6 December - 12 December 2022

Santa hits the streets for Charity

Hundreds of you joined in the fun at the weekend as the Santa Walk took to the streets of Orihuela Costa, raising funds for the AACC anti-cancer charity. The annual 5k event is organised by Maria and the Pink Ladies and Panthers and starts and nishes at Zenia Boulevard shopping centre.

As always, it was a very festive atmosphere with entertainment provided by Simon Morton from Sunshine FM and

the Spangles who sang and played a ranges of festive pop hits and traditional carols.

Maria Wilson, president AACC and Maria and the Pink Ladies, said: “I’d like to say a really big thank you to the Policia Local for making sure we were all safe on the roads as we walked and danced along the route. Thanks also goes to the management of Zenia Boulevard for their support to us and the AACC and of course

to all those that registered to do the walk. We had well over a 100 walking. We will announce the total raised as soon as all the donations have been counted and

every cent will be donated to the cancer charity AACC. Thank you everyone for your kind support.”

However, it wasn’t just the AACC that

bene ted from the event, there was also a collection of foods and toiletries for the charity Reach Out and as always, the people of the Orihuela Costa were very generous donating dry goods, toiletries and bedding which were passed to the charity for the homeless and those in need.

Maria added: “Maria and the Pink Ladies and Panthers would like to wish everyone at the Costa Blanca People and all your readers a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2023.”

Man threatens to kill officer in Elche Club

A 47-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder, assault, possessing an illegal weapon and drug dealing. He was immediately imprisoned by a judge at Elche Court.

The arrest comes after the Spaniard assaulted a National Police O cer in an Elche Nightclub and then pulling out a gun, threatened to kill him.

The man had been seen potentially selling drugs on the street and ran into the club to escape the police. The o cer chased the man into the toilets where the assault took place. The police o cer and the accused came to blows and the attacker pulled out a gun. Police reinforcements helped restrain the man before he could carry out his threat.

When checked the gun was found

to be loaded. The man also had several packets of drugs and 2,000e in cash in his possession.

When his hotel room was searched o cers found a second gun, silencers and bullets.

There were several mobile phones, cocaine and related equipment such as scales and cutting tools.

Largest drug haul in Valencia

More than 5.5 tonnes of cocaine –enough to ll a room - has been seized in Valencia, in the region’s biggest ever drug haul, and the largest in Spain in over four years. The drugs were hidden in a container transporting fruit from South America and has a street value of 340 million euros. They were spotted by Guardia Civil o cers at the Port of Valencia.

O cers had been working alongside the Spanish Tax agency following a previous drug haul found in the port of Barcelona.

Doctors prepare to strike

A strike by doctors has been threatened by the regional medical union CESMCV for 17th and 18th January. The announcement follows a meeting with the regional health councillor where they did not receive a commitment to improve the situation, which includes short sta ng, pay, hours and several other issues.

December tourist routes

The Councilor for Tourism, María García, has presented the tourist routes scheduled for the month of December. She said that a “a wide variety of routes has been designed for people to be able to enjoy the city, the Christmas lights and the activities that will take place during Christmas and the festive season.”

The painter Velázquez, creator of a painting from the collection exhibited at the Museum of Sacred Art, will be the focus of the scheduled route on Friday, 9th December. On Sunday 11 and Wednesday 28th December there will be a cultural tour of the city starting from Puerta de la Olma, On Saturday 17th December there will be a climb to the Castle, in which “in addition to learn things about the city, it will serve to help people get a little exercise”. Likewise, on 22nd and 29th December there will be a tour through the nativity scenes around the city that, in addition to showing the municipal birth of the Plaza Nueva and the Neapolitan nativity scene installed in the cloister of the Palacio del Obispo, will bring the participants closer to other private nativity scenes, such as the one in the Nuestro Padre Jesús church or the one installed in Las Salesas made up of “playmobil” gures. The Councillor for Tourism has appealed to individuals who

want to include their nativity scenes on the route to contact the Tourism O ce so they can be added.

In addition, on 23rd December there will be a route focused on modernist Orihuela in which details of architecture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries will be highlighted, as well as gures of the time such as Severiano Sánchez Ballesta, Joaquín Agrasot and Juan Sansano, among others. Finally, on the 29th December, from the

Tourist O ce, the Legends of Orihuela tour will go through the Rabaloche neighbourhood and festure the popular stories about the Armengola, otherwise known as the Oriol Bird.

María García has encouraged the public to participate in these activities and reminds people that the routes are free and that those interested in participating in them must reserve their place through the website: www. orihuelaturistica.es.

Orihuela Local Police force adds 15 officers

The Local Police force for the municipality of Orihuela has added 15 o cers to its team, who have been hired through a job bank recently set up by the Department of Human Resources. The Deputy Mayor, José Aix, the councillors for Citizen Security and Human Resources, Antonio Sánchez and Luisa Boné respectively, the chief of the Local Police, José María Pomares, and inspector Rubén Selma attended the presentation ceremony for the new recruits.

The Councillor for Citizen Security, Antonio Sánchez, welcomed the agents who have joined the Local Police and who “were so badly needed because they will help make our municipality safer.” The councillor added that the hiring of police o cers is the result of the work that the Department of Human Resources has been doing and that has culminated in the creation of a job bank for police o cers. A much-needed pool that allows you to hire quickly and address temporary situations such as sick leave, holidays, or as is the case at hand, appointing 15 o cers on an interim basis, who will provide their services until the relevant selection processes are completed and those places are lled permanently.

The councillor responsible

for the Human Resources Department, Luisa Boné, explained that personnel selection processes are being carried out for the Local Police, to build-up to a sta of 183 policemen.

Luisa Boné said: “In 2019 when I assumed the Department of Human Resources, the Citizen Security sta had 120 police o cers, it was skeletal, below the minimum and without managers. It has been really di cult to deal with situations like Covid or the DANA. At the moment there are 147 police o cers and we hope that, in a few months, when all the selection processes that are quite advanced are nished, we will be able to increase the head count to 183. That sta , those 183 police o cers will allow us

to guarantee the safety of our citizens in all the corners of our municipality.”

The deputy mayor pointed out that the Local Police was “in need of material and human resources”, so the hiring of these agents will contribute to making our municipality “safer, more reliable, attractive and with a better image abroad”.

José Aix explained that the Local Police was in a di cult situation due to the number of vacancies to be lled, and he thanked the Oriolan police for their combined e orts, which “have given a response well above expectations”.

He added that he considered “any euro destined for the Local Police is not an expense, it is an investment.”

Children’s parks renovated in Orihuela Costa

The Councillor for Infrastructures, Ángel Noguera, has reported that the comprehensive repair and renovations have been completed on three children’s play areas located in Cala Cerrada, Punta Prima and Cabo Roig in Orihuela Costa.

Councillor Noguera explained that “the work carried out has consisted of replacing all the existing games and equipment in those areas, removing the safety ooring and replacing it with a new one, changing street furniture, new planting of trees and shrubs and replacing and repairing the irrigation system.

The total area of the three children’s parks where the work has been carried out is 2,000 square meters and the works

have been carried out through a grant from the Provincial Council of Alicante for an amount of 121,825.79 euros.

Movers and Shakers Christmas craft fair

Almoradi was buzzing with people over the last weekend of November. In the square was a Medieval Artisans fair together with festive activities for the children. And at the Casino, the Association of Movers and Shakers held a charity craft fair with a festive theme.

There was a steady stream of people looking for that extra special Christmas Gift inside the Casino’s Great Hall including: crocheted items, greetings cards, jewellery, home made cakes, Christmas decorations, small gifts, novelty lights,

keyrings and badges. Whilst outside Association President Marion and her helpers enticed people with a tombola stall.

The Mayor Maria Gomez Garcia stopped by on her way to the square and a wedding party also took part in the fun.

A total of just under 250e was raised, which will be used to support su erers living with Huntington’s, Ataxia, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone and Parkinson’s and their families across the Costa Blanca

Event organiser, Christine Watkins, would like to thank

the volunteers, stall holders and everyone who supported this event. The next fundraising event for the Association will be a Dinner Dance, with a live band. This will be held at the Casino in Almoradi on 16th December. Further details can be found at: www.amscb.org.es or email; marion.smith@amscb. org.es

If you, or someone you know is a ected by any of these diseases or you wish to become a volunteer, please contact the Association President Marion Smith on  711 008 250.

