monthly magazine - december 2011 - nº 8 - price: 2 €

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to advertise in this monthly magazine please contact:christine watterson on tel. 699 065 493or email to ads@focusonmenorca.com

the magazine’s website, www.focusonmenorca.com,has details of advertising rates etc.

· El Picadero, Maó

· Taj Indian Restaurant, Maó

· Con Estilo (Darcey’s), Maó

· Menorca Royal, Maó port

· Bar Delfin, Es Castell

· The Teapot, Es Castell

· Scandals Restaurant, Es Castell

· Cats in Need, Noria Riera (plus back copies)

· Supermercado Es Talaiot, Trebalúger

· Monet’s Hairdressers, Sant Lluís

· Simon Dunn’s Chocolates, Sant Lluís

· Ca’n Dulce, Sant Climent

· Bar Nelsons, Son Vitamina

· Seagram’s, Cala en Porter

· Bar Pons, Cala en Porter

· La Tetera de Aloe Vera, Alaior

· Es Mercadal Emporium

· Son Parc Golf Club

· El Castillo, Port d’Addaia

· Neat & Tidy, Port d’Addaia

· Bar Churchills, Cala en Blanes

Focus on Menorca is on sale at newsagents and in some supermarkets, plus the followingpoints of sale:

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I had thought that this month Iwouldn’t have to start with an apol-ogy, but I was wrong! (See the let-ter from the Honorary BritishConsul in Menorca on page 7). So,the gentleman who told me theother week that I do a lot of apolo-

gising was more right than he knew! And that’sjust in my working life!This month we have news from Steve Morgan(R&R Menorca) on a possible attempt next yearto make the Guinness Book of Records, a round-up of local news from the past month, a report ofthe Red Cross visit to the Carlos Mir Institute, anintroduction to Age Concern for those who don’tknow what this worthy charity does, some“things people say” from the “BarnsleyMarinero”, the usual puzzles plus a “Back toChildhood Quiz” from Steve Morgan, and more.Not forgetting the article on chocolate!There’s been a disappointing response to the CarBoot Sale Section - am I the only one who hasn’tyet got rid of unwanted items that might be justwhat someone else is looking for? Or is everyoneelse’s ‘junk’ worth more than 100 euros?Wishing all our readers a very Merry Christmasand looking forward to seeing you again at thebeginning of 2012.

Christine WattersonEditor

a note fromthe editor

indexof contents

A privileged visit to the Military Governor’s Palace................................4

It’s all happening on stage (MenorcaCharity Players)...................................6

No British prisoners in Maó jail (letter from Deborah Hellyer)..............7

Fancy a dip or a quick round of golf?(R&R)....................................................8

Age Concern and its role in the community..........................................10

An enjoyable visit (Red Cross)..............12

The Barnsley Marinero.........................14

Inside the Maó Naval Base...................18

News Round-up...................................19

Have yourself a chocolateyChristmas (advertising feature)............23

Events to look out for............................24

Leisure Corner: Sudokus,Codeword and Quick Crossword.........26

Back to childhood quiz........................27

Useful Telephone Numbers .................27

Places of Interest .................................28

Answers to Back to childhoodquiz......................................................28

Menorca winter darts league................29

Solutions to puzzles .............................30

Car Boot Sale........................................31

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Members of the Menorca Britannia Association in the Courtyard of Isabel II Palace in Maó

a privileged visit to themilitary governor’s palace

Members of the Menorca Bri-tannia Association were priv-ileged to be granted a visit inNovember to the Military Gov-ernor’s Palace which is notopen to members of the pub-lic nor, normally, for groupvisits.Also known as the Ca’s Gen-eral and Isabel II Palace(being located in the street ofthe same name), the palace isstill the official residence ofthe Military Governor of theisland, currently ColonelFrancisco Rivas Mayor.The palace started as a smallfortress in the Middle Ages,

known as the Casa del Rey orKing’s House, built to defendthe north-west corner of thewalled precinct. It was usedas accommodation for the is-land’s governors on their visitsto Maó from Ciutadella, thenthe capital of Menorca.During the first British occu-pation of Menorca, GovernorRichard Kane initially usedthe San Felipe Fort as his res-idence but when Maó re-placed Ciutadella as thecapital city in 1722, he movedinto the Casa del Rey andsince then it has been the res-idence of English, French and

Spanish Governors up to thepresent day.Various buildings from differ-ent periods make up thepalace, starting with the Casadel Rey, construction onwhich finished in 1685 andKane was responsible for ex-tensive remodelling and en-larging the palace when hemoved in.The watchtower was built sothat warnings of sightings ofenemy ships off the coastcould be transmitted fromtower to tower along the portto the palace so that appropri-ate military action could be

taken.At one time the palace wasconnected to the TreasuryHouse on the opposite side ofthe street by a bridge at firstfloor level but this was demol-ished in 1839. The street fa-cade was renovated at thebeginning of the 1900’s by thearchitect Femenias who builtthe large bow window over-looking calle Isabel II.The entire interior of thebuilding has been renovatedand modernised, with the ad-dition of a grand staircase andthe creation of a Throne Roomwhere Queen Isabel II re-

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a privileged visit to themilitary governor’s palace

Entrance to the central part of the Palace

ceived the Menorcan authori-ties on her visit to Maó in1860 and which was laterused by the kings Alfonso XIIand Alfonso XIII. It is alsoused for official receptions,the most important being the‘Pascua Militar’ which com-memorates the reconquest of

Menorca and is attended byall the civilian authorities anda large number of people rep-resenting the island’s culturaland social life.In the words of our guide (theson-in-law of Colonel Rivas)“the major events of the lastthree centuries that have to a

great degree shaped the his-tory of Menorca have revolvedaround this Palace, muchloved and respected by the

people of Maó and Menorca,and popularly known as “Ca’sGeneral” (the General’sHouse).

The Throne Room (photo by courtesy of Steve Morgan)

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Rehearsals have been goingreally well and we are nearingthe end and approaching per-formances - where have thelast two months gone..? Ticketsales have also been impres-sive - with the last Saturdaysold out - actually it’s slightlyoversold with 60 tickets sold.There is plenty of room andthe restaurant can cope easilywith 60 covers (thank good-ness). If you haven't got your ticketsyet, please try to pop out andget them from one of our es-tablished outlets namely:Comercial Papelera, Maó;Monet Hairdressers, SantLluís: El Picadero Restaurant,Maó; Ca’n Dulce, Sant Cli-ment and The Teapot, EsCastell.At the time of writing, we arehoping to hold a VIP nightwith invitations having beensent out to the three new may-ors of Maó, Sant Lluís and EsCastell. Let's see if they arebrave enough to attend! Wealso have an enthusiasticgroup of Spanish college stu-dents who want to improvetheir English. Helena, theirtutor, normally brings a groupof 10-15. I am not surewhether the evening will im-

prove their English - but wecan assure them of an eveningfull of fun and laughter!For those who are attending,you may send us an email tomenorca.charity.players@gmail.com and we will email acopy of the menu relating tothe night on which you are at-

it’s all happening on stageThe Menorca Charity Players are putting on a theatre supper on 2nd,

3rd, 9th and 10th December in the Casino, Sant Climent

tending.We have already mentionedthat our main charity donationthis year will be ASPANOB,such a well worthwhile cause,as they give such support tothose dependants of childrenwith cancer that need treat-ment off the island. We also

hope to provide food packs tothose in need at Christmas,which we are doing in con-junction with Age Concern. See you at the show and if youwould like to dress up in cos-tume it would add to the occa-sion!

The director, Jane Higgs, is encouraging the au-dience to dress up in Edwardian costume to add

to the overall ambience

by Chris Collman

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no british prisoners in maó jail

Dear Editor,Firstly congratulations onanother interesting editionof Focus magazine. The"spoof" article made melaugh - but I was dismayedto read your report (page 22of the September issue) thateleven British prisoners arebeing held in the new pri-son "Centro Penetenciariode Menorca" and wouldlike to inform your readersthat this too is a spoof.The Diario de Menorca pu-blished this erroneous re-port on its front page lastmonth and sadly Focus isnot the only publication tohave taken this rather sen-sational "news" at facevalue - without questioning

or corroborating the informa-tion with either the DirectorInsular, the prison itself ormyself as Honorary British

Consul, who would, if therewas any truth in the matter, beaware of the detainees. Unfortunately this type of mi-

The Honorary British Consul sent the following letter to Focus, correcting infor-mation printed in the October edition of “News round-up”

sinformation doesn’t doany favours to the Britishcommunity on the island,who, by and large, are alaw abiding sector of ourcommunity.Rest assured that at thismoment there are no Bri-tish detainees in Menorca'sprison (dangerous or do-cile) - although there hasbeen one "guest of His Ma-jesty" since the prison ope-ned, but he has now beenreleased.

