Open Skies | May 2016

SOLAR PANELS

TO CATCH THE SUN

THIS HOUSE IS FULLY SELFSUFFICIENT THE WALLS ARE TIRES FILLED WITH EARTH

GOING OFF-GRID IN THE NETHERLANDS

Raja Ampat • Indonesia

Take a stroll with nature turn a new leaf for your future During your busy life, sometimes you forget to stop and reect. In Indonesia, we give you just that.

Breathe. Pause. Enjoy the moment. Mountains, beaches, or even nightlife in the cities take your pick. Immerse in our traditions. Forget your responsibilities. It's time to play. When you let it, life will take you to unexpected places. We know you won't want to leave too soon. www.indonesia.travel

indonesia.travel

@indtravel

indonesia.travel

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T H E N E W G E O S A F A R I

Editor-in-ChiEf Managing PartnEr & grouP Editor EditoriaL dirECtor grouP Editor SEnior Editor digitaL / Print dESignEr digitaL aniMator Sub Editor EditoriaL aSSiStant

Obaid Humaid Al Tayer Ian Fairservice Gina Johnson gina@motivate.ae Mark Evans marke@motivate.ae Andrew Nagy andrew.nagy@motivate.ae Ralph Mancao ralph@motivate.ae Surajit Dutta surajit@motivate.ae Salil Kumar salil@motivate.ae Londresa Flores londresa@motivate.ae

ContributorS

Andrew Birbeck, Gemma Correll, Gary Evans, Daniel Huffman, Jamie Knights, Matt Mostyn, Gareth Rees, Rebecca Rees, Matthew Stanger, Sandra Tinari, Carolyn Stritch, Stuart Turton, Cover: Ralph Mancao

gEnEraL ManagEr ProduCtion S Sunil Kumar aSSiStant ProduCtion ManagEr Binu Purandaran

ChiEf CoMMErCiaL offiCEr Anthony Milne anthony@motivate.ae grouP SaLES dirECtor Craig L. W. Wagstaff craig.wagstaff @motivate.ae

grouP SaLES ManagEr Jaya Balakrishnan jaya@motivate.ae

SEnior SaLES ManagEr Shruti Srivastava shruti.srivastava@ motivate.ae

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rEgionaL dEPuty SaLES ManagEr Amar Kamath Amar@motivate.ae

EditoriaL ConSuLtantS for EMiratES Editor Manna Talib arabiC Editor Hatem Omar dEPuty Editor Catherine Freeman WEbSitE emirates.com InternatIonal MedIa representatIves auStraLia/nEW ZEaLand Okeeffe Media; Tel + 61 894 472 734, okeeffekev@bigpond.com.au bELgiuM and LuXEMbourg M.P.S. Benelux; Tel +322 720 9799, francesco.sutton@mps-adv.com China Publicitas Advertising; Tel +86 10 5879 5885 gErMany IMV Internationale Medien Vermarktung GmbH; Tel +49 8151 550 8959, w.jaeger@imv-media.com hong Kong/MaLaySia/thaiLand Sonney Media Networks; Tel +852 2151 2351, hemant@sonneymedia.com india Media Star; Tel +91 22 4220 2103, ravi@mediastar.co.in JaPan Tandem Inc.; Tel + 81 3 3541 4166, all@tandem-inc.com nEthErLandS giO media; Tel +31 (0)6 22238420, giovanni@giO-media.nl PaKiStan D&S International News Agency; Tel +92 3235345727, dnsnewsagency@gmail.com SWitZErLand, franCE/itaLy & SPain IMM International; Tel +331 40 1300 30, n.devos@imm-international.com turKEy Media Ltd.; Tel +90 212 275 51 52, mediamarketingtr@medialtd.com.tr uK Spafax Inflight Media; Tel +44 207 906 2001, nhopkins@spafax.com uSa Totem Brand Stories; Tel +1 4168475100, nicole.mullin@tc.tc Emirates takes care to ensure that all facts published herein are correct. In the event of any inaccuracy please contact the editor. Any opinion expressed is the honest belief of the author based on all available facts. Comments and facts should not be relied upon by the reader in taking commercial, legal, financial or other decisions. Articles are by their nature general and specialist advice should always be consulted before any actions are taken.

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E D I T O R ’ S

L E T T E R

ANDREW NAGY

ON THE COVER

SENIOR EDITOR

I

’m not a techie by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I often find its merciless onslaught into ever y aspect of our lives utterly exhausting. So how does it have the power to impress me so much?

About three months ago I bought a Smar t TV. It’s amazing and I feel ridiculously pleased with myself, and it, on a daily basis. It gets worse. Last week I spent 15 minutes mar velling at a picture (a picture!) of the Amazon Echo, taking the time to consider just how

course. In fact it’s the type of thing that my father would, without too much by way of facts or figures, exper tly dismiss as: ‘hippy rubbish’. Not me. As a Brit of a cer tain age I grew up a watching the rather gentle 1970s sitcom, The Good Life. I can’t fully recall whether my enjoyment was based on the script or the beguiling form of a young Felicity Kendal, but the basic premise was a couple rejecting modern life, quitting their jobs and living off the land. Spoiler aler t: the neighbours were furious.

“INSPIRED BY THE EARTHSHIP DESIGNS OF THE 1970s, IT’S A BLUEPRINT FOR MODERN LIVING” fantastic it would be to use the voice activated programming to order pizza.

Enjoying this is all fine and dandy, but occasionally the real world inter venes to frown deeply at our consumerist whims; take this month’s cover stor y for instance. Inspired by Michael Reynolds Ear thship designs of the 1970s, the Aardehuis project in the Netherlands is a hugely commendable eco-stor y of self-sustainable living. Not just one house, but a community-built district that lives completely off-grid.

It would be easy to reject such non-conformist notions as foolhardy, of

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Unsurprisingly, the reality is rather different, and this project is a viable blueprint for the future. It utilises sustainable materials indigenous to the area; is powered by natural energy sources and is built by the community. Not only does it aim to lessen our reliance on fossil fuels but also to promote a way of life where absolutely nothing is wasted. It’s an amazing concept that could have a huge environmental impact for us all. In fact, once they’ve worked out how to get Netflix, it could well be perfect.

Enjoy the issue.

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LOOK OUT FOR THIS ICON ON EACH STORY IN OPEN SKIES FOR AN INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF EMIRATES

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GOING OFF-GRID IN THE NETHERLANDS For this month’s cover image, our designer, Ralph Mancao, illustrated the eco-homes of the Aardehuis project. To our mind, a plan for modern living has never looked so good.

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Serenity The Team Members of LUX* help people to celebrate life with the most simple, fresh and sensory hospitality in the world.

M AU R I T I U S R E U N I O N M A L D I V E S C H I N A U . A . E T U R K E Y | L U X R E S O R T S. C O M

C O N T E N T S

FRONT

22 26 28 31 38 Experience

Flashback

Entrepreneur

Lunch With

Stay

44 55 Neighbourhood

Local Knowledge

MAIN

62 68 76 Rise Of The Underdog

Modern Life Is Rubbish

Going Home Again

BRIEFING

84 90 92 94 96 Emirates News

Inside Emirates

Destination

Comfort

98 100 104 106 UAE Smart Gate

Route Map

The Fleet

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Knowledge

Customs & Visa Information

C O N T R I B U T O R S

MAY Some of the people who helped create this issue of Open Skies ANDREW BIRBECK

GARY EVANS

GARETH REES

REBECCA REES

Andrew is an Edinburgh-born author, writer and blogger who contributes to a broad range of titles. A regular in Open Skies, this month he writes on the Aardehuis Project; a selfsustainable lifestyle option in the Netherlands.

Gary Evans is a freelance journalist and travel writer from Sunderland. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Guardian and The Independent. This month he returned home to write on the Nor th East of England.

Gareth is a UK-based freelance writer who covers food to travel to celebrity profiles, including Tony Blair’s spin doctor Alastair Campbell and football legend Pele. This month he interviews the founder of movie streaming site, MUBI.

Rebecca is a UK-based photographer whose work has appeared in titles including the Financial Times and Brownbook. This month she shot stunning Gracia district of Barcelona.

“When interviewing Estella Franssen a pair of swans flew by the window. It was a moment that sums up Aardehuis.

Everyone told them they couldn’t do it. Then they did. Impressive.”

“Years ago, an editor asked me to write a tongue-in-cheek guide to Newcastle. I’m from Sunderland, a rival city, and I still get angry tweets about it to this day. This new piece, I hope, makes up for it.”

“Business can be a dry topic, but the creative force behind a successful company is almost always passionate and often fascinating. MUBI founder Efe Cakarel is, without doubt, both of those things.”

“I enjoyed La Rambla and the nearby Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, but it was the day I spent wandering the backstreets of the lesserknown Gracia district that gave me a real sense of the city.”

MATTHEW STANGER

CAROLYN STRITCH

SANDRA TINARI

STUART TURTON

Matthew is a British-based editor of football website, thesetpieces.com. This site is the home of quality football storytelling, where you’ll find features, interviews and reviews. This month Matthew offers us an article on Wimbledon from Set Pieces regular, Nick Miller.

Carolyn is a freelance photographer based in England who has been travelling the world since January 2015. This month she went back to photograph her hometown, Newcastle.

Sandra is an Australian freelance journalist and photographer, based in Dubai, and a regular contributor to Open Skies. This month she writes on the quiet ar t revolution that’s currently taking place in Al Quoz at Alserkal Avenue.

Stuar t is a freelance journalist specialising in travel and technology. He spends a lot of time going in the wrong direction, grumbling at smar tphones and trying to remember where he left his house keys. This month he writes on Cairo.

“The buzz surrounding Dubai’s growing art scene is palpable and Alserkal Avenue is at the heart of this; with an eclectic mix of artists and activities it’s an exciting place to visit.”

“Mummies with passports, restless rivers and roads on which the red light means whatever you want it to mean; I have to admit I really love travelling in Cairo.”

“There are few greater sporting stories than the underdogs chasing the impossible dream. In football, nobody did it better than Wimbledon’s FA Cup heroes of 1988.”

“Wandering the streets of my hometown, after years away, was like going to a city I’d never visited before. Newcastle is an exciting place – even more so than I remember. When I stop travelling, I’m going back for good.”

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Lunch With

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Neighbourhood

31

38

44

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FRONT

E x p E r i E n c E

May 5 – 8

Frieze New York N e w Y o r k C i t Y, U S

When I was young, my parents would take me to museums and exhibitions, and I was always impressed by the ambition of the collection and the architecture. After studying Fine Art, and realising I was a very poor artist indeed, I chose to engage with artists in a different way, and I’ve worked with them and galleries like this for over 15 years.

This year in New York you should look out for Fly By Night with Creative Time. The young Brooklyn-based artist Duke Riley will build a bird’s nest in the Brooklyn Navy Yard for his colony of trained pigeons.

You don’t need to be an art aficionado to ‘get it’, though. Our guided tours include highlights and introductions to emerging artists and masters alike.

If you’re aiming to start your collection here, head to our curated sections to discover artists coming into critical recognition, from 20th-century pioneers in Spotlight to contemporary talents in the Frame and Focus sections. Keep an eye out for the Dubai-based collective GCC shown by Berlin gallery, Kraupa-Tuskany Zeidler; and Rokni and Ramin Haerizadeh,

and Hesam Rahmanian shown by Dubai Gallery, Isabelle van der Eynde.

Ultimately, the key is just to get involved.

Frieze Projects, our non-profit programme of artist commissions, are consciously playful when directly involving audiences, even outside the fair. Michael Horvitz’ project this month involves a professional pickpocket planting sculptures in visitors’ pockets, meaning that anyone can walk away from the fair as an art collector – even by accident. frieze.com

Emirates offers four daily A380 services from Dubai to New York’s JFK Airport. Choose from three non-stop daily services, and one service that makes a stop in Milan.

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IMAGE: HEAtHEr PHIllIPsoN, sCHIrN, FrANKFurt

FrIEzE FAIr ArtIstIC DIrECtor Jo Stella-Sawicka ExPlAINs How NEstING PIGEoNs, HIbErNAtING sNAIls, AND stolEN sCulPturE ArE tHE wAY ForwArD tHIs MoNtH

E x p E r i E n c E

May 26 – 27

Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters Dubai, uae

I remember when we were set to first play in Dubai, in 2013. In truth, we didn’t really know what to expect from the crowd. As it turned out, it didn’t take long to realise that, not only were they very respectful, but they were up for the party as much as any crowd in London or Dublin.

Dubai has been very good to me. I love the place and have won every tournament here so far. It’s a record I’m proud of and really want to keep going. That said, I go into every tournament nowadays feeling very confident. If you’re world number

one, this is what people expect – and I expect the same of myself, too.

What the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has done for the game is amazing.

They’ve made it professional and run like any other top sport – such a transformation feels like a story from a movie; but ultimately it’s down to the vision and hard work of the PDC and the ability of the players.

In this game, you need to be resilient. I’ve played in a lot of big matches and won a lot of big tournaments, I always remind myself that I can win from any position in a match.

Visit dubaicalendar.ae to learn more about Dubai’s annual events calendar.

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Even if I am a long way behind, I know that it’s not over until the last double has been hit. I know if I play my best I can win from anywhere and I have the confidence to believe that now and to do it.

