Do you "like"? Do you "tweet"? Do you tube? Does your business do any or all of these things and, if so, does it really know what it is doing with them?
Social media. Social networks. Once upon a time, social networks were just networks of people, doing what people do, i.e. being social, being friends, being business acquaintances. Whatever the type of network, the purpose is the same: to make contact and connections.
And that's what it's about. "Making connections." The words of Seamus Cullen at No Frills Excursions when I told him I was going to be talking to his business partner, Toni Alenyar, about social media.
No Frills is a small business, but it is a successful one, and one reason why it is successful is that it goes about its business in a purposeful fashion. It plans. And among its plans is one for the use of social media. I have a copy: all fourteen pages of it.
Not every business can devote significant time and resources to social media, but most have come to appreciate that they are, as Toni says, "essential tools". Many businesses have Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and the like, but do they really appreciate what they are doing with them?
No Frills is guided by a seven-step strategy. It is one that is partly specific to it as an excursions' operator, but most of the steps can be applied to or adapted by any business. How the company uses social media is geared to meeting one or more of these seven steps. Crucially, they are not the company's, they are the customer's.
From the customer's seeking of holiday inspiration and information to his planning and decision-making, to his taking action (making a booking and travelling) and to his sharing of his experiences, social media accompany each step along the way.
No Frills tests out any social media going. With some it is a case of learning what they offer and which may assume greater importance in the future. But with all its social media activity, there is a wish for the business to be visible, to enhance its reputation and to be seen as innovative.
Of the different networks, the most important to the company are Facebook, You Tube and Trip Advisor. The glowing reviews that No Frills attracts on Trip Advisor come quite obviously as a result of good experiences and good service, but the company actively encourages customers to review what it does, whether good or not so good, and spends time in responding to reviews which are posted.
The sharing of experiences by customers on Trip Advisor is the seventh step in the company's strategic approach, but it can just as easily be seen as the first step. As Toni points out, Trip Advisor is that significant now that a majority of travellers consult it as part of their initial planning.
The attention given to the traveller's information-gathering process is one that has led No Frills to be highly proactive and innovative. For example, it now makes short videos about hotels and posts them on You Tube. Why? Because someone interested in coming on holiday searches for information about specific hotels. No Frills videos give a short tour of the hotel and other relevant information about the resort, and relevance is a keyword in Toni's vocabulary.
But how does this benefit the business? It's not about selling as such. Of course, selling is the outcome that is sought, but it comes back to making connections. Someone sees a video about a hotel, it comes from No Frills, there will be some means of connecting to more No Frills information and the result ... There may be a sale either online or in-resort. Critically though, trust and credibility are being created.
Actually quantifying the benefits of the company's social media activity is nigh on impossible. Toni freely admits this. But then much promotional activity is hard or impossible to quantify. It is hard to place a value on the benefits derived from visibility, reputation and innovation, but social media, used well and planned well, will bring such benefits, and the importance attached to social media by No Frills is reflected by the fact that there is now a full-time member of staff who concentrates on the company's internet presence.
There is way more to the No Frills internet story. I've not mentioned how Google search enquiries have helped to create a whole separate website, I've not mentioned that each of the four No Frills offices (three in Puerto Alcúdia and one in Puerto Pollensa) has its own You Tube channel, and I've not mentioned Henry the elephant. You might guess though that Henry has his own Facebook page.
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Showing posts with label No Frills Excursions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label No Frills Excursions. Show all posts
Saturday, July 09, 2011
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Dog Day Afternoon: Santa Maria
Late summer came early on Saturday. The heat consumed the interior for the first time this year. The Sirius dog star had not risen, but the Luna dog, with the madness of the moon that had yet to wax, was crazy with the smell from a grill and trophies to be sniffed and dug from the sienna terrain, the red-stone earth, scrubbed like a maquis beneath the hills of plane and pine trees.
Here is the hinterland, and within it a duo-turreted folly of a finca home of some one hundred years provenance. In the dog days of late summer, the heat will wrap you in its bear-like paws, the escape being the mid-afternoon breezes that flap like swallows carried on the cooling thermals of the mestral or tramuntana, except when the Sahara blows its occasional and contrary migjorn from a stifling south.
