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Official Newsletter of the Madeira Regency Owners' Association

Number 86

Christmas 2019

The Season’s Greeting to you All!

This year has been for many of us a year of uncertainty while we wait for firm news from the Regency

Club and the Savoy Palace. Fortunately, in recent weeks there has been a steady trickle of pictures and

news on the MROA website; most of it very encouraging. The changing face of Madeira and how

influences—good and bad—are taking effect has also become more evident.

I wish you all a Very Happy New Year The Editor

The following is a digest of recent events, those

planned and other items of interest from the island

news.

An electric boat will connect Calheta to Funchal in

2020

The boat, with capacity for 28 passengers, is under

construction and investment in the project, (from

community funds), will begin next year. Madeira will

have a fully electric boat making daily trips between

Calheta and Funchal.

Epic Swim

In September, Mayra Santos completed an epic swim

from Porto Santo to Madeira. The Naval Club

swimmer was highly acclaimed as she arrived after

42 kilometres of non-stop swimming having taken 12

hours and 5 minutes. An amazing achievement.

Newsletter

NEWS FROM MADEIRA Those who regularly

made the climb up to

Boa Vista Orchids will

be saddened to hear of

the death of Elizabeth

in August of this year.

Very often she would

join visitors, sit and

chat over a cup of tea

and a cake.

The orchid garden was founded in 1960 by Group

Captain Cecil Garten OBE in the grounds of

Quinta Boa Vista, which had been in the family

for a 100 years or so. He retired to Madeira after

a long Air Force career, took on the roll of

Honorary British Consul and devoted himself to

developing the garden and growing orchids.

‘Betty’ was the daughter of Sir William Cooke,

one of the pioneers of orchid breeding,

particularly Cymbidiums, beside being a collector

of rare and beautiful natural species. Both ‘Betty’

and her father served for many years on the

Orchid Committee of the RHS and the Orchid

collection, then known as Wyld Court Orchids,

near Newbury Berkshire, and received

considerable recognition.

After inheriting the orchid plants, Betty brought

them to Madeira where one of the most important

projects became the propagation of rare and

endangered species as their habitats in the wild

are fast being destroyed.

Elizabeth Hera-Garton

Electric Boat

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Marine Life in Funchal Bay In recent months, there have been various sightings of the rarer sea creatures of the Madeiran Archipelago. These include a sea lion which was

swimming off the beach near Clube Naval do Funchal. It seemed very happy to approach bathers and interact with them. It attracted much attention from visitors for a period

of time. Fortunate visitors have reported really good sightings of dolphins during trips on the catamarans

and the Sta. Maria. Some very lucky folk on the Ventura had a sighting of an Orca whale. Not all the sea creatures enjoy the

waters around Madeira quite so much. Sadly the beautiful turtle, below, was found severely injured by ocean plastic debris. She was indeed fortunate to be rescued by Carlos Silva and the crew of VMT Madeira and brought back to health. He writes .“Our friend Turtle is on her way! We rescued her on the 10th of July and it was

released on the 15th of August, after 5 weeks of treatment. I gave her the name Shania from Ojibwas, an American

native name which means: “I am on my way” Special thanks to Professor Thomas Dellinger for finding a solution from the first moment of the rescue. Forever grateful to VETMEDIS Private Hospital; they received with open arms our Shania , and supported all the costs of the surgery and medical attention. And also a huge thanks to Doctor Claúdia responsible for the surgery, all treatments, and all the love and energy she gave to Shania. Finally a big thanks to the crew that rescued the poor creature, and have given her another chance….”

The Madeira Photography Museum – Atelier

Vicente’s, the only one in the country entirely

dedicated to photography, reopened on July 29,

after five years and works worth 1.7 million euros.

The Regional Executive said in an interview with

the Secretary of Tourism and Culture, Paula

Cabaço,“We are talking about an eighteenth

century photographic house, the oldest in the

country, which has gone through four generations

of the same family, so we are talking about a

heritage that tells a lot about Madeirans, was part

of the daily life and the experience of Madeira,”

Atelier Vicente’s, now renamed Madeira

Photography Museum, was founded in 1863 by

Vicente Gomes da Silva and remained operational

until 1978, when the building in the centre of

Funchal and the estate, with more than 1.5 million

negatives, was acquired by the Regional

Government of Madeira.