Yours sincerely,Deborah Hellyer

Honorary British Consulin Menorca.

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fancy a dip or a quickround of golf?

Those of you who actually readmy humble little ramblings orperhaps even follow us onlineat Twitter (@RandR_Menorca)will remember that a soldierfrom the last group of visitors,Trooper Clifford O’Farrell whohad received life threateninginjuries to his legs, told us thathe had enjoyed himself somuch he would return one daywith a team of injured soldiersto swim around Menorca. At the time we all nodded andsmiled approvingly and saidwhat a good idea it was butperhaps without really belie-ving it would actually happen.So we were more than just alittle surprised when we werecontacted by the Staff Corpo-ral of ‘D’ Squadron telling usthat the Regiment had takenup Clifford’s idea and he,along with Clifford and fourothers, will attempt to swimaround Menorca on a relaybasis (each swimmer being inthe water for an hour at a time)and swimming throughout thenight. In addition to the swim-mers there will be two supportstaff from the Army. The answer to your next ques-tion is 216km! Yes I knew youwould want to know the dis-tance around the island andthank goodness we don’t haveany tides to contend with!We have also been advisedthat the Army has decided totreat this as an official trainingexercise! Note to self - never underesti-mate the determination of aBritish soldier!Rest & Recover will be provi-ding full logistical & transportsupport role, i.e. safety boats,

fully qualified crews etc.We believe there will be a lotof publicity in the UK for thisevent and all monies raisedwill be split between Rest &Recover Menorca and theHousehold Cavalry Operatio-nal Casualties Fund.It’s early days yet but put theinitial dates 10th - 23rd Sep-tember 2012 in your diary, wewant as many of you to supportand cheer on the lads as pos-sible.We are also contacting theGuinness Book of Records tosee if we can get this feat re-cognised as an official record– a record that perhaps otherswill want to come here and tryto break.OK, it’s 10 months away, butthere is an awful lot to do but

Clifford O’Farrell enjoying a swim in the Mediterranean during the second R&R visit

we have already started theball rolling by giving it a fairlyhefty push! Watch this space!Have I already mentioned youcan follow us on Twitter(@RandR_Menorca)? I have?Oh!Now for some news of anotherproject which is just as exci-ting.Back in 2010, John Simpson,former Senior Vice Presidentof the largest Sports Marketing& Media Company in theWorld ‘International Manage-ment Group’ (IMG), set up acharity called the ‘On CourseFoundation’.‘On Course’ is there to encou-rage injured servicemen andwomen (who are retired or stillserving in the military) to getinvolved in golf. Not only to

learn to play, but with the ideaof helping them to actuallygetting employment within theindustry.‘On Course’ reminded me ofthe great man Douglas Baderand anybody who saw the film‘Reach for the Sky’ will re-member him learning to playgolf after losing both his legsin a plane crash. It’s a fantas-tic way of getting the soldiersback into the swing (sorry,couldn’t resist it!) of employ-ment as there are a multitudeof opportunities within the gol-fing world from actually wor-king at the courses tocompanies manufacturingequipment and clothing.Rest &Recover’s Anne Mad-dison saw an article on the ‘OnCourse’ project and got in con-

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fancy a dip or a quickround of golf?

“On Course” encourages wounded soldiers to take up golf

tact with John Simpson. Shehad already been offered villasin the Son Parc area and shethought it would be an idealpartnership for ‘On Course’and Rest & Recover to worktogether. E-mails and phonecalls were exchanged and weare delighted to say that ‘OnCourse’ has decided to bring agroup of golfers to Menorcaearly next year. At this point we would like togive a big thank you to HughBrown, Chairman of Son ParcGolf Club as he is very gene-rously providing the soldierswith the free use of the golfcourse and driving range. Hewill also be supplying all thebuggies.The soldiers will arrive on the20th January for one week andwill be accompanied by a toppro golf coach who will be hel-ping the soldiers improve theirgame. The cost of the flights will bemet by the ‘On Course’ Foun-dation so, as with the swim-ming event, we only have toprovide logistical supportalong with a big dollop of theusual R&R treatment.

Just to give you an idea of thesuccess of ‘On Course’ - oneRoyal Marine, who had beenseriously injured in the line ofduty and had both legs ampu-tated above the knee, hadnever played golf before losinghis legs. He joined ‘OnCourse’ to give him a new cha-llenge. Has it helped him?Judge it for yourself; he nowplays off a handicap of 13!This is undoubtedly a big coupfor Menorca. ‘On Course’s pa-tron is His Royal HighnessThe Duke of York and we areconfident that this event willbe written about in all the topGolfing Magazines. Whoknows just how many more pe-ople will add Menorca to theirgolfing holiday plans?For more information and tomake a donation to the foun-dation please take a look attheir website on www.oncour-sefoundation.com and don’t forget ours!www. re s t andrecove rme-norca.co Look out for furtherinformation in the press or….Yes, you can follow us on Twit-ter! (@RandR_Menorca).

by Steve Morgan

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age concern and its rolein the community

Don’t let the title confuse you.I know that the ‘AGE’ partseems to say to people that weare only for older people. Nottrue. We as Age ConcernMenorca are here to help andassist people of all ages andnationalities, not only UK cit-izens, where we can (some-times we cannot).I have been president for justover one year and I have beenamazed when talking to vari-ous people and authorities justhow many do not know who weare or what we can do (even alarge supermarket in Cala enPorter didn’t know us!!)Let me briefly tell you whoand what we are:-We are a registered charity in

Spain (charity number 3357)and we have to have a CIFnumber to comply with Span-ish law.We have an office in Sant Cli-ment where you can pop in forinformation, advice, drop offsmall items for our shop andcollect the newsletter we pro-duce. You can also, for a smalldonation, get books andDVD’s. Also housed in the of-fice is the Medical EquipmentLoan store, contact 971 377063 to arrange appointmentsand delivery and collection.We are able to supply, for a re-fundable deposit and a dona-tion on return, wheelchairs,walking frames, crutches,bathing aids, ramps and many

smaller items for easier livingThe shop is in Es Castellwhere we sell clothes, books,DVD’s, furniture and bric-a-brac. What a great number ofpeople do not know is that, bylaw, we have to employ a shopmanager and we have to payIVA at 18% on all items sold(4% on books). So you can seethat although it may appearthat we are selling lots ofgoods and making lots ofmoney, we are also paying avast amount in taxes (but thisis the law in Spain). In addi-tion to this we rent the shop sowith rent, rates and serviceswe do not make vast amountsof money, this is why we arealways looking for more items

to sell. Unlike charities in theUK we do not get concessionswith the rent and rates.The most important part ofAge Concern is a serviceknown as Lifeline. Throughthis we can arrange for trans-lators to accompany you to thehospital, doctors (and even thedentist), appointments withyour local Town Hall andtranslations of written docu-ments. Lifeline works closelywith social services offices andcan help with matters regard-ing social services. We mayalso be able to help UK citi-zens with repatriation to theUK and in some cases canpossibly help financiallythrough our ACASA side of

Bargains galore in clothing, books, household items etc. in the Age Concern shop in Es Castell

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age concern and its rolein the community by Roger Goddard

President,Age Concern Menorca

Age Concern which has contacts withover 250 UK based charities and alsothe armed forces charities. Lifeline andACASA can be contacted on 676 9044 87.We can also, with the help of our In-formation Officer and in conjunctionwith the British Consul, advise onmany of the Spanish laws and direc-tives (if we don’t know we will findout).We also work with the Red Cross,AECC (Cancer Association), R&RMenorca and the hospital in Palmawhere our colleagues in Mallorca willassist you. Other than our shop man-ageress, all of our people are volun-teers and get no payment for what they

do, only thanks from the people whomthey help. If you would like to help usplease contact the office, shop or anycommittee member. We always needvolunteers.To conclude, we as a charity keepgoing financially by sponsorship, do-nations and friends’ (as our membersare called) annual donation. We re-ceive no financial help from either theSpanish or British governments orfrom AGE UK. who, although our par-ent company so to speak, actually giveus nothing. Therefore the only way wecan keep going is to ask people for do-nations. Please help us to help you.

