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11 - 17 january 2013

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39

Aerocas say offer of 200 million euros has been made for Castellón airport by

Enjoying the bear necessities of life

Yaqui and Nuca are 15 this week

Some of the first inhabitants of the Terra Natura nature wildlife park in Murcia, Yaqui and Nuca, are celebrating their 15th birthday on January 10th. These specimens of native brown bear (Ursus arctos) will be 15 years old and park officials are organizing a large birthday cake, made up of 50 kilos of fruit to commemorate the anniversary. Continued on page 15.

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Aerocas has announced that it has received a purchase offer for the airport at Castellón from an un-named potential purchaser belonging to the venture capital sector, for 200 million euros, according to an announcement made today by the Valencian Consejero for Economy, Industry, Tourism and Employment, Máximo Buch.

The airport has received a great deal of press coverage during the last year in particular, due to the fact that although it was officially inaugurated in March of 2011, it has yet to receive its first commercial passenger.

News of the offer was made public in the Castellón Chamber of Commerce, following a meeting with the President of Aerocas ( the current concessionary) and the Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, Carlos Fabra to discuss the management of the infrastructure, the potential purchaser having “ substantial projects for the airport and the economy of Castellón” planned.

Carlos Fabra said that the offer had been made on the 31st December, two days after the deadline given for an agreement to be made with the former concessionary, Conaer, which has now entered into a situation of voluntary bankruptcy, due in no great part to the failure to agree a settlement with the Valencian Government, the Generalitat, which is a major investor into the airport project.

A copy of the offer was presented to Sr. Buch during the meeting and a copy has also been given to the President of the Generalitat, Alberto Fabra, for the offer to be given consideration.

According to the information released today, the offer includes purchase of the infrastructure and part of the surrounding industrial area, for the sum of 200 million euros.

Continued on page 6

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Reading between the phone lines SADLY, POLITICS in general has often more to do with political parties looking for newspaper inches and transmission seconds rather than do what they were voted by the electorate to do; to serve the community.

by Keith Nicol After more than 20-years on the sidelines, Torrevieja’s opposition parties seem to have offered very little in terms of suggestions that are for the good of the City, instead choosing to object to almost everything the ruling Partido Popular bring to the table, with the notable exception of Tourism.

The latest column inch grabbing exercise by opposition parties is to go through the past mobile phone bills of the PP, looking for something, anything, that they can use to discredit the ruling party. And while some staff and employees have been caught using their telephones unwisely and most if not all have repaid any monies for misuse, the left wing press have jumped to their own conclusions and ‘suggested’ that wrongdoing must have been committed. Worse still is that some National Spanish and English language newspapers have reworked or translated these articles, not asked for any comment from those accused of wrongdoing and published them verbatim, hiding behind the ‘as published in the xxx newspaper’ as their excuse to do so!

The latest person to fall victim to this form of journalism is Graham Knight, Torrevieja’s Director of the Foreign Resident’s Office. In November 2009, while on holiday in the UK, Mr. Knight’s mobile phone bill was a substantial 1,200€. The implication was that he had been misusing his mobile phone. However, with the exception of RTN and two other local English language papers, no other International publications approached Graham Knight for his comments or that of Party Spokesperson Joaquín Albaladejo. Knight has demanded a full investigation into the matter to know what the charges were for, from their mobile provider who has also repaid other amounts to the PP for billing that they should not have

charged for in the first instance!

Torrevieja’s Mayor, Eduardo Dolon has already conduced an investigation into past mobile phone use, concluded that protocols and controls had never been issued and has introduced new regulations regarding mobile usage plus a way to track calls and data use of each mobile user. Ironically, Mr. Knight was given his phone by the former Deputy Mayor Domingo Soler, who has since left the PP and started his own party, the APTCe. The amount billed was for 900mg of data.

Back in 2009 and the early days of the Apple iPhone, roaming charges were a major profit maker for phone companies and, for example, the downloading of 10 emails containing a couple of photographs from the Torrevieja Press office could account for such data and cost. However, since this also is conjecture, until the mobile provider provides a definitive answer to the question, nobody knows!

Thus whatever else you hear or read elsewhere, may be nothing more than gossip or conjecture which often is much more fun than the truth!

11 - 17 january 2013

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11 - 17 january 2013

Budgetary cuts hit the Spanish Armed Forces by

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The Head Admiral of the Spanish Navy, Jaime Muñoz-Delgado, has confirmed that the only aircraft carrier operating in the Spanish Navy, the ‘Príncipe de Asturias’ , will be transferred to the port of Ferrol “at the end of January or beginning or February” for public auction or for scrapping.

The Principe de Asturias (R-11) is the flagship vessel of the Spanish Navy and is the only purpose built aircraft carrier operated by the Spanish Navy. She was built in the shipyards of Bazan in Ferrol ( now Navantia) and entered service in 1988.

Although she will not be replaced by another aircraft carrier, the navy still has the capability to launch aircraft from the Juan Carlos I, which is a multi-purpose warship which carries helicopters and STOVL aircraft, as well as marine landing equipment.

The Principe is currently in Cádiz, being stripped of elements which are “not necessary for navigation, “ according to the Admiral, who explained that the vessel will be officially retired in Rota, and subsequently sent on to the shipyards in Ferrol, for the subsequent phase in its dismantlement, prior to being auctioned off. The admiral expressed his hopes that a potential purchaser would come forward, although there had been “no interest to date.”

Although there are possible uses for an ex-aircraft carrier, the most likely fate awaiting the Principe is being dismantled

The smoking ban does the job

THE SMOKING ban entered its third year on 2nd January and the Ministry for Health and Social Security is delighted to announce that an estimated one million smokers have given up the habit since the ban came into force. Francisco Lozano, the president of the National Committee for Smoking Prevention (NPTC), noted that the ban had been particularly effective in protecting the health of non-smokers who previously had to work in smoke-filled environments such as entertainment venues, restaurants and bars.

for scrap, although important parts of the vessel and some weaponry will be donated to various naval museums.

The vessel is a victim of the budgetary restrictions which are assailing every public department in the Spanish government.

After 24 years of service, it will cost 100 million euros to maintain the Principe de Asturias, money which the Navy simply doesn´t have available in its budgets for the coming year.

In 2007 the vessel underwent a modernisation which cost 3.665.000 euros, but aircraft carriers are notoriously expensive to run and the Navy cannot support the cost any longer.

News that the Principe will be transferred to Ferrol has caused consternation in the Navantia yards in the Bahía de Cádiz, who had expected the work to remain in Cádiz. Workers representatives have expressed their indignation that the work will be undertaken in Ferrol and promised to lodge an official complaint before considering a course of industrial action.

Yesterday the Mayoress of Cádiz, Teófila Martínez (PP), insisted that according to the data she had, “Navantia does not have a contract to scrap the aircraft carrier.” She confirmed that the Principe would be going to Ferrol, “but not necessarily for scrapping” as “what we do know is that in Ferrol they will remove the weaponry and defensive elements of the vessel, but not necessarily scrap it.”

In the meantime, the hope continues that an interested purchaser may come forward.

Spanish navy

The Navantia shipyard at Cartagena is currently immersed in the construction of four new S-80 submarines for the Spanish Navy, and this construction programme is said to be unaffected by the budgetary restrictions for 2013.

Article in collaboration with www.murciatoday.com, local Murcian and Spanish news, what’s on and where to go for the Murcia Region.

Hospital cleaners’ strike puts patients at risk MEDICAL STAFF at Alicante’s General Hospital is deeply concerned that patients are seriously at risk of infection two weeks into a cleaners’ strike. One doctor said: “I have patients in a delicate state of health requiring extra hygiene, some with a low immunity and many with open wounds. It is unacceptable that

their rooms, including bathrooms, are cleaned only once a week.” Liquid spilt onto the floor remains unattended to; soiled laundry lies around in corners and litter has accumulated in waiting rooms.

Nurses commented: “The situation is now dangerous and untenable. The smell on the wards is unbearable.” Patients’

visitors now bring along bleach, mops and buckets as well as fruit and flowers to attend to their relatives’ hygiene during their hospital stay. Union spokesman Francisco Garcia confirmed on Tuesday that the strike would continue until cleaners were paid outstanding cash owed to them by the Department of Health.

Torrevieja hospital expand services

by Keith Nicol TORREVIEJA HOSPITAL opened in 2006 and has become a model that others have tried to follow. Although the Hospital is integrated in the Valencian public health system, the hospital is privately managed privately unlike other public hospitals in the region. In December they started to expand their services further by migrating many computer tasks to the ‘cloud’ and adding a dozen more dialysis stations.

During 2012 a total of 174 patients used dialysis therapy. Work started in mid-December to expand the number of dialysis stations available and it is estimated that all stations will be operational by mid February, 2013. The work is being carried out for an investment of over half a million euros, of which 273,266€ account for civil engineering and 270,535€ for equipment. Those responsible for the centre say it will improve the quality and comfort of these facilities, making the area more accessible and increasing the number of patients that can be attended to.

In keeping with their technological innovations, Torrevieja Hospital expects to save in the region of 327€ per patient by using ‘Cloud’ technology. Even from the time they opened, the Hospital has always had a clear vision: to become a leading institution using the newest technologies and optimizing its resources to be the most efficient hospital in the region. Being

privately managed, a system becoming more common among hospitals in Spain, makes investment in technology a key factor for profitability. Since the hospital does not receive public funding in the form of subsidies, charging the regional government only for every patient attended, the Hospital of Torrevieja needs to be extremely efficient and productive.

One of the first decisions was to move to a one hundred percent paperless environment. This was achieved by focusing on hosting all hospital functions under ‘Florence’, as in Nightingale (www. florencesalud.es/) as the integrated management system designed by the Hospital’s IT department. The system optimizes storage by using encrypted cloud services to store non-personal identifiable information, including lab tests, medical imaging, and adminis-

tration data. The system complies with the highest level of privacy protection suggested by the Spanish Health Authority and the European Commission.

The hospital uses text messages to confirm and update doctors’ appointments and Patients can send a text message (SMS) to check wait times. This makes the entire process run more smoothly, and the average wait time is 50 percent lower than the national average for public hospitals.

The savings of going paperless and using mobile and cloud technology are impressive. The Hospital spends only an average of 570€ per patient per year, compared to the 900€ spent on average by most public hospitals. The Torrevieja Hospital can manage with €327 less per patient-year because of the low wait times, shorter hospital stays, and more effective decision making.

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Los Alcazares resident arrested with 4100€ of fake notes The man had attracted police attention by switching off his vehicle lights to avoid drawing attention to himself by

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Guardia Civil have arrested a Los Alcázares resident found with more than 4000 euros of forged 50 euro notes in his vehicle on the morning of the 7th January.

Agents carrying out standard vehicle checks in the municipality pulled over a vehicle which was seen driving without lights in the vicinity of the police check point. Suspicious that the driver had extinguished his lights in order to avoid detection whilst slipping away, police carried out a thorough search and discovered a fake bottom in the vehicle, concealing a large quantity of euro notes.

Later these proved to all be fakes, representing 4100 euros of fake money.

The driver, a 34 year old Moroccan na-

tional has been arrested on suspicion of circulating fake money, although looking at the obvious poor quality of these fakes on the images supplied, it’s difficult to see how these could even be considered as fakes and not as toy money.

NB It’s certainly worth making a point of always checking the validity of notes, particularly if accepting payment in high denomination notes. Two quick and easy ways are to run a thumbnail over the little upright patch just above the arch on the front of the note ( the side with the metallic strip) which should feel ridged, or rubbing the same patch onto paper ( this should leave a colour stain.)

If it feels “wrong”, don´t take it, although there aren´t vast quantities of fakes in circulation, there are certainly some and 50 euros is a lot to lose.

The fakes were of obvious poor quality

Information produced in collaboration with www.murciatoday.com local news,

what’s on and where to go for the Region of Murcia

Castellon airport terminal. Picture courtesy of Aerocas

Continued from front page The inference being given is that the potential purchaser still has the intention of proceeding with plans to open the airport, tentative dates of the end of June 2013 given, the biggest hint a comment by Carlos Fabra that it came “ with an airline tucked beneath it’s arm, “ and part of the conditions of the offer being that the Generalitat and Government undertook to support the process of obtaining all the relevant paperwork in order to open the airport as soon as possible.

Information in collaboration with www.murcitoday.com local news, what’s on and where to go in the Murcia Region

Owners International IN NOVEMBER 2011 we reported on problems that investors had experienced in dealing with ‘Owners International’ and being taken to San Javier, for high pressure sales programs with their representatives.

Over the last few week’s, RTN have started to receive enquires from Owners International investors and to ask if we have any updates on the story.

RTN is planning such an article for a future edition and if you have any information about your dealings with ‘Owners International’ we would like to hear from you to help update the situation.

We’d also like to hear from anyone representing Owners International as at RTN we like to remain fair and unbiased in our reporting.

If you would like to speak to RTN, please send an email to Keith@roundtownnews.com as we would be happy to hear from all sides regarding this story.

More Hotels please

11 - 17 january 2013

by Keith Nicol THE GENERAL Urban Plan of Torrevieja was changed again last week, this time to implement new measures designed to maintain and offer more urban benefits to employers and businesses that choose to build hotels in the City of Salt.

Francisco Moreno, Councillor for Town Planning, already made something of a move in this direction during the last plenary, when it was approved unanimously by all political groups to alter the Interior Reform Plan, for an area of the city located between Calle Villa Madrid and San Pascual for the construction of a new accommodation facility.

This plan has been promoted by the businessman Jose Andreu Perez, to allow him to improve the size and facilities of the Hotel Madrid and upgrade it from the three star to four star Hotel.

Moreno said “This new plan is just reshaping the rules which are intended as a tool for the benefit of the creation of these institutions, along with the line taken in recent years that has already given some initial fruit”, clearly referring to both the refurbished Fontana Plaza Hotel and the Hotel Dona Monse in Los Balcones. Moreno said that the same

Hotel Madrid

thing happened in the last plenary session and he expects that “all political groups will back this proposal, which provides the basis for Hotel development within the city.” The council consider this

an extremely important modification to the City Statutes in order to provide new impetus to the hospitality industry, complementing a growing need within the local economy.

The sales are on!

THE SALES season started officially on Monday in Alicante with aggressive discounts available ranging from 70% to 90%. Companies belonging to the National Association of Large Distribution Companies (Anged), which includes major retailers such as El Corte Ingles; Carrefour; Eroski; Media Markt; Ikea and Costco kicked off this year’s bargain bonanza with 70% discounts on winter clothes and children’s wear; 20 – 30% off electronics and electrical goods and 20 – 30% off the price of cosmetics and perfumes. The sales are set to run until 6th March with some items slashed to 90% - so what are you waiting for!

11 - 17 january 2013

Valencian communities not paying up

by Keith Nicol FIFTY PERCENT of Valencia families no longer are paying their community charges and that percentage is growing every year, at almost the same pace as unemployment! Without stating the obvious, the loss of employment results in a loss of income and many families are putting off paying their community fees, that cover the daily costs of maintenance, repair, cleaning, lighting, electricity, swimming pools and all that goes into the administration of a community, as required by Spanish law.

In the Valencian Region there are almost 575,000 people unemployed, a figure that exceeds 702,000 if you include those currently on training courses, seeking their first job or receiving subsidies. It is estimated that more than 42% of the unemployed in Valencia are not paying their service charges!

Unemployment or the reduction of working-hours means that many families are cutting back on what they can. Topping the list are community fees. In 2010, when the economic crisis in Spain was beginning to show its worst side, administrators estimated that one in four families failed to pay their community costs and three years later, when the light is far from being at the end of the tunnel, the percentage is now double and is expected to continue to rise during 2013! In Valencia alone, delinquencies are estimated to be around 81 million euros, according to a report by the General Council of Property Administrators of Spain. The level of national defaults

throughout Spain is about 1,600 million!

Valencia accounts for the fourth largest autonomy with private community debt after Andalusia (about 138 million), Catalonia (118 million) and Madrid (104 million).

The professional administrators who manage common services the communities of owners, say there are few residential zones in existing without at least one neighbour who can not pay their quarterly bills! Jose Vazquez, president of the Association of Property Administrators of Valencia, estimated that there are less than 10% of communities that are not suffering because of bad debt problems. All this leads to conflict, which initially Administrators and Presidents try to solve internally, with the next recourse being to take the matter to the courts. However, the courts themselves are under their own economic pressures and property owners are aware that it might take as long as four years for their case to be heard and so paying any back costs come very low on the list of priorities with basic costs for food, water, electricity, heat and clothing coming first, over gardening, swimming pools, security, administration and lawyer’s fees!

The knock on effect is that communities cut back on some ‘non-essential’ services meaning that contractors suffer possibly making it harder for them to, in turn, pay their own community fees, causing a Catch 22 situation and a vicious circle of non payment. The problem is not helped by many President’s who have little or no business experience and are unable to work with their administrators to look for other solutions.

More than 42% of the unemployed in Valencia are not paying their service charges

Spaniard jailed for three years for dangerous driving SPANIARD DAVID Fernandez has been jailed for three years for causing death by dangerous driving after a British mother from Billericay and her two children were killed as a result of his dangerous overtaking in Menorca. It was originally thought that the woman’s husband, 51-year-old Nicholas Austin who survived the crash, was responsible for the head-on collision that killed his family. It later emerged that Fernandez had clipped the Austins’ car and sent it into the path of another oncoming vehicle of another family of holiday makers, also seriously injured. Sally Austin and her children Samuel, 13, and Claire, 11, died and husband Nicholas suffered life-changing spinal injuries in the 2007 smash. Fernandez, who was 19 at the time of the crash, was also ordered to pay Mr Austin 380,000€ in compensation and is banned from driving for five years.

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11 - 17 january 2013

talk tous

Email letters to rtnmail@roundtownnews.com with your full name and address

letter of the week

New Year’s resolutions are wonderful

IT IS now the New Year 2013, and I was recalling various New Year’s resolutions I made a year ago. Or should I say my New Year’s resolution is to try to remember what my last year’s New Year’s resolution was.

Sorry, I simply cannot remember, so this year my New Year’s resolution is try to lose 15 kilos… well… make that 5 kilos.

