It’s not just the sun and sea which take centre-stage when Tenerife promotes itself these days.
Sustainability, our green spaces, renewable energy, the island’s whales, festivals, its landscape and nature are all high on the list.

The point was demonstrated when executives from Thomas Cook and Neckermann (Germany), together with nearly 100 journalists, were invited on a hospitality trip to Tenerife.

The programme included a reception at the Hotel Iberostar Anthelia at Costa Adeje where the Tenerife Cabildo president Ricardo Melchior stressed the importance of sustainability.

There was much praise from the delegates for Tenerife’s hotels, leisure, maritime activities, green spaces, infrastructure and the ‘magnificent’ south airport.

They were personally shown many of the island’s top attractions, including the new Katandra Treetops free flight jungle aviary at Loro Parque and were also entertained to lunch at the Casa de los Vinos wine museum.

Delegates also went on a tour of the Institute of Renewable Energies at Granadilla under the huge wind turbines, as well as enjoying whale-watching trips, golf at Costa Adeje and hiking in the Mount Teide National Park. They were also treated to two theme suppers, one of them on a Carnival theme to show the colour and excitement of the annual event in Santa Cruz.

The Ayuntamiento of Santiago del Teide in conjunction with Pancraico Socas Gym, has put together a series of events for children and adults at the Laguilo in Los Gigantes, which is free.

The Los Gigantes Laguillo is a natural lake with a huge sunbathing area for sun lovers, it will be opening its doors at 8:am sharp till 9:am free for people to partake in the activities offered.

Due to the closure of Los Gigantes beach Laguillo has reduced its entrance fee to the price to 1,50€ with use of sun beds and umbrellas at a reduced price as well this will continue until the beach re opens.

Laguillo is situated just before you enter Los Gigantes marina opposite the beach entrance.

Changes in existing regulations will see a uniform application of (fixed) fines, regardless of which authority is imposing the sanction, and a 50 per cent reduction (as opposed to 30 per cent) in the event of prompt payment of said fines. Guardia Civil traffic officers will also carry a technology allowing drivers to pay on the spot fines by credit card if they so wish
From the beginning of 2010 the Spanish department of traffic will introduce new fixed distance speed traps, which are to be placed in traffic black spots throughout the country..
The new system works with two radars in place between two fixed points. The time it takes to travel from one spot to another is pre-determined, so any vehicle that does the distance in a shorter time, having exceeded the speed limit at some point in the journey, will be automatically sanctioned. The length of road will be between three and five kilometres and the special radar cameras will be able to record car registrations and the exact time of the incident with a high level of precision

The government have also just approved new points reductions (see chart on this page) as well as introducing higher fines for certain crimes – for instance possession of radar detection equipment which previously carried a fine of €150 could now see you €6,000 worse off.

Hang up
Mobiles as dangerous as drink driving

There will be a series of TV and radio ads as well as increased vigilance by police on roads throughout Spain designed to alert people to the dangers of talking on the phone while behind the wheel of a car.

According to the depart¬ment inappropriate use of your phone while driving increases by four the risk of an accident – similar to driving under the influence of alcohol. There is also, say the experts, a false perception that use of the hands free apparatus means there is no distraction – evidence shows that a driver involved in a conversation of over a minute and a half will have reduced levels of concentration. Studies show this could lead to a 40 per cent reduction in attention to road signs, speed drops by up to 12 per cent, the heart rate accelerates rapidly during the phone call and reaction times are slower, “behavioural traits that combined could lead to an accident”

New points reduction chart
The following are the new points reductions as passed recently by the Spanish government.

6 points
• Driving under the influence of alcohol: 50mg/l private drivers, +25mg/l professionals and drivers with less than two years experience
• Driving under the influence of drugs
• Refusing to take drink/drug test
• Driving carelessly, in the wrong direction, taking part in illegal road races/competitions
• Using or carrying instruments that would inhibit traffic officers, such as radar inhibitors
• Exceeding commercial transport driving time by over 50 per cent/resting for less than 50 per cent of established time
• Manipulation/participation in the manipulation of a tachograph

4 points
• Driving under the influence of alcohol: 25mg/l – 50mg/l private drivers, 15mg/l – 30mg/l professionals and drivers with less than two years experience
• Driving with a licence inappropriate for the vehicle
• Throwing onto the road objects with could ignite a fire, cause traffic accidents, impede free circulation of traffic
• Ignore give way or stop signs or traffic light signals
• Ignore norms regarding overtaking on roads thus placing other drivers in danger, overtaking where there is reduced visibility
• Endangering/hindering cyclists during overtaking
• Reversing on a motorway
• Ignoring a traffic officer’s instructions/signals
• Failure to leave appropriate braking distance between you and the vehicle in front
• Driving on motorways in vehicles that are not licenced for these roads
• Driving a car exceeding by more than 50 per cent the allowed number of passengers, except for buses in urban/inter-urban areas

