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PUBLISHED BY THEOWNERS CLUBHOUSE S.L
EDITION 44
1st FEBRUARY, 2018
N E W S L E T T E R
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSSUE
CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE - VALENTINE'S NIGHT SUPPER - MEL & FRIENDSLA MANGA SINGERS RETURN - SPANISH LESSONS - SIMON WESTON BOOK SIGNING CLUBHOUSE FRIEND, CAROLINE DOUGLASS - INFORMATION EXCHANGE, GOING ECO
SPONSOR OF THE MONTH, FINCA TORRECILLAS
Dear Fellow Owners,..
We are now well into the new year and your committee is working hard with Clubhouse sponsors, old and new, plus organising next month?s 14th February Valentine's Night Supper (with Jenna McNeil providing the after dinner music) and also the 24th February sold-out Mel & Friends, ?It?s all about the music? evening.
There will be many other events during the year. These include a celebration of the the royal wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle, with a party on the evening of Friday, 18th May
and the wedding itself screened the next day on the monitor in the garden Pavillion toldo on the rear terrace. Not to be missed, please make a note in your diaries and watch out for the event posters.
Recently we advised that work would start on renovating the room divider that separates the lounge bar from the activity room. This is now scheduled to start on Monday, 5th February and will take one week to complete. Activity organisers have been advised. So, please liaise with them directly regarding alternative arrangements.
Other necessary renovation work, including long overdue work on the front door and upgrading of the library will follow, starting on the 1st March. Again, the organisers of the various clubs, societies, etc that use the library to post notices and store materials have been advised. Notices will be temporarily relocated to the
corridor leading to the emergency exit, before being returned to the library when works have been completed.
Please note that during these works the ?book? facility will be suspended. So, may we ask owners not to
bring books, DVD?s, etc to the Clubhouse, as there will be nowhere to store them. Everyone?s cooperation on this point would be appreciated.
During these works there will be some disturbance and
noise, some of which may well affect the lounge bar. Our apologies in advance .
With best wishes,
Stewart HarrisChairman, Owners Clubhouse
Valentine?s Night at the Owner?s Clubhouse, where else would La Manga Club men take their ladies for a romantic candlelit dinner in a really beautiful setting? Wednesday, 14th February will see Joaquin and his team pulling out all the stops to provide a fabulous evening. The decor and flowers will be Valentine?s night themed and the specially created five-course dinner, and carefully selected wines, are all included in the price. Surely this must be the best value Valentine's Night Supper on the resort?
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VALENTINE'S NIGHT SUPPER MENU
Appetisers
Caviar Canapés, with lime and dill
Tataki Salmon Tartlets, guacamole and oyster sauce
Croquets of wild mushroom and sautéed parsley
Welcome drink: Pink Cava
Course 2
Courgette Cannelloni, filled with crab and king prawns a la brandy, and gratinated with hollandaise sauce, basil and sun-dried tomatoes.
Wine: Jumilla, Alceño Sauvignon Blanc
Course 3
Supreme of Braised Hake, garnished with mussels and a saffron sauce, served on a bed of sweet potato and pearls of soy.
Wine: Rueda, Lagar de Isilla Verdejo
Course 4
Grilled Fillet Steak in a red wine and truffle reduction , served with sautéed potatoes and roasted vegetables a la rosemary
Wine: Rioja, Bordon Crianza, Tempranillo, Garnacha
Course 5
Valentine?s Chocolate Heart, with coulis of mint and strawberries. Coffee and water.
After dinner music will be provided by La Manga Club's best loved singer Jenna McNeil, with a selection of standards from her romantic songbook.
A night not to be missed, So, gentlemen don?t disappoint your loved one and make a reservations soon.
VALENTINE'S NIGHT, WEDNESDAY, 14th FEBRUARY
.Mel Leatherbarrow returns with a fantastic back to basics show, which will be ?all about the music?. The night will feature performances from Mel and Owners, including Pat Toye, Charlie Hunt and Dave Lee. The emphasis will be on excellent, well-performed music, that showcases the talents of the performers and lets them take centre stage in an intimate setting, with no frills, distractions and theatrics.
At the time of writing Mel is being somewhat coy about the tracks each performer will sing. Suffice it to say all will be revealed on the night. However, one point your editor can confirm is that Clubhouse Chairman Stewart Harris will not be giving his somewhat individual, unusual and unique interpretation of Hi Ho Silver Lining, the Jeff Beck classic. Perhaps next time!
