Edition One, June 2022
A very warm welcome from me, your new Chairman, Mark Pugsley. In response to members requests for more information, I thought it would be great to start a ‘Chairman’s Blog’. The intention is to keep you, the members, informed and updated regarding the activities and events happening in and around La Quinta, La Manga Club and the Cartagena/Murcia region. Each edition will also feature an article about a different committee member or member of staff to help you get to know us better.
The blog will be sent directly to your inbox, great for those who are busy or those that don’t do social media or websites.
In this the first edition I would like to quickly introduce myself and my family. I am a retired Metropolitan Police Sergeant, having served 34-years in a variety of roles, across a number of specialist departments including royalty and diplomatic protection. I am a corporate policy developer, a vocational assessor and a health & safety advisor. After leaving the police I was employed in the debt recovery/revenue protection industry specialising in gas & electricity utilities until 2021 when I fully retired. I am married to Stephanie, who was an events/exhibition organiser for the TUC and who like me is now also retired. I have one daughter, Harriett, who studied at the University of Warwick and is now a teacher. Our hobbies are tennis, cycling, swimming, keep fit, football, F1 & gardening to name but a few. Travelling is something we love, particularly to La Quinta but also to other destinations such as southern Florida and the Keys. We live in Kent, the garden of England, a county, which we have explored extensively over the years. Having first visited La Quinta back in 1994 as guests, we fell in love with the club and have been members now for some 22 years. We own weeks in both the blue and red seasons and with the exception of 2020, have visited LQC every year. I was elected onto the committee in 2016, took over as vice chairman last year before becoming Chairman in April.
A Recap of Recent Events in April/May 2022
Although the following events took place in April & May of this year, I think it’s good to recap and highlight to you some of the things that are on offer in these months for future reference.
- Early April (Holy week) saw the famous Semana Santa de Cartagena take place, which consisted of a variety of Easter processions and celebrations. Visit: https://www.murciaturistica.es/en/holy_week_cartagena/ for full information.
- The annual Cruces de Mayo, (Crosses of May) festival took place on 6th-8th May. It is a celebration and fiesta of street music, food and displays and processions of crosses made entirely of flowers. For further information visit: https://m.murciatoday.com/may-las-cruces-de-mayo-the-crosses-of-may-a-spring-fiesta-across-the-region-of-murcia_2787-a.html?search=true&subject=717&town=4&town_search=true
- On the 21st of May the Noche De Los Museos, (Night of the Museums) was held, a special event where all the Museums in Cartagena opened for free from 7pm – 1am with guided tours and free activities. See: The Night of the Museums - Cartagena City Council for more information.
- La Quinta took part in the Los Belones/La Manga Club Ruta de la Tapa which ran from late March until the 10th April. See: The gastronomic route of La Manga Club and Los Belones (65ymas.com)
- Unlike the one we entered in 2021, this was not a competition but designed for encourage people to visit bars and restaurants and sample a variety of Tapas. It was an opportunity for those establishments to showcase their culinary skills. Our entry was El Chato Enrollado – a Murcian based pork crispy spring roll.
- In early May, LQC held a wine tasting evening in La Solana run by a local winery - Bodegas del Rosario, Bullas Bodegas del Rosario It was very successful with a selection of local wines and tapas available for sampling. Members who attended said they really enjoyed the evening. We are looking to organise further events either at the club or trips to visit the winery itself.
Upcoming Events & Activities – June 2022
Thursday June 2nd sees LQC host our Platinum Jubilee Street Party at La Solana. A buffet including a beer, sangria or soft drink for a very reasonable €20 for adults and €15 for children. Stephanie and I have compiled a playlist of 70- songs, one from each year of the queens reign. Booking direct at the club or in advance
There are many other events scheduled in the area during the month of June, these are a selection that may be of interest to you.
June 20th - 29th Festival of San Juan (Hogueras de San Juan’ (Bonfires of St John)
The Festival of San Juan dates back to pre-Christian times and marks the arrival of the summer solstice. It is celebrated all over Spain but especially in coastal regions, where many people head for the beach, build bonfires and party throughout the night. There are over a week of celebrations in Alicante and surrounding areas. See: Hogueras de San Juan | Bonfires of Saint John | Spanish Fiestas (spanish-fiestas.com)
For all you rockers out there on the 24th-25th June there is a 2-day music festival called the ‘Rock Imperium’ being held at the Parque de la Cuesta del Batel, Cartagena. An impressive line up of rock acts will be playing at this event!
For more info see: Rock Imperium Festival | Rock Imperium Festival 2022 | 24·25 · Junio · 2022 · Parque El Batel · Cartagena · Spain
Now, if you are looking for something a little bit more chilled out, why not try the ‘Festival of Soul and Motown’ at la Serena Golf Complex, Los Alcazares from 3rd-5th June. A mixture of Soul & Motown music supported by local Orihuela Costa DJ’s too.
Again for further info see: Charity Soul at La Serena Golf Complex, Murcia - Weekenders - Soul Source (soul-source.co.uk)
Not just held in June but throughout the year are astronomy tours. There are a number of different activities on offer during the day or night, including a night time cruise. This could be something different to try whilst on holiday. They also have an event at their static venue called ‘Finca Astronomica’ every Saturday evening.
See: (1) Astronomy tours - Finca Astronomica | Facebook or visit: Home - Astronomy Tours
Fancy a boat cruise from Cartagena?
Again not strictly confined to June there are two choices:
The ‘Barco Turistico’ departs hourly Tues-Sun from 11:00-16:00 daily from the port at Cartagena and explores the port, docks, castles, lighthouses etc.
Visit: Tourist Boat | Transport | Cartagena Port of Cultures for more information.
‘Flippa Boat’ offers a variety of trips every day, departing from La Manga (Club Nautico La Isleta) see: www.flippaboat.es
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La Manga Club - The Racquets Club
Lastly and nearer to home, just an update for those who play or are interested in tennis and/or keeping fit. The old tennis centre is now called the ‘Racquets Club’ and is being run by franchised owners. All the courts have been refurbished and seven new padel courts added. A state of the art fitness centre has been constructed along with new changing facilities and a new bar and shop.
Visit www.lmctennis.com or La Manga Club - The Racquets Club | Facebook for further information.
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I do hope that you have found this, my first chairman’s blog useful and perhaps interesting. Look out for edition two,(covering events in July), which will be published at the end of June. Although activities and events have been checked and validated at the time of publication, please don’t blame me if they are cancelled or rescheduled...LOL.
Also please don’t forget we have lots of other useful information on our info+ section of our website +Info (laquintaclub.com)
My best wishes to you and your families and enjoy your time at La Quinta Club
Mark.