Sandy Berresford with the Age Concern van

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On Thursday 3rd November,six of the craft group - AnneMaddison, Ann Houghton,Chrissie Ball, Glenda Reid,Jane Newbrook and Jan Cookvisited the Carlos Mir Institutewhich is a Foundation for per-sons with mental disabilities.Jan and Jane are our card ma-king ladies and they kindly or-ganized all the materialswhich the group took alongwith them. The aim was tomake a gift to the Foundation’smembers of boxes of craft ma-terials for use as and whenthey wished. We spent a cou-ple of hours with a group sho-wing them how to create andassemble Christmas Cardsusing some of the materialswhich were donated in En-gland by the “A Maze of Me-mories” craft centre ladies,(please see November’sFocus), to the Craft Group.Deborah Hellyer came with usto help with translation andshe also helped the studentswith their cards. We had a pro-ductive and enjoyable timeand I think the Institute wasvery appreciative of what wedid. The results were an im-pressive 80 individually craf-ted Christmas cards whichwere going to be part of an ex-hibition put on the followingweek by the Institute. Photosof the group were in the localpapers the very next day. Ple-ase see photos (Bby GlendaReid).

A Pair of CrackersAnn and Chrissie have alsobeen kept very busy thismonth making their brand newartisan Christmas crackers!They have put so much workinto this, researching how atraditional cracker is cons-tructed and it is no easy feat.They have produced beautiful

crackers to adorn your Chris-tmas table and the “presents”inside are indeed of a highquality. Orders are high andmuch interest has been un-derstandably shown. Pleasesee picture of them in midcrack!

PreviewsSue Woolley attended the No-vember Ladies Probus lunchalong with her fabulous stockof handmade pairs of cushionsand pet beds. The ladies at-tending were given the chanceof taking advantage of largediscounts on items eitherbought or ordered on the dayand Sue went home with moreroom in her car and a list of or-ders! Celia´s Father Christmascushion sold in the blink of aneye and the faux fur cushionsand faux fur pet beds were ex-tremely popular – lovely andcosy for Christmas and theNew Year.Anne, Sue, Celia, Pat W, Janand Jane also went to theLACE Fayre at the Picaderowhere they sold cards, crac-kers, books, pickled onions,Christmas decoations, petblankets and many raffle tic-

kets for Janet B’s beautifullyhandcrafted blue and whitequilt – the draw for which is atour Christmas Clearance Saleas below.

What next?By the time you read this wewill have attended the Chris-tmas Fayres in Cala en Porterand the Church Fayre at theTaj in Maó, so there will bejust one last chance beforeChristmas to stock up on yourChristmas stocking and tablegoodies which will be at ourown Christmas Clearance Saleto be held at Scandals onTuesday December 13th,10.30 am until 12.30 pm. Raf-fle draws will be made and youwill also get the chance to buysome “Sue’s Kitchen” goodies

such as her piccalilli, chillijam and barbeque sauce.Please note that the last 2011group meeting is on December13th, we will then take a breakfor Christmas and New Yearuntil Tuesday 17th January2012.From us all at the Craft Group– have a very Merry Christmasand a Happy and PeacefulNew Year!

Weekly MeetingsEvery Tuesday at Scandals inEs Castell, 10 am to 12 noon.(No meetings 20th December2011 to 10th January 2012 in-clusive). Everyone is welcome.Please contact Anne Maddi-son on 618 373 528.

an enjoyable visit by Belinda Gray

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This month, a selection of ques-tions from our clients over thepast three years. The questionsare genuine and so are the sar-castic replies - a product of mygrammar school education. Iwent to the same school asMichael Parkinson, GeoffreyBoycott and a few TV and filmluvvies. Speaking of Parky,here's a weird example of coin-cidence (scientists call it syn-chronicity): Parky and his mumand dad lived at number 26Meadow Crescent, Cudworth,Barnsley. In the early seventies,years after he became famousand moved away, I used to visita friend of mine who livedacross the road from Parky's oldhouse. Living there at the timewas a family called.....Parkin-son. They had a son whosename was.....you've guessed it.No relation apparently. Anyroad up, here we go.1. Lady (watching me throwleftover food to the fish) : “Willthey eat everything? Even thechicken?”“Yes.”“But how do they KNOW it'schicken?”“I throw them a menu in be-forehand.”2. Lady: “Will the fish biteme?”“Only if you look at themfunny.”3. Frail old lady: “Can I swimto the beach?”“I doubt it, madam.”4. Lady, on seeing dolphins:“Can't you get them to swimnearer the boat?”“I'll call and ask what theirplans are, madam.”5. Elderly lady: “The youngman at my hotel said I could goswimming today.”“Of course you can, madam.”

“But I can't swim. Will I be al-right?”“In that case, probably not.”“Oh.”6. Young woman: “How deep isthe water?”“About ten feet.”“Can I stand on the bottom?”“If you're over ten feet tall, cer-tainly.”7. Old lady, seeing a naked manpeeing from a neighbouringboat: “What's that man doing?”“He's fishing, madam.”“Well his rod's not very big!”“I'll leave you to break thenews, madam.”8. Elderly gent: “Do the localsspeak English?”“No, sir.”“How do you communicate,then?”“We find that shouting at themdoes the trick, sir.”“Oh... it's a shame for them,isn't it?”“Indeed it is, sir.”

the barnsley marineroby John Bladen

John and Sharon Bladen with skipper Nigel Lynn on board the “Seafield”

9. Lady (looking at Favàritxlighthouse): “Do they still turnthe light on at night?”“More often than not, madam.”Same lady: “Is that the light-house I can see from my bal-cony?”“As your hotel is on the otherside of the island, no.”“Are you sure, because thatone's stripey, too.”10. Lady about to go kayakingfor the first time: “Right, whatdo I do?”“I'll go through it with you.Here's the paddle.”“The WHAT?”“Oh dear.”11. Lady, being taught tosnorkel: “DOO DOO DOODOO?”“You can take the snorkel out ofyour mouth whilst on the boat,madam.”“Are those flippers you're wear-ing?”“No, they're my going out

shoes.”12. Gent, watching me drop theanchor: “How deep do you dropit?”“I find it helps if it reaches thebottom, sir.”13. “How many engines has theboat got?”“Just the one.”“What if it breaks down?”“We have to get out and push.”“Oh.”14. “Don't drink the sea water,madam.”“Because it's salty?”“No, because the fish crap init.”And finally:Newsflash: October 31st. TheUK Government announce thatall British-registered commer-cial vessels will be allowed tocarry fully-armed securityteams to combat piracy. Spainexpected to follow suit.Nigel has therefore ordered amachine gun for the wheel-

15focus on menorca

house roof. It is already ru-moured that next year the yel-low catamarans will havetorpedo tubes, Don Juan is to fitanti-aircraft batteries fore andaft (near the water slide), andthe Barcelona ferry will be abattleship.Also, all pedaloes will be per-mitted to carry AK47 assault ri-fles and Pedro's Boat Yard willbe stocking a full range of heat-seeking missiles.Licences to carry arms will beissued in triplicate by the Maóport office at a very reasonable10,000 euros per vessel,payable quarterly. (Locally-owned boats FOC).The Spanish navy is expected toupgrade all three of its ships tocombat the piracy threat andwill be issuing live ammunitionas soon as it gets supplies fromthe World War Two surplusshop on the industrial estate inMadrid. Favàritx lighthouse seen from the deck of the “Seafield”

16 focus on menorca

inside the maó naval base

the British needed a perma-nent base in the Mediter-ranean for their fleet and Maóappeared ideal. Stanhope per-suaded Charles III to cede theisland to Britain in settlementof debts owing and, at the endof the War of the Spanish Suc-cession, the Treaty of Utrecht

granted Britain sovereignty ofMenorca (and Gibraltar), thusbeginning the first of threeBritish dominations of the is-land.The Naval Base was originallybuilt on the south (Maó) sideof the harbour by AdmiralByng in 1709 but soon proved

to be too small and was trans-ferred to its present site on or-ders of the Governor, RichardKane during the secondBritish occupation of Menorca. In order to increase the areaavailable, Saffron Island(nowadays known as IslaPinto) was purchased, flat-