MEL & FRIENDS, SATURDAY, 24th FEBRUARY (sold out)
The La Manga Singers were a popular feature of Clubhouse life through 2002 to 2010, as the photographs accompanying this article evidence. Better than any words, they communicate the joy experienced by the owners who made up the Singers, as they gathered together, rehearsed each week from late September through to December and gave memorable Christmas performances for the entertainment and enjoyment of their fellow Owners.
Therefore, we are delighted to confirm that Gill Schofield, Clubhouse Events Manager, has decided to reform the La Manga Singers, with of course the help of the original organisers Jean Harrison (see left) and soprano Mary Beer.
Following the relaunch announcement in last month?s newsletter, Jean and Mary
have been contacted by many of the owners in the various photographs, plus some new and enthusiastic songbirds, all of whom are eager to join the 2018 Singers. Nonetheless,, we need even more volunteers. There?s no requirement to be at the resort full- time, just to be able to commit to attending six to seven weekly rehearsals through the autumn.
In actual fact we expect to be spoilt for choice and so we ask everyone volunteering to be understanding when Jean Harrison announces her decision on the final blend of voices, which she feels will produce the best overall sound. The chosen singers will be then be contacted
regarding an informal meeting of the group before the end of March.
Why this date you ask? Mary Beer, our wonderful lead soprano, works full-time during the summer season. So,
with this in mind, by March Jean Harrison believes it?s important to have chosen the final line-up. This way she and Mary can provide the singers involved with a play-list and backing tracks, so they may
rehearse thought the summer. The religious input will be finalised with father Andrew Rae in the autumn.
The provisional date for the Christmas Carol Concert is Friday, 14th December and rehearsals proper will begin in earnest toward the end of September. In the meantime, Jean and Mary will provide support and assistance. Please watch the Clubhouse noticeboard, Facebook page and website for further announcements. Contact Gill Schofield on [email protected] for more information.
SINGERS LONG AWAITED RETURN
Clubhouse Events Manager Gill Schofield believes it is never too late to explore all aspects of life in Spain, including learning to speak Spanish. Therefore, she has arranged for Owners to take advantage of, be taught by and guided through this fascinating language, by fully qualified, university trained teachers.
If enough Owners would like to get involved, it is anticipated that formal lessons would start in autumn 2018, By the way, there could be many other related possibilities, such as visits to a language academy and individual learning programmes.
Gerard Manley: Spanish Lessons at La Manga Club
I am delighted to be exploring the possibility of introducing Spanish classes to La Manga Club Owners. As I?m sure everyone can imagine, it would be very satisfying to move around La Manga Club and the surrounding region, and to be able to converse in Spanish. It would develop self-pride and also create opportunities for Owners to become better integrated with local people, and the region of Murcia generally.
My name is Gerard Manley and I own a language academy in Cartagena. I?m married to Aranxta Gomez (hence the name of our company, Manley & Gomez) and we have three young children.
Over 200 students attend our Academy and we have approximately another 150 clients in different businesss around the Murcia region. All our teachers are university qualified and totally bi-lingual.
Our success derives from our approach to teaching, which is both friendly and accommodating. We pitch our classes to the attainment level of the students, while pushing them to become better, both in speaking and in writing. We suspect that La Manga Club Owners will be more interested in the spoken Spanish, therefore we will focus on that via audio-visuals and practical exercises.
We also realise that Owners will have different levels of competence in Spanish. So, after an initial assessment period we will place Owners in classes consisting of people of similar ability, which will enable everyone to progress at much the same speed.
For those Owners who want to get formal recognition of the level of Spanish that they have attained, we can also help with this. There are six internationally recognised
attainment levels. A1& A2 are the most basic levels , B1 & B2 intermediate and C1 & C2 the highest. Owners can either choose the listening and speaking option, or combine this with the reading and writing module. The listening and speaking option is relatively easy and the exam only takes about 15 minutes.
I will apply the same modus-operandi we have used to-date. The classes will be engaging, structured, entertaining and productive. We take pride in them and believe that every Owner who attends our classes will see our obvious enthusiasm for teaching languages. It is important that Owners leave the classes satisfied that they are learning and improving their Spanish as a result. That is important to us..
We have priced the classes based on an hourly rate. There will be a maximum of 8 Owners per class, thus the cost per Owner will be ?6.25 per hour. This is what we charge in Cartagena and there would be no extra cost for teaching at La Manga Club.
We will supply all materials. All Owners need to bring is a notebook and pencil, plus ?las ganas a apprender? (the desire to learn). If they have that, todo es possible (everything is possible)
Gerard Manley: B.A. Languages University of Limerick. Ireland (1978-82), Higher Diploma in Education, University College Cork, Ireland (1983-84)
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Interested owners should contact Gill Schofield on [email protected] so we may assess the level of interest.