I wish I could make New Year’s resolutions for some of our neighbours. For instance: to stop playing loud music late at night and to clean up after their dog when it goes to the bathroom in the park (as they look away pretending to not see it).

Since I’m in the mood for making New Year’s resolutions for other people may I make a New Year’s resolution to waitresses in the bars to wash their hands after petting people’s dogs! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could make New Year’s resolutions for people in outdoor restaurants to stop smoking right beside us when we are trying to enjoy a nice meal?

New Year’s resolutions are wonderful, too bad they only last about two weeks - like mine did last year! Anyway, have a wonderful 2013!

Mary Anderson, Callosa de Segura

Last year’s achievements AS WE start a new year, I thought I should give you an update on what ‘HELP’ has achieved last year through the very generous efforts of its members.

With many now out of work and not having any means of income, this leaves many families in Spain living in poverty. HELP has purchased 1,800 litres of milk that is being distributed to 60 needy families in Almoradi. Also 35 San Miguel families are being given a box of fruit and vegetables; a box of toiletries and washing products; a box of dry goods and meat or fish vouchers; all donated by HELP. Many may be aware that HELP has contributed

I would swap any day of the week

50% of the cost of school books to both Almoradi and San Miguel underprivileged children; also of our significant donation of equipment to ‘Reach Out’ in Torrevieja.

We also raised more than 500€ through the raffle and donations at our recent Menu del dia at Portico Mar: we are extremely grateful for all the diners’ and sponsors’ generosity. Thanks also go to Mary at Maritaos Kitchen; Brigitta at The Vestry; Mindy at Portico Mar; Cheryl at Diamond Flores and Andrea and Brian at La Bamba’s for their donations to the raffle and all the participants.

On behalf of HELP Vega Baja from Ron (President)

I AM on holiday here for a couple of weeks (in our first week) with the family and have walked the front at Torrevieja (which is fabulous) every day.

One of the highlights has been the variation of your ‘Looky-Looky’ men and their obvious dubious wares. If you are daft enough to buy that’s your own fault – I’ve never been offer a Rolex for 15€! The guy was perfectly polite and left me alone when I declined his amazing offer.

What was more amazing was the vanishing act of all of them. At first we couldn’t understand why - then we saw two of your ‘bobbies on bikes!’ Five minutes after they has passed they were all back so I gather the authorities are not too perturbed, which is more than I can say for your contributor Kath Thompson of Orihuela.

Please, please get a life – its local colour! I also didn’t see anyone in the market selling watches and bags who weren’t ‘Looky-Looky’ men so who are they hurting?

My local beach walk is Southend-on-Sea and I would swap any day of the week even if we had your wonderful climate.

Dave Edison, Westcliff-On-Sea

Still illegal IN your recent article you stated that ‘…many of these vehicles have happily been driving around for years without ever returning to the UK to obtain a new MOT and receive an up to date tax disc’.

This implies that these cars would be legal if drivers did so - in fact they would still be illegal, as by law they should have re-registered their cars onto Spanish plates within 30 days of becoming a resident.

Do the police merely look at the tax disc when stopping UK cars? Why aren’t they checking their residential status? Is it ignorance or apathy?

While on this subject, why are people running construction and other businesses with UK-plated vehicles which cannot be registered on Spanish plates - the Police seem to ignore them - or do they not understand the rules?

Name and address supplied

As quick as a flash

HI, I RECENTLY visited Benidorm to visit my father who took ill and spent time in the fabulous Clinica Benidorm. During the time we spent there we were so concerned with the number of elderly people who had become victims of crime. Knowing my parents’ elderly friends were travelling the next day we warned them. We were gutted to find out that when they arrived at the airport the next day, warned about being vigilant, the husband (in his 70’s) grabbed his first suitcase and handed it to his wife. An elderly Spanish woman then appeared next to him, making a scene and shouting and pointing at a suitcase. Our friend, being vigilant, ignored her and reached for case 2 when he felt the elderly Spanish man lean against him. In a flash there was a loud noise and our friend’s purse containing his Euros fell from this man to the floor! Our friend quickly fell to his knees and grabbed it and quick as a flash this couple were gone. Please can you warn people about handbags and being careful when unloading their suitcases?

Lynne Bell

Telefonica hires Rodrigo Rato TELEFONICA NEVER fails to surprise – the telecom giant has appointed former IMF chief Rodrigo Rato in an advisory capacity despite the charges of fraudulent accounting against him.

by Jan Gamm The company confirmed that 63-year-old Rato is to sit on advisory boards for America and Europe and would be added to the payroll in the next few days but declined to say how much he was to be paid.

Rato was Spain’s economy minister between 1996 and 2004 before becoming managing director of the International Monetary Fund until 2007 where his professional performance has been described as ‘incompetent beyond belief’. He went on to his appointment as CEO of Bankia until days before its collapse. He has since been the subject of forensic fraud investigations.

Cleaners taking their employers to the cleaners IN ALICANTE there has been a spate of arrests of people stealing from jewellery stores where they are employed as cleaners. Two women, a mother and daughter team, were arrested for allegedly stealing 100,000€ worth from a jewellery shop in central Alicante. In a separate case a 38-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of taking jewellery from at least three private homes where she was employed as domestic cleaner.

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A Thank you from AFA

Rojales the oldest in Spain Torrevieja’s Mayor Eduardo Dolon with Matilda Sanchez, President AFA and the Salt Queens

by Keith Nicol AT THE start of 2012 we felt very vulnerable as an organisation. We knew we needed to meet a budget 400,000€ plus, just to maintain the level of care and support for patients and families suffering from dementia. The demand for which was increasing faster than we could accommodate. We had been told that the donations from NGO’s (banks and similar organisations) who had previously supported us, were not going to be able to do so during 2012! This could have so easily spelt disaster for AFA. However the Ayuntamiento of Torrevieja continued to support us, albeit slightly less than previously, and the clubs and associations etc. once again rose to the challenge.

The Memory Walk in October had over 200 participants and many more

supporters including the Nook Bar, thus we raised over 4,000€ and we see you all again in 2013! Our thanks also go to our shop volunteers who work so hard for us and to those customers and supporters of our shop. This is such a valuable and essential source of funds. A very big thank you goes to the English papers for their support in promoting us and our events; it means a lot.

We would like to give all our sponsors a very big individual thank you but there were so many wonderful people it would be impossible to mention them all and we would not like to miss anyone. So can we just say, that without all of you, each week more than 80 people plus their families and carers, would not be receiving the therapies and professional care to maintain a quality of life, which is the minimum they deserve, when suffering from this very cruel and non curable disease. Our patients can-

not get better but the dedicated and professional care we give them, can delay the total breakdown of their quality of life for them and their carers.

The Alzheimer’s Association of Torrevieja (AFA) covers the whole of the Puma 22 health area but only the Torrevieja’s Ayuntamiento supports us financially, so any time there are concerts, plays and fund raising events, do please look and see which one supports AFA, and choose that one to support; that way you will be helping us to help those who cannot help themselves.

We would be pleased to attend any club or organisation to tell you more about the work that we do and to answer any questions or queries your members may have.

Please call 636 110 250 or 610 082 593.

Sincere and grateful thanks to you all, and Very Good Wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year from us all.

by Keith Nicol ROJALES, IN particular Quesada, has been recognised as having the oldest average population in Spain.

Quesada in particular is a quiet town with little to attract young couples in terms of schools, facilities or playgrounds which may one of the reasons why Rojales holds the number one spot for the municipality with a population in excess of 10,000 people.

That average age works out as 52.38 years! The figures have been compiled from data from the Census of Population 2011 figures from the National Statistics Institute (INE). But Rojales is not alone because eight more Alicante towns also make the Top 100.

It’s been established that European residents in the province have contributed decisively to several municipalities in Alicante being named as among the oldest in Spain, All these municipalities follow a similar pattern, and it is from coastal towns or those very close by, that have a high percentage of their original population made up of residents from European countries such as the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands, among others, that top the list.

Also making the Top 100 of the most aged municipalities are Teulada, Javea, L’Alfas del Pi, Guardamar del Segura and Torrevieja. The population of these places have an average age above 44 years, well over the 41.74 that accounts for the province overall.

However, some of these locations are also among those with a percentage of highest foreign population in Spain. In fact, the top five municipalities in this “ranking” are Alicante, Rojales, Teulada, L’Alfas del Pi, Calpe and Javea.

The coincidence of this classification with the oldest populations in the country councils shows the relationship between the two variables. New figures detailing 2012 population findings are due to be announced this month.

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Joy bringer!

SCHOOLBOY SEAN McConnachie and father Ian spread a little festive cheer amongst the children of the Preventorio de Gandia when they visited on the Three Kings holiday.

by Jack Troughton The pair travelled in a car packed with presents for the youngsters cared for by a handful of nuns and volunteers – as well as sacks of onions and potatoes, huge bags of rice and pasta, boxes of milk and dozens of packets of biscuits.

And they were joined by Monica Morales, of the IMED Hospital in Benidorm and Teulada, who also drove a car full of gifts.

Sean, aged eight, has raised 6,000€ with his ‘Kids for Kids’ project, an idea born out of a lesson at the Laude Lady Elizabeth School and his wish to help other children.

The first cash was raised by selling calendars and ‘Calendar Boy’ Sean still believes he can raise a further 1,000€ with remaining stock and donations.

Dad Ian said they were able to hand the

remaining money to the Mother Superior Carmen Caycedo. She said: “Just a few weeks ago we had almost no money to even be able to buy food for the children but I always believed something like this would happen and I was right, it has!”

SUPPORT Asked why the 60-year-old children’s home was in such difficulty, she added: “It’s because of the global economic situation – some people have less and can no longer afford to support us – others are afraid that times are getting worse and are holding on to their money.”

Gandia town Hall has promised a 12,000€ grant for 2013, but the nun added: “This will help a lot but we have no idea when the money will arrive.”

Sean was able to hand a present and card individually to each of the children. Ian ex-

Ian and Sean with Mother Superior

plained: “This was his biggest wish and being his project I thought it was the best way.

When they opened their cards to find a 10€ note they were literally jumping for joy.”

Ian said further money raised would be used to buy the kids sports clothing and tracksuits and he had been given a list of

sizes. “Sean is already asking what we can do next.”

And he said he was meeting with Javeabased Bay Radio to discuss how they could work together in the future. Anyone wishing to support Kids for Kids can call Ian on 639 188 773.

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How often do you wash your sheets?

Yaqui and Nuca

continued from front page Bears Yaqui and Nuca, from the old zoo in Espinardo, were actually among the first settlers in the Terra Natura Park.

These bears are well known and rather famous for being the first bears born in captivity in Murcia with their names chosen by the people of the region.

The mother of Yaqui and Nuca, ( Fabila) was born in 1992 and arrived in Murcia in 1997. In 1998 the first of the cubs were born and from that time the numbers of brown bears in captive breeding in Murcia has increased to 12, some of which have been donated to other zoos over the years: currently eight of the bears still currently reside in the park.

These particular bears are an emblematic inhabitant of the Iberian Peninsula and the few remaining wild bears which remain in Spain mainly inhabit forested areas in the North of

the country. They are currently listed as an endangered species, and experts estimate the number of these bears remaining in the wild to be somewhere between 100 and 120 .

One of the most important characteristics of this specimen is their ability to hibernate, helping them withstand the harsh winters whilst allowing them to prepare for the breeding season. They normally produce litters of between one and three cubs, although this can depend on the age of the mother.

So on the 10th the bears will feast on their very special fruit cake and enjoy the privilege of being one of the very few native brown bears still living in Spain today.

Article in collaboration with www.murciatoday local news, what’s on and where to go in the Region of Murcia

Have you ever tried to learn Spanish and given up because you feel that you failed?

There are lots of reasons you may feel you cannot learn - perhaps you think you are too old or you didn’t learn grammar at school so you can’t do it now; you only want to learn ‘conversational’ Spanish but they just talk too quickly for you to understand… The reasons are too numerous to mention them all.

My name is Terri Hughes and I have lived in Spain for 13 years now. At first I too found it very difficult to grasp the language but I did persevere. What I discovered and developed along the way was a formula that makes it easier to understand for everyone.

I have run a very successful restaurant for nine years in El Mojon, Pilar de la Horadada.

Five year ago I was asked by the staff to teach them Spanish and in doing so uncovered another rewarding passion - the fact that my method of teaching helped so many people to learn and understand the language.

I truly believe that everyone can learn.

Because the winter months are not as busy I have time to devote to my teaching. Most of the students I taught last winter are returning for another season and I have decided to do more teaching as I have been asked by a lot of people for classes.

I am offering a four week course comprising two lessons per week for only 50€ - the normal price is 70€ so it really is a bargain. The next course will start in February.

STUDENTS HAVE THIS TO SAY: “Terri you are brilliant at what you do.”

“I have studied Spanish for two years and I have learned and understood more in the last four weeks! Thank you.”

One of my students last year was an English teacher and part of his job was to assess other teachers. He says: “Terri you are as good as some of the very best teachers that I know.”

Call 96 535 2947 or 672 836 539 for more information.

THE RESULTS of a survey recently commissioned by UK-based retailer Dunelm Mill showed that only two in five Brits change their bed linen weekly in line with recommended health standards. A fifth of UK residents leave changing the sheets for more than a month, causing attacks of asthma and eczema. And many Brits that moved to Spain continue to sleep through long and sweaty summer nights while leaving their bed sheets on their beds for several weeks at a time! And interestingly, women are more reluctant to change their bed linen than men. Only 6% of the 2,000 people surveyed change their sheets more than once a week and a grubby 1% confessed to changing the sheets yearly! Research confirms that bed sheets should be changed at least fortnightly and washed at 60º.

The crisis brings back the bike BICYCLE RENTALS in Spain have soared since the beginning of the economic crisis as the general public strive to save on petrol and car maintenance bills. In Elche last year the local bike hire company Bicielx saw an increase of 1,835 users. The use of bicycles has reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 25 tons.

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11 - 17 january 2013

Watts In Britain By

Paul Watts

Feeling flat? Don’t worry you’re meant to…

I DON’T know about you folks, but I find that this time of the year can be pretty depressing. Recently, during these short days of winter we’ve had the bright lights of Christmas and the booziness of New Year to occupy our minds; but now the season is over and everything’s all gone a bit flat. Did I say a ‘bit’ flat? I meant extremely, boringly, extensively, like the road to Hay, flat; which just happens to be the

Laughter is an extremely effective mood booster

The King’s birthday HIS MAJESTY King Juan Carlos I turned 75 on Saturday and granted a rare interview to the BBC’s Tom Burridge to mark the occasion. The main theme of the exchange between the King and Burridge focused on Spain’s economic crisis and the regret felt by Don Juan Carlos that so many Spaniards had been forced to emigrate due to financial pressures at home. No mention was made of several sensitive issues surrounding the royal family at this time such as the current prosecution for fraud of Juan Carlos’ son-in-law the Duke of Palma; the King’s alleged serial womanising; his disastrous hunting trip to Botswana and the question of his reputed enormous wealth and how it was accumulated. El Pais noted on Thursday that: “The royal palace has launched in recent months a studious marketing operation to improve the image of the King.”

flattest road on Earth (for the anoraks it’s a rural town in south-west New South Wales, Australia and let me tell you it is flat!)

Anyway, as you can now gauge, things are flat. The Christmas tree has gone, leaving a big hole in the corner of the room; the pretty flashing lights are extinguished for another year; the decorations have been stuffed into a cardboard box and unceremoniously bunged into the loft (along with my shiny lurex Santa Claus outfit) and all that’s left of the ‘tis the season to be jolly’ are the landfill-filling mounds of cardboard and empty bottles and the knowledge that credit card bills are surely winging their way to you.

See what I mean about flat? And we still have nearly three months of dark nights until the clocks spring forward in March. Oh, for the summer, eh?

I thought given this ‘flat’ mood I’d best try being positive. So, a discussion at work led me to search out a feel-positive-beat-the-flat-mood help website. Depressingly, there were thousands of the bloody things. For example take a look at what this one offers: “Taking the outlook that the winter months are

dreary, cold and hard can cause you to face winter with grim determination.”

Hmmm, I don’t think so pal but do carry on. The help site continues: “Far better to see winter as a chance to recuperate from the year’s toil and as an opportunity to plan clearly for the warmer months ahead. Winter may bring shorter days and colder temperatures but it also offers many chances to snuggle up, get through your reading list and partake in heart-warming cuisine.” Heartwarming cuisine..? Who are these people? I like a Morrison’s bacon bap like the next bloke but it is a short-lived experience in the vast expanse of winter, is it not? I need something positive to latch on to and heart-warming cuisine ain’t it. No, I reckon that feeling flat is all part of a process and you just have to wade through it.

An old fellow I used to work with back in the days of steam had loads of sayings, all of which seem to have proved true over the years. For feeling flat his thoughts on pain seem appropriate.

Ted once said: “If ya didn’t have pain [or feel flat] you’d never know the pleasure of relief.” He is right I guess.

Another website says you can head flatness off with a bit of laughter. It tells us that laughter “has been proven to be

an extremely effective mood booster; releasing endorphins which instantly raise spirits and give a feeling of wellbeing. To help raise your spirits, grab a funny DVD or book and spend a few hours exercising your laughter muscles.” I’d best open my box set of Ma Brown’s Boys then.

A little more extreme is the following: “If you are feeling listless and uninspired following the Christmas period, there is nothing guaranteed to energise you so much as stepping out of your comfort zone and taking a few risks.” Well, I went out without my brolly yesterday; is that risky enough?

It says: “Make a commitment to doing one thing a week that makes you feel scared and takes you out of your comfort zone. Whether it is something small (like starting a conversation with a stranger) or big (like emigrating to another country) conquering your fears is guaranteed to put you in a positive mood.”

Hmmm, I suppose I could try emigrating to Spain. Hang on - I’ve already tried that one... No, I’m just going to have to ride this one out. See you next week folks.

