9th August, 2001
Notice
Board
ASTRA
CABRIOLET - A Car for all Seasons
by George Thompson.
When Christy
Whitnell of Johnson & Perrotts, Douglas Road asked me last
week to take the new Opel ASTRA Cabriolet for a drive, I couldn’t
wait.
Now I know what you are thinking......impractical, little
opportunity to put the top down what with our weather and a yuppy
sports car.....well, you’re wrong, wrong and wrong again.
This is a car with pedigree, designed by Bertone, the Astra
Cabriolet has the lines of a sleek sports car while within lies
all the refinements and capacity of a family saloon. The first
thing to strike me about the ASTRA was the colour, a beautiful
gold metallic which showed the car off at its best. As the
weather was beautiful it was a case of down with the roof by way
of a flick of a switch and within seconds the top folds away into
a neat compartment within the boot space behind the rear seats.
The cabin is spacious with plenty of leg room for both front and
rear seat passengers. The dash is well laid out with clocks and
gauges in a sporty white. Gear stick is mounted high and perfect
height for easy gear shifting. I must say that I am very
impressed with the F1 type buttons on the steering wheel which
control the Hi Fi system.
I decided on Cobh as a good destination to test the handling of
the Astra Cabriolet, dual carriage way, twisty corners and on the
way back across on the ferry to Monkstown and back through
Passage where the roads are a disgrace (County Council and N.R.A.
take note) and fit for a jeep only, so what better place to test
the suspension. Off I went, through the tunnel and onto the dual
carriageway heading east. Windows and top down, I was expecting a
bit of a rough ride in terms of the air blowing me all over the
place but as I accelerated this car only became more and more
stable, the aerodynamics are so good, this in particulas is down
to the angled windscreen and surround which is also a reinforced
roll over bar to protect the front seat passengers. The Astra is
very responsive and I found myself just above the speed limit
within seconds before easing off and enjoying my surroundings as
I glanced at the speedo and realised this baby is capable of 150
plus m.p.h. ABS brakes and sound suspension make for surprisingly
good ride.
A car for all seasons, this car performs as well with the top up
and little noise inside the car, lots of boot space despite the
‘soft top’ compartment and plenty of room for the kids,
making this sporty little number an equally good family car.
The Astra Cabriolet is available with a Z 1.6 XE engine at £22,500
and Z 1.8 XE engine at £25,500 while a list of extras including
leather seats and on board computer amongst others is available.
Ratings.........Based
on the 1.6 Model
Styling *****
Performance ****
Ride & Handling ****
Accommodation ***
Costs ****
Verdict ****
Standard features include......
Central Locking
Alloy Wheels
Twin Air Bags
Elec. Windows
Radio / CD
On a nostalgic note......I also last week took my son’s recently acquired Mini Cooper S for a little spin. What a little beauty, 1.3 fuel injected engine that roared to the point where I could feel devil horns start to grow out of my head w hile I drove around in this classic, some good fun apart from the usual Mini refinements of a four speed box and no power steering. My son commented afterward that it was a long time since he’s seen me smile while driving a car!
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Helen O’Connor, Ballygarvan, winner of
the Patsy Cline 3 CD set in our recent Douglas Weekly /
Blacktrack Competition.
MUISC REVIEW by AB
"Rings Around the World" - Super Furry Animals
Yn cyflwyno the Super Furry Animals! No, I have not gone insane,
I have simply paused for a moment to salute those Welsh wizards,
the Super Furry Animals - in their mother tongue, no less. (Yn
cyflwyno means 'introducing' in Welsh, of course - but you knew
that, didn't you?.. ahem! ) The Super Furries are by no means
strangers to the music business - since the release of their much
acclaimed debut album, 'Fuzzy Logic', they have gone from
strength to strength, capturing hearts with their kookiness and
unique musical talent. Patriotic to the core, they can even boast
of being one of the only mainstream bands, perhaps the only, to
release an album entirely in Welsh, the tongue- tyingly titled
'Myng' - and no, it's not pronounced 'Ming'!
Pushing musical boundaries is clearly what they enjoy doing best
- not content with sounding like any other artists they reject
the 'paint by numbers' pop of many of their peers, shunning
conformity and doing exactly what they want regardless of how
many 'units' they 'shift'. And so it comes as no surprise that
this album is completely different to any of the albums I have
heard in the past.. .ooh.. couple of years. Opening with the
beautiful piano of Osian Gwynedd in 'Alternate Route to Vulcan
Street' and ending with the harmony-laden ballad 'Fragile
happiness', what lies between is beautiful, smart, witty and at
times kooky. 'Juxtaposed wit U' the current single, opens
sounding suspiciously like the tune to the 'Loveboat' but
develops into a funky tune that is one of the best on the album.