In 1866, three years after the opening of the house,

Vicente Gomes da Silva received the title of

photographer of the Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) of

Austria and, in 1903, the photographer of the Royal

Portuguese House, which contributed even more to

its importance , making it one of the best equipped

studios of the 19th century.

The space opened to the public in 1982 as a

museum and in 2014 it closed for refurbishment,

restoration and safeguarding of the collection.

“We want to go further in this museum, we want

the Atelier Vicente’s Photography Museum to be a

reference at national level and we want you to be

able to recognise Madeira internationally in this

area,” said Paula Cabaço.

The museum reopened with a temporary exhibition

titled “Treasures of Portuguese Photography of the

19th Century”. A permanent exhibition will include

a collection of practically all large Madeiran

houses and photography of the 19th and 20th

centuries. There is a faithful reconstruction of the

studio in terms of furniture, laboratory equipment,

cameras and props.

The editor visited the museum in early December

and found it to be excellent value, very informative

and a warm welcome from the staff.

It would be an excellent ‘out of the weather’ visit

for a rainy day. Editor

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Did you know Madeira has its very own Snail Farm. The meat of snails is a healthy, delicious and nutritious food

that can be served both at high-end restaurants as well as at a family dinner at home. It has multiple advantages over other types of meat. The snails are bred in a closed-type greenhouses, providing the opportunity for more control of different conditions such as wind, frost, sun and rain. They are able to oversee and control all in and outs of the production process. The fact that our greenhouses are covered and kept closed protects the snails from birds and animals. Being located in the mountain forest – they are protected from the pesticides that could be used by other neighbouring fields, simply because there aren’t any! The consumer always knows that the snails are being kept under perfect conditions, supervised by skilled farmers, are perfectly healthy and controlled by local authorities. The snail Farm is located in the mountains, at 800m elevation, surrounded by eucalyptus forest, providing excellent conditions for the healthy lives of our the snails. From an article in Diário de Notícias

Other Animal Life on Madeira The Firewood Poem Beechwood fires are bright and clear

If the logs are kept a year, Chestnut's only good they say, If for logs 'tis laid away. Make a fire of Elder tree,

Death within your house will be; But ash new or ash old,

Is fit for a queen with crown of gold Birch and fir logs burn too fast

Blaze up bright and do not last, it is by the Irish said Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.

Elm wood burns like churchyard mould, E'en the very flames are cold

But ash green or ash brown Is fit for a queen with golden crown Poplar gives a bitter smoke, Fills your eyes and makes you choke, Apple wood will scent your room

Pear wood smells like flowers in bloom Oaken logs, if dry and old keep away the winter's cold But ash wet or ash dry a king shall warm his slippers by. The firewood poem was written by Celia Congreve, and is believed to be first published in THE TIMES newspaper on March 2nd 1930 The above poem was discovered while I was researching suitable logs for my daughter’s wood-burning stove, since her move to the Border country and an old cottage—’far from the madding crowd’.

Out and About in Madeira

The Camara de Lobos Parish Council have made

improvements to the walkway and have placed a

handrail on the Levada de Faja; about 200

metres—which presented a danger to walkers who

use it daily. The path there is no more than half a

metre wide and of considerable height. It would be

fateful in the event of a fall. Putting a handrail on

this section ‘has solved the problem once and for

all’ according to the board.

A Madeiran lizard sun-bathing.

Furans do Cavalum

The Royal Way of Madeira organised a visit to

Furnas do Cavalum in the summer months. These

‘furnas’have great tourist potential that continues

to go unrecognised. In any other part of the globe

they would surely be a big attraction.

Furnas do Cavalum is a set of four caves, resulting

from lava channels, existing in the parish of

Machico. They are an important geological

structure where a diverse cave fauna inhabits, even

unique endemic species. The name ‘Cavalum’

attributed to these caves comes from the legend

associated with them, according to which there was

a horse-shaped devil with bat wings and a fire in

his nostrils called Cavalum.

