Entire Paphos coastline wins Gold award for second consecutive year
 
By Bejay Browne
 
Paphos has won a gold as a top Sustainable Coastal Tourist Destination for 2017, the second consecutive year it has held the title.
 
This is the third time that the entire coastal area including, Yeroskipou, Paphos, Kissonerga, Chlorakas, Peyia, Polis Chrysochous and Neo Chorio has achieved a Gold Quality Award Coast status, the first win was in 2013.
 
Nasos Hadjigeorgiou, the head of the Paphos regional board of tourism said: “Following the recent award of 17 Blue Flags across the district, Paphos has now been honoured and managed to win the Gold Quality Award as a Sustainable Coastal Tourism Destination for 2017.”
 
Three new beaches in the Paphos district were awarded blue flags this year; Neo Chorio, Peyia and Yeroskipou.
 
Hadjigeorgiou said that the achievement has been a concerted effort of the bodies involved.
 
The prestigious award is given out to holiday destinations that best maintain their local identity, natural and cultural heritage, scenic beauty, and a clean environment. Quality Coast Awards will be presented to winning destinations.
 
“The distinction has been made possible by the cooperation of all of the Paphos municipalities and communities of the region, under the coordination of the Paphos regional board of tourism who also made the submission made for the region,” he said.
 
Hadjigeorgiou said that the awards recognise areas that they are clean and safe with great facilities.
 
The tourism head said that the entire coastline of Paphos has been recognised as most attractive for visitors who want to combine holidays with an enjoyment of nature at a destination with enchanting scenery that cares for and preserves the quality of the environment and practices to protect and enhance the local identity and cultural heritage.
Quality Coast is the largest international certification programme for sustainable tourism destinations.
 
The main criteria for the selection of areas are water cleanliness, biodiversity of areas, environment, active good environmental behaviour, such as the saving of natural resources, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, lack of air pollution, noise levels, quality of tourism infrastructure, security, accessibility, easy access to information, and so on.
 
He said: “We would like to thank the municipalities of Paphos, Geroskipou, Peyia and Polis Chrysochous, the community councils of Chlorakas, Kissonerga and Neo Chorio, as well as PASYXE Paphos, for this well-deserved outcome.”
 
 
Diver completes 39 dives in his 93rd year
By Bejay Browne
 
Ray Woolley is celebrating after completing 39 dives during his 93rd year “39@93”. The 39th dive took place at Latchi in Paphos.
 
The hugely likeable nonagenarian, who celebrates his 94th birthday in August, is one of the world’s oldest divers, and has previously completed 29 dives in his 92nd year. The ex-serviceman is an active diver with the BSAC – British sub aqua club-at RAF Akrotiri.
 
“I feel wonderful and I already have something else planned involving diving for later in the summer, but it’s a secret at the moment,” he told the Paphos Post.
 
His 90th birthday in September 2013, was celebrated by diving 90ft -“90 @ 90”- on the sunken Zenobia roll-on-roll off ferry in Larnaca.
 
Originally from Port Sunlight in Wirral, Ray now lives in Ayios Tychonas close to Limassol. He was born in 1923 and first started diving with the Portland and Weymouth British Sub Aqua Club in 1960.
 
The World War II veteran, has completed a number of his dives this year with Latchi Watersports, covering depths between 10.3 and 37.4 metres. He has also chosen them to help him complete his 39th dive.
 
“I love water and I feel very privileged to be so active and able to dive, and it’s so surprising but very
 
Ray served in the Royal Navy Radio Branch during WWII. He worked on shipping convoys in 1943-44 before a secondment to ‘SBS Special Force 281’ in the Dodecanese. He was among the first Allied forces to land on Rhodes as the Germans retreated in May 1945.
 
After taking up diving in 1960, Ray was posted to Cyprus in 1964 and was a regular diver with BSAC during and attained further qualifications during three tours. In 1999 he retired and returned to Cyprus to live permanently after diving in locations all around the world.
 
One of his daughters Lyn was with him when he completed his dive 39th dive in Latchi.
 
“It was great to have her there as she has seen me go off to dive before, but this is the first time that she came out with me in the boat and see me actually dive, it made the celebrations even more special” he said.
 
 
EU funds allocated for rural development projects
By Bejay Browne
 
Fourteen rural development projects, along with the creation of tourism infrastructure in villages worth €9.4 has been approved, according to the ministry of the interior.
 
