Gran Alacant Advertiser May 09 by Gran Alacant Advertiser

A AY LW A EE FR

LOCAL NEWS from Gran Alacant football club Gran Alacant bowls club Gran Alacant darts league Gran Alacant theatre group Gran Alacant toddlers club Gran Alacant forum presentation Gran Alacant entertainment scene Gran Alacant Inter club LOCAL FEATURES from Computerman Beauty therapy Tourist information Financial advisor Driving in Spain K9 dog adoption El Clot Local vet Spanish language

For a free quote contact Barry or Sandra on Home phone: 966 699 167 (answerphone available) or Email: laneinspain@hotmail.com or read the whole magazine on our website at www.granalacantadvertiser.com TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

Hello Everyone, Lets hope by now we will have seen the last of the cold winds, and are well and truly into summer. It’s great for us to give you in this month’s magazine, information about new groups starting up on Gran Alacant, hopefully there will be a group that you would like to become involved with, we are sure all the groups would make new members very welcome. Anyone got a nice photo of Gran Alacant? This is the question that we asked on the Gran Alacant Forums. If so, we could publish it on our front cover, with your name. We have had such a good response, thank you all very much, keep them coming! This month’s front cover picture was taken by Ken Hitcham. Another milestone for me in April, my 62nd birthday. This is the time that you start to think of retirement on the horizon, 36 more issues, or way past retirement age, unless somebody offers to become our successor in the business, so we can enjoy an early retirement. Have a good month Barry and Sandra

page number 4/5 15

44/45 44/45 46/47

News pages

Chris Turton finance

Beauty therapy page

Toddlers group

Legal Solutions

Thank you letter

52/53

Inter club

49 50

52/53 56/57 56/57 58/59 60/61 60/61 62/63 62/63

K9 dogs

Whatʼs in the Clot

Claudias presentation Computer page

GASP Theatre group Bowls club

GA Darts league GA football Vet page Forums

Tourist info

Wordsearch

66 67 69 71 71 72 73

74/75

Get on your bike Spanish lesson Sudoku

G.A. Train timetable Map of Alicante

Map of Gran Alacant Map of Santa Pola Bus timetables

Our little dog from the front cover has hidden herself away in the magazine, can you find her? Last month she was in the golf advert.

Please let us know by the 14th of every month if you would like any changes to your advert

PROBABLY the BEST ADVERTISING PRICES ON THE COSTAS

JUST A NOTE: We do provide all of our advertisers with FREE design work and therefore ask that this work not be supplied and used by other publications.

35 euro per month for a 90mm x 60mm advert 55 euro per month for a 128mm x 92mm advert 95 euro per month for a 153mm x 202mm advert 110 euro per month for a 153mm x 232mm advert

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We at your Gran Alacant Advertiser continue to bring you all of the news from the Gran Alacant Councillor, Loreto Cascales, as we have since May 2005.

The usual questions were the first ones we always ask. Progress of the golf course no new news Progress of the Park Tenders for the work are being sent to the Town Hall, once they are all in the builder will be choosen and the work can start. Gran Alacant Train Interested parties are submitting their quotes, then the Town Hall will select the next train service. We mentioned the club the Council hope to start for those living alone and would like to meet up with others each week, we had a response to the magazine where interested people were having difficulty registering at the Library. If you are interested in this group please call into the Gran Alacant Council Office and ask to meet with Loreto who will then ensure that the Library are fully aware of this venture.

photo: May 2005

Toddlers club, elsewhere in this months edition. If anybody would like to start any type of group, the Town Hall would be only too pleased to help make it work. It means forming an official association and then the Town Hall will be able to assist with all kinds of facilities and help. You will see an article this month about the wonderful assistance provided when a health problem occured in the middle of the night. It was nice to receive this letter and we asked Loreto to let it be known, the thanks to all concerned. The two new viewing points are

You may be aware of the new clubs that we have been asked to help promote, the Theatre group, Mothers & toddlers, Football etc. The GASP Theatre Group have become the first UK association formed through the Santa Pola Council. There are reports on the Football club, the Theatre Group, and the

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nearing completion. One up the hill on the left before the sports centre, has at the time of going to press, to just have a fence, 2 trees, bench, and lights to be fitted for completion. A place to sit and relax and take in the view. The second is half way down heart attack hill to the beach. Again, a spot to rest and take in the views on any walk down or back up the hill from the beach. The community roads near the school are going to be gated. These roads have become a bit of a rat run, causing problems for residents. The Town Hall have agreed to pick up the tab in installing these gates, as well as resurfacing the road that runs along side the school. You can go along to the library and join a group of Spanish/British people in conversational language. The whole group will speak in Spanish for 30 minutes and then in English for 30 minutes. The first meeting was on the 29th April, so get your name down, any time after this date. On the 14th May at 5pm at the library there will be a conference for European Residents explaining the Law about properties in Spain. Put your name down at the library if interested. Arrangements are now being made to hold this years Gran Alacant

Fiestas, on 23rd - 24th - 25th July. So those of you who read the magazine in the UK book your visit here to include these free events. It was brought to our attention by one of our readers that there are bogus gas people knocking on doors of those using natural gas, saying that they had come to service the boiler. Then demanding 180 euro. So be careful! Before letting them in phone the Gas Board to make sure they are genuine Many readers have been disappointed at the gates to the El Clot being closed in the Carabasi Bar area. This has been closed off as people are taking their dogs onto the clot and unsettling the wildlife. Our picture (below left) shows just some of the area of land that the Town Hall are going to spend money on. If you go up the hill past the post office, right up to the top you will pass El Faro urbanisation on your left, you then turn right just before the big mast on the right. This is where there are walkways through the pines . The picture (below right) was taken by one of our advertisers, we only hope their fire engine caught fire when they were returning from a fire not going to one. If you have questions you would like us to raise at our meetings, please email us.

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Your one stop English shop for, fine bone china, cookware, bakeware, gifts, linens, quilts, quilt covers, pillows, candles, mirrors, rugs, ornaments, microwave accessories, slow cookers, beautiful acrylic glasses.

UK Suppliers

Lady Anne's Emporium 118 Calle Mayor Pilar de la Horadada 03180

The best of British goods guaranteed to please the most discerning customers!

All items imported from England, unless otherwise stated. Now available at La Marina Urb. Market each Sunday and 1st Tuesday each month at CHASERS, Sierra Mar, Gran Alacant, from 7.30pm

Our catalogue containing full ranges now available - contact Ian or Anne on 6266 70758.

Husband walks into Ann Summers to purchase some see-through lingerie for his wife. He is shown several possibilities that range from £50 to £150 in price, the more see-through, the higher the price. He opts for the sheerest item, pays the £150 and takes the lingerie home. He presents it to his wife and asks her to go upstairs, put it on and model it for him.

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The Discover Plan© Eat well, Feel full, Lose weight! Free registration until 16th April 2009 When you purchase a 5 or 10 week pass For further info contact Erika on 689186246 Or email Erika-ww@hotmail.es

QUALITY SECOND HAND Books, CD’s and DVD’s

Outside Baileys Bar every Friday 11-4pm We buy, sell, and part exchange. Come and have a look. We need your support to keep this going

Tel: 966 699 790

Upstairs, the wife thinks, "I have an idea. It's so see-through that it might as well be nothing. I'll not put it on, do the modelling naked and return it tomorrow and get a £150 refund for myself". So she appears naked at the top of the stairs and strikes a pose. The husband says, "Good grief! It wasn't that creased in the shop". His funeral is Thursday

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Have you been to the wonderful Theatre “Casa de Cultura” in Santa Pola, in the main Elche Street. They will eventually try to put on an English speaking night, until then you can still enjoy the Spanish theatre We will publish the monthly programme for you in each of our summer issues.

