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Friday 31 August 2012

Monarch launches inaugural flight from East Midlands Airport


 On the 3rd May this year the airline company Monarch announced a further expansion of its operations across the Midlands with the launch of a new base at East Midlands Airport from late summer 2012 with flights to key leisure destinations across the Mediterranean, including Malaga, Alicante, Palma (Majorca) and Faro (Portugal).

Managing Director of Monarch Airlines, Kevin George said at the time, “In light of recent industry changes, opportunities have opened up in the market.  It has become clear that the Midlands will be under-served as a region in the future, and that there is a lack of quality carriers to serve customers traveling from the area.” He went on to say “As an airline with over 40 years heritage and a stronghold in the Midlands already, the launch of operations from East Midlands makes perfect sense for Monarch, and accelerates the strategy we announced last year to focus on the development of our scheduled operations into key leisure destinations across the Mediterranean, the Canaries and North Africa.” adding that “The further expansion of our services from the Midlands will provide even more customers in the Midlands with choice and flexibility and protects jobs at East Midlands Airport in the future”.

On the 31st August Monarch announced that they had launched their first flights from their new base at East Midlands Airport that morning, taking customers to Palma de Mallorca and Faro in Portugal. They are two of the four new routes to be offered from the new base, along with Malaga and Alicante for the remainder of this summer. For Winter 2012/13 flights will be operating to Malaga, Alicante, Faro, Tenerife and Lanzarote.

Monarch's Managing Director Kevin George is quoted as being delighted by the warm welcome the airline has received at East Midlands, saying, “Our flights have already proved to be very popular and there is clearly a demand for the routes we are offering."

As this is the airport that we use to and from the Costa Blanca it now gives us an alternative to Ryanair to consider.

East Midlands becomes Monarch’s fifth base joining the established hubs at Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham and Luton. A sixth base at Leeds Bradford Airport will open in December 2012.

Monday 27 August 2012

Spain's Asian community has grown six-fold in the last decade

A very interesting article by Luis Gómez in 'El Pais in English' on the subject of the growth and economic success of the Chinese community in Spain. The new Chinese | In English | EL PAÍS

Thursday 23 August 2012

Prostate cancer: Six things men should know about tomatoes, fish oil, vitamin supplements, testosterone, PSA tests

When it comes to prostate cancer, there's a lot of confusion about how to prevent it, find it early and the best way -- or even whether -- to treat it. Six common prostate cancer myths along with research-based information are explained by scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to help men separate fact from fiction.

Read more in ScienceDaily:Prostate cancer: Six things men should know about tomatoes, fish oil, vitamin supplements, testosterone, PSA tests

Wednesday 22 August 2012

How many more days for Jason to endure?

Jason had had enough of waking up each morning in the cold and damp caravan that he lived in with his mother. He wondered how many more days would start this way. It had been fifteen months already.

They lived there not through choice but through necessity. They had no where else to live now. Things had been so very different when Andy, his older brother, was alive.

He was tired of their 18 feet by 10 feet home that consisted of a lounge-diner, kitchen area and his mother's bedroom. He slept in the lounge on a bed made up of the dining table top wedged between the bench seats on either side of it. Unlike his mother he didn't have sheets and blankets for his bedding but had to make do with a sleeping bag. This had to be stored in the bench seat when his bed space became the lounge again. If the weather was good he would put the bag outside to air, if not it was hidden straight away.

After using the chemical toilet in the shed, that was behind the caravan, the next important morning task was to collect water, for washing and breakfast, from the single stand pipe at the edge of the field. In the winter 'Jack Frost' would often block the pipework with ice.

Although they didn't have running water in the van there was a meagre electricity supply that allowed them to use two heaters, one for each end of the space, but only on a medium setting if both were in use. They had to be careful as the supply was via a 30-feet long 13 amp extension lead that started in the garage of the cottage; the owner of the cottage also owned the field; travelled through the air via two poles, over the toilet shed roof, entering the van through the sky light. If the heaters weren't switched on then the electric kettle could be used for hot water for washing, otherwise the kettle on the two ring bottled-gas stove sufficed. That is unless the temperature was too low outside and the gas couldn't flow fast enough.

Jason thought that it was wrong that he should have to live like this. It wasn't his fault, or his dead brother's, that he and his mother had no other home to live in. It wasn't his or Andy's choice to move to the isolated village, four and a half years previous, so their mother could live with the current man in her life. It wasn't their fault that that episode was short lived.

Although the view of the countryside from the caravan, perched in the top corner of the south-west facing field on the side of the valley, and the walks through the valley and the nearby woods were fantastic, he did not believe they outweighed the poverty of his living conditions. He didn't think that an 18-year-old, who had gained reasonable grades in his secondary education qualifications, started work in his first job, should accept his life as it was. It was the swinging 60s for the world apparently, but not for him.

He had often asked himself why he had stayed there with his mother for so long after Andy left. There was no life in the village for a teenager and one of his only two local friends was moving on soon. He had reached the conclusion it stemmed from family loyalty. But, it seemed to him that this had been a one-way commitment from him over the last few years.

That was the deciding factor which lead to his decision to take the change in his life into his own hands to give himself a better future: Better living conditions: better career prospects: better social life: better chance of finding a partner for a future happy family life. Not too much to ask.

When Jason awoke that fateful morning he knew that it would start in the usual way, but as the day progressed it would become the life-changing turning point he had been looking forward to. It was a decision he had taken on his own. A move of his choice that his mother would have to accept.

He kept to his normal workday routine, although a little slower because of the cold weather, as if he was going to his job for the usual start time. But he wasn't. He had a very important appointment at 10:00 am. He arrived ten minutes early: he couldn't afford to be late. The previous interviews he had attended, and the education tests taken, had gone well. Nevertheless he was nervous about what would happen as he didn't want to say the wrong thing and embarrass himself.

