Bernard Moffatt's blog

There is a big demonstration calling for the reunification of parts of Brittany hived of by Vichy France in 1941 in Nantes today 29th September.

The demo is organised by th 44+Bzh campaign group.

The Celtic League has long supported the campaign for reunification and the issue has been the subject of several agm resolutions.

In 2014 the Celtic League General Secretary wrote to the French government reiterating our position. He said:

Eddie Power has this ‘share’ of a blog by MHK Rob Callister who is currently touring the Highlands - lucky him!

https://www.facebook.com/Onchan.MHK/posts/2180745742167873

It brings back memories of wandering the Highlands with the late Mrs M in the late 1970s for over two weeks. Scotland is so vast and empty in places but scenery with contrasts and beauty abundant. I’m am ‘Ireland’ man myself but Scotland ties with North and Mid Wales for second place.

‘Regulation these days should contain any abuse. It's a far cry from the days when the Isle of Man Constabulary were so zany they were bugging themselves’

So was it a simple innocuous Freedom of Information request or a more sinister attempt to see how easily the cops track telecom communications?

IOM Today have a story about missing persons statistics and mixed in it they enquire about costs for accessing telecom data;

The police rather disengiously say:

One of the oldest neighbours in Manx sea the giant gentle basking shark continues to intrigue.

Recent reports of the great cetaceans breaching (or leaping out of the sea) have led to speculation that they are mating, ‘spring cleaning’ by shedding parasites) or just having fun.

Marine biologists seem to want to find out. I would prefer just to remain intrigued. Report here on Manx Radio:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/baskers-laconic-image-ch...

Mec Vannin Chairman Mark Kermode has urged everyone who can to support the IOM Foodbank and the good work it does. He says the Party which donated £500 from its reserve fund this week believes that cash donations enable the Charity to purchase the products it is short of and that the MV believe all money donated ‘goes where it is needed’.

Report here on Manx Radio:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/nationalist-party-offers...

The environmental impact of the mechanical harvesting of Kelp of Western Scotland is to be the subject of a resolution to the Celtic League AGM later this year.

Manx branch Secretary and former Environmental Officer of the League, Allen Moore, is to raise the issue at the meeting.

The mechanised harvesting proposals have already attracted opposition from local communities in Western Scotland and there is a fear that if this becomes a widespread practice it could alter the balance of the marine ecosystem of the Western coasts of these Islands.

I see from Manx Radio that 40% of people haven’t completed their tax return. It gets me wondering is this higher than last year but there’s no elucidation on that. I also muse ‘I wonder how many people haven’t paid their rates:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/40-of-tax-returns-yet-to...

Mec Vannin has made a donation to the vital work of the Isle of Man Foodbank it has also urged individuals members to send either donations or contribute at the charities collection points;

Here’s the press release from Party Secretary Cristl Jerry:

“On 24th September Mec Vannin's meeting had a full agenda, on a wide range of topics.

Our Treasurer's report showed we had sufficient funds to make a charitable donation.

Gosh! Who would have thought I’m warming to Manx Radio. They have a piece here compiled by Ewan Gawne with Mec Vannins Mark Kermode. Obviously as a nationalist and President of Mec Vannin I like the item ‘thats a given’:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/tax-should-change-not-th...

‘New book on great socialist marks anniversary of his birth’

It's the 150th anniversary of the birth of James Connolly the great socialist leader who was executed by the British in 1916. Connolly’s Citizens Army which had been established in 1913 to defend workers against the brutality of the Dublin Metropolitan Police was considered the most disciplined and well organised of the troops in the Easter Rising. But Connolly had no illusions about the outcome and is said to have remarked if the rising was successful ‘keep the guns’.