Watts in Britain, trying to make Hay while the sun shines…

92% of stranded sea turtles recover

by Keith Nicol FOR MANY years, Torrevieja fishermen have been bringing distressed Turtles back to the city and handing them over to Marine Wildlife centres. Most Turtles get tangled in old fishing nets, plastic shopping bags and plastic can holders, all of which injure the Turtle as they can not escape from these manmade obstacles. The good news is that 92% of all Sea Turtles recover successfully and are returned to the Mediterranean. Last week, Alfredo Gonzalez, the Director General of Medio Natural along with a group of volunteers and technicians from the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and the Environment, released three loggerhead turtles from Valencia. Gonzalez said “The high rate of recovery is due to the care they receive from the Wildlife Recovery Centre of La Granja and El Saler Oceanografic, where in 2012, 39 turtles were cared for.”

He added “It’s especially important to note the collaboration of fishermen in the collection of specimens stranded on our shores. Since 2007 we have carried out a campaign of collaboration with them to recover accidentally caught turtles and the result is very satisfactory. In 2009 the percentage of sea turtles delivered by fishermen was 25% while today that percentage is around 80%.”

Over the last couple of years, more than a dozen turtles

have been caught off the Torrevieja Coastline. Valencia also has developed a network which everyone can participate in.

Alfredo Gonzalez finished by saying that “if anyone spots a stranded turtle they can phone 112, the Emergency telephone for the Generalitat to launch a device that moves the specimen as soon as possible to the Recovery Centre in ‘La Granja’.

Loggerhead Turtles are released back into the sea

Cards come up trumps

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CHARITY SHOP volunteers were stunned when a donated collection of nearly 1,200 historic military postcards went under the hammer at auction to earn 905€.

by Jack Troughton The cards were all in pristine condition – each in individual plastic sleeves in bound volumes - when they were donated to Moraira Charity Shop during the summer.

The shop’s John Griffith told RTN: “An elderly European man visited the shop towing a shopping trolley behind him and asked if the contents would be any use to us.

“He just dropped them on the counter and they cover the period from the Prussian-Crimean War right through to the Second World War. It was obvious that the collection had taken many years to put together and that it could be of considerable value.”

And the point was proved a short time later when the antique experts of television’s ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’ purchased three similar cards for £3 and sold them for £10.

Spanish teenagers improve their English

John said it was felt the best option was to sell the card by auction and “tongue in cheek” they contacted directors of Sotheby’s – who assisted in putting him in contact with experts Warwick and Warwick who helped with the sale of the collection before Christmas.

“The cards were parcelled up weighing 11.4kg and dispatched to England where the full collection was sold for £850 and after agent’s commission – reduced from 15% to 10% - and VAT, we received a cheque providing the sum of 905€,” he said.

The money was later presented to Sylvia Tatnell, councillor for social services in Teulada Moraira, to purchase a hoist to help people in the local community.

John said the shop team would like to thank their benefactor but did not know his identity. “This really was a one-off.

We have never had anything donated to the shop that has sold for such a large sum of money.”

By Keith Nicol SPANISH TEENAGERS and twenty ‘somethings’ are improving their English Language skills thanks to this week’s resumption of English Conversation Classes at the CIAJ. The classes are all taught by British and Irish volunteers and have proved to be one of the most popular courses offered through Torrevieja’s Department of Youth. The Youth Council announced that the practical conversation classes in English are available at the following times: Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 to 12:00 noon and Wednesday and Thursday from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.

The CIAJ is a free, public centre that’s part

of Torrevieja’s Ayuntamiento Youth Council and adheres to the national system of information services for youth. The CIAJ is a resource centre and meeting point that offers many different kinds of services and courses in Torrevieja. It costs less than 10.00€ to join the CIAJ and is open to anyone resident in Torrevieja over the age of 14 through 35. They also have a Multipurpose room where they hold many of their workshops, lectures and other activities organized by the concejalía. This area is fully equipped with a blackboard, projector, sound system and can cater to a capacity of about 50 people.

The English Conversation classes are still open to Spanish or those wishing to

learn English as a Second Language but to join this activity, it is necessary to have an intermediate level of English. The activity is open to all the youth of Torrevieja and Registration takes place at the CIAJ, the Centre for Information and Youth Animation. They are one of these service centres that are almost hidden in plain sight being located on Torrevieja’s seafront, close to the Old Man of the Sea Monument, at Paseo Juan Aparicio Number 5, beside Burger King. Those who would like to offer their services as a volunteer English teacher, for these conversational classes, should visit during one of the scheduled class times for more information.

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11 - 17 january 2013

Three Kings in Murcia, what a load of rubbish by

.com

There’s a national obsession with statistics in Spain, which whilst it can sometimes result in a state of bleary eyed editorial exhaustion at the end of each financial quarter and keep half of the functionaries of Spain in full-time employment producing them, can also generate pointlessly interesting data from time to time.

The latest submission from Murcia council relates to the activities of municipal binmen, who spent the Three Kings holiday laying on extra services to cope with the mountains of wrapping paper generated by the unwrapping of presents over the days of 5th, 6th and 7th January.

Six additional waste paper and cardboard collecting lorries , plus 10 binmen were required in order to deal with the 127,970 kilos of wrapping paper and packaging which the council recovered from their bins over the three day period.

Facing the threat of a packaging explosion in their high streets, the extra reinforcements manually extracted the bulk of packaging from inside and beside bins, whilst Cespa also increased the volume of recycling collections, hovering up another 96.157 kilos of paper and packaging for recycling.

Green minded Murcian s can also take any rooted Christmas trees to the San Ginés municipal ecopark or to the mobile ecopark vehicles which collect recyclables throughout

Extra services were laid on to cope with the mountains of wrapping paper

the Murcia municipality. Any trees which have survived Christmas and still have roots will be replanted in the Cespa plant at Cañada Hermosa.

Article in collaboration with www.murciatoday.com local news, what’s on and where to go for the Region of Murcia

Dutch ex-striker kicks off a huge racist row

RETIRED FOOTBALLER Ruud Van Nistelrooy is at the centre of racist allegations because he blacked his face to take the role of Balthazar as part of the Three Kings celebrations in Marbella. He visited a hospital to hand out gifts and sweets to patients, resplendent in a magnificent jewelled turban and leopard-trimmed robes. The Dutch ex-Manchester United striker made an impressive ‘King’ but drew less than courtly comments on Twitter and Facebook that accused him of being a racist. Balthazar is traditionally portrayed as a black man in historical texts and it is widely accepted in Spain that a white man might black his face to play the part but the rest of Europe takes a stern view! Photos courtesy of Daily Mail

11 - 17 january 2013

Friends remember Sylvia

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COMPUTER TEACHER and animal lover Sylvia Winterbottom passed away peacefully last Saturday surrounded by family and close friends.

by Jack Troughton The 73-year-old moved to Spain in 1987 and built up a huge circle of friends while living in Benidoleig and more recently neighbouring Beniarbeig.

Sylvia was a professional computer teacher before she retired and was an early member of Javea Computer Club, reputedly the largest in Europe. She also launched a computer group in Benidoleig, helping fellow expats set up their machines and teaching computing skills and enjoyed preparing tutorials with notes for her students – she charged 2€ a lesson for members and donated the proceeds to local charities.

She also had a passion for animals and particularly loved dogs. Friend Angela Webb remembered: “On her many walks in the local orange groves, she would often be laden with scraps of food for badly treated farmers’ dogs and supplied their daily needs and veterinary care when needed – all at her own expense.

“Sylvia, along with her good friend Linda, had an enormous

amount of fun running a regular rastro stall to help fund a retirement home for dogs that could not be rehomed. They sourced items for sale and got up at the crack of dawn to set up a stall in the local Sunday market to raise money.”

Angela said Sylvia also had time for her friends “or anyone” in need of help and would make hospital visits providing both practical and emotional support where needed.

PASSION And another of the teacher’s passions was photography and film making. She would make up albums of her pictures as presents and visitors were given a film of the highlights of their stay.

Angela added: “Despite having a huge number of friends, Sylvia was generally a private person and only disclosed her illness to those closest to her. She didn’t want people to treat her differently and did not want sympathy.

“She was determined to live the rest of her life as normally as possible and get the very most out of her remaining time,

Sylvia Winterbottom

which she did. She maintained a good quality of life right to the end.

“She was a remarkable woman of high intelligence who enriched the lives of many people and to all her family and friends I extend my sorrow and compassion.”

At Sylvia’s request there will be no funeral or memorial service but a blog site will be set up soon for people to leave comments and thoughts.

Torrevieja offers training for the disadvantaged

By Keith Nicol THE DELEGATE for Employment and Promotion of the City of Torrevieja, Carmen Gomez Candel, has announced that through the Local Development Agency (ADL), the city has been awarded a grant by the Valencian Employment Service and Training (SERVEF) and European Social Fund, for the development of training courses aimed at those that are most disadvantaged by the current economic cri-

sis. Candel Gomez said the ‘specialties’ to be taught will be: ‘geriatric care for the housebound’ with a grant of 45,850€, ‘Domestic employment’ with a subsidy of 14,700€ euros and ‘healthcare for dependent people in social institutions’ with a grant of 35,350€.

These courses are aimed at benefiting thirty unemployed people who are going through a situation of social exclusion or have a disability rate of over 33%. Upon the successful comple-

tion of training, students will obtain a certificate of professionalism necessary to enter the labour market in the specialty professions taught, improving chances of finding employment.

Gomez Candel continued by saying that in November and December, SERVEF and the European Social Fund gave Torrevieja, a total of 185,034€ in subsidies for the development of training activities designed to train a total of 90 unemployed students, who will

be instructed in specialized positions for the labour market, such as the health, personal image and language.

Finally, Carmen Gomez noted that with such initiatives, in 2012 the Local Development Agency provided training courses to more than 2,000 unemployed people, deepening its commitment to providing the unemployed in Torrevieja tools to facilitate finding work.

Home & Garden

Brought to you by spanishhomefinder.com

Home Garden

11 - 17 january 2013

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Brought to you by

www.spanishhomefinder.com

David Dale Removals

DAVID DALE Removals started in 1976 with one small van and a part time helper. The business grew steadily and in 1978 the company bought its first ‘proper’ removal truck. In 1981 they did their first removal to Spain and it was so successful that others quickly followed.

In the 1980’s prospective residents had to go through customs formalities, obtaining Residencias at the Spanish Consulate in either London or Manchester. Moving to Spain involved paying a bond at the Spanish border based on the value of the goods they brought in to the country. In 1992 the customs formalities were lifted throughout the EU and moving to and from Spain became a much simpler operation. From 1993 David Dale Removals started their weekly UK-Spain-UK service. This takes place 50 weeks of the year, only pausing during Christmas & New Year celebrations. In 1995 warehouse premises were acquired in Fuengirola Malaga Province and in 2000 a container store was opened in Benissa and later in Almoradi.

Today the company operates 10 vehicles of various sizes from

small transit vans to the largest trucks the EU will allow on the roads. Four staff work from the furniture store in Almoradi and the sales office is based in Torrevieja.

The company pay a great deal of attention to the quality of service they offer being members of The Office of Fair Trading; The British Association of Removers & The Road Haulage Association International Section. The staff, trained by the British Association of Removals, is professional in handling furniture and delicate objects.

The company has recently achieved the sought-after quality

standard BSEN 12522. This is only awarded to the very best movers and storers who must adhere to very high standards of service.

If you are planning a move get in touch with Mrs Sabina Hodges on 96 532 8135 or email sales@daviddale.co.uk Mrs Hodges will visit your home anywhere on the Costa Blanca to discuss your requirements. This is a free no-obligation visit with no high pressure sales people. They can offer packing materials delivered in advance of moving day or a full packing service. Clean Safe Container Storage is available in Almoradi, London or York.

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11 - 17 january 2013

Does your property investment shine?

IN THESE times of falling property prices, more and more investors are returning to the Spanish Coastline of the Costa Blanca to benefit from the holiday rental income generated throughout the seasons.

A truly professional company guiding investors towards an international market place to gain top rental income is CCPM SL, an established long term and legally registered company here in Spain.

CCPM SL prides itself on being a

Property Management Company in the true sense, meaning that the investor/ homeowner can hand over the keys to CCPM SL knowing that any problems or questions will be dealt with in a prompt and professional manner. This confidence is supported by repeat holiday rental bookings from delighted clients.

Owner Ian is celebrating another new airline agreement to add to numerous arrangements already in place with many travel companies. This exposes their

clients’ properties to a worldwide market, generating top income potential.

CCPM SL is a going from strength to strength. Contact them to discuss your needs or requirements by calling 96 676 7985.

Home & Garden

Brought to you by spanishhomefinder.com

11 - 17 january 2013

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Paths can add interest to your garden The first thing is to recognise why we have paths in gardens.

the roots of plants lining the path To establish a formal, informal or mixed garden style If you are having a new house constructed decide on the network of paths while the house is being built and get the builder to lay down what you want for an elegant garden, rather than an easy concrete path attached to the house.

The following reasons are extracted from our books To link different areas and features in an interesting way - to create a mystery tour and one which changes season by season and by time of day and weather conditions To enable people of all ages to move around the garden easily and safely in any weather To move things around the garden without fear of tripping or strain To move rainwater around the garden to areas where most needed To create interesting and often unexpected internal and external vistas To make a small garden seem larger by varying the width of paths from near the house to outer areas: a straight path which narrows twenty percent from beginning to end can work wonders as can curving and snaking paths To link terraces: together with terraces a network of paths can reduce the extent of planting areas and need for garden maintenance.

Indeed see terraces as wide paths.

To provide a moisture reservoir and shade for

CHOICES OF SURFACES AND EDGINGS Beyond designing the network the next thing is surfaces and edgings. These days the choice for surfaces is enormous ranging from coloured concrete to natural stone slabs, from stone chippings to sand, from low growing herbs to grass or plastic imitation grass, bark chippings or compost between rows of vegetables and formal stone cobbles or bricks. Not all paths need to be continuous for stepping stones laid in grass or in areas of stone chippings can add interest in low use areas.

In many gardens edgings to paths are useful to add interest and formality. Also to keep stone chippings from being spread outside the intended path areas and to control the velocity of torrents of rain water running off paths to planted areas. Path edging can range from small rocks to terracotta edgings, wooden slats or small plants and bricks on edge to narrow concrete edging slabs.

Look around your own garden. Would extra or changed paths allow you to better enjoy your

by

Clodagh & Dick Handscombe Practical gardeners and authors

property? If so make the changes during the cooler winter weather in time for spring walks.

Clodagh and Dick Handscombe’s books include the following Your Garden in Spain Apartment Gardening Mediterranean Style

‘Clodagh and Dick Handscombe’s gardening books make good Christmas presents. They can be obtained from high street and internet bookshops including Amazon UK and Spain. Thanks to readers the Kindle E-book Making waterless gardens a practical reality world wide is starting to sell well.’ © Clodagh and Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com

Growing Healthy Vegetables in Spain Growing Healthy Fruit in Spain Living Well from Our Mediterranean Garden Making Waterless Gardens a Practical Reality Worldwide (available as an Amazon Kindle E-book).

For more details of each book visit www.gardenspain.com

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money

11 - 17 january 2013

For your information by

Suzanne O’Connell Customer Care at Ábaco

DO YOU remember the Public Information Film? That little snippet of useful advice or ominous warning that was slipped in between programmes when you least expected it?

The only adverts allowed on the BBC, they were designed to make you see dangers round every corner. They were not aimed at lightening the mood, and some were plain scary.

Which of these do you remember?

• Joe and Petunia – watching from the shore oblivious to the signals from a boat in distress • Charley – this distinctive ginger cat was the main character in several PIFs. He warned children about strangers, matches and water danger • The Green Cross Code Man – brought the Green Cross Code to life in his fetching green suit • Reginald Molehusband – the man who could show you how to park your car safely • The Lonely Water – the grim reaper brings a warning to those ignoring ‘no-swimming’ signs You can still see some of them on the national archives: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ films/1964to1979/filmpage_coastguard.htm and YouTube has a selection too.

Each film is clearly set in its time and reminds us of the issues of the day. Some of them have become almost cult films. If you missed these cautionary tales weaved into your broadcasts, you needn’t for much longer.

The British Consulate is keen to ensure that British expats feel informed about their life in Spain.

We’ve seen a few genuine attempts to bring their services nearer to the people they represent. In October the British Consulate coordinated an event in Calpe aimed at answering questions from expats. Another event was held a few weeks ago aimed at disseminating information about domestic violence.

A new radio campaign has been recently launched to help expats stay out of trouble. English language radio stations have been sent some ‘fillers’ – scenarios that reflect some of the concerns most frequently brought to Consular staff. You can expect to hear warnings about roadside robberies and out-of-date passports as well as a reminder about why you should register on the padron.

Each includes reference to the UKinSpain website www.ukinspain.fco.gov.uk as a source of information. With Keith Barron and Sheila Reid (Madge from Benidorm) providing the voices we might see the start of another cult series. Let’s hope they don’t turn out to be quite as scary as some of their PIF predecessors.

If you don’t want to wait for the PIF Ábaco is also able to answer queries. We’re not experts on road safety campaigns and child protection but we do know plenty about the common pitfalls of property taxes and inheritance in Spain.

If you would like help with any aspect of resident or non-resident taxes, please contact the Ábaco helpline on 96 670 3748.

Ábaco provide fiscal representation to non-resident and resident Spanish property owners. You can contact us for free advice and information by calling our helpline 96 670 3748 or visiting our website www.abacoconnect.com

legal

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Challenging and contesting a Will by

Carlos Baos

of White & Baos Abogados

English & Spanish Solicitors

Grounds for disputing a Will, How to contest, challenge and dispute a Will or Testament: Spanish Probate and Will laws.

THE CONSULTATIONS we receive and the files we deal with regarding contesting a Will in Spain are numerous. A high number of cases are files where there exists an interaction between Spanish law and laws of other countries. We especially deal with cases where there is a dispute between the application of the English and Welsh Law and Spanish inheritance law.

Regarding this legal field, we need to highlight the importance of the recent approval of the Regulation (Eu) No 650/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 4th July 2012 on jurisdiction, applicable law, recognition and enforcement of decisions and acceptance and enforcement of authentic instruments in matters of succession and on the creation of a European Certificate of Succession.

