Tomorrow Lagos - Aljezur November 2017 Edition

November 2017

A COMMUNITY MAGAZINE COVERING LAGOS TO ALJEZUR

THE ALGARVE PROPERTY SPECIALISTS

Editor's Welcome SEDE: 86, MILBOROUGH CRESCENT, LONDON, UK , SE12 ORW. UK . PERIODICIDADE: MENSAL . TIRAGEN: 4,000 | TIPOGRAFIA: C/ AL MEDITERRÁNEO, 29, POLÍGONO DE SAN RAFAEL, 04230, HUÉRCAL DE ALMERÍA CIF: B04250056

Keep it local Here we are in November and Christmas is just around the corner! It really is hard to believe that 2017 has whizzed by so quickly.

As the Christmas season is now looming we are trying to encourage everyone in the community to support our businesses by buying locally. It would be a great boost for our local economy and is a way that we can all help to support the area at a time which can be quiet for business.

We are all so lucky to be part of the Algarve which has so much to offer. More businesses are opening locally which should encourage us all to think that we should try, as much as possible, to buy in the locality.

Truthfully the more traders see us all shopping in the area the more they will be willing to expand and develop their stores.

So let’s all try and support local traders!

We would also encourage you to help spread the word about great restaurants and bars that you have visited.

Why not get in touch with our editor, Amber, and send us a restaurant review? We only ever include reviews of restaurants that we think are worthy of a visit.

Don’t forget that we are having our Christmas Ball next month. There are still some tickets available for the ball which takes place on December 8th at Boavista. Please do contact Steven (steven@ tomorrowalgarve.com ) as soon as possible if you want to get tickets or a table.

It is €35 per head which includes a welcome drink, half a bottle of wine and live music with one of the best groups in the area, namely ‘The Protons’.

Please do get in touch if you have any Christmas events, or activities that you wish to promote or you know a new business starting up, please call or email.

We like to help!

Have a good November from all of us at Team Tomorrow.

Tom, Amber and the whole team.

Tom Henshaw  +351 919 918 733 Amber Henshaw  amber@tomorrowalgarve.com

On the cover The stunning European bee-eater that you can see on the front was just one of the birds that visitors to last month’s very popular Sagres Birdwatching Festival were looking out for. European bee-eaters are migratory and spend the winters in Africa.

Stay Connected... 

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TomorrowAlgarve

www.tomorrowalgarve.com

+351 919 918 733

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Community

Left to right Saint Sebastian in cork oak; Heart of Stone; Sören (right) advises a student Below Life’s Triumph Over Death Opposite page An outside shower in mosaic and stone; one of Sören’s first mosaic projects with Brigitta Baumann and Steff Bauer

Journeyman to renaissance man A journey with Sören Ernst into mosaic and sculpture

BY STEPHANIE GINGER Sören Ernst may be a “serious” man in his native German, but there’s a twinkle in his blue eyes as he pads through the dust in bare feet from student to student during his first mosaic and sculpture class of the season.

fountian-in-the-making as centrepeice which he aims to finish someday… One day!

When I meet Sören it’s still unusually hot for midOctober but he has set up work stations for his seven new students of the year in a shady corner of his studio garden, in the tranquil countryside behind near Burgau. The continuous plink plink of chisel on stone is almost hypnotic.

A trio of carved wooden shapes – Time Capsules – hang from eucalyptus trees, spinning gently in the breeze. “The idea is that you visualise a lifechanging experience, enclose it inside and hang the capsule up in the trees,” he explains. “Then when you’re ready to deal with it, take it out again.

It’s all about rebirth and the idea that things come back to you one way or another. The spiral shape is aesthetically pleasing and dynamic in nature… Also very saleable,” he grins. Some people just buy them as a wind-chime. He carves them in Germany during the summer. “Good wood is hard to come by here,” he says. “Mostly, I find it on the beach. Maybe there’s a chance with this big tropical storm, you know, that in two years time, something will wash up here. I once found a seven-metre trunk of mahogany driftwood at Burgau. I made a Totem Pole out of it, but the termites got it in the end.”

But make no mistake; although the courses in sculpture and mosaic that Sören runs weekly during the winter months from October to April are relaxed and enjoyable and as one student declares “ridiculously good value,” Sören is serious about sculpture and has been winning prizes and commissions since he was 23.

Earlier in the week, Sören took time to show me around his Atelier behind Alma Verde which includes an exhibition area with a

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I’m discovering that part of Sören’s charm is his boundless enthusiasm for everything.

Although Sören officially still lives in Germany, he works as much as possible in Portugal. “It’s paradise for a sculptor,” he says. “Not much rain so it’s easy to work outdoors and Portugal offers so many beautiful rocks and stones! Also I feel very comfortable here.

I love the simplicity of life and the honesty of the people.”

He suggests we talk over coffee and leads the way into the building he works and lives in during the months he’s in Portugal. Leaving dazzling sun and white stone outside, it’s like stepping into another world but clearly, this too is inspired by artistic vision and created by hard graft. Stone, driftwood and vintage materials dwell comfortably alongside each other. Everywhere I look there are treasures. And like Sören’s eclectic sculptures, everything tells a story.

A huge star hangs from the ceiling, a shoal of stone fish swim across the window, a collection of baskets in the corner gather like village gossips, a woodburning stove clad in bright tiles waits patiently for winter, pen and ink drawings march across the wall. The touch of an artist is everywhere. Even the burnished stone in the bathroom was salvaged from Henry the Navigator’s sailing school in Sagres before they demolished it.

his master gave him the opportunity to continue as a journeyman – a system of training artisan stonemasons and carpenters that goes back to the Middle Ages and is still practised in Germany today.

“It’s not a bad life,” Sören reflects. Although not permitted to earn money, journeymen travel the world perfecting their skills in return for food, beer and a bed for the night. “Most of the cathedrals in France and Germany were pretty much built by the same crew of journeymen,” he says. “And you still see them from time to time – even in the Algarve – hitch-hiking in their black frocks and bowler hats.”

But by 1984, Sören was working for a German sculptor Jörg Plickat; now famous for his Sydney sculpture Divided Planet. For a few years, Sören worked for Plickat on and off, polishing his sculptures and learning what he could.

And then in 1987 while visiting Scotland, Sören fell in love again, this time with a Scottish girl. He stayed on. There were hard times, he now admits. He was only 20 and found it a challenge making a living at all, never mind as a sculptor. He lived in a VW camper van and worked in a home for disabled (not handicapped) children but his instinct for salvaging a good bit of stone was never far below the surface. 

While coffee bubbles in the percolater, Sören tells me his story.

Born in Hamburg, his hometown is Kiel. His father had a plumbing and heating business and was an early advocate of solar heating. For Sören, that close association with the building trade taught him valuable skills he now puts to good use on a daily basis.

“When I was young I was very undecided about what to do,” he admits. “I just knew it needed to be something creative. I painted – I even managed to sell paintings before I sold any sculptures – but you know, painting is more in your head and I am a very outdoors type. I felt this physical need to do something with my hands. I love the fight you have with the stone… Almost wrestling the form out of it.”

Then at 17 while studying Greek and Egyptian culture at a Steiner school, he saw a photo of the sculpture of the Winged Victory (Nike) of Samothrace in the Louvre: “I thought my God, how can anybody produce something so beautiful!”

Knowing the Steiner reputation for nurturing art and creativity, I conclude that he must have had a head start. Sören laughs uproariously. “Not at all! I was thrown out of art class!”

Discovering Nike proved to be something of an epiphany; and what began as a flirtation – borrowing his father’s tools and chipping away at odd bits of granite he found lying about – soon developed into a fully-fledged love affair with stone.

But Sören’s dream of a career in stone-masonery was cut short after a routine medical check-up revealed a lung weakness. Unable to continue as an apprentice,

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Images © Sören Ernst; Stephanie Ginger

Community

Left to right Stairway to Heaven ; Screwed Up!

Coming across a disused sandstone railway bridge out in the wilds, he dismantled it and made sculptures out of the sandstone blocks.

“A bit naughty,” he adds with a disarming smile, “but nobody else wanted it!” Those sculptures not only helped him develop his own creative style but also proved to be a turning point when he was invited to exhibit in the prestigious Mount Gallery in Edinburgh.

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The sale of the sculptures also gave him enough money to visit his parents who had moved to Portugal intending to settle there. They’d bought the land his studio now stands on but became increasingly disillusioned; ultimately scrapping their plans and moving to Austria instead.

Sculpture & Mosaic Course: Fridays 11am3.30pm October to April (phone for more details) Coffee and tea provided, bring your own packed lunch €25 (one-off) payment for materials € 7 per hour

But for Sören, arriving in the early 1990s, after eking a hand-to-mouth existence in chilly Scotland, Portugal’s relaxed attitude and warm sea breezes felt like manna from heaven. Within a month he’d sold the five sculptures he’d brought in his camper van. Shortly afterwards he had his own exhibition and suddenly everything fell into place.

Word got about and work rolled in, culminating in the 1997 prestigious commission for the Rosa do Ventos roundabout near Meia Praia in Lagos, in collaboration with the Portuguese architect Antonio J.B. Fernandes.

That same year, he built a public monument in Hamburg celebrating the 250th anniversary of Mendelssohn-Bartholdy as well as an astronomical observatory Eira project on an exposed hilltop near Burgau.

“It was crazy,” Sören now admits. “Flying back and forth between Hamburg and Lagos… That was the year I went grey!”

More commissions followed and an eleven-year personal and professional partnership with

 www.soeren-ernst.com  +351 919 065 183

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Sculptress Steff Bauer led to a string of projects between 2004 and 2016. Their final collaboration together in 2016: a 20-metre monumental sculpture of Donald Sutherland’s face as President Snow for a trailer of the blockbuster film The Hunger Games is probably the endeavour of which Sören is most proud. The irony is that for a man who takes much of his inspiration from masters whose work took years to complete and has lasted centuries, President Snow was created in only three weeks and blown to smithereens in an instant!

Looking at his work, it’s certainly hard to pigeonhole.

From Life’s Triumph over Death, a chamaeleon sitting on a human skull in stone and vivid mosaic; to an extraordinary sculpture of a titanic, suffering Saint Sebastian fashioned from a gnarled cork oak trunk; to the minimalistic limestone sundial Stairway to Heaven commissioned recently in Luz; to the perfect, shimmering Heart of Stone in white Portuguese marble, nothing Sören Ernst creates ever seems the same.

And that, he insists, is what drives him. “For me, art and sculpture is a spiritual journey of discovery and concentrating on just one thing takes the joy out of it, you know. Everything is influenced by something.

Here I have a marble sculpture which is obviously influenced by Michelangelo but then Michelangelo was influenced by the Greeks which is why it was called the Renaissance.”

And discovery is at the heart of Sören’s courses.

“Sculpture or Mosaic takes people out of their daily routine, shuts up their internal dialogue and gives them a chance to be ‘in the moment.’” It gives them a chance to be themselves. “Sometimes,” he observes, “it’s amazing what happens. Almost as if moulding the stone or creating a mosaic is helping them to re-create themselves.”

Community

Mighty Marley needs our help A campaign has been launched to raise €8000 to buy a new wheelchair for a fiveyear-old boy from the Algarve. Marley Inacio has a raft of medical problems including muscular dystrophy and a congenital bone condition. Here his mother, Kate Inacio, tells about her son and his needs.

Marley is a 5-year-old boy from the Algarve. He loves football, Mario Super Brothers and the colour green.

His dream in life is probably to become a Minion and he’s the happiest boy in the world.

Marley was born with various medical problems and he has a global delay which affects many things in his body such as his speech, hearing and understanding.

Despite this he is a super hero!

Because of his muscular dystrophy and congenital bone condition he now must use a wheelchair full time, a transition which is difficult for anyone especially a 5-year- old boy. From being a little boy who went to bed with a football beside him, this has been a real change for him. Luckily he has a fantastic support system which is trying to help him every step of the way but, of course, it isn’t easy.

Marley takes a lot of time and attention to care for.

Weekly hospital visits and many therapy, schooling and medication costs. Despite being prodded and poked every week with injections and scans, Marley is a regular favourite in Faro hospital. Everyone knows his name and he even helps to take his own blood and shows other children the fish tank in reception. He really is an inspiration for anyone having a sad day.

Marley is currently using a large wheelchair which he

 www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/marleyswheels

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can't drive himself because of his cognitive ability and, with it not being a specialized children's chair, this limits him in many ways. He isn’t able to play with his friends or be at all independent which has had a huge impact on him and his family.

Aljezur International School found out about Marley’s situation and immediately wanted to make a difference by raising money to buy him a specialized children’s chair, one which is small and meets his cognitive and physical needs. The cost of this chair is approximately €8000.

They organised a 10 km sponsored walk last month and we will be organising other fundraising events over the coming weeks and months.

The difference this chair would make to Marley socially and developmentally would be a game changer for him. Any extra funds raised will go towards buying all the other equipment he needs in his home to make life slightly easier for him and his family.

You can find out more about how to get involved through Marley’s fundraising page. Every cent helps and will make such a difference in this little boy’s life.

+351 282 780 870

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www.casasdobarlavento.com

Community thing. For those closest to them, it is heartbreaking.

As I was shown around the amazing Gardenias Living complex, it became instantly clear that this disease doesn't discriminate by sex or age; the youngest person in residence was a 54-year-old doctor and the oldest resident was aged 90.

I watched as residents enjoying a group yoga class, some participating more vigorously than others, but all with a smile on their face. I also visited the light therapy and leisure rooms, but what left the biggest impression on me was what I can only describe as the ‘memory room’. It was like stepping back in time; all the furniture was from a bygone age, with a Singer sewing machine in one corner. Next to this was a 1970s television set and an old record player.

Dementia care in the Algarve

BY STEVEN SUTTON

Growing old brings with it a unique set of challenges - including some that we cannot face alone. This is where establishments such as Gardenias Living, a Portimão-based facility that specialises in dementia care, are invaluable. I was lucky enough to be invited to visit the facilities there, and was incredibly moved by what I saw.

Located in Vale do Lagar, the centre serves the needs of the local elderly population in three key ways.

First is Assisted Homes, its assisted living service which provides independent accommodation for those in need of support in their daily life or with a specific healthcare need. There is also the Active Ageing Centre, a hub intended to promote health, quality of life and wellness in older people. Finally the Alzheimer Portugal Association Support Office, which is open to the general community.

The purpose of this room is to stimulate long lost memories and feelings. I sensed that it could be a very emotional room, and my tour guide told me: “As long as we get a smile from our patients, we know we are going in the right direction.”

A quick peek in the centre’s kitchen proved tantalising. All the nutritionally-balanced meals are prepared on the premises by a team of chefs, with residents encouraged to eat together but at their own pace.

I must also commend the delightful staff, who work together relentlessly and tirelessly 24 hours a day to make sure that everything runs efficiently.

Of course, dementia is something that we all hope we will never have to deal with but, as we all know too well, life is a fragile thing and we can never know what is just around the corner - which is why it is encouraging to know facilities such as Gardenias Living exist.

Alzheimer’s: the signs - Persistent and frequent memory difficulties, especially of recent events - Present a vague speech during the conversations

As specialists in caring for people with Alzheimer’s Disease (the most common form of dementia, accounting for 50-70% of all cases), I was keen to learn more about the condition that can be so devastating for both the sufferer and their loved ones.

