driven. His list of clients includes the Isle of Man Government and many of the island’s ‘blue chip’ companies.

“When I’m out flying people are often interested and I’m always happy to answer questions… but only once I’ve safely landed,” says Glenn.

Watch Glenn’s new Isle of Man highlights reel at: vimeo.com/yourmoviecrew/ iomdrone TECHNOLOGY/INTERVIEW

“As a photographer it’s really interesting to be able to shoot the Isle of Man in such a unique way”

Tel: 07624 415062 | www.yourmoviecrew.com

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F

or me and those of a geeky inclination, the perception of what a keyboard should look, feel and sound like was imprinted on the brain somewhere around 1983.

Think of the apocalyptic clickings of Matthew Broderick in WarGames, the larceny of Richard Pryor in Superman III and the beige glory of the Commodore 64, then well on the way to becoming the best-selling computer model of all time.

The keys were steeply banked and bristled like a little assembly of technocrats eager to do your bidding; they made definitive, officious clicks and uttered a satisfying“pok” of backspring when their job was complete. They offered typing with a sense of mission, urgency and embrace of the future. You can still find all that but you have to go looking.

Horrible history The intervening years have been horrible to the keyboard. The principal interface between humans and machines has evolved into a cheap, spongy plastic afterthought — a cost saving that diverts resources to memory, processing, bandwidth and visual high definition.

A glance at my inbox today confirms the worst: five broker contacts send out morning emails representing a combined 4,000 words of market commentary. That’s about 18,000 strokes, before breakfast, on keyboards that cost much less than their ties.

It is time to resist the march of the shoddy. My path to the perfect keyboard — the Filco Majestouch 2 tenkeyless 50 gram Cherry MX Blue — takes me first to Akihabara, the district of Tokyo that is a home for geekiness.

The assumption here, which is broadly accurate, is that most customers for highend keyboards will be PC gamers, computer coders or the sizeable intersection between the two. There are plenty of brands such as Razer, Corsair and Turtle Beach to choose from, but the target users have a subtly different set of demands from mine.

I head instead to Bic Camera, my favourite of the big Tokyo electronics chains, and one that also offers more than 100 types of single malt whisky, 16 varieties of miniature model car engine and fibreoptic cable by the metre. The keyboard section provides cheaper models of massmarket brands — the Elecom, Buffalo and Logicool models ranging in price from

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Looking for keyboards with a proper degree of click, push and pok

A finely tuned Filco Majestouch 2 matches the beauty of an Aston Martin or a perfect golf drive Words: Leo Lewis (FT)

¥1,980 (£10) to ¥4,980. There are also the gimmicky Fire LA Mini rounded keyboards or the Bastron Transparent, which looks like a plate of glass, and those curvy, orthopaedic efforts that give users the grim sense that they are recovering from surgery.

The star of the show, however, is the section of keyboards from Filco, a marque produced with glorious attention to detail

by Japan’s Diatec, which was founded in the early 1980s.

From the Ninja and the Minila to the Convertible 2, they are muscular, matt and glowering as befits the fact that they are twice as expensive as lesser brands. They are compact, with no wasted space, but still dominate a desk. The keys are banked to attack.

Delicate balance But the real thrill is delivered from under the keys, and from the options for precise weighting and resistance. The technology here comes from Cherry, a brand of mechanical key switches that started in the US in the 1950s, moved to Germany in the 1960s and then honed the art of the perfect key in that golden age of the early 1980s. The main choices here

are denoted by colour (testable on special comparative pads at Bic Camera). There are linear (press straight down) switches and tactile ones that subdivide into the softer touch and the springy, clickier key of my dreams.

The metric is the number of grams or centi-Newtons required to make the key work, and the height above the actuation point that the key springs back to. After a recommended 500 presses on each of the four main types, I reject the lighter 45cN red number and the squishy 60cN brown.

I choose the Cherry MX blue, for Y12,500, that emits a click that can be heard across the office. st a t ff t The beauty, though, lies in the way the clicks resonate. The sound of a keystroke should be like the slamming door of an Aston Martin car, the ping of a perfectly struck golf drive or the clink of a sphere of ice into a whisky tumbler. The Filco gives you something like that at your desk. Other keyboards use the Cherry technology but none makes writing an email sound like Mr Broderick hacking into the Norad mainframe.

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technology

‘Digital detox’ is no panacea for the compulsive device checker Technology is not the demon, it is our social psychology...

Word: Aleks Krotoski

I

n 1998, Robert Kraut and his colleagues published a study in American Psychologist called “Internet Paradox: A Social Technology that Reduces Social Involvement and Psychological Well Being?”. In it, the researchers suggested that their participants had demonstrated greater instances of depression and social anxiety, and had less contact with friends and family during the period they had gone online for scientific research.

In most non-academic interpretations of this article, little attention is paid to the question mark at the end of the title.

No one remembers that the web then was more akin to a ghost town than the thriving metropolis it is today. And certainly, no one ever notes that the participants reported an increase in feelings of closeness with online friends and family, and that their online circles increased by an average of three to four people.

Instead, the internet is condemned as a technological trickster that undermines our human agency. This narrative is the path of least resistance; it plays up to our greatest fears. And despite the intervening 20 years and the countless articles contradicting these findings — including Kraut’s own “Internet Paradox Revisited”, the web is still the scapegoat for our human problems.

Ofcom released its Communications Market Report 2016 recently.

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“There is a social expectation that we answer every email and always know what’s going on” According to the report, UK digital consumption patterns have reached an all-time high, and trends for more universal access are bullish. Yet rather than celebrating the web for bringing the world’s information to our fingertips, coverage of the report focused on what it called “connectivity creep”: attachment to our devices is getting in the way of face-to -face communications; we prefer to chat with people in the same room via instant message than do laundry; we would rather go online than sleep.

The findings

implied that we have become slaves to the digital, and that it is affecting our social involvement and psychological wellbeing.

Two decades after the paper that kickstarted the kickback, we know we cannot opt out. The web has an established and important presence in our work and leisure, and three out of four internet users admit that the web plays an important role in their daily lives. Rather, we have developed a hack that lets us think we are reasserting control in this codependent relationship: taking a digital detox.

A break from any everyday thing will undoubtedly bring a fresh perspective and a rejuvenation of spirit, but it will not solve an urge to find out the latest headline or status update. It will not stop the fire hose of emails entering the inbox. Nor will disconnecting give us the willpower to write an opus, become the world’s expert in watchmaking or create quality family time.

After a few delicious weeks ignoring email, those philosophy books are gathering dust on the bedside table and the new trumpet is still sitting in its case. Technology is not the demon; our social psychology is.

The reason we need a break is because we have not developed a healthy way to deal with devices. There is a social expectation that we will answer every email, that we must constantly create, that we must have a handle on what is going on at all times. The technology is only facilitating the flow. As author Douglas Rushkoff once wrote, standing up to your BlackBerry is not standing up to the technology; it is standing up to your boss.

While you are connected, celebrate that life’s rich pageant is online too; that “meatspace”, aka the physical world, is not better, just different. It is not surprising that the generations who have not grown up with the web are finding it the most difficult to get to grips with it. We are stuck in the last century’s ways of being.

Go ahead and take your digital detox, but expect a relapse. It will happen again and again, until we address what is lying beneath the surface. That is the root of the internet paradox.

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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.

Manx Paving & Slate, Old farm Buildings, Derbyhaven T: 824211 | E: manxpaving@manx.net | W: 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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FEATURE

1. Our brain produces less of the sleepinducing hormone melatonin when our eyes are exposed to light, so having a dark bedroom at night could increase your chances of sleep. Fitting blackout curtains and/or blinds is a good way to achieve this and is usually a straightforward DIY job.

However, light flairs around the edges of blinds and curtains (a curtain pelmet may prevent this at the top), so you often need both to cut out all or most of the light.

Wearing an eye mask can help too.

2. It may sound unlikely, but repainting your bedroom walls could help you get more sleep. According to a 2013 survey of 2,000 British homes for Travelodge, those surveyed with blue bedrooms got most sleep, probably because blue is seen as a calm colour. Yellow bedrooms were next, closely followed by green, silver and orange. People with purple bedrooms got least sleep, which may be because purple is said to be mentally stimulating, followed by brown and grey. If this is true and you have the ‘wrong’ colour walls, it could be time to redecorate.