This new Regulation 650/2012 will mean a complete change on the legal criteria in Spain, to determine which will be the applicable inheritance law to a Spanish succession. Until now, the general criteria as per the Article 9.8 of the Spanish Civil Code, is that

in mortis causa succession, the applicable law is the national law of the deceased at the time of death, irrespective of the nature of the properties and the country where they are located.

With the new regulation, the applicable inheritance law would be the law of the country where the deceased had his habitual residence. But it is essential to note that, as per its article 22, the testator /testatrix can opt at the time of making the Will or at time of Death, for his/her national Law. This has a most important implication for the foreign community living in Spain, such as expats living in Spain, for unless they opt expressly for the law of their nationality in their Will, making a proper and correct Will, the applicable law to their probate would be Spanish Succession Law. That means that their children or descendents will be considered as forced heirs (as per the Spanish Probate Rules) and they must inherit at least 2/3 of the Estate.

We foresee that this new Regulation will result in a major increase in court cases contesting and challenging Spanish or Foreign Wills administrating Spanish assets. It is a really common consultation by

deceased’s descendents ( normally daughters and sons) who wish to contest their parents’ Will, asking that the Spanish Law apply in order to have legal right to inherit; i.e. when the parent left everything to his/ her spouse in the Will.

Under the Spanish law, it is legally possible to not leave anything to the descendants and disinherit them, but only if one of the legal reasons for disinheritance foreseen in the Spanish Civil Code applies to the case.

Normally, in order to determine your real possibilities to contest and challenge, or to defend your Will in Spain, it would be crucial to determine and examine: the kind and situation of the deceased’s estate, where the deceased had his habitual residency, how the Will was worded, etc.

If you want to contest a Will or if someone wants to dispute your testament and you need your will to be defended, or if you want to know if there are any possible grounds for challenging it, please let us assist you.

The information provided in this article is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to legal issues.

Carlos Baos (Lawyer) © White & Baos Abogados 2012 - All rights reserved. C/Diana 19, 2º-D, 03700 Dénia (located 1 minute away from the La Via underground car park). Tel: 966 426 185. Send your questions to spanishlawyer@roundtownnews.com or info@white-baos.com. This article is available in English and Spanish at www.white-baos.com. The information provided in this article is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to legal issues. Visit our blog at http://www.white-baos.com/blog/ and Facebook (White-Baos-Abogados-Solicitors)

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money matters

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The RTN Money Matters page has been created to help you our readers by giving you as much information about current financial matters and products as possible. If you would like us to cover any specific topics or products please email moneymatters@roundtownnews.com. Also if you have any questions that you would like answered by our panel of experts, email them to moneymatters@roundtownnews.com

money

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11 - 17 january 2013

by

Norman Jermon

International Financial Adviser of Blacktower Costa Blanca

A New Year - and now is the time to review your returns OKAY, CHRISTMAS is over and we have all set our New Year resolutions and I am sure money is part of everyone’s plans.

At the 11th hour the House of Representatives passed a Senatesupported bill that kept the US from falling over the ‘fiscal cliff’, which economists warned would have pushed the US into deep recession – as well as hurting other economies around the world.

The news removed a burden that had seemingly been restraining markets for some time, which meant investors that took the plunge and invested in equity funds have had a good start to 2013 and hopefully this will continue throughout the year.

I go out every day and meet people who are unsure what to do with their hard-earned wealth. For example I went to see a client who had earned just 1.75% pa on his savings for the last four years. We sat down and discussed

his needs and he required a return of at least 5%pa to meet his income needs.

I looked at all the options available in the market and placed his money in an investment that has returned over 6% in the last year.

Some of you will have money left in the UK, or are uneasy at leaving money in Spanish banks or are simply getting no or a very low interest rate. What you need to do in the present economic climate is make your money work as hard as possible so that it retains its spending power at a time when inflation is steadily increasing. I can help you achieve this goal.

Although there are many products highlighted in the press they may not necessarily be the right product for everyone. Blacktower has the advantage of being able to offer tailored, bespoke products for every person’s individual

A bill was passed that kept the US from falling over the ‘fiscal cliff’

needs, which gives you the opportunity to reach one’s aims and goals.

If you would like a free Financial Health check, need advice or if have

any questions regarding the above you can contact me, Norman Jermon, on 661 021 194 or email norman.jermon@blacktowerfm.com

The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is licenced by the UK by the Financial Services Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licenced in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) Licence No: 00805B and registered with the DGS in Spain.

money

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New Asset Reporting Law for Spanish residents

By Bill Blevins: Financial Correspondent, Blevins Franks IF YOU are resident in Spain and own overseas assets worth over €50,000, you need to declare them under a new reporting requirement. Failure to do so would have very costly consequences.

If the value of your total assets in each class is less than €50,000, you are not obliged to report.

Once you have reported the assets, you only need to report them again if the value of all your reportable assets has increased by €20,000 or more.

Reporting for assets as at 31st December 2012 must be done, on a new official form, by 30th April 2013.

INFORMATION TO BE REPORTED The value to be reported for accounts with financial institutions, shares, securities, life insurance policies and other assets is that at 31st December. In the case of accounts, you need to report the average balance over the last three months of the year.

For immovable property, the value is the cost of acquisition. You also need to provide information on the type, location and date of acquisition.

ASSETS TO BE DECLARED If you own any of the following assets outside Spain, valued at 50,000€ or more, you need to declare them.

• Accounts held with financial institutions • Immovable property • Shares and securities • Life insurance policies • Income generated from the lending of money, rights or other assets to foreign entities.

You need to declare them if you are the owner, beneficiary, or authorised signatory. This includes assets held by a trust.

CONSEQUENCES OF NOT REPORTING The undeclared income arising from the asset will be deemed to arise in the last tax year which is not statute barred – usually four years. This effectively abolishes the statute of limitations.

You would have to pay all of the following:

• Income tax at the income tax scale rates where the top rate is over 50% (even if the income would normally be taxed under the savings income regime).

• Late payment interest for the last four years.

• Penalties, which can be as high as 150% of the total tax due on the asset.

• A fine of €5,000 per each piece of unreported data, with a minimum of €10,000.

For peace of mind, speak to a tax planning and wealth management firm like Blevins Franks who are Spanish tax experts. With its in-depth understanding of Spanish taxation and law, its local Partners will advise you on what you need to include in the form. At the same time they will guide you through the opportunities to legitimately lower your tax liabilities in Spain on your offshore assets.

Summarised tax information is based upon our understanding of current laws and practices which may change. Individuals should take personalised advice.

To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com

Life

Follow Cupid’s arrow

Alhambra Pa

lace

SAINT VALENTINE’S Day is fast approaching and there is a wonderful chance to enjoy a romantic getaway to explore Southern Spain or try life on the ocean wave.

By Jack Troughton RTN and Gandia Tours are offering readers exclusive breaks – top notch deals at “amazing” rock bottom prices that will have adventurers on pastures new by 14th February.

There are two trips to the south of Spain leave on 13th February – a three or six day visit to Granada and the fourstar Hotel Alixares del Generalife, and a six day break on the Costa del Sol staying four nights at the three-star Hotel Bali in Benalmadena and one night at the Hotel Alixares.

Alternatively, why not enjoy a cruise? Again there two options – sailing the Mediterranean or heading for the Canary Islands and Madeira. Both ships sail from Barcelona on 10th February.

The Hotel Alixares enjoys a spectacular position in front of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, one of Spain’s top tourist attractions and a world heritage site.

The palace was originally built by the Moors and was described by their poets as “a pearl set in emeralds”.

Over the centuries it has been extended and the grounds include a dense wood of elm trees planted by the Duke of Wellington in 1812 – the trees are home to nightingales and just the place to hear the birds sing.

However, Granada itself is a historic city that calls out to be explored by visitors – the shopping is fantastic and, being Andalusia, renowned for its tapas.

DINNER The trip costs just 190€ per person for a three day, two night stay, or only 270€ for a six day, five night break. The prices include a romantic candlelit

St Valentine’s dinner.

Travellers will enjoy discovering the Costa del Sol with the visit to the Hotel Bali, a six day trip costing 340€ full board, or 80€ cheaper for a half board option.

Benalmadena is in the heart of the Costa del Sol. Inhabited since prehistoric times, it is steeped in history and has been home to Romans and the Moors – who were responsible for the city’s development and fortifications. Its towers and walls were also needed to repel raids by Barbary pirates.

And for the more modern thinking, the city boasts the largest Buddhist ‘stupa’ in the Western world, constructed in 2003, as well as an amusement park, two aquariums, a casino, cable car and one of the largest marinas in Andalusia.

Guests can also use the Hotel Bali for optional excursions to Gibraltar, Tangier, and Ronda. However, these are not included in the general price of the trip.

The Mediterranean cruise on the MSC Splendida leaves Barcelona for Tunis, Palermo, Rome’s Citavecchia, Genova, and Marseille. Prices start at 450€ per person plus 120€ tax.

Sailing the same day is the MSC Divina for a journey taking in Casablanca, Tenerife and Madeira. Prices start at 630€ per person with 130€ tax.

Both cruises leave at around midday but to help people unwind, they arrive in Barcelona the previous afternoon and will enjoy a night in a hotel in the centre of Spain’s second city – it give the opportunity to visit the famous Ramblas, go shopping or just discover the host of bars and restaurants.

To reserve places call 96 610 6872 Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 1.30pm and 4pm and 7.30pm.

Marseille Tenerife

a

Benalmaden

Ronda

Tunis

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11 - 17 january 2013

Life tech PUP.mywebsearch

HELLO AUNTY: This morning I scanned with Malwarebytes and it detected five entries of PUP.mywebsearch. I tried to clear and the software was unable to carry out the task. I went through this process about three times and it failed every time. Any suggestions please as I’ve read that this can be a nasty piece of malware. Many thanks, Colin.

Aunty says: One of the first things to do is check your ‘uninstall programs’ list in the control panel and see if mywebsearch can be uninstalled from there. Next, have a look for mywebsearch add ons in your web browsers (IE, Chrome or Firefox) and disable them. Another thing is to start the PC in safe mode, disconnected from the internet, run Malwarebytes again, and see if running it in safe mode can clean it up.

Or use another tool that claims to be able to remove the software - as seen on http://www.cleanpcguide.com/remove-pup-mywebsearch-removalguide-how-to-remove-pupmywebsearch/

with Aunty Virus

Email auntyvirus@roundtownnews.com

A “nasty” experience HELLO AUNTY: Now in the UK I have experienced a ‘nasty’. A dialogue box appeared asking if I wanted to upgrade from version 1.9 to version 2.1 (think it was relative to pdf as that was what I was working on).

It seemed genuine so I clicked on but soon found ‘Incredi-bar’ was downloaded on to my laptop.

This brought many problems including the spell check only wanting to work in French and was unable to revert to my usual English UK, also on scanning with SpyBot I found 28 viruses which were quickly dispatched. Later AVG scan showed corrupted file. A further scan AVG found 2 items with broken signatures and on examining these they were also linked to ‘Incredi-bar’. Bill: formerly from Torry.

Aunty says: Thanks for the email. IncrediBar toolbar is an adware program that can change your browser homepage, default search engine and is causing browsing redirects. The IncrediBar got on your computer after you have installed other programs that have bundled in their installers this IncrediBar. Firstly, uninstall IncrediBar. You may have to use an uninstaller tool like ‘revo uninstaller’ to make sure all traces are removed. Then download, install, update and run AdwCleaner. Then, download and install Antimalwarebytes, update and run a scan These should get rid of any other ‘nasties’ that AVG and Spybot cannot locate installed by IncrediBar.

Buffering on Windows 7 Administrator DEAR AUNTY, I am being HI AUNTY: Of late I have been plagued with buffering on my Windows 7 videos. Can you help please?

Thomas.

asked for administrator rights. Any further help would be appreciated.

Regards - R

Aunty says: Thanks for the email. Buffering can occur when your ADSL line is not fast enough to keep up with the videos as they play. Your PC is busy doing other things – i.e. too many programs running in the background; not enough memory; doing a virus scan at the same time. Your media player has the incorrect video ‘codecs’ for the videos you are trying to play.

Not all videos are the same, there are many formats and they require various ‘codecs’ for them to run - try them in VLC player and see if the buffering goes, as VLC player plays a lot more formats than windows media player.

You are trying to play high definition videos when your PC does not have enough processor power to play them.

Aunty says: Try this method instead: Open the Control Panel, Select Administrative Tools (under System and Security) then go to Computer Management, Select Disk Management, Right click on the drive letter corresponding to the USB drive and select Format.

Or, as a workaround, see if it works in safe mode... (Press F8 during the windows boot up).

Gadget Inspector Investigates:

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41

Gigaset Trio Cordless Phone Set THIS WEEK the Inspector takes a look at the Siemens Gigaset A120 Trio Cordless Phone Set. Home phones tend to take a back seat these days to their smarter, more mobile counterparts. But that doesn’t mean we don’t still need them– our home-fixed lines often offer cheaper calls, particularly when being called from abroad.

Today’s offering is the Siemens Gigaset A120 Trio Cordless Phone Set which consists of three cordless handsets, enough for even the most demanding household. But surely since this set only costs 31€ the quality must be dubious?

Not in the least. The Gigaset Trio is made by Siemens, a German company with a reputation for industry leading build quality, high quality materials and best-in-class technology. Every Gigaset product, regardless of price undergoes the same rigorous testing which includes every keypad button being pressed 100,000 times, running 25,000 charging cycles, being dropped on its edge and side 16 times from a series of heights and even placed into a trouser pocket containing dust and crumbs - 10,000 times!

But is it any good as a phone? The handsets feature large clear display screens and user-friendly keys with sensitive pressure points for easy dialling. It can store up to 50 numbers in memory and features a call list which allows you to see the last 25 missed and received calls and a separate call list that stores the last 10 numbers you’ve entered for quick redialling.

The phones also feature High Sound Performance (HSP) to provide the best sound quality when compared with normal analogue phones.

Interference from other electronic devices is also well suppressed so as not to interfere with your call quality.

But it doesn’t end there. The Gigaset A120 also displays the calling number as well as the date and call duration. It even features a handy alarm function that allows you to program a reminder should you need to make a call at a particular time.

And not forgetting eco credentials the energy-saving power supply of the Gigaset A120 consumes less electricity. Also the Gigaset can even reduce the transmitting power from the handset to the base station depending on their distance apart.

And should you wish you can manually reduce the transmitting power of the Gigaset A120’s base station by 80% by selecting the ECO Mode. There is also an ECO Mode Plus that turns off the transmitting power when the phone is in standby.

MyFitnessPal It is the New Year and many people have started it with good intentions of a new healthy eating regime.

It is worth noting the phone set is supplied fitted with a UK telephone socket adapter – but this is easily unclipped from the base unit and replaced with one that will fit a Spanish phone socket, you can probably just take the one from your existing phone.

It will also arrive with a UK power adapter, but again this can be easily fitted with a Spanish power adapter.

The Inspectors Verdict: The Siemens Gigaset A120 Trio Cordless Phone Set represents a quality set of three cordless phones at a ridiculous 10€ per phone!

So if your home phone is past its sell by date now is the time to change it.

Visit www.gadget-hound.co.uk/ gigaset-trio / to order the Siemens Gigaset A120 Trio Cordless Phone Set for 31€: price quoted includes free delivery to Spain (Euro cost subject to exchange rate at time of purchase).

This is often hard to track and very hard to stick to and this where this top rated diet app can assist your weight loss considerably.

With the largest food database of any Android calorie counter with over 2 million foods logged. It can also be used with another phone app called Barcode scanner and just scan the barcodes on many of the foods that you eat on a daily basis and it will automatically log the calories etc for you and with over 350 exercises that you can also track and add to your daily food/exercise diary it will tell you how many calories you have burnt.

You can set your personal goals, track your weight loss and you will have those extra pounds falling off you in no time at all. It can all be fully synchronised online on their website www.myfitnesspal.com so you can logon via your phone or computer, whichever is more convenient.

Available to download for free on Google Play on Android devices.

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11 - 17 january 2013

Life events

Torrevieja’s New Year Concert

By Keith Nicol TORREVIEJA’S INTERNATIONAL Auditorium, was put to one of the exact uses it was designed for on Sunday, as a full house of almost 1,400 packed the newest jewel in the crown of the Municipality, for a very special New Year’s concert. On stage was the newly formed Torrevieja Symphonic Orchestra that has been growing in stature and reputation with each and every performance. The two-hour program contained a variety of music for every taste, with lots of amusing touches coupled by a choice of popular music, that at times had the audience humming, clapping and laughing along too.

Under the baton and directorship of José Francisco Sánchez, it was obvious from the first notes played that the audience were in for a very special performance, and they were not to be disappointed. This relatively new orchestra of almost 70 musicians has flourished under the leadership of Sánchez and from the outset, they played with style passion, precision and touch.

The audience was very international and along with their predominantly Spanish supporters, English, German, Russian and Swedish could be heard in dialogue during the interval.

Although most performances of Classical Music are often thought of as highbrow, this special one-off concert was more in the style of the Boston Pops Orchestra, as they set out to entertain the audience with a splendid performance, that kept the audience in high spirits and smiling along with each number.

The diverse selection included many lighthearted moments with the gaiety of the waltzes from Johann Strauss II to the control and feeling put into more intricate pieces, such as their opening ‘La Revoltosa’ by R. Chapl and ‘Hungarian Dance Number 5’ by Brahms Crowd favourites included the selection from Strauss including the ‘The Blue Danube Waltz’, ‘Pizzicato Polka’ and ‘The Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka’ which, had there been a dance floor, would have been quickly filled as the audience bounced

A full house of almost 1,400 packed the newest jewel in the crown of the Municipality

up and down in their seats or swayed in time to the music, as was likewise for the ‘Blue Danube’.

To add some variety to the show, soloist Francisco Moreno performed the Jota ‘La Dolores’ while the penultimate number featured a band member, dressed as a ‘thief’ robbing band members and eventually holding up the director, followed by a comic ‘bang’ and the unveiling of a poster heralding ‘Happy New Year’.

