Archived Month: February 2004

Youngsters narrow the gap with excellent performance [29/02/04]

Nadur Youngsters narrowed the gap with leaders Zebbug Rangers in the Easyline First Division in Gozo. Nadur played an excellent game beating Xewkija Tigers 6-0, goals by Mark Buttigieg, Aaron Camilleri, Aleksander Simoncic, Chris Camilleri (2) and Kevin Buttigieg. On the other hand, leaders Zebbug Rovers were held in a draw for the second week in succession when they shared the points in a goalless draw with Kercem Ajax. Zebbug lead the table with 21 points, followed by Nadur on 20, although the Rovers have a game in hand. Click here for a match report prepared by Charlie Grech. (source: maltafootball.com)

Huge Carnival crowd worries anthropologist [27/02/04]

The thousands of people who turned up for this year's Nadur spontaneous Carnival, especially on Saturday, worried anthropologist Dr Vicki Ann Cremona, who has been studying the Nadur Carnival since the late eighties. "The massive presence of people coming from outside Nadur, particularly Maltese, upset the delicate balance between spectators and participants. The masked characters were engulfed by the mass and therefore seemed much fewer than they really were. Also, lack of space did not allow them to engage in their 'games' which made everyone lose out on the general fun,” Dr Cremona told june29th.com. Click here for a full report.

Carnival celebrations fade into Lent [25/02/04]

Nadur on Wednesday joined the rest of the Catholic World and marked Ash Wednesday, the official start of the Lenten celebrations. Lent is a forty-day period, starting just after Carnival days and wrapping up at sundown on April 8th (Holy Thursday), with the beginning of the mass of the Lord’s Supper. Lent is a season of soul-searching and repentance. It originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism.

Groovy Carnival wraps up [24/02/04]

Carnival 2004 wrapped up on Tuesday, when the Nadurin brought to an end the year's craziest long-weekend. The Nadur spontaneous Carnival took a centre-stage position on numerous media, including Maltese dailies, websites, radios and TV stations. As expected, a record-number of Maltese people crossed over for the Nadur Carnival. An estimated 5,600 cars made the crossing over the weekend though at one point on Saturday tailbacks stretched further back than Marfa. There were over 18,000 passengers compared with 13,500 last year. Meanwhile, we have received scores of Carnival photos from several photo enthusiasts who were in Nadur during the weekend. Visit the Nadur Carnival feature and enjoy first set of Carnival 2004 photos!

Goalless draw in Youngsters-Lions clash [23/02/04]

Carnival Sunday is not the ideal day for Nadur players to play football! The match between Nadur Youngsters and Sannat Lions on Carnival Sunday produced no goals and both squads grasped one point. This draw leaves the Youngsters in second place, three points behind Zebbug Rovers. Our sports correspondent, Charlie Grech, picked Charles Hili as Sunday's man of the match. Click here for photos, match report and an updated Gozo League chart. Nadur will now face Xewkija Tigers on Sunday, February 29th.

Local Council unveils Nadur 2005 logo [23/02/04]

Speaking during a press conference to announce the selection of Nadur as World Carnival City for the coming year, Nadur Mayor Dr Chris Said revealed the Local Council's plan to organise a big-scale memorable event. Dr Said said the event is expected to attract around 400 FECC delegates from all over the world and would also serve to promote the Maltese Islands as a Carnival destination. During the same press conference at St James Cavalier in Valletta, the Nadur Mayor also launched the Nadur 2005 logo, designed by Daniel Mercieca, one of Malta's best graphic designers. Click here for a full report.