Clearly visible from the Maóside of the harbour, the NavalBase is, by its very nature, notusually open to members ofthe public, apart from on spe-cial occasions such as the Vir-gen del Carme Fiesta, butmembers of the Menorca Bri-tannia Association were in-vited to visit the base inNovember for a guided tourwith a Naval Officer, Bgda.Jose Luis Diego, who relatedits history.The British first used Maó as aport of call on their commer-cial routes in 1621 and Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Mansellbased his fleet here when en-gaged in protecting commer-cial shipping from pirates. In1644 Charles II negotiatedwith the Spanish Crown for theright to use Maó harbour andit became a regular stop forships for revictualling.In September 1708 Major-General James Stanhope tookthe island from the French, of-ficially on behalf of Britain’sally, Charles III of Austria, but

Originally named Saffron Island, Isla Pinto forms a large part of the base

Left: a mini two-man submarine, and right: a sea mine, on display in the grounds of the base

17focus on menorca

inside the maó naval base

tened and developed as part ofthe base. Many of the originalbuildings on the base, con-structed by the British duringthe eighteenth century, remaintoday, including the arsenal,the facade of which resemblesa castle, and the clock toweron the isla Pinto, the top ofwhich is said to represent amilitary helmet.The base was further extendedunder Spanish rule, followingthe Duc de Crillón’s conquest

of the island in 1782. Duringthis period the naval dockyardstarted work again, construct-ing six 34-cannon frigates andrelaunching three galleys anda brig. At the time the Menor-cans were well-known for theirskill as boat builders.After the third, brief, Britishoccupation of the island,Menorca was finally returnedto the Spanish Crown in 1802under the Treaty of Amiensand between 1825 and 1828

two 22-cannon brigs werebuilt for the Spanish Navy, the“Manzanares” and “Guada-

The arsenal constructed by the British in the 18th century

The clock tower wearing its military helmet

Left: The Commandant’s pet on sniffer-dog duty and right: a torpedo

lete”.Between 1815 and 1840 theUnited States Mediterranean

18 focus on menorca

Squadron was based in Maó todeter piracy and the midship-men were trained here untilthe opening of the U.S. NavalAcademy in Annapolis.Between 1846 and 1848 thefirst two steamships were con-structed, the “Nuevo Balear”and the “Cid Campeador”.In the last third of the nine-teenth century, the TorpedoBrigade was created and adock for the two torpedo boats,Castor and Pollux, was builton the Isla Pinto. An exampleof a torpedo is on display inthe grounds.The base was further extendedin the early 1900’s and wasprotected by three-metre highwalls and watchtowers. Fourseaplanes were based in Maóand, later, several submarines.Following the end of the Span-ish Civil War and the SecondWorld War various tunnels, ar-senals, and underground waterand fuel tanks were con-structed with financial aid

from the U.S.A. The 480-metre long torpedo tunnel wascompleted in 1964 with work-shops and the installationsnecessary for the torpedos, butthe tunnel system, whichwould have had an exit on thefar side of the headland, wasnever finished.A minesweeper squadron waslater based at Maó but, sincethe 1970’s, Menorca has lostits strategic importance andthe Naval Base has slowly de-clined. All the boats, sub-marines and the prison on theIsla Pinto have been trans-ferred to the Naval Base inCartagena and the jetty andfloating cranes dismantled. Although the gardens are stillwell-kept, a lack of fundinghas made it difficult to main-tain all the buildings which isa shame when there is somuch history involved.

The tunnels:above: one of theentrances to thesystemright: a view ofan undergroundworkshop, givingan idea of thesheer size of theundergound in-s t a l l a t i o n s(Steve Morgan)

The Commandant’s house with its commanding view of the port of Maó

19focus on menorca

Red 5 killed in accident on groundIt was with great sadness that we heard of the death of another ofthe Red Arrow pilots who had visited us in May and performedsuch a spectacular display overthe Isla del Rey.Flight Lieutenant Sean Cun-ningham, Red 5, was killedwhen he was ejected from hisHawk T1 aircraft whilst on theground on the morning of Tues-day, 8th November. A full Serv-ice Inquiry is investigating theincident.The funeral of the 35-year oldpilot is to take place in CoventryCathedral on 1st December.Our condolences go to his fam-ily and friends on the loss of such a talented pilot and personableyoung man who was a great advert for the R.A.F. and a fine am-bassador for his country.

Resounding victory for PP in general electionThe Partido Popular swept to victory in the Spanish general elec-tions held on 20th November gaining an absolute majority with186 seats in Congress compared to the PSOE’s 110. Some 44% ofthe Spanish voters backed the PP in an historic victory which willsee Mariano Rajoy succeed Zapatero as President.In Menorca 61.20% of the population entitled to vote for congressturned out (the lowest percentage in any general election), 47.49%voting for the PP and 30.69% for the PSOE.

Alaior plans improvements to urbanisationsAlaior Council is to ask for three projects with a total cost of174,250 euros to be included in the Island Co-operation Plan

news round-up

(PIC), with priority being given to improvement projects in SantJaume and Cala en Porter which, in the words of the Mayor, Mis-ercordia Sugrañes, “need urgent action if we are looking to in-crease tourism”.The Council is proposing to renew roadsigns in the district; renewthe lighting on the steps in Sant Jaume, and resurface some sec-tions of the streets in Cala en Porter and the Carrer de la Bovaarea.Three other projects are also to be put forward for the PIC: reur-banising Carrer de ses Guixes; repairing pedestrian crossings inSant Jaume; and resurfacing the Camí de Sant Llorenç, a road nearthe Torre d’en Galmés.

Luxury development planned in Son ParcEs Mercadal Council has given the green light for the groundworkto be done for a luxury development near the golf course in SonParc. The Grupo Prasa will spend 7.5 million euros on buildingthree new streets and providing them with services. The groupplans to construct four luxury hotels, 491 villas, a commercial areaand a sports centre. The first phase will see the construction of a25-million euro hotel next to the golf course, built in the image ofSa Naveta des Tudons and having 180 beds.

Mercadona received 900 applications for 80 jobsThe supermarket chain Mercadona has received 900 applicationsfor the 80 jobs that will be available when it opens two new storesin Maó, hardly surprising when there are almost 7,000 out of workon the island and the company is offering good terms and condi-tions. The chain believes that, in addition to these positions withinthe company, a further 150 indirect jobs will be created.Maó Council has granted building permission for the first of thesupermarkets, on the Maó industrial estate, and the company plansto open this next June.

20 focus on menorca

Bus pass price rises androute cutsThe cost of the T-40 (whichcovers 40 trips in 40 days)and T-10 (ten trips within100 days of the first use)bus passes increased by50% and 40% respectivelyat the beginning of Novem-ber although the T-Granand T-Mes prices remainthe same. The rises arepart of the Island Council’sattempt to make the busservice more economicallyviable, as are the cutting ofsome services and re-scheduling of others.The express bus betweenMaó and Ciutadella hasbeen cancelled and theregular service linking thetwo towns and stopping inAlaior, Es Mercadal andFerreries has been re-duced to 18 buses in eachdirection per day. Extrabuses have been put on atpeak times such as schoolopening and closing timesand a non-stop service willoperate between the twomain towns early in themorning. A spare bus willbe available at either endof the island to come intoservice if the scheduledbus is full.Other routes have alsobeen affected by cuts, in-cluding the Maó to SantCliment service which hasbeen cut from thirteen tofour buses and the Maó toCala en Porter connectionwhich will now have threebuses instead of nine.Although the changes willsave the Island Councilone million euros per year,the bus service will stillrun at a loss of 1.3 millioneuros and the Council islooking for other ways tofurther reduce the deficit.The Council currentlyowes 1.5 million euros tothe bus companies.

False bomb alert at Island Council HeadquartersThe Island Council headquarters in the Plaça Biosfera, Maó, wereevacuated at the beginning of November after a scanning devicedetected a suspicious object with cables and “unusual connec-tions”. Unable to identify the contents of the package, the emer-gency drill was put into operation and the Guardia Civil and anagent from TEDAX (the bomb squad) were called in.It turned out to be a false alarm - the package had been sent by theRegional Department of the Environment and contained a harddisc with marine charts of the island stored on it - the BalearicGovernment had sent the information in this way due to the volumeof material involved!

