CW issue 1135

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20th December -26th December 2019

Issue 1135

20th December - 26th December 2019

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www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

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LORO Parque, almost on the threshold of Christmas, celebrated its 47th anniversary on Tuesday (17th Dec).

And in 2019, it has reinforced its love and commitment to nature and animals, through its fight against plastic.

Loro Parque opened its doors in 1972 with just 25 employees, 150 parrots and a space of 13 000sq/m. Now, in an area of over 135,000sq/m, the park has been converted into one of the most respected zoological institutions in the world for its beauty, continued commitment to animal welfare, excellence of its facilities and total respect for nature.

Loro Parque maintains a firm commitment to the protection of the environment and the conservation of wildlife. And this year, in view of the great ravages plastic is causing on the planet, the park has continued with its strategy of eliminating singleuse plastic from its facilities, which was initiated in 2018.

Thus, by 2020, it will have avoided more than 90% of this harmful material, ceasing to generate more than 30 tons of plastic waste.

In addition, the Park has wanted to go one step further this year, and has launched the Bye Bye, Plastic project, installing two large sculptures made from recycled objects, which demonstrate the serious problem this material generates in the environment.

These artistic representations, inspired by the work of Canarian artist Néstor MartínFernández de la Torre, will serve to raise awareness among locals and visitors about the dramatic impact of plastic on the oceans, the planet and everyone’s life.

SANTA Cruz children, accompanied by adults, can this year enjoy riding on a Christmas Bus, where they will meet Santa Claus.

The plan is to preserve and encourage the illusion of Christmas for children, Spanish or otherwise. The treat spans three days, from today (Friday) until Sunday, and the route takes in the city’s five districts.

The first stop will be made today, in the Las Delicias neighbourhood of Ofra-Costa Sur District, from 11am-2pm, and the last stop will be in the Plaza de los Gladiolos on Sunday.

The highlight of this attraction

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Loro Parque proud of its 47 years, dedicated to nature and animals

September this year, Loro Parque Fundación, a nonprofit organisation created

by Loro Parque in 1994, marked the allocation of more than $21.5m throughout its history, to more than 180 conservation projects on five continents. It has helped save nine parrot species from total extinction, while improving the populations of hundreds of others.

In the middle of this year, Loro Parque inaugurated an exhibition of the latest novelty: a farm of asexually reproduced corals.

And visitors have been able to observe, closely, the work

carried out by the aquarium team with these organisms, which occupy an absolutely indispensable place in nature for the oceans and oxygen production.

There has also been a baby boom in Loro Parque in 2019, showing the welfare state of all its animals.

Thus, this authentic animal embassy welcomed with great joy the pups of emperor tamarins, as well as zebra sharks, black swans and jellyfish… and numerous parrots, naturally, because it has the largest and the most diverse reserve of parrots in the world.

Loro Parque closes another year in which it has continued to consolidate its position as an authentic animal embassy, in which the specimens living in its facilities act as representatives of their peers in the wild.

Sadly, most of them are threatened with extinction in one way or another, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Visitors get to know these animals first-hand, and they become aware of the dangers they face in the wild, with the aim of ensuring greater protection for wild

All aboard the Christmas bus, to meet Santa Claus!

populations.

Throughout its 47 years of history, the Loro Parque Company has, on numerous occasions, achieved recognition, such as the Plaque and Gold Medal for Tourist Merit, awarded by Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism; the Gold Medals, awarded by the Canarian Government, Puerto de la Cruz Council and Tenerife Cabildo, among other awards.

Loro Parque is also the only company in the Canary Islands to have won the Prince Felipe Award for Business Excellence. is the use of an English doubledecker bus, because it will surely grab the attention of the smallest child, looking to find Christmas characters such as Santa Claus.

The bus will be decorated with festive motifs, inside and out, and children can get on board to meet Santa Claus.

In the outside area, which will be safe for children, there will be tables where youngsters, waiting to board the bus, can entertain themselves by painting, decorating and performing Christmas-related activities. They will receive help from supervised monitors, dressed as festive characters.

Each bus visit will last 7-10 minutes, when pictures with favourite characters can be taken, and Christmas letters be delivered.

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20th December -26th December 2019

Butcher in lather about taking a knife on plane A BUTCHER says he took a four-inch knife on to a plane to Spain by mistake, after packing the blade in his case.

Yet his shampoo was confiscated!

Latimer Higham, from Derby, claims he took the lethal penknife on to a flight from East Midlands Airport to Lanzarote.

The 58-year-old said Customs officers checked his case after it had been X-ray scanned, but security failed to spot the knife. But when the scanner beeped, they removed the shampoo he had packed by accident.

Latimer said: “I unpacked my case when I got to Lanzarote and thought, oh my God, how on earth has that got in there? “It is disgusting that I managed to get on a plane with a knife because it’s a serious weapon. Something like this could have serious

consequences if someone with the wrong intentions did it.”

The blade was clipped on to a belt he’d packed into his case for the break, but Latimer said he didn’t realise the knife was still attached and claims he carried it in his hand luggage.

He was visiting pals in Lanzarote with his partner,

Holiday German, 80, drowns in hotel pool

AN 80-year-old German holiday-maker drowned in the swimming pool of his Gran Canaria hotel, on Avenida los Menceys, Playa del Ingles.

The Emergency Services were informed of the tragedy at around 11.30am on Monday, and an ambulance was requested.

The caller said the pensioner had been pulled out of the pool and was receiving CPR in an attempt to get him

breathing again. But it was thought that he’d had a heart attack.

An ambulance was dispatched immediately to the hotel, and, on arrival, its medical team continued with CPR, and then on to a more advanced technique.

But to no avail. Unfortunately, the medics could only confirm his death.

Police were also at the scene to assist with the emergency.

Jane Wilson, 56, when he brought the knife onboard, accidentally.

He added: “It makes me uneasy to think to think about it. This is a serious mishap.

My bag went through the scanner, and you’d think something like this would get flagged up straight away.”

Latimer, who owns three

butchers’ shops in Derby, said he had been using the knife to cut packaging at work.

He keeps the blade clipped on to his belt so he can access it quickly. But when he packed the belt into his case, he also stowed the Swiss army-style knife into his hand-luggage for the fourhour Ryanair flight.

Latimer said: “I had been cutting packaging that day at work and packed my case when I got home. I just threw the belt in there but forgot the knife was still attached.

“My case went through the scanner and it did beep, so I knew they were going to check it. But when it was checked by someone, he pulled out a little bottle of shampoo I forgot to put in the plastic bag and just took it out.

“I was then sent on my way.

The knife was in a different compartment and the case wasn’t really checked thoroughly.

In hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have been allowed to fly, and should, probably, have been arrested and interrogated.”

Latimer only realised he packed the knife into his case when unpacking in Lanzarote.

He added: “It’s my own stupid fault for packing it, but that should not have happened.

which, fortunately, were not that serious.

The high winds created a coastal phenomenon across the archipelago, causing high tides and huge waves.

And Garachico, always with its high flood risk, was most affected.

The Canarian Government updated the alert in Tenerife

on Monday and Tuesday because of the high winds in various municipalities. These included Los Silos, Buenavista, Santiago del Teide, Güímar, Arafo, Candelaria, El Rosario, Santa Cruz, La Laguna, Tacoronte and Tegueste, as well as Teide’s National Park, which are believed to be the worst affected.

High winds and waves batter Canary Islands THE Emergency Services attended over 40 call-outs across the Canary Islands on Monday, because of several incidents caused by high winds, mainly.

Fortunately, there was no serious damage, although the wind caused much concern, especially in Tenerife and Gran Canaria capital Las Palmas.

The Emergency Services were notified on several occasions because of fallen trees, as well as a couple of landslides on busy roads,

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THE rush of whale deaths in the early part of the year prompted concern from scientists and officials.

New, high-speed ferry services in the Canary Islands could be to blame for the unusual number of deaths, according to new research

by Manuel Arbelo, a zoologist at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

The research was presented this week at the World Marine Mammal Science Conference in Barcelona.

Whales and boats swarm the sea around the Spanish archipelago off north-west Africa, which is already one of the world’s black spots for fatal collisions.

Over the past 20 years, the Canary Islands Stranding Network has recorded almost 1,000 stranded or dead whales in the region.

Some 80 of these animals had injuries consistent with ship strikes, such as deep lacerations, and 34 were confirmed to have been hit by a ship.

Based on these two decades of observations, a whale in the Canary Islands is killed in a suspected collision every three months.

Yet in the first four months of 2019, four whales were found dead, and one stranded

Tragic whales struck dead by new ferries

but alive, with injuries consistent with ship strikes… a conspicuous cluster.

The timing of the strikes is unusual, because most collisions occur later in the year when sperm whales, the main victims of Canarian ship strikes, are migrating. The location where the animals were discovered was also puzzling.

“We found these animals

on the east coast of Gran Canaria, very close to the Las Palmas port,” said Arbelo.

To date, stranded whales in the Canary Islands have nearly always been discovered in Tenerife, west of Gran Canaria.

In October 2018, shipping company Fred. Olsen Express launched a new, highspeed ferry, leaving out of Las Palmas. The Betancuria

Customs find 191kg of cocaine, hidden on ship

CUSTOMS officers, in conjunction with the National Police, intercepted a shipping vessel on Monday, as it was making its way to Gran Canaria.

When the officers finally finished checking the ship, which, at the time of interception was flying a Hong Kong flag, they discovered that it was carrying a total of 191kg of cocaine.

The Customs were informed by the ship’s captain, who said he had stumbled across the drugs while he was reviewing the cooling system.

The captain found the drugs in the ship’s engine filters, and reported his find to the Customs officers, while in Canarian waters.

He told them he had discovered three packages, and he felt suspicious, guessing they might contain an illegal substance.

The ship’s captain then followed instructions given to him by the investigators and cordoned off that particular area of the ship, in which the packages had been stored, until they could be examined properly when the ship arrived at the port of Las Palmas.

Once the ship arrived, the packages were examined by both National Police and Customs officers. In

total, they weighed three kilos, and the substance inside proved to be absolutely pure.

Investigating officers asked for a team of specialised divers to carry out an exterior search, around and underneath the vessel.

Attached around the refrigeration system grills, the divers found a karabiner, which is a coupling link with a safety closure, used by rockclimbers.

It was then hooked on to the ship’s upright cross-arm, where the Customs and police found six sports bags containing 188 packages.

Once they were extracted from the water and weighed, the total sum amounted to 191kg of cocaine.

An investigation is being carried out by a relevant team.

Express, the world’s largest high-speed catamaran, serves Fuerteventura.

A second line leaving Las Palmas also ferries passengers to Lanzarote.

Arbelo says it’s unclear which, if either, ferry is responsible for the strikes, adding that the two routes have a partial overlap.

Researchers are now working to identify exactly where

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the collisions happened.

“It’s certainly an unfortunate correlation,” said Sarah Marley, a marine biologist at England’s University of Portsmouth.

“Vessel operators are in a difficult situation. You might not be aware the animal is ahead, and, given the speed, it’s hard for the ferry operator to implement mitigation measures.”

Following the sudden rise in whale deaths, Spanish Government authorities, along with shipping industry representatives, have moved to address the issue, according to a recent report by the International Whaling Commission.

It is unclear, precisely, what steps they have taken.

Arbelo said ferry operators were sensitive to the bad publicity generated by ship strikes, and were willing to take action to prevent them.

“We don’t know if the company has downed the frequency, changed the route, or whatever, but it stopped,” he said. “Since April, we’ve not had more cases.”

That’s good news for the islands’ whales, but it might not last. Ferry operator Naviera Armas introduced a high-speed catamaran in August, while Fred. Olsen Express plans to add two high-speed trimarans to its fleet next year.

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20th December -26th December 2019

Ryanair will sack workers, NEWS IN BRIEF who reject its 25% pay cut Kind woman had her bike stolen RESIDENTS in the Denia area of Alicante are searching for the name of a British woman, who had her bicycle stolen while collecting polystyrene waste in the city’s jetty.

News went viral on social media as photographs emerged of the woman’s kindhearted act, collecting the environmentallydamaging plastic from inside a large buoy.

However, it soon emerged that while cleaning up the waste, her bike had been pinched.

“We want to repay this woman for her kind act by buying her a new bike,” Isabel Garcia Quiles told the Olive Press online paper.

Man dies in TF-1 crash

THREE vehicles were involved in a head-on collision on the TF-1, heading for Santa Cruz, leaving one man dead and several injured people in need of treatment.

The Emergency Services (SUC), who attended the scene, included two ambulances, the Tenerife Fire Consortium, the Guardia Civil, Local and National Police, as well as the Road Conservation Service.

On arrival, they discovered that a 40-year-old Senegalese man had died, while a 24-year-old Brazilian man was transferred in a medical ambulance to Candelaria Hospital.

The collision occurred in the early hours of last Friday.

TITSA hat-trick for Christmas

TENERIFE’S national bus service, Titsa, has invited all users who wear a Santa hat on Christmas Eve, from 5pm-8pm, to travel free. The company is hoping to promote the public transport by rewarding customers who use the bus.

In addition, from Christmas Day until 6th January, Titsa will award 25 double-excursion trips to Teide for stargazing. The prizes will be placed, randomly, on the seats of buses in an envelope that reads: “Join us at the top”.

Those who find the envelopes must call the telephone number indicated on the note between 2nd-11th January.

Titsa, through its Facebook and Twitter social networks, will give clues every day to make it easier for travellers to find the envelopes.

Crash driver falls 12 metres

A FEARFUL accident occurred on Sunday evening, just before 8pm in Granadilla, on Calle Cueva Gacha, when a vehicle left the road, falling some 12 metres.

The driver was trapped inside, and fire-fighters were called out to rescue the driver.

RYANAIR has promised a New Year’s sacking spree after a row with workers, who refuse to accept new contracts.

But union bosses have criticised the budget airline, which, they say, put pressure on staff to accept pay cuts of up to 25%.

It came as the Dublin-based operator was set to axe its bases at Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Girona on 8th January 2020.

Ryanair has announced new routes between Malaga and Marrakesh, Vitoria and more, with customers in Spain getting a 25% discount.

However, a U-turn over its Girona operations saw Michael O’Leary’s firm offer 160 workers new contracts, in a bid to maintain a foothold in the north-eastern city.

The majority of Ryanair’s 160 staff, at its Girona base, accepted new contracts. But some cabin crew, and most of the site’s 20 pilots, hit out their “penny-pinching” employer.

Defiant workers said they recognised that the contracts “do not conform” with Spanish law, and could even prompt a visit from an Employment Inspector.

In response, Ryanair has classified the disgruntled workers as ‘Expediente de Regulacion de Empleo’ (ERE).

This procedure allows companies facing bankruptcy to sack workers and receive public funding to underwrite severance pay, and earlyretirement packages.

After negotiations ended on 5th November, Ryanair issued a statement saying: “Enough employees have signed the new contract and Girona will stay open under the new conditions. from 1st January.”

Lidia Arasanz, from union USOC was highly critical of Ryanair’s treatment of its

staff, saying: “They had a meeting in which they said that to keep the base open, the employees would have to sign a new contract with the company, in which they would only be contracted to work nine months of the year instead of 12.”

Ryanair’s three bases in the Canary Islands are still set to close on 8th January, leaving the company with 10 bases across Spain, including Girona.

The move follows Ryanair’s announcement, at the end of last July, of a plan to cut 900 jobs from its 13,000-strong workforce.

Second hang-glider death sparks bid to tighten rules A SPECIALIST hanggliding association has called for tighter safety regulations, following the death of a second foreign tourist in just over three weeks, while practising in Tenerife.

The latest victim was fatally injured on 9th December in the afternoon, when he crashed to the ground in a remote Adeje area.

A spokesperson for the island’s Emergencies and Security Coordination Centre (CECOES) said a helicopter was sent to the area immediately, and the unfortunate man was found on the ground, suffering from cardiac arrest.

Attempts were made to resuscitate him while he was being airlifted to Adeje’s fire-service heliport. But soon after his arrival, staff from the regional health emergencies

service declared him dead.

The technical committee for hang-gliding, at the Canary Islands’ Aeronautics Federation, said new measures were essential to prevent further accidents with foreign tourists.

A national hang-gliding competition had been held there recently, without incident, said the committee’s chairman, Sergio Castañeda.

He added: “Not all tourists are capacitated for flying in the islands, because of their lack of knowledge, both of the area and its type of winds.”

He suggested that they should be restricted to gliding in “limited flight areas” because it was already being carried out in the district of Güímar, on the nearby southeast coast.

Previous moves had been made to have tighter regulations approved by the Cabildo. But although supported, initially, they had come to a standstill. “The matter needs to be taken up again,” said Castañeda.

In the previous hang-gliding crash, in mid-November, a 60-year-old Frenchman was a victim in the same Adeje district, after coming down in the remote Barranco del Colorado ravine.

He also had to be airlifted out by helicopter, but died in an ambulance while enroute from the heliport to a hospital.

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Money in the Bank or Money in a Bond, make an informed choice The majority of us keep money in a bank account, why? Because it is easy, relatively secure, and easily accessible. There is also a deposit protection scheme in place which covers the amount in your bank account up to €100,000 or £85,000. So far, so good?

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What about growth on your savings? Returns are not good, interest rates are hardly inflation beating and your hard earned cash is not really being put to work for you.

In fact, the average savings account is paying less than 1% per year and some have reduced to 0.2 or 0.1% So how does this look in reality? Consider this:

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6.80% 6.88% 9.48% 5.85% 8.68% 5.5% The growth on a Spanish tax compliant bond is free of tax until a withdrawal is made. Even then only the growth is subject to tax.

Any tax due is paid directly to the Hacienda and no Modelo 720 declaration is required for holders of this kind of bond. The bond can also be held jointly so there should be no liability to succession tax on the first death.

The bond is backed by an AA rated financial institution which is subject to a strict legal and regulatory environment, to European Law, and having to comply with all applicable European directives and regulations and to meet European solvency margins.

Under EU law, assets are to be used to repay policy holders should the company be wound up.

Please remember that not all bonds are Spanish tax compliant. If you would like further information about the Spanish tax compliant bond, please give us a call for a no obligation chat.

Sebastian & St James International Financial Advisers Limited: advice based on integrity, trust and experience.

