Benidorm Town Hall taking action on crime

Benidorm Mayor Agustin Navarro chaired a meeting at the Town Hall yesterday with the Head of Security, Police officials and local business leaders to discuss the issues raised following much controversial press coverage in the UK national papers - most notably The Sun.

The City Council have requested that Central Government restore National Police reinforcements during the busy Summer period having noticed a reduction from previous years. The Mayor was satisfied that Alberto Martinez, representative from the regional government was willing to address the situation, especially as Benidorm relies so heavily on its image. Municipal sources admitted that additional funding this year had been "slightly lower than in other years" but all coastal resorts had suffered equally.

Navarro was forthright that the image of the town needs to be addressed and better co-ordination between the Local Police and National Police especially in the "busiest areas" referring to the English Square. At a previous meeting it was proposed that a "sub police station" should be installed in the area with English speaking police staff to better assist the holiday makers and make the process of reporting crime easier.

English Square

At the moment when a "petty" crime is committed, such as wallet pinched, most tourists do not report it as they know there is little chance of recovering it. In addition there is the aggravation of having to spend time at the Police station, often with a translator. However, if these crimes are not reported then "officially" they do not exist therefore police numbers are not increased accordingly - its a catch 22 situation.

Pea men at work!

One thing you will never see in Benidorm is a policeman/woman walking or heaven forbid, running after anyone. They are either sitting in their cars or on a motorbike - there is no such thing as "walking the beat" here. Last week I saw a police car do a U Turn on the Avd Mediterraneo and apprehend a "look out". Look outs are there to give warning to the peamen that the police are about - they whistle and the conmen quickly disperse.  The two lady officers didn´t even get out of the car - they just lowered their window, leaned out and 10 seconds later were gone.

The pea men are an organised criminal group that will try and entice you to place bets on where the pea is hidden. The crowd watching are made up of gang members supposedly placing bets and winning and telling you how easy it is.... STAY AWAY!!!!! They set up on busy pavements - a popular spot is on the Avd Mediterraneo at the corner where the Wine Barril money exchange is and also outside the entrance to the Indoor Market. They make up a "table" out of a cardboard box, bring out the 3 potato halves and off they go.

However, the pickpockets and con merchants know there is little that can be done if they are caught with less than 400 euros.... and so until this law is changed I believe that little will change. Perhaps they should approach the issue of theft the same way that Saudi Arabia does!

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Mayhem & Madness: the tales of an airport transfer company

Row of shuttle buses waiting at the airport

Have you every wondered what goes on behind the scenes at a shuttle transfer call centre? I asked one of the young ladies to recall a typical working day and here is her account....

Oscar Wilde once said "there is more stupidity than hydrogen in the universe, and it has a longer shelf life"- this had never become more apparent than when I started work for an airport transfer company. The instructions given to predominantly British tourists was to call a number the day before their flight in order to confirm what time the shuttle bus would come to pick them up for their return journey to the airport. Now compared to IKEA flatpack furniture - and correct me if Im wrong, these seem to be totally foolproof instructions! However, I was quickly mistaken at just how much common sense one can lack.

Disembarking in Benidorm

The first problem I came across was the strong accents customers seem to have, classing strong as anything outside the radius of the M25. After adjusting myseld to to deal with this I was asked the most peculiar question: for a flight that was to take off at 8 o´clock in the evening, would the 5 o´clock pick-up be in the morning or evening? Having been bought up around people blessed with common sense, I sarcastically replied that the pick up would indeed be in the morning to allow for any traffic (the airport is half an hour away) and problems at check in. However this soon backfired as I could hear on the other end of the phone the customer relaying this newly-found information to their other half. Thinking quick on my feet, and taking advantage of the fact that they were hard of hearing, I shouted down the phone that it was indeed a "tea time" pick-up - to which they confirmed the time and I re-confirmed. This occurred back and forth for about 30 seconds.

Thinking that such questions were more the rarity than the common, I carried on answering the phone forgetting about the first incident. It is common knowledge that us Londoners like to keep ourselves to ourselves, and that divulging more information than necessary is certainly frowned upon. This is clearly not the case for most people. For a select group of people, it is totally the norm to tell me all about their two week stay in Benidorm. I now consider myself somewhat of an expert on what and what not to get on the buffet cart at dinner, why the hotel certainly didn´t deserve its 3rd star rating and most importantly, all about Juan on reception´s nieces christening last Saturday.

Unpacked & enjoying a pint on the Levante front...

While conversations like these I don´t mind too much, others shoot to the top of the list of people testing my patience. A top example of this is when I was asked by a customer why the pool wasn´t warm enough for their liking. Being no expert on the physics of water heating up and certainly not being prepared for these sorts of ridiculous questions I searched my common sense for a) a way to laugh more subtly and b) how on earth I came to find myself sitting in an office being asked about pool temperatures. The answer lay in the fact that the pool lay in the shade all day. The response I got to this was "why can´t the pool just be moved". Yes.... why indeed.