Letter bombs in Spain could be linked

Spanish security forces are investigating a spate of letter bombs sent to political, military and diplomatic targets. Spanish police said six letter bombs sent in recent days appeared to have been posted from the northern city of Valladolid.

The devices were sent to targets including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, government o ces, a European Union satellite company and the U.S. Embassy between 24th and 2nd Dec. Most were defused, although an employee at the Ukrainian embassy was slightly injured when one of the devices ignited.

The nature of the targets of the packages has raised suggestions of a link with Russia. Spain has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and on 19th November, the defence ministry announced it was about to send a new shipment of military aid to the country to help it repel Russian forces.

The National Court has opened an investigation into possible terrorismrelated crimes and public buildings have been put on alert, although the terrorist threat level has not been changed.

The rst bomb was reported when a member of sta at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid was injured as the contents of the package he had opened ignited. He received medical attention for hand injuries but was not

hospitalized. He was the only person injured by the devices. The package had been addressed to the Ukrainian ambassador, Sergi Pohoreltsev.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba ordered tightened security at all his country’s embassies.

Pohoreltsev seemed to hint at possible Russian involvement, saying: “We know that our enemy is a terrorist state and we can expect anything.”

Meanwhile, calling it a “wellplanned” campaign of intimidation and terror, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said that a half-dozen of its embassies across Europe, as well as several consulates, had received “bloody packages” containing animal eyes. Those packages, combined with the spate of letter bombs in Spain have raised suspicion about links to Russia while prompting Kyiv to ask for increased security at its overseas o ces.

A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman said packages were received at embassies in the Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, Italy and Austria, as well as at consulates in Naples and Brno, in the Czech Republic.

One was also detected at the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid.

Yevhenia Voloshchenko, a Ukrainian o cial in Rome, said the parcel received at her embassy contained a sh eye.

Czech police said the envelope in Brno contained “animal tissue,” adding that it had rst been checked for explosives

and prompted an evacuation of the immediate surroundings, including a kindergarten. Police said a similar package also arrived at the Ukrainian Embassy in Prague.

Dirty tricks

Separately, the Ukrainian ambassador to the Holy See said the entrance to his apartment residence in Rome had been vandalized, with the outside stairwell, ceiling and front door smeared with a “dirty substance.” An Italian police

spokesman said the substance was fecal matter. He said his apartment building didn’t have cameras but soon they’d be installed.

It is unclear whether the letter bombs in Spain have any connection to the other incidents across Europe. The letter bombs were received at a series of high-pro le locations, including the o ce of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, as well as the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, where the letter was disabled in a controlled detonation.

Torrevieja North Neighbourhood Watch disbands

It was all change for the Torrevieja North Neighbourhood Watch at its recent meeting at Oasis, San Luis. Following a presentation and question and answer session with the Healthcare Team from the British Consulate, Doug Allen, the Chairman of the group, stood down.

Doug said that after the challenge of running the group for the past 5 years and the decline in attendance at meetings, there needed to be a di erent focus and he would like to see others take more interest and involvement in the community.

Doug thanked those at the meeting for their support but said as there had been no volunteers to take on running the group, the Neighbourhood watch group would be disbanded.

The members thanked the chairman for his hard work and diligence over the past years and requested he continue to provide his invaluable support services to the community, even in a reduced manner. However, no further meetings are planned, though Doug agreed that there may be ad-hoc meetings for special reasons such as the voting procedures, visas and padron matters.

As there have been a large number of requests to continue to provide an information platform, a new facebook site has been set up to take over from the Neighbourhood Crime Watch site. The new Facebook site is ‘Torrevieja North Information Watch’.

Terra Natura Benidorm opens Christmas with the recreation of Santa’s toy factory

This is the rst time that the park has installed this space where children can leave their letters to the Christmas elves and help them to build toys.

Christmas is getting closer and closer. The nature and animal park Terra Natura Benidorm has come forward this year to celebrate Christmas with the recreation, for the rst time, of the toy factory of the elves and the post o ce, where Father Christmas receives the letters. In this space, which will be located in the Europa area inside the Estiatorio building, children will be able to leave their letters of wishes and enter the workshop used by Santa’s elves to prepare gifts and toys.

The park has designed a special programme of fun and entertainment activities, with a Christmas atmosphere, so that families can begin to enjoy these special dates, starting on 5 December. These activities will take place from 5 to 11 December, from 16 to 18 December, as well as on 23 and 30 December respectively.

In order to involve the youngest children in the planned activities, a new experience has been created, called Christmas Experience. In it, they will have to help the elves to save Christmas by completing simple challenges, such as helping the elves to nd the Christmas socks, or even to build some toys, arranging pieces, stacking cubes or tting shapes together. The

Alicante-based company Colorbaby is collaborating in this activity with its range of 100% ecological and sustainable wooden toys, Woodmax, with the aim of raising awareness among families of the importance of thinking about the environment at this time of year.

Once they have passed the tests, they will be the protagonists of the Christmas lighting of the big Christmas tree located inside the Estiatorio. At the end, they will be greeted by Father Christmas and will receive a diploma from him certifying them as o cial helpers of the Christmas elves.

In addition to the visit to the toy factory, children will be able to take part in other activities such as the slime

workshop and the Christmas-inspired face-painting workshop. In the School of Fairies and Elves at Terra Natura Benidorm there will also be special workshops and Christmas face painting.

On the other hand, the family leisure proposal will be completed with the development of various talks on environmental awareness and dissemination of biodiversity. Speci cally, those responsible for education will deal with topics such as otters, tigers, exotic birds and elephants. At the same time, a demonstration of sea lions will be organised, and birds of prey will be ying every day in the Asia amphitheatre. The timetable for all these activities can be consulted on the website or on Facebook.

Christmas Toy Appeal

If you’re a regular reader of the Costa Blanca People, or a TKO Radio listener, you’ve probably already heard about the San José Obrero orphanage. The orphanage caters for around 60 children from the age of 5 to 18 housed in two residence units in Orihuela and Elche. There are also several children in a day facility who go home in the evening time as well as a temporary foster care facility. In addition, there is transitional accommodation for older teenagers who do not have family support in order to help them cope with the evolution to adulthood and independence.

The orphanage is run by the church and most of the children both live and are educated there. In

spite of this, the orphanage does not receive support from the state and is always looking for help from the public.

In the spirit of Christmas and ‘children helping children’, Willow International School is once again this year running a Christmas Gift Appeal in association with TKO Radio and the Costa Blanca People. They are asking students’ families and members of the public in general to add an extra item to their Christmas shopping lists this year.

School Principal Amanda Riding told the Costa Blanca People “We buy so much at Christmas and many of us are lucky that we are able to purchase lovely gifts for our friends and loved ones. I’m asking our families and

friends this year that perhaps when they are shopping for their family or heading out to buy their o ce Secret Santa that they add another special item to their Christmas lists –to buy a toy for a child in need.”

Amanda explained that the Gift Appeal will be advertised on TKO Radio and in the Costa Blanca People throughout the festive season saying “We’ve had such wonderful support from the local media and I am very grateful to TKO and to the Costa Blanca People for publicising this for us. As a community, the expats have always been so supportive of charity appeals and I think everyone will agree that making sure these children have a special gift at Christmas time is a very worthy

cause indeed.”

To support the Gift Appeal, all you need to do is to buy a gift, wrap it and drop if o at one of the drop o points (listed below).

The toys must be brand new but can be of any size and cost all gifts will be most gratefully received.

The deadline for all gifts to be dropped o is Monday December 19th.

While younger children will be delighted with toys, older children might perhaps like some toiletries, Christmas sweets or goodies, or even a voucher in order to go shopping in the sales. Fundraiser for the orphanage Lyn Adams said, “The children are always in need of basic items, clothes and toiletries.”

DROP OFF POINTS

• Willow International School, Pueblo Bravo, Quesada 9.30am to 2.30pm Monday to Friday

• Leddy Homes/Leddy Contractors, Calle San Miguel 9, Los Montesinos 10 to 6pm Monday to Friday

• TKO Radio & Easy Buy Properties, Avenida De La Mancha 29b, Aguas Nuevas, Torrevieja, between 9:30am till 3:30pm

• St George pub, Dog and Firkin & The Chippy, Catral 12pm – late

• Quesada Fish and Chips, 10am - 10pm

• Compass Property Management, Los Dolses

• The Christmas Store, San Luis

• The Hillside, La Marina

Listen to TKO Radio for a special ‘festive’ advert for the toy appeal. There is also a gofundme page where you can make a monetary donation to the appeal, useful for those who are not able to buy a gift and deliver it in person. The link for donations is https://gofund.me/a3a5640d

We Urgently Need Your Help

Seagate are pleased to support the amazing charity A Helping Hand - a food and clothes bank charity.

