Independent - Dental Costs – Brits Who Put Less Money Where Their Mouth Is

Dental costs – Brits who put less money where their mouth is - Independent

Dental costs – Brits who put less money where their mouth is Independent, UK - Sep 6, 2008 Nevertheless, the waiting room at the Vital Europe clinic is chock-full of Britons eager to save perhaps thousands of pounds on their dental work. ...

Dental costs – Brits who put less money where their mouth is - Independent It's light years away from any dentist's waiting room I have ever been in. There's an espresso coffee machine, soft leather designer furniture and big LED screens. The only familiar item is a well-thumbed copy of Reader's Digest, but there's something different about this too: it's this month's issue and not years out of date. So just where is this distinctly modern dentist's waiting room? Just off the fashionable Kings Road in Chelsea? No, it's in a sleepy suburb of Hungary's capital, Budapest. Nevertheless, the waiting room at the Vital Europe clinic is chock-full of Britons eager to save perhaps thousands of pounds on their dental work. The last available figures, for 2006, show that around 35,000 Brits travelled abroad to get dental work done, from braces and crowns to multiple implants. The main destinations of choice were in Eastern Europe – Hungary, Poland, Croatia and Bulgaria. But countries such as Thailand also featured. This is against the backdrop of an NHS dental care system that is patchy at best and downright poor at worst. An estimated two million British people can't find an NHS dentist and are forced to go private. And going private can be expensive: check-ups cost around £50 a time, a porcelain crown will set you back some £700 and something more complex, such as an implant, can cost upwards of £2,000 a tooth. No wonder that research from the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) reveals that less than half of the UK population visit their dentists regularly. Even when someone can find an NHS dentist, the service they receive may not be of a high standard. A more legitimate comparison will be looking at the treatment between private practice in the UK and Eastern Europe." I met Susan Wenden, 60, from Lyne in Surrey, in the Budapest waiting room of Vital Europe, which also offers consultation and treatment in London. Ms Wenden has done the maths on where she should have her teeth looked at. I needed one doing after having an emergency extraction," she explains. That is when I researched going overseas."I had a consultation with Vital Europe in London and agreed to fly out to Hungary. I was seen all the way through by the same dentist. I was a little unsure but my husband came too and we made a week of it. Vital Europe reckons it is treating around 200 patients a month from the UK and is considering opening another consultation room in Manchester. For those who don't want to fly abroad just for the sake of their teeth, there is the option of having the treatment done in London by Hungarian dentists, who are registered to work with the UK's General Dental Council (GDC). That will cost around 20 per cent more than going to Budapest, but the total savings on UK treatment can still be considerable. The key difference is in staff expenses. We have offices in the UK so we know how much practitioners charge and it's way over the odds, but the cost of living is so high," says Paula Szorfi, marketing manager at Vital Europe. This keeps overheads down." But for complex treatments such as implants, Ms Szorfi advises people to make the trip out to Hungary. Coming here reduces any unnecessary delays." And this is a bustling industry, with 14 dentists and 11 hygienists, as well as a dozen or so laboratory workers producing the casts and enamelling behind the scenes. What's more, they have to spend three years as a junior in a practice – a little like the period spent being a junior doctor in a hospital." "The truth is, the UK is just plain expensive. The reverse is true," says Mr Qureshi at the BACD. Teaching and training are now so advanced that we are a centre of excellence – we have people from America come over to learn our techniques." Mr Qureshi has concerns about patients going abroad. What will you do in Poland, Bulgaria or Hungary?" Insurers seem to share some of his misgivings. Generally they won't finance treatment abroad. But such issues do not worry Ms Wenden as she sits in the waiting room at Vital Europe. But then my husband went over after he was quoted £5,500 in the UK for just two implants, and he had a good experience. So I thought, why not?"Lynne has been out to Budapest twice for treatment and has had work done on a grand total of 17 teeth. We have toured all around the city and we are off to Vienna for a few days before my final treatment. It will be good if they can open an office in Scotland to make it more convenient." Interesting? My first movie was murdered, says Lynch Modern expression of ancient urge Pupil test 'favours middle class' Spain: no country for stupid remarks The Ten Best Umbrellas Walruses threatened by climate change Can drama help stop knife crime?

T's Intransigence - - Zimbabwe: Hidden Hand Behind MDC

Zimbabwe: Hidden Hand Behind MDC-T's Intransigence - AllAfrica.com

Zimbabwe: Hidden Hand Behind MDC-T's Intransigence AllAfrica.com, Washington - Sep 7, 2008 For it is only the few unreconstructed and defiant former Rhodesians and Britons who have so lost is because, by refusing to be resettled, they have refused ...

Zimbabwe: Hidden Hand Behind MDC-T's Intransigence - AllAfrica.com The demand for the illegal transfer of power comes from exactly the same voters. But the same voters hold the key to solving the same problems.First let us examine the external manoeuvres by the US, the UK and the allies. This was the aim of Walter Kansteiner's declaration on August 20 2002 as much as it was the aim of all the pronouncements by Gordon Brown, Bernard Kouchner, Condoleezza Rice and Jendayi Fraser in June 2008. What these white racist powers have been saying since 2001 is that the aspirations and votes of the people Zimbabwe do not count. Relevant Links Southern AfricaEurope and AfricaUnited States, Canada and AfricaZimbabwe The people of Zimbabwe aspire to fully reclaim and use their once stolen land. The people of Zimbabwe aspire to secure and exploit the natural assets and human resources of their country. The people of Zimbabwe aspire to choose their trade and development partners in the world. That is democracy at work.Page 1 of 4123>Last » Read comments. Tsvangirai didn't contest the run-off because he was likely to lose andwithdrawing from the run-off was his only way to allow him to pretend hewon. You obviously don't know anything about Zimbabwe otherwise you'd knowthat Tsvangirai was still on the ballot, as obligated by the constitution.Tsvangirai won that other 20%.China and Russia weren't manipulated, YOU have been manipulated. And are you seriously going to bring up Georgia? If you for onemoment even consider the 80% a true reflection of the peoples will asaccurate, this simply shows how stupid, idiotic, irrational and brainwashedyou are. Why do you support and condone a man who has so blatantly beaten, murdered,raped and tortured your fello Zimbabweans to keep power? Read Our Commenting Guidelines Flag as Abusive Reply Author: d_bokk This post was deleted because it contravenes AllAfrica's commenting guidelines. Read Our Commenting Guidelines Author: awt_independent As I said "If you for one moment even consider the 80% a true reflection ofthe peoples will as accurate, this simply shows how stupid, idiotic,irrational and brainwashed you are". Tsvangarai pulled out 4 days before the run off 'election' saving countlesslives at the hands of Mugabe thugs. You're not suggesting that Mugabe, the butcher of Harare, responsible fortens of thousands of deaths of Zimbabweans is a better leader of the peopleare you? Read Our Commenting Guidelines Flag as Abusive Reply Author: d_bokk Tsvangirai pulled out to "save lives"? Then his recent callfor new elections means... He's literally asking for the same kind of violence once more because hecann't finish the job (and by finish the job I mean create ajustification for a Western invasion) in the run-off. The guy is completelycontradictory in everything he does. A good leader will have signed thegenerous deal presented by Mbeki and patiently await the next electionafter the economic crisis has subsided. If he wanted to promote a "western invasion" thenhe will have stayed in for the run off. But seriously, you must be prettydeluded to even consider the west invading Zimbabwe. Under these free and fair conditions, its pretty clear that Tsvangaraiwill win an election. Why change now?"Under these free and fair conditions, its pretty clear that Tsvangaraiwill win an election."^-- Purely your opinion."You really are stupid though. Mugabe needed the instability to win theelection. Mugabe knew if things remained stable, and the run off occuredthat there was a good chance he will lose. So I think you can only look atMugabe for the instability. Then he hid in South Africa and cried about assassination attempts which were completely false as his supporters took the brunt of the violence. To top it off, right as the run-off came around, he hid in the Dutch embassy and lied about...[Read Full Text] Read Our Commenting Guidelines Flag as Abusive Reply See all comments. AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views.

