Blimey I have a few days away and the gang at Tenerife Magazine go mad, just look what they are offering as a prize this time. A week half board at the 5 star Costa Adeje Gran Hotel just 500 metres from El Duque and Fañabe beaches. They could have at least made people work hard for the prize but no it’s the usual easy entry, just click LIKE on the Tenerife Magazine competition page and your in the draw.

So let’s have a peak through the keyhole as that annoying American TV host would say. Costa Adeje Gran Hotel has 4 swimming pools, I’d be looking like a prune by the end of the week, courts for tennis, football, squash and paddle, 2 restaurants, 3 bars, gym and wellness centre, hairdressers and day and night entertainment, enough to keep anyone busy. GF Hoteles have 6 top class hotels in Tenerife so if you are looking for somewhere to stay give them a go.

Noone sent a cake but it’s just about a year since Tenerife Magazine leapt out at a unsuspecting world so if you haven’t popped in yet, please do and tell your friends, in fact go up and annoy people in the bus queue by giving them one of our business cards – hang on I think that’s my job. There are lots more prizes being lined up as well as a chance to read my waffle so stick with us. Back to the prize, you have until 30 November until the draw is made, it’s for two adults half board with no transport included, can’t be exchanged for cash and is subject to availability but you have 12 months to take the holiday. Contact us quick if you are the lucky winner, if we haven’t heard after 2 weeks the prize will be drawn again. Good luck.

When your star striker Nino is out injured, your bottom of the division, and your 2-0 down away, coming back to draw 2-2 your entitled to greet the result like a win. CD Tenerife showed great character and coach Mandia was rewarded for brave substitutions in hopefully the turning point of the season. Nino’s leg injury is a big blow and may keep him out again next week, Mandia went with Iriome in the main forward role but the big experiment was putting Melli just in front of the central defensive pairing of Luna and Prieto.

The move seemed to work in the first half and Beranger even looked better, putting in some strong winning tackles. Omar went close after 5 minutes and Juanlu (above) had a good run on goal before being bundled over. Sergio was strong as ever in goal, he made a great 2 handed punch clear as he was fouled by a Cordoba player. Their first touch let Tenerife down several times but they created a few good opportunities and Iriome did a decent job of leading the forward line. Melli showed his worth winning a couple of aerial clashes and at half time 0-0 was a fair reflection.

The referee turned the game 5 minutes into the second half awarding the home side a weak penalty, the ball was headed clear after an attack when he blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. It took me three replays to spot some holding, the only possible reason for the call but very harsh. Luque scored at the second attempt, maybe the sign of a guilty conscience as the ref ordered the first scoring shot to be retaken. The second goal came 5 minutes later, poor marking maybe but brilliantly taken by Charles with an overhead bicycle kick.

That second goal went in as Mandia was about to bring on Natalio and Kome for Omar and extra defender Melli. Natalio finally looked the impressive player we had been promised when he joined in the summer, his first touch went just wide of the goal. It could have been 3-0 though as the defence opened up and Cordoba scored with a free header but the alert linesman flagged for offside. Kome got in on the act and set the ball up for Mikel Alonso, the midfielder curled a sweet shot past the home keeper to spark the revival. Tenerife were dominating the possesion and hungry for another goal, Josmar came on after 83 minutes and again showed what a bag of tricks he is. Natalio capped a much improved personal display by riding 2 tackles before placing the ball wide of former Tenerife keeper Navas. Despite keeping the pressure on, a win was just beyond Tenerife but a well deserved point.

Next Sunday CD Tenerife are at home to Elche at 5pm but in the morning Nikki and Chris will be welcoming all to the opening of the new shop Soy Del Tete selling CD Tenerife kits and merchandise plus Armada Sur shirts. It’s in the CC Fañabe Plaza and will be open from 11am to 2pm, see you there.

Talk about feeling short changed, imagine paying a tenner for something with a 50 euro note and just getting two small coins in return. That could be a common feeling soon as a new 20 euros coin is released by Spain’s Real Casa de la Moneda (the royal mint). These special coins are only produced for a limited time to mark special events, this one commemorates Spain winning the 2010 World Cup.

