by Ursula Brown, Managing Editor, Cape Info SA

Smokie is coming to town! Internationally successful British pop group Smokie on tour in South Africa. 

With chart-topping hits like Living Next Door to Alice, Lay Back in the Arms of Someone, Mexican Girl, For a Few Dollars, Needles and Pins and If You Think You Know How to Love Me, and constant tours, Smokie is one of the most popular bands in the world today. 

As part of Take a Minute World Tour, Smokie will visit Moscow, Sweden, UK, Germany, Ireland, Austria, Norway, Spain, Denmark, Greenland, Scandinavia, Australia and South Africa.

Show times : 
Thur 26 Sept 2013 @ 19:00 – Aardklop National Arts Festival (kykNET Musiekverhoog), Potchefstroom
Fri 27 Sept 2013 @ 20:00 – Hage Geingob Rugby Stadium, Windhoek
Sat 28 Sep 2013 @ 20:00 – Grand Arena, GrandWest Casino, Cape Town
Sun 29 Sept 2013 @ 15:00 – ICC Arena, Boardwalk Casino, Port Elizabeth
Fri 4 Oct 2013 @ 20:00 – Big Top Arena, Carnival City, Johannesburg/Brakpan
Sat 5 Oct 2013 @ 20:00 – Big Top Arena, Carnival City, Johannesburg/Brakpan

To call Smokie rock n roll survivors would be true but would belie the fact that they remain Europe’s top live performing band 30 years after they first formed. The original members Terry Uttley, Alan Silson and Chris Norman were at school together in Bradford, East Yorkshire and the original band also included Martin Bullard and Steve Pinnell.

Smokie today is fronted by Mike Craft on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, and consists of founder members Uttley on bass and vocals, drummer Pinnell, Bullard on keyboards and lead guitarist and vocalist Mick McConnell who joined the band in 1996. 

Smokie’s Take A Minute World Tour includes a number of new songs from their latest album Take a Minute, as well as all their smash hits.

More info available at www.smokie.co.za 

More shows - Smokie - Take a Minute World Tour

October 2013 - Germany
17 Hildeseim Germany
18 Beilefeldm Stadthalle Germany
19 Gotting Lokahalle Germany
20 Stade Stadium Germany
22 Lingen Emslandhalle Germany
23 Osnabruk Halle Germany
24 Chemnitz Stadthalle Germany
25 Aurich Sparkassen Arena Germany
26 Bremerhaven Stadthalle Germany
31 Albany Australia

 November 2013 - Australia
1 Bunbury Australia
2 Mandurah Australia
4 Perth Australia
5 Geraldton Australia
8 Cairns Australia
9 Mackay Australia
10 Rockhampton Australia
12 Maryborough Australia
14 Toowoomba Australia
15 Brisbane Australia
16 Tamworth Australia
19 Newcastle Australia
21 Sydney Auatralia
23 Albury Australia
24 Bendigo Australia
26 Launceston Tasmania
27 Hobart Tasmania
29 Adelaide Australia
30 Geelong Australia

report by Ursula Brown Managing Editor and Patrick Allen National Photographic Editor Cape Info SA (assisted by Xylan de Jager)

Martin Kaymer (winner Nedbank Golf Challenge) joined his fellow country-man and role model, Bernhard Langer (winner Nedbank Champions Challenge) to make history with both tournament winners from the same country.  

Martin Kaymer shot a 3-under-par final round to win the Nedbank Golf Challenge title by two shots from Charl Schwartzel and collect a prize of $1.25 million. The 27-year-old German had a mixed round at Sun City, South Africa, including an eagle, four birdies, a bogey and double-bogey as he finished at 8-under for the tournament.

South Africa’s Schwartzel matched Kaymer’s round to finish 6-under at Gary Player Country Club, with Bill Haas of the U.S. at 3-under. Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa was 1-over as he slipped out of contention, six shots back.

Martin Kaymer survived a late wobble to hold on for his first title of the year with victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City. The overnight leader bogeyed the 15th hole to see his advantage at the top of the leaderboard cut to one stroke by South Africa's Charl Schwartzel but held his nerve the rest of the way to prevail by two strokes. Kaymer finished on eight under par overall, with Schwartzel at six under and American Bill Haas alone in third, three strokes further back.