3. Giving your bedroom a feng shui makeover is another option. Feng shui is an ancient Chinese art, based on the idea that the way we arrange things in rooms and buildings affect us. There’s a long list of things to consider if you want to rearrange your bedroom along feng shui lines, including the colour of the walls and the position of the bed - putting it under a window is said to lead to fitful sleep, for example. Consult a good feng shui book or website to find out what you should and shouldn’t be doing.

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5 TIPS FOR A RESTFUL BEDROOM 5. Opening the window is the obvious way to keep your bedroom cool, but your bedding can also play a big part. Research

by The Wool Room and Leeds University found that wool bedding allowed 43% more moisture transmission out of its fibres than feather/down bedding, and 67% more than polyester. The average person perspires around 0.5-1ltr of water vapour every night, and wool bedding (see www.thewoolroom. com for a large range) absorbs this moisture away from the skin so you’re more likely to have a comfortable sleep.

4. Summer temperatures can stop us sleeping. A study by wool bedding and homeware specialist The Wool Room found that while more than a third of us put sleeplessness down to being too hot at any time of the year, this rises to more than half during summer.

Ensure your bedroom is well ventilated and cool before going to sleep. The ideal bedroom temperature for healthy sleep is around 17C and 45% relative humidity. Too hot or too cold bedroom temperatures, or too much humidity or dry humidity, can lead to poorer quality sleep by forcing your body to wake up in order to cool down or warm up.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

FANCY THIS ON YOUR

doorstep?

THEN MAKE THE MOVE TO

MAINE COURT, PORT ERIN Occupying a convenient location just off the Promenade and only 500m from the town centre, these award-winning 4 bedroom homes are ideally positioned and feature a superb level of specification as standard: • Kitchen by top German manufacturer with integrated oven and microwave • Integrated fridge freezer and dishwasher • Stone worktops, steel extractor hood & ceramic hob • Ground floor garden room / 4th bedroom with en-suite • Luxurious tiled bathrooms • Floor coverings throughout • Stylish fitted wardrobes • Balcony with sea view

ONLY 3 AVAILABLE - from £384,950 - ready to move in now

See for yourself - show home open Saturday and Sunday

Call 01624 615000 Visit dandara.com

Sales Suite, 22-24 Victoria St, Douglas, Isle of Man SHOW HOME OPEN Sat and Sun 11am - 4pm, or by appointment Specification may vary subject to house type and build stage. Full details available on request. Details correct at time of going to print. Interior images shown are of the Maine Court show home.

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FEATURED PROPERTY

THE CROFTS, a a

tt

a

a The potential for The Crofts is endless.

This 5,700sq/ft home could be a stunning contemporary residence accommodating four excellent sized bedrooms, all en-suite with the master being a large suite on the first floor. A bright and spacious living area, the current kitchen, dining room and living room will become a large kitchen/ diner and family room with a centre feature fireplace. There is an additional snug, study and utility room, depending on individual preference. Plus the already established detached office/study and double garage.

The additional two acres give further space to create a truly unique lifestyle just five minutes from Douglas town centre.

T: Mark Canty - 07624 220109 W: www.cowleygroves.com

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You only pay our fee once we have SUCCESSFULLY SOLD YOUR HOME!!

“Why will my agent do the best they can for me?”

The answer is simple – at Cowley Groves we DO NOT CHARGE UPFRONT FEE’S or additional advertising costs.

Therefore,

ZERO to pay upfront.

ZERO to pay for Website & Social Media advertising.

ZERO to pay for high quality realistic digital photography promoting your home.

We only get paid for being successful!!!

ZERO to pay for GUARANTEED prominent High Street window advertising.

ZERO to pay for GUARANTEED bi-monthly brochure advertising distributed to over 8,000 IOM households and available to pick up for free from various Island locations such as Ronaldsway Airport & t t s ZERO t a st sell your home!

ass s

until we

COWLEY GROVES WE’RE GOOD WITH HOUSES

Douglas 01624 625888 Ramsey 01624 812823 Quote ‘We’re Good with Houses’ for 10% discount on our rates.

If you want an agent who is truly incentivised to sell your property then contact us today to book a professional valuation of your home.

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FEATURE

GADGETS TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR ALL NIGHT LONG

n Xqisit BH100 stereo Bluetooth headphones, £19.99, from www.carphonewarehouse.com

SOFTLY, SOFTLY

You’re a bit of a night owl and love nothing more than watching your favourite TV programme until the early hours. Your neighbours however aren’t so keen on having to listen to your show when they’re trying to get to sleep. That’s where these well-priced headphones come in, that is if your TV comes with Bluetooth capabilities (or you’ve invested in a Bluetooth audio transmitter). Connect them up to your TV and while you lie on the sofa watching Game Of Thrones, the audio will transmit

through the headset so your neighbours can catch some zzzz’s. If you’re unable to use Bluetooth, it also comes with a 3.5mm audio cable. Obviously this is also a great solution if you’re into gaming/listening to music at anti-social hours.

n Sound Asleep Original Speaker Pillow, £12.99, from www.sleepypeople.com You find it hard to drift off without music.

The only problem is, once you fall asleep, you’re known to stay in the land of nod through the subsequent tunes banging out on the stereo. Your neighbours on the other hand can hear them clearly. So, rather than listening to something with a big speaker, invest in this affordable pillow. It connects to your MP3 player/phone via A 3.5mm stereo jack plug and will play your music through the hollow fibre pillow filling. What’s more, if your more immediate neighbour - your partner who’s lying next to you - wants to go to sleep before you’re ready, you’re in luck! The pillow is so effective that while you’ll be able to hear music clearly, they won’t hear a peep!

LOCKED IN n Noke Bluetooth Padlock, £59.99, from www.firebox.com Partial to a bit of online shopping? If so, you’re probably used to returning home to find a ‘left with your neighbour’ card.

That’s fine for the odd occasion, but if it’s more frequent, they’ll get sick of signing and housing your goods. That’s where this Bluetooth padlock steps in. Perfect if you’ve got a shed/outdoor box which can double up as a storage unit for your new purchases,

the padlock connects to your smartphone and locks/unlocks when you’re nearby. Not only does it do away with the need for a key (hence the name), but you can grant access to others. With deliveries in mind, you can text the courier a one-time quick-click code to use. Obviously this means when you order you’ll need to leave instructions for someone to call you on the day, but more often than not, you’ll get a call/notification telling you they’re on the way anyway.

HERE KITTY! n Tabcat Pack, £69.99, from www.mytabcat.com You love your cat, but you’re pretty certain your neighbours aren’t so keen on you shouting into your garden late at night, calling for Whiskers to come home. Well, with this device you can train your cat to return at a click of a button - whether he’s just hiding in your garden, your neighbours’ (naughty!) or on a nearby street. The cat-

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locating device, sees a light-weight splashproof tab attach to your cat’s collar then, when you activate the corresponding handset, the tab will beep and the device you’re holding will guide you to your puss via lights. A red glow will mean you’re in the range of your cat and as you get closer will shine amber and then green.

When your cat returns, give it a treat so it learns to associate the beep with food and come running when you activate it.

ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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HUGH LOGAN ARCHITECTS is a chartered architectural practice with a commitment to the provision of a well-managed professional service delivering good design and projects that satisfy clients’ objectives and aspirations.

The practice was established in 1994 to provide design, planning, management and consultancy services to the public and private sectors throughout the British Isles.

The practice is able to demonstrate significant experience in commercial office, retail and residential projects, allied to expertise in the health and education sectors.

At HLA we understand that successful projects can only be delivered by a rigorous analysis of the project requirements and the development of a comprehensive project brief. This is the essential starting point for good design.

From light and airy premises in Castletown, Isle of Man the practice aims to provide a responsive, professional service to clients, both large and small.

Other areas of interest to the practice are energy conservation, sustainability, urban design, interior design and master planning.

Good design results only from a process that integrates all of the project requirements into a holistic whole. Good communication, methodology and effective management are critical to this process.

Good design delivers functional, efficient and energy conscious buildings and environments with aesthetics that are appropriate to both the users and the site context.