If you’re still undecided as to whether you should come this month, how can I persuade you? Well, quite simply, it’s the best night out in spor t. Just give it a try, even if you don’t like dar ts or have never been, just give it a try. I guarantee you’’ you’ll want to come back again next year. dubai-darts.com

iMAGE: GEtty

worlD nuMbEr onE Michael Van Gerwen ExplAins why DubAi is A city hE just loVEs to plAy in, AnD why bEinG thE fAVouritE to win holDs no fEArs for hiM

F O R

S H O P P I N G

L O V E R S

CA S T E L L A N A

S TO R E

S TO R E

M A D R I D / D I AG O N A L

DEPARTMENT STORES SPAIN & PORTUGAL

BA R C E LO N A

F l a s h b a c k

lacked electricity or adequate sanitation, 12 million lacked clean water supplies, two million children were not in school and a third of the population was illiterate.

Government reforms would improve the situation, but the legacy of Mandela’s government would always be national reconciliation rather than fiscal prosperity.

Mandela took the nation from minority rule to a multicultural democracy, largely by way of personal forgiveness. This was something that not all of his supporters agreed with. Indeed, in his bid to convince white South Africans that they had an equal part in his Rainbow Nation he drew criticism from a number of militant black observers. Not that this would shake him from his path, offering that, “Courageous people do not fear forgiving for the sake of peace.”

While Mandela was undoubtedly the only man to unite the country, history has shown he was perhaps not the greatest of politicians, and he was also criticised for close international relationships with Fidel Castro and Muammar Gadaffi. But while support for the ANC would waver, love for the Father of the Nation, quite rightly, never would.

Mandela becoMes president In MAy 1994, SouTh AfrICA Took ITS fIrST STEpS on ThE roAD To rEConCIlIATIon It was a speech that had been a long time coming; words borne out 46 years of oppression… sentences formed by 27 years of imprisonment.

As Nelson Mandela was named South Africa’s first black president he made his vision clear, “The time for the healing of the wounds has come. The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has come. The time to build is upon us.”

Over the previous two decades, Mandela had achieved fame from the confines of his cell at the brutal Robben Island prison. And as legend of his struggle grew, a world outside his window campaigned for his release.

Eighteen years would be spent on the island, followed by nine more at various establishments, before the government would cave into the relentless international pressure. On February 11, 1990, National Party leader and president FW De Klerk granted Mandela his freedom.

Four years later, the country held its first democratic elections, and Mandela’s newly reinstated ANC party won by a landslide 62.6 per cent.

The party slogan was ‘A Better Life For All’ and while their coming to power represented a golden day, the country they inherited was one of rampant disparity.

Of the 40 million population, 23 million

Emirates serves three destinations in South Africa: Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

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Robben Island ExplorE MandEla’s island prison The 18-year home of nelson Mandela, and two further south african presidents, is now a UnEsCo Heritage site and is an absolute must-visit for any trip to Cape Town. all tours take you around the island and focus, naturally, on it’s political prisoner history, including a visit to the 8x7ft cell of Mandela (pictured). robben-island.org.za

E n t r E p r E n E u r

The Dalkey Book FesTival D a l k e y, D u b l i n , i r e l a n D

Words: AndreW BirBeck imAges: conor mccABe | 28 |

E N T R E P R E N E U R

A

little over seven years ago, economist, broadcaster and author David McWilliams and his wife, Sian Smyth, had a brainwave. Things in their hometown of Dalkey weren’t too good. The recession had hit hard, local shops were closing, and an air of gloom had descended on a Dublin enclave long associated with more than a touch of glamour – it’s most famous son being U2’s Bono, no less.

McWilliams and Smyth asked themselves what could be done to restore confidence, raise visitor numbers, and in turn boost trade to local businesses. “My suggestion was for people to take action,” says McWilliams. “Then my wife, who reads and edits much of my writing, turned around and said, ‘Well, what are you going to do?’”

Having predicted both the Irish economic boom and subsequent crash, McWilliams had not only earned a reputation as an astute economic commentator, but also that of someone able to offer creative solutions to seemingly intractable problems. There and then, over a cup of tea in their kitchen, the idea for a book festival was born.

As with all success stories, timing was key. “After we had the idea I really felt that we had to rise to the challenge, and take things into our own hands rather than wait around,” says Smyth. “There was a sense of urgency, of not wanting to let the moment slip through our fingers.” Then it was a case of picking up the phone. McWilliams took the plunge and, out of the blue, called two best-selling authors who lived locally – Joseph O’Connor and the late Maeve Binchy. They both loved the idea and signed up straight away. “From that point on the first festival took shape, and we set ourselves a deadline of just nine weeks,” says Smyth. “The only problem was that David had committed to a one-man-show, so he scarpered off to do that, and I was thrown in the deep-end.”

According to the BBC’s world affairs editor John Simpson, another local resident, Dalkey is “the prettiest little seaside town on Earth”. He may not be too far off the mark. It also had a unique

literary heritage just ready and waiting to tap into. James Joyce lived in nearby Sandycove and taught at a school in Dalkey. Irish writer Flann O’Brien penned the comic novel, The Dalkey Archive, set in and around the town, and Tony Award-winning playwright Hugh Leonard was Dalkey born and bred. That heritage, according to Smyth, “played no small part in attracting world-class speakers and authors, such as Carl Bernstein, PJ O’Rourke and Roddy Doyle. No one ever minds being asked and most love to come. The location and atmosphere are terrific and there’s the allure of getting together with other writers in a truly unique setting. Here too the writers mingle with everyone else. Last year I saw U2 guitarist The Edge chatting with Amos Oz over a couple of drinks in a local café!

You don’t see that every day.”

The festival has blossomed, now red-letter days on the literary calendar, and the knock-on effect is undeniable.

“With more than 10,000 extra visitors to the town there’s an undeniable financial boost, and many businesses have their best trade over the festival weekend,” says McWilliams.

For those with a love of books, a fascination with current affairs, or simply an interest in the arts, a trip to The Dalkey Book Festival is an opportunity not to be missed. Expect a stellar line-up this month too, including the former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, legendary

Emirates flies twice daily to Dublin with the Boeing 777-300ER.

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LOCAL KNOWLEDGE The top spot to grab a post-event drink is…

The Grapevine for a glass of wine, Finnegan’s for a pint, a coffee in Dillon’s Park, I could go on.

For the best scenery in Dalkey/Killiney head for…

A short stroll on Killiney Hill – unforgettable panoramic views of Dublin Bay. To sample fresh local seafood go to…

De Villes, Ouzos and The Guinea Pig. For a great place to stay check out…

Locally, Fitzpatrick’s Castle in Killiney, and The Haddington Hotel or Royal Marine, both in nearby Dun Laoghaire.

The best advice is…

Believe in your idea and don’t listen to naysayers (including the one in your own head). An idea drummed up at the kitchen table can become a reality. Don’t procrastinate. music producer Brian Eno, and Booker Prize-winning author John Banville. Asked why people should come, Smyth doesn’t hesitate: “It’s a festival of books and ideas.

Global names. Great local vibe.” dalkeybookfestival.org

L u n c h

w i t h

EFE CAKAREL Efe Cakarel, founder and CEO of subscription film streaming service MUBI, is determined to deliver the best of independent cinema to the world.

We spoke to the Turkish entrepreneur over lunch at Little Social in London WORDS: GARETH REES imAGES: REBECCA REES

“

I love this place,” says Efe Cakarel, sliding into a red leather booth at Little Social, British chef and restaurateur Jason Atherton’s busy bistro on Pollen Street in London’s Mayfair.

Slender, dressed in a white T-shirt and a sky blue cashmere jumper, the founder and CEO of “online cinema” MUBI has dark floppy hair, round black spectacles and a big, genuine smile across his lightly stubbled face. The Turkish entrepreneur is referring to his chosen meeting place, of course, but the 40-year-old’s enthusiasm

is not restricted to restaurants. He is no hard-nosed businessman – he’s happy, and he’s not afraid to show it.

Cakarel has good reason to smile. MUBI (formerly known as The Auteurs), the streaming service he founded in Palo Alto, California, in 2007, and now runs from a townhouse just off nearby Carnaby Street, has grown from a niche site screening “auteur-driven, foreign, arthouse classics” for a small audience of film fanatics to the place for more than seven million registered users to get their daily

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L u n c h

independent cinema fix. With a goodie bag of more than 4,500 films to dip its hands into, MUBI’s team of dedicated cinephiles offers a curated selection of just 30 films at any one time, each available for 30 days before it is rotated out for a new ‘Film Of The Day’.

MUBI will never be as big as market leader Netflix in terms of audience numbers – “They won the game from the get-go,” Cakarel will state later in our conversation, seemingly without concern – but it’s forging its own path. Notable partners include distributor The Criterion Collection and Martin Scorsese’s film preservation organisation World Cinema Foundation, while highlights of MUBI’s short history to date include teaming up with independent filmmaker par excellence Paul Thomas Anderson for the exclusive release of his documentary Junun in 2015 and, more recently, in January 2016, a US$50 million investment from Huanxi Media Group Limited to launch MUBI in China.

The company has come a long way in just nine years, and Cakarel’s personal journey has been no less impressive. Born in the city of Izmir, on the west coast of Turkey, in 1976, Cakarel’s early years were idyllic. Breakfast was a tomato picked from the vine and long, joyful days were spent on the beach or windsurfing on the Mediterranean Sea. Life was so carefree that he didn’t learn to read until he was eight years old. But Cakarel’s proclivity for business is no accident. He inherited it from his father, who ran (and still runs) a large engineering company.

“I am the son of an entrepreneur,” he says, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the mélange of jazz and chatter filling the restaurant. “My father carried his work home. He was really passionate, like all entrepreneurs. It wasn’t too great for my mum, but for me it was amazing to sit down every night at the dinner table and listen to my father talk about a problem with a supplier or a new business opportunity or the business’ cash flow. From a very young age I grew up with all the excitement that surrounds running a business. Without even realising, I caught the bug.”

The waitress arrives. “Burger. Medium,” says Cakarel. “And a salad on the side, yes?” replies the waitress, who has obviously scribbled down this very same order before. “No bacon, no pickles, tomatoes, and the salad, yes. Thank you,” concludes Cakarel. I order two courses from the set lunch menu: roasted Cornish cod, followed by a selection of ice cream and sorbet.

w i t h

“I was groomed to take over the family business,” says Cakarel.

He was serving tea at board meetings at 11, afterwards taking a seat at the back of the room – listening and learning.

Seven years later, Cakarel would leave Turkey to study electrical engineering and computer science at Boston’s prestigious Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (MIT), before securing a job at prominent investment banking firm Goldman Sachs and then earning an MBA from Stanford Graduate School Of Business in California.

Cakarel recalls a question on his application to Stanford: What matters most to you? “It was a very powerful question that made me think a lot,” he says. “Money came to mind. Power. These were the first things. But I took months to really dig deeper into it, [to

i’m in it for the long-term. the last nine years were great, the next nine years will be amazing, the nine after that – incredible discover] what mattered most. To me the answer was excellence.

Excellence: whatever you do, do it really well. It applies to every aspect of your life. That comes from my childhood.”

“I grew up in a family where no decision was random,” he continues, relating how his mother would eschew the local shops and travel miles to her favourite fromagerie to source the very best cheeses, while his father would traverse the country to find the perfect carpet for the family home.

Before MIT, Goldman Sachs, Stanford and MUBI, the area in which Cakarel excelled was mathematics. Once he reached his teenage years summers were no longer spent on the beach. Instead he was in a maths camp in Trabzon in northern Turkey, working on complex equations for 14 hours a day. “It was my choice,” he says. “I don’t think you could force somebody to do that. But imagine you are 16, you are with the top minds in the country – it’s so stimulating.”

The hard work paid off, and in 1994 Cakarel placed third in the European Math Olympiad in Geneva, Switzerland.

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ABU DHABI AL AIN WESTERN REGION

27/ APR - 3/ MAY ABU DHABI INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR 2016 Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre The fastest growing book fair in the region will soon return with the world's leading publishing houses, book sellers and readers from across the world. The event features Ibn Rushd as the ‘Focus Personality of the Year’ and Italy as the Guest of Honour for its 26th edition.

3 - 7/ MAY

6/ MAY

7/ MAY

Abu Dhabi International Jewellery & Watch Show 2016

ACTIONHA on Yas Island

James and the Giant Peach

9 & 10/ MAY

UNTIL 10/ MAY

12 - 14/ MAY

China Philharmonic Orchestra with Long Yu

Portrait of Nation

Nickelodeon’s Dora the Explorer Live!

16/ MAY

UNTIL 17/ JUL

25 - 30/ MAY

Matthias Goerne: Winter Journey Manarat Al Saadiyat

Emirates Photography Competition Exhibition

Sweet Time Festival

26 - 29/ MAY

UNTIL 1/ JUN

Chic Lady Show Abu Dhabi

Multaqa Zayed National Museum

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre

Emirates Palace/ UAE University

Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre

For more information abudhabievents.ae

Yas Marina Circuit

Abu Dhabi Theatre, Breakwater

Emirates Palace

Manarat Al Saadiyat

du Forum, Yas Island

Dalma Mall

Manarat Al Saadiyat

abudhabievents

L u n c h

w i t h

I told my dad, ‘I want to fInd my own path In lIfe. you dId, and you are very happy.’ we dIdn’t talk for a couple of years. It was a dIffIcult perIod

“That was possibly one of the happiest days of my life,” he says.

“I took the cup and ran to the nearest pay phone to call my mum and dad to tell them.” But the phone call didn’t go quite as planned.

While Cakarel was in Geneva crunching numbers his parents had received an unexpected package in the post. “I had applied secretly to MIT, because my father would never have let me go. He wanted me to stay in Turkey, go to the best school there and take over the family business. That was my future.”