The coins weigh 18 grams, have a 33mm diameter and can be pre ordered from today from any bank across Spain. The heads side shows King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia but the reverse has a footballer kicking a ball. The release date to the general public is 24 November, from then they will be legal tender but only 2 million have been struck so they won’t be flooding tills in Tenerife.

It all makes me wish I had kept my 1970 Esso world Cup coins, they must be a collectors item by now. if England had won the World Cup we could have had Rooney on one side of the coin holding out his hand for more.

Hammering on the thick tinted glass door I hoped that a helpfull waiter would let me back in to the meeting room cum nightclub on the Queen Elizabeth cruise liner. I only popped out to be nosey, I missed the trays of nibbles and soft drinks from the bar as the officials warmed up for their speeches. It was hot and sunny nine decks up and the quayside looked a long way down but looking to my other side I had a great view of the rooftop jacuzzi and swimming pool area, how was I to know the door would lock behind me!

Sipping a coffee in the car park cafe in Santa Cruz port I hoped it wasn’t an omen to read about a Fred Olsen ferry bumping an Armas ferry in La Gomera the previous day. Checking in past the security guard I headed down the quayside to the blunt end (stop me if i’m getting too technical) of the new 500 million pound Cunard cruiser. It was amusing to see a Union Jack draped over a balcony high above, yep the Brits were in port, passengers were coming down the gangways in small numbers, it was 11am and most had already come out to play since the 8am docking. The media guests were gathered and I filled in the offered forms to confirm I didn’t have a cold, flu or dia, diah, diarr….the runs, handing in my passport I got my clip on badge and snapped a few shots as we waited to be welcomed aboard.

Security was tight and out bags went through a scanner, the passes bar codes were electronically read and we posed one by one for mug shots. The outside of the ship was quite functional but inside the oppulence hit me immediately, carpets to sink into, glittering chandeliers, and a lift lobby as big as my apartment. The greeting ceremony was first stop and one I had been rescued from the scorching outside I watched the captain Chris Wells and various port officials exchange pleasantries and gifts. I also introduced myself to Alastair Greener the entertainments officer whose blog I had been following for the last week, and you thought my research was watching old episodes of Captain Pugwash! Formalities done we were off through my favourite glass door for an official view of the pool area and The Garden Lounge beyond. most Passengers were out on shore but as our guide gave the lowdown on the Kew Garden paintings I chatted to a few middle aged cruisers and kept an eye out for rich old ladies after a blonde toy boy.

I lagged behind the main group prying into corners and looking for clues to the ships character. Cunards pride in its historical association with the royal names was clear through posters, newspaper cuttings and memorabilia of the illustrious previous voyages. The library was a two level grand collection of polished wood cases with a great range of books and a twisting staircase that helped to create intimate reading alcoves. I tried a large wood frame mounted world globe to see if it was a cocktail cabinet but alas no. Just outside some large tables were set up for intricate jigsaws with hundreds of scattered pieces, I resisted the urge to hide any vital parts. There was also a book shop dedicated to books on great ships and journeys, a couple of titles about the Titanic struck me as a bad idea for bedtime reading on board.

The Grand Lobby leading down to the Dent clock, designed by the firm that maintains Big Ben, was a huge centrepiece of flowing stairs and polished brass work, it ooozed money and class. Downstairs we passed on to the Royal Theatre, sprawling and ornate, the show music performed there in the evenings had received a mixed reception on the ships blog but passengers I spoke to were very impressed. The Verandah restaurant was empty and cutlery polishing was being performed with great relish, the cream chairs and coffee coloured tables were joined by enough cut glass to give a bull a tempting alternative to a china shop. The Royal Arcade was the commercial hub of the ship, the shops upstairs were closed and the fruit machines down below were silent, bet it’s not three cherries for a win, more like three crowns or sceptres. The Golden Lion pub looked posher than most pubs I have been in and although the food was good basic fare the large choice of cocktails was a big hint at the upmarket setting.

It’s an amazing ship, don’t think I could afford the 16,000 pound luxury suites but I would like to try a small cruise some time to see if it appeals to me. On the Queen Elizabeth I would never find my cabin after a few beers, it’s like a floating city. If you want to see more about this new addition to the worlds oceans have a look on the Tenerife Magazine website.

