Bernard Moffatt's blog

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.

I highlighted the apparent ‘bonhomie’ of Ireland’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar with the reality of rural communities fighting to retain services. I cited the campaign to keep the Post Office open at Inverin a village on the Co Galway coast road between Spiddal and Casla.

‘The Chamber of Charlatans’ you can’t take your eyes of them. To use that hackneyed phrase from an episode of Inspector Morse:

‘They’re like Special Branch you never know what the blighters are up to’

Ironically they pick the dead season of news to launch their latest offensive on work permits appropriately using their good friend in the Keys ‘Bela Lugosi’ (aka Bill Shimmin(s) MHK (see earlier post).

Strange something called the business ‘community’ is organising a debate about another tranche of immigration. The debate will take place against a backdrop of emigration which despite government attempts to tell us otherwise still is going on:

http://www.iomtoday.co.im/article.cfm?id=42422&headline=Event%20will%20a...

LIONEL COWIN A JOURNALIST OF THE OLD SCHOOL

I was very saddened to read of the death of Lionel Cowin former Editor of Isle of Man Newspapers but best remembered by me for his days at the IOM Courier when it was a self standing freesheet and considerably more bulky than it is these days.

Lionel was one of the old band of journalists in the mould of the late Harry Bregazzi and of course from the world of TV and Radio journalism Terry Cringle who I’m pleased to say is still ‘bounding’ around!

The great disappearing data mystery reported by IOM Today does seem to have something to do with Manx Radio if the graphic rich construction to this link on Crown Dependency News is anything to fo by (link):

https://www.facebook.com/crowndependencypoliticalnews/posts/200695890265...

Its like a bus you wait for one and them two come along at once. I mentioned in the earlier post about a possible coup but in the case of PAG they don’t want to take politicians power they just want to subordinate them by slashing the pay...of some.

PAG have been applying ‘The Chris Thomas Theory of Economics’ to MLCs pay and they were in the star spangled studio of MTTV to set out their stall - obviously the one they nicked of Mec Vannin on Tynwald Day (link):