A few months earlier, Cakarel, who always worked late into the night, had waited until his parents had gone to bed, snuck out of the house, bribed the security guards at the headquarters of his father’s business with a couple of packets of Marlboro cigarettes and used the company PC – “one of the first computers in the city” – to complete his application to MIT. “Everybody else was filling their applications in by hand,” he explains. “Not me. Excellence.”

Excellent he might have been, but his father wasn’t impressed.

Not yet, anyway. “I flew back from Geneva and there were reporters at the airport,” says Cakarel. “It was an amazing moment, I was feeling really proud of myself. I sit down in the car, and my father says, ‘So, number three. Why not number one? Where did you fail?’”

“That’s the kind of family I grew up in,” he guffaws. “Then we go home and have this difficult MIT conversation.”

It didn’t go well at first, but after the precocious teenager had written a letter to the president of MIT explaining that he couldn’t accept the offer of a place because he couldn’t pay his way, and received a response offering a full scholarship, his father relented and supported the decision. Things didn’t go so smoothly when Cakarel

later decided to accept the position at Goldman Sachs rather than return to Turkey to take up the role at his father’s company he, as the only male child of three siblings, had been readied for since childhood. “I told my dad, ‘I want to find my own path in life.You did, and you are very happy. I want to do it as well’,” he recalls. “We didn’t talk for a couple of years. It was a very difficult period.”

Cakarel now has a family of his own: a wife and a four-year-old son.

He works in the MUBI office seven days a week, not returning home until 10pm. But he eats a meal with his wife every evening and spends two hours each morning with his son. Is he preparing him to take over the family business? “I joke about that, how I think he is the next CEO of MUBI,” says Cakarel. “I’m not going to put pressure on him, because I know from my own experience that it doesn’t work. I think my job, as a father, should be to help him excel in whatever he’s passionate about. I just want to be there with him and hug him.”

Our food arrives, and although my cod is both handsome, with a golden sheen from the oven, and cooked to silky perfection, it is dwarfed by Cakarel’s burger. I prod daintily at my cod, loosening delicate slivers of flesh, as Cakarel starts to devour his fist-sized feast one greedy bite at a time, safe in the knowledge that, once again, he has made an excellent decision.

The conversation turns to film. Unlike his entrepreneurial zeal, his love of cinema cannot be traced to his childhood in Turkey. What films did he see as a child? He chomps on his burger. “Batman! Big studio blockbusters,” comes the uncharacteristically unimpressed reply.

It wasn’t until he arrived at MIT that he was introduced to independent cinema, and he was working at Goldman Sachs in New

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York before he watched the DVD that turned him from a film lover to a bona fide buff. That film was Hong Kong director Wong Karwai’s Chungking Express. “I watched it at home on my laptop, which was the only place you could see that movie [at the time]. Netflix DVD,” he says with a chuckle.

“I went to Stanford for my MBA and there it became obvious that I really wanted to start my own company,” he continues.

“Stanford is this magical place – being in that environment, in that eco-system, you feel that if you have the right idea and it’s the right time you can create anything.”

But it wasn’t until Cakarel left Stanford and joined German software company SAP that he came up with the idea for his own business. He was in a café in Tokyo when the lightning bolt hit.

“I wanted to watch, you guessed it, a Wong Kar-wai film, In the Mood for Love, on my laptop,” he says, eyeing the fast disappearing burger in his grasp, planning his next attack. “There was not a single platform that allowed me to do so.”

“This is before the iPad, smart TVs had just been introduced that year at CES [Consumer Electronics Show] for the first time, but to me it was obvious even then that the consumer experience was going to shift from DVD and pay TV, which at the time was 100 per cent of home video entertainment, to TCP/IP [Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol], because with YouTube we had started to watch long format video on our laptops. For me it was radical.The technology always existed, but the real magic happens when people start behaving differently, and with YouTube people started behaving differently. So I started writing a business plan on the flight back to San Francisco and two months later, in February 2007, I left SAP. ”

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Soon afterwards he launched The Auteurs. Five years later, having realised that he couldn’t compete with Netflix, which also launched in 2007 but was able to grow immediately thanks to its existing DVD business and existing relationships with studios, Cakarel found a way to differentiate his product from Netflix: curation.

“MUBI is a brand that stands for something. Netflix doesn’t,” he says. Whilst he acknowledges that Netflix satisfies a lot of people, even admitting that he subscribes in order to access its “brilliant”TV content (House Of Cards is a personal favourite), he describes navigating its films as “frustrating”.That’s where he believes MUBI has the edge.

“We can really create an amazing film offering with MUBI and build the brand around it,” he says. “What we want, the long-term vision, is that in three to five years anyone from Buenos Aires to Tokyo, from New York to Istanbul to Beijng, if they want to watch a good movie, they say, ‘What’s on MUBI tonight?’”

My ice cream arrives and we order a pair of single espressos.

“There has been no tipping point yet. There have been moments,” says Cakarel as the coffee arrives. In the next two years he wants to have three-person teams in 50 countries, curating content specifically for their local subscribers. This month Portuguese director Miguel Gomes’ film Arabian Nights, a hit at Cannes in 2015, will have its UK premiere on MUBI. Cakarel has plans for a MUBI cinema and has already identified a site in London, which he says is not far from where we’re sitting. It won’t open until 2019 at the earliest, but he is already excited. “Not to jinx it, but it’s an amazing space,” he says, adding that if it works out he can envisage opening more. He suggests New York, Paris and Rome. As well as the move into China, an opportunity that Cakarel says “makes me dizzy”, MUBI is looking to invest in original films, aiming for a first ‘MUBI presents’ release in 2017.

It seems like a lot is going to happen very quickly, but seemingly not fast enough for Cakarel. “These things take time,” he says. “You need to have a long-term vision to build a company like MUBI, and I’m in it for the long-term. The last nine years were great, the next nine years will be amazing and the nine years after that – incredible.”

“We are having so much fun building this, and maybe I’ll still be running MUBI in 20 years and then pass it on to my son. Maybe in three to five years I no longer control the business. I’m totally relaxed.”

After lunch, as we make our way to MUBI HQ (Cakarel is keen to show me around), he receives a call from his father. He’s with a renowned Turkish producer and they have been talking about MUBI. Cakarel’s enthusiasm is infectious, it seems.

The Bill 1 x burger (US$24) 1 x set menu (US$30) 2 x mineral water (US$13) 2 x single espresso (US$8)

Total: US$75

Emirates will boost capacity to London with the addition of a tenth daily flight to the British capital starting October 1. The new service, Emirates’ fourth daily flight to London Gatwick, will complement its six daily services to Heathrow and take the airline’s total weekly services to the city to 70.

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The Marly C a m p s B ay, s o u t h a f r i C a

Words: AndreW nAgy ImAges: The mArly Most visitors are instantly drawn to The Marly because it collects awards like they’re going out of fashion. Camps Bay is not short on cool places to stay, but this, it seems, is something of a favourite.

A boutique hotel with only 11 suites – don’t let the fact that you have to enter via a small shopping and dining complex

put you off – this place has an air of classic Hollywood glamour.

Expect Art Deco accents on the furniture with contemporary touches thrown in for good measure.The white colour scheme only punctuated by the blue of the ocean outside.The view you can enjoy from your private terrace (enjoyed best while ordering

from the 24-hour room service).

Grab breakfast at Umi, a modern Japanese restaurant found downstairs – and be sure to go for for dinner, too, it does a mean black cod – then grab your towel and head over the road to the beach: a picture-perfect day in Camps Bay. themarly.co.za

Emirates flies twice daily to Cape Town with the Boeing 777-300ER. This year the 39th Emirates Lounge opened at Cape Town International Airport.

The state-of-the-art luxury facility welcomes First Class, Business Class, as well as Skywards Platinum and Gold members.

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OVER 70 PREMIUM AND LUXURY BRANDS IN FLAGSHIP OUTLET STORES UP TO 70%* OFF * Compared to the manufacturers' former recommended retail price if there is any

ARMANI . BALLY . BURBERRY . ESCADA . GUCCI . HUGO BOSS . JIMMY CHOO . LORO PIANA . MAX MARA .

MISSONI . MIU MIU . NIKE . POLO RALPH LAUREN . PORSCHE DESIGN . PRADA . TORY BURCH etc.

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MANDAPA, A RITZ-CARLTON RESERVE BALI, INDONESIA

Words: JoE MorTIMEr IMagEs: rITZ-CarLToN Only the best locations in the world will do for Ritz-Carlton’s exclusive ‘Reserve’ collection, and Mandapa doesn’t disappoint. The central Bali resor t spills down the side of a steep valley to the banks of the Ayung River, which curves around it in a natural embrace.

Under the shade of perfumed frangipani trees, riverside villas look

out over the water, their private infinity pools spilling over the edge. Behind a private gated entrance, separate buildings for living and sleeping are fitted out in natural materials and local stone, decorated with traditional works by local ar tists.

Dine riverside in a bamboo cocoon at romantic Kubu, or have your patih

Emirates flies non-stop daily to Bali with a two class configured Boeing 777-300ER.

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(butler) arrange a candlelit meal in the rice paddies or a picnic on the banks of the river. Sunrise yoga overlooking the river, therapeutic massage at the hands of a blind healer, and long walks through the estate are some of the things that make magnificent Mandapa unlike anywhere else in the world. ritzcarlton.com

— Aéroports de Paris, Société anonyme au capital de 296 881 806 euros, dont le siège social est 291, boulevard Raspail - 75675 Paris Cedex 14, RCS Paris 552 016 628 — Crédit photo : Laetitia Hotte — 04/2016

PARIS LOVES YOU With more than 45 million visitors per year, Paris is the world’s number one destination.

Our airports see this as a huge responsibility to extend a welcome that reflects the world’s most beautiful city and offer an experience that lives up to the highest international quality standards. But more than that, we want to provide a unique experience, inspired by Paris. The Paris people expect, the Paris of postcards, monuments, love and culture. The Paris that lives and breathes, the Paris of innovation and avant-garde, modernity and inspiration.

ADP Group has created Paris Aéroport just for you – it’s our way of saying “Paris loves you”.

“Paris loves you” means taking care of every traveller. Every one of the thousands of men and women in the group strives to provide customised and innovative services to all of our passengers.

“Paris loves you” is a commitment made with airlines to implement the best partnership conditions and build an airport community whose aim is to give passengers the best possible travel experience.

“Paris loves you” is a promise made to the sites where our airports are located.

A promise to be a driver of competitiveness with a sustainable approach to local economic development, by fostering social integration and environmental preservation.

Finally, “Paris loves you” means taking a stand for Paris, by enhancing the attractiveness of our capital and promoting its influence on an international level.

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The LeeLa PaLace New Delhi, iNDia

Words: kaye Martindale iMages: the leela Palace New Delhi’s Leela Palace Hotel is located in the city’s calm and uncluttered diplomatic enclave in historic South Delhi.

British colonial architect Edwin Lutyens designed and planned the surrounding area as the seat of government for the British, and was renowned for embracing traditional Indian architecture. Taking its cue from Lutyens, The Leela Palace

offers a confluence of Mughal, Hindu and British styles.

Despite capturing the charms and opulence of Old Delhi at its grandest, the hotel was recently constructed in 2011 and is the most expensive hotel ever built in India. It’s reflected in the impressive marble structure, huge chandeliers and impressive ar t collection.

Emirates flies four times daily to Delhi with the Boeing 777.

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Ultimately, the goal of The Leela Palace is to give guests the experience of living in the luxurious manner of a modernday maharaja, and it’s an experience that it pulls off with aplomb. The hotel is popular with tourists and business people alike, all bonded by the desire to enjoy a taste of India’s palatial past. theleela.com

N e i g h b o u r h o o d

GRÀCIA, BARCELONA, SPAIN WORDS: GaReth ReeS ImaGeS: Rebecca ReeS

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N e i g h b o u r h o o d

P

eople living in other regions of Spain will often gripe that Barcelona’s aptitude for snaring tourists has diminished its charm – that its proud heritage has been overwhelmed by an incessant influx of sightseers come to gawp at iconic attractions such as distinguished Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi’s unfinished neo-gothic masterwork Sagrada Família. Attempting a stroll down La Rambla in the centre of the city, its pedestrianised pavement unfailingly teeming with people, both holidaymakers and natives, it would be hard to argue.

But there is one area of the Catalan capital that has not yet been overcome: Gràcia. An autonomous town prior to the 20th century, Gràcia has maintained its own independent character. It is one of Barcelona’s most cosmopolitan neighbourhoods and home to an industrious community of creatives and entrepreneurs. Wandering through its narrow streets, which connect a series of leafy plazas, you will discover that Gràcia is blissfully devoid of tourists. It is unusually quiet, except during Festa Major, a weeklong neighbourhood-wide fiesta held every August. Apart from Gaudi’s Park Güell and Plaça De La Vila De Gràcia with its striking 110ft clock tower built in 1862, Gràcia is lacking major tourist attractions and, mercifully, chain stores and coffeehouses. Instead it is home to oneoff cultural institutions such as the ninescreen Cines Verdi, the small experimental theatre Sala Beckett and the alternative performance space Teatre Lliure, as well as numerous independent cafes, bars, restaurants and boutiques.

