Blogs

I don’t generally do requests but I get an email about the leachate issue from Trevor Cowin of Peel one of a range of matters he is pursuing with various organs of government. Apparently he’s is not making much headway with the Chief Ministers Office. This surprises me as I generally get a fairly expeditious response from HQ (or someone he delegates it to) perhaps I don’t bother them that much.

In a few days the Festival of Motorcycling will be over and although it's a good few weeks before the politicians go back to work the nights will start to draw in.

With the onset of autumn and winter we can look forward to those two hardy perennials hunger and cold returning for some.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met with Catalan President Quim Torra in Scotland last month. At the meeting she accepted an invitation to go to Catalonia, the autonomous community in the northeastern corner of the Iberian Peninsula. Scottish National Party MP's (members of parliament) have backed Catalonia’s right to hold an independence referendum. Scotland's First Minister was critical of the Madrid government’s brutal approach to blocking the Catalan government from staging a vote on leaving the Spanish state last year.

Hardly have I penned a piece about Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK saving the Steam Packet than ‘the Brexit Boatswain’ appears in person on something called the Isle of Man Government Youtube Channel (link):

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/irresponsible-to-ignore-...

News from Mannin Branch of the Celtic League:

THE DOWN SIDE OF THE CRUISE IDYLL

Breton website 7seizh carries a report from the Marine and Seafarers safety organisation MOR GLAZ in which the criticise the shooting last month of a polar bear on the Island of Svalbard.

"It is not for local taxpayers to fund the police to cope with the influx of summer visitors" (Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer)

Massed and almost out of control tourism has brought parts of Cornwall to a standstill this year.

I was in the local watering hole one evening this week discussing the relative merits of writers Yevgeny Zamyatin and Franz Kafka with a colleague when an ernest patron nearby interjected to ask my views on the Steam Packet purchase. I’m touched that the views of an ageing septuagenarian are thought valid but also think ominously my views will not chime with those of ‘the man in the street’. I replied that I thought it was a good move which as I expected seemed to induce consternation.

MTTV has a item on the Post Office consultation. I hastily have to check this isn’t an archive piece because this was announced a while ago even I pontificated on it. Obviously MTTV have been busy with trivia and are catching up.

There are renewed concerns in Wales about low flying by military aircraft and its prompted Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts to carry out a public consultation to gauge concern to prompt MOD action on the issue (link):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45084885

The Celtic League ran a vigorous campaign in the 1980/90s on this issue focusing on Scotland, wales and the Isle of Man. The problems in parts of Wales are compounded by the fact that lowflying is allowed down to 200’.

We reported over a year ago on the controversy of Fañch (Frank) Bernard and the unwillingness of the French State to allow his name to be registered with a tilde over the ñ.

https://www.facebook.com/805941286121301/photos/a.806379472744149/133546...

The issue has now gone all the way to the French Senate and still the French government is digging its heels in.