Footlights Theatre Group's new production

The members of Footlights Theatre Group are not resting on their laurels, and have now begun rehersals for their next epic, scheduled for November 2011. This will be the famous Broadway musical "Fiddle on the Roof". The show and the famous movie version are also popular in Holland and Germany, where they are known as "Anatevka".

This wonderful musical has been chosen principally to give further opportunities to the wide age range of members now in the group, particularly younger performers who made such an impact in "Joseph".

Calpe based Footlights Theatre Group is the largest theatre group on the Costa Blanca, specializing in producing lavish stage musicals, performed in English. Recent successes include "Anything Goes", "Me and My Girl", "Oliver", "Oklahoma" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat".

Rehersals are on Thursday evenings in Marcia's Dance Centre, Calpe. Anyone interested in joining Footlights should contact the Secretary Trevor Harder on 965 870 198 or the Director Sue Burgess on 965 581 543.

Sunday at the Blue Tomato Jazz Club

As you drive along the N332 towards Altea (ap. 500 mt past McDonalds) tucked away off the Estrada you will find "The Blue Tomato Jazz Club".  If you're a Jazz lover this is THE place to go for Sunday lunch.

There is a live Jazz quartet with vocalist that do Swing, Latin and American Song Book numbers and guest singers pop up from the audience spontaneously to contribute to the atmosphere.

During the Winter months they play inside the intimate interior,comprising of dark blue walls with pine clad ceiling and terracota flooring. Low voltage lights set in blue bottles suspended from the ceiling add to the "blueness" of The Blue Tomato!  It is a hive of nooks and cranies which can accomodate up to 50 dinners. Once the temperatures rise they move outside to the large Mediteranean garden with a giant gazebo, purpose built stage and permament bar which can seat up to 110 guests.  Friday and Saturday evenings, from 9pm onwards they also host live guest bands.

The creative kitchen offers a distinctive menu and also a set 2 course Sunday lunch for only 9€ inc IVA (no drinks included) which changes every week.

If you are Jazz enthusiast this is the place to seek out - whether Winter or Summer there is always live Jazz. For reservations call Jan on 965 844 758.

Padel and pizza in La Nucia

   

Yes, it was a beautiful sunny Saturday with the temperature at 15 degrees, and the training of the participants went well.  The free pizzas, provided by "Mr Caponie's" in La Nucia after the training were delicious, and all eaten with gusto.

                                 

Padel,which is the fastest growing sport in Spain, requires four players. The game is similar to tennis but using shorter racquets and the balls can bounce off the walls. At this Padel Club in La Nucia, the instructors pair up the players subject to their age and ability, so the game can be very fast paced or leisurely.

The club has a programme of touring schools in the local area and are offering a free day to pupils who may be interested in the sport. Lessons are in English, so are understood by most Europeans. In the club house  refreshmments are available as are racquets and other sports equipment for the game.

The decor of the Club house has a very modern feeling, constructed from cement based boards, screwed to the studding without any decorations. On the diagonal shelving  goods are displayed adding a nice sense of colour.

In the bar Russian beer is also available imported by Baltyka and seating outside is plentiful. For further information go to http://www.padelpoint.com/

Ryanair flies from Humberside Airport to Alicante

Ryanair will be flying again twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturdays starting in April to Alicante Airport (Benidorm).
Humberside Airport  will see direct flights to the Med after a break of  four and a half years following the collapse of Excel Airways. It will be just in time for the  double bank holiday in late April and May. The planes will be 737-800 carrying 187 passengers.
Travelling from their local airport, holiday makers will be saving on travelling time and parking expenses at other regional airports. Also when they leave at 11.30 am  they will still have time to go to the beachs on arrival - Levante, Poniente and La Cala which are all sandy. Saturday and Tuesday flights are ideal for a long weekend get away and stag & hen parties !

Ryanair will also be joining the ranks of Monarch, Easyjet & Jet2 flying from MANCHESTER airport commencing on 12th April 2011.

Private transfers to Benidorm can be arranged in advance at reasonable rates via Alicante Private Transfers (http://www.alicanteprivatetransfers.com/).