The Madeira Royal Way Association aims to

“I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if

I want to become acquainted with the butterflies.”

Saint-Exupéry, quoted in Vogue.

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Caught Napping—Letter to the Times.

‘I well recall a fire safety notice in my hotel room

in Kuopio, Finland. Among other more convention-

al instructions was the advice, “In the event of fire,

expose yourself at the window.” ‘ Peter Cartledge,

Shropshire

Road Reopened

Six months after the accident in which 29 German

tourists lost their lives when their tour bus crashed

and left the road in Canico, the Ponta da Oliviera

road is to be reopened. It was one way traffic only

until October. A monument to the victims is to be

placed at the site.

defend, enhance and promote the centuries old

routes that form Madeira’s historical, ethnographic,

cultural, architectural and natural heritage in urban,

and rural contexts through a variety of activities’.

Holiday Money—Euronet

Visitors to Madeira and other European

destinations are being cheated. Euronet has a

system whereby if a card belonging to a bank of

that country is used, it operates much as any other

ATM. However, if a ‘foreign’ card is inserted into

the machine then eye-watering sums of foreign

currency are offered; far more than the customer

can use. Moreover, the rates of exchange are really

bad with additional fees added. This can result in

the transaction carrying transaction fees as high as

one third of the value of the cash drawn. It is

advisable to decline any conversion, when the

option appears, and to draw cash in the local

currency.

One of these ATMs is sited opposite the Red Lion;

near the Pestana and Savoy hotels. A slightly

longer walk might be worthwhile!

Best Restaurant in Portugal is Cris’s in Funchal.

Trip Adviser recently unveiled the list of the ten

best fine dining restaurants in Portugal. In first

place was Cris’s restaurant in Funchal.

The list which is part of the Travellers’ Choice

Restaurant Awards 2019, is created based on the

reviews and opinions of travellers from around the

world.

According to these opinions the best is Cris’s

restaurant in Funchal. Among the first ten Goya,

also in Funchal, is included in eighth position.

The list is as follows:-

1. Cris’s—Funchal

2. The Paparico—Porto

3. Oxala—Ovar

4. DOC/Chef Rui Paula—Armamar

5. Aunt Alice—Fatima

6. Old House—Leirea

7. Belcanto—Lisbon

8. Goya—Funchal

9. Flow—Porto

10. Mini Bar Theater—Lisbon

Cris’s Funchal

‘No, no. We’re Holsteins—she’s a Bechstein’

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Frequent visitors to Madeira will immediately recognise ‘the flying man’, but how clever was the photographer who snapped the flying man holding up the full moon?

Enhanced Security Measures.

Since August 2019, bars and clubs in Madeira will

have reinforced security measures, including the

installation of video surveillance in all areas of ac-

cess to the premises.

The changes come under a new law published in

May amending mandatory security measures for

catering or beverage establishments with dance

halls or spaces.

Bars and clubs have a three year period to adapt to

the new regulations.

Police will be able to close bars or clubs or reduce

their hours in the case of disturbance and have real

time access to video surveillance images.

Savoy Palace—news.

The following is extracted from publicity material which appeared in the autumn in the Madeiran press regarding the opening of the Galaxy Bar.

Skyfood Galaxy. Skybar Skypool: The Space

It is at the top of Savoy Palace and with 360º views that comes the Galaxy, a rooftop divided into three areas: Skyfood Galaxy, Skybar Galaxy and Skypool Galaxy. With its restaurant, bar and swimming pool, it is worth noting the innovative

concepts on offer and the creativity of design under the same sky of twinkling stars.

On the 16th floor, the Skybar and its lounge open at 10am and offer superb views of Funchal’s harbour, downtown and the entire amphitheatre. Open from 09:00, another space on the 17th floor – Skypool – is accessible to guests only, with a panoramic pool and a more intimate area with cabins that blend with the hotel’s characteristic vegetation: Olive, Areca and Lavandas.

The architecture of the entire galaxy is second to none and in everything there is care and mastery. The materials used in each nook are rare and of singular quality. From galaxy-shaped lighting to signature furniture and diamond shapes printed on carpets, everything has been thought out in detail by the teams of Nini Andrade Silva and RH + Arquitectos.