FARMACIA

on Gran Al a cant is open every day

of the year

from 9am-9pm

see our Map of Gran Alacant

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La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina

La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina

in La Marina

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La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina

D2155 Situated on a corner plot we find a detached villa situated within a short walk of the park and commercial area. The property has been extended to offer a glazed entrance porch, dining room, living room, independent kitchen, two bedrooms & re-furbished bathroom. Price: 115.000 Pounds.

D2006 Barclays Properties offer the opportunity to acquire a superbly priced detached villa situated on a plot of 500 M2 (being gravelled) within a short walk of the park and commercial area. The main build consists of living room, kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and solarium. Price: 205.000 Euros

SPECIAL OFFERS

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La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina

Q2220 A beautifully appointed quad situated in a highly desirable location of the urbanization within a short walk of all amenities. Briefly offering L shaped living / dining room, kitchen, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and solarium. Also enjoying a communal pool. Price: 107.000 Euros

La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..

La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina..La Marina

IRISH ENGINEERS and a BLONDE

Two Irishmen were standing at the base of a flagpole, looking up. A blonde walks by and asks what they are doing.

Paddy: "We're supposed to find the height of this flagpole, but we don't have a ladder."

The blonde took a spanner from her purse, loosened a few bolts and laid the flagpole down. She pulled a tape measure from her pocket, took a few measurements and announced that it was eighteen feet and six inches.

She then walked off.

Mick: "Ain't that just like a blonde! We need the height and she gives us the length."

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Christopher Turton & Associates (Independent Financial Advisors) of La Marina have many years experience in financial planning, taxation and investment issues. Chris has been in practice for over twenty-five years and the last seven here in the Costas. There are so many articles written about pension choices – help! In the English language newspapers, every issue contains pension information – QROPS – Drawdown – Annuities, I could go on. It is no surprise that the general public are so unsure how to decide on their own choices. Because of the current economic difficulties and the need for most people to increase their personal income, we have received a surge of enquires about UK pensions and how to access the money. It is important to recognise that a pension arrangement is by nature long-term and therefore should be accessed only if other avenues have been explored. Our practice is well versed on available choices and are well placed to advise you. A simple glossary of products available: QROPS a recent innovation, these plans are simply pension schemes run in non-UK jurisdictions (e.g. Guernsey, New Zealand) whereby, should certain criteria be met; a UK pension-holder may be better served by transferring overseas under local regulations. Generally a more costly option, but the right one for many ex-pats who have been away from the UK, or will be in the future, for a five year period or more. In such circumstances, some schemes allow for access to the whole pension fund values as cash. Why have the taxation, rules and restrictions of UK pension schemes when an ex-pat? Drawdown is a type of personal pension becoming ever more useful and popular. Once the choice of very large pension fund holding, this type of arrangement is now available to most pension policyholders. In essence, a plan-holder is able to access all or part of the pension tax free cash allowance (usually 25% of the fund value) – then access income immediately or later in life by drawing amounts from the fund. Unlike an annuity or conventional scheme, the fund remains invested until age 75 when other choices are required. With drawdown then, a client may access part of the scheme to help if cash is required, but leave the bulk of the “pension pot” until income is required later in life. As always, certain criteria must be met. Annuities are often referred to as “pension income”. As you may now see from the above, pension income comes in many different guises and it is essential advice is sought to ensure the best deal is secured. I have come across so many clients over the years who have secured their annuity income from the pension company who they have been with for years – this is a common and costly mistake in most cases, and one which cannot be rectified later. An annuity is the provision of a secured income, usually for life, purchased by the value of a pension fund or other capital amount. This can be guaranteed, paid to spouse on death, increasing or indexed linked and other choices. There is no right or wrong way with pension choices which may be applied to all cases. Each person is different: requirements for cash, income, spouse protection, age, taxation, are just some of the considerations. As with most financial decision, please seek advice before committing to an arrangement to ensure that you have secured the best deal for your circumstances. Chris and his colleagues are available on one of the numbers below. Please don’t wait until it’s too late, seek independent financial advice now. I look forward to writing for you again next month, best wishes Chris Turton. christurton1@terra.es Office 902 883 052 (National & Answer-phone) 966 795 714 (Local, La Marina) Mobile 616 531 095 (Chris Turton Direct)

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MAXCOOP

THURSDAY MARKET

These three businesses are all situated together. Homefinders and Gran Alacant Services are side by side above Destinations

API

URGENT! PROPERTIES NEEDED

What does it stand for Spanish Government Licensed Estate Agents A.P.I.s (Agentes de la Propiedad Inmobiliaria) are estate agents and valuers belonging to a professional college like architects and lawyers and similarly being university graduates who have passed post graduate examinations. They receive a government license to be allowed to practice.

WHY use API estate agents API or GIPE professional associations, which on the whole indicates a higher level of training and some level of professional indemnity. It's only relatively recently that lawyers have played a part in property transactions on the Costa Blanca, and this is mostly for English clients who are familiar with a purchasing and selling lawyer for the conveyance. The lawyer will check the documentation in an identical way to an A.P.I. estate agent and provide the same guarantee although the lawyer's fee is an extra whereas the A.P.I's fee is included in the price of the property. To put it simply, a foreign buyer who is not familiar with the language, or concepts such as a notary, registry, or N.I.E. number, needs either an A.P.I. estate agent or a Spanish lawyer to assist them. A.P.I. agencies can easily be recognized by the shield (see the bottom of the page) that they have outside their offices with their name or college number.

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MUNICIPLE OFFICE, HEALTH CENTRE, LIBRARY

POST OFFICE

THESE 3 BUSINESSES

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Your opportunity to rent a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, modern Town House for a golf holiday in Spain, at the prestigious.......

La torre Jack Niclaus, Polaris World Complex. To view the resort go to: www.polarisworld.com then go to Our resorts - La Torre To rent the house: phone (0034) 606 596 723

* Fifteen minutes from San Javier airport. * Car rental from the airport. * 2 more courses within a 10 minute drive. * Free courtesy bus to take you to each course. * Under 30 mins to the beaches of Mar Menor and Murcia City centre. Front of house.

The view from the lounge

The view from the balcony, overlooking the 15th tee.

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The entertainment SCENE in and around .........

gran alacant When it comes to innovative ideas on collecting for charity, it seems that the British expat population from in and around Gran Alacant wrote the book. The latest effort to raise money for a good cause was a sponsored walk along the Carabasi Beach. Hardly seminal you may think, but add to that the fact that it was compulsory for each competitor, male or female to wear a bra decorated to their taste and we had a spectacle worthy of any ones donation. The winner (pictured below with a well known local builder and closet cross-dresser) received a well deserved bottle of bubbly. In hindsight a decorated hat may have been more appropriate.

We take it for granted here in Spain that the weather is going to be good, but during the early hours of Sunday 19th of April, the heavens literally opened and a heavy storm set the course for the rest of the day. Not to be beaten by a bit of bad weather and with gritted teeth we stormed the beach at the beginning of the Santa Pola coast road and headed in the direction of Los Arenales. To complete the course we continued walking until the end of Los Arenales, turned around and headed back to the car area, around a 30 min walk in total. The going on sand is quite heavy and therefore good exercise, and as I walked along the beach, I couldn't help but notice the natural beauty of the Mediterranean Sea and how lucky we are to have it right on our doorsteps. All raised sponsorship money will go to the Elche Hospital Onocology Wing, so a big WELL DONE! to all who competed and donated.

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Sierra Mar Gran Alacant The next three pages show four businesses in the traffic free Sierra Mar square. Four places for eating and drinking.

