Price: 1€ / Free to members
Autumn / Winter 2011 Nº12
Icebreaker Weeks
for Just £99!
turn to p12 for our red hot offer for ice cold days
Algarve in
the Low Season a whole host of activity packages to suit your passions on p14
Almeria
A Secret Spain we’ll show you how to have fun in the winter sun on p18
WIN A KINDLE!
find out how on p30
www.clubinfiniti.com www.petcheyleisure.com
welcome
A message from
Jack Petchey, CBE
A
s always, it is a pleasure to write an introduction to this magazine, although it seems only a matter of weeks since I was introducing the last one. The seasons go by far too quickly, I think you’ll agree, and by the time you read these pages Christmas will be on the horizon and many of you will be planning your next year’s holidays. As many of you know, since 1999 I have been devoting more time to the Jack Petchey Foundation and to The Petchey Academy, a school in Hackney, East London that the Foundation sponsors. It was always an ambition of mine to set up a school of excellence in an area which had more than its fair share of unsatisfactory schools and to give the young people living there the sort of premises, equipment and teaching staff that all young people should, in an ideal world, have. The Petchey Academy was the result. The reason I am able to concentrate on the Foundation is because Petchey Leisure is in the experienced hands of Manoj Bhardwaj and his management team. Financially speaking, times continue to be tough for businesses as well as individuals, but I am pleased to be able to say that the resorts continue to flourish with members and guests writing to tell us how much they have enjoyed their holidays. Your letters and emails are always welcomed. We also appreciated the many entries we received for the photo competition advertised in the last edition of the magazine, which asked for photos connected to the Petchey resorts, and I would like to add my personal congratulations to the iPad winner, Roger Tuppen. His winning photo appears on page 29. I hope members will be able to take up our Icebreaker offer (page 12) to visit Clube Praia da Oura or Royal Park Albatros and find some winter sunshine. That’s what we all need.
From Petchey Leisure’s Managing Director, Manoj Bhardwaj Enjoy the magazine!
W
hen I joined Petchey Leisure, Europe was suffering the effects of the banking crisis. Seventeen months on it’s now the Euro crisis and you might have thought that holidays would be the last thing on people’s minds. But not so. When times are hard, spending time with your family, relaxing in places you love is something that people fight hard to protect, and rightly so. A good indicator of this is the continued growth of Club Infiniti helping Petchey Leisure remain one of the largest holiday ownership groups in Europe and a leader in the field of providing first-class holidays. I am delighted that we have been able to add more Infiniti resort destinations, which you can all read about on page 7. We all know how fantastic the Algarve is for chilling by the pool or relaxing in the sun,
but there’s so much more to do and discover here. Which is why we are now developing a whole range of ‘Activity Holidays’ - giving you the chance to enjoy your favourite activity, whatever the weather. So if it’s a golf, bowling, bridge, cycling, walking, bird watching or even a diving holiday you’re after, we’ve got something for you. Find out more on pages 14-17 and discover a whole new Algarve! In every business communication between company and customer is paramount, and the internet has come to play an ever more crucial role in this respect. I’m pleased to say that a long term project to improve our website www.petcheyleisure. com has begun, and I’m excited about our plans for the future, of which you can read more in this edition. Our website improvements are part of our
wider ambitions to revamp the way Petchey Leisure presents itself to its members and to the outside world. While each Petchey Leisure resort is unique with its own special ambiance and features, they all share the same high standards of accommodation, facilities and service. I want this standard to become widely recognised as the Petchey Leisure standard and for members and all our guests to know they can experience the same high quality Petchey experience across Portugal, Spain and Tenerife. While our creative team are redesigning our communication tools, such as this magazine and the website, Carlos Fernandez, our new Group Operations Director, is hard at work improving everything at resort level to ensure Petchey Leisure will become a brand widely recognised as the benchmark for quality holidays. Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine
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contents
OFFER
THE MAGAZINE • Atlas Club • Club Infiniti • Club-Vacanze Navigator • Clube Praia da Oura • Columbus Imperial Club • CSV • Genesis Vacation Club • Genesis Vacation Club Gold • Grangefield Oasis Club • Infiniti 123 • Infiniti Express • Marco Polo Vacation Club • Navigate • Navigator • Oura Praia Hotel • Oura-View Beach Club • Royal Park Albatros Club • TVC – The Vacation Club • Vacation International • Points Club (VIP) • Vera Beach Club
12
8 Icebreaker Weeks For Just £99! Find out how to beat the freeze this winter in Portugal and Tenerife
FEATURES
5 Meet Carlos Fernández, our new Group Operations Director Find out what gets him out of bed every morning… 6 A New Look Our creative team gives Petchey Leisure.com an image overhaul 6 A Passage to Devon Introducing The Passage House Club Hotel 7 Club Infiniti News From Costa Rica to Canada, choose an unforgettable holiday 12 Let Us Be Your Host Some enticing hospitality suggestions from our Resorts 10 Albufeira’s Bay View Get a freehold foothold in Portugal from just £60,000 14 The Highs of the Algarve Low Season Have some off-season action in Portugal 18 Almeria – A Secret Spain From golf to horse riding, enjoy the winter sun 22 Resort Profiles An easy snapshot guide to all our Resorts 25 Recipes From The Petchey Kitchen Our chefs take your taste buds on a culinary tour 26 The Jack Petchey Foundation Find out about Hackney’s flourishing Petchey Academy
contents
for the members of…
REGULARS
3 28 28
Welcome - A message from Jack Petchey CBE Hear from Petchey Leisure’s Founder alongside our MD, Manoj Bhardwaj It’s Your Letters You tell us what you think… Bright Sparks Your best ideas will win money for charity and vouchers for you
COMPETITIONS
29 30
And The Winners Are… Find out why Roger and Alyce are so happy Win a Kindle! Send us a holiday haiku (we’ve explained what it is!)
8 PRODUCTION
25
14
THE PUBLISHER Leisure Dimensions Ltd PETCHEY LEISURE’S UNITED KINGDOM OFFICE - Petchey Leisure, Exchange House, 13-14 Clements Court, Clements Lane, Ilford, Essex, IG1 2QY Phone: +44 (0)20 8252 8000 Fax: +44 (0)20 8252 7892 Email: magazine@petcheyleisure.com Web: www.petcheyleisure.com MANAGING EDITOR Barbara Staines PRODUCED BY Purple Cake Factory SL EDITOR Sarah Drane TEL: (+34) 607 564 726 CONTRIBUTING WRITER Sue Lopez CREATIVE DIRECTOR & DESIGNER Andrea Bojti for ULTRA DESIGN ® TEL: (+34) 952 766 344 CONDITIONS The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s content is correct, but cannot accept responsibility for the effects of errors or omissions. No part of this magazine, including texts, photographs, illustrations, maps or any other graphics may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the Publisher.
PLeisure Magazine - Autumn / Winter 2011
the team
Carlos’
Q&A
Petchey Leisure’s Algarve Resorts get much praise for their cuisine. What makes the restaurants special?
Born in Almeria in southern Spain, 41 year old Carlos Fernández has recently been promoted to the position of Group Operation Director and is based at Clube Praia da Oura on the Portuguese Algarve. In his time with Petchey Leisure Carlos has seen what was essentially a small travel company become a big international leisure player. So what gets our new G.O.D. out of bed every morning? Sarah Drane poses the questions… What’s been your route up the Petchey Leisure career ladder to reach the dizzy heights of Director?
In 1994, with a Tourism Degree and an accountancy qualification under my belt, I took on the role of Night Receptionist at Vera Beach Club local to my home in Almeria. A few months later I sidestepped into the Administration Department where my accountancy skills were put to good use working alongside the management team. By 2001 I’d been elevated to Resort Manager for Vera Beach Club. Now, as a Director, I have to deliver plenty of initiative and ideas to generate great results for Petchey Leisure. Each day I learn something new to try and improve myself personally and professionally.
Now you’re based on the Algarve, is there anything you miss about your life in Almeria? Absolutely, my biggest passion, my family. My wife and three boys age 13, 10 and 7 are yet to relocate and I can’t wait for them to join me. Also, paella, no one makes this spectacular rice dish as well as a Spaniard.
Tell us a bit about your vision for Petchey Leisure’s Resorts, in particular for your new stomping ground of the Algarve.
Both the Petchey Leisure website and PLeisure Magazine have had a recent facelift and our clear message is that we have a range of Resorts in a variety of locations from Portugal to Tenerife and we’d love our clients to sample them all. In the Algarve we’re fortunate enough to be directly by the beach and also within walking distance of town life for dining and shopping which makes our Resorts very popular, but we won’t rest on our laurels and always look to improve our service, guest rooms and restaurants.
How much tougher is it handling seven resorts instead of just the one?
Incredibly so. To manage one resort you have to give 100%, to manage seven you need to dig deep and find 150%. I am lucky that I have such good managers to alleviate some of the pressure on the ground and, besides that, all I can do is rise to the challenge and give it my best shot.
How do you stay in touch with the goings-on of each Petchey Leisure Resort across the range?
On an almost daily basis we’re in communication by email or telephone but once a month I pay personal visits to the Resorts in Málaga, Almeria and Tenerife to go through strategy face to face.
