Things of huge interest to some

"Start planning your summer adventure now! We are pleased to announce the launch of our summer schedules for travel between 27th March 2011 to 18th September 2011. Flights are now on sale to popular summer sun destinations including Malaga, Malta and Paphos. We are rolling out more routes and destinations over the next couple of days so keep checking the site for updates. Welcome back sun..."

http://www.ryanair.com/en/notices/gops/100924-ES-strike29sep-GB

Ryanair will operate extra FLIGHTS FROM DUBLIN and LONDON STANSTED to MALAGA on Thurs 30th Sep and extra flights from MALAGA to LONDON STANSTED AND DUBLIN on Thurs 30th Sep.    Passengers on cancelled flights today will be able to move to these extra flights free of charge. Click here to rebook your flight.  If you have already checked in on another alternative flight you will NOT be able to transfer online and if you wish to do this you will need to call our reservation centre

EXTRA FLIGHTS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE

Updated: 28th Sept @18:00hrs – Ryanair forced to cancel ALL Spanish domestic flights on 29 Sep and most  International flights to/from Spain on 29th Sept

Click here to go to RYANAIR SITE WITH DETAILS: CHECK IF YOUR FLIGHT'S CANCELLED.

RYANAIR UPDATE FOR WED 29th: PLEASE READ >>> THIS <<< URGENTLY.

Ryanair reminds all passengers that due to strike action by some transport unions in Spain on Wednesday 29th September 2010 all flights to/from Spain on the 29th September will operate with cabin baggage only.

ALL PASSENGERS INTENDING TO TRAVEL ON RYANAIR FLIGHTS TO/FROM SPAIN (inc. Balearic & Canary Islands) ON WEDNESDAY THE 29TH SEPTEMBER ARE NOW REQUIRED TO RE-CHECK-IN ONLINE UP TO 23:00HRS (GMT) ON THE 28TH SEPTEMBER AND REPRINT NEW BOARDING PASSES.  THIS WILL FACILITATE PASSENGERS AND REDUCE POTENTIAL QUEUES AT THE AIRPORTS. 

etc...etc ...etc...

See my previous two posts re Easyjet and Ryanair...

CRUCIAL especially if you were planning to travel 29th with HOLD luggage.

URGENT: You should read this from Easyjet ..

CHECK YOUR FLIGHT SITUATION.

http://easyjethotels.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3970

Wednesday 29 Sept - All Flights to/from Spain  - Hand Baggage Only

READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE

There is an official Spanish website http://www.060.es/060/appmanager/portal/desktop/ which looks like it is in the process of being translated into English (at the moment only the titles are in English) This site is very useful for all types of information regarding living in Spain:- Health, taxes, passports, education, housing, work, retirement, getting married, trafico etc. It is like a Citizens bureau information centre.

The website takes you to the correct institution and if you have a digital certificate you can process lots of paperwork online. ( useful if you can understand Spanish)

I would advise bookmarking this page and checking on it to see if it gets fully translated into English.

Check it out HERE

The comments which people have posted on the site are
Mike says:
September 15, 2010 at 1:40 am
He has now backed down and is willing, once again, to receive e-mails direct from Nationwide members.
Here’s the new address for Graham Beale: gjbeale2@)nationwide.co.uk

and

Dr Search- Principal Consultant at the Search Clinic says:
September 15, 2010 at 8:18 am
Further to the handy news on the Nationwide boss’s new email address, I see that the CEO Email Address website at www.ceomail.com has been updated with his phone number as well:
(Tel: 01793 513 513 then say “Graham Beale”)
 

Taken from here.

The Nationwide Building Society chief executive has come under fire for changing his email address following protests about alterations to the society’s FlexAccount.

Until recently, all members could contact Graham Beale, chief executive of the society, directly through his email address graham.beale@nationwide.co.uk

But anyone now trying to contact him using that address receives an immediate email from Nationwide’s online security system saying: “It has not been possible to deliver your message to graham.beale@nationwide.co.uk as this account has been closed. If your inquiry is customer service related, please re-send your message to customer.services@nationwide.co.uk.

Alternatively if you want to contact our chief executive, please re-send your email to CEO@nationwide.co.uk.”

Although the second address intimates that emails sent to the CEO will get Beale’s attention, Marcus Williamson, an IT consultant and Nationwide customer of 20 years standing, points out that this, too, is an email box with no guarantee that the chief executive will read the contents.