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Christmas brings rise in Serrano ham thefts

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Catholic’s Christmas service SAN BLAS Catholic Church, in Golf del Sur, will hold its Christmas Day service at 10.15am, preceded by Carols at 10am. The Anglican service will be held at midday.

There will be no New Year Service at San Blas,

but a Spanish Mass will take place in Los Abrigos at 6pm that evening.

In addition, Catholics and Anglicans will share an Ecumenical and International Christmas Carol Service tomorrow (Saturday) at St. Blas Church, at 5.30pm.

But do get there early because, for the past few years, the church has been completely overwhelmed by singers, eager to get Christmas underway.

Craft market bound to satisfy the visitors

SUPERMARKETS and delicatessens have reported a sharp rise in thefts of legs of ham in the run-up to the Christmas period.

Spain’s festive season does not normally involve a set type of meal, in the same way as Anglo-Saxon countries eat turkey. But it does tend to be a period when families eat food they would not normally be able to afford, or even justify the cost, for the rest of the year.

These foods include top-ofthe-range, fresh seafood in coastal areas, expensive cuts of meat inland, and Serrano ham in both. At any time of year, a leg of Serrano ham is expensive, largely

because of the huge number of portions which can be sliced from it. But, as we near Christmas, even betterquality types go on sale, with, naturally, a price rise!

For example, acorn-fed, Serrano ham-legs typically retail at between €400-€600 during the Yuletide period.

This is a little too tempting for those with access to black markets and illicit profits, and can be for hard-pressed and less-honest individuals.

But in practice, given their size of up to a metre in length at times, together with their enormous weight, Serrano ham legs are not easy to steal.

Guardia Civil officers have reported cases of gangs sneaking into shops after closing time, by descending through skylights, or even

cutting holes in walls.

Several delicatessens in Andalucía have been stripped of their Serrano ham legs recently, and one of the organised gang-members, thought to be behind them, has been arrested.

Three years ago, in the Gandia area of the Valencia province, a man was caught on CCTV smuggling legs of ham out of a supermarket in his trousers.

Despite what was probably a stiff gait as he walked out of the store, he did not appear to attract attention, but he was soon rounded up, thanks to camera footage.

Clearly, vegetarians and vegans are unlikely to be among the culprits, so up to 8% of the Spanish population will not come under suspicion!

CHRISTMAS has already begun in Santa Cruz, and people who want to see the back of their extensive shopping will definitely enjoy its traditional craft market, which is now open.

It opens from 10am to 10pm, except on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, when it will close at 5pm. In addition, it will stay open on 5th January

until late at night, to lend a hand to the Magi from the East. This colourful market will feature a total of 62 traditional craft tents, with an important role in contemporary crafts, as well as plenty of space for gifts and toys. And the atmosphere will be enlivened with a multitude of Christmas Carols and other activities.

Artisans have placed next to the fountain the “Book of Christmas Wishes”, in which people visiting the market can reflect their best wishes for this Christmas season in writing.

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20th December -26th December 2019

Actor Matt the chat is happy to discuss Atlantic Challenge TALISKER has this year hosted a series of events, ahead of the world’s toughest rowing race, the distillers’ Atlantic Challenge, which began last Thursday, from La Gomera.

The famed whisky distillery, from Scotland, invited some famous faces for pre-race festivities, to chat to those competing.

Actor Matt Smith said: “The fact that anyone can row 3,000 miles, let alone across the Atlantic, feels unfathomable to me.

“Yet 35 brave teams are about to do just that. I’m thrilled to play a small part, as I wish them bon voyage and a safe return over a whisky.”

Smith was on the island the day before the race, when he and a tribe of likeminded outdoor adventurers, explorers and ocean enthusiasts, came together to share adventure stories,

SPAIN is preparing to treat gambling addicts as people who are suffering mental illness, and will offer a nationalised treatment scheme and identification system.

It will focus on updating its responsible gambling policies, revealed the country’s regulator, the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) on Tuesday.

The update will classify gambling addiction as a mental disorder and be subject to the same treatment standards as other, similar illnesses.

The decision, which has already been voted by the Responsible Gaming Advisory Council (CAJR), with measures passing through, is now awaiting an official launch.

Meanwhile, the regulator has been trying to bolster responsible gambling practices across Spain, with the country’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) continuing to grow, and advertisement restrictions discussed.

Spain’s decision to reclassify gambling addiction as a mental issue allows the country to leverage more funds towards treating it.

and their love of the ocean.

Guests enjoyed “wild” Talisker cocktails, created by Italian bartender Giorgio Lupi, who

was crowned champion of Talisker’s Wild Spirit Bartender competition.

Guy Ritchie, film-maker and

friend of the brand, also had a hand in the night’s events, designing the FireTable, used

by Talisker’s Wild Chef to

create wild, foraged food over an open fire.

Natalia Montigny, the distiller’s Head of Global Marketing, said: “For the sixth year, Talisker is proud to be title sponsor of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge.

“Our founders, the MacAskill brothers, rowed from Eigg to Skye to introduce the Talisker Distillery in Scotland, almost 200 years ago. And, as a brand, we share the same sense of passion and adventure as the participants.

“It’s been incredible to hear the rowers’ stories first-hand, and share special moments with them and our tribe of wild-spirited adventurers, who joined us at the Talisker Wilderness Bar experience and other events. We wish all rowers success as they undertake this incredible journey.”

Those competing can be tracked online, and it will be very interesting to see who can make it the whole way in the quickest time, and be crowned the winners of the 2019 event!

licenced companies to run mandatory age-verification and identity checks, to ensure the safety of individuals, as well as bolster anti-moneylaundering efforts, and prevent identity theft.

Meanwhile, the exclusion system will notify businesses immediately if they are receiving a request to play from an individual who has limited his or her access to gambling.

The DGOJ will also seek to reinforce the current identityverification process. Earlier this year, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) passed measures requesting gambling businesses to carry out verification checks within 72 hours.

Furthermore, demo versions of casino games are no longer available in the UK, unless an individual has verified his or her identity successfully.

The UKGC has also been able to negotiate better,

overall safety-mechanisms adopted by industry leaders, and intended to protect the country’s growing number of children, who gamble.

UKGC Chief Executive Neil McArthur said of the new measures: “These changes will protect children, and the vulnerable, from gamblingrelated harm, and reduce the risk of crime linked to gambling.”

In May this year, Spain’s ombudsman, Francisco Fernandez Marugan, called for tougher regulatory measures against gambling regulations.

The country may, effectively, introduce a blanket ban on all gambling advertising, following in the footsteps of Italy.

Calls for a tougher stance on gambling began when a 15-year-old won $220,000 on the national lottery, SELAE raising questions about how the child had been able to participate when the legal gambling age in Spain is 18.

Nevertheless, reclassifying gambling as a mental illness is a first step in the right direction for the country.

SELAE, the State Society for State Lotteries and Bets, assigned to the Spanish Ministry of Finance, is responsible for the management, operation and marketing of all types of lotteries and games nationwide

Spain will consider gambling addiction as a mental illness

The regulator and the Advisory Council are, together, now working on creating a list of criteria that can help medical experts identify problemgambling behaviour and offer treatment.

The DGOJ hopes that through addressing problemgambling, authorities would be able to gauge better the real social and economical impact on Spain.

Furthermore, the data can be used to tax the industry properly, as well as create pre-emptive measures to curtail such issues.

Spain also plans to create a registration service, in which all problematic gamblers would be entered, so that they can be excluded from gambling activities.

The regulator already receives requests from

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

THOMAS Cook’s former customers are furious, because cash buyers are being asked to prove where their money came from, with one-third of them still awaiting refunds.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has failed to meet its own 60-day target to repay those hit by the travel company’s dramatic collapse.

Around 50,000 Thomas Cook customers are still waiting for refunds for holidays, 12 weeks after the collapse of the travel company.

The CAA had promised to return people’s money, within two months of requesting a refund. But one-third of people who have filed a claim have yet to receive their money within the CAA’s 60-day deadline.

Many customers have taken to social media to complain about the delay, and a lack of communication from the CAA, and some who paid in cash, or with vouchers, are frustrated about being asked to provide further proof of their transaction.

Those who paid by debit or credit card, bank transfer or cheque, have been told they must provide bank statements as evidence.

Cash buyers who paid under £1,000 have to provide the original, or a copy of the cash receipt they received at the time of payment.

And those who paid over this sum must provide the cash receipt, and further documentary evidence of the cash source, such as a withdrawal slip for the sum from their bank. Customers who paid using a voucher or gift-card must show proof of payment for this, too.

Nicole Dowling paid in cash to stay in Tenerife on New Year’s Eve and says the rest of her party, her parents and

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Ex-customers fuming over their absence of Thomas Cook refunds

sister, who paid by bank transfer, have all received their refunds, except her!

She’s a self-employed nail technician and says she has provided proof of her payment of £2,439 for herself, her husband and their son.

She has now waited 68 days, but when she logged into the CAA portal, it said her claim has been reset to another 60 days. She claimed the CAA wants proof of how she

earned the cash used to pay for the holiday.

“I feel as though I am being penalised for paying in cash,” she said. “They want proof of payment, which I have found, but they’re also asking me to prove how I earned the money, which is ridiculous,” said the 34-yearold from Newcastle.

“I don’t understand why proof of payment isn’t enough.

As I am self-employed, I get

Money-faking gang was rated biggest in Europe EUROPOL and Spain’s National Police have arrested 11 people involved in a huge fake money scam, operating across Europe.

Five of the arrests were in Spain, with some in Alicante, where agents seized thousands of forged €50 and €20 notes.

Printing presses were first discovered in Portugal while fake €50 notes were being sold on the internet.

Agents tracked down the buyers in a simultaneous

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operation throughout Portugal, Austria, Germany, France, Ireland, Greece, Luxembourg and Spain.

Europol said “Operation Deep Money” has dismantled the secret printing

press, as well as the entire criminal organisation behind it.

Investigators claim it was one of the biggest operating counterfeiting groups in Europe.

payed in cash, mostly. The only way I could show this is by submitting my accounts books. But we shouldn’t have to jump through all these hoops.”

The world’s oldest tour operator went bust on 23rd September this year, triggering a repatriation effort of more than 140,000 holiday-makers, who were abroad at the time.

Around 650,000 travellers had forward bookings with Thomas Cook. They were told to wait two weeks before applying for a refund under the Atol scheme, which is administered by the CAA. It has contracted out the refund process to two companies: CEGA and Rightpath Solutions, which trades as Protect Claims.

The aviation regulator has so far refunded about 60% of the valid claims it received at the start of the online refund process, which adds up to a total of £160m. But refunds for more than 50,000 customers are still outstanding.

The organisation blames the delays on the complexity of the booking data it received from Thomas Cook, as well as incomplete claims forms and fraudulent claims. The CAA

believes 85,000 claims are either duplicate or invalid.

“We are making good progress and we are sorry for those people that we’ve not yet been able to pay,” Paul Smith, a director at the CAA, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“There’s still quite a lot to pay and, particularly, at this time of year, we want to get the money back to people as quickly as possible. We want to make sure it is the right money to the right people… it is a very big challenge.

Cega and Rightpath Solutions did not wish to comment. After the story had been published, the CAA sent a release to say that more than 75% of all claims have been settled, totalling more than £200m.

Chief executive Richard Moriarty said: “We thank consumers for their ongoing patience as we undertake the UK’s largest and most complex travel-claims’ operation.

“We understand that those consumers who have not been paid yet, have had to wait longer than we had hoped, and we are doing all we can to process these claims as soon as possible.”

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News

20th December -26th December 2019

Chancer tried to smuggle nearly 50,000 cigarettes!

Expats are warned about washing-machine recalls A MAN aged 68, carrying thousands of cigarettes, was stopped by Border Force officers on 22nd April 2018, after arriving at Prestwick Airport on a flight from Gran Canaria.

James Thomson, from Uddingston, South Lanarkshire, has since been

sentenced for smuggling more than 47,000 cigarettes through Prestwick Airport, after an investigation

by HM Revenue and Customs.

Thomson was stopped by Border Force officers at Prestwick Airport, and the cigarettes inside his luggage were seized.

The case was referred to HMRC for investigation, since the duty evaded on them totalled £15,426.

An HMRC spokesperson said:

“Thomson knew what he was doing was illegal, yet he still tried to pocket taxpayers’ money and undermine legitimate traders.

“Working closely alongside our Border Force colleagues, disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market.”

Thomson, who pleaded guilty to Excise Duty fraud in July, at Ayr Sheriff Court, was fined £700 before the same court this month.

LEADING kitchenappliance manufacturer Whirlpool will be recalling 519,000 Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines next month.

The company has discovered that its machines could catch fire, and realise that many expats in Spain, as well as UK residents, could be affected.

A number of models have already been recalled, including machines manufactured between 2014 and 2018.

The problem was identified after Whirlpool found that the door-locking system could lead to the machines overheating and, subsequently, catching fire. Customers are advised to check on the website if their appliance has been included in the recall.

Despite huge concern throughout home-owners, Whirlpool has given an assurance that it is working at full speed to begin the recall in January.

Until then, customers should unplug the machines, or, if necessary, use them to wash clothes, but below 20 degrees.

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

News

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Walk for Life thousands are hoping to beat record funds for breast-cancer research

TENERIFE’S annual Walk for Life, from Arona to Adeje, again attracted thousands of people last Sunday, raising essential funding for breast-cancer research.

The walk, celebrating the famed event’s 15th anniversary, began at Siam Park, and ended at the Golden Mile, in Playa de las Américas.

It was the first year the local charity had been part of an international scheme, having joined the Think Pink Europe network, which has representatives in 19 countries.

Last year raised over €35,000 to help fight breast cancer, and it is hoped that record will have been broken by the multitude of willing walkers.

Photos: Sir Old Golfer

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News

OFF on holiday with Aer Lingus? Beware, because bags could cost double!

The price for taking two suitcases to Tenerife and back is now an eye-watering 240 euros.

Holiday-makers travelling to the island have seen their baggage fees more than double.

Families jetting to the popular holiday destination, along with other locations, including Corfu and Lanzarote, are being hammered with higher baggage fees, passengers flying with Aer Lingus having to pay €35 extra per 20kg for each leg of their trip, meaning an added €70 for a return flight.

A family bringing a 20kg bag to Tenerife and back over the Easter holidays will have to pay €110, compared with €40 at the same time last year. And the cost for a couple taking two 25kg suitcases there and back will be €240, which adds up to €60 per case, per person, each way.

Aer Lingus has scrapped its baggage-fee structure for Europe, which was previously differentiated between high and low-season fees.

However, the cost of checked baggage is now determined by the distance travelled, with three categories: Near (UK, Cork, Amsterdam), Mid (Berlin, Palma, Venice) and Far (Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife).

The biggest losers are those who usually travel to mainland Europe during the “low season”, between October and May. Those booking return flights to the likes of London, Liverpool or Edinburgh during the “high season” in the summer months and Christmas period, will see savings of between €10 to €20.

If someone is travelling to Rome (“mid” location) on a return trip next May, a 20kg bag will cost €80, while last

Baggage fees are now up in the air with Aer Lingus!

year it would have cost €40.

Aer Lingus admitted to the Irish Daily Mail that people travelling to a number of European destinations will incur “higher baggage fees”, the new structure in place for bookings made from last Tuesday.

A statement from the airline said: “Aer Lingus can confirm that, towards the end of 2016, we changed our baggagefee structure in that the cost of checked baggage is now determined by the distance travelled, and there are three categories: near, mid and far.

“New baggage fees have been introduced for bookings made from March 28th onwards, and for any baggage fees paid after that date, at airports and via our call centre.

“While guests travelling to mid and far destinations incur higher baggage fees, guests travelling to near destinations, in fact, are paying 40% less, when compared with baggage fees at the same time last year.”

Anyone booking flights for a return trip to London next June will pay €50 for a 20kg

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bag, while in June 2016 (“high season”), they would have paid €70.

Dermot Jewell, of the Consumers’ Association of Ireland, said a majority of those travelling to these “near” destinations wouldn’t be making the savings, however, as most make use of the free cabin-baggage

allowance.

Aer Lingus currently allows people to carry a 10kg bag (55cm x 40cm x 24cm), as well as either a small handbag, laptop, duty free or babychanging bag.

Mr Jewell told the Mail: “You can’t help but feel that this is the strategy. They were not making money on the near travel venues, so, therefore, they simply put a year-long increase on everything else, which you cannot escape.”

He added: “Aer Lingus are suggesting that there’s an element of balancing in the way they’ve adjusted the prices, but I think, realistically, that two things are key.

“One is the fact that this is a full price increase, not seasonal, and that serves across the board at all times, with anybody wishing to travel to either one of the mid or long areas. “Clearly,

20th December -26th December 2019 with such levels of increase to those mid or far away destinations, this is no more than a fairly hefty price increase, in general terms.”

Those travelling during the “high season” to destinations in the mid and far destinations this coming summer, will also see increases, though not as large as booking during the “low season”.

“If someone is travelling to Malaga (“mid” location) on a return trip next July, a 20kg bag will cost €80, while last year this would have cost €70.

“A family travelling to the same destination next summer, who would likely need a 40kg baggage allowance, will pay €140 for return flights, while last year, they would have paid €130.

“Anyone hoping to jet off to Corfu, Dubrovnik or Spit on a return flight in August, will pay €100 for a 15kg bag, €110 for a 20kg bag and €120 for a 25kg bag.

“Those travelling to the same destinations in August 2016 would have paid €50 for a 15kg bag, €70 for a 20kg bag and €80 for a 25kg bag.”

For transatlantic flights, Aer Lingus allows passengers to carry one bag free of charge, weighing up to 23kg, with any subsequent baggage €150 per bag, both ways.

Troy’s final farewell not to be sniffed at!

A SMALL celebration took place on Wednesday morning at the Plaza del Principe, in honour of a special police officer, who is retiring after many years of service.

His name is Troy, a gifted canine who has worked alongside many officers from the Santa Cruz Local

Police, in their anti-drug unit.

A special post from UNIPOL, uploaded especially for the occasion, read: “After a long service, the Council

from Santa Cruz would like to thank you very much for your collaboration, and for keeping the city a safer place for all.”

