======================================================================== Goa's phone numbers change from Nov 10, 2002. Prefix old number with a 2. New numbers will be seven-digit 2XXXXXX (where XXXXXX is the old number). ========================================================================
Today's ( 17 Nov. 2002) Sunday Telegraph (UK) has a feature article entitled: "Tycoon's Widow Loses Battle To Restore Goa's Ancient Fort." Because of the length of the article, I am posting it in part 2. This posting contains a few introductory remarks: 1. The Sunday Telegraph article on the website has a link to Joel's Goa Now article on Reis Magos: http://www.goacom.com/goanow/2001/aug/forts.html Excerpts: Reis Magos has been receiving increased attention in recent years, with one party even ready to undertake its conservation .Last year, the UK-based Lady Hamlyn Trust agreed to bear the cost of the conservation of the unused fort. In return for the costly restoration exercise, the Trust merely asked to be allowed to use the upper part as a private residence for a period of 15 years. 2. Several years ago Lord Hamlyn of Hamlyn Publications decided to celebrate his birthday in Goa so he and Lady Hamlyn flew down in their private jet. See http://www.pousada-tauma.com/mansworld.html 3. As founders of the Hamlyn Trust, http://www.phf.org.uk/ their motives should be beyond question. The Foundation has three priority areas of funding - one of them is overseas projects, which are concentrated in India. They decided to pay for the restoration of Reis Magos fort and in return asked to use a part of the fort to enable them to keep an eye on the restoration work. They have a track record of meticulous restoration - see, for example, the reports of the Bagnols work http://bagnolsenbeaujolais.free.fr/FR/CHATEAU.php3 4 . In Jan 2001 Goa Now reported: Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's hue and cry about foreign funding. 5. Lord Hamlyn died in August 2001 and bequeathed £200m to charity. His widow was determined to honour her husband's desire to have the Reis Magos fort restored. Now it is reported that the Goa Government is going to deny that wish. I think it is a crying shame. Let us hope that the Hamlyn Trust do not pull out their charitable work in India as a result. BTW: The Sunday Telegraph article is written by "Rajeev Syal in Goa." Rajeev Syal was the main journalist probing the business interests of Keith Vaz a year ago and this included allegations that he owned property in Goa. Also, the Sunday Telegraph has an interesting link to http://www.photoguide.to/goa/ Eddie Fernandes ---------------------------------------------------------- What's On In Goa (WOIG): Nov 06 Children's book exhibn opens, Walkabout, Anjuna... (all weekdays) Nov 06 ArtHouse, Calangute: Chaitali's acrylics on canvas till 19.11 Nov 07 Revision of electoral rolls (till Nov 30) See schedule. Dec 01 Two day conference, Goa Agenda. IT For Society. (Ends 2.12) Every Sunday: Music therapy sessions at Moira, 5 pm. 278, N.Portugal ----------------------------------------------------------