Litters - Times Online - A New Chapter For Flit

A new chapter for flit-litters - Times Online

Times Online

A new chapter for flit-litters Times Online, UK - Aug 30, 2008 ... in Bulgaria or Downhill in Dubai: Skiing in the Desert. Also, the literary output from North America, the third most popular destination for Britons, ...

A new chapter for flit-litters - Times Online And now, somewhat to our surprise, we had done it . We hadbought a house, taken French lessons, said our goodbyes, shipped over ourdogs and become foreigners.”It all happened because of a property. Mayle, a professional adman, and hiswife, Jennie, “saw it one afternoon and had mentally moved in by dinner”. Itdidn’t just mark the beginning of their new life in the Provençal hills – italso kick-started the British invasion of France and a whole new literarygenre: flit lit. IsabellaDusi went off to Montalcino, a medieval hilltop village in Tuscany, for hertwo-book deal, as did the American author Frances Mayes, whose Under theTuscan Sun was taken up by Hollywood and made into a film in 2003. ChrisStewart decamped to Andalusia, Anna Nicholas went from Mayfair to Mallorca(A Lizard in My Luggage) and Alex Browning went Shooting Caterpillars inSpain. Such escapism was perfect poolside reading and sucked in commuterswho fantasised about leaving behind the daily grind.A Year in Provence became an international sensation after serialisation inThe Sunday Times. It was translated into 17 languages and went on to sellmore than 1.5m copies – not bad considering it had an initial print run of3,000.So, what will it cost to follow in Mayle’s footsteps now? Head down to thesun-baked terraces and lavender fields of Provence and you’ll be lucky topick up a ruined farmhouse with some land. But almost everything has beenrenovated. Today, you have to pick something that was renovated, say, 20 or30 years ago, and redo it.”Prices for a 300-square-metre property, says Janssens, range from £1.2m up to£2.5m. He is selling a renovated 18th-century mas near Goult with a view ofthe Vaucluse mountains. The fourbed house with pool, staff flat and largegardens is for sale for £2m (020 8576 5582, www.winkworth.co.uk). Janssens picks the Drôme Provençal, known for its olive trees, where valuesare 30% less than southern Provence, as the next destination on the Mayletrail. A milder climate may costyou 20% more, but then you can grow lemons, avocados and olives.”Finding wrecks to do up in central Italy is altogether more difficult. After10 years in Italy, she went to Morocco and Algeria, where she ended up on adate farm in an oasis, and the resulting book, A Handful of Honey, has justbeen published.The shelves may be groaning with flit lit, but there are a few gaps. There’syet to be A Year in Bulgaria or Downhill in Dubai: Skiing in the Desert.Also, the literary output from North America, the third most populardestination for Britons, has yet to take off. Perhaps the commonlanguage doesn’t allow for comic misunderstanding; then there’s the lack ofold stone houses to do up. Or perhaps, dare I say it, Florida doesn’t appealto the budding man of letters.Rural France, it seems, still exerts the greatest pull. Among the latesttitles is The Field by the River by Ken Burnett, which combines an interestin natural history with the “let’s move to France” genre, recording thewildlife in the field adjoining his 350-year-old house in Brit-tany. Andthis week sees the publication of Chateau Monty: A Corking Wine Adventure byMonty Waldin, the enfant terrible of the organic wine world. Needless tosay, at the start of his new career abroad, he is hurtling towards 40. He now lives in a 1930s semi in Tuscany with an allotmentand a garage-cum-office built of straw bales. I’m sureMayle will raise a glass of vino.Flit lit: the rules1. Buy a property – it can be a maison-de-maître, chateau, cortijoor finca, whatever you like or the locals call it, but it must be awreck2. Choose a location or business proposal that hasn’t yet been written about:a brothel in Bulgaria? Make one stunningly rude and hilarious faux pas4. A team of workers must down tools in a Mediterranean-style huff, leavingyou stranded. You will then be saved by a local hero with a ruddy face androbust language who will initiate you into the secrets of village life5. Take up a hobby: boules, cooking, flamenco or truffle-hunting. Never suggest it is lonely or that you miss anything more than marmaladeand baked beans. The holiday spirit must reign supreme, but be rude aboutEnglish tourists who dream of moving abroad7. Take a hard look at the market with our indispensable guideThe ten most common pitfalls when buying abroad... Globrix Property Search - find property for sale and rent in the UK.Visit our classified services and find jobs, used cars, property or holidays. Use our dating service, read our births, marriages and deaths announcements, or place your advertisement.Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701.

Sofia Echo - Bulgaria: The Age Of $15 Flights

Bulgaria: The age of $15 flights - Sofia Echo

Bulgaria: The age of $15 flights Sofia Echo, Bulgaria - Aug 22, 2008 ... the UK since their country joined the European Union in January 2007 as well as Bulgaria’s appeal as a holiday and investment destination for Britons. ...

Bulgaria: The age of $15 flights - Sofia Echo While the other two main Black Sea airports, in Bourgas and Varna, reported less stellar performances, demand is strong enough for budget carriers to plan and open new routes and increase the frequency of existing ones. The airport announced on August 8 that about 1.54 million passengers passed through Sofia Airport in the first half of this year, an increase of 19 per cent on the same period in 2007. Meanwhile, aircraft movements increased by 3000 to 23 370 and cargo volumes grew by two per cent to 9077 tons. The figure has been considerably boosted by UK-based budget carrier easyJet, which launched flights from Sofia to London’s Gatwick Airport in November, carrying 59 000 passengers on the route by the end of June. This reflected passenger volume growth of 41 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. Vienna is the hub for Austrian Airlines, which is aiming to position itself as the leading airline in Eastern Europe by offering a wider range of destinations than any of its competitors or partners. According to the airline, this represents a 30 per cent growth on 2007.Bulgaria Air has been experiencing particularly strong demand on its flights to the coastal cities of Varna (the de facto second city in economic terms) and Bourgas (the fourth city). Both municipalities include major ports, and lie at the centre of a collection of coastal resorts. This represented significantly lower passenger growth rates than that of Sofia. Bourgas’ figure was up only 0.6 per cent on the year, and Varna’s 2.7 per cent. This is particularly welcome because for several years they mostly avoided Bulgaria, preferring to wait for its accession to the EU. In July, easyJet announced that it will be starting flights between Sofia and Madrid in November and between the Bulgarian capital and Manchester, in the north of England, in December. Both routes will run three times a week.Perhaps more significantly, on July 25, Budapest-based low cost airline Wizz Air, which already serves eight European cities from Sofia, commenced the first internal budget flight in Bulgaria’s history, between Sofia and Varna. With tickets starting at 19.99 leva ($15.10) one way, all charges included (cheaper than most bus tickets), Wizz will be offering sharp competition on the increasingly popular route. While it is too early to tell what the effects on the market will be, and whether other low-cost carriers will follow suit, an intriguing precedent has been set. Flights are regularly sold out or selling for as much as it will cost to fly to the USA! There seems to be some sort of price fixing between Bulgaria Air and British Airways. Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site.