Avda Claudio Delgado Diaz 73, Las Chaf iras, 38639 San Miguel de Abona, Tenerife PRINTED BY: TF Print S.A. Managing Editor & Director: Chris Elkington chris.elkington@canarianweekly.com

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News

20th December -26th December 2019

Heartless farm-owner dumps worker’s body

Christmas bonus, from the Spanish Treasury!

PRIZES won in the hugely-popular Christmas Lottery, El Gordo, have always been taxed, once they break a certain threshold, which, until this year, was €10,000.

Olives are crucial to Jaen’s economy

THE heartless owner of a farm has been arrested by the Guardia Civil after dumping the body of worker, who died picking olives for him.

The 31-year-old Moroccan is believed to have suffered a fatal heart attack on his first day at work.

He is believed to have worked without documents

or a contract, and the farmowner has been held in Pozo Alcon, Jaen.

Officers said he had taken his employee to a local medical centre, claiming he needed assistance and a stretcher.

He is then reported to have left him and fled, after which a doctor realised that the person he had dropped off had passed away.

The pair were believed to have met each other at a house frequented by migrants. looking for seasonal

labour.

Following the incident, the Town Hall has won a request to increase police surveillance, in a bid to prevent further exploitation.

Andalucia’s olive-oil capital, Jaen, has had 18 people arrested in the last week, for failing to carry paperwork.

In January, the province recorded its biggest-ever harvest, and, by the end of this year, it is set to produce more olive oil than Italy, Greece and Portugal put together.

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The good news is that you don’t start paying tax on winnings this year until they reach €20,000. And even if you win a really big prize, the first €20,000 is discounted for tax purposes.

If you are lucky enough to win the €4m jackpot prize for a full ticket, you will be taxed a mind-blowing €760,000, rather than the €780,000 you would have paid last year.

It is estimated that the Treasury will collect €13m less than last year, but it will take a windfall of around €175m to help Spain with its overheads.

The draw takes place

on Sunday from 8am, at Madrid’s Teatro Real opera house, and could last up to six hours.

All the large prizes are paid out with tax already deducted, so there is no need to make any declaration when you present you tax returns… unless, of course, you have invested the balance and received the interest on it.

The other benefit for winners is that if they need financial assistance for scholarships for their children from the Spanish Government for disability allowance, or any other form personal assistance, then their winnings will not be taken into account.

That’s because calculations are based on income rather than equity, except for property values.

The Spanish, and, these days, many Brits, love the Christmas draw, which is televised every year, with youngsters singing out the numbers as they are drawn.

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News

A TWO-YEAR-OLD tot from Leicester has been diagnosed with such a rare condition that she is the only person in the world carrying it.

Isla Kilpatrick-Screaton suffers from a unique strand of mandibuloacral dysplasia, also known as “Benjamin Button disease”, because it causes rapid ageing of the cells.

But when tests results showed a mutation in her genes which had never been seen before, it had left medics baffled. Her parents were

20th December -26th December 2019 even told to “start Googling” to find out what was wrong with their daughter.

Her mother, Stacey, 33, and 36-year-old father Kyle, face a daily battle to care for Isla, who faces an uncertain future because she has a heart condition and narrow airways, which are causing her breathing difficulties, reports Birmingham Live.

Isla, who weighs just 15lbs and has only just started to crawl, can say few words. Her main form of communication is Makaton sign and symbol language, used in the CBeebies show Something Special.

Her parents have been warned to expect to see her

Belgians rally round, to lift Helping Hands

MORE than 500 people attended last Saturday’s Belgium Christmas Market, at Parque Don Jose, in Costa del Silencio.

It was arranged by Armand de Sutter and his friends, and there was a variety of attractions, including bars featuring various beers, wine and cava, as well as pancakes, fries and curry sausages.

There were also 20 stalls, with all kinds of Christmas items and hand-made gifts on offer, and one stall was set out by a ladies’ hobby

club. They had worked throughout the year to make all kinds of things, to be sold on this special day.

The event proved a huge success, with a staggering €1,300 donated to the Helping Hands children’s charity. Liz Montague, who runs the charity, said: “It was a pleasure to meet the people who played a big part in this fabulous gathering.

“We are extremely grateful for the support given to our charity. Thank-you so much, and thank-you for the special hand-made gifts for the children… they will love them.”

No-one in the world can beat this brave girl’s rare condition cells aging rapidly, which will make her a look a lot older than her years.

Stacey, who quit her job as a teaching assistant to become Isla’s full-time carer, said: “It takes a lot out of the family.

“When we had the diagnosis, the genetic consultant said Isla was the only one in the world to have this particular misspelling of the gene, which causes the mutation.

“We were told, lightheartedly, to “get Googling”.

But even with the rarest conditions, there is a network of carriers, but we don’t even have that.

“They couldn’t tell us how she was going to progress. No one else has the mutation of the gene, which causes this deficiency.

“There appears to be only seven examples ever, in the medical literature of mandibuloacral dysplasia, but none is this particular mutation.”

Despite her health problems, her parents say she is a happy little girl who enjoys nothing more than playing with her Paige, her seven-year-old sister.

Isla nearly suffocated after being born at 36 weeks at Leicester Royal Hospital weighing 5lbs 10oz, on 2nd February 2017.

She was hospitalised for a month before she went home, but was rushed back to hospital soon after, after turning blue.

Medics had to resuscitate her after another emergency operation when she was three months old, and it seemed that her tongue was blocking her airway, every time she became upset.

In October 2017 she was diagnosed with a condition known as mandibuloacral dysplasia, which causes a variety of abnormalities, involving bone-development and skin-colouring.

Isla now has a 2.5mm tube down her throat called a tracheostomy and a gastrostomy, to enable her to be fed high-calorie milk and small items of solid food.

Stacey added: “Isla makes herself understood and is very clever. She is very expressive and communicative with us and Paige.

“She can’t cry, so when she sleeps, she is attached to a heart monitor, and an alarm goes off when she wakes up. This means we can sleep at night.

“She has only just started crawling, which is late, because she’s very petite in all ways. But she can walk with the aid of frame, which gives her the freedom of a child to run away from us whenever she wants.”

Her mother added: “Her symptoms are narrow airways; pale, thin skin and a small jaw, which means her tongue is far back in her throat, which can stop her breathing.

“She is either cold or red-hot.

If she becomes really unwell, her temperature can go up to 40 degrees.

“She sees about 12 consultants, has from one to six appointments a week, and she has a whole cabinet of medical records.”

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News

20th December -26th December 2019

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More than a teenage tiff Sproutrageous driving! as girl, 14, stabs her pal

A GIRL aged 14, who launched a savage knife attack on her 13-year-old friend, has been arrested in Madrid by the National Police.

The assault is believed to have taken place late last Saturday evening on Plaza Patricio Martínez in the capital.

The victim waited outside her friend’s door, while she sent her “threatening messages” relating to an earlier dispute.

The teenager in the house then came out and pounced on the victim, stabbing her four times in her throat and neck.

Stunned residents immediately called the emergency services, and officers soon arrived at the scene.

The injured girl was taken to hospital, but, thankfully, her condition was not considered serious. The other teen was arrested and is said to be making an appearance soon at the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office.

The police believe the incident could have stemmed from jealousy between the two girls.

Gay man tricked by a trio of violent thugs

A MAN has been hospitalised after being lured to a secluded road and robbed violently by a group of young men on the outskirts of Seville, Andalucia.

The victim had arranged to meet a young man, aged 20, after chatting on an online platform for casual sex, according to police.

The man, described only as being middle-aged, agreed to pick up the youngster in Aznalcazar. Once in the car, the young man said they could drive to his home and that he would direct the way.

While on the journey, though, the youngster told the intended victim

to turn down a rural road, in which, he said, his house was at the end of it. Suddenly, another car appeared and blocked their way, before two men jumped out.

The men, and their young companion in the car, began to attack and rob the victim, while hurling verbal, homophobic abuse.

He had to be taken to hospital as a result of his injuries, but, fortunately, he was able to give a police sketchartist many details about trio’s appearances.

Guardia Civil officers were able to track them down and they have been arrested and imprisoned, ahead of a trial. They are charged with a hate crime, as well as robbery with violence and intimidation.

MOUNTAINS of Brussels sprouts have spilled all over a roundabout, creating a tragedy for Scotland’s Christmas lunches.

Dinners may even be jeopardised as a huge pile of the festive vegetables built up, turning the concrete green.

Police were called to the scene in Admiralty Road in Rosyth, Fife, at around 10.45am on Monday.

A trailer being pulled by another vehicle overturned, shedding its load everywhere. But at least there were no injury reports.

South West Fife Police tweeted: “There’s been a bit of a #BrusselSprouts accident at the roundabout at Admiralty Road, #Rosyth.

“Please avoid the area if possible.

Traffic and #Christmas dinners may be affected. Apologies for any delays…”

The road was closed for several hours as workers used shovels and a mechanical digger to scoop up the sprouts. One person, responding to police, chipped in, asking: “Was the lorry sprout of control at the time?”

But others were more concerned about the state of the veg, suggesting: “Just rinse those sprouts off and they’ll be fine.”

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Business

By Carol schleisman at currencies direct

STAYING on top of the latest currency news can help you time your transfers more effectively, so find out what you should be looking for, over the next couple of weeks.

Over the past month, GBP movement has been dominated by the UK general election. The pound soared, after it was revealed that the Conservatives had secured a landslide victory against the Labour Party, in the 12th December election.

This saw GBP/EUR climb from €1.16 to a three-year high of €1.20, with EUR/GBP sinking to a low of £0.82. Meanwhile, the GBP/USD exchange rate traded between $1.28 and $1.35, while EUR/USD ranged

A CHANGE to the 2012 labour reform law, upheld in October by the Constitutional Court, allows workers in Spain to be sacked for taking medical leave, even if they have a doctor’s certificate.

Adriana Ampueda, who had been working for seven years at an Extel call-centre in A Coruña, in the north-western Spanish region of Galicia, took 11 days off, suffering from gastroenteritis.

But last Monday, when the 42-year-old Venezuelan returned to work, she was fired, even though she had a doctor’s certificate.

Spanish unions have identified a number of similar cases since 29th October, when the Constitutional Court ruled that a company had the right to dismiss an employee, who misses work for medical reasons, even if the sick leave was justified.

“What do they want us to do? Lie to the doctor?” asked a bewildered Adriana.

The people most affected by the court’s decision are women, elderly workers, or people with precarious or mechanical jobs, who, in the eyes of the employer, are expendable, according to the Occupational Health Department of Comisiones

20th December -26th December 2019

Pound falls from multi-year highs, as Brexit returns to the spotlight

from $1.09 to $1.11.

The pound struggled at the start of December, as opinion polls indicated that the Conservative’s lead was narrowing, leaving markets jittery about the prospect of a hung parliament.

Following the 12th December victory for the Conservatives, the pound soared on restored clarity, and hopes that Prime Minister Boris Johnson would “get Brexit done” by 31st January.

However, after hitting multiyear highs, the GBP/EUR and GBP/USD exchange rates started edging lower.

The losses were recorded in response to Boris Johnson announcing that he would attempt to pass legislation through the House of Commons, outlawing an extension to the UK-EU transition period, beyond December 2020.

The euro, meanwhile, struggled throughout November and early December, as the Eurozone’s flagging economy continued to

dampen market appetite for the single currency. USChina trade developments also continued to drive the US dollar, with rising “phaseone” trade-deal hopes weakening some of the safehaven appeal of the “greenback”.

The Federal Reserve also announced that it would leave interest rates on hold, amid uncertainty over the global economy heading into next year, leaving many US-dollar traders locked in a “wait-and-see” mode.

Ill woman sacked, after taking time off to get healthy

Obreras (CCOO), Spain’s largest labour union.

Adriana’s case is not isolated. Three other Extel workers were fired for the same reason, as were five staff members from the H&M clothing store in Catalonia, and an employee from the Sirkari cleaning company in the Basque Country.

Yet the practice is deemed legal. The 2012 labour reform changed the article of the Workers’ Statute to allow employers to fire workers who miss more than 20% of their working days in two consecutive months, or at least 5% in the 12 months prior, even with a medical certificate.

It is not the first time these criteria have been introduced, but it is the first time they have been

separated from absenteeism in the workplace.

This means it is much easier to fire an individual, because the decision is no longer dependent on whether other workers have taken leave.

The Constitutional Court has backed this change, which, according to unions, companies are taking advantage of to justify dismissals. “The sentence fits businesses like a glove,” said the CCOO. The four former workers at Extel, a subsidiary of The Adecco Group, a multinational, temporary-staffing firm based in Switzerland, met the criteria to be fired for taking sick leave.

“The doctor told me to rest for 72 hours because of the fever,” said Adriana. “The company told me to come

What do you need to look out for?

Once again, Brexit will remain in focus over the month ahead, with Boris Johnson set to attempt to rule out any extensions to the UK-EU Brexit transition period, beyond next year. Consequently, we will likely see GBP weaken on heightened fears of a no-deal Brexit, with tensions between the UK and the European Union expected to intensify.

Meanwhile, euro investors will be focusing on the

Eurozone’s economic data, with any hints of a failing German economy proving EUR-negative.

US-dollar investors will be paying close attention to USChina trade developments this month, with any signs of a “phase-one” trade deal between the two superpowers being inked before the New Year, likely weakening USD, as traders flock to riskier assets.

At Currencies Direct, we’re here to talk currency whenever you need us, so get in touch if you want to know more about the latest news, or how it could impact your currency transfers.

Since 1996, we’ve helped more than 325,000 customers with their currency transfers.

Just pop into your local Currencies Direct branch, or give us a call to find out more.

T +34 922 971 781 E canaries@currenciesdirect. com W currenciesdirect.com

back to ask for short-term leave, and that was when they fired me.”

Yet the CEOE does not believe dismissals for health reasons are putting workers’ health at risk. Extel maintained that it followed regulations, adding that it had fired just 11 people from its 35,000-strong workforce in the last two years.

“You have to stop and think why dismissal for illness was applied to them specifically,” said the company, without giving further details.

In the central Castile-La Mancha region, seven workers have been sacked since the Constitutional Court issued its ruling.

Vanesa García, for instance, was dismissed from her job at ICSA Toledo, a subsidiary of the aeronautical company Aernnova, on 25th November.

Vanesa was diagnosed with a tumour 10 years ago, and took two years off for treatment. When she did return to work, she continued to have health problems, which prevented her from working.

Another problem with the controversial labour reform is the ambiguity over what is considered cancer treatment, and treatment for a serious illness, which, under the law, is one of the exceptions.

Isaac Rodríquez, a CGT union delegate at managementservice company Unísono,

said 40 people had been sacked there for taking medical leave since the 2012 labour reform arrived, and Isaac was the latest victim.

A week before the court sentence, he was fired for missing work because he was suffering from a paralysed optic nerve, vertigo and migraines. He had worked for Unísono for five years.

Alfonso Jesús Callejo, a delegate from the USO union, who had been working at Spanish food company Campofrío Fresco, was also fired when missing work, after having two polyps removed.

He had a medical certificate, and recalled that the company’s own good-practice manual said his job, cutting meat, was incompatible with his recovery.

“If you are feeling dizzy, do you still have to go to work and cut yourself?” asked Jesus.

Isaac Rodríquez was fired for taking leave for a paralysed optic nerve, vertigo and migraines.

The Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organisations (CEOE) believes that dismissal for health reasons is not common, and doubts that it is putting workers’ health at risk, given that they are essential for business productivity.

Spanish unions are planning to take the case to the European Justice System, calling for the norm to be repealed.

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

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TV Guide

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

A Merry Tudor Christmas with Lucy Worsley

Friday 20th December, BBC2, 9pm

Lucy Worsley recreates how Christmas was celebrated during the age of Henry VIII by eating, drinking, singing, dancing and partying like people did 500 years ago.

She’s getting into Tudor clothes, and inside Tudor minds; discovering the forerunners of some of the Christmas customs we still enjoy today, and revealing other festive traditions we’ve lost.

With the help of food historian Annie Gray, she prepares two royal feasts in the kitchens of Hampton Court Palace. For the King’s Christmas dinner, Lucy - in full royal costume as Henry tucks into stuffed boar’s head, served to her by a choir singing its praises. She also tastes Tudor versions of the mince pies and Christmas cakes we still enjoy today.Lucy joins Tudor carol-singers to perform a festive hit penned by Henry VIII himself, and watches a forerunner of the Royal Variety Show, complete with dancing stags and swordplay.

She immerses herself in the rabble-rousing fun created by the Lord of Misrule, an anarchic ancestor of our Father Christmas.

She encounters a historic scroll - the King’s own festive gift list from 1532 - and some of the presents from it, including a six-foot-long spear given by Anne Boleyn, and a pair of greyhounds.

Pride of Britain: Celebrating 20 Years

Sunday 22nd December, ITV1, 17.00

It has been described as the most uplifting ceremony of the year.

Pride of Britain is about to enter its milestone third decade after it has been celebrating remarkable people who make the nation a better place for 20 years.

In this one-off special, presented by Pride of Britain’s very own Carol Vorderman, we will be reliving many of her favourite memories spanning over the last 20 years.

Those big surprises, those outstanding winners and those unforgettable moments.

For this special occasion, Carol has hit the road to visit some of the winners who truly stick in the memory and our hearts. Some who have done great things since and some who are still just simply great.

She makes the trip down to Torbay to meet winners of the Emergency Services award; s of the seven crew of the RNLI who risked their lives to save eight stranded seamen. Car discovers some shocking revelations when she meets Rachel Edwards for the first time since she was only seven and collecting a Child of Courage award in 2001. She walks the walk with fundraiser of the year 2008 Nina Barough and does a milk round with crime fighting milkman and now MBE Tony Fowler. We also check in with Aston Villa obsessive Moin Younis and wise-cracking Jack Carroll.

It’s a fabulous romp through the last glorious 20 years and a chance to celebrate and catch up with all those extraordinary people who have made the nation proud throughout Pride of Britain’s history.

www.canarianweekly.com

TV Guide

20th December -26th December 2019

Gordon, Gino & Fred: Christmas Road Trip Three Unwise Men

Dancing On Ice At Christmas

Sunday 22nd December, ITV1, 19.00

Hosted by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, the Greatest Show on Ice returns for a very special Christmas extravaganza.

Twelve brand new celebrities take their first tentative steps on the ice and we’ll find out which professional skater they’ve been partnered with.

Skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean perform a spectacular routine and once again head up our ice panel alongside dance supremo, Ashley Banjo and our brand-new addition, John Barrowman.

Plus, there’ll be a whole host of incredible performances featuring some very special guests.

Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special

Monday 23rd December, ITV1, 9pm

Watch and embed this video on your website. Simply play and click on the embed icon upper right to copy the embed code.

Gordon, Gino & Fred: Christmas Road Trip Three Unwise Men After their hilarious European adventures Gordon, Gino and Fred are in the desert, searching for the spirit of the festive season in Morocco… a land of snakes, saffron… and camels!

Gino wanted to take the boys to Jerusalem, but his cousin got a cheap deal on flights. They landed 6,000 miles short in Marrakesh where culturally they don’t celebrate Christmas.

But the foodie friends, always hungry to experience different cultures, food, drink and opportunities for adventure, are determined to make it an incredible culinary road trip.

They find themselves on the back of three camels in the middle of the Agafay desert but Three Wise Men they are not. They’re searching out the hospitality of a local Arabic desert dwelling family who will show them the delights of eating their mutton nose to tail. Literally. But not before they are expected to put up their own tent for the night and get stuck in.

Christmas Day, BBC1, 21.00

One-off festive edition of the comedy, which returns after a nine-year break. The Shipmans travel to Wales to spend Christmas with the Wests, but for Gavin and Stacey, parenthood continues to present them with several challenges, and their `baby” is now nine.

Smithy also continues to commit to his fatherly role, making the journey to Barry at weekends and every second Wednesday to see 12-yearold Neil the Baby. Nessa has adopted her own style of mothering, while Pam, Mick and Gwen have become the epitome of doting grandparents.

On Christmas Eve, Dawn makes a shocking discovery about Pete that jeopardises their marriage - again - while a visit to the pub becomes an eye-opener in more ways than one.

e

six rol e

Paddington: The Man Behind The Bear

Boxing Day, BBC2, 21.00

This is the story of the unassuming man whose greatest creation, Paddington Bear, became one of the nation’s best loved characters.

Now an international phenomenon, the little bear from Peru was the product of a very particular post-war world.

Michael Bond drew on his wartime memories of evacuee children to shape Paddington’s personality, and his literary agent, from a Jewish family who fled the Nazis, inspired Paddington’s kindly friend Mr Gruber.

The values of decency and tolerance which Michael Bond saw in the world he grew up in were the same he gave to the young bear, and this film offers a fascinating, heartwarming portrait of the world that gave birth to Paddington.

21 CW

Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show

Christmas Day, BBC1, 18.00

Michael McIntyre’s annual entertainment extravaganza returns to BBC One this Christmas, stuffed with big stars, big laughs and even bigger surprises!

Recorded at the world famous home of British entertainment, The London Palladium in the heart of Theatreland, Michael presents a night jam packed with treats and unmissable surprises.

How will global superstar Sharon Osbourne cope when she hands over her phone to play Send To All? Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood might not be feeling quite so fab-u-lous as Michael wakes him up in the middle of the night in a special Christmassy Midnight Gameshow, and closing the show will be another spectacular festive performance from the Unexpected Star.

Dolly Parton Here I Am

Christmas Day, BBC2, 20.30

Dolly Parton has often been seen as a caricature. And it’s an impression she herself has done little to discourage. But for far too long this persona has obscured the real Dolly. Dolly Parton: Here I Am is a major feature-length documentary which uncovers a very different character - a Dolly that is no less extraordinary, but far more authentic and far more surprising.

Dolly Parton: Here I Am is the latest film from Bafta-winning producer/ director, Francis Whately. With unprecedented access, it reveals the genius songwriter behind the rhinestones, the private individual who reveals almost everything if you take the time to explore the lyrics, the modern feminist who doesn’t want to be called a feminist.

Talking about her on camera for the first time are Dolly’s musicians, co-writers and producers, in an exploration of why she is seen as one of the greatest songwriters of modern times. Dolly personally takes viewers musically and lyrically though some of her greatest songs including The Bridgeddy Anderson, Lloyd Green, Mike Severs, Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins and Stuart Duncan.

CW 22

TV Guide

06:00 ...................... Breakfast 09:15 ...........Meet the Street at Christmas 10:00....... Homes Under the Hammer 11:00 ............. Island Medics 11:45 ..........The Customer is Always Right 12:15.............. Bargain Hunt 13:00 ...... BBC News at One 13:45 .........................Doctors 14:15 ..............Father Brown 15:00 ...................... Escape to the Country 15:45 ...........Garden Rescue 16:30 ........The Repair Shop 17:15 .......................Pointless 18:00.... BBC News at Six 19:00........The One Show 19:30..............A Question of Sport 20:00................ Still Open All Hours 20:30............. EastEnders 21:00............... Have I Got News for You 21:30.. Would I Lie to You? 22:00.... BBC News at Ten 22:35............ The Graham Norton Show 23:30.................. Fleabag 23:55......The Apprentice

06:30............Meet the Street at Christmas 07:15 ............. Island Medics 08:00.....................Love in the Countryside 09:00............. BBC News at 9 10:00... Victoria Derbyshire 11:00..BBC Newsroom Live 12:15.................. Politics Live 13:00......................Eggheads 13:30.....The Best Christmas Food Ever 14:15.............................. Coast 14:40.......... Talking Pictures 15:30....... The Bishop’s Wife 17:15...........The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas 18:00.....Richard Osman’s House of Games 18:30......... Only Connect 19:00....... Mountain Vets 20:00..... MasterChef: The Professionals 21:00.........A Merry Tudor Christmas with Lucy Worsley 22:00...... Mock the Week 22:30.......... Cunk & Other Humans on 2019 22:35..............Newsnight 23:10......... Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love 00:50...............Panorama

08:55 ............ Food Unwrapped

06:00 .............Monkey Business

09:30 ........... A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun

06:30............. Monkey Business

10:25 ........... A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun

09:00 ................... The Simpsons

11:30 .....................Four in a Bed 12:05 .....................Four in a Bed 12:35 .....................Four in a Bed 13:10 .....................Four in a Bed 13:40 .....................Four in a Bed 14:10 ....... Come Dine with Me 15:15........ Come Dine with Me 16:20........ Come Dine with Me 16:50.................... The Secret Life of the Zoo 17:55..................... The Supervet 18:55.999: On the Frontline 19:55......................Escape to the Chateau 21:00...................... The Team 22:20..........24 Hours in A&E 00:30........... 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 01:30......................... 999: On the Frontline

07:00.... Sky News @ Breakfast 11:00 ............NCIS: Los Angeles 12:00 ............NCIS: Los Angeles 13:00 .................... Hawaii Five-0 14:00 .................... Hawaii Five-0 15:00 ................. Modern Family

Fri 20 dec 2019

06:00............. Good Morning Britain 08:30 ........................ Lorraine 09:25 .............. Judge Rinder 10:30 .............. This Morning 12:30............. Loose Women

07:45............... Everybody Loves Raymond

08:15 .............................. Floogals

08:40...................................Frasier

08:50 ....................Little Princess

10:10...............Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 11:05..........................Undercover Boss USA

13:55...... ITV News London

12:05................The People’s Vet

14:00.................... Dickinson’s Real Deal

13:05...................... Escape to the Chateau: DIY

15:59.................. ITV London 16:00.............. Tipping Point 17:00............. Cash Trapped

14:10........................ Countdown 15:00..........Find it, Fix it, Flog it 16:00............ A Place in the Sun 17:00........... Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas

18:00................. ITV News London

18:00..............The Simpsons

19:00 ........... Emmerdale

19:00.......... Channel 4 News

19:30..............Coronation Street

20:00............. Flirty Dancing

CW

18:30.................... Hollyoaks

21:00.......................Celebrity Gogglebox

20:30.........Coronation Street at watch 22:00................ The Last Leg 23:05.............Daddy’s Home Christmas

CW

00:55........ The Crystal Maze 21:30..........Ball & Boe: A Very Merry watch 01:50.............. The Supervet Christmas

08:30 ................... Becca’s Bunch 09:00 ..................Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:15........................Jeremy Vine 11:15 .........Christmas Getaway 12:50 ....................... Neighbours 13:15.......................Shoelaces for Christmas 15:00.....................A Christmas in Tennessee 16:45......................... 5 News at 5 17:00................................. Friends 18:00................. Neighbours 18:30........... 5 News Tonight 19:00....... The Gadget Show 20:00............... Secrets of the Factories

06:00 ........................ The Planet’s Funniest Animals 06:20.................. Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 06:45 ..... You’ve Been Framed!

07:10 ...........I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

08:00 ........................ Emmerdale 09:00 ..... You’ve Been Framed!

09:25 .............................. The Ellen DeGeneres Show 10:20 .............. Dress to Impress 12:15 ........................ Emmerdale 13:15 ..... You’ve Been Framed!

13:50............................... The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:45........Supermarket Sweep 15:50........................Dinner Date 16:50............... Dress to Impress 19:00..You’ve Been Framed!

21:00.......Cruising with Jane McDonald

21:00.................. Family Guy

22:00............................Inside Sandringham: Holidaying with the Queen

22:00............. Shopping with Keith Lemon

23:30........................Inside...

23:30............ American Dad!

00:30...... Lip Sync Battle UK

21:30.................. Family Guy

23:05.................. Family Guy 00:30...The Cleveland Show

22:30..... ITV News at Ten 23:15.......Bradley Walsh’s Late Night Guest List 00:15.............Ideal World

07:10...............James May’s Cars of the People 08:00 .............American Pickers 09:00.........Storage Hunters UK 09:30.........Storage Hunters UK 10:00..............American Pickers 11:00..............American Pickers 12:00...............James May’s Cars of the People 13:00 .......................World’s Most Dangerous Roads

18:00.................... Futurama

14:00 ............................. Top Gear

18:30..............The Simpsons

15:00..................... Timber Kings

20:00 ............Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball

16:00.......... Cop Car Workshop

21:00......... Micky Flanagan’s Christmas

18:00.... Eddie Eats America

22:30............... The Late Late Show with James Corden: Best of the Week

06:00...................... Childrens’ TV

12:00................Channel 4 News

16:30 ................... The Simpsons

22:00.......... In the Long Run

06:30................. King of Queens

13:30..............ITV Lunchtime News

15:00....................The Switch

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

17:00............................. Top Gear 19:00..... Would I Lie to You? 19:40..... Would I Lie to You? 20:20................................. QI 21:00................................. QI

23:30 .................. The Russell Howard Hour

22:00................... Red Dwarf

00:30.........Carpool Karaoke

00:00..... Would I Lie to You?

01:30................... Road Wars

01:20................................. QI

23:20................... Red Dwarf

Coronation Street at Christmas Narrated by beloved former cast member, Sue Johnston, ITV1, 20.30 Coronation Street At Christmas, is a one-off documentary

celebrating the very best of Coronation Street Christmases over almost six decades.

Coronation Street originally launched in December 1960 and this festive special for ITV delves into the show’s incredible archive to showcase storylines which have stopped millions of viewers in their tracks over the festive season.

From betrayals and break ups to weddings, babies and pub singalongs, viewers will be entertained and moved with memories of Christmases past.

ITV1, 21.30

Ball & Boe: A Very Merry Christmas They’re back. After the massive success of their previous albums and sold out tours, the unstoppable force that is Michael Ball and Alfie Boe reunite for an unmissable festive night of music.

Showcasing both their unique blend of extraordinary talent and infectious humour, the iconic duo will perform exciting new material alongside some Christmas favourites, as well as singing with special guests Dame Shirley Bassey, Luke Evans and Gregory Porter.

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

Sat 21 dec 2019

06:00 ...................... Breakfast

06:20...................... Top Class

06:00................... Dino Dana

10:00 ........................Saturday Kitchen Live

06:50 .......This Farming Life

06:10 ......................... Super 4

07:50 ......... MasterChef: The Professionals

06:35 ...............Thunderbirds are Go

08:50.......... MasterChef: The Professionals

07:00................ Dare Master

09:50.......................... Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical!

07:30....................... Mr. Bean

12:00 ............Football Focus 13:00 .....................BBC News 13:10 ........................Weather 13:15 .............. Bargain Hunt 14:10 ...................... Escape to the Country 15:10 ..................... Money for Nothing 15:55 .....................BBC News 16:05 .................BBC London News 16:15 ...................Final Score 17:15 ................ Match of the Day Live 19:30 ............The Hit List 20:15 .................. Michael McIntyre’s Big Show 21:20 ................ Casualty 22:10 .............. BBC News

23 CW

11:30 .................Flour Power

TV Guide

12:00.........................Victorian Bakers 13:00...........................Nature’s Weirdest Events 13:45........... Live Equestrian 16:30........................ Porridge 17:15............... Swallows and Amazons 18:45........ Natural World 19:45.............Dad’s Army 20:20.................... Natural World 21:20..............Dave Allen: God’s Own Comedian

07:05.................... Robozuna

05:40 ...............Thunder and the House of Magic

06:00...................... Childrens’ TV

07:10 ..............Capture the Flag

10:45 ..........The African Queen

08:55 .............. Everybody Loves Raymond

11:45 ..................................Access

09:25 ................ King of Queens 09:55 ................... The Simpsons 12:00 ........................Two by Two

07:55......................... Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! Mystery 101

13:40 ................ Garfield 2: A Tail of Two Kitties

08:25 ...................... ITV News

15:15 .......................Madagascar

08:30 ...The Sara Cox Show

17:00 ...............Channel 4 News

09:25 ......Saturday Morning with James Martin

17:30 ................................. Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas

11:35............. John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen 12:35.............................Nadia’s Family Feasts 13:35........................ ITV News

18:30................. Jamie’s Easy Christmas Countdown 19:30................Men in Black

13:50... Midsomer Murders

21:20........................ Daddy’s Home 2

15:50........ Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs

23:15........The Inbetweeners Movie

16:20....................... ITV News

01:05.................. Travel Man: 48 Hours In

16:50.............................. Shrek

22:25................. Weather

22:20.......... Cunk & Other Humans on 2019

18:25............... The Chase Celebrity Special

22:30..................Match of the Day

22:25.................... Radio 2 in Concert

19:25.....In for a Penny

23:55................... The NFL Show

23:35.............. Behind the Candelabra

22:55................ ITV News

00:25....................Looper

01:30............The Bleeder

01:20.............Ideal World

10:35 ..................................Access

11:50 ..........The African Queen 13:00 ...................... The Goonies

06:00...................... Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 06:25............................ Emmerdale 08:55 ...............Coronation Street 12:00 ..........................The Big Quiz

14:05 ..................................Access

13:00 .............. I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!

14:10...................... The Goonies

14:00........ You’ve Been Framed!

15:10 ...............................Scrooge

14:30................................ Jack Frost

16:10.................................. Access

16:35.................................... Liar Liar

16:15 ...............................Scrooge

17:40.................................. FYI Daily

17:00 .......... Agatha & The Truth of Murder

17:45 ....................................Liar Liar

18:45........ 5 News Weekend 18:50....... Britain’s Favourite Christmas Carol 20:20.....Our Yorkshire Farm 21:20............ Jane McDonald & Friends

18:25.......... Four Christmases 19:30......................... FYI Daily 19:35 ......... Four Christmases 20:10 ...................The Holiday 22:50 .................... Family Guy 23:20 .................... Family Guy

22:20......Freddie Mercury: A Christmas Story

23:50...............American Dad!

23:45............ Queen: A Night at the Odeon

00:40..................... Family Guy

01:00........The 21.Co.UK Live Casino Show

01:45 ..................... Contagion

00:15.............. American Dad! 01:10 .............................. Plebs

CW watch

20:10........ Casino Royale 23:10......... Basic Instinct

In For A Christmas Penny ITV1, 19.25 Stephen Mulhern will be spreading some Christmas cheer this December in a special edition of the popular series In For A Christmas Penny.

The show will see Stephen let loose on the streets of Manchester injecting some festive fun to unsuspecting members of the public unwrapping a host of hilariously funny games including a special Christmas version of the popular In For A Penny where a holiday to New York is up for grabs.

With a Christmas sack full off cash ready to be won, Stephen will challenge shoppers to take part in a host of festive games including, That’s A Wrap where the public will have just 60 seconds to tape as many items to their bodies as they can, ‘Get Ya Skates On’, where players will have 100 seconds to get around an ice rink without stopping or touch the sides and ‘Santa Who Who Who’ where Stephen dressed as an elf, is joined by a mystery celebrity Santa, contestants will have to guess the celebrity to win the prize.

The TV special will also feature favourites, Mums’s The Word, Pump It up and Weigh To Go.

08:55........... Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas

06:00 ............................Futurama

06:00.....................Teleshopping

09:20............ A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun

06:30 ..........................Aliens Love Underpants and...

Panta Claus

07:10...............James May’s Cars of the People

11:20......................Four in a Bed

07:00 ................... The Simpsons

11:50......................Four in a Bed

09:00 ................... The Simpsons

12:25......................Four in a Bed

09:30 ...........Gwen Stefani’s You Make It Feel Like Christmas

12:55......................Four in a Bed 13:25......................Four in a Bed 14:00........ Come Dine with Me 14:30........ Come Dine with Me 15:05........ Come Dine with Me 15:35........ Come Dine with Me 16:10........ Come Dine with Me 16:40... Escape to the Chateau 17:50... Escape to the Chateau 18:50............... Escape to the Chateau 19:55................... Emergency Helicopter Medics 21:00..........24 Hours in A&E 22:00..........24 Hours in A&E 23:05................... Father Ted 01:20.......... It Was Alright In

08:00..................Expedition with Steve Backshall 09:00..................Expedition with Steve Backshall 10:00.. Red Bull Soapbox Race

10:30........................ Soccer A.M.

