The Globetrotters eNewsletter
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The still cameras flash, the video cameras turn, the crowd press forward – Old Compton St. in Soho half closed off. Nothing new about this – It could be an event anywhere anytime but it wasn’t. This was the unveiling of Westminster’s latest Green plaque – see picture right complete with a picture of the author himself! The plaque commemorates the original 2 i’s Coffee Bar - where Skiffle and early British Rock ‘N Roll was born (1956-1970).

This pack of cameras, were not pointing at some youthful stars or celebrities but at a grey brigade of the young at heart. Amongst musicians and singers were: Sir Cliff Richard, Chas McDevitt, Jim Sullivan, Vince Eager, Wee Willie Harris, John Pilgrim, Bruce Welch plus too many others to mention. Fans also came from as far away as Jersey to relive their days of youthful fun either playing or being part of the packed, hot, hand jiving audience – A death trap if there ever had been a fire and would not now be permitted by ‘Health and Safety’, but we loved it.

This day was so successful that the ‘Tales From The Woods’ Roots Music Magazine, has booked the 100 Club, in Oxford Street, for the 28th Jan. 2007 for a tribute to the 2 I’s and the Coffee bar scene in the 1950’s.

So I’m trying to track down some of the ‘Blue Jeans’ – see the photo left - and their fans and I know that some of them read the GT E-News in both California and Australia, because they have contacted me in the past but alas my computer has crashed many times and I have lost their addresses over the time. So I need to know - Where are they now? Guitarists, George Plumber, Bob Mills (Londoners) and Les Vas (Goa) are the last of the group to be contacted as Michael Fogarty (T-Chest Bass) and I (Drums) are already in touch.

As one of my friends says “You are only young twice” – So go for it and join us jumping and jiving at the 100 Club in Oxford Street – Let the good times roll as the rest of our big adventure continues into middle age!

About the author Tony Annis: Have camera will travel. Over the top but not yet over the hill. Past sixty five and still alive, my get up and go has not entirely got up and gone - like good whisky, I'm still going strong. Travelling through these global villages of ours is great adventure but to me it is the people that make this wonderful world, as well as the exotic places that I love to visit. See you over the next horizon, Tony.

Southeast Asia's largest airport, Suvarnabhumi officially opened at the end of September after over forty years of planning and building that at a cost if US $4 billion converted a swamp into a huge complex the size of a small city. On the whole, passenger feedback has been reported as favourable. The new airport replaces Don Muang, an overcrowded, dark and dirty airport with a golf course stuck between the runways.

The new airport has a massive departure hall similar to that in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. First class and business passengers have separate check-in areas complete with leather couches. Once you get through the immigration control, you are confronted with a large statue of a snake being pulled in two directions by opposing factions. Padmassana says that it depicts the Hindu legend of the churning of the milk ocean. Many travellers line up to have their photos taken against it.

Teething problems included some delays as computer check-in systems crashed and heavy rain revealed small leaks and passengers on the first arriving flight waited more than an hour for their baggage. But officials said most of the systems at the airport, known as Suvarnabhumi, or “golden land”, performed up to expectations.

The exterior is made up of huge glass sheets, lit up in blue neon at night. Approaching the airport by taxi, it looks a little like a series of low level Sydney Opera houses with beige coloured caterpillar sections fitting together like four extended arms. Inside, it is vast with massive walkways of shops and food outlets, some of which are surprisingly good value, for an international airport.

When the Beetle passed through Suvarnabhumi, there were still pieces of wire and assorted building detritus on the floor and when you looked up they had fallen from open hatches in the ceiling. There were workers in their hundreds still sawing marble or wood in various parts of the airport. Some parts of the airport clearly remain unfinished: the parking lot is a concrete shell, many airport lounges will not be completed before the end of the year and a light rail train connecting the airport to the city centre is not due for completion before November 2007, some say 2008. If anything, the major criticisms appear to centre around the fact that it is still difficult to get to the new airport except by private car or taxi rather than the airport not being quite finished on its opening.