- Return Of The Great British Holiday Puts Spain And Greece In The Shade

Return of the great British holiday puts Spain and Greece in the shade - guardian.co.uk

Telegraph.co.uk

Return of the great British holiday puts Spain and Greece in the shade guardian.co.uk, UK - Aug 15, 2008 The number of Britons visiting Turkey this year has jumped by a fifth to 1.7 million, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). ... Gill Charlton: On the case Telegraph.co.uk all 2 news articles

Return of the great British holiday puts Spain and Greece in the shade - guardian.co.uk Photograph: Cate Gillon/Getty ImagesThe British seaside is proving a popular holiday destination this year, with a weak pound and stretched finances forcing more people to stay in Britain. But many people are still escaping the wet and windy British summer to sunnier climes - outside the increasingly expensive eurozone.The strength of the euro is putting many holidaymakers off traditional European destinations such as Spain and Greece. The pound is now worth €1.27, 20% less than a year ago. Turkey and Egypt have become the new hot spots, seeing the biggest rises in bookings this year. Croatia, Bulgaria and Tunisia are also popular. Outside the eurozone, Bulgaria has emerged as the cheapest European destination.For late summer bookings, Turkey - in particular the Dalaman area which offers sea and mountains - has come out top, according to new figures compiled by Co-operative Travel for The Guardian. The Co-op's Trevor Davis described this as "a seismic shift in holiday bookings, as Spain has been the UK's number one choice since the package holiday began". The number of Britons visiting Turkey this year has jumped by a fifth to 1.7 million, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). Egypt has seen an even bigger increase of 28%, attracting 600,000 holidaymakers. By contrast, Spain and Greece are showing flat growth - though Spain remains by far the biggest destination, with 14 million Britons going there every year. Greece attracts 2.5 million holidaymakers from Britain.Thomas Cook has seen its summer bookings to Turkey and Egypt increase by 15% from last year. A family of four will pay £1,516 for a week in a self catering apartment in Dalaman with Thomson (owned by TUI) - or £2,141 for the same deal at Alykanas village apartments in Zante, Greece. The British seaside is seeing record numbers of bookings: Brighton is up 70%, Bournemouth 20% and Eastbourne 66%."The Brits are taking another look at holidaying at home because of the economic climate," said Sian Brenchley at Visit Britain. Customers are booking more add-ons with their hotels - theme parks, theatre and music tickets. The trend has continued despite the rather poor summer we've had this year."Asda reported this week that its stores in seaside towns, were trading "phenomenally well".More people are cutting the length of their summer holidays abroad to enjoy several breaks at home. Since the mergers of travel groups TUI and First Choice and Thomas Cook and MyTravel, last year, they have cut the number of low-cost late deals to western Mediterranean resorts such as mainland Spain and the Balearics. The surge to the turquoise coast may continue. Searches on Teletext Holidays between June and August for holidays to Turkey soared by 72% compared with last year. Ash Makkar, marketing director, said: "The credit crunch has affected our customers' priorities in terms of booking a summer break, as they now demand greater value than ever before. It was last updated at 01:45 on August 16 2008. Travel insuranceMulti-trip annual holiday insurance from £38 and single trip travel insurance from £6. Latest news on guardian.co.uk NewsBush secret order sends special forces into PakistanSportFootball podcast: England back on formTravelWhere's Walney? Share travel tips about your favourite places on Been there, our interactive travel guide to the world.

Overseas Property And Investment News - More Britons Purchasing Bulgarian Currency

More Britons purchasing Bulgarian currency - Overseas Property and Investment News

Overseas Property and Investment News

More Britons purchasing Bulgarian currency Overseas Property and Investment News, UK - Aug 22, 2008 Investors in the Bulgarian market can be in line to benefit from growth in the country's tourism sector. According to the Post Office, ...

More Britons purchasing Bulgarian currency - Overseas Property and Investment News Low money down, 70% mortgages & high rental potential.

Value Holidays - - Britons Look Beyond Eurozone For Better

Britons look beyond Eurozone for better-value holidays - Telegraph.co.uk

Telegraph.co.uk

Britons look beyond Eurozone for better-value holidays Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Aug 20, 2008 ... while sales of Malaysian ringgit, Slovakian koruna and Bulgarian lev have also risen sharply. The figures provide further evidence that though Britons ...

Britons look beyond Eurozone for better-value holidays - Telegraph.co.uk

Holidaymakers are being forced to spend more sterling to get the same amount of euro, which explains this increase in sales. Post Office fastest growing currencies (June/July 2008)1. Top hotel deals5* Cancun from £48 per night. Find the best car hire deal for your trip. Book car hire hereTelegraph offersLate deals, special offers and travel classifieds. Find out more.Free holiday brochuresSearch our selection of holiday brochures by destination, holiday type or keyword. The Call of AntarcticaWhat’s it like to get close to penguins, sea lions and all Antarctic wildlife in its natural habitat?Summer sportIt's time to sit back and enjoy the best of summer sports. But men should remember to protect their skin too.

- Britons Work Almost Two Hours More Per Week Than The Average European

Britons work almost two hours more per week than the average European - Telegraph.co.uk

Metro

Britons work almost two hours more per week than the average European Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Sep 3, 2008 Only workers in Romania and Bulgaria work longer at an average of 41.7 hours a week. By comparison, the French spend an average of just 37.7 hours a week at ... Britons work longest hours in Europe Metro all 3 news articles

Britons work almost two hours more per week than the average European - Telegraph.co.uk Only workers in Romania and Bulgaria work longer at an average of 41.7 hours a week.By comparison, the French spend an average of just 37.7 hours a week at work, effectively giving them an entire afternoon off compared with British workers. In the UK, the average "agreed" working week is just 37.3 hours, suggesting that workers in this country are giving their employers more than four hours of extra time. That gap is bigger than in any other country in the EU, where the average length of extra work above the agreed amount is 1.4 hours.Nor do the British make up the gap in extra holidays. CULTUREDeath-dealerIs there anything David Blaine is afraid of? Yes, actually...FILMBrideshead retoldBrideshead Revisited takes its bow on the big screen.

Sofia Echo - Don’Ts And Do's

Don’ts and Do's - Sofia Echo

Don’ts and Do's Sofia Echo, Bulgaria - Sep 4, 2008 In July, JJ arrived in Bulgaria, ready to move in. This time it was other Britons who killed his enthusiasm, he said. Some compatriots, living near JJ’s new ...