Bookings from Britain up by 8% for 2012Figures released during the World Travel Market in London showthat bookings for Menorca next year from Britain are up by 8%and it is expected that Spain in general will see a rise of 3% in thenumber of British holidaymakers. Some tour operators and airlineshave also announced that they will increase their presence on theisland by an average of 6%.According to Joan Melis, President of ASHOME (the MenorcanHoteliers’ Association), around 385,000 British tourists came tothe island this year, an increase of 3.75% on last year. However,October’s passenger figures for the airport showed a drop of 8.5%compared with last year, breaking the trend of the last six monthswhich had seen passenger numbers increase. This probably ex-plains the sudden sharp drop in tourist numbers after the first weekin October.At meetings held with tour operators during the WTM it wasstressed that Menorca must market itself as being different to otherresorts and that the island has great potential for the active tourismsector, such as walking, cycling or horse riding holidays etc. whichwould help to extend the season.Another outcome of the meetings was the revelation that the touroperators are still waiting for the Balearic Government to settle theamounts owing under the co-operation agreements signed by thetwo parties. Some of the holiday companies have not yet been paidin full for 2010.

New bike and fitness sports centre to openThe first sports centre in Europe to be dedicated to mountain bikesand fitness is due to open this month in the Ciutadella district. The

“Sport Bike Fitness Cen-ter” covers more than6,500 sq.m. to the northof Ciutadella, on the ur-banisation of Cala enBlanes. The modernbuilding has separateareas which togethermake up a sports, leisureand fitness centre, in-cluding a state of the artgymnasium, which hasrooms for spinning andfitness, and three circuits,for BTT (mountain bikes),BMX and Trialsin, withartificial lighting allowingcontinued use throughoutthe year, plus a runningtrack. The centre also hasa commercial area, meet-ing hall, workshop, bicy-cle storage, solarium andbar-restaurant and offersspecific services such asnutrition, physiotherapyand laundry.Promoted by a group oflocal businessmen, thecentre has cost over threemillion euros to set upand will have a staff oftwenty to offer a completeservice to the client. Itwill also act as a socialcentre and meeting placewith a children’s area andcrèche making it suitablefor the whole family.

Casino Marítim negotiat-ing seasonal licenceCasino Marítim is in ne-gotiation with theBalearic Government fora seasonal activity li-cence which would allowit to run the casino duringthe tourist season only.The parent company, theComar group, is alsolooking for new premisesafter leaving the ClubMarítimo at the end ofAugust as a drop in thenumber of clients meantthat it was unable to paythe monthly rent.

21focus on menorca

obliges chemists to dispense the cheapest medicine containing thesame principal active ingredient as the prescribed medicine.The drug companies are allowed a ten-year patent for their prod-ucts to cover the cost of research and developing the drug, afterwhich time other companies can apply to the Spanish authority forpermission to manufacture the medicine at a lower final cost.

Maó Music Festival under threat from crisisThe future of the Maó Music Festival, which has been held for 37years, is under threat from delays in receiving grants promised bythe authorities for this year. The news comes shortly after an-nouncements that the Menorca International Jazz Festival and theCiutadella Summer Music programmes will not be held in 2012and just months after the Island Council set up Festimusic to pro-mote the three festivals as a tourist attraction.The organisers of the Maó Festival, Joventuts Musicals de Maó(Maó Young Musicians), are owed 55,000 euros, having only re-ceived 75% of the promised amount from the Town Council and12% from the Island Council. In addition to which, the BalearicGovernment has not yet paid for the concert organised on 1stMarch to mark the Day of the Balearics and, although it has statedthat it intends paying, the question is when.The president of Joventuts Musicals, Franscesc Félix, has statedthat no decision will be made regarding next year’s festival untilthey have been told how much money will be available.

The closure of the casinois placing the project toconstruct a cliff face liftconnecting the PasseigMarítim and the Moll deLlevant in jeopardy as,under the terms of theagreement made withMaó Council, CasinoMarítim was to have fi-nanced the scheme.Should the company failto fulfill its obligations,the Council could use themoney paid by the com-pany as a guarantee inthe 1999 agreement butthis would not be suffi-cient to cover the totalcost. The Council hastherefore asked theBalearic Government notto approve the seasonalactivity licence applica-tion if Casino Marítim re-neges on the deal.

Generic drugs to save IB-Salut over a million eurosper monthThe Balearic HealthService (IB-Salut) esti-mates that it will save 1.1million euros per monthby prescribing genericdrugs in place of brandednames. A new law intro-duced in September

In the meantime the endof year concert pro-grammed for the TeatrePrincipal in Maó on 30thDecember, and featuringthe Menorca ChamberOrchestra and theCapella Davídica, hashad to be cancelled.

Balearic Governmenteven owes money to theunemployedFour months after com-pleting courses laid on forthe long-term unem-ployed with no other in-come, 46 people are stillwaiting for the BalearicGovernment to pay themfor their attendance.Thirty of them are owedfor two months and theremaining 16 for onemonth, at 452 euros permonth, a total of around34,000 euros.

New finds unearthed atCala Morell digThe first stage of the ex-cavation of the prehis-toric coastal settlement atEs Coll in Cala Morell(Ciutadella district) hasconcluded with two newfinds; a bone bodkin anda stone mortar to add to

22 focus on menorca

ure this year, 8.5% more than last year. Some 18 million ticketshave been printed for the lottery, drawn on 22nd December, at atotal cost of 3,600 million euros, of which 70% will be paid out inprizes. The winning number will receive 4 million euros whichgives each ‘décimo’ (one-tenth of a complete ticket) 400,000 euros.

Work starts on Es Born Theatre five years after its closureFive years and nine months after the Teatro de Es Born was closedfollowing the detection of serious safety problems, work has at laststarted on the Ciutadella theatre. The project to restore the the-atre, built in 1875, will cost 3.36 million euros and is expected tocontinue until the end of 2013.

Structural work on tunnel on Ferreries bypass completedThe actual structural work on the 252 metre tunnel which formspart of the Ferreries bypass has now been completed and it only re-mains for the road to be asphalted and 150 lights installed. The en-trance to either end of the tunnel will be landscaped to reduce thevisual impact on the surrounding countryside, using 10,000 cu.m.of earth to create terraces where vegetation will be planted.In spite of periods of bad weather, the overall project is on timeand should be completed by next spring.

Hoteliers worried by Thomas Cook’s problemsThomas Cook’s announcement that it was renegotiating its debtswith the banks due to liquidity problems has worried the island’shoteliers although the company insists that it is financially sound.The second largest tour company in the world, Thomas Cook brings

the items already foundwhich include a grainmill, found intact, and arare circular clay trough.The finds will now becleaned, restored, listedand studied to calculatethe date when the villagewas inhabited and tolearn more of the vil-lagers’ way of life and theBronze Age culture onthe island 3,000 yearsago.Further excavations willbe carried out in 2012and 2013 before the siteis opened to the public.

Hotels donate food toCaritasAs in other years, at theend of the tourist seasonseveral hotels in the Ciu-tadella district gave anyperishable food left intheir fridges and storerooms to the charity Car-itas Diocesana, to beshared out to those inneed.The number of hotelsparticipating in thescheme has increasedthis year and the hope isthat it will spread to therest of the island.

Record payout promisedon Spanish ChristmasLotteryThe ‘Sorteo de Navidad’will pay out a record fig-

around 100,000 touriststo Menorca each year, themajority of them Britishand representing 20% ofthe total of British holi-daymakers.The travel company hasstated that it is fulfillingits financial commit-ments and is trying toreach an agreement withits lending banks for ad-justments that would im-prove its resistenceshould business condi-tions “continue to be dif-ficult”.

DVD of Pavarotti andJoan Pons releasedA DVD of the opera “An-drea Chenier”, recordedat the Metropolitan OperaHouse in New York, hasjust been released. TheDVD features the Ciu-tadella baritone JoanPons singing with Lu-ciano Pavarotti.

