I trust you all had a good Christmas and enjoyed time with family and friends. At the time of writing, we are between Christmas and New Year, which is always the time of year when you lose all track of days and dates. Why is that? We are preparing to leave for the UK for a quick visit, with my youngest son having to return early for football training.
I wanted to update you on a couple of charity events that we’ve been involved with. A few weeks ago, I interviewed Charlie Quirke, the son of actress Pauline Quirke, who was walking 140 km in five days for Alzheimer’s Research UK. He completed the walk and, to date, has raised an amazing £273,147.00!
The charity wrote:
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much to everyone who sent Charlie a message, shared on social media and donated. He couldn’t have done it without you all. We will be going into 2026 full of hope for the future and hope for a cure.”
One of the main reasons for my return to the radio with Wave Mallorca was to restart our push to help charities on the island and beyond. All the way through the year, we help promote charity events on air, and in June we held our own Radiothon. Another important time of year to help people is at Christmas.
We’d like to thank everyone who helped us along the way.
Everyone who donated money, with special mention to Helen at Martial Arts Mallorca, Mark Millward, and Hooties Golf Society.
All the people who helped us with our raffle — whether you sold or bought tickets or donated a prize.
The three auction prize donors and the people who won them.
Nice Price and Eroski Bendinat, who allowed us to carry out food collections outside their shops. Nick from Yachting Gives Back for organising it, and the volunteers who gave up their time to help us.
We managed to fill a van and a car full of food for the homeless.
Quentin Theander from Mallorca Christmas Trees donated two Christmas trees to Llar Kurt and Llar Inge, who look after homeless people.
The three charities that we helped in different ways were Yachting Gives Back, Fundación Nazaret, and SOS Animal Mallorca.
Nick from Yachting Gives Back said:
“Many thanks from all of us at YGB to all the team at Wave Mallorca and all your generous listeners and sponsors for your great support. The money raised will fund several of the monthly shopping trips we do for our chosen local charities.
Merry Christmas!”
Guillem from Fundación Nazaret said:
“Very good morning, and thousands of thanks to all the listeners for the vouchers for all the children and young people of Nazaret, but especially super thanks for remembering them. That makes them feel that they are important to someone, despite not being able to enjoy Christmas with their families. For all this, thank you very much and happy holidays!”
Maxi from SOS Animal Mallorca said:
“Thank you so much for your initiative to help the animals of SOS Animal, and also to your listeners. With the food donation, our cats and dogs will also have a Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks a lot to all of you, and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
Thanks again to everyone who helped us. We look forward to 2026 with even more enthusiasm to help more people both here and beyond.
Mallorca is, of course, known for its summer sun, but increasingly it is diversifying into a year-round destination. The weather has been much milder this current winter, and as we lead up to Christmas, Palma and Calvià are becoming the go-to places for shopping, Christmas markets, and great food and drink.
Well done to Calvià Council for offering their voucher scheme again, where residents could receive up to €40 off at participating shops. There was a budget of €250,000 on offer, which ran out in a matter of days, but it was a welcome boost for shop owners who remain open throughout the winter. I have highlighted here a few businesses that are working hard up to Christmas with food, drink, and gift ideas.
No Christmas is complete until you get yourself a tree. Not a fake one though — in my opinion, it has to be real.
At Mallorca Christmas Trees, their arborists (that’s tree surgeons to you and me) have been growing and selling the highest-quality, most sustainable, and durable Nordmann fir Christmas trees since the industry commenced in Denmark in the early 1970s. Their philosophy has always been to prioritise quality over quantity, ensuring the ethical treatment of workers, the earth, and their clients. These values are essential to their organisation. For every 10 trees they cut, they replant 14.
Tree stands, branches for decorations, and delivery are available at an additional cost.
For more information, please visit http://www.mallorcachristmastrees.com, find Mallorca Christmas Trees on Facebook and Instagram, or call or WhatsApp Quentin on +34 611 718 440. Mention me and he’ll give you a little discount.
Not sure where you’re going to buy your meat and fish this Christmas? Bespoke Provisioning has you covered. From high-quality free-range turkeys, succulent rib roasts, and whole gammons to fresh fish such as lobsters and langoustines, they offer an exceptional range.
They specialise in the highest-quality meat and fish, fully trimmed, cut, filleted, vacuum-packed, labelled, and delivered on time. You can find them on social media under Bespoke Provisioning, call or WhatsApp Simon on +34 619 593 387, or email sales@mn2v.co.