An excellent evening of popular classical music for which the audience demanded three well deserved encores, which bodes well for the future of the orchestra and also their plans to further develop a youth orchestra in Torrevieja. If this house was an indicator of things to come, best to book early for their next performance, just before Easter, on Saturday 23rd March, in the Auditorio de Torrevieja which will feature ‘Requiem de Mozart’ and ‘Sinfonia no 25 en Sol Menor’.

From Russia with love YOUNG RUSSIAN pianist Maria Stembolskaya visits the Costa Blanca this month for two recitals in Calpe.

By Jack Troughton Currently on tour in Europe, the award winning musician is playing concerts in Paris, Strasbourg and Nice – as well as the Spanish resort on Saturday 19th January and Sunday 20th January, courtesy of Ilusion-Arte.

Based in the Marina Alta town, Ilusion-Arte has a tradition of bringing young international piano virtuosos to Calpe and Maria will play an interesting programme including both Russian and French music.

In the first part of the Saturday concert, she will play a selection from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and some of the works by his famous compatriots Rachmaninov and Prokofiev. After the interval, Maria will play rarely performed music from the French romantic composer Mel Bonis, ending with Concert No2 of Saint-Saens,

Calling all dog lovers!

GIVING4GIVING is organising a walk for dog owners and their four legged friends on 27th January starting at 11am, to raise money for local cancer charities.

Shop owner Gary Burr has planned the 6km walk to cover a very pleasant flat route along the road from La Nucia towards Terra Mitica and back again so it will be suitable for everyone.

Entry is open to all whether you own a dog or not. There is no entry fee but sponsorship is encouraged to raise monies for local cancer charities. No amount of sponsorship is too small and will go towards good causes so every euro will count.

The walk starts from the Repsol petrol station opposite the Toyota showroom on the CV70 Benidorm to La Nucia Road. Turn up from 10.30am to take part. Water will be provided but owners will responsible for clearing up after their pets.

More information including sponsorship forms and map can be picked up from the Giving4Giving shop at 12 Monver Plaza, La Nucia or by visiting the website at www.giving4giving.es Or call Gary on 693 137 697.

The Giving4Giving shop is always looking for new donations of household items, clothes and furniture. A new household clearance service is now available. Please telephone for more details.

Mountain walking SATURDAY 12TH JANUARY Segaria from Monte Pego: A moderately strenuous walk over some rough terrain.

9kms of 4 hours’ duration with a 350m ascent: no dogs: for further details contact Peter 669 873 159.

Two summits of Montgo: A very strenuous walk over rough terrain and involving scrambling: for experienced mountain walkers only. 12kms of 5 hours’ duration with an 800m ascent: no dogs: for further details contact Geoff 696 032 882.

WEDNESDAY 16TH JANUARY El Mirabo: A moderate walk over some rough terrain. Gentle incline and descent: 8kms of 4 hours’ duration with a 350m ascent: no dogs: for further details contact John 646 310 164.

Extended Bernia circuit: A strenuous walk over some rough terrain involving some scrambling. 13½kms of 5½ hours’ duration with a 600m ascent: no dogs: For further details contact Bill 673 220 073.

Sanchet and Ponoch circular: A very strenuous walk over mostly rough terrain: 15kms of 5½ hours’ duration with an 850m ascent: No dogs: For further details contact Mary 655 676 118.

The rules and guidelines for walking are given on our website, see www.cbmwalkers.org.

transcribed for piano by George Bizet.

Maria will be performing this programme at the Salo Blau of the Casa de Cultura in Calpe from 8pm. Tickets are 9€ members and 14€ for non-members. Tickets will be available from 7pm but reservations are highly recommended by calling 658 483 087 or 656 714 787, or by email to ilusionartecalpe@gmail.com The Sunday recital is with dinner at the Casa Shandor in Calle Mayor at 8pm, when Maria will perform works

by Tchaikovsky, Field, Bonis, and Gounod and Liszt.

Tickets are priced at 25€ for members and 30€ for non-members will be available from 7.45pm but pre-booking is essential call 658 483 087 or 656 714 787, or email ilusionartecalpe@gmail.com

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11 - 17 january 2013

Life horoscopes Spiralling energies make it hard to make your move at the right time. Any shielding by Uranus may not ring the right result and may see you taking the long trip back to step one. You’ll see things clearly after actions with Saturn help you see the wood for the trees midweek, and then urge you to make the appropriate truce.

Venus in Capricorn is influencing your emotional centre and preparing for any rebuff by acting on Saturn in Pisces.

Though people may think that you have your head in the clouds it is only subterfuge so that you alone can get your head together over an affair of the heart, and all that this means in the current scheme of things.

Jupiter inspired by Chiron brings a touch of luck as a project gains momentum after a setback. Any recent pause has more to it than meets the eye, and this now is a suitable break in the performance; to ascertain what could work when all around seems to be pointing at failure and you are left high and dry.

Bringing on back the good times, you are haplessly lost in reminiscence and nostalgia as Venus conjuncts Pluto and too much is better than too little. You have tried treading carefully, but there is nothing subtle going on right now, and you need to know where you stand for once and for all for everyone’s sake.

Forget foolish pride because resolution is both important and necessary right now. If somebody cannot commit and you need their strength then it is not in your nature to beg.

Unfortunately it is not you who will burn your hands in breaking this enforced silence and you have started so you have to finish.

Though it is painful to you, there has to be a definite change in plan if you are to retain your sanity. You have been carrying things for some time and there has been nothing but ungrateful response and speculation. What is wanted and needed is a complete change of circumstance and for you that means walking away, head high.

Frequent actions throughout the week showcase the talents of Venus as she takes on Uranus, Saturn and Pluto each in turn. The connection with Capricorn dispels fear and brings priority to a truth that needs to be heard and understood by all concerned. Bringing peace and helping to rebuild the lives of others are a sure winner right now.

Saturn has taken the burden away from a duty of care and has given you a fair chance to see things from a very different angle. There are two sides to every story, but the truth can hurt people who are not currently on your wavelength. Carry on regardless and just follow your instincts since all will come right in the end.

Watch finances as a warning sees you making checks and economies all across the board this week. Mighty Uranus in Aries, and Jupiter in Gemini are making things somewhat difficult, but are doing you a favour in return by alerting you as to making economic choices that will see you enjoying better times ahead.

Venus brings love in every way, as a fleeting visit allows you to take on Uranus and Saturn with aplomb. Love energies are strong and it is just as good a time as any to look into your heart and make decisions about what you really do want right now. Put passion and desire on that menu, but be careful what you ask for.

Having to take control of a situation you have been staying away from is indeed a tribute to your unselfish positive actions of late. Knowing that you won’t get any thanks and that some will see that you are interfering, just do what you have to and remember that you have nothing but good intentions and resolve on your help menu.

With Saturn and Chiron making entries this week it is sure that your wealth of wisdom is currently being stifled. It is O.K. that the rose tinted glasses are a part of your make up, but there comes a time whereby you have to be taken seriously, and there is currently work to be done on many levels. Take the big break coming ever closer!

Kenny corris www.kennycorris.net

Inspiration

The Cosmos is the backdrop for the castings in place to compile, as I do, a weekly horoscope for the Round Town News. Because of the constant astrological changes, each and every movement brings new aspects and it is hard sometimes to focus on a theme for each of the twelve horoscope signs. Each sign has houses in which the same input means very different energies are converted into a myriad of possibilities. I sometimes have to pick on one and then it is open to my personal interpretation.

From the very first time I saw Astrological charts and the Planisphere I was fascinated in the divination that comes from the planets in orbit above us, and the fascinating journeys that they make across the skies. Every Astrologer has a right to their own interpretation, and many of us, especially me, are in contact with other professionals and value their input when a corner develops and there is a wide open situation beckoning.

People have been stargazing for many, many years.

It was however Queen Elizabeth 1st who appointed the very first Royal Astrologer to serve her in her court. In these times little was really known about the movement of the planets and they had not been studied as they are today. Working on primitive levels the soothsayers gave their interpretation and foresaw the destinies of many historical events that enfolded all around them. Elizabeth was in constant contact with

Kennys diary New Year Readings: Start at the Maya Bistro in Albir on January 14th and 16th from 17.00. Call for bookings on: 966 868 213.

the man whom she felt knew her destiny and would therefore help her with the decisions that faced her.

Living here in Spain I very often go out to look at the night time sky. Luckily living in a village there is little refracted light from streetlamps and the wonderful panorama of stars allows me to go and look at constellations for myself. I was indeed lucky too to have a Father who was an astronomer, and he taught me the basic map of the night time sky; what to look at and where to see what I needed to. Whilst he was studying the stars I was opening my sensitive young soul to the astrological aspects that beheld me, with the added bonus of his theodolite which brought the sky alive every night we shared the wonders of a starry night.

Many people ask me why my interpretation is different to others, and why a period of time can reveal horoscopes of differing intention and aspect.

Imagine if we were all to think the same? The late and great Carole Golder, author, and Astrologer to the Daily Express for many years was my very best teacher. One week when she wasn’t well she asked my interpretation for the week ahead. She read what I had written and scribbled in red pen all over it. 80% of it was printed the following Sunday, and I was inspired.

From that day on I began to produce a weekly and monthly chart, and I will continue to do so for every periodical I work with. Live casting without use of the computer….just call me an old fashioned guy! Thanks, readers for your calls, texts and email messages. Like my Father, Carole and that Night time sky you are a true inspiration to me!

Love & Light... Kenny Corris

Postbag

Readings in your area: Please make contact if you want to organise readings in your locality, or organise a psychic event for you, or your favourite charity.

Some dates available for January.

DNA: A Spring Workshop: A one day workshop that helps you to charge your own unique Spiritual DNA. An intensive workshop, open to all, that intensifies, accelerates and inspires Spiritual progress and indicates the clear way ahead. Dates in February, or can travel to your own group or organisation. For details please call Kenny directly on 686 361 594 or leave a message on: 96 587 8424.

If it’s your birthday this week

Email your letters to me at: kennycorris@roundtownnews.com

Kenny, lately I have been dreaming of my Father. At least I think it is him by stature and dress. The face however isn’t him. I was freaked out by this initially but my partner immediately said that I should contact you, and that you would know! Catriona H. Hi Catriona. I have had direct experience of this and I know that you get all the signs that it is someone you know and then something has changed. It can be face or voice or height, and it can be a bit scary. These dreams normally go on for a week or so then you never experience them again. The purpose is to gain your attention, and usually nothing more. They certainly do have a specific and lasting aura around them. This contact can be that your loved ones are asking for you to connect with them, so start talking, tell them that you love and remember them and that no tricks are necessary. Please do let me know if these odd disjointed dreams continue for any time, but have no fear!

Planetary influences, amidst Cosmic change, herald the start of something best kept confidentially within your specific guidelines right now; allowing you to adequately showcase your achievements, with more to come!

Sudoku

Wordwheel

Cryptic Crossword

Quick Crossword ACROSS 1. Cut the corner? (6) 4. As drunk as a herring! (6) 9. Could they be hardfought sewing contests?

(6-7) 10. Organise a place for firing practice, we hear (7) 11. One has a nose for this (5) 12. Light meal container required about the end of the afternoon (5) 14. Transport by sea is a matter of skill (5) 18. This peg is fixed in the window elsewhere (5) 19. Where Arthur arrived with many more (7) 21. This provides solidity for one on the way to the bank (8-5) 22. Famous seaman shows a hold one can’t escape from (6) 23. Twists and relaxes, we hear (6)

Word Ladders

45

11 - 17 january 2013

DOWN 1. The sort of weight for cock-fighting? (6) 2. It’s enough to drive you round the bend!

(8-5) 3. Stop and pass on (5) 5. Exit in the open air (7) 6. They help to fill up a form at the same time (6-7) 7. Make an unauthorised departure in a private capacity! (6) 8. Brown figure without a head (5) 13. Extempore song and a variety of plays taken in by the company (7) 15. Describing the strong favourite “Rum Boy” (4,2) 16. Street contains one bin - hardly enough (5) 17. Aquatic creatures made to rest (6) 20. A man of endless wretchedness (5)

The key rule is that you must only change one letter at a time as you move from one rung to another, and the word you make must be a proper word! Therefore you may move from BATH --> BATS but not from BATH --> CASH because that changes two letters in one go which is not allowed.

ACROSS 1. Founding (6) 4. Fit (6) 9. Discomfiture (13) 10. Right (7) 11. Banish (5) 12. Impediment (5) 14. Blemish (5) 18. Intelligence (5) 19. Take out (7) 21. Prosaic (13) 22. Give (6) 23. Made smooth (6)

DOWN 1. Rupture (6) 2. Inferiority (13) 3. Cherish (5) 5. Esteem (7) 6. Rainfall (13) 7. Decaying (6) 8. Offensive (5) 13. Touch (7) 15. Ridiculous (6) 16. Send (5) 17. Be present (6) 20. Track (5)

Euromillions Draw Friday 4th January 2013

4 10 22 27 41

8

10

No ticket won the 15,000,000 Euros

Tuesday 8th January 2013

2 20 22 26 47

No ticket won the 22,485,855 Euros

5

9

46

11 - 17 january 2013

Life events

Torrevieja’s Winter Cultural Program

by Keith Nicol THIS WINTER’S Cultural Program may have been cut down in size due to budget restraints but it still offers 155 activities with something on offer every weekend to keep you busy around Torrevieja. This winter’s program has been produced with a modest budget of 25,490€, amounting to 70% less than the same period last year!

Luis María Pizana, Torrevieja’s Councillor for Culture and vice president of the Municipal Institute of Culture ‘Joaquin Chapaprieta’, presented the cultural program ‘Winter 2013’ last week. The total of 155 scheduled activities, includes concerts, workshops, theatre, lectures and conferences, galas, children’s entertainment performances, competitions, exhibitions, religious and youth activities, involving a total of 51 participating institutions throughout this quarterly program, which covers the months of January, February and March. Luis Maria Pizana announced the publication of 20,000 copies of this full calendar of cultural and

leisure activities, which are available at all public offices in Torrevieja, including Tourism, Foreign Residents Office and Town Halls.

Pizana highlighted the fact that “our focus is again aiming for quality programming, with a variety of cultural genres for all audiences, while continuing to be firmly committed to the promotion of events and representations of associations and cultural organizations plus local music.” Pizana explained that the Town Hall continues to renew the printing programming format and that this time “the new layout includes a daily planner where you can visualize all the possibilities, not only for cultural but leisure in the city of Torrevieja, along with a new format that aims to be more accessible and usable. Furthermore, the program remains committed to supporting the basic culture combined with great performances that keep Torrevieja up there as a true benchmark nationally and internationally.”

Pizana said that one of the most important shows of the ‘Winter 2013’ will

Rosa Lopez

be the performance of the opera ‘Nabucco’, which features an impressive cast of internationally renowned artists. He also highlighted the performance of the play “Shakespeare’s Women” by Rafael Alvarez “El Brujo”, Spanish singing superstar Rosa Lopez’s performance on January 26, and a tribute to Irish band U2. Easter comes very earlier this year, with Easter Sunday falling on March 30 with this year’s Semana Santa processions being upgraded to that of ‘Provincial Tourist Interest’. After the success of last week’s New Year’s Concert, also of note is the concert of “Requiem” by Mozart, to be performed by Torrevieja’s Ars Aetheria

Symphony Orchestra accompanied by the Ricardo Lafuente Municipal Choir in the International Music Auditorium.

Because Easter is so early, activities scheduled for the Carnival start in the first week of February. Carnival is the most colourful and fun of all of Torrevieja’s fiestas and coupled with the National Drag Queen Contest, a great event for the atmosphere and enjoyment it brings. FC Torrevieja have organised the first contest of monologues with Lopez and Raul Tops while in March, the musical ‘Cats’ will be staged in English. More information at www.torrevieja.es and www.torreviejatoday.com.

11 - 17 january 2013

Life spanish

47

Basic Spanish for everyday needs

by Jane Cronin

Step by Step Spanish - 14 We are currently learning about “Indirect Object Pronouns” and in the last article I gave you a very brief recap of what “Direct Object Pronouns” are so that you are at least aware of the difference.

As with many grammatical terms, the function is expressed in the name. “Object” always refers to the person or thing which receives the action of a verb, “pronoun” is something that replaces a noun and we say “indirect” because the action of the verb is received “indirectly”, of course.

We finished last week with the example in English: “The boy throws it to her” (we were talking about a ball). We can label the words like this – “the boy” is the subject; “throw” is the verb; “it” is the direct object pronoun (receiving the “direct” action of “throw”) and “her” is the indirect object pronoun (receiving the “indirect” action of the verb – in other words, the person to whom the ball is thrown).

We finished off by saying that the most difficult thing about this in Spanish is the word order, as it is literally: “The boy to her it throws” – “El niño se la tira” (“it” here is “la” because it is the pronoun replaces the feminine word “la pelota”). We can make matters even worse (just stick with me for a couple more sentences) by substituting “the

boy” for the subject pronoun “he”. In English we now have “He throws it to her”. Put into Spanish word order we have: “He to her it throws” which is “Él se la tira”. However, as you know, in Spanish we often miss out the subject pronoun “Él”. So the end result is the three word sentence: “se la tira” (to her – it – throws).

On its own “se la tira” makes about as much sense as Egyptian hieroglyphics, which leads me to my next, very important, point.

The whole reason for pronouns is that they replace nouns that we already know about.

Going back to the sentence “He throws it to her” – this is completely meaningless in English as well unless you know who he is, who she is (that is “her”) and what it is. In other words, a sentence which contains pronouns in any language is a sort of shorthand which only makes sense to people who have some prior information. This is why you can never understand what people are talking about at the next table in a restaurant.

It’s because they’re saying things like: “Well I told him about it, but he said that she didn’t agree with them” and unless you know what

all those pronouns refer to, it all sounds like gibberish. There you are, and you thought it was because your Spanish was rubbish! Next time you’re with someone who says “You’re learning Spanish, what are those people talking about?” You can say: “I don’t know because they’re using too many direct and indirect object pronouns”. That should shut them up for a bit.

Okay, so here are the Indirect Object Pronouns in Spanish: Me Nos Te Os Le (or “se”) Les (or “se”) To finish off, here are some sentences using the first and second person Indirect Object Pronouns for you to ponder over: “Me lo dio” (he or she gave it to me); “Te lo mandaron” (they sent it to you); “¿nos lo dijiste?” (Did you tell us (it)?) “Os la pasé” (“I passed it to you: “it” being something feminine like “la sal” (the salt). See you next week, but be warned, we’ll be tackling “le” “les” and “se”.

