Saturday football

I am off to the match today, flying over to Liverpool with Euromanx and heading up to Anfield to watch the Liverpool v Middlesborough game.

I havent been to Anfield for to watch a game for almost three years now so I am really looking forward to it depsite Liverpools form in the Premiership this season. My mate who I am going with has a friend who runs a pub not far from the ground so I reckon a few beers will had!

Come on the reds!

Absolutley flawless – Afterburner key note speech

As I mentioned in my previous post yesterday, I headed off to the ifs School of Finance Isle of Man lecture at the Manx Museum. I didnt’t know what to expect really and I was very pleasantly surprised.

Attending the Afterburner Flawless Execution Lecture tomorrow

I am attending the second prestige lecture of the ifs School of Finance Isle of Man tomorrow night at the Manx Museum. The speakers are two former air force flight instructors from the US Air Force ‘Top Gun flight school and they will be presenting their Flawless Execution approach to decision making.Sounds good. Or does it? I’m not sure? What do you think?Anyway I will keep you posted tomorrow on how well it went.

Golf in need of some help!

I played golf three times this week at Mount Murray. Firstly on Saturday morning, later in the afternoon and a few holes on Sunday. Saturday morning was terrible  -  I do have a witness!The other times there was a marked improvement but nowhere near my best. Need some lessons and plenty of practice!

Sunset Santon

Sunset Santon (c), originally uploaded by nickopmillion.

Another cracking sun set in sunny Santon Isle of Man!

Not much of a break through for breast cancer!

The word on the manx grape vine is an apparant a fall out between the Isle of Woman committee and the Department of Tourism and Leisure. As I understand it Isle of Woman wanted to register as a Manx Charity after they found Breakthrough Breast Cancer very difficult to work with and Isle of Woman wanted the money raised on the Isle of Man to stay on the Isle of Man to help the people who raised it.

After three months being directed round in circles Isle of Woman finally heard from the charities commission last week and were told that they were not willing to register the charity without a company number, the companies registration would not give Isle of Woman a company number without a letter from the Department of Tourism and Leisure (DTL) and so it went on and on!

The charities commission would not allow the use use the Isle of Woman or Think Pink because of an objection from Breakthrough for Breast Cancer.

In addition the DTL requested a meeting later last week and insisted that the charity launch be cancelled, apparently it is an imprisonable offence if they are not completely registered. Breakthrough were also present at the meeting.

Heres the really juicy bit!

The DTL then laid out their terms for letting Isle of Woman register as a Manx Charity – under agreement with Breakthrough to let them have the money raised or a substantial sum of it!

The whole point of the charity being registered as a Manx Charity is to have the freedom to help cancer cases on the Island, buy some neccessary equipment for the hospital or pay a nurses salary, or whatever is needed on the Isle of Man at that time and not send the money off the island to a UK National Charity in London!

The outcome being that until a satisfactory resolution is found then the current Isle of Woman committee will cease to operate.

Honestly, the politics of trying to raise a bit of money for charity and keep the monies on island!

So called redevelopment of Douglas Promenade!

Last Friday the new plans to redevelop Douglas promenade were unveiled to a select few (well the manx media), the proposed cost being estimated at more than £10 million pounds!

Apparently what I can gather so far is that this will basically entail resurfacing of the roadway from the Sea Terminal to the old Summerland site as well as the creation of a reservation with palm trees from the Villa Marina to the sunken gardens alongside the pavement. And wow heres the really clever big idea, one of the sunken gardens could be fitted with a roof to create a winter garden. Oh my god thats so groundbreaking and money well spent in my book!

Er hello………

Any one out there…?
I know we live on the Isle of Man, a small island with such a great heritage, but we do also have a great history of wasting a hell of a lot of tax payers money!

We have some great people on the island, how about talking to them, getting them involved?

Its the 21st century, lets be creative, ground breaking, bold even. Lets do something for the people of Douglas, the Isle of Man, lets bring life back to the promenade, make it somewhere for all ages, all backgrounds to mix and mingle.

It could be skateboarding or drawing, rock bands to brass bands, five aside to bowling, curries or queenies? Who cares!

I do. Thats the problem!

But not palm trees and winter gardens (well this could be incorporated if the people wanted it! )

Do you think people would care about the road surface if all this was going on down on the prom? Would they care about the disruption for a few years if the end product was worth it? I guess not. So come on locals, lets not settle for boring and wasted money lets strive for better, we deserve it!

Santon road works wearing my patience thin!

I never thought when I started blogging I would write a post on road works but after putting up with over 4 weeks of traffic lights and disruption I am now getting a little fed up. The main exit and entrance road to my estate has been closed to accomodate the road works as part of the IRIS development. So now I have to use an alternative route via country lanes to get to work and back! I am all for improving the infrastructure on the island but I just start thinking if this job was being undertaken on the mainland UK they would probably have it done and dusted in half the time!  Traa dy Liooar I think the saying goes!

Manx Pure Produce on a roll

Lets hope that the local Tesco on Lake Road does a bit more than ‘its every little helps’ motto suggests and really makes a difference when it comes to stocking more locally sourced produce from the islands suppliers.

Well done to the minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Phil Gawne for putting the pressure on Tesco’s. A recent report from the islands local newspapers suggested that there was a very positive meeting between the two parties and that this could really be a step in the right direction for the islands producers.

Not only is the a boost to the local producers but great news for the manx public who will hopefully now have more choice when it comes to buying local.

There are so many of us out there that are really passionate about the Isle of Man and the the great produce that it has to offer. More local suppliers, more great produce, more happy locals!

Bring on more  Isle of Man Manx Pure Produce!

Why can’t we cope with snow?

I dont know what it is about our culture in the UK but we just can’t cope with snow in any shape, form or amount! It’s caused chaos already and it hasn’t really snowed that much. Go to Europe or the US for example and they all seem to cope just fine with several inches or even when they are a few feet deep in the stuff!  Hasn’t snowed yet much here on the Isle of Man but they reckon tonight is the night! Let it snow let it snow let it snow!