The ministry confirmed that the projects will be carried out in cooperation with the Rural Development Programme, utilising funds from the European Union.
 
Forty two applications were submitted and fourteen projects were approved, based on the allocated budget, he said.
 
The projects include a tourist information centre in Trachypedoula, a regional agricultural training centre in Paphos, an environmental education centre in Kilani, a multidisciplinary space in Agros, a tourist information centre in Moutoulas. In addition, Metochi Kykkou will be converted into a cultural centre, and other works will take place in Lefkara, Platanistasa, Kato Drys, Sotira, Korakou, Spilia and Zygi.
These projects have been approved for 2014-2020.
 
The ministry also said that more funds are available for similar infrastructure projects in rural communities.
 
 
 
Paphos helps Billy with his bucket list
By Bejay Browne
 
The Paphos community is rallying round a terminally ill cancer patient to help him fulfil the wishes on his ‘bucket list’.
 
After Billy Hardy’s list was highlighted in the press, three Paphos companies came forward and offered their goods and services for free to help Billy fulfil his wishes and give the cancer patient a much-needed boost. However, due to extreme fatigue, he may not be able to complete them all.
 
Three weeks ago, doctors gave unsuspecting Hardy, 77, just four months to live following a scan which found he was suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer.
In July, bikers from around Cyprus gathered to surprise Hardy and helped to fulfil his top wish on his bucket list: to ride on a Harley Davidson motorbike.
 
“My dad couldn’t believe it, he was overwhelmed and so were we. This is something we will always remember and we have made some wonderful new friends,” daughter Dawn Meeham said.
 
She added that the feeling of community spirit in Paphos has been heart-warming, and that the family was stunned by the support and friendship of so many strangers.
Devastated by the diagnosis, the retired furniture maker mentioned to his daughter and her husband a number of things on his ‘bucket list’ that he wants to complete before he dies.
 
Top of the list was to ride a Harley Davidson. Son in law Tim Meeham put out a request on social media which prompted biker Paul Carter, a member of the Blue Knights International law enforcement bikers club, to call on his fellow bikers and arrange an entire event.
 
In all, 22 bikers turned up in Peyia, along with a crowd of 40 well-wishers, most of whom had never met him. Carter described the retired furniture maker as a ‘top bloke and really special.’
 
“I wanted to do something to help and to make a difference in this man’s life even though I didn’t know him. He’s got a great sense of humour and is a real character, all of us wanted to give him a show of support,” he said.
 
Cypriot bikers were also in the procession and ‘Marios Choppers’ closed his shop for the day to ride along with some of his friends and spend time with Billy.
 
They gave Billy a Harley Davidson T-shirt and cap and one of them loaned him his leather biker vest to wear for the day. Harley biker Phil Scates, carried the unsuspecting Billy from Tala to Peyia, where he thought his treat had ended, but this was just the start of a special day. Hordes of bikers and a truck complete with flags drove around the corner to meet him and then drove in procession up to Latchi and back, down to the Hogshead pub in Paphos, where the owners gave him lunch and drinks on the house.
“It was such a huge adrenalin rush for my dad and a very special day for him. He is starting to get very tired and only eats a tiny amount, so the news that people are helping him to do his bucket list is really wonderful,” said his daughter.
 
The bucket list also includes taking part in a fishing trip, being a cowboy for a day and singing songs round a campfire on a camping trip. Paphos businesses have rallied round to make Billy’s wishes come true.
 
Colin and Lilia Barden who own and operate ‘Paphos Sports Fishing’ have offered to take Billy and his family out on a fishing trip aboard the Evening Star, to help him fulfil one of his other bucket list wishes.
 
‘George’s Ranch’ in Peyia also stepped forward to offer the family a sunset ride to the stunning sea caves, returning for drinks and champagne at the ranch with staff, helping to fulfil Hardy’s wish to be a cowboy for a day.
 
And ‘Yurts in Cyprus’, found in the beautiful countryside of Simou, invited Billy and his family to stay in the yurts for a night, after first enjoying dinner and singing songs around a fire pit. In the morning, they will enjoy breakfast in the open air, said manager Rene Skroch.
 
Dawn said: “We had a great time up at the Yurts, my dad loved in and Rene was a great host.”
 
“It was an absolute pleasure to offer this experience to Billy and his family,” Skroch said.