Arrivals hall at Alicante airport

When a customer calls up they fall into one of three categories, all of which lead me to the same conclusion  of rendering me speechless - but let us remember that its the journey and not the destination that makes for a good story. After picking up the phone the first set of people rather stereotypically come out with "do you speak English" and I hear a huge sigh of relief on answering that "of course I speak English". The second group of people, upon picking up, bombard me with irrelevant information such as their date of arrival and room number. The third, and the group I dread simply state the name of their hotel before promptly asking "what time". Yes... because Iam psychic and know everything about you including your name and therefore require no more information other than the sound of your voice and hotel name!

Some people call up for various reasons of why they have not made it onto the bus - not being in the right place probably has something to do with it. One group of passengers who found themselves in this predicament called me in a panic regarding the whereabouts of their bus. Upon learning this I asked them the mandatory questions such as their name, hotel and where they were currently waiting. Usually the answer to this last question, coming from someone who has not made it onto the bus is along the lines of being outside another similarly named hotel or on the wrong side of the road. However, the passengers in question took me by surprise. Their response was that they were waiting in their hotel room and had been all morning. How they ever intended or expected to get on the bus I will never know.

Going home - back at departures

As a shuttle transfer company, some of the questions I find myself faced with baffle me. A very common occurrence is being mistaken for individual airlines and subsequently being asked to change flights. On another occasion I answered the phone to someone who unfortunately had had their phone stolen and asked me if I could issue a police report. Sadly, as in an busy resort things go missing or are stolen - with sentimental value often costing more than the monetary value of the item. One lady in particular had her case mistaken taken by another passenger at an earlier stop - at absolutely no fault of the driver. Upon retrieving her missing case she called to tell us that totally irreplaceable items were missing and this had now ruined her holiday. I suggested that she files a police report to learn that the objects in question were a bag of make up and a bikini!

On the flip side we also get calls and letters thanking us for the wonderful service received and that they are already booking their holiday for the following year - and asking the opinion of a certain hotel.  Working with people, some of which seem to have left their common sense on the runway in the UK can be a challenging or rewarding experience - depending on the day of the week and who is on the other end of the line.

The one thing that has become clear to me is the fact that a simple please or thank you can make my day, and no matter what your query I will be happy to help as best as I can.

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Scooter hire in Benidorm

Row of shiny 50cc scooters

Driving along the Calle Lepanto yesterday, at the Avd Europa end I waited in a traffic jam - yes in August we even get them in Benidorm and noticed a line of shiny scooters all lined up outside a shop. Being the curious person that I am, I pulled up on the zig zag line like everyone else does, put my hazard lights on and went inside.

The shop is called "The Scooter Company" and I spoke to the owner Jurgen (to us Brits thats George) who is Dutch but speaks perfect English.

He has an entire new fleet of scooters which you can hire by the day, week or even longer. At present he has twenty six 50cc scooters and thirty 125cc ones - but is waiting for delivery of another two hundred!

Stash of helmets - including pink ones!

The current "high season" rates are 30 euros per day up until mid September, but then they will come down - obviously the longer the hire period the cheaper it becomes. Included in the hire price is a helmet, insurance, lock and road side assistance.... and there is no mileage limitation.

 Jurgen told me of two extreme cases recently; one was a days rental where the client had knocked up 400 km in a day and the other whereby a couple had only driven 40km .... in an entire week! On returning the scooter they told him that they had driven everywhere and had had the best time ever.... he was somewhat puzzled and asked exactly where they had been and it turned out that they drove down to the beach from their apartment every day, which was about 200 metres - it saved them carrying everything! I liked their thinking....

Me pretending to ride!

Every scooter is inspected by a mechanic after each return before being rented out again and the helmets are sterilized and cleaned before being used again - they certainly take health and safety seriously here.
I asked if it was expensive to run a scooter - a 50cc takes aprox 10 euros of petrol to fill up and will do over 150km to a tank full... with today´s rising petrol prices seems like a good idea.

To hire a scooter you need to have had a FULL driving licence for a minimum of 3 years and age restrictions apply - 18 years of age to hire a 50cc and 21 years for a 125cc. This is great news for younger holiday makers as many car hire companies in Spain do not hire out cars to under 23´s or in some cases 25 - so you can still get out and about independently.  In the busy Summer months its a nightmare trying to park in Benidorm so a scooter is certainly worth considering - many people that drive here park their big cars in a carpark then hire a scooter to get out and about everyday. Or if you just want a break from the sea & sand to wonder off and explore for a day, Guadalest up in the mountains is idilic and a total change from Benidorm.