Emails to this address get the following response: “Thank you for contacting Nationwide. We confirm receipt of your email, and will ensure you receive a response shortly. Please note, this email box is only serviced during normal working hours – 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays. This is an automated response, please do not respond to this message.”

Williamson says: “This is not a true way of reaching Graham Beale, but an attempt to kid people into believing that they are dealing with the CEO, when they are not.

“He used to be very responsive but in the last four weeks it seems like he has closed down that address and stopped responding to me.”

Williamson runs a site CEO Email addresses at – http://www.ceoemail.com/ – to help customers contact CEOs directly rather than dealing with customer service departments. He says he has never come across one changing their email address in this way before.

“When I spoke to Nationwide, they claim they have had to close the address because of the large amounts of spam received. This cannot be true.

“I believe that Nationwide has closed Graham Beale’s email because of the large number of customers who have emailed him recently protesting about proposed changes to the Nationwide FlexAccount. This used to be the best account for use abroad but Nationwide intends to take away these benefits.”

Nationwide announced a few weeks ago that from November it will raise the charges for spending and cash withdrawals using the FlexAccount card to 2% both in Europe and the rest of the world. Previously only those using their card outside Europe were charged for the service, and even then only 1% of the transaction cost.
 

Williamson observed: “The Nationwide used to be very good, very responsive, but it’s now more like a bank. It used to be proud to say that it was different, But it’s not that different anymore.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1311887/Almost-45-Ryanair-passengers-enter-UK-passport-checks-Border-Agency-blunder.html

A plane-load of people flew into Britain from Spain without having their documents checked in either country, officials have admitted.

Passengers on the Ryanair flight are furious that there was no system in place to check for possible illegal immigrants or terrorists.

The plane left Malaga and flew into Bournemouth, where the 180 passengers walked out of the airport without showing their passports.

It is thought a break-down in communication meant that no officials from the UK Border Agency were at the airport to check the passports when the flight landed.

Bob Shepherd, 59, the managing director of an overseas property company based in Spain, and a frequent flyer, said airport security had been farcical.

He said: 'The bottom line is that something like 180 people got into England via Bournemouth Airport without any form of identification required.

Bournemouth Airport's security was a farce on that day.'  He added that there had been no passport control in Malaga, which he said heightened the danger of illegal entry to the UK.

'It was bizarre the way we were waved through in Malaga. I could have had Mickey Mouse on my passport.

'I could have been a known terrorist going through Bournemouth without being stopped.' 

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said it was the responsibility of the airline or handling company to advise their staff when inbound flights arrive.

He said: 'We were not notified on this occasion until passengers had passed through to the baggage reclaim area.

'We are concerned that this situation occurred and we are working with the airport to ensure it does not happen again.' 
 

A spokesman for Bournemouth Airport said the situation should not have occurred.

He said: 'The airport is urgently investigating how the airline's handling agent allowed passengers to enter the arrivals building before UK Border Agency staff were in place to receive them.' 
 

But Tony Grunskill, a spokesman for airport operations firm, Servisair, blamed human error from UK Border Agency staff.

He said: 'My understanding is that UKBA staff did not look at the arrivals board.

'The flight arrived off-schedule. Our staff directed passengers downstairs to where they thought the UKBA staff were waiting.

'Our staff worked to the best of their knowledge that the UKBA were there.

'We are having top-level meetings with the immigration people and with the airport so that this does not happen again.' 
 

The flight took off at 2.30pm on Wednesday in last week.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/09/worlds-most-cramped-airline-seat-to-launch-next-week/

NEWS FLASH from  SIMPLE NETWORKING 10/9/2010

Click coloured link.

From RTN

VALENCIA’S NOTORIOUS ‘land grab’ laws have pushed Spain into an embarrassing court case and a direct confrontation with the European Union next week.
The European Commission is prosecuting “defendant” the Kingdom of Spain over the controversial LRAU legislation and its replacement, the LUV.
And as a result the matter is listed for hearing before a judge in the European Court of Justice at 09.30 on Thursday 16th September. It could result in Spain facing hefty fines.

The matter has come to a head after a complaint by the Costa Blanca based group Abusos Urbanisticos No, the high profile campaign group fighting to protect the rights of property owners and the environment.
And while the AUN – formed as a protest against the abuses of the LRAU and LUV - began legal proceedings more than five years ago, it had convinced the Commission to take on the case as a clear breach of EU law and the human rights of citizens.