This is Santa Maria. Santa Maria del Camí, to give the village its full name. Saint Mary of the way. Along the way, through Santa Maria, are the local areas from Son Pou in its northern entrance to Es Torrent Fals at its southern exit. As falls Santa Maria, so falls Torrent falls. And along the way is this house. Cal Tio Tomeu. Uncle Tom's house, I guess. Certainly more than a cabin. Built like an outhouse. "It must be cold in winter." Yes, it probably is, but not on this day of phoney summer.
Rural Mallorca or even the real Mallorca. This is where they come for an excursion. "You will not see tourists." And you don't. We are not tourists anyway, but we have been following the route down the highway into a cradle created by hills but high enough to be as lookouts for the arrival of the Civil War.
You scan south from the scrub that stretches to a dip, on top of which is a natural watchtower for observation. We are at journey's end. At Uncle Tom's house. The excursion itself, when it starts for summer and lasts through the dog days and into the stormy shifts of September and October, is to the markets of Maria de la Salut and Binissalem, to collect the vegetables for trampó and pa amb oli, to a bodega to collect the wine, all to complement the meat that has already been collected and marinaded for the grill.
Amidst the scrub, there's a small garden that has been laboured on over the winter. It has a baby apple tree and a yet to be born kiwi plant, and other shrubs lining up in a carefully constructed grid formation. The makers of the excursion have been making the garden, frills of flowers and flora, Uncle Tom's tribute allotment.
Rural Mallorca and Mallorca without frills. A large trestle-style table for the food's preparation; everyone chips in, that is part of being a part of rural Mallorca. Ordinary plastic chairs that you fear might bubble in the dog day heat, sheltered by creamy shades in the dreamy other world of the still interior. Still, save for the chatter and laughter and the spit from the grill, save for the odd bark of a mad dog pleadingly looking for scraps.
The simplest can be the best. Everyone says it's the best, or one of the best. And when the food is finished, when the wine has been drunk, when the photos of the old boy who has been the chef and who had waited patiently, drawing on a cigarette, are all taken, so they take the highway back. Away from Uncle Tom's house, back along the way of Santa Maria, towards the sun that will set and towards the dog star as it rises. And there is a contentment, one of simple being the best and one of having peered into an other world of ruralism, away from the madding crowds.
* No Frills Excursions' "Rural Mallorca" tour will be available throughout the season. Luna, by the way, is Seamus's dog.
** Music references duly acknowledged in this piece. Paul Simon, "Graceland"; Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls".
*** Photos at HOT Alcudia Pollensa on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/HOT-alcudiapollensa/124919947527354
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Here is the hinterland, and within it a duo-turreted folly of a finca home of some one hundred years provenance. In the dog days of late summer, the heat will wrap you in its bear-like paws, the escape being the mid-afternoon breezes that flap like swallows carried on the cooling thermals of the mestral or tramuntana, except when the Sahara blows its occasional and contrary migjorn from a stifling south.
This is Santa Maria. Santa Maria del Camí, to give the village its full name. Saint Mary of the way. Along the way, through Santa Maria, are the local areas from Son Pou in its northern entrance to Es Torrent Fals at its southern exit. As falls Santa Maria, so falls Torrent falls. And along the way is this house. Cal Tio Tomeu. Uncle Tom's house, I guess. Certainly more than a cabin. Built like an outhouse. "It must be cold in winter." Yes, it probably is, but not on this day of phoney summer.
Rural Mallorca or even the real Mallorca. This is where they come for an excursion. "You will not see tourists." And you don't. We are not tourists anyway, but we have been following the route down the highway into a cradle created by hills but high enough to be as lookouts for the arrival of the Civil War.
You scan south from the scrub that stretches to a dip, on top of which is a natural watchtower for observation. We are at journey's end. At Uncle Tom's house. The excursion itself, when it starts for summer and lasts through the dog days and into the stormy shifts of September and October, is to the markets of Maria de la Salut and Binissalem, to collect the vegetables for trampó and pa amb oli, to a bodega to collect the wine, all to complement the meat that has already been collected and marinaded for the grill.
Amidst the scrub, there's a small garden that has been laboured on over the winter. It has a baby apple tree and a yet to be born kiwi plant, and other shrubs lining up in a carefully constructed grid formation. The makers of the excursion have been making the garden, frills of flowers and flora, Uncle Tom's tribute allotment.
Rural Mallorca and Mallorca without frills. A large trestle-style table for the food's preparation; everyone chips in, that is part of being a part of rural Mallorca. Ordinary plastic chairs that you fear might bubble in the dog day heat, sheltered by creamy shades in the dreamy other world of the still interior. Still, save for the chatter and laughter and the spit from the grill, save for the odd bark of a mad dog pleadingly looking for scraps.