They support 500 families including 700 children that are in poverty and in crisis and they urgently need food and clothes donations from you.

There is a constant need for help with simply the basic staples such as tuna, toilet paper, milk, tinned food, pasta, rice, soup mix, baked

beans, tinned tomatoes and olive oil.

They also need hygiene items such as washing detergent, shower gel, shampoo as well as baby items needed are nappies, hero baby milk 1 and 2 and baby wipes.

As Christmas approaches, they are hoping to be able to provide for all the families they have been able to give Christmas presents to, so please spare a thought and give what you can. You can drop o your

donation to their base in San Luis on Tuesday or Friday morning from 10am until 1pm or at over 20 drop o places around the area -  There are many bars and restaurants that support the charity.

As the message on their Facebook page says “Always Help Someone –You Might Be The Only One That Does”.

www.facebook.com/ AHelpingHandCostaBlanca

Mass Vaccination Campaign

The Public Health Council together with the Health Ministry, are carrying out a mass vaccination campaign against Flu and Covid-19 for the over 64s.

For this, the City Council enables the Public Library “Carmen Jalon” as a vaccination point from 09:00 to 13:00 hours, will be cited through sms to 1,300 unvaccinated people.

The Councillor for Public Health, Diana Box and the Department of Health, in collaboration with the Health Centre Patricio Perez, announced that it will conduct a mass vaccination campaign to over 64 years who have not yet been

vaccinated against in uenza. This recapture is due to the high percentage of people pending vaccination, taking into account that the u vaccine is a safe and e ective measure for the prevention of in uenza. For this reason, the Health Department reminds us that it is necessary to be vaccinated every year, as the vaccine adapts annually to the circulating virus.

In addition, the vaccination of the 4th dose of COVID-19 is included as it is currently indicated for unvaccinated people over 60 years of age who have not been vaccinated and have not had the disease in the last 5 months. Thus taking

advantage of the vaccination campaign for people over 64 years of age.

If it is considered appropriate, a call will be made in the near future for people over 60 years of age.

For this purpose, the Town Hall will open the “Carmen Jalón” Public Library, located at Calle Joaquín Chapaprieta, 39, from 09:00 to 13:00 hours. The summons will be sent by SMS to people who have not been vaccinated.

People under 64 years of age can be vaccinated by appointment at their usual Health Centre.

The pound has had a fairly steady week, with most sterling crosses (bar cable) being constrained within recent ranges, as a distinct lack of clear UK drivers ensured that it took its cues from the other side of the pair in most cases. On the data front, the latest report from the Nationwide Building Society con rmed that UK house prices are now falling at their fastest pace since the early days of the pandemic. Prices fell a nasty 1.4% over the past month, following a 0.9% drop previously. This has helped to ensure that annual price growth has now slipped to a mere 4.4%, a gure down from 7.2% previously. In both cases, the data was well under analyst estimates.

It is clear to see that the combined impact of higher interest rates and a slowing economy is having a marked impact on UK property market, with the latest mortgage approvals also falling to their lowest level since the middle of 2020. Further declines in UK house prices are expected over the coming months, despite the recent slight decline in longer-term borrowing costs, which may help to attract a slight increase in activity, even if only at the margin. The Halifax will also be releasing their take on current UK house prices next week.

Back to the pound, and GBP/USD has just broken over a recent cycle high, despite the widespread negative outlook on the UK economy, which clearly illustrates to us that the dollar side of the pair (see USD) is by far the biggest driver. At the time of writing, GBP/USD is attempting to push beyond 1.2300, which if broken, would take our proud pound to levels not seen since the summer. GBP/EUR is also grinding higher, albeit at a more leisurely pace, with a break over 1.1700 key to unlocking further gains for the pound. Impressive moves indeed.

EURO

GBP / EUR UPDATE

much-needed softening in the Euro area, with the rst notable declines in the data for some 17 months, as the cost of wholesale energy prices declined, and supply-chain bottlenecks eased.

Both Germany and Spain had started the trend of softening in ation earlier in the week, before the key Euro area in ation dipped to 10% from 10.6%.

Whilst in ation may still be at 10%, the mere fact that in ation has eased somewhat, will give some comfort to the ECB, who have been battling surging in ation with some chunky 75bps rate hikes of late.

On that note, the softer in ation reading also injected some serious doubts into what size of rate hike the ECB will lean toward this month. ECB President Christine Lagarde has said just this week that she did not think that in ation had peaked in the region, but to be fair to her, that was before she had access to the latest data. Whilst some members of the ECB – such as Robert Holzmann still favour a 75bps hike, markets have drifted towards favouring a smaller 50bps move, which is understandable given the softer in ation backdrop.

The recent trend of better data in Germany came to an abrupt halt on Thursday, with Retail Sales declining 2.8% over the past month, as high in ation helped to ensure that shoppers held back, and re ecting the beginning of what might be a weak winter of activity.

As for the Euro, well EUR/USD has clearly accelerated away from the key parity region, and is currently attempting to maintain a break over previous key resistance at 1.0500, driven largely by that weakening dollar, with the single currency looking particularly well-supported at present. Next week sees the release of the regional Retail Sales and growth (GDP) data, with both likely to impact the short-term pro le for the single currency.

You won’t have a choice if you don’t have a voice!

PIOC are pleased to announce that we are holding “clinics” every single weekday next week (and beyond), to inform local residents about how to register to vote in the municipal elections in 2023.

The venues and times are as follows:

Monday - SPORTS BAR (Playa Flamenca Centre) 2.30pm

Tuesday - EMERALD ISLE (La Florida) 11am

Tuesday - DI STEPHANOS (La Zenia) 2pm

Wednesday - LIME BAR (Villa Park 3) 2pm

Thursday - RUMOURS (Citrus Centre) 3pm

Friday - LEESON STREET (Rioja centre Los Dolses)11am

You won’t have a choice if you don’t have a voice!

Registering to vote isn’t as complicated or scary as you may think and we will be on hand to guide you through the process.

Our aim is simply to help everyone who has the right to vote to register before the deadline which is 15th January

2023 for Non-EU residents and 31st January 2023 for EU residents.

On behalf of everyone at PIOC, we of course thank all of the venues who have kindly set aside the time and space to facilitate these public information walk-in

clinics.

Keep checking our page for more information and more schedules in the following weeks to come.

The more votes = more councillors = the more can be achieved for Orihuela Costa

The latest in ation report re ected some

We got a shock when our daughter announced she was leaving her husband of 15 years. We didn’t know there was trouble between them, quite the reverse - they always seemed to be ok. She never let on but she says she was not happy, and now we discovered that she’s met someone else at work. They have two children and she has found a rental Apartment, and the girls will go between them. We understand the split is fairly amicable. We are coming to terms with it, however we are mostly upset because we have grown very fond of our son-in-

law; with him becoming like a son to us. We know he loves us as much we love him. He’s always been so kind to us, helping where needed, and he and my husband share so many hobbies, and laugh all the time. We are quite devastated at losing him, but we haven’t told our daughter. We would still like a relationship with him, but we get the feeling that she expects us to divorce ourselves from the relationship.

It’s very upsetting when things like this happen; you have grown fond of your son- in-law, you love him like a

son, and would miss him if he were not in your lives. Presumably you will still be involved with the grandchildren, so perhaps you can suggest you pick the girls up from him when it is his time to have them; and then you will get to see him. It sounds like he thinks as much of you as you think of him, so, with your daughter’s permission; you could ask if she’s ok with you still seeing him now and again. Ultimately, if he still wants a relationship with his in-laws and has grown fond of you, it will be up to him. Just make sure you embrace your daughter’s new man and make him welcome, so that your daughter is happy you are considering her choices.

054 467.