Padel open day in English at the Camilo Cano Sports City in La Nucia

Padel is  played in doubles on an enclosed court about half the size of a tennis court. The balls used and the scoring is the same as normal tennis, but with a little less pressure.  The biggest difference is that the court has walls and the balls can be played off them in a similar way as in squash.
The sport was invented in Acapulco, Mexico by Enrique Corcuera in 1969. It is currently most popular in Argentina, Spain, Mexico. The sport's huge popularity along the Costa del Sol  has exposed it to a large number of British residents and holiday-makers and this is one of the reasons it is beginning to take off in the UK.

Padel is great for players of all ages and skills, as it is both quick and easy to pick up, and is less physically demanding than  squash. Most players get the grasp of it within the first 20 minutes of playing and find it easy to achieve a level of proficiency.
The Padel Club of La Nucia  in conjunction with the Town Hall have organized an open day  on Saturday 29^th January  10 -2 pm. All the instruction will be in English  and play will be on the 11 courts  at the Camilo Cano Sports  City
The aim is to bring the sport of Padel to an English speaking population of the Marina Baixa and create an English language school of Padel  in the province of Alicante. The sport is already played by 2 million Spaniards.

After the games pizza will be served for the participants,   provided by “Mar Capione’s Pizza” of La Nucia.  Jose Benavente, the sports councilor said that   this is a new initiative to build bridges with our foreign residents through sport.

WIBC - Women in Business Club meeting in Albir

WIBC is a women’s business networking club that helps progress the business aims & objectives of women living and working in Spain.

The club also raises money and awareness to support victims of domestic violence in Spain.  The emergency help & advice line number is 016 – which is freephone and untraceable and on which various languages are spoken.

The ladies hold monthly networking meetings   .... below is a picture taken at the Albir meeting which takes place on the 4th Monday of each month at the Kaktus hotel.  Check on the website for  dates of local meetings.

The WIBC hosts two specials events each year to honour women..... “International Women’s Day” and “White Ribbon Day”. 

This year International Women’s Day marks its 100^th year and is being held on Tuesday 8^th March at the Marriott Hotel, Denia from 10am till 6pm. There will be numerous stands selling products ranging from hand-made soaps , home bakes  & jewellery and  also stands offering services such as non-surgical facelifts , holiday clubs, Spanish dance classes & event decoration in addition to raffles, tombola’s and a fashion show. All the stands and services offered are from members of the WIBC and ALL monies raised on this day will go to support local victims of domestic violence.

Both ladies and gents are welcome to come along and help support this very important campaign.

For more details go to http://wibc-spain.com

Spooky or not???

This year we will  experience four unusual dates:  1/1/11    11/1/11    1/11/11     11/11/11

But now go and figure this out.......

Take the last two digits of the year you  were born, plus the age you will be this year and it should equal
111

Spooky?

"Grease" the Musical in La Nucia

This weekend  Brylcream and leather return to the stage with “Grease” at l’Auditori de la Mediteranea  in La Nucia.  Seventy amateur singers and dancers  from the Marina Baixa area  will perform  the new version of “Grease” directed by by Pascalle Bruens.

After the performance of the musical  “Fame” last year, the  young cast has been given another opportunity to excel.  The cast   of  6 -11 year old school children  and  12 – 18 old teenagers  chosen from  120 auditions comes from  various nationalities:  Spanish,  English,  Russian,  Dutch,  Belgian, French,  Norwegian  and  German. They also come from  different  towns – La Nucia, Benissa,  Altea, Alfas del Pi, Benidorm and Calpe.

The original 1978 film which was set in the 50s starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John,   has been updated with  new style of dancing like hip-hop, funky, and  break-dance.  The director Pascalle Bruens  who formed the company  “Streetwise “ in 2008 has worked  tirelessly  over the past four months  to  stage this multinational  musical.  Part of the proceeds of the four performances will be donated to the Aqualandia Mundomar Foundation for the dolphin therapy  program, which stimulates  disabled children through interaction with them.

Two performances will be in English on the  28^th and 29^th of January  and  two in Spanish on the 4^th and 5^th of February.  Tickets are € 10  and the shows start at  8pm.

New medical specialist centre in La Nucia

The special medical centre which opened in the middle of December of last year has already  added four more specialists:  Endocrine (hormones and glands),   Neurology, Allergy  and Physiotherapy, to the existing Midwifery and Sexual and Reproductive Health.