When driving a scooter on a main N road, such as the N332, a 50cc one must drive on the right of the solid white line which is on the edge of the pavement side. This is why you cannot park within 1 metre of this  line. However, a 125cc scooter must drive on the left of this line - same as cars and motorbikes.

You can find The Scooter Company opposite Vincents Village pub and they are open from 9am until 20.30pm or contact number is 865 677 688 ... and no I haven´t made a mistake, it does begin with an 8 - apparently Telefonica have run out of landline numbers beginning with a 9!

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Rain stops play in Benidorm!

Scene last year on Avd Mediterraneo

Sunday´s much needed rain bought chaos to Benidorm as sewers overflowed, unable to cope with the torrential downpour. The early Summer rain was very short but sharp and proved that the towns sewerage and drainage system lacks capacity.

Gema Amor, town Councillor responsible for Environment said that "we had barely half an hour of rain, ap 25 litres per square metre with peaks greater than that, which is a lot of rain in such a short space of time". In the Rincon de Loix on the Avd Ametlla de Mar, where flooding problems occur whenever it rains intensely, the sewer had no capacity and overflowed according to Amor causing a black discharge and foul smell only several metres from the promenade and sand.

PP leader Jose Ramon Gonzalez de Zarate immediately sent a letter to the council denouncing the incident, demanding a technicians report showing the actions and analysis to "guarantee optimal state of the sand and water in the affected area". He claims that the area was not cordoned off or any signs errected. However Amor hit back that within an hour the area had been cleaned and that the local police, Council technicians, Aquagest (water company) FCC and RA were all on the scene and insisted that "an hour later tourists were back on the beach"

Regarding potential investment in the sewer, Amor denied some work is outstanding "beyond the usual improvements". However she noted that technicians in engineering are studying what happened in case it is necessary to prioritize some more work in the area".... that sounds like she is covering herself!

As usual with heavy downpours, the ravines in La Cala Finestrat were left flooded. Last October it was the scene of sudden freak flash flooding and 2 British pensioners were swept to their deaths.

They seem to have problems here whenever there is anything more than heavy rain... the drains never seem to be able to cope and flooded roads are common in most towns. There are rumors that there will be a Gota Fria this year, especially as we have had such extremely hot weather for a prolonged period. Gota Fria´s usually occur in September when the sea temperature is still high but the temperature in the airstream drops - so pack your mac if visiting then!

Don´t forget to vote in the poll we are carrying out on the top right hand side.....


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The rise and rise of All Inclusives to Benidorm

AI Bali hotel located in La Cala

The unstoppable rise of the All Inclusive holiday to Benidorm continues to spark tension between hoteliers, restauranteurs and retailers.
Javier Garcia, deputy president of HOSBEC, the hoteliers association said that "If we did not offer All Inclusives then we would loose customers. People want to ensure that their holiday budget is clear - this market has grown and continues to grow and if we did not offer it people would go to other destinations". Approximately 10,000 out of the 40,000 hotel beds in Benidorm are now being taken on an All Inclusive basis - a staggering 25% of the market! However that figure does not include self catering apartments, villa rentals or campsites which takes the figure up to 200,000.

Hotel Levante Club

However, owners of shops, bars and restaurants have strongly attacked this hotel arrangement, which they claim causes major losses or even forces businesses to close said the president of "Abreca"- the association of bars & restaurants, one of the sectors most affected by the all inclusive.

Benidorm mayor Agustin Navarro stated that "hoteliers understand that they are in the hands of tour operators" but he wanted to emphasize that the all inclusive "for the city is catastrophic, not only for our industry but for all of Benidorm" - so we know which camp he sits in as he certainly backs the thoughts of "Abreca" !

On speaking to people on their thoughts about All Inclusives in Benidorm there are many mixed views. Those that favor them are generally families with young children but many commented that the food offered within these packages is basic and very limited.
But even those that have stayed at an AI have noticed that standards have slipped. One couple that had stayed at the Levante Club then returned 10 months later noticed a marked difference. "The spirits were awful" and many now offer a premium drinks upgrade! AI´s only give local spirits but they have caught onto the trend that some people will pay extra for branded drinks - and many AI´s have started offering this option.

Flamingo Oasis

One group of holiday makers staying at the Flamingo Oasis said that although she can generally find something to eat at the buffet, she no longer looks forward to the meals and certainly doesn´t enjoy the long queues that form at the buffet counters - a common complaint. Another thing which she noticed is that they now no longer offered bottled water.

But most people said that eating and drinking is such good value in Benidorm why bother going AI. With so much choice it is better to go self catering or on a bed & breakfast basis. The whole point of going on holiday is to try different places and if you are booked into an AI then you begrudge "paying again" ... which was a common held view. All of the All Inclusive hotels are in the Rincon area - non are located in the Old Town where you will find smaller and more traditional ones.