Anyone know a good marriage guideance councillor? The relationship between fans and club at CD Tenerife is going through a very rocky patch, the frustration was clear to see in the 1-1 home draw with Numancia in Santa Cruz. The Frente Blanquiazul peña (fan Club) held a first half strike, leaving their area clear and refusing to sign and shout as a pitch side banner appealed to the players “Earn Our Support”. Many fans didn’t agree with this move and tried to boost their own vocal support but although the enthusiasm was there, without the usual focal point it was sporadic and short lived.

At least all the media attention in the preceeding week would have left the players in no doubt of their responsibilities but their response was half hearted. For most of the first half Nino was left gazing up at the constant high balls that were pumped vaquely goalwards, a crazy tactic that gave the little lone striker no chance. Coach Mandia shuffled the pack again, this time bringing Prieto in for Melli in the heart of defence and adding Natalio to play just behind Nino. Tenerife had chances, Hidalgo was through on the keeper who went down rolling thetrically as they clashed. Then there was an incredible sequence when the ball just wouldn’t go in the visitors goal despite desperate lunges from Hidalgo and Natalio who had the keeper beat 0nly for Lopez to clear on the line. Numancia took the lead just after the half hour from a counter attack with Flaño netting from a cross cum shot.

With the arrival of half time the vacant area behind the goal filled up and the second half opened to a rousing reception but the protest hadn’t achieved its impact on the players and certainly hadn’t motivated them. Things were a little better in the second half, Iriome and Julio Alvarez came on for Hidalgo and Natalio but too often Tenerife moves fell apart. Omar joined the action and nearly brought an instant response as he fed Nino who missed the target. Numancia were nothing special but did the basics well, Tenerife looked unsure in key areas and Beranger is an accident waiting to happen at left back.

Finally some joy as Tenerife pressured the Numancia goal and a scramble saw Mikel Alonso get the final touch just ahead of Prieto. With nearly ten minutes left there could have been a grandstand finish but Alvarez underlined the lack of discipline in the team by talking his way to a red card. The referee made an awful call and Alvarez wasn’t shy in letting him have his opinion, but despite being booked and told to cool it, he carried on tearing into the ref and out came the red.

A draw was generous to Tenerife, the dissenting voices in the 16,110 crowd had plenty to complain about and we were left wondering, where to next. Culebras the former Tenerife defender, inexplicably allowed to leave in the summer, ran to the Grada Popular end after the whistle, threw his shirt to the crowd, clapped and then held his arms across his chest in the sign of the Tenerife cross to show he still has a deep affection for CDT. If only a Tenerife player could have shown such class, a small gesture like that might have helped to heal the wounds that are growing deeper by the week.

This really is getting worrying, another poor display as CD Tenerife were outplayed away to Barcelona B, going down 3-1 with glaring problems in defence and a lack of attacking options. There was an early taste of things to come after 5 minutes when Bertran was skinned and Luna cleared the danger after some hesitation. Alonso put the ball in the home net only to see it ruled offside, the replay showed it to be a close call with the player looking level with the defender. Barcelona came back with a strong break, Nolito chipped the ball through a huddle of static CDT players and found Sorianno who finished crisply. Sergio had to make a great finger tip save from Roberto and at the other end Hidalgo made a good run but ran out of places to go.

Nino was again trying to be provider and scorer, Sergio set up a quick counter attack that forced the home keeper to come out and block Nino and the little striker popped in another shot a few minutes later. The Tenerife defence looked paper thin, Beranger was hopeless at left back and Melli a waste of space in the centre, even captain Bertran was looking unsteady. The second goal came 6 minutes before the break, Beranger was French fried and a cross flashed across the goalmouth behind Sergio finding Nolito who struck it well.

Tenerife looked more positive as the second half began, Natalio put in a cross that just eluded Nino’s foot in front of goal and Mikel pulled a goal back unleashing a fierce shot that was helped into the net by a deflection. Omar replaced the tired looking Kome and although Tenerife created more chances, Barcelona delivered the killer blow. Beranger put out the welcome mat again on the left, Luna failed to clear and Carmona helped himself to make it 3-1. Hidalgo had a shot deflected over and then gave way for Josmar (pic) to make his debut, the Venezuelan youngster looked comfortable and set up a great chance with a skillfull pass but Nino couldn’t convert it. After last weeks step forward this was 2 steps back again, coach Mandia will have another busy week.