The simplest can be the best. Everyone says it's the best, or one of the best. And when the food is finished, when the wine has been drunk, when the photos of the old boy who has been the chef and who had waited patiently, drawing on a cigarette, are all taken, so they take the highway back. Away from Uncle Tom's house, back along the way of Santa Maria, towards the sun that will set and towards the dog star as it rises. And there is a contentment, one of simple being the best and one of having peered into an other world of ruralism, away from the madding crowds.
* No Frills Excursions' "Rural Mallorca" tour will be available throughout the season. Luna, by the way, is Seamus's dog.
** Music references duly acknowledged in this piece. Paul Simon, "Graceland"; Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls".
*** Photos at HOT Alcudia Pollensa on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/HOT-alcudiapollensa/124919947527354
Any comments to andrew@thealcudiaguide.com please.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Open Road
Hey ho, what do you know? All that air, most of it hot, all those column inches, all those protests, all those threats of legal action for this and that, and ... the pedestrianisation of the Puerto Pollensa frontline has been called off. Damn. That's put an end to all the fun.
It was probably always the case that it was going to require some impulse that allowed for some face-saving, and that is what has been forthcoming - in the form of objections from public transport interests. These were rarely given much of an airing - hot or not - when the issue first raised the hackles back in the autumn. Surprising perhaps that they seemed not to have been given much consideration or indeed column inches, but it is they that have seemingly led to the change of heart at the town hall which introduced what was always only a trial, it must be remembered, but which caused such an unnecessary fuss owing to a lack of consultation. They (the town hall that is) say they will now look at the whole issue as part of a wider plan for the port, but for now, it's over, and traffic can move in both directions. The key to the abandonment is the fact that the relocation of bus stops would be highly inconvenient. I guess we can also forget the idea that the bus "station", such as it is, the one by the entrance to the Club Náutica, will now not be moving either.
There was also the not insignificant factor of the local police, the head of which had recommended that the road be opened not just in one direction, which had occurred, but in both, a radical proposal for a road with two lanes, I'm sure you'll agree. So, joy all around one supposes and this brings an "end to a botched job" on behalf of the town hall government, or so says the Alternative, i.e. the one-man United Left, who has been a constant critic of the scheme. (Quote in translation from the report in "The Diario".)
Boats and cuttlefish
There had been any number of fingers being crossed this past week. The dire weather, and there were deluges on Friday, had threatened to wash out the spring fair in Puerto Alcúdia - the boat and cuttlefish do. There is a God after all. Well, actually, there isn't, but let's not go into that just at the moment.
The sepia sampling tent was well-thronged, as you might imagine. Anything involving food brings the locals in by the charabanc-load, and today will require convoys to haul in those after some nosebag. It's good to see that people's priorities lie with their stomachs as, away from the scoff, the boat show was a little on the slow side. It was not, though, just a man and his dog, but a man, two women and two dogs - as you can see. But the Saturday is never that busy; today will be packed.
No Frills - new offices
Just a note to say that No Frills Excursions' new offices are now open. In addition to the old one in Avda. Playa in the port, there are two more direct No Frills' outlets in Puerto Alcúdia - one along The Mile, the other opposite the Astoria Playa hotel. There's some credit-crunch busting also - see the WHAT'S ON BLOG - http://www.wotzupnorth.blogspot.com - for details of this and the early April programme, football included.
And yesterday's quote was from, of course, Jezza Clarkson - HIGNFY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZEnfUDVxTs
QUIZ
Yesterday's title - The Turtles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfuRz1w_8ss).
Today's title - from the solo phase, which just went to prove that it is often better to stay in a group.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Beach Baby Beach
I don't know. Would you take your laptop onto the beach? Sand flying everywhere, hands covered in sun lotion, the glare making the screen invisible. Presumably there will be some covered area, but the idea of a Wi-Fi zone on Puerto Alcúdia's beach seems a tad unnecessary. Can we not do without the Internet (and our mobiles come to that) just for a bit? Seems we can't.
This is just one idea that the town hall have dreamt up to transform the beach into what verges on a hotel on the sand. A chill-out area with sunbeds, whatever that is, kiddies' play areas; add the Wi-Fi and it could be just like a hotel but with a giant pool (the sea).
