The island’s thriving eGaming industry has received another boost.

New eGaming company, AdoptIt Publishing has chosen the Isle of Man to start and grow its business.

AdoptIt offers a wide range of services to other eGaming companies including publishing, content creation and consultancy.

Mike Hebden, co-Director at AdoptIt Publishing said: ‘It is fantastic to be headquartered in a jurisdiction holding the highest standards of integrity.’

News of the company’s arrival came as KPMG announced further details of its seventh annual Isle of Man eGaming Summit.

It takes place on Thursday, September 8. Held at the Villa Marina the event will feature more than 30 expert speakers and panellists from the world of eGaming.

There will be more about this in the Isle of Man Examiner’s Business News next Tuesday.

Julie Blackburn sits down to lunch with Chief Minister Allan Bell CBE, who has recently announced his retirement

I’ve interviewed Allan Bell several times over the years, in his various ministerial roles in government, and he has always been very much ‘on message’, as they say in marketing circles, and very much on top of his brief.

But times change and life moves on and, having in his own words ‘agonised for months’, Mr Bell has taken the decision to leave the political arena.

So now we are sitting down to lunch in Samphire, overlooking North Quay in Douglas, and I am looking forward to giving him a chance to talk a little more freely than he has been able to in the past.

We start off by discussing the future and I am wondering if he can even imagine what it might be like without the life-consuming political pace he has been used to:

His answer is simple: ‘No. I’ve had this conversation with a few people and it’s almost going to be new territory because I got involved with politics really not long after I left school. It’s never been a job or a career for me, it’s something I passionately believe in.

‘So the concept of simply switching off in early October and sitting at home, retired with my feet up… I just can’t conceive how I will possibly adjust to that.

‘I will always be taking an interest in politics. I’ll never lose that but I’m fit and healthy so I want to find something else to do – I’ll be looking for a new challenge.

‘I’m not quite ready for Jeremy Kyle and daytime television just yet!’

Listening to Mr Bell talk about a wide range of political issues reveals a somewhat contradictory mix of idealism and hard-headed commercial sense that probably reflects the essentially individual nature of the Manx political system where members don’t have to fit neatly into one political party or other.

This is a man who is passionate about seeking out and developing niche opportunities to grow the island’s economy. During his time in Government he was responsible for opening up new initiatives in space, eGaming and film sectors, for example.

If this were the UK you might immediately assume him to be a member of the Conservative party (an idea which, I suspect would make him shudder).

On the other hand, his one regret in terms of the things he didn’t manage to achieve in his long political career was to get the Equality Bill passed into law, although it is still alive and hopefully will be agreed by the incoming Tynwald. And listening to him talk about his passionate belief in social equality – the ideal that got him into politics in the first place - you couldn’t imagine him anywhere else but the Labour party.

In his mind there is no contradiction: ‘Economic development has always been another passion, largely driven from the fact that we had very high unemployment and I was able to see the tremendous damage that long term unemployment did to younger people in particular, to society and to people’s hopes and dreams. Unless you have a strong economy, unless you can create the jobs to give people a belief that they really do have a future, then there is always going to be fragility about the Isle of Man.

‘It’s not just growth for the sake of growth, but to give that security to the next generation of young people.’

We take a break to consult the menu and Mr Bell tells me that Stephen, his partner of 21 years, likes to cook spicy foods but he prefers traditional food in general, especially fish.

Does he ever cook himself? ‘Not if I can avoid it - if it wasn’t for Marks and Spencer and the man who invented the microwave I’d have been dead years ago!’

He orders the kipper pate and turns down the wine in favour of sparkling water.

We talk about music and Mr Bell tells me that his first musical passion was Tamla Motown in its earliest days in the 60s when he had to buy the records on import:

‘I’m a child of the 60s. I grew up with the Paris riots, the Vietnam war, President Kennedy, segregation: all that background helped to fire me up for politics. That was when I joined Mec Vannin - there was such a belief that we could change the world at that time.’

On the Isle of Man, the political landscape was unimaginably different from today. The ‘big new idea’ in government at the time was the New Residents Policy which brought in a wave of retirees and saw a rash of bungalows springing up everywhere. Not surprisingly, people on the island - and especially young people – could see very little benefit coming their way from this and saw Mec Vannin, which had over 2,000 paid up members at the time, as the answer.

‘My nationalist feelings came out of a passion for the Isle of Man, for our identity, for the fact that even our own government was not protecting us, and the lack of any imagination in government to stimulate the economy and bring about any social fairness. Equality was something that never passed anyone’s lips in those days,’ Mr Bell recalls.

His political career began with Ramsey Commissioners during the 1970s. In 1976 he stood in the general election as MHK for Ramsey and just failed to get in by a handful of votes. In 1984, a by-election gave him the chance to stand again.

His rather quirky occupation during those intervening years had given him the chance to see for himself the effect that a lack of economic opportunity had on young people:

‘In the early 80s I had my shop in Ramsey: I was the island’s sole supplierfor punk and New Romantic clothes and all the island’s punks used to descend on Ramsey on a Saturday afternoon!

‘It was an exciting time but it meant that an awful lot of young people came through the shop and I would see so many of them just coming up to leaving school really bright eyed and bushy-tailed and looking forward to life. A couple of years later they would still be coming in but with no chance of a job, no chance of a home of their own and no real opportunities here on the island. That was the final push that got me standing again.’

This time of course, he was elected and, again looking back it seems hard to imagine what the social and economic conditions on the island were like then. Government held just £1 million in reserves and unemployment was pushing 10 per cent. Hanging and birching were still on the statute books and, if you were gay, you could look forward to the prospect of life imprisonment. If you were a woman, you weren’t even guaranteed statutory maternity leave.

Mr Bell recalls: ‘The Isle of Man was an absolute basket case, economically and socially. I remember the first few Tynwald meetings that I attended there were job creation resolutions on virtually every agenda and if we’d been able to create a half dozen or a dozen jobs in that Tynwald sitting we’d have been doing well.