Thousands flock main square for Carnival Show [22/02/04]

Thousands of people, from all over Gozo, intermingled with Maltese Carnival-lovers and tourists and enjoyed the Carnival Sunday Show at St Peter and St Paul's Square in Nadur. This was the tenth Carnival Sunday Show organized by the Nadur Local Council. The President of the Foundation of European Carnival Cities (FECC), Henry van der Kroon, also experienced for the first time the Nadur Carnival. There were four Carnival floats, eight dances and numerous other participants, together with Zinners (local TV program hosts), the Mnarja Band and the Kulturschoker Lyss - the Swiss band invited by the Nadur Local Council. Meanwhile, the Carnival Sunday Show will be aired on NET TV on Tuesday, March 2nd at 8.30 p.m.

And here it is... Carnival 2004! [20/02/04]

The President of the Foundation of European Carnival Cities (FECC), Henry Van der Kroon, will on Friday arrive in Nadur to experience for the first time the Nadur Carnival. The way the Nadurin celebrate Carnival is so different from any other Carnival-celebration in the country. First-time visitors may be in for a huge surprise! Grotesquely disguised crowds will for the next five days overrun December 13th Street. Hundreds of people will hide behind a mask and just let go and enjoy themselves. Visit our special Carnival feature and get ready for this year's best Carnival photos.

Not the best of weather for this year's Carnival [20/02/04]

The Nadur Weather Observatory is predicting cloudy and warm weather for the first two days of Carnival. From Friday 20th to Saturday 21st, the weather is expected to be mostly cloudy and warm, with a highest temperature of 18 or 19 degrees C. Sunday, February 22nd, is expected to be mostly cloudy with showers in the afternoon and with the highest temperature of around 15 or 16 degrees C. Then, the weather on Monday and Tuesday is expected to be mostly cloudy with chances of isolated showers. Tuesday should be a particularly windy day.

Carnival kicks off with Masquerade Ball [19/02/04]

Carnival 2004 kicked off on Thursday with the Masquerade Ball at the Mnarja Band Club. One of the participants went back home with a holiday for two in a five-star luxury resort in Tunisia, all expenses included. The Mark & Ivan Spiteri Lucas Band provided the entertainment for the special evening. The Mnarja Band Club and the Nadur Local Council organised the event. Meanwhile, the Local Council will on Saturday launch Nadur 2005: The World's Carnival City at St James Cavalier in Valletta. The official Nadur 2005 logo will be presented to the media during the same press conference.

Cloudy, and perhaps rainy, Carnival weekend [17/02/04]

Although it is still early to state with a certain degree of certainty, the Nadur Weather Observatory is predicting cloudy weather throughout Carnival weekend. "The indications are the following: from Friday, February 20th through Monday, February 23rd, the weather is expected to be rather cloudy with possible showers on each day. Only the last day of Carnival, February 24th, looks safe at the moment, with predicted partly cloudy skies," meteorologist Joe Meilak told june29th.com. The wind is expected to be only light and temperatures are expected to be mild, at around 15 degrees C during the day and 11 degrees C at night. Click here for more information.

Another important win for the Youngsters [15/02/04]

With four goals to two, Nadur Youngsters snatched another three points in the Gozo First Division Championship and are still trailing behind Zebbug Rovers, while looking for a way how to top the Gozo chart. The game, played at the Gozo Stadium on Sunday, was a very entertaining one, with three penalties and one of the most spectacular goals so far this season. Mark Marlow, Mark Buttigieg and Chris Camilleri were the Youngsters' scorers. Nadur young men Derek Meilak and Patrick Falzon made a successful debut on Sunday. Click here for photos and a match report prepared by Charlie Grech.

Nadur woman wins national award [15/02/04]

Gemma Zammit, the coordinator of the Nadur Local Council's Elderly Day Centre, has been awarded the Nazzareno Vassallo Award for Initiative in Elderly Care. Acting President George Hyzler has recently presented the award to Gemma Zammit. The Day Centre coordinator was nominated for the award by the Local Council. Gemma Zammit has been coordinating the Day Centre for the past years and has taken a number of initiatives to brighten up the life of Nadur's elderly persons. Nadur's Elderly Day Centre is open every Tuesday.