With an annual capacity of 45 million passengers, Thai officials hope Suvarnabhumi will help surpass Hong Kong as a regional air hub. Last year, Bangkok had 39 million passengers, slightly fewer than the 40 million who used Hong Kong's airport. Singapore, another hub, had 32 million passengers and recently completed a renovation of one of its terminals.

The World’s Top Tourism Destinations

(international tourist arrivals) source: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0198352.html

Mac is still not very well but is still e-mailing strong. In this month’s Globetrotter e-newsletter, he writes about animals.

Just read in todays Washington Post about the 12,000 elephants in Kruger National Park, South Africa. The park is enormous. I had written in my notes that it was as large as Texas (I always exaggerate) but paper says nearly as large as New Jersey. I spent several wonderful days there. On back of picture postcard I wrote Kruger Park, South Africa 12 Nov 1988 : I have seen zimbas (lions), Oliphants (elephants) and mosquitoes. The Park is bigger than some countries. We get up at 5AM tomorrow to look for more oliphants. In my notes I wrote: a baby elephant weighs 50 lbs at birth and is pink the first day so it is possible to see a pink elephant. It starts turning grey the second day. It is also possible to see a drunken elephant; they are fond of Marula fruit berry which has some alcohol content that can make them tipsy. I am starting a local chapter of AA (alcohol anonymous) and am trying to get a friend of mine who is a AA member to talk to them. They are 7500 of them (now 12,00) (all drunk.)

Our guide says that a baby giraffe is born landing on it feet and can immediately run 40 miles an hour (according to the guide) to catch up with its mother. Rhinoceros have very good hearing but poor eye sight. Many were wearing glasses. The paper says that elephants often live to be 60 years old but that they are not eligible to come to the Old Soldiers Home. They play, they mourn, and they eat. They eat more than 300 pounds of leaves, bark and grass a day. “Elephants often look directly into the eyes of humans and flap their giant ears.” The paper says they may have to cull (kill) some so there is space and food for other animals in the Park.

I met in South Africa a young American whose father was a friend of the head man at Kruger and staying with him. The American was getting a degree in ecology or something. They told me they were culling elephants then. For same reason I was cross and said in Kenya when I was there they were short of elephants because of drought and couldn’t they mail some to Kenya. They said this was not practical (postage too high.) They said I did not see the whole picture and to keep my mouth shut about the culling. Now I find they had been culling (killing) more than 14,000 of its elephants between 1967 and 1994 until an animal rights groups demanded a moratorium.

In Kenya I had stayed at Salt Lick Lodge built up on stilts so that elephants and other animals could walk underneath. There was a skull of an elephant where you deposited your room key. Before retiring each night you told them at the desk which animals you wanted to be awakened to see if they came to the water hole nearby. I put down, “Everything but mosquitoes.” In the middle of the night someone was knocking at my door and shouting elephants! Groggy with sleep I did not know where I was and was wondering why someone was at my door hollering “Elephants.” At Alddo Game Reserve (also in South Africa, smaller than The Kruger and the elephants are also smaller) they used to feed the elephants citrus fruit and apples at 4.30 pm. There is a travel book called Elephants Arrive at Half Past Four, but they have quit doing this as they want the elephants to take care of themselves so they now issue them food stamps. I love elephants.

I read in National Geographic 2000 (I am a little behind in my reading.) My Father used to be a butcher. One day he backed into the meat grinder and he got a little behind in his work. Boom, boom. Where did vaudeville go? Back to Nat Geographic and the Internet. The Australian Platypus once swam with dinosaurs (I did not know that dinosaurs could swim.) The Platypus which I think is only found in Australia is the strangest looking animal I have ever seen. It seems to have the parts of many different animals thrown into one body and it looks like a fake animal.

I read on internet that a platypus is a semi aquatic egg-laying animal. It is sometimes called a duckbill. The duckbill looks like someone put it on the animal as a joke and one person tried to pull the bill off and found it was real.