‘Today, the unemployment figures have come out and they’re the lowest for eight years at 1.4 per cent. It’s a different world altogether and it’s very difficult, if not impossible, for people today to reflect on what the Isle of Man used to be like.

‘One of the big worries about the exodus of experience from the House of Keys this time is the loss of that corporate memory as to where we came from. If you’re making decisions today you must never lose sight of your history, how we got here and just how fragile what we’re enjoying today could be - we’ve had to work 30 years to get to where we are. There will be no members left in the House of Keys with any memory of anything that goes back that far and that does cause me a concern.’

We take a break and both order the Samphire Luxury Fish Pie which is delicious and we take our time to enjoy it.

I ask Mr Bell about the passing of the Same Sex Marriage Act and whether he would now consider getting married.

‘Who knows? Stephen and I have been together for over 20 years so it’s been a long relationship but the job I’ve had intrudes into family life in a way most people can’t appreciate. It’s been very difficult for him as well to be in a relationship with the Chief Minister, which is high profile. Stephen is mixed race and that’s caused some comments -we’ve had to suffer a huge amount of pretty vile abuse on social media.’

Mr Bell went on to quash one of the rumours that has been doing the rounds for quite some time: ‘The one that had me owning a mansion in Perth - we know where it came from and it’s utter nonsense. It just shows the stupidity of some of the stuff you read on social media.

‘I don’t mind being criticised: I’ve got a thick skin and I take no notice. I get angry at times at the nonsensical rubbish you read but when family and friends get drawn into it as well it did make me think: “Do I really want the job any longer?”’

This also brings us on to the social changes that have been brought about during Mr Bell’s time in government.

‘Things like the Same Sex Marriage Act have been quite important: our social attitudes have done the Isle of Man so much damage over the years. We used to get absolutely battered in the UK media, we had the UK government at us for many years and there was a union boycott on holding conferences here so we lost a huge amount of business.

‘So it’s not just Allan Bell protecting his own narrow interest, it’s winning over friends in a much broader way which will help us at every level because, if the island’s economy is going to grow and we’re going to grow the population, we have to have the right social structure over here to make the Isle of Man attractive.’

Over coffee, we discuss Brexit and what future opportunities there may be to grow the island’s economy.

On Brexit, Mr Bell doesn’t mince his words: ‘The whole direction of the UK and the lives of 60 million people has changed on a string of lies and threats from both sides – I am just lost for words when I begin to describe my anger at the way that whole thing was handled. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt ashamed to call myself a politician.’

He adds that the politicians and civil servants he regularly meets with in London are of the opinion that it’s likely to take up to 10 years to unravel Britain’s membership of the EU so the ramifications could be felt for a long time. But when it comes to the island specifically and its future he says:

‘The challenge ahead isn’t going to be that different from what we’ve had over the last five years.

‘We absolutely need more people, but people of the right sort who are working and making contributions and that might just mean more of our own people staying here rather than leaving - it’s not boosting immigration for the sake of it.

‘If you look at our recent history we’ve been able to identify niche opportunities on a fairly steady basis the aircraft registry, shipping, eGaming, space, film – a whole raft of things.

‘These niche opportunities often come out of the blue and we’ve got to be fairly fleet of foot to be able to capitalise on them, and be willing to take a risk from time to time.

‘Not everything we try will come off: sometimes it will fail and we’ve got to accept that. Unless Tynwald changes its attitude and is prepared to accept failure from time to time we will not be able to take the ones which could work out.’

And, as a final thought about his years spent in government and the achievements in that time, he says: ‘I know we get criticised now, we get beaten up about all sorts of things. But what we have in the island today is incomparable to what the island was like 30 years ago. I think the island now does look outwards: it’s far more expansive, more tolerant, more inclusive. Equality is not entirely entrenched but it’s a lot better than it was and the rights of the individual are respected in a way that they weren’t before.

‘People forget what we went through, economically and socially, to get to where we got to today. It’s not been an easy journey by any stretch of the imagination.’

So as Mr Bell heads off into the sunset, will we look back on his time in government, in his various roles, as a golden era for the island, politically, economically and socially?

I wonder . . . hsitory will judge.

Andrew Roy Malster and Lucinda Jane Malster, both of 11 Africa Court, Salibury Street, Douglas, bought The Garth, Quarterbridge Road, Douglas, for £718,000.

It was bought from Keith McGarry.

Other recent transactions at the General Registry in Douglas are as follows:

David Michael Bull, of 12 Tromode Green, Tromode, and Ann Mary Bull, sold Rookwood, Quarterbridge Road, Douglas, for £620,000, to Adrian Schofield Hall and Beverley Jayne Ferris, both of 103 Woodbourne Road, Douglas.

John Bernard Finnerty and Audrey Finnerty sold 23 King Edward Close, Onchan, for £485,000 to John Rutherford Duffy and Doreen Ann Duffy, both of Rugby, Warwickshire.

Lynda Jones sold Viking House, Summerhill, for £405,000, to Anne McCombs and David Robert Rice, both of 40 Ashberry Avenue, Saddlestone, Douglas.

Nigel Derek Thomas and Elizabeth Thomas sold Calcaria House, 7 Stanley View, Ballaquayle Road, Douglas, for £278,000, to Robert Francis Arthurs and Chiva Arthurs, both of Flat 1, 10 Empire Terrace, Douglas.

Peter Thomas Moorhouse sold 12 Brunswick Road, Douglas, for £255,000, to Wayne Edward Byrne and Kelly Louise Whittaker, of Flat 2, Number 3 Mona Drive, Douglas.

Elliot James Millar and Debra Margaret Millar sold 16 Cronk Avenue, Onchan, for £235,000 to Andrew Thomas Robert Kneale, of 10 North View, Peel, and Helen Jane Thomas, of 69 Sunningdale Drive, Onchan.

