Townshipvibes

Are you looking for days out tickets?

Click Here for the best price online on tickets to Chessington World of Adventures and Sea Life.

Chessington World of Adventures offers exciting rides, a world of animals to explore, action packed shows plus a newly opened aquarium.

Get Up To 50% Off On Chessington World of Adventures tickets

There are also other great days out offers available including Thorpe Park tickets, Legoland Windsor, Blackpool Zoo and London Sealife Aquarium. For these and many other offers visit the lastminute days out and attractions page.

Looking for something to do this half term break? Maybe a family day out or maybe you would prefer a short city break?

Life is no longer the same like those days back in Zimbabwe when going on holiday meant going to the rural areas at the end of the school term. You need to go out, you need to take the kids on days out and short break holidays during half term.

Recently I read an article at citybreakideas.com about the most popular half term 2010 holiday ideas. This is a great opportunity to save money on your holiday or day out with the family.

The list includes best discounted deals to some of the most popular attractions in the UK.

I liked the discounted ticket offer to Alton Towers Resorts, but there are also other deals like London Eye tickets for just £8.55.

Don’t miss out this opportunity to save money during the upcoming February half term, checkout citybreakideas.com

I’m sure you will get the deal that you are looking for, Click Here to get cheap holiday deals  this half term.

What are you doing this half term break  holiday.

A paranoid schizophrenic who strangled his wife has been given permission to study as a London black cab driver. The move to allow the wife strangler to drive black cabs has angered other drives who say this will affect their integrity.
But, I’m sure the most angry people will be the London cab users, angry at the officials for allowing murderers to drive taxis.

The wife killer was jailed indefinitely under the Mental Health Act in 2001 but was released in 2003.

He has been passed fit to study for the “Knowledge” following psychiatric tests. He is reported to have already been granted a Private Hire Licence.

Allowing murderers to drive black cabs or any other taxi service in London is surely not a wise idea and this exposes members of the public to great danger. This drive will be picking up vulnerable passengers….no wonder women are murdered by taxi drivers. What else can you expect when officials allow murderers to drive public transport?

So, the psychiatrists are so sure this man will not kill again? God help us!

One wonders how many more murderers, rapists and other criminals are driving the black cabs in London. And we thought they are subject to police checks, and also that criminals, especially murderers are not allowed to work with vulnerable people.

Trust the officials to keep you safe in London.

The Zimbabwe government is reported to have banned three foreign airlines from flying into the country in order to protect the struggling national carrier Air Zimbabwe. According to a report in the Sunday Standard, the Ministry of Transport recently banned one South African and two Asian Airlines from flying into Zimbabwe to protect the financial trouble Air Zimbabwe.
This is absurd, tourism has always been one of the big foreign currency earners for the country and without good transport links to the outside world we can forget about the recovery of the tourism sector. This seems to be a more political decision than a business decision.

According to the report, the government stopped Malaysian Airlines, Emirates Airlines of the United Arab Emirates and Nationwide of South Africa from providing service to Zimbabwe.
Meanwhile Air Zimbabwe is reportedly on the verge of collapse because of it’s financial troubles and last week Air Zimbabwe is reported to have cancelled all it’s regional and international flights due to fuel shortages. The state owned airline had to retrench more than 700 workers because the financial troubles.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority has blasted the move by the government, saying Air Zimbabwe should learn to compete with other airlines and should not be protected.

“Air Zimbabwe should not be protected; they should learn to compete with other airlines. No foreign airlines should be banned as these airlines were helping in the economic growth in terms of revenue. Tourists should also be allowed to visit the country without hassles,” said Karikoga Kaseke, ZTA chief executive officer.

“Instead of banning airlines, the government should look into areas that need urgent attention in the tourism industry, such as the pricing structure. We are the most expensive in the region. Destinations compete and we could lose out in this regard,” Kaseke added.

This move by our government is wrong, Air Zimbabwe is in this financial mess today because of corruption in the government and also its own management failures. Remember the corruption invovlving the tenders for the construction of the new Harare International Airport? What about all the money spent by our globe trotting leaders and diversions of passengers airlines at the last minute to pick up our dear politicians? What happened to all the money that Air Zimbabwe generates from it’s business operations?

The government should allowed new players to come into the airline industry in Zimbabwe. There is World Cup in South Africa next year, is Air Zimbabwe going to be able to provide any meaningful service to the high number of tourists expected in the region? This is pure madness!! This is the time to think about the future and not to play politics with the economy.

Air Zimbabwe has said it will cut 500 jobs in a bid to prevent the trouble airline from going out of business. “We have no option other but to right-size or else we are dead,” Air Zimbabwe chief executive Peter Chikumba told AFP.