Final leaderboard
(SA unless stated)
-8 M Kaymer (Ger)
-6 C Schwartzel
-3 B Haas (US)
-2 L Oosthuizen
-1 L Westwood (Eng)

Pic 1 : Martin Kaymer (Germany) takes the honours
Pic 2 : Louis Oosthuizen on day three 
Pic 3 : Charl's Caddy contemplates carefully....
Pic 4 : Crowds out in force on the 9th...

by Ursula Brown Managing Editor and Patrick Allen National Photographic Editor Cape Info SA

TWICE as NICE - Lee Westwood wins Nedbank Golf Challenge 2011

Lee Westwood woke up on day four, final day of Nedbank Golf Challenge 2011 at Sun City in the lead (-16) to the sound of birds chirping, hopefully signalling several birdies of the golfing kind. These fluttered in on the sixth and nineth putting last years champ even further in the lead (-18). However, bogeys quickly neutralised these to put him back two shots (-16) where he remained until the final 18th Hole...

This means that Lee Westwood has made history in that he is the first player from the UK to ever win this tournament back to back....

The last player to win back to back was Jim Furyk (2005 and 2006), and now joins the elite frequent winner circle of , Ernie Els, David Frost, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Price.

Nedbank Golf Challenge 2011 Final Scoreboard - 2011 Nedbank Golf Challenge offers total purse of $5,000,000, with 2011 champion earning $1,250,000.

01 - 273 -15 Lee Westwood (ENG) 68 70 62 73  : Prize Money :   $ 1 250 000
02 - 275 -13 Robert Karlsson(SWE) 69 69 69 68 : Prize Money :  $ 660 000 
03 = 277 -11 Jason Dufner (USA) 70 68 70 69 : Prize Money :  $ 450 000 
03 = 277 -11 Graeme McDowell (NIR) 70 67 70 70 : Prize Money :  $ 350 000
05 - 280 -08 Kim Kyung-Tae (KOR) 70 70 70 70 : Prize Money : $ 330 000
06 - 282 -06 Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 68 74 68 72  : Prize Money : $ 310 000
07-  283 -05 Luke Donald (ENG) 70 71 70 72  : Prize Money :  $ 300 000 
08 - 284 -04 Martin Kaymer (GER) 70 68 70 76 : Prize Money :  $ 290 000 
09 - 287 -01 Simon Dyson (ENG) 70 70 75 72   : Prize Money :  $ 280 000
10 -  288 Par Anders Hansen (DEN) 72 69 77 70 : Prize Money :  $ 270 000 
11 - 295 +7 Francesco Molinari (ITA) 72 77 73 73 : Prize Money :  $ 260 000 
12 - 297 +9 Darren Clarke (NIR) 74 69 76 78 : Prize Money :  $ 250 000

Photos by Patrick Allen National Photographic Editor Cape Info SA
• Photo 1 : Lee Westwood WINS NGC 2011 - second year in a row
• Photo 2 : Day 4 of the green game at Sun City
• Photo 3 : Graeme McDowell and Caddy move on to victory
• Photo 4 : Robert Karlsson, the swinging Swede on day 4.

Player profiles 2011 - Lee Westwood

Lee Westwood’s staggering eight-shot victory in the 2010 Nedbank Golf Challenge was significant in so many respects. It was a victory against an elite field containing some of the world’s best golfers only a few weeks after he claimed the world number one ranking from Tiger Woods.

It was also a victory at a Gary Player Country Club course that has held a special place in Westwood’s career. In 2000, when the Englishman was then at the pinnacle of his career with seven victories worldwide and sitting at number one on the European Tour Order of Merit, Westwood included a victory in the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Sun City as part of his achievements that year. He was also narrowly beaten in a playoff for the Nedbank Golf Challenge by Ernie Els at the end of that year.

In 2001 he rose to fourth on the world rankings. Then he crashed to 259 in the world in 2002. One of the most natural golfers in the game suddenly didn’t have a clue what he was doing. But raised in the blue-collar mining town of Worksop, Westwood knuckled down and began working his way back to the top.

He rebuilt his swing with David Leadbetter, and most importantly, took the athletic side of his profession far more seriously with a rigid gym programme and diet. When he reached the top of the golf world in October 2010, it was only apt that he should celebrate again with a victory on the fairways at Sun City.