TOUR GUIDE OF MENORCA / TRANSLATOR

Private tours available with experienced guideanywhere on the island

Translations also undertakenSpanish to English or English to Spanish

Tel. 617 361 714 for further information

23focus on menorca

With a history dating backover fifteen hundred years tothe rain forests in CentralAmerica, chocolate has attimes been more valuable thangold and has even been usedas a currency.Over the years it has becomeincreasingly popular all overthe world and especially in theU.S.A. and Canada which be-tween them consume over halfof the total production everyyear.Making the most of chocolate’sappeal are Peter Vickers andwife Alison who opened“Simon Dunn’s Chocolates” inSant Lluís 18 months ago.Peter worked as a purser forB.A. for 35 years and on retir-ing wanted “to do somethingdifferent” so trained as achocolatier before moving toMenorca and opening theshop.Using chocolate importedfrom Belgium, Peter makes awide variety of filled choco-lates - always looking for newflavours or combinations - aswell as a range of mouldeditems, including mobilephones, business cards, shoes,motorbikes, cigars, roses and,on a more seasonal theme,Santa Claus and other Christ-mas items. Diabetics are alsocatered for as chocolate suit-able for them is available toorder.A profitable sideline, startedto showcase the chocolates, istheir cakes which are made byAlison (with a choice ofMadeira or fruit cake) anddecorated by Peter (his textile

have yourself a chocolatey christmas time

designing training coming inuseful). These come in allshapes and sizes, made to thecustomer’s requirements.Some of the more unusualcakes that they have createdinclude a Ferrari, Scooby Doo,a Red Bull can and Toy Story2, all meticulous in their de-tail. They are also making 4”Christmas cakes this year,ideal for one or two people.

advertising feature

Another option for buyingyour Christmas chocolatesis Ca’n Dulce in Sant Cli-ment, popularly known asthe Chocolate Shop.Run by Andrew and Juliethe shop has a wide selec-tion of delicious chocolatesimported from Belgium aswell as sweets sold from the

jar. Christmas goodies suchas cakes, puddings, mincepies, selection boxes,crackers, wrapping paperand cards are also on sale.There is also a grocery sec-tion with English products,Quorn and Weightwatchersmeals.

“The Chocolate Shop” in Sant Climent

24 focus on menorca

Thursday, 1st December1230 hrs. Age Concern Christmas Lunch at Bar Pons, Cala enPorter. Bookings through Pat Harding on 971 377 261.2000-2100 hrs. Tess Facey presents the “Menorca BritanniaRadio Show” with guest Ron Webb, an artist resident in SantTomàs, on Radio Es Castell (103.40 FM).

Friday, 2nd December1100-1300 hrs. Open morning for Cats in Need at Noria Riera16 (between Es Castell and Sant Lluís). Sale of Christmascards, greetings cards, diaries, calendars, gifts and bone chinamugs in aid of the island’s stray cats. Contact Janice Bocklingon 610 012 628 for further de-tails.1930 for 2000 hrs. MenorcaCharity Players present a the-atre supper, “Happenings atPinchbeck Hall”, at theCasino, Sant Climent. Ticketsat 25 euros, including supper,available from Comercial Pa-pelera, Maó, Ca’n Dulce, SantCliment, El Picadero, Maó,The Teapot, Es Castell,Monet’s Hairdressers, SantLluís and online from theM.C.P.2100 hrs. Guiseppe Verdi’s opera “Il Trovatore” at the TeatrePrincipal, Maó.

Saturday, 3rd December1030-1330 hrs. and 1700 hrs. onwards. Christmas market inthe Plaça de Mercat, Es Castell.1930 for 2000 hrs. Menorca Charity Players present a theatresupper, “Happenings at Pinchbeck Hall”, at the Casino, SantCliment. See Friday, 2nd for details.2230 hrs. Fullnine Triology Festival with music from Chill Outand DJ Fede Garcia in the Casino 17 de Gener, Ciutadella.

Sunday, 4th December0900-1200 hrs. Charity car boot sale at El Picadero Restau-rant, Maó. Pitch fees of 5€ go to Club Vidalba. Bookingsthrough 971 363 268.1000-1330 hrs. Open morning for Cats in Need at Noria Riera16 (see Friday, 2nd for details).1030-1330 hrs. Christmas market in the Plaça de Mercat, EsCastell.1200 hrs. Anglican Church Christmas Bazaar at the Taj IndianRestaurant, Maó, with cakes, gifts, jewellery, paintings,tombola, Santa Claus etc.1900 hrs. Guiseppe Verdi’s opera “Il Trovatore” at the TeatrePrincipal, Maó.

Tuesday, 6th December - PUBLIC HOLIDAY1000-1200 hrs. Red Cross Craft Group meets at Scandals

events to look out for ...Restaurant, Es Castell. Everyone welcome. Contact AnneMaddison on 618 373 528 for further details.

Wednesday, 7th December1230 hrs. Ladies’ Luncheon Club Christmas lunch at El Pica-dero Restaurant with musical entertainment from Tony Hatch.Bookings through Maggie Saunderson on 971 359 872 orShirley Smith on 971 351 706.1930 hrs. The Menorca Bridge Club meets at the Hotel PortMahón, Maó. Visitors welcome, preferably with partners.

Thursday, 8th December - PUBLIC HOLIDAY1230 for 1300 hrs. Ladies’ Probus Club Christmas lunchmeeting at Scandals Restaurant, Es Castell. Members only.Bookings through Jan Hodgson on 600 692 151.2000-2100 hrs. Tess Facey presents the “Menorca BritanniaRadio Show” with guest the Reverend Dr. Michael Bunce onRadio Es Castell (103.40 FM).2000 hrs. Talk by Alberto Gil on the “History and Language ofBells” in the Sala Multifuncional, Es Castell.

Friday, 9th December1100-1300 hrs. Open morning for Cats in Need at Noria Riera16 (see Friday, 2nd for details).1100 hrs. til late. Christmas bazaar at Es Mercadal Emporiumwith 10% discount, mulled wine, mince pies and sausagerolls. To reserve a table ring Linda on 971 375 669.1930 for 2000 hrs. Menorca Charity Players present a theatresupper, “Happenings at Pinchbeck Hall”, at the Casino, SantCliment. See Friday, 2nd for details.2100 hrs. Open-air dance with Kike DJ’s in the Plaça de Mer-cat, Es Castell, to raise money for the Procession of the ThreeKings.

Saturday, 10th December1930 for 2000 hrs. Menorca Charity Players present a theatresupper, “Happenings at Pinchbeck Hall”, at the Casino, SantCliment. See Friday, 2nd for details.2100 hrs. “De Pura Raza” (“Thoroughbred”) Charity Gala forthe Asociación Rociero with dancing from the Hermanas Ferréand Yeguada Linares Ortiz, singing from Joana Pons, MariaCamps and Manel Carrasco and music from Esperanza Rotger,Victor Méndez and Pablo Meillas. In the Teatre Principal,Maó. Price 10 euros.

Sunday, 11th December0900-1200 hrs. Charity car boot sale at El Picadero Restau-rant, Maó. Pitch fees of 5€ go to Club Vidalba. Bookingsthrough 971 363 268.1000-1330 hrs. Open morning for Cats in Need at Noria Riera16 (see Friday, 2nd for details).1100 hrs. Trotting races at the Maó hipódromo.1400-2200 hrs. Charity Christmas Fair in aid of sick childrenat Bar La Vela, Cala en Porter.1530 hrs. Anglican Church Carol Service in St. George’s

25focus on menorca

Naval Chapel, Isla del Rey. (Donations towards ferry trans-port).

Tuesday,13th December1000-1200 hrs. Red Cross Craft Group’s Clearance Sale atScandals Restaurant, Es Castell. Last meeting of the year.Contact Anne Maddison on 618 373 528 for further details.

Wednesday, 14th December1800 hrs. Christmas Carols from the School of Music in thePlaça de Mercat, Es Castell.1900 hrs. New Life Church Carol Service in the New LifeChurch, 78 Carrer Gran, Es Castell, with refreshments andmince pies after the service. All welcome.1930 hrs. Ladies’ Luncheon Club’s Christmas Evening at thePicadero Restaurant. Open to all. Bookings through MaggieSaunderson on 971 359 872 or Shirley Smith on 971 351 706.

Thursday, 15th December1230 hrs. Age Concern Christmas Lunch at El PicaderoRestaurant, Maó.

Friday, 16th December1100-1300 hrs. Open morning for Cats in Need at Noria Riera16 (see Friday, 2nd for details).2100 hrs. Concert by La Guardia, Manuel España (voice andguitar), Paco Villamayor (voice and guitar) y Jean Louis Bar-ragán (guitar). in the Teatre Principal, Maó. Price 15-18 euros.

Saturday, 17th December0900 hrs. Day of solidarity with breast cancer, with differentacts, in the Municipal Sports Centre, Es Castell.1200 hrs. Anglican Church Carol Service at Our Lady ofCarmel Church, Ciutadella.1800 hrs. Anglican Church Nine Lessons and Carols at theSanta Margarita Church, Es Castell, followed by mulled wineand mince pies.1900 hrs. Arrival of Papa Noel and the Ambassador to theThree Kings in the Cultural Centre, Es Castell.2130 hrs. Youth Night in the Plaça de Mercat, Es Castell withperformances from the groups Dark Angel, Game Over andFusión Latino.