Dancing on Ice

Jason Gardiner@officialJasonG : Just did the Dancing on Ice press launch with @ImAshleyRoberts and what a stunner she is! I am genuinely thrilled she is on the panel. Tune in Sunday!

Dave Vitty@davidvitty : Congrats to Cheggers. Deservedly through as he was the best skater on the night, although I wonder how much budget was blown on Pamela Anderson.

Nerves

Ruth Langsford@RuthieeL : On way home to do final bit of revision with Jack who has 11+ exam tomorrow.....I’m more nervous than he is but working hard not to show it!

Ballon D’or

Jack Whitehall@jackwhitehall : Messi won the ballon d’or what the?! Titus Bramble over looked once again. It’s a disgrace!

David Villa@Guaje7Villa : Congratulations to Leo Messi for his fourth Ballon D’Or and Vicente del Bosque for being elected best coach!!!

Back To Reality

John Bishop@JohnBishop100 : Stood in mud. Cold and watching my son play on a soaked pitch by a motorway overlooked by a chemical factory. I was in Dubai this morning!

The Funny Tweets

Stephen Fry@stephenfry : The odd thing is they don’t sell fridges #MrSelfridge

Life books Paths of Glory

Danny Collins - copy@dannyjpcollins.com

GEORGE LEIGH Mallory and Sandy Irvine made their attempt on Everest in June 1924. They were both seen at 600 feet from the summit and then weather conditions worsened and they were lost to view: neither returned.

LeighMallory’s body was discovered on 1st May 1999 at 26,760 feet. A search of his frozen and well-preserved remains revealed no sign of the photograph of his wife that he had vowed to leave on the summit. Irvine carried a camera to photograph both men at the summit but neither Irvine’s body, nor the camera, have been found.

In 1975 a Chinese mountaineer named Xu Jing told a colleague he’d come across the body of an Englishman frozen in a narrow gully at 27,230 feet. Xu Jing was killed in an avalanche a few days later, thus the mystery remains. Jeffrey Archer has written a fictionalised account of the preparation and events leading up to the climb and has been honest with the facts wherever possible. He fictionalises Leigh Mallory and Irvine finally reaching the summit and becoming the first men at the top of the world.

I became interested in the story of Leigh Mallory and Irvine back in 1953 as I delivered newspapers announcing Sir Edmund Hillary’s Author: Jeffrey Archer Publisher: Macmillan Price: 20.80€ ISBN: 978 1 4472 1723 7

Suduko Answer

conquest of the mountain. Was Hillary the first or did Leigh Mallory and Irvine reach their goal and fall to their deaths on their descent?

I always hoped they did and I’m comforted that Archer shares my belief. The book is magnificently written and is a great tribute to the men who climbed mountains with no more than we would take on a walk in the snowy fens. A fitting salute to the hob-nailed heroes of the ‘20s that should be read by every boy aged from nine to ninety.

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11 - 17 january 2013

Life health

Michael Burke

RHAD MSHAA of Digital Hearing

Sensorineural hearing loss “

Inner ear hair cell damage can be caused by noiseprolonged exposure to damaging levels of noise at work (machinery, engines, etc) or leisure (nightclubs, rock bands, shooting, etc), or short exposure to very high-intensity levels (explosions, etc).

“

SENSORINEURAL HEARING loss occurs when a breakdown in the hair cells in the inner ear results in them being unable to convert sound waves into the nerve impulses that are recognised by the brain as sounds. High-frequency hair cells (carrying the information of speech) are more susceptible to damage than the low-frequency hair cells (background noise, deep sounds) and usually go first.

This type of hearing loss cannot be remedied

surgically or medically and this is where hearing aids can be of great benefit. The majority of hearing losses detected tend to be sensorineural.

Generally, someone suffering from a sensorineural hearing loss can hear in a quiet room one-to-one and face-to-face, but tends to struggle in background noise. (Low-frequency background noise is heard perfectly well and tends to overwhelm the speech, which is heard poorly.) Sufferers can tend to shout because they often cannot hear their own voice properly.

Sufferers complain of poor discrimination: one word runs into another; the beginning and ends of words are often missed; whilst the low-frequency noise of vowels is heard well, the high-frequency sounds of consonants can be lost.

An increase in volume will not necessarily improve clarity, because all sounds including the ones heard well are increased at an equal rate. The sensorineural hearing loss sufferer requires more amplification in the high

frequencies than in the low in order to maintain clarity.

Inner ear hair cell damage can be caused by noiseprolonged exposure to damaging levels of noise at work (machinery, engines, etc) or leisure (nightclubs, rock bands, shooting, etc), or short exposure to very high-intensity levels (explosions, etc). It can also be caused by ototoxicity (the side-effect of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, chemicals, pollutants, etc), or by viral infections (mumps, measles and shingles amongst others), Menière’s disease, circulatory disorders, strokes, tumours, heredity or just plain wear-and-tear.

The sensorineural hearing loss sufferer is often accused of having selective hearing because in some circumstances (absence of background noise) and at some frequencies (low/deep sounds) they can hear as well as if not better than many others.

The sensorineural hearing loss is the curse of a noisy world; inner ear hair cells do not regenerate in humans: once it’s gone, it’s gone. Wear ear protection. (It’s never too late to start!)

In the next Hearing Column we will look at Menière’s disease.

If you have any question’s about this week’s topic, email digitalhearing@hotmail.co.uk or contact Michael Burke at Digital Hearing, Quesada Business Centre, Calle Los Arcos 7, Quesada: Tel 698 418 642.

WANT TO join a nonprofit organisation which is thriving on the Costa Blanca and committed to supporting charitable causes and bringing people together? There are Freemasons lodges throughout the Costa Blanca who meet on a weekly basis and welcome new members.

For more information

contact Harry Palmer by email at palmers.quesada@ yahoo.co.uk or telephone 96 671 2326. please

Price List to 31/01/2013 First Consultation

Free

First Check up

Free

Cleaning

30.00€

Cleaning & polishing with Airflow

50.00€

Bleaching

280.00€

Bleaching Zoom

350.00€

White Composite Filling

50.00€

Veneer

350.00€

Ceramic Crown

350.00€

Implant

650.00€

Implant Crown

650.00€

Mini Implant

480.00€

Crown/Bridge each Tooth

300.00€

Replacement of old Crown or Bridge (Each tooth)

30.00€

Temporary Denture

350.00€

Metal based Denture

600.00€

Upper or under Jaw Complete Denture

500.00€

Prosthesis incl. 4 mini implants 2200.00€ (All inclusive) Emergency service fee at night and on weekends + treatment cost

50.00€

50

11 - 17 january 2013

Life recipes

Pumpkin Soup with Curry What could be more colourful or delicious than this creamy soup made with pumpkin or butternut squash? We see them in the shops and markets and they look wonderful, but good recipes can be hard to find. Here’s an idea that will set your taste buds tingling.

• 1 medium butternut squash or have a large pumpkin • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped • 1 clove of garlic • 1 leek, sliced • 1 mild red chilli (optional) • 2 large tomatoes, skin and seeds removed • 1-2 tsp curry powder • 250ml chicken stock • A dash of cream 1. Roughly chop the onion, leek, garlic and chilli. Place the chopped ingredients in a large saucepan and sweat gently with a little oil until soft (about 10 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and any pith. Pare the rind from the squash and cut the soft flesh into cubes.

3. Stir the curry powder into the onion and leek mixture and then add the cubed

squash, tomato and chicken stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and, using a liquidiser or hand blender, blend the soup until smooth.

5. Just before serving, return the soup to

the heat and finish by stirring in a dash of thick cream.

Serves: 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes

If you have a recipe you would like to share with RTN Readers, email your recipe and if possible a photo to rtnmailroundtownnews.com

Collection of plastic caps to buy a walker for a child with cerebral palsy

by Keith Nicol TORREVIEJA’S DEPARTMENT Department of Social Welfare and virtually all delegates from the Town Hall have joined together in the campaign to collect plastic caps for the family of Pedro, a five year old boy who has cerebral palsy and requires a new walker and clothes.

Last week, Councillor for Welfare, Tomas Ballester, made an appearance along with the boy’s mother, Heidi Aznar and his aunt, Carmen Ballester to explain that a year ago, after receiving confirmation from doctors that Pedro is suffering from a condition with irreversible damage, his mother said “we saw a special walker on TV, which would allow our son to achieve some mobility and give him some happiness.”

Thus, they started a campaign to collect plastic tops for recycling. Many people came to his family business, a stationery store in Colonia San Esteban, to deposit the tops for the purchase of the special walker, which is priced around 12,000€. Since then, the family have received a lot of support and received bags of plastic caps for his cause, but many more are still needed.

The Plastic Caps are traded at 150€ per ton thanks to the generosity of a recycling yard in Torrevieja and a recycling center in Callosa de Segura. If you would like to contribute to help Pedro with his dream of having his own walker, the contact number for those who want to participate is 96 570 5827.

11 - 17 january 2013

Life people

51

Cash in the Attic branches out!

HOMEOWNERS IN Spain often have to cram a lot of possessions into limited storage space, so decide instead to part with their second-hand treasures.

Cash in the Attic opened at the Flamenca Beach Commercial centre in Play Flamenca five years ago, offering a tempting range of quality goods at a fraction of the retail

The business has moved to a much larger venue

price of new items. The business has enjoyed overwhelming success and now has moved to a much larger venue in Pilar de la Horadada.

The Calle Mayor store is packed with even more great bargains for the home and garden: furniture; household appliances; beds; bric a brac; electrical goods; children’s bedroom furniture and cots and loads of other home necessities at affordable prices. Owner Ewan Dalgleish is delighted with the way the business has grown and says: “I will be sticking to my winning formula - stack it high and sell it cheap, cheap, cheap!”

The larger premises have enabled Ewan to expand by branching out into other lines such as children’s clothing and baby equipment, with a choice of over 600 items of clothing for children aged 0 to 12 years while stocks last from designer names such as Berkinstock, Ralph Lauren, Naf Naf, BMS Footwear, Replay - all available at only 5€ per item!

Cash in the Attic offer a range of quality goods at a fraction of the retail price

Ewan also offers the best prices on your unwanted goods, whether for a single item or a full house clearance.

His friendly team also offers a service to businesses by buying liquidation stock and end-of-line goods. Call today on 672 821 542.

The all new Cash in the Attic is open during the extended hours of 10am to 7pm -turn off the N332 for Pilar at the Carrefour Express, and continue through the traffic lights. The store is set back 200 yards on the right hand side.

Benefit Concert for Louise Clarke

By Keith Nicol LOUISE CLARKE touched the lives of many residents on the Costa Blanca and beyond.

Sadly, she tragically lost her fight for life in December 2012 and the messages of condolences still come into RTN for husband Lee and children Charlie and Lily for their

loving mother. Louise will always remain in the hearts and minds of many people she met and corresponded with and being struck down with a mystery illness at the young age of 38 has had a major effect on the community.

Tonight, Friday January 11, 2013 there is

a benefit concert being held for the Charity Caritas in the new Orihuela Costa Church, organised by different members of the local community.

The concert takes place at 8.00pm after Mass and features soloist, tenor Derek Francis, Joyce and Gerry Kelly, Luis Thomas

and others.

Everyone, no matter what denomination or faith is invited to attend. Entrance to the benefit concert is for a donation of just 5.00€ and takes place in the new Church, located close to La Zenia, the Centro Ecumenico de Orihuela Costa.

52

11 - 17 january 2013

Life people

Help At Home and Golden Girls combine

By Keith Nicol COSTA BLANCA Help At Home have started their 2013 activities this week and The Friends of Help At Home Costa Blanca are proud to announce that they will be now taking over the organizing of the former Golden Girls Social Club held at the Emerald Isle La Florida. These fun social meeting take place Wednesday from 2pm to 4pm and all former Golden Girls and new guests are welcome to join for just 10.00€ per annum.

The Golden Girls Social Club was created by Kath Rowe 10 years ago and the successful format of a raffle, guest speakers, fashion shows and live entertainment, will continue to be offered throughout 2013. Kath decided to retire and return to the UK in the New Year and everyone at Help At Home Costa Blanca and all her friends, supporters wish Kath a great future during her retirement, a well-earned rest and time to enjoy fun with her family.

The HAHCB respite service is currently being developed to offer a ‘Friend’ to those in need who have a long term condition, such as Alzheimer, Dementia or those who have suffered a Stroke. HAH are always in need of more volunteers who have a few hours

Norah Bond, President of Help At Home Costa Blanca with members of the Tranquility Lodge

which they can spare to give a much appreciated break to those looking after those who suffer these conditions and of course, to become a ‘friend in need’, which is so valuable to those concerned.

HAH need volunteers to cover the entire Southern Alicante area from La Marina to Pilar de la Horadada, including the Orihuela Costa, Quesada, San Luis, La Siesta, La Mata and Torrevieja. They have two Charity shops

that are open 10.30am to 4.30pm at 409 Calle Niagara 2. Playa Flamenca, Orihuela Costa and at the Emerald Isle La Florida. Their Information Office is located at the shop in Playa Flamenca, which is open from 10.30am to 2.30pm.

Their direct line is 691 585 167. If you’d like to know more about Help At Home Costa Blanca or the Golden Girls Social Club, call 603 245 020 or email: helpathomecb@gmail.com.

‘John, Dementia and Me’

by Keith Nicol OFTEN TRUTH is stranger than fiction and more often than not, many novelists use real life experiences to craft a work of fiction, based upon their own experiences or research.

Such is the case with Rosemary Westwell who has turned her own experiences of dealing with dementia of her husband, as a loving wife, into the novel ‘John, Dementia and Me’, Rosemary has close ties to the Costa Blanca, having a property in Torrevieja and the Cambridgeshire writer and teacher said that after she “married husband John Westwell, a rep from Peterborough, he developed signs of an illness that developed into early-onset dementia and he gradually deteriorated until he was sectioned in 1992.”

Over the years, Rosemary experienced many moments of frustration and despair as she had to deal with holding down a full time job, bringing up their two daughters and battling the authorities for John’s care. After a successful appeal, she felt moved to write her book, a fictional account of her own struggles and experiences.

‘John, Dementia and Me’ is a novel that tells the story of ‘Sally’ and her difficulties in dealing with the unusual behaviour of her husband and her quest to solve the mystery of the family secrets her husband was unwilling to divulge. Rosemary hopes that the story will help others in similar situations and that they may pick up some tips, and fell better in knowing that they are not alone in their difficulties.

Her novel, ‘John, Dementia and Me’ is available from Bargain Books, C/ Ramon Gallud 12, Torrevieja or directly from the author rjwestwell@hotmail.com.

11 - 17 january 2013

Life events

53

Murcian hopeful competing in Dakar Rally This year’s Dakar rally began on 5th January in Lima, Peru, and will conclude on the 20th January in Santiago, Argentina, participants completing more than 5000 miles of harsh and unforgiving terrain on their journey.

It’s a gruelling challenge of courage, endurance , skill and determination and will test all those competing in the four categories of bike, quad, car and trucks throughout the 14 days of racing this year. This is the first time Peru has hosted the race, which will travel through Argentina and Chile, and the race will be broadcast in 190 countries worldwide, with an estimated worldwide audience of more than a billion viewers.

The Dakar began in 1978, promoted by racer Thierry Sabine, who came up with the idea after he himself became lost whilst in the Sahara and conceived the idea that holding a race in these conditions would be a unique and exciting prospect for race fans and competitors.

Originally the event came through Spain, and then into North Africa, but in 2008 the murder of four French tourists in Mauritania forced a rethink and the decision was taken to transfer the event to South America.

Although all eyes will be on the big names: Stephane Peterhansel, who holds the record for the number of car titles gained – a total of 10 to date (six on a bike, four in a car) , Cyril Despres, the French bike rider who has already taken the title four times, in 2005, 2007, 2010 and 2012, the youngest competitor, 19-year-old Dutchman Robert Van Pelt, and the

oldest competitor, 73-year old Francisco Claudio Regunaschi, Murcian hopes will be pinned on Miguel Puertas Herrera, who is riding with the sponsorship of Murcian-based Himoinsa from San Javier.

Miguel Puertas was born in Granada, but began his relationship with Murcia when he arrived at the Academia General del Aire in Santiago de la Ribera, where he began his military flight training. After completing a number of years in active service, he returned to the Air academy as a flight instructor in 2001, and has flown with the Eagle patrol acrobatics team since 2002.

Throughout this time teaching at the san Javier Air Academy, he has combined his passion for flying with his other passion: motorcycling and has competed in the Dakar on 8 previous occasions, his best result coming 35th in the 2010 Dakar Argentinia-Chile rally, although he had the honour of being voted the “Fair play” rider by TVE in 2012 for his attitude towards his co-riders and solidarity towards them in 2012, when he achieved 63rd position.

He is sponsored in the Dakar by Himoinsa, who have a futuristic factory unit on the main road heading towards San Javier airport and are a leading manufacturer in the energy sector.

Four stages have been concluded by print deadline, with Miguel Puertas wearing number 58 in 83rd position, after getting stuck in a hole just before one of the final check

points and spending a period totally lost, along with 15 other pilots on the 429km fourth stage.

Article produced in collaboration with www.murciatoday.com local news, what’s on and where to go in the Region of Murcia

A cycle of Beethoven Symphonies for Spring 2013 Lovers of classical music may enjoy a cycle of four concerts being performed by the Symphonic Orchestra of the Region of Murcia which perform the entire catalogue of Beethoven symphonies between January and May. The concerts take place in both the Auditorio Victor Villegas in Murcia and the El Batel Auditorium in Cartagena. Tickets cost 14, 12 and 8 euros and are available directly from

Ticketmaster by calling 902 150 025.