Amor de Palmera was founded by Yasmin out of her love of art and nature, combining the two through ceramics. She finds inspiration in the beautiful island of Mallorca and the concept of slow living, from creating her own collections to bespoke commissions. This vision is incorporated into all her ceramic pieces, conveying a sense of peace and tranquillity to those who use them in their homes and daily lives, bringing the spirit and energy of the Mediterranean indoors.
Yasmin also offers workshops where participants paint either a plate or a cup. After the workshop, the piece is taken back to her studio to be fired in her kiln and is ready approximately a week later, making it fully tableware-ready. There’s no need to worry about having a creative flair — anyone can enjoy ceramic painting, with plenty of guidance and support to help you achieve the design you’re looking for.
Whether buying one of her designs or creating one yourself, her ceramics make a wonderful Christmas gift this holiday season. You can view her full collection and contact her via Instagram at @amordepalmera.
This holiday season, let Elissa and Mike from World of Wine deliver the perfect gift straight to your doorstep. From exquisite wines and elegant champagnes to premium spirits, they cater to every budget and every occasion.
Whether you’re celebrating with family, thanking clients, or simply indulging yourself, they specialise in delivering directly to boats, villas, and private homes, ensuring your festivities are seamless. You can contact them on 669 075 466 or email sales@worldofwine.es.
All of the above offer great products, excellent service, and good value for money — and by choosing them, you’re also supporting local businesses.
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
December 1st has been named as the best date to put your Christmas tree up. According to the experts at Christmas Tree World, December 1 is the perfect date for other reasons too. By embracing the Christmas spirit early, families are left with enough time to establish their own traditions. Having the tree up can also encourage you to get ahead of the rush when it comes to buying presents for loved ones. Interestingly, minimalist Christmas trees have surged in popularity this year, devoid of tinsel, sparkling fairy lights and homemade decorations. Designs now proving popular with shoppers include trees with metal branches, or skeletal-like wooden frames. It comes after research suggested that traditional Christmas decorations are on the decline, with over a third (34%) of Brits saying they’re boring and half (50%) saying they want their Christmas tree to reflect their passions. Instead, people are opting for more meaningful decor, with more than three-quarters of Brits owning personal baubles that have a special meaning to them.
Don’t forget, Mallorca Christmas trees are open for business in Son Oms industrial estate. For more information, please visit http://www.mallorcachristmastrees.com Mallorca Christmas Trees on Facebook and Instagram or call or what’s app (0034) 658 342 941.
Britain is a proud nation of fakers, with two-thirds believing we have perfected the art of receiving presents we do not like. As many as 69 per cent of Brits would not dream of telling someone they didn’t like a gift given to them – with a third (30 per cent) regularly pretending to like pressies they actually hate, according to a new survey. In fact, half (49 per cent) admit they often receive Christmas gifts they dislike – so much so that 60 per cent believe they have perfected the art of faking their joy. And, according to one in three (31 per cent) of the nation’s ‘faking experts’, exclaiming ‘thank you! It’s what I’ve always wanted’ in a big voice, is the best way to disguise your dislike, along with common phrases, ‘you really shouldn’t have’ (23 per cent) or ‘it’ll be souseful’ (22 per cent), according to the findings by online card marketplace thortful. Changing the topic quickly to focus on someone else (nine per cent) and hopefully quipping ‘it will look great when I put it on’ (nine per cent) are also among the top ways to hide dislike. In our family we do a secret Santa where we randomly pick a family name from an online app and each person can make up a wish list from Amazon, Etsy, JD Sports, Nike and Look Fantastic to the value of £50.00. Meaning everyone ends up with a present that they wanted and not having to come up with the excuses like above.
Football league one side Stockport County has embraced the festive spirit with an innovative meal that’s sure to go down a treat at half-time, and it’s already gone viral.
Food at football grounds can leave a lot to be desired, and you will normally pay through the nose for it. There’s a superb Instagram app called ‘footyscran’ which features good and bad food at football stadiums.
The ‘Christmas dinner in a cup’ has captured the imagination of fans nationwide, leaving them eager to sample it, and it’s already gone viral. The Hatters as they’re known have produced, a delicious offering of tender turkey, savoury stuffing, creamy mash, and rich gravy, and at £4.50 it is an absolute bargain. Complete with brussels sprouts, pigs in blankets, and roast potatoes, the cup prompted comments such as,
“A lot of pubs would pour that on a plate and charge £18. Pick out the sprouts
and that’s a top half-time warmer!”