SPANISH LESSONS AT THE CLUBHOUSE
Many La Manga Club Owners will remember the evening in October, 2016 when Falkland's veteran Simon Weston gave a moving, yet humorous talk to a packed and appreciative Clubhouse audience. So, why not come along for an informal chat with Simon at the Clubhouse at 6.00pm on Friday, 20th April, where he will be available to sign copies of his new book, Moving On.
SIMON WESTON - BOOK SIGNING, FRIDAY, 20th APRIL
Like many La Manga Club owners a ?look and see? visit was the start of Caroline?s association with the resort
Husband John?s sister recommended he and Caroline should visit La Manga Club one Easter weekend in the mid-nineties. The holiday did not get off to a good start, as they arrived and left in one of the region?s well-know Gota Frias. It literally pouring with rain as they arrived and left. Not a good start, but despite this they bought their first property at the resort, namely Los Molinos 92.
Over the next few years a growing affection for the Club, its people and lifestyle, prompted Caroline and John in 2000 to make a life-changing decision, namely to buy their beloved El Forestal villa. Some eleven years later La Manga Club became their permanent home.
As often is the case, during their pre-retirement, busy working lives, La Manga Club was a place their children grew up with and enjoyed. At the same time the Owners Clubhouse grew with them, providing the whole family with a feeling of belonging and being part of a larger family, especially Joaquin?s never changing staff, whom they grew to love and still do to this day.
Caroline?s name is of course synonymous with pink, the colour associated with the Breast Cancer Now! charity, her support for which is well-known. From an early association with the charity, Caroline has become one of the people at La Manga Club who makes it happen.
However, as she generously points out, without Joaquin it simply would not be the success it has become. His
attention to detail in organising the final celebration of fund-raising via the S?Port Pink gala dinner, from theming the menu, using all shades of pink on the chairs, balloons, the decor and table dressings, (with the help of Jelen, the Los Belones florist) have created a truly fabulous ambience at the dinners. Caroline thanks Joaquin and his boys, and girls, for their on-going support.
Caroline also compliments and appreciates the help, and dedicated support of a number of La Manga owners, including Helen and Robert Holland who were the original driving force behind the fund-raising. She has a dedicated and hardworking team, and with their efforts, tennis, bowls and netball, not to mention refreshments, are now a regular feature of the Pink week.
Urging Caroline to tell us more about her appreciation of the Owners Clubhouse and its staff, she tells us that it is and will always remain, her family?s ?go to? restaurant. Cava is her drink of choice. She loves the Sole a la Plancha, and her grandchildren Isabella 6, and Max 7 months, can?t get enough of the new playground. Afternoon tea is also becoming a big favourite, with Cava, of course! Carolin's favourite member of staff? Avoiding the ?love them all? safe answer, unquestionably, Joaquin!
CLUBHOUSE FRIEND - CAROLINE DOUGLASS
Ecotourism is a relatively new form of leisure activity in the Murcia region. It centres on visiting fragile, pristine, and relatively undisturbed natural areas, and is usually intended as a low-impact and often small scale alternative to mass-market commercial tourism.
It usually involves responsible travel to unspoilt natural areas and focuses on conserving the environment and improving the well-being of the local population. Its purpose is often varied. It may be to educate travellers, to provide funds for ecological
conservation, to directly benefit an area?s economic development, to empower local people, or to encourage respect for different cultures. In this context, the work within the two biomes of the Eden Project, based in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, spring to mind.
Over recent years, ecotourism has been considered as being increasingly important by environmentalists, so that future generations may experience destinations, which are relatively untouched by human hand.
Generally, ecotourism deals with interaction between the many biotic components of natural environments. It
focuses on socially responsible travel, personal growth and environmental sustainability. Typically it involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. Ecotourism is intended to offer tourists an insight into the impact of humans on the natural environment and to encourage a greater appreciation of frequently fragile habitats.
Responsible ecotourism involves minimising the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and also enhancing the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, an integral part of ecotourism is the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and creation of economic opportunities for local communities.For these reasons,
ecotourism often appeals to advocates of environmental and social responsibility.
It may surprise La Manga Club Owners to know that Finca Torrecillas, a thriving, centuries old ecotourism site is located just a few kilometres away, nestling high in the Sierra de Carrascoy mountains above Corvera. Who would have thought that activities centred on nature, local culture, cooking and wellness were so close to La Manga Club?
INFORMATION EXCHANGE - GOING ECO
FINCA TORRRECILLAS - SPONSOR OF THE MONTH
OWNERS CLUBHOUSE SPONSOR PARTNERS
OWNERS CLUBHOUSE SPONSOR PARTNERS
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