Give me a Spirograph or some Paint Wheels and eventually I might churn out something vaquely resembling art, but it’s highly unlikely. Best leave it to the experts, with that in mind I hopped on a Titsa 111 bus to Santa Cruz, eager to see the Prado exhibition at the Espacio Cultural Caja Canarias. Under the title El Retrato Español En El Prado they are showing 73 classic portraits featuring Spanish born or based artists like Goya and El Greco. I intended to browse some of the Prado museum on 2 football visits to Madrid last season but the lure of the beer won over and I explored some very artistic bars instead.

The portraits were top notch, they knew how to throw the paint around in those days, and well worth the 5 euro entrance fee, it would have been just 2 euros if I had got my new residencia, or free if I banked with Caja Canarias. You have until 8th January 2011 to have a nose around but can read a full review at www.tenerifemagazine.com . A trip to Santa Cruz often leads me on to La Laguna, any excuse to use the tram, so off I headed with no particular plan in mind. Arriving there I had a tour around the main streets before nipping into one of my favourite art stops. The Instituto Canarias in Calle San Agustin stages some small but free and interesting exhibitions, the latest Horizontes Insulares features works by island based artists. a chequer pattern based display by Gregorio Gonzalez (above) was pretty eye catching but I was hooked by some video art from Cuba’s Sandra Ramos. Slipping on the earphones and watching the large screen I watched 5 quirky and clever videos of 2 to 3 minutes each that tickled the eyes and ears with animated stories with an island theme. a seperate room at the end of the gallery featured video projections of scenery on la Reunion Island. This display runs until 17 November, Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm and 10am to 3pm on Saturday.

After grabbing some food in the Plaza del Adelantado I was soon back on the tram and heading down into Santa Cruz. Plaza Weyler is always a good place to get off and wander down Calle Castillo towards Plaza de España. part way down I spotted an old friend, Icarus, in large metallic sculpture form. Mythology says he built wings from feathers and wax and soared into the sky but getting carried away he flew too high and the sun melted the wax leading to a fatal crash to earth. Sculptor Julio Nieto made Icaro Salvado as part of a touring street exhibition last year and I talked to him about his works, you can read that at Tenerife Magazine. This time Icarus is stationed outside Casa Elder where 70 assorted art works are on display until 22 October, sadly it was closed for my visit but is open Monday to Friday 10am to 8pm. The busy shopping street was spellbound and many shoppers stoppedto pose in the shadow of the metal man. Time for me to go but thank you Santa Cruz and La Laguna, it was a pleasure as always.

The wind whistled up the leg of my shorts as I descended the stairs of the Ryanair flight into Birmingham but despite it being late afternoon a watery sun still had some power and it could hardly be called cold. Hoping to make some headway in the legal quagmire following my Dad’s death 6 weeks ago, I had flown in for a few days and this time had got a reasonable return deal. It didn’t take long for the till to start ringing, with an early return flight the return train fair to Oxford doubled to 54 pounds for missing the off peak time. At least Birmingham is an easy hours roll down south and after a food and beer stop in town I headed up to Blackbird Leys to stay with my Mums sister. Kirby Towers looked forlorn as I passed, just bricks and mortar now, no longer a home.

The next morning, trips to see my Mum, still in a “temporary” care home and the solicitor confirmed that noone had done anything to move things on. Basically social services are already clocking up a big chunk of my mums money and I had to top up the solicitors to find out the house will go to an equity firm for an advance made 10 years ago. Both need me in place with Power of Attorney to give them access to cash and home, well they can pay for that process, over to you my little vultures.

The decent weather couldn’t be wasted, a trip out to the village of Witney seemed a good idea, a delightful bus journey through country roads framed with russet, gold and brown leaves as trees brushed the upper deck of my red chariot and branches groaned under the burden of killer conkers. About half way on the 40 minute trip there is an old curiosity, Swinford toll bridge, spanning the Evenlode river and the years as the busy traffic slows to pay an ancient toll that cannot be repealed. The charge has leapt up to 5 p for cars and a little more for lorries and vans and at peak time queues tail back for miles as the 2 workers in the old brick booth extract their antique tax from exasperated drivers. Witney is a lovely traditional village complete with large green and crumbling church. Many of my Dad’s ancestors came from out this way so it seemed a timely pilgrimage and brought back many pleasant memories, the buttercross (below) is still a centrepiece and meeting place where the roads converge. The current St Marys Church was built in 1243 on the site of previous Saxon and Norman places of worship and was undergoing renovation. I popped inside and chatted to a church helper about the huge uphill task of raising over a million pounds to restore the roof and tower.