Being on the coast, we are lucky enough to be able to offer fresh ‘catch of the day’ fish. Meanwhile, across the Resorts, the buzzword for the revamped menus is ‘variety’ with guests being able to choose between snacks such as nachos and wraps alongside usual main meal options. Our wine lists are extensive and feature plenty of Portuguese Douros, Vinhos Verdes, Alentejos and of course the national drink - Porto.
Is the Algarve open for business ‘off’ season?
Absolutely, the Algarve offers a year-round mild Mediterranean climate so there’s always the possibility of a drink by the pool, a stroll on the beach, a round of golf or an adventurous day trip which can be booked via reception.
If holidaymakers can only visit one town on the Algarve it would have to be…?
A near impossible question. We have the mountains, the countryside, the beach. For me I would say the authentic town of Monchique set in a thickly wooded mountain range with superb views, the windswept beaches of Cape St Vincent – the Algarve’s Land’s End - and of course glamorous five-star Vilamoura with its 1,000 berth marina.
Let us into a secret about where and how you unwind? I nip down to Galé Beach with its white sands and wonderfully strange rock formations and sink a “caneca” (huge pint of cold beer). The sunsets are stunning and at nighttime candles and laser lights create a great chill-out vibe.
Any tips for visitors to the Algarve?
The Portuguese are always very friendly and English is widely spoken but you’ll be particularly well-received if you buy a phrase book and show off some local lingo.
Sum up the Algarve in three words. Life time experience!
Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine
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www.petcheyleisure.com/newlook!
news
Time for change For the past few months Petchey Leisure’s creative team has been working overtime on the not so insignificant task of updating the look and feel of all the company’s different channels of communication. If you’ve read this far into the magazine, you may have
already noticed a new look and feel to previous issues and if you pay a visit to www.petcheyleisure.com you should be able to detect the design theme that is beginning to emerge. It’s one that will eventually be carried through into all Petchey Leisure’s publicity and channels of communication.
Under one virtual roof All of Petchey Leisure’s sites, including the Travel Shop are now under one virtual roof. Bright, bold, information rich and easy to use - with everything just a quick click of the mouse away. That’s the ultimate aim for the new www. petcheyleisure.com website and in Phase 1 a good deal of that has already been achieved. Click Destinations to browse through the list of our resorts and plan your next holiday and click Local Area / Day Trips on each Resort homepage for suggestions as to what’s on offer to make your holiday even more memorable. And there are plenty of photos to look at, to help you visualise where you are going to be next year - or even next month.
A passage
TO DEVON For those Club Infiniti members who miss the short breaks offered by Hever Hotel & Country Club, there is another option that you might care to consider. The Passage House Club is in Devon, one of England’s most desirable counties with its rolling countryside, lovely beaches and pretty villages. And, of course, those irresistible cream teas!
T
he Passage House Club is not in any way a replacement for Hever Hotel & Country Club, but it definitely has its own appeal. Meanwhile, Petchey Leisure will continue to search for a desirable UK resort that is without the inherent problems that necessitated the sale of Hever. As Managing Director Manoj Bhardwaj says: “It was with some regret that we had to let Hever Hotel & Country Club go. Unfortunately, it had become a major drain on resources, and this was a situation that would only worsen over time. We are now actively looking to make a UK acquisition and there are already opportunities we are considering very seriously. Hopefully we will find something that will prove as popular as Hever Hotel & Country Club, and in the not too distant future.” As is always the case with a UK resort, and particularly for one in a county as sought-after as Devon, The Passage House Club is in high demand, so do be sure to book as far in advance as possible.
PLeisure Magazine - Autumn / Winter 2011
And if you visit the virtual Petchey Travel Shop, don’t forget to check out the special offers and regular competitions that we’ve introduced and will be appearing throughout the year. The Petchey Leisure Members site has had a spruce up while the Club Infiniti site carries more information about new Infiniti Hotels. Web Phase 2 will involve updating and revamping both Club Infiniti and Members’ areas, more news will follow early next year.
Further down the virtual highway Our big aim for www.petcheyleisure. com is to make the experience of planning and booking your stay with us as straightforward and enjoyable as it can possibly be. Phase 2 will take this process even further: a state-of-the-art online booking engine is currently under trial and is likely to be in place by early next year. The work goes on and all being well the re-design work will extend to the resorts in the second half of next year.
But what do you think?
We welcome your comments and suggestions. Please email the creative team at magazine@petcheyleisure.com to share your thoughts.
infiniti
Club
news
Club Infiniti members can choose from a variety of resort destinations in the Club Infiniti portfolio and use their points to holiday in them without paying an exchange fee. From fabulous Las Vegas to the tiny island of St Martin in the Dutch Antilles, these are some of the new locations that have recently become available:
New destinations Viva Las Vegas! Visit the Jockey Club, a resort that’s right there on the famous Las Vegas Strip, just steps away from the stunning Bellagio Hotel. If you haven’t been to Las Vegas before, then get ready for a mind-blowing experience. This is fantasy land where the line between night and day dissolves inside the amazing multi-million dollar hotels. In the Venetian you can take a gondola under a perfectly created blue sky and at the Mirage you can see a volcano erupting. Outside the Bellagio you can watch a thousand dancing fountains. You can follow the stars and get married at the Graceland Chapel by an Elvis-lookalike minister. And you don’t even need to gamble: Vegas is full of fabulous shows, dinner buffets and famous shops. Have breakfast not quite at, but very near, Tiffany’s and find something lovely to take home as a memento of your stay. And be sure to take a helicopter trip over the Grand Canyon for the photoopportunity of a lifetime. This is one holiday you’re never going to forget.
Tahoe Summit Village at Lake Tahoe, Nevada which is just above beautiful Lake Tahoe, one of the world’s largest and deepest alpine lakes, and steps away from the slopes of one of the USA’s largest ski resorts, Heavenly Valley.
To book these resorts using your points, Infiniti members should email ReservasCPO@petcheyleisure.com
Infiniti Hotels
Club Geopremiere at Lac Morency, Quebec, Canada, which overlooks Lake Morency and is about 80km from the beautiful city of Montreal. Winter sports and summer activities abound, from canoeing and fishing to a private beach for swimming.
and more...
Imperial Lakes Resort in Lakeland, Florida, where within 100km you will find Walt Disney World, Epcot Centre, Sea World and Universal Studios.
Guana Bay Beach Villas on the island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin in the Dutch Antilles between the Atlantic and the Caribbean. This small island intriguingly combines the Dutch and French cultures and the superb beaches and tropical landscape make it a true island paradise.
Pueblo Real at Quepos, Costa Rica which is a resort within a magnificent tropical setting alongside a protected mangrove and wildlife sanctuary, a short shuttle away from a secluded beach and just 20 minutes from the famous Manuel Antonio National Park.
As a large and growing number of Infiniti members have discovered, Club Infiniti’s partnership with Holiday Plus is the perfect complement to Infiniti membership. Whether you’d like a short break somewhere in the UK, to drive off on a tour of Europe or you just fancy a quick visit to somewhere that’s a short flight away, Infiniti Hotels with Hotel Plus can find a hotel that’s tailor-made for you. And it’s so simple... With Holiday Plus your accommodation is absolutely free - all you have to do is pay for breakfast and dinner each day of your stay. And with more than 1,500 three-, four- and five-star hotels in 16 countries on offer, there are some great bargains to be had. You can make as many bookings as you like, because Infiniti members are entitled to an unlimited number of vouchers. Why not dip a toe in the water by trying somewhere close to home? There are currently 141 hotels in the UK to choose from. Have a look and see what’s near you... 1 Go to www.clubinfiniti.com 2 Click on Infiniti Hotels 3 Find a hotel you like from the extensive list (with photos and details) 4 Follow the instructions 5 Have a great stay Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine
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icebreaker offer
Petchey r e k a e r b Ice Weeks ! 9 9 £ y l n o
inter with eeze this w Beat the fr er for c special off this fantasti ers and isure memb e L y e h tc e P ck from s. Take your pi their familie Portugal’s on ia da Oura either Clube Pra lbatros k at Royal Par A Algarve coast or of r Spain’s e most popula on Tenerife, th arm - there’ll be a w Canary Islands th! g for you at bo welcome waitin r week te in w onderful w a y jo en ll u’ Yo d of March ber and the en em ov N n ee tw be hich can g apartment w in a self-caterin le. We’re up to four peop accommodate nerife or t transfers in Te including airpor breakfast all-you-can-eat Portugal plus an ur holiday. mornings of yo buffet on three nerife ce we know - Te It’s a tough choi weather e edge on the th s ha ly ab ob pr t deals e are some grea er th en th t bu front ever you Algarve – which er than on flights to the w und to be arm bo th bo ’re ey pick, th Britain! you’ll have break the ice, Finally, to really presentative ssion with a re a one-to-one se This ‘must bership Team. em M r ou m fro us the e chat will give have’ 60 minut te with all to u right up da yo g in br to ce isure chan ts at Petchey Le en pm lo ve de st the late bership review your mem as well as fully you. We’d it’s working for and ensure that rs who to see membe especially love rt for several so re a Petchey d te si vi t n’ ve ha now. up that phone years – so pick 9 for £6 d r person an For only £99 pe you’ll have… ation under-sixteens, ring accommod te ca lfse s k’ ee • One w or Royal Park Praia da Oura at either Clube This offer to four people. Albatros for up d guests. and their invite rs be em m r fo is t form the members mus at th te no e as Ple lead couple. t to the from the airpor • Free transfers again resort and back t breakfasts an-eat full buffe • Free all-you-c ay* ngs of your holid on three morni ssion with your • An informal se tive to check am representa Te p hi rs be em M t of your ng the most ou that you’re getti membership im British ct of another gr So, if the prospe the rush by you down, beat winter is getting k now! Icebreaker Wee reserving your out in the so don’t get left It’s a hot offer, cold… onday to 468 0684 M PHONE 0845 . m n 12 and 8 p. Friday betwee your ve er’. Please ha Quote ‘Icebreak mber to hand. membership nu
