Hosts Roger and Sara are together in North Cyprus bringing you this episode. They chat about Christmas and New Year in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus - what they've been up to as expats - Roger is living the good life as a retiree near Kyrenia and Sara has an holiday apartment in Iskele.
Teresa Cefa is a busy lady. She has been running a wedding planning business in the TRNC for a few years but is now also an event coordinator for Heartbeat - that raises thousands of TL to help those with cancer. Roger caught up with her in a bar.... of course he did!
How tough is it to run a popular restaurant business in the TRNC with the cost of living rising all the time? Roger went along to chat with Emma Elmaz, who runs the Wild Duck near Lapta with her husband, to find out.
Roger and Sara catch up after Roger’s trip to the UK. Did he have to run through Istanbul airport again?! And how much did Kurt Duffield raise for the local cancer charity? Listen to find out!
Roger chats with the amazing Kurt Duffield at the finish line of his epic 1000 km run and cycle for Tulips cancer charity to find out how it’s gone - and what he might have planned next.
How will the next five years shape up for North Cyprus with a new President? We are joined by the Editor-in-Chief of Cyprus Today - Eltan Halil - who gives us his insight and commentary on Tufan Erhurman and his policies going forward.
From a children's home in England to finding his real home in North Cyprus, Mems tells us about growing up in England with his Turkish Cypriot parents and why his future lies in the TRNC.
Kurt Duffield is at it again. Raising money for Tulips cancer charity in the TRNC by walking a half marathon followed by rowing on a machine every day through October. By the end of the month he’ll have done 1000 kms and hopefully raised money for a charity close to his heart.
Author Martina Cole used to own the Best Seller bookshop in Karakum. It's now run by Deborah Burdess. Sara stopped by to chat with her about what it's like owning the only completely English book shop in the TRNC.
More and more turtles are returning to North Cyprus every year to lay eggs and see their hatchlings go back into the sea. Helping them on their long journey are SPOT (Society for the protection of turtles) and the Cyprus Wildlife Research Institute. We hear from people working hard for these organisations protecting turtles in the TRNC.
Metin Murat has been on a book tour promoting his new book “Meeting Sister”. It follows his first novel “The Crescent Moon Fox”. Sara caught up with him at the Best Seller bookstore in Karakum and heard his views on the future of the Turkish Cypriots.
We explore the cost and treatments of going to the dentist in North Cyprus. We’re not taking “Turkey teeth” which is, of course, an option but for two young lads living in the UK and Jersey, the cost and treatment in the TRNC was so much better than at home.
Levent Soyer is a well known and well respected cardiologist in the TRNC. He is also a highly accomplished musician. Roger managed to chat with him to find out more, during a break in Levent’s busy schedule.
Given the uncertainty across the Middle East, how are people in the TRNC feeling about being so close to the Israel/Iran conflict? Sara and Roger find out from some expats.
Constantinos Emmanuelle has Greek Cypriot heritage and lives in Melbourne Australia. He has been gathering stories from Cypriots, both Greek and Turkish, born before 1940 for his project “Tales of Cyprus”. It provides a factual, historic and fascinating look into a bygone era of life in Cyprus.
Sue Tilt has been with the Tulips cancer charity for over 13 years. She’s decided it’s time to hand the reins to others while she cycles off into the sunset with her guitar! She chats with Roger about the legacy she’s leaving behind and the future of this important charity to the TRNC community.
Martin Derbyshire loves to cycle now he’s retired to the TRNC from the army, with his wife. He’s cycled around the whole island of Cyprus but didn’t count on being hit by a car and spending 3 months in traction. But he’s back on his bike as he’s been telling us.
From rehoming a donkey and two miniature goats on his father's land in Taskent, Kemal Basat has gone on to set up the Cyprus Wildlife Research Institute. They are currently running twenty programmes from donkeys in the Karpaz to turtles to collecting seeds for the seed bank. He chatted with Sara about the work the Institute does on very little money.
Don't worry - you've not gone through a time port hole, we're re-publishing this episode as there was a copyright issue with the very small bit of Christmas music we put at the end of the episode! They would have deleted the whole episode otherwise. Merry Christmas!!!
Former army officer, Steve Heap, and his wife have just moved to North Cyprus - even though he could have lived anywhere in the world. Despite rules changing regularly, they still like it especially as his former boss in the Army - John Scott - happens to live down the road.