Good food/pleasant atmosphere Friendly staff/varied menu Prime quality steaks/lamb/chicken/fish Homemade specialities all at reasonable prices. Mixed grill with a drink for 13€ inc vat Large choice of UNDER 10€ main meal SEE MAP ABOVE FOR LOCATION

VOTED MOST POPULAR GA RESTAURANT BY THE GA PLAZA

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Sierra Mar

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Sierra Mar

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Flannagans are in the Plaza Mayor Complex, which is a child friendy, car free area marked on the GA map in the back of this magazine

PHONE: or 669 659 139 or 686 431 654

FLANNAGANS KITCHEN open daily from 6th May 2pm till late Afternoon light bites which are Burgers, Toasted sandwiches, Jacket potatoes and Sandwiches with various fillings Homemade pizza with various toppings Soup of the day French bread pizza Cream teas Individual homemade cakes

chips or mash Coconut chicken curry Sharing platters Cheesy nachos BBQ chicken wings Spare ribs plus full menu Everything made and cooked on the premises, also available to take-away Sunday lunches, 3 courses €7.95

Evening menu starts at 5pm Stuffed chicken breast Homemade mince pie,

Tel: 686 431 654/618 216 988 for bookings

SKY SPORTS INCLUDING ALL LIVE FOOTBALL THURSDAY 8 PM EYES DOWN FRIDAY/SATURDAY TONY HALL DISCO & OTHER ACTS SUNDAY LUNCHES 3 COURSES 7-95€

HIRE SERVICE AVAILABLE Bikes, Golf clubs, Wheelchairs, Travel cots, Baby buggies etc etc

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Bailey’s is “down the hill” facing the new Gran Alacant School

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The Bathtub Test During a visit to the mental asylum, I asked the Director how do You determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalized. "Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."

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"Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup." ".No." said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed near the window?"

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and you think youʼve got troubles!!!!

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The two businesses below, plus those on the next two pages are

UP THE TOP OF THE HILL

see the maps at the top of pages 32/33 or on the Gran Alacant map at the back of this magazine

ARMONIA

PELUQUERIA Y ESTETICA HAIRDRESSER & BEAUTICIAN DESDE – SINCE 1982 UNISEX UN NUEVO CONCEPTO EN PELUQUERIA A NEW CONCEPT OF HAIRDRESSING VEN, TE GUSTARA! COME & SEE YOU´LL LOVE IT! AVDA. ESCANDINAVIA 35, BLOQUE 7 LOCAL 10, URB. GRAN ALACANT

Come and look beautiful for Valentines! Ven y ponte guapa para San Valentín

AL LADO – ADJACENT TO PAN Y MAS ENFRENTE DE – IN FRONT OF QUICKSAVE

TEL: 966 695 681

Entertainment for MAY

“JUST GET ON THE TRAIN” to bring you up the hill

Music Bar

Open Monday - Saturday 7pm till late

Sunday Monday and Thursdays In House Music Tuesdays Quiz Night Wednesdays To be confirmed Fridays Disco/Karaoke

SATURDAY ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS DURING MAY

May 2nd - Greg March May 9th - Ricky Patton May 16th - Matt Curtis (new to GA)

May 23rd - Jack Clayton May 30th - Richie

(see boards + bar for details)

Tel: 676 529 640 Av. Escandinavia Gran Alacant (Next to Quicksave) www.raffles-alicante.com FOR EXACT LOCATION SEE MAP AT BACK OF THIS MAGAZINE

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THURSDAY MARKET

MAXCOOP

POST OFFICE

MUNICIPLE OFF

Cafe-Bar & Bistro Located behind Quicksave

Brand New Day Menu Brand New Evening Bistro Menu & exclusive Evening Set Menu Brand New Childrens Menu Take away Menu & Packed Lunches - perfect for the beach and the airport Warm, Relaxed Atmosphere Bookings Available & large Parties Welcome Coming soon:- theme nights, ie. italian night, mexican night, indian night etc Telephone: Miranda on 609 963 936 or Michael on 680 396 140 32

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FICE, HEALTH CENTRE, LIBRARY

THESE 4 BUSINESSES

SPORTS CENTRE

Restaurante

Cocina Asiatica

Avda. Escandinavia 72-1-1-3 03 130 Gran Alacant, Santa Pola (Alicante)

Tel: 966 695 149

For location see map at the back of this magazine TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

ADAMS ELECTRICAL

For All Your Electrical Needs 24hr Emergency Call Out Upgrades Anything from extra lights & sockets to a full rewire All Time Served Registered Electricians. Tel, 96 569 8146 Mob, 679 008 226

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The next few pages are adverts from the

Carabasi Bars Complex. Plenty of opportunity to eat, drink and take advantage of quizzes, karaoke entertainment etc. or dance the night away at the disco! All of our advertisers in the Carabasi Area are on the following pages.

On the lower level from left to right you have, O’Duills, Casanova, Yellow Submarine, and Silver Spoon.

Upstairs from left to right are, Ocean 11, Joes, Sandhills, and on the far right by the slope, The Phoenix.

So take your pick and enjoy your time in this area.

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37 43

Don and Ann would like to say a big thank you to all our friends who helped out with Phoenix Nights, and making sure it was open on time, especially to Carrol, Ruth, Ray and a mega thank you to Mervin for all his efforts, making sure the painting was completed to a first class standard, thank you all, the drinks are on me! Don & Ann

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TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

Hello again, Here’s one for all the gorgeous Men and Golden Oldies in Gran Alacant and surrounding area’s. Male Skin. It is wrong to assume that there is a “Male” skin type as there are just as many variations, types and chacteristics of male skin as with female skin types. Due to hormonal differences between us there are some generalizations that can be made. Testosterone, the male hormone produced by male glands, gives men a thicker epidermis (the outer protective covering is approximately 2mm in men compared to1.5 in woman) Male skin tends to be tougher, more elastic and less sensitive than female skin. Men’s skin is more acidic and has a more efficient supple of blood and sebum. This means “wait for it girls” Men’s skin tends to age better than ours remaining softer and firmer. (don’t they just have all the luck!!!) However, men’s skin is as exposed if not more too environmental and life style conditions. Take for example Murphy of Sol Builders he spends hours exposed to UVA and UVB rays which can cause damage to his skin. Murphy knows the

importance of keeping that fabulous body of his protected by using a high factor sun screen. Men need to take as much care of their skin on a daily basis, exfoliating moisturising and toning as well as a good facial are all important to keeping that youthful look. If you need assistance with the above please do not hesitate to call or pop into the salon. (all enquires confidential) Our Beautiful Golden Oldies. Mature skin looses it’s firmness and suppleness as we get older. Fine lines and wrinkles appear with loss of muscle tone. Skin ages gradually. White skin matures quicker than black skin and dry skin matures sooner than others. Therefore it is important to look after our skin. To help improve fine lines and wrinkles it is essential that the correct serums and creams are used. We can enhance our look by simple little things. For example, it you have not thought of having your eyebrows tinted and shaped then do as this can take years off you. (that goes for all you men out there too, the bushy eye brows and ears can be very ageing) Facials for both woman and men are essential. The main

there is a every Tuesday from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. We meet in the back room at JPs. We are a non-profit organisation and myself and my daughter Rachel decided to start it up as somewhere for new mum´s to get together and for children to play together. We are open to everyone with toddlers/babies, under school age. We have been running for about 5 weeks now and though we have had mum´s turning up we could do with a few more. I would like to add a big thank you to John and Yvonne for allowing us to use the room to try and get the group up and running. Please just turn up to join us.