Thirty minutes later his life had changed. The attestation ceremony had been completed. Her Majesty's Forces now had a new member. Jason was now Private Jason Freeman.

He went to his civilian job for the rest of the day, and the last three days of the week to finish his notice period that he gave the week before.

When he returned to the caravan that night he told his mother he had joined the Army and would be reporting for duty at the training camp at 11:00 hrs. the following Monday. There was no need for discussion: his decision had been made. There was no altruism of allegiance to Queen or Country in his decision, but self preservation. There was no need for justification on his part.

Only six more nights and five more days living in the cold and damp caravan. He was moving into barracks with a bed space of his own, hot and cold running water, and flush toilets. A new career lay ahead, new friends and new opportunities. His life moved on for the better in many ways.

He never returned to a life in the caravan.

Thursday 16 August 2012

Three dangers in the shopping mall

On a recent visit to a very large shopping mall, it doesn't matter which one because I'm sure my experience is mirrored throughout the many such retail kingdoms, I quickly became aware of a new risk to my personal physical safety from shoppers sharing the same floor space as me.

Having driven along the roads between the safety of my home and the vehicle free retail extravaganza; the twisting and turning single lane country lanes bounded by high hedges that allow only tunnel vision of the road ahead and oncoming motorists; the multi-lane motorway, including the major motorway interchange, with diverging and then converging lanes full of speeding vehicles; and left my car in the free car-park I was feeling safe and secure heading towards the pedestrian only walkways.

Within a short time of entering the supposedly shopper friendly environment I became aware of the reality of the level of physical danger possible from three types of shoppers.

After only fifteen minutes I was subjected to two side glancing strong nudges and one head-on collision. Only the lack of approaching speed saving me from injury. No apologies from the protagonists. Whilst not being personally responsible as the cause for the contacts, looking back I'm annoyed that I didn't see the potential danger coming towards me. My excuse, if I need one, is that of my lack of experience of the mobile telephone aficionado texting, tweeting, or internet surfing, whilst on the move. With head down looking at the illuminated screen, blinded by the glare from seeing the hazards ahead, the telephonist must be assuming that other shoppers, me on this occasion, will have to move aside for safety. The ignorance, inconsideration and rudeness of these geeks!

Previous to this retail excursion I've had pride in my ability to avoid the other two major dangers; the senior racers on their mobility scooters; parents with their crowd breaking pushchairs; in pedestrian areas.

There are more and more untrained, uninsured drivers sitting on their latest deluxe model electric powered chariots; larger and speedier; driving them silently amongst the unsuspecting walking public. Whilst not on this day, I have seen a scooter user recklessly drive into the back of the legs of a lady who was totally unaware of the presence of the scooter bearing down on her from behind. They start to move, stop and change direction without giving any warning indication to those close by. With an increasing aged population and a growing obese, less mobile, population the numbers driven will continue to rise. Imagine the carnage if a fleet of mobility scooters were used as a 'rolling roadblock' through a shopping mall.

With their latest fashion pushchairs parents are aware of the potential of using them for crowd breaking to obtain a clear passage. The three wheeled triangular shaped models are ideal for this task acting like a wedge to force a way through. Two or three of these in an arrowhead formation heading towards a crowded path is a formidable sight and a potential for multiple collateral damage to shins and feet of those too slow to move out of the way.

One of the most dangerous situations is to be in a queue for an elevator with either, or both, a mobility scooter user, or pushchair pushing parent, directly behind you. When the doors open there is the potential risk of ending up pinned to the rear wall of the lift by a scooter front bumper or a pushchair wheel forced between the legs.

The thought of a mobile telephone geek writing a text message or a tweet whilst driving a mobility scooter, or pushing a crowd breaking pushchair, in a shopping mall and the potential danger is beyond belief. Is it? Haven't there been car and lorry drivers prosecuted for sending texts and tweeting on mobile telephones whilst driving their vehicles?

Friday 3 August 2012

'Heroes' are not heroes of mine!


On average I make two shopping trips to Sainsbury's in Lincoln each week. The aim of these trips is to complete the boring task of shopping for groceries. An essential but not highly exciting trip. On occasions I will purchase non-housekeeping items including petrol for the car. It is not my intention on these trips to wash my car or have it washed for me.

So why is it that on 9 out of 10 of my visits to the Sainsbury's car park I am pestered by 'Heroes' car washers in their “distinctive blue jumpsuits” asking if I want my car cleaned. On each of my last three shopping trips, Friday 27th July, Wednesday 1st August and today I've been approached. I don't object, having no right to object, to there being a car wash service available in the car park to those wishing to have their car cleaned. What I do find objectionable is being targeted by a cleaner as soon as I have parked my car. More often than not before I have got my Sainsbury's re- usable shopping bags out of the boot of the car and locked it up.

On the company's website it states “grab your nearest Hero and show him where your car is parked”. You don't need to take this advice because the 'Hero' is there by your car, asking if you want it cleaned, materialising from who knows where, like a hunting animal after its prey, attacking from any direction. Now when I enter Sainsbury's car park, not only do I have to look for an empty parking space but I also find myself looking to avoid any free spaces close to any 'Heros' “mobile cleaning stations”.It is similar to walking through a shopping centre or town high street choosing a route that avoids annoying leaflet distributors and survey canvassers.

At the moment my customer loyalty to Sainsbury's outweighs my annoyance towards an unwanted 'Hero' but for how long?

Perhaps Sainsbury's could have a special offer: Spend £70 and get two free 'I don't want a Hero' car window stickers, for the windscreen and rear window? Alternatively they could insist that the cleaners wait for those desperate for a clean car to “Grab a Hero”, or have a 'Hero' free zone section of the car park.