Interviews

Spotlight On: Blas Martínez

On the 24th of this month, the Lanzarote-born tenor Blas Martínez will present a programme of songs at San Bartolomé’s pretty theatre. We talked to a man who started life by the side of Arrecife’s Charco and went on to conquer the world.

The Heart of the Matter

Interview

Heart Failure is the most common cause of death for men in both the UK and Spain, and the second most common for women. Gazette Editor Shaun Addison, who suffered a heart attack last June, recently chatted to two other Lanzarote residents who have recently been treated for heart attacks, to hear about their experiences.

Cooking to be kind

Interview

Jilly Simmons is a Lanzarote resident who has just written and published a vegetarian and vegan cookbook that will be sold in aid of SARA animal shelter. We chatted with her last month.

Your Captain Speaking!

Interview

The Líneas Marítimas Romero ferry plies between the northern village of Órzola and La Graciosa’s capital eight times a day in the winter, with extra trips in the summer months. The 25-minute voyage is usually divided into two sections – a dash to the north-east tip of Lanzarote in waters that are often choppy and rough before the ferry rounds the Punta Fariones into the calmer Río, where passengers are treated to spectacular views of the brooding cliffs of Famara.

Face to Face: British Vice-Consul

Interview

With plenty of experience behind her in the Canarian tourist industry, Jackie Stevenson was an obvious choice to replace Esther Martín at the Vice Consulate in Las Palmas last summer. Shaun Addison headed over to meet her and her team.

Face to Face: Councillor for Tourist Promotion

Interview

Ángel Vázquez has had a busy year. As the Cabildo’s Councillor for Tourist Promotion he’s expected to attend trade fairs throughout Europe and have meetings with all sorts of people related to the planning and management of tourism on Lanzarote. But last year his job suddenly became a lot more challenging, first with the withdrawal of Ryanair’s Canarian bases, then with the shocking collapse of Thomas Cook, which devastated the winter schedules.