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benefits of facial massage are that it increases the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the skin and muscles, to improve cellular activity and texture. It stimulates removal of waste products from the tissue and promotes total relaxation. Men if you are looking for an example of

the benefits of having your ears, or eyebrow tinting and shaping ask Jim Ure of Monte Mar Bowls club who is a regular. That all for this month. Next month I will discuss foot care. See you then Dott

the salon will be closed on the 25th May re opening on Tue 2nd June sorry for any inconvenience

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DRIVING IN SPAIN VEHICLE REREGISTRATION THE FACTS We at Legal Solutions have been reregistering vehicles in the Costa Blanca and the Costa Calida regions for the past 5 years. During this period there has been many changes to the reregistration process. This month we would like to inform the readers of the current requirements of the procedure. In most cases, the headlights on right hand drive vehicles will have to be replaced with continental headlights. The tax to be paid on the vehicle is based on the

emissions levels and the current value of the vehicle. If the emissions are under 120 co2g/km there is no tax to be paid. Between 121 and 160 co2g/km, the tax is 4.75 % of the current value and between 160 and 200 co2g/km then 9.75 % has to be paid. If the co2 emissions are more than 200 g then 14.75% has to be paid. For motorbikes and scooters the tax to be paid is nil if the bike has emissions less than 80 co2g/km. Between 80 and 100 co2g/km the tax is 4.75 % and between 100 and 120 g/km tax is 9.75%. Over 120 g/km the tax is 14.75%. In the last month, there has also been changes made in the amount of tax to be paid on motorhomes. It has been increased from 12 % of the current value to 14.75%. If any vehicle has been registered before 01 January 1997, then the tax is a flat 12 % of the value, regardless of the emissions levels. If you

FOR TRASPASO

Established up and running business in the Carabasi Bar Complex. If interested please phone after noon 659 078 799 46

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have not signed on the padron and have owned the vehicle for more than 6 months, then we can negate the payment of the emissions tax with a certificate called a Baja Consular ffrom the British Consulate in Alicante. The cost of the certificate is currently 133 euros however the cost changes according to the exchange rate. The current value of the vehicle is assessed by the Hacienda (Tax Office) and is based on the make, model, engine size and year of registration. All of this information can seem really confusing and the process daunting, so for a free, no obligation quote contact the Legal Solutions office. The vehicle is allowed to be in Spain for 6 months and then, by law has to be reregistered or taken out of the country. It is also illegal for any person who has residencia in Spain to drive a British plated

vehicle. The Police are really taking action in ensuring vehicles are reregistered and have been issueing fines and stiff penalties. Till next month, safe driving.

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Spain

Hospital and emergency care here in

So many things are said about the hospitals here in Spain, that I was asked by Susan Russell my neighbour to write this to assure any one of you who may be in a situation such as hers.

John her husband was taken very ill in the middle of the night recently. An ambulance needed to be called. On phoning the 112 number I was immediately given an English speaking paramedic who after taking the details arranged for an ambulance to be sent.

It arrived within 16 minutes as it came from Santa Pola followed by another ambulance 2 minutes later. John was assessed by the doctor, stabilized and rushed to Alicante Hospital, where he under went major surgery. The treatment he received was first class with an English-speaking doctor explaining the situation clearly and with care to Susan his wife. Sadly John passed away a few days later. John had discussed with Susan that if anything ever happened to him that his organs should be used to help save others, which was done. Susan wishes to thank The Doctors and Nurses and all who were involved at the Alicante Hospital. Chris and Mirabel of O´ Duills Restaurant for the help they gave in interpreting skills with the nursing staff and driving Susan around. Pat and Allwyn for collecting the family and generally running around. Bill For the use of his email and computer. Although John didnʼt pass away with cancer the family gave a generous donation to M.A.B.S. Cancer support group here on Gran Alacant Anyone who knew John and wishes to send condolences to Susan and family, I would be happy to forward them on with others that I have received. I can be contacted on 966698306 Thank You Jean Reiterbund

325,000

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For Adoption We have been inundated with puppies thrown onto the streets recently and even rescued 10 in 1 day, so we are in urgent need of homing these animals as all our foster homes are full. 6 Terrier x Spaniel cross pups were dumped in the Campo on La Marina by a man driving a cream car. A lady saw what was happening and immediately went out and rescued the puppies before they were killed on the road. They are 12 weeks old, vaccinated and all are in good health. Mindy is a 15 month old chocolate coloured cat. She and her brother and in urgent need of new homes as their owner has returned to the UK and left them behind. She is spayed, vaccinated and is a very friendly cat. Meg is a 5 month old female German Shepherd. She was found wandering the streets on La Marina. She was slightly timid when we first got her but it didn’t take her long before she was running around playing with the other dogs.

Urban is a 2 year old small dog that belonged to a lady who returned to the UK and could not take him with her. He is a very friendly, playful dog. and he has been vaccinated and has a pet passport. Urban also loves to sit on someone's lap and will be happy and content to be with anyone that will give him a little attention.

For more information please call 654027748 or 654628884 Email: k9club@lamarina.info To view more animals for adoption please go to: www.petsinspain.info

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WHAT’S THAT IN THE CLOT? by Mark Etheridge Here’s a challenge for you. Study the bird in the photograph carefully, memorise its colours and shape, then pop down to the Clot to find one for yourself – it’s fairly easy at all times of the year, and they can be found almost anywhere. The bird is called a Hoopoe, or Abubilla in Spanish. Got one? Right. Now approach it carefully and see how close you can get before it flies off. Estimate the distance. If my guess is accurate, you will find that at about 50 metres (near enough 50 yards in old money), the Hoopoe will decide that’s quite close enough, thank you, and off he goes with that peculiar flying action which makes it look like a big floppy butterfly. I am absolutely convinced that this bird has some sort of built-in rangefinder for humans, as I’ve never been able to stalk one successfully to take a really nice close-up photograph. I have on occasion come up near to one unexpectedly, for example at the side of a road while I’m in the car, but no matter how keen a bird photographer you are you can’t just screech to a halt in the middle of the highway. The Guardia Civil take a very dim view of that. My wife tolerates my interest in the birds (I suppose it’s better than an interest in the other sort of birds) but could not believe it when I told her there was a bird called a Hoopoe. “What a silly name” she said, but like many species (Curlew, Chiffchaff for example) the name derives from the call of the bird, which in the case of the Hoopoe is a low “oop-oop-oop”. If you watch one carefully (at 50 yards range) you might see that it will raise the long feathers on its head to form a peculiar fan-shape. A couple of things about the Hoopoe ought to be mentioned – firstly, if you discover a nest, you will find that it stinks to high heaven. The birds don’t clean up their own mess and this is considered to be a weapon against predators (I suppose you could call it a stench gun), although how effective it is remains unclear. Secondly, in the Valencian culture, the bird is known as the Palput and if you have any Valencian friends you ought to ask them what that means. It will either bring an abrupt end to the party, or spark off a most interesting conversation which you will have to be broad minded to accept – ‘nuff said! See you next month.

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WELCOME to QUESADA

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SILVER JUBILEE OF

THE INTER CLUB The actual Silver Jubilee event will be on May 14th starting at 6.30pm at the restaurant Maria Jose in the Carabasi bars area. The evening will be basically a Dinner Dance but there will be a 'Silver' themed table quiz etc. One of the Club's founder members will be there as a guest for the evening and we expect between 60 & 70 to attend. We hope that you'll be able to cover it for the Gran Alacant Advertiser because I think it's a real 'good news' story that a local association has been going as long as this. Regards Francis THE INTERCLUB Quite a lot of you will have heard the name and over 100 of you are members, but it’s surprising how many people that we meet have never heard of it or know what it’s all about.