Witney has one of the most disproportionate ratios of pubs to people, they are everywhere, most of them full of character and old world charm. The old Palace cinema has been converted to offices but was a lively nightclub for a while, former Oxford united and Portsmouth forward John Durnin earned his nickname Johnny Lager there and is still remembered in local folklore for ejecting another reveller through the large front window. In my early days of supporting Oxford City, Witney Town was our local rival, I spent many happy afternoons at their town centre ground, these days they have fled to the back waters and modern housing is built on their ground. The main source of income and fame was the Witney blanket factory, again long gone and converted into expensive modern flats, luckily the main heart of Witney is still genteel and steeped in history.

Back to the grim reality of modern Oxford and my second day was another whirl of paying bills and trying to awaken mums social worker from hibernation, sadly social services doesn’t seem to want the right hand to have even a passing relationship with the left hand, confusion reigns. At least I got time to sample a few local ales and see a few old friends as the hours ticked away, I feel this aftermath will rumble on and on, the best I manged was some damage limitation. It was a early start for my return flight, this time with Thomas Cook, I even had a little time to kill at the airport. The new hand dryers in the toilets fascinated me, they look like sandwich toasters and you put your hands in them, I was tempted to see how they react to anything else popped in them but thought it might be difficult to explain at casualty. Thankfully I was soon being warmed by the hot sun of Tenerife, it’s good to be back.

It was hardly a quiet day at the office for new CD Tenerife coach Juan Carlos Mandia, four sendings off, including his own dismissal from the dug out, yellow cards floating around like confetti, and all played out in a scorching 30 degree heat. This was much better from CDT, lots of effort and fight right until the finish, but poor finishing and a bizarre referee made it a frustrating 1-1 draw when they deserved more.

Mandia showed before the game that he intends to shake things up, in came Bellvis at left back for Beranger, Luna replaced the injured Sicilia in the heart of defence. Kome started in a more supportive role for Nino and youth defender Moreno was among the subs. With 16,145 fans cooking nicely on the terraces, Tenerife came out all guns blazing, Nino had a couple of early chances, his chip over the bar perhaps the best. Cartagena looked a poor side, going down at the slightest touch they tried to stifle the home enthusiasm. Hidalgo made a good run on goal but was crudely bundled over and Kome met the same fate and sent his free kick over the bar.

Nino rode as many tackles as he could and led the charge with little physical support, the visiting keeper produced a good block to prevent him opening the scoring. Then the game entered a bizarre phase as the referee boiled over in the heat, a second yellow card for Cartagena’s Sanchez saw him off and Mandia let the ref know what he thought of his poor performance and was banished to the stands. The referee had plenty more twists to add to the game in the second half as Cartagena stayed on their feet long enough to play a little football. The visitors took the lead after 62 minutes, Ricardo put his leg out in the box and former Tenerife player Moral made sure he went over leaving Toche to slot home the penalty. Mandia responded with three changes, Omar on for Kome, Juanlu for Hidalgo and Natalio for Mikel.

The response was swift, Juanlu put a good ball in from the right and Nino nipped in to level the game. Now the game was there for the taking, and Tenerife pushed forward in search of a winner. The Cartagena keeper, a steady defence and even the woodwork came to the rescue for the visitors, and coupled with some wayward finishing they held firm. The referee raised his ugly head again after 84 minutes giving Bellvis a second yellow card and his marching orders, then Herrero went crashing in on Julio Alvarez and joined the exodous from the pitch. So the rousing climax was played out with 10 CDT players on 9 opponents, and it wasn’t even a dirty game. Tenerife never gave up trying, Cartagena cleared off the line twice and deep into 6 minutes of injury time Natalio had the goal at his mercy but missed. Mandia will have plenty of encouragement and ideas after this draw, let’s hope the difficult away game at Barcelona B, live on Canal Plus, next Sunday will provide the first win of the season.