3 points
• Wearing headgear/headphone while driving or using a hand held mobile phone, navigator or other medium of communication. (This list may be updated in line with technological advances)
• Failure to wear seatbelt, use child seats or other protective apparatus where appropriate
• Making illegal u-turns; Failure to comply with mandatory traffic signs at junctions/u-turn points
• Driving a vehicle that is not licenced to be on the road/that you are not permitted to drive

2 points
• Stopping or parking on bends, in tunnels, intersections or other dangerous areas which would cause a risk to the flow of traffic and pedestrians
• Stopping or parking in zones designated for public transport
• Driving without lights when it is obligatory or failure to use lights in accordance with regulations
• Driving a motorbike/scooter with passengers under 12 years of age (some exceptions apply)
• Driving in a negligent manner, creating risks for other road users
• Speeding. The amount of points to be deducted depends on the speed limits exceeded and by how much

Santiago del Teide mayor, Juan Damián Gorrín, has announced that the beach will remain closed for at least four months this announcement is yet another nail in the coffin of the area small business sector, already suffering from the fall in visitor numbers.

Mayor Gorrín repeated claims that the council had previously submitted plans to stabilise the cliff face but that these plans had been rejected, a claim that has been denied by the Department of Coasts.

In a preliminary report made by the Instituto Canario de Investigaciones de la Construcción, (Icinco), into the landslide on Los Gigantes beach says the rock fall was probably caused by water. Their report points to a water source which runs through a small natural tunnel in the cliffs at a height of around eight metres.

Experts believe it was the increase in humidity and damp from this source that has, over a long period, seeped into the cliffs, weakening the rock face.

In what many view as an extraordinary outburst, Mayor Gorrín claimed that the Department of Coasts had rejected every plan put forward for improvements to the shoreline in Santiago del Teide, while at the same time approving plans submitted by Socialist administrations in other municipalities.

Click on photo for larger view

From the 9th of november to the 22nd of december there will be a collection of toys for the under priviledged children run by town hall of Santiago del Teide. You may also donate the toys by dropping them into the youth hostles in Tamaimo, Puerto de Santiago and Santiago del Teide, with this campaign the idea is to run a series of challanges and games for the children of all ages to celebrate Christmas. The campaign will run until the 22nd of December with it ending with prizes given for diffrent dance routines, the best Christmas card etc

The object of the campaign is that no child will not go without a present this Christmas as its such a special time of year for them.

Santiago del Teide Fair was held in Puerto de Santiago square last Sunday 08th of november with huge numbers passing through the 42 strong stands of an array of goods on sale. The prices were low and there was lots of fun to be had for the kids, with bouncy castles and games to be played.

Overall the fair was a great success and we hope to see another one soon.

Last Tuesday the Spanish health authorities believe swine flu epidemic will reach its peak in late November before it starts to decline.

Health authorities believe “the peak” will be “in the last days of November,” Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez told reporters.

But she admitted that it was “difficult to predict” how the epidemic would develop. Spain announced that swine flu vaccinations would begin on 16th November, later than in many other European countries, including the UK.

The groups that will be given priority are pregnant women, health workers, members of the security forces and the fire and prison services, and those in high-risk groups, including those with heart conditions and respiratory diseases.

The government plans to have enough stocks of the A(H1N1) flu vaccine to inoculate 60 percent of the population. More than 5,700 people have died of swine flu worldwide since the virus was first uncovered in April, with most of the deaths recorded in the Americas, according to the World Health Organisation.

At least 63 of the deaths have been in Spain, according the latest toll by the health ministry, issued October 22. Spain was the first European country to confirm a case of the virus.

PAY-AS-YOU-GO mobile phones are becoming more and more popular, especially with youngsters because it enables them to know exactly how much they are spending by the day.

From last Monday (9th Nov), many of them will have been shocked to find their mobiles not functioning.
The reason is that they have not registered with their network providers, despite a government instruction in 2007, which gave them two years to comply with the ruling.

Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, Minister for the Interior, says they will still be able to reactivate their numbers and recover their lines if they provide their network operators with personal details within six months.

The move was aimed at preventing terrorists and organised criminal gangs from being untraceable by using pay-as-you-go mobiles.

Now, anyone who buys a new phone of this type will automatically be registered, and anyone who has not registered his or her previous number will have 6months to register.

Rubalcaba said the six-month stand-off would enable the “least-informed members of society, such as the young and the elderly” a chance to register.

THE British Consulate in Tenerife, together with the Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team, are holding an Open Day on Monday (16th Nov) at Adeje in the afternoon, and at Arona in the evening.

The officials will be advising on some of the issues which matter most to British residents in Tenerife.
The Pension, Benefit and Healthcare Team will provide essential information on the ex-pats’ entitlements here, and the services their team can offer.

The Adeje session, starting at 2pm, will take place at Casa de Cultura, Calle Principe Pelinor, which is situated in the street behind the Ayuntamiento.

The evening session, from 6pm, will be hosted by the South Tenerife Christian Fellowship, on the first floor of the Apolo Centre, Los Cristianos.

To book a place, please visit www.ukinspain.fco.gov.uk and click on “Open Days” on the home page. If you experience any problems booking, call 917 146 443

Do you need to learn or improve your Spanish?