Karen Louise Field, of Holmleigh, Main Road, Michael, sold 8 Fairfield Avenue, Ballachurry, Onchan, for £232,500, to Alan Ferrington, of 6 Marina Close, Onchan.

Sandra Cubbon, by trustee, and Nicola Jane Merritt, advocate of 4 Finch Road, Douglas, as trustee, sold 18 Meadow Court, Ballasalla, for £200,000, to Carole Winifred Edgecox, of 23 Cedar Walk, Tromode.

Mary Claire Walker sold 64a Friary Park, Ballabeg, for £187,000 to Samantha Kim Dolby and Mark Stuart Pitts, of 17 Rheast Barrule, Ballalough, Castletown.

William Joseph Ahearne, by personal representative, and Anna Grace Ahearne, of Camolin, 11 Lakeside Road, Governor’s Hill, Douglas, as personal representative, sold 8 Howe Road, Onchan, for £180,000, to Peter Thomas Hubert Johnson and Sonia Mary Elizabeth Johnson, both of 10 Howe Road, Onchan.

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We publish details of all house sales unless we receive a written request from the police or probation services.

Have you entered Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence yet?

To find out a bit more about how each entry is assessed we talk to one of the judging panel, Les Nicol, managing director of N K Construction…

Les Nicol says he sometimes finds people are surprised when they discover that he is one of the judges for the Awards for Excellence: in some people’s minds the judges for such a prestigious event must surely be a bit of an ‘old boys’ network’.

‘I think they find it quite refreshing when they realise it’s not just people from the finance sector,’ says Les.

In fact, the 16 judges who make up the panel come from a diverse range of backgrounds: law, engineering, egaming, the charitable sector and government. The one common factor is that all of them are highly regarded in their fields.

Les, who runs family business N K Construction, certainly knows a thing or two about excellence. The company was twice a finalist in the award for Company of the Year. Following that, Les was asked to join the judging panel because the construction industry was not represented at the time.

This will be his third year as a judge and he says of the judging process: ‘It’s a lot more involved than I expected it to be but in a nice way because it’s very enjoyable.

‘I didn’t realise until I did it how much went into the judging – it isn’t just picking someone out of a hat.’

The 16 judges work in pairs and each pair is given two award categories to assess.

This means marking each entry against a list of set criteria. When each judge has marked both categories, the pair then meet to compare marks and decide who the winner and finalists in each category should be.

Then all the judges get together. Les said: ‘When you go for the final judging day and you have to present the results for your categories there is much discussion and you have to give your reasons for choosing your winners and finalists – that is an eye-opener.’

There are 16 award categories in the awards, for companies, individuals, public sector teams, charities and community organisations. You can find details of all the categories, and download entry forms, at www.iomtoday.co.im Entries close on September 26.

This is a golden opportunity for younger people to enter the world of IT, says Steve Burrows in his fortnightly column

This article probably isn’t for you. Well it might be, we’ll come to that, but more likely it’s for your offspring.

Have a gander then pass the details over to the younger generation and tell them to get in quick …

For those leaving school, or university, this is a strange time of year.

Decisions made recently, or about to be made, may influence the rest of your lives.

Careers beckon, entry into the world of adult work.

In a previous article I mused about the impacts of the next wave of industrial automation and the frightening forecasts that around a third of current jobs in the UK are highly susceptible to computerisation over the next twenty years.

Where then can reliable long-term employment be found?

Unsurprisingly one of the professions with the best future prospects is Information Technology.

Somebody has to design, create and service the wondrous automations that are supposedly heading our way - the three big bright spots on the careers horizon are IT, Medicine and Care.

For those about to enter the world of work now is the time to make one of the most important life decisions; fortunately the Manx ICT Association (MICTA) has conspired with the Department of Economic Development and University College Isle of Man to make it easy.

Sixteen of our local IT companies are offering two-year Digital Apprenticeships to young people over the age of 16; up to 23 places in total, which will combine workplace experience, one day per week of classroom work, real-world industry training - all on island, and a remote soft skills learning programme (understanding how to deal with the people who use IT is as important as understanding the technical side). The course will lead to a BTEC Level 3 in information and technology.

The apprenticeships start in September, and apprentices will be employed for the duration of the apprenticeship, paid a wage and gain exposure to the ICT community on the island. The expectation is that the apprentices will be offered employment by the host company at the end of the two year term.

That’s the pitch - stay on-island along with friends and family and get paid for learning your way into one of the most secure, prosperous, exciting and influential professions of the future.

Make the right decision and you can be set up for life. When you consider the alternatives it sounds like a pretty stunning offer.

But won’t you need a Computing degree to really get on in IT? Simply, No.

I may have a lot of letters after my name but a degree in Computing is not among them.

Bill Gates ain’t got one either, nor has Mark Zuckerberg or the late Steve Jobs.

Because IT is constantly evolving, IT professionals need to learn new things every day; two of the keys to success are curiosity and innovation - doing stuff that is often too new to learn in class.

A degree may help, but it’s far from necessary for success. IT is one of the professions most accommodating of those who are not suited to academia.

So there it is. Tempted? Get your application in before the end of August - that’s before the end of tomorrow for those of you reading today’s paper. Apply online NOW at http://my.employed.im/micta - seize the opportunity while it’s on offer, this is your last chance.

Not a school or university leaver but looking for a career / career change? This offer applies to you too.

Some of the best IT workers I have employed have come into the profession late after a few years pursuing a career which they eventually realised was taking them down the wrong path.

IT is one of the professions most welcoming to those who come late to the party and I have previously employed converts from HR, Retailing, Marketing, Accountancy, Teaching and Mechanical Engineering among others.

Anyway, whether you’re just leaving education or looking for a career change, if you fancy working in IT “Your Island Needs You!”, and MICTA has set up a great opportunity for you to enter the IT profession.

The most successful people in IT have three qualities; curiosity - particularly a desire to get to the bottom of how things work, logic - the ability to understand that A, B is naturally followed by C not D, and an interest in people.