12:00.............................. Top Gear

12:00 ................... The Simpsons

13:00.............................. Top Gear

13:00 ...................Moominvalley

14:30..........Top Gear: From A-Z

13:30 ...................Moominvalley 14:00 ................... The Simpsons

17:00................ Top Gear: Winter Blunderland

15:00 ................... Gillette Soccer Saturday

18:00........................ Red Bull Soapbox Race

17:00 ................... The Simpsons 18:00............. The Simpsons

19:00................ World’s Most Dangerous Roads

18:30............. The Simpsons

20:00.............Not Going Out

19:00.... Global Citizen Prize

20:40.............Not Going Out

20:00............Michael Bublé’s Christmas in Hollywood

21:20................ Stand by Me

21:00.............. Transformers 23:45.......... In the Long Run

00:00............ Have I Got a Bit More News for You

00:20................... The Russell Howard Hour

01:00..............Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish

23:15........... Mock the Week

CW 24

TV Guide

06:00 ...................... Breakfast 07:35 ...... Match of the Day 09:05 .......................... Britain’s Christmas Story 10:05 ............................ Home 11:30 ................. Snow Bears 12:30 .........Hold the Sunset 13:00 .....................BBC News 13:10 .......... Weather for the Week Ahead 13:15 .......... Songs of Praise 13:50 ...................... Toy Story 15:05 ......... The Penguins of Madagascar 16:30... Merry Madagascar 16:50.................... BBC News 17:05.... BBC London News 17:15........................ The BFG 19:00............ Countryfile 20:00..............His Dark Materials watch 21:00........A Christmas Carol watch 22:00 .............. BBC News 22:20 ........... BBC London News 22:30 .................Match of the Day 2 23:30.......Women’s World Cup Review 00:00...........Doddie Weir: One More Try 01:00............... BBC News

CW CW

06:15.................... The Instant Gardener 07:05 .......This Farming Life 08:05 .................. Countryfile 09:00.......... MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00 ........Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 11:30 .....................The Sweet Makers 12:30.......... Talking Pictures 13:10..... Paint Your Wagon 15:40.... Finding Neverland 17:15....................... Porridge 18:00.................... Chris & Michaela Under the Christmas Sky 19:00.................Top Gear 20:00......... Dragons’ Den 21:00...........................The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan 22:00...The Ranganation 22:45.......... Cunk & Other Humans on 2019 23:15...... Mock the Week 23:50......... Starter for 10 01:20................ Inside the Supermarket

Sun 22 dec 2019

06:00.................... Dino Dana 06:10.......................... Super 4 06:35.Thunderbirds are Go 07:00................. Dare Master 07:05.....................Mr Magoo 07:30........................ Mr. Bean 07:55..................... Robozuna 08:25....................... ITV News 08:30....The Sara Cox Show 09:25..........Beautiful Baking with Juliet Sear 10:25............. John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen 11:25...............Nadia’s Family Feasts 12:25........................ ITV News 12:35... Midsomer Murders 14:35.......... How to Spend It Well at Christmas with Phillip Schofield 15:35................ The Big Quiz 16:35 ...................... ITV News 17:00 ..........The Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards 2015 18:00...........Catchphrase 19:00.......Dancing on Ice 21:00.................Quantum watch of Solace 23:05................ ITV News 23:25...Ball & Boe: A Very Merry Christmas 00:20.............Ideal World

CW

A Christmas Carol BBC1, 21.00 An original take on Dickens’s iconic ghost story by Steven Knight (Taboo, Peaky Blinders). A Christmas Carol is a spine-tingling immersion into Scrooge’s dark night of the soul.

Misanthropic businessman Ebenezer Scrooge (GuyPearce) refuses to treat Christmas as different to any other day, much to Bob Cratchit’s (Joe Alwyn) chagrin, as he is desperate to leave work and get home to his family on Christmas Eve. Scrooge’s dead former business partner Jacob Marley (Stephen Graham) begs for peace in his coffin. Having repented himself, the Spirits have news for him. He will linger in purgatory until Scrooge himself repents, something Marley knows he will never do.

08:55......Escape to the Chateau

06:00 ..........The Hour of Power

10:00......Escape to the Chateau

07:00............................ Futurama

11:00......Escape to the Chateau

08:00 ............................Futurama

12:05...........Come Dine with Me

09:00 ................... The Simpsons

12:35...........Come Dine with Me

10:00 ................... The Simpsons

13:05...........Come Dine with Me

12:00 ................... The Simpsons

13:40 ..........Come Dine with Me

13:00................... Moominvalley

10:00................ Top Gear: Winter Blunderland

14:10..........................Four in a Bed

13:30 ...................Moominvalley

11:00 ............................. Top Gear

14:40..........................Four in a Bed

14:00 ............................ Take That: Odyssey - Greatest Hits Live

12:40 ............................. Top Gear

15:15.................. Michael Bublé’s Christmas in Hollywood

17:00................ Top Gear: Winter Blunderland

15:10..........................Four in a Bed 15:40..........................Four in a Bed 16:15..........................Four in a Bed

07:10 .......................World’s Most Dangerous Roads 08:00.................................Red Bull Soapbox Race 09:00..................Expedition with Steve Backshall

14:10 ............................. Top Gear

16:50......Escape to the Chateau

16:15....... Freddie Mercury: The Tribute Concert

17:50......Escape to the Chateau

18:00..............The Simpsons

18:55.. Escape to the Chateau

19:00..............The Simpsons

19:55............. The Storms That Stole Christmas

19:00................ World’s Most Dangerous Roads

20:00.................. A League of Their Own

20:00............................ QI XL

21:00......................Emergency Helicopter Medics

21:00...................Pacific Rim

22:00.............24 Hours in A&E 23:05............. 999: What’s Your Emergency?

00:15......................... Shocking Emergency Calls

23:30..... The Late Late Show with James Corden: Best of the Week 00:30.............Romesh’s Look Back to the Future 01:30.......... Street Crime UK

18:00........................ Red Bull Soapbox Race

21:00............ Have I Got a Bit More News for You 22:00........... Mock the Week 22:40..................Taskmaster 23:40..... Would I Lie to You? 00:20........... Mock the Week 01:00............................ QI XL

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

His Dark Materials BBC1, 20.00 As the Magisterium closes in, Lyra (Dafne Keen) learns more about Asriel’s (James McAvoy) rebellion.

But her assistance to him comes at great personal cost...

06:05......................Freaky Friday

06:00...................... Childrens’ TV

07:45........The Harry Hill Movie

09:40 ........Shimmer and Shine

09:30..................Sunday Brunch

09:50 ...................Digby Dragon

12:30.................... The Simpsons

10:05 .........................SpongeBob Squarepants

12:55.................... The Simpsons 13:25.................... The Simpsons 13:55.................... The Simpsons 14:25.................... The Simpsons 14:55.................... The Simpsons 15:25................... The Borrowers 17:05................Channel 4 News 17:15............. Food Unwrapped 18:15........... Inside Cadbury: Chocolate Secrets Unwrapped 19:15................. Paddington 21:00......................Escape to the Chateau 22:00............................ Office Christmas Party 00:00.............. Dude, Where’s My Car? 01:30.................. Travel Man: 48 Hours In

10:20...........Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

06:00 ........................ The Planet’s Funniest Animals 06:25...................Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 06:40 ........................ Emmerdale 09:15 ............Coronation Street 12:15.................... In for a Penny

10:30.............Cruising with Jane McDonald

13:00...................... Catchphrase

10:50................................ Friends

14:35................. Shrek the Halls

12:50.......... Father of the Bride

15:00.......... The Santa Clause 2

15:00............................ Sister Act

17:10.......................................... Elf

16:00 ..................................Access

18:10 ..................... FYI Daily

16:05............................ Sister Act

18:15 ................................Elf

17:05............. 5 News Weekend

19:00 ................. Uncle Buck

17:10 .........Carols at Christmas

19:40 ..................... FYI Daily

19:05................. Building the Ice Hotel

19:45 ................. Uncle Buck

20:00............Gregg Wallace’s Magical Christmas Market

22:00 ..................... FYI Daily

21:00.....Secrets of the Mega Christmas Buffet

14:00...... You’ve Been Framed!

21:00 ............. Love Actually 22:05 ............. Love Actually 23:45 ................. Family Guy

22:00............... Greatest Ever Christmas Movies

00:15 ................. Family Guy

00:50.......................... Access

01:10 ........... American Dad!

00:40 ................. Family Guy

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

Mon 23 dec 2019

TV Guide

25 CW

09:00 ..................The Croods

06:55................ This Farming Life

06:00............. Good Morning Britain

06:00........................Moomins on the Riviera

10:30 ...........Kung Fu Panda

07:55................... Equestrian

08:30 ........................ Lorraine

07:20............Rugrats the Movie

09:30.............Cruising with Jane McDonald

11:50 ..... Donkey’s Caroling Christmas-Tacular

08:55......... Talking Pictures

09:25.. Midsomer Murders

08:50.......The Big Bang Theory

09:50................................. Friends

09:35................ The Greatest Story Ever Told

11:24.................. ITV London

10:10................. King of Queens

11:20........................ Neighbours

11:05............... Everybody Loves Raymond

11:50...........From Time to Time

11:35............... Everybody Loves Raymond

12:55...........From Time to Time

06:00 ...................... Breakfast

12:00................ A Berry Royal Christmas

12:40........................... Flog It!

11:25................. The Mummy Returns

13:25....................Toy Story 2

13:25........................... Talking Pictures

13:45..............ITV Lunchtime News

14:55.............................. Brave

14:15 .................Entrapment

14:10...... ITV News London

16:20....... Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out

16:00 ...........................Natural World

14:15........The Santa Clause 16:14...................ITV London

16:45............. Billionaire Boy

17:00 .........Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby 18:00...................Nature’s Weirdest Events

13:00....... BBC News at One

17:45........................Pointless 18:30..... BBC News at Six 19:00..............A Question of Sport 19:30.............The Goes Wrong Show

CW watch

20:00............. EastEnders 20:30................ Still Open All Hours 21:05..A Christmas Carol 22:00.... BBC News at Ten 22:35............... King Gary

18:30................ Inside the Factory 19:30............... University Challenge 20:00..... MasterChef: The Professionals 21:00....................... A Life on Screen

06:00...................... Childrens’ TV

12:50...................................Access

12:05...................................Frasier

13:55......................Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War

12:35..................... Lego Masters

15:05...................................Access

13:35............... White Christmas 16:00............ A Place in the Sun

15:10 .....................Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War

16:15................ Catchphrase

17:00.................... The Simpsons

16:10...The Time of Their Lives

17:00...................... The Chase Celebrity Special

18:00.................... Hollyoaks

18:05................. Neighbours

18:55.......... Channel 4 News

18:00.... ITV News London

19:00...............Inside the Toy Factory at Christmas

18:30...Pets Do The Funniest Things At Christmas

18:30....ITV Evening News 19:00............ Emmerdale 19:30..Coronation Street 20:00.......... Countrywise

20:00............. Gogglesprogs 21:00........... 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown 22:00........ The Crystal Maze

19:00....... Tommy Cooper: In His Own Words 21:00.........Classic Christmas Comedy Moments 22:30.......... Steptoe and Son Ride Again

20:30..Coronation Street

23:00....The Inbetweeners 2

21:00..........Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip

00:50.......................... Ashby

00:20......Gallagher Premiership Rugby Highlights

08:55............. Food Unwrapped

06:00.....Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball

09:30............ A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun

08:00..............A Kylie Christmas

10:30.....Romancing the Stone 12:35......................Four in a Bed

12:00...........Cats and the Movie Musical: Special

13:05......................Four in a Bed

13:00.................... The Simpsons

13:35......................Four in a Bed

14:00.................... The Simpsons

14:10......................Four in a Bed

15:00.................... The Simpsons

14:40 .....................Four in a Bed

16:00.................... The Simpsons

15:10........ Come Dine with Me

17:00......................Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

06:00....... The Planet’s Funniest Animals 06:20...................Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:10...... You’ve Been Framed!

08:00......................... Emmerdale 08:20.............Coronation Street 09:25...... You’ve Been Framed!

10:25....................Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams 11:35...............................FYI Daily 11:40....................Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams 12:15......................... Emmerdale 12:50.............Coronation Street 13:50............................... The Ellen DeGeneres Show 14:45...... You’ve Been Framed!

15:10.......................Catchphrase 16:10..................How the Grinch Stole Christmas 18:15.................... The Secret Life of Pets 20:00....... Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 22:45.................. Family Guy 00:10............ American Dad! 01:05 ........... Celebrity Juice

22:00..... ITV News at Ten

23:05................ Famalam

22:00......................Live at the Apollo

22:30.. ITV News London

23:35.......Have I Got a Bit More News for You

22:45............. The Lady in the Van

00:20............ The Graham Norton Show

00:25..... The Manchurian Candidate

00:45....................All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite

22:45.................Gremlins

01:30.............Ideal World

The Goes Wrong Show BBC1, 19.30 The Spirit Of Christmas: A joyful Christmas tale, as The Cornley Drama Society present the story of Santa and his elves trying to bring festive happiness to a sad little girl and her constantly-fighting parents.

Can the magical toy machine restore her Christmas cheer? Or perhaps Mr Snowman and his enchanting dance will raise her spirits? We’ll never know, as an already surly Santa indulges in too much Christmas sherry and contrives to ruin everything. Crackers explode, an elf is trapped in a confined space for the duration of the show, and the toy machine attempts to eat the snowman alive. Also, there are songs, and these don’t go well.

The Goes Wrong Show: The Spirit Of Christmas was written by and stars the original founding Mischief Theatre members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields, alongside Nancy Zamit, Charlie Russell, Bryony Corrigan, Greg Tannahill, Dave Hearn and Chris Leask.

The show is produced by Jim Poyser (Timewasters, The Job Lot) and directed by Martin Dennis (Men Behaving Badly, Black Books). The Executive Producers are Hilary Strong and Kenny Wax for Mischief Screen, Kenton Allen, Saurabh Kakkar and Matthew Justice for Big Talk Productions.

15:40........ Come Dine with Me 16:15........ Come Dine with Me 16:50........ Come Dine with Me 17:20........ Come Dine with Me 17:50.................... The Secret Life of the Zoo 18:55.............. The Supervet 19:55......................Escape to the Chateau

10:00.....The Last Dragon Slayer

19:00........ How To Train Your Dragon: Homecoming 19:30..The Christmas Letter 20:00.............Harry Potter: A Who’s Who of the Wizarding World 21:00............Michael Bublé’s Christmas in Hollywood

07:10.................................Red Bull Soapbox Race 08:00..................Expedition with Steve Backshall 09:00.............................. Top Gear: Winter Blunderland 10:00.............................. Top Gear 11:30.............................. Top Gear 14:15.............................. Top Gear 17:00................ Top Gear: Winter Blunderland 18:00........................ Red Bull Soapbox Race 19:00................ World’s Most Dangerous Roads 20:00................................. QI 21:00......................... Would I Lie to You?

21:00..........24 Hours in A&E

22:00...............The Reluctant Landlord

21:40......................... Would I Lie to You?

23:05......... The World’s Most Expensive Presents

22:30.......... Micky Flanagan: Back in the Game

22:20........... Mock the Week 23:00..................Taskmaster

00:10........... 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

00:30......... Micky Flanagan’s Christmas

00:00................................. QI

01:15..........24 Hours in A&E

01:30.......... Street Crime UK

01:00............ Have I Got a Bit More News for You

CW 26

TV Guide

Christmas eve

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

06:00 ...................... Breakfast

CW

09:00 .........CBeebies Hansel & Gretel watch 09:45 ................The Gruffalo 10:15 .. The Gruffalo’s Child 10:40....... Kung Fu Panda 3 12:05................. Animal Park 13:00 ..... BBC News at One; 13:15 ....BBC London News 13:25 ...................Toy Story 3 15:00............................ Frozen 16:35...................Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers 17:05..........BBC News at Six 17:30....................Beauty and the Beast 19:30............. EastEnders 20:00.......... Take Off with Bradley and Holly 21:00............ A Christmas Carol 22:00....Not Going Out

CW watch

22:40................. The Vicar of Dibley 23:25.... BBC News at Ten

23:40................. Midnight Mass - BBC 00:55................... Made in Dagenham

06:00.......... MasterChef: The Professionals 07:00............Pilgrimage: The Road to Rome 09:00............Pilgrimage: The Road to Rome 10:00 .................Christmas at St Paul’s 11:05.......... Talking Pictures 11:40....... Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express 13:45...... Death on the Nile 16:00.............. A Merry Tudor Christmas with Lucy Worsley 17:00......Carols from King’s 18:20..... The Morecambe and Wise Show: The Lost Tapes 19:00..... The Morecambe and Wise Show: The Lost Tapes 19:30............... University Challenge 20:00......... Dragons’ Den 21:00..... Gareth Malone’s Christmas Concert 22:00............................ QI 22:30............. I’ll Get This 23:15....................... Great Expectations 01:15........ Tamara Drewe

06:00 ............ Good Morning Britain 08:30 ........................ Lorraine 09:25... Midsomer Murders 11:20.................. You’ve Been Framed!

12:25..............ITV Lunchtime News 12:30...... ITV News London 12:40........... How the Grinch Stole Christmas 14:40.................. Santa Claus 16:45......ITV Evening News 16:55...... ITV News London 17:15.....................................Elf 19:00............ Emmerdale 19:30...............The Chase 20:30..Coronation Street 21:00..........The Jonathan Ross Show 22:05....... Not the Robbie Williams Christmas Show 23:05..... ITV News at Ten 23:19............ ITV London 23:20............. The Keith & Paddy Picture Show 23:50..............Carols at Christmas 2019 watch 00:45........ Casino Royale

CW

Carols at Christmas 2019 ITV1, 23.50 Classical musician Myleene Klass leads the congregation of St Elisabeth’s Church in Greater Manchester in a traditional Christmas Eve carol service.

The celebrations include festive performances from singer and songwriter KT Tunstall; musical theatre group Collabro; big band crooner Mark Kingswood and West End Star Marisha Wallace.