Santiago del Teide council are running their next course of Spanish for Foreigners. The classes begin on November 9th and run until April 2010.

Each class session is two hours and they run twice a week. The course is open to everyone, having basic, elementary and advanced levels.

The cost of the course is 290 Euros. You can enrol at the Tourist office at Playa de la Arena, or phone 922 860348 between 8am and 3pm for more information.

Local swallow Tony Thorne MBE, who lives with his Viennese wife, in Playa Arena, has just completed the third volume of his tall speculative tales, set in, around and even under this magical island.

The first volume TENERIFE TALL TALES, won the top “Best Read on the Beach” award in this category in the 2009 New York Beach Book Festival Contest, and as a result, several of the linked tales selected from all three volumes are now being developed into a screenplay in Hollywood, with a producer/screenwriter and one of the producers of LORD OF THE RINGS. It will be a character-driven adventure movie set partly in Wales, but mostly in Tenerife.

Copies of the the first book at €9.95 can now be obtained from Amazon, WH Smith etc., but locally from Tony direct, and signed if required. He can be contacted via his website … www.tonythorne.com or by telephone, when he is home on … 922 860063

Tributes have been coming in from locals, here in Los Gigantes, as well as from friends and colleagues of Marion, one of the women killed in the rock fall on the beach on Sunday afternoon.

Police reports confirm that Marion O’Hara, 57yrs was from the Parish of St. Martin in Jersey and had worked for HSBC for the last 25 years.

HSBC Regional Director Dave Hellen told reporters “ Marion only left Jersey on Saturday for a holiday in Tenerife and the news of what has happened has devastated us all. Marion was a loyal, respected and popular member of the team. All her friends and colleagues are thinking about her at this sad time. I would like to offer our sincere condolences to her son, Daniel, and all her family during these difficult times”.

Following Sundays tragic events on Los Gigantes beach, when two people
lost their lives, the inquest will undoubtedly begin.

In an interview yesterday, Mayor Gorrín expressed his sadness and regret
at the terrible and unexpected events of the day he also said that
from Monday at noon, three days of mourning will begin for the two
dead women, who it seems, just happened to be in the wrong place at
the wrong time.

He also said that there was a project in place, under the direction of
the Department of Coasts, to stabilise that particular area of the
cliff, which had been cordoned off with tape as a precaution, following
a similar, though much smaller rock fall just weeks ago.

Flowers have been laid at the site by businesses owners of the Los
Gigantes marina who are still in shock at the tragic event.

The beach will now remain closed to the public until further notice.

Meetings are taking place, we will bring you more infomation soon.

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

At approximately 15:30 this afternoon there was a serious rock fall on Los Gigantes beach. News from the Mayor’s office confirms 8 are injured and 2 are dead, one Spanish girl age 22yrs, one English woman 57yrs  staying in Calle el Pino on holiday.

Guardia Civil officers, sniffer dogs, Policia Local and volunteers from local fire brigades as far away as Adeje continued well into the evening searching through the rubble for possible more victims.

The English woman who died was Marion Auril O’Hara. She arrived in Los Gigantes yesterday with her son to celebrate a 60th birthday in the family. Her son was in the sea swimming when the incident occurred.

The tide was high, the weather perfect and the beach was packed with sun worshipers, both residents and tourists,  enjoying a lazy afternoon.  A spokes man said it was fortunate that more were not injured or killed.

It is rumoured that there have been a number of smaller rock falls in recent days and questions are now being asked as to why the area was not cordoned off adequately.

Condolences to the families from the Los Gigantes.com team

Early in the New Year (2010), Lions Clubs international are hoping to create a new Club which will be the first in the Guia De Isora area.

The Club will be English speaking, but all Nationalities are welcome, men and women.

Lions Clubs are charitable groups which hold events to raise money for local and International concerns.

This Club, will be focusing on holding open social events, weekly or bi-weekly, based in the Playa San Juan area.

Explanatory meetings are to be convened in November and December for all interested parties.

Call Alan Glaves on 669 838 846, or Ken Ward 647 247 800

Tipsy Terrace Telegraph

NEWSFLASH!!

‘WITCH CRASH’

DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD!!

Recent sightings of a dark object with florescent green hair and matching accessories have been confirmed to belong to that of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Suspicions, which were firstly reported in the Tipsy Terrace Telegraph on Thursday 22ns October, were put down to nothing more than rumors from a leaky cauldron. However, at approximately 2.30am Monday morning, residents surrounding Tipsy Terrace were all out on their terraces.

“We heard this almighty screech which we put down to a dreadful cat fight” said Barbara Meadows, Hibisco III.
“Roy did his best to calm me down but my nerves are still shattered, seeing the witch crash on court one lamppost this morning was a huge relief”.

Wanda, the oh-so-ugly but oh-so-friendly witch is relieved; she is now officially the only witch in the whole of Tenerife and will not be forced to leave Tipsy Terrace by the very jealous wicked witch. A huge relief to all.