The German Kitchen Centre

Hugh Logan Architects has a proven track record in obtaining planning approval for innovative and unusual projects as well as those of a more functional, utilitarian type. HLA also has the Probably the Best Kitchens in the World ... Definitely for a lot less than you think technical expertise and experience to deliver all projects to budget and timescale.

Opening Hours:

Directions: Take the 2nd right after the Falcons Nest Hotel

5ifth Dimension Ltd, Marina Lane, Port Erin - Tel: 830069

Tues-Friday 10:00 - 17:00 Saturday’s & Evenings

Hugh Logan Architects will help you to realise your property 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN DESIGN - INSTALLATION - PROJECT MANAGEMENT

By Appointment Only dreams aspirations. See our work at www.hla.im

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

add value to your property.

”

— Hugh Logan

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

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

BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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

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

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HOME

FEATURED PROPERTY FEATURED PROPERTY

Seacrest Lodge £1,150,000 Seacrest Lodge is a superb coastal residence in a sought after private location in arguably one of the best headland locations on the Island.

Landscaped stepped gardens extend to approximately 1½ acres with sweeping lawns to the front. Manx stone walling and hedges to borders with a large patio strategically placed to take advantage of the superb uninterrupted sea views. Nineteenth century Manx stone building used for storing explosives for the Laxey Mines. Sweeping driveway to the front providing ample offroad parking.

Featuring n 4 Reception Rooms n a ast t n Large Utility Room n 4 En-Suite Bedrooms n ta at n uPVC Double Glazing n Integral Double Garage & Detached Triple Garage n ff a a n Phone Entry Gate System n ff sa t

a

a

Ref No: DDP03755

DeanWood 37 Victoria Street • Douglas IM1 2LF • Isle of Man TEL: 01624 620606 • EMAIL: info@deanwood.co.im

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Terms and conditions apply. See www.sure.com for details.

Goodbye landline, hello mobile broadband.

Pay less and get more.

Enjoy high-speed broadband access at home using Sure’s 4G mobile network.

100GB of data for just £25/m or 200GB for £35/m. Get liberated.

Ask in store about mobile broadband plans or visit www.sure.com.

DIRECTORY

AT YOUR SERVICE DIRECTORY

hardware

FULL COLOUR ANNUAL ADVERTISING FROM £49.00 PER MONTH CALL GALLERY ON 415096/249249

Manx Roots Tree Management

With over 15 years experience in industry-best tree care, both on and off island, we are offering a full range of tree surgery and tree consultancy services.

• Industry-best tree pruning & tree removal • High hedge trimming and reducing • Firewood delivery • Woodland mangement • Independent tree surveys & inspection • BS 5837:2012 tree surveys for planning applications

Manx Roots

Manx

arboriculture

T: 259720 | E: ben@trees.im FB:/Treesisleofman | W: www.trees.im

Roots

The Wine Cellar

The Wine Cellar is a well established local business, set up 23 years ago in the same location as we are today.

We are all passionate about wine and our aim is to have a wide range of good quality wines that offer good value at every price point.

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.

Manx Paving & Slate

The Wine Cellar

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

Tennis Road, Douglas IM2 3QW T: 611793 E: sales@thewinecellar.im

Get your business included

st

We’re a big believer in effective ‘reminder’ advertising at Gallery. For a small business, a whole year of communication means that customers have your details at all times.

AT YOUR SERVICE is designed to allow advertisers a low cost, long term communication solution. It can be used to show an individual corporate presentation or

t

THE LO

to present individual brands stocked by your business.

We’ll be trying to gather places that sell the nicest bits, bobs, stuff and desirable items for the home.

SER

So we thought we’d give select businesses the ability to tell our readers all about their services in our monthly Gallery AT YOUR SERVICE DIRECTORY.

Single Booking

3 issues

6 issues

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£75 PM

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Mylchreests - the official Manx dealer for all seasons Go anywhere...

...or wind in your hair

O C A L B U S I N E S S W I T H G L O B A L PA RT N E R S

VICE

Officially appointed new and approved used car sales and servicing

• N E W C A S T L E TO W N R O A D • D O U G L A S • I S L E O F M A N I M 2 1 H E T E L E P H O N E 0 1 6 2 4 6 2 3 4 8 1 • FA C S I M I L E 0 1 6 2 4 6 6 1 2 5 7 E-mail mail@mylchreests.com www.mylchreests.com

...or wind in your hair

17:15 T H E L O C A L B U S I N E S S W I T H G L O B16/02/2016 A L PA RT N E R S

SERVICE

Officially appointed new and approved used car sales and servicing

MILLMOUNT

• N E W C A S T L E TO W N R O A D • D O U G L A S • I S L E O F M A N I M 2 1 H E T E L E P H O N E 0 1 6 2 4 6 2 3 4 8 1 • FA C S I M I L E 0 1 6 2 4 6 6 1 2 5 7 E-mail mail@mylchreests.com www.mylchreests.com

FASHION BEAUTY

Dentistry

DENTAL BRACES By: Dr. James D Garritt BDS

Orthodontics is the movement of teeth. In general dentistry, its popularity has skyrocketed over the last 6 years with people of all ages requesting alignment and straightening of their teeth.

On average upper and lower Braces cost approx. £3-4,500 depending on type and the occlusion (Bite).

The great thing about orthodontics is that moving teeth into the right place, widening the smile and straightening crooked teeth, means that there is no destruction to tissue and the final look is naturally beautiful afterwards.

TREATMENTS AVAILABLE: Types of Braces Invisalign, CFAST Braces and Damon Braces. * To Book a FREE Consultation at a Tracey Bell Clinic tel: 613323. * Xrays may be required at a cost of £50.00 for Invisible Braces and Quick Straight Teeth.

www.traceybell.co.uk Facebook/TraceyBell

T

he ‘Social 6’ is also a fast growing area with adult patients requesting straightening of the front teeth only.

Something that was never requested or even thought possible before. So what does this mean to you, the patient? New treatments such as Invisalign, 6 Month Smiles, Damon Appliances, Fast Braces, CFast and Quick Straight Teeth have opened up easier access and better treatments for patients.

Treatments in general are faster, easier, without extraction and less painful.

Dr. James D Garritt BDS

Years ago the choice to align and straighten teeth involved very destructive procedures such as veneers & crowns. Today people are looking for a faster, better, less destructive ways to straighten their teeth. Dental Braces, Whitening and Dental Bonding are great treatments with minimal risk to the teeth.

At the Tracey Bell Clinics, I have provided over a 1000 orthodontic cases in the last 5 years, combining different Dental Brace opinions whilst considering the wishes of the patient.

Listening to the patient and understanding what they desire is most important, and in all cases costs are considered.

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ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

FASHION

GET THE LOOK FASHION FLASH

UNDERWEAR INERTIA When it comes to pants, British blokes are clearly stuck in a rut, as a survey by Norwegian brand Comfyballs reveals a third of men aged 25-44 have worn the same style or type of underwear since their teens. In addition, 41% have never even thought about switching up styles, while 10% still rely on their partner or mum to buy their undies!

SEW COOL It’s not all apps this and digital that for young people, as new research reveals nearly a quarter (24%) of UK 18-30-year-olds have taken up sewing in the last year. Attributed to the popularity of TV shows like The Great British Sewing Bee, the survey by pattern website SimplicityNewLook.com also found 28% of respondents had bought a sewing machine in the last year, and 10% had even profited from their new-found skills by selling their wares.

FLAG IT UP Brit brand Zakti is flying the flag for Brazil, with a range of green and yellow fitnesswear.

Choose from cycle gear, running tops, leggings and bikinis, all in the distinctive national colours. n Zakti Back in the Saddle Bike Jersey, £50 (www.zaktiactive.com) n Zakti Howl Jacket, reduced to £50 from £100 (www.zaktiactive.com) BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

n The new season collections are landing in stores, so you need to act now if you don’t want to miss out on autumn must-haves.

This sporty Peacocks jumper, £21, is a Marni AW16 catwalk doppelganger, and we predict a sell-out. Grab one while you can (www.peacocks.co.uk).

n ORANGE FEEL Every season needs a challenging colour thrown in among all the grey, black and more black that is the usual menswear palette, and autumn’s is a real zinger hazmat orange will be in the shops soon.

BUY IT NOW SWEATY BETTY Chiming with what was the summer of sport, Sweaty Betty has designed a limited edition London Edit, a 12-piece capsule collection of fitnesswear inspired

by British athletes.