CLAUDIA,S PRESENTATION NIGHT

It was a very emotional evening in Claudias restaurant in early April for her well earnt presentation night. For those of you not in the know the local forums and Gran Alacant Football Club got together and launched a competition to find the the most popular restaurant in Gran Alacant. The vote proved very

It’s full name is the International Club of Arenales but the full name is hardly ever used these days. It has been going for an unbelievable 25 years since it started in 1983 and it was formally registered with the Provincial Government in 1987. Amazingly, there are a few people around who have been members since the beginning. As the name suggests, it was formed in Arenales to provide a social club for people living there and, after starting in Urbanova, met for many years at the Restaurant Las Palomas. In the early days, it used to only meet once a month but provided all sorts of social facilities (book lending, video tape library) as well as concerts and plays because there was so little available for the residents in those days. The Club also elected to support Cotolengo, which is a local charity run by nuns to help the severely physically and mentally disabled and collects cash weekly from members and also donates from club funds as well as sending clothing and other items that Cotolengo can sell or use. Nowadays the club

popular on the local internet forums with thousands of hits on one forum alone, all of the postings were very positive with many of our restaurants getting rave reviews, which goes to show just how lucky we are to have such a wide range of excellent eateries on our doorstep. Claudias advertises in this magazine and can be found in the sun baked square (Sierra Mar) in Gran Alacant and where you have a choice of bars including Dick Turpins, Legends and Chasers and Not Just

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meets every Thursday, but has breaks of about 3 weeks at Christmas and Easter plus a long summer break of about 10 weeks in July/August/early September. Apart from the continuing Cotolengo support, it is now mostly a social club but also has a thriving Painting group that meets weekly. The format now is to have a Dinner every week at a restaurant followed by some entertainment. This takes the form of a Dance every fortnight alternating with either a quiz night or some sort of games night. There’s usually a Car Rally in the early summer which always gets a good turnout. Membership costs 6 euros per person per year and for each weekly Dinner Dance or Quiz, members pay 11 euros and nonmembers pay 13 euros. There’s also a Loyalty Scheme for members in which they get a free evening after they’ve had their loyalty card marked up for 8 attendances. Unsurprisingly, most regulars quickly join as members! And many members bring their visitors along as guests. The club can have problems accommodating everyone as numbers rise with the usual influx of

Desserts, where you can enjoy meals and drinks. The award was presented to an emotional Claudia (centre) in front of over 50 diners packed into the

Autumn and Spring visitors as the restaurant can only accommodate around 75. So the rule has to be members first which will give you an idea of how much everyone enjoys Interclub evenings. Some years ago the Interclub decided to make meetings non-smoking and also to move to Gran Alacant because the membership was increasingly coming from there. The weekly get together now takes place from around 7.30pm onwards at the Restaurant Maria Jose (on Noruiega among the Carabasi bars and restaurants) where Paco and Maria give us an excellent 5 course meal including wine and water in very pleasant surroundings.

If you fancy giving it a try, ring one of the Committee Members (Bob, Francis or Jan) on respectively 966697439, 966695052, 966697754 and we’ll book you in. Well, we’ll try to if we can!

restaurant, by Julia from Legends bar representing Gran Alacant Football Club and Ian Robertson alias Luton Town from the forums.

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Only 5 minutes from Gran Alacant.

Take the N332 towards Alicante. The first right signed El Altet takes you to a roundabout. Take the first exit. When you arrive at the first set of traffic lights turn left for Eurocars and Le Tartana or right for La Confiteria.

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Two Red Indians and an Irishman were walking through the woods. All of a sudden one of the Red Indians ran up a hill to the mouth of a small cave. 'Wooooo! Wooooo! Wooooo!' he called into the cave and listened closely until he heard an answering, 'Wooooo! Wooooo! Woooooo! He then tore off his clothes and ran into the cave. The Irishman was puzzled and asked the remaining Indian what it was all about,. 'Was the other Indian crazy or what?' The Indian replied 'No, It is our custom during mating season when Indian men see cave, they holler 'Wooooo! Wooooo! Wooooo!' into the opening. If they get an answer back, it means there's a beautiful squaw in there waiting for us. Just then they came upon another cave. The second Indian ran up to the cave, stopped, and hollered, 'Wooooo! Wooooo! Wooooo!' Immediately, there was the answer. 'Wooooo! Wooooo! Wooooo!' from deep inside. He also tore off his clothes and ran into the opening. The Irishman wandered around in the woods alone for a while, and then spied a third large cave. As he looked in amazement at the size of the huge opening, he was thinking, 'Hoo, man! Look at the size of this cave! It is bigger than those the Indians found. There must be some really big, fine women in this cave!' He stood in front of the opening and hollered with all his might Wooooo! Wooooo! Wooooo!' Like the others, he then heard an answering call, 'WOOOOOOOOO, WOOOOOOOOO WOOOOOOOOO!' With a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face, he raced into the cave,tearing off his clothes as he ran. The following day, the headline of the local newspaper read................ NAKED IRISHMAN RUN OVER BY TRAIN!!!

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Dave The Computerman. Welcome to the monthly computing column brought to you by David the Computerman (MCSE).

New AVG 8.5 AVG have released version 8.5 of the ever popular anti-virus programme, and as ever there is of course a free version. AVG 8 used to have a horrible red exclamation mark across the taskbar icon that used to be down by the clock on a Windows computer. This alarmed a lot of users into believing that they were not protected, especially those that were on a dial up connection, because AVG attempts to update immediately the computer is switched on. This is possible on an always on broadband connection, but not possible with a dial up connection. The new version, 8.5, has changed this to a yellow hazard triangle, which is not as intrusive and should go someway to alleviating the worry for some users. Update your anti-virus to version 8.5, and remember to always update the virus database as soon as you go on line to ensure that you have the latest protection for your computer. This is even more important if you download your mail into Outlook/Outlook Express/Thunderbird. Free calls with VoipStunt Not only can you call your online friends for free, VoipStunt also offers free calls to any regular land-line in various popular destinations (see below). If you want to enjoy free calls to these destinations, just top up your account by buying credit. Buying credit entitles you to 120 Freedays (unless stated otherwise). This means you can call all countries listed for a period of 120 days at no costs. When the 120 days are over, the normal rate will be charged for these destinations. You can get more Freedays by topping up your account with credit.

Gran Alacant Santa Pola,

Theatre Group

There's a new theatre group on the Costa, right here in Gran Alacant, and the name to watch out for is

GASP

Gran Alacant Santa Pola Theatre Group.

Following articles in our last two issues, a meeting was held at the Gran Alacant library on April 16th, and as a result, the group is up and running and already starting to make plans for a first production later this year, with a traditional pantomime to follow in early 2010. Roger Keevil, former organiser of the "Murder Comes To Call" restaurant whodunnit evenings and main promoter of the idea for a local drama group, said "We were delighted at the response we got from our appeals in the Gran Alacant Advertiser and elsewhere locally.

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Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Canada Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Hong Kong (+mobile) Ireland

Italy Japan Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Netherlands New Zealand Norway Portugal Puerto Rico (+mobile) Russian Federation [moscow]

Russian Federation [st Petersburg] Singapore (+mobile) South Korea Spain Sweden Taiwan United Kingdom United States (+mobile)

It is also possible to talk from phone to phone via voipstunt, simply register your phone number and call the other person via the phone to phone tab and you can use your phone instaed of a headset and microphone. Voipstunt can be installed alongside Skype on your computer. I make free calls to the UK daily using this service. I hope that you find the column useful and if you have any further questions, or need assistance, please call me on 637 554 579 or contact me via email at: gacomputerman@yahoo.es. I am now an official installer/operator of TORRESAT TV with prices starting from 120 euros.

Over 20 people came along to the initial get-together, including local French and Swedish residents, and we have all levels of experience, from those who have been involved in amateur theatre for years to people who have never set foot on stage before." But like everything in Spain, there is the officialdom to get through first. "We have to set up an official association," said Roger, who will serve as the first president, "which involves filling in some of those forms we all love so much. But we've been promised plenty of help from Gran Alacant Councillor Loreto Cascales and her colleagues at Santa Pola Town Hall, and the advantage will be that we shall have plenty of support and access to Council facilities, like the beautiful little theatre at the Casa de Cultura in town." A Committee has already been elected, and with meetings planned to choose a production, organise play readings and rehearsals, and mix in a little social activity along the way, GASP! looks set to become yet another exciting facet to an ever-expanding Gran Alacant scene. We wish them well. If you are interested in taking part in GASP'S activities, whether acting or backstage, you can email them at gasp.theatre@gmail.com or phone 966 695 043.