t o h ed Ar r o f r e f f o ice-cold days PLeisure Magazine - Autumn / Winter 2011
hot tips
1 2
Royal Park Albatros
CLUBE PRAIA DA OURA All excursions, car-hire and theme nights can be booked at the resort reception. If you prefer to arrange this in advance, please
call us on 0845 4680684
• Get your head above the clouds on a trip to Spain’s highest mountain, Mount Teide, and try moonwalking on the bizarre lava-land. • See the birdie – or thousands of them, as well as sea creatures and other animals – at the beautiful Loro Parque (Parrot Park) • Take a boat from Los Cristianos to visit La Gomera, a small, rugged and mountainous Canary Island where whistle language was once used by the inhabitants. • If you’re a disco diva, head for Playa Las Americas, where the loudest bars and nightclubs can be found • Take advantage of our golf concessions and get in a round or two • Pamper yourself with a beauty treatment, right on site • Try the Canarian Theme Night at the restaurant and be served by our staff in traditional costume
• Take the resort shuttle bus into Albufeira centre and shop ‘til you drop. • Get star-struck with an excursion to Sir Cliff Richard’s nearby winery, Adega do Cantor. Mistletoe and wine, anyone? • Take a picnic onto the silky sands of Oura Praia, just a step or two (literally) from Clube Praia da Oura. • Visit a local market: try Loule and take in the sights of this pretty old town as well as grabbing a bargain • Book the Portuguese theme night at practically-next-door sister resort Oura View Beach Club for fabulous cataplana (traditional Portuguese stew/casserole) and ethnic entertainment • Try your hand at bowls on the green with the best sea view to be found on the Algarve – or enjoy a drink at the Sunset Bar and watch the games • Take a boat trip from nearby Vilamoura port and see that magical coastline from another angle
Terms and conditions: The Icebreaker bonus holidays are open to all Petchey Leisure members and consist of one week’s self-catering holiday accommodation for up to four people in Clube Praia da Oura or Royal Park Albatros from the beginning of November 2011 to the end of March 2012 excluding Christmas and New Year weeks.Names of all travellers must be supplied at time of booking and members must form the lead couple. Should members wish, an additional two non member guests, can join them on this exclusive promotion. This offer is made on a first-come first-served basis. In the event that we are inundated with booking requests then availability preference will be given to members who have not visited a Petchey Leisure Resort for two years or more. The holiday price per person stated above includes transfers to and from the Faro or Tenerife South airports depending on your chosen resort, and three breakfast buffets for each person travelling. You can upgrade to a full week of breakfasts or to half board at the time of booking. The price stated includes the items listed in the holiday offer and any other costs not so stated are payable by the member. The appointment with our Membership Sales representative is a compulsory part of the promotion and it will be arranged at a convenient time to suit both you and us.You are asked to allow 60 minutes for this membership review and both partners must attend. Failure to attend this no obligation membership review will result in an additional rental charge of £200. All holidays are subject to availability of accommodation and dates and Petchey Leisure reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of this offer at any time and without prior notice. All bookings should be made by 1st November 2011. By contacting us in respect of any offer in the magazine you agree to your data being communicated to Leisure Dimensions Limited as well as to companies that are part of the same group of companies with the purpose that your data is used to operate our Customer Services and to propose or to provide you with commercial, financial or complementary services. You can access your rights of access, rectification, deletion and opposition as stipulated by data protection laws. *Don’t forget that you and your party are going to enjoy three breakfasts during your stay, but you can have a whole week of them at a preferential price. Or go for the full monty and plump for half board. Just ask our staff when you make your reservation.
P.S. We’ve got some great deals on short-term car hire too.
Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine
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freehold
A Freehold Foothold
in Portugal
from just £60,000
D
Making sensible saving decisions for the future is particularly tricky in times of financial uncertainty. Bonds, pensions, bank accounts and shares have all lost their sheen. Yet, despite occasional dips, property is known to always appreciate in the long term. Why not consider one of Petchey Leisure’s recession-busting bargain properties in the Algarve, Albufeira’s Bay View, where from just £60,000 you can acquire a potentially lucrative investment.
on’t worry, Petchey Leisure hasn’t switched tracks into real estate, we are simply expanding the options available to our large family of customers. Holiday ownership will always be our core business and thousands of people will continue to enjoy wonderful sunshine breaks using their weeks or points – but the addition of some freehold bricks and mortar into your portfolio could be a wise investment decision. Not to mention a fantastic base for an extended holiday. Set in Albufeira’s quaint old town, just half an hour west of Faro International Airport, the boutique Bay View apartment resort conforms to the essential real estate adage – location location location. Within easy reach of street cafés, restaurants and colourful cobbled shopping streets, there’s plenty of action on the doorstep whilst the lovely sandy beaches of the Algarve are within a very short stroll. Add São João, Albufeira’s nightlife hotspot, the modern 475-berth marina and acres of golfing fairways within a comfortable radius and Bay View will not only appeal to you but also to many other families, couples and singles of all ages – a year-round captive rental audience for today and for the future. Starting prices at Bay View are just £60,000 for a studio, almost unheard of for beach-handy Algarve, and rental income is certainly projected to be far higher than the Bank of England’s 10 PLeisure Magazine - Autumn / Winter 2011
measly base rate of 0.5%. To fund the purchase you could trade in your timeshare or it might suit you to talk to Petchey Leisure about some favourable financing terms from Portuguese banks. Entirely refurbished in 2009, the 65 air-conditioned apartments washed in bright white and teal blue range in size from cosy studios to spacious two bedrooms. Many homes have balconies whilst some boast substantial terraces with panoramic views of the pretty tiled rooftops and ornate spires of the old town and the azure Atlantic beyond. Completely self-contained, Bay View has a substantial oblong swimming pool alongside a petite children’s pool, a sweeping sunlounging terrace, reception area as well as the luxury of allocated underground parking for certain apartments. So if you want your money to work a little harder and lay the foundations for a solid financial future, consider a purchase at Bay View set in one of the Algarve’s most desirable spots. Petchey Leisure is a British company with a long-established presence in southern Portugal and you’ll find the process both easy and safe with the prospect of extended sunshine holidays and income as the handsome reward. Sales are strong so to find out more contact Gaynor Hunt on 0845 468 0189 or email freeholdsales@ petcheyleisure.com. We’ll bring you more news of opportunities in Spain and Tenerife in the next issue...
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services
From corporate conferences to blushing brides, there’s nothing like warm hospitality and a splash of sunshine to lift the occasion. Our Petchey Leisure Resorts are geared up with the facilities, catering, accommodation, staff and entertainment to handle any kind of event at any time of year and you’ll be surprised how affordable it can be. So before you plan your next big event, take a look at our enticing hospitality suggestions.
let us be Back to Business
Put the fun back into the flipchart and decamp to the beautiful south for your conferences and team-building activities. With Petchey Leisure, it’s simply not as expensive as you would think. Starting in Spain, Almeria’s Vera Beach Club has a dedicated suite of conference rooms that can be laid out in cabaret or theatre style seating for up to 30 people per room with the possibility to interconnect. For more informal affairs, Dali Restaurant is on hand for relaxed prize givings or society get-togethers. Moving down to Grangefield Oasis Club on the Costa del Sol and the summer conference option is the cosy La Hacienda restaurant which can be adapted to suit your needs. In the winter, a dedicated business centre with internet access points and a bright conservatory add-on make for a modern, light and professional conference venue. Opt for the Algarve and each of the Petchey Leisure trio has the wherewithal to accommodate your conference needs. Of special note are the Lord Byron Room and
New Conference Deck at Clube Praia da Oura (easily accessible from all three Algarve Resorts) which can host 80 and 120 guests respectively in whichever configuration you wish – boardroom-style or informal. Across in Tenerife at Royal Park Albatros their new multi-purpose function rooms can seat up to 30 delegates theatre style and 45 classroom style with the bonus of AV equipment provided at request. Whichever you choose, remember that the Petchey Leisure team is on hand to finalise all the arrangements and provide catering from elevenses to prize presentation gala dinners. Why not throw in some teambuilding R&R, a ‘Learn to Dive’ experience, some off-road mountain biking or a round or two of golf booked at discounted rates through Petchey Leisure? Oh, and there’s always a Resort bar to retire to at the end of a tough day exercising the grey cells...
Book your business affair with Petchey Leisure Resort and we can offer up to 25% off accommodation and our food menu for your entire delegation.
Celebrate your special day at any Petchey Leisure Resort and the bride and groom can have their honeymoon on us in the shape of one week’s free holiday including meals. We’ll also discount up to 25% off our food and accommodation for the entire wedding party. Offers are dependent on the number of guests.