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N e i g h b o u r h o o d

shop + relAx

BOO Àlex González originally opened clothing boutique Boo on Gràcia’s Carrer de la Perla in 2006, moving it to its current location in 2012. Boo offers an alternative to the big brand stores on Passeig de Gràcia. Named after Ar thur “Boo” Radley, one of the central characters in Harper Lee’s classic novel To Kill A Mockingbird, who famously hides an eclectic collection of treasures in the hollow of a tree, it stocks a lovingly curated selection of items for men and women from heritage brands such as Normandy’s Saint James and up-andcoming independent labels such as Denmark’s Norse Projects and Por tugal’s La Paz. It is clear speaking with González that he adores what he does and has an authentic passion for the stories behind the clothing he chooses to stock. “Gràcia is like it’s own little town, but only a few steps away from the city centre,” he says. It’s wor th taking those few steps to browse the racks of Boo. 2 Carrer de Bonavista, Gràcia, Barcelona | Tel: +34 93 3681458 | boobcn.com

In The AreA ( f o u r - m i n u t e wa l k )

Gorilla Bar

A cafe-bar offering an early evening cocktail or a bottle of La Bella Lola craft beer. It regularly hosts DJs, exhibitions and other cultural events.

39 CArrer DeL TorrenT De L’oLLA, GràCIA, BArCeLonA, TeL: +34 674 288022

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N e i g h b o u r h o o d

ShOP + rUMMAGe

In The AreA

FULANITU I MENGANITA

( s e v e n - M i n u t e Wa l k )

If you happen to be ambling casually through Gracia’s backstreets – there are worse ways to spend an afternoon – and you find yourself on Carrer de Verdi, the entranceway to Fulanitu i Menganita is sure to catch your eye. A sign has been shunned in favour of a stack of old suitcases that hover over the doorway, painted white and printed with the shop’s name. Meanwhile, two large cactuses and a pair of shocking pink flowers in luminous green pots guard the threshold. Inside you will find a haphazard hotchpotch of vintage furniture, bric-a-brac, upcycled items and custom-made decorative objects. When we visited, the ceilings were dripping with enamel lightshades, the walls were festooned with rhino heads in white plaster and there was a handsome mid-20th centur y tile-topped coffee table demanding to become the centrepiece of somebody’s living room. But Fulanitu i Menganita is the sor t of place that will have something different ever y time you visit.

25 Carrer de Verdi, Gràcia, Barcelona | Tel: +34 93 5131954 | fulanituimenganita.blogspot.com.es

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tHe DesiGn HuB BaRCelOna

A curious shop with no obviously discernable signage. Once inside you’ll find everything from ceramic plates to bespoke tables and chairs, wicker lightshades, wooden key rings, satchels and cork eco-cases for laptops.

53 MArtinez de lA rOsA, GràciA, BArcelOnA, tel: +34 93 3154695 fAceBOOk.cOM/thedesiGnhuBBcn

N e i g h b o u r h o o d

WALK + EAT

In ThE ArEA

PARK GÜELL

(17-minute cab ride)

To reach Park Güell, to the nor th of Gràcia, you’ll have to tackle a ver y steep hill (there is an escalator if you go to the entrance on Passatge de Sant Josep de la Muntanya), but when you reach the main entrance on Carrer d’Olot you’ll soon forget the effor t. The park features numerous structures designed by Antoni Gaudi, including two fair y-tale gatehouses inspired by the Brothers Grimm’s Hansel And Gretel, a giant mosaic salamander and a wide esplanade known as the Plaça de la Natura (Nature Square), which sits on top of 86 Doric columns and offers a magnificent view over Barcelona. The park is deser vedly a Unesco World Heritage Site, and also home to Casa Museu Gaudi (Gaudi House Museum), where Gaudi and his family lived from 1906 to 1926. There is a charge to enter Plaça de la Natura and Casa Museu Gaudi.

Carrer d’Olot, Barcelona | Tel: +34 93 4091831 | parkguell.cat

Gut

The décor is understated, the food is exceptional – simple, wholesome dishes created with carefully sourced produce.

13 Carrer Perill, GràCia, BarCelona, Tel: +34 93 1866360, resTauranTGuT.Com

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sofa cum bed

sofa cum bed

HAWTHORN SUITES BY WYNDHAM® JBR hsdubai.com

The Walk / Jumeirah Beach Residence | P.O. Box: 120253 Dubai, U.A.E. | T: +971 4 399 9979 | F: +971 4 399 2661

© 2013 Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham. This property is operated by R Hotels (a member of R Holding) under a franchise agreement with Wyndham Hotel Group.

N e i g h b o u r h o o d

crAfT + dIscover

OSLO BARCELONA Oslo Barcelona is indicative of the entrepreneurial and independent spirit (and nature) and dedication to localism of many of the small businesses in Gràcia. Comprising a boutique and a workshop, it provides a space for a collective of 33 Barcelona creatives and craftspeople to display their work, which includes clothing, millinery, leather goods and even self-published books. When one of the unique pieces is sold, the money goes directly to its creator, resulting in what the collective’s members, who refer to themselves as Osloens, described as “a transaction in which you can feel there is a dialogue between maker and recipient”, an alternative to the predominant consumer system. Costs are covered by fees paid by each member and by renting exhibition space. In exchange for their time, the four Osloens who man the boutique are rewarded with use of the workshop.

164 Carrer del Torrent de l’Olla, Gràcia, Barcelona | Tel: +34 93 1056437 | oslobarcelona.com

In The AreA ( f i v e - M i n u t e Wa l k )

la-a

From the outside La-a looks like a purveyor of houseplants, but is full of rustic artisanal treasures like furniture, jewellery, bags, homewares and textiles.

86 Carrer deL TorrenT de L’oLLa, GràCia, BarCeLona, TeL: +34 93 2847047, La-a.eu

Emirates flies twice daily to Barcelona, including a daily A380 service. Starting next month, both services will be operated by the A380.

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25-27 may

CNR EXPO Yeşilköy 34149 ‹stanbul, TURKEY

+90 212 465 74 74

+90 212 465 74 76-77 www.cnrexpo.com

THIS FAIR IS ORGANIZED WITH THE AUDIT OF TOBB (THE UNION OF CHAMBERS AND COMMODITY EXCHANGES OF TURKEY) IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW NO.5174

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words & Images: sandra TInarI

alserkal avenue

It’s how creative districts should be – an intriguing mix of the old and new, the street and the fine art, the working artist and the monied. Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue is all grown up and has become an eclectic hub for the city’s creative community

nce simply a sand-blown industrial area, Al Quoz is establishing itself as a thriving arts district, with Alserkal at its heart. Beginning as a small cluster of 20 dusty warehouses that attracted forward-thinking art galleries, studios and workshops in 2007, the five laneways comprising the hub have organically emerged as one of the region’s foremost arts and culture neighbourhoods.

O

Its success has seen the site open a shiny new expansion, with purpose-built sand coloured galleries resolutely reflecting their predecessors. Doubled in sized, with an extensive arts programme and public installations, the arts centre now welcomes esteemed international galleries alongside homegrown talent.

We visited Alserkal Avenue and spoke to some of its creative community about the arts hub it has become.

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“Alserkal Avenue has evolved to become an important platform for genuine grassroots cultural exchange,” says Abdelmonem Bin Eisa Alserkal, founder of Alserkal Avenue. “Not just for the Dubai arts community but within the region at large. We want this cultural wealth to cement the importance of The Avenue as a home for visionaries and creative leaders, making it their window to the world.”

“When we set up shop here, it was a bold decision,” says Mohamed Somji, founder of Gulf Photo Plus.

“But we loved the industrial area both for the space that it afforded us to conduct our workshops, host photo exhibitions and offer studio facilities, and also because there was a distinct vibe and authenticity about the area. We’ll be marking our fifth year here this summer, and during that time, the Alserkal team have stayed true to their vision, and hard work and commitment has made it one of the most vibrant and creative areas in the city. We’re very proud to be a par t of it.” | 57 |

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Leila Heller is one of New York’s premier art galleries. Its new space in Alserkal Avenue is part of a strong regional strategy.

“We view Dubai as the long-term centre of the Middle East,” says Alexander Heller, director of Leila Heller Gallery. ”We came to Dubai with the intention of exposing well-known western artists that have not yet shown in the Middle East, coupled with the most important Middle Eastern artists working in the region and the diaspora today. As a result, I live between New York and Dubai… I basically live on an Emirates plane. Our gallery here is the hub for a larger business strategy that we have across the region. Dubai has clearly become a cultural hub and our expansion here from New York comes at a time when we believe in the proliferation of art in this region more than ever.”

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“This is where you’ll find the top arts and culture players in Dubai,” says Sunny Rahbar, co-founder and managing partner of The Third Line gallery. “Having called Al Quoz home for nearly a decade, the gallery is celebrating its 10th year by joining the fold of the rich art community housed within Alserkal Avenue. As we enter our 10th year, we’ve spent some time looking inwards and outwards and all around us. The Dubai we set up in has changed a lot and we just love this new energised, vibrant and happening city.”

Download The Emirates App – available for iPhone, iPad and Android. Your personal journey planner makes it easy to view and arrange your trips when you’re on the go. Designed to complement the iPhone app, there’s also an Emirates App for Apple Watch.

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A collection of stories from around the world Rise Of The Underdog

Modern Life Is Rubbish

68

Going Home Again

76

62

MAIN

AlAn Cork

EriC Young

DAvE BEAsAnt

lAwriE

Words: nIck mIller

In 1988, WImbledon shocked the World by beatIng lIverpool’s football royalty. the story you’re about to read Is Why the fa cup remaIns the greatest competItIon on the planet

sanchez

bobby gould

vInnIe Jones

John fashanu

C

omparing shocks in different eras of football is a tricky business, because goalposts move and hierarchies shift, but it’s not unreasonable to draw comparisons between the Wimbledon side that stunned Liverpool to win the 1988 FA Cup final, and the Leicester team that have made fools of everyone in the Premier League this season.

For the first 75 years of their history, Wimbledon wallowed in various amateur regional divisions before turning professional in 1964, eventually being elected to the Football League in 1977. Their first few seasons in the big time were a little uneven, yo-yoing between the third and fourth tiers for four years before finally establishing something approaching stability under Dave Bassett, a former player who had been assistant manager before taking the top job in 1981.

Under Bassett Wimbledon gained a reputation for physical football and wild antics, both off and on pitch. Many of the stories (at least the printable ones) involved drinking to some extent or other, and no item of clothing in the dressing room was safe, more often than not cut up or set alight or, in the case of goalkeeper Dave Beasant’s motorcycle helmet, filled with talcum powder until it became unwearable.

Beasant also tells a tale that illustrates the rather physical atmosphere at the club. “John Fashanu could look after himself while we also had another centre forward, Robbie Turner,” Beasant told BT a few years ago. “It got to the stage where Fash would say ‘I’m tougher than you!’ and Robbie would retort ‘No I’m tougher than you!” There was only one way to sort it out. They both went into the dressing room, and the door was locked behind them. We all stood outside listening. There were a few bangs and thumps, and Fash emerged saying ‘You had better get an ambulance.’ ” Nevertheless, they obviously had something, rapidly climbing up through the divisions, winning three promotions in four years to gain entry to the First Division in 1986. Their style was perhaps summed up by Bassett in his and Wally Downes’ book The Crazy Gang, when he said: “When we play at 100mph, everyone else has to do the same.” It wasn’t so much that Wimbledon brought teams down to their level, but more they dictated in what fashion

they gained a name for very physical football and wild antics

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the game was to be played. It might have offended some aesthetes, but ensuring a match is played how it suits you best is perhaps the most basic and effective method of managing a football team.

The top flight had rarely seen the likes of Wimbledon, but despite finishing in sixth place in their first season they weren’t expected to actually achieve much at all. By this point Bassett had departed, replaced

by Bobby Gould, who guided them through an FA Cup campaign that started with a 4-1 win over West Brom. Mansfield Town were the next victims, in a game that displayed why Wimbledon were perhaps the top-level team best equipped to deal with tricky away trips to rough-and-tumble lower-league sides, as that’s exactly what they had been until very recently. They won 2-1, with Beasant foreshadowing a rather more famous feat by saving a penalty to seal their victory.

Next was a trip to Newcastle in the fifth round, to face a side that featured a young Paul Gascoigne. Vinnie Jones was tasked with marking the 20-year-old, as he had done a couple of weeks earlier in a league fixture, the game in which the famous photograph of the Wimbledon man squeezing Gascoigne in a rather sensitive area of his mid-section was taken. Jones again kept very close tabs on Gascoigne as the Dons ran out 3-1 winners, goals from Terry Gibson, Brian Gayle and Fashanu sealing their place in the quarter-finals.

There they were drawn against Watford, another team who also enjoyed an unlikely rise from the lower reaches of the football pyramid right to the FA Cup final a few years earlier. At half-time it looked like Wimbledon’s dream was over, a goal and a man down after Malcolm Allen had put Watford ahead, and Gayle had been sent off for punching the goalscorer. That only seemed to stir them to greater efforts, and Eric Young equalised just after the break before Fashanu sealed the victory and their place in the semi-finals.

Wimbledon against Luton Town probably wasn’t the glamour tie to whet the appetite of many, and only a little more than 25,000 showed up at White Hart Lane to see possibly the least fashionable semi-final one could imagine. Mick Harford put Luton ahead, but not long afterwards

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Fashanu converted a penalty and then Dennis Wise poked home a winner to confirm their place in the final.

