Friends of Gran Canaria

YUMBO CASH FOR DISASTER FUND

2008-10-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

taken from RTN News Gran Canaria

he Madrid Air Disaster Fund has received a boost, thanks to the efforts of a much-loved drag queen and various bars in the Yumbo Centre, Phil Jackson reports.

August’s air disaster in which 154 people lost their lives, when Spanair flight JK5022 – bound for Gran Canaria – crashed just after take-off in Madrid, has prompted local individuals and businesses to get involved with fundraising efforts for families of the victims. And at the forefront of the campaign has been the Yumbo Centre in Playa del Ingles.

Bars and businesses in the Yumbo contributed to fundraising efforts arranged by TJ Michaels, resident drag queen host and venue manager at Veuvettes, a successful karaoke and cabaret bar based on the ground floor of the Yumbo. And as TJ explained to Round Town News, donations have been flooding in:

‘The total we’ve all raised so far is around the €1500 mark, with further pledges of up to €400 – but we’re hopeful we can do even better than that. We are still accepting donations over the bar at Veuvettes, and every bit really does count. Even if it’s just a bit of loose change from your drinks round; it all helps to give the fund a real boost.’

Highlights of the fundraising efforts arranged so far include a successful auction at Veuvettes Bar, with many of the lots donated by other businesses in the Yumbo, while an impromptu double act comprising TJ Michaels and Cafe La Belle’s Belinda Scandal had the entire bar doubled-up with laughter. Adding to the hilarity was a sponsored stint by TJ Michaels – in full drag – on the Yumbo’s famous ‘Bucking Bull’.

‘I’d really like to thank all the bars and businesses over the south of the island for their support with everything, and in particular the owners and show team from Cafe la Belle and the guys behind Blue Tomato Productions for their invaluable input into the fund,’ said TJ Michaels.

Congratulations to all the staff at Veuvettes for helping to raise such a substantial sum for the Madrid Air Disaster Fund. And for anybody reading this who has yet to donate, don’t forget to pop in to Veuvettes next time you’re in the Yumbo – where not only will you be assured a warm welcome, you’ll still be able make your own personal donation.

Cheaper Holidays to Gran Canaria

2008-10-19T21:13:00.001-07:00

Gran Canaria has something to suit everyone's taste. If you enjoy sport then you will certainly enjoy the range of sports offered on the island, where every sport can be played under the sun and with beautiful views. Water sports are the favoured activity of course because of the clear waters of the Atlantic. Most resorts offer a wide range of cheap water sports including wind surfing and jet skiing and you shouldn't end the holiday without trying at least one!
The island offers many places of natural beauty to visit and also places of historical interest such as the painted caves of Gldar where you can view the paintings of the early aborigines. If something more robust takes your fancy, then why not go along to one of Gran Canaria's regular festivals where you're guaranteed a fantastic show and a great time!
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico is a fantastic spot to take the family - it's cheap, it's cheerful and it makes for a great holiday. Puerto Rico is the most sought-after spot in Gran Canaria - it is found on the sunny south of the island and built alongside a valley so Puerto Rico offers some breathtaking views. The water around Puerto Rico is of such a clarity that glass-bottom boat rides are a popular pass-time and the beach is so inviting that most people spend their whole holiday there!
Beaches of Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria is known for the quality and quantity of its beaches. There you find the finest of sands, the clearest of waters and the cleanliest of beaches - not even Spain can compete! The beaches all have above-par facilities and bars and cafes that offer cheap amenities. Some of the nicest beaches can be found in Puerto Rico however, one well worth a visit is the Maspalomas beach that offers shady sand dunes and sublime surf. If you want to make your holiday a beach holiday, then Gran Canaria is the place for you!

