74 passengers abroad Flight UX-196 from Glasgow had a bumpy start to their vacation in Lanzarote this morning as their Air Europa Boing 737 failed to stop on the runway and took them a little closer to the beach than expected.

Emergency services helped the passengers disembark and it was confirmed that no-one was injured. The airport has been temporarily closed so those on later flights to Lanzarote can expect some delays.

If you have ever seen a Cirque Soleil performance then you know what kind of athletic and colourful extraganza you can expect from the European debut performance of El Circo Taganai. Taganai is a Russian word for ‘Moon-holder’ and the show follows that kind of mystical theme.

Tickets for the show in the Teatro Guimera in Santa Cruz from 25 to 30 November cost from €25 in the gallery to €35 for front row orchestra.

Reviews of El Circo Taganai from the US leg of its tour include statements like ‘AWESOME’, ‘…the quickest 80 minutes of my life’, and ‘…magical.’ Sounds great to me but if you are still undecided here is a little sneak preview…

Well, it was a beautiful crisp morning in Tenerife today. Walking the dogs in the utter quiet I could see Teide in the distance with her first signs of snow cover. The dogs pottered about and there was not another soul in sight (and yes, I did pick up the poop anyway, Natasha Kaplinsky!). Bliss.

After a peaceful twenty minutes, the flock of green parrots that live in the area started to wake up and their argumentative squawking seemed oddly familiar…

Judging by my son’s mood this morning yesterday’s trip to the clinic was a success. After thundering up and down the corridor to show how fast he can run he asked if I’d like to see him break dance. I can’t really tell if he is altogether better or this is just the first blush of morning fitness which will wear of as the day goes on.

My daughter is laying on her sickie status with a brickie’s trowel, bossing her little brother around as normal when I am out the room and then reverting to a deathbed croak the minute I return.

So both are off school today and now my main worry is my own sanity. I gave up trying to get any significant work done when they are off school at the weekends a long time ago and unless their Gaga volunteers to do her lion-tamer bit for a few hours in the afternoon on schooldays, most afternoons are out too. My working hours are school-time and bed-time.

Still I have every mother’s emergency pack to hand. On the way back from the clinic the second stop after the chemist was The Big Orange. Now I can at least get them settled in front of a DVD. That should score me … oh, 15 minutes of concentration time. If I’m lucky.