08:55............ A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 09:55.......The Jewel of the Nile 12:00..................... The Supervet 12:55........ Come Dine with Me 13:30........ Come Dine with Me 14:00........ Come Dine with Me 14:35........ Come Dine with Me 15:05........ Come Dine with Me 15:35......Escape to the Chateau 16:40......Escape to the Chateau 17:45............... White Christmas 20:00................ Britain’s Best Loved Sitcoms 21:00................... Father Ted 22:15................... Father Ted 22:50................... Father Ted 23:20................... Father Ted 23:50................... Father Ted 00:20.......... Small, Far Away: The World of Father Ted 01:25................ Britain’s Best Loved Sitcoms

06:00 ............................Futurama 06:30.................. Modern Family 07:00....................Moominvalley 08:00...........................Aliens Love Underpants and...Panta Claus 08:30............................Ratburger 10:00....... Harry Potter: A Who’s Who of the Wizarding World 11:00.................... The Simpsons 13:00....................Moominvalley 13:30..............It’s Christmas Live from the Royal Albert Hall 15:30.......The Christmas Letter 16:00..............How To Train Your Dragon: Homecoming 16:30................ The Lego Movie 18:30..............The Simpsons 20:00.......... Cinderella: After Ever After 21:00........Planes, Trains and Automobiles 23:00...............The Reluctant Landlord 23:30.................. A League of Their Own 00:30............... The Late Late Show with James Corden: Best of the Week

07:20.............Modern Wheels or Classic Steals 07:45.................................Red Bull Soapbox Race 08:40..................Expedition with Steve Backshall 09:40................ Top Gear: Winter Blunderland 10:40.............................. Top Gear 14:20.............................. Top Gear 17:00........... Top Gear: Top Fails 18:00........................ Red Bull Soapbox Race 19:00................ World’s Most Dangerous Roads 20:00................................. QI 21:00......................... Would I Lie to You? 21:40......................... Would I Lie to You? 22:20........... Mock the Week 23:00..................Taskmaster 00:00............ Have I Got a Bit More News for You 01:00................................. QI

06:20......... Rugrats in Paris: The Movie 07:40 ................... The Simpsons 08:05 ................... The Simpsons 08:35 ................... The Simpsons 09:05.................. Hotel for Dogs 11:05................... Small Soldiers 13:10 ............A Christmas Carol 15:15 ............. Father Christmas 15:50................... The Snowman 16:20.....................The Snowman and the Snowdog 16:55....... Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 17:20................Channel 4 News 17:30.......................Home Alone 19:30..............The Tiger Who Came to Tea 20:00................Child Genius 21:00.................. Gogglebox 22:55........... 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

06:00...................... Childrens’ TV 09:05..............................Gallagher Premiership Rugby Highlights

06:00......................... The Planet’s Funniest Animals 06:20...................Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records

10:00............................Grounded

07:10...... You’ve Been Framed!

11:05...................................Access

08:00......................... Emmerdale

11:10............................Grounded 11:50................................. Friends 12:20........................ Neighbours 12:45................. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 13:45...................................Access 13:50................. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers 14:55....................... My Fair Lady 15:55...................................Access 16:00....................... My Fair Lady 18:35................. Neighbours 19:00........The Yorkshire Vet 20:00 ............ The Wonderful World of Chocolate 21:00.......Cruising with Jane McDonald

08:30.............Coronation Street 09:30.....................In for a Penny 10:15.................. Shrek the Halls 10:45...........The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause 11:45...............................FYI Daily 11:50...........The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause 12:35......................... Emmerdale 13:05.............Coronation Street 14:05............................... The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:00............................. Peter Pan 17:10.......................Catchphrase 18:15........Four Christmases 20:00.................The Holiday 22:40.................. Family Guy

22:00.... Carols at Christmas

23:15.................. Family Guy 23:50............ American Dad!

01:00.......The Inbetweeners

00:05.......... Make You Laugh Out Loud

00:45............ Celebrity Juice

01:30.......The Inbetweeners

00:55.......................... Access

01:45.................. Family Guy

00:00.......The Inbetweeners 00:35.......The Inbetweeners

BBC1, 22.00

Not Going Out: Driving Home For Christmas Lee Mack’s multi award-winning hit show will return to BBC One this Christmas. We all know Christmas simply wouldn’t be Christmas without a giant inflatable Santa, an aggressive bull in a field and a terrifying truck driver.

We are straight into seasonal suburban chaos as married couple Lee (Lee Mack) and Lucy (Sally Bretton) pop out on a last-minute Christmas Eve mission for the kids.

With Lucy’s father Geoffrey (Geoffrey Whitehead), cutting more of a strict and stuffy Victorian gent than usual, and lovely mum Wendy (Deborah Grant) fortunately on hand to temporarily mind the children, surely it will be an uneventful evening?

As ever for Lee, things don’t quite go to plan, with a theft and unexpected trip into deep countryside. Meanwhile at home, Lee’s lovably feckless father, Frank (Bobby Ball) also turns up to offer gifts… and his unique festive flavour.

Not Going Out is produced by Avalon Television for BBC One. It is commissioned

by Shane Allen and the commissioning editor for BBC is Gregor Sharp. Executive producers are Richard Allen-Turner, Rob Aslett, Lee Mack and Jon Thoday.

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

Christmas day

TV Guide

27 CW

06:00 ...................... Breakfast

06:00 ............... Chimpanzee

06:00................Childrens’ TV

06:15................ Rugrats Go Wild

06:00...................... Childrens’ TV

08:55 ..................... Stick Man

07:15 ............................ Rise of the Guardians

08:10.....The Rubbish World of Dave Spud

07:35...................We’re Going on a Bear Hunt

07:50 ........................... Peppa Pig

09:50 .............................. Piper

08:40 .....Carols from King’s

10:00...................... Christmas Day Mass

10:00 .....Inside the Factory

08:30.................Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays

08:05...............................The Bear 08:40.................... The Simpsons

08:10 ............. Britain’s Favourite Christmas Songs

11:00...................The Planets

09:05.........................Wishfart

11:00....... Wallace & Gromit: A Close Shave

12:00.................. Dancing the Nutcracker Inside the Royal Ballet

09:25.......................Disney’s a Christmas Carol

13:30.......... Gareth Malone’s Christmas Concert

11:55... Midsomer Murders

09:25 .................................Zog

11:35 ..........Top of the Pops 12:40 ...... BBC News at One 12:55............................Moana 14:30.........The Snail and the Whale

CW watch

15:00 ...................The Queen 15:10 .............. Finding Dory 16:40..........Strictly Come Dancing

CW watch

18:00... Michael McIntyre’s Big Show 19:00.... Call the Midwife 20:30......... Gavin & Stacey 21:30................EastEnders 22:30 ...Mrs. Brown’s Boys 23:15.... The Two Ronnies Sketchbook

11:10................ Countrywise

14:30......................... Scrooge

14:00....... Coronation Street at Christmas

16:30 ...................The Queen

15:00....................The Queen

16:40........ Raymond Briggs: Snowmen, Bogeymen & Milkmen

15:10............Shrek the Halls

17:40............... Upstart Crow 18:20.............Dad’s Army 19:00..... The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show

15:40.....................The Chase

21:00......... Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

22:00... Glastonbury 2014

22:20.. Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip

23:55....... Not Going Out

00:30.....Merry Christmas Baby - With Gregory Porter & Friends

00:35...........My Old Lady

01:30.................... Moana

20:00..Coronation Street

23:20................ ITV News 23:40...Four Christmases 01:10..... Britain’s Top 100 Dogs: 2019

The Snail And The Whale BBC1, 14.30 The Snail And The Whale follows the amazing journey of a tiny snail who longs to see the world and manages to hitch a ride on the tail of a huge humpback whale.

The story is a joyous, empowering tale about the natural wonders of the earth and discovering that however small you are, you can make a difference.

This half hour adaptation is a beautiful account of an unlikely friendship, and is voiced by stellar British acting talent, Rob Brydon as the whale, Sally Hawkins as the snail, Cariad Lloyd as the teacher and Dame Diana Rigg as the narrator.

13:20............The Snowman and the Snowdog

13:25 ...............................Scrooge 14:25 ..................................Access

13:50.....................The Tiger Who Came to Tea

14:30 ...............................Scrooge

14:25...................The Alternative Christmas Message

16:10.................................. Access

14:30................Channel 4 News 14:35............Back to the Future

19:10..........The Great British Bake Off

20:30........... Dolly Parton - Here I Am 23:10... Glastonbury 2019

12:45................... The Snowman

17:00...............Tipping Point: Lucky Stars 18:00............... The Chase Celebrity Special

10:50............................... Carols at Christmas 12:50 ....................... Neighbours

16:40......ITV Evening News

20:00............... University Challenge

23:50..........On Christmas Night

12:15.............. Father Christmas

16:55....................Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

19:00............ Emmerdale

23:35.... BBC News at Ten

10:40................................. Ice Age

08:00 ........................... Peppa Pig

20:30...... Jamie and Jimmy’s Festive Feast 21:30................... First Dates 22:30.....Kylie’s Secret Night 00:00..... Kylie’s Golden Tour

08:55.................................. Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 09:10 .................................... White Christmas 11:30................................. The 100 Greatest Musicals 14:15.......................... Romancing the Stone 16:25.............................. Escape to the Chateau 17:25..........................................The Longest Day 21:00................. The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years

15:10.................................. Oliver!

16:15 .................................. Oliver!

18:15................ Neighbours

06:00...................Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 06:50......................... Emmerdale 07:10.............Coronation Street 07:35...........The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause 08:35...............................FYI Daily 08:40...........The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause 09:25...... You’ve Been Framed!

09:50.......................Catchphrase 10:50............................. Peter Pan 11:50...............................FYI Daily 11:55............................. Peter Pan 13:00...... You’ve Been Framed!

18:40....... Britain’s Favourite Christmas Songs

14:00.......How the Grinch Stole Christmas

21:30.........The Two Ronnies: The Unseen Sketches

16:10........................................... Elf

22:55.........Classic Christmas Comedy Moments

20:00.............Jurassic World

00:25.....Secrets of the Mega Christmas Buffet

23:3.................... Family Guy

01:15........The 21.Co.UK Live Casino Show

06:00....................Moominvalley

18:00.................. Uncle Buck 22:30............ Celebrity Juice 00:30............ American Dad! 01:30...The Cleveland Show

06:30....................Moominvalley

07:10..................Modern Wheels or Classic Steals

07:00......It’s Christmas Live from the Royal Albert Hall

07:35.................................Red Bull Soapbox Race

09:00............Football’s Funniest Moments

08:25..................Expedition with Steve Backshall

11:00........................Harry Potter: A Who’s Who of the Wizarding World

09:25........... Top Gear: Top Fails

12:00..............How To Train Your Dragon: Homecoming 12:30.......The Christmas Letter 13:00.................... The Simpsons 15:00.......................... The Queen 15:15.................... The Simpsons 17:00................. Cinderella: After Ever After 18:00........ How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

10:25.............................. Top Gear 11:30.............................. Top Gear 14:05.............................. Top Gear 16:00.............................. Top Gear 17:00........... Top Gear: Top Fails 18:00........................ Red Bull Soapbox Race 19:00................ World’s Most Dangerous Roads 20:00............................ QI XL 21:00..... Would I Lie to You?

23:10.......................24 Hours in A&E

20:00..............The Simpsons

21:40..... Would I Lie to You? 22:20........... Mock the Week

00:15.......................24 Hours in A&E

20:30..............The Simpsons 21:00.................. A League of Their Own

23:00..................Taskmaster

01:15................... 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

22:00..............The Simpsons 00:00......... Micky Flanagan’s Christmas

00:00..................Have I Got a Bit More News for You 01:00............................ QI XL

Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special BBC1, 16.40 Ho ho ho! Strictly Come Dancing returns for an all-star Christmas special, as six of the most-loved Strictly stars return to the dance floor for the annual special coming to BBC One on Christmas Day. This year the leading ladies are Debbie McGee, Chizzy Akudolu and Gemma Atkinson and the gentlemen returning to the ballroom are Joe Sugg, Mark Wright and Richard Arnold.

Hosted by Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, the show wouldn’t be complete without the festive foursome on the judging panel. Head Judge Shirley Ballas returns joining Motsi Mabuse on her first Christmas special alongside fellow judges, Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood.

Join us to find out who will be crowned Christmas champions 2019!

CW 28

Boxing day

TV Guide

www.canarianweekly.com 20th December -26th December 2019

Tenable Christmas Special ITV1, 16.00 06:00....................... Breakfast

06:50 ..................................This Farming Life

06:00.................... Dino Dana

10:25 ........... Wreck-it Ralph

07:50 .................. Race Across the World

06:25.......................... Super 4

12:00 ............................. Spy in the Snow

08:50................... Race Across the World

06:55................. Dare Master

13:00....... BBC News at One

09:50.................. The Planets

13:25........................ Room on the Broom

10:50................... Oklahoma!

09:00...................... The Good Dinosaur

13:50............. The Boss Baby 15:20..........Mimi and the Mountain Dragon

CW watch

15:45.........The Jungle Book 17:25....................... Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death 17:55..........BBC News at Six 18:10............ BBC London News 18:20..................... Worzel Gummidge 19:20.........Paddington 2 21:00............. EastEnders 21:30....................Would I Lie to You? 22:05.... BBC News at Ten 22:15..................Weather 22:20... Match of the Day 23:55................... Michael McIntyre’s Big Show

13:05................................ Guys and Dolls

06:10.................... Dino Dana 06:40.......................... Super 4

Warwick Davis presents a Christmas themed version of the Top 10 general knowledge quiz. Joining him are a star-studded team of Panto celebrities – Debbie McGee, Louie Spence, Paul Elliott (aka Paul Chuckle), Paul Zerdin and Rustie Lee who’ll be taking on the Tenable Tower for the chance to win £125,000 for their chosen charities.

07:00.....The Powerpuff Girls 07:10.....The Powerpuff Girls 07:20........... Teen Titans Go! 07:35........... Teen Titans Go!

06:05............................Everybody Loves Raymond 06:30............................Everybody Loves Raymond

15:30 ........... The Marvellous World of Roald Dahl

07:50..................The Rubbish World of Dave Spud 08:50.....................Mr Magoo

06:55............................Everybody Loves Raymond

16:30....................Final Score

09:25... Midsomer Murders

07:25...................................Frasier

17:30........................ Porridge

11:30.................. You’ve Been Framed!

07:50...................................Frasier

19:00............. The Many F aces of 20:00...................The Two Ronnies: The Studio Recordings 20:30............... University Challenge 21:00............Paddington: The Man Behind the Bear 22:00....................... A Life on Screen 23:00.......Florence Foster Jenkins

12:30....ITV Lunchtime News 15:30...............Tipping Point

08:20................. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 10:05...................... The Boxtrolls

06:00...................... Childrens’ TV 09:00............................... Shimmer and Shine 09:05............................ Peppa Pig 09:30...................................Access 09:35............... Beethoven’s 2nd 10:35...................................Access 10:40............... Beethoven’s 2nd 11:25................................. Friends 11:55................................. Friends

06:00....... The Planet’s Funniest Animals 06:20...................Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:15......................... Emmerdale 08:05.............Coronation Street 09:05...... You’ve Been Framed!

10:05................... Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang 12:15......................... Emmerdale 13:20.............Coronation Street

12:00.................... The Simpsons

12:25........................ Neighbours

12:30.................... The Simpsons watch 17:00......ITV Evening News 13:00 ....................The Tiger Who Came to Tea 17:15.............. In for a Penny

13:55...................................Access

15:45...............................FYI Daily

14:00.......................... Wyatt Earp

15:50................................Minions

16:40........................ Neighbours

16:40.... The Secret Life of Pets

17:15...................Cool Runnings

17:40...............................FYI Daily

19:00............... Secrets of the Factories

17:45.... The Secret Life of Pets

20:00........ World’s Strongest Man 2019

19:25...................... FYI Daily

16:00...Tenable All Stars

18:00.....Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs

CW

CW 14:50.........................Guy Martin’s watch

13:35................ The Great British Bake Off

19:00............ Emmerdale

Great Escape

20:00..............Coronation Street

16:50................Channel 4 News

20:30.................... Skyfall

19:10.............Men in Black 3

23:10................ ITV News

21:00...... The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2019

23:30 .........The Jonathan Ross Show

17:00...........................Ratatouille

23:05................... The Wolf of Wall Street

12:55.......................... Wyatt Earp

21:00................... Susan Hill’s Ghost Story

14:25...............Minion Madness 14:45................................Minions

18:25............... Jurassic Park 19:30............... Jurassic Park

CW

21:00................ Bridesmaids

22:55.................. The Woman in Black

22:00...................... FYI Daily

23:55.......................... Access

23:35.................. Family Guy

watch

22:05................ Bridesmaids

Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs at Christmas

ITV1, 18.00

Paul O’Grady returns once again to Battersea Dogs and Home. This year, Paul’s enlisted to help dogs with behavioural problems.

There’s a reclusive mongrel called Misty who refuses to leave her kennel, a grumpy Yorkshire terrier called Teddy who refuses to walk and an American bulldog who’s lost her mojo after years enjoying pub life.

08:55.................................. Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas

06:00 ............................Futurama

09:15...................................A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun

07:00 ................. Modern Family

10:10..................... Carry on Cleo 12:00................................. The 100 Greatest Musicals 14:45...........................Come Dine with Me 15:15...........................Come Dine with Me 15:50...........................Come Dine with Me 16:25...........................Come Dine with Me 16:55...........................Come Dine with Me

06:30 ................. Modern Family 07:30....................Moominvalley 08:00 ................ Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather 10:00................. Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather 12:00............Football’s Funniest Moments 13:00...................... Portrait Artist of the Year 14:00.................... The Simpsons 14:30 ................... The Simpsons 15:00...................................Gillette Soccer Special 17:00.................... The Simpsons 18:00..............The Simpsons

07:35.................................Red Bull Soapbox Race 08:25......Expedition with Steve Backshall 09:25........... Top Gear: Top Fails 10:25.............................. Top Gear 12:20................ Top Gear: Winter Blunderland 13:20................ Top Gear: Winter Blunderland 14:20................ Top Gear: Winter Blunderland 15:20.............................. Top Gear 17:00.............................. Top Gear 18:00........................ Red Bull Soapbox Race

19:00..............The Simpsons

19:00................ World’s Most Dangerous Roads

18:35....................... The Dam Busters

20:00.........Carpool Karaoke

20:00................................. QI

21:00............The Shawshank Redemption

21:00.................... Room 101

22:00................... Father Ted 23:15........... It Was Alright In

23:45..... The Late Late Show with James Corden: Best of the Week

Mimi And The Mountain Dragon

07:10..................Modern Wheels or Classic Steals

17:30..................... The Supervet

21:00............. Secret History

BBC1, 15.20

21:40.................... Room 101 22:20........... Mock the Week 23:00..................Taskmaster

A special animated adaptation of Sir Michael Morpurgo’s children’s book Mimi And The Mountain Dragon.