Holiday fall teenager 'out of coma'

2008-10-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Published Date: 17 October 2008

A woman from Greater Manchester who fell six floors from a Spanish holiday apartment has emerged from a coma, the hotel has said.
A man who fell with her is expected to be released from hospital within a week.Jemma France, 18, from Dukinfield, and Lee Cook, 28, from Mottram, Hyde, were found lying beneath the walkway in a pool of blood by hotel staff at 3am on Thursday.

Antonio Campos, manager of the Gran Canaria hotel they were staying in, said: "The woman is very bad. It's believed she fell down first and the man was behind her and fell on top."He said they were lucky to have landed on some plastic tables and not on the rocks nearby.Hotel receptionist Isabel Bego said she heard from hospital staff that Mr Cook underwent an operation on his stomach and Miss France emerged from a coma but with many fractures to her head and neck.Mr Cook's father, Stephen Cook, only learned about what happened to his son when he got home from work on Thursday evening."I was devastated. He's a pretty quiet guy and nothing usually happens to him. We've heard he was trying to save the girl when she fell," said Stephen Cook.Friends of Miss France posted their good wishes on her Facebook social networking page.Lauren Whitehead wrote: "I love you babe! So so much... We know how strong you are, you can pull through this!

Source: Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2008

Holiday Reviews - Gran Canaria

2008-10-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

www.friendsofgc.com writes.....

a snap shot of a few of your views from your holiday in Gran Canaria.

Honest review Gran Canaria - Jeroen. Date of travel: Aug 2008
Gran Canaria is a nice island. Only the local people, they really suck. Everyone thinks you're a millionaire. When you walk along a souvenir shop and you won't buy anything, the people often shout at you in Spanish. (I speak Spanish) If you decide to go to Gran Canaria, don't buy the watches or equipment. People will say it's real, but it's not!!! Looking for a nice island with friendly people, go to Rhodos or Crete!! Have fun!

Great destination! - Olivier Deheselle. Date of travel: Jul 2007
Gran Canaria is a powerfull destination for beach, visits or party time. Good for families or stand alone person.

I would visit Gran Canaria again - nice Island - Debbie & Mark Miller. Date of travel: Jul 2007
Many places to visit - where we went: Palmitos Park, Cocodrillo Park, Mogan, Puerto Rico, Aqualand, Las Palmas, small villages in the mountains - all very nice places to see and value for money. The Yumbo centre and the Shopping Centres are also good to visit.

El Hierro - Mark Nicolle. Date of travel: Dec 2006
Gran Canaria is an awesome holiday destination, but the island is getting fairly overrun by hotels and tourists. If you are looking to get away from it all take a flight to El Hierro. This is the smallest and most westerly of the Canary Islands and is certainly the least visited. There are few sandy beaches but the landscape is totally awe-inspiring. Like the other Canary Islands, El Hierro was formed by volcanic upheavals and they created its unique and varied scenery, with cultivated flatlands, misty mountains and jagged black rocks. The locals live quietly in tiny villiages, tending to their animals and making wine and cheese. The highlight, on the west coast of the island, is the massive El Golfo crater, where black and green cliffs rear 3000ft into the clouds forming a cradle of green fertile land. If you get fed up with the crowds, a trip to El Hierro is the perfect get away.

Kerry Aspinal. Date of travel: Jun 2005
OK. Very hilly: remined me of pictures of the moon, no greenery at all. Just hills to climb, too much with small children. Tour Operator: Airtours

Sue Malone. Date of travel: Apr 2005
Just got back from Gran Canaria. The first two days were cloudy but then it was relentless sunshine for the next five days. Beware of the sun, we got burnt when it was cloudy and some women who were there got burnt so bad after one day that they had to attend hospital on several occasions. We mainly went to the Irish Centre as we enjoy Irish pubs. Did not particularly like the resort, there was no actual resort centre, it was divided into about 5 different bits and you needed a taxi to get around. I also found that all the bars were very expensive, especially Keane's Bar, which although was a very good bar, also ripped you off a little. When you asked for a beer, you would get two and think you had been given one free, but you were actually charged 5 euros, so it was not really that free. Apart from that, I did enjoy myself, especially at the waterpark which was well worth the money and we had a great day out. The only time we got caught by the touts was at Maspalomas, we did not see any in Playa Del Ingles at all, although we did get a little hassle from the bars, but after going to Turkey previously, we were used to it. Found the people very friendly and helpful. The place was the cleanest resort I have ever been to. I would go back to Gran Canaria but would stay at a different resort. Tour Operator: Direct Holidays

