Editorial

Over the last few weeks, I have taken the chance to try more than a few of the locals venues that offer live music  while only inflating their drinks prices a tad to cover their costs. I wanted to name at least 2 of these establishments and mention the bands playing there.
First stop is Ali Bar, just about opposite where you would catch the 5 island day cruise by the harbour. The group are a four piece band made up of drums, bass guitar, lead guitar and singer. I think they are called 42! Without question, the star of the group is the lead guitarist, closely followed by the drummer. The group play a mix of old and new rock songs, varying from classics such as “While my guitar gently weeps”, to modern classic from the likes of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, mixed with a smattering of easy rock and blues, the emphasis seems to be on songs with a guitar solo and the more than competent drummer, who also has a good voice. If you are stuck for somewhere to go, at around 11pm, Ali Bar is more than welcoming, but be warned, get there early, it is very popular.
The second stop is upstairs at the Temmuz Bar on the main promenade just up from Pinnochio’s. This is a very Turkish bar, with a Turkish group, solely playing Turkish music. The group, I am told, usually play in either Izmir or Istanbul.  It has without doubt, one of the best live atmospheres in Altinkum. I had a very enjoyable night there, I didn’t understand many of the songs, although, that didn’t matter as the music was more than good enough. Most of the crowd were on their feet singing along, while those that remained seated also joined in. If you fancy something a little different, but still a very good night out, try the Temmuz Bar upstairs, but as above, seating is limited, so get there early.
I watched an interview with Sir Steven Redgrave this morning, talking about the Atlanta Olympic Games, where he was the winner, along with his fellow oarsmen, of Britain solitary gold medal of those games. This was a poignant reminder of perhaps how far Team GB has come along since then. As along with the upsurge in interest for the water sports, as well as the countless millions thrown at sports in the UK via the UK National Lottery funding, I caught another comment from the Dutch cycling team expressing their dismay, and asking if it was worth racing in the velodrome, as the UK cyclists were just too good. 17 gold medals at the last count, the best tally for over 100 years, truly an outstanding achievement, in what claims to be the cleanest Olympic Games to date.