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Benidorm hits out at ‘Benidoom’ label
Benidorm tourism bosses say they were “shocked and bewildered” by a report in The Sun yesterday that claimed the Spanish beach resort was in decline after being abandoned by the Brits.
The Sun newspaper said the resort was “fast becoming a pit of depression and despair”. A state-backed survey showed visitor numbers from the UK – its largest market – were down almost 13% year on year in April and the paper said reporters visiting the resort last week found “scores of British-owned businesses boarded up, deserted nightclubs and beaches full of empty sun loungers”.
However, the director of tourism for Benidorm Yolanda Pickett Fernandez said UK visitor numbers were still rising, even despite Ryanair’s decision to cut the number of budget flights to Alicante, the resort’s closest airport. Source
We were away at the time so I decided to go down to Benidorm at 6pm tonight and take some photos for you. I have not found Benidorm as depicted by the Sun!
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7pm Tuesday
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Tuesday 7.15
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around 6.30pm
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around 7pm
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taken around 7.015pm
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taken around 6.30pm
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- 7pm Tuesday
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- Tuesday 7.15
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- around 6.30pm
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- around 7pm
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- taken around 7.015pm
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- taken around 6.30pm
These pictures were taken between 6.30 and 8pm. Many people will have left the beaches to go and eat and the hotels will be serving around this time. I didn’t really see a huge drop in what I would have expected to see at this time. I will add that many of the bars that have closed down on the Levante or more British side were often operated by people with little or no experience of running bars in the first place. There are casualties of the recession but not quite to the doom and gloom apparently depicted. A lot of the problem stems from the all-inclusive hotels which are depriving the bars of traditional trade. It might also be that people are getting fed up with Tribute Acts and Karaoke. One bar owner told me the town has changed dramatically and he sees the Levante side has gone very much towards more involvement from the East Europeans. He has been through bad times and good times and this is the worst he’s seen. I suppose I find myself in a maze of contradictory information. It certainly isn’t the Benidorm to which we first came but then we’ve changed as well.
The Day’s Events 8th August1588 – The Spanish Armada was defeated by the English fleet ending an invasion attempt. We don’t talk much about this
1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena, in the South Atlantic. The remainder of his life was spent there in exile. Nice place
1866 – African-American explorer Matthew A. Henson was born. Henson, along with Robert Peary and their Eskimo guide, were the first people to reach the North Pole. Brave man
1899 – The refrigerator was patented by A.T. Marshall. Thank God for the fridge
1900 – In Boston, the first Davis Cup series began. The U.S. team defeated Great Britain three matches to zero. Don’t rub it in
1940 – The German Luftwaffe began a series of daylight air raids on Great Britain.Terrible hits on London, Plymouth, Birmingham, Coventry, Bristol and Liverpool etc
1942 – Six Nazi saboteurs were executed in Washington after conviction. Two others were cooperative and received life in prison. Bad times
1945 – During World War II, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan. Probably helped swing the war the Allies way
1956 – Japan launched an oil tanker that was 780 feet long and weighed 84,730 tons. It was the largest oil tanker in the world. Great feat of shipbuilding but bad news for the environment if the tanker runs aground
1963 – The “Great Train Robbery” took place in Britain. A gang of 15 thieves stole 2.6 million pounds in bank notes. It’s easy to overlook the fact that the train driver was badly injured
1966 – Michael DeBakey became the first surgeon to install an artificial heart pump in a patient. Wonderful
1974 – U.S. President Nixon announced that he would resign the following day. The right thing to do
1978 – The U.S. launched Pioneer Venus II, which carried scientific probes to study the atmosphere of Venus. I’m not convinced it’s money well spent
1985 – Near Frankfurt, outside the Rhein-Mein U.S. air base, a bomb exploded killing two Americans. The bomb was blamed on the Red Army Faction. Bad
1986 – A car bomb exploded in Beirut, the third in 12 days, killing 17 people. Very bad
1988 – It was announced that a cease-fire between Iraq and Iran had begun. Good
1989 – The space shuttle Columbia took off from Cape Canaveral, FL. The trip was said to be a secret five-day military mission. OK -so spill the beans
1991 – John McCarthy, a British TV producer was released by his Lebanese kidnappers. He had been held captive for more than five years. A rival group abducted Jerome Leyraud in retaliation and threatened to kill him if any more hostages were released. A brave journalist
1994 – The first road link between Israel and Jordan opened. Good
1994 – Representatives from China and Taiwan signed a cooperation agreement. Good
1995 – Saddam Hussein’s two eldest daughters, their husbands, and several senior army officers defected. I don’t blame them
The Day’s Music Events 8th August
1960, 16-year old Brian Hyland went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini’ it made No.8 in the UK. Also a UK No.1 for Bombalurina featuring TV presenter Timmy Mallett in 1990.These were very different versions and each good in its own way
1960, Decca Records scrapped 25,000 copies of Ray Peterson’s ‘Tell Laura I Lover Her’ because they felt the song, which recounts the last thoughts of a teenager dying from a car accident, was “too tasteless and vulgar”. A cover version by Ricky Valance, went to No.1 on the UK chart a month later.This was another big mistake by Decca who had rejected The Beatles
1963, The Searchers were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Sweets For My Sweet’, the group’s first of three UK No.1′s. I love this and I also love the original by the American Drifters
1966, In response to John Lennon’s remark about The Beatles being bigger than Jesus, The South African Broadcasting Corporation banned all Beatles records. Also on this day The Beatles LP Revolver was released in the US, the bands seventh album featured: ‘Taxman’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘I’m Only Sleeping’, ‘Here, There and Everywhere’, ‘She Said She Said’, ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’. It spent 77 weeks on the Billboard chart peaking at No.1. It was a silly mistake by John and I would bet his words were regretted
1969, The photo session for the cover of The Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ album took place on the crossing outside Abbey Road studios. Photographer Iain McMillan, balanced on a step-ladder in the middle of the road took six shots of John, Ringo, Paul, and George walking across the zebra crossing while a policeman held up the traffic. This must be one of the best known photographs ever taken
1970, Janis Joplin bought a headstone for the grave of her greatest influence Bessie Smith at the Mont Lawn Cemetery in Philadelphia. Blues singer Smith died in 1937 after being refused admission to a whites only hospital.What a terrible reflection of those times
. 1981, MTV broadcast its first stereo concert with REO Speedwagon who performed in Denver, Colorado, having just released the album Hi Infidelity and the hit singles, ‘Keep On Loving You,’ ‘Take It On the Run’ and ‘Don’t Let Him Go.’ Brilliant concept brilliant music
1983, Harold Melvin and members from The Bluenotes were arrested in Atlantic City on charges of cocaine possession.Were they charged?