Concert Cycle 24th January 2013 Cartagena or 25th January in Murcia Virginia Martínez, Director L. van Beethoven – Symphony Number nº 8 L. van Beethoven – Symphony Number nº 7

Wednesday 6th February Cartagena and Thursday 7th February in Murcia Virginia Martínez, Director L. van Beethoven – Symphony Number nº 5 L. van Beethoven – Symphony Number nº 6 Thursday 4th April in Cartagena and Friday 5th April in Murcia Virginia Martínez, Director

L. van Beethoven – Symphony Number nº 4 L. van Beethoven – Symphony Number nº 3 Wednesday 22nd May in Cartagena and Thursday 23rd May in Murcia Virginia Martínez, Director L. van Beethoven - Coriolano (obertura) L. van Beethoven – Symphony nº 1 L. van Beethoven - Symphony nº 2

54

11 - 17 january 2013

Life showbiz goss Johnny D:

The life and times

LAST WEEK I was amazed to discover that Johnny Depp played the part of Edward Scissorhands twenty two years ago, and also that he will turn 50 this coming June, amazed, because if ever there was a chookiefaced cheeky chappie it’s the youthful-looking Johnny Depp.

His first role in a movie was as Glen Lantz, one of Freddie Kruger’s murder victims in Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984, and he’s currently blowing us all away with his glorious performances as Captain Jack Sparrow in the ‘Pirates’ movies.

Being an actor-a-holic Johnny always has a project or three in the wings, one of which that has been on the back burner for some time now is an association with the highly respected writer and director Quentin Tarantino. “We’re fans of each other, we would love to work together,” Tarantino said on a top US talk show last week, “…we’ve talked about it for year…I just need to find the right character that I think Johnny would be the right guy to do it with … then it’ll be magical.” I’m not sure too many people will disagree with that Quentin, as if ever there was a hot property in the film business right now its Johnny Depp.

Other projects Depp has coming up include making a film documentary of his good friend Keith Richards, starring in and producing an adaptation of ‘Rex Mundi’, a murder mystery set in high society Paris in the 1930s and collaborating with Pirates director Rob Marshall to create a remake of The Thin Man, a comedy-murder mystery movie originally made in 1934.

That’s more than enough to be going on with for the minute you would think for our Johnny boy, but the chances are he might pop up on stage somewhere or other doing a gig with a top musician, as Johnny Depp is also a fine guitarist, and actually arrived in Hollywood in the early 80s intent on strutting his stuff with a band.

Go! Go! … Go Johnny Go! Go! Go!

by

Peter Taylor

Writer and Broadcaster

Beurk is far from a berk!

I have long since been unafraid to stand up and be counted on the business of poor performance, be it in whatever form of the arts, and its always pleasing for me when a highly respected individual from the media steps up to the plate and tells it like it is when it comes to those highly paid show business celebs.

One such person is Michael Beurk, the man who brought the Ethiopia famine to the world’s attention in 1984, a broadcast that went on to inspire ‘Live Aid’, suggesting that when Michael Beurk speaks we should all listen.

Writing his end-of-year review for the Mail On Sunday, on the subject of the television coverage of the Queens Diamond Jubilee Buerk

said: “The one enduring British institution ,the Monarchy, was mocked by another that has shamefully lost its way … on the screen, a succession of daytime airheads preened themselves, or gossiped with even more vacuous D-list ‘celebrities’, with barely an exception, they were cringingly inept … nobody knew anything, nobody cared, the main presenter couldn’t even work out what to call the Queen.”

Powerful stuff is it not, and when you add that he said Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly was a ‘pneumatic bird-brain’, it demonstrates a genuine lack of fear to speak his mind, making it no wonder Michael Beurk inspired the world to reach out and help others in need.

‘Pneumatic Bird-Brain’… don’t you just love it!

You best learn the Highland Fling

This next item is about Scotland, and as it’s the place of my birth and as I don’t want to sound too much like a haggis basher, I’ll keep it short and sweet… a wee one so to speak. Let me explain… In the latest Bond movie Skyfall, when Meester Bond decides he must get M away from the evil baddie Raoul Silva played by Javier Bardem, he takes her to the depths of Scotland to hide out, and on the back of that, according to the all the world’s main travel companies, Scotland has become the planet’s top tourist destination. CNN Travel said: “The scenes shot as they headed to Glencoe has left filmgoers wishing they could race through Scotland’s dramatic countryside,” and a VisitScotland spokesman said: “What a great way to start the New Year” and a wee dram o’ whisky as well ‘a hope … hic!!

11 - 17 january 2013

Life TV

55

11th - 17th January

FRIDAY 11th January BBC1 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 Rip Off Britain 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Privates 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Room 101 22:00 Silent Witness 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Graham Norton Show 24:25 The Village

BBC2

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

E4

07:35 Homes Under the Hammer 08:35 Rip Off Britain 09:20 Cowboy Trap 09:50 Badman’s Territory 11:25 Bombardier 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Darts: BDO World Championships 17:15 Rivers with Griff Rhys Jones 18:15 Antiques Roadshow 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Heir Hunters 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Life in a Cottage Garden with Carol Klein 22:00 Italy Unpacked 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight 24:00 The Review Show 24:45 Weather 24:50 Darts: BDO World Championships

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Local News 15:00 Storage Hoarders 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Local Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Central Tonight 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Wild Britain with Ray Mears 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Great Night Out 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Local News 23:35 The Specialist

07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:05 Will & Grace 08:30 According to Jim 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss Australia 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Kirstie’s Handmade Treasures 13:40 I Was Monty’s Double 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 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 4thought.tv 21:00 First Time Farmers 22:00 16 Kids and Counting 23:00 Rude Tube

07:00 Childrens TV 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Milkshake! Monkey 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 All-New Trisha 13:00 5 News Lunchtime 13:05 Looney Tunes 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Reza, Spice Prince of India 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:15 Mystery Woman: Sing Me a Murder 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Andy Bates Street Feasts 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 The World’s Biggest Bomb: Revealed 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Celebrity Wedding Planner 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

07:00 Emmerdale 07:25 Emmerdale 07:55 Life’s Funniest Moments 08:25 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 09:15 You’ve Been Framed!

09:45 Judge Judy 10:15 Judge Judy 10:40 Peter Andre: My Life 11:40 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 12:30 The Real Housewives of Orange County 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Emmerdale 14:30 Emmerdale at 40 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:10 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 18:05 The Real Housewives of Orange County 19:00 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 20:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:30 You’ve Been Framed!

21:00 I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Now! 22:00 Love Actually 24:45 Ocean’s Eleven

07:00 90210 07:45 One Tree Hill 08:30 Scrubs 08:55 Rules of Engagement 09:25 Charmed 10:25 90210 11:20 One Tree Hill 12:20 Made in Chelsea 13:25 Hollyoaks 14:00 How I Met Your Mother 14:30 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Scrubs 15:30 Scrubs 16:00 Charmed 17:00 Rules of Engagement 17:30 Rules of Engagement 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:30 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 How I Met Your Mother 21:00 The Big Bang Theory 21:30 2 Broke Girls 22:00 Role Models 24:00 Revenge

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

07:00 Childrens TV 09:05 Ultimate Spider-Man 09:30 Victorious 10:00 Jessie 10:25 ITV News 10:30 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 11:25 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 12:20 Saturday Cookbook 13:20 ITV News 13:25 Columbo: Suitable for Framing 14:55 My Tasty Travels with Lynda Bellingham 15:55 Hulk 18:30 Central News 18:45 ITV News 19:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:00 Splash!

21:30 Take Me Out 22:45 Jonathan Ross Show 23:45 ITV News 24:00 Beowulf

07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Beach Volleyball 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:00 Frasier 11:30 Frasier 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 The Big Bang Theory 13:30 The Big Bang Theory 14:00 The Simpsons 14:30 Channel 4 Racing 17:00 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 17:25 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 18:00 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 18:30 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 19:00 Come Dine with Me: Ireland 19:30 Channel 4 News 19:55 4thought.tv 20:00 Night at the Museum 2 22:00 World Without End 23:55 The 51st State

SATURDAY 12th January BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 The Good Cook 13:00 BBC News 13:15 Football Focus 14:00 Brazil: Welcoming the World 14:30 Bargain Hunt 15:30 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 17:30 Final Score 18:15 BBC News 18:30 Animal Antics 19:00 Richard Hammond’s Secret Service 19:45 Britain’s Brightest 21:00 The National Lottery: In It to Win It 21:50 Casualty 22:40 Mrs Brown’s Boys 23:10 BBC News; Weather 23:30 Match of the Day 24:50 Football League Show

BBC2

07:00 The Hitch-Hiker 08:15 On Dangerous Ground 09:35 Armored Car Robbery 10:40 The Sky at Night 11:00 A History of Britain by Simon Schama 12:00 Meet the Ancestors 12:30 Map Man 13:00 Indian Food Made Easy 13:30 Talking Pictures 14:15 Scott of the Antarctic 16:00 Coast 17:00 Stargazing Live 18:00 Stargazing Live 19:00 Stargazing Live 20:00 Flog It! 21:00 Dad’s Army 21:30 Fawlty Towers 22:00 QI XL 22:45 Oranges and Sunshine 24:25 Darts: BDO World Championships

SUNDAY 13th January BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 08:40 Match of the Day 10:00 Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Sunday Politics 13:25 Countryfile 14:25 Bargain Hunt 15:25 Escape to the Country 16:25 Chatsworth 17:25 Songs of Praise 18:00 Africa 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Blandings 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 Ripper Street 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Match of the Day 2 24:25 Room 101 Extra Storage

BBC2

07:05 I Remember Mama 09:15 Life in a Cottage Garden with Carol Klein 09:45 A to Z of TV Gardening 10:30 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:00 EastEnders 13:55 Live Snooker: The Masters 18:00 Ski Sunday 18:45 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 21:00 The Battle for Malta 22:00 Tankies: Tank Heroes of WWII 23:00 Speed Dreams: The Fastest Place on Earth 24:00 Snooker: The Masters 24:50 Snooker Extra

07:00 Childrens TV 09:25 Angelina Ballerina 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 Toby’s Travelling Circus 10:25 Roary the Racing Car 10:40 Jelly Jamm 11:00 Power Rangers 11:35 Batman: The Brave and the Bold 12:10 Inside Hollywood 12:20 Celebrity Big Brother 13:15 The Gadget Show 14:20 Brave Warrior 15:50 Mutiny on the Bounty 19:10 Attack on the Iron Coast 20:50 5 News Weekend 20:55 NCIS 21:50 NCIS 22:45 Celebrity Big Brother 23:45 50 Shocking Facts About Diet and Exercise 24:45 Comedy Kings: Best of Just for Laughs

07:00 All Star Family Fortunes 07:35 Coronation Street 09:55 Emmerdale 12:55 Free Willy 3: the Rescue 14:40 Richie Rich 16:30 You’ve Been Framed!

17:00 You’ve Been Framed!

17:30 You’ve Been Framed!

18:00 You’ve Been Framed!

18:30 You’ve Been Framed!

19:00 King Kong 22:45 Take Me Out The Gossip 23:30 Fake Reaction 24:15 I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry

E4

07:00 Switched 07:20 Heartland 08:05 Greek 09:05 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 10:10 Make It or Break It 11:05 Ugly Betty 12:00 Smallville 13:00 Charmed 14:00 Scrubs 14:30 Scrubs 15:00 Scrubs 15:30 Scrubs 16:00 Scrubs 16:30 Rules of Engagement 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Happy Endings 20:30 Happy Endings 21:00 How I Met Your Mother 21:30 2 Broke Girls 22:00 Snakes on a Plane 24:05 The Big Bang Theory 24:35 The Big Bang Theory

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

E4

07:00 Childrens TV 09:05 Rated A for Awesome 09:15 Rated A for Awesome 09:30 Big Time Rush 10:00 Aquabats Super Show 10:25 ITV News 10:30 There’s No Taste Like Home 11:25 Dinner Date 12:25 May the Best House Win 13:25 Dickinson’s Real Deal 14:25 Rosemary & Thyme 15:25 ITV News and Weather 15:30 Agatha Christie’s Sparkling Cyanide 17:30 All Star Family Fortunes 18:15 You’ve Been Framed!

18:45 Central News 19:00 ITV News 19:15 Dancing on Ice 20:45 All Star Family Fortunes 21:30 Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off 22:00 Mr Selfridge 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:15 Constant Gardener

07:15 The Hoobs 07:40 The Hoobs 08:05 Will & Grace 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:25 Frasier 09:55 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:05 The Big Bang Theory 13:40 The Big Bang Theory 14:10 The Big Bang Theory 14:40 The Simpsons 15:10 The Simpsons 15:40 Honey, I Blew Up the Kid 17:25 Deal or No Deal 18:25 Time Team 19:25 Channel 4 News 19:55 4thought.tv 20:00 Come Dine with Me 21:00 The Hotel 22:00 Unknown 24:15 Beverly Hills Cop

07:00 Childrens TV 09:25 Angelina Ballerina 09:40 Castle Farm 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 Toby’s Travelling Circus 10:30 Roary the Racing Car 10:45 Jelly Jamm 11:00 Power Rangers: Super Samurai 11:35 Batman: The Brave and the Bold 12:10 Meerkat Manor 12:40 Celebrity Big Brother 13:40 Once Upon a Time 14:40 Little Man 16:25 Mannequin 18:10 Loch Ness 19:55 5 News Weekend 20:00 Bulletproof Monk 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Over Her Dead Body 24:55 Bizarre Burials

07:00 The Biggest Loser 07:50 The Hot Desk 08:00 Emmerdale 10:50 Coronation Street 13:20 Dinner Date: Australia 14:20 Babe 16:15 Mr Bean’s Holiday 18:00 Take Me Out 19:15 Take Me Out The Gossip 20:00 Uncle Buck 22:00 The Magaluf Weekender 23:00 2 Fast 2 Furious

07:00 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 07:55 Make It or Break It 08:45 Smallville 09:40 Charmed 10:40 Hollyoaks 13:15 How I Met Your Mother 13:45 How I Met Your Mother 14:10 How I Met Your Mother 14:40 How I Met Your Mother 15:15 How I Met Your Mother 15:45 Revenge 16:45 Revenge 17:45 Cheaper by the Dozen 2 19:40 The Day after Tomorrow 22:05 The Big Bang Theory 22:35 The Big Bang Theory 23:00 The New Normal 23:30 2 Broke Girls 24:00 Rude Tube

56

11 - 17 january 2013

Life TV

11th - 17th January

MONDAY 14th January BBC1

BBC2

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:10 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Rip Off Britain 22:00 Miranda 22:30 Mrs Brown’s Boys 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Have I Got Old News for You 24:05 Blandings 24:35 The Graham Norton Show

07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Rip Off Britain 08:50 Cowboy Trap 09:20 Don’t Get Done, Get Dom 10:05 MasterChef: The Professionals 10:35 Return to Forgotten Britain 11:35 Click 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Live Snooker: The Masters 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 The Polar Bear Family and Me 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Winterwatch 22:30 Why the Industrial Revolution Happened Here 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Snooker: The Masters

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Local News 15:00 Storage Hoarders 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Local Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Central Tonight 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Cornwall with Caroline Quentin 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Lewis 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Local News 23:35 Happy Birthday ET 24:35 Monk

07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Will & Grace 08:30 According to Jim 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss USA 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 13:35 An American Guerrilla in the Philippines 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 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 4thought.tv 21:00 Dispatches 21:30 SuperScrimpers 22:00 Embarrassing Fat Bodies 23:00 What Happens in Kavos 24:05 One Born Every Minute

07:00 Childrens TV 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Little Lodgers 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 All-New Trisha 13:00 Looney Tunes 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:15 Jane Doe: The Wrong Face 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Cowboy Builders 21:00 The Gadget Show 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Botched Up Bodies 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

07:00 Emmerdale 07:25 Coronation Street 07:55 Coronation Street 08:25 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 09:15 You’ve Been Framed!

09:45 Judge Judy 10:15 Judge Judy 10:40 Peter Andre: My Life 11:40 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 12:30 The Real Housewives of Orange County 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 14:30 Coronation Street 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:10 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 18:05 The Real Housewives of Orange County 19:00 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 20:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:30 You’ve Been Framed!

21:00 You’ve Been Framed!

22:00 Ben and Kate 22:30 Up All Night 23:00 Love Actually

TUESDAY 15th January

itv2

E4

07:00 90210 07:45 One Tree Hill 08:30 Scrubs 08:55 Rules of Engagement 09:25 Charmed 10:25 90210 11:20 One Tree Hill 12:20 Made in Chelsea 13:25 Hollyoaks 14:00 How I Met Your Mother 14:30 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Scrubs 15:30 Scrubs 16:00 Charmed 17:00 Rules of Engagement 17:30 Rules of Engagement 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:25 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 How I Met Your Mother 21:00 New Girl 21:30 New Girl 22:00 Revenge 23:00 My Mad Fat Diary 24:00 The Inbetweeners 24:35 The New Normal

BBC1

BBC2

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

E4

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:10 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Harry & Paul’s Magnificent Sporting Moments 24:05 Flightplan

07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Sheriffs Are Coming 08:50 Cowboy Trap 09:20 Don’t Get Done, Get Dom 10:05 MasterChef: The Professionals 11:05 You’ve Been Scammed 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Live Snooker: The Masters 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 The Polar Bear Family and Me 21:00 Winterwatch 22:00 Locomotion: Dan Snow’s History of Railways 23:00 The Sarah Millican Television Programme 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Snooker: The Masters

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 Local News 15:00 Storage Hoarders 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Local Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Central Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Live FA Cup Football 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Local News 23:35 River Monsters 24:05 Weight Loss Ward

07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Will & Grace 08:30 According to Jim 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss USA 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Kirstie’s Handmade Treasures 13:50 The Thirty-Nine Steps 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 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 4thought.tv 21:00 Supersize vs Superskinny 22:00 The Undateables 23:00 Utopia 24:25 Random Acts 24:30 What Happens in Kavos

07:00 Childrens TV 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Little Lodgers 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 All-New Trisha 13:00 Looney Tunes 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Nora Roberts’ High Noon 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Great Northern Cookbook 21:00 Benidorm ER 22:00 Body of Proof 23:00 Celebrity Big Brother 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

07:00 Emmerdale 07:25 Coronation Street 07:55 Coronation Street 08:25 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 09:15 You’ve Been Framed!