- Losing enthusiasm in carrying out previously appreciated activities

Alzheimer’s Portugal defines it as “a type of dementia that causes a global, progressive and irreversible deterioration of various cognitive functions” - but of course, this is a rather detached definition. In reality, it can be akin to watching a loved one shut down, slowly losing the ability to know themselves or recognise those closest to them. For a sufferer it can be frustrating and cause anger over the simplest

- Deterioration of social skills

- Take more time to perform routine activities - Forget about known people or places - Inability to understand issues and instructions

- Emotional unpredictability There will be an open day at Gardenias Living on November 14th between 10am and 4pm.

Everyone is welcome.

 www.gardeniasliving.com.pt info@gardeniasliving.com.pt  +351 282 415 204./ 920 067 800

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Community

Living with Alzheimer’s Here, Kirsteen Landert who is involved with a group in Lagos which supports people whose loved ones have Alzheimer’s gives us an inside angle.

Upon receiving the diagnosis Alzheimer's/Vascular Dementia a world breaks apart, not only for the sufferer, but also for the partner, be it husband/wife/ family member/friend etc.

Depending on the stage of the illness it may not even be registered or realised by the person it applies to, they just know something is not quite right in their head. They may say they can't quite put things together anymore; everything is jumbled up; they feel depressed; tears come frequently for no known reason; or complete denial occurs.

For the partner/family not an easy situation, to put it mildly. What lies ahead? Can I cope? Sleepless nights and anxiety!

There will be an open day at Gardenias Living on November 14th. To find out more please contact Kirsteen or visit the website.

At an early stage the right diagnosis and medication are essential, as it can often slow down the symptoms for a certain period of time, but unfortunately up to now there is still no cure.

Stimulation therapies, exercise, lifestyle stability, diet, quiet environment etc. can help immensely and above all any amount of TLC (tender, loving care).

Nowadays there is a lot of literature available be it

on the Internet, books, and pamphlets, but for me one of the best helps as a carer and partner has been and still is interchanging with others in a similar situation.

Many partners feel they have to ‘do it alone’ and end up completely exhausted and worn out, which of course is of no help to the sufferer!

Our small group in Lagos meets once a month and we are often in contact in between times. This month our meeting is on November 22nd at 11am at Restaurant Pirilampo in Lagos. Feel free and don't hesitate to come along, you're not alone!

My husband and a few others from the group now attend the private Day Centre in Portimão, which is featured by Steven Sutton on the previous page, where they have stimulation sessions and other therapies by qualified staff and respite care is also possible. My husband goes there twice a week, and also for respite. He enjoys the company especially of the charming "young ladies"!! Need I say that after having been together for over 40 years the days of feeling jealous are long gone!

www.gardeniasliving.com.pt  +351 282 415 204

Work underway at tourist attraction One local newspaper said that huge numbers of visitors had contributed to erosion of the rocks which now needed protecting.

The first phase of work on one of the Algarve’s most popular tourist attractions, the Ponta da Piedade rock formation, in Lagos, is already underway, according to reports.

The project was originally developed by the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) some years ago but was put on hold because of financial issues. It is now being pushed forward by the Ministry of the Environment.

Located 2km from the city centre of Lagos, Ponta de Piedade provides a magnificent view of the Atlantic. Thousands of people visit the area every year. The Câmara in Lagos said improvements were urgent, and would include a walkway and a cycling track.

The President of the Câmara, Joaquina Matos, is reported to have said the main objective was to preserve the territory with a pedestrian and cycle route from Farol to Canavial beach. In her inaugural speech after being re-elected the mayor

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said the work on Ponta da Piedade was a ‘sustainable intervention’, according to a story on Sul Informacão.

The project is not without its critics. A petition has been started calling for the work to be stopped and for a reassessment to take place.

A cross-party group of politicians said in a joint communiqué that: "Once the work was started, it was immediately noticed that it was not a walkway, but an extension of existing roads and concretization of them.

We believe that this option is ineffective, because it fails to mark out or order the routes of the many thousands of visitors who come to Ponta da Piedade every year.”

Community

Urban Art in Lagos For the seventh year running the local arts laboratory, LAC, has invited well known artists from across Europe to decorate walls, both in their headquarters (Lagos' former town jail next to the GNR station) and in the streets around the town.

This year's most spectacular piece of street art was produced over four days by Mister Thoms from Rome using a cherry picker, brushes, paint rollers and a lot of paint! His

website is well worth a visit: www.thoms.it Mister Thoms (real name Diego Della Posta) has been producing urban art for 20 years and, true to the Italian stereotype, he passed the time singing happily as he applied the paint.

Not everyone is delighted with the transformation; one neighbour complained

BY DAVID FOOT

that she had to look at it every day, but most view it as an improvement on a blank wall covered in scrawled "tags" (signatures).

Here we show some stages during the process. The finished masterpiece entitled Don't Take the Bait makes a statement about the dangers of social media and can be viewed close to Os Lamberto's restaurant.

LAC - Laboratório de Actividades Criativas  +351 282 084 959  Rua Largo do Convento de Nossa Sra. Da Glória (the old jail), 8600-660 Lagos

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Wine with victory flavour.

In 2016 the Intermarche exclusive brand Selecção de Enófilos was already awarded with 15 medals on 3 prestigious international wine competitions.

Selecção de Enófilos: Unique wines.

Community

Spell-binding in Lagos Julia Brown is a witch. Yes, that’s right – a witch that lives right here in Lagos. Here she gives us the lowdown about casting spells which don’t include turning people into toads! We’ll hear more from Julia about life as a witch in the next few months.

The first question I get asked is:

And with a puzzled look:

What is a witch?

Well it's not Glenda the Good, or a twitchy nosed 60's housewife, it's me. Simply put a person who believes in a God and a Goddess, who sees the wonder of nature and works with the rhythms of the seasons.

Why do you do it?

Because it is who I am. It's not the most normal of paths to choose but then normal is one word that has never been used to describe me. Suffice it to say that when I found out about Paganism and witchcraft it felt right for me. We generally know when something is right for us and I did.

Then there is: What do you do?

I have worked both in small but perfectly formed coven of 3 and solo. I cast spells, let's call them prayers, I practice healing and work with herbs and crystals. Much to my nephews' disgust I cannot turn his friends into toads.

Followed shortly by: How do you do it?

I work in a circle where I ask for the protection of the God and Goddess and call upon the elements, earth, air, fire and water to be present. I use the energy formed in there to construct spells and send them winging out to do their work, it is not in the nature of this witch to send out anything but good and I believe that you only ask for others, very rarely for yourself. It is a simple sounding process but took me time to become adept and I am still learning, I hope to never stop.

My question: Where do I go from here?

Life moves on and my husband and I decided to move to Lagos 2 years ago. Since then this white witch has been minus her coven and learning that the rhythms of nature in southern Portugal are quite different to those in southern England.

I now have more of an affinity with water than I did before and find the beach and the sea to be a very spiritual place for me. Not surprising given the fact that my star sign is Cancer. Where else would good little crabs feel at home but at the beach?

Who knows, maybe there is another witch hiding in plain sight in this neck of the woods?

Help us give it back We need your help please!

Last year we did a series of Giving Back Days and next year we are planning on doing four more and we need your ideas to inspire us. Can you think of a local worthy cause that needs our assistance?

In 2017 our Giving Back Days included a clean-up at the Happy Donkey Sanctuary in Monchique, a beach clean-up with children from one of the local homes

BY STEVEN SUTTON

and we painted and cleaned-up the Soup Kitchen in Portimão. Last month we spent a day helping out with the bombeiros.

In 2018 we have set aside a series of weekends and we could volunteer on either the Saturday or Sunday.

The weekends are January 13th/14th; April 7th/8th, July 7th/8th and October 6th/7th.

If you have any suggestions then please email  steven@tomorrowalgarve.com

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Community

Online art magazine launches In last month’s issue we brought you news of the newly formed Algarve Society of Artists. Set up by Parchalbased couple Alyson (a painter) and Dave (a photographer) Sheldrake, their aim is to bring together, encourage, and support Algarvebased artists and art of all genres; and to showcase and promote art and art events across the Algarve.

As part of this, they have now launched the first edition of Algarve Art!, a free online magazine that will be published every quarter.

The inaugural edition features a host of articles and special features on artists based here in the Algarve, together with information on upcoming events and exhibitions, classes and courses.

Meanwhile, the second half of the publication features an A-to-Z directory of Algarve Society of Artists members. Showcasing each individual artist in turn, the directory gives you the chance to discover new Algarve artists, styles of art, paintings and gift ideas.

To read the launch edition of Algarve Art!, head to the website.  www.algarve-art.com/magazine

Annual golf event for Neuroblastoma charity A few months ago we featured Niamh’s Next Step Neuroblastoma Cancer Charity which was set up after the death of a little girl from the UK. A celebrity charity golf day was held in the Algarve in June which marked the fifth anniversary of Niamh’s death. We can now announce that this charity golf day will be an annual event.

The Trust is in the throws of deciding the venue for 2018, but the event will be towards the end of September. It will be a two-day event but as yet, the location has yet to be picked but a potential frontrunner in terms of venue is Amendoeira resort, Alcantarilha.

Thursday will be the arrival day and Friday will be the first golf day. There will be celebrities from the sporting and TV world who will be split into groups to compete against each other. The Saturday is where we open the event to the general public and so if you fancy playing a round of golf with the likes of Darren Gough, Peter ‘Dale’ Tubes or Bruce Reihana as your team captain,

then apply to us fast for us to shortlist your names. Not only do you get the opportunity of golfing on a world championship golf course, playing with sporting greats, but you also are invited to the presentation evening and dinner on the Saturday.

It’s a great opportunity of playing with world-class sports personalities who continually support Niamh and the astonishing charity work that all the charity trust’s members do week-in-week out.

They raise awareness about this dreadful disease and raise money through all manner of fundraising events which helps vital research in the hope of a cure. This year the

awareness of Neuroblastoma was in the forefront of many people’s minds through the incredibly beautiful and brave, Bradley Lowery. Once again an innocent child was cruelly taken and like Niamh and many others they are characters with such a zest and enthusiasm for life it is heart-breaking.

We want to involve both the UK and Portuguese community and families who are affected by Neuroblastoma together.

So if you’re a local business person or have been effected by this disease, then we would love to build momentum on this special event and to really raise the roof in 2018.

 niamhsnextstep/videos/1881897601828159/  ChilliPepperProductions/videos/1732715883423303/ (Video courtesy of Chilli Pepper Productions)

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Community

Musical Notes

BY JAZZALI

Graham Roberts, loves trying out new arrangements and bringing pleasure to listeners.

A versatile pianist who enjoys working with other musicians, Graham has a lifetimes’ experience in music which he has successfully combined with other activities and accomplishments.

Graham was born 1940 in Stratford-upon Avon to World War II evacuee Dorothy Roberts, returning to East Sussex in 1945.

His father Edward, played classical piano but Uncle Horace, who lived three doors down, gave seven year old Graham his first piano lessons and taught him to read music, something which has held him in good stead.

Uninspired by the student syllabus, Graham hankered for a more exciting genre. Aged 17, whilst at Hastings College, he held the lofty position of Organist at Westfield Church, however, the contemporary music scene was a strong motivator and that year (1957) he joined his first band, a trio known as Count Three later migrating to The Midnite Sounds; quickly gathering momentum they played local venues and remained popular until disbanded in 1970.

Not satisfied with one band, Graham joined the Alexanders, a professionally managed, Eastbourne, R & B band playing impressive gigs including performing as a support band for Gene Vincent, Johnny Kid and the Pirates, Mud, etc. There followed two seasons at King’s Country Club, Eastbourne and Combe Haven Caravan Park, enviable venues for any burgeoning musician; they played alongside the bands of clarinettist Acker Bilk and trumpeters Alex Welsh and Kenny Ball.

During the 60’s, Graham continued to fit his music around much needed “proper jobs” tea maker and post boy; lorry driver

with HGV licence; brick maker; medical Encyclopaedia salesman and finally just prior to being accepted into the Sussex Police Force, Graham sold TVs and Radios.

In 1969, following a revision to compulsory 20/20 vision for all recruits, a bespectacled Graham commenced a 25-year career in the Police Force that he recalls as “a great life with weird hours.” With ‘moonlighting’ frowned upon, Graham obtained special dispensation to continue with his band and entertained his colleagues at police functions. Stationed in Brighton, he spent two years in uniform and 23 years in CID (ten with the Murder Squad) rising to the rank of Detective Sergeant. “In those days the Station in John Street had a gym, showers, and a canteen; half the top floor was a social club employing a barman.”

As Secretary of the Police Club, Graham arranged quiz nights, trips away and functions, all funded by the proceeds of two slot machines installed in the club.

During his 25 years of service Graham investigated some high profile cases. Many will remember the Babes in the Wood case which involved the tragic murder, close to Brighton, of two young girls. Probably most infamous, is the 1980’s Brittania Refined Metals Co. £3,000,000 silver heist, the largest of its kind at that time; the investigation took Graham and his colleagues to Germany, Holland, France and Belgium and led to the successful conviction of 14of the gang members.

Depicted in a plethora of TV and Radio

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programmes, Graham considers the CID to be most authentically represented by The Sweeny, a 1970’s police drama focusing on a branch of the Met, the Flying Squad (Sweeny Todd) investigating armed robbery and violent crime in London.

Graham met Sylvia in 1974 and they married in 1977. Their first home together was in the Royal Crescent just two doors away from Sir Lawrence Olivier moving in 1977 to trendier Sussex Square, known for its restaurants and live music.

Graham played regularly at the Hare & Hounds, Preston Circus with Brighton based, eight piece, blues band, the Lightning Brothers. Led by Mick Terry, they played for BBC Radio and Henley Regatta.

Dawn French booked them to play at a family wedding (not hers) in Cornwall.

Having a HGV licence came in very handy; the band and their gear squeezed into a hired van and headed to the West Country. During 90’s Graham played at The Laughing Onion, Kemptown, a renowned French restaurant where owner and chef, Jean Jacques Jordane delighted all by joining in singing!

Graham twice took on the Charity Marathon challenge, playing non-stop for 24 and 36 hours!

Graham and Sylvia embraced retirement 1995 by moving permanently to their holiday home in Almadena. 

Community Attending an Art Exhibition at the Bella Vista Hotel in Luz, they chanced upon guitarist Chris Atcherley and their long lasting friendship and musical marriage was firmly established. One of the duos earliest gigs was at the Fortaleza in Luz then owned by Brian St John Webb. Graham recalls that Brian took a keen interest in music having previously owned a famous Jazz Club in Bristol. The Duo quickly established themselves at the Fortaleza and the Penina Hotel.

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In 2005, distinguished saxophonist Dougie Robinson joined them for one Sunday, “he enjoyed it so much he stayed for four years.” Dougie, who died in Luz aged 90, was a considerable asset having played for Frank Sinatra and with Geraldo, Robert Farnon, The David Lindup Big Band and Jack Parnell. There followed a number of impressive guest musicians, each bringing their particular brand of magic.

Support your town

BY STEVEN SUTTON All over the world retail is struggling and independent shops are closing as we move towards an on-line shopping experience or to out-of-town complexes. Convenience over curiosity, speed over a relaxing day walking around the shops and taking lunch in the town centre. The way it used to be!

Many of the towns that the two Tomorrow Magazines cover have at their heart, a bustling shopping district with every kind of shop you can imagine. From fashion to sportswear, home wear to furniture, jewellery to gifts, perfume and beauty, there is a wide range on offer. And because of the range you will find hundreds of ideas to help you find that original gift you have been looking for. All set in the historic lanes of these amazing Algarvian towns.