Carnival 2004: one week to go [13/02/04]

Thousands of people will soon pack December 13th Street to experience something different. Nadur, the islands’ capital city of carnival, is this year planning to host a record number of Maltese people, tourists and Gozitans. The President of the Foundation of European Carnival Cities (FECC), Henry van der Kroon, has also confirmed his presence. He will arrive in Nadur late next week. The Nadur Local Council has just distributed a full-colour promotional brochure about Nadur's unique carnival in numerous hotels, tourist establishments and in all MTA offices around the country. Meanwhile, june29th.com's Carnival feature is attracting hundreds of visitors every day. The feature will be updated daily during the coming week.

San Blas amongst top ten secret beaches [09/02/04]

The tiny secluded beach of San Blas has found its rightful place on the holiday map now that the London Sunday Times has declared it one of the top ten secret beaches in the world. A random poll of the most paradisiacal beaches for the most discerning of travellers listed the Nadur beach as ‘Best for a European escape'. The influential Sunday Times Travel supplement pointed out that the “100-yard red-sand paradise” of San Blas Bay wins this accolade because it is “devoid of bars, empty of cafes and nearly always free of people”. The fact that the road stops “a few hundred merciful yards short of the beach” is also a plus point. San Blas Bay is pitched alongside exotic and far flung locations such as Mafia Island off the coast of Tanzania, Bangaram Island off the cost of India, Cayo de Agua Norte of Venezuela What The Sunday Times did not mention was that, for the past years, San Blas Bay was often not fit for swimming because of the sewage outfall close by.

Youngsters start 2nd round with a win [08/02/04]

Gozo Champions Nadur Youngsters registered an important win over newly-promoted Kercem Ajax as the second round of the Easyline GFA First Division got underway at the Gozo Stadium on Sunday. Mark Marlow on the 44th minute scored the only goal of the match. Alexander Simoncic made his debut for the whites. Click here for a match report prepared by Charlie Grech. Meanwhile, Zebbug Rovers still top Gozo's First Division chart with 19 points, followed by the Youngsters at 16. Zebbug Rovers on Sunday claimed three points after beating Victoria Hotspurs with three goals to two.

Swiss band ready to storm Nadur [05/02/04]

The Swiss band Kulturshocker Lyss is preparing to add more colour and rhythm to the Nadur Carnival. They will be amongst this year's guests for the Carnival Sunday Show. The band was established in 2002 in Lyss, close to capital city Bern. All the members of the band, 38 in all, will be in Nadur during Carnival days. Meanwhile, in a few days time, the Nadur Local Council will be holding a press conference to launch "Nadur 2005: The World's Carnival City". The official Nadur 2005 logo will be presented to the media during this press conference. Click here to visit the official website of the Nadur Local Council.

Nadur marks the feast of St Blaise [03/02/04]

The Church on February 3rd marks the feast of St Blaise. San Blas is one of Nadur's biggest localities, incorporating one of Gozo's most beautiful bays. St Blaise was the Bishop of Sebastea in Armenia and was martyred in the early fourth century. A chapel was built at San Blas Bay hundreds of years ago and historians say it was dedicated to the saint. June29th.com is commemorating the feast of St Blaise with a commemorative e-card, featuring the latest terracotta work by Naduri Anton Said. Click here to read more about San Blas Bay. 

February: It's Carnival month! [01/02/04]

February is a special month for the people living in Nadur as it brings with it the year's funniest and craziest week: Carnival. The Nadur Spontaneous Carnival this year kicks off on Friday, February 20th, and wraps up the following Tuesday. June29th.com invites you to visit an in-depth Carnival feature, which includes history, photo galleries, interviews and much more. Meanwhile, a delegation from Nadur will be in Bulgaria in May this year for the 24th FECC Convention. At the end of the convention Nadur will be crowned The World's Carnival City, hosting next year's silver jubilee convention.

news editor: Pierre J. Mejlak