Paul Moore. Date of travel: Feb 2005
Puerto Rico, lovely place, picturesque,good beach, little harbour, lots of steps though, plenty for all ages and nationalities, lively and loud at night although down by the beach its quieter at night but still plenty of bars,like the Harbour Lights, and eateries.Amadores beach just around the corner along a cliff walkway is very nice and totally made for the tourists. Mogan a few miles bus or boat ride away is very nice but busy on market day(Friday) There is also Playa de Ingles not far away alongside Maspolomas. Tour Operator: Thomas cooke

Gran Canaria - Clive Butler. Date of travel: Jan 2005
Playa del ingles can be harshly called a concrete jungle but this multi national resort has something for every body, a long pleasant safe beach for families,reasonably priced places to eat and a good night life at the Jumbo centre(clients may like to know that the centre is a mixture of Restaurants,shops,bars and Night Clubs some being Gay.) Maspalomas is a good resort if you wish to be quiet stroll along the beach,walk into the sand dunes or just relax by the Sea shore,shops and eateries are by the Light House as is the Bird Sancturary, For Night Life Playa del Ingles is only 3km away around a 3 euro taxi ride Tour Operator: Thomson

Vicki Thomson. Date of travel: Dec 2004
Gran Canaria is a really nice place whether you are old or young. For the younger people there are a whole lot of nightclubs in Puerto Rico and for the older there are plenty of things to whether they are to relax on the beach or go visiting the mountains and sand dunes. Even in the winter it is around 24 degrees celcius every day although it can be cloudy. The people there are very nice and helpful, plus they can speak english!! which is always good!!

Sadie. Date of travel: Dec 2003
We had booked a late break to Gran Canaria the week before Christmas to escape from all the build up to Christmas as we had recently experienced a family bereavement. The accommodation was as expected. The island was beautiful and warm again just what we had expected but the con artists were everywhere and after a few days we became very wary of even leaving the apartment for any length of time. We had been innocently walking to the beach one day and went through a shopping precinct: a shop owner persauded us to buy a video camera. We do not consider outselves to be gullible and have travelled extensively, but we could not get away from this shop. I had assumed we were covered by the normal regulations but this was not so. On other occasions we were accosted to the extent that someone even put their hand inside my husbands pocket to get some money. We will not go back to this island as we found it quite threatening.

The Yumbo Centre, Playa Del Ingles, Gran Canaria

2008-10-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

www.friendsofgc.com writes...

The Yumbo Centre, situated in the centre of Playa De Ingles, has many clothing, retail, and gift outlets for you to browse at your leisure, all of which are very competitively priced, and much lower in cost than what you expect to see in the UK.

Also in the Yumbo Centre, there are many restaurants, all of which will try and get you to dine with them. They have many restaurants to cater for all food types, Italian, Chinese, Spanish and English, plus many more. All restaurants compete heavily with regards to cost, and not only can you enjoy the great foods they have, it will not hurt your wallet/purse too much.

The Yumbo Centre is a very popular shopping centre in the day, and a good place to eat your meals, but also the Yumbo centre holds most of Playa Del Ingles clubbing nightlife on the evening, and plus various shows. This said, the Yumbo centre is very gay friendly, and in fact, a very popular choice for gay people to spend their evenings.

The Yumbo Centre has bars and clubs that cater for just about anything and everything you would be looking for Gay or Straight and many a fun night is had every night of the year!.

Gran Canaria - for holiday makers and locals

2008-10-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

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