All this is reported on today in "The Bulletin". It goes on to mention new access ways for the disabled and showers (which are fair enough). There is also to be a tannoy system to inform the sunlovers of events taking place on the beach, which sounds ominously like "Hi-De-Hi". Will Gladys be inviting the masses to a knobbly-knees contest by the beach bar? It seems a bit contradictory as well. There you are, relaxing in the chill-out area, and then comes a blast over the PA. "Good morning, campers, at 11 o'clock there will be a Donkey Derby in front of Sunwing." And because Alcúdia is such a cosmopolitan place, the announcements will have to be in several languages, or maybe they'll just do them in Spanish so no one will have a clue what's going on.
I mean, I can see where they're coming from. Information and access to information are no bad things as such, it's just - is this all necessary? The help for the disabled and the showers, absolutely, but splashing out a million or so euros to be able to say that Alcúdia is the first beach to offer all this sounds a touch vain. As for this chill-out area, if this is meant to be a kids-free zone, how do they stop the kids entering it? Children, strangely enough, have a habit of just wandering into places. Are there to be warders with grim faces patrolling the chill-out areas, shouting at an errant infant - "oi, you, 'op it". Except of course it would be "fuera, fuera" and a small child upset by this nasty man, breaking down into a bawling fit. So much for a chill-out area. There's one other thing. It is already the case that a day out on the beach involves transporting the entire contents of a Currys shop - mobile, MP3 player, digital camera, digital camcorder. So adding another item, a laptop, just about completes the set, save for a 42-inch screen television and home cinema system. All this kit though adds up to a tidy sum in terms of value. I just wonder if the addition of laptops might not be tempting for those of a light-fingered orientation.
But being a beach thing, nothing can be done without the say-so of the beach jobsworths, the authorities that give consent for anything that moves or stays put on a beach nowadays. Beach being public space and in the protected zone 100 metres or so from the coastline, nothing gets done without a stamp of environmental approval. Not that anything that is being proposed sounds particularly intrusive in this regard, though I am sure they'll find something. Wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't. Noise pollution. Those tannoys. Hmm.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - NO FRILLS EXCURSIONS
Yes indeed, a special announcement to say that No Frills Excursions will be open for trips from 15 March this year, a good deal earlier than in the past. For obvious reasons, like not everywhere being open, the March and April programme will not be as full as the main-season programme, but there is still a goodly amount on offer. Go to the WHAT'S ON BLOG to see what there is.
QUIZ
Yesterday - The Intruders. "Win, Place Or Show". Today's title - a truly awful record by?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
This is just one idea that the town hall have dreamt up to transform the beach into what verges on a hotel on the sand. A chill-out area with sunbeds, whatever that is, kiddies' play areas; add the Wi-Fi and it could be just like a hotel but with a giant pool (the sea).
All this is reported on today in "The Bulletin". It goes on to mention new access ways for the disabled and showers (which are fair enough). There is also to be a tannoy system to inform the sunlovers of events taking place on the beach, which sounds ominously like "Hi-De-Hi". Will Gladys be inviting the masses to a knobbly-knees contest by the beach bar? It seems a bit contradictory as well. There you are, relaxing in the chill-out area, and then comes a blast over the PA. "Good morning, campers, at 11 o'clock there will be a Donkey Derby in front of Sunwing." And because Alcúdia is such a cosmopolitan place, the announcements will have to be in several languages, or maybe they'll just do them in Spanish so no one will have a clue what's going on.
I mean, I can see where they're coming from. Information and access to information are no bad things as such, it's just - is this all necessary? The help for the disabled and the showers, absolutely, but splashing out a million or so euros to be able to say that Alcúdia is the first beach to offer all this sounds a touch vain. As for this chill-out area, if this is meant to be a kids-free zone, how do they stop the kids entering it? Children, strangely enough, have a habit of just wandering into places. Are there to be warders with grim faces patrolling the chill-out areas, shouting at an errant infant - "oi, you, 'op it". Except of course it would be "fuera, fuera" and a small child upset by this nasty man, breaking down into a bawling fit. So much for a chill-out area. There's one other thing. It is already the case that a day out on the beach involves transporting the entire contents of a Currys shop - mobile, MP3 player, digital camera, digital camcorder. So adding another item, a laptop, just about completes the set, save for a 42-inch screen television and home cinema system. All this kit though adds up to a tidy sum in terms of value. I just wonder if the addition of laptops might not be tempting for those of a light-fingered orientation.