The centre  covers  for  a population of 79.500  spread over  12 municipalities  in the Marina Baixa area. Its four storeys   encompass  15  consulting  zones, with waiting rooms and a gymnasium.  Within the next  year  the following  specialists  should  be added:  General  surgery,  Pulmonology,  Digestive medicine,  Rheumatology,  Dermatology,  Urology,  Cardiology,  Gyneocology,  Opthalmology, Diagnostic radiology and Mental  Health.

The mayor  Bernabe  Cano said that it has been an achievement  to create a centre in La Nucia, so its residents don’t have to travel to Foietes  (Benidorm) or La Vila (Villa Joyosa Hospital) to see a specialist.

                                           

                                                                      Reception area

New Local Police Station opens in Alfas del Pi

Today at 12 noon the new Policia Local station was opened by the mayor Vicente Arques Cortes, Encarna LLinares and Leire Pajin Iraola, Minister of Health and Political Social Equality. Local people turned up to view the event and later pass through the building to inspect it's facilities

The "casually dressed" Minister pictured above greeting  the local dignitaries

 

The new station of 400sq.m. which also incorporates the Civil Protection unit, is a conversion from an old finca. It was increased in size, using eco friendly materials, insulation and solar panels for electricity and heating water.  The aiconditiong re-circulates and purifies the air with low CO2 emmisions. The latest security, elecronic and fire alert systems have also  been installed. There is also enough parking spaces for 80 cars at front.

The station is situated near the new sports pavilion, which is at the bottom of the carpark  by the Friday market, and has good car access.

Heliactivo - the heliport of Benidorm

For a real once in a lifetime thrill why not try a helicopter ride .... the REAL way to see Benidorm! You can suprise a loved one as a birthday treat or try an alternative anniversary present rather than the normal meal out !!!!

Located alongside "Terra Mitica" theme park, overlooking Benidorm is the heliport "Heliactivo".  The owner, Marc Hevesi, tells me it has been there for 5 years. He himself has been in the helicopter business for 20 years - 10 of which were spent in Madrid.

The company offers a "taster" 20 minute flight called "The Benidorm Walk" ....The route taken starts over Benidorm, goes towards Calpe and then turns inland over the reservoir in Guadalest and finishes over La Cala Finestrat. The  Robinson helicopter has a capacity for four people, pilot and three passengers. Such a group would pay €300 per flight (thats works out to only €100 per person!) Insurance is included in the price so there is no need to worry about taking additional cover.

The views are absolutely breathtaking and you can video the entire journey and take pictures throughout.  For those that live here why not take an arial photo  or video of your property  to send to your friends.

Have you ever thought of getting married  or having a civil partnership ceremony in a helicopter with Benidorm as the backdrop. Well now it is possible. If you arrange for a registrar to accompany you, you can take your vows in mid air.... that'll certainly make it a day to remember !

If you are staying in the 5 star Asia Gardens Hotel you can get a transfer by helicopter from Alicante or Valencia Airports. For more information and videos go to http://www.heliactivo.com/

British summer bookings up 10% in Benidorm

The president of the hoteliers association has said that there are 10% more reservations from the British market for next summer in Benidorm than last year. He considered the effect of  the stronger pound and new taxes on air travel in the UK,  which have hit long haul destinations,  had an imput. Hoteliers still remain concerned about the comming season  regarding the  domestic market, as Spaniard normally book at the last minute.

In the future the hotels  may turn to the O'Leary model of  business. If you have been on Ryanair, you know the drill...

Price of room in hotel  5€ per night (subject to season).  But the room is empty. You can bring your own sleeping bags.  If you would like a bed s/db/tw 4/5/6 € per knight including bedding. The key for the  bathroom facilities can be purchased for 5€ per night. TV and stand for 3€  per night.  Furniture for the balcony 2€ per night.  Aircon unit use  6€ per 12 hours.  Bedside tables 1€ per night.  And as for using the lift to get to the 8th floor, forget it. The  charge is 1€ per person or use the stairs. And don't forget the booking fee. 2€ per person per night....... Now you can have a realy cheap holiday avoiding all the extras.

Price of beer in Benidorm

Driving down the Mediteraneo this afternoon, I could not help but notice the board outside one of the many bars. As prices for beer in the UK rose last week to over £3 - due to the VAT rise, here in Benidorm they seem to have come down !!!!

For those of you that can't see the small board, here is a close up.

Yes, it does say 1 euro for a PINT of San Miguel  - and that's NOT a Happy Hour special price - its ALL DAY!!!! Almost makes it worth while to fly down for a weekend just for the beer, as the savings on each pint would add up to the price of the flight on Ryanair.