Mimi And The Mountain Dragon is the story about a village that quakes in feature of the mighty Mountain Dragon. One winter, a shy little girl called Mimi finds a baby dragon asleep in her family woodshed. Mimi takes the perilous journey through the blizzard and darkness to return the baby dragon to her mother, whom all the villagers fear.

Following an introduction by the award-winning writer himself, Sir Michael Morpurgo, the film is narrated throughout by an original score by Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman performed by the BBC Philharmonic and featuring singers from the Hallé’s family of choirs. The animation is based on original drawings by Emily Gravett and has been adapted for the screen by novelist, poet and playwright Owen Sheers.

Mimi And The Mountain Dragon was commissioned by Head of BBC Music TV Commissioning Jan Younghusband, for Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content. The project is also supported by Alice Webb, Director of BBC Children’s & Education. The Executive Producer is Leopard Picture’s Chief Creative Officer Kristian Smith, and Phil Chalk from Bafta Award-winning studio Factory.

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What’s On

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December

The Addams Family

The Addams Family – the Broadway musical staged in many countries with great success – is coming to the Tenerife Auditorium. It is a spooky yet hilarious show, inviting audiences to follow the creepiest family in Central Park on their quest for a normal life.

The Addams Family is a family show where music and humour play the leading roles – along with a bunch of weird yet adorable characters.

28th December - 4th january Adan Martin Auditorium, Santa Cruz www.auditoriodetenerife.com

December This weekend

PIT 2019

The Tenerife Trade Fair and Congress Centre is playing host to the 30th Tenerife Children and Youth Park (PIT). The Park features about 40 play areas and a programme of games, sporting and educational activities. In sum, a value-added quality proposal for the holiday season.

Attractions include a figure skating rink, amusement rides, concerts, theatre shows, and workshops on environmental care, make-up, balloon twisting and crafts, among others.

December

Pirates to the Caribbean

The theatre company Timaginas Teatro is staging this family show, starring a 12-year-old performer who plays the role of a shipmaster. In a hilarious performance, the captain and his crew offer a parody of popular tales of clowns and pirates – including those turned into blockbuster movies

by Disney.

Right from the start, the audience is encouraged to play an active role in the pirates’ adventures, helping them recover the lost treasure. So, if you are coming, you must be ready to sing and dance along, hunt for clues scattered about the theatre, defeat Blackbeard and find the booty to share with all the people in the theatre – in case you find it!

21st December Leal Theatre, La Laguna www.teatroleal.es

December

38th San Silvestre Lagunera Race

As usual, runners can round off the year doing what they like best: racing at the 38th San Silvestre Lagunera, to be held on 31 December.

The course, covering 5700 metres in length, unfolds along the main streets in Ciudad de los Adelantados (San Cristóbal de La Laguna).

Both the start and the finish line will be in Plaza de la Concepción.

31st December, 6pm

21st December

20th december - 5th January

La Laguna

Siam mall

Recinto Ferial de tenerife, Santa Cruz

www.canarias88.com

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December

December

26th Ports of Tenerife Special Christmas Concert

In Christmas, Ports of Tenerife becomes one of Europe’s greatest outdoor venues hosting classical music concerts, with 20,000 people listening to the music live and thousands doing so at home on TV or over the Internet.

Every year on 25 December, the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra offers a Special Christmas Concert. This year, for concert number 26, the orchestra will be conducted by Antonio Méndez.

25th december, 9pm los Llanos del puerto dock, Santa Cruz www.sinfonicadetenerife.es

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News

20th December -26th December 2019

Surprise, surprise; Spain now full of that Festive spirit

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Talent-show entrant’s trick was nearly fatal

YOU probably won’t be surprised to hear that the UK is the biggest household spender ahead of Christmas.

If you have lived there, or visited in December, it is fairly clear from the widespread pomp and promotions on the streets that this is the biggest, and, publicly, the only collective celebration of the year.

And you are probably aware that countries shelling out the most on the festivities, the UK apart, are likely to be in central and northern Europe, where they go in for this winter holiday in a big way.

Actually, it’s big-spenders Spain!

According to accountancy firm Deloitte, Spain will be, probably, by the end of 2020, the highest-spending country in the EU. It is already the nation that parts with the most Christmas cash in continental Europe, and shifts the second-largest sum per household in Europe overall.

This is partly because Spain takes full advantage of the whole 12 days of Christmas.

Traditionally, presents were given on the night of 5th January. Children believed that the “Three Kings”, or Wise Men from the East, in Anglo-Saxon parlance, were the gift-bearers.

Santa Claus has become a “thing” in Spain only in the last 10-15 years, and many Spaniards, resistant to change and “modern” influences, continue to believe Father Christmas was invented by Coca-Cola.

Nowadays, even when the children are old enough to stop believing in Father Christmas and the Three Kings, and even where families are non-practising Catholics or openly atheist, both occasions serve as giftgiving moments, meaning many Spaniards receive two lots of presents.

In practice, the €241-per-family average, spent on Christmas, still finds itself in children’s hands for the most part.

Households without children nearly always have nieces or nephews, or second or third cousins, who, typically, live close enough for everyone to be involved in their lives,

heavily.

Adults do not spend much on each other, with, perhaps, a small token gift given to closest family members.

In Spain, the crucial part of Christmas is the food rather than what’s inside the wrapping paper!

The main festive meal is on the night of Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena, when the King’s Speech is televised and the whole family gather together.

Christmas Day is more like Boxing Day for Spain, and the latter is not even a national holiday. Given that supermarkets shut early on Christmas Eve, normally at around 19.30pm, most workers will be able to get off a few hours before the close of their shift, and a lot of the food eaten that night is freshly-bought.

There is no “typical” Christmas dinner food, such as turkey and Xmas pud in the Anglo-Saxon world. But it does tend to be luxury, and varying by region.

In coastal areas, especially on the Mediterranean, seafood is the dish of the day and Christmas Eve often just turns into a prawn-peeling festival.

At least three types, sold by the boxload, and frequently including top-of-the-range versions, such as Dénia red prawns, retailing at an average of €60 a kilo, find their way into most southern and eastern Spanish kitchens.

Further inland, Serrano ham, especially the top-quality type, will likely be present on most dinner tables on Christmas Eve. And festive confectionery is fairly standard throughout the country: turron, polvorones, made from powdered almonds, which are, basically, dust wrapped in paper.

You’re supposed to squash them in your hand before unwrapping to provide a raw-pastry-like consistency, and marzipan and chocolate. For drinks, cava is usually present, at least for raising a toast.

So, it’s easy to see how the average Spanish household spends €173 on food at Christmas.

Yet Deloitte reveals that more and more families are meeting up in restaurants on Christmas Eve night and for lunch on Christmas Day, especially when they live further apart.

Christmas is largely seen in Spain as a break from routine, and a chance for families to spend time with each other.

Thus, it stands to reason that they want to reduce the load it involves, and to do something different to make it feel like proper down-time.

Unsurprisingly, restaurant meals, mini-breaks or even family holidays fit the bill.

Spanish families are only just starting to migrate away from the nest for study, work and adventure and, in general, they still live fairly close to each other. Yet the average household still spends €105 on travelling over Christmas, says Deloitte.

This is likely to be the case among younger households, where adults in the early stages of their careers may have had to move elsewhere in the country for work, or even abroad for work.

In fact, one of the busiest and most expensive times to fly to Spain from London airports is just ahead of the Three Kings on 5th-6th January, when young workers head back to their birth towns to join their families of origin.

Otherwise, weekend getaways, days out, trips into their nearest town or city for shopping, and short breaks

A CONTESTANT in the Spain’s Got Talent show almost died after failing to escape from a sealed, underwater box.

It left TV viewers and judges shocked as they watched Pedro Volta drowning onstage.

Medical staff rushed to free the Galician magiciancum-escapologist, who was knocked out after he stopped breathing during a live broadcast of the event’s semi-finals.

He had intended to free himself from a straitjacket inside a sealed, double-locked container, filled with water.

But after being submerged for over 90 seconds, the performer ran out of oxygen and his body began to shut

down. Volta was unable to open the second padlock and had to be pulled free, to a standing ovation from the audience.

Show host Santi Millan asked, “are you all right?”, while the judges appeared horrified at Volta’s near-demise.

But after being freed and coming round, Volt insisted: “Everything was controlled.

I do not play with my life, but I am not going to do this trick again because I have overcome my fear of water.”

In fact, Volta was attempting another water-escape trick, having nearly died in a similar attempt on the streets of Madrid in 2018.

The escapologist/magician performer admitted he had “spent four minutes in cardiorespiratory arrest” after the trick failed in the Navacerrada municipality of Madrid.

elsewhere in the country, or abroad for New Year’s Eve, which are increasingly more popular, are all included in the one-sixth of the average household festive budget shelled out on travel.

In this context, hotel fees, hire of country cottages, skiing trips and similar, all come within the average of €82 per household, being spent on leisure activities this Christmas.

Also included in the “leisure” category are nights out with friends and colleagues, and, of course, the national El Gordo lottery, always drawn on 22nd December and one of the most year’s eagerlyawaited dates.

It is followed on 6th January by the El Niño lottery, and each of these costs €20 for 10% of a ticket, or decimo.

Few individuals buy a full ticket for €200, although entire syndicates of friends or family are inclined to splash out.

Deloitte concludes that the long-running tradition of company Christmas hampers or staff meals out is very much alive and well in Spain,

even among those firms which have yet to recover from the financial crisis, and small family-run outfits. During times of greater prosperity, corporations would hand out lavish luxury hampers and bottles of quality wine to all staff, take them for a meal and add an extra few hundred euros to their pay packets.

But in the last 12 years or so of collective belt-tightening, even the biggest firms tend to choose between hamper or meal out.

Deloitte approves of the latter especially, saying it is crucial to retaining talent within the organisation, by making everyone feel part of a team and rewarded and appreciated, by their bosses at Christmas.

It is also, says Deloitte, a chance for employees at every level to meet each other in off-duty mode, more relaxed and informal, and get to know each other better.

In this way, it stresses, the office Christmas dinner is, in reality, an intangible investment rather than a cost.

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News

20th December -26th December 2019

Girls survive Cabify drug-driver’s crash End of the road for Cabify driver and his passengers

FOUR girls avoided a potential nightmare when a Cabify driver sped past their requested destination, before ploughing into a Costa Blanca roundabout.

Clara, Andrea, Lucia and Alicia had asked their haila-ride driver to stop at Playa San Juan, in Alicante.

But when they arrived, the man “lost his head” and swerved through traffic, before ruining his black Mercedes van at a roundabout.

Clara told Diario Informacion: “When we told him where he had to leave us, he started to accelerate, without any explanation.

“We started yelling at him

to stop, but he kept going, dodging several cars, until we hit the roundabout and went flying.”

Clara is still recovering from breaking a rib, a fractured finger and bruises all over her body. Her companions are also suffering whiplash, caused by the incident.

She added that the driver had conducted himself “fine” during the trip, apart from telling the girls that he’d just had his birthday, but nobody had congratulated him.

When questioned by police, the driver tested positive for the amphetamine drug, according to sources. An investigation is underway to determine whether the man committed the crime of reckless driving.

The Cabify firm is said to have offered the girls a 15% discount for the next three trips.

A MAN from Taiwan, left stranded in Spain by his sailor father 38 years ago, will, after all this time, be reunited with his family before the new year.

Long-abandoned son discovers his Taiwanese family

His father abandoned the 17-year-old after a quarrel and sailed away, leaving him ashore in Spain. The dad’s later efforts to find him and take him home proved futile, because the youngster moved away, in an apparent bid to make sure he couldn’t be found.

Having lost all contact with his family, it wasn’t until 2016 that his chance encounter with a Taiwanese sailor sparked the events that would lead to a family reunion.

The unnamed man’s sister, in the Taiwan town of Taitung, received a message telling her that her brother was alive and well, living 12,000km away in Lanzarote.

The sister, surname Chen, explained that their father made his fateful decision in 1981, and one he later regretted.

He even returned to Spain on several occasions in search of his son, but was unable to track him down. And, sadly, he has since died.

His family home was then destroyed by fire, and with it all documentation related to the son, which had been retained.

Not only that, but the family moved away and their phone number changed, making it impossible for the son to contact them.

Then, three years ago, the son bumped into a Taiwanese sailor. The son spoke fluent Spanish but rudimentary Mandarin, so they communicated through a translation App. He asked the sailor to find his family, tell them that he was alive and pass on his address.

All the sailor had to go on was the former family address and old phone number.

Yet he managed to track down Chen and pass on the message, although a reunion could not be arranged immediately because

the son had no personal documentation, passport or ID. To make matters worse, what had existed was destroyed in the fire.

The sister went to the Taiwan immigration office to see if the relevant documents could be obtained to help her brother be reunited with his family. Immigration officer Peter Chen, not a relative, evidently, who is now representing the Taiwan People’s Party in elections in Taitung, has helped get the documents in order.

The son, who has his own family in Arrecife, where he works as a restaurant’s head chef, is now preparing to arrive in Taiwan by the end of the year.

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Spanish police nab man after title-fight murder A BRITISH man, accused of murdering a teenager during a boxing-match riot in the West Midlands, has been arrested in Spain.

Tyrone Andrew, 21, from Derby, who was apprehended by Barcelona police on a European Arrest Warrant, was returned to Heathrow from Madrid by officers last week.

Andrew appeared at Birmingham Magistrates Court, charged with killing Reagan Asbury, who died on 14th October.

The 19-year-old suffered a fatal neck wound, after the violence spilled outside Walsall Town Hall, during the

IBF Youth Lightweight title fight inside.

Footage inside the venue shows fans hurling chairs and glasses at each other, just yards from the ring, where Luke Paddock and Myron Mills were battling.

Eight other people have been arrested on suspicion of offences, including violent disorder, and assisting an offender.

Van’s bloody trail led to bluefin tuna shock

POLICE in Estepona were unsure of what they’d find when pulling over a van, which was leaving a trail of blood as it drove through the Costa del Sol town on Tuesday.

The National Police asked the driver to stop at around 9pm and open up the back, along the Marimacho Trail.

Bemused officers discovered two, whole, bluefin tuna, which had been caught, illegally, and transported, without complying with

any health regulations.

The 33-year-old Spanish driver, who had no legal documents relating to the prized specimens, refused to reveal how he had acquired them.

The van and fish were seized, and the driver can expect a hefty fine, although police have not revealed the sum.

Bluefin tuna can be extremely lucrative, often selling for around €25 to €40 per kilo. Some cuts, once manufactured, can be worth up to €90 a kilo.

Some bluefin tuna can weigh up to 500 kilos or more, which makes them worth thousands of euros.

K9 Animal News

Give Kaiser a chance!

WHO is this handsome boy? He is another one of our dogs at K9. His name is Kaiser. For those of you who follow K9 on Facebook, you will be aware of dogs that are left tied up outside the kennels.

Unfortunately, this does occur, from time to time, and, a few months ago, this is what happened with Kaiser. The manager pulled up outside to open, one morning, and there he was. Once he was inside, we checked for a chip, as we do with all dogs that are found and brought up to us, and Kaiser had one!

We felt relief.

Maybe Kaiser had been found by someone, and they left him at K9. Maybe his owner was actually looking for him. We checked the chip with our vet and got a contact number, but, sadly, this number just rang out.

We tried several times to

SPAIN’S Ministry of Health has warned against sucking the heads of prawns, because they carry high levels of cadmium (Cd), which is a heavy metal associated with zinc, copper and lead ores.

While this metal occurs naturally in the environment, human activity such as mining, and the burning of fossil fuels and waste, has seen a rise in its presence.

And it is believed that the metal can accumulate in the human body, mainly in the liver and kidneys, over 10-30 years.

After prolonged exposure, it

contact the owner, but we had no luck. To this day, his owner still has not returned our calls or come to claim him, which makes us believe he was left outside by his owner.

Kaiser was not in good condition when he came to the kennels, but he was a very friendly, loving dog, who quickly became a favourite among our dog walkers. For a little while, he was on his own in the kennel, but we were then able to introduce him to one of our female dogs named Pinky, who he now currently shares with.

Pinky was found and brought

into us around the same time as Kaiser. They do get on well with each other. Kaiser is an absolute pleasure to walk and be around. He can be a bit tense in the kennels, which is normal for all our dogs, but once he is outside and with our dog walkers, it is very easy to fall in love with him.

When our volunteers come back from a walk with him, they always say how great he is, how friendly he is, and what a good boy he is. All of which are very true.

He is a medium-size dog, of mixed breed, and is about four-and-a-half years old. If you would like to meet Kaiser, please call up to us any day between 9.30am-1.30pm.

He is OK with most dogs, but can have some attitude with some male dogs. Please keep that in mind.

If you, or anyone you know, could give Kaiser a second chance at a loving, forever home, please call us! He is waiting to meet you!We are on Calle Chimbesque, between Las Chafiras and Las Zocas. We look forward to seeing you!

Love prawns? Then treat them tenderly

can cause renal dysfunction and failure. And, in the long term, cancer!

That’s why the metal has been classed a Category 1 carcinogen for humans, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

Given its potential for

accumulation in the liver and kidneys of animals, the highest levels occur in the edible offal of animals (kidney, liver etc).

High consumption levels are also found with shellfish, because, in many cases, the whole animal is consumed, including the viscera (liver, kidneys etc), where cadmium is concentrated.

In the case of prawns, the majority of these organs are contained in its “head”, which is often sucked by prawn-lovers.

In products of plant origin, the highest levels are found in algae, cocoa, wild mushrooms and oilseeds.

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Community News

Live Paws News

20th December -26th December 2019

KittyCatz News

Can you Gifts for everyone! foster Roxy?

ROXY’S owner left the island, and she has been staying with us at the shelter. She is very sad because she is a proper house pet. She is upset in the shelter, because she misses her normal life.

She is a Lab-Pit cross, is good on the lead, house trained and friendly with other dogs. We are looking for a foster home before she gets too depressed. Can you help? Please contact Mark on 652 297 853 for further information, or to meet her.

Dog-walking club Sadly, because of circumstances beyond our control,

Accion del Sol News LAST Monday, we had a visit from the children at Luther King school, in San Miguel.

The children arrived with presents for the dogs at the refuge.

Father Christmas made an early visit to welcome the children, and see some of the many dogs in our care.

