Title: Adeje Bomberos Fiesta
Location: Parque de Bomberos, Adeje
Description: Time to show your appreciation for the volunteer firemen of Adeje – and have a great night out as well. This open air dinner and dance is a mere 20 euros, tickets on sale at the park in the centre of Adeje town, look for the firemans statue. Starts at 8pm. Go and meet lots of new friends, you will get on like a house on…..well you know what I mean.
Date: 2010-09-25

Title: Festival of Yoga
Location: El Galeon Sports Centre, Adeje
Link out: Click here
Description: The Hindu Association presents a FREE day of stands, talks, workshops and spiritual instruction from 9am to 6.30pm.
Date: 2010-08-22

Title: A Boy Called Billy – based on Billy Elliot
Location: Casa de la Cultura, Adeje
Description: The Estrellas Theatre presents their version of Billy Elliot. Show atrats at 2pm, tickets 10 euros on the door, children free entry.
Date: 2010-06-13

Title: Handicrafts Fair
Location: Calle Grande, Adeje
Description: Saturday and Sunday bring a feast of local crafts in the leafy main street of Adeje town. From 10am to 8pm.
Start Date: 2010-05-15
End Date: 2010-05-16

Put the butter back in the fridge, the hot cross buns back in the bread bin and head to Adeje town for the real meaning of Easter. Those chocolate eggs will wait till later but even the most cynical of you will regret not experiencing the Good Friday (2nd April) street theatre that is The Passion.

The last hours and crucifixion of Christ are about to be played out for you in a stunning piece of street theatre that involves a whole town. It’s best to arrive in good time, partly to get a good vantage point, but also to feel the sense of anticipation as thousands line the road waiting for the noon start. Calle Grande meanders down from the town hall and the cool tree lined streets add to the intimacy and shared wonder that is to unfold.

Preparations go on for months, a cast of hundreds, adults, children and even livestock have been building up to this morning. Lamp posts and balconies are draped with red sashes and small stages at intervals down the road hint at the key scenes in this biblical epic. Prompt at noon trumpets sound and clopping hoofs herald the arrival at the top of the road of roman centurions, some on foot and some on horseback. Following behind in regal splendour the emperor and his wife are carried on their thrones with followers in sandals mixing composure with nifty footwork to avoid hazards left by the horses.

The procession makes way at the first stage, as the first tableau springs to life with The Last Supper taking place. The only professional actor in the event is Jesus but all the key players are wired up with microphones so the crowds can hear the dialogue and strident music on a series of speakers all the way down the road. As the story moves on we see Jesus betrayed by Judas in the garden of Gethsemane.

The power and realism are pretty graphic, be warned young children could find it very disturbing. The next scene is the court room, crowds press for better views as Jesus is sentenced, stripped by the guards and whipped. Disciples and supporters wail and protest but he is forced to take up his cross and carry it down the last stretch of road and nailed to the cross. The sombre silence is electric as the cross is raised high, every contortion and cry of pain captured by the television cameras and relayed into thousands of homes by the local station.

Regardless of your own religious convictions, or lack of them, the two hour tour de force is always gripping and a real insight into the faith and commitment of the local community.

The earthquake tragedy in Haiti has shocked the world and left everyone wondering what they can do to help. Many communities, nationalities and faiths have come together to offer help, and that is very much the case in Tenerife. A concert in Santa Cruz on Friday 29 January, and a street fair in Adeje on Sunday 7 February will be focal points for donations of money, food and clothes.

Some 70 business’s, and 10 top Canarian based musicians and comedians have united to stage the Santa Cruz concert at the docks esplanade from 9pm. Acts include local reggaeton sisters K-Narias, Gospel Shine Voices, Anne Peters (formerly of Boney M) En Clave de Ja, Cuban singer Mayelin, comedian Manolo Viera and singer Pepe Benavente. Tickets are only 10 euros and can be bought through the Caja Canarias cashpoints and through the General Tickets website.

Tenerife already has a link to Haiti, the San Gerardo school in the capital Port Au Prince, was part funded by local fund raising. When the school collapsed in the quake there were 300 children inside, it’s still unclear how many survived.

Following on from the concert, there will be a childrens event the next day on the area just above the ferry port. This will include a bouncy castle, play areas, magic and theatre workshops and will run most of the day.