Featuring Union Flag touches and a red, white and blue colour palette, only 100 of each item have been made. n Sweaty Betty Stadium Overtee, £115; Excellence 7/8 Run Leggings, £175 (www.sweatybetty. com)

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BEAUTY

TIME TO UP YOUR HAIR GAME

ts a t t s topknot just won’t cut it any more, when it comes to putting your hair up you need an added twist.

HAIR DECOR Bling is the new thing when it comes to elevating a plain bun or chignon twist in seconds. Just add shiny brooch-like accessories in random places.

“Going heavy on the oversized jewels is a great way to transform an easy up-do into a statement look,” says Schauwecker. “Add height to the crown of the hair and keep the sides sleek and modern so it doesn’t look too fussy.”

Hair kit: Toni&Guy Black Widow Hair Grip, £16 (toniandguy.com); Superdrug Hair Grips x 30, £1.39 (superdrug.com); label.m Hold & Gloss Spray, £12.50 (labelm.com) BRAIDY BUNCH Braids are your no-fuss style for summer, because they won’t budge. Take a French plait to the next level with a double-sided braid starting at your temples. Wear both braids down or pin them up completely using grips, so it’s more of a halo style.

“Full braid looks will see you through swim, sleep and everything in-between - it doesn’t frizz or spoil when you perspire, and looks even better when it’s worn in,” Schauwecker advises. “Try pulling the braid apart slightly with your fingers after styling, to create the illusion of fuller hair.”

Hair kit: Redken Braid Aid 03 Defining Lotion, £17 (redken.co.uk); Michael Van Clarke Lifesaver UV Leave-In Styling Treatment, £19.50 (3moreinches.co.uk); Invisibobble Nano Hair Ties, £3 (topshop. com) I’M WITH THE BAND No matter whether you remember it from first time around, Nineties girl half-up, half-down hair is well and truly back - and it’s ideal if you don’t like your hair pulled off your face completely.

“This look is cool and fun, but also really easy to recreate at home,” assures Schauwecker. “Faux side burns are another big trend at the moment so leave hair falling in front of the ears for a lived-in, relaxed look.”

Keep things playful for summer with bold, bright hair ties that punctuate your look.

Hair kit: label.m Texturising Volume Spray, £13.50 (labelm.com); Windle & Moodie Texture Cream, £15 (windleandmoodie.com); Toni&Guy Colour Me Happy Hair Ties, £10 (toniandguy.com); Superdrug Metal Free Hair Bands, £2.29 for pack of 18 (superdrug.com)

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BEAUTY BULLETIN

:: NO SEX PLEASE, WE’RE TANNING Is self-tanning wreaking havoc on your relationship? Research from St Tropez reveals that a third of Brits avoid sex and cuddling because of their tanning habits, with 42% of men saying they wouldn’t share a bed with even Kim Kardashian or Gigi Hadid if the famous beauties had slapped on fake tan first. However, another study from Fake Bake shows that 53% of men admit to tanning in secret, and 69% of 25-44-year-olds confess to stealing their partner’s products - so it sounds like in some cases, it’s the pot calling the kettle, well, brown.

:: WEIGHT OFF WOMEN’S MINDS

Advertisers would have us believe that all women are constantly striving to lose weight, but a new study reveals that 64% of women aged 16 and over are comfortable with their current weight. The survey by sports nutrition brand Bio-Synergy also showed that just 10% of women try to maintain their body shape to please their partner, compared to 25% of men, which is all good news for the ‘BoPo’ (body positive) movement.

Forget wrists and blotter strips; :: APPY technology’s SCENT doing the perfume testing for us. Sniff out The Fragrance Shop’s new mobile app, MyFragranceApp. You input your current scent favourites and personal style traits, and the app uses a complex algorithm to come up with your unique scent profile. Clever! Download it for free by searching ‘MyFragranceApp’ in your app store ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

Roy Macfarlane looks forward to welcoming you to his recently refurbished restaurant in Duke Street, Douglas.

Whether you are looking for somewhere to celebrate that special occasion or to enjoy an informal night out with family and friends, Roy and his team will try their very best to make sure your visit to Macfarlanes is an enjoyable one.

Opening hours Tues-Sat 6:30pm-930pm Tues-Fri lunch 12pm-2pm Tel 624777 | www.macfarlanes.im

Coming Soon/Mid Oct: Sunday Lunch

APPETITE

“IF YOU LIKE PINA COLADAS” Words: Jamie Lewis FoH & Beverage Manager – Rock Food Concepts @jamielewislewis

F

or most teenagers, the transition from teenage to adult life comes with its own disappointments; not quite achieving the exam results you wanted, not managing to ‘get the girl’ or messing up that interview for the job you so desperately wanted… The biggest disappointment of my adult life however, was the sudden development of an intolerance to the pineapple.

Now, scoff if you must, but for an aspirational, 20 something year old bartender, developing a sudden allergy to the international symbol of your trade caused quite the upset.

Disappointing, because;

I bloody love pineapple!

It has a fascinating history, acknowledged through various eras as a symbol of status, wealth and as aforementioned hospitality.

I never have, nor never will, enjoy drinking pina coladas whilst getting caught in the rain.

Anyway, enough about my star-crossed love affair of Shakespearian magnitude, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Originally exclusive to the Western Hemisphere, the pineapple (or anana as it is colloquially known) was first discovered by native tribesman. Whilst most commonly associated with tiki-culture, the presence of pineapples in the Caribbean was not a natural event, rather the result of Indian migration from those landmasses now known as Brazil and Paraguay to further afield.

At this point you’re probably wondering how we ended up in another Jamie Lewis drinks history lesson, if you are, I would ask that you refresh yourself with bullet point A (above) and just humour me.

The first recorded encounter between a European and a pineapple occurred in the late 15th century, when Christopher Columbus (of Potato fame) set sail for the new world and wound up ashore the volcanic island of Guadaloupe. There he and his crew enjoyed a hearty meal of freshly gathered vegetables, fruit and human body parts. Amongst other things they recorded, a curious new fruit which had an abrasive, segmented exterior like a pine cone and firm interior pulp like an apple. Was this friendly encounter between

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Columbus and the native tribesmen the origins of the pineapple’s place as international symbol of hospitality or is the whole story pure and utter urban myth?

Columbus returned from his expedition three years later laden with curious oddments, tales of terror and the token departure lounge sweet treats. On European shores, the newly christened pineapple became somewhat a celebrity, managing an invite to the most exclusive and lavish of parties; its place at the top of the food chain further cemented when in 1600, King Charles II of England posed for an official portrait receiving a pineapple as a gift, an act symbolic of his royal privilege.

As can be paralleled with most modern celebrity stories, the pineapple soon fell from grace, everyone was asking for a slice of the action, and the man from Del Monte, well, he said yes! Class dismissed.

In paragraph three, I left you wondering how I would ever get over my doomed love affair with the abrasive yet firm fruit we call Pine-Apple, the truth is, I haven’t.

To add insult to injury, when Bath & Bottle opened its doors on 25th August 2012, the last customer of the evening was a slightly inebriated Steve, then sous chef of 14North restaurant, where I had been previously working. Steve told me his favourite drink was a Pina Colada and asked if we could recreate his favourite drink for him and serve it in a hollowed out pineapple. I declined, thinking he was winding me up*, asking him instead to pick something from the menu and to stop misbehaving.

*For the record, Steve is a six foot something beast of a man, with a passion for all things melancholy, so to this day I will stand by my suspicions being well informed.

Over the course of the next year, I learned that the drink was indeed his favourite and that his request was a legitimate one.

Feeling guilty, as birthday present to him the following year, I served him the below recipe - in a hollowed out pineapple as per his original request.