I spoke to one family staying AI at the Sol Pelicanos as they tucked into lunch at a local British bar! I asked why they weren´t eating at the hotel and they said that all the food looks the same day after day " it gets boring - we wanted something different". They also criticized the fact that they were not allowed to use the swim up bar in the pool. Apparently it was for "premium AI customers only"... something they were not even offered when they were booking. Even when they went to the other bar on the opposite side of the pool area they were restricted to 2 drinks which meant that the husband couldn´t get a drink for himself, his wife and young child. "I understand people taking advantage (he didn´t actually use that word but another more direct meaning) but I only wanted a beer and 2 cokes".

Sol Pelicanos

All Inclusives always have buffet style dining... you tend to get the same food day after day. In Benidorm there has been a marked rise in the amount of Chinese Wok style buffet restaurants - you go and help yourself to ready made dishes or have the option of picking raw meat/fish and then taking it to the chef to cook. But many people say that they don´t like queuing - if they go out to a restaurant they want to be served, otherwise its just like being at home. It certainly is good value at 10 euros per adult for all you can eat but depends whether you mind having to get it yourself.

We are conducting a series of polls on Benidorm - if you can help us out please click on the multiple choice answers to the right of the articles.

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Benidorm´s "Golden Mile" ?

Benidorm´s Golden Mile!

When you hear the term "Golden Mile" you have visions of the famous Las Vegas strip, all lit up and glamorous. However, Benidorm´s so called Golden Mile is anything but....

It is a stretch on the old N332 which use to be the main road through Benidorm before the bypass was built ... which incidentally is being improved and widened as we speak. The Golden Mile stretches from the ITV(MOT) station up until the roundabout at the top of the Avd Europa. It is flanked on either side by disco nightclubs, and is once again being discussed by the local councillors. Benidorm Town Hall is proposing to the clubs that if they invest in the infrastructure of the surrounding area they will grant them an extension to their licenses, allowing them to remain open for a further 5 - 10 years.

Despite the decline of the area the clubs continue to attract thousands of predominantly Spanish youngsters every weekend.... the Brits tend to stick to the English Square off calle Gerona. The recent success of the Electro Beach festival which attracted masses of youngsters to the area has possibly prompted this proposal.

The decline of the area is mainly down to uncertainty by the club owners on what will happen to the land. In 1993 over two hundred thousand square metres of land had a partial development plan approved. Then in 2002 the area was reclassified into residential use with plans to build several apartment blocks and a hotel complex. In 2003 a demolition notice was served on the clubs, but year after year nothing has happened. They have been living under an uncertain cloud with continuous announcements that this will be their last Summer and so nothing has been done about the decline of the surrounding area.

The Mayor is proposing a facelift to the area consisting of improving the pavements, car park signage, environmental cleaning - which I think means getting rid of all the fly tipping and landscaping of the area, which would be funded by the club owners. Navarro´s proposal reopens a debate that not so long ago the PP and CDL parties both spoke about, with the area being struck by years of paralysis. The only certainty is that all parties seem to agree that something must be done to restore the shine to the Golden Mile.

It certainly looks very barren but the young that arrive at 1am to enter the clubs do not notice the surroundings and on leaving in the early hours are in not fit state to! I remember driving into Benidorm many years ago at 8am to see crowds spilling out of the clubs, somewhat worse for wear.

The main advantage of the clubs being located on this stretch is that the noise is not disturbing anyone as there is nothing else around. If residential blocks are built nearby then they would be forced to install noise minimizers and alter the opening hours etc. At the moment they are all contained in a small area and so it is easy to police them.

The area definitely needs improving as it is an eyesore, giving it a seedy image - the Town Halls proposal would not cost Benidorm tax payers anything as it would be funded privately, a good idea in my opinion.

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Attendant filling up the cars at Repsol

August has been a very busy month in Benidorm - mainly due to the domestic Spanish holiday maker taking a "staycation". The city dwellers, particularly those from Madrid flock to Benidorm for their 2 week break - they view Benidorm as their local beach. Unfortunately the majority drive and its a nightmare trying to find somewhere to park during this period. Add to the equation foreign holiday makers in their rental cars and Benidorm begins to look a bit like a UK town, with cars bumper to bumper along the Avd Mediterraneo and drivers competing for parking spaces.

Today´s record price

With so many cars descending is it a coincidence that petrol prices are at their highest! Today´s price is 1.55 euro per litre - which is an all time high here, but it is still cheaper than in the UK where the average price is 1.38 GBP making it ap 1.72 euros.