WRITE TO SARA IN CONFIDENCE. A PSEUDONYM WILL BE USED IF YOU WISH. SARA READS ALL LETTERS AND CAN GIVE A PERSONAL REPLY. EMAIL YOUR QUESTION TO SARA@ COSTABLANCAPEOPLE.COM OR SARA IS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, TELEPHONE 650

A herald to Christmas celebrations

One of the American customs that has invaded the commercial world is Black Friday, a herald to Christmas celebrations...and gifts. Shani Ormiston has delivered a gift with yet another Christmas themed song, full of light, love and fun. What brought many of us to Spain was the sun and Shani has used this as a theme in her latest composition with a wonderful videoclip of her and friends celebrating the jolly, holly season on the beach with a Santa as a Centrepiece.

“Mas Que Suerte” is the title with a positive attitude that while the sun shines all will be well. And though it is written in Spanish it is easy to follow and so far has received a warm welcome.

It follows last year’s successful Christmas song, “Dancing by the Mistletoe” which was nominated as best festive song in this year’s Hollywood Music Awards.

Shani likes to illustrate the words of her songs by pictorial videos and this song follows a typical Christmas theme of a love waiting for her lover to come to spend the holidays with her. Some great scenes recorded by Carlos García who likes inserting symbolic items, such as carrots for Rudolph or little Christmas cakes for Santa.

The couple nish the rustic video by dancing under the mistletoe and a sly wink for

viewers from Shani as she looks up to the mistletoe, indicating what she has in mind.

Both songs are on social media and videos on YouTube and other platforms as well as Shani’s own page.

If that gives you a tasting of Christmas then another treat from Shani is a newly released Christmas álbum “Shani’s Magical Christmas” with her interpretation of popular Christmas songs plus a few of her own with their own message. Shani has

been referred to by Spanish commenters as “another Mariah Carey”.

This Singer-songwriter has live performances this month with an appearance at the annual English “Carols in the Plaza”, now in its twentieth year on 14th December. On 18th December Shani has her own live concert in the central plaza of Torrevieja with the lights of the Nordic Christmas tree as a backdrop and accompanied by musicians and dancers, and audience participation.

If you have a question or problem that needs my help, please email Brian at cbtechnology.help@gmail. com. If you want to join the Technology Help Group search Facebook for “Costa Blanca Technology Help Group”. If you do not use Facebook you can still join by sending an email with your details to cbtechnology. help@gmail.com.

When joining on Facebook please make sure that you scroll all the way through and answer all questions and give your email address. I use your email address as the primary means of communication.

Scan the QR for a reminder of what the Costa Blanca Technology Help Group o ers.

“I have a Smart TV which I want to connect to the router by cable, but the TV is not near the router, what can I do?”

You have two choices. The simplest is to run an ethernet cable from your router to the TV. If this is not possible or practical for you there is a

Your tech questions answered by Brian Hoile of the Costa Blanca Technology Help Group, helping over 200 members with their PCs, smartphones and more. Find the group on Facebook (Costa Blanca Technology Help Group) or attend the meetings in person or online via Zoom.

cheap (€20 to €30) alternative. You need to buy a Wi-Fi Range Extender. It plugs into a power socket and wirelessly connects to your router. When set up it transmits a Wi-Fi signal and has an RJ45 socket to connect an ethernet cable to your TV. There are two types, one with a mains socket and the other without. TP-Link model number TL WA860RE with a power socket and TL WA855RE without a passthrough mains socket. You will need to instal the application “Tether” on a Smartphone. The App searches for your main Wi-Fi signal then sets up and connects to your new Range Extender. You will also have another Wi-Fi hotspot available which you can connect to using the same password as your router.

“I am trying to con gure my Fire Stick to allow installation of non-Amazon Apps. How do I do it?”

From the Fire TV or Fire TV Stick’s home screen, scroll down to “Settings”. Next, scroll to the right and select My Fire TV. Next, scroll down and select “Developer Options”. Then select “Apps from Unknown Sources” to turn the option to

“ON”.

On newer Fire Sticks “Developer Options” is not immediately available.

To enable developer options on your Amazon Fire TV, open the Settings Menu, and navigate to My Fire TV. Then About. Select your device’s name 7 times, until you see “No Need, You Are Already a Developer.”

The Developer Options menu will then be accessible in your Settings.

Select “Apps from Unknown Sources” to turn the option to “ON”.

You then need to search for Downloader and “Get” it. You can then use the Downloader App to download non-Amazon Apps. Use Google search to nd the Apps you require.

“Is IPTV illegal?”

IPTV itself is legal, but not all IPTV services are. For example, legal IPTV services like Hulu, YouTube, and Net ix abide by the correct copyright laws. With this, if a service provider doesn’t hold the correct licenses for its content, it is considered illegal.

Brian Hoile Technology Help Group

the Group by searching Facebook for “Costa Blanca Technology Help Group” Send your questions to cbtechnology.help@gmail.com

Join

This Week´s Movie Picks

Jack Frost

Saturday 10th December – Channel 5, 1.40pm

The Grinch Sunday 11th December – ITV2, 6.10pm

Jack Frost is a singer who’s on the road most of the time so he can’t spend a lot of time with his son, Charlie, although they love each other very much. When Jack is killed in a car accident, Charlie becomes a very sad boy, until...Jack returns as a snowman. Now they can do all the things they’ve missed when he was human, but what will people think when they see Charlie talking to a snowman and what will happen when the weather gets warmer?

For their eighth fully animated feature, Illumination and Universal Pictures present The Grinch, based on Dr. Seuss’ beloved holiday classic. The Grinch tells the story of a cynical grump who goes on a mission to steal Christmas, only to have his heart changed by a young girl’s generous holiday spirit. Funny, heartwarming, and visually stunning, it’s a universal story about the spirit of Christmas and the indomitable power of optimism. Academy Award nominee Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice to the infamous Grinch, who lives a solitary life inside a cave on Mt. Crumpet with only his loyal dog, Max, for company. With a cave rigged with inventions and contraptions for his day-to-day needs, the Grinch only sees his neighbors in Whoville when he runs out of food. Each year at Christmas they disrupt his tranquil solitude with their increasingly bigger, brighter, and louder celebrations. When the Whos declare they are going to make Christmas three times bigger this year, the Grinch realizes there is only one way for him to gain some peace and quiet: he must steal Christmas. To do so, he decides to pose as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, even going so far as to trap a lackadaisical mis t reindeer to pull his sleigh. Meanwhile, down in Whoville, Cindy-Lou Who (Cameron Seely), a young girl over owing with holiday cheer, plots with her gang of friends to trap Santa Claus as he makes his Christmas Eve rounds so that she can thank him for help for her overworked single mother. As Christmas approaches, however, her good-natured scheme threatens to collide with the Grinch’s more nefarious one. Will Cindy-Lou achieve her goal of nally meeting Santa Claus? Will the Grinch succeed in silencing the Whos’ holiday cheer once and for all?

BBC one BBC two ITV Channel 4Channel 5ITV2 ITV3

BBC TWO 07:30 Expert Witness 08:15 Bargain Hunt 09:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00 BBC News 11:00 BBC News 13:15 Politics Live 14:00 Best House in Town 14:45 Lightning 15:15 World’s Weirdest Events 16:15 The Great British Sewing Bee 17:15 Back in Time for School 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman’s House of Games 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 20:00 Between the Covers 20:30 Nigella: Cook, Eat, Repeat 21:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 22:00 How to Crack the Class Ceiling 23:00 Frankie Boyle’s New World Order 23:30 Newsnight

00:45 All Elite Wrestling: Dynamite 02:25 Ideal World 04:00 Cooking with the Stars 04:50 Unwind with ITV 06:05 The Cube 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:00 Tenable 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Vera 22:00 It’ll Be Alright on the Night 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News London 23:45 FIFA World Cup 2022

Wednesday 7th December

00:45 Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Road Trip 01:35 A Royal Grand Design 02:25 Ideal World 04:00 The Jonathan Ross Show 04:55 Unwind with ITV 06:10 Euro 96 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:00 Tenable 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Coronation Street 22:00 Gino’s Cooking Up Love 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News London 23:45 Peston

06:00 Grand Designs 06:55 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas

07:05 Countdown 07:45 Cheers 08:10 Cheers 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond

09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Frasier 11:30 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:25 Channel 4 News

Summary

12:30 Chateau DIY

13:30 Steph’s Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 17:00 A Place in the Sun 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me