12 PLeisure Magazine - Autumn / Winter 2011
your host
Tying the Knot? If you want to guarantee blue skies and plenty of smiles in your wedding photos, getting married abroad is the solution – let’s face it the English weather can never be relied upon. With a holiday atmosphere to relax those prenuptial nerves and some sun, sea and sand to look forward to after the ceremony, dreary northern Europe just cannot compare. What’s more, with Petchey Leisure we can take care of your flights, transfers, the catering, accommodation and the entertainment and partner you up with a local Algarve wedding planner so all you have to worry about is the wildly inappropriate content of the Best Man’s speech... Taking climate, Atlantic backdrop and stunning landscaped gardens into consideration, Petchey Leisure’s Algarve Resorts are wedding winners. Already well-versed in working alongside local and international nuptial planners, the Resorts have a range of accommodation
Time for Tee? and dining options including the ever-popular Trevi Restaurant at the heart of Oura Praia Hotel, hotspot Jac’s Bar & Restaurant at Clube Praia da Oura and the indoor-outdoor Sunset Restaurant at Oura View Beach Club. Ask us about our special celebration menus. Move across the border and Almeria’s Vera Beach Club has the traditionally Spanish-styled Dali Restaurant - an intimate party venue for up to 80 guests. Meanwhile the vibrant flowering shrubs, ornamental tiled fountains and 100-year-old olive trees in the gardens are a wedding photographer’s delight - why not take a two minute stroll to the Blue Flag beach for some sunset snapshots? Grangefield Oasis Club on the Costa del Sol also offers the thatched Las Palmeras poolside restaurant for summer marriages and La Hacienda restaurant for winter ceremonies – although don’t be surprised if you find yourself in short-sleeved sunshine in December.
Golf is played by an estimated 60 million people worldwide and Petchey Leisure is proud to be pitched in some of the continent’s finest year-round golfing destinations. Whether you’re taking yourself, your friends or an entire golf society, we’ll package up a deal that’ll take you on the fairway to heaven. What better place to start than the Costa del Sol AKA the ‘Costa del Golf’. With in excess of 70 golf courses spanning this popular coastline you’re never far from a course and our own Grangefield Oasis Club is within chipping distance of Miraflores with 20 more within a half hour drive. Avail yourselves of an exclusive Petchey Leisure discount when booking Miraflores Golf at reception or slice 30% off at 18 holes Santa Maria Golf and up to 29% off at 9 hole La Noria Golf. In the Algarve, another yearround golfing Mecca, Petchey Leisure has discounts of up to 17% with over 20 local golf courses. From the Pine Cliffs
Resort to Balaia Golf Village or any of the five lusted-after Villamoura courses, we can cater to every level of handicap and budget for you and your friends. Hop over to Tenerife and it’s little surprise that this Island suspended in perpetual summer is blessed with a tapestry of fairways and greens. Royal Park Albatros is conveniently sandwiched between two championship standard golf courses – 18-hole Atlantic-facing Amarilla Golf and 27-hole Golf del Sur designed by duo Gancedo and Piñero. We’ve tested our negotiating skills at Amarilla Golf and sliced up to 20% off green fees including some tasty unlimited seven-day golf passes that give you the run of not only the 18-hole course but also the ‘no handicap required’ nine-hole pitch and putt. And, for groups of more than a dozen, the prices tumble even further. Just remember to book through us or you’ll miss out on the bargains. So next time there’s a conference, wedding, christening, special birthday or anniversary, communion or golf tour on your horizon, why not give us a call on 0845 519 1988 or email events@petcheyleisure.com quoting ‘PLeisure’ and let Petchey Leisure get your party started.
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low season
The Highs of the
Algarve
Low Season
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Clube Praia da Oura
Here’s a thought for you. Average October daytime temperature in Albufeira 23ºC, London 14ºC. Average January daytime temperature in Albufeira 16ºC, London 7ºC. The message is clear. If you want some off-season sunshine, turn your back on Blighty and pop to Portugal for an extended break.
A
nd, while you’re at it, why not fill your days pursuing your favourite hobby or even take up another? As an overall holiday concept, the Algarve already stacks up nicely. This southern Portuguese paradise playground has more hours of sunshine than California, acre upon acre of famous golfing fairways, stunning beaches with some quirky rocky outcrops, attractive towns with wonderful open-air markets, delicious food and locally-produced wine and some lively nightlife if that’s your tipple. This coastline is the perfect place for Petchey Leisure to establish a trio of Resorts. Clube Praia da Oura, Oura View Beach Club and Oura Praia Hotel are all set close to the golden beaches of Albufeira with the family-friendly waters of the Atlantic providing a ready-made playground for all kinds of water sports from leisurely swimming and fishing to more energetic surfing and sailing. Meanwhile Albufeira itself is a popular tourist hotspot packed with convenient restaurants and bars and the bustling street markets of Albufeira ‘Old Town’ make a fantastic day out. But, even paradise can need a little injection of excitement and that’s why Petchey Leisure has come up with some diversions to fill those lazy low season days. From a spot of cunning trick-taking bridge to some twowheeled soaking up of the scenery, we’ve got the activity to suit you and you’ll gain a whole lot of holiday satisfaction for far less money than you might think.
Oura View Beach Club
Oura Praia Hotel
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Love Walking
activities
Whilst no one can deny the unbeatable scenery and coastline we boast in the UK, the same cannot be said for the weather. Blue skies can give way to grey downpours in a heartbeat and that pleasant countryside stroll becomes a damp squib. No such bother on the Algarve. With shorts and T shirts the uniform even through winter, a guided walking tour here will warm both your bones and your heart. Petchey Leisure has teamed up with local experts to introduce you to some beautiful half (8 – 14km) and full (15 – 25km) day coastal and cross-country
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walks in the striking Ria Formosa natural park. Soak up the peace, culture, history and off-the-beaten track scenery at a pace and level of difficulty to suit your ability. Cost/week From £199 per person. Based on two people sharing a studio apartment at a Petchey Leisure Algarve resort. Offer includes: seven nights accommodation with breakfast plus three full days of guided walks. Upgrades to one bedroom apartments and five full guided walks are available. Email walking@petcheyleisure.com or call 0845 519 1988 and quote ‘PLeisure’ to sort your hiking holiday.
Love Bowls
A brand new addition to the Petchey Leisure activity programme is the Bowling Tour. Whether you already belong to a lawn bowls club in the UK or you’re simply a budding bowling enthusiast, come to the Algarve with your team or your friends and we’ll set up a tournament against some local sides. Here’s the deal: • Seven nights accommodation at Clube Praia da Oura or sister Oura Praia Hotel in Albufeira • Half board (breakfast and dinner) including a fun evening entertainment programme • Four bowling matches organised against Algarve Clubs in Albufeira, Tavira, Alvor and Parque da Floresta • Coach transport to and from matches • A midweek day trip to a local market • Airport transfers to and from Faro International Airport Cost/week From £349 per person. Based on two people sharing a one bedroom apartment. Email bowling@petcheyleisure.com or call 0845 519 1988 and quote ‘PLeisure’ to sort your bowling bonanza.
Love Bridge
Millions of people around the world are hooked on bridge, the so-called “game of a lifetime”, and there’s no need to pack away the cards when you pack up your suitcase. Petchey Leisure invites you to widen your social network and sharpen those brain cells on a week-long bridge fest at our Oura Praia Hotel. Join us for a seven day stay with half board and we’ll arrange four bridge tournament nights including dinner and evening entertainment. Cost: From £249 per person. Based on two people sharing a studio apartment at Oura Praia Hotel. Offer includes: seven nights half board accommodation, four bridge matches, Algarve airport transfers and a midweek excursion. Email bridge@petcheyleisure.com or call 0845 519 1988 and quote ‘PLeisure’ to sort your bridge brain test.
Love Cycling
Love Diving
Whether diving has already become a friend for life or you’re yet to make its acquaintance, the Algarve has an undersea world just begging to be explored. Petchey Leisure has teamed up with the only five star authorised PADI dive centre in Albufeira to offer the full range of beginners, divemaster, instructor and speciality courses. So strap on your diving cylinder and explore the beautiful rocks and reefs that provide the watery address for schools of fish such as sea bass, mullet, sea bream and bright blue damsel as well as octopus, lobster, eel and anemone. Don’t forget the underwater camera... Cost: From £175 per person for six dives across three days or £300 for ten dives across five days. Flights and accommodation not included. Email diving@petcheyleisure.com or call 0845 519 1988 and quote ‘PLeisure’ to sort your diving escapade.
Love Birdwatching
If twitching is your passion, you’ll be delighted to hear that 383 species of bird have been recorded in this southernmost part of Portugal. The list incorporates local Iberian residents such as the azur-winged magpie and the black-winged kite alongside many others from the Mediterranean region including European bee-eaters, hoopoes, nightingales and golden orioles. Meanwhile, on the salt marshes of the Ria Formosa, flamingos, egrets, osprey and waterfowl are there to fill your binoculars. This part of the Algarve also does a pretty good line in butterflies and orchids to add a bonus dimension. And, what’s more, you don’t need to pack an umbrella or a raincoat to enjoy them all. Cost: From £375 per person depending upon travel dates and group size. Offer period September to May with a minimum tour duration of seven days. Flights and accommodation not included. Email birdwatching@petcheyleisure.com or call 0845 519 1988 and quote ‘PLeisure’ to see these feathered friends.