Sunday, 18th December0900-1200 hrs. Charity car boot sale at El Picadero Restau-rant, Maó. Pitch fees of 5€ go to Club Vidalba. Bookingsthrough 971 363 268.1000-1330 hrs. Open morning for Cats in Need at Noria Riera16 (see Friday, 2nd for details).1100 hrs. Trotting races at the Maó hipódromo.1100 hrs. Christmas rhythmic gymnastics festival in the Mu-nicipal Sports Centre, Es Castell.1400-2200 hrs. Charity Christmas Fair in aid of sick childrenat Bar La Vela, Cala en Porter.1830 hrs. Art and Music festival in the Cultural Centre, EsCastell.

Monday, 19th December1800 hrs. Christmas carols from the Ángel Ruiz i Pablo

School Choir in the streets of Es Castell.

Thursday, 22nd December1900 hrs. Charity Christmas Concert in aid of various localcharities featuring: the Acadèmia Adagio’s orchestra andstreet musicians band, Coral Casal de Gent Gran, the Adagiojunior choir, Club Vidalba’s choir, and Ute Dahl’s Ballet. Atthe Teatre Principal, Maó. Advance booking adults 8 euros,children 5 euros, on the door 10 euros.

Friday, 23rd December1100-1300 hrs. Open morning for Cats in Need at Noria Riera16 (see Friday, 2nd for details).

Saturday, 24th December2330 hrs. Midnight Mass and the Blessing of the Crib at theAnglican Church, Santa Margarita, Es Castell.

Sunday, 25th December - PUBLIC HOLIDAY1030 hrs. Anglican Church Christmas Day family communionat the Santa Margarita Church, Es Castell.

Monday, 26th December - PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Tuesday, 27th December2030 hrs. Christmas Concert at the Teatre Principal, Maó, fea-turing junior choirs from the Maó, Es Castell and Sant Lluísmunicipal music schools and the Maó Conservatoire. Price:adults 8 euros, children 5 euros.

Wednesday, 28th December1900 hrs. The Royal Page arrives at the Teatre Principal, Maó,to collect letters for the Three Kings.

Friday, 30th December1100-1300 hrs. Open morning for Cats in Need at Noria Riera16 (see Friday, 2nd for details).

* * * * *ExhibitionsFrom 3rd to 7th December, Aso-ciación Menorca Britannia’s art(Ana Maria Lozano, ElisabethWakeford, Benedicta Vidal andNuria Masco) and photography(John Talbot and RichardYarrow) exhibition in the SalaMultifuncional, Es Castell.Open 1030-1330 hrs. and 1700-2000 hrs.From 17th to 23rd December,photographic exhibition “Cor-ners of Es Castell” in the Sala Multifuncional, Es Castell.Open 1900-2100 hrs.

For up-to-date information on times of events etc., consultthe calendar on Asociación Menorca

Britannia’s website: www.menorcabritannia.org

26 focus on menorca

leisure corner

Moderate Sudoku

Down1. Utopia (8)2. Basement (6)3. Providence (7)4. Pansy-like flower (5)5. Evening meal (6)6. Shawl (4)13. Authorisation (8)14. Quality (7)16. Slice of bacon (6)18. Marine mollusc (6)19. Fables (5)21. Greek love god (4)

Across7. Peel (4)8. Novel (8)9. Small settlement (6)10. Passerine bird (6)11. Lively (7)12. Alloy (5)15. Pear cider (5)17. Lessen (7)20. Pullover (6)22. Pulpy fruit (6)23. United (8)24. Berkshire town (4)

CodewordEach letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a dif-ferent number. All you have to do is work out whichnumber represents which letter. You have been giventwo as a start, P=4 and T=17, so these can be filled inwherever they appear in the grid to help you work outthe others.

Tough Sudoku

3 6 2 4 5

1 7 87 6 1 42 3

9 4 1 8 72 1 6

7 4 6 5

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8

9 10

11 12 13

14

15 16 17 18

19

20 21 22

23 24

17 5 8 5 25 19

2 20 1 19 11 26 8 9 14 8 26 17

4 19 18 16 15 12

5 19 14 17 7 11 15 26 2 15 11 3

14 15 26 19 8

16 10 19 24 6 19 5 11 8 1 19

8 9 11 19

9 4 19 8 3 11 19 4 8 7 11

9 5 8 1 9

13 7 9 23 6 21 12 19 9 19 8 14

22 6 21 11 19 2

4 19 17 11 15 14 9 17 11 19 8 13

21 19 19 19 17 20

1 2 3 4P

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17T

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

7 9 12 3

3 4 25 9

8 6 12 6 84 9 25 8 6

9 5 8

Sponsored by:

27focus on menorca

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Emergencies:112 All emergency services,

English spoken061 Medical emergencies091 Policía Nacional / National Police062 Guardia Civil / Civil Guard900 202 202 Salvamento Marítimo (Sea Rescue)

Maó:Airport 971 157 000Air taxi / ambulance 669 357 288Ambulance – Illes Balears 971 352 002Ambulance – Red Cross 971 361 180Clínica Salus 971 366 663Fire Brigade 971 363 961

971 351 011GESA (Elec) – breakdowns 902 534 902Guardia Civil 971 363 297Hospital Mateu Orfila 971 487 000Med. Centre Dalt Sant Joan 971 353 255Policía Local 092Policlínica Virgen de Gràcia 971 351 115

Es Migjorn Gran:Med. Centre 971 370 221Policía Local 971 370 505Town Hall 971 370 111

Ferreries:Med. Centre 971 373 670Policía Local 971 155 177

606 372 355Red Cross / Cruz Roja 971 373 139Town Hall 971 373 003

Sant Lluís:Med. Centre 971 156 792Policía Local 971 151 717Red Cross / Cruz Roja 971 151 001Town Hall 971 150 950

British Honorary Consulate: 902 109 356

Anglican Chaplain: 971 352 378 617 222 382

New Life Church:Hazel 608 030 671

Alcoholics Anonymous: 647 713 950Nick 971 156 972 / 630 006 647

Repsol (Gas) – breakdowns 901 121 212Sorea (Water) – breakdowns 902 250 370Tourist Information Office 971 363 79Town Hall 971 369 800

Ciutadella:Ambulance – Clinic Balear 971 482 020Ambulance – Red Cross 971 381 993Canal Salat Med. Centre 971 480 112Clínica Menorca 971 480 505Clinic Balear 971 482 020Policía Local 971 380 787Town Hall 971 381 050

Alaior:Med. Centre - Es Banyer 971 372 931Policía Local 971 371 320Red Cross / Cruz Roja 971 371 238Town Hall 971 371 002

Es Castell:Med. Centre 971 356 411Policía Local 971 362 747Town Hall 971 365 193

Es Mercadal:Med. Centre 971 154 187Med. Centre Fornells 971 376 420Policía Local 971 375 251Red Cross / Cruz Roja 971 154 198Town Hall 971 375 002

back to childhood quiz

Who or whom:-1. Subjected his troops to apparentlyaimless alpinism?2. Were the Royal Cavalry powerlessto reassemble?3. Was afflicted by arachnophobia inmid-repast?4. Was embarrassed by an acuteshortage of canine provisions?5. Was driven to her wits’ end by asurfeit of progeny?6. Congratulated himself on dispen-sing with cutlery?7. Imperiously summoned a stringtrio?8. Suffered cranial injuries while se-arching for H2O?9. Caused distress by uninvited os-culation?10. Committed porcine larceny?