1986, David Crosby of Crosby, Stills and Nash was released from prison after serving three years for drug and weapons possession. His conviction would be overturned by a Texas appeals court in November 1987. Good. Get back to what you do best
1987, U2 scored their second US No.1 single from their ‘Joshua Tree’ album with ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’. Great band
1991, On A Friday, (later to become known as Radiohead) appeared at The Jericho Tavern, Oxford, England. The band had met while attending Abingdon School, a boys-only public school. “On a Friday”, referred to the band’s usual rehearsal day in the school’s music room.
1992, Madonna went to No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘This Used To Be My Playground’. A No.3 hit in the UK, the track was taken from the film ‘A League Of Their Own.’ I don’t know it
1992, Snap! Started a six-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with ‘Rhythm Is A Dancer’ the dance group’s second and last No.1 was also a Top 5 US hit. I like this track
1996, Kiss appeared at the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio on their 192 date Alive World Tour. During this show a fan threw his fake leg on stage, which all the members signed and handed back to him. Nice touch
1998, The Spice Girls had the UK No.1 single with ‘Viva Forever’, their 7th UK chart topper. Brandy and Monica were at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘The Boy Is Mine’. Oh really?
2002, The UK’s biggest undertakers Co-Op funeral services reported that bereaved families preferred pop songs to hymns at funerals. Top of the list was ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ by Bette Midler. Other songs included ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams and ‘My Heart Will Go On’ by Celine Dion. They also reported some unusual choices including ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ by Queen and ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go’ by Wham! Maybe a bit of humour is necessary for some mourners
2006, ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean was at No.1 on the UK singles chart-great track
2007, The US National Musical Publishers’ Association joined other businesses in seeking to sue YouTube claiming songwriters were not being properly compensated when their music appeared on the site. The legal action had been combined with those of several other companies, including Viacom and Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and Comedy Central.This is a big problem
Born on this day
1927, Andy Warhol, pop artist and producer, the founder of the Pop Art movement. Produced and managed The Velvet Underground, designed the 1967 Velvet Underground and Nico, ‘peeled banana’ album cover and The Rolling Stones ‘Sticky Fingers’ album cover. Warhol died on 22nd February 1987 after a gall bladder operation.
1933, Joe Tex, US soul singer, (1965 US No.5 single ‘Hold On To What You’ve Got’, 1977 UK No.2 single ‘Ain’t Gonna Bump No More With No Big Fat Woman’). Tex died on 12th August 1982 aged 49.
1942, John David, drums, Dr Hook, (1972 US No.5 & UK No.2 single ‘Sylvia’s Mother’ plus 9 other US Top 40 hits).
1949, Airrion Love, singer, The Stylistics, (1975 US No.1 single ‘You Make Me Feel Brand New’, 1975 UK No.1 single ‘Can’t Give You Anything But My Love’ plus 15 other UK top 40 singles).
1950, Andy Fairweather-Low, singer, songwriter, Amen Corner, (1969 UK No.1 single ‘If Paradise Is Half As Nice’). Solo (1975 UK No.6 single ‘Wide Eyed And Legless’). As a session guitarist has worked with Bob Dylan, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Elton John, Jackson Browne, Bill Wyman, Sheryl Crow and Ringo Starr.
1956, Ali Score, A Flock Of Seagulls, (1982 UK No.10 single ‘Wishing If I Had A Photograph Of You’).
1956, David Grant, Linx, (1981 UK No.7 single ‘Intuition’).
1958, Christopher Foreman, guitar, Madness, (1982 UK No.1 single ‘House Of Fun’ & over 20 other UK top 40 hits)
1961, The Edge (Dave Evans), guitar, U2, (1984 UK No.3 single ‘Pride, In The Name Of Love’ plus over 25 other UK Top singles, 1987 UK and worldwide No.1 album ‘The Joshua Tree’ spent 156 weeks on the UK chart. Scored five consecutive US No.1 albums from 1987.)