Cycling in southern Europe in the searing summer heat is best left to the true competition athlete; the low season is when the rest of us should be donning our helmets and panniers and where better to do it than the Algarve? Petchey Leisure has enlisted the support of local biking gurus to offer a wide range of cycling experiences for leisurely pedallers through to hardcore mountain and road biking enthusiasts. Have your bike delivered to the hotel, whether that’s a comfortable tourer or a top of the range carbon road bike, and enjoy the peace of mind of full technical back-up and a GPS or real guide if the route map seems too daunting Packed lunch provided. Cost/WEEK From £199 per person. Based on two people sharing a studio apartment at a Petchey Leisure Algarve resort. Offer includes: seven nights accommodation with breakfast plus three days bicycle hire. Upgrades to one bedroom apartments and five days cycling are available. Email cycling@petcheyleisure.com or call 0845 519 1988 and quote ‘PLeisure’ to sort your two-wheeled trip.
*Flights are not included but can be booked via the ATOL/ABTA accredited Petchey Travel Shop. Discounts are available for large groups and/or group organisers.
Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine 17
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low season
Almeria a secret
amazing offer
Spain
Almeria Experience! Four week stay at Vera Beach Club for JUST
£199 per person
Almeria & Costa del Sol Experience! Two weeks at Vera Beach Club and two weeks at Grangefield Oasis Club for JUST
£199 per person
To book call Travel Shop on
0845 519 1988
Offer is based on two people sharing a one bedroom apartment and applies between 1 December 2011 and 31 March 2012 (A supplement is applicable for the Christmas period).
BOOK BEFORE 30 November 2011 and quote ‘vera pleisure’ to earn a 25€ food & drink voucher.
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W
hen the sunshine decides to call it a day in the rest of Spain it often takes up residence on the Costa Almeria, officially Spain’s sunniest region. This part of Andalucia may not be as renowned as the Costa del Sol but it’s just as rich in beauty, activity and culture and, what’s more, it’s probably the last stretch of Mediterranean coastline where you can have an entire beach to yourself. So what are you waiting for? Petchey Leisure’s Vera Beach Club is set at the heart of this hideaway Costa and is fortunate enough to be surrounded by the usual array of essential holiday ingredients from long sweeps of sandy beach to championship standard golf courses and from camera-ready Andalusian whitewashed
Vera Beach Club villages to ancient historic sites. The resort is also within reach of some sights that are anything but ‘usual’. The Costa Almeria throws up some really quirky qualities which beg to be visited. Take the protected national park of Tabernas Desert for example (yes, Almeria has its very own desert). Due to its striking similarities with many North American and Arabian deserts it has been used as a cost-effective setting for many a Spaghetti Western, TV show and commercial. Charles Bronson and Steve McQueen have galloped through in the Magnificent Seven, Charlton Heston stole Sophia Loren’s heart there in El Cid and Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood battled through A Fistful of Dollars in the Almerian sands. Whilst still very much in business, the site is also home to a Mini Hollywood Museum where you can follow in some very famous dusty footsteps and tour the preserved film sets and watch Wild West gunfights. The desert has also created a backdrop for golf. Almeria is home to Europe’s only desert course, the Indiana Course at Desert Springs, which was inaugurated in 2000 and is visually stunning with its verdant fairways contrasting with arid landscapes of rock, desert blooms and flowering
cacti. With ten courses now open on the Costa Almeria, and several more in the pipeline, there will be one to suit your handicap within easy reach of Vera Beach Club and of course they’re playable all year round in that endless Spanish sunshine. Almeria’s real beauty is that with such wide-ranging geography you can hop from dusty desert to refreshing Mediterranean Sea and from the snowy mountain ranges of the Sierra Nevada ski resort to the coastal paradise of Cabo de Gata-Nijar which teems with pink flamingos and purple heron in the blink of an eye. Vera Beach Club’s local town, Vera, is a stunning prosperous renaissance community boasting some lovely beaches whilst Garrucha, just a
few kilometres to the south, adopts the slogan ‘sun and seafood’ and is famed for its native red prawns that end up on the plates of the Med-front restaurants. There are all manner of attractions to keep you occupied through every season. With the setting for Europe’s only desert as a clue, the climate of the Costa Almeria is renowned for being both warm and particularly dry – very little rain will fall on the holiday parade. Whilst high season nudges the mercury into the 30s, spring and autumn are wonderful times of year to try the Costa Almeria as clear blue skies are the norm with temperatures still hovering in the 20s. And, even in winter, expect to wear short sleeves with average temperatures of 16ºC and six hours of sunshine each day. So whether you prefer swinging clubs on lush fairways or cantering across the beach on horseback, paragliding against a blue sky or fishing for mackerel in the Mediterranean, there are plenty of new and exciting experiences to discover with Petchey Leisure and the weather will always be on your side. Why not come for a month or two and learn a new skill or simply explore and peel back the many layers of this secret Spanish Costa. Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine 19
Cultural Cuisine
Golf
The low season is ideal for enjoying all the fun of the fairways as, although odds on it’ll still be warm and sunny, the soaring summer Celsius will have dipped to more comfortable levels. Petchey Leisure has put together a special three 18-hole round package of wall-to-wall golf at the idyllic Playa Macenas Golf Resort in Mojacar. Set right by the Mediterranean, each hole offers a fabulous vista of the Sea, lush vegetation and tasteful golf-front homes which make the camera as essential a piece of equipment as the clubs.
Tapas, jamón serrano, olives, calamares... Andalucia has some of the finest cuisine in the Mediterranean and indeed some incredible chefs who have exported their talents across the gastronomic globe. Petchey Leisure invites you to a basic course in Spanish cuisine so you can learn some Spanish culinary tricks. Course duration – five days, four hours per day. Monday: paella, Spanish omelette and seasonal vegetable recipes Tuesday: Andalucian stew, wheat grain hotpot and rustic pasta with rabbit meat recipes Wednesday: vegetable washing and fish frying techniques; garden salad with Garrucha prawns and gazpacho Andaluz recipes Thursday: watermelon sorbet, pineapple ice cream, vanilla custard and rice pudding recipes Friday: Spanish wine tasting Students will be shown a 30 minute video presentation of the recipes each day before the practical begins. Participants will receive an apron, a dossier with illustrated recipes and methods and all dishes cooked during class can of course be tasted. Price – 192,60 euros per person* *includes IVA (VAT), translator and transfers from Vera Beach Club to Juan Moreno Restaurant in Vera. Minimum ten people.
Price – 135 euros per person* *includes IVA (VAT). Three full 18-hole rounds with buggy at Playa Macenas Golf Resort. Players must present their handicap certificate before play and dress according to Club rules.
Horse Riding
Why not stay true to Almeria’s strong Spaghetti Western heritage and take to the horseback cowboy style? Petchey Leisure has created relaxed, intimate beginners courses where you can literally learn the ropes and soak up the scenery to advanced programmes where experienced riders can gallop through dry riverbeds and tackle pretty mountainsides on competition horses. Yee ha. Basic Course: five days, Monday to Friday, three hours per day. Suitable for all the family from three years
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old to sprightly seniors. Maximum rider weight 95kg. Includes: how to prepare a horse before and after a ride and plenty of practical experience. Recommended clothing: comfortable trousers and low-heeled boots. Price – 150 euros per person* *includes IVA (VAT) Advanced Course: five days, Monday to Friday, three hours per day. Riding on competition horses, take the chance to discover a new mountain, beach or river bed each day in the wild Almerian countryside. Price – 250 euros per person* *includes IVA (VAT)
Diving
It’s a little known fact that the waters off the Almeria coastline are amongst the best dive spots in the whole of Spain. At the Cabo de Gata-Nijar natural park in particular, the waters teem with huge varieties of fish from pollock to barracuda, eagle ray to grouper and visibility is generally exceptional. For those with the relevant experience and PADI qualification, there are also some spectacular wreck sites to dive down to including a 100 metre long merchant ship that sank in the 1920s and now creates a habitat for schools of underwater species. Whatever your diving background, Petchey Leisure can recommend a course to suit. Basic Course: four days with tuition divided into three parts: pre-dive theory, pool practice with scuba diving equipment and four dives at sea where you can put into effect all that you’ve learned. Participants earn the Open Water Diver qualification from PADI. Price – 390 euros per person* *includes IVA (VAT), theory and practical classes, course material and equipment, air tanks, exams and certificate, annual membership fee to PADI and insurance during the course.
Advanced Course: Four days with one incredible dive per day along the Mediterranean coastline including Cabo de Gata-Nijar and the underwater mountains of Villaricos where it is impossible not to be impressed. PADI diving licence is essential. Price – 184 euros per person* *includes IVA (VAT), use of equipment, air tanks and insurance during the dives.
Fishing
With the Mediterranean on the doorstep, Almeria is a paradise for fishing fanatics. The distinct landscapes of Cabo de GataNijar natural park and the Garrucha and Villaricos coastlines offer various species of fish keen to take the bait. Expect varieties such as meagre, red snapper and Spanish mackerel and occasional sightings of dolphin and swordfish leaping out the waves to keep you company. Week Course: five days, four hours per day along the length of the Almeria coastline. Price – 150 euros per person* *includes IVA (VAT), equipment for fishing, bait, daily picnic on board, insurance, transfers from Vera Beach Club to Garrucha marina and a dossier with photos of fish you can catch in the area.
activities
Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine 21
PORTUGAL - ALGARVE
A large family-friendly resort with everything you need for a perfect seaside holiday including pool, bars, restaurant, a bowling green with Atlantic backdrop and an extensive year-round activity programme for children and adults. The furnished units, from studios to two bedrooms, sleep up to six and are fully equipped for self-catering. Many have stunning sea views from the terrace.