But being a beach thing, nothing can be done without the say-so of the beach jobsworths, the authorities that give consent for anything that moves or stays put on a beach nowadays. Beach being public space and in the protected zone 100 metres or so from the coastline, nothing gets done without a stamp of environmental approval. Not that anything that is being proposed sounds particularly intrusive in this regard, though I am sure they'll find something. Wouldn't be doing their job if they didn't. Noise pollution. Those tannoys. Hmm.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - NO FRILLS EXCURSIONS
Yes indeed, a special announcement to say that No Frills Excursions will be open for trips from 15 March this year, a good deal earlier than in the past. For obvious reasons, like not everywhere being open, the March and April programme will not be as full as the main-season programme, but there is still a goodly amount on offer. Go to the WHAT'S ON BLOG to see what there is.
QUIZ
Yesterday - The Intruders. "Win, Place Or Show". Today's title - a truly awful record by?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Monday, October 08, 2007
Just A Perfect Day
AN ALCUDIAPOLLENSA.BLOGSPOT.COM SPECIAL
From the first encounter you know it will be good. A welcoming smile, a handshake, a sir, a madam; not a simple and often disinterested “hi there” or worse still a “hello, mate”, but a greeting that smacks of client care and professionalism. That client care and professionalism last the whole of the trip, and it is a long trip, a day tour of the island with No Frills Excursions.
What is it that makes for a good excursion? For a tour into the Tramuntana mountains, a catamaran to Port de Soller, the tram to the old town of Soller and then the train to Palma, it is easy to identify the essential components - a comfortable ride, terrific scenery, a stop here and there, a walk here and there. These are the basics. But one asks again - what makes for a good excursion?
Some visitors prefer the freedom of touring the island independently, but many want the organisation of an excursion. They pay for that scenery of course, but they also pay - or rather have the right to expect that they are paying - for something a bit extra. It’s that old management and marketing motto of “added value”. It’s also attention to detail and the notion of putting the customer (sorry, client) first. And client it is. Not customers, not “people”, not “some folk”, but clients.
That question again - what makes for a good excursion? In terms of the island tour, the scenery from the coach, the catamaran, the train is vital, as are the tranquility and sheer awe of the mountains. They all make for a magical experience, a day quite like no other. As does coming across a horse and trap on the hairy mountain road, seeing the mountain goats on their pinnacles of rock, taking in the sheer-faced sleepiness of the cove at Sa Calobra, seeing the new chic of Port de Soller, hearing the rattle of the tram to the town of Soller. All of these things.
But there is far more to it. An excursion, much like a bar or restaurant, is highly intangible. There are the physical elements - the view, the drink, the meal - but it is the rest that makes the difference. That difference lies with a history of the road that runs from Alcúdia to Puerto Pollensa; lies with giving a geological explanation for the different colours of sand in response to a client question; lies with stating and then re-stating important information (times of meeting for instance); lies with the called-ahead orders for a restaurant; lies with the organisation of clients within good time for the tram journey; lies with the touches of humour and all the additional information; lies with being available all the time. It was Toni on this occasion, but it could have been someone else at No Frills. And all this carried off with patience and courtesy; all carried off in October during a long day trip at the end of a long season.
Just in case you are wondering. A friend went on the No Frills island tour. This is an interpretation of his day and his impressions. This is no article in exchange for. The trip was paid for. This is an independent opinion. “Brilliant” was the word; that summed up a perfect day.
QUIZ
Yesterday - Jan and Dean. The Carpenters only as a last resort. Today’s title? Way too easy, so on the BBC version who played the sax solo?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
From the first encounter you know it will be good. A welcoming smile, a handshake, a sir, a madam; not a simple and often disinterested “hi there” or worse still a “hello, mate”, but a greeting that smacks of client care and professionalism. That client care and professionalism last the whole of the trip, and it is a long trip, a day tour of the island with No Frills Excursions.
What is it that makes for a good excursion? For a tour into the Tramuntana mountains, a catamaran to Port de Soller, the tram to the old town of Soller and then the train to Palma, it is easy to identify the essential components - a comfortable ride, terrific scenery, a stop here and there, a walk here and there. These are the basics. But one asks again - what makes for a good excursion?
Some visitors prefer the freedom of touring the island independently, but many want the organisation of an excursion. They pay for that scenery of course, but they also pay - or rather have the right to expect that they are paying - for something a bit extra. It’s that old management and marketing motto of “added value”. It’s also attention to detail and the notion of putting the customer (sorry, client) first. And client it is. Not customers, not “people”, not “some folk”, but clients.