The fairytale was a reality, with the upstarts from south London facing Liverpool, the established and dominant power of English football – or, as the commentator John Motson put it, ‘the Crazy Gang v the Culture Club’. Not that Wimbledon’s rise was greeted warmly by everyone, of course. ‘What a hell-hole Plough Lane is,’ began a piece in The Guardian newspaper that was ostensibly a report of the win over Watford. ‘If Wimbledon reaching the FA Cup semi-finals is romance, then romance is dead. This was grievous bodily football, and if more than 12,000 people found it exciting then God help them… and the game.’

Wimbledon’s reputation was well-founded, their physical style of course very deliberate and by no means a myth. A quick rundown of their team sheet for those years will reveal few wallflowers; Fashanu, Jones, Gibson, Gayle, Young, even the diminutive Wise – all men who you would be very careful not to spill their drink, and that came across in how they attempted to intimidate the opposition. “We have no respect for anyone,” said Wally Downes, who made over 200 appearances for the club during their rise through the divisions. “If we were stupid enough to respect the opposition, they would murder us.”

But did their attempts at intimidation work? Undoubtedly they did on occasion, but it’s unlikely that was a factor against Liverpool in the final, a team that with the likes of Steve Nicol and Steve McMahon, weren’t exactly averse to some physicality themselves. A long-

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If WImbledon reachIng the fa cup semI-fInals Is romance, then romance Is dead. thIs Was grIevous bodIly football running myth has it that before the game, the Wimbledon players made such a noise in the tunnel that they completely put Liverpool off their stride, but that appears to have little substance. “All that talk of intimidation is rubbish,” said Liverpool and England legend John Barnes. “There are pictures of us laughing and joking in the tunnel. We had players who had won European Cups – do you think they’d be intimidated by a bit of noise?”

And so, to the game. The previous evening Gould, worried that the antics of the players in their swanky hotel might cause some problems, sent them off to a local pub (by coincidence, the very pub Wimbledon used as a base in their earliest years), but they weren’t exactly slowed down by any excesses after kick-off. In the first minute, Jones set the tone by crashing through McMahon with a ‘tackle’ that, had it taken place today, would have the referee reaching for his red card before the victim had hit the floor. In 1988 it didn’t even warrant a stern word, and the theme continued. “By today’s standards there would have been seven or eight red cards,” Gibson said recently.

Wimbledon weren’t all about violence, though. Don Howe, Gould’s assistant and former Arsenal and England coach, had instructed Wise to act almost as a second right-back in order to deal with the threat of Barnes and Peter Beardsley, the sort of tactical thinking for which Wimbledon were not exactly famous. And it worked: perhaps Liverpool simply didn’t perform as

Beasant’s homework and howe’s tactical plans were an example of how their reputation as plucky chancers is perhaps undeserved they should, but the league champions, who were aiming for their second ‘double’ in three years, couldn’t make an impression on the afternoon.

And yet they still very nearly won. Before Wimbledon took the lead Liverpool should really have had a goal of their own, after Beardsley chased a long pass down the right side of the area, was pulled back by Andy Thorn, but wriggled free to chip into the net. However, the referee’s whistle had already gone, Thorn penalised for the foul that Beardsley had already escaped, a decision that despite their many successes before and after, still haunts some Liverpool fans.

While they could blame the referee for that missed opportunity, they couldn’t point to any outside factors for their other big chance. Around the hour mark, John Aldridge broke into the penalty area and fell under the challenge of Clive Goodyear, the referee instantly pointing to the spot despite replays showing the Wimbledon man had won the ball.

Their protests were to no avail, but as it turns out they need not have worried. Before the game Beasant had been studying where Aldridge liked to place his penalties, and surmised that he would go low and to the goalkeeper’s left. Aldridge stepped up and shot in the exact place Beasant predicted, the big keeper diving full length to paw the ball behind, the first time a penalty hadn’t been converted in an FA Cup final. “John was distraught for ages afterwards,” said midfielder Ray Houghton. “We went to the Euros with Ireland that summer and just before we left we were playing golf and even then he was shaking his head saying, ‘I can’t believe I missed that.’ ” At that point Liverpool were already behind. Wimbledon took the lead towards the end of the first half and, like Beasant’s homework and Howe’s tactical plans, it was another example of how their reputation as plucky chancers is perhaps undeserved. They had identified set-pieces as a weakness in Liverpool’s defence before the game, and when Wise’s expert delivery was combined with their strength in the air, they were the perfect team to exploit it. Nicol pulled back Terry Phelan on the left, close to the corner flag,

giving Wise a perfect chance to send in a cross. Wise clipped the ball into the area, and at the near post was Lawrie Sanchez, who had found space between two defenders to glance a header into the far corner of the net.

After that, backs were very much to the wall. Beasant made a number of fine saves, and Wimbledon dropped deeper and deeper as Liverpool attacked more and more. “The second half for us was like playing with 10 men, hanging on to the 1-0,” said Gibson. “We never passed the ball once.

Everything was a clearance.” But hang on they did, completing perhaps the greatest FA Cup final shock of all time, just 11 years after gaining election to the Football League.

‘Amazingly, the frog had turned into a prince,’ wrote journalist Steven Howard in his foreword to Bassett’s book, but the prince didn’t stay in his finery for too long afterwards. Over the next few years the team was broken up, perhaps too quickly, as owner Sam Hamman spotted the chance to cash in on their shock success. That was the last game Beasant played for Wimbledon, sold for a then-record £750,000 to Newcastle, who also bought Thorn. Jones went to Leeds the following year, Wise was sold to Chelsea, and Phelan moved to Manchester City a few seasons later.

The club were a fixture in the top flight for another decade, oddly becoming a staple in the glossy Premier League, something that didn’t quite fit their image, although you would never have regarded them as part of the establishment. For long spells of that time they were homeless, lodging at Selhurst Park amid much talk of moves elsewhere, most notably to Dublin and Milton Keynes, the latter proposal eventually occurring in 2004.

The club officially became the MK Dons, their registration and history shifted 50 miles north, without taking many fans with them.

The new club claim the FA Cup triumph, but they could hardly be further from the old Wimbledon in character and attitude.This was an implausible achievement, managed with toughness and that old ‘Crazy Gang’ spirit, but with no little skill too.They’re perhaps not quite the Leicester City of their day, but they’re not too far off it.

A long-standing supporter of football, Emirates has been Lead Partner of the FA Cup since 2015. Over the next three years it will focus on bringing the world’s most prestigious domestic cup competition closer to its fans from across the UK as well as the rest of the globe.

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MODERN LIFE ILLUSTRATIONS: RALPH MANCAO

IS RUBBISH WORDS: ANDREW BIRBECK

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Going off-grid these days isn’t quite as easy as it was in the 1970s. Then you simply quit your job and started planting vegetables in your front garden.

Now it’s a fully self-sufficient community, a house built from scrap and a new life to embrace

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ack in 2005 a Dutchman named Paul Hendriksen had an idea. He dreamed of creating a self-built sustainable community with zero negative environmental impact; one in total harmony with its surroundings.

Now, around 90 minutes from Amsterdam, on the fringes of a town called Olst, that vision is a reality. Its name is Aardehuis and it consists of 23 unique homes, a communal building that also serves as a visitor centre, and surrounding lands.

That it exists at all bears testament to the power of a new way of thinking, adaptability, persistence and teamwork.

Hendriksen had learned of the ‘earthship’ concept, pioneered by the American architect Michael Reynolds back in the 1970s, and believed it could work in The Netherlands, not just as one-off self-sustaining units, but as a community of homes; a village that would function together. Crucially too it had to be able to withstand the extremes of the northern European climate. In short, he wanted to take Reynold’s proven concept to another level. What he envisaged was the first Dutch eco-village, a place built by and for those who would live there. Hendriksen told some friends of his plan, one of which was Estella Franssen, an environmental scientist. Having established the Jane Goodall Foundation in The Netherlands, Franssen had gone on to teach people how to make the transition to a sustainable way of life. It seemed she and the project were made for each other. Soon enough a

group of some 20 like-minded souls were in place, and together they would embark on a remarkable journey.

Founder member Franssen, an Aardehuis resident who now facilitates group visits, explains, “Originally we wanted to create the community and build the

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houses, in a nearby municipality,” she explains. “They were more than a little hesitant. We were also told by building experts and architects that the model simply wouldn’t work because it was just too experimental. Self-sustainable houses, built by amateurs, and partly from waste materials, had never been done here. We were told that the houses would be too cold in winter, too hot in the summer. And, none of us were construction experts, we were all amateurs with little or no building experience.” The outlook appeared bleak, but, regardless, a website was set up detailing the group’s vision. “Then, just when we thought we’d hit a brick wall, an adjacent local authority got wind of the plan,” explains Franssen. “Amazingly, they contacted us completely out the blue and told us that they loved the idea, and even had land available.”

So, it seems that not a little serendipity came into play, the cosmos effecting a proposal that was nothing short of revolutionary. A new take on an original

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way of thinking, it did, however, follow a blueprint. A tangible legacy existed of earthship structures that had been built and successfully occupied around the world. It bore testament to the fact that the idea could work in practice, albeit in climates very different to that of The Netherlands. Nonetheless it became key in winning over people who had to be convinced, namely town-planners, architects and construction experts.

“It’s a passive structure that relies on solar energy and is built using locally sourced and scrap materials,” explains Franssen. “They can be pretty much any design as long as certain core building principles and methods are used.”

Crucially, cement forms very little part of the construction, as its manufacture is incredibly inefficient and requires vast amounts of fossil fuels. “Fossil fuel is running out and we’re still so reliant on it,” says Franssen. “We have to find other sustainable ways to live without damaging the planet.” This in itself was a game-changer. “Our proposal was a little unusual to say the least,” she continues.

“We wanted to build houses with a range of materials, including old car tyres, so | 71 |

TV crews and press came along and we got a lot of coverage. I think people were amazed that we weren’t living underground in Hobbit houses that caused a few issues. Of course, the concerns were perfectly valid. The local authority couldn’t allow us to build houses that might collapse on our heads.”

Armed with endorsements from a range of academics and construction experts specialising in sustainable housing, the team at Aardehuis managed to address these concerns over time. Many improvements were suggested, and duly taken on-board, and eventually local authority approval was granted. Of course academics, industry experts and well-intentioned civil servants are one thing, banks another. The land on offer wasn’t a gift. It had to be purchased, meaning that strict financing needed to be in place. “In the initial stages we used up all our savings,” says Franssen. “I guess it

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Fossil fuel is running out and we’re still so reliant on it. We have to find other sustainable ways to live without damaging the planet was a leap of faith. And we got some small grants from the municipality. But then came mortgages. We had to apply to the banks.

There was no other way.”

Securing a loan, however, was not quite as easy as you might think. “Initially, the response from the front-of-house people was positive,” she says. “They seemed 100 per cent behind us. The problems came when it was sent ‘upstairs’ for loan approval. We just couldn’t get past that point. Everything got tied up in endless red-tape.” But the group persevered as they’d had to from the outset. “In the end, thank goodness, two banks stepped in – Triodos and Rabobank,” says Franssen.

“Triodos, in particular, is committed to environmental initiatives. That ethos worked in our favour. Mind you, it’s ironic that when you apply for a mortgage all your finances are analysed in minute detail, yet the sustainability of the house isn’t taken into account. The homes we’ve built have almost zero energy costs compared to traditional houses or apartments. We, on the other hand, pay next to nothing, just timber for the wood-fired stoves.”

With finance secured all that had to be done was build. Sounds easy and, if this had been a conventional construction project, it probably would have been.

Here however, by their own admission,

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were a bunch of amateurs learning on the job. Most were more used to office work than wielding a saw or shovel, but they set about the task with gusto.

First came a warehouse, complete with solar-panelled roof used to generate the bulk of electricity needed for power tools and machinery. Around a third of the founders lived on-site while others rented accommodation nearby. In addition, more than 1,500 volunteers came to help out over the course of the project. “Although most were from The Netherlands some came from as far afield as Colombia, the US, India and Canada,” says Franssen. “We can’t put a price on their help.”

Aardehuis captured the public’s imagination, both locally and nationally. “A certain number of homes were designated as social housing,” says Franssen. “Three in all. That really created a buzz as the housing minister visited to officially open them. TV crews and press came along and we got a lot of coverage. I think people were amazed that we weren’t living underground in Hobbit houses, that we had all the modern conveniences.”

Aardehuis has, at its heart, been an organic process from day one. Originally the plan was for just five separate house designs to be chosen by residents according to needs and personal preference. Reflecting the true spirit of the project, there are now 23 entirely unique homes, all designed by Michel Post of Orio Architects.That seems only fitting, as what’s happened and continues to happen here is not only the effectiveness of a collective but also the triumph of the individual.The interior of each home differs too, reflecting the personalities of those who live there. Franssen believes, “It’s one of

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Global Green eco-villages across The Planet

Taos, New Mexico, Us

the best parts of the project.The materials and colours used make for a totally unique atmosphere in each house.”

Group visits can be arranged through the website and the project is keen to encourage schools, colleges, and anyone who’d like to explore doing something similar, to come along and see what they do and how they live. Plans are in place to buy more land too and set-up a permaculture park. Another Aardehuis resident is Fransjan de Waard, Estella Franssen’s partner and founder of the Dutch permaculture movement, so the park will be in expert hands. When asked what it’s like to live and work in such an environment, in a place she helped create from scratch, Franssen says with a smile, “For the life of me I can’t think of any negatives. We wanted to create a uniquely sustainable ecosystem, so we built

it. It’s a privilege to be here. I love it and I’m never going to leave.”