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PORTUGAL - ALGARVE
i OURA PRAIA HOTEL
Small, friendly complex with restaurant, cafeteria and outdoor pool. Year-round entertainment for adults and children with the bonus of activities at sister resorts Clube Praia da Oura (over the road) and Oura-View Beach Club (along the road). Apartments sleep between two and six people and all are beautifully decorated. Great function room to celebrate special occasions.
i CLUBE PRAIA DA OURA
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resorts
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WHERE? On the beachfront of the small bay of Praia da Oura on Portugal’s Algarve coast, a 40 minute drive from Faro airport.
Bookmark + Clube Praia da Oura Theme Weeks Not to be missed! Check out page 2 for dates and details. + New Year’s Eve in Albufeira Bigger, bolder and more exciting every year. + Loule Carnival, Feb 2012 Colourful with music, dancing and general partying. + Triumphal Procession, Tavira, Palm Sunday Decorated litters with gilt woodwork and images depicting the life of Christ. + Flower Torches Festival, Easter Sunday Sao Bras de Alportel.
What’s around? The white-gold sands and calm blue sea of Oura beach are literally a few steps from the resort. Take the resort bus into the centre of Albufeira and stroll around the streets of the Old Quarter. Visit a local market and enjoy the colour and atmosphere - and pick up some souvenirs. Book a round of golf via reception. Closer to home, enjoy the restaurants and entertainment at the nearby sister resorts of Oura View Beach Club and Oura Praia Hotel. Guests say... “Had a fabulous time. Loved the entertainment, loved the restaurant. Staff can’t be faulted. This is the place to go if you want to keep the kids happy.” Perfect for... Families who want the pool, the seaside and plenty of entertainment right on site.
Reception recommends... Appreciate Portugal’s traditions on the Historical Algarve excursion which takes in the town of Silves with its 11th century Moorish Castle and 12th century Cathedral as well as the typical Algarvian village of Monchique known for its handicrafts and the fishing village of Sagres. I don’t believe it... Manager Inacio Rodrigues has a good stock of left-behind underwear, and he’d rather he didn’t. His most bizarre request this year has been to pack and send on a set of teeth that were left behind. Petchey Leisure members can visit Clube Praia da Oura for a bonus winter holiday with our Icebreaker offer!
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Where? Just above the beachfront of the small bay of Praia da Oura on Portugal’s Algarve coast, a 40 minute drive from Faro airport.
Bookmark... + Feb. 2012, Annual Loule Carnival Street parties, elaborately decorated floats and fun for all. + April 25th 2012, ‘Liberation Day’ Fireworks, music and entertainment across the region.
What’s around? The white-gold sandy beach is just a short walk away (take the lift from the upper levels of Clube Praia da Oura, just opposite Oura Praia Hotel, down to the poolside, then walk through the resort gardens down to the beach). Enjoy the shops and bars of ‘The Strip’, just along the road from Oura Praia Hotel. Take Clube Praia da Oura’s shuttle bus into the centre of Albufeira and do some sightseeing. Guests say.. “We really enjoyed ourselves and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to friends. It’s beautifully clean and the apartments are lovely. We want to go back.” Perfect for... People who prefer to stay in a fairly small, quiet resort, but with easy access to all manner of entertainment and activities as well as a beautiful beach.
Reception recommends... Treat yourselves to the Flavours and Traditions of the Algarve tour, which includes a visit to a cork factory and a cake shop with traditional produce and the local carob liqueur, which you can sample. Take a trip to Sir Cliff Richard’s winery, the Adega do Cantor at the pretty village of Guia, not far from Praia da Oura. Enjoy a guided tour of this beautiful vineyard and see and hear how Sir Cliff’s award-winning Vida Nova wines are made, then sample the product. And if you’re in luck, you might just run into Sir Cliff himself! I don’t believe it... Apparently the item that guests most often forget to bring with them is their medication, says manager Dinora Santos. The strangest request received was from someone who asked the maid to put a sheet over the bedroom carpet. We’ll never know why...
spain - COSTA DEL SOL Charming pueblo-style resort with outdoor and indoor pools, a leisure centre, restaurants, bars and more. Beautifully furnished and equipped self-catering apartments sleep from two to six people. There is entertainment for adults and for children during the school holidays, including restaurant theme nights with live music which, in the summer months, are held in the pretty poolside restaurant.
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OURA VIEW BEACH CLUB
A stunning resort sloping down to white sands. Most of the fully-equipped apartments that sleep up to six have 180º sea views from the terrace whilst the infinity pool is amongst the Algarve’s most striking. Added treats include an indoor pool and leisure centre, piano bar and Sunset Restaurant with poolside terrace serving traditional dishes, international food and themed evenings.
i GRANGEFIELD OASIS CLUB
PORTUGAL - ALGARVE
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Where?
Bookmark + May, Fair in Azinhal see the traditional
On the beachfront of Praia da Oura, a small and lovely bay just along from Albufeira on Portugal’s Algarve coast. A 40 minute drive from Faro Airport. What’s around?
Oura View Beach Club is just along the road from sister resort Clube Praia da Oura and, between them, these two very impressive resorts dominate the beautiful bay that is Praia da Oura. Step out of the resort and onto the beach for sunbathing and swimming or just to go for a stroll along the sands. Take the lift from reception to the top floor of the resort and you’re on the level of ‘The Strip’ with its variety of bars, cafes and small shops. Guests say...
“The standards here are very high, the apartments are lovely and the views are incredible. We have been coming for years and it is always a pleasure.” Perfect for... People who want a beach holiday in a stylish resort with an upmarket ambiance.
skills of bobbin lace, basketwork, embroidery, tapestry and the weaving of esparto grass. + May, Gastronomy of the Sea Festival in Tavira. + May to October, International sand sculpture festival at Pera. Reception recommends...
Try a trip to Zoomarine. This is a large marine wildlife park which focuses on conservation. The children will love the friendly dolphins. Take to the seas with a boat trip along the Algarve’s stunning coastline and see the dolphins in their natural habitat. I don’t believe it...
Left-behind items include underwear, mobile phone chargers and spectacles. Manager Antonio Correia’s most bizarre request from a guest this year was to post on to the client some yoghurts she had forgotten to take out the fridge. Wonder if they arrived before the use-by date? Also, one client reported that their passports were missing: the housekeeper looked everywhere and eventually found them (and some money) in the freezer, frozen solid.
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Where?
Bookmark
Between Marbella and Fuengirola on Spain’s Costa del Sol. A 45 minute drive from Malaga Airport. Set back above the coastline and a few minutes’ drive from the beach. What’s around?
Drive 20 minutes along the coast to Marbella for a touch of glamour and drink your cafe con leche in the famous Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square). Join the jetset in Puerto Banus marina and lust after the lifestyle. Drive in the other direction to the historic city of Málaga, birthplace of Picasso, wander around the streets of the old quarter, visit the Picasso museum and try a Málaga dulce (sweet wine of the region) direct from the barrel in a quaint bodega. Guests say...
“We loved this place; the staff are great - really helpful. We had a fantastic apartment - everything was clean and very comfortable. It was a great holiday.” Perfect for... People who want a peaceful, private resort within easy driving distance of the Costa del Sol’s many attractions, and with a high standard of accommodation and service.
+ Jan. 4th to 6th, Los Reyes Magos - the Three Kings This festival is as important to families as Christmas is, and the 6th is the day when children receive their presents. + Early Feb, Carnaval Parades and festivities throughout the region. + April 1st to 8th 2012, Semana Santa - Holy Week. See the elaborate and moving Easter processions that take place throughout Spain; those in Malaga and Seville are particularly recommended. + Early June, Dia del Pescaito at the Carihela beach, Torremolinos: summer seafood festival. Reception recommends...
Try a trip to Gibraltar, just along the coast. Explore the famous Rock - but keep your packed lunch away from the notoriously greedy monkeys. We’ll book you an excursion or arrange your car hire. I don’t believe it...
Apart from clothing, the most frequently leftbehind item is the phone charger - the resort has a box full of them. Manager Jose Martin reports that the strangest request he ever had was to arrange a male stripper for a group of girls on a Hen Party holiday.
Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine 23
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resorts
spain - andalucia
i VERA BEACH CLUB
A charming, private, low-rise resort in Andalucian style with fully equipped one and two bedroom apartments set in tropical gardens. Outdoor pool with poolside bar and café, indoor pool and leisure centre and the excellent Restaurant Dali noted for its traditional Spanish as well as international cuisine. Entertainment includes themed evenings in the restaurant and a school holidays children’s programme.
Canarian-styled resort set in tropical gardens with a large pool with waterfall and poolside bar and restaurant, children’s pool and Jacuzzi. Self-catering apartments are beautifully equipped and sleep between two and six people. The restaurant serves all types of food, including Canarian specialities, and offers week time entertainment. The Barney Bee Club keeps the children happy in the school holidays.
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i ROYAL PARK ALBATROS
spain - canary islands
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Where? In the Andalucian Province of Almeria, situated close to Vera beach, and about an hour’s drive from Almeria Airport.
Bookmark + Nov. 12th to 16th, Feria de Cuevas De Almanzora, near Vera Singing, dancing and sampling the best local food. + Jan. 5th 2012, Three Kings (see also Grangefield Oasis Club). + Feb. 14th 2012, St. Valentine’s Day Eat a special romantic meal in Dali restaurant.