The people element is half of the job, we have all heard the stereotypes of programmers who are happiest talking to their computers, but the best IT professionals are those who first talk to people and get to understand what they really want and why before they rush off to put the technology together.

IT is a people business, hence the inclusion of soft skills in the MICTA apprenticeship programme.

What will you learn? Certainly not everything about IT & Computing - with thirty-five years in the profession I’m still learning, nobody can know everything.

The mandatory modules of the BTEC qualification include communication and employability skills for IT, computer Systems, and Information Systems - note that the first item on the list is Communication Skills; as I said above IT is a people business. Computer Systems is about the nitty-gritty of hardware, networking, operating systems etc., and information systems is about turning these into something useful by adding application software and processing data to create information.

These three; the people, technology and information skills, are merely the base foundation work and will take up about a quarter of the formal classroom learning.

Beyond these the other three-quarters of formal learning will be filled by subjects of your choice from a menu of 40 or so optional modules covering technology, software design and development, graphics, web design, e-commerce, cyber security, networking, systems administration, business analysis, project management and other topics which will allow you to assemble the knowledge toolkit you need to specialise in the aspects of IT which interest you most.

I hope I’ve sold you on the idea. The MICTA Digital Apprenticeship is an ideal route for younger people to enter the IT profession, and the island is incredibly fortunate that our local IT companies have come forward with 23 apprenticeship spaces in this new scheme.

You don’t need to be a maths or science wizard - when I started in the industry it was common to hire people with foreign language skills - an aptitude for languages can be very useful when trying to talk to computers.

You don’t need to have been programming your home computer for years, or building your own - these things help because they show interest in technology but they’re not necessary.

As an aside, I started my working life in broadcasting. How I found my way into computing is a long story, but nevertheless it’s been ‘a nice little earner’ for 35 years - as it could be for you.

Get your application in by the end of tomorrow (Wednesday, August 31 - do it now. If you don’t apply you won’t get on the scheme, this is your last chance.

http://my.employed.im/micta

ZEDRA, global independent specialist in trust, corporate and fund services, has appointed Andrew Wilson as associate director of marine and aviation, bringing more than 20 year’s experience from the aviation, marine, accountancy and finance industry.

Based in the Isle of Man office, Andrew’s appointment follows ZEDRA’s continued strategy of significant investment in expanding its range of fiduciary services to both existing and new clients across a growing number of jurisdictions.

Andrew will be focusing on the development and growth of a marine and aviation global division for ZEDRA, to strengthen existing operations and expand core business opportunities.

Previously working for the Equiom Group, he provided valuable support for marine and aviation new business and tax compliance.

Having trained with a firm of chartered certified accountants in the UK, moving to the Isle of Man and training with the Institute of Indirect Taxation in VAT compliance, then graduating with the Institute of Export in World Customs Compliance, Andrew has a strong established reputation within the industry.

Andrew Wilson, associate director of marine and aviation, ZEDRA (Isle of Man) said: ‘The Isle of Man has a great reputation globally, built upon world-class expertise in the marine and aviation industry.

‘There are very well established yacht and aircraft registries in the region that support owners and corporate service providers, making it a significant focus for us going forward.

‘As ZEDRA is already positioned in a number of key jurisdictions suitable for marine and aviation structuring, including Cayman Islands, Isle of Man, Hong Kong, Jersey, Guernsey, Netherlands, Singapore, and Switzerland; and with plans for further expansion, I look forward to settling into the ZEDRA team to help continue to add to this offering.’

Alan Patrick, managing director of ZEDRA (Isle of Man) said: ‘Having previously worked for an expanding multi jurisdiction corporate service provider and with broad knowledge and practical application of offshore and EU legislation, as well as most favourable importation routes for yachts and aircraft, Andrew’s background will add great value to our client portfolio.

‘We look forward to offering his expertise and enabling our clients to benefit from his skill set.’

ZEDRA is an independent, global specialist in trust, corporate and fund services.

As reported in Business News the company was acquired from Barclays in January 2016 by an independent investor group, with a plan to grow the company, expanding and strengthening the services it offers to clients around the world.

Print and business services company Typhoon House has announced a new business partner.

The link has been forged with Konica Minolta, the global award-winning office and production print devices group.

Mark Lloyd, director, indirect sales for Konica Minolta Business Solution (UK) Ltd, said: ‘We look to partner with the best companies and believe that Typhoon House’s 23 years of experience in the print industry makes them the ideal partner for Konica Minolta’s range of market leading solutions.’

Debs Gwinnell, sales and marketing director at Douglas based Typhoon House, described the announcement as a ‘major coup’ for the company and its clients.

She added: ‘The company is continuing to enjoy spiralling growth and we are absolutely thrilled at this decision by Konica Minolta as it further enhances that growth while offering major benefits and savings to new and existing clients.

‘It is a partnership which also offers global opportunities.’

Typhoon House specialises in providing ‘complete office print solutions from single mono printers through to the most advanced multi-functional production printers.’

Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd offers a range of managed print services, production printing solutions, colour and black and white laser printers and photocopiers as well as software and technologies for the public and commercial corporate business sectors.

Olivia Ramsay and Tamsin Webb have both received promotions, and become the Capital International Group’s two newest managers.

Olivia has been with the Capital International Group for six years and has demonstrated a huge amount of commitment, ensuring that key customer service tasks are completed on time.

She has developed a detailed knowledge of the systems and processes used within Capital International Limited and is able to work independently to resolve a wide range of complex and non-standard customer queries.

Olivia obtained her ILM certificate in leadership and management in 2015, and is now studying for the CISI Level 3.

Tamsin’s role within compliance has expanded over the years as her technical knowledge of the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority rulebook and Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing rules requirements has increased.

She has obtained her Level 3 qualification with CISI and has also passed a specialist AML/CTF exam.

More recently Tamsin played a vital role in ensuring that the Audit and Assurance Faculty (AAF) 01/06 review was completed on time, providing an independent auditor with evidence and analysis to demonstrate that our controls were operating effectively.