That question again - what makes for a good excursion? In terms of the island tour, the scenery from the coach, the catamaran, the train is vital, as are the tranquility and sheer awe of the mountains. They all make for a magical experience, a day quite like no other. As does coming across a horse and trap on the hairy mountain road, seeing the mountain goats on their pinnacles of rock, taking in the sheer-faced sleepiness of the cove at Sa Calobra, seeing the new chic of Port de Soller, hearing the rattle of the tram to the town of Soller. All of these things.
But there is far more to it. An excursion, much like a bar or restaurant, is highly intangible. There are the physical elements - the view, the drink, the meal - but it is the rest that makes the difference. That difference lies with a history of the road that runs from Alcúdia to Puerto Pollensa; lies with giving a geological explanation for the different colours of sand in response to a client question; lies with stating and then re-stating important information (times of meeting for instance); lies with the called-ahead orders for a restaurant; lies with the organisation of clients within good time for the tram journey; lies with the touches of humour and all the additional information; lies with being available all the time. It was Toni on this occasion, but it could have been someone else at No Frills. And all this carried off with patience and courtesy; all carried off in October during a long day trip at the end of a long season.
Just in case you are wondering. A friend went on the No Frills island tour. This is an interpretation of his day and his impressions. This is no article in exchange for. The trip was paid for. This is an independent opinion. “Brilliant” was the word; that summed up a perfect day.
QUIZ
Yesterday - Jan and Dean. The Carpenters only as a last resort. Today’s title? Way too easy, so on the BBC version who played the sax solo?
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
OTT?
There has been a fine spat going on between Alexei Sayle and our old mate, Leapy Lee. A less likely combination one could hardly imagine; one, a reconstructed communist and comedian of repute (The Young Ones, OTT, The Comic Strip etc.), the other, not.
For those of you who do not know, Leapy pens a weekly column in Euro Weekly. It is often provocative. There is nothing wrong with being provocative, but provocation has to be tempered to lend it some charm. Otherwise, it is wholly one-dimensional and, as such, worth less than a fig. One can think of numerous columnists who provoke - Simon Jenkins, Boris Johnson, Matthew Parris, Simon Hoggard (from the political arena); Danny Baker, Victor Lewis-Smith, A.A. Gill, Martin Samuel and, yes, Alexei Sayle (from a sport/entertainment arena); Rod Liddle, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Littlejohn, all of whom can rant for England and can be utterly outrageous. These columnists represent a broad church of political leanings. But what all have in common is that they are either informed, intellectual, humorous, tangential thinkers, ironic, sharp observers, or often a combination of all these things.
Now I don’t expect local expat newspapers to be of “Fleet Street” standard, nor do I expect their contributors to be. I can understand the constraints on such papers. But I do expect at least one of the qualities I list above when it comes to contributions. What I do not expect is the equivalent of the pub bore who sidles up to you and earholes you for fifteen minutes on God knows what.
I must just say I think Euro Weekly is not too bad. It has its moments of curious reporting, as I have noted before on this blog, but it’s a well put-together paper, and I like Gordon, the guy who runs it on the island. Which brings me though to this spat.
Alexei Sayle, writing in The Independent, had a right old go at Leapy. To give a flavour of this, I quote: “Yes, that’s my idea of the perfect columnist, some expat singer with a criminal record and views tailor-made for his audience of drink-sozzled, golf-playing Costa Brits.” I only know this and can quote it because Leapy, having taken umbrage (understandably I guess), repeated it (along with much more) in his column. Now I would have thought that, having been the target of a vitriolic hatchet-job, you might prefer to keep it quiet. No, not Leapy. He goes ahead and reproduces it, for which we should be grateful. Had he not, we might never have known.
FIESTAS
Just to say that the Sant Jaume and Sant Crist fiestas are coming up in Alcúdia. Information on the What’s On Blog. Sant Crist happens only every three years, and this year is the 500th anniversary - some malarkey about sweating blood and tears and turning them into water, or something like that.
SERVICE OF THE WEEK
Also on the What’s On Blog, you will find some regular offers from our good friends at No Frills Excursions, based in Puerto Alcúdia. So, here is a Service of the Week thing - NO FRILLS EXCURSIONS:
Where: Avenida de la Playa 13, Puerto Alcúdia and various sales outlets around and about, plus web: www.nofrills-excursions.com.