But the main difference between Spanish and British petrol stations is the service received. At many Spanish ones you still get a personal service with an attendant filling up for you - just like the old days in the UK.  Watch "Heartbeat" if you are too young to remember! This is particularly useful to women - not because we don´t know how to fill up but from the security aspect. You can sit in your car and pay the attendant without having to leave your vehicle, which at night is great. If you have a baby or young child in the car,  it is always a torment whether to leave them sleeping or take them out as you have to go into the shop or kiosk to pay.... here you don´t have that problem. All Repsol service stations have attendants and many BP ones too - so if you don´t want your hands smelling of petrol, head to one of those if you need to fill up.

Busy car hire kiosks at Alicante airport

If you are here on holiday and looking to hire a car, remember to ask about the petrol policy. Each company has different policies and if possible go for one with a full full option. That means you bring the car back full. If its an "empty" option you are paying for fuel that you may not use.... which at the current pump prices could be costly. Also try and remove any car hire stickers so as not to draw attention to the fact that you are a tourist from a safety aspect.

Most of the Spanish holiday makers will start heading back this weekend so it will be interesting to see whether the petrol prices start to fall ... supply and demand, they have to get back! But they do tend to go down as quickly as they go up - unlike in the UK where they go up straight away but are somewhat slower to come down.

Staycations are certainly something that the UK government is trying to encourage and I think that even the UK press are joining in.  This appeared to be the case recently with The Sun and The Mirror, knocking resorts such as Benidorm - perhaps to scare visitors away? Increasing cheap flights abroad on budget carriers have had a severe impact on British tourism, especially to seaside resorts. But with the unpredictable British weather many Brits flock to the likes of Benidorm as they can generally be guaranteed sunshine over the summer months - unlike the UK when people still had their central heating on in June! However, its not kept the British Prime Minister David Cameron and his Deputy Nick Clegg away - they are both holidaying in Spain!

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Queen Elizabeth Cruise ship in Alicante

The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, operated by Cunard arrives in the port of Alicante today this morning, sailing in from Rome then setting sail again at 17.00 this afternoon for Gibraltar.
The 2100 passengers, (and 900 staff) will have the opportunity to disembark and spend the day on shore - I remember earlier this year there was talk of offering an excursion service to coach them over to Benidorm but not sure whether this materialised or not. It would certainly be good for the resort!

The Queen Elizabeth was built in 2010 and is 294 metres long (963 ft in old money). Her maiden voyyage set sail on 12th October 2010 from Southampton heading to the Spanish port of Vigo in Northern Spain before heading to Lisbon, Cadiz and the Canaries.

Alicante port

You can catch the tram to Alicante from Benidorm - it literally terminates at the port and you can spend an enjoyable day out in the city. You can walk around the port and marina admiring the boats bobbing up and down and enjoy a drink along the harbour. For those that like a flutter, there is a casino located there - The Casino Mediterraneo. Remember to take you passport of ID if you plan to go in though. There use to also be one in Villa Joyosa but that closed down some years ago.

Santa Barbara castle

From the port area you can´t fail to see the Santa Barbara Castle, perched up high overlooking Alicante. It is one of the largest medieval fortresses in Europe built by the Moors in the 10th Century. The castle is free to visit and you will see everything a castle should have: cannons, dungeons, lookout tower  but most of all a spectacular view of the city. Its a bit of a walk to get there, alternatively you can take the elevator - for which there is a charge.

The marbled promenade running parallel to the seafront is overflowing in the evening with people taking an evening stroll. They have stalls that are open into the early hours of the morning selling a multitude of things and an open air music pavilion where you can often catch a free concert.

In the centre are lots of shops, including the department store El Corte Ingles - similar to John Lewis and you will aslo find the British Consulate here.

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An alternative to mobility scooters in Benidorm?

On the Avd Mediterraneo all lit up

If you fancy trying something a bit different whilst in Benidorm, then have a go on the Benibike!
Need some exercise to burn off all those Menu del Dias you´ve been indulging in or extra pints you have been enjoying, then this may be something to look at!
I saw it yesterday evening going along the the main Avd Mediterraneo, all lit up and it looked good fun - but you need rather a lot of energy.

It is a vehicle which is powered by bicycle dynamos! The "bus" has 12 seats, 6 on either side and you have to peddle as if you were on a bike to make it move. There is a bench seat across the back which sits 3 for those that just want to enjoy the ride or for children that can´t quite reach the peddles. The bus comes with a driver who sits at the front to steer the wheels.... and offer words of encouragement when you are getting tired!

It is based by the Grill House on the Avd Mediterraneo, near to the "train" that runs up and down the town (near the 24hr pharmacy).

There are 2 options: You can either just go on a 45 minute ride around the town, going down the Levante promenade and that costs 5 euros per person or the second option for 10 euros is you have a beer stop at one of the local bars on the beach front - that price includes 2 drinks.