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FOUR PAGES OF

GRAN ALACANT SPORT Bowls, fo otball, darts Monte Mar Bowls and Social Club – Sponsored by 1car1.com Southern League Division A - Monte Mar Matadors v Emerald Isle Diamonds

Monte Mar Matadors - 97 shots - 8 points Emerald Isle Diamonds - 94 shots - 6 points

The Monte Mar Matadors had their last game of the season against top of the table and league winners, Emerald Isle Diamonds. We needed points to avoid relegation and collected six of them, with John Corbet, Alan Ashberry and Ray Lilley winning 17-14; Denise Ashberry, Par Harman and Danny King winning 22-12; and Babs Caiger, Len Counsell and Idwal Roberts winning 22-19 having been 3-14 down.

A great effort by our team, for we managed to stay in Division ʻAʼ on shot difference only having finished jointly second from bottom of the league. Our Matadors Captain, Bill Young, says that it has been an honour to have been Captain this year, and he thanks Alan Ashberry and Harry Dobson, his co-selectors, and all the Matadors players for giving their best throughout the season. Hopefully a stronger pool of players next season, will ensure that we get better results, as it is in the clubʼs best interests to always have a team in the ʻAʼ Division.

Our Ladies Pairs Winners Rowena Good and June Young also with Loretto and Antonio.

Club Championships sponsored by Bancaja

The Club Championship Finals have now all finished, and all of our new club champions are published below.

Ladies Singles Chris Lilley Men's Singles Chris Merry Davies Cup BrianHarman Presidentʼs Cup Andy Gavin Ladies Pairs Rowena Good and June Young Men's Pairs Dave Melville and Mike Farrelly Mixed Pairs June and Bill Young Drawn Mixed Pairs Lynne and Colin Armitage Drawn Menʼs Pairs John Jowett and Ben Bromley 2-Wood Mixed Pairs Denise and Alan Ashberry Ladies Triples Sheila Bromley, June Young and Marilyn Gibbons Men's Triples Jim Ure, Andy Gavin and Geoff Slaughter Mixed Triples Denise Ashberry, Alan Ashberry and Danny King 2-Wood Mixed Triples Rowena Good, Alan Ashberry and Harry Dobson Mixed Fours Pauline and Chris Merry, Bob Mallett, and Idwal Roberts At the Rincon Restaurant, trophies and memento plaques were presented to all of the winners and runners up by Dona Pilar Perea Andreu and Don Jean Marie Giuliani on behalf of our sponsors Bancaja, by our local councillor Dona Loretta Cascales, and by our club owner Don Antonio Martinez

Mens Pairs Winners Mike Farrelly and Dave Melville with local councillor Dna.Loretto Cascales and our owner Dn. Antonio Martinez.

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The attached photographs show the two individual winners Christine Lilley and Chris Merry with Dna.Pilar and Dn.Jean, our ladies pairs winners Rowena Good and June Young, and our mens pairs winners Mike Farrelly and Dave Melville with Dna.Loretta and Don Antonio. The club especially wishes to thank Dave Melville for all of his hard graft as Competition Secretary, Bancaja for their continued support in troubled financial times, Loretta and the Ayuntamiento of Santa Pola for their support, and ʻThe Carlsberg Manʼ – Don Antonio for beingʼ probably the best owner on the Costas!

AGM On Friday 10th April, we held our AGM in our clubhouse at Monte Mar. It was surprisingly, but thankfully, one of the shortest AGMs on record, which is very gratifying to the outgoing committee in that it means that there were very few contentious matters and even fewer dissatisfied members!

In the Chairman, Mike Farrellyʼs address, he thanked retiring Vice-Chairman Ian Gibbons for his sterling work as a committee member over the past four years, and intimated that if ever Ian decides to live full-time in Spain again, he would be press-ganged back onto the committee. Ian was one of the founder members of our club, and has served in several different positions on the committee in accord with club needs at the time. All clubs need members like Ian Gibbons, and we all thank Ian for his massive contribution to our club, and give both Ian and long suffering Marilyn our best wishes for their new lifestyle, split between here and the UK. The committee for 2009-10 is as follows… Chairman Mike Farrelly

Individual winners Christine Lilley and Chris Merry with Dna Pilar Perea Andreu and Dn. Jean Marie Giuliani from the G.A.Centro Commercio branch of our sponsors Bancaja.

Vice-Chairman Captain Vice-Captain Secretary Minutes Secretary Treasurer Match Secretary Competition Secretary Membership Secretary Social Secretary Commercial Secretary Interpreter

Bill Clifton John Chapman Terry Errington Les Bounds Stan Routledge Sue Bounds Bill Young Dave Melville George Wilkinson Ken Moore Bill Stanaway Tony Pardo

Challenge Match – Monte Mar Matadors v Monte Mar Toreadors Monte Mar Matadors 101 shots Monte Mar Toreadors 113 shots

On the 11th April, we played our annual end of season challenge match between our two league teams, the Matadors and Toreadors, and what a close encounter it turned out to be. After twelve ends (2/3 of the match) the Matadors were in the lead in five of the six matches, and looked set for a comfortable match win. Down but by no means out was the motto of the day for the Toreadors, who fought back to leave the result of all of the individual matches in doubt until the final end. Eventually the Toreadors managed to win on three of the six rinks; however, because of the particularly splendid performance of Joe Verrico, Bob Mallet and Gordon Hemming, who walloped a strong Matadors threesome by 29-11, the Toreadors took the match on shot difference. There will now be long discussions about who should be playing in the ʻAʼ and ʻBʼ divisions, the Matadors are there, but the Toreadors now reckon they have a good case. What the scribe with his wooden spoon, no surely not?

Coaching School Saturday 4th April, saw the players who have taken part in the last series of coaching classes play a competitive game together, followed by an excellent menu del dia, when all the players and some guests celebrated more top class coaching from Bill Young. Details of the next series of coaching classes will be published soon. The Scribe

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2008/9 Sponsored by Thansa Property Agency S.L. Thansa League Division 1 against

played won drawn lost /for BP Points Destinationʼs X 14 10 3 1 42/70 10 80 Bar Sioux A 14 10 2 2 44/68 10 78 Shooterʼs A 14 5 4 5 54/58 5 63 Raffles 14 5 3 6 59/53 5 58 Flannaganʼs 14 4 5 5 59/53 4 57 Marianʼs A 14 4 3 7 60/52 4 56 On Stage A 14 3 3 8 65/47 3 50 Dick Turpinʼs 14 2 3 9 65/47 2 49

Thansa League Division 2

played won lost against for BP points Carabasi 14 10 4 35 63 10 73 Buddies 14 9 5 39 59 9 68 Shooterʼs B 14 7 7 42 56 7 63 Churchillʼs 14 9 5 45 53 9 62 On Stage B 14 5 9 55 43 5 48 Marianʼs B 14 5 9 56 42 5 47 Destinationʼs B 14 6 8 60 38 6 44 Bar Sioux B 14 5 9 61 37 5 42

2009 Dart’s Winners Thansa Div 1 Winners Destinations X, Runners up Bar Sioux A Thansa Div 2 Winners Carabasi, Runners up Buddies Pairs Winners Roberto & Gaz (Destinations) Runners up Richard & Kev (Raffles) Mixed Pairs Winners Barry & Sophie (Destinations) Runners up Steve & Marilyn (Dick Turpins) Singles Winner Harry (Marians), Runner up Richard (Raffles) Ladies Singles Winner Maggie (Churchills), Runner up Marilyn (Churchills) Thansa Div 1 Cup Winners Marians, Runner Up Raffles Thansa Div 2 Cup Winners Churchills, Runner up On Stage Richard Keeler Cup Final: Flannagans v On Stage A Vase Trophy: Churchills v Shooters