Over the years they have worked extremely hard and these two promotions recognise the fact that both Olivia and Tamsin have taken on the extra responsibilities expected of them as managers and even more so following a recent reorganisation of teams within operations and compliance.

Manx Telecom has launched Vannin Ventures, a new standalone business established to support the company’s long term growth strategy.

Manx Telecom chief executive officer, Gary Lamb, said: ‘Vannin Ventures is a new business, wholly owned by Manx Telecom.

‘Its purpose is to identify new and promising business opportunities in the telecoms and technology sectors, acting as an incubator to bring innovative products and services to market.

‘There will be an autonomous team behind the new business, who will not only have a new and creative environment to foster original ideas, but will also benefit from the support of its parent company, Manx Telecom.

‘Most importantly, Vannin Ventures will have an entrepreneurial ethos with the flexibility necessary to move quickly and take exciting ideas from inception through to launch.’

Vannin Ventures is led by Tom Meageen and Peter Callow, who both have extensive experience in the communications sector.

In his most recent role, Tom was responsible for setting up and running Manx Telecom’s international business which now forms a significant part of the company’s overall revenue, while Peter also brings a wealth of commercial telecoms business experience.

Tom Meageen said: ‘Vannin Ventures will use technology to bring new products and services to market by providing the perfect incubator environment to help new ideas flourish and grow.

‘The launch of Vannin Ventures is not only great news for Manx Telecom, it’s also positive news for the Isle of Man as it demonstrates the island’s ability to innovate, while creating new jobs in the longer term.’

Find out more at www.vanninventures.com

Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce has put together a list of questions which it thinks voters may wish to ask House of Keys candidates in the run-up to the general election.

The list was drawn up after the island’s biggest business network surveyed its full membership to see what Manx businesses think the key election issues are for them.

Feedback clearly indicated that economic growth and the sustainability of public finances are the most important issues for Chamber members.

With this in mind, Chamber has prepared questions on the theme of sustainability which voters are being encouraged to put to House of Keys candidates during the election campaign.

Michael Crowe, who is chairing the Chamber’s political working group, said that this initiative is all part of Chamber’s commitment to ensuring that the economy is at the top of the agenda in the general election debate.

He said: ‘The UK’s decision to leave the European Union will change the political and economic framework within which the Isle of Man will have to operate as an international business centre, creating opportunities and risks which will require the Isle of Man’s next garliament to work as a fast-moving, decisive team.

The list of questions is printed below.

Sustainable economy

l What three things would you focus upon now to deliver continued economic success?

l What three steps will you take to increase the economically active population and address skilled workforce shortages, now and in the future? What will you do to attract and retain key employers?

l How do we secure the opportunities of Brexit - what plans do you have?

l What do you intend to contribute to ensure our future workforce meets the needs of employers?

l What will you do to remove barriers to business growth and reduce bureaucracy?

Sustainable Government

l Do you support the need to reduce overall government expenditure, rather than allowing departments to raise additional charges? If so, how have you already demonstrated this and what proposals do you have to accelerate this?

l Recent changes to the Public Sector Pension Schemes make it more affordable to the taxpayer, however, the total liability is still £3billion. Do you support closing the defined benefit scheme to new members in favour of a defined contribution scheme in order to protect existing scheme members and the taxpayer?

Sustainable

infrastructure

l To support a sustainable economy and maintain the quality of life we all enjoy, we need vibrant retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. What initiatives would you propose to protect and develop them during this difficult economic climate and chronic shortage of labour?

l As the funding requirement for the regeneration of our towns and villages already exceeds that available, do you support the allocation of monies from future budgets towards ensuring a fit for purpose physical infrastructure for the island?

l How do you view the current planning policy? Do you have any proposals to improve the co-ordination and strategic focus of the planning system?

Our series of heritage articles continues with HUGH DAVIDSON putting the spotlight on buildings in the south of the island

This feature will give examples from Rushen since I live there, but the issues are national.

Question: How do you give overseas visitors a favourable impression of Port Erin and Port St Mary when there are highly visible ‘eyesore’ buildings? Answer: Concentrate on the many good parts.

But sometimes there is no escape.

Rushen Heritage Trust has run two acclaimed exhibitions on WW2 women’s internment, attracting more than 6,000 visits.

Distinguished visitors from USA, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Britain came here specifically to visit the exhibitions.

Many had mothers here in 1940. They wanted to see particular places and this proved embarrassing to their local guides.

‘Where was the Health Centre in 1940?’ It was The Hydro, later the Ocean Castle Hotel, now an empty site, creating a gaping hole in Port Erin’s Upper Promenade.

‘Could I please see the Belle Vue Hotel where my mother was interned?’ The name was changed to the Port Erin Royal. It has been empty since 2008, in a poor state.

‘Where was the married camp?’ Trip to the former Balqueen Hydro, once Port St Mary’s flagship building, empty since 1987, one half demolished, the other with the twin towers in pitiful condition.

There are other ‘big eyesores’ in Port Erin such as the Marine Biological Station (closed in 2006).

Port Erin is not unique in having dilapidated sites – Douglas Promenade has at least three.

The principal problem, especially in Port Erin and Douglas, is that the built environment has still not yet fully transitioned from the days of mass tourism to the present mixed economy.

In 1961 there were 15 hotels with more than 20 rooms in Port Erin and Port St Mary. Today there is only one still trading – the Falcon’s Nest.

Of these 15, nine have been converted into apartments, most with reasonable success architecturally.

In particular Imperial Heights is a much more attractive building than its predecessor.

Of the remaining five, three are empty or dilapidated, two demolished or standing empty.

Let’s study three prime examples of high profile building sites not in use, all with adverse impact on pride in the community.

The former Bay Queen is the saddest sight of all, especially for me, since my father Alec Davidson was the architect of the ‘new’ West Wing, completed in 1936.

The Kelly family ran the hotel for over 50 years from 1914-65, when Walter Kelly retired.