The entrance from outside is made at nº 23 of Avenida do Infante. A ceiling illuminated by 1250 points of light leads to the fastest panoramic elevators in the Region.

Your Editor’s visit December 2019

I started this newsletter in October and have today,

10th December, returned from a week at the Savoy

Palace in a studio apartment. What an eye-opener it

has been! Within a day of my arrival I read this

publicity notice which appeared on the Madeira

blog for the ‘Next’ hotel . I read the following with

horror, as did some of my fellow guests from the

original Regency hotel. It is such a different story

to that which we have so far received and I find it

hard to believe that the official line has been that

we will be informed of plans ‘when they are

known. It read as follows’

‘Funchal is preparing to host the NEXT hotel in

2020, the sixth hotel unit to be part of the Savoy

Signature hotel chain, resulting from the

refurbishment of the former Madeira Regency

Club.

With 166 accommodation units between guest rooms, suites and holiday apartments, NEXT is dedicated to “travellers who represent the needs of the millennial generation and guests with a more youthful posture, but looking for the usual quality that characterizes the Savoy Signature group”.

The new space is adapted to the generation of digital nomads and aims to create a accommodation space that combines animation with the Madeiran

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The Savoy Palace Hotel

Tim Bulmer recently posted the following on the

notice board.

“MRC latest

An update from Savoy has been promised by

Christmas

2020 maintenance

Payment ensures SPVC accommodation of type -

some members have even received free breakfast &

dinner. Invoices have yet to go out and won’t be

due for payment anyway until at least the end of

February.

Any talk of a levy or refurbishment charge would

have to be agreed and would only be relevant for

2021 occupancy. Members thus have plenty of time

to enjoy SPVC before any decision concerning fu-

ture MRC would need to be made.

More information as soon as I get it!”

Tim Bulmer

Out of the Mouths of Babes….

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a

Catholic elementary school. At the head of the

table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a

note and posted it on the apple tray. “Take only

one. God is watching” Further along the long table

was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child

had written a note. “Take all you want, God is

watching the apples.”

A Sunday School teacher was discussing the Ten

Commandments with her five and six year olds.

After explaining the commandment to ‘honour thy

Father and Mother, she asked, “Is there a

commandment that teaches us how to treat our

brothers and sisters?” Without missing a beat one

little boy, the eldest in the family, answered,

“Thou shalt not kill.”

experience with a sharing and liaison component with the local community.

The hotel offers direct access to the sea, an indoor pool, a rooftop with an infinity pool, a lounge area, as well as a spa area with sauna, Turkish bath, ice fountain, treatment areas and 24-hour gym with restaurant and bar.

Both public and private areas follow the contemporary NEXT design and guests will be able to enjoy various technological solutions. The hotel app, which guests have been able to access from the moment of booking, is designed to “welcome visitors in the best way, allowing you to automate countless tasks.” The space also offers a terminal for selfies and automatic publishing on social networks. Public areas have multiple USB points for charging mobile phones and other devices.

Ricardo Farinha, Savoy Signature Chief Commercial Officer, assumes that “we are in an increasingly technological world. New generations are more autonomous, know what they want and want it at the moment. And NEXT comes to meet these needs. It offers a differentiating concept, signed by Savoy Signature, with a contemporary and technological nature, where guests will have the opportunity to customize their stay and choose the services they really need and value. ”The official stresses that“ this concept is not only directed millennials but also all those who find themselves in an uncomplicated, contemporary and trend-oriented lifestyle, so anyone who enjoys technology and authenticity will surely enjoy learning about the latest history of the Savoy Signature collection. ”

The hotel opens its doors in the first half of 2020,

comprises an investment of around 30 million euros

and the creation of 45 jobs in the Region.’

The ‘Next’ Hotel—continued from previous page

An artist’s impression of the ‘Next’ Hotel

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“Healthy desserts—possibly the most disappointing

combination of two words in the entire English lan-

guage. Alex James, quoted in he Sunday Times.