There was certainly a lot of interest and everyone was stopping to look. You don´t all have to peddle at the same time, obviously it goes faster but by the same token you can´t all decide to have a rest at the same time otherwise it will stop!
Looks like a bit of fun, especially if you are a group coming over on your holiday. I can imagine that the stags & hens will all be having a go!

I perched on one of the seats but as you can tell from the heels I had on I didn´t actually have a go - it was enough exercise for me trying to get off it afterwards!

Whilst walking down the Levante front I was shocked at the number of mobility scooters around - I even saw a family convoy. A double one with mum, dad and child perched on knee followed by two more double ones with children on adult knees. They were wizzing and weaving through the crowds and parked up outside a restaurant, jumped off and all went in to eat. Looking at the size of some of them, especially the children they would have done better to walk to the restaurant - it is certainly encouraging laziness and obesity!

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Charity Golf tournament at Villaitana Benidorm

Villaitana Golf Resort

The charity golf day held on Sunday was a great success and very well attended. The venue was the beauitiful Villaitana golf resort in Benidorm - located up towards Terra Mitica.
 I popped by on Saturday to find Dave, Ted and Aldo busy setting everything up - you don´t realise how much preparation goes on behind the scenes to make events such as this possible.

Driver Dave and Ted hanging on for dear life!

The boys had been there for most of the day and they took me for a spin on a golf buggy around the 18 hole course, a first for me! Each hole had been kindly sponsored by a local business and had advertising boards, so we were checking that they were all secure as a slight wind was whipping up.

The actual day of the tournament was an early start, 8am - which more or less happened. An incredible 80 players took part, playing for 4 teams. Unfortunately my bed was far too comfortable so I arrived mid morning to find Dave and Co busy at work - poor Martin had the "enviable job" of chopping enough onions to accompany 100 odd burgers!

The incredible array of raffle and auction prizes were being put out and the generosity of businesses is heartwarming, especially in the current economic climate. The top prize was a shiny monster bbq worth 700 euros, donated by The BBQ shop in Calpe and The Bed Centre in Calpe, which was won by a Eduardo, a Spanish golfer. Thanks also to Benidorm Palace who donated tickets to the show and Circus, Wayne at Showboat for a meal for 2, lots of drinks courtesy of The Buying Group, who also sponsored 2 holes on the course - the list is endless!

I drove around the course with Ted and we stopped at each hole to take pictures and offer water, sandwiches and cakes to the players - its hungry work tapping that ball around... can you tell Im not a player. I must say that I am almost tempted to take up golfing but one thing stands in the way.... the golf shoes Id have to wear. If I could wear a 6 inch diamante version I may be tempted, but somehow....

The players started arriving back at the 19th hole, Club house shortly before noon - you see I have already picked up golfing terminology! Score cards were handed in to Dave and his assistants who spent the next hour or so adding figures up to work out who the winners were. The players all enjoyed some refreshments and cooled off in the shade. The staff at the Golf resort were great, busily rushing around and serving some very thirsty chaps - and there was also a good show of lady golfers too.

Hungry golfers

Dave took to the mic to give a thank you speech, which included the golfers for participating in the day, all the sponsors and generous prize donors and everyone that came to support the event. He then invited all the hungry players to enjoy the bbq, which smelt delicious. All the food for the bbq had been provided by Ted of the Union Jack Bar in Benidorm free of charge - what a star.

Once the golfers were fed Dave then announced all the winners..... each of the four participating teams had individual winners but what everyone was waiting to hear was the overal team which would win the Emaus Cup.... and that honor went to "The Union Jack Golf Society" with a score of 596 points. 2nd place went to Villaitana with 584 points, 3rd place Alfaz/Albir and 4th Team Europe.

Winning team - Union Jack Golf Society

The president of the Emaus charity, Monserrat came along to thank everyone for their gallant efforts to raise money for the children´s charity. They are at present concentrating their fundraising to buy school books for the 200 children, and I certainly know how expensive that is here! In Spain the schools do not provide the text books and it is the parents responsibility to buy them, as well as exercise books and stationary. Last years text books for my son came to over 400 euros so you can only imagine how much it costs to equip all the children with books!

Another very important lady that was present was Deborah Alvarez Turner, mother of a very special little girl called Keira. The Emaus charity are also helping fundraise in order to send Keira to Florida for some intensive therapy that she requires, having been born with cerebral palsy, brain damage and epilepsy. Virgin Airlines are providing the flights to Florida Kiera and her mum which is amazing and the charity arm of McDonalds are helping with the accommodation. Another huge helping hand comes from the "Tartan Army" who have added 1100 GBP to the Keira fund - Deborah is Scottish herself.  They are a group of supporters of the Scottish National football team and follow the team around when abroad. They do an awful lot of fundraising and find local charities where ever the team are playing - they helped to build a football pitch at one of the Emaus homes last year. For the golf tournament Deborah organised a secret auction with a prize of 3 night break in the north of Spain in Asturias!