The origin was two boarding houses separated by a wide gap. In 1926, this gap was filled with a magnificent new ballroom on the ground floor, new rooms above, and balcony in front. This was all demolished in 2002.

The still extant 1936 extension added 50 more bedrooms, new reception hall with terrazzo tiles laid by Italians; mezzanine floor modelled on the Art Deco Waldorf Astoria in New York, with two lifts – very innovative at the time; and dining room which could seat 400.

In the 1950s, the Balqueen Hydro (name changed to Bay Queen in 1970) was a top resort hotel, usually full with 300 guests from May 1 to the end of September.

It declined in the 1970s, staggered through the 1980s and closed in 1987, almost 30 years ago.

The hotel was sold in 1965, went through various hands and was eventually bought by Victor and Gladys Sharma in 1987 for £400,000. It was purchased by Hartford Homes for £4 million in May 2007.

The West Wing was registered in 2001 because it was of ‘special architectural and historical interest’. The notes stated: ‘the 1936 extension … is the only one in this distinctive Art Deco style … and represents a unique example of its type in the island context.’

Hartford Homes is progressing a planning application for high quality apartments in front and town houses behind for submission in the next few months.

The Belle Vue Hotel was built by Thomas Costain in 1885. The first owner was Thomas Clague, a well-known entrepreneur of his day. It was developed in three stages – 35 rooms in 1885, then the distinctive turret wing in 1909, and finally the Edwardian wing. In 1932, it had 85 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms.

The Belle Vue housed some colourful personalities such as Gil Robertshaw, Chris Robertshaw MHK, and Jack Wilson who owned three other leading Port Erin hotels and changed the name to Port Erin Royal. In 2008 the hotel was closed and bought by Dandara, who are submitting a planning application for 30 apartments in September.

The Ocean Castle Hotel was built in 1890. It had a pleasing appearance with a triangular design centred by a tower reminiscent of the famous one at Pisa, but not leaning. The 1961 brochure claimed accommodation for 200 guests, a TV lounge and automatic lift.

There were some notable interior features, including a fine coloured glass ceiling. Some guests said that it had the feel of a 1930s transatlantic liner. The hotel was closed in 2007 and demolished in two days in 2010. The empty site looks neglected and untidy.

Successes. There have been some successes in maintaining or restoring buildings in Rushen. The former Collinson’s Café was tastefully converted to office and then residential use by Mr Lithgoe in the 1970s, and the present owner, Jim Mellon, maintains it to a high standard.

The Bay Hotel in Port Erin remained empty for some years in the 1990s, and was successfully renovated by Martin Brunnschweiler – it’s now a thriving dining pub; and the Government did well in updating and improving the Bradda Glen Restaurant complex, now brought to life again by Bob and Sheila Creasey. Some hotels have been tastefully converted into apartments.

So authentic conversion and updating, though not easy in today’s flat market, is possible.

Let’s have a public vote to register the Top 20 ‘Grot spots’

Here’s the personal opinion of Hugh Davidson:

The island is a beautiful country, but its built environment is letting it down.

This makes it less attractive to live in, visit, or do business in.

We are rightly positioning ourselves as a modern international business centre, but highly visible derelict buildings and demolition sites undermine this promise.

As our tax advantages reduce, so our ‘quality of life offer’ increases in importance.

The new Local Government and Building Control (Amendment) Bill, raising penalties for dilapidated buildings, may improve small buildings, but will have little impact on large ones.

The Manx property market is flat and values have declined in recent years. Developers need lots of confidence in the market’s future to justify heavy upfront costs. This is currently lacking.

Our developers are skillful marketers and play a valuable role in our economy but require reasonable profits to be sustainable. The island needs imaginative new policies backed by government spending and a ‘carrot and stick’ approach towards developers. Some suggestions for discussion:

1.Dramatically increase government marketing spend, communicating our many advantages and attracting new people and businesses. While there are some excellent business development plans, the Island seems seriously under-marketed as a place.

2.Establish an innovative Dilapidated Building Register for highly visible dilapidated sites not in use. This could become known informally as the ‘Grot Spot Register’.

3.The Top 20 ‘Grot Spots’ to be registered could be established by public vote. Isle of Man Newspapers could lead this by publicising candidates submitted by the public and organising the vote. (Tip – focus on the top 20 and avoid distracting long lists.)

4.Owners of ‘grot spots’ could be legally obliged to publish an improvement plan within six months of registration.

5.After two years on the Register, any Top 20 ‘Grot Spot’ would become liable to pay rates on an escalating scale. ‘Grot Spots’ detract from community pride and owners should not be rewarded with rate holidays.

6.Owners of any large site empty for more than a year would be required to landscape and plant it within six months, to minimise adverse visual impact.

7.The Government shares a national interest with the private sector in bringing idle sites into economic use. It has succeeded with public/private partnerships in other sectors, and here is another opportunity to use these skills.

8.Developers could be granted a ‘Success Fee’ for bringing Grot Spots into productive use – eg 10per cent bonus for selling all 30 apartments in a new block within two years.

9.The requirement to reserve 25 per cent of new flats for low cost housing is equitable and sound. However it significantly reduces developers’ returns on land assets. The 25 per cent rule is a social policy and therefore government’s responsibility. It was also designed for a more buoyant market. Government could refund lost margin to developers.

Let’s upgrade our built environment so that we can be proud of it.

The island’s latest inflation figures have been published and once again it’s a confusing picture.

The August figures was published this morning.

It shows that the cost of living measured by the Consumer Prices Index has FALLEN by 0.5 per cent over the past 12 months.

But the Retail Prices Index says it’s RISEN by 4 per cent.

RPI includes the costs of housing (mortgage interest costs) while CPI does not.

They are also calculated under different mathematical formulae.

So if your pension and wage rises are calculated using CPI you’ll end up with less money than if they’re worked out on RPI.

On the CPI measure tea got 13 per cent more expensive, potatoes 12 per cent, children outerwear 11 per cent, telephones etc by 7.8 per cent.

