Yearly Archives: 2017

Cath’s Charity Bar Walk 2017 Raises More Than €2,000

All the Walkers

By Matt D’Arcy

The Vale Da Telha Charity Bar Walkers raised more than €2,000 for local children last weekend—and they also raised a thousand smiles along the 2.2-mile (3.54km) route on the Algarve’s west coast.

The final sum is expected to be significantly higher once the last donations and collecting tins are in, which would make a total well in excess of €7,000 for local charities over the three years since this annual event was started by Vale da Telha’s energetic fundraiser, Cath Baker.

In the next week or so Cath will meet with teachers at the school in Aljezur and with the Aljezur Branch of the St Vincent de Paul Society to discuss how to distribute the money raised.

She told us: “The walk has a serious purpose but it is basically just a fancy dress pub crawl. We visited 10 bars in a little over three hours between Restaurante O Paulo on the Arrifana promontory and the final ‘watering hole’ at the Restaurante Fonte do Vale in Vale da Telha.

“We had a lot of laughs and one of the walkers, Chris Kent, jumped into the swimming

Chris Kent Jumps In The Pool, For Donations

pool in her hula girl outfit at one of the ‘pit stops’ once people promised to donate more money if she did it”.

The walk is inspired by the charity pub crawls Cath remembers from her native Lancashire and she went on: “The idea was to take a serious cause, like raising funds—initially for Portimão Hospital in the first year and now for local children and families in need—but to add the fun element of walking in fancy dress and dropping off at selected bars, having a sup or two and enjoying a little craic and banter.

“The bar owners all happily joined in, agreeing to make donations for each drink sold.

“One or two of the walkers, having taken on a little too much liquid refreshment along the way, were perhaps staggering a little at the finish.

“But at least they did so knowing that the money they have helped to raise will benefit less fortunate local children and needy families.

Cath Baker & Steve Scott En Route

“That was well worth all the sore heads the following morning!”

Cath who was assisted by co-organisers Steve Scott and Brian (DJ Rockindad) Jutsum—he also provided the evening’s disco and dancing—added:

“What was really inspiring was that members of the local Portuguese community became involved in the walk itself. It is not something they normally experience, but they loved it and plan to take part every year.

“I was overwhelmed with the generosity not just of friends and the bar owners but also of complete strangers and motorists who stopped to ask what we were doing, taking pictures and giving us money.

En Route

“There was loads of enthusiasm from the public, with car drivers tooting horns and waving, actually stopping their cars to see what it was all about. We also rather cheekily stopped a few cars to ask for money, because every cent counts.

“There were a lot of laughs and a few tears because of the sheer generosity of people. So I’d like to thank everyone who walked, drank—and raised lots of money!”

There were prizes for some of the best outfits and the winners were: June McIver (Cleopatra), Faith Quinton (Cereal Killer), Chris Kent (Hula Girl) and Rob Sees and Bob Packham (Hippies).

Photographs: Matt D’Arcy, Sue Bedford, Brian Jutsum, Ruth Ingham-Hill.

Vale Da Telha Arts And Crafts Fair 2017

The Algarve’s most talented artists and artisans are returning to Vale Da Telha to stage their fourth Arts & Crafts Fair.

Some of the Algarve’s finest painters, fashion, fabric and jewellery designers, glassmakers and textile designers will exhibit their wares in the fair back at the Restaurante Vale Da Telha on Saturday September 30th between 11am and 5pm.

The previous three Fairs were such a success that the organisers are staging another repeat performance in our welcoming community.

Entrance is free, snacks and drinks will be available to purchase and proceeds will go to local animal charity the Aljezur Environment and Animal Shelter (AEZA).

Many of the exhibitors from the previous three fairs—along with other talented artists and artisans showing for the first time in the area—will be back to showcase their talents.

Unique handcrafted gifts and collectables will be on show and available to buy, including the delights of a chocolate creator, glass, fine handmade jewellery, original artwork, porcelain, soaps and lotions, leatherware, feltware, prints and greeting cards, textiles, preserves and pickles and much more.

Botanical artist Susan J Puttick, one of the organisers and exhibitors at the fair explained: “The three previous shows were so well received by the people of Vale Da Telha and Aljezur that we wanted to go back there as soon as possible.

“Originally it was an experiment to see if it would capture the interest of the residents in an area where exhibitions and fairs of this nature were rarely seen.

“But the first three were such a huge success and so well received by the people out on the west coast that we felt it worthwhile following up that interest and enthusiasm with a fourth fair.”

Susan added: “Our artists have all been hard at work producing their unique creations for the fair and with Christmas not that far away there will be plenty of gift ideas on display—not to mention the sweet delights of a superbly talented chocolatier!”

There will be porcelain works characterised by the material, and its simple forms with its curved surfaces, texture and colour. These porcelain pieces are decorated with coloured glazes inside, whilst the exterior is unglazed, taking advantage of its porcelain properties: delicacy, strength, translucency, impermeability.

There will be designer jewellery created from fine and unique glass work from all over the world, plus prints of botanical artwork as well as cards available.

There will be fine watercolours and acrylics, and fantastic Christmas cards, especially designed to encompass tradition with the Algarve and always with humour.

Glass creations will be on show and on sale;  jewellery, jars, lights and decorations, all of them utilising the brilliant colours and luminosity of the glass selected, really beautiful work, especially when it catches the light.

There is felt work, created by patiently manipulating beautifully soft Merino wool and baby camel hair with silk and cotton to produce fine wraps, scarves and delightful flowers with a new range of orchids and that essential stocking filler – a designer keyring.

You will find beautiful handmade soaps and cream, all with their natural fragrances and a wonderful range of handcrafted leather belts.

“And other stalls exquisite wired dragonflies and, now, butterflies, plus individual and colourful candles will also be available.

Fi-line fashions in Almaçao de Pera will showcase just the right fashions to suit us all. It’s always a pleasure to peruse their treasury of designs.”

Susan added: “Entrance is free and each artist or artisan will have his or her own table, all arranged alongside the outside of the room to allow free movement between all the exhibits.

“Drink and snacks will be available to purchase and the event will raise money for local animal charity the Aljezur Environment and Animal Shelter (AEZA).”

Work on Waste Areas

At a recent meeting with the Câmara, Amovate Committee Members discussed AGAIN the terrible mess around the bin areas in VDT.

The Vice President stated that there were already plans in place to update most of the areas, with a view to keeping them tidy, and that work was to commence soon.

 

 

 

Already the area near the Old Camp Site has been completed, together with a trench surrounding the space where green waste and building materials were dumped, to keep the areas clean.

Now work has commenced the by the Tennis Courts to build enclosures for the bins which hopefully will keep the area tidy.

Amovate also asked that more recycling bins were placed, to help especially during the holiday season, as there were insufficient to cope with the demand.

Both the Câmara and Amovate are working towards a scheme to centralise the deposit of Green Waste. Both teams are passionate about the terrible mess both householders and contractors leave around the bin areas, with huge piles of debris…….Watch this space  –  as the Câmara will be launching the new scheme soon, and residents will have a chance to hear all about it at meetings to be arranged within VDT.

At last a chance to get VDT looking like all the other areas within the Aljezur Câmara region and make it tidier and more acceptable to all.