What’s around? Just a short stroll down the road and you’re on the wide white sands of Vera Beach, a little further takes you into the fishing port of Garrucha, famed for its seafood restaurants. Very different from the touristic Costas, in Almeria you can glimpse the ‘real’ Spain: climb the narrow winding streets of much-photographed pueblo blanco Mojacar; drive into the Tabernas desert with its Wild West landscape; visit Cabo de Gata, a Natural Park of great beauty; see the ancient Alcazaba Fortress in Almeria city; play golf on the championship courses and much more... Guests say... “This was a lovely, relaxing resort. The staff were efficient and friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. The children loved the Barney Bee Club.” Perfect for... People who want a peaceful, stress-free holiday and to see another less touristy face of Spain.
Reception recommends... Visit Mini Hollywood where many famous films, including several of Sergio Leone’s ‘Spaghetti Westerns’ were shot. Walk the dusty streets where Clint Eastwood, the epitome of cool, once strode and watch the goodies and the baddies stage a mock gunfight. Dress up and have your photo taken. Great fun. I don’t believe it... Manager Denise MacGall says that the items most forgotten by guests arriving are beach towels, sun cream and mobile phone chargers - and the items most forgotten by guests leaving are drawers full of clothes and mobile phone chargers. The strangest request they’ve had this year is “Can you help to find my daughter’s baby?’. To discover what that was all about, turn to page 25 to see the postcard from the daughter in question.
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Where? In the south of the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, Tenerife, in a peaceful spot near a number of golf courses. A short walk from the sea, and just a 20 minute drive from Tenerife South Airport.
Bookmark + March 2012, It’s Carnival time in Santa Cruz de Tenerife with the largest, most spectacular carnival on the island. The festival begins a week before Ash Wednesday and there are parties, horse parades and general festivities. There is a huge parade on Shrove Tuesday and on Ash Wednesday you can see the entierro de la sardina (the burial of the sardine) where a gigantic effigy of a fish is buried. The following Sunday the carnival closes with a procession and fireworks.
What’s around? If you love loud nightlife head for Playa de Las Americas - Tenerife’s tourist hotspot. Take a trip up to Mount Teide, Spain’s highest mountain. Head north and explore the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with its many buildings of interest and then drop in to Loro Parque (the Parrot Park) and see the birds. Take the children to Siam Park, which is one of the most spectacular and unforgettable waterparks in Europe. Guests say... “This is a really nice place and thoroughly recommended for families. The food was great and good value and the staff were really helpful. We had a wonderful holiday.” Perfect for... People who want all-year-round sunshine - it’s practically guaranteed - and who want a peaceful and comfortable base from which to explore the Island.
Reception recommends... Book a Freebird Catamaran trip for some pilot whale and bottled-nosed dolphin spotting on a luxury sail up the southwest coast of Tenerife, including an ocean swim or snorkelling, plus an on-board buffet. I don’t believe it... Manager Sally Ann Guerrero says that the things most people forget to bring with them are mosquito repellent and adaptor plugs. The strangest request she’s had so far this year was from a guest who asked for the sofa bed to be moved onto the balcony because they liked to sleep al fresco. Petchey Leisure members can visit Royal Park Albatros on our special Icebreaker holiday!
gourmet
Petchey Kitchen our chef’s favourite recipes for you to try at home!
para empezar
plato principal
Club, Almeria…
courtesy of Royal Park Albatros, Tenerife…
Gambas al Pil-Pil
Carne Fiesta
getting ready
getting ready
1kg medium sized uncooked prawns or shrimps 100ml olive oil 3 tablespoons butter 3 garlic cloves, chopped roughly ½ teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon of dried chilli flakes
600g diced pork loin 3 cloves of garlic 1 red pepper ½ teaspoon thyme ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon chilli powder ½ teaspoon paprika 30ml olive oil 100ml white wine a pinch of salt and pepper
to start… courtesy of Vera Beach “Spicy Prawns”
getting creative 1— Peel the prawns or shrimps but leave the tails on
2— Add salt, put them in a covered bowl 3— 4— 5— 6— 7— 8—
and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes Heat the oil and butter together in a large dish over a medium heat When gently bubbling add the chilli and garlic Stir and cook the garlic and chilli for 1 minute until golden brown Add the shrimps or prawns and cook for around three minutes or until they curl up and change colour Sprinkle with paprika and serve in individual terracotta dishes for Spanish authenticity Serve with a good chunk of ‘pan’ to soak up the sauce
main course… “Party Meat”!
getting creative 1— Blend all ingredients (except for the pork!) until you have a smooth liquid
2— Add the diced pork and marinade for 24 hours in the fridge
3— Fry the marinated meat in a little olive
sobre mesa
dessert…
courtesy of Clube Praia da Oura, Portugal…
Tortinha de Figo com Doce de Abobora Assado e Frutos Silvestres
“Fig Tart with Roasted Pumpkin and Wild Berries”
getting ready 300g dried figs 100g ground almonds 120g lemon zest 50g cocoa powder 50g ground cinnamon 160g granulated sugar 60g icing sugar 50ml fig liqueur 100g pumpkin 250g wild berries
getting creative 1— Make a syrup with the granulated
oil and serve To complete this simple but delicious Tenerifian dish serve with Patatas Arrugadas (literally “Wrinkled Potatoes”). Place small clean but unskinned potatoes in a deep pan, add a handful of rock salt and cover with water. Boil until the potatoes are cooked through and drain – leave to stand for 20 minutes. Truly authentic Canarian cuisine and eaten at almost every meal in a typical household.
2— 3— 4— 5— 6— 7— 8—
sugar, add the ground almonds and figs and stir well Add the cinnamon, lemon zest and cocoa and cook over a low heat until it forms a soft ball Remove from the heat and leave to cool Add the fig liqueur, mix well and leave it to stand for 30 minutes Bake the pumpkin in a moderate 200ºC oven for 40 minutes and mash with a fork Make a syrup with 40g of icing sugar together with the mashed pumpkin and leave to cool Flatten the fig dough with a rolling pin, arrange the pumpkin syrup on top and wrap up into a tart When plating up, slice on the diagonal and decorate with wild berries Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine 25
~
inhouse
News from
the JACK PETCHEY FOUNDATION
O
f the many organisations that bear the name of Jack Petchey, including Petchey Leisure, the one that brings him the most personal satisfaction is the Jack Petchey Foundation, an independent charity founded in 1999 that exists to help young people to realise their potential and achieve success in their chosen fields. To date the Foundation has supported schools, organisations and individuals to the tune of £70 million. A major recipient of this funding is the Petchey Academy, which is directly sponsored by the Foundation. Sue Lopez takes a looks at how an academy differs from a normal state school, and whether the 26 PLeisure Magazine - Autumn / Winter 2011
Petchey Academy has been able to improve upon the school it was built to replace.
What’s in a name? The word ‘academy’ comes from the Greek Akademeia, which was a grove near Athens where Plato is reputed to have taught. It has come to mean an institution of higher learning embodying the highest of standards. Academies in Britain were originally established by the Labour government with the aim of turning around the worst-performing schools, which were (and are) mainly to be found in disadvantaged areas. They had to have sponsors (in the case of the Petchey Academy,
the Jack Petchey Foundation), and pre2007 were able to set their own curriculum. Academies are funded directly by central government instead of via a local authority, so they operate outside of local authority control and have more freedom over their finances and teachers’ pay and conditions. You will probably have read that the present government is fast-tracking a programme which invites all secondary schools to become academies, but this is not the same as the last government’s initiative: the coalition is currently targeting the best performing schools rather than the worst. In contrast to this policy, The Petchey Academy was built to replace a failing state school, not a
successful one.
Turning the tables
that previously existed on the Academy’s Hackney site. Certainly, the odds wouldn’t have been good.
Against the odds
This year’s GCSE results speak for themselves. The first group of Petchey Academy students to sit GCSEs got their results in August. 62% achieved an encouraging 5 x A*-C GCSEs including English and Maths, compared with just 17-20%, without the important English and Maths papers, at the old school on this site.
A chance to shine The Foundation’s sponsorship of the Academy means that the students benefit from a level of facilities, teaching and opportunities that can hardly be bettered, even in Britain’s public schools. Certainly, it is difficult to see how state schools can compete. The Academy’s students come from an area that has certainly seen its share of problems, but they are lucky enough to be at a school where there are so many opportunities to shine. And shine a great number of them do, as a look at the internet will quickly show you (just go into YouTube and search for The Petchey Academy to see video clips of the students speaking and performing).
www.petcheyacademy.org.uk www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk www.successinthemaking.co.uk
A failing school in a disadvantaged area was the target; it was characterised by poor attendance and facilities and disappointing academic results; the GCSE pass rate was just 17-20%. The area was Hackney, London, a socially and economically diverse part of East London and just the place to see if a combination of the academy system and the Jack Petchey Foundation could really make a difference. The Petchey Academy opened its doors in 2006 in Hackney and in 2007 moved into its new building, constructed on the site of the old school, complete with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. The specialism of the Academy is health, care and the medical sciences, and the curriculum is designed to enable the 1000 pupils to take control of their own mental and physical health and to use that knowledge to the benefit of the community in which they live. Chair of Governors Andrew Billington, who
funded school which is bound by the national curriculum. So, while the essential core subjects such as Maths and English are of course taught, there is another curriculum which not only emphasises personal development but has one eye firmly on the marketplace which its students will one day enter. Students can take part in activities such as producing a school magazine, debating, flamenco, taekwondo, first aid, film making and more. They learn Spanish, and they can opt to take a second language such as Mandarin, Arabic, French, Latin or Italian. A trading floor is being established where students will be able to learn about economics and develop skills for the future. Initiatives such as the Think Green Team and projects linked to The Hackney Primary Health Care Trust and the Child Development Centre, among others, take the Academy and its students out into the wider community, to the benefit of everyone involved.
was instrumental in setting up the Academy, says: ‘The Petchey Academy wants to serve all the young people in its community. There is no selection on ability. The aim is to enable all young people to reach their potential. When students first arrive at the Academy Jack Petchey presents them with an acorn in a pouch with these words: ‘This is a symbolic token to remind you that magnificent oak trees grow from small acorns. We hope that during your time at The Petchey Academy you will grow into the adult that you want to be. A person who has developed an enquiring mind and warm personality. Like an oak tree... valued and magnificent!’
