Hi, UK- GOA UK - The Deterioration of Integrity and Honesty June 2016 Our people keep saying they have better things to do rather than spend time in doing things better as they live from dance to feast forgetting all their troubles for the moment. The GOA UK Golden Anniversary Ball at Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel, Bath Road, Middlesex on 11 June 2016 was billed as a dinner dance event, as you will see from the feedback from witnesses given below, some got neither a meal nor a dance!!!! The Family Raj was in full swing as they awarded themselves a free meal and drinks along with their under the table invited guests on complimentary tickets (non complimentary guests paid GBP 35.00 for members and GBP 50.00 for guests). This is not unusual as reports over the years indicate honorarium payments and expenses even Golden handshakes are awarded to each other like cockroaches with self-enrichment in mind . You buy raffles and donate in good faith and throw money into bucket collections in the name of Charity while folks chant “where is the money going”. There are currently not enough Family Raj members to fill all the inactive posts so these posts have been amalgamated to fit in with the Family Raj. With trees blowing outside and the rustling of leaves comes whispers in the Goan wind of the current state of play illuminating the deterioration of Integrity and Honesty at the recently held ball. Our patriotic Goans who took the whole event passionately spent time, as asked, purchasing golden waistcoats, golden bow ties long golden gowns, they went all the way and raided their golden nest egg to be noticed at what was advertised and sold to be a “not to be missed” champagne event. Only to observe at this once in a lifetime event had the feel good factor killed off as it has now become in breadline Britain fashionable for office bearers to short change people with no questions asked meeting their need with greed. Given below is some of the feedback from people attending: · 1. Getting into the hall was a mammoth task, queues lasted for over an hour and a half waiting to be searched like workers just leaving a chocolate factory on their way to Goa. · 2. You needed to get your hands on a glass of Prosecco the new wine at the speed of light. One golden merry maker pointed out a number of people were left empty handed as the Prosecco had run out. · 3. Toasting (if you were lucky to get a glass of Prosecco by then!) came in the form of ancient traditional speeches, how does one stay awake till nearly 10 pm and listen to the drone of two hours of verbal diarrhoea and videos without nodding off! · 4. The exquisite meal was Indian, no doubt served on unbreakable golden metal platters, extra prayers were not needed as Goan meals are now at risk of being Dog food dressed in masala, could this be one of reasons it was not served? This is an insult to our dishes the finest cuisine in the world and no cardio bodio or dodol on the night. There is a saying you snooze you lose, and I understand guests scrambled as the food was laid on the table consequently some ended up with none at all! · 5. The dance floor was so small that only a few couples could dance on it at a time. So Cinderella with her big golden ball gown had no chance to do a twirl, or even drop her slipper. · 6. The band lost its Shine and after two hours of play brought the whole experience to a not so glittering end. · 7. A group of local street dancers for a 15 minute show were paid considerably more than the Goan Band!!! Another insult to our musicians. Then comes a further Goan rumour, that this event had been run at a big loss. I have no doubt this to be the case, with overall creative accounting with no audit a pattern over the last ten years, a loss would come as no surprise to me. This event has gone full cycle to show how our standards have dropped in the UK. Feedback from those attending also highlight, in my opinion, the behaviour of the Pinocchio puppet regime, who have the audacity of sending out a newsletter calling it a “Wow event”, giving out a totally inaccurate account of the Golden Anniversary. If you attended the 50th Anniversary and strongly feel that you were ripped off as the event was not up to your expectation you should write in the first instance to The Company Secretary, G.O.A. UK Limited “The Firs” 17 Firs Drive, Cranford, Middlesex, TW5 9TA requesting a refund, if you get no reply contact the local trading standards authority whose address is Trading Standards, London Borough of Hounslow, Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow TW3 4DN, Tel 020 8583 5555 E-mail: [email protected] and send me a copy of any correspondence on this subject by e mail. [email protected]. Should follow up action be necessary after all it is all our business to stop the rot.
Melvyn Fernandes Thornton Heath, Surrey 12 July 2016