Don’ts and Do's - Sofia Echo The rush of Britons and Irish to buy properties in the country in the past several years is well known and scarcely worth commenting on. So, the Briton in question, J.J., contacts the company in October 2007, arrives in Bulgaria, sees the property and decides to buy it. If it were not for the company beating about the bush, as J.J. And he ended up paying more than 65 000 euro. In April 2008, the company’s lawyer called J.J. The deal was to be closed by June 2008 but then it turned out that an extra month was needed for the apartment to be finished because there was no electricity and water. This time it was other Britons who killed his enthusiasm, he said. Some compatriots, living near J.J.’s new apartment, told him that nothing had been done on the property because the constructor had no money left to finish the project. Any property purchase will now experience an interminable set of “problems” […] E-mails are now ignored, phone calls blocked. At the last moment, he cannot be contacted / is unable to attend. Anything to create delay / waste your time and money,” J.J.’s letter said. On August 11 in a desperate attempt to defend his rights, J.J. Eventually, he was arrested and charged with assault in Bourgas but there was no trace of his money.J.J. He only had an errand agreement.After J.J. We then paid them the money and the deal was supposed to complete on March 15 2007. They said there was a problem with the land, which was completely untrue, and they maintained this deceit until they were forced to complete in early March this year.” J.D. He then heard no more from them, again despite what they say in their emails, until after we spoke to him (and contacted them) during a further visit to Bulgaria in January of this year,” J.D. It turned out that police had indeed received tip-offs about the company. One of them had led to a pre-trial investigation.[…] The tip-offs had been received over the past two years and this is the only information I can give you,” the police official said, leaving the whole saga entirely in the hands of Bulgaria’s judiciary.Do’sJ.J and J.D. Clients should look for a longstanding agency on the market, which in the Bulgarian case is 10-15 years because it is a young market,” Stoyanov said. The fact that a company has operated for 10-15 years on the market is a guarantee of quality. Such an agency will want to preserve its image and willn’t let its clients down,” he said. They lack know-how, neither do they know the market or want to know it.”It is also important to check whether the agency is a member of international and Bulgarian organisations. This guarantees quality.Step two is the brokerage contract. It is extremely important because it settles the type of property the client wants, the commission for the agency, the method of payment, the deal’s deadline and the way the contract can be annulled.Step three. Once the company finds its client a property, a consultation with lawyers should follow. Reputable real estate agencies offer such consultations. They either have a judicial department or work with lawyer’s offices. A reliable lawyer’s office will be one, which, just like in the real estate agency’s case, has existed for at least 10-15 years on the market.Step four. It is a sale-trade contract, which settles when the deal will be executed. Usually the deadline is within a month or 45 days. However, a good agency will continue supporting its client until the deal’s execution,” Stoyanov said.Step five. It is important to choose a notary of repute. Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site.

Sunday Mirror - Exclusive: British Woman's Incredible Escape From Doomed Madrid Plane

Exclusive: British woman's incredible escape from doomed Madrid plane - Sunday Mirror

Sunday Mirror

Exclusive: British woman's incredible escape from doomed Madrid plane Sunday Mirror, UK - Aug 24, 2008 It had been thought there were no Britons on the plane but Kim has both British and Spanish nationality. Her father Harry Tate met and married mum Luisa ...

Exclusive: British woman's incredible escape from doomed Madrid plane - Sunday Mirror She was sat in Row 6, right at the point where the plane broke in two and that's what saved her life."She was thrown out of the gap where the plane ripped apart and landed in a stream. Because she landed in water she has none of the terrible burns most of the other survivors had."We cannot believe how lucky she is to be alive. It's impossible to describe how difficult that was. Everyone, from the police to the doctors, said it's a miracle that she's alive."She was in a great deal of pain, so they have sedated her with drugs, but to come away from that crash with the injuries she has is just amazing. The doctors are hoping to reduce her medication and slowly bring her round."At first she had a lot of trouble breathing because of her lung injuries. But she's getting better all the time."Kim's mother Luisa said: "All I can say is we're absolutely delighted my daughter is alive."Kim, whose full name is Kim Yvonne Tate Perez, had been on holiday in Bulgaria, where she had previously worked for two years. Her father Harry Tate met and married mum Luisa Perez on the Isle of Wight in 1975. After their children were born they moved to the Canary Islands. Most of the survivors of the crash were seated near Kim. They include the youngest survivor, six-year-old Ricardo Alvarez Carretero, who was seated in 6A.He is expected to be released from hospital shortly after being treated for head injuries.

Sofia News Agency - Bulgarians, Romanians Have Longest Work Week In EU

Bulgarians, Romanians Have Longest Work Week in EU - Sofia News Agency

Bulgarians, Romanians Have Longest Work Week in EU Sofia News Agency, Bulgaria - Sep 4, 2008 Bulgaria: Bulgarians and Romanians are the hardest working people in Europe, followed by the Britons, according to a new report, cited by the Daily ...

Bulgarians, Romanians Have Longest Work Week in EU - Sofia News Agency Britons worked for 41.4 hours per week in 2007.By comparison, the French spend an average of just 37.7 hours a week at work, effectively giving them an entire afternoon off. The figures come from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions - an organisation set up by the European Union. Nor do the British make up the gap in extra holidays. The difference in work ethic even between Germany and the UK is staggering. A lot of the overtime done in "the city" (aka London) involves playing solitaire whilst sitting at your desk until as late as you dare to leave. It's purely about appearing to be there rather than actually slaving away. The most productive workers are the ones working least hours. Countless studies show this (not that I can link to any he, he).Bulgarians, Romanians Have Longest Work Week in EUview initial storyAuthor: McDonald7 Sep 2008 01:12:25No Robin, you are not fair here ! City in London is quite busy and you wont find many people playing solitaire on the computer- and London is after all the financial capital of the world. Status achieved by playing solitaire ?Yes, work ethics are high in Germany, but also Sweden, Finland, France have high work standards. But at the end of the day- it is normal in Bulgaria to make general statements about populations in other countries. But the statements are not "informed" and verified. So Robin, verify and tell us about the links and documentation... Otherwise you just end up as a traditional Bulgarian gossip maker in a coffeebar. The article states that Bulgaria/Romania has the hardest working population in Europe. NOrway has highest standart of living in the world due to oil revenueeven WW has knocked off for there/.///dude, what is your deal???

Independent - Dental Costs – Brits Who Put Less Money Where Their Mouth Is

Dental costs – Brits who put less money where their mouth is - Independent

Dental costs – Brits who put less money where their mouth is Independent, UK - Sep 6, 2008 Nevertheless, the waiting room at the Vital Europe clinic is chock-full of Britons eager to save perhaps thousands of pounds on their dental work. ...