19:00 The Simpsons

19:30 Hollyoaks

20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 The Political Slot 21:00 Jamie’s Easy Christmas 22:00 The Secret World of... 23:00 You Won’t Believe This

07:05 Countdown 07:45 Cheers 08:10 Cheers 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Frasier 11:30 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 12:25 Channel 4 News Summary 12:30 Chateau DIY 13:30 Steph’s Packed Lunch 15:10 Countdown 16:00 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas 17:00 A Place in the Sun 18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 The Political Slot 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 Grand Designs: House of the Year 23:00 Dispatches

07:15 Oggy Oggy 07:25 Blue’s Clues & You! 07:50 Fireman Sam 08:00 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go 08:10 Peppa Pig 08:15 Peppa Pig 08:25 PAW Patrol 08:45 Milo 09:00 Pip & Posy 09:15 The Adventures of Paddington 09:30 PAW Patrol 09:45 Daisy & Ollie 09:55 Odo 10:05 Milkshake! Story Den 10:10 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 13:30 Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun 14:25 5 News at Lunchtime 14:30 Cross Country Christmas 16:10 Once Upon a Main Street 18:00 5 News at 5 19:00 Gregg Wallace’s Grand Christmas Adventure 20:00 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly 21:00 Live: Winter on the Farm 22:00 Beyond The Yorkshire Farm: Reuben & Clive 23:00 A&E After Dark

00:00 Family Guy 00:30 Family Guy 01:00 American Dad! 01:30 American Dad! 02:00 The Stand Up Sketch Show 02:30 The Stand Up Sketch Show 03:00 The Emily Atack Show 03:45 Unwind with ITV 04:00 Teleshopping 07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:35 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 08:00 The Cabins 09:00 Love Bites 10:00 Love Bites 11:00 Dress to Impress 12:00 Dress to Impress 13:00 Rolling In It 14:00 Family Fortunes 15:00 Supermarket Sweep 16:05 One Tree Hill 17:00 Chuck 18:00 Chuck 19:00 Catchphrase 20:00 Dress to Impress 21:00 Bob’s Burgers 21:30 Bob’s Burgers 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 Getting Filthy Rich

001:05 Cracker 01:15 A Touch of Frost 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Emmerdale 07:35 Emmerdale 08:05 Coronation Street 09:05 Man About the House 09:35 Man About the House 10:10 Maigret

11:25 Maigret 12:35 Heartbeat 13:35 Heartbeat 14:40 Emmerdale 15:10 Emmerdale 15:45 Coronation Street 16:50 A Touch of Frost 19:00 Heartbeat 20:00 Heartbeat 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 Cracker

Burgers 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 Don’t Hate the Playaz 23:45 Family Guy

00:00 Cracker 01:15 A Touch of Frost 03:20 Unwind with ITV 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Emmerdale 07:35 Emmerdale 08:05 Coronation Street 09:05 Man About the House 09:35 Man About the House 10:10 Maigret 11:25 Maigret 12:35 Heartbeat 13:35 Heartbeat 14:40 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:50 A Touch of Frost 19:00 Heartbeat 20:00 Heartbeat 21:00 Lewis 23:00 Cracker

Now that the Winter season is upon us we will feature some of the lastest Net ix series and lms that have recently been released:

Wednesday

A sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Wednesday’s attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago - all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.

The Chalk Line

Paula and her husband are coming back from a dinner when they suddenly nd a young girl wandering around in the high road. Two weeks later, after seeing that no one is claiming her back, the two decide to let her stay in at their home temporarily, and so give a twist to their love life in the process. But it won’t be that easy, since the girl is obsessed with the fantasy that a monster will come out and punish her if she ever steps out of a chalk square painted on the oor. After the strong bond created between the two, Paula begins a road down a dark path to try and discover the girl’s enigmatic past.

Thursday 8th December

02:20 Joins BBC News

02:30 The Big Interviews 03:00 BBC News 03:30 100 Women 04:00 BBC News 04:30 Click 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Morning Live 11:00 Expert Witness 11:45 Claimed and Shamed 12:15 Homes Under the Hammer

13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London 14:45 Doctors

15:15 Money for Nothing 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 The Bidding Room 17:30 Garden Rescue 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 BBC London

20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 22:00 The Traitors 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:30 BBC London 23:40 Question Time

00:40 Apostasy 02:15 How to With John Wilson 02:40 How to With John Wilson 03:10 See Hear 03:40 The Secret Genius of Modern Life 04:40 This Is BBC TWO 07:30 Money for Nothing 08:15 Escape to the Country 09:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 10:00 BBC News 11:00 BBC News 13:15 Politics Live 14:00 Best House in Town 14:45 Lightning 15:15 World’s Weirdest Events 16:15 The Great British Sewing Bee 17:15 Back in Time for School 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman’s House of Games

19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 The Secret Genius of Modern Life 22:00 The English 22:50 Live at the Apollo 23:20 QI XS 23:30 Newsnight

00:40 It’ll Be Alright on the

Night

01:35 Extreme E: Highlights Show

02:30 Ideal World 04:00 On Assignment 04:30 Unwind with ITV 05:45 Coronation Street: 60

Unforgettable Years

07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women

14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London

15:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal

16:00 Tenable

17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase

19:00 ITV News London

19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Coronation Street 22:00 Gino’s Cooking Up Love 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News London 23:45 The Late Debate

04:45 Couples Come Dine with Me

05:40 Devon and Cornwall

06:35 Drawers Off 07:05 Countdown 07:45 Cheers 08:10 Cheers

08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond

09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond

09:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier

10:25 Frasier

11:25 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA

12:25 Channel 4 News Summary

12:30 Chateau DIY

13:30 Steph’s Packed Lunch

15:10 Countdown 16:00 Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas

17:00 A Place in the Sun

18:00 Four in a Bed 18:30 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 The Political Slot 21:00 Christmas at Blenheim Palace 22:00 I Am

07:15 Oggy Oggy 07:25 Blue’s Clues & You!

07:50 Fireman Sam 08:00 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go 08:10 Peppa Pig 08:15 Peppa Pig 08:25 PAW Patrol 08:45 Milo 09:00 Pip & Posy 09:15 The Adventures of Paddington 09:30 PAW Patrol 09:45 Daisy & Ollie 09:55 Odo 10:05 Milkshake! Story Den 10:10 Sunny Bunnies 10:15 Jeremy Vine 13:30 Bargain Loving Brits in the Sun 14:25 5 News at Lunchtime 14:30 Christmas Matchmakers 16:15 Christmas Unfiltered 18:00 5 News at 5 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Eggheads 20:00 Inside Aldi at Christmas 21:00 Live: Winter on the Farm 22:00 The Man Who Took Shannon Matthews 23:30 Blowing LA

00:15 American Dad! 00:45 American Dad! 01:10 The Stand Up Sketch Show 01:40 The Stand Up Sketch Show 02:10 Shopping with Keith Lemon 02:35 All American 03:30 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 03:55 Unwind with ITV 04:00 Teleshopping 07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:35 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 08:00 The Cabins 09:00 Love Bites 10:00 Love Bites 11:00 Dress to Impress 12:00 Dress to Impress 13:00 Rolling In It 14:00 Family Fortunes 15:00 Supermarket Sweep 16:05 One Tree Hill 17:00 Chuck 18:00 Chuck 19:00 Catchphrase 20:00 Dress to Impress 21:00 Bob’s Burgers 21:30 Bob’s Burgers 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 Family Guy 23:00 Celebrity Juice

00:00 Cracker 01:05 A Touch of Frost 03:15 Unwind with ITV 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Coronation Street 07:35 Coronation Street 08:00 Emmerdale 08:35 Emmerdale

09:05 Man About the House 09:35 Man About the House 10:10 Maigret 11:25 Maigret 12:35 Heartbeat 13:35 Heartbeat 14:40 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:50 A Touch of Frost 19:00 Heartbeat 20:00 Heartbeat 21:00 Vera 23:00 Cracker

Lines 05:00 BBC News 05:30 HARDtalk 06:00 BBC World News 06:30 World Business Report 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Morning Live 11:00 Expert Witness 11:45 Claimed and Shamed 12:15 Homes Under the Hammer 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 BBC London 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Planet Earth Live 15:30 Live: Match of the Day 18:15 BBC News at Six 18:45 BBC London 19:15 Live: Match of the Day 22:15 Ghosts 22:45 Would I Lie to You? 23:15 BBC News at Ten 23:45 BBC London 23:55 The Graham Norton Show

