Reader’s Letters – October 2024

Our readers regularly send us messages and emails regarding Lanzarote, here are some of your thoughts that we printed in the October edition.

Readers are reminded that views and comments expressed within the Ed’s Postbag page are those of the contributors and may not necessarily reflect the opinions or standpoint of our staff. It should also be noted that we are an independent publication free from political persuasion or governmental censorship.

We publish your letters! Have something you want to say or something to get off your chest? Send your letters to editorial@gazettelife.com to have your thoughts featured.

SHORT SHRIFT

Dear Gazette,

I needed a new pair of shorts recently so I headed to a local shopping centre and went into a famous international clothing chain. There were lots of woolly jumpers and thick jackets on display but when I asked the assistant she told me they had no shorts unless I went “online”. I was about to say I don’t want to go online, that’s why I’m in a shop, but thought better of it.

A little survey I did afterwards showed that seventeen of the first twenty men I saw in the shopping centre were wearing shorts. None of these guys seemed very interested in the winter collections on offer in the shops. I wonder why? Does anyone buy their winter woollies in Lanzarote?

Yours, Gav, Puerto del Carmen

ANOTHER DINO FOR TEGUISE?

Dear Gazette,

I’ve just read your newsletter about the new shopping area soon to be built in Costa Teguise. I have to say a Lidl would be useful, as will some shops and restaurants but I can’t help thinking that another outlet in the Dino chain may be overdoing it a bit. We already have nine. If, however, its product costing is in the same range as the ones in Open Mall, Deiland and Playa Honda all well and good.

Roy Willman

Ed: The plans are for a HiperDino – same products, same goofy dinosaur but lower prices and wider range.

TICKET TROUBLE

Just a quick heads up for other visitors to the wonderful cinema at El Almacén in Arrecife. You HAVE to book online or take a smartphone to pay by card at the venue. They wouldn’t take cash or accept my Visa card last week as I hadn’t taken my phone to the movies! However they accept both in the bar.

I did make a fuss (in Spanish!) and in the end a manager paid on her card and I gave her the 6€ for our two tickets.

Un saludo cordial, Kate Harmond, Playa Honda

PASSPORT CONTROL ISSUES

Dear Editor,

As a family we have been visiting the island since 1985 and next year’s visit(?) will be 40 years of fantastic holidays and memories.

However this year, 2024, we have not visited as yet. The principal reason is that my wife uses a wheelchair and a possible 2-hour wait at entry is just not an option for her.

Perhaps we’ve been spoiled with many years of “wave throughs”, but this current inability to process UK visitors is unacceptable.

We all know fully the reasons and backstory for this situation but I just cannot see us returning any time soon. We are a little sad that poor planning and poor management has stopped us from travelling to this beautiful island.

Regards, Robin McCulloch

Ed: I fully understand your doubts, Mr McCulloch. Sadly, there’s currently no way of guaranteeing there’ll be no delays, although they do seem to mainly occur at the busiest times. This is a problem that the airport and the Spanish authorities in charge of staffing there need to sort out urgently.