Today, although the final homes were completed just last year, it seems Aardehuis was always meant to be. The journey was not without struggle and compromise, and 10 years is certainly a hell of a long time. Changing people’s minds and winning over sceptics is no easy task, never mind getting finance for a project that goes against the grain of perceived wisdom. Yet do bear in mind that Earthship founder Michael Reynolds started out by building a shelter out of old bottles and beer cans in the New Mexico desert. His model for sustainable living has now spread across the globe. And let’s face facts, if you can convince the bank manager, you can probably convince anyone. aardehuis.nl

The original of the species, Michael Reynolds designed otherworldly earthships amidst the peace and tranquility of the desert. Get off-grid, keep the mod-cons, and stay overnight to see what it’s all about for yourself. eaRThship.coM

chole MjiNi, Mafia, ZaNZibar, TaNZaNia

experience Robinson crusoe-style living, on this little known yet breathtakingly beautiful tropical island just south of Zanzibar. handbuilt tree houses await, all constructed with locally sourced timber. No cars, electricity or Wi-Fi. choleMjiNi.coM

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initiated in 1985, and nestling on an idyllic peninsula on scotland’s east coast, here you’ll find stunning scenery and a mix of eco-friendly houses including straw-bale, stone built and yurts. courses in sustainability held year-round.

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Emirates flies twice daily to Amsterdam with the Airbus A380.

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G O I N G

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Going ho

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WORDS: GARY EVANS IMAGES: CAROLYN STRITCH

me again

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What’s it like to return to a place after years aWay? We sent a native back to north east england after a long absence. in neWcastle he finds thriving art and social scenes, While the region’s rugged coastline reminds him What he misses most about home

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he clock hanging high above the market strikes nine.Traders below set out their stalls.

Breath fogs and voices echo.

The first customers of the morning come snooping into the hall, into its odours; an earthy scent on one side, the smell of the seaside on the other.

The fishmonger rolls up his sleeves, one, then the other, revealing beneath them two more sleeves made entirely of tattoos. Artfully, the man arranges halibut, mackerel and red mullet on a mound of ice, the fish framed by a 60lb conga eel. A woman walks past, slowly pushing a check-print shopping trolley. The butcher takes off his glasses and holds them up to the light. With a small cloth he cleans the lenses, perches the specs back on the bridge of his nose and continues placing handwritten price tags into fat cuts of red meat. The greengrocer stacks carrots, raps something about the price of parsnip and beetroot. The woman parks her trolley beneath a sign that reads ‘Independent Artisan Bakery.’

With great care, after squeezing every other loaf, she picks out bread from a countertop labelled: ‘Yesterday’s shelf – still fresh!’

To take the pulse of a place, go to the market. It’s something I always do when travelling. You meet the locals, taste the food and get a good sense of the area’s identity. This particular market, however, stands just a half-hour drive from where I was born.

Over the years, I must’ve walked past Newcastle’s 180-yearold Grainger Market a hundred times without giving it a second glance. Today, first thing on a cold winter morning, this old place appears completely new to me. I’m sitting on a stool at the bar of a stall called Pumphrey’s Brewing Emporium. Notebook open, espresso steaming, I write and then underline: ‘A lovely little portrait of modern Newcastle.’

Many of the traders have been here for generations. Joining the ‘Independent Artisan Bakery,’ more recent arrivals include a Turkish deli, a French crêperie and a Chinese dumpling and tea bar.

It’s been a while since I last visited the North East and longer still since I lived here. Over the years, I’ve moved farther and farther away and returned less and less frequently. Now I’m back

– a bit older and a little less resilient to the bitterly cold winters – interested to see how the region has changed.

Outside of the Grainger Market, Grey’s Monument stands tall above Newcastle’s busiest shopping streets. Beneath the statue of old Earl Grey – the prime minister who helped abolish slavery, straighten out bent politicians and secure better representation for the Nor th of England – buskers sing, religious speakers rant and protesters chase petition signatures.

From here, Grey Street slopes south and curves east until it becomes Dean Street. On the left, the grand Theatre Royal.

On the right, a lively coffee house called Blake’s. All the way down the road, some of the city’s best small ar t galleries. The Georgian architecture – neat, symmetrical, sand-coloured stone – takes the name ‘Tyneside Classical’. You won’t find a betterlooking street in London, New York or Paris.

It’s early afternoon and people are already out for the night.

Batman, Spider-Man and several Supermen heckle a group of 30-something schoolgirls. The superheroes walk away defeated, after the schoolgirls shout some unkind words about their respective physiques. Stag and hen par ties regularly walk this way down to the Quayside and the many bars and restaurants that line the River Tyne.

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Over the titling Millennium Bridge, on the Gateshead side of the river, stand two of the North East’s most famous buildings; symbols of Newcastle’s past and present.

The free-admission Baltic Centre For Contemporary Art takes up all six floors of a magnificent converted flour mill. Next door is the Sage music centre, with its rippling, shrink-wrapped roof. Depending on which way the wind blows, the building can look bold and beautiful, or like a huge photograph of the Hindenburg disaster.

The hens and stags, locals and tourists alike, mostly walk straight past one of the city’s real hidden gems: a small Victorian pub, somehow both unassuming and achingly beautiful, called the Crown Posada.

The door swings open and in walks a man, face bitten red by the cold, bringing with him a blast of icy wind. He strides past the fruit machine, peeps into a little partitioned room known as the snug, and continues on through the tall, narrow pub. The man stops short of the seating area – dark wood and green leather – and takes up a position at the end of the bar. “Allreet, Andy?” he offers to the barman, who tilts his chin in response.

Thin sunlight filters in through stained glass windows. Dog-eared books line the windowsill. At the end of the bar sits a record player built in 1941. Beneath the pub sounds, the chatter and cackles, the rustle of a newspaper, Bille Holliday sings the blues.

The man continues to walk around, saying hello to several people as he unwraps his scarf and takes off his hat. Some stop to talk about football or ask after his family. The barman star ts pulling his pint. “Any sandwiches left, Andy?” he enquires.

The man takes a slug of his pint, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, peels the cling film off his sandwich and bites

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into the white bread. Mouth full, he points to one of the fridges behind the bar, “What’s that you’ve got in there now?” he says.

Andy hands the man a bottle of beer dressed in a brightly coloured label. The man asks its price.

The Crown Posada, the oldest proper pub in Newcastle, has stood on this spot for more than two centuries. The city – the whole region – has changed dramatically in that time. Those changes have been most dramatic during the lifetime of the man stood at the end of bar.

“A fiver?” replies the man indignantly, upon hearing the price of beer with the brightly coloured label. The man looks at the bottle and looks back at the barman, “A fiver? For that?” Andy tries to explain something about the brewing process, but the man cuts him off mid-stream. “For one bottle… you want a fiver?”

Ouseburn is a mile or so up the road. Boats once carried coal down its river to meet with bigger barges waiting on the Tyne. The North East doesn’t mine coal anymore, or build ships, or manufacturer half as many things as it did in its industrial heyday. Until recently, its mills, factories and warehouses stood empty, but the area is now the city’s cultural and creative quarter. Art studios, galleries, places to eat, drink and watch live music have given new purpose to once dilapidated buildings.

There’s the Biscuit Factory, Britain’s biggest commercial art gallery, Seven Stories, the first museum in the UK dedicated to the art of British children’s books, and the Cluny, a former whisky bottling plant turned music venue, a good place to eat and the best place in town to see bands. Here, in the Free Trade Inn and in the Cumberland Arms, ale aficionados think nothing of paying five pounds for a micro-brewed bottle.

Andy asks the man if he has time for one more. The man checks his watch and says, “Aye, why not, eh? The usual.” He then holds the still unopened bottle aloft and shouts to some unseen person at the far end of the pub: “Ere. Guess how much he wants for that?”

Much has been made of North East’s socioeconomic problems, both past and present. What you don’t hear enough about are the solutions to those problems. We’re regularly reminded that the heavy industries have gone – though offshore, automotive and speciality engineering are going strong – but we’re rarely told about new industries growing in their place. The IT, digital, creative, software and education sectors, to name just a handful, are all doing very well. And there’s a real sense of that, optimism in the face of adversity. The

The GeorGian archiTecTure neaT, symmeTrical, sand-coloured sTone you won’T find a beTTerlookinG sTreeT in london, new york or Paris

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newcastle is a great city, the north east a great region. i see that in a way i couldn’t when i was younger things we make and do in the North East may change, but in the North East we will always make and do things.

I left the region because it was the done thing if you wanted a job in a certain field.You went to London or Leeds, Manchester or Liverpool. Now there are few better places in England, perhaps even in Europe, to build a career in the arts or the creative industries. A relatively low cost of living means artists can starve longer, and can do so in the company of famously affable, straight-talking locals.

Local writer Harry Pearson tells a great story that he feels sums the people of the North East. Eating in a silver-service restaurant in Newcastle one lunchtime, he overheard a well-dressed, wellspoken lady say to her waitress: “You look weary, my dear.” The waitress, who Pearson remembers for her “peroxide-blonde hair and build of a tugboat”, placed a hand on her cocked hip and said: “Aye, well y’know how it is, pet: our lad’s on the [oil] rigs and my bairns are on holiday screaming blue murder.”

For Pearson, Newcastle is a city of “unpretentious and encompassing egalitarianism… a place of almost pathological good humour and friendliness”.

I should probably point out that I’m not from Newcastle. I’m from Sunderland, a place roughly 25km away. I’m not a Geordie but a Mackem. Without being bolstered by race or religion,

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I know of no greater rivalry between two cities. Once political, now fuelled entirely by football, it is an all-pervading competitiveness. You may work or study or even date someone from the other side, but you will, you must, always ridicule them for being born into the wrong coloured stripes. So my praise for Newcastle is not because I’m biased towards it. Quite the opposite. Something old and inborn aches deep inside of me as I write so many nice things about the city.

It’s with gritted teeth I say: Newcastle is a great city. The North East, for that matter, is a great region. I see that now in a way I never could when I was younger.

A short walk from the Crown Posada is Newcastle’s Central Station, the most handsome railway station in England.

Travelling by train, the world outside the window changes quickly and often: patchwork countryside and farmland, industrial estates and retail parks, familiar towns whose names now sound strange, Felling, Fellgate and Brockley Whins, passing commuter towns, desirable suburbs and council estates.

The train stops and more people board. A twenty-something with a full beard gives up his seat up to an older man. In the lapel of the older man’s big winter coat is a small badge, a picture of a miner wearing a helmet and lamp. The badge reads: ‘Miners Strike – 20th Anniversary. Durham Miners – A County Built On Coal.’ The strike it commemorates took place in the mid-1980s, meaning the badge itself is more than a decade old.

Local trains, known as the Metro, cover large parts of the North East. I ride it south to Sunderland, get off at Seaburn and walk to my favourite stretch of coastline. Bamburgh, Seahouses and Longsands beaches, their rocky cliffs, ruined castles and craggy headlands have, in recent years, received national and international praise. But for me the best stretch of coast in the region runs from South Shields, past the cliffs and caves at Marsden, the red-and-white striped Souter Lighthouse, the old amusement arcades and fish and chip shops, and finally down onto the sand that leads all the way to Roker pier.

Take a trip out to any part of the North East rugged’s coast, the real coast, our coast, and you’ll see some of the best beaches in the country, where wind sweeps the sand year-round and where the North Sea even at its calmest looks completely wild.

It’s not for everyone, admittedly. But to me there are few finer sights in the whole world than a North East beach in winter.

Before returning home, I had made a list of the places I’d like to visit – some old, some new, many I simply took for granted when I lived here.This list is now longer, much longer, than the one I arrived with.

My next visit home, whenever it may be, will certainly be my last. I’ll go home for good; but I will not pay a fiver for a bottle.

Since 2007 Emirates flies daily to Newcastle.

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Essential news and information from Emirates Ten flights a day to London

Inside Emirates

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BRIEFING

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Emirates is boosting capacity to London with the addition of a tenth daily flight to the British capital starting October 1.

The new fourth daily flight to London Gatwick will complement its six daily services to Heathrow and take the airline's total weekly services to the city to 70.

“Emirates started serving London Gatwick in July 1987; since then more than 10 million passengers have travelled on the route,” revealed Hubert Frach, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, West.

"With British expats forming the largest western community in Dubai,

it’s not surprising to witness continued strong demand for travel between Dubai and the five cities we currently ser ve in the UK.” EK 023 will depart Dubai at 9.50am, arriving in London at 2.30pm. The return flight, EK 024, will leave London at 4.50pm, arriving in Dubai at 2.40am the next day. The early morning arrival will enable seamless connections to key destinations in the Far East and Africa.

The Dubai-London Gatwick service will be operated by a state-of-the-ar t Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a threeclass configuration.

neW LOUnge in CaPe tOWn

Emirates opened its newest lounge at Cape Town International Airport. The new lounge is the airline’s 39th across its global network.

Emirates First Class and Business Class customers, as well as Skywards Platinum and Gold members travelling to Dubai will have complimentary access to the new two-level facility, which can accommodate 123 people.

Conveniently located in the international departures corridor next to Emirates’ preferred boarding point at Gate A3, the near US $3 million lounge is already adding the wow factor.

Designed with a focus on comfort and quality, this new lounge, coupled with Emirates’ complimentary chauffeur drive service in Cape Town, dedicated checkin counters, as well as award winning onboard service, ensures premium customers have a seamless, comfortable and enjoyable journey.