Monserrat in the middle with Deborah in red

The tournament raised 3200 euros and an additional 1000 euros was raised from two other fundraising events over the weekend, so a total of 4200 euros was  handed over to a delighted Monserrat. She was touched and very appreciative of the generosity that everyone showed towards the charity.

Well done to everyone who helped to make this day a success, especially Dave Morris of the Union Jack Golf Society and Tony at The Bed Centre in Calpe for organising the event.

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Ryanair under investigation in Spain

Following a complaint from AENA the Spanish Airports Authority, the Aviation Safety Agency under the Ministry of Development has initiated an investigation against budget carrier Ryanair. This follows an incident when 3 Ryanair flights were forced to make emergency landings at Manises Airport in Valencia on 26th July due to lack of fuel. It has opened a debate on the aggressive cost cutting policies favored of the budget airline. In a statement the company said that "Its flights were operating with fuel levels required by European authorities"

Queue at Ryanair check in Alicante airport

Following a thunderstorm in Madrid, the 3 flights in question could not make the landing at Barajas in Madrid and had to be diverted to Manises in Valencia. The planes circled Valencia for 50, 68 and 69 minutes and when they reached the "minimum level of reserve fuel that allows each aircraft to operate" the pilots requested a "priority emergency landing".

Regulations on fuel requirements is complex and depends on calculations submitted by the pilot, according to COPAC, the Association of Commercial Aviation Pilots. Before take off the pilot must calculate how much kerosene is required to reach the destination. It should also include enough fuel in case of heavy traffic or bad weather at the destination airport that may force him to queue - usually reserves for 45 minutes. In addition, a final reserve to provide a cushion of at least 30 minutes is required and when the plane falls below this reserve the pilot may request an emergency landing, as was the case.

If the pilot adjusts these calculations the company can make savings as they carry less fuel therefore the plane weighs less and so consumes less fuel "A policy that puts fuel economy ahead of security" says COPAC. In a statement, Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara  said "the aircraft landed "normally" with correct "minimum" fuel. This included the fuel needed for route detours and fuel in case of contingencies"

According to employees of the airline, at least two internal memoranda have been issued to emphasis that the pilots must fill up the minimum amount "necessary" to fulfil its flight plan and "any extra must be justified in writing". It is obviously placing a lot of additional pressure on pilots knowing that they are being scrutinised. The company is well known for its cost cutting measures - the furor for making passengers board and disembark at Alicante airport using stairs instead of the airbridges is still being contested.

Busy Alicante airport

Spanish pilots union SEPLA has applauded the decision of the Spanish Agency for Aviation Safety to investigate the Irish company. The union pointed out that for "several years" they have been pressured from Ryanair to "minimize the cost of fuel". German pilots union Cockpit have also reported that they too are under "heavy pressure" from the airline. According to both pilots association, pressure from the Irish company pose "a risk to aviation safety". In a statement the carrier issued they reported that "all flights are operating on the proper amount of fuel"

The consumer organisation "Ceaccu" have said that if  irregularities are found they will request that the Directorate of Civil Aviation suspends the airlines license to operate in Spain for up to three years and issue a fine of 4.5 million euros due to the severity of the offense. However, in response Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O´Leary said that "neither Ministry or Government have power to take away the license  of a Ryanair flight, it is issued by the Irish civil aviation authority, not the Spanish".

 O´Leary has insisted that the airline has not breached any rules stating that at no time were crew or passengers at risk. Watch this space for updates to the continuing saga - love them or hate them, Ryanair does bring a lot of business to Spain from the UK and in these economically stained times can the country afford to loose any more visitors?  After all the controversy following the newspaper bashing about Benidorm in both The Sun and The Mirror, the resort doesn´t need the added pressure of tourists unable to get here!

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Benidorm Palace - why its Europe´s top entertainment venue

For a first class night out you cannot beat Benidorm Palace - it has been voted Europe´s best cabaret theatre and nightclub for 2012, even beating the likes of Moulin Rogue in Paris! It is probably the most visited attraction in Benidorm and you are guaranteed a night to remember. The show changes every year and the new one, which was launched in May is called "Surreal".

Benidorm Palace - a landmark in town

But did you know that the Palace is owned by an ex-pat? I spoke to Christine Climent, who together with her Spanish husband Vicente bought and took over the place on 1st August 1990 ... still a memorable date for her. I started by asking Christine how she ended up living in Spain - she is originally from Widnes (and for those of you like me who didn´t know where that is, its between Manchester and Liverpool). She came on a weeks family holiday back in 1971and it was then that she met Vicente for the first time. At the time he was playing in a band at what was the Hotel Catalonia where they were staying... now better know as the Sol Pelicanos. She went back to the UK after her holiday, handed in a months notice and came back to Benidorm!