'Sidewalk Serfer Girl', with its sonic bursts of guitar and
lament to 'surfer boys and girls searching for a dream is
instantly catchy while 'Receptacle for the Respectable' sounds
like a Beatles for the millennium, all ba ba ba's' and high notes
despite the cuffing lyrics. '(A) touch sensitive' is all flanked-up
and ready to go, contrasting with the Bond Theme style violins
and soaring melodies of 'Shoot Doris Day' and the pure vitriol of
'No Sympathy' (sample lyric: 'I don't feel sorry for thee: you
deserve to die'. Nice.). 'Run, Christian, Run' suggests that Neil
Young and er. . perhaps even Lindisfarne occupy a place in their
record collection, right next to good ol' Pink Floyd.
The cd also boasts a DVD option with videos to all of the songs,
for those of you lucky enough to possess a DVD player, and with
thirteen tracks you sure do get value for your money. But it has
to be grudgingly admitted that despite all the whoops and swirls
of the orchestra and the comical, cutting and truthful lyrics, ('You've
got to tolerate all the people you hate') the Super Furries
haven't yet come up with a classic. But believe me, this is a
fine start.
7/10 Buy It!
MOTORING MOMENTS
Mario Andretti talking; " Don't talk to me about Communism,
I'm not saying that I'm one of these people who see Reds
everywhere. I've been there: It was because of Communism that my
family moved to the States. Before the war, the family lived in
Montona near Trieste. It was in Italy then but the whole area is
now part of Yugoslavia…. right? Too damn right everybody's
equal. We all had nothing.
Dan Dempsey's 24 hour rescue & Recovery, Kinsale
086-8217777
THE HISTORY OF DOUGLAS
Part 51 - By Con Foley
The banknotes issued by the Newenhams were
printed in Cork and simple in design. They bore the family crest
"Deo adverso Leo Vincitur." 1822 Ceorge Junior married
Hannah, daughter of Nicholas Green Evans of Carker House,
Doneraile, Co. Cork, and had issue three sons (one, George,
became an officer in the Hibernian Bank) and two daughters. He
died in the 1870's at an advanced age.
Mrs. Berry (nee Newenham), Kurush, a great grand daughter of
George Junior has (1959) two of the original note copper plates,
for one guineea and four guineas.
Edmund Newenham, the first to settle in Ireland, married Jane,
daughter of John Desmyniers, second Lord Mayor of Dublin. "John
Newenham, settled in County Cork, Sheriff of the City of Cork,
1665, and Mayor 1671, obtained a grant of land in County Limerick
and Liberties of the City of Cork, under the commission of Grace
1685, and made large purchases of estates during his lifetime.
Married 1672, Jane, daughter of John Hodder, and died (will dated
29 January 1695, proved 21 August 1706) having had issue with
four daughters and a son.
Note: John Lecky, born 1764 son of Robert Lecky, Youghal, Co.
Cork. Besides being a banker, Lecky was also the Cork agent for
the Patriotic Assurance Company. Was made a Freeman of Youghal on
14th July 1781, as his father and grandfather before him. Died
about 1840.
In the time of the Down Survey (middle of the seventeenth
century') Mary-borough was part of the district known as
Monygormy, Monnygorrmy, or Moneygurney. The oldest available
reference to Maryborough is given in a deed of the 12th and 13th
February, 17O9. "Rickard Parker of Ballymacadane and
Onisepheras Gamble of Maryborough to Samuel Love in respect of
Ballymacadane (an old abbey near the Viaduct), Shrabolea and
Ballylishigg." Maryborough is given in a deed of 1710,
Marryborrough 1729, Maryburrow 1738.
In the Cork Constitution, 10-12-1857 there appeared a notice
headed "Cotter and Kellett's Bank," notifying creditors
to furnish proof of their applications for deposits lying in the
bank. Among the names of the creditors were two from Douglas,
George Cornwall £4,000, and George Newenham & Co. £1,113.
William August Kellett, born 1769, married secondly Mary Toogood
Donovan, daughter of Morgan Donovan of O'Donovan of Montpellier.
The bank was forced to close with liabilities of £420,000 and
the Court of Chancery took over its affairs. This bank was
originally known as
Falkiner's Bank established in 1776 and changed hands a few times
before. Cotter and Kellett finally took over. It closed in 1807.