Mostly to amuse

The following have been collected from

newspapers and magazines over the last few

months. They reflect the long debates and concerns

over ‘Brexit’, various protest movements, growing

old, and politics—to name a few!

“A friend is one who sees through you and still

enjoys the view” Wilma Askinas.

“Words can be like tiny doses of arsenic: they are

swallowed, unnoticed, appear to have no effect, and

then after a little time , the toxic reaction sets in

after all” Victor Klemperer.

“If you can only be tall because someone is on their

knees, then you have a serious problem. Toni

Morrison

“A narcissist is someone better looking than you

are.” Gore Vidal.

“ Reputation is what other people know about you.

Honour is what you know about yourself. Guard

your honour. Let your reputation fall where it will.”

- Novelist Lois McMaster Bujold

“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are

entitled to your informed opinion. No one is

entitled to be ignorant. “ Harlan Ellison—quoted in

the I newspaper.

“I’ve come up with a set of rules that describe our

reaction to technologies

1. Anything that is in the world when you’re

born is normal and ordinary, and it is just a

natural part of the way the world works.

2. Anything that’s invented between when

you’re 15 and 35 is new, exciting and

revolutionary, and you can probably get a

career in it.

3. Anything invented after you're 35 is against

the natural order of things.”

Douglas Adams, quoted in the Guardian

It is a great advantage to a president, and a major

source of safety to the country, for him to know

that he is not a great man.” - Calvin Coolidge,

former President.

You lovers of the English language might enjoy

this:

There is a two-

letter word that

perhaps has more

meanings than

any other two-

letter word and it

is UP.

It is easy to

understand UP, meaning towards the sky or at the

top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning,

why do we wake up? At a meeting, why does a

topic come up? Why do we speak up?

And why are the officers up for election and why is

it up to the secretary to write up minutes and tidy up

the papers?

We tidy up the leftovers and clean up the kitchen.

We lock up the house and some people fix up old

vehicles.

At other times, the little word has a really special

meaning. People stir up trouble, line up for tickets,

work up an appetite, and think up excuses. To be

dressed is one thing but to be dressed up is special.

And this up is confusing: A drain must be opened

up because it is stopped up. We open up a shop in

the morning but close it up at night. We seem pretty

mixed up about up!

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of up,

look up ‘up’ in the dictionary. In a desk dictionary

it takes up almost a quarter of the page and can add

up to about thirty definitions. If you are up to it, you

might try building up a list of the many ways up can

be used. It will take up a lot of your time, but if you

don’t give up, you may wind up with a hundred or

more.

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding up.

When the sun comes out, we say it is clearing up.

When it rains it wets the earth and messes things

up. When it doesn’t rain for a while, things dry up.

One could go on, but I’ll wrap it up. For now my

time is ...up. Time to shut up.

Notice in Madeiran Press.

‘It is now a legal requirement that cats, dogs and

ferrets are chipped.’ Ferrets?

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MROA CONTACT DETAILS

All MROA correspondence should be addressed as follows:

General Postal enquiries:

Madeira Regency Owners' Association

C/o 7 Ravenscourt Close, Penylan, CARDIFF CF23 9DJ

Telephone: Trudy Joshua 02920 211671

All e-mail communications:

Trudy Joshua, trudyjoshua@aol.co.uk or Helena Bell, helenabll@yahoo.co.uk

Newsletter contributions to:

Helena Bell ‘Carillon', 15, Barcombe Avenue, SEAFORD, East Sussex BN25 4DT helenabll@yahoo.co.uk Telephone: 01323 898987

Membership website

www.mroa.org

Dear friends, Your committee wish to give you advance notice of the date set for our next AGM. It will be held at Dumbleton Hall, Evesham WR11 7TS on Sunday 28th June 2020 and will include Lunch. Our AGM organiser, Geoff Roberts will be in touch with more details nearer the time. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible for this enjoyable and informative meeting. With all good wishes, Trudy Joshua MROA Secretary.

Dumbleton Hall and Lake

The above picture was kindly sent in by June Birkitt. It was

taken in February 2019 from the 8th floor landing of the

Regency Club and shows the rear view of the ‘new Savoy’.