Dental costs – Brits who put less money where their mouth is - Independent Invest & Save 17°LondonHi 20°C / Lo 12°CSearchQuery:Go Headlines Adrian Hamilton Are we being unfair to Gordon? It's light years away from any dentist's waiting room I have ever been in. There's an espresso coffee machine, soft leather designer furniture and big LED screens. The only familiar item is a well-thumbed copy of Reader's Digest, but there's something different about this too: it's this month's issue and not years out of date. So just where is this distinctly modern dentist's waiting room? Just off the fashionable Kings Road in Chelsea? No, it's in a sleepy suburb of Hungary's capital, Budapest. Nevertheless, the waiting room at the Vital Europe clinic is chock-full of Britons eager to save perhaps thousands of pounds on their dental work. The last available figures, for 2006, show that around 35,000 Brits travelled abroad to get dental work done, from braces and crowns to multiple implants. The main destinations of choice were in Eastern Europe – Hungary, Poland, Croatia and Bulgaria. But countries such as Thailand also featured. This is against the backdrop of an NHS dental care system that is patchy at best and downright poor at worst. An estimated two million British people can't find an NHS dentist and are forced to go private. And going private can be expensive: check-ups cost around £50 a time, a porcelain crown will set you back some £700 and something more complex, such as an implant, can cost upwards of £2,000 a tooth. No wonder that research from the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) reveals that less than half of the UK population visit their dentists regularly. Even when someone can find an NHS dentist, the service they receive may not be of a high standard. A more legitimate comparison will be looking at the treatment between private practice in the UK and Eastern Europe." I met Susan Wenden, 60, from Lyne in Surrey, in the Budapest waiting room of Vital Europe, which also offers consultation and treatment in London. Ms Wenden has done the maths on where she should have her teeth looked at. I needed one doing after having an emergency extraction," she explains. That is when I researched going overseas."I had a consultation with Vital Europe in London and agreed to fly out to Hungary. I was seen all the way through by the same dentist. I was a little unsure but my husband came too and we made a week of it. Vital Europe reckons it is treating around 200 patients a month from the UK and is considering opening another consultation room in Manchester. For those who don't want to fly abroad just for the sake of their teeth, there is the option of having the treatment done in London by Hungarian dentists, who are registered to work with the UK's General Dental Council (GDC). That will cost around 20 per cent more than going to Budapest, but the total savings on UK treatment can still be considerable. The key difference is in staff expenses. We have offices in the UK so we know how much practitioners charge and it's way over the odds, but the cost of living is so high," says Paula Szorfi, marketing manager at Vital Europe. This keeps overheads down." But for complex treatments such as implants, Ms Szorfi advises people to make the trip out to Hungary. Coming here reduces any unnecessary delays." And this is a bustling industry, with 14 dentists and 11 hygienists, as well as a dozen or so laboratory workers producing the casts and enamelling behind the scenes. What's more, they have to spend three years as a junior in a practice – a little like the period spent being a junior doctor in a hospital." "The truth is, the UK is just plain expensive. The reverse is true," says Mr Qureshi at the BACD. Teaching and training are now so advanced that we are a centre of excellence – we have people from America come over to learn our techniques." Mr Qureshi has concerns about patients going abroad. What will you do in Poland, Bulgaria or Hungary?" Insurers seem to share some of his misgivings. Generally they won't finance treatment abroad. But such issues do not worry Ms Wenden as she sits in the waiting room at Vital Europe. But then my husband went over after he was quoted £5,500 in the UK for just two implants, and he had a good experience. So I thought, why not?"Lynne has been out to Budapest twice for treatment and has had work done on a grand total of 17 teeth. We have toured all around the city and we are off to Vienna for a few days before my final treatment. It will be good if they can open an office in Scotland to make it more convenient." Interesting? My first movie was murdered, says Lynch Modern expression of ancient urge Pupil test 'favours middle class' Spain: no country for stupid remarks The Ten Best Umbrellas Walruses threatened by climate change Can drama help stop knife crime?

Metro - Britons Work Longest Hours In Europe

Britons work longest hours in Europe - Metro

Metro

Britons work longest hours in Europe Metro, UK - Sep 3, 2008 Workers in Bulgaria and Romania worked slightly more than UK employees at an average of 41.7 hours a week, according to the study.

Britons work longest hours in Europe - Metro Here's a sample of the latest comments published. You can click view all to read all comments that readers have sent in. Average American work week is 46 hours - with 38% of those working 50 hours or more. The world's most filthy flat Hero Walcott: I'll ignore hype Who is the read Chad Johnson?

Litters - Times Online - A New Chapter For Flit

A new chapter for flit-litters - Times Online

Times Online

A new chapter for flit-litters Times Online, UK - Aug 30, 2008 ... in Bulgaria or Downhill in Dubai: Skiing in the Desert. Also, the literary output from North America, the third most popular destination for Britons, ...

A new chapter for flit-litters - Times Online And now, somewhat to our surprise, we had done it . We hadbought a house, taken French lessons, said our goodbyes, shipped over ourdogs and become foreigners.”It all happened because of a property. Mayle, a professional adman, and hiswife, Jennie, “saw it one afternoon and had mentally moved in by dinner”. Itdidn’t just mark the beginning of their new life in the Provençal hills – italso kick-started the British invasion of France and a whole new literarygenre: flit lit. IsabellaDusi went off to Montalcino, a medieval hilltop village in Tuscany, for hertwo-book deal, as did the American author Frances Mayes, whose Under theTuscan Sun was taken up by Hollywood and made into a film in 2003. ChrisStewart decamped to Andalusia, Anna Nicholas went from Mayfair to Mallorca(A Lizard in My Luggage) and Alex Browning went Shooting Caterpillars inSpain. Such escapism was perfect poolside reading and sucked in commuterswho fantasised about leaving behind the daily grind.A Year in Provence became an international sensation after serialisation inThe Sunday Times. It was translated into 17 languages and went on to sellmore than 1.5m copies – not bad considering it had an initial print run of3,000.So, what will it cost to follow in Mayle’s footsteps now? Head down to thesun-baked terraces and lavender fields of Provence and you’ll be lucky topick up a ruined farmhouse with some land. But almost everything has beenrenovated. Today, you have to pick something that was renovated, say, 20 or30 years ago, and redo it.”Prices for a 300-square-metre property, says Janssens, range from £1.2m up to£2.5m. He is selling a renovated 18th-century mas near Goult with a view ofthe Vaucluse mountains. The fourbed house with pool, staff flat and largegardens is for sale for £2m (020 8576 5582, www.winkworth.co.uk). Janssens picks the Drôme Provençal, known for its olive trees, where valuesare 30% less than southern Provence, as the next destination on the Mayletrail. A milder climate may costyou 20% more, but then you can grow lemons, avocados and olives.”Finding wrecks to do up in central Italy is altogether more difficult. After10 years in Italy, she went to Morocco and Algeria, where she ended up on adate farm in an oasis, and the resulting book, A Handful of Honey, has justbeen published.The shelves may be groaning with flit lit, but there are a few gaps. There’syet to be A Year in Bulgaria or Downhill in Dubai: Skiing in the Desert.Also, the literary output from North America, the third most populardestination for Britons, has yet to take off. Perhaps the commonlanguage doesn’t allow for comic misunderstanding; then there’s the lack ofold stone houses to do up. Or perhaps, dare I say it, Florida doesn’t appealto the budding man of letters.Rural France, it seems, still exerts the greatest pull. Among the latesttitles is The Field by the River by Ken Burnett, which combines an interestin natural history with the “let’s move to France” genre, recording thewildlife in the field adjoining his 350-year-old house in Brit-tany. Andthis week sees the publication of Chateau Monty: A Corking Wine Adventure byMonty Waldin, the enfant terrible of the organic wine world. Needless tosay, at the start of his new career abroad, he is hurtling towards 40. He now lives in a 1930s semi in Tuscany with an allotmentand a garage-cum-office built of straw bales. I’m sureMayle will raise a glass of vino.Flit lit: the rules1. Buy a property – it can be a maison-de-maître, chateau, cortijoor finca, whatever you like or the locals call it, but it must be awreck2. Choose a location or business proposal that hasn’t yet been written about:a brothel in Bulgaria? Make one stunningly rude and hilarious faux pas4. A team of workers must down tools in a Mediterranean-style huff, leavingyou stranded. You will then be saved by a local hero with a ruddy face androbust language who will initiate you into the secrets of village life5. Take up a hobby: boules, cooking, flamenco or truffle-hunting. Never suggest it is lonely or that you miss anything more than marmaladeand baked beans. The holiday spirit must reign supreme, but be rude aboutEnglish tourists who dream of moving abroad7. Take a hard look at the market with our indispensable guideThe ten most common pitfalls when buying abroad... Globrix Property Search - find property for sale and rent in the UK.Visit our classified services and find jobs, used cars, property or holidays. Use our dating service, read our births, marriages and deaths announcements, or place your advertisement.Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701.

