By the time you read this edition, you will be celebrating Easter, the major holiday in the Cypriot calendar. We hope that you have a marvellous vacation during this troubled period, and that you are able to visit our splendid Church and join in the festivities.
We are pleased to report that the majority of advertisers have renewed for another year, plus some new contributors. Only a few were unhappy with the increase in charges, but many commented that their advert did not bring in business and they were only paying to support the newsletter and the village. We would appreciate your telling them, that you spotted their advert in this newsletter, when you next visit their establishment. As usual, we are appealing for donations from you, in order to continue this communication. To date, only one kind reader has made a gift, and you will see from the financial statement that at the present time our funds will only cover a further three issues, bringing us to October.
The only suggestion we have received about our “Annual Function”, is to arrange a “Beach Party” in September/October. Would you support this and do you have any other ideas ? In our last edition, readers were asked how the football stadium could be utilized and possibly this could be used as a venue for our function, but we need something different to the normal barbeque.
We hope you enjoy the interesting articles produced by our regular
contributors this month and welcome any new subjects. Is there anyone who
will resurrect “Peck’s Boy” ?, you will recall that he used to visit local
restaurants and report on them. 
Our
Chairman, Mimis, has promised to write further on the history of Maroni, and
John Cochrane has agreed to give us another article on his interesting life.
In this edition Gerry Barron talks about the “Montpellier Snake”, Connie Brotton
on “Hizzoner, the Airedale” and Jane Langford on her favourite flowers. Alison
South explains more about the archaeological tour, with a tear-off slip for
those who wish to join in, and we have the usual reports, Village at Work,
and Roger’s quiz.
I
wish you all a happy Easter and remind you of the following events :-
Good
Friday - a church service at 6.30 p.m., followed by a special parade through
the village at about 7 p.m..
Easter Saturday - a church service at 8 a.m. and in the evening our traditional firework display outside the church at 11 p.m.
Easter Sunday - a church service at 11 a.m.
Easter Monday - St George’s Day service at 8 a.m. and an afternoon service at 3 p.m.
Easter Tuesday - a church service at the old St. George’s Church at 7 p.m.
Updating you on the re-building of St. Nicholas Church, further plans for a new site have been submitted by the Church Committee to the Archaeological Department, and a reply is awaited.
This is the second largest snake in Cyprus, with a body length of up to two metres, it is venomous and an egg layer. It can be seen all over the island, but prefers to live in open fields and forests, where it shelters under stones or tree stumps. Its body is muscular and strong, it has large round eyes, over which is a ridged scale, giving the snake a fierce expression. The body colour of a young snake is, mainly, brown with either yellow stripes or spots, or oblong lines, forming beautiful patterns.
Adult
snakes have less distinctive markings and are grey or olive green in colour
with a pale or slightly yellow underside. The Montpellier snake is a remarkably
fast and agile snake, it flees at the slightest danger and utters a strong
hiss. If you are lucky enough to watch one hunting, you will see it raising
its body in an upright position by one third of its length, from the ground,
and in this position, it looks like a Cobra. When it has found its prey,
it will follow it in an upright position at tremendous speed. The Montpellier
snake feeds on lizards and can take an Agama Lizard as large as 30 to 35
centimetres, it will wind its body around it several times, before it bites
and releases its venom, it is back fanged and bites with chewing movements,
its prey will die within 30 seconds. If bitten by a Montpellier snake, go
immediately to your doctor or to a hospital without delay.
During
the next few weeks we will be replacing the main water pipe from the reservoir
to the junction of Grigori Afxentiou Street and Archbishop Makarios III Street.
This will mean that there will be the occasional stoppage of the water supply
and repairs to the affected roads, and will cost £18500. We will then resurface
these and other roads in the village, costing a further £16000. Other works
to be done in the near future are, continue paving St. George’s Street and
the parking area at the Administration Office, plus building pavements and
widening roads in certain areas outside the village.
Over the Easter period, please join us at the football stadium on Easter Sunday in the afternoon, when some of the young men, and even older, will play a football match, Married against Single, and on Easter Monday afternoon in the courtyard of the Youth Club, when there will be a “Flaouna” competition, traditional games and bingo.
In September we are arranging another meeting with the ex-patriate residents, similar to last year, when we will be happy to answer any of your comments. The actual date will be published in the August edition of this newsletter.
We have received a complaint from one of our readers, that we are
not giving enough information in our newsletter about local and national matters,
such as increases in the price of dog licences and kerosene, and the new charges
for television dishes, and this person was outraged at our comments on Cyprus
joining the European Union.
Obviously we cannot please everybody, but we do ask readers to let us have information to publish, that will affect them. The Editorial Committee does not have access to any privileged facts and do not profess to be expert on gleaning such news. Nor were we aware that the editorial comments, were of such a political nature to upset anybody
A true CO-OP for the distribution of goods from Maroni and surrounding villages.
The building, named Sedigep Periferias Maroniou, is situated on the Old Nicosia to Limassol Road, near Tochni Village. Some of you know it, as the Tomato factory at the road junction, where we gain access from Maroni, by travelling under the Motorway bridge, left off the road to Psematismenos.
The farmers in the area bring their local produce here to sell; the goods are then sold on to supermarkets and wholesale markets throughout the Island. Some times excess goods will be exported. The distribution centre is financed by the farmers who give 7% of their sales to the centre.
The centre has 6 full time employees and is open all year round. It has been open now for 6 years and took 2 years to build, its turnover is between 1.5 and 2 million (£ cy) each year, the business has remained stable over that time. It is open Sunday to Wednesday and also on Fridays. The phone number for the centre is 24333563, and the address is simply Old Road Nicosia Limassol, near Tochni Village.