It offers a dedicated dining area, an extensive menu of complimentary hot and cold gourmet foods served buffet style, and a beverage service which includes a premium selection of champagne, spirits and South African and international wines. | 84 |

CheCK-in 48 hOURS BefORe YOU fLY

It’s now even more convenient to travel with Emirates, thanks to the extension of its online check-in from 24 hours before departure to 48 hours.

Customers around the world can now check in online on both desktop and mobile devices from 48 hours to just 90 minutes before flight depar ture.

This allows for a greater flexibility in choosing seats and reduces waiting times at the airpor t as passengers can drop luggage at online check-in counters before heading straight to security.

“We have always taken into account feedback to improve the customer journey and the extension of online check-in is a result of that,” explained Alex Knigge, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications Marketing & Brand (Digital).

The earlier check-in window will also enable more seamless communication with customers should there be unexpected flight delays or disruptions. For members of Emirates Skywards, the airline’s frequent flyer programme, the extended check in time will also mean better availability of upgrades.

For flights to and from the United States, while online check-in is available 48 hours before depar ture, boarding passes will only be issued 24 hours in advance.

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AN eXCItING YeAr For A380S

The ever-popular A380 is spreading its wings across Emirates’ network in 2016 with a host of new destinations.

Birmingham saw A380 operations begin on March 27 while Prague and Taipei both welcomed the aircraft on May 1.

Following on, a second daily A380 service will be added to Barcelona in June, whilst a second daily A380 service to Los Angeles and the launch of daily A380 flights to Vienna will begin in July.

“The introduction and increase of Emirates’A380 services in these

strategic destinations means more travellers will have the oppor tunity to experience our industr y-leading A380 product,” said Thierr y Antinori, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates.

“Our onboard innovations on the A380, across all classes, continue to impress and delight our customers.

“Deploying larger capacity aircraft, such as the A380, also helps us to efficiently meet growing passenger demand in these markets, contribute to tourism development and enhance customer choice and options.”

Flying the world’s largest fleet of A380 aircraft, Emirates continues to set the pace for A380 deployment. Since Emirates launched its first A380 in 2008, the aircraft has flown over 42 million passengers, covering more than 630 million kilometres since.

ASIA PACIFIC route eXPANSIoN

So far in 2016, Emirates has added six new Asia Pacific routes to its network, with new additions in the Philippines,Vietnam, Myanmar and China.

Cebu, Clark,Yinchuan, Zhengzhou, Hanoi and Yangon are all welcome additions to Emirates' network this year.

Services to Cebu and Clark in the Philippines are already well under way and proving incredibly popular. Two additional routes to China,Yinchuan and Zhengzhou are set to launch in May, while services to Yangon in Myanmar and Hanoi in Vietnam will launch on August 3.

Hanoi will be Emirates’ second passenger

destination within Vietnam, complementing Emirates’ existing service to Ho Chi Minh City, which was launched in 2012.

The expansion takes the airline’s network in Southeast Asia to 12 cities in seven countries.

Mainland China will also boast five services including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

All the services will feature generous baggage allowances as well as onboard features that represent the culinary and language preferences of the destination.

Customers can also enjoy the awardwinning ice entertainment system, boasting up to 2,500 channels of on-demand movies, music, games and TV. | 86 |

CoDeSHAre AGreeMeNt WItH S7

Emirates and Russian carrier S7 announced an enhanced partnership to provide customers with seamless connections to Russia.

The airlines have been in an interline par tnership since 2003 and the new deal sees a strengthening of the successful collaboration.

Emirates’ code has been added to more than 30 routes operated by S7 Airlines across Russia as well as on S7’s twice weekly ser vice between Dubai to Novosibirsk.

It also allows S7 to put its code on the Dubai to Moscow route operated by Emirates.

The extended par tnership creates a direct link under Emirates’ code between St. Petersburg and Moscow, allowing visitors to experience Russia’s two largest cities with a single travel itinerar y.

Thierry Antinori, Emirates’ Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, said the new agreement with S7 Airlines “provides our passengers with increased choice, flexibility and ease of connection to different cities within Russia from Dubai, ultimately offering a smoother, more convenient travel experience”.

Based at Domodedovo Airpor t (DME), S7 Airlines operates flights to more than 80 cities from its Moscow hub. Emirates customers travelling on any of the 30 plus S7 codeshare routes will enjoy the same luggage allowance they are entitled to on their Emirates flight and have the convenience of a single ticket.

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taking a stand The United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce is committed to breaking an illegal trade threatening to wipe a number of species off the face of the planet. Emirates is supporting United for Wildlife, an organisation working to fight against poaching. Learn more on channel 1502 on ice Digital Widescreen

An Emirates A380 wearing special livery in support of United for Wildlife. The livery is part of the airline's support for a global transport industry awareness campaign on the illegal wildlife trade

The problem The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be valued at up to US$19 billion per year, making it the fourth most lucrative global crime after drugs, human trafficking and counterfeiting. As a result, many of the world’s wildlife species are on the verge of extinction.

Acknowledging the need to address the problem of transporting illegal wildlife products, HRH The Duke of Cambridge announced the formation of a taskforce in December 2014, specifically designed to work with the transport industry to examine its role in the illegal wildlife trade and identify how the sector can break the chains between supplier and consumer.

before it is too late. Emirates believes that the global transport industry, including airlines, can play a significant role to break the supply chain of illegal wildlife trade. And at Emirates, we are committing the resources to do our part.�

The United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce’s objective is to make recommendations as to how the industry can best respond to the crisis. Zero-tolerance commitment, as well as stronger working relationships between the transport industry and enforcement authorities, are viewed as key to its success.

The commiTmenT How the taskforce aims to fight the illegal wildlife trade:

The TransporT Taskforce On March 15, 2016, the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce member organisations signed up to a declaration containing eleven commitments that were developed collaboratively over the previous 12 months, with the historic first ever signing at Buckingham Palace.

Emirates is part of the taskforce, with Emirates Airline President, Sir Tim Clark, commenting, "The world is in a global poaching crisis, and everyone has to do their part to stop this,

- Through information sharing that offers the transport industry updates on high-risk routes and methods of transportation.

- By sharing information on suspected illegal wildlife trade, from the transport sector to relevant customs and law enforcement.

- By notifying the authorities of suspected illegal wildlife cargoes and, where possible, how they can refuse to accept or ship them.

How you can Help Consumers can contribute in a big way, by boycotting products made of these endangered animals and discouraging others from doing so. You can also get updates by liking United for Wildlife on Facebook For more on wildlife and conservation, visit the Wildlife TV channels 1240 to 1250 on ice Digital Widescreen | 88 |

OPEN SKIES FOR IPAD

Search for Open Skies on the App Store

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THE PROBLEM SOLVERS Emirates’ Network Control Centre plays a crucial role in the smooth running of the airline, so here’s a window into the world of the department that handles it all Words: matt mostyn

When you have up to 200,000 passengers travelling an average of 530 daily flights through the Emirates hub in Dubai, keeping the network in perfect running order is going to be no easy feat.

That’s where the NCC, Emirates’ Network Control Centre, and the beating heart of the airline’s entire operation, comes into play.

In much the same way as NASA’s Mission Control monitors all aspects of its space exploration, the NCC manages every flight, every departure, every arrival, and every single movement of its fleet. Inside the airline’s nerve centre is a 60+ strong team of highly specialised individuals, all monitoring, coordinating and problem-solving on a daily basis. As Georg Broemmer, one of the Vice Presidents in charge of the Centre explains, they’re united by one common goal.

“Foreseeing potential limitations, and then reducing the impact is the major part of our jobs. Essentially it’s about planning – and we all work together to assure the smooth connections of our passengers, baggage and cargo, and to circumnavigate any obstacle that could cause an operational disturbance to our network.”

Made up of 15 different departments, each has its own distinct area of specialism. For instance, there are crew scheduling teams, who focus on rosters and staff provision. There’s a team of flight dispatchers, who run flight plans and choose the best route on a given day. A team of engineers, each trained on specific aircraft types, is able to recommend the best possible repair solution.

There’s even an Air Traffic Control specialist, who coordinates directly with the Dubai tower (and also with Air Traffic Control

worldwide) to monitor overall flow, plan departure slots and sequences and prioritise departures should any last minute shuffling around be required.

Yet nothing is achieved in isolation, as Broemmer explains, “We’re all working together, each pooling our different skillsets to develop the best approach to each situation. It’s our job to ensure that flights stick as closely as possible to the schedule, and essentially, we try to isolate a problem, and then react in a highly dynamic way as the scenario evolves.”

So what are some of the specific situations the NCC handles?

Broemmer runs through a few of the more common challenges the team set their sights on solving on any given day.

“We can experience a range of technical and logistical disruptions, from problems with aircraft on ground, to spare part requirements, as well as occasional technical issues in the air. And no matter if we’re dealing with unplanned maintenance, last-minute gate changes or interruptions to flight scheduling, we work on quickly implementing a Plan B, (or even a Plan C or D) to minimise any disruption if things go wrong.”

Medical emergencies are another issue that requires a fast, organised and streamlined response – even though, as Broemmer says, these types of disturbances occur pretty infrequently.

Nevertheless, the diversion of an airplane due to an urgent medical situation is one of the most pressurised situations the team faces, because there are so many different factors to

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flights of 16 or 17 hours, a lot of things can happen. “While the team is always ready to respond, on most days it's all about ensuring the smooth running of the airline’s three distinct waves of depar tures each day. “On any given day, we could be dealing with anything from wheelchair requests, or taking calls from pilots, to doing routine work and scheduling tasks. One of our team members could be busy minimising the impact of a delay to that aircraft's subsequent flights, and deciding whether an alternate plane can be substituted to fill the gap, or whether a number of flights can be tweaked, or turnaround times adjusted to create extra time in the schedule.”

With such a busy hub like Dubai, on-time departure and arrival is critical, because everything is planned around that fact – and so the NCC relies on a number of key pieces of technology to help ensure flights are neither late or early.

Using the latest radar technology, the team can predict exactly when an aircraft will land, and after considering the winds, the flight path, air traffic control restraints and the aircraft's actual and optimum speed, they can ask pilots to either speed up or dial back the throttle.

The focal point for the entire department is the giant floorto-ceiling radar screen, which shows vital information like aircraft holding patterns and which runways are in use, to give the team a feel for the capacity at Dubai. A second screen shows all current aircraft positions, delivering a complete picture of the entire Emirates network at any given moment, and ensuring the highest level of connectivity for passengers. And a third screen incorporates weather radars in different regions, alongside rolling world news, so the team can monitor the latest events that might impact the airline.

In a perfect world, there’d be no need for the NCC – but as Broemmer concludes, an ideal day of “full flights, with all flights leaving and landing on time, and returning to Dubai with perfect connections, plus no technical issues, no poor weather, and no passenger-related congestion or disturbance sounds all very nice – but it will never happen. We’re here to handle every eventuality, and it’s incredibly rewarding to realise the impact we can have on the smooth running of our airline.”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY RALPH MANCAO

consider – whether it’s the patient’s condition, the welfare of the other passengers, the logistics of finding an airport that’s easy to get out of again (especially if it’s an A380), or the added complication of dealing with a constantly-changing scenario.

Sometimes, even the necessity of arranging payments to re-fuel at certain airports during an unscheduled stop can be challenging.

Weather disruption is another primary area of concern. The Centre does all of its planning based on Met data – but as we know, weather forecasts aren’t always 100 per cent accurate, and the actual weather up in the air could be very different – making it more challenging to land than anticipated. “In this case, we’re in direct contact with the aircraft to discuss diversion scenarios in conjunction with the crew,” says Broemmer.

Seasonal disruptions like fog are a major issue, especially when it strikes the Dubai hub, where the airline has so many planes flying to so many different destinations. As Broemmer explains, “Fog events can often mean flight delays, or even diversions to other airports, and that creates a knock-on effect to the entire schedule.To make things worse, it can often take up to 36 hours to repair that disruption and get the passengers and planes back where they should be.

“It’s a similar scenario when we have something like snow at Heathrow – though because that doesn’t affect our actual hub, the impact is less severe. It’s situations like sandstorms in Dubai, rather than snowstorms in Europe, that can cause us major problems.

We had one recently that lasted for 12 hours, and you can imagine how much that impacted our ability to take off and land.”

Even world events can have an impact on the airline’s ability to maintain its services – one prime example being the Icelandic volcano eruption, which closed Europe for almost two weeks back in 2010. “Before that happened, no one could imagine an event of that nature could lead to such a massive airspace disruption – but luckily for us, we’d anticipated it and pulled all our planes out of Europe before the worst of it. In spite of that, it was still a major disruption, the likes of which we’d never seen before.”

And of course, when you have up to 200,000 passengers a day, all travelling in close proximity, sometimes on long-haul

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D E S T I N A T I O N

PRAGUE Starting May 1 Emirates’ daily flight to Prague will be operated by the A380.

Enjoy our guide to the Czech Republic’s capital city A magnificent old city, Prague is steeped in history and boasts exceptional beauty and quirkiness by the bucketload. It’s a destination for the explorer and the reveller, where a tour of the KGB museum can be followed by a visit to the bir thplace of the International Puppetry Association.

Some say that the throbbing hear t of the city, that keeps visitors in fine fettle as they navigate the cobbled streets is the wonderful brewing culture. The Czech Republic boasts some of the finest beers in the world and a renewed interest in micro-

brewing both in the city and across the globe, has elevated the craft to another level. For tunately, the cuisine is hear ty, and a perfect accompaniment.