“And though I’m nobody’s poet, I thought it wasn’t half bad”

Recipe: bath & bottle Pina Colada Ingredients

n 15ml Koko Kanu coconut rum n 25ml Foursquare spiced rum n 10ml Wray & Nephew overproof n 50ml Cooil Bros double cream n 50ml Cream of coconut n 50ml Fresh pineapple juice n 20ml Lime juice n 10ml Sugar syrup n 1 x maraschino cherry for garnish

Method: n 1) Hollow out pineapple and juice the fruit you remove (make sure you save the leaves for garnish n 2) Shake all ingredients n 3) Fill hollowed pineapple with ice and strain the shaken colada over ice n 4) Garnish with pineapple leaves and a cocktail cherry on a stick ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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Recipes HUMMUS, PEPPER AND DOLCELATTE FLATBREAD PIZZA (Makes 1 large pizza) n 175g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting n 2tbsp hummus n 4 roasted peppers from a jar n 100g Dolcelatte cheese n 2tsp sweet chilli dipping sauce n Sea salt flakes n 150ml water n Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 260C/240C fan/gas mark 10, and place a pizza stone or a strong, large baking sheet in the oven to get hot. Toss together the flour with 3g of salt, then add the water and a glug (about one tablespoon) of olive oil. Bring together into a dough, and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. Ball up the dough and leave it in the mixing bowl to soften for 20 minutes, at room temperature.

Once the dough has rested, lightly flour the worktop and roll out into a large, thin circle - if the base is left too thick, it won’t crisp up and will stay doughy and soggy.

Slide the pizza base onto a well-floured baking sheet. Spread the hummus over the pizza base, then tear the peppers into long strands and scatter them over the top. Crumble on the Dolcelatte, then slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone or baking sheet and cook for seven to 10 minutes, until slightly coloured and very crispy around the edges.

CIDERY BBQ RIBS

Drizzle the baked pizza with the chilli sauce and serve. You can slice this into neat portions with a pizza wheel, but I like to embrace its flatbread origins and just tear off pieces.

(Serves 4-6) n 1l dry cider n 1.5kg pork ribs n 250g tomato ketchup n 60ml Worcestershire sauce n 50g dark brown muscovado sugar n Sea salt flakes n Coarse black pepper Pour the cider into a fairly capacious saucepan and add a teaspoon of salt and the ribs. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook the ribs for 25 minutes, skimming off the foam twice during cooking, then drain, reserving 150ml of the cider.

For the sauce, put the ketchup, the reserved cider, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper into a medium saucepan and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until thickened - you don’t want it be very thick, just thick enough to coat the ribs and stay there.

When the sauce is ready, coat the ribs well with it - just scoop up the sauce with your hands and rub it into the ribs. Don’t throw the leftover sauce away.

Preheat the oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Place the ribs on a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, glazing with sauce halfway through. When the ribs come out of the oven, paint with the remaining glaze and serve.

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OF A NIGHT

n absolute blast! So says Chris Waller, when describing the gourmet extravaganza of Pig, the latest in the highly successful Love Food Night’s held at NOA Bakehouse in Douglas and on this occasion showcasing pig products.

Chris, of NOA Bakehouse fame and the organiser of the event despite being a vegetarian, had done his homework when it came to pig factoids for the benefit of more than 70 salivating diners as each of the nine courses at £25 a head were served.

Thoughts and images of diners indulging in unadulterated gluttony and literally making pigs of themselves, while imbibing copious amounts of wines and spirits in Bacchanalian enthusiasm, would definitely be wrong. It seems, however, that pig meat, can be an aphrodisiac judging by the reactions of one well known Douglas couple as they enthusiastically devoured each course followed by each other. (Identities can be revealed on request)!

The idea of creating a nine course dinner was to show the sustainability of this one animal and it’s worth recognising that the meat is widely eaten by people across the world. NOA’s man in the kitchen for the night was the inimitable Alan Fair who was responsible for five of the courses; these included the starter of pea and pig’s ear soup!

A pig’s ear, or part of one, brought mixed reactions from most diners. Highly recommended If you fancy a good chew.

All the courses were truly delicious, including the dessert of ice cream with

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maple syrup coated bacon. Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal would be proud of you Alan.

Verdict: A great success for locally sourced quality food and drinks.

Winston Churchill, who knew a thing or two about pigs, once said: “Dogs look up to man, cats look down to man. Pigs look us right in the eye and see an equal.”

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WORDS | Anne Berry | The Wine Cellar

ALTHOUGH VINEYARDS ARE ALMOST ALWAYS LOCATED IN RURAL AREAS, THE WINERIES AND CELLARS WHERE THE WINE IS ACTUALLY MADE ARE NORMALLY IN MORE URBAN LOCATIONS.

T

he pretty town of Chablis is surrounded by vineyards with the wineries based inside the town.

Chablis is in northern Burgundy and wine has been produced here since the middle ages during the time of the Cistercian monks. They planted vines along the river banks and were influential in establishing the economic and commercial interest of viticulture in the region.

Being one of the most northerly wine regions in France means that the climate is relatively cool and the wines produced from Chardonnay here are very different from Chardonnays made in warmer wine regions. The acidity is higher and they are crisp and fresh, often described as steely or flinty with less of a fruity character. The northerly latitude also puts the vineyards at risk of frost, hail and thunderstorms.

This year, there was a late Spring frost in late April, which caused damage in over 20% of the vineyards. This was followed by a hailstorm on Friday 13th May and two weeks later a more severe hailstorm which wiped out another 10%. There have already been warnings of price increases, due partly to Brexit and the exchange rate, but more significantly to the reduced yields as a result of these weather conditions.

The only grape variety permitted in the production of Chablis is Chardonnay but Chablis is not about the grape variety and the name of the grape rarely appears on a wine label. The aim of a Chablis winemaker is to produce a wine that shows the expression of the area and the specific microclimate in which the vines are grown. The subsoil in Chablis is known

as Kimmeridgean. The Kimmeridgean is a geological age in the Upper Jurassic epoch, around 150 million years ago when Chablis lay underneath the ocean. This soil is rich in limestone, grey marl and oyster fossils, and it is this special subsoil from which the wines of Chablis draw their purity, sophistication and minerality.

There are seven vineyards classified as Grand Cru, forty as Premier Cru and the rest are Chablis and Petit Chablis. Premier and Grand Cru vineyards are higher up the hillsides generally on south-west facing slopes. The higher up the slope, the poorer the soil and the more stress there is on the vine. This leads to lower natural yield and a greater concentration of flavour.

SOME FINE EXAMPLES OF THE DIFFERENT STYLES AVAILABLE AT THE WINE CELLAR. Petit Chablis Domaine D’Elise £14.75

Do not be put off by Petit Chablis. Many Petit Chablis can be superior to a Chablis, despite being from a lower classification of vineyard, and can offer great value for

money. This is a pure mouthful of lemony freshness, lightly creamy but also bright and mineral. Clean, pure, complete and simply drinkable.

Simonnet Febvre Chablis - £16.25 Simonnet Febvre is owned by Louis Latour but is run as a separate winery.

This has a rich and complex nose is characterised by pleasant and subtle floral and mineral aromas. It has a wonderful structure in the mouth with good minerality.

It is a harmonious wine that is not only fine and elegant but also has an excellent aromatic persistence. Drink it with oysters, shellfish and goats cheese or just enjoy a glass by itself.

Simonnet Febvre Premier Cru Vaillons £21.95 Worth splashing out on a special occasion, this an excellent example of the characteristics of a Chablis wine: freshness, acidity, minerality and notes of flowers and fruit. Wellrounded and charming, it has a final note of minerality on the palate and has a good compromise between the acidity and fruit. It is generous, has a good length and is very typical of Chablis.

Drink with seafood, grilled fish and white meats in sauces.

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

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SAILING NOVICE BECOMES FIRST MANXMAN TO COMPLETE WORLD’S LONGEST OCEAN RACE

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Manxman with no previous ocean sailing experience has spent almost a year at sea and completed the world’s longest ocean race to raise funds for a charity which helps older people to live independently. Marc Hundleby, aged 48, has raised £1,087 so far for Isle of Man Live At Home schemes after finishing the Clipper 201516 Round The World Yacht Race.

Divided into eight legs, the event comprises 14 individual races – and Marc is the first Manxman ever to complete it.

He said: “I am so proud to be the first Manxman to complete a circumnavigation in the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race and help raise funds for the Isle of Man Live at Home schemes. This has been one of the toughest physical and mental challenges of my life. There have been many highs and lows, from winning our division in the Sydney to Hobart race, to being knocked down by an 80 foot wave in the North Pacific Ocean. The 48,430 miles of sailing have certainly delivered an experience I will never forget.”

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novices like Marc, completed a rigorous training course before being allowed to take up the challenge.

The Da Nang - Viet Nam yacht.

