Perspective - Manx Radio Manx Radio

Perspective has largely been a permanent fixture on Manx Radio since 10 February 2019.

With the exception of a break from the middle of March this year, it’s been broadcast in the old Sunday Opinion slot from midday until one every Sunday.

After almost 21 months, Dollin Mercer reflects on some highlights over more than 70 episodes.

We hear extracts from programmes about: cannabis laws, integrated care, 'pub politics', the language learning decline, the chief constable's view on Manx policing, experiences of former policemen, women of sport in Mann, cruise tourism, 'traversing Ellan Vannin', and Chris Killip...

The men at the forefront of the Island's farming and food production sectors were under the spotlight at a Tynwald committee hearing last week.

DEFA Minister Geoffrey Boot and his department’s CEO, Richard Lole, outlined what they’re doing to try and help, protect, and regulate some of the Island’s oldest industries in the wake of massive external pressures and change.

Of course – Brexit and Covid-19 were inevitable talking points.

The Environment and Infrastructure Policy Review Committee is made up of Rob Mercer MLC, plus MHKs Clare Barber and its chair, Chris Robertshaw.

This week, world-renowned photographer Chris Killip passed away aged 74.

Born and raised on the Isle of Man, Killip has been hailed as being among the influential generation of British documentary photographers of the 1970s.

He also lectured at Harvard University as Professor of Visual and Environmental Studies, from 1991-2017.

In this programme, we hear some tributes to him, including from his brother.

We also listen back to a radio appearance from 8 May 2016, where he appeared on 'Sunday Opinion' with the late Roger Watterson after the launch of an exhibition of Killip's work at the Manx Museum - 'Isle of Man Revisited'.

CHRIS KILLIP BIOGRAPHY

Born in Douglas in the Isle of Man in 1946, he left school at age 16 and joined the only four star hotel on the Island as a trainee hotel manager. In June 1964 he decided to pursue photography full-time and became a beach photographer in order to earn enough money to leave the Isle of Man.

In October 1964 he was hired as an assistant to the leading London advertising photographer, Adrian Flowers. In 1969, after seeing his very first exhibition of photography, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, he decided to return to photograph in the Isle of Man. He worked in his father's pub (The Bowling Green Hotel) at night, returning to London on occasion to print his work.

In 1972 he received one of the commissions from The Arts Council of Great Britain to photograph Huddersfield and Bury St Edmunds for the exhibition Two Views. In 1975 he moved to live in Newcastle upon Tyne on a two-year fellowship as the Northern Arts Photography Fellow. He was a founder member, and exhibition curator and advisor of Side Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, as well as the director, from 1977-79. He continued to live in Newcastle and photographed throughout the North East of England.

In 1989 he was commissioned by Pirelli UK to photograph the workforce at their tire factory in Burton on Trent.

In 1989 he received the Henri Cartier Bresson Award and was invited in 1991 as a Visiting Lecturer, to the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies at Harvard University, Boston USA. In 1994 he was made a tenured professor and was department chair from 1994-98. He retired from Harvard University in 2017.

A retrospective exhibition of his work took place at the Folkwang Museum, Essen, then travelled to LE BAL, Paris, and on to the Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid. His work is represented in the exhibition Ideas of the North at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead and his exhibition The Last Ships was held at the Laing Gallery in Newcastle.

6:16 - Yvonne Cresswell, Social History Curator at Manx National Heritage
24:39 - Anthony Bernbaum, the Peartree Collection - London
30:42 - Chris Hobdell and Mary Hobdell, The Archibald Knox Forum

There are plans gathering pace for an ambitious, multi-faceted, world-leading celebration of the life and work of Archibald Knox on the Isle of Man.

A timeless talent and a national treasure, the versatile creative from Cronkbourne village in Braddan remains 'totally undervalued', according to the forum set up in his name.

In this episode of Perspective, we hear all about the man himself - perhaps best known as an Art Nouveau Artist and Designer for Liberty and Co. in London - but so much more than that.

We hear about proposals by the Archibald Knox Forum for a project in four or five years’ time, to a scale never seen before.

We hear from Yvonne Cresswell, Curator of Social History at Manx National Heritage.

We also hear from Anthony Bernbaum of the Peartree Collection, a director of the former Archibald Knox Society, an international expert and a dealer of Knox works in London.

1:36 - Roger Tomlinson's introduction, from the Positive Action Group
7:55 - Douglas East MHK Chris Robertshaw begins his speech
59:00 - Roger Tomlinson hosts the audience Q&A session

"Towards a Government Which Serves the People."

That was the title, as Chris Robertshaw MHK gave a public talk at a meeting of the Positive Action Group this week, twelve months before a general election in which he does not plan to stand again.

He looked at what structural changes he felt must be made, in order for government to be 'more responsive and agile' in a 'rapidly changing world'.

He said political will is what's stopping positive progress, and that wholesale reform of government would require a change of chief minister.

In this programme, we hear what Mr Robertshaw had to say - in his speech - in full.

There was also a question and answer session afterwards.

What does the Attorney General do? Who is he accountable to? How is his work scrutinised? Should his role be split? Or the responsibilities reallocated? And could we soon see a Minister of Justice on the Isle of Man?

These are all themes that were discussed in a public oral evidence session of a Tynwald committee this week.

The current Attorney General - Mr John Quinn QC - appeared before the Constitutional and Legal Affairs and Justice Committee.

That's made up of Jane Poole-Wilson MLC, who is chair, plus MHKs Lawrie Hooper and Chris Robertshaw, and the Clerk of Tynwald, Roger Phillips.

The panel last met with the Attorney General in November last year, to discuss the role, the workload, and what it could look like in the future.

This time round, Mrs Poole-Wilson wanted to start with the matter of scrutiny of the role of Attorney General here.

And specifically, how far his personal work or personal advice ought to be scrutinised.