From film-making to flamenco Because it is able to follow its own curriculum, The Jack Petchey Academy differs markedly from a local-authority
The Petchey Academy has the freedom to concentrate its resources as it chooses. This means that students with particular needs can be catered for in a way that might not be possible in the state school system. One such student who has benefited from this is Esme Kirk, who this year secured an impressive number of GCSEs including an A* in History and a B in Maths. A good result by anyone’s standards, but a brilliant one for Esme, who has dyslexia. She told the Hackney Learning Trust: “I had problems with spelling and maths because of my dyslexia. I was lucky to have an amazing maths teacher who spent hours and hours with me. I’m delighted I got a B in maths.” Esme plans to continue with the Petchey Academy studying English Literature, History and Textiles before pursuing a career in costume design. One can’t help wondering if Esme could have achieved all this had she attended the school
A rich recipe Trudy Kilcullen, the Chief Operations Officer of the Jack Petchey Foundation, sums it up by saying: “Jack is passionate about young people having the opportunity to further their education and get the best start they can in life, particularly in an area like Hackney which has suffered a great deal in the recent rioting. Academies take the best from the world of business and charity and apply these to the world of education in order to address persistently failing schools. In the case of the Petchey Academy, this rich mix seems to have worked!” Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine 27
Write now...
We are always delighted to get emails and letters telling us about your experiences at our Petchey Leisure Resorts. If you’ve got a story to share about your holiday or there is anything else you’d like to say, email us at magazine@petcheyleisure.com or write to PLeisure Magazine, Exchange House, 13-14 Clements Court, Ilford, Essex IG1 2QY and feel free to attach a photo! We look forward to hearing from you. you’. I have already completed the evaluation questionnaire online and made one or two comments which I trust will be useful to whoever reads clients’ responses. With kind regards, Harry and Flora Speedie by email to Elizabeth Fa, P.A. to the Managing Director
Petchey Travel impresses
The tale of the missing ‘baby’ I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kindness and perseverance in looking for my daughter’s cuddly toy. It is her most treasured possession and she has had it since the first few weeks she was born It broke my heart to think something so loved was forever lost and see her so distraught and myself unable to find a way to console her. If you had not suggested visiting the laundry we would never have found it or known what had happened to it. I am so thankful to you for not dismissing it as unimportant and for going well and truly beyond your job descriptions to rummage through container bins!!! You have turned our holiday around. Rebecca has not stopped smiling since Babi’s return and she is now sleeping peacefully. You will be remembered fondly for many years to come as the Isabels that saved Babi. Thank you, Love Cara and Rebecca Letter addressed to the two Isabels at Vera Beach Club
Top marks
My wife and I wanted you to know how much we enjoyed our one week stay at Grangefield Oasis Club last week. The taxi arrangements went very smoothly and we thank you for that. We also enjoyed our breakfasts which you also organised. The thing we were most taken with was the apartment. There was so much space and it was so well equipped. We didn’t expect such generosity and so we write to say ‘thank 28 PLeisure Magazine - Autumn / Winter 2011
Just wanted to let you all know how much my husband and I and our friends (Mr. and Mrs. White) enjoyed our short break at Oura View Beach Club. We had the pleasure of staying at your resort at the end of last month for a few days and were delighted with the service, and the staff were excellent and very friendly I had booked my parents in to your resort at the end of last year (Mr. and Mrs Gallacher) and they loved their time at the resort, so we decided to give Petchey Travel a try and I have been very impressed. I have recommended your company and the resort on to many friends and family, and I look forward to visiting you again in the future for a longer spell next time!! Well done Petchey, and please pass on our compliments to the staff at the resort. They are very professional and excellent at their jobs. Many thanks for a fabulous break, Mr. and Mrs. Aitken from Johnstone by email to Reception at Oura View Beach Club
Shooting star
I was really thrilled to be the winner of your photographic competition, and I am only too sorry that we weren’t in Portugal to meet with you this week!! We will be back to Oura-View Beach Club for a fortnight in September, which we are looking forward to, especially as summer has yet to arrive in England! We have been to all of the Infiniti Platinum resorts, but once we discovered OVBC (OuraView Beach Club), we haven’t wanted to go anywhere else, as we fell in love with the resort and Portugal at first sight. As I usually take landscape photographs, there is a wealth of wonderful and varied subjects for my camera lens to capture and I never tire of visiting the same location to try and improve on earlier shots. The photographs I sent in for the competition were all taken about 7 o’clock in the morning. I love going down to the beach when the tide is out and at that time in the morning the light is soft and the colours vibrant. Kind regards, Jackie Worley email to the magazine editor
PHOTOFANTASTIC
competition
Winning photo Roger Tuppen
The Photofantastic competition in the last edition of PLeisure was a great success, with a record number of entries flooding into magazine@petcheyleisure. com. The standard was very high, as always, which made it very difficult to choose a winner. But choose we had to, and so after much deliberation the prize of an iPad goes to Roger Tuppen for his highly original photo taken at Clube Praia da Oura Many congratulations to you from us. Here’s the winning photo... Reproduced below are some of the runners-up, who missed out on the 1st prize by a whisker. Great photos. Thanks to all of you.
And the Winners are... Paul Kavanagh
Julio Pereira
Alan Reed
David Potts
COOL KIDS’ COMP WHERE’S BARNEY?
Caroline Dunlop
Thanks to all of you who emailed or wrote in to tell us where Barney Bee had been buzzing off to on his holidays. The answers were: A. New York, United States of America B. Rome, Italy C. Paris, France D. Agra, India We had loads of correct entries, so we put all the names into the Editor’s hat and the one to be pulled out was 12 year old, Alyce Peaty who wins a week’s holiday accommodation for up to four people at one of our Petchey Leisure resorts. Alyce’s tiebreaker sentence was:
‘I’d like to go to Australia because there is a wide variety of outstanding wildlife and one of the animals I would most like to see are the baby joeys, they would be so cute! ‘
Gary Rowe
Many Congratulations to Alyce! Autumn / Winter 2011 - PLeisure Magazine 29
PLEISURE COMPETITION
iLIDnAYaHAKIKiUn! dle! W HO
nt you d win a Kindle. We wa an ill sk rd wo ur yo te here’s demonstra not familiar with, then Calling all creatives re u’ yo rm fo a is iku ha . If the to write a Holiday Haiku few a brief introduction: moment in time in very aning and/or a transitory me syllables, 2nd line seven ed to convey a wealth of verse form that is design in three lines: 1st line five se ed ane ang Jap arr a es is abl ku syll hai The seventeen demonstrate the form: d. Each haiku has just ple of silly examples to cou a are re He . words. Its structure is rigi ary ess ables. Rhyme is not nec syllables, 3rd line five syll (5 syllables) Haiku Example 1 (7 syllables) s l i p a y e m n a m t o l d h e y T h e r e ’ s t , (5 syllables) p i l d a n c u p T w i x t s h i r t y T o o
l at e
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Haiku Example 2
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t h i s w i n t o f i r e - m y w a n t I t h g i l y - b a b n o C o m e k i n d - l i n g s o m e n e e d I
(5 syllables) (7 syllables) (5 syllables)
es you can use tead of seventeen syllabl version of a haiku, and ins e re feeling sur we’ Lei , y way che r Pet the a ano t’s it then try a Plaiku(!) Tha line five words. To put ch, 3rd mu ds, too wor 7 ing idays (which can hol ask line is of 2nd me this If but must be on the the lines: 1st line five words, e like thre in you d ver . nge ate arra wh ds seventeen wor and may the best poet win ny, serious, profound next edition. Good luck Haiku or Plaiku can be fun the y in lida ear Ho r app You will ry us. ent ero g gen winnin e resorts, of course). The include the Petchey Leisur
Terms and conditions: Competitions entrants must be Petchey Leisure members or their families. The winner of the Holiday Haiku will receive a Kindle and the Editor’s decision is final. Entry to the competitions is either by email to magazine@petcheyleisure.com with the name of the competition ‘Holiday Haiku’ in the subject box or by post to The Editor, PLeisure Magazine, Exchange House, 13-14 Clements Court, Clements Lane, Ilford, Essex. IG1 2QY. Contact details, age and membership number must be included with each entry. The closing date for entries is December 31st 2011.
30 PLeisure Magazine - Autumn / Winter 2011