The items that got cheaper were travel costs (9.5 per cent down), oil and other fuels (9 per cent), bacon (8 per cent) and biscuits and cakes (9.4 per cent).

Alcohol is up (beer off sales 1.1 per cent and wine 3.7 per cent) and so is tobacco (4.2 per cent).

Overall, food and non-alcoholic beverages are 1.8 per cent cheaper.

The basket of good was compiled based on the results of the Household and Income Expenditure Survey of 2013.

The government says the ‘relative importance of them is taken into account by weighting products according to average expenditure on each’.

Around 1,000 prices are collected for 500 items by staff at the government’s economic affairs division.

About 100 retailers and other organisations help by supplying price information or allowing access to their premises.

Using RPI, on average something that cost £1 in 2000 would cost £1.68.7 now.

Affinity Management Services presented a cheque for £300 to The Children’s Centre’s ‘£50K in 50 Days Appeal’, following a fundraising day supported by members of staff.

Several team members were put in a set of medieval style stocks at the company’s Athol Street premises while their colleagues donated to aim wet sponges at them.

The day also involved a cake sale and second hand sale.

David Kelly, Client Accounts Manager at Affinity said: ‘We’re a company that cares a lot about the local community and our team are always prepared to rise to a challenge to support a good cause.

‘We know the money we have raised will be spent locally to help children and that motivated us to get involved.’

Lucy Chapman, deputy fundraising manager at The Children’s Centre, said: ‘We run 14 charitable projects that literally change lives for some of the local children we work with.

‘We couldn’t do it without the support of our business community. It takes a lot of work to organise fundraising events and we know how busy our friends in the business sector are. We’re here to support them and make sure they get the most out of their event.

‘Affinity really went the extra mile in this event and we can’t thank them enough for that.

Pictured from left: Marion Griffiths, Patrick McMullan, Patricia Slavin, Rachael Cubbon, Andrew Morgan, Lucy Chapman (The Children’s Centre), David Kelly, Alex Gardner, Sarah Teare, Jackie Carroll and Kate Shaw

Thomas Miller Investment is sponsoring the award for International Business of the Year at this year’s Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence.

Tom Richards, managing director, has told the Manx Independent about the importance of the international element to business on the island.

‘We live in a global world where modern technology enables information to flow freely from one place to another,’ he said.

‘Business in today’s age is increasingly conducted without borders, on an international basis. We are delighted to be sponsoring this award category, which recognises that the Isle of Man is an international finance centre and home to a number of leading global businesses.’.

Last year’s winners of the award, Poker Stars, are a great example of a leading international company based on the Isle of Man. Does your business also fit that bill?

If you are based on the island but your team go out and bring business back to the island, or your business has a network of offices around the world but is headquartered on the Isle of Man, then this is an award you should consider entering.

‘The winning company could be a dominant player in its industry, or a niche specialised operation,’ said Tom.

#However, it will meet that ideal of successfully going out around the world; embodying the Isle of Man culture; acting as an ambassador for the Isle of Man; showing off the island’s entrepreneurial spirit and enhancing our international reputation.’

Thomas Miller Investment is now in its seventh consecutive year as an awards sponsor.

Tom added: ‘For us, this event demonstrates the high calibre of businesses on the island and is one of the ways to give something back.

‘We have been based here on the Isle of Man for nearly 30 years and we endeavour to do our bit to support local industry and charity wherever we can. Celebrating excellence across the business sectors on the island and the job creation that enables is one way we can do that.

‘One really interesting aspects about the awards ceremony is the variety of businesses which attend on the evening. Some of which are really well-known names, whilst others one has perhaps only fleetingly come across.’

Thomas Miller Group conducts a mixture of business from the island and the UK.

Tom said: ‘Our mutual insurance management business provides support to a number of acknowledged leaders in their chosen transport, professional indemnity and specialist markets including the UK P&I, TT and Hellenic War Risks clubs, the latter providing cover for over 70 per cent of all Greek owned ships.’

Thomas Miller Investment is a specialist provider of investment and wealth management services for both private and institutional clients.

‘Over the last few years, we have produced some really solid investment performance, and seen steady growth in client numbers and assets under management. We will continue to develop our Isle of Man office structure and overall investment offering as required over the coming period in order to fully serve the requirements of our island based and international clients.

‘This year, we are delighted to once again have the opportunity to provide support for the Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence.’

Are you entering this year’s Awards? Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence offers 16 awards categories, including International Business of the Year.

There are categories for companies of all sizes, individuals, public sector teams and charitable and community organisations. Entries close on Monday September 26. You will find full details of all the categories and entry forms to download at www.iomtoday.co.im.

Hospice Isle of Man has received a brand new slide for its Eva Rose Sensory Garden.

A team of 12, from Douglas company Swagelok, took part in the Three Peaks Challenge where they climbed Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis in just 24 hours.

The team took on the challenge in aid of Hospice and also Manx charity SKILS.

Hospice thanked everyone for their fundraising efforts.

A man who lives in Ramsey has beaten hundreds of other entries from across three continents to reach the finals of the International Forklift Operator of the Year 2016 award.

Simon Bottomley, who works at Nasaleze in the town, will be demonstrating his knowledge, skill and understanding of safe forklift truck operation when he takes part in the live competition finals in front of 20,000 people at IMHX (International Materials Handling Exhibition) 2016 at the NEC, Birmingham from September 13 to 16.

Simon, aged 37, has beaten competitors from as far away as India and the US in order to reach the finals and is one of only 40 contestants left in the running to be crowned International Forklift Operator of the Year 2016.

The competition is hosted by UK-based RTITB, the preferred regulatory body for workplace transport training, and aims to find, recognise and reward the best forklift operator in the world.

Laura Nelson, managing director of RTITB, congratulated Simon on his getting as far as he has.

He said: ‘To qualify for the next round of the competition Simon scored highly in the initial online tests and thoroughly deserves to be competing in the finals against his peers.’

