Jottings
News from the UK and around the World
... the wild , the wacky , the wonderful , the weird and the downright infuriating
When in Spain …
A British woman has criticised Spanish people for spending their holidays in ... er ... Spain . The 81-year old has been widely quoted in British newspapers as asking , “ Why can ’ t the Spanish go somewhere else for their holidays ?” Freda Jackson from Blackburn in Lancashire complained to tour operator Thomas Cook after the holiday she spent with a friend at the Poseidon Playa Hotel in Benidorm was ruined because “ too many Spaniards ” were also staying there . She claimed the hotel was full of “ rude ” Spanish nationals who , “ really got on our nerves ,” and has demanded a full refund of £ 1,133 (€ 1,270 ) for her companion and herself , or a replacement holiday . Thomas Cook offered a much smaller amount to cover a last-minute change to their flight and as a goodwill gesture .
Unsurprisingly , the Spanish press picked up the story published in the UK last month and contacted the hotel . A spokesman said they changed the ladies ’ bedroom on the first day as they had mobility problems , but received no other complaints from them . The president of Bendidorm ’ s hotel operators association said that British tourists maintain their “ culture of compensation ” and that in most cases their claims are “ false , distorted and magnified .”
For her part , Freda Jackson says she has been branded a racist and that her statements were “ taken out of context .”
She says she never suggested Spanish holidaymakers should seek out a different holiday destination .
Food Facts
There ’ s good news and bad news for lovers of Toblerone . The good news is that it is reverting to its traditional shape after an outcry over a move to widen the gaps between the chocolate triangles . In 2016 , the weight of the bar fell from 170 grams to 150 grams in an effort to keep the price at around £ 1 (€ 1.12 ), but the revised version will weigh a third more . However , the bad news is it has been estimated that this will increase the price by over 200 per cent .
A Scottish ice-cream manufacturer has divided opinion on its latest flavouring .
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