Graham’s original Fortaleza band has metamorphosed several times; now consisting seven excellent musicians and known as the Sunshine Big Band they remain ever popular playing to a full house every Sunday. Graham also guests with the Orquestra Ligeira Lagos, a 22 piece Big Band playing many venues and concerts throughout the Algarve.

For ten years Graham organised a concert at the Lagos Cultural Centre to raise much needed funds for the Lagos Bomberios; he is deservedly proud having raised in excess of €25,000.

Graham and Sylvia now have their home in Barão São Miguel where they farm some eight acres. New to farming life the couple and their dogs Vaquerio and Sabou are embracing the fresh air and enjoying the fruits of their labours; a far cry from the distant world of dastardly deeds and high drama they left behind in Brighton.

You will also find cafes, bars and restaurants offering amazing local foods and specialities. Among all the shops there are trendy men’s barbers and designer clothing stores. Shops for all ages and all the family. One of the reasons we all moved here to Portugal was to drink up the culture and feel the history of the local towns. So why not make a day of it and check out one of our local towns in the run up to Christmas.

While you shop and meander you can take time to look at the architecture and see how these towns are evolving and coming back to life. The hard truth is, our towns need our support. They can’t survive without people spending money in them and enjoying all it has to offer. We overlook the towns now for the newer shopping centres, which have a place, but every now and then come and see what is happening in our wonderful town centres.

This Christmas, why not spend your day in an historic town and find that perfect gift and help support the town traders.

You never know, you may come back!

Be an angel

BY SUSI ROGOL Be an angel… It’s not often you get the opportunity to help children in need, but local charity ACCA provides the perfect platform to do just that.

You may well have dropped some loose change into an ACCA collection box without really being aware of the support you are giving this small charity so that it can do big things for the youngsters it aims to support. That could mean the provision of physical and psychological treatments, the supply of special equipment to aid mobility, dental treatment or glasses.

Other ways they seek support include regular fundraisers, sponsored events such as bike rides, and the sale of luxury greeting cards at outlets. And now the charity needs your help as we approach Christmas.

Its successful Angels programme puts smiles on small faces year after year.

The scheme sees generous donors and time-giving volunteers raise funds and then shop for Christmas gifts for children in institutions and orphanages, or who are living below the poverty line at home. The presents that the Angels deliver are often the only ones these children will receive, so they are especially loved and treasured.

The ACCA team will soon be starting this year’s programme, gathering the children’s names, ages and Christmas wishes from homes, schools and special facilities across the Algarve, collecting donations, and then buying and wrapping presents. Last year over 1,500 children were at the receiving end of a special gift, proving that ACCA – and also yourself – can make a real difference.

If you’d like to find out how you can help, call ACCA secretary Lynda Fury.

 +351 936 463 177  lyndafury@sky.com

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Community

Drive your golf This month Espiche’s Golf Club’s pro, Ethan Shaw, shares his top tips on putting.

Putting is a very important part of the game. Often overlooked by club golfers, but but account for roughly 40% of our shots on the course with the putter.

In these photos I am hitting an 8ft putt and I would like you to notice two things:

I like to speak to golfers after a round and ask how they played and the amount of times they say they had a cold day with the flat stick is really alarming.

Usually people can have very good days and also very bad days on the putting green, accusing the speed/quality of the green for any bad performances.

However, unfortunately, the blame should be on their stroke. Common faults I see on the practice green are declared during the downswing or flexing/flicking the right wrist through impact.

I hope these two small tips help your putting, but more importantly I would love you to spend just an extra hour a week practicing on the putting green!

1) The angles in my wrists don’t change. Especially my right wrist. This gives me the best chance of a centred strike and helps me start the ball on my intended line.

2) My follow-through is slightly longer than my back swing. This helps me commit to the stroke and forces me to trust the length of my backswing in order to get the ball to the hole.

Espiche is offering a package of three junior classes in November for €30 (that’s €10 per lesson). The dates for these are November 11th, 18th and 25th from 10am to 11am.

Booking is essential.

A real tweet The Bird Watching and Nature Festival in Sagres welcomed a record number of visitors in its eighth year, with the organisers delighted that so many people are attracted to the far western Algarve.

A recorded 2,150 visitors came to the Sagres area to participate in the event, 1,000 more than last year and enjoyed five days full of activities at São Vicente, Fort Beliche, the Sagres Fortress and Cabranosa.

There also was a new record set for the number of nationalities present at the festival with people from 39 different countries, 10 more than in 2016.

In addition to most European countries, there were visitors from Guyana, New Zealand, China, the Philippines, Colombia and Mexico.

Of the 250 programmed activities, many were new - such as the history of Sagres trip, the music workshops, the mobile observatory, musical moments and the wooden birds distributed to schools to be decorated.

This year, 157 species of birds were spotted, including eight rarities including the Pomeranian eagle, and the Lanner falcon. The various species observed by the participants were inserted in the PortugalAves eBird online website so that the data can be used by others.

The success this year was due in great part to the volunteers and partners who collaborated in this initiative, either by helping with the activities or by offering discounts to the organisation and the participants.

This initiative of Vila do Bispo council is in partnership with the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds and environmental organisation, Almargem.

Thanks to the Algarve Daily News for this story.

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Community teams from across the world, some already qualified for the finals were using this opportunity as a testing and learning experience.

Sitting on the grid waiting for the start drivers know that their chassis, tyres and fuel are all identical.

The strictly regulated and randomly selected Rotax engines supplied by the organisers ensure a level playing field for all entrants, so driving ability is everything.

Across all classes the championships remained undecided leading to some exciting races for the many spectators. The Micro class saw pilot João Oliveira starting with a six point lead over his closest rivals.

Managing to be the first Portuguese to cross the line in fourth behind Croatian Leon Zelenko, Argentinian Felipe Bernasconi and Hungarian driver Menyhert Krozser became the first of the locals to secure a place in the finals.

Kart racing in Portimão

BY JEFF MORGAN

The term Portuguese driver is a phrase heard often around the expat community. This weekend the next generation demonstrated their extraordinary ability to manoeuvre at high speed in an eight vehicle train, just millimetres from the driver in front in an exciting event hosted at the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve. The Rotax Trophy event was a six venue series culminating in the climax at the Portimão circuit.

Seven different categories of karts ranging from the Micro, where competitors are already completely competent to race by the age of six through to the Masters, where you have to be a mere 32 years old.

Whilst many of the competitors will remain driving karts some will be dreaming of this being a step on the ladder to becoming a Formula One champion in the future. Karting is indeed a sport suitable for the whole family to partake and a friendly family environment was very evident despite the high stakes involved.

Now in its 18th year, the most prestigious event in the karting world is the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals. In order to be invited to race in this event you must win in your home country, so for everyone involved this weekend victory could mean racing again at the Kartódromo over seven days in November when, from 50 countries the finest 360 of the 15,000 teams who entered are expected to descend upon the Portimão track to battle for the ultimate title.

For the teams, first remains the small matter of qualifying to represent the nation amongst a group of 90 other highly motivated and talented drivers.

However, this was not just a Portuguese affair as

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In the Mini category Spaniard Marco Aguilera Lopez who races in the Portuguese league overcame a three point deficit over his Norma Racing team mate David Simoes winning his races while Simoes struggled.

The Junior class, for 12 to 15 year olds saw a day to remember for Guilherme Oliveira and a day to forget for Rodrigo Ferreira who gave away a one point lead ending his hopes for reaching the Grand Final.

Paraguayan, Joshua Durskin took line honours in both races with Oliveira second, having previously won the Portuguese Youth Karting Cup in 2016 has now reached another final in this young man's career.

In the Max category Hungary's Kovacs Zsombor dominated winning both of the days finals.

The Portuguese title was between two drivers, Alex Areia trailed Goncalo Coutinho by six points. In final number one the pressure was getting to both as they contested the lead before both ran wide eventually finishing ninth" & "fifth respectively. Areia remained calm for the second final although Coutinho only needed to follow him home to secure the coveted November invitation and his first return to the finals since 2011.

DD2, for drivers 15 to 31 years of age saw Porto pilot Pedro Pinto coming in to the weekend knowing his points lead in the series was probably enough to secure a seat in November barring any mishaps. The 14 lap sprint saw him take the lead early in both races keeping all of his challengers close behind.

The Masters had seen Vitor Mendes of Porto win eight of the 10 previous finals and he became the final pilot to secure a drive in the finals. Some very close racing along with the lack of incidents or accidents in all divisions showed the calibre and professionalism of the young drivers. The finals are probably free to attend where you can roam around the paddock as well as witness some great motor sport action, so remember to add this to your diary.

Nov 4 – 11 Rotax MAX Challenge World Finals.

Community

Helping you sleep easy

BY SOPHIE SADLER José dos Santos left the military after serving his country in Bosnia and Kosovo and for the last 14 years has been protecting the community of Praia da Luz as their Night Guard.

I meet José one afternoon to discuss the Night Guard service, a secret army of law enforcers who work under the cover of night. At 3pm, he has just got up, after carrying out his night-time guardianship of Luz which goes from midnight to 6am. His shift begins when he checks in with the GNR in Lagos before beginning his nocturnal patrol of Praia da Luz. The Night Guard, while sounding like the title of a John le Carré thriller, is a pseudo police force performing a service on behalf of the public working alongside the GNR. The roll complements the service provided by the state police and GNR and each operative has a license from the Câmara and the authority to use an ‘appropriate amount of force’ and carry a firearm. There are also Night Guards covering Lagos, Tavira, Loulé, Quarteira, Portimão, Faro and Vila Real Santo António.

As vice president of the Night Guard Association (Associação Sócio-Professional dos GuardasNocturnos) known as the ASPGN, José is a passionate advocate of the service and its history. I am amazed that after having lived in the area for 14 years I have never heard of this organisation, so I am keen to get to the bottom of his nightly activities.

In historical terms, the first reference to the Night Guard Service in Portugal was recorded in 1383 in conjunction with firefighters. They were employed by the residents of cities to protect their property, they would have been the equivalent to night watchmen in the UK which have existed since the 13th century. In Portugal, they were deployed in the aftermath of the 1755 earthquake, particularly in the Lisbon area, now they act as independent workers providing a public service. “I like to think I help the community and provide a first response service to people living in Luz although if there was an incident I would always have to call the GNR to take further action. I feel however

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that many do not understand the service I am offering.” José has a direct radio link to the GNR so if there is an incident he can get instant back-up.

Although many of his clients have their alarms connected to Jose´s phone so if it is activated he will attend the property, his role goes beyond that of a security guard. Night Guards will also attend medical emergencies and pick up prescription medicine, he has also helped with water leaks and provides a keyholder service for vacant properties.

Local resident Louise Chamberlain tells me: “We have employed José´s services for over 10 years. It is comforting to know that while we are asleep José is keeping a watchful eye on our property. Also, our burglar alarm is linked to his mobile as well as to our own and we have a 'panic button' so that if we should feel concerned for any reason we can simply press the button to request his help. José also offers to assist 24/7 should a medical emergency ever arise. It is very reassuring, in view of our limited Portuguese language skills, to know that in an emergency all we would have to do is ring José and he will make the appropriate calls for us, and it only costs €1 a day!"

In June 2016 José launched his new patrol car, which is fully branded with the Night Guard Insignia and which is intended to act as a deterrent to criminals as well as a reassurance to the people living or staying in Luz. José tells me: “If someone comes on holiday to Luz and his robbed they are going to go home with a negative experience and this impacts the area and tourism. It is therefore in everyone´s interests to create a feeling of security.” José reports that although Luz was incredibly busy this summer he did not see much crime; “The only warning I will give people is to be careful with their mobile phones. They are very easy to steal and put in a rucksack and noone will know. People will rent a villa and leave all the windows open and their mobiles in their bedrooms and criminals will steal four or five at a time and they are very valuable.”

José has been on the beat in Luz since 2002 but the service is entirely funded by the public and so for the first three years he had to have a second job during the day and then work all night. José´s military training is evident in his meticulous attention to 

Community detail and his dedication but he confesses he is not a businessman and he does not have a lot of time to spend on his own PR. So he needs more residents and businesses to support the work he does with financial contributions.

Remuneration is in the form of voluntary contributions paid monthly or annually.

Property owners can range from as little as €30 per month for a standard villa.

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He is supported by Safe Communities Algarve and has spoken at their seminars, they say; “Safe Communities Algarve fully supports the Night Guard Service as it provides an important supplement to the work and resources of the GNR and PSP in preventing crime and helping to ensure safe communities.”José is also a vital support to the elderly and vulnerable in the community. He has been called out to investigate car alarms that are going off and to give reassurance to an elderly lady who had just lost her husband and was getting scared in the night. Yet many are not giving him the financial support he deserves. Local resident Andy White says: “We have used José Santos for approximately five years now and he has been an incredible help. When a neighbour died suddenly during the night and his distraught wife called us, I immediately called the night guard and he, in turn, called the police and paramedics. Also recently when some very drunk and noisy holidaymakers were creating chaos and were seriously threatening the area, he was outside our house in less than two minutes, again he called the GNR who were there in minutes and dealt with what could have been a nasty situation. It is difficult to explain to some residents the value of having an armed governmentauthorised guard in your area. In our area, Montinhos da Luz, only a few subscribe to the service, the rest assume that they get the advantage of having him in the area anyway.”

I ask José if he is aware that Portugal has just achieved position three in the world's most peaceful countries poll; “Yes and I would like to think that the Night Guard service is a small cog in the wheel that has led to this achievement.”

It is time for the Night Guards, of which there are around 300 in Portugal, to step out of the shadows and get the recognition and support they deserve.

 +351 964 542 462 (José)  gnluzpt@gmail.com  gnluzpt  aspguardasnocturnos@gmail.com  www.guarda-nocturno.blogspot.com

Diplomatic Ramblings

BY DOUG MCADAM

I have devoted a number of ‘Ramblings’ to my time as Ambassador in Kazakhstan in the late 1990s. I’ll draw a close to this particular posting with a couple of anecdotes.

I mentioned previously that British Gas (BG) was a major investor in Kazakhstan with a massive gas project in the northwest at Karachaganak.

They worked closely with the Kazakh Institute of Science and Architecture where they had a permanent British professor. I got to know the irascible Belorussian Rector and his senior staff very well during my time there. And the fact that we included a visit to the Institute by the Prince of Wales (given his interest in architecture) was much appreciated. To mark a visit by a visiting BG executive, and theoretically to give me a chance to do some muchloved fishing, the Rector organised a lunch at a lakeside guest house. But I knew this was really an excuse for the Rector and his staff to enjoy a Kazakhstyle blowout.

The host and his matronly wife had laid on a traditional spread and inevitably the vodka flowed during the many toasts. I eventually begged some time from the vodka fest to do some fishing so the party moved to lakeside where they continued with the vodka. By mid-afternoon said BG executive, already looking rather green around the gills, peeled off to go to the airport. Soon afterwards a long-legged vision who spoke English appeared and was introduced as the host’s second wife. After a while it was suggested that in accordance with Kazakh custom the host’s wife should entertain (i.e. sleep with) the honoured guest. So I decided to play along. I said how honoured I was and gratefully accepted. I then walked past the vision and led the matronly wife by the arm towards the bedroom. She was horrified but it was with great relief to her and amusement all round when they realised I was joking.

I mentioned in my last Ramblings how we became neighbours with the US Ambassador. She was an amazing

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character and thought nothing of going off-piste heli-skiing or mountain biking. Just before she left Almaty she invited Sue and me to join her and some friends on a helicopter trip to the Khan Tengri Mountain which is shared

by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China.