Another admirer remarked: “If clubs were judged on food, Stockport County would be in the Champions League.
Last Friday, we started playing Christmas songs on the radio. Normally we will wait until December 1st but as that’s today, the listeners decided for us to start last Friday. Now just to make you feel old, this year marks the 40th anniversary of Band Aid song ‘Do they know it’s Christmas’ and the Wham! song ‘Last Christmas. Also, it’s the 30th anniversary of the East 17 song ‘Stay Another Day’.
This week’s Official Singles Chart already has 10 Christmas songs in it, with Wham! The highest at number 8 and Mariah Carey at number 10.
I wonder what will be this year’s Christmas number one?
Dare I mention the “C” word? Well, my friends, there are now 39 days until Christmas!
The grand switch on of the Christmas lights in our capital city of Palma will be on Saturday, November 23rd in the evening. Palma at Christmas is definitely worth a visit, whether you live here or you’re coming over for a short break. I’m not sure if we’re on top of many peoples lists to visit for a pre-Christmas visit, but we should be. Firstly of course we’re within 2 hours of most Uk airports and in fact most European ones too. It’s a 15-minute taxi ride into the centre of town from the airport, and there are loads of beautiful boutique hotels. Palma City centre is great for shopping and don’t forget we have three superb shopping malls on the outskirts. They are Porto Pi, Fan and Mallorca Shopping Outlets, all are worth a visit, have a good variety of shops and all three are different in their own way. What you will find in Palma now is a wide range of cafés, markets, bars and restaurants with cuisine from all over the world. There are also some amazing sights to be seen. Palma Cathedral, Bellver Castle and the marina are a few of the must-sees. You could also take in a La Liga game if you wish. Barcelona are in town in early December!
There are also some beautiful Christmas markets in Plaza Espanya and Pueblo Espanyol. All in all, Palma at Christmas, I would thoroughly recommend you visit.
Previous Christmas Number 1s have been claimed by music icons, cartoon characters, punk-rock disruptors, TV talent show winners, and all-star charity records. Last year, WHAM! Finally secured the Official Christmas Number 1 with “Last Christmas”, 39 years after its release.
Without doubt, if you can write a good Christmas song or in some cases a not very good Christmas song, then it could well give you a good income for the rest of your life. The Performing Rights Society or PRS as it’s known don’t tend to divulge this information easily to protect their artists’ privacy. But it’s a well known fact that the following artists make substantial amounts per year from just one song. The top ten are listed below.
“Merry Xmas Everybody” by Slade, £1m
“Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl £400,000
“All I Want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey £400,000
“White Christmas” by Bing Crosby £328,000
“Last Christmas” by Wham! £300,000
“Wonderful Christmastime” by Paul McCartney £260,000
“Stop the Cavalry” by Jona Lewie £120,000
“2000 Miles” by The Pretenders £102,000
“Mistletoe and Wine” by Cliff Richard £100,000
“Stay Another Day” by East 17 £97,000
In my opinion, no Christmas is complete until you get yourself a tree. Not a fake one for me, it has to be real. A few years ago, I met a guy called Quentin who was bringing Christmas trees over to Mallorca from a farm in Denmark.
Their arborists (aka tree surgeons to you and I) have been growing and selling the highest quality, most sustainable and durable Nordmann fir Christmas Trees since the industry commenced in Denmark in the early 70s. Their philosophy has always been to produce quality over quantity, whereby the ethical treatment of the workers, the earth and the clients is always respected and maintained, these are the values which are essential to their organisation. For every 10 trees they cut, they replant 14.
Delivery, stands and branches for decorations are available for an extra cost.
Christmas shopping is not something us boys look forward to. Me in particular, so much so I prefer to ask people to give me an idea of what they would like to receive. I do though love the food and drink shopping at this time of year. I do believe in helping local businesses and I’ve picked out a couple that I’ve bought from in the past. These people would always be one of the first to help when charity was calling in my old job on the radio and I now count them as friends. But more importantly they are very good at what they do. I caught up with them all this past week to find out what they’re doing leading up to Christmas.
Simon at Bespoke Provisioning studied for 3 years training at Chefs school which included becoming a fully fledged butcher and fishmonger.
You may remember him from the Escape bar in Palma which he ran for 16 years. When he left the bar he started The Meat & Fish Society which has now become Bespoke Provisioning. They specialise in the highest quality meat and fish, fully trimmed, cut, filleted, vacuum packed and labelled and delivered on time. They deliver to Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca (fixed rates to Ibiza and Menorca so no surprises) Simon has cheffed for Queen drummer Roger Taylor on his new yacht ‘Rock n Roll’ and has cooked at countless events.
