Madeira News Blog

These Photos & Video : Thanks to Doris …

"Dear Der, Would it be at all possible to include this on Madeira4u, please? I attach some pics., albeit unfortunately not very good ones:"

"The rescued dogs and puppies from Paúl da Serra and Choupana are now at the premises of "Vetmedis", desperately looking for a good home. Is there anyone out there who could help? Please get in touch with "Vetmedis", Tel. 291 744552 or "PATA"  (e-mail pata@pata.pt). If anyone has any doubts as to why help animals, which certainly does not preclude supporting other good causes, please watch this little clip": Doris

Nice one Doris, I watched the video, and it did and didn’t have a happy ending, not that I needed convincing. Der

I am sure that many will remember that over 6 months ago I announced that I would finish doing this blog at the end of last March, as I had accepted another commitment. (That supermarket is still not open yet, but it should be in a few weeks).

UPDATED MONDAY 14th AUGUST – CONTINUE READING BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW, AND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE

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We are starting off with local news reports today, from our various correspondents around the island of Madeira :

(21st May). "It doesn’t do enough to sell a kilo of dough" states Gabriel Goveia, referring to his shop window display. Food and other items are just not selling in his old grocery shop in Ponta do Pargo (The featured Madeira village in this week’s Diário). "Trade is very bad in Ponta do Pargo" he adds. The oldest shop in the parish is stacked with food products, from the counter to the shelves, with lots of cereals and milk. In the window near the door are religious and decorative items. It’s 9.20am, and only a packet of cigarettes sold so far today. "I don’t want to talk about these things, but they ought to pay me a grant for keeping these doors open" says Gabriel. Nearby, next to the church, around 10 people gather at a small local café, where the young unemployed mix with the retired folk. Agriculture is abandoned in the area, one of the reasons why there is such a lack of work for people.

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Our correspondent in Santa Cruz sent in a report of what’s going on in that area. With a fear of reprisals, he just wants to be known as CP of Gaula :

Just a link to good ole Santa Cruz Câmara Municipal …… and Bertie’s mate ….: SANTA CRUZ COUNCIL

Note first (top) article is some political infighting / bitching between CDU / Madeira and the Câmara re "Edificio Quinta do Garajau" = of course our Câmara are whiter than white…….

Also note fourth item re "Oferta Publica" – the last open green space at the back of the town – not the "green party" then …..

Also, the photo of Santa Cruz bay (as web page header) shows a lovely "low rise" Santa Cruz minus the new Hotel now standing on the old town football pitch!?!? A picture is worth a thousand words ….

Just for info – if you do put anything on the blog, please can I be "CP" of Gaula? …. having fought a successful action against Câmara / RAM for illegal apartment buildings nearby and now awaiting updated "European standard" licence for B&B, don’t want to upset anyone – see, it IS a dictatorship ….. maybe the president doesn’t realize that it was me who subpoenaed him to court – !?!?!?

Jolly Days . . . . did you know that if you hang a dirty great big red fire extinguisher on the wall (and you HAVE TO) then you have to have a sign saying "dirty great big red fire extinguisher" just in case nobody notices it?!?!?!? AND a first aid kit can no longer have a RED cross, as that is now a "danger" colour – it must be a GREEN cross – but there is NO legislation as to the contents, it could be empty! ……plus you must now display a list of all emergency ‘phone numbers in languages various…..how many "’phone answer people" here speak German/French/Danish/Swiss/Polish etc. etc. …..ah, the power of the European union! Just how many sub/steering/focus groups and committees earning vast sums of taxpayers monies, printing reams of paper from dead trees, consuming electricity and fossil fuels and all adding to the carbon imprint AND claiming expenses can the Earth sustain?!? Still as long as we’ve got a plastic sign then that’s all right then ……..

Editor’s comment : Not the most exiting website on earth either CP, but it is pleasing to see that the câmara don’t waste public money on keeping it up to date!

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Finally, a report from our correspondent in Ribeira Brava, who wishes to be known as Red, again for fear of reprisals:

The rain is just chucking down … can’t even get out to the gym yet this morning!

TODAY’S PHOTO : Thanks to Sarah … from the gardens at Quinta Splendida, Caniço.

An interesting article here on Winston Churchill’s visits to Madeira many years ago: WINSTON CHURCHILL

Marítimo play Caniçal in the final of the Madeira Cup tonight. I can’t imagine who could possibly win that.

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‘Fátima Continues To Attract Pilgrims – More than 200 Madeirans made the trip to the shrine. Through this many keep their faith alight’. Faith still speaks louder than the crisis, and despite the shortage of money two hundred faithfuls managed to make the journey to the Fátima shrine in Portugal. The shrine continues to focus crowds around the world, and this year is the 92nd anniversary since the three children of shepherds saw the apparition. The tour operator ‘Intertours’ reported double the number of bookings compared to last year, some people even making a bit of a holiday of the event with a mini cruise at €565 per person. Bravatour on the other hand had a 20% drop in business. There were lots of late bookings. I don’t like to dabble in other peoples religious beliefs so this is not about Fátima in particular, but doesn’t the Diário realise that many people are better off now than they have ever been, as the crisis and shortage of money hits the unemployed. Those who still have good jobs are paying massively less on their mortgages, and have never had it so good … it’s just getting them to spend it, but they won’t because they fear for the future. I am just making the point that day after day we hear that everyone is skint, but it is just not true.

A 36 year old man died in Funchal central Hospital, after being hit by a Eucalyptus tree. He was out cutting trees with 3 colleagues in São Jorge, when a falling tree hit him, injuring him so badly that he later lost his life.

‘Twenty Cultural Institutions Left Without Support’. Twenty two applicants for funding support were considered by the regional government, but only one was approved in full, with another suffering a 70% cut in funding. Porta 33 and the Experimental Theatre of Funchal (both who make the news now and again) did get funding. Those turned down included a choir, an ethnographic and folklore group, a theatre association, and an archeology study centre. Tight finances are blamed. It’s a shame that Uncle Bertie blew that half million € on his secret trips, because that would have funded most of these applications.