I read beforehand that the translation of Khan Tengri is ‘Ruler of the Sky’ but it has another name which translates as ‘Blood Mountain’. We duly turned up on the day to find a beaten-up old helicopter with a couple of likely lad Russians as pilots.

On board we found just enough wooden dining chairs for us alongside two massive auxiliary fuel tanks.

Seatbelts or pre-flight briefing? Don’t be daft: this was the former Soviet Union! Anyhow it turned out to be a remarkable day - and we lived to tell the tale. At one stage we seemed to be making heavy weather of getting over a particularly high pass so I dared to go into the cockpit.

I needn’t have worried. The pilots were literally laid back with their feet alongside the controls and a bottle of vodka propped between them. In reply to my question they told me the altitude of the pass was 4000 metres and the flying ceiling of the helicopter was just slightly more!

When we eventually reached Khan Tengri the views were spectacular. At 23,000 feet it is the second highest of the Tien Shan range. But it is probably the most beautiful given its pyramid shape. After our flight, when we almost certainly flew over China and Kyrgyzstan as well, I was relieved to discover that ‘Blood Mountain’ comes from the dark red shades on the mountain at sunset.

Doug retired to the Algarve 13 years ago after over 40 years in the Foreign Office

Community

The Music Man They call him The Music Man, and he comes from far away.

What can he play? Well, 63 year-old Brian ‘Rockindad’ Jutsum doesn’t play an instrument—his art form is the disc jockey’s turntable.

But he loves to make music wherever he goes and he loves to roll after the rock, travelling tens of thousands of kilometres every year with his wife Susan to Rock ‘n’ Roll gigs and festivals across Europe.

And in between times Brian spins his discs for a number of charitable causes across the Algarve, where he has helped to raise tens of thousands of euros for children, for people in need and to help the people who help us, like the Bombeiros and local hospitals.

For him it is, as the great Louis Armstrong sang, “A Wonderful World” as it allows him to mix his twin passions of charitable fund-raising and listening to, or playing, his favourite music.

That charity work includes the annual Charity Bar Walk on the Algarve’s west coast, the Surf and Wheels Festival in Faro, the world-famous Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride in the Faro leg of the global motorcycle marathon which involves more than 60,000 bike riders around the world.

It also involves the American Cars Festival in Faro, a Bombeiros fundraiser, and the Red Hot Rock ‘N’ Roll Club he began in Loule with DJ Greaser. They are now looking for a venue in the Lagos area to stage rock

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BY MATT D’ARCY

and roll nights once or twice a month.

Brian has also been invited as Rockindad to DJ at the Rockin’ Swarm Festival in Andalusia, Spain, which is a Halloween gig that also features two bands, before they finish this year’s travelling in November at a festival in Benalmádena, near Torremolinos in Spain.

The Jutsums have already drawn up plans for next year with trips arranged to Spain, Germany, France, Holland and Belgium.

The name ‘Rockindad’ was born on a visit to Edinburgh in 1990 when student friends of their son William, who was at university there, treated Susan and Brian to a meal. One of them, knowing his passion for rock music, handed out badges to everyone, which read: “We Love Rockindad”.

That prompted Brian—whose alternative idea of relaxation is to go potholing!—to use it as his eBay name through the 90s for buying and selling records.

By then Brian, who began his working life as a lithographic artist, had already started DJ-ing for their hotel and wedding venue business in the Yorkshire Dales because he found many of the DJs he hired were unreliable or simply not good enough.

Since they sold up a subsequent business, making and retailing furniture, nine years ago, to take early retirement, Brian’s love of rock music has become an all-embracing passion. This year alone that passion has seen them spend up to five months on the road in their motor home, visiting Germany, France, Switzerland, Croatia, Spain, the UK and, of course, Portugal as they follow the band, so to speak.

Brian, who has a music room in his house, and a massive vinyl record collection stored away in 

Community

Brian—whose alternative idea of relaxation is to go potholing here on the Algarve!—continued: “My record collection is a mixed bag; rock and country, punk, grav-rock, an eclectic mix including 70s rock-abilly bands like Robert Gordon, The Stray Cats.

“I veer towards the edgier type of music, the bands and musicians not in the charts. I like more obscure music, music that isn’t delivered to your doorstep but instead you have to go looking for it.

“That’s why we travel to the festivals and the small gigs because these are lesser-known bands but they tend to be fantastic musicians producing the most amazing music.

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England, told us: “I cannot imagine life without music. I listen to it every day, in the car, working around the house.”

Susan smiled: “When Brian proposed to me in the 70s it went something like: If you love me, you also have to love my speakers! The rest is history, and we have always had loud music in our lives.

“In the 70s we saw every new wave band on the circuit at De Montfort Hall in Leicester, bands like The Clash, Ramones, Ian Drury and loads more. If we didn’t see them, they weren’t worth seeing.

“We loved the energy of those days and that’s why we still follow the rock ‘n’ roll and rock-a-billy bands around Europe because this is the natural progression. It has the energy the Punks had… without the spitting!”

Brian—insisting that, in his eyes (and ears!), Jerry Lee Lewis remains The Master—said his love affair with the music began in the 1960s and 70s when he started to follow Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Uriah Heep, Sha-Na-Na, mostly doo-wop and rock and roll, as a collector and a fan.

“Jungle Rock by Hank Mizell which reached No.3 in the UK charts in 1978 brought in a lot of young people, myself included,” he recalled. “One of the most important bands at the time was The Cramps, a garage punk band who I saw in a cellar club in Nottingham when they came to the UK to support Sting’s band The Police. They were basically deranged; they could have been Martians they were so different—but the music was so exciting.

“Most people gravitate towards one genre of music, but there is good music across every genre if you listen for it. I wouldn’t just dismiss one genre because within it you could quite easily come across something or someone special”.

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“The Portuguese rock-a-billy scene is very small— about five bands in reality—but play to a high standard, so much so that one Lisbon-based Portuguese band, Roy Dee & The Spitfires which has been on this circuit for a long time, has suddenly been discovered and is about to go global.

“I have dj-ed with them and they are the best, so good that finally they have been signed by LA-based Wild Records, the biggest rock-and-roll label in the world. They are already booked to play the biggest rock-a-billy festival in the world, Viva Las Vegas.

“A lot of these bands just haven’t had the breaks.

They are hugely talented but are never in the right place at the right time with the right face. Let’s face it, you don’t see too many ugly pop stars!

“These are highly-skilled musicians, certainly of a higher standard than some chart-based bands. The guitarists for instance have to be so gifted, as they don’t play with specially digitalised equipment, so if they hit a bum note it really stands out.

Brian and Susan, who have also toured North Africa, use their Algarve home, which (already planning to spend their retirement here) they had built in 2000 as the base for their travels.

Every year they make sure they include Germany in their itinerary. Brian explained: “It is the epi-centre of the European rock ‘n’ roll scene. The music is great, the beer is fantastic and the people are so friendly.

This year I took a photo of every brand of beer I drank in Germany—it amounted to 35 in all!

“Our route is always planned around festivals and gigs, 100% rock ‘n’ roll events, usually in smaller towns rather than big cities and that suits us. We just roll up in the motor home, set up, then enjoy the music and the camaraderie, meeting up with old friends who tend to do as we do and follow the music.

“We roll after the rock, so to speak!”

Community

The village that rocks!

BY MATT D’ARCY

Visit magical Monsanto and you’ll be boulder-ed over by its craggy charm. Any place that has a superlative in its name is pretty much a ‘must see’. And Monsanto, here in Portugal, is no exception.

And as the tourists fly home from the Algarve and another mild Portuguese winter approaches, why not think about spending a few days “oop north” and take in the delights of Monsanto.

The ancient village, close to the country's highest mountain, Serra da Estrela, is nicknamed ‘The Most Portuguese Town in Portugal’, an apt title thanks to its unbelievably unique construction, rich history and authentic food.

You see, in Monsanto, rocks are utilised as homes, shops, walls, staircases and, most astoundingly, even as rooftops, the mountaintop village being built in and around gigantic 200-tonne BOULDERS. It may well make some people a little nervous when it comes to living beneath a roof weighing more than the average cruise ship.

So, it’s easy to imagine visitors to your home being told: “Watch your head!”

Located in the municipality of Idanha-a-Nova, in eastern Portugal near the Spanish border, Monsanto—hanging off a mountaintop with spectacular views for miles over the Portuguese countryside—sits at 2,486 feet above sea level.

Donkey is the preferred form of transport for the 800 residents, who have managed to maintain the village's medieval character.

Though the town earned its nickname in 1938, traditional dishes like octopus with olive oil, snails and Portuguese wines are routinely served today and the castle which once belonged to the Knights Templar still stands. Blue skies, green grass and bright roofs add beautiful colour and contrast to the grey rocks of an area with jaw-dropping land forms that make it anything but regular.

And if the residents of this living museum want to change anything about their appearance of the home, built to accommodate the rocks, they must ask for permission. To be honest, we don't see anything they'd need to change - the little quirks are

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what make the town so absolutely quaint.

Its narrow cobbled streets, twisting in a steep climb past red-roofed cottages squeezed against mossstreaked boulders, some of them fitted with doors leading to buildings carved right into this wondrous landscape. Visitors should also call in at the Taverna Lusitania and try their craft beer made from hazelnuts, which is eponymously called Lusitania and described as ‘the beer of the warriors’.

Take your time enjoying your drink—the panoramic views from the taverna’s terrace are simply breathtaking.

The village, around 114km or 70 miles north-east of Lisbon (330km, or 205 miles, driving distance from Albufeira, central Algarve), is also known for its pastries, prepared and baked in the style of the famous Pastéis de Nata but made with cherries.

Monsanto has been dubbed ‘Bedrock’, the home of cartoon character Fred Flintstone.

But arriving at the village you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking it provided the inspiration for Hobbiton. The lush green land with homes built into the landscape looks like something out of Lord of the Rings.

Elements of this article have been sourced from The Huffington Post, the website Heart of Everywhere, and Daily Mail Travel.

A number of these beautiful pictures were captured

by Xalima Miriel, from Spain.

What's on

Algarve Saint Andrew’s Ball 2017

BY DOUG MCADAM, CHIEFTAIN

The Saint Andrew’s Society of the Algarve is a small group of Scots and other nationalities whose main aim is to promote things Scottish, but also to enjoy ourselves.

We will be having our annual Saint Andrews Ball on Saturday November 25th. Once again it will be at the marvellous Penina Hotel, which always looks after us so very well.

Participants will be greeted by the skirl of the pipes from 7pm played by our wonderful piper Malcolm MacGillivray. Following a champagne reception there will be a bounteous and sumptuous buffet accompanied by wine, followed by coffee and Atholl Brose.

Afterwards Scottish dancing will be to the accompaniment of our excellent ceilidh band from Scotland, The Sound of Islay. Each dance will be talked and walked through beforehand so no need for beginners to hang back!

So a great opportunity to get out your glad rags.

Tickets will cost €45 for Society members and €47.50 for non-members. If you prefer not to drive and spend the night at the hotel after the Ball, and/ or have a round of golf on the Sir Henry Cotton Championship Course, the Hotel is offering special rates for Ball participants.

If you would like to buy tickets and/or inquire about the Hotel’s special offer – or indeed simply to find out more about the Saint Andrew’s Society and its other events - give Kathy Prentice a ring.

 +351 919 635 246 (Kathy Prentice)

Silves is alive with the sound of music Have you ever just wanted to put on a wimple and sing like a nun?

Well, now you can!

The Sound of Music is coming to Silves to raise money for APAA charity (The Association for the Protection of Animals) in the Algarve. They will have Alan, on keyboards, who will be playing everyone’s favourite songs from The Sound of Music.

Please feel free to dress up - or come

as you are!

A bottle of Cava will be given for the best outfit.The event takes place on Saturday November 4th at 7.30pm at Recanto dos Mourros in Silves.

The cost is €20 which includes a threecourse meal, with drinks and couverts, soup or salad, followed by Portuguese lamb stew, turkey with mushroom cream sauce or Bacalhau c/natas and pudding.

There will be wine, beer, soft drinks and water during the meal (pre and after dinner drinks are extra).

Call to help fire victims ASMAA, the Algarve Surf and Marine Association, is collecting for the victims of the fires that raged through parts of Portugal last month.

At least 41 people died after hundreds of fires spread across central and northern areas in October. They started in dry conditions and were fanned by strong Atlantic winds from Hurricane Ophelia.

ASMAA is looking for a range of items including blankets, duvets and duvet covers, bed sheets, towels, jerseys, jackets, rain coats, rain boots and hot water bottles/bags (to be used in beds). Please contact ASMAA in the first instance to tell them what you have.  info@asmaa-algarve.org  +351 969 320 231 / 969 766 622

 info@apaaportugal@gmail.com  +351 919 041 903 (Jenny)

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What's on

November Calendar Promote your events and activities here - it’s FREE! Email your listings to us: for.tomorrow@hotmail.com

Fitness

Classes Dog Training Tue 11am (Rally-Obedience) & Fri 11am & Sat 4pm (Agility), €25 4 sess. Espiche, +351 968 086 320

Music Lessons 1-2-1 guitar, piano & voice theory & performance, €25 p.h Lagos & Sagres+, +351 964 201 904 Life Drawing Mon 11am €10 p.sess, Marina de Lagos, +351 916 035 308

Practical Portuguese Lessons Fri 10.30, €5 Lounge Bar, Marina Club Hotel +351 964 696 345 Streetdance Mon 6pm (teens), Wed 6pm (adults) & Sat 11am (kids 6+), €5, AlmaVerde, +351 916 022 719 Classical Guitar Classes Sat & Sun children, adults & seniors ABRSM certified €20p/h, Lagos Paulo +351 962 690 582 Watercolour Lessons Thur 10.30am €10, Fortaleza Restaurant Praia Da Luz , +351 912 149 839 African Dance Classes Mon 7pm (Teatro Experimental de Lagos) & Tue 10.30am Old School Barranco da Vaca Aljezur, €10 +351 964 588 588

Portuguese Beginners Class Tue & Thur 9.30, €6 Portelas, +351 912 417 994 Healing painting classes Wed & Thurs 3pm +/70yrs, €10 Barão S. João, +351 962 039 574 Computer Classes Sat 10am All levels Lagos, +351 918 764 613 Swimming Lessons Mon & Thurs pm & Sat am, €12.50 (non-mem.) | €10 (mem.), Holiday Courses | 3x per Week | €25 (non-mem.) €20 (mem.), Boavista Golf Resort, +351 917 953 914 Open Studio/ Painting Atelier Wed & Thurs 11am for women to explore their creativity, €10 Barão S. João, +351 962 039 574

Dog Instruction Sat 5pm (Group dog lessons) 1st lesson by appointment, Hotel do CÃO Portimão, +351 964 083 602

Meditation Classes Thur 5.15 - 6.30pm, Boavista Golf +351 963 614 499

Legs Bums & Tums Mon 1pm, Burgau Sports Centre, Boxercise Tues 8pm Behind Bombeiros Lagos, Buggy Fit Thurs 10am Wacky Boavista Resort Lagos, €5 Soames Fitness (1-2-1 & Group Training available at your location or studio), +351 913 425 892 Mat Classes | Mon Wed & Fri 9.15 & 10.30am & Mon 6.30pm €10 or €90 for 10 Ashtanga Class Sat 10.30, Equipment Classes Duet Reformer | Semi Private & 1-2-1, Pilates Room Lagos, +351 926 514 613 Gymn for a fit back Mon 6pm €7, Hotel Belavista | Luz, +351 965 211 996 Hatha Yoga Mon Wed & Fri 9.45am €10, Classes for Children Sat 9.15am (4-7 yrs) & 10.30am (8-12 yrs) Booking required , Boavista +351 282 790 930 Pilates Wed 11am, Yoga & De-stress Fri 11am, Zumba Dance Wed & Fri 10am, Step! & Tone Thurs 10am, €7.50 (booking) Hotel Belavista Luz, +351 968 288258