Westwood unseated Woods as world number one, bringing to a close an era of dominance many thought would never end. Then again, Westwood has a penchant for doing that, having also ended Colin Montgomerie’s amazing dominance of the European Tour Order of Merit in 2000. “Everyone thought it was unattainable. People go through different things in life, and form comes and goes. I know as well as anyone you can lose your form,” said the Ryder Cup veteran.

Few players have managed to transform themselves and their careers to the extent that Westwood has, and still retain the sense of humour that he displays with his quick wit on the golf course, in press conferences or on his popular Twitter account.
A winner on virtually every continent, Westwood is the true fairytale in golf, even though he is still searching for the perfectly scripted happy ending of a maiden Major victory.

However, his record at the highest level of the game is still very impressive. He’s finished second in the Masters in 2010, third in the US Open in 2008 and 2011, second in the Open Championship in 2010, and third in the PGA Championship in 2024.

“My next goal is to win a Major championship. It’s the dream of all professional golfers to get to number one in the world rankings, and I've done that. I haven't won a Major yet and that's the missing thing, so that’s what I gear all my practice towards and my scheduling.”

It’s a goal his critics would do well to heed. When Westwood was 15 he told his mother, Tricia, that he wanted to become the world number one. It was Tricia who had purchased his first set of clubs from a client of her chiropodist practice, and who gave them to her son for Christmas. All young boys have their dreams. But few make good on their promises to achieve them

This year’s summit is poised to be the largest-ever with more than 150 ministers and senior aides attending. For the first time, the Summit will conclude with a Statement of Intent outlining the future direction of the travel and tourism industry. Marthinus van Schalkwyk - alongside the other public and private sector leaders’ – thoughts and opinions will play a key role in shaping the Statement of Intent.

The 2010 Ministers’ Summit takes place on Tues 9 Nov 2010 and is entitled – Shaping a Stronger Travel and Tourism Industry – Governance and business models for the future – and will agree the plan and direction for the industry over the next 12 months.

Marthinus van Schalkwyk will share his thoughts during Summits main panel debate on three key issues challenging the sector. 
• Mainstreaming Tourism in the Political and Economic Agendas
• Creating a Competitive Framework for Tourism Development
• Climate Change and the Green Economy

Portugal’s Secretary of State for Tourism Bernardo Trindade and Egypt’s Tourism Minister Mr. Zoheir Garranah are also set to be taking part in this key panel debate.

Private sector leaders taking part include Mike Greenacre, Managing Director of The Co-operativeTravel Group (UK), Mr. Jean-Claude Baumgarten, President and CEO
WTTC and Australian travel industry body TTF Managing Director Christopher Brown.

World Travel Market Chairman Fiona Jeffery said: “I am delighted Marthinus van Schalkwyk will be taking part in this year’s UNWTO Ministers’ Summit at World Travel Market. 

“South Africa plays a huge part in the world’s travel and tourism industry and after recently demonstrating such a successful FIFA World Cup, the industry should look forward to hearing Marthinus van Schalkwyk’s input and ideas on shaping the next 12 months.”
The fourth annual UNWTO Ministers’ Summit will be held at ExCeL – London, followed by an official Press Conference presenting the main conclusions and outcomes of the Summit.

Also for the first time this year, World Travel Market, supported by the UNWTO, will host WTM Ministerial Evening at the prestigious St.Paul’s Cathedral, London. The exclusive evening will host Tourism Ministers and Senior Aides from around the world and will offer entertainment from a leading London West End musical production.

For more information on the World Travel Market’s Ministerial Programme 2010 please visit www.wtmlondon.com/ministers

Ursula Brown - Managing Editor - Cape Info SA - Reporting live from Cape Town

Siphiwe Tshabalala (born 25 September 1984) is a South African professional footballer, plays as winger for Kaizer Chiefs in Premier Soccer League and left-winger in South African national team scored the first goal of 2010 FIFA World Cup for South Africa against Mexico in 54th minute - a beautiful strike into the top right corner followed by a little dance of joy.

And Joy joy and more joy was the word when both FIFA President Sepp Blatter and President Jacob Zuma addressed the fans and teams before kick-off. A long journey from that day in 2006 when President Sepp Blatter made the announcement.....

Rafael Marquez replies in 79 min to level the playing field. South Africa 1-1 Mexico.  Queueing up at the back post after Guardodo's deep cross and Marquez kills it instantly with his right foot and beat Khune at his near post.