ADEJE, 7th  FEBRUARY

The Adeje event has been organised by the Hindu community and quickly grown to include 15 other cultural groups. From 10am to 9pm on Sunday 7^th February, the streets around the main Adeje football ground will be full of food stalls, dancing, games, clothes and many other attractions. The Adeje council and mayor, Jose Miguel Rodriguez Fraga, have thrown their support behind the initiative, and the Indian Consul for Tenerife, Gope Mathani and the Chief of Police for Las Americas, Carlos Ludeña will also come along to give their support.

At the end of the event, the money raised will go to the Spanish Red Cross, Unicef and Medicos del Mundo, but they are also appealing for clothes, blankets and non perishable food. They can be dropped off at the Hindi Cultural Centre at La Pineda, opposite Termal Aqua, from 10am to 10pm and there are other collection points around Tenerife, you can call Raj for more information on 637869520, or email ahts4u@gmail.com or go to the Facebook group Feria Hindi – Ayuda Haiti.

Bubble perms, wide lapels and cringing cup final songs, let’s purge them from our memories of football’s golden age. Far better to remember Nayim’s 40 yard lob over David Seaman for Zaragoza to win the 1995 European Cup Winners Cup, or the Wimbledon Crazy Gang, storming the bastions of the beautiful game.

Football’s Coming Home – Or On Holiday

Football will be fun again, in Adeje from November 13 to 15, as great names from football’s past descend on Tenerife to pitch themselves against , mature (what a kind word) local ex pat Brits and Canarians as well as 100 other fun players flying in especially from Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.

Spain, Barcelona, Spurs and Real Zaragoza pinpoint passer, Nayim (in red on ball above) is just one of a galaxy of former pros taking part in the third Soccer 7’s event at the Las Torres sports centre in Los Olivos (exit 79 B) . Former Manchester City, Sunderland and Bolton midfielder Nicky Summerbee, is the latest to pledge his involvement, and at 38, he is a spring chicken among the old roosters.

More Football Names Than A London Nightclub

Don’t stop me now, I’m dropping names like a dodgy keeper. Carlton Fairweather played his way from Dulwich Hamlet to Wimbledon, and later even New York Fever. Or how about Dutch midfielder Regi Blinker, a hit at Feyenoord, Sheffield Wednesday, Celtic and Sparta Rotterdam. Marcus Gayle was another all action member of the Wimbledon Crazy Gang as well as a Jamaica international, he headed Manchester United out of the F.A Cup in 1997. The international flavour is further strengthened by Johan Mjallby, Sweden captain in the 2002 World Cup and a solid defender for Levante and Celtic.

The Lure Of The Orient (Not Leyton)

It’s quite an achievement to pull together such players, but for Martin Tierney it’s another chance to give something back to a game that gave him a 20 year professional career in Asia and the U.S.A. “I played youth football growing up in Scotland, and later an ex team mate stopped off in Malaysia on the way to try out for an Australian team, he got a local contract and loved the Malaysian game. I got a call to join him, it was perfect for me, even playing in the evening it was pushing 90 degrees, so you had to pass the ball and let it do the work for you, rather than kick and rush.”

Martin became the Michael Palin of the football world with spells in Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, Canada and the fledgling American A League, a forerunner to Beckham’s MLS. After all those hot countries, a return to Scotland to give his daughter a European education, wasn’t too attractive, so Tenerife seemed a good compromise.

Weekly Tenerife Leagues

With the legs tiring by then, Martin had got involved in coaching and running training schools in countries where he had previously played, but he never realised it might take off in Tenerife. “I got involved with odd bits of coaching and it grew, now my company Soccer Experience runs 4 nightly 7 a side leagues at different age levels in Tenerife, including over 35’s. It’s run along professional lines, prompt times, fair play, and strict rules, but always good fun.”

The community side of football features strongly in the Adeje tournament, the 21 teams will play in three round robin groups, each featuring two UK teams, four Tenerife teams (Brits and Canarians)  and one ex pro team. “This way everyone gets to play against the big boys, this year we have a CD Tenerife veterans team as well, so we are looking forward to getting a good mix of nationalities watching.”

Are You Watching Tenerife?

All the Soccer 7’s games are FREE to watch, Fridays action(Nov 13)  is from 2 pm to 10 pm, Saturday and Sunday is from 10 am to 7 pm. When the games are all over, there is an open question and answer evening at the Bistro del Mar in Puerto Colon, from 7.30 pm. A good chance to tackle the star names with questions like, what happened to that mullet, do you have plans to take up acting like Vinny, or how did it feel to play in the great stadiums of the world? Anyone inspired to pull on their boots again for regular games, can find a team of their age and level through Soccer Experience.