Events Live Saxophone Music Tues 7pm, Boutique Hotel Vivenda Miranda | Lagos, +351 282 763 222 November 25 Guitar by the Fireside | Paulo Galvão (classical guitar music from 19th Century composers) 3.00pm, Reservation only €19.50 inc. refreshment buffet Quinta das Alagoas nr. Almadena, +351 924 204 343 Live Music Sat 10pm, Atabai Bar Barão de S. João, +351 282 688 072

Boavista Golf Happy Hour 1 pax & Buggy €65 & 2 pax & Buggy €115 Min. 9 holes, Boavista +351 282 00 0111 November 16th SoundBath 8.15pm Sug. don. €10, InLight Lagos, +351 913 127 421 Bridge Tues & Fri 1.15pm partner not necess, Marina Club, +351 963 977 642 Movember Party 25th November 7pm Barroca Luz +351 916 909 494

Gentle Hatha Mon 6.30pm The Yoga Place Burgau & Wed 12.15pm, Hotel Belavista, Luz €8, +351 965 201 477 Yoga for all Ashtanga Vinyasa Tues & Thurs 10.30am, Slow Flow and Yin Yoga Wed 9.15am, €10 drop-in (€65 for 8 residents) Above Clube do Grupo Desportivo Burgau, +351 913 202 621 Zumba Mon & Fri 9.45am €6 | Alma Verde, +351 918 461 840 Hatha Yoga Mon & Fri 1pm | 1xwk €32, 2xwk €45, Kundalini Yoga Tues & Thurs 6:30pm | 1xwk €30, 2xwk €40,Meditation Group €7.50 Casa Sakra Lagos, +351 916 060 814

Bootcamp Class Mon - Fri 7.30am 10am & 7pm, Yoga Tue & Thurs 9am, Pilates Mon Wed & Fri 9am, AXN Club Cascade Resort Lagos, Mobile Bootcamp Sat 9am, €10 | Luz, +351 915 183 888 Fitness Tue & Thurs 9.30am, Pilates Tues & Thurs 11am, €5 Golf Santo Antonio Budens, +351 282 690 086 Circuit Training Wed 10am, Ladies Sports Fri 1.30pm €5, Zumba Mon & Wed 6pm €5, Burgau Sports Centre +351 282 697 350

Tai Chi/Qi Gong Wed 11am & Thurs 2pm, Pilates Thurs 11am, Yoga Wed 2pm, €7 Madrugada Centre Praia da Luz, +351 282 761 375

Restorative Yoga Thurs 11.30am & Sun 10.45am Barre Infuse Yoga Tues 12.30, Yin & Yang Yoga Tues 8.30am, Integral Yoga Sat 9.30am €5.80€10, Tai Chi & QiGong & Meditation Wed 8am Suggested Donation €3-5, Inlight Lagos, +351 913 127 421

Tai Ji Quan Mon 10am (beg.) & Thurs 5.30pm (adv.), €10 Barão S. João, +351 919 718 955

AR Mat Pilates Mon -Fri 8.30 9.30 10.30am & 6pm, €10 Lagos +351 966 784 280

Activities ROLL UP for experienced bowlers Mon & Fri 10am, Bowls for Beginners Tue 11am (1st lesson FREE), €10 (non mem.)

Floresta Bowls Club Rua Direita Luz, +351 919707635

Adult Ballet Mon & Wed 1pm | €9/€50p.m, Baby Ballet (2-3yrs) Sat 9.3010am, Children Dance Le ssons(Ballet,Modern,Tap, Street,Jazz) Mon-Sat, €3 Nicola's Move-Ment Dance Academy, +351 913 832 335

Football Academy Mon 4.45pm (5-11 yrs) & 6.15pm (12 -16 yrs) & Sat 9am (7-11 yrs), 10.30am (3-6 Yrs) & 12pm (12-16 yrs) | €5, Adults Touch Rugby Thurs 7.30pm | €4 Burgau Sports Centre +351 282 697 350

Group Lesson - Short Game Area & Driving Range Wed 10am - 1pm €20 p.p & Fri 3 - 4.30pm €15 p.p, Junior Classes November 11th, 18th & 25th 10am €10, Booking essential Espiche Golf +351 282 688 250

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Weekly Walk with Rosie & Laurie Thurs 9.30am, Boavista Golf & Spa, +351 914 573 373 +351 282 789 358 Netball Wed 7pm | All ages & abilities, Behind Bombeiros Building Lagos, charlie.milsom@gmail.com Walking Football Wed 9.30-11am | +50yrs Welcome, €3 | Boavista Golf Resort | Luz, +351 282 790 930

Charity/ Support November 22nd Alzheimer's/Dementia Support Group 11am, Restaurant Pirilampo Lagos Carol +351 926 297 527 Kirsteen +351 968 084 946 Riding for Disabled | Mon, Wed, Fri 10am | Volunteers welcome, weather permitting, Bensafrim, +351 915 090 044 Cadela Carlota Animal Charity Three hour shifts am or pm, Almadena Shop, Trudy +361 912 444 666 AA International English Speaking Meeting Wed 7.30pm, Rua Da Freguesia Lote 12c, Lagos, +351 964 201 904 / 282 760 506, AA hotline: +351 917 005 590

Useful Numbers General INFO: WWW.CM-LAGOS.PT EMERGENCY

112 HOSPITAL 282 770 100 RED CROSS 282 760 611 FIRE SERVICE 282 770 790 POLICE SERVICE 282 762 930 NATIONAL GUARD 282 770 010 TELECOM NAT. INFO 118 CITY COUNCIL 282 780 900 TOURIST OFFICE 282 763 031 TOWN INFO 282 764 111 TOURIST SUPPORT 808 781 212 TAXI SERVICE 282 460 610 BUS STATION 282 762 944 TRAIN STATION 282 762 987 TAXI : PEDRO COSTA 917 617 675 LAGOS CINEMA 282 799 138 CULTURAL CENTRE 282 770 450 HEALTH CENTRE 282 780 000 LUZ DOC (LUZ) 282 780 700 PRIVATE HOSPITAL 282 790 700 CHIROPRACTOR 282 768 044 DENTAL CLINIC 918 366 646 LAGOS VET 282 782 282 FUNERAL SERVICES 282 769 827 MOBILITY VEHICLES 964 230 225 ALL MOBILITY AIDS 282 760 611

Pharmacies/Chemist Faith Communion Services Said Holy Communion Thurs 10am & Sun 8am, Sung Holy Communion (with hymns) 11.30am, CoE | St Vincent’s Anglican Church Praia da Luz (church by the sea), Chaplain: +351 282 789 660 Sound Healing | 2nd Thurs 7.30pm, Figueira, +351 914 523 636 Zazen Zen Meditation Tue & Thurs 7.30am & Wed 7.30pm, €3 | Dojo Zen de Lagos, Barão S. João, +351 919 718 955 Catholic Mass in English Sat 7 pm (Everyone Welcome), Church of Our Lady of Light | Praia da Luz

LACOBRENSE NEVES CHEMIST RIBEIRO LOPES TELLO CHEMIST SILVA CHEMIST ODIAXERE CHEMIST

282 762 901 282 769 966 282 762 830 282 760 556 282 762 859 282 798 491

Consulates/Embassies BRITISH FRANCE GERMAN NETHERLANDS CANADA SWEDISH IRISH

282 490 750 281 380 660 289 803 181 213 914 900 289 803 757 213 942 260 213 308 200

No job too small PORTUGUESE LESSON 912 417 994 TRANSLATIONS 916 618 527 ALICE (PORTUGUESE) 914 269 118 GAVIN COX (BUILDER) 916 430 132 TRISTAN (HANDYMAN) 282 101 010 HELIO (ELECTRICIAN) 917 288 966 LUIS (LOCKSMITH) 964 605 213 CHIM. & WIN. CLEANER 926 860 123 RUSSELL (MECHANIC) 282 639 778 ANA (SEWING) 919 747 591 STEVEN (COMPUTERS) 936 387 512 PEDRO (COMPUTERS) 917 165 238 XELI (FLORIST) 282 768 129 UK DELIVERIES 0044 208 123 1966 DESIGN 916 606 226 ALISON HAIRDRESSER 918 663 352 PAINTING - INT / EXT 925 374 624 CARPET CLEANING 915 532 850

What's on

Megalithic tombs

BY JANE ROBERTSON On Tuesday November 7th, the Algarve Archaeological Association (AAA) will be presenting two lectures, in English, by Dr Tatyana Kytmannow. The first lecture will be at 2.30pm at the Museu do Traje in São Brás, the second lecture will be at 5.45pm at the Convento de São José in Lagoa.

Dr Tatyana Kytmannow will be talking about Irish Megalithic tombs and comparing them to the megaliths of Southern Iberia. Ireland has one of the densest concentrations of megaliths in Europe (including 1600 megalithic tombs and 1500 cairns) dating in general to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period.

Their survival has been aided by superstition and non-invasive (grazing) agricultural practices. The first megaliths were constructed at c3800BC with one important outlier, Poulnabrone portal tomb

in Co Clare. Of the megaliths, it is passage tombs that show the greatest variety in architecture, decoration and orientation to celestial bodies and landscape setting and they have clear parallels in Britain and on the continent.

Dr Tatyana Kytmannow was born in West Berlin and emigrated to Ireland 25 years ago. Whilst employed by the Office of Public Works as a guide and information officer, she attended an evening Diploma course in Archaeology at the National University of Ireland/Galway, followed by a BA in Archaeology in 2002.

She was awarded a PhD in Archaeology from Queen's University, Belfast (QUB) in 2007 for her thesis "Portal tombs in the landscape – the chronology, typology and landscape settings of portal tombs in Ireland, Wales and Cornwall". She was a

visiting research fellow at QUB until 2015 when she semi-retired.

She has designed and conducted several research projects, including a full survey of all eight islands in Sligo Bay, discovering sites from the Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age through to Early Christian and early modern periods and conducted excavations in subsequent years. An upland survey in the mountains east of Sligo resulted in the discovery of an extensive Bronze Age landscape, including a well preserved hillfort.

Lunch in São Brás can be arranged in advance – please call Maxine. Nonmembers are welcome to attend the lectures for a €6 admission fee - all money raised by the AAA is spent on archaeological grants and speakers. Please check the website or Facebook page for any last minute changes.

 +351 917267948 (Maxine)  algarvearchass@gmail.com  arquealgarve.weebly.com  Algarve Archaeological Association

Free fair The São Martinho Fair is the oldest popular event that takes place in Portimão and goes back to 1662. This year it will take place between November 3rd and 12th marking St Martin’s Day on November 11th.

Visitors will find a selection of traditional stalls selling regional food like roasted chestnuts, farturas, popcorn and cotton candy hot dogs, roasted octopus, chorizo bread, bifanas and

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other tempting snacks in the bars and taverns on the premises. Stalls will also sell toys, costume jewellery, footwear and textiles, as well as the traditional.

There will be a tombola, games, bumper cars, amongst other amusements to entertain children and adults alike. At the same time, an exhibition of cars and motorcycles is held at Portimão.

Entry is free.

What's on

Guia choir appeal Anyone interested in signing is being invited to join a ladies choir in Guia.

It was started back in February by, Donna McFadden.

It is a fun upbeat choir for ladies from all walks of life and it is also open to holiday-makers, non-residents and residents. Lorraine Robinson is the amazing choir master and keeps everybody in tune, well most of the time!

The choir meets every Wednesday between 6pm and 8pm to rehearse in the village hall in Guia. It costs €3 per person to attend.

The choir has sung at many charity events and have raised a lot of money for the soup kitchen in Guia.  donnaevents180@gmail.com  +351 289 561 601 (Donna)

It’s all about the sweet potato It’s that time of year again when Aljezur celebrates the sweet potato with a three-day festival. It is normal for more than 40,000 people to attend this festival with over 35,000 tonnes of sweet potatoes being cooked up for these visitors.

back of the town with views across the valley to the old town and castle.

Festival goers have the chance to sample mouth-watering appetisers, entrees and desserts all based on this local product, which can also be used to make sweets, pastries and bread.

Even the leaves are a by-product used to feed farm animals.

In addition to tasting visitors can also enjoy a series of showcooking sessions, wine and liqueur tastings, sweet potato competitions and a fair featuring handicrafts and other regional products. The annual festival is held as a way of celebrating the cultural and gastronomic link of the sweet potato to the local community.

The event will take place this year between November 24th to 26th in Aljezur’s Espaço Multiusos, a huge metal building around 100 metres long, set among steep wooded slopes at the

The festival usually takes place from midday to midnight on the first two days and from midday to 10pm on the last. Admission is free.

The event is organised by Aljezur council and the Aljezur Association of Sweet Potato Producers.

Kindertransport is an education Kindertransport by Diane Samuels, the play being staged this autumn by The Algarveans Experimental Theatre Group, is one of the most-performed plays in the last 10 years around the world.

Based on real accounts with a distinctly female perspective, centering on the experience of one child, Eva, Kindertransport tells a powerful story of survival.

This well-written play is also one chosen for A’level drama students to study.

It begins in 1938 when 9-year-old Eva is helped to pack her case by her mother Helga in Hamburg. Nearly 50 years later, Faith (Evelyn’s daughter) discovers a box of papers and photos in her mother’s attic and wants to know the truth about who Eva really is.

Just before the outbreak of the Second World War, Britain took in over 10,000, mostly Jewish, refugee children from Europe. The rescue effort was known as Kindertransport. Separated from their families and fostered out to British homes, most of the children never saw their parents again.

Diane Samuels’ extraordinary play is about this emergency immigration and its effect on generations over time.

Diane Samuels’ play traces the way memories, both those remembered and forgotten, deeply affect the present.

As such, Kindertransport is a story that transcends time and remains particularly relevant today. Aside from its political and historical context, at its core, the play is

centred on a universal human experience, the inevitable separation between a child and parent. “The first time I saw the show my wife and I could not stop talking about it for days afterwards. We even took our daughter and her drama A’level class to see it. Following this the class decided to perform it as their exam piece,” said Kindertransport director Chris Winstanley.

He continues, “We are hoping to show some archive footage of the children of the Kindertransport as part of the pre-show experience”.

Kindertransport will be performed at Lagoa Auditorium starting at 7.45pm on November 23, 24 and 25, this autumn.

Tickets are priced at €12 and are already available.

For details/tickets please contact:  +351 913 723 611 / 282 496 635 / 966 211 634  algarveansboxoffice@gmail.com

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What's on

Algarve Dance Open At the beginning of last month over 170 young dancers from Portugal and Gibraltar met for the inaugural edition of an independent dance competition, the Algarve Dance Open, at the Congress Centre of the Arade.

It proved to be a big hit with the dancers, teachers, international judges and the parents. The judges were impressed with the standard across all styles and ages, and delighted the contestants by not only distributing medals and trophies to the class winners, but also some excellent bursaries to international summer schools and intensives on both sides of the Atlantic.

The local schools that participated were

CAB- Classical Academy of Ballet of Lagoa, Academia de Ballet Contemporâneo of VRSA, Oficina de Dança de Estudio T of Olhão and Nicola´s Move-ment Dance Academy of Praia de Luz. All of them produced outstanding results with many gold medals and between these schools they took five of the bursaries and Annika Thomas picked up the prize for the Young Choreographer.