The Clipper Race, the only event of its kind which trains amateur sailors to become ocean racers, concluded on Saturday July 30th with a ‘parade of sail’ up the River Thames, under Tower Bridge into the finish at St Katharine Docks. After crossing the line, Marc commented: “It was an extremely emotional time knowing my family and friends were waiting to greet me, and I could see a number of Manx flags being waved from balconies and the dockside.”

Race organisers provided a fleet of 12 identical 70-foot ocean racing yachts, each with a fully qualified skipper. All crew members, many of whom were sailing

The race began at St Katharine Docks in London on August 30 last year with the first leg finishing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The rest of the route took in Cape Town, two ports in Australia, China, Seattle, and through the Panama Canal en route to New York. The final leg was from the Big Apple to Derry-Londonderry in Northern Ireland, the Netherlands, and back to the finish at St Katharine Docks.

Marc is originally from the Isle of Man and after leaving the Island in 1996 worked in Hong Kong, Sydney and Dubai. He currently lives in Sydney, but still calls the Isle of Man home and returns whenever he can to see friends and family. He took part in the race aboard the Da Nang - Viet Nam yacht which had a crew of around 50 in total, with 20 to 22 on board at any one time.

It’s not too late if you want to make a donation, just go to www.justgiving.com/ marc-hundleby www.clipperroundtheworld.com ISLE OF MAN PREMIER MAGAZINE

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Marc Hundleby in training

Marc Hundleby on board the Da Nang - Viet Nam yacht

CLIPPER RACE FUN FACTS!

n The tenth edition Clipper Race started on 30 August 2015 and returned eleven months later after 14 races across six continents and ten different countries as the world’s longest ocean race. n The Clipper 2015-16 Race departed London and visited 14 different ports in ten different countries during the race series. The route took teams from London to Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Albany (Western Australia), Sydney, Airlie Beach (the Whitsundays), Da Nang (Vietnam), Qingdao (China), Seattle, Panama, New York, Derry-Londonderry, Den Helder (the Netherlands), and back to London. n This is the only challenge of its kind which trains amateur sailors to become ocean racers. 40% of crew had no sailing experience before signing up. n The fleet is made up of twelve 70-foot ocean racers and each team is led by an elite professional skipper n 349 different occupations have been represented from Famers, Students, Teachers, Athletes, CEOs, Bartenders, Nurses, Pilots, Travel Agents, Gardeners and more. n The fleet has sailed 41,135 nautical miles during its 11-month adventure, that’s a combined total of 493,620 nautical miles across the fleet! n The fastest boat speed recorded is 6 knots during Race 7: The Da Nang New Discovery of Asia Race. n The fastest wind speed recorded is 86 MPH during Race 8: The Sailing City Qingdao Cup from Da Nang, Vietnam to Qingdao, China, that’s the equivalent of almost 100 MPH! n The largest wave recorded is 90 feet tall, the equivalent of a 9-storey building!

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race map

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MANN, THAT WAS ONE TOUGH DAY! T

he muddier and wetter it gets, the more Tough Mann fans love it!

This year was no exception with 560 competitors finishing the Tough Mann Adventure Challenge in association with Manx Telecom. The 10km course at Ballamoar Farm, Ballaugh, featured 25 obstacles including muddy bogs, rope scrambles and monkey bars. Joey Bond won with Neil Brogan second and Ben Campelton third. First woman was Anna Kenny with Kirree Quayle in second and Ali Clague third respectively. Manx Telecom provided GoXtreme Action Cams for each of the individual category winners, and Fitbit chargeHR activity wristbands with heart monitors for the team winners.

There were also two special King and Queen of the Mountain prizes for the fastest male and female competitors to reach the top of ‘Killer Hill’ which ascends 1,000 feet in the first two kilometres of the course. Anna Kenny was crowned Queen of the Mountain, and Graham Furner King of the Mountain. They were presented with distinctive polka-dot design jerseys inspired by the Tour de France King of

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the Mountains jersey. For all the finishers there was a commemorative tee-shirt and a Bushy’s beer for over 18s, and a soft drink for under-18s. Other category winners included:

Female U21 – Kirree Quayle Male U21 – Shaun Kelly Female Senior – Sammy White Male Senior – Joey Brogan Female Veteran Over 40 Anna Kenny Male Veteran over 40 Ray Whitfield

Manx Telecom’s support for the event included offering a free Pic2Go service which allowed competitors who registered for it to have official photos of them in the race automatically uploaded to their own Facebook page. A total of 525 registered for Pic2Go with over 8,000 photos being uploaded. Pic2Go uses software which automatically recognises race numbers to identify competitors. As the race numbers aren’t visible in many of the photographs where competitors are under water or crawling through mud, you can see a gallery of all the official photos at http:// isleofman.in/toughmann and purchase images or order prints, with all profits going to charity. £1 from every entry fee will be donated to Tabitha’s Trust, the charity which helps families affected by child bereavement.

Event organiser Kez Wardell said that a total of £750 had been raised for the charity so far, but more could follow from competitors who had collected money from sponsors.

For more information and results go to www.toughmann.com | http://mt.im/ toughmannphotos BECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

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ELECTRIFYING SAVINGS • NO ROAD TAX • FROM A MEAN 2P A MILE • 100% ELECTRIC

ATHOL GARAGE (1945) LTD Balthane Road, Isle of Man IM9 2AF 01624 820082 | athol-nissan.co.uk Opening hours 0900-1730 Monday to Friday, 0900-1700 Saturday Finance provided by RCI Financial Services Limited, PO Box 149, Watford WD17 1FJ. You must be at least 18 and a UK resident (excluding Isle of Man and Channel Islands) to apply. Finance is available subject to status on eligible Nissan CARED4 vehicles in the UK. Guarantees and Indemnities may be required. NISSAN DEPOSIT CONTRIBUTION OF £1,000 IS ONLY AVAILABLE WITH SELECTED VEHICLES WHEN TAKEN ON ELIGIBLE PCP/HP NISSAN FINANCE PRODUCT. Our dealerships introduce customers to a limited number of finance providers including RCI Financial Services Ltd. We may receive a commission from the finance provider for the introduction. From 2p a mile based on (I) overnight charging (British Gas Clear and Simple Economy 7 unit rates for a customer paying by direct debit as at 1st April 2016, assuming 7 hours of charging at the night rate and one hour on daytime rate), (II) 95% charging efficiency, and (III) a range of up to 124 miles per full charge (based on New European Driving Cycle). Actual consumption and range may vary due to driving style, road condition, air-conditioning and other factors outside our control. Fuel costs relate solely to the cost of electricity used to charge the LEAF and take no account of any other costs associated with running/owning the vehicle. Vehicles subject to availability. Models shown for illustrative purposes only. Offer available for vehicles purchased up to and including the 30 September 2016.

HARDWARE

MOTORING NEWS

RED BULL ATHLETE DOUGIE’S WHEELIE Shown live on Red Bull TV - 24th September

12-time World Trials Champion and motorsports legend Dougie Lampkin MBE will embark on a wheelie attempt that could become one of the most memorable feats in motorcycle history. This one-of-akind will see Dougie attempt to wheelie continuously around the entire TT course.

Leaving the Grandstand at 5pm, Dougie hopes to complete his challenge in a time under 2-hours with an average speed of around 20mph.

Lampkin’s standard Vertigo Combat two-stroke fuel injected trial machine has been greatly modified and adapted for the challenge of riding solely on the rear wheel.

Dougie said: “What started out as just an idea, which I have had for a few years now, will soon become reality thanks to the support of Red Bull once again. Like everything I do, I will be giving it 110% to do my best to succeed.”

BBC Ski Sunday presenter Ed Leigh will be joined in the onsite studio by the renowned mountain bike commentator and trial fanatic Rob Warner as the duo host various guests alongside the live feed of the challenge.

Adding another dimension to the whole experience, viewers will have the opportunity to play along via a free smartphone simulator game that will be released for download ready for the challenge date.

In Dougie’s words this is “right on the edge” of what is possible on a trials bike.

Find out more about Dougie’s Wheelie at www.redbull.com

racing category as opposed to the Tracksport.

CATERHAM HAS INTRODUCED AN ALL-NEW CAR TO ITS FAMOUS SEVEN RANGE THE 310.