What: Excursions all over the island, such as Marineland, Palma, Soller etc. Also local events such as the Alcúdia Bar Crawl.
When: Er, this doesn’t quite work like it does for bars, but no matter - something every day!
Who: Seamus and Toni are your men. Then there is Lisa and numerous others.
Why: Low-cost but high-quality excursions with a strong personal touch, well-informed and friendly guides who make for a great experience.
Quiz: So, what was Alexei Sayle’s hit record? (One thing he has in common with Leapy is that he, too, was a one-hit wonder.) I forgot to mention that Troy Tempest was modelled on James Garner. And as for 200 Motels etc, it was Frank Zappa, though strictly speaking the song lyric came from a collaboration with Captain Beefheart (the album “Bongo Fury”). The lyric referred to the 200th anniversary of American independence.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
For those of you who do not know, Leapy pens a weekly column in Euro Weekly. It is often provocative. There is nothing wrong with being provocative, but provocation has to be tempered to lend it some charm. Otherwise, it is wholly one-dimensional and, as such, worth less than a fig. One can think of numerous columnists who provoke - Simon Jenkins, Boris Johnson, Matthew Parris, Simon Hoggard (from the political arena); Danny Baker, Victor Lewis-Smith, A.A. Gill, Martin Samuel and, yes, Alexei Sayle (from a sport/entertainment arena); Rod Liddle, Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Littlejohn, all of whom can rant for England and can be utterly outrageous. These columnists represent a broad church of political leanings. But what all have in common is that they are either informed, intellectual, humorous, tangential thinkers, ironic, sharp observers, or often a combination of all these things.
Now I don’t expect local expat newspapers to be of “Fleet Street” standard, nor do I expect their contributors to be. I can understand the constraints on such papers. But I do expect at least one of the qualities I list above when it comes to contributions. What I do not expect is the equivalent of the pub bore who sidles up to you and earholes you for fifteen minutes on God knows what.
I must just say I think Euro Weekly is not too bad. It has its moments of curious reporting, as I have noted before on this blog, but it’s a well put-together paper, and I like Gordon, the guy who runs it on the island. Which brings me though to this spat.
Alexei Sayle, writing in The Independent, had a right old go at Leapy. To give a flavour of this, I quote: “Yes, that’s my idea of the perfect columnist, some expat singer with a criminal record and views tailor-made for his audience of drink-sozzled, golf-playing Costa Brits.” I only know this and can quote it because Leapy, having taken umbrage (understandably I guess), repeated it (along with much more) in his column. Now I would have thought that, having been the target of a vitriolic hatchet-job, you might prefer to keep it quiet. No, not Leapy. He goes ahead and reproduces it, for which we should be grateful. Had he not, we might never have known.
FIESTAS
Just to say that the Sant Jaume and Sant Crist fiestas are coming up in Alcúdia. Information on the What’s On Blog. Sant Crist happens only every three years, and this year is the 500th anniversary - some malarkey about sweating blood and tears and turning them into water, or something like that.
SERVICE OF THE WEEK
Also on the What’s On Blog, you will find some regular offers from our good friends at No Frills Excursions, based in Puerto Alcúdia. So, here is a Service of the Week thing - NO FRILLS EXCURSIONS:
Where: Avenida de la Playa 13, Puerto Alcúdia and various sales outlets around and about, plus web: www.nofrills-excursions.com.
What: Excursions all over the island, such as Marineland, Palma, Soller etc. Also local events such as the Alcúdia Bar Crawl.
When: Er, this doesn’t quite work like it does for bars, but no matter - something every day!
Who: Seamus and Toni are your men. Then there is Lisa and numerous others.
Why: Low-cost but high-quality excursions with a strong personal touch, well-informed and friendly guides who make for a great experience.
Quiz: So, what was Alexei Sayle’s hit record? (One thing he has in common with Leapy is that he, too, was a one-hit wonder.) I forgot to mention that Troy Tempest was modelled on James Garner. And as for 200 Motels etc, it was Frank Zappa, though strictly speaking the song lyric came from a collaboration with Captain Beefheart (the album “Bongo Fury”). The lyric referred to the 200th anniversary of American independence.
(PLEASE REPLY TO andrew@thealcudiaguide.com AND NOT VIA THE COMMENTS THINGY HERE.)
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