The surprise of the event was the verve and energy projected by the dancers as they embarked on a new type of competition popular in the UK and USA but new to Portugal, improvisation. With some encouragement for their teachers and each other, 25 youngsters stepped into the ‘ring’ and for a minute of a blind-

choice music cut, they showed clearly all the technique, and artistry that they had absorbed through hours spent in the studio and wowed the audience in the auditorium and behind the curtains. It was wonderful to see the camaraderie of the contestants cheering each other on.

The organisers would like to thank the Estudio of Gwen Morris, the CRCD, Luzenze, Mimos de Teresa for the catering and all our volunteers.

The next Algarve Dance Open will be on October 20th and 21st 2018 and schools from France, the UK and Germany have shown interest, as well as Gibraltar and more Portuguese schools.

Nicola´s Move-ment Dance Academy This successful small dance school has recently changed locations and can now be found in the club CRCD Luzenze on the Rua Direita in the heart of Praia da Luz. The school is looking forward to receiving new pupils from the village. From Baby Ballet to adult classes, there are classes for everyone in ballet, contemporary and modern, tap, jazz, commercial and musical theatre. Classes are held from Mondays to Saturdays with adult classes at lunchtimes and children’s classes after school, and are in Portuguese or English as the need arises.

The school, though small, has been very active and

successful both nationally and internationally at competition. It has won numerous medals and trophies in ballet, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, tap, commercial and street-dance and musical theatre. The school last competed in the Algarve Dance Open on October 7th and won 9 medals, five golds, three silver and one bronze. The school follows the IDTA syllabus with periodic exams available for those seeking such qualifications. The school performs a show at least once a year, with smaller presentations termly.

Workshops and other activities related to stage- craft will be on offer. The CRCD Luzenze is looking forward to welcoming such activities for the young people of Luz and hope that it will bridge the generation gap in the community and Nicola´s Move-ment Dance School is happy to accept the challenge.

For details please contact  +351 913 832 335 or check out the Facebook page

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Discover our new Winter Menu!

A

Fร BRICA

FINE DINING & COCKTAIL BAR

Open for Lunch (12:00 - 15:30) and Dinner (18:15 - 22:00) from Wednesday to Saturday.

Rua da Praia - Praia da Luz 282 761 492

91 777 6245

A Fรกbrica

@afabricaluz

What's on

Therapy open day

Choir, carols and Christmas

Come along to experience some of the many therapy sessions that Madrugada has to offer to the local community. The date for your diary is November 8th from 11am until 3pm.

The festive season is nearly upon us – and the choir has been hard at work practising all of your favourite carols and Christmas songs in preparation.

Look out in next month’s edition of Tomorrow for our full programme of events – including our annual carol singing around Luz and some new venues for 2018.

On offer will be massage, reflexology and craniosacral therapy and you will be able to find out all about the classes being run by Madrugada including Yoga, Pilates and Qi Gong.

It’s an open day so all are welcome. Tea and coffee will be available. You will be able to chat to the therapists who can give you advice and assistance or a 10-minute trial therapy. Madrugada’s Clinical Co-ordinator will also be on hand and can also talk to you about the service that the charity offers to the community. It will all take place at the charity’s centre in Luz. No need to book, just pop in.

From each therapy session or class that they run for the community, Madrugada receive a donation towards care for those affected by life limiting illness.

Rua Direita 100 Praia da Luz, Lagos, 8600-160  +351 282 761 375  www.madrugada-portugal.com

Christmas fair 2017 The Christmas fair at Nobel International School will take place on November 11th between 10am and 4pm.

The fair will feature a host of seasonal activities including pop the balloon, hook-a-duck and Santa’s magical grotto.

There will be plenty of food and drink.

Monies raised will go to a children's home in Portimão. Please contact Alan Sheppard.  +351 914 952 299

BY LIZ ROBERTS

If you would like the choir to sing at your Christmas event this year, we are still taking bookings so do please feel free to contact us on the email address below for more information.

We are also currently looking for new members, particularly tenor and

bass voices so if you are interested in singing in a choir, come along to watch us (or even join in) at one of our performances to see what we’re about – and we’ll be happy to give you all the information you need regarding when and where we rehearse.

The Western Algarve Choir is an allinclusive choir with no auditions or previous singing experience necessary, and a strong emphasis on singing for fun.

For more information about joining, performances or bookings, please contact choir leader Elizabeth Roberts Honey.

 elizabeth_roberts15@hotmail.com

A birthday walk with Quimera!

On November 15th, Lagoa-based nature tour operator Quimera Experience celebrates its second birthday, and the team invite you to celebrate them by doing what they do best - a local sightseeing walk!

gastronomy of the Monchique region.

The lunch costs just €15 per person and includes as appetiser, milhos à Monchique, stuffed boar or goat and dessert, along with wine, water, juice and coffee.

Company founder Michael Guerreiro will be leading the free excursion, a 12km circular walk which takes in the beautiful mountains of Monchique and promises epic views. The walk’s difficulty is rated as medium to difficult and it set to take approximately four and a half hours to complete.

Places on the free walk are limited to just 30 people, so be sure to sign up now by getting in touch using the contact details below. The deadline for applications is October 31st. If it will be your first outing with Quimera Experience, please provide your name, date of birth and telephone contact number.

It will definitely be worth the effort though, as the outing will end with a celebratory birthday lunch at Restaurant Palmeirinha dos Chorões where you can enjoy the famous

A very happy second birthday to the Quimera team from all of us at Tomorrow!

 quimeraexperience@gmail.com  +351 969 467 275  www.quimeraexperience.com

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What's on

Surfing it out in Arrifana Last month a Lagos surfer organized a competition for ‘non-professional’ surfers to battle it out on the waves. Annemarie van der Zwet tells us about the event.

It was 9.30am on October 1st when the sound of a traditional ‘buzio’ horn turned heads on Arrifana beach. It signaled the start of the first round of the NSL No Pro Invitational, a local surf event organized by Niels Labruijère, a Lagos resident and owner of Surf Guide Algarve.

It was late August when Niels decided to organize a contest for surfers of his level; good, but not professionals: “I had just found out I had to compete in the first round of a surf contest against one of Algarve’s best known surfers: Alex Botelho, and I knew I had absolutely no chance to win. I just thought how nice it would be if there were an event where all of the great surfers in our area, who totally rip but are not on the level of the real pro’s, could compete against each other!”

Thanks to Massimo Pardini from Algarve Surf Photo for the pictures.

For more of his work you can find him on Facebook or Instagram: algarvesurfphoto.

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And so the ‘NSL No Pro Invitational’ was born. In just over a month Niels managed to arrange a location, licenses, sponsors and promotions to realise the event of his dreams on Praia da Arrifana.

“More than just a contest, I wanted this to be an event that brings together surfers from all over the Algarve,” says Niels. “We often recognise people from in or around the water but never really hang out with them, because we stay within our familiar network.

I would like to see that changed. Looking at the turn-up and the enthusiasm of both participants and spectators I can only say it worked out even better than I hoped. Everyone has been super supportive before and during the event and today was one of the best days in my surfing career so far! There’s definitely more of this to come.”

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR S AT U R D AY 1 1 T H N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 10AM – 4PM Special guest Father Christmas arrives at 2pm.

Come and enjoy the biggest Christmas Bazaar in the Algarve!

To book a stand please contact Alan Sheppard 914 952 299 All moneys raised will be donated to local children´s charities

International School ALGARVE

What's on

Bar walk boost for local charities There was plenty of fun in the sun at the annual Vale da Telha Charity Bar Walk on the Algarve’s west coast!

Photographs: Matt D’Arcy, Sue Bedford, Brian Jutsum, Ruth Ingham-Hill

The walkers, who traditionally wear fancy dress, raised more than €2,000 for local children—and they also raised a thousand smiles along the 2.2mile (3.54km) route. The final sum is expected to be significantly higher once the last donations and collecting tins are in, which would make a total well in excess of €7,000 for local charities over the three years since this annual event was started by local resident Cath Baker.

The walkers visited 10 bars in three hours during the walk between Restaurante O Paulo on the Arrifana promontory and the final ‘watering hole’ at the Restaurante Fonte do Vale in Vale da Telha.

One of the walkers, Chris Kent, jumped into the swimming pool in her hula girl outfit at one of the ‘pit stops’ once people promised to donate more money if she did it.

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Cath, who organises the annual event with friends Steve Scott and Brian (DJ Rockindad) Jutsum—he also provided the evening’s disco—smiled: “One or two of the walkers, having taken on a little too much liquid refreshment along the way, were perhaps staggering a little at the finish.

“But at least they did so knowing that the money they have helped to raise will benefit less fortunate local children and needy families.

“That was well worth all the sore heads the following morning!”

There were prizes for some of the best outfits and the winners were: June McIver (Cleopatra), Faith Quinton (cereal killer), Chris Kent (hula girl) and Rob Sees and Bob Packham (Hippies).

Here you can see a selection of photographs from the day.

What's on

Top notch fundraiser This year’s John Aldridge Golf Classic at Boavista Golf and Spa Resport raised a record-breaking €39,500.

The tournament proved once more to be a huge success with 116 players coming from Ireland, Portugal and England to take part. As usual there were lots of laughs as well as lots of money raised.

This competition was a Texas Scramble, four men team (in the first round), pairs (in the second round) with a shotgun start, in a very entertaining weekend that was enjoyed by the golfers that joined several other activities.

A magnificent meal was served at Boavista Clubhouse restaurant on Saturday night, in a pleasant and cheerful Gala Dinner, that was enjoyed and praised by all participants. This was yet another opportunity to raise

more funds in the traditional dinner auction.

Over the last 13 years, the John Aldridge Classic has raised almost €500,000 for various charities in the UK, Ireland and Portugal. Amongst the charities supported are Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Temple Street in Dublin, CASLAS, Liverpool Echo, Algarve Dog Rehoming, Vila do Bispo Bombeiros and NECI as well as other charities in Ireland, Liverpool and Scotland.

Next year we are excited to announce that the John Aldridge Golf Classic will be joining forces with Tomorrow magazine. We will tell you more about what to expect in the next couple of months.

Many thanks to Phil Gadd for the photos.

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Letters

Can you pack a shoebox this Christmas?

For the fourth consecutive year, I hope to organise a Christmas Shoebox project for those living at Caslas, the children's home in Lagos.

these boxes.

Some have remarked that Caslas is in receipt of generous financial support from several local organisations, but to my knowledge, none of them provide personal gifts for the young residents.

If so, please contact me on:  +351 9143 815 98  +351 282 037 197  herringtonlois@gmail.com.

The purpose of the appeal is to encourage folk like you and me to fill a shoebox full of gifts, chosen especially for each individual, to be opened at Christmas. The staff tell me how thrilled the youngsters are to receive

Lois Herrington.

Would you be willing to fill a box for one of these deserving youngsters?

Thank you so much,

We are always really pleased to get letters from our readers. If you would like to send us your views on anything that’s going on in the western Algarve or if you have any suggestions to make about the magazine please email:

Help spread Christmas cheer Dear Editor, It is already October and that means that Christmas is on the horizon and getting closer every day. I am sure that your readers have heard about Casa de Santo Amaro, the Lagos home for disabled men and women. The last news about the home was of the fire that destroyed their activity room and all their equipment and materials. I am pleased to say, that thanks to the generosity of many people much of their equipment has been replaced, although some of the more expensive items will have to wait until there are more funds. The insurance company would not take responsibility for the cost of repairing and repainting the room but a very generous painting and decorating firm from Salema has undertaken the decorating. I do wonder sometimes if insurance is worth the cost!

My letter today is about Christmas. For the last two Christmas celebrations, thanks to the generosity of the people of this area, Stephanie and I have been able to give everyone at the home a

Christmas present. Many of them have no family to give them presents so they have been very grateful for these presents. Even those who cannot speak show their happiness with big smiles and hugs.

We would be very grateful if your readers could help us spread Christmas cheer! The local supermarkets will be showcasing their Christmas gift packs of toiletries for men and women, and often these are on ‘special offer’. If they could be wrapped and labelled it would make my task a lot easier, but if not I can wrap and label! Elaine at the Card Shop in Lagos is a drop off point for presents, but if anyone has a problem my phone number is: 282 695875 and I am sure that we can sort out collection. We already have some presents so are off to a good start.

Thank you everyone, in advance.

 amber@tomorrowalgarve.com

Bus station loos Dear Editor, As a resident here in Lagos for 12 years now I get many visitors come to see me and a lot arrive by coach at the Lagos Bus Station.

Many are so shocked at the toilets there - especially the gents - which smell foul and have no washing facilities.

It’s such a shame. For what must they think after their journeys and their first impressions of Lagos? Can nothing be done to rectify this problem?

I am very proud and blessed to live in Lagos but this is a blight to Lagos.

Yours hopefully, Jennifer Herrtage  jennifergrahame1@yahoo.com

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Yours truly, Alan Chitty

FISH & CHIP EATERY

RUM BAR. Local CRAFT BEER. Good Tunes.

Great Vibe.

Y’all Come See US! For Reservations: FACEBOOK.COM/olbASTARDs olbastards.lagos@gmail.com

Tomorrow 90x65 06-17.indd 2

19/06/2017 10:52

Health

Breathe well, live well A revolutionary therapy has come to Lagos. It is called halotherapy and it originates from Eastern Europe. Halotherapy is a form of alternative medicine which makes use of salt.

It is said to bring relief to people suffering with respiratory problems and allergies. The only salt cave in the Algarve was created by Margarida and Vladimir in 2011.

They say: “Our Salt Cave, looks like a real cave, one up a real high mountain, has relaxing chairs and the most calm environment. Halotherapy is a high-tech spin-off, a therapy that involves staying for long stretches of time inside salt caves.”

A Russian doctor tried to mirror this environment and this is exactly what Vladimir and his team have done here in Lagos. The belief is that breathing in extremely small salt crystals helps open up the

airways and can assist with the build-up of mucus and therefore help with respiratory problems.

Subdued and subtle lighting which changes colour with gentle music gives a total feeling of tranquillity.

Halotherapy itself can help all age groups with respiratory problems.

Salt is one of nature’s best antibacterial and anti – inflammatory remedies and the salt cave uses special salt brought in from the Himalayas.

Whilst they do not guarantee a cure but with the help of halotherapy you and your doctor reduce or eliminate the need for strong medication.

 www.halo-spa.com  +351 282 044 346/969 561 121  mail@halo-spa.com

Golf fitness for all When we are in pursuit of playing better golf and lowering our handicap, it normally consists of playing more, lessons or changing our clubs. These can all help, but often we can make improvements just by improving our flexibility, increasing strength and working on creating a solid foundation for our swing.

BY ANN DE JONGH

in body movement and flexibility can be addressed to enhance your golf swing. Looking at mobility, stretching and exercises to strengthen the body to help improve your golf swing.

If you are interested in understanding how this could help to improve your game, then get in touch!

Golf fitness is not just for professionals or young players. It is for everyone, and becomes more important as we get older. Our bodies may not be as flexible and strong as they once were, and often we play more so putting more impact on the body.

Ann is a certified Titleist TPI certified level 1 (interestingly all four major championships in 2017 were won by a player who was advised by a TPI Certified professional).