It is the most primitive group of living manuals. The head, trunk and tail of the platypus are broad and flattened and covered with thick brown fur. The muzzle is shaped like a ducks bill (oh I already said that) and is soft and rubbery. It contains ridges used for crushing food the animal has no teeth. The heel of the male bears a hollow spur connected to a poison secreting gland. (Against enemies.) This is more than you want to know about the platypus but it is one of the most fascinating animals that has gotten to meet me.

I met an Australian lady on a bus in Australia that said a Joey (baby kangaroo) knocked on her door one day. She let him in and he jumped onto her bed and took a nap. He then let her know he wanted out. Each day for about a month there would be this knock on her door and he would hop up on her bed and she finally got a blanket to cover him. Then one day he did not appear and never did again. She grew to love the little animal and often wondered what happened to him. She wondered if he had been an orphan. Enuff about animals. Mac

If you would like to get in touch with Mac, he is happy to correspond by e-mail when he is well. His e-mail address is: macsan400@yahoo.com

Irish airline Aer Lingus has rejected a 1.48bn euro (£1bn) takeover offer from budget rival Ryanair. A combined Ryanair/Aer Lingus group would have a 78% share of the London-Dublin route, raising concerns over competition issues. Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary said the move was a “unique opportunity” to form a “strong Irish airline”, carrying more than 50 million passengers each year. If the bid was successful, he said the plan was to continue to operate the two airlines separately and compete on the 17 routes which both use.

Yes, you can now renew your membership or join the Globetrotters Club on-line.

It is secure and you can pay by all major credit, debit or charge cards. Transactions will be in Pounds Sterling and your bank will convert this to your local currency for you.

So, just click here to join and become a Globetrotter! Costs are left in the main body of this e-newsletter.

The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all but essential travel to, or through, the far southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla, where there is continuing violence due to insurgency and civil unrest. Since January 2004, there have been regular attacks including bombings and shootings. There were a number of explosions in August 2006. The Thai Government has declared a serious state of emergency in the provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. You should also maintain high levels of vigilance when travelling to, or through, the neighbouring province of Satun. There have been media reports that Thai military presence in Satun is being increased due to insurgency fears.

There is a high threat from terrorism throughout Thailand. Attacks could be indiscriminate and against places frequented by foreigners.

On 19 September 2006 the Thai Army Commander, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, announced that he had established a Reform Council to take over the administration of the country. A nationwide state of martial law has been declared. The situation in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand remains calm, but the British Embassy is continuing to monitor the situation closely.

If you are currently in Bangkok, you should use discretion when travelling around the city and refrain from approaching military vehicles and personnel. If you intend to travel to, or are currently in Thailand, you should monitor all available information on the local situation and keep in contact with your tour operator. You should also avoid the areas surrounding Government buildings and locations where large crowds appear to be gathering, as well as any demonstrations.

Since December 2005, there have been a number of small explosions in Bangkok. The motives for these attacks are not clear.

Penalties for possession, distribution or manufacture of drugs are severe and can include the death penalty.

If any Globetrotters member would like to start a branch, whether it is in Aberdeen or Zanzibar, please see our FAQ or contact our the Branch Liaison Officer via our Website at Meeting FAQ.

A member of Globetrotters Club? Interested in a £1,000 travel award?

Know someone who is? We have £1,000 to award each year for five years for the best submitted independent travel plan. Interested?

Then see our legacy page on our Website, where you can apply with your plans for a totally independent travel trip and we’ll take a look at it. Get those plans in!!

A 200-year-old pair of French false teeth are going on display for the first time at the British Museum. The 18th century teeth, which belonged to the Archbishop of Narbonne, who died in 1806, were found in his coffin after an archaeologists' dig in London at St Pancras graveyard ahead of building work on the Channel Tunnel's new rail terminus.

The porcelain dentures, which were still sitting in the Archbishop’s mouth feature gold springs. The teeth are being put on display from the beginning of October to coincide with World Smile Day.