00:35 What We Do in the Shadows 01:00 Simon Schama’s History of Now 02:00 Iolo’s Anglesey 02:30 Strictly Come Dancing 03:40 Strictly Come Dancing 04:15 This Is BBC TWO 07:15 Homes Under the Hammer 08:15 Bargain Hunt 09:00 Trawlermen: Hunting the Catch 10:00 BBC News 11:00 BBC News 13:15 Politics UK 14:00 Best House in Town 14:45 Lightning 15:15 Dancing Through Christmas 16:40 Christmas à La Carte 18:10 Beechgrove 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Richard Osman’s House of Games 19:30 Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two 20:00 Saving Lives at Sea 20:30 Nigella: Cook, Eat, Repeat 21:00 Gardeners’ World 22:00 Agatha Christie: Lucy Worsley on the Mystery Queen 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight

00:15 Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Great Christmas Roast

02:55 23 Your FREE Weekly TV Guide costablancapeople.com | 6th - 12th December 2022

01:30 All Elite Wrestling: Rampage 02:25 Ideal World 04:00 Game of Talents 04:50 Unwind with ITV 06:05 Beautiful Baking with Juliet Sear 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London

15:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:00 Tenable 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Midsomer Murders 22:00 Beat the Chasers 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News London 23:45 FIFA World Cup 2022

Jamie’s Easy Christmas

Crossing Swords 03:25 Totally Bonkers

Guinness

Calman’s Grand Days Out 23:00 Britain’s Greatest 80s Songs 00:00 Family Guy 00:30 American Dad! 01:00 American Dad! 01:30 The Stand Up Sketch Show 01:55 The Stand Up Sketch Show 02:30 Crossing 00:45 Family Guy 01:15 Family Guy 01:40 American Dad! 02:10 American Dad! 02:40 The Stand Up Sketch Show 03:10 The Stand Up Sketch Show 03:40 Unwind with ITV 04:00 Teleshopping 07:00 Unwind with ITV 07:15 Coronation Street 08:05 Coronation Street 09:05 Coronation Street 10:05 Love Bites 11:05 Dress to Impress 12:05 Dress to Impress 13:05 In For a Penny 13:40 Family Fortunes 14:40 Catchphrase 15:45 Rio 17:40 The Proposal 19:50 Step Up 22:00 10 Things I Hate About You

00:05 Cracker 01:15 A Touch of Frost 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Coronation Street 07:35 Coronation Street 08:00 Emmerdale 08:35 Emmerdale 09:05 Man About the House 09:35 Man About the House 10:10 Maigret 11:25 Maigret 12:35 Heartbeat 13:35 Heartbeat 14:40 Emmerdale 15:15 Emmerdale 15:50 Coronation Street 16:20 Coronation Street 16:50 A Touch of Frost 19:00 Heartbeat 20:00 Heartbeat 21:00 Doc Martin 22:00 Doc Martin 23:00 Cracker

Swords 00:00 Cracker 01:05 A Touch of Frost 03:15 Unwind with ITV 03:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Man About the House 07:35 Maigret 08:35 Maigret 09:45 Holiday on the Buses 11:30 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 12:40 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 13:50 Midsomer Murders 15:55 Midsomer Murders 18:00 Midsomer Murders 20:00 Midsomer Murders 22:00 Midsomer Murders 23:50 Sanditon

02:15 Match of the Day 03:55 Weather for the Week Ahead 04:00 BBC News 04:30 100 Women 05:00 BBC News 05:30 Click 06:00 BBC News 06:30 The Media Show 07:00 Breakfast 10:00 Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg 11:00 Politics London 11:30 My Life at Christmas with Sally Phillips 12:30 Homes Under the Hammer 13:00 BBC Weekend News 13:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 13:15 Live: FA WSL 15:30 Match of the Day: Top 10 16:00 Junior Eurovision 2022 18:30 Wallace & Gromit: A Grand Day Out 18:55 BBC Weekend News 19:05 BBC London 19:10 BBC Weather 19:15 MasterChef: The Professionals 20:15 Strictly Come Dancing 22:00 Strike 23:00 BBC Weekend News 23:25 BBC London 23:30 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

00:25 Arena 01:15 6 Music Festival 01:55 Cinderella: A Comic Relief Pantomime for Christmas 02:50 How to With John Wilson 03:20 How to With John Wilson 03:50 This Is BBC TWO 07:20 Gardeners’ World 08:20 Countryfile 09:15 Landward 09:45 This Farming Life 10:45 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:15 Mary Berry’s Country House Secrets 13:15 Fern Britton Meets... 14:15 Songs of Praise 15:00 Clash of the Titans 16:55 Natural World 17:00 European Cross Country Championship Athletics 18:00 Chris and Michaela: Under the Christmas Sky 19:00 This Farming Life 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 Simon Schama’s History of Now 23:00 The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan

07:20 The Rubbish World of Dave Spud

07:35 Thunderbirds Are Go 08:00 Dare Master

08:05 Ninjago: Crystalized 08:15 Ninjago: Crystalized 08:30 The Rubbish World of Dave Spud 08:45 The Rubbish World of Dave Spud 08:55 Dodo 09:10 Dodo

09:25 Lloyd of the Flies 09:40 Lloyd of the Flies 09:55 How 10:25 ITV News 10:30 Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh 12:30 John and Lisa’s Weekend Kitchen 13:30 ITV Lunchtime News

13:45 English Football League Highlights 15:45 Live: European Rugby Champions Cup 18:45 Catchphrase 19:25 ITV Evening News 19:45 ITV News London

20:00 Tipping Point: Lucky Stars

21:00 Casino Royale 23:40 ITV News 23:50 Gordon, Gino and Fred: Desperately Seeking Santa

00:25 War for the Planet of the Apes

02:55 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 03:45 The Simpsons 04:10 Hollyoaks Omnibus 06:20 Countdown 07:00 The King of Queens 07:25 The King of Queens 07:50 The King of Queens 08:15 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Everybody Loves Raymond

09:30 The Simpsons 10:00 The Simpsons 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 The Simpsons

13:55 The Simpsons

14:25 The Simpsons

14:50 The Simpsons

15:20 Quentin Blake’s Clown

15:45 Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snow Baby 16:20 The Tiger Who Came to Tea

16:50 Father Christmas 17:25 Miracle on 34th Street 19:30 Channel 4 News

20:00 Big Ben Restored: The Grand Unveiling 21:00 Escape to the Chateau 22:00 The Handmaid’s Tale 23:05 Gogglebox

07:10 Brave Bunnies 07:15 Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom 07:30 Noddy: Toyland Detective 07:40 Fireman Sam 07:50 Fireman Sam 08:00 Milo 08:15 Pip & Posy 08:20 Peppa Pig 08:30 PAW Patrol 08:50 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go 10:00 Pop Paper City 10:15 Mimi’s World 10:30 The World According To Grandpa 10:40 Cooking with the Gills 10:50 Show Me How 11:00 SpongeBob SquarePants 11:25 Entertainment News On 5 11:30 NFL End Zone 12:00 Friends 12:30 A Cozy Christmas Inn 14:20 Christmas Waltz 16:10 Christmas Tree Lane 18:00 Jumanji 20:05 Greatest Christmas Movies Of All Time 22:00 Bradley Walsh: The Laugh’s On Me 23:30 Millionaire to Mastermind: Britain’s Favourite Gameshows

00:55 Ruth Rendell Mysteries 03:10 Unwind with ITV 03:30 Teleshopping 0:00 Man About the House 07:40 Emmerdale 08:30 Emmerdale 09:30 Emmerdale 10:30 Maigret 11:40 Maigret 12:55 Midsomer Murders 14:55 Midsomer Murders 16:55 Midsomer Murders 19:00 Lewis 21:00 Vera 23:00 Lewis

at Ten 23:30 BBC London 23:40 Bill Bailey: Larks

01:10 Gino’s Cooking Up Love 02:05 Ideal World 04:00 Motorsport UK 04:50 Unwind with ITV 06:05 Ainsley’s Food We Love 07:00 Good Morning Britain 10:00 Lorraine 11:00 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News London 15:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:00 Tenable 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News London 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:30 Emmerdale 21:00 Coronation Street 22:00 The Savoy 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News London 23:45 Peston

Motorhome, Caravan or Tent?