High-performance camshafts were fitted to the engine and the entire unit had its mapping revised, which enabled it to produce the extra power.

Designed as a middle ground between incredible performance and impressive handling, the 310 sits above the popular Seven 270.

Priced from £24,995, the Seven 310 features a reworked Sigma engine that produces 152bhp. The additional performance was

The 310 is also the first car in the Seven range to come fitted with LED headlamps. added quite by accident, when a 270 was upgraded to compete in the Supersport

Existing 270 owners can have their cars upgraded to 310 specification for £1,495.

The Caterham Seven 310 is available to order now, with the first cars arriving in early

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JEEP HAS PULLED THE COVERS OFF A NEW SPECIAL EDITION VERSION OF ITS POPULAR WRANGLER OFF-ROADER TO COMMEMORATE THE COMPANY’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY. Called the Wrangler 75th Anniversary, the limited-edition 4x4 is based on the standard Wrangler Overland, and features a number of unique styling features both inside and outside the car.

The exterior features a bronze-finished front grille, a body-coloured dual top, Mopar slush mats, 18-inch alloy wheels, bronze and orange Jeep badging, as well as 75th Anniversary badging.

On the inside, buyers will be treated to features such as embossed ‘1941’ heated leather seats in black or saddle brown and tangerine, as well as bronze accents on

the grab handles and air vents. Satellite navigation is also standard, as is an Alpine sound system.

Jeep has also updated its existing 2.8-litre diesel engine, which will be available on the 75th Anniversary edition, to bring it in line with Euro 6 emission standards.

he rangler th nniversary edition is on sale now, with examples coming to the . rices start at the two door . litre automatic, rising to , for the four door . litre automatic.

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for

THE LAMBORGHINI CENTENARIO WILL MAKE ITS PUBLIC DEBUT IN THE UK AT SALON PRIVE, ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS LUXURY SUPERCAR SHOWS. Built to mark the 100th birthday of Lamborghini founder, Ferruccio Lamborghini, the Centenario is the most powerful V12-engined Lamborghini ever made.

Producing 759bhp and combined with a lightweight carbon fibre tub, it will sprint from 0-62mph in a mere 2.8 seconds, and on to a top speed of 217mph.

Production of the Lamborghini Centenario will be limited to a total of 40 examples - 20 coupes and 20 roadsters - all of which have been sold. A coupe iteration of the Centenario will be appearing at Salon Prive.

ROLLS-ROYCE UNVEILED TWO COMPLETELY BESPOKE VERSIONS OF ITS DAWN AND WRAITH CARS, INSPIRED BY PORTO CERVO. Both models were revealed in the Costa Smerelda marina, and were created to reflect the area’s glamorous nature.

The bespoke Wraith features a two-tone exterior, as well as an illuminated Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet mascot. Inside, ostrich leather is used to add an even greater feeling of luxury.

The luxury supercar show and Concours d’Elegance event is now in its 11th year, and will return to Blenheim Palace for the second year running in 2016.

The Dawn contrasts the Wraith in many ways. The exterior, for instance, is finished in a unique emerald green colour designed to imitate the Porto Cervo seascape. Cream leather features inside, as does a bespoke teak boot floor mat. Emerald and mother of pearl are inlaid into the interior fascia of the car’s interior.

Tickets for Salon Prive, which runs from September 1-3, are on sale now at www.salonpriveconcours.com

Both cars display the incredible attention to detail that Rolls-Royce has become famous for. There is very little that the British luxury car maker can’t do should a customer request it, and has become known for some outlandish and luxurious designs.

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Before Your War in the Suburbs Begins…

WORDS Taylor Jones

We live in a troubled time. With each new day, it seems there is a new threat out there somewhere in the world that, if you believe the blogs, is designed specifically to come along and destroy the way of life that we’ve loved and been comforted by for so long. Whether it’s the mass hysteria that has been caused by the work of religious extremist groups, or the frenzy of feverish derangement that was universally felt when, on 26th October 2015, a group of 22 scientists published their findings in The Lancet in an article named Carcinogenicity of Consumption of Red and Processed Meat; findings that would change the way we dealt with hangovers forever. These hooligans, these philistines, nay, these heathens, had the audacity to tell us that bacon is carcinogenic, and in turn to destroy the very livelihood of anyone who has ever woken up with a mouth dryer and less appetising than a scorpion in the Atacama Desert.

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people stand by and let our leaders watch innocently as the world tears itself apart in a fashion not unlike the house from Poltergeist.

The masses will rise and take the reins in the fight against tyranny, and who will win in all of this? That’s right, me. Not the terrorists (although they will have instilled chaos and terror), and certainly not the scientists who dared to tell me bacon was harmful, but me, the tech writer for a small lifestyle magazine. Not because I’ll have a civilian army to mock (it would be too easy), but because where there is war, there is the defense industry. Nothing prompts companies like Thales and UTC to start making the most advanced weapons in the world like a conflict, and so I say this: I am not pro-war, but if urban street fighting means that we get things like a t-shirt that detects wifi, I think it’s time for some public action.

GPS SHOES

Of course, we didn’t stop eating bacon, just like we didn’t stop systematically destroying and oppressing Islamist cultural and religious beliefs with our Western attitudes, but there’s no excuse for even studying these things, let alone publishing them in oncological journals. There’s only really one inevitable outcome that can come of all this horror that we see and hear daily on the news, and as much as I hate to admit it, the warning came from Arcade Fire. That’s right, when Win Butler took to the microphone and sang about the Suburban War, it turns out he wasn’t just being his usual lyrically playful and upbeat self. No, Mr. Butler was doing us all a service by alerting us to the coming terror of the uprising that will surely take place when it is announced that chicken nuggets are the new carriers of the leprosy virus. No longer will the

In wartime, there are three things you should expect. Chaos, provisions, and people going AWOL. The heat of the urban kitchen warzone can easily become too hot for most, and the toll of staring into the eyes of the enemy can become a burden too heavy to carry. Every person with an ounce of empathy can understand the overwhelming effect of being pressured into acting for a cause that is larger than oneself, however what some people fail to understand is the effect that losing the individual has on the whole (unless you’re Russia, but we don’t have 34,401,807 people to divide into two sides). Admittedly, urban warfare probably won’t bring the same punishment as military desertion in wartime (death penalty at the discretion of the military court), but even still, the detrimental effect and the cowardice attributed to you if you leave your post should be enough to discourage anyone from abandoning.

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However, nowadays technology has taken away the need for us to use fear as encouragement. No longer will the leaders of our great forces have use the same fear that would take the heart of me (for a day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship) in our brave troops.

Instead, swift and costly justice can be enacted the moment someone decides to take a lengthy stroll away from the base when they are forced to wear the GPS Shoes, or more accurately GPS Insoles, from SmartSole. So, take all the pleasure in the world from replacing every hipster’s orthopaedic, podiatrist-approved, leatherand-mahogany insole that somehow makes the shoe-wearing experience on par with discovering the holy grail, and then tell them to go for a long run, because do we really need beards and top knots where this society is going?

“So, take all the pleasure in the world from replacing every hipster’s orthopaedic, podiatrist-approved, leatherand-mahogany insole that somehow makes the shoewearing experience on par with discovering the holy grail, and then tell them to go for a long run, because do we really need beards and top knots where this society is going?”

There are lots of versions of this product online, ranging from simply tags to actual shoes that do the same job. For this specific type of shoe tracking (which I’m told is incredibly comfortable), go to www. gpssmartsole.com, where you can get them for £230. Quite expensive yes, but who can put a price on an edge in suburban combat?

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WIFI DETECTOR T-SHIRT Two names you may never have thought you’d see mentioned in the same article are Viktor Bout and Amazon.com. One of them provided military grade weapons for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in their efforts against US forces and was extradited to the US from Thailand after a five-year operation by the DEA, and the other is currently testing drone capabilities and pushing the boundaries of public privacy. Which is which? The answer may surprise you…

Of course, Viktor Bout can’t currently use drones, unless the “damned liberals” have relaxed inmate limitation so much that flying potential weapons has become a yard privilege, and so I have to find another way to equate one of the most visited and family-friendly websites on the internet with the world’s most renowned arms dealer, which is not actually as difficult as it sounds. Admittedly, you’ll probably have to venture into darker (eastern) areas of the web to find a version of Amazon that will actually arm your urban forces, but

if it’s low grade spy tech you want, don’t feel like you have to call the Russians (not a racial stereotype, Bout was Russian so I’m generalising). Thanks to ThinkGeek (and trust me, they did), the world of covert espionage has been changed forever, and not just because what you’re doing is emblazoned on the front of your t-shirt and lights up.