by Steve Morgan

28 focus on menorca

places of interestMAÓLa Mola FortressWell preserved 18th century fortress at the mouth of Maó har-bour. Open daily from 1000-1400 hrs. (closed Mondays if nota public holiday). Audio tours in English. Tel. 971 364 040 /686 659 400; www.fortalesalamola.comIsla del Rey HospitalFormer naval hospital built by the British in the eighteenthcentury currently under restoration but well worth a visit, withrooms laid out with equipment from the period. Boats leave forthe islet from Moll d’Hospital near the end of Calle Fontani-llas, Es Castell, on Sundays at 0900 hrs. returning about 1100hrs.LazaretoVisits stopped for the winter.S’Albufera desGrau Nature Re-serveBeautiful sceneryand abundantwildlife, on theroad to Es Grau.Free guidedtours of approx. 2½ hrs. Saturdaymornings forgroups of morethan 6, by prior booking. Tel. 971 356 302 / 609 601 249.Trepucó Talayotic VillageCamí de Gràcia, Trepucó. Open to the public; entrance freeuntil Easter.Menorca MuseumOpen Tuesday to Saturday 0930-1400 hrs., Sundays 1000-1400 hrs.Hernández Sanz-Hernández Mora MuseumClaustre del Carme 5. Open Monday to Saturday 1000-1300hrs. and Monday to Friday 1800-2100 hrs. Entrance free.Parc Rubió i TuduríLarge collection of indigenous plants. Open Monday to Satur-

day 1000-1300 hrs. and 1700-2000 hrs.The Golden Farm, Sant AntoniVisits stopped for the winter. Further information from SheilaLyons (Assoc. Menorca Britannia) on 971 366 206.CIUTADELLACathedral of MenorcaOpen for visits Monday to Saturday 1000-1330 hrs. and 1600-1800 hrs.S’Hostal Quarries – LíthicaCamí Vell, km. 1. Spectacular former quarry with botanicaland mediaeval gardens. Open Monday to Sunday 0930-1430hrs. Entrance free.Bastió de sa Font Municipal MuseumPermanent archaeological exhibition. Open mornings only1100-1300 hrs.Naveta des TudonsPre-Talayotic burial chamber. Maó-Ciutadella road km. 40.Open to the public; entrance free until Easter.ES CASTELLFort MarlboroughClosed until Easter for maintenance work.Sant Felip CastleFor information tel. 971 360 462.Menorca Military MuseumFurther information from tel. 971 362 100.ES MERCADALMenorca Craft CentreExhibition and sale of Menorcan craftwork. Open Monday toFriday 1000-1400 hrs. and 1700-2000 hrs., Saturday 1000-1330 hrs. Entrance free.Cap de Cavalleria EcomuseumSta. Teresa estate-Port de Sanitja. Information from 971 359999; www.ecomuseudecavalleria.comALAIORTorre d’en GalmésTalayotic village with information office. Son Bou road. Opento the public; entrance free until Easter.

answers to back to childhood quiz

1. The Grand Old Duke of York2. Humpty Dumpty3. Little Miss Muffet4. Old Mother Hubbard5. The Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe6. Little Jack Horner7. Old King Cole8. Jack (of Jack & Jill fame!)9. Georgie Porgie10. Tom Tom the Piper’s Son

29focus on menorca

menorca winter darts league

November 180’s15th: Manuel Gonclaves(Queimada)22nd: Chris Palmer (Tea-pot) Dave Alger (Teapot)

Sponsored by www.menorcaproperty.net

Fixtures Division A Division BDec. 6th Cultura v Aloha A Castillo A v Castillo B

Queimada v Anchor Village v SeagramsCasino v Teapot Cuadrado B v Aloha CAloha B v San Mames Corner Bar v Cuadrado A

Dec. 13th Aloha A v Anchor Corner Bar v Castillo BCultura v Queimada Seagrams v Aloha CTeapot v San Mames Cuadrado A v Village

Aloha B v Casino Castillo A v Cuadrado B

Dec. 20th Queimada v Aloha A Aloha C v Castillo BAnchor v Aloha B Corner Bar v SeagramsTeapot v Cultura Castillo A v Cuadrado A

San Mames v Casino Cuadrado B v Village

Results Division A Division BNov. 8th Aloha B 3 : 6 Aloha A (M) Castillo B 5 : 4 Seagrams A (M)

Queimada 5 : 4 Teapot (M) (M) Aloha C 3 : 6 Cuadrado A(M) Anchor 4 : 5 San Mames (M) Cuadrado B 8 : 1 Corner Bar

Cultura 5 : 4 Casino (M) (M) Village 7 : 2 Castillo A

Nov. 15th Aloha A 5 : 4 Teapot (M) (M) Cuadrado A 8 : 1 Castillo BAloha B 2 : 7 Queimada (M) Seagrams 0 : 9 Cuadrado B (M)

(M) Casino 7 : 2 Anchor (M) Castillo A 6 : 3 Corner BarSan Mames 4 : 5 Cultura (M) Aloha C 1 : 8 Village (M)

Nov. 22nd (M) Aloha A 5: 4 San Mames Castillo B 0 : 9 Cuadrado B (M)(M) Queimada 6: 3 Casino (M) Cuadrado A 8 : 1 Seagrams

(M) Cultura 4: 5 Aloha B (M) Village 8 : 1 Corner Bar

Anchor 4: 5 Teapot (M) Aloha C 2 : 7 Castillo A (M)

Highest out shot:130 - Carlos Gomez(Cuadrado B)

23, Sinia des Muret - Mahón - Menorca

Telf.: 971 35 40 70 - taj@telefonica.net

www.indianrestaurantinmenorca.com

AUTHENTIC INDIAN RESTAURANT

Specializing in Balti and Tandoori Dishes

BUFFET 13,90 EXCLUDING DRINKS

EVERY SUNDAY

Excellent choice for

vegetarians

Takeaway service

Wishing all our customersa very Merry Christmas

30 focus on menorca

Moderate Sudoku

CodewordQuick crossword

leisure cornersolutions

Tough Sudoku

8 3 5 2 7 9 4 1 69 4 2 6 1 8 3 7 56 1 7 3 5 4 9 8 21 8 4 7 2 3 5 6 93 5 9 8 6 1 2 4 72 7 6 4 9 5 8 3 14 6 1 9 3 2 7 5 85 2 8 1 4 7 6 9 37 9 3 5 8 6 1 2 4

8 9 3 6 2 4 5 1 77 5 6 1 9 8 4 2 32 1 4 5 7 3 8 9 63 7 8 9 5 6 1 4 26 2 5 7 4 1 9 3 89 4 1 8 3 2 6 7 55 8 2 3 1 9 7 6 44 6 9 2 8 7 3 5 11 3 7 4 6 5 2 8 9

P C F V D CP A R E O R I G I N A L

R L R O N PH A M L E T L I N N E T

D A U A EV I B R A N T B R A S S

S E F AP E R R Y D E C L I N E

A M A I CJ E R S E Y T O M A T O

R H T U P IT O G E T H E R E T O N

S R S E T N

T B A B F EW Y V E R N A S L A N T

P E X C O GB E L T I R O N W O R K

L O N E AC H E Q U E B R A V EA S R E

S P E A K R E P A I RS B A V S

M I S J U D G E S E A LZ U D R E W

P E T R O L S T R E A MD E E E T Y

Your new port of call in the port of MaóMoll de Llevant 285T + 34 971 356 620

For the best tapas and a wide choice of beer,wine and cava.Free bite-sized snack with every drinkMenu of the Day 12.50 eurosSpecial prices for celebrations

31focus on menorca

items for sale atunder 100 euros

Playmobil Mansion House for sale. 5 years old. In very goodcondition, complete with furniture. Would make a great Chris-tmas present. 90 euros ono.Tel: 971 352 909 or 607 916 043 afternoons.Sky Digibox, Thomson DS1421, in perfect condition. Price 75euros.Tel: 670 310 722.Anthony Worrall-Thompson Electronic Grill by Breville, inperfect condition. Price 25 euros.Tel: 670 310 722.Dunelm single 100% cotton Honeycomb blankets: 4 cream 6euros each or 20 euros for all 4; 2 dark beige and 2 blue 6euros each, brand new - still in packaging. Tel: 654 633 176.Dunelm double 100% cotton Honeycomb blankets: 2 lightpurple, brand new. 9 euros each or 15 euros for the 2. Tel: 654633 176.100% cotton throw: 220 x 240 cms. mint green. 5 euros. Tel:654 633 176.Franklin 12 language speaking global translator (as new).Model number TGA495. RRP 199.99 pounds sterling accept60.00 euros. Call Steve 971 151 960.Sony 21” flat screen, big back TV with Spanish terrestrial di-

Car Boot Sale SectionAdvertise items to be sold or wanted for 100 euros orless (excluding catering or services) FREE of charge.Contact us at ads@focusonmenorca.com with your

name, address and telephone number, together with the text for the advert, or leave the infor-mation at Ca’n Dulce (the Chocolate Shop) in Sant Cli-

ment for onward transmission.

gibox, multi-region DVD, card and USB reader for photos. 75euros. Contact Steve or Sheila or phone 619 309 561.House Clearance Sale - Saturday 10th December from 10amto 1pm. At Carrer d'ets Ametllers 15, Trebaluger. For privateviewings, please call 670 310722

items wanted atunder 100 euros

Single beds - with matching headboards (under 100 euroseach). Tel. 699 065 493Drop-leaf kitchen table (small) and two chairs/stools. Tel. 699065 493