- Return Of The Great British Holiday Puts Spain And Greece In The Shade

Return of the great British holiday puts Spain and Greece in the shade - guardian.co.uk

Telegraph.co.uk

Return of the great British holiday puts Spain and Greece in the shade guardian.co.uk, UK - Aug 15, 2008 The number of Britons visiting Turkey this year has jumped by a fifth to 1.7 million, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). ... Gill Charlton: On the case Telegraph.co.uk all 2 news articles

Return of the great British holiday puts Spain and Greece in the shade - guardian.co.uk Photograph: Cate Gillon/Getty ImagesThe British seaside is proving a popular holiday destination this year, with a weak pound and stretched finances forcing more people to stay in Britain. But many people are still escaping the wet and windy British summer to sunnier climes - outside the increasingly expensive eurozone.The strength of the euro is putting many holidaymakers off traditional European destinations such as Spain and Greece. The pound is now worth €1.27, 20% less than a year ago. Turkey and Egypt have become the new hot spots, seeing the biggest rises in bookings this year. Croatia, Bulgaria and Tunisia are also popular. Outside the eurozone, Bulgaria has emerged as the cheapest European destination.For late summer bookings, Turkey - in particular the Dalaman area which offers sea and mountains - has come out top, according to new figures compiled by Co-operative Travel for The Guardian. The Co-op's Trevor Davis described this as "a seismic shift in holiday bookings, as Spain has been the UK's number one choice since the package holiday began". The number of Britons visiting Turkey this year has jumped by a fifth to 1.7 million, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). Egypt has seen an even bigger increase of 28%, attracting 600,000 holidaymakers. By contrast, Spain and Greece are showing flat growth - though Spain remains by far the biggest destination, with 14 million Britons going there every year. Greece attracts 2.5 million holidaymakers from Britain.Thomas Cook has seen its summer bookings to Turkey and Egypt increase by 15% from last year. A family of four will pay £1,516 for a week in a self catering apartment in Dalaman with Thomson (owned by TUI) - or £2,141 for the same deal at Alykanas village apartments in Zante, Greece. The British seaside is seeing record numbers of bookings: Brighton is up 70%, Bournemouth 20% and Eastbourne 66%."The Brits are taking another look at holidaying at home because of the economic climate," said Sian Brenchley at Visit Britain. Customers are booking more add-ons with their hotels - theme parks, theatre and music tickets. The trend has continued despite the rather poor summer we've had this year."Asda reported this week that its stores in seaside towns, were trading "phenomenally well".More people are cutting the length of their summer holidays abroad to enjoy several breaks at home. Since the mergers of travel groups TUI and First Choice and Thomas Cook and MyTravel, last year, they have cut the number of low-cost late deals to western Mediterranean resorts such as mainland Spain and the Balearics. The surge to the turquoise coast may continue. Searches on Teletext Holidays between June and August for holidays to Turkey soared by 72% compared with last year. Ash Makkar, marketing director, said: "The credit crunch has affected our customers' priorities in terms of booking a summer break, as they now demand greater value than ever before. It was last updated at 01:45 on August 16 2008. Travel insuranceMulti-trip annual holiday insurance from £38 and single trip travel insurance from £6. Latest news on guardian.co.uk Last updated one minute ago NewsThousands stranded after Channel tunnel fireSportFootball podcast: England back on formTravelWhere's Walney? Share travel tips about your favourite places on Been there, our interactive travel guide to the world.

Overseas Property And Investment News - More Britons Purchasing Bulgarian Currency

More Britons purchasing Bulgarian currency - Overseas Property and Investment News

Overseas Property and Investment News

More Britons purchasing Bulgarian currency Overseas Property and Investment News, UK - Aug 22, 2008 Investors in the Bulgarian market can be in line to benefit from growth in the country's tourism sector. According to the Post Office, ...

More Britons purchasing Bulgarian currency - Overseas Property and Investment News Low money down, 70% mortgages & high rental potential.

Value Holidays - - Britons Look Beyond Eurozone For Better

Britons look beyond Eurozone for better-value holidays - Telegraph.co.uk

Telegraph.co.uk

Britons look beyond Eurozone for better-value holidays Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Aug 20, 2008 ... while sales of Malaysian ringgit, Slovakian koruna and Bulgarian lev have also risen sharply. The figures provide further evidence that though Britons ...

Britons look beyond Eurozone for better-value holidays - Telegraph.co.uk

Sofia Echo - Don’Ts And Do's

Don’ts and Do's - Sofia Echo

Don’ts and Do's Sofia Echo, Bulgaria - Sep 4, 2008 In July, JJ arrived in Bulgaria, ready to move in. This time it was other Britons who killed his enthusiasm, he said. Some compatriots, living near JJ’s new ...

Don’ts and Do's - Sofia Echo The rush of Britons and Irish to buy properties in the country in the past several years is well known and scarcely worth commenting on. So, the Briton in question, J.J., contacts the company in October 2007, arrives in Bulgaria, sees the property and decides to buy it. If it were not for the company beating about the bush, as J.J. And he ended up paying more than 65 000 euro. In April 2008, the company’s lawyer called J.J. The deal was to be closed by June 2008 but then it turned out that an extra month was needed for the apartment to be finished because there was no electricity and water. This time it was other Britons who killed his enthusiasm, he said. Some compatriots, living near J.J.’s new apartment, told him that nothing had been done on the property because the constructor had no money left to finish the project. Any property purchase will now experience an interminable set of “problems” […] E-mails are now ignored, phone calls blocked. At the last moment, he cannot be contacted / is unable to attend. Anything to create delay / waste your time and money,” J.J.’s letter said. On August 11 in a desperate attempt to defend his rights, J.J. Eventually, he was arrested and charged with assault in Bourgas but there was no trace of his money.J.J. He only had an errand agreement.After J.J. We then paid them the money and the deal was supposed to complete on March 15 2007. They said there was a problem with the land, which was completely untrue, and they maintained this deceit until they were forced to complete in early March this year.” J.D. He then heard no more from them, again despite what they say in their emails, until after we spoke to him (and contacted them) during a further visit to Bulgaria in January of this year,” J.D. It turned out that police had indeed received tip-offs about the company. One of them had led to a pre-trial investigation.[…] The tip-offs had been received over the past two years and this is the only information I can give you,” the police official said, leaving the whole saga entirely in the hands of Bulgaria’s judiciary.Do’sJ.J and J.D. Clients should look for a longstanding agency on the market, which in the Bulgarian case is 10-15 years because it is a young market,” Stoyanov said. The fact that a company has operated for 10-15 years on the market is a guarantee of quality. Such an agency will want to preserve its image and willn’t let its clients down,” he said. They lack know-how, neither do they know the market or want to know it.”It is also important to check whether the agency is a member of international and Bulgarian organisations. This guarantees quality.Step two is the brokerage contract. It is extremely important because it settles the type of property the client wants, the commission for the agency, the method of payment, the deal’s deadline and the way the contract can be annulled.Step three. Once the company finds its client a property, a consultation with lawyers should follow. Reputable real estate agencies offer such consultations. They either have a judicial department or work with lawyer’s offices. A reliable lawyer’s office will be one, which, just like in the real estate agency’s case, has existed for at least 10-15 years on the market.Step four. It is a sale-trade contract, which settles when the deal will be executed. Usually the deadline is within a month or 45 days. However, a good agency will continue supporting its client until the deal’s execution,” Stoyanov said.Step five. It is important to choose a notary of repute. Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site.

