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1 June 2012 Last updated at 08:49 ET

Thousands of motorbike fans are arriving on the Isle of Man ahead of the TT races which start on Saturday.

About 13,000 motorbikes are booked to arrive during the festival, the highest number since the 2007 TT centenary celebration.

An extra ferry has been chartered and temporary accommodation has been built at the Grandstand in Douglas.

Visitor Jim Scott told the BBC: "Coming to the TT races has always been on my bucket list."

He added: "My pal and I love the atmosphere, it's a bikers' paradise and the atmosphere is brilliant."

The TT festival and Christmas are the two bookends of the year

Research undertaken by the department of tourism shows the TT festival is more well known around the world, than the Isle of Man itself.

TT and Motorsport manager Paul Philips said: "For the Isle of Man, the TT festival and Christmas are the two bookends of the year.

"The races have a huge following, they are hugely important because they give the island international fame."

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Thousands on Isle of Man for TT

2 June 2012 Last updated at 12:45 ET

The Olympic flame has been carried on a TT motorcycle as the torch relay visits the Isle of Man.

Three-time World Enduro Champion, David Knight, 34, rode pillion with the torch behind fellow Manxman and former TT winner Richard "Milky" Quayle.

The flame also travelled on a horse tram and bicycle as it continued its tour on Day 15 of the relay.

It ends the day with a flight to Belfast, ahead of a five day visit to Northern Ireland.

The flame arrived on the Isle of Man at Ronaldsway Airport on British Airways plane The Firefly from Liverpool.

The first torchbearer of the day, Leanne Harper, set off from the National Sports Centre in Douglas at around 10:30 BST.

She has Cystic Fibrosis and did a lap of the athletics track at the centre. In 2012 she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, raising more than 12,000 for CF Research.

Paralympic medallist Ian Sharpe, 41, carried the torch through Douglas. The visually-impaired athlete has competed for Great Britain since 1984. He was born in the Isle of Man and has won five silver and five bronze Paralympic medals, as well as being four times World Champion as a swimmer.

He was also a double world and European Champion cyclist in 2005.

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Torch relay visits Isle of Man

By Ken Gordon

The Columbus Dispatch Saturday June 2, 2012 5:35 AM

Club members, from left: Sharon Bobel, Lyn Ellsesser, Maureen Flynn and Janet Davies

On a recent weekday afternoon in the Clintonville neighborhood, Lyn Ellsesser parked her Mini in front of a yellow house with a Union Jack flag stirring in the breeze.

Then, within minutes of being welcomed inside by homeowner Maureen Flynn, she joined a half-dozen other members of the Columbus British Expats club who were what else? sipping tea in the kitchen.

Our answer to everything is Ill put the kettle on, Ellsesser, 61, said of the choice of beverage, which true Britons always serve with milk added no questions asked.

They had gathered to plan a party that Flynn will host today, the start of a four-day Diamond Jubilee celebration in Britain marking the 60-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Since the monarchy was established in 1066, Elizabeth has become just the second leader to reach the milestone. (Queen Victoria held the throne for 63 years and 216 days, from 1837 to 1901.)

So, overseas, the British are celebrating with bonfires, church bells, street parties, a 1,000-ship flotilla on the River Thames and on Tuesday a procession and service of thanksgiving.

At the Flynn house tonight, perhaps 50 central Ohio expats and relatives will toast the occasion eating British foods, drinking Pimms (a British version of sangria), singing traditional songs and playing games such as croquet.

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For expats, club a home away from home

Expats celebrate Queens Diamond Jubilee in Dubai

Chris Hough / 2 June 2012

A diamond occasion

British expats gathered at the Grand Hyatt Dubai on Friday to celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee with a traditional street party.

Inside an air-conditioned tent in the hotels garden, fans of the British monarch sat at long tables enjoying authentic food from the UK while listening to classic songs from home in the company of like-minded people. Many of the guests arrived in fancy dress, while children ran around enjoying the festivities.

Graham Wolverson, a British resident of Dubai, attended the event dressed as a knight of the realm. He was enjoying spending the time with friends in a relaxed atmosphere.

He said: I think its very typical of these events, but its well run and in the right spirit. It feels good although its not on the same date as in the UK. Its nice to see that lots of people have made the effort.

Its an expat-friendly family event and its nice to see everyone laughing and the Union Jack flying.

In the UK, the Queens Diamond Jubilee celebrations are taking place for four days from today to June 5. Many people will be organising free street parties in their communities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth IIs reign. In London on Sunday, The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant will feature 1,000 boats sailing through the capital.

For Mrs Turner from Teeside in the northeast of England, the chance to celebrate the jubilee despite being away from the country was a welcome opportunity.

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Expats celebrate Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in Dubai

Warning on tax rate move 'havens'

Other parts of the UK could become havens for affluent Scottish taxpayers if income tax is set at a higher rate north of the border, an accountancy firm has warned.

PKF said a separate rate of income tax in Scotland would lead to confusion and could see wealthy people declare they are not Scottish residents.

The new Scotland Act devolves new financial powers to Holyrood and was agreed by the Scottish and UK parliaments earlier this year.

It provides for a Scottish income tax which will start 10p below the UK rate. MSPs will be able to decide how to make up the difference or whether to set a different level. The power is expected to be transferred by April 2016.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has recently issued a technical note clarifying the way in which the proposed Scottish tax rate will affect people in Scotland.

PKF said uncertainty arises because of residency and how it is defined. If a person has a house in Scotland, and another home elsewhere in the UK, they will have to decide which country is their main residence.

This can be done by counting the number of days they spend in Scotland during a year. If more days are spent in Scotland than elsewhere, then they will be liable to pay the Scottish tax rate.

Neil Whyte, a tax partner with PKF, said: "As there are no border controls between England and Scotland, there is no way of verifying how many days are spent in either jurisdiction. As a result, it's possible that an individual may decide residency based on the most favourable level of taxation."

He went on: "The likelihood of improving the tax take is limited if the most affluent in society can simply declare they are not Scottish residents if the tax rate is higher north of the border, or they are Scots if the tax rate is lower. As tax liability is determined on a year-by-year basis, we may find individuals who annually flip residency depending on their tax liability. For HMRC to prove residency under these circumstances, other than through the use of surveillance, seems impossible."

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Warning on tax rate move 'havens'