“LET them bring their Mexican wave, we will bring vuvuzelas!” was the war cry of thousands of South African fans who swamped Sandton yesterday to support Bafana Bafana.

Final Score 1 - 1 draw

WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS GRAND FINAL KICKS OFF WTM 2010 
Grand Final Gala Ceremony - 7 Nov 2010 - World Travel Awards 2010

Now celebrating its 17th Anniversary, World Travel Awards are regarded as very highest achievement that a travel product could ever hope to receive. Votes are cast by 183,000 travel professionals which include travel agencies, tour, transport and tourism organizations in over 160 countries across the globe. Votes are cast globally by fellow industry professionals in over 1, 000 different categories.

Attended by senior executives from major travel companies, operators and destinations, WTA events are universally respected as providing established, top level networking opportunities, regionally and globally.

World Travel Award worldwide ceremonies were staged as a build up to the final. 
• Middle East ceremony in Dubai, before Prince Bandar, Chairman of Al Khozama Management Company and attended by 600 captains of industry from the region.
• Africa & Indian Ocean (7 July, Johannesburg, South Africa);
• North & Central America & Caribbean (11 Sept, Orlando);
• Europe (1 October, Antalya, Turkey- 
• Asia & Australasia (14 October, New Delhi, India);
• South America (20 October, Rio de Janeiro).

Senior management and decision makers from Europe’s travel and tourism industry  gather in London for  high level networking and some spectacular entertainment as this year’s World Travel Awards winners are revealed. The awards are described by the Wall Street Journal as the ‘Oscars’ of the global travel and tourism industry. The true stars of the night, however, will be those travel professionals and organisations collecting their World Travel Awards presented throughout the evening. The World Travel Awards was launched in 1993 to acknowledge and recognise excellence in world's travel and tourism industry.

Graham E. Cooke, Founder and President of World Travel Awards, established 17 years ago to improve standards of customer service and overall business performance of travel and tourism, said the evening will represent a sea change for the industry. “In a world where time is judged not in days and weeks but minutes and even seconds, where consumers are under more pressure and stress than ever before, travel and tourism has also had to change”, he explained. “It’s no longer just an industry that sells dreams, but one that has had to adapt to a new kind of working with instant access and instant answers."

Consumer service and a more flexible approach are key to everything we do. “Sadly, there are still horror stories out there of how consumers have not received attention or care that they deserve and have a right to expect from operators. But happily, these negatives are diminishing. We are recognising what the customer needs – and wants. “World Travel Awards is a champion of universal good practice across the world. But this means increasing level of high standards across the board, helping others to be inspired and uplifted by example. “That’s why World Travel Awards Tour and subsequent final are fundamental if the industry is to continue improving quality.”

World Travel Awards official list of worldwide media partners includes: BBC World News, eTurboNews, Breaking Travel News, CNBC Arabiya, Khaleej Times, Trav Talk, Trade Arabia, TTN, Travel Daily News International, Focus on Travel News, New Focus Travel Magazine, Tourism Review, JAX FAX, Travel & Leisure, Travel & Leisure Golf, Xenios & Xenios World.

more info www.worldtravelawards.com

by Ursula Brown - Managing Editor

2010 Commonwealth Games got under way with spectacular opening ceremony, a three-hour Bollywood-style collage of song, dance, pyrotechnics, delivered, flawlessly by a cast of thousands beneath worlds largest helium balloon.

Preparations for $6-billion "friendly games" had been marred by a series of setbacks to Indias ambition of showing off its growing financial clout by hosting its biggest sporting event for nearly three decades. Organisers hope to put all that behind them over the next 11 days of sporting competition between mostly former British colonies.

The huge security operation around the stadium was a reminder of the safety concerns that kept some athletes away and there was also a diplomatic compromise over who should open the Games.

Britain's Prince Charles, who was greeted with chants of "India! India!", read out a message from his mother Queen Elizabeth, the head of the Commonwealth, but India's President Pratibha Patil was also given a prominent role.

The Prince paused before delivering the message which had travelled in the Queen's Baton relay from London on a 190,000-km journey through the 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth.

Seventy one nations marched on to the field at opening ceremony.The huge Indian team looked resplendent in maroon and gold traditional dress, while Scottish team stuck with kilts.South Africa athletes marched in blowing vuvuleza's, led by a team conductor.