Sunday Mirror - Exclusive: British Woman's Incredible Escape From Doomed Madrid Plane

Exclusive: British woman's incredible escape from doomed Madrid plane - Sunday Mirror

Sunday Mirror

Exclusive: British woman's incredible escape from doomed Madrid plane Sunday Mirror, UK - Aug 24, 2008 It had been thought there were no Britons on the plane but Kim has both British and Spanish nationality. Her father Harry Tate met and married mum Luisa ...

Exclusive: British woman's incredible escape from doomed Madrid plane - Sunday Mirror

Independent - Dental Costs – Brits Who Put Less Money Where Their Mouth Is

Dental costs – Brits who put less money where their mouth is - Independent

Dental costs – Brits who put less money where their mouth is Independent, UK - Sep 6, 2008 Nevertheless, the waiting room at the Vital Europe clinic is chock-full of Britons eager to save perhaps thousands of pounds on their dental work. ...

Dental costs – Brits who put less money where their mouth is - Independent Invest & Save 17°LondonHi 21°C / Lo 12°CSearchQuery:Go Headlines Matthew Norman Will a politician ever bring the police under control? It's light years away from any dentist's waiting room I have ever been in. There's an espresso coffee machine, soft leather designer furniture and big LED screens. The only familiar item is a well-thumbed copy of Reader's Digest, but there's something different about this too: it's this month's issue and not years out of date. So just where is this distinctly modern dentist's waiting room? Just off the fashionable Kings Road in Chelsea? No, it's in a sleepy suburb of Hungary's capital, Budapest. Nevertheless, the waiting room at the Vital Europe clinic is chock-full of Britons eager to save perhaps thousands of pounds on their dental work. The last available figures, for 2006, show that around 35,000 Brits travelled abroad to get dental work done, from braces and crowns to multiple implants. The main destinations of choice were in Eastern Europe – Hungary, Poland, Croatia and Bulgaria. But countries such as Thailand also featured. This is against the backdrop of an NHS dental care system that is patchy at best and downright poor at worst. An estimated two million British people can't find an NHS dentist and are forced to go private. And going private can be expensive: check-ups cost around £50 a time, a porcelain crown will set you back some £700 and something more complex, such as an implant, can cost upwards of £2,000 a tooth. No wonder that research from the British Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (BACD) reveals that less than half of the UK population visit their dentists regularly. Even when someone can find an NHS dentist, the service they receive may not be of a high standard. A more legitimate comparison will be looking at the treatment between private practice in the UK and Eastern Europe." I met Susan Wenden, 60, from Lyne in Surrey, in the Budapest waiting room of Vital Europe, which also offers consultation and treatment in London. Ms Wenden has done the maths on where she should have her teeth looked at. I needed one doing after having an emergency extraction," she explains. That is when I researched going overseas."I had a consultation with Vital Europe in London and agreed to fly out to Hungary. I was seen all the way through by the same dentist. I was a little unsure but my husband came too and we made a week of it. Vital Europe reckons it is treating around 200 patients a month from the UK and is considering opening another consultation room in Manchester. For those who don't want to fly abroad just for the sake of their teeth, there is the option of having the treatment done in London by Hungarian dentists, who are registered to work with the UK's General Dental Council (GDC). That will cost around 20 per cent more than going to Budapest, but the total savings on UK treatment can still be considerable. The key difference is in staff expenses. We have offices in the UK so we know how much practitioners charge and it's way over the odds, but the cost of living is so high," says Paula Szorfi, marketing manager at Vital Europe. This keeps overheads down." But for complex treatments such as implants, Ms Szorfi advises people to make the trip out to Hungary. Coming here reduces any unnecessary delays." And this is a bustling industry, with 14 dentists and 11 hygienists, as well as a dozen or so laboratory workers producing the casts and enamelling behind the scenes. What's more, they have to spend three years as a junior in a practice – a little like the period spent being a junior doctor in a hospital." "The truth is, the UK is just plain expensive. The reverse is true," says Mr Qureshi at the BACD. Teaching and training are now so advanced that we are a centre of excellence – we have people from America come over to learn our techniques." Mr Qureshi has concerns about patients going abroad. What will you do in Poland, Bulgaria or Hungary?" Insurers seem to share some of his misgivings. Generally they won't finance treatment abroad. But such issues do not worry Ms Wenden as she sits in the waiting room at Vital Europe. But then my husband went over after he was quoted £5,500 in the UK for just two implants, and he had a good experience. So I thought, why not?"Lynne has been out to Budapest twice for treatment and has had work done on a grand total of 17 teeth. We have toured all around the city and we are off to Vienna for a few days before my final treatment. It will be good if they can open an office in Scotland to make it more convenient." Interesting? My first movie was murdered, says Lynch Modern expression of ancient urge Pupil test 'favours middle class' Spain: no country for stupid remarks The Ten Best Umbrellas Walruses threatened by climate change Can drama help stop knife crime?

Litters - Times Online - A New Chapter For Flit

A new chapter for flit-litters - Times Online

Times Online

A new chapter for flit-litters Times Online, UK - Aug 30, 2008 ... in Bulgaria or Downhill in Dubai: Skiing in the Desert. Also, the literary output from North America, the third most popular destination for Britons, ...