Golf fitness is about being fit to play the game at your highest level. Understanding how limitations

Ann de Jongh - Trainer, Yoga Teacher, Sports Massage Therapist

 +351 913 202 621  www.fit2lovelife.com  ann@fit2lovelife.com  fit2lovelife  anndejongh

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Health

Time-in for bad behavior

BY LAURA NEWMAN When a child behaves badly, parents have typically sent them to their room in time-out, taken away a favourite toy or told them off. It made sense to punish their behaviour to train them to be good; “spare the rod, spoils the child.” Decades of research have shown this to be a false belief.

So why is it important to take another look at childrens’ behaviour? Because parents want their children to mature into confident, resilient, happy, creative people, to take on their values and to learn about the world.

The way to achieve these goals is in the context of the child’s relationship with their parents. This context is the emotional bond that ultimately allows a child to grow. The dance of relationship is the growing edge of development….it always has been. Discipline practices have changed but a child’s emotional needs have remained the same…..a deeply connected relationship with their parents.

Childrens’ behaviour is a window into their emotional state, to see where their frustration is coming from. When parents react to their child’s behaviour instead of responding to the little, frustrated person underneath, they are sending a message to the child that this part of them is not acceptable. Over time, these repeated messages can stop the child accepting that part of themselves, and set up lifelong negative beliefs such as “I’m not loveable, I’m stupid, I’ll never be any good.”

The way forward is to keep behaviour in mind, to think about maintaining the relationship at all costs and to consider spending more time with a challenging child, giving them time-in. It’s about parents coming to know their children as they grow into the beautiful beings they all have the potential to become.

Laura Newman BSc BSc MSc Speech Therapist - Parenting Consultant - Health Educator - Founder of Connected Child

 myconnectedchild@gmail.com  www.connectedchild.net  connectedchildfamily  +351 9616 33 995 (GMT)

Highs and lows Last month, our very own Steven Sutton completed a 35km walk from Foia to Ferragudo in order to raise awareness around mental health issues. Here, Algarve-based counsellor and bereavement therapist Teresa Hughes commends him on his efforts - and explores some of the mental health issues commonly experienced by her clients here in the Algarve…

I applaud Steven in his endeavour to raise awareness of mental health issues. During his XX-kilometre journey he undoubtedly encountered the highs and lows of the beautiful Algarve terrain. And, on a related note, during our lifetime we will all experience episodic highs and lows of mood.

This is the unique sentient human path, as if we were permanently happy we would fail to recognise this. It is necessary for us to feel sorrow, for how else can our mood be measured in the absence of contrast? As Kahil Gibran wrote in The Prophet: “When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.”

We all face challenges which impact

directly on our mental wellbeing. Be it relationship difficulties, job insecurity, ill health, bereavement or otherwise, there are many issues that can cause emotional disturbance.

Here in Portugal, many of us who have chosen to move here from another country may initially be affected by a sense of isolation and disconnectedness, and so it is worth examining ways to successfully integrate with the local community.

Undertaking voluntary work, learning the local language and seeking like-minded people by joining groups which are of interest to the individual can all be helpful.

In order for us to maintain healthy mental

wellbeing it is essential we take care of ourselves. It is important to take time to relax and spend time being a human being, not a human doing! The practice of mindfulness can be extremely affective in helping individuals learn to relax and stay in the moment. I highly recommend it!

These are just some of the issues and approaches I deal with when treating my clients. For more excellent mental health guidance visit the MIND website, or get in touch for personal help.

Teresa is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. She is available to see clients at Hospital Particular in Alvor.

 treehughes@live.com +351 960 417 731  www.mind.org.uk

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Health

The digestive system: the stomach

BY NIKI MEDLOCK So your food has reached the stomach – what next?

to reflux and heartburn!

We have many sphincters in our bodies, made up of a circular band of muscle either situated in one of the hollow organs or natural openings of the body. They control the flow of liquids and solids by constricting to close the passage and relaxing to open it.

At the junction between the oesophagus and the stomach there is the lower oesophageal sphincter. This normally remains constricted at all times except for during swallowing and vomiting, thus preventing the stomach contents, including acids, from entering the oesophagus which does not have the same protection as the stomach. Failure of this sphincter can lead

blood stream further along the digestive tract.

The stomach is a large hollow, muscular organ, which holds food, serving as a mixer and grinder whilst at the same time secreting strong acids and enzymes continuing the breakdown of food from a solid form to the consistency of a paste or liquid called chyme.

Gastric acid, gastric juice or stomach acid, is a digestive fluid produced by cells in the lining of the stomach and composed of hydrochloric acid, potassium chloride and sodium chloride. The acid plays a key role in digestion of proteins, activating digestive enzymes and breaking down protein membranes so that the digestive enzymes can break down the proteins to a further, more basic level for absorption into the

Other cells in the stomach produce bicarbonate, an alkali, to ensure that the gastric acid is not too acid. These cells also produce mucus, forming a viscous physical barrier to prevent gastric acid from damaging the stomach. At the same time that protein is being broken down mechanical churning occurs through peristalsis (waves of muscular contractions that move along the stomach wall) allowing for the gastric juices to mix better with the food. This process takes approximately 2 – 5 hours before the chyme is released into the next part of the digestive tract – the small intestine.

Next month: The small intestine.

Niki Medlock is head nurse at  www.luzdoc.com

Pets Mate: Bag o’ bones

BY LARS RAHMQUIST Here in the photo you can see Paddy.

Not all of him, just the radio-opaque areas, plus his recent meal of cooked pork bones.

Paddy is an older but handsome white chappy who had been diagnosed with lymphoma last year. He has been successfully treated for this lymphoma since then and now he’s happy and prancing - as only a Bichon can, with much joie de vivre!

Well, he was until he greedily ate up a portion of cooked pork bones which we see nestled in his small intestine. We tried to wait and gave him paraffin to see if he might pass the bones on his own accord.

Unfortunately cooked bones become brittle and splinter easily. And as sods law predicted, one of these splinters pushed its way through the gut wall and perforated his intestine.

If you´re drinking your tea, reading this and thinking ´ooo, that doesn´t sound good for Paddy´, you would be well right!

We had to take Paddy to surgery and remove 15cms

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of the small intestine. For a dog receiving lymphoma treatment, intestinal surgery is not something you hope for. But after a blood transfusion and a time in our ICU ward Paddy is now home and convalescing.

Well done Paddy!

So be careful giving your dog your leftovers. Bones can be very good for their teeth and help their bones BUT they must be raw bones. It is when bones are cooked that they become brittle. So, unless you eating steak tartar off the bone, then put your left overs in the bin.

It reminds me of a consult I undertook in England years ago when I mentioned the raw bones being safe to give them for their teeth. I said to the lady it´s easy to remember because that is what he would have eaten in the wild. Indignantly she claimed: ´He is not wild!´ Well, not much more to say after that other than thank you and goodbye, really. Stick to canned food and bring him back when his teeth fall out.

So raw bones are good (like the wild) and cooked bones are bad (even though they taste so good...)  www.lagosvet.com

Business

Get your euros the pre-pay way

BY ALISON DAUN, GCEN Are you still buying your euros at the airport? When we checked rates at Gatwick airport on October 3rd, one of the currency conversion bureaus was giving just 98 cents for every £1.

Were your pounds really worth less than your euros?

No, they were not! The interbank rate on the same day was around 1.12. You and I can’t buy at the interbank rate - but we can do better than accepting 98 cents for £1.

If it’s holiday spending money you are looking for, there are a couple of options. You could change your money before you get to the airport at a high street conversion bureau, or wait until you get to Portugal and use one of the conversion bureaus here. Exchange rates do vary at these places, but quite often you will find better exchange rates on the high street than at the airport. Waiting until you get to Portugal may be problematic as they are less cash conversion bureaus here. Alternatively, you could use a pre-paid currency card - a service we

provide at GCEN. You load your card in euros (or dollars if you are going to America) at our competitive exchange rate, and they then work just like a credit or debit card; you can use them to withdraw money at cash machines, or to pay in shops and restaurants. As the cards are pre-paid, you can only spend what you have on the card, and they also mean you’re not carrying cash around with you. You can also have additional cards for family members.

If you are spending time in Portugal regularly and have bills to pay and need money for living costs, then a pre-paid currency card could work for you too.

If you are interested in a pre-paid currency card, contact us to find out more.

 +351 282 768 136  www.gcen.co.uk

A truly French flavour at Batista

BY TOM HENSHAW

Julio and Sylvie Batista were both born and grew up in France but decided to take a life change and moved to Portugal in 1995 for a better lifestyle and chose Lagos as their new home.

They started their own real estate and construction business in 2002 and developed their family business with Marianne, their daughter. The real estate business was very difficult during the recession that we all remember so well, however the market is extremely buoyant now and in Julio’s opinion looks very likely to remain so for some years to come.

With Julio and Sylvie both being French and as so many buyers are now French it has brought a massive opportunity for them. In fact all members of their growing team are French speaking in order for them to

cope with the extra demand from the French market!

One of the great benefits of Portugal’s growing market confidence and its ever increasing tourist market is that there are far more job opportunities and specifically in the Algarve and Julio was able to confirm that this means he and many others like him are able to take on extra staff which all adds to the areas growth potential.

Another success for the Batista family has been their move into the medium term winter rental market because so many tourists are looking to spend more time in the western Algarve. Julio says the whole family love living in the Lagos area and they have totally integrated into the Portuguese way of life.

They certainly expect to live and work here for the long term as Marianne their daughter not only works alongside her mum and dad but has recently had a baby adding to the expanding family business!

Tomorrow wishes you all great success with your ‘very’ family business, long may it thrive!

 +351 282 043 679  www.batistaproperty.com  info@batistaproperty.com

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GLO adverts x3 designs v2.qxp_Layout 1 19/05/2017 16:42 Page 3

SELLING YOUR PROPERTY AND NOT SURE HOW TO TRANSFER YOUR MONEY TO THE UK?

When it comes to selling your house and moving back to the UK we understand that you are looking for a fast, simple process that gives you great exchange rates.

We have been helping clients transfer money to and from the UK for over 13 years. Talk to us to find out how we can help you transfer your money simply, safely and quickly.

To find out more about all of our products and services please contact us at: Vilamoura Office 289 093 137 Lagos Office 282 768 136 / UK rate 01622 815 201 E portugal@gcen.co.uk www.gcen.co.uk GCEN is fully authorised by the FCA to provide payment service as an Authorised Payment Services Institution. Registration No. 504346.

Business

New shopping centre opens MAR Shopping Algarve was due to open at the end of last month. It’s the second IKEA shopping centre to be opened in Portugal. The new shopping centre Loulé has 110 stores, an 8,000 sqm outdoor leisure area, unique in the country, and 3,500 parking spaces.

It is expected to attract visitors from all over the Algarve, Alentejo and the south of Spain. The overall project investment is €200 milion, and will allow the creation of a total of 3,000 direct jobs in the region.

MAR Shopping Algarve will include: cinemas NOS, H3, Häagen-Dazs, Hanami Sushi, Hussel, Celeiro Dieta, Talho Burger, Talho do Mercado, Vitaminas & Ca., Wok to Walk, A loja do Gato Preto, Aromas, Bershka, C&A, Casio, Centroxogo, Decimas, Deichman, Farmácia, Foreva, Giovanni Galli, Inside, Jean Louis David, Joyeria Jose Luis, Knot, Lefties, Mango, Massimo Dutti, Mike Davis, Misako, Opticalia,

I.T. can be easy

Ornimundo, OVS, Oysho, Pandora, Parfois, Pingo Doce, Pluriscosmética, Primark, Pull & Bear, Punt Roma, Rituals Salsa, Sephora, Sfera, Springfield, Stenders, Stradivarius, Tiffosi, Time Road, Tous, Viagens Abreu, Vodafone, Woman Secret, Worten, Zara, Zara Home and Zippy.

"It has been a very rewarding challenge to work on this project with the desire to also be a meeting place relevant to the Algarve and the whole community. In addition to a unique commercial offering, we are preparing initiatives for all ages, so MAR Shopping will be a place where everyone finds what they need and feels good, "says Herman Gewert, director general of MAR Shopping Algarve.

IKEA Centres is part of IKEA Group. IKEA has more than 40 years of experience in creating successful shopping centres.

 +351 91 192 24 89  mafalda.almeida@pure.pt

BY STEVEN DUNWELL

Some very handy hints and tips for Windows and Macs, have some fun, give them a go!

Bring back that accidentally closed web page (Win and Mac) Accidentally closed a tab on your browser?

Simply press Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen the most recently closed tab and get back to what you were doing (Cmd + Shift + T on Macs).

Close the current program (Win) Press Alt + the F4 (usually found on the top row pf the keyboard, about the number keys) will close the program you are running.

Snap that window into place (Win) Press the Windows Key + Left/Right Arrow Keys will cause a window to quickly snap to each side of the screen. Windows Key + Up Arrow will maximize the window, Windows Key + Down Arrow will minimize the window.

Scroll through pages with the spacebar (Win and Mac) Tapping the spacebar on a website will scroll down in full page chunks and hitting shift + space will take you back up.

Whoops, undo those little mistakes (Win and Mac) Ctrl + Z is the ultimate hot key. If you accidentally delete or move a file, you can hit Ctrl + Z to bring it right back to where it was (Ctrl + Y will redo whatever you undid). This also works when typing in a document.

Use Spotlight to search for anything (Mac) Hit Cmd + Spacebar to open an app by typing just the first 2-3 letters of its name, search for files, or even do calculations.

Quickly lock your computer (Win and Mac) Windows key + L will lock your system right away, requiring a password (if you've set one) to log in again. On macOS use Cmd + Option + Power to log off.

If you have any questions, suggestions for future tips or require assistance with any I.T. challenges, I am very happy help.

Have a great month, see you for another tip in the December issue.

 +351 936 387 512  sdunwell@sky.com

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CAN BE DEVASTATING! MAKE SURE IT DOES NOT HAPPEN TO YOU

Mr. Sweep +351 919 498 280

20 years sweeping experience algarvesweep@gmail.com

Business

Indoor outdoor living We all choose to either live here in Portugal or have holiday homes here because of the amazing climate.

Last month we were still enjoying temperatures regularly tipping 30 degrees with blue skies and little wind. The beaches are still busy and if you don’t book your restaurant you could well be taking home chicken piri piri from your local churrasquera!

According to a recent study by MSN, Portugal enjoys more than 3000 hours of sunshine per year. That equates to over 300 days (I don’t think we have had 300 days of sunshine throughout my whole life in Manchester!). If we have a few days of rain you can almost guarantee we will enjoy a couple of weeks of blue sky and sunshine to even things out.

That is why the orientation, size of garden or balcony and garden layouts are so important when choosing your dream home. As part of your planning you need to decide on what you prefer. Morning sun so you can be woken up with the sun pouring in through your bedroom window, followed by breakfast sat in the early sun with freshly squeezed orange juice.

Or do you prefer a G&T sat reading your book in the afternoon as the sun falls over the western skyline?

Or you may just prefer to sunbathe for as long as you can across the day and therefore need all round sunshine on your property.

Lagos is not the easiest location to achieve all these especially if you want a sea view as well. Living around a bay means the properties often face west, east or south around Lagos and getting a sea/ bay view is often achieved at a premium. Sea view properties can often cost you a minimum of 30%

 office@bpaproperty.com

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BY DAVID WESTMORELAND

more so be prepared to splash the cash if this is important to you.

Roll in to this walking distance to the town centre and you will definitely need to scour the market or be patient until the right property comes along.

However, be ready to move as these properties sell fast, even with a premium price tag.

As ever 70% of the properties we sell have been on the market for less than six months. This is because new or fresh properties get snapped up with buyers watching our website's “New Listings” section. This area on our website is the most hit location with around 3000 hits per month going to this page.