SPAIN
Spain is called on to answer the charges because the state rather than the Valencian Community is a member of the EU and committed to its laws.
However, it will be argued that Madrid failed to keep “its children” in regional government in line over law making – Valencia’s laws heavily flawed in the eyes of protesters and MEPs dealing with thousands of complaints.
Under the land grab laws, property owners are forced to give up land and pay for infrastructure – or both – for large scale urbanisation passed by local authorities and Valencia.
Repeatedly condemned in the European Parliament, the laws were said be a breach of human rights and turning the Spanish dream into a “nightmare.”
The case centres on the processes used for the award of lucrative public work, supply and service contracts linked to massive development projects – and the Commission will also call for Madrid to pay costs.

FAILURE
The Commission argues the Kingdom of Spain “failed to fulfil its obligations” under EU directives concerning the procedures for the award of public works contracts.
It argues in awarding urban development contracts the Valencian land laws, whether the LRAU, LUV or both, failed to award Integrated Action Programmes – urban development contracts – in accordance with community law regarding the tender process.
A case statement reads: “In other words, the Commission affirms that the IAP are public works contracts awarded by local bodies which include the carrying out of public infrastructure works by urban developers chosen by the local authorities.”
Further, it believes the LUV law “infringes” on directives in relation to the “privileged position” of the first bidder, the experience of bidders in similar contracts, alternative proposals to the first bidder ‘in open envelope’, the regulation of variations and the criteria for awarding contracts.
And it attacks “the possibility of amending the contract after it has been awarded (for example, the possibility of increasing development fees) and the regulation of cases of incomplete execution of the contract by the bidder.

PREDATOR
Charles Svoboda, Vice-president of the AUN, said he hoped the court case would trim the claws of the more predatory aspects of the land grab laws.
“This marks an important – almost final – step in a long process that we hope and trust will seriously erode some of the more predatory aspects of the land laws in this region,” he said.
He said the AUN had yet to see the Advocate General’s opinion – but it was felt the case would not have reached the court if it was “without merit”.
“We understand from our contacts in the Commission that, if his counsel is followed the Spanish government, and through it the Valencia region, will be compelled to modify the application of the land laws so they respect EU laws, notably with regard to public contracts,” said Charles.
“Failing that, the court could impose heavy fines against Spain for non-compliance.”
He said the case had already had positive affects with the Superior Tribunal in Valencia “looking over its shoulder” and insisting both EU and national law be respected.
“That means developers and town halls are going to face some complex obstacles if they try to carry on with their cosy, mutually back-scratching property deals as before,” he added.
“One result is small property owners should be much safer from the property sharks hovering over any area they think would attract new buyers....we should be entering a more positive era for those who wish to feel secure in their home.”



 

Tests suggest vitamin B supplements can dramatically slow the onset of Alzheimer's and similar diseases.

Read >>> THE INDEPENDENT

NOT SO CRAZY!

Let's put the seniors in jail and the criminals in a nursing home. This way the seniors would have access to showers, hobbies and walks.

They'd receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs etc and they'd receive money instead of paying it out.

They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance.

Bedding would be washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them. A guard would check on them every 20 minutes and bring their meals and snacks to their cell.

They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.

They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counseling, pool and education.

Simple clothing, shoes, slippers, PJ's and legal aid would be free, on request.

Private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens.

Each senior could have a PC a TV radio and daily phone calls.

There would be a board of directors to hear complaints, and the guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.


The "criminals" would get cold food, be left all alone and unsupervised.

Lights off at 8pm, and showers once a week.

Live in a tiny room and pay £900.00 per month and have no hope of ever getting out.

Justice for all we say.
 

http://www.roundtownnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25156&Itemid=31

From  The Reader.ES

FROM today, September 1, the minimum age for being able to ride a 50cc motorcycle will be increased from 14 to 15.

This is bad news for young teens, who now will not get their hoped-for freedom on wheels as soon as they would have liked.

And manufacturers of mopeds fear a drop in sales as a result.

The issue of the minimum age has been on the table for two years, but the government declared a moratorium to give those affected time to adapt.

This said, spokesman for left-wing party CiU, Jordi Jané, called for the period of grace to be extended.

He stressed that riding a moped is good early training for driving a car and can mean fewer motor accidents among the young when they eventually pass their driving tests.

But the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) says the move could help reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries seen among moped riders.