A fantastic day was had by all. Tom Ellis, whose mum adopted a little dog from the refuge, offered to help out by making a short film to capture the day.

With his amazing talent, skill and equipment, we now have a beautiful, short film, capturing the day. Thank you so much, Tom, for dedicating your time and talent to

dog-walking club is taking a break for three weeks, starting tomorrow (Saturday).

Live Paws shops Come and bag a bargain at our shops. Donations are always very much appreciated.

San Eugenio - opposite Hotel La Nina, at Las Carabelas, near Amanda’s Bar. Open weekdays 10am-4pm, Saturday 10am-2pm and now Sundays 11am-3pm.

Los Cristianos - Calle Revron, near Thistle and Dragon Bar and play-park. Open Monday-Friday (10am-4pm), Saturday 10am-2pm. The shop is now open on Sundays from 11am-3pm.

Join us on Facebook - Live Arico P.A.W.S Tenerife twitter.com/live_arico www.livearico.com

KITTYCATZ are a subsidiary of Sangha San Miguel and MADAT (Manos Amigas de los Animales de Tenerife).

We are a small group of volunteers who help the most sick and disabled cats and kittens, with medical treatment and intensive care.

We also bottle-feed newborns which are too young to wean. Luckily, for the carers at KittyCatz, the hectic kitten season has passed, for now, and it’s time for the talented team of crafters to add to funds, in readiness for next year’s influx.

The craft team not only make handcrafted gifts, they also form part of the foster team. Everything is made from items that have been

Thank you, Tom!

help us. You can and see the video on his Facebook page @elliismadefilms, and his telephone number is 603 847 185. The video is also on our AktionTier accion del sol Facebook page.

Help appreciated As the end of the year approaches, we would like to say a really big thank-you to each and every one of you

who has helped us in so many ways, over the last year, and to those who have supported our Christmas shoe-box appeal.

Your help is much appreciated, and vital in helping us to do our very best for the dogs in our care.

We would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year, and we look forward to working with you in 2020.

recycled. Light-up bottles are always very popular, and any shaped, empty bottle can be transformed into a beautiful work of art.

This year, discarded building products and wood have been put to good use. The talented crafters can put a picture on almost any surface, producing coasters, hanging plaques, and festive decorations for the Christmas season. Local tradesmen have donated tiles and slate, which are small enough for holidaymakers to take home as gifts, in their hand luggage.

It’s not just cats that are depicted on the handcrafted gifts; there are all kinds of themes to choose from. Slate hearts make a great present for a loved one, and many of the coasters are given to teachers, by their pupils. Magic Moments in San Eugieno hold a stock of KittyCatz gifts, all year round, so pop along to pick up a

special gift, and help support our work.

You can find all the gifts currently available on our Facebook page, and it may be possible for a personalised gift to be created, just for you.

Contact us to discuss your requirements.

Collection tins Our charity collection tins help us purchase flea drops, worming tablets, and goodquality food for the sick kittens and cats, along with kitten milk for the newborns. And vet treatment! The spare change donated is invaluable to us, and we couldn’t help the cats and kittens without it.

If you have a business and would like to sponsor a tin, or if you are in a position to offer a location for one of our tins, please let us know. They come with a lock and chain, and all the sponsor’s contact details.

Our registered charity number is printed on the sleeve. www. kittycatz.net

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Wine and Dine

20th December -26th December 2019

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Red Hot Chili Peppers!

THOSE of us who regularly enjoy delicious hot bowls of spicy Pasta Arrabbiata, or delicious platters of enchiladas, drowned in Salsa de Chile Pasilla, are in for some good news: chili peppers are not only delicious, but they also have numerous health benefits.

According to new research carried out in Italy, eating chili peppers, on a regular basis, can significantly cut the risk of death from heart disease and strokes.

The study, which compared the risks of death among 23,000 people, looked at the eating habits of those who ate chili peppers and those who refrained from the fiery fruit. Subjects of the study were citizens of Italy’s Molise region, which stretches from the Apennines Mountains to the Adriatic Sea. Over eight years, participants’ health and eating habits were closely monitored. The study found that those who indulged in chili peppers at least four times per week had a 40% lower risk of death by heart attack, than those who refrained.

The risk of a stroke was also more than halved.

The study also found that those who regularly ate chili cut their mortality risk by 23%, for a number of ailments and illnesses.

Marialaura Bonaccio, an epidemiologist at the Mediterranean Neurological Institute (Neuromed) and lead author of the study, explained: “An interesting fact is that protection from mortality risk was independent of the type of diet people followed.

In other words, someone can follow the healthy Mediterranean diet, someone else can eat less healthily, but, for all of them, chili pepper has a protective effect.”

The benefit is largely credited to capsaicin, the anti-inflammatory compound responsible for chili peppers’ burning sensation.

Licia Iacoviello, a co-author of the study, noted that there was good reason why Italian food culture exalts chilies. He explained: “Chili pepper is a fundamental component of our food culture. We see it hanging on Italian balconies,

and even depicted in jewels.

“Over the centuries, beneficial properties of all kinds have been associated with its consumption, mostly on the basis of anecdotes or traditions, if not magic. It is important now that research deals with it in a serious way, providing rigor and scientific evidence.

“And now, as already observed in China and in the United States, we know that the various plants of the capsicum species, although consumed in different ways throughout the world, can exert a protective action towards our health.”

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Lifestyle

By Val Sainsbury A VEGAN diet is generally healthy, low in cholesterol and protects against heart disease, but its followers must take Vitamin B12 supplements, or risk a condition that causes permanent numbness in their hands and feet, experts say.

Most people get their Vitamin B12 from milk, but the plantbased substitutes do not have high enough levels to protect adults and children from peripheral neuropathy, which is irreversible.

Young festival-goers on a vegan diet may be at particular risk. “Kids these days inhale laughing gas,” said Tom Sanders, Professor Emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics at King’s College, London.

“That can actively cause

By MIke Broeckaert from Direct Telecom

NOW we are in the Christmas period, it would make sense to shed some light on another popular scam that is already going around, the greetingcard scam.

20th December -26th December 2019

Vegans may be low on vitamins Vitamin-D deficiency. There is a danger of young people going vegan and not having B12, and it could tip the balance to them getting a serious neuropathy.

“It could easily be remedied by the manufacturers of plant-based milks,” he said.

“Levels should be higher in plant milks than they are at the moment. If they were three times higher, there wouldn’t be a problem.”

Internet claims that vegans do not need extra B12 were not evidence-based, he said. “I’m concerned that many people think it is a myth,” said Sanders. “Gorillas eat a vegan diet, but B12 is produced in the colon, and they probably don’t wash their hands, so end up ingesting it.”

The Jains in India eat a vegan diet, but, he said, “all the Jain doctors I know have B12 injections.” Studies have shown that B12 levels in vegans are about a third of what is needed. Other aspects of the vegan diet are healthy, but, said Sanders: “B12 is the one thing we are concerned about.”

There is particular worry about children. In one case, a baby who was breastfed by a mother who was B12 deficient ended up with neuropathy.

Sanders and Tim Key, Professor of Epidemiology and Deputy Director of the Cancer Epidemiology unit at Oxford University, have both researched the health of those who eat a vegan diet, for many years.

Key is himself a vegan, and takes vitamin B12 tablets, regularly.

Key said there was limited data available. The Epic study based at Oxford follows about 2,000 people.

Together with a study in California, there is data on about 10,000 people, in total.

“It’s not enough. We don’t have precise estimates of

long-term health in vegans,” said Key. But what they have been able to observe so far is that people eating vegan diets tend not to be overweight. If anything, some are very thin and may have problems in older age, when weight loss becomes an issue.

They have low rates of type 2 diabetes and diverticular disease of the colon. They have low cholesterol and low rates of heart disease, and they may have lower cancer rates.

However, bone fractures are about 30% higher, as a result of lower bone density. “That

might have something to do with calcium, and possibly even B12,” said Key. “They may also have higher rates of haemorrhagic stroke.”

A vegan diet, high in fruit, vegetables and pulses, is likely to be healthy, but vegans can still overdo the biscuits, confectionery, cakes, chips and beer, said the scientists, and some meat substitutes, such as vegan sausages, are high in salt.

So far, there is no evidence that vegans live longer.

“There is no significant difference in total mortality between vegans and meat eaters,” said Key.

Greeting-card scams, and how they could affect you It is important that you are aware of it, so that you are careful about opening emails which apparently contain a Christmas card for you. This method is effective, because, during Christmas, it is likely you are expecting to receive Christmas greetings cards, and you might even send some yourself, via email.

The trouble is that some of these greeting cards you are receiving could be somewhat deceiving!

How does it work?

You would receive an email which might “look and feel” as though is coming from one of the popular brands such as Clintons, Card Factory or Moonpig, in

which there will be text saying something like: “A friend has sent you a Card Factory E-Card”.

The email would then tell you that, in order to view the card, you need to click on a provided link, to install something like “Adobe Flash player”, or similar, and then another link for you to be able to view the card itself. By clicking on these links, you usually end up with some kind of malicious software that is downloaded and installed in your computer, known as “malware”.

Depending on the kind of malware that has been installed, it could lead to a variety of annoying consequences that range from pop-ups with adverts, or unexpected windows popping up on your screen.

In the worst-case scenario, you might be infected with a more-dangerous version, which makes your computer one of the “bots”, which are part of a larger network of infected computers, and will start sending some of your private/financial data to the IT criminals who are controlling it.

What can I do to reduce my chances of being affected?

First of all, double check to see if the brands that they claim to be coming from even have a service which delivers greetings cards via email. Most of them do not!

You should also check the full email address from which this email is coming, to see how legitimate it is.

If the content of the email is telling you which “friend” has sent you the card, then quickly double check with them, to see if it is true. If you are not 100% certain, however, we simply recommend that you don’t risk clicking on any of the links, and you might be better off just deleting the email.

Christmas greetings from the whole team at Direct Telecom!

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Sport

20th December -26th December 2019

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CD Tenerife

Tenerife’s poorest home performance of all time!

TENERIFE welcomed Alcorcón for their final home game of the year last Saturday, with the Heliodoro debut of Rubén Baraja, and an insipid 0-0 draw, which leaves them in the relegation places.

It was their ninth consecutive home game without a win, matching the club’s worst run of all, in the 1999 season.

Coach Rubén Baraja left out the two pure left-handside players he has at his disposal, and chose to place Alex Muñoz on the left side of defence. He is the fittest central-defender Tenerife have right now, but it wasn’t the only change.

Malbasic played on the right and Bermejo reappeared on the left, with Javi Alonso and Aitor Sanz in the middle, while up front, it fell to Lasso and Dani Gómez to contribute to the goals.

The start was over-shadowed by an early injury to Borja Lasso, who was tackled from behind by Miakushko. The Alcorcón player mis-timed his challenge and brought down the blue-andwhite attacker, who felt the full impact and needed treatment.

He tried to play on, but that proved impossible, and he was replaced by Naranjo in the fifth minute.

Lasso, while leaving the field, protested to the referee about Miakushko being shown just a yellow card,

CD Tenerife 0 AD Alcorcón 0

and was booked himself for dissent, merely adding to the pain, which could see him out for several weeks.

From that point, the whole of the first half was boring: just two Tenerife shots at goal, one of them on target from Bermejo, and none by Alcorcón.

The crowd, hardly appreciating the lack of action, entertained themselves by whistling at the referee, and shouting at club President Miguel Concepción.

The second half also started with a forced change for Tenerife, as Luis Pérez stayed in the dug-out and Moore replaced him, in what was the second change made

by Baraja.

Perez had received a knock

in the first half, from which he could not recover, and, like Lasso, he had to leave the game through injury.

The action began with much more momentum than there was in opening half. Yet Tenerife, in the early stages, had two dangerous attacks, Naranjo striking the side-netting in the second one.

Alcorcón then had their first shot of the match, through Stoichkov, which was saved safely by Ortolá.

As time ticked slowly by, Tenerife grew in confidence and started to play football. Moore joined in the attack with a good shot on the hour, which was saved

by Miralles in the Alcorcón goal.

Baraja’s third and final

change came in the 73rd minute, when he brought on Luis Milla for the first time in four games, following his emergency surgery for appendicitis. The midfielder replaced Bermejo, and Naranjo moved to the left wing.

In his first few touches, Milla found himself in front of goal after a perfect cross from Malbasic, only for his shot to hit the bar from 15 yards, keeping the score at 0-0.

Their own crossbar came to Tenerife’s rescue in the 89th minute, when Rui Costa beat the offside trap and broke through, one-on-one with Ortolá, only to beat the keeper but not the woodwork.

The game’s last action had the referee as the protagonist. An Alcorcón cross into the Tenerife box was chested cleared by Javi Alonso.

The ball was received by Milla, who immediately mounted a counter-attack to try to catch Alcorcón asleep.

But as the ball was being played upfield, referee Gorostegui Fernández Ortega stopped play to refer to VAR, for a possible handball and penalty to the visitors.

After a few minutes of uncertainty, in which the threat of a last-minute spot-kick hung over the Heliodoro, the referee blew his whistle to complete the match, without anything punishable in the previous action.

The referee was seriously wrong for not allowing play to continue, because it could have led to a precious goal for Baraja, who hasn’t sampled victory since being installed as Tenerife coach.

At the moment, he has a defeat and a draw in the two games he has directed.

Without a doubt, a poor start!

Tenerife’s final league match of the year occurs tonight (Friday) at Deportivo, so let’s hope they can celebrate the festive period with three points.

On Tuesday, Tenerife had a break from the league by meeting third-tier CD Mensajero in the second round of the Copa Del Rey, in La Palma.

Baraja used the opportunity to rest some of his big names, giving squad players a chance to play in what turned out to be an easy cup-tie.

An early goal from Soler in the sixth minute opened the scoring, and a brace from Naranjo in the 37th and 83rd minutes gave the coach his first win as manager, although he’d happily have swapped this for a league win.

Not such good news was confirmation that Borja Lasso will be out for up to four months, with a fractured left leg after the Alcorcón game, further adding to Barajas woes.

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Sport

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Not always a handicap!

IT’S Handicap Round 2, some matches going down to the wire, with 4-3 scores, and we start with the Loch Inn Bullseyes, who got off to a good start.

They won the first singles, but Emerald Lounge were having none of it, and secured the remaining singles, before sharing the doubles for a 5-2 away win.

Picasso’s@Palms v The Club House This was a much closer affair, even though Picasso’s had only four players, and, as Mark said: “What can I say? Couldn’t have been any closer.

Club House 4 Picasso’s 3 This went down to last double. Woman of the match Shaz: 104 finish, Treble 18 Bull. Well played guys.”

Sundowners had to give an 80 start to Clouseau’s, who also had four players. The home team were 4-1 up after the singles, then duly won the doubles

Darts

as well, for a 6-1 victory. Ourplace Breakaways had a visit from Pas O Nadas A, and another close encounter ensued. The away team, giving away a 360 start, proved just within their reach, winning 4-3.

Scooters & Chevys A v Suters 20;30 Crew Some good darts thrown, on the way to a 5-2 win for Suters, and Duncan said: “Scooters A 2 20/30 .5 some very good darts from both sides good to watch start with Ray 180 well done 20/30 100 ×14 .140 ×7 .180 ×1 good darts scooters 100x5. Great fun good atmosphere some singing the staff on form good great meatballs and spaghetti thanks to all.”

Marilyns had visitors Pink Elephant to contend with, and a 220 start just didn’t do it. They took three legs, but the visitors were 6-1 victors.

Ourplace Playgirls v Gaffers#teamhollywood This was another close match, and Daniel was clearly pleased with the outcome, saying: “OurPlace Playgirls 3-4 Gaffers #teamhollywood. Massive result

with a huge 460-point difference!! Thankyou ladies!

(And Lofty) great night of darts. Matt and Joe 180s for Gaffers.”

Waterfall v Sandys Bookie Boys I don’t know much about it, but I do know that the Waterfall, who are struggling currently, lost 7-0.

Talking of struggling teams, and we have Emerald B away to Pas O Nadas Int in the plate. Emerald have lost some players and it’s showing in their results.

They took two legs, but that couldn’t stop a 7-0 loss.

The two remaining plate matches, were much closer. Chris had this to say, about the first of them: “Sandy’s Bandits 3 v Scooters & Chevys B 4. A good night with 4-man team Scooters coming out on top and a big thanks to Paddy and the rest of Sandys team for a warm welcome and good tight match.”

Finally, we have The Pub v Palms Sports Bar, and the 280 start was just too much for Grizzly & Co, and they went down 4-3.

World-beater Fallon makes darts history

FALLON Sherrock has gone into the record books for darts by beating Ted Evetts 3-2 on Tuesday to become the first woman to topple a man at the PDC World Championship.

The 25-year-old, from Milton Keynes, hit six 180s and landed a 91.12 average on the way to her first-round win, which was sealed with a nerveless double-18, to the delight of the Alexandra Palace spectators.

“I’m speechless, I don’t know what to say,” an emotional Sherrock said, while still on stage. “I feel really happy because I have proven something for women’s darts: that women can play the men and beat them.

“So, fingers-crossed, this is a move in the right direction. I’m over the moon… I can’t believe it!”

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Sherrock broke decisively in the opening game of the fifth set, landing a double-seven after Evetts had missed a double-10.

The breakthrough came after a terrific battle in the fourth set, in which Sherrock missed a winning throw. But she rallied with a 165 set-up and double-18 check-out, to square the match at two sets apiece.

Evetts took the first set with a 13-darter against the throw in the fourth game, but the BDO women’s world No.4 matched that in the opening leg of the second.

Six perfect darts helped the Milton Keynes player hold her throw, and she then took out 80 to level the match.

Sherrock took charge of the third set with a 100 check-out, but she missed four set-darts at 2-1 ahead, enabling Evetts to fight back, hitting a double-eight to retake the lead.

It seemed that Sherrock’s chance of making history had gone, but she fought back in spectacular fashion to rewrite a huge darts record. She will face the No 11 seed, Austria’s Mensur Suljovic, in the second round.

Sherrock is the fifth woman to take part in the men’s PDC world championship, and the fourth since a qualification pathway was created for women last year.

That move ensured that female players would have two places among the 96-strong field each year.

Sherrock, whose twin sister Felicia also plays darts, earned her place by winning the UK & Ireland women’s qualifying event.

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