A new chapter for flit-litters - Times Online And now, somewhat to our surprise, we had done it . We hadbought a house, taken French lessons, said our goodbyes, shipped over ourdogs and become foreigners.”It all happened because of a property. Mayle, a professional adman, and hiswife, Jennie, “saw it one afternoon and had mentally moved in by dinner”. Itdidn’t just mark the beginning of their new life in the Provençal hills – italso kick-started the British invasion of France and a whole new literarygenre: flit lit. IsabellaDusi went off to Montalcino, a medieval hilltop village in Tuscany, for hertwo-book deal, as did the American author Frances Mayes, whose Under theTuscan Sun was taken up by Hollywood and made into a film in 2003. ChrisStewart decamped to Andalusia, Anna Nicholas went from Mayfair to Mallorca(A Lizard in My Luggage) and Alex Browning went Shooting Caterpillars inSpain. Such escapism was perfect poolside reading and sucked in commuterswho fantasised about leaving behind the daily grind.A Year in Provence became an international sensation after serialisation inThe Sunday Times. It was translated into 17 languages and went on to sellmore than 1.5m copies – not bad considering it had an initial print run of3,000.So, what will it cost to follow in Mayle’s footsteps now? Head down to thesun-baked terraces and lavender fields of Provence and you’ll be lucky topick up a ruined farmhouse with some land. But almost everything has beenrenovated. Today, you have to pick something that was renovated, say, 20 or30 years ago, and redo it.”Prices for a 300-square-metre property, says Janssens, range from £1.2m up to£2.5m. He is selling a renovated 18th-century mas near Goult with a view ofthe Vaucluse mountains. The fourbed house with pool, staff flat and largegardens is for sale for £2m (020 8576 5582, www.winkworth.co.uk). Janssens picks the Drôme Provençal, known for its olive trees, where valuesare 30% less than southern Provence, as the next destination on the Mayletrail. A milder climate may costyou 20% more, but then you can grow lemons, avocados and olives.”Finding wrecks to do up in central Italy is altogether more difficult. After10 years in Italy, she went to Morocco and Algeria, where she ended up on adate farm in an oasis, and the resulting book, A Handful of Honey, has justbeen published.The shelves may be groaning with flit lit, but there are a few gaps. There’syet to be A Year in Bulgaria or Downhill in Dubai: Skiing in the Desert.Also, the literary output from North America, the third most populardestination for Britons, has yet to take off. Perhaps the commonlanguage doesn’t allow for comic misunderstanding; then there’s the lack ofold stone houses to do up. Or perhaps, dare I say it, Florida doesn’t appealto the budding man of letters.Rural France, it seems, still exerts the greatest pull. Among the latesttitles is The Field by the River by Ken Burnett, which combines an interestin natural history with the “let’s move to France” genre, recording thewildlife in the field adjoining his 350-year-old house in Brit-tany. Andthis week sees the publication of Chateau Monty: A Corking Wine Adventure byMonty Waldin, the enfant terrible of the organic wine world. Needless tosay, at the start of his new career abroad, he is hurtling towards 40. He now lives in a 1930s semi in Tuscany with an allotmentand a garage-cum-office built of straw bales. I’m sureMayle will raise a glass of vino.Flit lit: the rules1. Buy a property – it can be a maison-de-maître, chateau, cortijoor finca, whatever you like or the locals call it, but it must be awreck2. Choose a location or business proposal that hasn’t yet been written about:a brothel in Bulgaria? Make one stunningly rude and hilarious faux pas4. A team of workers must down tools in a Mediterranean-style huff, leavingyou stranded. You will then be saved by a local hero with a ruddy face androbust language who will initiate you into the secrets of village life5. Take up a hobby: boules, cooking, flamenco or truffle-hunting. Never suggest it is lonely or that you miss anything more than marmaladeand baked beans. The holiday spirit must reign supreme, but be rude aboutEnglish tourists who dream of moving abroad7. Take a hard look at the market with our indispensable guideThe ten most common pitfalls when buying abroad... Globrix Property Search - find property for sale and rent in the UK.Visit our classified services and find jobs, used cars, property or holidays. Use our dating service, read our births, marriages and deaths announcements, or place your advertisement.Copyright 2008 Times Newspapers Ltd.This service is provided on Times Newspapers' standard Terms and Conditions. Please read our Privacy Policy.To inquire about a licence to reproduce material from Times Online, The Times or The Sunday Times, click here.This website is published by a member of the News International Group. News International Limited, 1 Virginia St, London E98 1XY, is the holding company for the News International group and is registered in England No 81701.

Sofia Echo - Bulgaria: The Age Of $15 Flights

Bulgaria: The age of $15 flights - Sofia Echo

Bulgaria: The age of $15 flights Sofia Echo, Bulgaria - Aug 22, 2008 ... the UK since their country joined the European Union in January 2007 as well as Bulgaria’s appeal as a holiday and investment destination for Britons. ...

Bulgaria: The age of $15 flights - Sofia Echo While the other two main Black Sea airports, in Bourgas and Varna, reported less stellar performances, demand is strong enough for budget carriers to plan and open new routes and increase the frequency of existing ones. The airport announced on August 8 that about 1.54 million passengers passed through Sofia Airport in the first half of this year, an increase of 19 per cent on the same period in 2007. Meanwhile, aircraft movements increased by 3000 to 23 370 and cargo volumes grew by two per cent to 9077 tons. The figure has been considerably boosted by UK-based budget carrier easyJet, which launched flights from Sofia to London’s Gatwick Airport in November, carrying 59 000 passengers on the route by the end of June. This reflected passenger volume growth of 41 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. Vienna is the hub for Austrian Airlines, which is aiming to position itself as the leading airline in Eastern Europe by offering a wider range of destinations than any of its competitors or partners. According to the airline, this represents a 30 per cent growth on 2007.Bulgaria Air has been experiencing particularly strong demand on its flights to the coastal cities of Varna (the de facto second city in economic terms) and Bourgas (the fourth city). Both municipalities include major ports, and lie at the centre of a collection of coastal resorts. This represented significantly lower passenger growth rates than that of Sofia. Bourgas’ figure was up only 0.6 per cent on the year, and Varna’s 2.7 per cent. This is particularly welcome because for several years they mostly avoided Bulgaria, preferring to wait for its accession to the EU. In July, easyJet announced that it will be starting flights between Sofia and Madrid in November and between the Bulgarian capital and Manchester, in the north of England, in December. Both routes will run three times a week.Perhaps more significantly, on July 25, Budapest-based low cost airline Wizz Air, which already serves eight European cities from Sofia, commenced the first internal budget flight in Bulgaria’s history, between Sofia and Varna. With tickets starting at 19.99 leva ($15.10) one way, all charges included (cheaper than most bus tickets), Wizz will be offering sharp competition on the increasingly popular route. While it is too early to tell what the effects on the market will be, and whether other low-cost carriers will follow suit, an intriguing precedent has been set. Flights are regularly sold out or selling for as much as it will cost to fly to the USA! There seems to be some sort of price fixing between Bulgaria Air and British Airways. Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site.

- Return Of The Great British Holiday Puts Spain And Greece In The Shade

Return of the great British holiday puts Spain and Greece in the shade - guardian.co.uk

Telegraph.co.uk

Return of the great British holiday puts Spain and Greece in the shade guardian.co.uk, UK - Aug 15, 2008 The number of Britons visiting Turkey this year has jumped by a fifth to 1.7 million, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA). ... Gill Charlton: On the case Telegraph.co.uk all 2 news articles

Return of the great British holiday puts Spain and Greece in the shade - guardian.co.uk

Overseas Property And Investment News - More Britons Purchasing Bulgarian Currency

More Britons purchasing Bulgarian currency - Overseas Property and Investment News

Overseas Property and Investment News

More Britons purchasing Bulgarian currency Overseas Property and Investment News, UK - Aug 22, 2008 Investors in the Bulgarian market can be in line to benefit from growth in the country's tourism sector. According to the Post Office, ...

More Britons purchasing Bulgarian currency - Overseas Property and Investment News Low money down, 70% mortgages & high rental potential.