To assist the sellers we regularly rotate photos to keep our properties fresh on the website and portals but new properties sell best! If you are thinking of selling now is the time to do so with a buoyant market, increased interest from France and Scandinavia as well as a steady return to the market of the British buyers.

To assist buyers B&P have around 500 properties to choose from, one of the widest portfolios in the region and a superb website which you can use just as easy on your smart phone as you can on your PC. Bookmark www.bpaproperty.com and keep an eye on the market. Register for our regular newsletters and property launches to keep right up to date with market trends and updates.

If you want more information call in to the office for a chat or email.

Food & drink

Cappuccino cake with raspberries This recipe was sent to us by Marzena Szmigielska from Sweet Home in Lagos.

If you would like to send us a recipe, please email our editor: amber@tomorrowalgarve.com Method:

1.

Pour the gelatine with cold water, stir and set aside for about 15 minutes to swell. Line the bottom of a 23cm cake tin with baking paper Lay the biscuits at the bottom and soak them with cooled coffee.

2.

Whisk the cream with the vanilla until stiff.

3.

Gently heat the gelatin on low heat, stirring constantly to dissolve (it will take about 30 seconds, max 60 seconds).

4.

Mix the cheese and cappuccino. Add icing sugar.

Mix with warm gelatin (but not hot!) If the saucepan is hot with gelatine, leave it for about 5 minutes to cool down

5.

Add chocolate, raspberries and gently mix with a spatula. Put the mix on the biscuits in the tin evenly. Put the dough in the fridge for about 4 hours, preferably overnight.

:

ents Ingredi

ee : ted coff B ottom caffina s , it d u e c w is , bre 120g b strong 0ml of 100-12

6.

Remove the cooled cake carefully from the tin and place on a plate. Place the raspberries on top and sprinkle them with white chocolate chips.

Store the cake in the fridge.

la al vanil am 36% et of re Top: k re c c a d p 1 le r f chil ste o 500g o nilla pa n of va o o p s a 1 te avor) anut fl heese sugar der (pe w ttage c o o p c f e o ffe 350g cino co cappuc 50g of e gelatin taste) 15g of water eten to e ld o w c (s f r o suga 100ml f icing oons o colate o h 4-6 sp c d dark e t ra g 50g s spberrie 400g ra

Sweet Home:  Rua Victor Costa e Silva 5B, 8600 Lagos î ” +351 282 760 139

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HAVE YOU TASTED OUR ALGARVIAN

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CAIPIRINHA

www.mardestorias.com

Kiko’s Tasca

Wine, food and friends.

Portuguese food. Tapas, lunch and dinner.

Come and try for yourself.

Open from 11am to 11pm. Closed on Tuesdays.

Tel.: +351 282 046 037 • Email: one.destino@gmail.com Centro Naútico Sopromar - Estrada Sopromar (Meia-Praia) • LAGOS • GPS - N 37º 06.433' / W 08º 40.176' • f facebook.com/tascadokiko

Food & drink

Perfect Chinese at Peiking

BY THE YUM YUM BOYS

Go hungry when you go to Peiking, you’ll need the tummy space!

For months, I have been searching for a Chinese that is worthy and I think I have found it.

ordered more pancakes because we had so much.

Always goes down well.

Great to see familiar dishes on the menu, like crispy duck (we all like that one), usual sweet and sour dishes, beef in chilli sauce and the usual assortment of noodle and rice dishes. This is a reasonable sized place and going on a Wednesday, I thought it would be reasonably quiet but I’d say about seven or eight tables were full which is good for mid-week.

Then onto the main course and it just kept coming.

All the dishes mentioned previously with a prawn dish. Very ample for six. Some left over but not much. We all sat back and continued to drink thinking what a great meal until the waitress asked what flavoured ice cream we would like! That came and went and we all agreed what great value for money this was.

We were a party of six and you know what it’s like when you see the menu and you have to wait ages for one person to make up their mind before the full order can be taken so in this case so we decided to go for the set meal for six. Simple.

With drinks, we paid €20 a head (it was the €16 set meal). Satisfied, the usual banter continued about when is going to cool down and then, to finish things off, fresh orange slices arrived. A nice finale.

The first course was the vegetable spring rolls. Not the usual finger shared size but double that. Nice, crunchy and very heat hot so it was fresh I guess.

Served with a chilli sauce on the side. Very nice.

Next, the crispy duck. Now be honest, who doesn’t fight over the last bits and there is usually never enough. Not so here. Plenty for six, and we even

People came in throughout the evening for a takeaway so a great service for all. I would recommend this place if you are pining for a Chinese meal that was just what you are used to in the UK. It is reasonably priced, you weren’t rushed service-wise and there was a good choice of food. As Arnie said: ‘I’ll be back’.

Peiking – Chinese restaurant at the top of town in Lagos, near the mini golf.  +351 282 030 212 / 920 338 286  Estrada Ponta da Piedade, 25 Loja B, Lagos

Silves celebrates its oranges With plentiful farmland and over 300 days of sunshine a year, it’s no surprise that the Algarve produces some of the sweetest, juiciest oranges around - and Silves is particularly proud of its produce.

The local câmara branded the city ‘the capital or oranges’ last year as part of a campaign to promote what many consider to be the best oranges in Portugal, complete with its own themed logo and promotional video.

As part of the initiative the câmara also established the event Silves Weekend of Orange Flavours, and the second instalment is scheduled to take place

between November 24th and 26th.

Dedicated to gastronomy featuring the town’s famous fruit, it will see various local restaurants offering specially created orange-themed dishes for the duration of the weekend, such as pork loin with orange and orange crepes.

Last year the Mayoress Rosa Palma said that “Oranges are one of the most important agricultural products of Silves.”

She explained that several varieties of citrus fruits are produced in Silves, such as “Baía, Newhall and Valência Late oranges” as well as clementines. It is said that the orange industry is worth around €25 million.

 Municipio Silves  www.cm-silves.pt

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The region’s agriculture and fishing boss, Fernando Severino, has said in the past that the fruit has not been talked about as much as it should and that it was commendable to see Silves council taking a step forward to really promote the orange.

To learn more about the event, visit the Silves website or Facebook page.

Food & drink

A Fábrica

BY TWO AVID TOMORROW READERS

Fine Dining in Praia da Luz at a very reasonable price.

We were fortunate to be able to sit outside on a warm evening in mid-October to enjoy the delights of this wonderful restaurant nestling near the beach.

From the moment we arrived the attention to detail was very obvious and the gin and tonics were the best we have had on the Algarve. Simply stunning.

A limited menu is on offer at this time of year but still giving adequate choices for all tastes. We started with a delicious carrot tart served with kale salad and a cashew crème fraiche and Kaitafi Tiger Prawns with lime mango, mango salsa and coriander sprout.

The presentation of both starters was definitely fine dining and the taste certainly did not disappoint.

For mains we enjoyed sea bass fillets and clam chowder, salmon with herb mash, braised belly pork and lamb tenderloin. All dishes were again presented to a very high standard and we all agreed that the food was excellent. All this was accompanied by a

fine wine, locally produced.

We were persuaded to try a couple of desserts and yet again were surprised by the chef’s take on Eaton Mess and also the apple pie and custard. Great imagination throughout the meal from head chef, Miguel, who produced such wonderful dishes and sublime tastes.

Nikki and her whole team are so friendly and attentive, creating such a relaxed atmosphere this is a definite on our list for another visit soon.

Look on their Facebook page for themed nights. The restaurant is open from Wednesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner in November/December but be sure to book to avoid missing out on this little gem.

 +351 282 761 492

Review: Chill Inside, Lagoa

BY STEVEN SUTTON

As part of our bid to support the shops and services of our local town centres (see page three), last month I spent an afternoon in Lagoa and enjoyed an excellent meal at Chill Inside.

Situated just behind the theatre, from the outside the restaurant looks very unassuming. But as soon as you walk through the door you can feel the passion of the owner and the staff alike. They want to tell you about the food, and there is a feeling they all working together to make sure your visit is the best it can be. It’s the little things that show they want everything to be perfect, such as taking the time to talk to guests and explain the menu to them.

That menu changes from lunch to dinner to ensure the chef has a chance to show off his enthusiasm and passion for the food he produces (he did not train for years to cook the same dishes all day every day, after all!) and to ensure customers always have something new to discover.

Aperitifs are a must (I enjoyed a refreshing Martini over ice) before moving on to the starters, which are made to be shared; my guest and I split mushrooms stuffed with Local Sausage and beef carpaccio.

Then came the main courses. I had the vegetarian pasta, which was delicious - I’d go as far to say it may just be one of the tastiest pasta dishes I’ve ever had. Meanwhile my guest had the cod, which was perfectly cooked and was served with new potatoes and vegetables. It is not often I cannot finish a meal, but both my companion and I were unable to totally clear our plates thats to the generous portion sizes - so be sure to visit hungry! There’s a great selection of wines to choose from to accompany your meal, although we plumped for the house red and it did not disappoint.

So next time you’re in Lagoa, I highly recommend a trip to Chill Inside. Whether you pop in for a coffee and a pastry or a full meal, the experience will be the same: wholesome food prepared with passion, and served with flair and personality.

 R. dos Vales 7, 8400-435 Lagoa, Portugal  +351 282 352 563  @chillinside.pt

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Environment

Chewing the fat about that burger

BY CLAIRE FREIDLANDER

Every environmental issue is rooted in increasing human population, projected to reach nine billion in just over thirty years time. How on earth will our planet feed all of these people? ‘Food security’ is high on development agendas with experts warning that food productivity will need to increase by up to 70% of current levelsthat’s terrifying when one considers how environmentally destructive farming and food production are! Vegetarians and vegans suggest that meat-free diets offer sustainable solutions.

The common example they use is the beef burger. The production of a single patty requires 635 gallons of freshwater, enough for a four-hour shower. Other studies have shown this figure to be exaggerated though, and limited to intensively farmed cattle, whilst alternative research modeling techniques have found that beef production has a similar ‘water footprint’ to that of rice, avocados, almonds and walnuts.

Modern omnivorous Western diets definitely do impact negatively on environment, however. The UN suggests that animal farming accounts for 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with red meat and dairy comprising 65% of that total. Feed crops depend on chemical fertilisers, which leach into soils and pollute waterways. Pesticides decimate

biodiversity, and land that could be used for growing human food crops is planted for animal feed. These crops, furthermore, are not optimal livestock food, causing them to belch excess methane into the atmosphere as a final insult.

Interestingly, research shows that livestock pastured freely on natural grasses rich in Omega-3 produce substantially less methane. Other research even proves that ‘mob-grazed’ cattle moved through grassland pastures, emulating the natural migrations of the great herds, could in fact benefit the environment. Short-term grazing of denser herds on grasslands spurs grass regrowth, whilst many hooves trample nutrient-rich manure into the soils. The animals are constantly moved to avoid overgrazing. This maintains plant root systems, water content and microbes promoting healthy soils. Best of all, CO2 is kept in the ground. In the UK, where two thirds of the land is grass, farming certified grass-fed cattle rather than crops could mitigate against the 10 billion tonnes of carbon its grasslands help to store and which crop-planting would release.

Livestock is often the only viable agricultural land use for terrain unsuited to crops. For 60% of Sub-Saharan African drylands, for example, livestock efficiently convert the poor terrain into protein-rich

 www.friedlanderdesign.com

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food for human consumption, contributing to nutrition security. Many of the world’s poor depend on livestock for subsistence and local economy. Veganism in this context is a capricious concept.

A recent study on how different dietary patterns impact on the human carryingcapacity of U.S. agricultural land confirms how misleading veganism can be. It concluded that omnivorous diets featuring modest amounts of meat and dairy outperformed vegan diets. Crucially, though, the study strongly supported the fact that people should be eating less meat.

Global meat consumption has been steadily increasing for six decades to unsustainable levels, facilitated by industrialised agriculture that has increased production by 600%. Growing demand from China, which constitutes a fifth of global population, is even more alarming. Burgeoning Chinese affluence has seen meat consumption rise from 10kg per person annually in the mid 1970s to around 50kg today. Demand at these levels can only be met by intensified “industrialised” farming, which is not only unsustainable and environmentally destructive, but unimaginably inhumane.

Grass-fed cows offer a viable alternative, but we should focus on eating our greens!

Outdoor

Revamp with vases

BY KATE IGNACIO

Vases are the easiest way to create something new and exciting to spruce up your garden or even your apartment balcony. Planting a vase is a reasonably low cost way of really giving your space a makeover.

One of the most important things to make sure your vase has is enough drainage. Drainage may be the single biggest factor on whether your plants live or die. You need to make sure that the pot you purchase has a big enough hole or holes in the bottom to let excess water drain away. There are many vases with one tiny hole in the bottom that will not let enough water escape. If you choose one of these you need to be very careful when watering, or ideally add more holes. The more holes in the vase the better drainage will be. Many more plants are killed by drowning that not enough water. Although without the right assistance many of us are culpable of plant murder by both.

It is equally important to keep the water in the soil whilst letting it out. There are many different ways of doing this such as plastic window screening or coffee filters and paper towels over large holes. Our team at Algarve Gardens use a special textured cloth along with gravel. The soil we use is also a mixture of soil, fertilizer and sand to additionally help with drainage. If you trap water you are at risk of damaging the roots from the ongoing humidity. It is also not a bad idea to elevate your pots sometimes like using pot feet for example, so that the water isn’t blocked from exiting the holes.

Choosing your plants is a really important part to this process and it is always helpful to get an informed opinion. Plant choice is even more important for large vases. Plants can easily get lost and look dwarfed in a large pot.

When you remove your plants from their nursery you must be very careful. To avoid damaging the plant when you remove it try holding the plant close to the soil surface. Make a ‘v’ with your fingers and place them either side of the stem and squeeze the plants out of their holder from the bottom. If the plant is root bound you may have to tear or cut any roots off that are sticking out the bottom hole of the pot. Slide the knife around the inside of the pot and in extreme cases break the pot to free the plant.

Normally the plants are root bound so you need to make sure to break up the roots, either by tearing or cutting them.

When you buy soil you must check first to see if it has fertilizer already mixed in. We at Algarve Gardens prefer soils that don’t already include it so we can mix in our own organic, slow release fertilizer when we make our plantations.

Make sure you mix the fertilizer throughout the soil which can be hard in large vases but it is important so you can ensure the roots are receiving the right nutrients as they grow down. You need to ensure the plant sits at the same level that it sits in its nursery pot. So, in other words the level of the soil should stay the same and no more or less of the plant’s stem should be covered.

You also want to make sure there are no air pockets and your plant’s roots are surrounded by soil. It’s also a good idea to water a pot right after you plant it, which settles the soil. Only then can you go back and fill in any holes with extra soil.

In the climate we live in keeping vases watered can be a very tricky job. It gets so hot here even a few days of forgetting to water your vases can end up leading all your hard work to go to waste. That is why we at Algarve Gardens always recommend planning irrigation for your vases.

Keep up with deadheading. While many flowering plants say they don't need deadheading, to keep your vase looking good, it's a good idea to remove spent flowers. Also, some flowering plants will bloom more if they are deadheaded. Pinch back plants to make them bushy, rather than leggy. Pruning can help you fill out your large vase by preventing plants from getting leggy and spindly.

A beautiful vase large or small can be a piece of art and a focal point for your balcony, deck or garden.

For any further advice or help in regards to vases or any other garden enquiry don’t hesitate to contact Algarve Gardens!

 +351 927 094 4973  algarvegardens@outlook.pt

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