Initially Christine worked for part of the Warner Holiday group - many ex-pat girls got jobs in the holiday industry as rep´s at the time. She and Vicente got married in 1975 then they had the opportunity to take on a shop unit at the hotel, where they sold all sorts of souvenirs that appealed to the Brits on holiday, which was a roaring success. Vicente carried on playing in the band whilst Christine ran the shop and then along came their 2 children. Eventually Vicente retired from the band but like all men he soon got bored.... then the Benidorm Palace went up for sale. Having made some wise investments over the years they took the plunge and bought it - and as they say, the rest is history!

When they took over it was more of a Show & Champagne bar - they kept the show that was on for a further 6 weeks, until they learnt the ropes. They spent a huge amount renovating and built kitchens to turn it into a dinner and show venue, making it what it is now. Christine recalled the 3 day national strike in the mid 90´s which the lighting, technicians and stage hands took part in - they were shown how to operate everything a few day beforehand then drafted in help from family to keep the show going - even the children helped out! To this day it is still a family run business with both their children David and Joanna actively involved in running the place and making it the huge success it is.

The 1800 seater venue has also hosted many galas and events over the years. Among one in the early days was the Russian ballet dancer Rudolf Nereyev, who Christine said was rather "demanding", Julio Inglesias,  various comedians but the most memorable for her was the artiste Danny La Rue - who made his last public appearance at Benidorm Palace before passing away. Probably the most stressful she told me was the 3 day Interpol International Congress. Because of all the dignitaries it was a virtual security lock down, even she needed a security pass to get into her own building and the car-park was converted into a mobile hospital incase of an attack with a heli landing pad, but it all went smoothly thankfully. They also host many charity and fundraising events free of charge.

Benidorm Palace was used as a setting for the Christmas special of the ITV hit comedy series "Benidorm" during which Madge heard the news that her husband Mel had died. That was also when Asa Elliott made his debut onto the show as the cabaret singer.

Over the Summer they haven´t been sitting back and having a break - it is one of their busiest periods and in addition they have been planning the schedule for Christmas. Come September, once the Summer rush is over they start brainstorming and putting ideas together for the next show ... which is managed Christine and David.

So what can you expect from a night at the Palace - certainly an unforgettable experience. You have 2 options - go for the full experience and have a meal first or you can just go for the show. Doors open at 8.30pm and there is always a queue of people waiting to get it. For those coming to watch the show only arrive a little later. You have your photograph taken in the beautifully revamped foyer and my advice is take the opportunity to dress up for the occasion - most people do but I always think it a shame when you see some going very casually dressed wearing football tops.. they do look rather out of place in the plush surroundings.

You are escorted to your table by a waiter who introduces himself and takes your wine preference - half a bottle per person is included in the meal in addition to water and half a bottle of good quality cava per couple with dessert. There are two menus to choose from in addition to fish, vegetarian and gluten free options so they cater for all - plus they haven´t forgotten about the little ones, a children´s menu is also available. How they manage to serve so many people within 2 hours is beyond me - even my soup was hot. The service really is first class.  - there are in the region of 150 staff ensuring everything runs smoothly, which in the busy periods can go up to 250 Christine told me!

The spectacular show starts a little after 10pm when the lights are dimmed and the stage bursts into a rainbow of colour as the dancers come out. The show is fast paced and continuous, interspersed with acts for approximately the first hour. The biggest applause when it came to the acts must have been given to "Golden Design" ... a group of 3 strong men sprayed gold and performing the most mind blowing routine, all in slow motion to music... almost everyone watched open mouthed.

There was then a half hour break when the resident band and singer came out and the dance floor soon filled with people having a dance. During this time the pictures which were taken are bought around for you to look at - the photographers also come round to take pictures whilst you are seated at the table during dinner ... there is NO pressure at all to buy but they do make a lovely souvenir of the evening.

The second part of the show is just as fast paced, with numerous costume changes. There is a good mix of traditional Spanish flamenco and modern dance and of course the popular topless girls with colourful feathers - it is all very tastefully done and suitable for children so don´t worry about taking them. The props are just as fabulous as the costumes and it amazes me how they always come up with totally original ideas for every show. The evening finishes at around 12.40am and staff are on hand outside for those requiring taxis.

For an opportunity to win a pair of tickets to the show, which includes a drink answer the following two simple questions:

In what year did Christine Climent take over Benidorm Palace?
What is the seating capacity ?

Email your answers by Saturday 1st September  to
competition@benidormallyearround.com


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