If you have a Motorhome, Caravan or Tent and enjoy meeting new friends you may be interested in joining our group.

Located here in Spain, the group is made up of mostly British Ex pats, but we do welcome all nationalities.

There are no joining or membership fees whatsoever and to join us all you have to do is attend one of our rallies, which we try to have on a monthly basis, we do ask that after being with the group for a year you volunteer to host a rally, which can be done jointly with other members.

If you are interested in receiving more details please contact Pauline on acerallies@gmail.com or by mobile /WhatsApp on 617114933

Once again many thanks.

Pauline Edgson ACE Group

07:05 Peppa Pig 07:10 The Secret Life of Puppies 07:15 Oggy Oggy 07:25 Blue’s Clues & You! 07:45 Fireman Sam 07:55 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go 08:10 Peppa Pig 08:20 Peppa Pig 08:30 PAW Patrol 08:50 Milo 09:05 Pip & Posy 09:15 The

Adventures

Bars & Restaurants

WINTER WARMING RECIPES

Sausage & mash

pie

Ingredients

1 tbsp sun ower oil

8 pork sausages

25g butter

2 onions, nely sliced

Pinch of golden caster sugar

2 tbsp plain our

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

500ml beef stock

Peas, to serve (optional)

For the mash

1.25kg King Edward or Maris Piper potatoes, cut into large chunks

150ml whole milk

25g butter

25g mature cheddar, coarsely grated (optional)

Method

STEP 1

Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently cook the sausages over a medium-high heat for 10-12 mins, turning them until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate, then put the butter in the pan and heat until sizzling. Tip in the onions, stirring them into the butter, then sprinkle over the sugar and fry for 8-10 mins until the onions are golden. Scatter over the our and stir to make a paste, then add the tomato purée. Cook for a minute, then add the vinegar, pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer. Tip in any juices from the sausages, then cut the sausages into thick slices and add to the pan. Simmer everything together for 5 mins until you have a glossy onion gravy. Tip the mixture into a baking dish.

STEP 2

To make the mash, tip the potatoes into a pan of cold salted water and bring to

the boil, then turn down and simmer for 10-12 mins or until just cooked (the tip of a knife should slide in easily). Drain and leave for a minute. Pour the milk into the pan and bring to a simmer, then tip in the drained potatoes and butter, and mash thoroughly. Season to taste.

STEP 3

Top the sausages and gravy with the mash, starting from the edge of the dish and working your way into the middle. Use a fork to scrape lines in the topping and scatter over the cheese, if using. Can be assembled, covered and chilled for up to two days or frozen for three months. Defrost completely before cooking. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Bake the pie on a tray for 35-40 mins until the top has browned. Leave to cool for 5 mins before scooping straight from the baking dish at the table and serving with peas, if you like

Mu n-topped winter beef stew Ingredients

For the stew

500g braising steak, cut into bite-sized chunks

2 tbsp plain our, seasoned with pepper and a little salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, nely chopped 450g carrot, cut into chunks

2 large parsnips, cut into chunks

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp sundried or regular tomato paste 300ml red wine or extra stock 450ml vegetable stock

For the topping 225g plain our

3 tsp baking powder 140g cheddar, coarsely grated

2 tbsp olive oil 150ml milk

Method

STEP 1

Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Toss the beef in seasoned our. Heat the oil in a large ameproof casserole. Fry the beef over a high heat until browned all over – it’s easiest to do this in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

STEP 2 Add 2 tbsp water and the onion to the pan, stir well over a medium heat, scraping up the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat and fry gently for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until the onions have softened.

STEP 3 Tip in the carrots, parsnips and bay leaf, then fry for 2 mins more. Return the beef to the pan, stir in the tomato paste, wine if using, and stock, then bring to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 1¾-2 hrs until the meat is tender. Can be made up to 2 days ahead or frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before topping and baking. Take out of the oven and increase the temperature to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.

STEP 4

To make the topping, sieve the our and baking powder into a bowl and add half the cheese. Mix olive oil and milk, then stir into the our to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add more milk, if necessary. Spoon the dough over the meat and vegetables, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for about 15 mins until golden, risen and cooked through.

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• Mouth taping forces you to breathe more deeply, helping to absorb more oxygen

• TikTok users claim it improves their sleep and can even promote weight loss

• Sleep experts worry that the practice could cause some sleepers to su ocate

But Dr Raj Dasgupta, a sleep specialist at the University of Southern California, said mouth taping at worst could lead to obstructed breathing and su ocation, explaining that ‘if you have obstructive sleep apnea, yes, this can be very dangerous’.

Mouth taping is the latest TikTok trend

to catch re despite warnings from healthcare professionals.

Doctors recently warned against a similar viral trend called ‘vabbing,’ which involves smearing vaginal uid behind the ears and neck, which proponents claim increases the chance of attracting men, by spreading their pheromones.

Danny Miller is pushed against a wall and knocked to the ground by nightclub bouncer after defending pal receiving homophobic abuse

The soap star, 31, was involved in a spat in Skegness in the early hours of Sundaythe day this year’s I’m A Celeb nal aired

Fans had been speculating as to why Danny - who won the hit ITV show in 2021 - was not in Australia to crown Jill Scott

It has since emerged he was in the Lincolnshire seaside town to make a ‘meet and greet’ club appearance and turn on the Christmas lights

Footage captured in the Hive - a late-night complexshows Danny being knocked to the ground by a bouncer

‘If they were to ask me, I would be delighted!’

Christine McVie revealed her hopes to rejoin Fleetwood Mac in resurfaced interview before her tragic death from a short illness aged 79 Christine left the band in 1998 after almost three decades but did re-join in 2014 when a one-o appearance at The O2 reignited her love of performing. at the time, she said: ‘It was amazing, like I’d never left. I climbed back on there again and there they were, the same old faces on stage

In 2017, she appeared on

BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, revealing that she had retreated from the world and developed agoraphobia after she quit the band and moved from California to Kent.

British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac were founded in London in 1967 and sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the most successful groups in history.

TikTok star Megha Thakur, 21, dies ‘unexpectedly’ just days after posting cryptic message of her walking in New York City: ‘You’re in charge of your destiny. Remember that’

Megha Thakur, 21, died on November 24, according to a post by her parents

The Canadian TikTok star had over 1 million followers on TikTok and Instagram

Thakur’s nal TikTok video, which was posted on November 18, showed the in uencer walking in crosswalks in New York City, with a cryptic message

The caption read: ‘YOU’RE in charge of your destiny. Remember that’

Thakur’s parents have not revealed the cause of their daughter’s death

Do you wear glasses for driving?

Visibility is crucial when it comes to driving. We need to be able to see clearly in order to proceed safely. We are often aware of visibility problems caused by external factors, such as fog, rain, smoke, etc, but we are often less aware of the problems caused by a gradual reduction in our own eyesight, even though many of us already wear glasses for driving.

It is recommended that we have our eyes tested at least every 2 years, and that is the case whether we currently wear glasses or not. The degrading of our eyesight is usually a very slow process, and so we do not notice the deterioration. What is usually more noticeable is when we go for the eye test and the optician carries out a series of procedures which result in our vision becoming clears and suddenly.

In Spain, our eyes are checked as part of the renewal process for driving

licences, but for the majority of drivers that check is over a far greater time period than the two-year minimum requirement, and during that medical check up the eyes are tested for compliance, it is not part of the process for obtaining a prescription and therefore glasses.

However, during that renewal medical test, the doctor will notify the DGT of your requirement to wear glasses. That requirement is then endorsed onto your driving licence.

If you look at the back of your driving licence, at the bottom left there is a number 12, this number refers to observations. There is a long list of codes that can appear on your licence, and if you do want to check them, you can search the n332.es website for hidden licence codes.

However, if you do have vision problems recorded, the code 01.01 will appear, which means that you must

wear glasses to drive. In case event that the coding says 01.02, that refers to you having to wear contact lenses. And in case of 01.06, it is because you need glasses or contact lenses when behind the wheel.

Other than the fact that if you don´t wear corrective spectacles (or contact lenses if that is the case) your vision will be impeded, and you are potentially a risk on the roads, in the event of you being stopped by the tra c police, your licence will be checked, and if you are not wearing the required vision correction devices, glasses or contact lenses, then you face a ne of 200 euro.