When the sun comes out, the city is truly a rival to Paris in terms of its splendour and architecture, but while landmark sites such as the iconic Charles Bridge or the Gothic Convent of St Agnes will no doubt leave lasting impressions on visitors, it's almost guaranteed you will take home your own unique memory of this truly individual city.

EAT

STAY

DO

V KOLKOVNÊ Sample some traditional delicacies that are not so delicate, but certainly delicious.

Think meatloaf with potatoes, onion and mustard, or schnitzel with a potato pancake. It’s hearty, honest fare that will warm you up, especially in the colder winter months. vkolkovne.cz/en

BOHO PRAGUE HOTEL This modern, stylish and central hotel exudes peace and calm.

The breakfast is superb and will have you rested and fuelled for a day exploring the city. The spa, restaurant and library are all impeccably appointed without being pretentious. One for the style-conscious traveller. hotelbohoprague.com

VISIT MOSER GLASS SHOP Moser glass is famed the world over for its quality and prestige. The glass of choice for royals and VIPs, don’t miss your chance to purchase your own piece at one of the Moser shops in Prague. The stunning creations are handcrafted. moser-glass.com

LA DEGUSTATION BOHÊME BOURGEOISE You can’t go wrong in this Michelin-starred restaurant.

Intimate but relaxed, choose the taster menu and ask about the exquisite wine selection. A typical dish is beef tongue with pear and mustard. ladegustation.cz/en

MANDARIN ORIENTAL PRAGUE If you like your hotels to boast some character, then look no further than this property. A former monastery, the domed ceilings are a delight. But be under no illusion: this is a thoroughly modern, luxury hotel with the service and facilities to match. mandarinoriental.com/prague

CHECK OUT UNGELT JAZZ & BLUES CLUB Just behind the church on the Old Town Square resides the wonderfully intimate Ungelt Jazz & Blues Club. The brick cellar is the perfect setting for the best in local and world jazz and blues. Music starts at 8pm and plays on late into the night. jazzungelt.cz

ETNOSVET Bright and innovative, this vegetarian restaurant even has the staunchest of meat lovers begrudgingly muttering approvals with its superb range of dishes.

There’s also a great range of invigorating mocktails to wash the food down. A lighter alternative in a hearty foodscape. etnosvet.cz

POST HOSTEL PRAGUE While the resident ginger cat may steal the hearts of most guests, it’s the impeccable service and quality facilities that make this one of the best hostels around.

It’s only a 15-minute walk from the centre, but the local bars and restaurants are where those in the know hang out. +420 702 158 270

EXPLORE THE FRANZ KAFKA MUSEUM The story and works of Franz Kafka are brought to life through an eclectic mix of letters, music and installations.

The experience is intriguing for all and provides a sensory journey that builds to a fantastic crescendo. kafkamuseum.cz

EMIRATES STAFF TIPS Ivana Pecová Senior Sales Support Agent

SEE THE CITY

“For a great end to the day, at sundown head to Riegrovy Sady for the finest (tourist-free) view of Prague.”

Martin Dvorák Senior Sales Support Assistant

EAT WELL

“If you’re looking for a good Czech restaurant off the beaten track, then try Století, on Karolíny Svêtlé Street 21 – it has a great ambience.”

EK 139 departs Dubai daily at 9.05am and arrives in Prague at 1.30pm. The return flight EK 140 leaves Prague at 3.35pm and lands at 11.35pm.

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C O M F O R T

COMFORT IN THE AIR To help you arrive at your destination feeling relaxed and refreshed, Emirates has developed this collection of helpful travel tips.

Regardless of whether you need to rejuvenate for your holiday or be effective at achieving your goals on a business trip, these simple tips will help you enjoy your journey and time on board with Emirates today.

SMART TRAVELLER

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER Rehydrate with water or juices frequently. Drink tea and coffee in moderation.

TRAVEL LIGHTLY

WEAR GLASSES

Carry only the essential items that you will need during your flight.

Cabin air is drier than normal, therefore swap your contact lenses for glasses.

BEFORE YOUR JOURNEY Consult your doctor before travelling if you have any medical concerns about making a long journey, or if you suffer from a respiratory or cardiovascular condition.

Plan for the destination – will you need any vaccinations or special medications?

Get a good night’s rest before the flight.

Eat lightly and sensibly.

AT THE AIRPORT

USE SKIN MOISTURISER Apply a good quality moisturiser to ensure your skin doesn’t dry out.

KEEP MOVING Exercise your lower legs and calf muscles.

This encourages blood flow.

DURING THE FLIGHT

Allow yourself plenty of time for check-in.

Avoid carrying heavy bags through the airport and onto the flight as this can place the body under considerable stress.

Once through to departures try and relax as much as possible.

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Chewing and swallowing will help equalise your ear pressure during ascent and descent.

Babies and young passengers may suffer more acutely with popping ears, therefore consider providing a dummy.

Get as comfortable as possible when resting and turn frequently.

Avoid sleeping for long periods in the same position.

MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE Loosen clothing, remove jacket and avoid anything pressing against your body.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE Try some light exercise, or read if you can’t sleep after arrival.

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c u s t o m s

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Guide to us customs & immiGration Whether you’re travelling to, or through, the United States today, this simple guide to completing the US customs form will help to ensure that your journey is as hassle free as possible.

CUSToMS DECLARATIoN FoRM All passengers arriving into the US need to complete a Customs Declaration Form. If you are travelling as a family this should be completed by one member only. The form must be completed in English, in capital letters, and must be signed where indicated.

ElEctronic SyStEm for travEl authoriSation (ESta) If you are an international traveller wishing to enter the United States under the Visa Waiver Programme, You must apply for electronic authorisation (ESTA) up to 72 hours prior to your departure.

ESta factS: Children and infants require an individual ESTA. The online ESTA system will inform you whether your application has been authorised, not authorised or if authorisation is pending.

A successful ESTA application is valid for two years, however this may be revoked or will expire along with your passport. apply onlinE at www.cbp.gov/ESta nationalitiES EligiblE for thE viSa waivEr*: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom** * SubjEct to changE ** only britiSh citizEnS qualify undEr thE viSa waivEr programmE. | 96 |

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Cut the queue at JFK with quiCK ConneCt If you’re connecting through New York JFK, you can avoid long waiting times in US immigration and queues for connecting flights with the Quick Connect service. US Customs and Border Protection Agency created the special service for passengers who have a connecting flight within three hours of arrival at New York JFK.

Follow theSe StePS:

1

2

3

4

have your boarding card or ticket for your connecting flight ready for the ground staff as you exit.

You’ll be given a Quick Connect card. Continue to the Quick Connect queue in the Arrivals hall.

After passport clearance, claim your baggage and clear US customs, regardless of your final destination.

If your bag is tagged to your final destination, hand it to emirates staff at the transfer counter for your onward flight.

quarantine in australia Australia has strict biosecurity laws, so when you arrive you’ll need to declare certain food, plant or animal items on your Incoming Passenger Card.

You also need to declare equipment or shoes used in rivers and lakes or with soil attached. All aircraft food must be left on board. Please take particular care when you complete your Incoming Passenger Card – it's a legal document and false declarations may result in a penalty.

quarantine in Japan Japan has strict rules around exposure to livestock and bringing in livestock items.

You will need to go to the Animal Quarantine Counter if: • you have recently been to a livestock farm • are bringing livestock products into Japan • your visit to Japan will involve contact with livestock the counter is in the baggage claim area. If you’re bringing meat and livestock products into Japan without an import certificate, you must see the animal quarantine officer. | 97 |

U A E

S M A R T

G A T E

BE SMART! USE UAE SMART GATE AT DUBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

NATIONALITIES THAT CAN USE UAE SMART GATES

UAE

Andorra

Australia

Austria

Bahrain

Belgium

Brunei

Canada

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Malaysia

Monaco

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Oman

Portugal

Qatar

San Marino

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

*UK

USA

GO THROUGH IMMIGRATION IN SECONDS AND GET YOUR VISIT TO DUBAI OFF TO A FLYING START Citizens of the countries listed on the right and UAE residents can speed through Dubai International airport by using UAE Smart Gate.

If you hold a machine-readable passport or E-Gate card you can check in and out of the airport within seconds.

Just look out for signs that will direct you to the many UAE Smart Gates found on either side of the Immigration Hall at Dubai International airport.

USING UAE SMART GATE IS EASY

1

Have your E-Gate card or machinereadable passport ready to be scanned

2

Place your passport photo page on the scanner. If you are a UAE resident, place your E-Gate card into the E-Gate slot

OK!

3

Go through the open gate, stand in the blue footprint guide on the floor, face the camera straight-on and stand still for your iris scan.

When finished, the next set of gates will open and you can continue to baggage claim

*UK citizens only (UK overseas citizens still require a visa)

REGISTERING FOR UAE SMART GATE IS EASY To register, just follow the above process and then spend a few moments having your details validated by an immigration officer. That’s it! Every time you fly to Dubai in future, you will be out of the airport and on your way just minutes after you landed. | 98 |

UAE SMART GATE CAN BE USED BY:

• Machine-readable passports from the above countries • E-Gate cards

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R O U T E

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M A P

NEW ROUTES: Yinchuan and Zhengzhou: four times weekly service starts May 3 Yangon and Hanoi: daily service starts August 3

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THE FLEET BOEING 777-300ER

Emirates is the world’s largest operator of this aircraft, which joined the fleet in 2005.

Number of Aircraft: 117 Capacity: 354-442 Range: 14,594km Length: 73.9m Wingspan: 64.8m

BOEING 777-300

Since 1999, Emirates operates two and three-class versions of the 777-300.

Number of Aircraft: 12 Capacity: 364 Range: 11,029km Length: 73.9m Wingspan: 60.9m

BOEING 777-200LR

Number of Aircraft: 10 Capacity: 266 Range: 17,446km Length: 63.7m Wingspan: 64.8m

BOEING 777-200ER

In 2005, the Boeing 777-200LR set a new world record for distance travelled non-stop when it landed at Heathrow airport, London, after a journey of 21,601km (11,664 nautical miles) from Hong Kong - the long way round. Emirates received its first 777-200LR in August 2007.

Emirates’ first Boeing 777-200ER joined the fleet in 1997.

Number of Aircraft: 6 Capacity: 274 Range: 14,310km Length: 63.7m Wingspan: 60.9m

BOEING 777F

Number of Aircraft: 13 Range: 9,260km Length: 63.7m Wingspan: 64.8m For more information: emirates.com/ourfleet | 104 |

The most environmentally-friendly freighter operated today, with the lowest fuel burn of any comparablysized cargo aircraft. Along with its wide main-deck cargo door which can accommodate oversized consignments, it is also capable of carrying up to 103 tonnes of cargo non-stop on 10-hour sector lengths.

Our fleet contains 253 aircraft made up of 238 passenger aircraft and 15 cargo aircraft

AIRBUS A380-800

Emirates has operated the A380 since 2008, and is the world’s largest operator of this aircraft.

Number of Aircraft: 79 Capacity: 489-615 Range: 15,000km Length: 72.7m Wingspan: 79.8m

AIRBUS A340-300

Similar in many respects to Emirates A330-200s, the A340-300 is equipped with four engines giving it an enhanced range.

Number of Aircraft: 4 Capacity: 267 Range: 13,350km Length: 63.6m Wingspan: 60.3m

AIRBUS A330-200

First added to the eet in 1999, this aircraft operates predominately on shorter-haul routes.

Number of Aircraft: 10 Capacity: 237-278 Range: 12,200km Length: 58.8m Wingspan: 60.3m

BOEING 747-400ERF

Number of Aircraft: 2 Range:9,204km Length: 70.6m Wingspan: 64.4m Aircraft numbers accurate at the time of going to press | 105 |

This aircraft is capable of carrying up to 117 tonnes. The deck-side cargo door, with a height of approximately three metres, allows the uplift of oversized shipments that cannot be accommodated in the belly-hold of passenger aircraft. The nose door allows the carriage of long pieces.

K N O W L E D G E

DESTINATION How a city works. This month: Cairo

Many houses in Cairo are left unfinished. This is due to the fact that, if a building is incomplete, the owner doesn’t have to pay property tax.

The Nile is shifting westward a few inches per year, meaning portions of the city are actually getting farther from the river.

The mummy of Pharaoh Ramses II has a passport.

It’s occupation is listed as “King (deceased)”

Source: World Meteorological

Source: The Encyclopedia Of

If you were to attempt to build the Great Pyramid Of Giza today it would cost approximately US$5 billion

Source: Egyptian government

Organisation

Mummies

Source: National Geographic

LITTLE WONDER

GETTING AROUND

STILL

Around three million people use Cairo’s metro every day, paying one Egyptian pound a ticket on average.

20.5 MILLION

HAPPENS EVERY MONTH

SHORT

It earns the government 90 million every month, 20.5 million short of actual running costs.

Little wonder services are hot and crowed, with 16 people fainting every month on average.

Source: Egypt Department of Transportation

20 million people drive two million cars along 23,6000 miles of road.

87 per cent of Egypt’s 82 million people use Facebook.

12,000 people a year lose their lives on Egypt’s roads

Source: World Bank & World Health Organization

Source: Digital Media Landscape Report 2015

Source: World Bank & World Health Organization

MONUMENTAL HEIGHTS 1

2

3

4

5

Burj Khalifa 830m

Great Pyramid Of Giza 139m

Nelson’s Column 52m

Cleopatra’s Needle 21m

Sphinx 20m

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY RALPH MANCAO

CITY NOTES

??

IT WAS THERE LAST YEAR...

LET ME GUESS, TAXES YEAH