Team South Africa - in particular defending champion swimming superstars, are ready to rumble. South African swimmer Natalie du Toit, named Outstanding Athlete of the Games in Manchester in 2002, competes in her third Commonwealth Games. It seems that certain SA Team members "missed their flights" and "went AWOL" after collecting their togs.

President Patil then gave her own address, concluding by saying, to huge cheers from the 60,000 crowd in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, "The Commonwealth Games now really are open, let the Games begin."

Chad le Clos won South Africa’s first Games Gold with a CWG record in the 200 metres butterfly. And the Kwazulu-Natal teenager added a bronze when South African 4 x 100 metres freestyle were pipped by England. Australia won comfortably in a Games Record. Le Clos swam the early heat in place of veteran Roland Schoeman who impressed with his swim in the final.

SECOND GOLD for Team South Africa with Natalie's CG HAT TRICK....
Natalie confirmed her status as one of paralympic sport's all-time greats when she won women's 50m freestyle on Tues 5 Oct, the same event she won in Manchester 2002 and  Melbourne in 2006. Victory on Tuesday did not come easily. She trailed Australia's Annabelle Williams for almost the entire race before edging ahead in final five metres.It took a time only 0.13 seconds outside her own world record to win as Du Toit touched the wall in 29.17 seconds.

MORE GOLD for TEAM SOUTH AFRICA
Cameron van der Burgh (22) won gold medal in men's 200m breaststroke at on Wed 6 Oct .in a new CG record time of 1:00.10. Van der Burgh's victory was South Africa's third gold medal in the pool.

SCHOEMAN SCORES BRONZE for Team SOUTH AFRICA
Jason Dunford won gold on Wednesday in men's 50m butterfly final, giving Kenya an unexpected first win in the pool in New Delhi. Roland Schoeman of Team South Africa came third.

Dates 3 - 14 Oct 2010 

by Ursula Brown - Managing Editor Cape Info SA

71st Skål World Congress. Annual Skål World Congress, includes General Assembly, Business to Business Workshop, and provides unique opportunity for Skålleagues to meet other members from around the world. make new friends or renew and revitalise old friendships in an atmosphere where the power of friendship can actually be felt.  Sydney Convention Exhibition Centre 7-12 Oct 2010.

The Business to Business Workshop provides “Doing Business among Friends”. It also presents the opportunity, in a very special way, to see parts of the world and special features not seen by the normal traveller.

The General Assembly of Delegates, the supreme body of Skål International, is the business session which deals with its affairs on a worldwide basis. It gives each and every member the opportunity to influence the Skål Movement. Formal functions include Opening Ceremony and President's Gala Dinner.

Ursula Brown - Managing Editor - Cape Info SA - Reporting live from Cape Town Book Fair

Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu launched his new illustrated Children's Bible at Cape Town Book Fair on Fri 30 July 2010. The Nobel Laureate addressed the world launch at Cape Town International Convention Centre just a week after he announced his retirement from public life.

Tributes from publishers worldwide were either read in person or via live crossing to Mondadori (Italy), Harper Collins (UK), Jongbloed (Netherlands) Forlaget Alfa (Denmark), Vida Melhor (Brazil), Zondervan (USA),and Vida Zondervan (Spain). 

The book, Children of God, has involved 20 illustrators from around the world and will be distributed by 10 international publishing companies. It has thus far been translated into 11 languages, including several South African languages, and is aimed at children between the ages of four and seven. The book contains 50 of Tutu's favourite bible stories, with accompanying illustrations. The first print run sees 200 000 copies being printed.

Today is a very gratifying day, and sees the culmination of a massive project that started four years ago over a cup of coffee, said Tutu's literary agent, Lynn Franklin. For her, this illustrated Bible is a uniquely global storybook that shows that borders and boundaries are not barriers.

Project manager Stephan Spies explained that an immense amount of team work went into this project. Many team members only ever communicated over phones and emails, while meeting each other face-to-face for the first time at the launch event in Cape Town

Tutu jokingly thanked everyone who worked on the children's Bible, and all his staff members, for "making me look good" with the launch and presentation of Children of God. He dedicated his book to the memory of the late Luke Stubbs, who originally came up with the idea of an illustrated children's bible. Stubbs passed away in 2024.