One of the most vital parts of warfare is communication, and given the fact most people don’t have the money to buy military grade radio technology, when proletariat take to the streets, it’s highly likely that attack coordination will be carried out in a Whatsapp group chat. But what about that fateful day when you’ve used up your mobile data, your phone is low on battery, and you’re huddled in a bush 6 feet away from the place that you’ve been told to place the explosives on the International Finance Centre? There are two doors in front of you, and only snap chatting your leader a picture of them will tell you which one leads you to your destination, but

looking for a wifi network will surely drain the last 2% of battery. It’s a modern dilemma we’ve all been in (with less explosives and less proximity to the non-existent JIFC), but until now there hasn’t been any clear way to solve the issue. Luckily for us, in this ever changing world in which we live in, there is always a way, and so was born the Wifi Detector T-Shirt. With just two Triple-A batteries, this fashion abomination will detect and tell you the strength of any nearby wifi signal by flashing it across your chest. It’s not inconspicuous, it’s looks like someone from a 90s field rave threw up on it, and it carries an incredibly inconvenient battery pack on the inside, but you’ll never have to worry about wasting time trying and failing to connect to a questionable public wifi again. Swings and roundabouts Amazon is, as per usual, the place to go for these, although I’d make sure you stick to the UK site. You can never be sure how weaponised things are when they arrive from the EU, especially now.

SUITCASE CELL TOWER You know what the Midwest is? Young and restless. These are the words that Kanye West, in his infinite glory and honour, gave to us, although here they will take somewhat of a different meaning (see, fundamentalists, interpretation). I’ll take on ISIS, I’ll take on the world’s leading governments, but I am not, in any article I write for this magazine, going to take on the problem of race in America, and so Kanye, you’re safe. Here, the young and restless Midwest will act as a macrocosm for the distressed and lost who find themselves at the crossroads of fear and loathing, the veritable Las Vegas of technological situations; the moment you stop receiving mobile signal. For anyone that has an iPhone (for everyone), the moment those two fateful words, “No Service”, show up in the top left hand side of the screen, you start looking for the nearest window. No trial or tribulation can compare to the dilemma at hand, and it seems that, with each disappearing arbitrary unit of signal-ness, a little part of the hope that once lived within you is dissipating, desperately trying to fill the void that your ability to text and call without issue left behind. In these times of war, in which communication is key, we can’t simply rely on the fact that there will be wifi around for us to use at our own discretion (even if we do have a t-shirt that tells us where it is). If the technological and sociological behemoth that is Pokemon Go has taught us anything (other than the fact Pokemon will never stop being cool), it’s that signal, and its perfectly formed super-offspring that is 3G, is the key to all life, and that is not an exaggeration.

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So, when Edwin Starr asked in 1970 “war, uh huh, good god y’all, what is it good for?”, he probably didn’t expect the answer to be “the progression in telecommunications and weaponry”. However, that’s exactly what we have seen, and this progression is nowhere better embodied than in AT&T’s Suitcase Cell Tower. If you’ve ever watched any kind of late 90s-early 2000s American spy show, you’ll undoubtedly have seen something very much like this product, used in the back of a black SUV to provide a way for the protagonist to stay impossibly cool on the phone to their boss whilst chasing

“So, when Edwin Starr asked in 1970 “war, uh huh, good god y’all, what is it good for?”, he probably didn’t expect the answer to be “the progression in telecommunications and weaponry” characters portrayed in ways that in today’s world would be classed as racial hate crimes. Whilst this piece of kit is only legally available to the government of America and companies large enough to shade the eyes of the law with money, given the country’s history with providing weapons to rogue nations (*cough* Ollie North, Iran-Contra *cough*), once the war for the streets breaks out we should have no problem sourcing some of these for ourselves, even if their range is only a measly half-mile.

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ON YOUR BIKE VIRTUAL VITALITY n ZWIFT, from £8 a month (zwift.com) If you are going to be training indoors, why not make it a bit more exciting - and less lonely - and pretend you’re actually whizzing along scenic roads or taking part in an iconic race? ZWIFT lets you bring the outdoors in, immersing you and your bike into 3D landscapes - all you

need is a suitable screen device (laptop or TV with HDMI cable) and a turbo with ANT+ connectivity/Bluetooth. Your avatar mimics your effort levels, and you can arrange to ride with friends, whether they’re the other side of town or the other side of the world (providing they’re set up with the kit too), and race against strangers.

At present there are 14 routes (including the newly-added Prudential Ride LondonSurrey 100!), plus other workout-specific options/power tests. The attention to detail and ‘realness’ is superb. Check out the free 14-day trial. You’ll be hooked!

SMART STUFF n Tacx Blue Matic T2650 Smart Turbo Trainer, £129, Halfords (www.halfords.com) A turbo trainer’s a great investment if you want to keep up your rides during winter months, for those days when you can’t - or don’t fancy - getting out. You don’t have to spend a fortune either, even for a smart turbo with Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity. This one, exclusive to Halfords, measures speed, cadence and power and lets you share data to your connected device, while you can crank up resistance via a handlebarmounted remote adjuster. Of course, you can just set it up and pedal for a bit too.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION n Cycliq Fly 12, £249 (cycliq.com) Want all the kit, but don't want your bike to resemble the cycling equivalent of Dick Van Dyke's one-man-band get-up in Mary Poppins? Or to get too weighted down with gadgets hanging off every spare inch? Well, you can tick two big boxes with a Cycliq Fly light-camera combo. Hot on the heels of the rearBECAUSE QUALITY MATTERS

facing Fly 6, the recently-launched frontfacing Cycliq Fly 12 features a powerful 400 Lumen light (with multiple modes), and captures HD video via the inbuilt camera. Change settings and upload and edit footage on your device instantly via Bluetooth (you can overlay Strava data, maps and tramlines indicating proximity to traffic etc. too, should you wish). With 10 hours' battery life (reduces if using the light), you can practically film a whole day of riding.

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LG STYLUS 2 ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED FOR YOU n 7 inch touchscreen n 13 megapixel camera + 8 megapixel front camera n 16GB internal memory n Up to 256GB microSD card n 2 GHz Quad-core processor n 4G ready The LG Stylus 2 covers everything you need from making a call, to hand writing notes with the stylus pen that is thinner than rubber to give a more precise and accurate touch. With its light and sleek design, the LG Stylus 2 fits comfortably in your hand.

The 5.7 inch touchscreen is perfect for those with less nimble fingers, so you won’t have to worry about touching all the wrong things. There is also no need to concern yourself about running out of power if you’re on the go. Once fully charged, the LG Stylus 2 gives you a full day of battery to browse the web, snap away with the camera and loads more!

With a 13megapixel back camera, you can take the perfect photo. Not forgetting the 8 megapixel front camera for those ever popular selfies!

HTC 10 PERFECTLY CRAFTED FOR YOU HTC may be one of the smaller smartphone brands but the superior quality of their handsets means that they should never be overlooked.

Their latest premium smartphone, the HTC 10, is stunningly designed from a single piece of metal. This not only ensures that it looks great but also gives the handset a luxurious feel, one that permeates throughout the phone, all the way to the satisfying click from the power button.

Beyond the sensational design, HTC has looked to the camera to make the 10 stand out from the crowd. The twelve megapixel main camera and wide-angle front camera are both equipped with optical image stabilisation to help you capture brilliant images, even when taking photos on the go.

You can view your pictures and videos in full cinematic colour on the 5.2 inch, next generation 2K LCD display after processing with the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, which gives your pics an incredible vibrancy.

The HTC 10 is powered by the latest version of Android, making the phone more responsive than ever and helping you stay connected by any means with 4G superfast broadband.

Pop in to one of the Sure stores today for a taste of the incredible HTC 10. You can find one in Douglas, Ramsey and Port Erin.

Available from Manx Telecom – from FREE @ £35 per month over 24 months on Smartphone 300 includes 300 minutes, 10,000 texts and 3GB of 4G Data.

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