Joseph comes to Benidorm Palace

Joseph’s Grand Finale

After their recent four spectacular performances of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” last November, the Footlights members are now winding themselves up into action again after the holiday break.
For those who missed this wonderful family show, with a cast of 55,  there will be a final performance at the  Benidorm Palace, on Sunday 23 January 2011 at 8.00pm.
Tickets price 15 €uros are available from Benidorm Palace box office http://www.benidorm-palace.com/

Footlights have recently made donations totaling 5600 euros from the performances of  "Joseph"  to local charities in Calpe and La Nucia.

Calpe based Footlights Theatre Group is the largest musical theatre group on the Costa Blanca, specializing in producing lavish stage musicals, performed in English. Recent successes include “Anything Goes”, "Me and My Girl", "Evita", "Oliver", and "Oklahoma". Rehearsals will begin in early February for the 2011 production of “Fiddler on the Roof”.
Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings in Calpe; all nationalities are very welcome. Trevor Harder the Director can be reached on  965870198.

Companians Club, Albir.

Have you ever been to Albir Gardens hotel on a Tuesday morning and wondered why there are so many people there ? Well wonder no more. Companians is an English speaking social club which meets there every Tuesday morning from 10.30 onwards. It is a huge club with ap 500 members and so a great starting point for meeting others. They organise many weekly events such as Friday walks, petanca, whist, lunches to name afew and also organise trips such as one this week to Ikea & Primark in Murcia. They also have short 4/5 excursions exploring Spain !

Membership to join is free - and applications are open to accept new members until end January. The only stipulation is that you are resident in Spain for a minimum of 6 months. After 4 consecutive weeks attendance you are eligable for a "Loyalty Card" which entitles you to various perks and discounts at local outslets, bars and restaurants.

They organsie 3 big dinner dances every year with live entertainment .... so if you like dressing up and dancing the night away then this is certainly somewhere to consider joining.

They have a website http://www.companians.org/ where you can browse through some of their recent outings and view forthcoming  events. Below are a few pictures to be going on with.....

                                                            Weekly meeting at Albir Gardens

                                                                    Xmas dinner dance

                                                    Anniversary Ball at El Canor, Teulada

Antique markets in Benidorm

El Cisne Rastro is well known for its car boot like merchandise, but within the market is a large building housing the Antiguedades - Antiques.... which is also open weekdays - not only on "rastro" days.

The building covers several hundred sq. meters. Inside the areas are divided up and each dealer has his own speciality with different style antiques, military uniforms, porcelein,silver, heavy furniture etc.  The perimiter walls are covered with paintings of various sizes and periods. For the antique collector or connoisseur it is definitely a place to visit. Next door are several bars and caffes, where one can relax and gloat over any fine purchases.

Across the old N332 there is another antique shop. Here a house has been incorporated into the display area where lots of fine original artworks hang.There is no pressure selling  - the owner sits by the bar enjoing his drinks and talking to friends but is on-hand to answer any questions. 

Here are some antique hand made tiles which could be incorporated into a new floor to form a beautiful central display.

Martial Arts & Swimming classes at "The Club"

,Martial Arts are great fun for kids and a great way to burn off extra energy. At "The Club" - located on urb. Bello Horizonte, La Nucia - they teach Taijutsu which contains many techniques similar to those found in Karate and Jui Jutsu ....and  is an excellent method of self-defence. The movements  help to develop coordination, strenght and flexibility. As the pupils progress they are graded and receive different coloured belts - starting at yellow and aiming for black !

The teacher, or to use the correct term "Sensei" is Steve Cowley who has been in the leisure industry for over 25 years - with a sucessful club also in the UK.

Classes are held every Saturday morning 11am - 12pm. For further info contact http://www.theclub.tv/

Also offered at The Club are Saturday morning swimming classes for both adults & children in their indoor heated pool taught by Ian Hicks, ex Olympic and cross channel swimmer.

3 Kings Parade

The night of the 5th January ia awaited with great excitement by Spanish children. Every town and city in Spain has its own parade through the streets with floats where the "Reyes Magos" or Three Wise Men shower the children with sweets. It is tradition for children to leave their shoes on their windowsills and fill them with straw for the horses of the visiting trio who deliver presents to the children on the morning of the 6th January. This day is a National Holiday in Spain and children always return to school the day after.