Latest news with #Arbory
The Guardian
21-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Country diary: A fine place to be a bee
Bees returning to their cosy hives next to the fertile allotments here have much to waggle their tails about. Within their foraging radius there is a wide range of habitats sporting spring flowers, plus the hives are free from two pests found in 'the adjacent isle' – mainland Britain. Ballabeg means 'small place' in Manx Gaelic, but it is surrounded by big nectar sources. Behind the sleepy village overlooking nearby Castletown lie the upland pastures of Arbory and the controversial moorland site of a proposed wind farm. In front of the hives are the lowland fields of Great Meadow, Scarlett Headland with its chequered pattern of arable land, and Ballawhetstone Farm, where crops of sunflowers will provide summer pollen. Dandelions have been plentiful this year – an essential food supply early in spring when honeybees can be seen returning to their hives carrying bulging golden pollen-sacks on their hind legs. Bees direct their co-workers to good nectar and pollen sources by doing a now-famous waggle dance, which is extraordinary in the complexity of the information transmitted. Surrounding the allotments, blackthorn is just going over in the hedges, replaced by the brilliantly white May blossom of hawthorn, while apple trees and broad beans sown early are already flowering on some plots. Yes, Manx bees have a great life and their numbers are stable at about 800 hives. The greatest threat to UK honeybee colonies has usually been from varroa mites, though Asian hornets are gradually taking that mantle. But neither pest is found in the Isle of Man. A ban on the import of bees, hives or used equipment has kept the mite away (its scientific name is aptly Varroa destructor) and the Irish Sea has, so far, prevented Asian hornets from wreaking havoc here. Varroa mites harm bees not only by feeding on adults and developing larvae but also by carrying nasty viruses. Asian hornets predate adult bees. A colony of Asian hornets can consume more than 11kg of insects in a season, killing off colonies, and early reports suggest they're in 'unprecedented numbers' this year. The threat from Asian hornets arriving in cargo or containers is a constant worry to Manx beekeepers, but for now, our honeybees are in rude health. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Future of bus route to Isle of Man beauty spot being reviewed
The future of bus services to a folk village and beauty stop at the southernmost tip of the Isle of Man is being reviewed, the infrastructure minister has Vannin's seasonal service to Cregneash and the Sound was last run in summer 2023 but was pulled after being deemed not financially decision has been branded "short-sighted" by Arbory and Rushen Commissioners, and faced criticism for being at odds with the Manx government's tourism growth Michelle Haywood said she was "definitely intending that there should be some level of service down there". The latest updates to timetables published by the government-owned bus company does not include the operator had previously applied to the Road Transport Licensing Committee (RTLC) to withdraw the RTLC has confirmed it has been advised by the Attorney General's Chambers that it had no legal powers to stop the bus operator from terminating the service, and only a formal letter of notification from Bus Vannin of its intention to scrap it was needed. 'Real need' Prior to her appointment to the post of infrastructure minister Haywood, who is MHK for the area, had criticised the decision to pull the services completely in a statement this week, Arbory and Rushen Commissioners said both Cregneash and the Sound were "key" tourist sites, and the service played a "critical role" in allowing access to a "stunning" part of the on the current situation, Haywood said she had "a lot of sympathy" with the views expressed and had called for a "full review"."I see a real need for a bus service that goes to Cregneash and then down to the Sound as well," she said."It's an immensely popular spot for people to visit and it's a real shame that we don't have public transport that serves it."I'm definitely reviewing the situation, I'm definitely intending that there should be some level of service down there." Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
25-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Isle of Man school review framework to be published in July
The framework used for the external evaluations of Manx schools is set to be published in July, the education minister has Caine said the pilot began in January 2024 and would not be published until July to allow for further consultation with teachers and trade told the House of Keys there could be further "tweaks" to the Quality Assurance Framework as a result of that so was not yet confirmed findings for individual schools would not be published but key findings and themes from the reviews would be made public through summary reports. The minister told MHKs making the full reports public could "hinder open professional development".Several MHKs raised concerns about the decision with Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK arguing that the Department of Education, Sport and Culture was "lacking in transparency".Lawrie Hooper MHK said it was "unusual" for an inspection framework not to be made public and parents would not know what the schools were being assessed against without the the launch of the pilot schools on the island were not subject to formal inspections and external validations of their own self-reviews. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
