Forgive me, British readers, while I briefly explain the traditions of November 5th to our overseas friends.
Every year, on that date, bonfires are lit and fireworks set off to mark the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 when Guy Fawkes and his associates planned to displace Protestant rule by blowing up the Houses of Parliament.
It’s known as Guy Fawkes’ Night or Bonfire Night and part of the modern jolly celebrations involve making a Guy Fawkes effigy and burning it on the bonfire.
It would be true to say, then, that if your real name is Guy Fawkes, you come in for a fair bit of ridicule and abuse around this time of the year. So … and you’ll be pleased to hear I’m finally coming to the point of this story …
… the Future Inns hotel chain in the UK has promised a free night’s stay between November 5th and 11th to any Guy Fawkes who can prove that he really does legally bear that name. The offer – for a stay in Cardiff, Plymouth or Bristol – is also open to anyone named Catherine Wheel (a popular and colourful firework that’s fixed to a tree or post and spins wildly when lit).
Future Inns’ Managing Director, Del Brett, said:
“We hope our offer will provide some respite for the namesakes of Guy Fawkes. All our rooms are sound-proofed so anyone who wants to escape fireworks celebrations will be able to enjoy a restful night.”
A quick search of Facebook produced 500 people purporting to be called Guy Fawkes, but how many of them have the birth certificate to prove it …?
by Andy Moreton
We’re burning to tell you all about Luxique’s spectacular selection of luxury hotels in London and many other cities in the UK.
With the Florida property market at a virtual standstill, a couple are offering the chance to bid for a luxury home for just £25 ($37).
Colin and Sue Stafford, who moved from the UK to America in 1997, are running an online raffle for their five-bedroom villa in Orlando, which is worth £841,000 ($1.25 million).
The couple hope to sell 45,000 tickets, which would net them £1.125 million ($1.67 million). As well as the house - set in five acres - the winner will receive a new car, passes to Disneyworld, membership of a local spa and 40 rounds of golf. There will be cash prizes for the runners-up.
Some previous attempts by homeowners to raffle property have fallen foul of gambling laws, so the Staffords have set up a competition in which entrants must answer three trivia questions (www.perfectholidayhome.co.uk).
Entries will close when 45,000 tickets have been sold or on April 30th next year, whichever is the earlier.
The Staffords say they’ve enjoyed living in Florida, but they’ve recently become grandparents and want to spend more time in the UK.
by Andy Moreton
If you love the Sunshine State but don’t particularly want a home there, Luxique can help you find and book the finest luxury hotels in Florida.
I see our old friend Alain ‘Spiderman’ Robert has been up to his tricks again – scaling the 33-floor City Tower in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
He made the climb without the use of safety devices, just as he had done at 90 other buildings worldwide, including the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State.
He had intended to scale Jakarta’s Menara Mulia building, but police denied him a permit. Eight hours later, he thought he had secured permission to tackle the City Tower and completed the job in 45 minutes.
However, Robert was brought in by the police after finishing the stunt. “It’s hard to say whether we’ll charge him or not. We’re just asking for more information about his climb,” said a spokesman.
Thousands of people, mostly employees of businesses near the building, witnessed his amazing feat. Their view: ‘brave, but crazy.’
by Andy Moreton
Luxique can offer rooms at three luxury hotels in Jakarta hotels, including one of the prestigious Four Seasons range.
Italy has trained a squad of tasters to uncover counterfeit Italian extra virgin olive oil.
It’s a serious business - olive oil is a multi-million pound trade and customers pay a premium for the genuine Italian variety. But inferior stuff is often brought in by truck or ship from Spain, Greece or Tunisia and fraudulently labelled.
Twenty officers were schooled by the National Olive Oil Association to detect an oil’s provenance just by its taste. “This initiative will strengthen the defence of the quality of one of the symbols of the Mediterranean diet,” said Massimo Gargano, the head of the Association.
He said it would send a clear signal that the olive oil industry was determined to ensure quality and clamp down on fraudulent practices.
Earlier this year, in an operation called Golden Oil, police arrested 23 people after an investigation into suspect producers.
by Andy Moreton
Book luxury hotels in Rome and many other Italian cities through Luxique.
Officials in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, have hit on an idea to cut down on littering.
They’ve installed rubbish bins that say ‘thank you’ in celebrity voices as they are fed trash. A detector in the bin activates a loudspeaker as soon as rubbish is put in and the conscientious bin-user will hear the voice of a city leader or a Finnish celebrity thanking them for their effort.
“It’s great that you care about the city,” says Mayor Jussi Pajunen in one message.
The idea has been tried in other cities with varying degrees of success – London and Berlin, for instance. I’m just not sure that too many celebrities would want this trashy gig on their CVs!
Helsinki is a fascinating ‘off-the-beaten track’ destination for a short break during a longer European tour and Luxique can offer the best room rates at the city’s luxurious Hotel Kamp – probably the best hotel in Finland.
by Andy Moreton
