Tag Archives: April 2004

Increase in Membership Fees in the EU

For a while now postage costs to the EU countries have been rising and has now reached the point where they are on a par with the costs for our other members worldwide members (USA, South America and Australia). We feel that it is unfair for one member to subsidise another and have decided to abolish the EU price band.

The new fees will be effective from the 1st June 2004 when the following fees will apply:

  • 1 year subscription £18.00 (around €27)
  • 2 year subscription £34.00 (around €51)
  • 3 year subscription £48.00 (around €72)

If you would like to renew or extend your membership or have been thinking of becoming a member then join or renew before the 1st June, to get the current rate.

Get the current rate

Tip of the Month

From Mac: one of the users of Internet Cafes overseas suggests that you leave a list of e mail addresses with a relative or friend in your home town that has a computer and just write one e mail to that person and have that person forward to those on e mail addresses you gave them. The person who receives e-mail from you is glad that you are having a good time and this saves you time at the cybercafé.

Conde Nast Traveller's Next Seven Wonders of the World

According to Conde Nast Traveller’s, the “Next Seven Wonders” of the world feature two concert halls, a museum, two stores, a church and a hotel.  They are:

  • Tenerife Auditorium, a curving, soaring concert hall on Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
  • The Kunsthaus contemporary art museum in Graz, Austria, a blue, other-worldly building with light flowing in from 16 nozzles, dubbed the “Friendly Alien” by locals.
  • The six-storey Prada tower in Tokyo with a facade made from diamond-shaped grids of glass, some concave, others convex, illuminated from within at night.
  • The Jubilee Church in Rome, comprising three concrete shells, soaring skylights and glass exterior walls that fill the church with light.
  • The Selfridges store in Birmingham, England, a futuristic pod of a building with 15,000 glittering aluminium disks covering its wavy walls.
  • Hotel Unique in Sao Paulo, a boat-shaped semicircle, complete with round nautical-style windows.
  • Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, known for its acoustics and reflective stainless steel panels.

Is there anywhere you’d like to nominate as the next wonder of the world?  The Beetle would like to nominate the Gherkin, also known as the erotic gherkin, or more properly known as the Swiss Re Tower in the City of London.  Let the Beetle know and we will compile a list for next month’s e-news.

Being Careful: Bulgaria

From the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office: You should be aware of the risk of indiscriminate attacks by terrorists in public places, including tourist sights, throughout the world. Although there is no recent history of either domestic or international terrorism in Bulgaria, we believe there is an increased general threat to visibly British institutions and organisations from global terrorism as there is in all other countries in this region.

Crime levels are roughly comparable to the UK. Organised criminal groups are active in casinos, nightclubs, prostitution and elsewhere. Much local violent crime is the result of turf battles between criminal groups. You should beware of groups of young pickpockets (often children) in city centres, especially busy shopping areas and underpasses. Thieves and pickpockets also target holidaymakers at Black Sea coastal resorts. You should leave passports and other valuables in a hotel safe or other secure place. (You are strongly advised, however, to carry a copy of the information pages of your passport as proof of identity).

Car theft is commonplace. Thieves target prestige and four-wheel drive models, but any unattended vehicle is at risk. If possible, you should use alarms and other visible security measures.

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