Next week "Tramore"
Harry Potter's Birthday Party in Douglas Library
The legendary Harry Potter had his birthday
celebrated in style on Tuesday July 31st in Douglas Library.
Children of all ages came along and took part in the various
quizzes, games and colouring competitions which were ongoing
during the morning, and in the afternoon, 7 teams pitted their
wits against each other to see who would win the “Harry
Potter Trivia Table Quiz”. Then, the Wizard Dumbledore,
Professor of Hogwarts, ( alias Sylvano the magician),entertained
the group of about 100 children and adults for an hour, after
which, Harry's birthday cake, with a picture of himself on the
top, was produced and eaten.
The following are the children who won prizes:
Etáin (age 5), Diarmuid O Sullivan ( age 9), Kelly McGrath (age
7), Aoife Kelly (age 11) and Partice O'Sullivan ( age 10 ), all
won book tokens.
Table Quiz winners:
Deirdre Kiely, Amy McCarthy, Alan Smith and Luke Mc Grath.
Guess the number of Jelly Beans
Winner was Jamie O'Sullivan who guessed the nearest to 1200.
Jamie got to take home the jar of jelly beans!
Next in Douglas Library
Thursday 9th. 2.30 4.30. God'seye weaving.
Friday 10th 10.- 12pm. Look What the sea washed up.
Saturday 11th. 10. 12pm. Look What the sea washed up.
Places for the craft workshops are limited, so booking is
essential. There is no charge, and they are suitable for children
aged 8 and upwards.
DOUGLAS TIDY TOWNS
Dear Michael.
I wish to thank all those who helped with the Street Sweep on
Saturday of the August holiday weekend.
I would like to ask your many readers to nominate a shop front
during August and to forward their nomination to: The Secretary,
Douglas Tidy Towns Committee, C\O Douglas Community Association,
Church Road, Douglas Village, Cork. And to include three reasons
for their choice.
Remember we always like to see new people join us in the Street
Sweep every Saturday (10.30am to 12.30pm) and Wednesday (7.00pm
to 9.00pm) meeting at the Community Centre, Church Road.
Is mise le meas
Sean O'Riordan, Chairman, Douglas Tidy Towns Committee.
WATCH OUT WHEN BUILDING THAT EXTENSION
By Deirdre Cooper B.C.L. of O'Herlihy Solicitors.
Not every extension needs Planning Permission, but be careful!
The Building Regulations of 1994, as amended by the Building
Regulations of 2000, deal with the areas of extensions which do
not require Planning Permissions (exempted developments). If you
were to build an extension attached to the rear or side of your
house, for example, a conservatory, garage conversion, sheds etc.
where you have no previous extensions to the house it cannot
exceed 40sq.m.. If there have been previous extensions then all
the extensions together cannot exceed 40sq.m. of the original
area.
The construction of a greenhouse, garage, garden shed to the rear
of your house but which is not attached to your house must not,
taken together with any of the previous structures erected,
exceed 25sq.m. It is also interesting to note that you cannot
reduce the private open space remaining to the rear of your house
after the erection of structures, to less than 25sq.m.
When building a wall, fence or gate within or bounding the
curtilage of a dwellinghouse the structure cannot exceed a height
of 2m. at the rear and side of the house or 1.2m. at the front of
the house. Further, in relation to the front of the house, a
porch constructed outside an external door cannot be less than 2m.
from the road and cannot exceed 2sq.m. in size.
Internal works in your house such as a partition wall or
alteration of the internal layout do not require Planning
Permission but, depending on what is proposed, can be considered
a material change within the meaning of the Building Regulations.
This change can fall foul of the Building Regulations even though
it does not require Planning Permission. Again, be very careful.
I would have to stress that the area of attic conversions for
habitation can be extremely problematic. This would be deemed a
material change and would require strict adherence to Building
Regulations and Fire Safety requirements. Essentially a two-storey
house with an attic conversion for habitation creates a three-storey
building which necessitates changes throughout the house to
comply with Fire Regulations e.g. fire doors.
It is very important when contemplating building an extension to
check the Planning Permission for your own house as it may have
Planning Conditions which restrict alterations to the house
structure and always check to ensure that Planning Permission is
not needed for the extension. It is most important to note that
just because your extension may not need Planning Permission this
does not mean that you can ignore the Building Regulations.
The result of non-compliance with Planning Permission and
Building Regulations will lead to difficulties when selling or re-Mortgaging
your property.
For further information please contact us at 021-4966166.