Before the centre was built, farmers dealt directly with market stall holders, in the main towns of Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca, but this was very time consuming and expensive.
Behind our house is a patch of waste land. During
the summer it is so unattractive, a mix of dust, rocks and skeletons of giant
fennel and thistles. When the rains come, it does get a thin, wispy cover
of green, but this year it has been totally transformed into a beautiful meadow.
The grasses are green and lush and wave gently in the breeze. But we
also have clutches of wild flowers – never seen there before. In February
we had some purple Anemones. 
During
March there was an explosion of flowers – the “sunshine” flowers of Cape Sorrel
and Crown Daisies, the six to nine foot high “Triffids” or Giant Fennel (they
really are flourishing this Spring). Delightful patches of red provided by
Poppies and little Pheasant’s Eyes and the pristine white blooms of Wild Garlic
and Turban Buttercups, which also have a red variety. I have spotted some
Tassel Hyacinths and Goat’s Beard. I’m sure there are many more species in
this small patch of land, but I am not too enthusiastic about walking through
long grass, now that the snakes are coming out of hibernation. 
I think the reason it has been so wonderful this year, is the prolonged chilly, damp Spring. Spring 2003 has definitely been a “bumper” year for the Corn Lily, the delicate pink Gladiola–type flower filling the fields – truly a magnificent display. P.S. If you read my article on the cats in our lives, you may remember me mentioning the battered old Ginger Tom who moved away in September.
We
thought he had departed to the “Whiskas Factory in the sky”, but no “the cat
came back” in February, complete with evil eye, if he is not fed. Thankfully
he does not have his harem this time.
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£
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| Balance at 1st March 2003 brought forward |
388-52
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| Advertisements for the year |
640-50
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| Donations from Readers (1) |
10-00
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1039-02
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| less:- Printing Costs |
270-00
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| Overseas Postage |
4-45
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| Balance at 20th April |
764-57
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The Airedale Terrier originated in Yorkshire, when
working men in Leeds crossed the Old English Broken-haired Terrier with the
Otterhound. The result is a very large dog. Actually terriers were bred to
go underground and these Airedales are certainly far too big to do that. They
are a born watchdog however, and would be excellent working dogs, if they
hadn’t an inherent “stubborn streak”. This “stubborn streak” is the characteristic
trait in “Artie”, which promoted this little anecdote. “Artie” moved with
his family from London (back to Yorkshire) where he had been accustomed to
a Top Flight (very expensive !) Canine Salon. When I took him over, I was
unaware of his “stubborn streak”. This was an absolute refusal to either be
elevated into a bath or even to take a step up onto my Cantilever Grooming
Table. 
A large Airedale, who weighed as much (or more) than I
did, was not a friendly term arguable option. My husband tried to help – no
result – I went next door to borrow my mother’s cleaner, who was 18 stone
and as strong as a horse. Still no joy. After much thought, I took him outside,
armed with shampoo and three buckets of warm water. “Hizzoner” deigned to
stand like a statue, whilst I doused him, shampooed him, and rinsed him off
with more buckets of warm water (if I’d lived in Cyprus in June, I’d have
used a hosepipe !). He didn’t actually like his legs done. Oh no – they had
to be washed one at a time, in separate buckets. The stripping and clipping
and nail trimming had to be done on my dog-room floor. Myself, often, lying
under him, with hair falling all over my face and clothing. I’m certain he
was laughing to himself. When his owners arrived, I said nothing, as I was
convinced after a session or three, that I would be able, once he’d got to
know and trust me, to persuade him into the bath and onto the table. This
performance went on until it got too cool, whereupon we moved into the garage.
Autumn/Winter arrived and I had to confess to “Artie’s” owners, the problem
I had. I didn’t want to lose him, as he was so lovable – They didn’t want
to lose me. They said apart from the fact that £10 instead of £32 at the “London
Posh Place”, he was much better “finished” and happier with me. My halo became
quite tight, when they installed an “Artie shower tray” at their house. The
problem was (a) “Posh Place” used walk in showers and (b) “Artie”, from being
a puppy was trained to never ever even put one foot on the stairs. 
So there we are. “Artie” went happily into his shower, jumped into the car on a plastic sheet and arrived at my house wet through, every six weeks. Just goes to show, you really can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Especially an old “stubborn” Airedale. Sadly he didn’t get to another groomer. He died at 13 a few weeks after his last session with me. They wrote to me in Cyprus to let me know – I wept ! His birthday was the same as mine. The date not the year !!
A travel agent has got some special offers on again, but has not written in the price for Germany. Following the same grammatical logic as for the other four, what is the cost of a holiday in Germany ?
Corfu £36 Portugal £90 Turkey £48 Greece £54 Germany £?.
Answer to posers in the February issue
a) Which country in the western hemisphere is named here ? 1000 E 10 I 100 0 is MEXICO.
b) Which regular sounding English word has six letters and not a single vowel ? is RHYTHM.
On Saturday, 17th May there will be a tour of
some of the main archaeological sites of the Maroni area (Late Bronze Age
buildings at Vournes and Tsaroukas, and Late Roman church at Petrera) led
by archaeologist Alison South, leaving from Lemonokipos Restaurant Car Park
at 3.30 p.m., taking at least 2 hours. You will need a car (but surely there
will be some people with spare places if you do not have one); most driving
will be on asphalt with a little on dirt roads. As numbers must be limited,
please complete tear-off slip below to reserve a place. The weather may be
quite warm by May, and please note that there will be nowhere to sit down
and no loos. Bring a hat, some water & wear sensible shoes as we may have
to walk across ploughed fields. At the end of the tour we will have a refreshment
stop at Lemonokipos Restaurant. 
If you wish to attend please E-mail: newseditor@maronicyprus.net
Or contact David on 24333106