Air Zimbabwe reported that annual passenger numbers dropped from a peak of one million in 1996 to just 300 000 now. Air Zimbabwe is reported to be 30 million US dollars in debt and is said to have asked the government to sell its stake in the company in a bid to raise desperately needed cash from private investors.

“If we do not do anything about it, the business will collapse and it will be very unfortunate if this happens,” Chikumba told AFP.

Air Zimbabwe is also said to be faced by all sorts of problems……the airline is struggling to pay it’s membership fees with the airline regulation body International Air Transport Association (IATA), and they are also having problems paying landing fees at London Gatwick airport.

Air Zimbabwe’s planes are also too old and probably a danger to passengers;

“Our 737 fleet is 23 years old and has outlived its economic life span,” he said.

“The standard economic life span of an aircraft is about 15 years. Maintenance costs are high, spares for these aeroplanes are scarce,” Chikumba added.

So, Air Zimbabwe is completely broke and on the brink of collapse??? What are the prospects for recovery??? Is Air Zimbabwe going to see any increase in passenger numbers soon??? The answer is a Big NO! A lot of work has got to be done to improve the tourism sector and the general image of the country, make it more attractive to the international community.

Well, don’t you think he got what he deserved?

A drunken British yob had his genitals set on fire in a packed bar on the holiday island of Crete, when he tried to sexually assault the Greek girl.

However the girl now faces charges of injuring the 23 year old Briton who is being treated for second degree burns.
The incident happened at a club in the resort of Malia.

Police say the Briton took down his trousers and started waving his genitals at a number of girls. He then ‘forcefully fondled’ the Greek girl. She poured her drink, Sambuca, on his lap, but when he continued, she “seized a lighter and set fire to the alcohol drenched genitals”.

Next time this guy will keep his trousers on. These drunken yobs give a bad name to British holidaymakers. They go to other countries and do things they will never do back here in England. Maybe he got what he deserved.

With FIFA 2010 World Cup just a few months away, it is time businesses in the tourism sector make sure they are ready to take advantage of the increased number of tourists in the region. Newsnet reports that safari operators in the Matusadonha National Park, Kariba have started redecorating their lodges as well as conservation work in their game parks in preparation for the 2010 World Cup to be held in South Africa.

Operators in the Matusadonha National Park say business has been very low since the beginning of the year and some lodges have closed as the number of tourists visiting the area has gone down.
However the operators remain optimistic and have started work on their lodges in preparation for the World Cup.

Matusadonha National Park is one of the country’s black Rhino Intensive Protection Zones and is home to the big five animals, the elephant, Rhino, Leorpard, Buffalo and lions.

The government together with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority should do more to help rebuild the tourism sector through infrastructure rehabilitation., and also ensuring a safe environment for tourists to return to Zimbabwe.

“The operators recommended that for the national park to attract more tourists, there should be an improvement in the transport system as the airstrip in the park needs a face lift.

Tourists visiting Knowsley Safari Park can only watch as 140 baboons spring the lock and scamper up trees with anything from bras to boots.
The raids have now become so regular that keepers have issued an animal Asbo – or anti-social baboon order – meaning drivers with roof luggage are diverted outside the enclosure.

David Ross, safari park general manager, said: “When the first luggage box was broken into we didn’t really take an awful lot of notice – we just thought it was a one-off incident with a faulty box or lock.

“However, when the problem kept happening, it quickly became clear that the baboons had acquired an unfortunate new skill.

“Their technique involves the largest baboons jumping up and down on the box, flexing it until the lock bursts open, when the rest of the baboons pile in to see what they can find.

“Obviously, we’re well used to them helping themselves to the odd wing mirror or wiper blade, but this has taken things to a whole new level.”

Vana mukanya kufarisa kana kuti kungwarisa? Whatever way you see it these animals do know how to entertain themselves, trying on all that fashion underwear and swimsuits.

Get £16.26 off Legoland tickets

An American Safari Company, Cape to Cairo Safaris is carrying out organised hunting in Zimbabwe’s National Parks. Cape to Cairo Safaris, an American based company is advertizing an elephant hunt inside Hwange National Park. They claim to have 50 elephants on quota in the park for culling and they are offering their hunters the opportunity to harvest some of the larger tusk elephants. The host and head Professional Hunter is Willem van der Merwe. They say the proceeds will go to the Parks Board.

So much effort has been put in by different organisations to protect these animals from poachers. It’s so sad to find out that somebody is promoting the killing of protected animals for money. This safari company should be stopped from organising these hunts.

But how has the government allowed something like this to be happening?