Gran Alacant Football Club entertained Torrevieja Allstars in their first ever game on the 5th April at 5pm and although they were defeated by what proved to be a fantastic side there was only one winner, the local community of Gran Alacant WHY? Well due to the fantastic coverage on the local forums and indeed by the Gran Alacant Advertiser the club now has not one but two qualified coaches on their books both capable of working not just with adults but with children as well. In addition to the new coaching staff there has been interest from a local school and what fantastic news that is for the local community. As this article goes to print meetings are making progress with the Santa Pola Council to secure the exellent facilities they provided them for the first game, so that a seven a side adults and childrens team can be entered into the local league in September. Posters have also been made for the local area in Spanish and English encouraging more locals to

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come forward. The game against Torrevieja Allstars was a great day out with over 30 coming from Torrevieja alone filling Legends Bar and the Sierra Mar square to capacity after the game. The Gran Alacant players met up for the first time the day before the game for a short training session and even as late as a couple of hours before the game players were flying in but they all put their jet lag behind them and performed admirally against a fantastic side from Torrevieja, even scoring the first two goals in the clubs history. Ian Robertson (LUTON) to the players and club manager would like to thank all the players who took part resulting in the launch of the club and all will soon be contacted regarding the next game which will be in late May/June....he would also like to thank the continued support from Legends Bar for their sponsorship and the food laid on after the game, along with their fund raising. The club is still on the look out for new players of all standards and ages to join the ranks please contact Julia, Glen or June at Legends Bar or Email the club manager at irobertson975@hotmail.com or for those interested in taking part who live in England Tel 07877647922

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WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO IF I “FIND” AN “ABANDONED” ANIMAL? (PART TWO) In this month’s article we are going to talk about exotic animals, which are those mammals, birds and reptiles which are not a part of our country’s fauna. This would include every species of parrots, iguanas, racoons, prairie dogs, etc. Some of them are included in international lists of endangered and protected species, so their trade is highly controlled and restricted, and for this reason, the individuals of these species must have an identification (closed ring in case of birds, or microchip in case of mammals or reptiles. In some cases, birds may also have a chip). This closed ring proves the bird is been born in captivity, not wild

caught (because the closed ring can breeder is the bird coming from, but they are not included in any database. That means, for example, if we find an Amazon parrot with a closed ring, the ring means the bird has been born in captivity from a registered breeder, and the number on the ring is necessary for the preparing the bill the moment the bird is been purchased, but the owner cannot be located by the code of the ring. Except in case of extremely endangered birds (the ones which are included at the first part of the international lists), birds are not obliged to be microchipped, but in most cases, the owner of an expensive bird will

One of the great benefits of recent years is Internet Forums. These Forums have given us easy access to information about the wide world and the activities of its inhabitants. WISDOM BY THE LOCALS FOR THE LOCALS

On a local level, residents of, and visitors to, the Gran Alacant area are already benefiting greatly from a newly founded local site - www.granalacantforum.es here local and national information is posted by local people for local people. The Forum's simple aim is: "To provide a friendly internet meeting place for residents of, and visitors to, Gran Alacant, in order to enrich our lives with words that inform, educate and entertain." Its motto is 'Rhetoric with Respect'. As you would expect, you and your opinions will be treated with respect. No one need be hesitant in writing something for members to read. Simply show respect and receive respect. Of course you don't need to write anything, maybe you'd prefer to be a reader and use

www.gaforum.es

as you would a daily newspaper. It is great for that too.

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decide to chip him, and in this case, if the bird gets lost, the owner will be easily located, just the same way a dog’s owner would be. So, if we find an exotic pet, the first thing we have to do is to take him to the Vet to have him scanned, and if he’s got a chip, the owner will be located, but if there’s no microchip, the procedure is the same you have to follow for a non-microchipped dog: let the Police know, and optionally, put some photos of the animal around the neighbourhood. If nobody is claiming for him in a few days, you can adopt him or take him to a specialized centre (dogs and cats shelters are not of use in this case). It is very important to make sure of which species we are talking about!! Most Spanish birds and reptiles species have a very high degree of protection, so, buying, selling or adopting them may be a crime! We highly recommend you to see a Vet before adopting an exotic pet to make sure if it is legal or not. What do I have to do if I find a

Spanish species wild animal? This is the easiest case, because EVERY Spanish species of birds, reptiles, amphibians and turtles (except common Spanish frog and sparrows), and most mammals, are protected, so it’s illegal (and punished with important fines) having or selling/buying them. The only valid option in this case would be letting forest guards or SEPRONA (wildlife and environmental service of Guardia Civil) know. For any kind of doubt about identifying the species or the procedure, the Vet will help you.

Liliana Aldeguer Cerdán col 793 English translation by Sergio Reina Esteban col 747 Do you want us to write aboutsomething specific you would like to know about your pet? E-mail us: vetexotics@msn.com All your suggestions will be welcome.

The “Gran Alacant Advertiser” is excessable on all of these sites, making our advertisers and all information, available to thousands of readers, in addition to our printed copies.

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for further information please ring: 966 792 276

Hi everybody

May full with fiestas, letʼs start with my favourite, the one that takes place in Biar. There is a special day to go there the 10th of may, If you go you will experience fiesta, tradition, music, fires, fireworks and more. There are, of course, more parades, the programme is more or less as follows: Petrer 16th to 19th, Muro de Alcoy 10th to 12th , Salinas 25th to 26th, Also there is a special events like the one held in Torrevieja 30th of April to 4th “Feria de Mayo” or in Monforte del Cid-Orito 17th another popular pilgrimage “Romería de San Pascual”. There will be people leaving from Santa Pola, from Diputación Square on the 10th at 2 a.m. they will be walking all night. Also “Las Cruces de Mayo” Cross of May, Crosses made with flowers in la Cruz Street in Santa Pola and the most beautiful ones are shown in the old quarter of Alicante “Barrio la Cruz” Also on 7th of June there will be a gathering of motorbikes, thousands of them at the harbour. Thatʼs all for May friends.

TORREON VILLA FOR SALE ON GRAN ALACANT 400 sq.m PLOT 609 755 237

A to B

Local Gran Alacant 5 euro Airports, Alicante, Murcia Ikea, Primark, Iceland, Benidorm, + others. Prices on request

Tel: 676 316 319

TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

TABLE TOP SALE @ DESTINATION

bar & grill

(opp Medical Centre Gran Alacant)

Mon 4th May from 10am for more details ring Lesley

669 322 438

TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

Get On Your Bike – Life Begins At Seventy!

Is advertising too expensive for your business?

phone us at the

for probably the best advertising prices on the Costas see page 3 66

Intrepid ex-pat Terry Errington from Gran Alacant, who celebrated his 70th birthday recently, is determined to raise money for the Great Ormond Street Childrenʼs Hospital, by riding his bicycle from one end of Britain to the other, leaving John OʼGroats and cycling the length of Scotland and England, and maybe part of Wales if he gets lost, before hopefully arriving at Landʼs End! He will be meeting up with a very good friend of his, Lionel, and on the 29th May they will be on their way to John OʼGroats in a van driven by Terryʼs son Mark, and making final preparations before they start heading south. The reason why Terry chose Great Ormond Street Hospital to benefit from this epic ride, is that his daughterʼs best friend in England has a young son who is two this year, and who has already had seventeen operations for one thing and another. About the time he returned from the UK to Spain in May last year, the baby was about to be fitted with an eye from another young baby, but this operation failed. However, he was fitted with a false eye with more serious operations to come. The staff at Great Ormond Street have been magnificent, not only in their expertise, but also with their compassion for such a young child and his distraught parents, and it is support of these wonderful people that Terry is putting himself ʻthrough the millʼ. Obviously, any donations of any amount will be gratefully received, and unlike many larger charitable appeals, every centime raised will benefit this marvellous institution, with all expenses being paid by those taking part. To spice things up even further, Terry is also running a Guess the Mileage Covered competition, with a donated prize for the winner but it's no good looking at the A.A. Map as the mileage will include getting lost, visit's to the local pubs (not too many though), and going the wrong way round the roundabouts, so please have a go. Pledges can be made either in person at Monte Mar Bowls Club, by e/mail at info@montemarbowls.com or terrysandra@hotmail.co.uk, or by contacting Terry Errington on 966697762. Terry would like to thank the Monte Mar Bowls and Social Club, it's members and various other bowls club Members who have already donated to this worthy cause. A huge thank you is due to all who have contributed, but please keep giving, they need the money.

TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

The learning of the Spanish Language supplied by Matthew Brock

SLS

Lessons of the Month

www.spanishlanguagesite.com When to use estar in the imperfect tense I was asked this question recently by Phil, a language student on our SLS Spanish Club… * Hola Mathew, I am having a real problem getting my head round the imperfect tense, as in when to use estar and not use estar, for example, how would you say to someone? I was speaking to your friend last night. would it be? Hablaba con tu amigo anoche, estaba hablando con tu amigo anoche, estuve con tu amigo anoche, or hablé con tu amigo anoche. hope you can help. My response to Phil was this… Mmmm. Not an easy one. First things first - you can bin ‘hablé…’. That means ‘I spoke’. I personally never, ever use ‘estar’ in the preterite - ‘estuve’. Never. That’s one of several verbs that I don´t use in the preterite precisely because the difference between ‘estaba’ and ‘estuve’ is so slight that it´s just not worth worrying about. So you can bin that one too. So, it boils down to the difference between ‘estaba hablando’ and ‘hablaba’. I’m tempted to say that the difference between these two is slight as well, but actually there is a difference. If you use the ‘estar’ construction, there is a sense that you are emphasising the actual moment you were speaking to him in some way. It’s as if you’re going to follow that up with ‘…when the phone rang’, or some such interrupting action. If you were following it up with ‘…and he said to me…’ then you would use the imperfect, because this would have

happened during the discussion. I have to say though, that this difference is not huge, and in probably 99% of cases, there will be little or no reason to choose one over the other. I have to say that in 25 years of speaking Spanish, I have never had to explain myself to a Spanish speaker because I had used one of these when I should have used the other.

Every single evening As I'm lying here in bed, This tiny little Prayer Keeps running through my head: God bless all my family Wherever they may be, Keep them warm And safe from harm For they're so close to me. And God, there is one more thing I wish that you could do; Hope you don't mind me asking, Please bless my computer too. Now I know that it's unusual To Bless a motherboard, But listen just a second While I explain it to you, Lord. You see, that little metal box Holds more than odds and ends; Inside those small compartments Rest so many of my friends. I know so much about them By the kindness that they give, And this little scrap of metal Takes me in to where they live. Please take an extra minute From your duties up above, To bless those in my address book That's filled with so much love. Wherever else this prayer may reach To each and every friend, Bless each e-mail inbox And each person who hits 'send'. When you update your Heavenly list On your own Great CD-ROM, Bless everyone who says this prayer Sent up to GOD.com Amen

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WORDSEARCH

WORDSEARCH “Learn your Spanish”

all English words beginning with “H ” and their Spanish translation.

search for the English word and its Spanish counterpart

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SUDOKU ANSWERS ON NEXT PAGE

To solve the puzzle each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain all the numbers 1 to 9.

While the rules of this logic puzzle may be simple, there are numerous strategies to help you solve Sudoku. For hints and information visit www.sudoku.org.uk DOODLE AREA

easy hard

TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

SLIGHT CHANGES TO OUR DELIVERIES With over 40 distribution points on Gran Alacant for our

we have decided to leave slightly fewer copies at each of these points, always of course, giving priority to those businesses that advertiser with us. So that after our initial delivery, if you are looking for a copy of your favourite magazine, you will only have to look at three designated points, rather than looking all over our 40 outlets on Gran Alacant. These points are at 3 different areas of our urbanisation, at:“The Winery ” “Euronics” or “The Phoenix” See our Gran Alacant map to find these outlets. If you would like to reserved a copy each month FOR FREE, email us at:laneinspain@hotmail.com

Aquagest 24hr............. 902 250 170 Aeropuerto.................. 969 919 000 Ayuntamiento-Gran Alacant. 966 692 276 Alicante Bus Station.... 965 130 700 Alicante Train Station.. 902 240 202 Bomberos (Fire).......... 085 Biblioteca (Library)...... 966 692 773 Butano gas.................. 966 672 222 Guardia Civil............... 062 Guardia Civil............... 965 411 290 Iberdrola..................... 901 202 020 Local Police................ 092 Local Police................ 966 696 035 Medical Health Service..966 699 081 National Police........... 091 Red Cross (Cruz Roja)...965 416 936 Red Cross emergencies.....112 Rubbish collection...... 966 693 955 Suma.......................... 900 103 104 Telefonica................... 1004

S U D O K U

S O L U T I O N S

TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

Timetable for the GA Train Timetable may change due to demand, so if you want a

return trip, ask the driver.

/BAILEYS

Below, and on the next two pages are maps of Alicante, Santa Pola and Gran Alacant, to help find your way around and to see the location of our adverisers

TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

THREE TOP-UP DELIVERY POINTS Phoenix Le Mar Electrical Winery

GA BOWLS CLUB

Vet GA Exotics Flannagans

PLAZA MAYOR

. ....

.. .. ..

BAILEYS BAR

GA farmacia

CHIROPODY & PHYSIOTHERAPY

HOMEFINDERS/SOLEIL DESTINATIONS GA SERVICES

NEW SCHOOL

72 SPICY PARADISE & WINERY

22 CARABASI BAR COMPLEX (DOWN THE HILL) CASANOVA - SANDHILLS PHOENIX - OCEAN 11 HISPANIA OʼDUILLS - YELLOW SUBMARINE

PATAGONIA no.6 STEAK HOUSE

RAFFLES & COCINA ASIATICA UTOPIA

LIFE RESORT

TOURIST INFORMATION

DICK TURPIN NOT JUST DESSERTS LEGENDS PATAGONIA no.2 STEAK HOUSE CLAUDIA

ARMONIA HAIR SALON

AND ON TO LIGHTHOUSE

25 THE WINERY 27 MAXCOOP SUPERMARKET 28 SUPERVALU SUPERMKT 29 MERCADONA SUPERMARKET 30 MEDICAL CENTRE POLICE STATION G.A. COUNCILLOR MUNICIPAL OFFICES NEW LIBRARY 31 SPORTS CENTRE 32 THURSDAY MARKET 44 POST OFFICE 46 AMOROS 49 NEW SCHOOL 53 LEMAR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES SHOP

P U T YOU R B U S I N E S S . . . .O N T H E M A P. . . .

TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167

. . . . P U T YO U R B U S I N E S S . . . .O N T H E M A P Map to help you to find your way around Santa Pola. It also includes our advertisers

CHARD

1. McDonalds 2. Market and red cross bus stop 3. Main Elche street 4. Castillo 5. Town square 6. Tourist info Police station Town hall 7. Fishing port 8. Post Office

9. Tourist info 10. Nan Kin Chinese Rest 12. Salt Lake museum 13. Civic & Social Centre 14. 15. Casa de Cultura 16. Lyneli hair

18 Santa Pola Marina. 19. Bailen 20. Aquarium 21. Suma Office 21. 22. Public refuse tip 23. site for New swimming pool 24. Indoor market 25.

27. New police station 28. Model boating lake 29. Pola Max shopping centre

TO ADVERTISE IN THE “GRAN ALACANT ADVERTISER” phone: 966 699 167