The coding is quite clear. We have given three examples, glasses, contact lenses, and glasses or contact lenses, and so we can also deduce that if our licence states that we must wear glasses, but we have chosen to wear contact lenses, we are not correctly complying with the terms set by our

medical examination. To have the choice, we must have the code 01.06.

If you do want the choice of glasses or contact lenses, you should contact one of the driving centre clinics to ask them if they can update your records. Of course, that will also mean that your licence will have to be reissued to re ect the change. Otherwise, you should comply with the requirements set, glasses in the case of 01.01, or

contact lenses in the case of 01.02. Finally, if you do wear glasses when driving, there is no longer a requirement to carry a spare pair. It was mandatory in Spain but is not anymore. However, despite that, it is still advisable to carry a spare pair of glasses with you in case anything happens to the ones you are wearing, as you will of course not be allowed to drive without them.

How will Low Emission Zones be managed in Spain?

The date is fast approaching, when new mandatory Low Emission Zones (Zonas de Bajas Emisiones or ZBE in Spanish) have to be implemented in all towns and cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, as well as in island territories and in towns with more than 20,000 inhabitants.

In fact, as of 1 January 2023, these zones have to be implemented, in which only certain vehicles, those displaying the so-called eco sticker, or the least polluting, in other words, will be allowed to enter, with nes issued to those who fail to comply.

That said, despite the looming deadline, there are still many councils around the country who have not yet even started the process, a matter that they are legally obliged to enforce.

In order to help the driver, the DGT has already created a signage system speci cally for Low Emission Zones. This sign, which is bordered by a red circle to indicate the mandatory nature of the instruction, features a pictogram of a car and exhaust fumes. The sign is designed to be accompanied by a rectangular sign which provides exceptions, in other words, there is no entry for vehicles beyond the sign, except those displaying the relevant eco stickers indicated.

Second, the DGT also added an element to the new Tra c Law that came into force in March 2022, which included a new sanction to be applied in case of not respecting the restrictions

derived from the anti-pollution protocols and the new Low Emission Zones. This ne is already set today at 200 euro for non-compliance.

As we mentioned, there are still some town halls who are yet to start the process, and to assist them, the DGT has created a protocol with the new system that would allow town halls to control the passage of vehicles to these new Low Emission Zones.

“We have drawn up a protocol to help the Town Halls to incorporate the system for the automatic reading of number plates”, Pere Navarro, the Director General of the DGT con rmed. “In addition, we have also made some recommendations for those economic activities that we consider should be taken into account when being able to circulate in the low emission zone.”

We know, therefore, that an automatic number plate reader, similar to the one that is already used in Madrid and in other cities to control access to its centre with restrictions, will be the device that would normally regulate the entry of vehicles, and to register those cars that do not have access and for which a ne will be issued.

We also know that in Madrid the City Council is currently using the current system of photo-red cameras to control access to its new Low Emission Zones which, in addition to penalising drivers who jumped a red tra c light up to now, have also begun to read license plates to monitor access to these areas

with restrictions on movement.

We do know that these Low Emission Zones are already a reality in some places, and will become a feature in many more towns and cities very soon, and so we must be observant of the warning signs if we want to avoid a ne. We also already know that as time goes on, these areas will become even more restrictive, banning more cars as they get older and more polluting.

Obtaining the eco-sticker is a simple and inexpensive process. The easiest way is to visit a main post o ce, Correos, with your vehicle logbook and ID, and they can issue one on the spot for just a few euro. You can also order an eco sticker online through the correos. es website, uploading a picture of your logbook and ID, and they will send it to you through the post, although a small additional postage fee does apply.

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“Henderson?

“Harry Maguire is still in the team? My grandad’s faster than he is and he’s got a walking stick!”

“Should be resting Harry Kane for the quarter- nals fella!”

English football fans showed their tactical intelligence once more as Gareth Southgate named his England team to beat Senegal in the World Cup on Sunday night.

And here’s a shock - it turns out that a guy who has spent the best part of a decade building a team capable of going deep into tournaments knows what he is doing.

Southgate’s team, with starters and nishers, saw o Senegal 3-0 and Jude Bellingham put in a performance that ruled Liverpool out of signing him anytime soon.

Bellingham is 19. He has a couple of seasons under his belt at one of the biggest clubs in Germany. He has many Champions League appearances (and goals) on his CV. And now he is becoming the most key of key players in this England team.

You can talk about whether Rashford should be starting ahead of Saka. You can muse over whether Phil Foden should be playing more centrally as a 10. You can bicker over whether Jordan Henderson is worth a place in the starting XI. It does not really matter. Jude Bellingham is what is making Southgate’s team tick and each minute that passes in Qatar is adding another million to his price tag - meaning

that there’s only really two clubs that will be able to buy him from Borussia Dortmund now.

He is the complete mid elder - and whilst people were discussing whether Foden, Mount, Maddison or Grealish could play in the hole to provide England with a little more creativity Southgate quietly moved Bellingham up one from 8 and watched him y.

Let’s be clear, England were up against it for the rst half an hour at the Al Bayt Stadium. Harry Maguire, potentially becoming the rst England footballer in history only to play international football, was done for pace a couple of times and then Jordan Pickford was forced into a brilliant re ex save at 0-0. Had that gone in, could it have been di erent? Who cares?

Bellingham picked up the game by the scru of the neck, bulldozed his way through the mid eld time and time again and picked out Henderson for the opening goal. Southgate’s selections 1, fan opinion 0.

Harry Kane had talked about ‘saving himself for the knockouts’ which was a lovely bit of PR to de ect from the fact he’d not even looked like scoring in the group stages - it doesn’t matter now as he moved to within a single goal of

Eurogolf Society

On Thursday 10th November, in glorious sunshine, the Eurogolf Society at La Marquesa in Rojales held their annual Poppy Day team event. As ever, the aim of the day was to enjoy a game of golf in the company of friends and to raise funds for the Royal British Legion, who do so much to support our service men and women. The winners’ spoils went to the team of Tim Lyne, Colin Jackson, Jack Simpson and Russ Todd and a fantastic €665 was raised. The photograph shows Eurogolf Vice Captain Steve Darlington (Major ret.) presenting the giant cheque to Eddie Coleman, Poppy Appeal Organiser for the RBL’s Orihuela Costa and District branch, with Treasurer David Horne and Social Secretary Debbie Weedon doing the heavy lifting. If you want to know more about the Eurogolf Society at La Marquesa visit their website at My-eurogolf.eu.

And of course, Bellingham was instrumental in England’s third too - as Foden galloped down the left, drew in Kalidou Koulibaly before megging

him with a cross to Saka for three. Southgate’s selections 2, (England 3), fan opinion 0.

France next. You might have heard they’ve got a lad up front who is quite good.

Esquina Park Rangers

Esquina Park Rangers

From Quesada , The oldest & most successful team on The Costa Blanca and also pride themselves on having the best loyal players who stick to playing for the one team They travelled to Camposol on Friday 25th November to play Camposol. This has always been a tough encounter. It was a lovely sunny morning and the facilities were fantastic.

Esquinas palyed with their new set up for the rst time with Andrew Larder as Manager and Tony Grass as Captain. Esquina started well passing the ball nicely and not letting Camposol near the ball. The pressure soon paid o with Tim slipping th ball nicely past the keeper. Graham made it 2-0 soon after. Tim was walking the sow in the middle of the partk and with his pressure soon made it 3-0. Camposol hit back with a goal making it 3-1.

Esquina walked up a gear with Graham scoring from the spot after one of the players stepped into the six yard box making the score 4-1. Camposol  were not nished and scored another couple of goals after Esquinas defence were caught sleeping twice bringing the score to 4-3. In the last third of the game Esquinas quality shone through

with Tim scoring his third of the game and leaving the nal score Camposol 3 and Esquinas 5

A good games was played with great spirit. It was back to the Rendezvous Café for some well deserved refreshments. The next game is Saturday 3 December – Esquinas v

Portobello

“No mate, you can’t drop RashfordHE SCORED TWO AGAINST WALES!”

Why’s he picking that idiot? Soufgate’s gonna cost us the World Cup geez!”

“TAKE THE HANDBRAKE OFF GARREFFFFFFF!”

Wayne Rooney belting in an important second before half-time.