Competitors will be put through their paces with four tests – two driving tests and a theory test and a pre-use inspection test.

Visiting delegates from the gambling world are set to enjoy a spectacular climax to this week’s KPMG eGaming summit.

The Palace Hotel and Casino in Douglas will host the closing event for the gathering onThursday.

It will also serve as the Autumn eClub event and the sponsors are hoping for a great turnout on the evening.

The event will start with drinks in Whispers Bar from 5.30pm and will be followed by an evening of games and live music in the Palace Casino, with drinks, canapés and a taste of the Orient courtesy of the ‘Majestic at the Casino’ Chinese restaurant.

The evening is open to all delegates attending the seventh annual KPMG eGaming Summit at the Villa Marina, and, as with all eClub events, anyone involved in eGaming or with an interest in the sector.

The Palace is owned by Sefton Group plc.

Adrian Brockhouse, Sefton Group plc operations director, and his management team are looking forward to staging the gathering which will bring the curtain down on this year’s summit, which will see more than 30 expert speakers and panellists from the world of eGaming.

Mr Brockhouse said: ‘The 2016 KPMG eGaming Summit is such an important event for the Isle of Man, with this sector already being such a significant local employer and with the potential to become even bigger, in turn helping the Department of Economic Development to achieve its vision of increasing the local workforce, job opportunities and people relocating here.

‘It is a fantastic opportunity to get together to look at the future of the sector, but also to fly the flag for Isle of Man plc and what an attractive proposition it is for companies to base themselves here. The Palace Casino was established more than 50 years ago and is the only such facility in the island. As such, we work closely with our counterparts in other areas of the local gaming sector and look forward to hosting them, as well as local eClub members, at this very special closing party which promises to be a fun and fitting conclusion to the island’s annual industry conference.’

eClub is a social meeting place for anyone involved or interested in eGaming in the Isle of Man.

Initiated by KPMG and Continent 8 Technologies, eClub offers a space for people working in the industry to make contacts, or discuss industry trends and developments.

For more information and how to get involved with eClub visit www.facebook.com/Isle

FIM Capital Limited, an Isle of Man based investment management and fund administration company, has recently announced the appointment of Mary Tait to its main board.

Mary joined FIM Capital Limited in January 2010 after 17 years in the investment management industry.

She specialises in the management of private client and fiduciary investment portfolios as well as providing evaluation services to trust companies and family offices.

Mary is an individually chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment in the UK and Isle of Man and is a member of the Institute of Administrative Management having gained her Offshore Certificate in Company and Trust Administration in 1995.

Entrepreneur Bianca Miller will be the special guest at an event in the island later this month.

Bianca entered BBC Business competition ‘The Apprentice’ in 2014 and beat 80,000 applicants and 18 candidates to make it to the final where she proposed her concept for ‘True Skin’.

Bianca went on to launch her hosiery brand ‘Bianca Miller London’ in November 2015

Island businessman Jean-Paul Nguegang said An Evening With Bianca Miller will be entitled: How to be a Self-Made Entrepreneur.

He said the event should be of interest to lots of people. Mr Nguegang is founder of the Global Community Foundation, an island based charitable foundation.

The event takes place on September 30 at the Palace Hotel,Douglas.

Two further events are being planned:

l An evening with Dan Ashworth, English FA technical director,at the Empress Hotel, Douglas, on October 14

l Magic of Motivation: Super secrets of world class leaders with Paresh Rughani on October 24 , lunchtime, at the council chamber, Douglas town hall

All bookings are via: www.thegcf.org.im

Influential Manx businesswoman Wendy Mayall has been appointed a non-executive director of a well known name in the insurance world.

Phoenix Group Holdings has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 250 index.

The Board of Phoenix Group Holdings announced the appointments of three new non-executive directors, including Wendy Mayall who attended Douglas High School and has previously told Business News of how proud she is of her Manx roots.

Wendy has more than 30 years’ asset management experience, including as group chief investment officer and latterly consultant at Liverpool Victoria from 2012 to 2015.

Previously she was chief investment officer for Unilever’s UK pension fund from 1996 to 2011 and holding management responsibility for Unilever’s pension funds globally.

From 2006 to 2009, she was the chairman of the Investment Committee of the Mineworkers Pension Scheme, a British government appointment to one of the largest government backed pension schemes in the UK.

Mrs Mayall is the non-executive senior independent director of the Aberdeen UK Tracker Trust plc.

The other two business people appointed to the Phoenix board are John Pollock and Nicholas Shott.

Henry Staunton, Phoenix chairman said: ‘I am delighted that we have secured the appointments to the Phoenix Board of three such experienced and successful individuals who will enhance the Board skillset in both quality and diversity.’

Wendy sits on the Advisory Committee of Mann Bioinvest, an Isle of Man based life sciences investment company co-chaired by the entrepreneur and island resident Jim Mellon.

Wendy told Business News in April 2012 of her joy after being judged one of the 100 most influential women working in European finance.

The 100 Most Influential Women were selected by Financial News’s editorial panel from a long list of women working in finance. She was delighted to be picked as one of the cream of female executives working in European financial markets.

She has enjoyed a sparkling career which has seen her hit the public spotlight.

But she told Business News: ‘I am proud of my Manx roots and always look forward to coming home. The island is such a sociable place. You are never far from the sea. It makes such a change from London.’ Phoenix has been a well-known name in the insurance world since 1782. From its beginnings more than 200 years ago, it has grown to become the largest UK consolidator of closed life assurance funds. It has offices in London, Birmingham and Jersey.

According to its website the Group is a closed life assurance fund consolidator that specialises in the management and acquisition of closed life and pension funds, and operates primarily in the United Kingdom.

Measured by total assets, the Group is the largest UK consolidator of closed life assurance funds. The Group has around 4.5 million1 policyholders and £47billion1 assets held by the Group’s life companies.

Meanwhile Wendy told Business News that she still retains very strong connections with the Isle of Man and visited only a few days ago.