As the yacht provisioning is a little quieter at this time of year he is offering for Christmas, Whole organic Turkeys, boned and rolled organic turkeys and gammon joints in various sizes.
For more information please call or whatsapp Simon on 619 593 387. Facebook
“the meat and fish society” for pictures, videos and general information.
And you can Email him on sales@mn2v.co
Since 2005 Elisa and Mikey from the World of Wine have been building relationships with the industry’s most acclaimed vineyards and winemakers from ‘Old World’ to ‘New World’, Spain to New Zealand and France to Australia. They source exceptional wines made from the highest quality grapes and deliver them personally to your doorstep or superyacht quayside.
You can indulge in the spirit of Christmas with their curated selection of wines, exquisite champagnes and a festive array of drinks. Why not have a pre-dinner bottle of champagne Vueve Cliquot and Moët Chandon are always the classic favourites. This year Blanc de Blanc and Pol Roger Brut Reserve are very popular too.
Every year they are finding more wines from Mallorca, such as Ses Rotes, Es Verger, Son Mayol Rose and Castel Miguel. They also have a full selection from the mainland of Spain, Italy, France, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Argentina.
If you’re looking for a wine to pair with your turkey then they recommend a Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Albariño. Don’t be fooled by the name World of Wine as they can supply beers and spirits including, Port, Brandy, Whiskey and even Tequila! And remember all these are not just for drinking, they are for gifting too.
For more information please call;
Elisa Llewellyn: +34 669 075 466
Miguel Perez: +34 636 188 598
In years gone by I would be heavily involved in a Christmas charity campaign. I feel a little guilty that not working on the radio has limited my ability to do the charity work. However I had a coffee with Nick from Yachting Gives Back this week who we helped on a number of occasions and asked what help they could do with this Christmas.
Yachting Gives Back are a registered charity through which the yachting industry – both yachts and service companies – are helping to alleviate the problems of poverty and hunger in Mallorca. They collect non-perishable foodstuffs & hygiene products and they then deliver to those in need on the island. The main charities the help are;
Associacio Tardar is a food bank & Soup Kitchen in Palma. They provide simple, balanced meals daily to hundreds of people in the centre of Palma. The operation relies totally on volunteers and donations and they collaborate with Social Services to reach the people most in need of help.
Mallorca Sense Fam is a food bank and charity shop in Palma. Mallorca Without Hunger is a local food bank providing regular supplies of basic foodstuffs to the most vulnerable families in Palma. It is run by a network of volunteers and supported by donations from private individuals & entities, as well as public food banks. MSF has its own application process and conducts initial interviews with people seeking help.
Es Refugi is a non-profit association working in collaboration with the Social Services to meet the basic needs of those who, due to different circumstances, are at risk of social exclusion. Over the years Es Refugi has worked with people with addiction problems and currently focuses on the long term unemployed, who may have ended up defaulting on their mortgage payments, lost their unemployment benefit and in the process also lost family contact. Es Refugi runs a shelter and social kitchen for 50 people in the finca Ca l´Ardiaca II in the outskirts of Palma.
Can Gaza is a rustic finca in Secar de la Real is a home for about 25 men who suffer from serious consequences of past drug and alcohol addictions. Despite their weak physical condition, they all contribute in the daily chores of the finca. Those in better health restore furniture and other household items in Taller Marginalia, a treasure trove of second hand wares in Can Valero. Through daily work, each member of the community contributes to their own wellbeing as well as that of their “extended family”, thus helping to build up their self confidence and sense of dignity.
Asociación Siloé is a non-profit entity of public interest under the umbrella of the Mallorcan Institute of Social Services, providing care and a family-like environment for terminally ill AIDS sufferers in a vulnerable situation, without financial resources or family support.
SOS Mamas was set up by two former colleagues and friends who created a Facebook page where people could offer equipment no longer needed, and families with children lacking resources could ask for what they require, in total anonymity. This humble initiative has grown into an organisation that attends to the basic needs of thousands of regulars in various areas on the island.
It was great to catch up with Nick again and he mentioned that if you want to donate anything then milk, any cooking oil and hygiene products are always needed.
For more information please Email: nick@yachtinggivesback.com or call +34 619 117 937. Take care everybody and enjoy your weekend!
Richie is the MD at Pirates, the islands number one night out featuring Adventure, Reloaded and Gringos.
Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com
Dad Taxi Mallorca 