We are pleased to advise ex Verdalans that after lengthy negotiations all details are finally in place for the 2nd Verdala re-union to be held in Malta next year. Due to contacts, we were able to enlist the help of the Group Chief Executive of Air Malta and the owner of the Hotel. Air Malta have also offered us the services of their own photographer as they are keen to record what they consider to be a memorable event and put an article in a future issue of their In Flight Magazine.
All prices quoted are sterling and our present allocation has been guaranteed by the Hotel and Air Malta. We would ask you to decide as soon as possible if you wish to attend as obviously the flight seats and hotel rooms are limited at this stage. If the No’s exceed expectation we can apply for additional airline seats and accommodation. Obviously these are subject to space and not guaranteed places if other outside reservations have already been made. It is in your own interest to make an immediate decision to avoid disappointment. The week is from 17 September to 24 September 2005. The cost of the flight and hotel accommodation will be from £472 per person and this is presently based on two people sharing a room and departing from Gatwick. The Airline and Hotel part of the price has been guaranteed and will not increase but we may have to take into consideration any Surcharges or Taxes that may be levied by either Government, Airlines or Airport Authorities between now and when we depart. The Hotel we have chosen is the Victoria Hotel in Sliema as not only they are considered to be the overall best 4* Hotel on the Island by tour operators they have also elected to give us the best all round deal compared to the others. The Victoria is an inland Hotel but only a short walk from the seafront but they do have a small rooftop sun deck and pool. A new and completely restructured Hotel is presently being built behind and the overall building work is presently planned for completion about the same time as the re-union. The two buildings will then be merged making the Hotel bigger and better. I have been assured that should any work be remaining towards the latter part of 2005 this will be cosmetic only and will not interrupt our plans. The private St. James Hospital is next door and has a 24-hour Doctor on call should anyone have the need. If anyone wishes to extend his or her stay the only additional cost to take into consideration in relation to the main price already quoted is the Hotel. We can obtain a rate for you based on a daily basis. Single room supplement is £11 per person per day and half board, should anyone require this, is £8 per person per day. Full board is available on request but there are ample good restaurants in the surrounding area. The restaurant selected for the Re-union dinner is La Dolce Vita overlooking St Julian’s Bay and it has also just been voted best on the Island in a UK Holiday supplement for a national newspaper. They have given us a very good deal and for a three- course meal, are allowing us to have a selection of three choices for each course. To obtain exclusivity we need to ensure we have the appropriate No’s and hopefully the weather will still be good enough for us to have the meal in the open on the rooftop level. An initial ‘make your mind up’ time limit is three months, but we may, and only may, be able to take into consideration latecomers who did not know about the website or who have only just found out about the proposed re-union. We would stress again, therefore, that you should decide immediately if you wish to attend and submit the relevant application form straight away. This can either be e-mailed direct to Lin or sent in the post to her home address both of which will be given at the end of this summary. An initial non-refundable deposit of £100 per person will be required and will be placed in a separate Re-union Bank Account with two signatories required for transactions. The only time a refund can be considered is if there is a waiting list for places, you can sell your place on to another Verdalan or from a Travel Insurance claim. You are strongly recommended to take out Travel Insurance immediately just in case and this can be arranged if required. The main re-union party will probably depart from the UK on Saturday 17th September 2005 and the actual cost quoted above has been based on departures from Gatwick mid morning flight. The return flight will be one week later on Saturday 24 September. Flights from Heathrow are on a daily basis and on some of the days there are two flights in a day. Manchester is also on a daily basis but usually once only although on occasions additional flights are added. There are other airports available throughout the UK but please note that the cost will be slightly more. Other Airports will also be subject to a supplement depending on which Airport is selected and please note that they may not be available to fit in with the main departure date. These are as detailed below: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester, Norwich, Newcastle and Stansted. There are other costs to be taken into consideration but please note these are approximate only at this stage, (i.e. exchange rates at the time). They will also depend on the final No’s., and for the coach fares these could be less but all are roughly as follows: Return Coach journey to the chosen restaurant £3/4 Return Coach journey to Verdala School £3/4 4 Course Buffet lunch following visit to the School to include coffee & tip £13 Three course Re-union Dinner to include water, coffee & tip £21 The Dinner and Lunch prices do not include drinks or wine. These can be ordered and paid for individually at the time depending on your own particular requirements. You can even add the lunchtime bar bill on to your room tab to be included with any other extras you may have during your stay. The visit to Verdala School has been planned for Tuesday 20 September and we are arranging a buffet lunch at the Hotel on our return. This will give everyone the opportunity to get to know each other before the actual dinner and reminisce about old and memorable times. The re-union Dinner will be later in the week on Thursday 22 September and the rest of the time will be at your own leisure. The present Headmaster of Verdala School is very supportive of us Ex Verdalans visiting. As it is also their 20th Anniversary he is very keen to incorporate their celebrations but at this stage he has made no indication as to what their plans are likely to be. We have invited him and the rest of his Staff to the actual Dinner, as this will then increase the No’s to ensure us obtaining exclusive rights to the rooftop restaurant. Hopefully it should make an interesting evening mixing ‘old with new’. If there is anything we have not covered or you have any further questions, then please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to answer them. Lin’s apartment is also in the same area as the Hotel so she will be available to help at any time if required. Booking Form:PLEASE PRINT OFF THIS PAGE AND THE BOOKING FORM. KINDLY CIRCULATE TO THOSE PEOPLE NOT ON EMAIL AND THE INTERNET.
Page date:29 March2004 Prepared by: Lin Holdsworth