09:45 Judge Judy 10:15 Judge Judy 10:40 Peter Andre: My Life 11:40 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 12:30 The Real Housewives of Orange County 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 14:30 Coronation Street 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:10 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 18:05 The Real Housewives of Orange County 19:00 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 20:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:30 You’ve Been Framed!

21:00 The Xtra Factor 22:00 Notting Hill 24:30 Fake Reaction

07:00 90210 07:45 One Tree Hill 08:30 Scrubs 08:55 Rules of Engagement 09:25 Charmed 10:25 90210 11:20 One Tree Hill 12:20 Made in Chelsea 13:25 Hollyoaks 14:00 How I Met Your Mother 14:30 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Scrubs 15:30 Scrubs 16:00 Charmed 17:00 Rules of Engagement 17:30 Rules of Engagement 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:25 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 How I Met Your Mother 21:00 How I Met Your Mother 21:30 The Big Bang Theory 22:00 Rude Tube 23:00 The Cleveland Show 23:35 The Cleveland Show 24:00 Rude Tube

WEDNESDAY 16th January BBC1

BBC2

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

E4

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:10 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 21:00 The Food Inspectors 22:00 Africa 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 A Question of Sport 24:05 Film 24:40 When a Man Loves a Woman

07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Sheriffs Are Coming 08:45 Cowboy Trap 09:15 Don’t Get Done, Get Dom 10:00 MasterChef: The Professionals 11:00 You’ve Been Scammed 11:30 See Hear 12:00 BBC News 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 Animal Park 14:30 Live Snooker: The Masters 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 The Polar Bear Family and Me 21:00 Winterwatch 22:00 Funny Business 23:00 Mock the Week - Again 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Snooker: The Masters

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 Local News 15:00 Storage Hoarders 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Local Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Central Tonight 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Local News 23:35 FA Cup Highlights 24:35 Safari Vet School

07:00 The Treacle People 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Will & Grace 08:25 According to Jim 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss USA 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 13:35 SuperScrimpers 14:00 Passport to Pimlico 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 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 4thought.tv 21:00 Gok’s Style Secrets 22:00 One Born Every Minute 23:00 Saving Face: True Stories 24:10 Random Acts 24:15 Embarrassing Fat Bodies

07:00 Childrens TV 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Little Lodgers 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 All-New Trisha 13:00 Looney Tunes 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:15 Seventeen and Missing 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Ice Road Truckers 21:00 Charley Boorman’s Extreme Frontiers 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:30 Celebrity Wedding Planner 24:30 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

07:00 Emmerdale 07:25 Holiday Airport 08:25 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 09:15 You’ve Been Framed!

09:45 Judge Judy 10:15 Judge Judy 10:40 Peter Andre: My Life 11:40 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 12:30 The Real Housewives of Orange County 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Holiday Airport 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:10 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 18:05 The Real Housewives of Orange County 19:00 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 20:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:30 You’ve Been Framed!

21:00 You’ve Been Framed!

22:00 Benidorm 23:00 The Magaluf Weekender 24:00 Unbreakable

07:00 90210 07:45 One Tree Hill 08:30 Scrubs 08:55 Rules of Engagement 09:25 Charmed 10:25 90210 11:20 One Tree Hill 12:20 Made in Chelsea 13:25 Hollyoaks 14:00 How I Met Your Mother 14:30 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Scrubs 15:30 Scrubs 16:00 Charmed 17:00 Rules of Engagement 17:30 Rules of Engagement 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:25 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 How I Met Your Mother 21:00 Iron Man 23:30 The Cleveland Show 24:00 The Cleveland Show 24:30 The New Normal

11 - 17 january 2013

57

THURSDAY 17th January BBC1

BBC2

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Wanted Down Under 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 11:58 BBC News; Weather 12:00 The Sheriffs Are Coming 12:45 Cowboy Trap 13:13 BBC News; Weather 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:10 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Perfection 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Waterloo Road 22:00 Silent Witness 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Question Time 24:35 This Week

07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Sheriffs Are Coming 08:50 Cowboy Trap 09:20 Don’t Get Done, Get Dom 10:05 MasterChef: The Professionals 11:05 You’ve Been Scammed 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Live Snooker: The Masters 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Live Snooker: The Masters 21:00 Winterwatch 22:00 Winterwatch Unsprung 22:30 Married in Britain 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Snooker: The Masters

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Local News 15:00 Storage Hoarders 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Local Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Central Tonight 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Nursing the Nation 22:00 Inside Death Row with Trevor McDonald 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Local News 23:35 Jonathan Ross Show 24:45 The Lobby

07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Will & Grace 08:25 According to Jim 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:55 Frasier 10:25 Frasier 11:00 Undercover Boss USA 12:00 A Place in the Sun 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals 13:35 Lover Come Back 15:40 Countdown 16:30 Face the Clock 17:00 Deal or No Deal 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 4thought.tv 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 The Restoration Man 23:00 Rude Tube 24:05 The Undateables

07:00 Childrens TV 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Roary the Racing Car 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 09:55 Milkshake! Monkey 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 All-New Trisha 13:00 Looney Tunes 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Mentalist 16:15 Accused at 17 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News at 6.30 20:00 Benidorm ER 21:00 Great Northern Cookbook 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 My Secret Past 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

07:00 Emmerdale 07:25 Coronation Street 07:55 Life’s Funniest Moments 08:25 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 09:15 You’ve Been Framed!

09:45 Judge Judy 10:15 Judge Judy 10:40 Peter Andre: My Life 11:40 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 12:30 The Real Housewives of Orange County 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 14:30 The Corrie Years 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:10 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 18:05 The Real Housewives of Orange County 19:00 Jeremy Kyle Show USA 20:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:30 You’ve Been Framed!

21:15 Mr Bean’s Holiday 23:00 Fake Reaction 23:45 The Magaluf Weekender 24:45 Ben and Kate

Crossword Answers 690 CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS Across: 1 Plain clothes; 7 Bantu; 8 Nadir; 9 Leo; 10 Decameron; 11 Enmity; 12 Itself; 15 Boy Scouts; 17 Air; 18 Radii; 19 Fibre; 21 Alternatives.

Down: 1 Parallel bars; 2 Nun; 3 Launch; 4 Tinsmiths; 5 Eider; 6 Transformers; 7 Broom; 10 Detective; 13 Erase; 14 Puffin; 16 Yodel; 20 Bit.

QUICK SOLUTIONS Across: 1 Plain clothes; 7 Aspic; 8 Enrol; 9 Opt; 10 Antipathy; 11 War-cry; 12 Parson; 15 Religious; 17 Oaf; 18 Eaten; 19 Watch; 21 Reverberated.

Down: 1 Prison warder; 2 Nip; 3 Locate; 4 Thespians; 5 Egret; 6 Playing field; 7 Alter; 10 Arrogance; 13 Sloth; 14 Cobweb; 16 Lithe; 20 Tor. Wordwheel: NUTRITION

E4 07:00 90210 07:45 One Tree Hill 08:30 Scrubs 08:55 Rules of Engagement 09:20 Charmed 10:20 90210 11:20 One Tree Hill 12:20 Made in Chelsea 13:25 Hollyoaks 14:00 How I Met Your Mother 14:30 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Scrubs 15:30 Scrubs 16:00 Charmed 17:00 Rules of Engagement 17:30 Rules of Engagement 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:25 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 How I Met Your Mother 21:00 The Big Bang Theory 21:30 The Big Bang Theory 22:00 The New Normal 22:30 2 Broke Girls 23:00 My Mad Fat Diary 24:00 Micky Flanagan’s Out Out Tour

What’s on Viva TV this week VIVA TV broadcasts on the Torresat Networks every day from 2.00pm until 10pm. And you can watch all our programmes and find our full listings at www.vivatv.es

FRIDAY 11TH 18.30 Let’s Talk – Simon Baldock is with local comedian and entertainer Justin Sane.

SATURDAY 12TH 18.05 FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Rather than selling your property how about exchanging it?

SUNDAY 13TH 18.00 Let’s Talk – The only way is up with 80’s legend Yazz at the Torrevieja Fellowship Church.

MONDAY 14TH 18.05 Costa Blanca Life (series) – A view of more people,

places and events from around the region.

TUESDAY 15TH 18.00 Celebrity Archive With the only man to knock Mohammad Ali down - the late Henry Cooper WEDNESDAY 16TH 18.05 Let’s Talk Special – with former London gangster and all round bad boy Dave Courtney.

THURSDAY 17TH 18.05 Youth Tube –airing the views from a group of local youngsters about their life in Spain.

58

11 - 17 january 2013

Life people

ADAPT shoebox appeal brings Christmas cheer to needy families

MABS volunteers required

Shoe boxes were filled with gifts

ADAPT are based in San Pedro del Pinatar and aim to bring both expats and Spanish together in a range of social activities and joint undertakings, encouraging integration and understanding, as well as ensuring those who become part of the organisation enjoy their time in Spain to the full.

As one of their many activities in the run up to Christmas, the ADAPT association of San Pedro del Pinatar joined in local efforts to raise money for families who are struggling to survive in the current economic climate by providing shoe boxes with gifts for the many children who would otherwise not be receiving presents from the Three Kings.

When the call went out in October to provide shoe boxes covered with Christmas paper and containing presents for boys or girls from 0 to

14 years old, there was a tremendous response not only from ADAPT members but also many other friends and contacts.

As a result there were more than enough boxes, along with hats, gloves, scarves, socks, pyjamas, baby supplies and hygiene products to give to the families normally helped by the El Samaritano association, which helps families in the San Pedro del Pinatar area.

Consequently, a large number of presents also went to the local Cáritas association for other children in the town in the same circumstances.

This shoe box campaign has been run alongside ADAPT’s usual fundraising activities in which members take along bags of food to the monthly meeting to pass on to El Samaritano. As a result of

this year’s ADAPT panto “Snow White and the Seven Guiris” 1618 euros has been raised to buy food and other essential items for needy families over the Christmas period and throughout the coming year.

ADAPT are holding their next meeting on Saturday 2nd February at 10.30 in the Hogar del Pensionista, calle Floridablanca, San Pedro del Pinatar, so if you live in the area, or would like to meet other local expats and become involved in the multitude of activities run by ADAPT, go along and see what they do.

Article in collaboration with www.murciatoday.com community information, what’s on, where to go and local news for the Murcia Region

MABS Cancer Support Group is currently looking for volunteers in the Mar Menor, Cartagena and Mazarrón area.

MABS as a registered charity was founded in Spain in 1999 and since then has been working with cancer patients and their families offering support when required with home support, doctors’ appointments etc.

The support offered includes taking patients to and from doctors and hospital appointments, and there is a translation service available, which can be very important for giving patients and families piece of mind, during their consultation period.

We would love to hear from you!

If you have some free time and would like to be involved, perhaps providing support in the home. Or maybe you would like to volunteer to drive patients to hospital appointments?

Maybe you’re an ex-nurse, willing to give up a few hours to help with the care of a cancer patient after their release from hospital, or if you are someone who speaks good Spanish and could help with translations?

We are also looking for people with a flair for fundraising, where you can get involved in the many events we organise every year including our annual fun run, our charity shop etc.

Whatever your skills – we would love to hear from you: For more information: Contact Mar Menor /Cartagena: 615 016 035. Or come in and speak to us at the MABS Support Centre in San Javier, Mazarrón: 620 582 418.

Alternatively please call at the MABS Information centre Sector C

Camposol slimmers donate shoes for children For many of us who have chosen to make a life in the sun, Spain is still a paradise, in spite of the economic situation being experienced by the country at this current point in time.

With a comfortable standard of living, and the fixed incomes of retiree pensions, the majority of the expatcommunity has remained relatively aloof from the financial problems of those who have lost their jobs and make up the 26% of the Spanish population who are currently without work. Yet all members of 1.7 million households in Spain are unemployed and true hardship is a daily reality for thousands of families throughout the country.

The immigrant population suffered to a greater degree in the early days of the crisis, as jobs in agriculture and on construction sites, the hard, manual jobs normally taken on by those willing to do virtually anything to earn a living, were the first to be put aside when jobs became harder to get, and these are the families now facing the worst difficulties as the benefits system in Spain is a far cry from the UK system and thousands of families are now without incomes.

Charities are plugging the gap, distributing foodstuffs, clothing, educational materials and bedding to those in real need, amongst them GOmaD, a Christian aid charity based in the Mazarrón municipality which helps everyone regardless of religion, age or ethnic origin.

The charity has a shop in Mazarrón and sells donated items to raise money with which to purchase necessary items, things such as baby milk and nappies, even sanitary products for the women, all things out of the reach of those with no income.

Recently a local resident was browsing in the shop on the day the charity hands out food parcels to those who

request them, and was shocked to see that some of the children accompanying their mothers had no shoes on their feet.

The shop manageress explained that the shop has a particular problem obtaining children’s clothing and shoes via donations, yet these are items in great demand with those who seek their help, many of those remaining in Spain having young families to support.

Touched by what she had seen, the lady told friends at her Thursday morning slimming club, held at Cat’s Bar on the nearby Camposol Urbanisation what she had seen, and the ladies immediately decided to do something about the situation, so bought 10 pairs of new boots and practical shoes for GOmaD to distribute to the families which would most benefit from them.

A generous gesture, and one which will go a long way to help those local families in need, but just part of the never ending demand for help experienced by the charity.

If you have any used children’s clothing or shoes, GOmaD would be very grateful to receive them, or any other items which can be sold to raise money for the much needed work they do in the local community.

The GOmaD shop is at: Address: Calle Carmen number 8- Nr ‘Guillermo II’ Restaurant/Hotel, Mazarron.

Shop: Open Tues/Weds/Thurs/Sat 10am-2pm plus Thursday evening 6-9pm Tele. Shop: 634 321 161 - Outreach/Other Enquiries: 634 357 137

Article produced in collaboration with www.murciatoday.com local news, what’s on and where to go in the Region of Murcia

11 - 17 january 2013

Life cars

Small car, low price, poor quality

THAT IS often the bleak prospect facing car buyers and when I bought my used Ford Fiesta it was certainly the offering.

But for those of us who don’t want to re-glue trim that should have been fitted correctly in the first place, Volkswagen has long been the preferred choice.

Remember the ‘80s Golf advert where a driver cannot work out where a squeak is coming from? A garage attendant notices it’s his wife’s earring and duly oils it. Then the advert tagline appeared ‘If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen’. Their cars exude good quality and we would all own one if only our bank managers would allow us.

The German manufacturer’s fifth generation Polo is pleasingly no different

59

Tim Saunders Independent unbiased car reviewer from its larger siblings. It looks and feels bomb proof. The marvellous thing is that the Polo was already very good when it was launched in 1975 and over time it has evolved to become excellent. Ford take note… there’s no trim here that will blow off in a high wind.

This, I deduce, without even stepping inside. This latest version is a very smart looking car indeed. Remember the awkward design of the Mark 2?

Thankfully that has been consigned to history. If anything the latest version draws on the Mark 1 for inspiration.

The upmarket Polo Match 1.4 85PS is a head-turner, the test model finished in bright red. Overnight the temperatures have plummeted to -2 and it’s covered in ice. My heart sinks because this invariably means spending at least 15 minutes clearing the windscreens and warming the car up. I am therefore delighted to find a winter pack in the boot (the first

place I visit to place my briefcase and laptop) including a scraper and de-icer.

Once sprayed on the windscreen the de-icer quickly gets to work meaning that little time is wasted clearing the windows as you see from the video at testdrives.biz. VW has fitted winter tyres, too, which gives added confidence as I make my way along treacherous roads where ignorant motorists still insist on speeding.

The little Polo feels competent and handles country lanes just as well as it does the motorway. It’s not the most economical car of the range but can still return almost 50mpg, which for a 1.4litre petrol is impressive. But for those seeking greater frugality the Bluemotion model will deliver over 80mpg.

Inside, good quality hardwearing fabrics cover the seats and the dashboard is solid. True to form there are no rattles or squeaks. Equipment levels are good including all round electric windows, air conditioning, rear privacy glass and alloy wheels.

The electrically adjusted wing mirrors feature indicators for added safety.

Volkswagen Polo 2009 onwards New price range: 12,861.75€ 23,653.83€ Economy: 47mpg 0-60mph: 11.5secs Top speed: 110mph Power: 83bhp Tank range: 473 miles Watch the video at www.testdrives.biz

Advanced motorist Tim Saunders is the former Business and Motoring Editor of the Bournemouth Daily Echo. His regular test reports appear in numerous newspapers, magazines and websites throughout the UK, Ireland and Gibraltar. For more independent unbiased car reviews and videos visit www.testdrives.biz

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SKODA FABIA 1.4 TDI COMBI “2008” 8995 €

FORD MONDEO EST 2.0TDCi TREND AUTO “2008” 10995 €

SKODA OCTAVIA COMBI 1.9 TDI AUTO “2007” 10995 €

OPEL ASTRA 1.9CDTi COSMO AUTO “2008” 9995 €

MAZDA “6” 2.0i ACTIVE - NEW SHAPE “2008” 11995 €

RENAULT NEW GRAND SCENIC 1.5 DCI “2009” 12995 €

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PEUGEOT 308 1.6i 16v CONFORT “2010” 10995 €

* 20,000kms HYUNDAI ACCENT 1.5 CRDi GLS “2008” 6995 €

HYUNDAI MATRIX 1.5CRDi GLS “2005” 5995 €

OPEL ASTRA 1.7CDTi ENJOY “2008 8995 €

OPEL INSIGNIA SPORT TOURER 2.0 CDTi EDITION “2009” 11995 €

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RENAULT MEGANE EST 1.5 DCi “2008” 7995 €

TOYOTA RAV 4, 2.2 D4D ECO ACTIVE “2009” 15995 €

HYUNDAI TUCSON 2.0 CRDi 1 OWNER “2007” 9995 € *45000kms

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OPEL ASTRA 1.7 CDTI ENJOY “2008” 8995 €

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MAZDA 3 1.6i ACTIVE “2008” 8995 €

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FORD FOCUS 1.6i 16v TREND+ “2010” 9500 €

KIA CERATO 1.6i GLX SEDAN “2005” 5995 €

KIA CEED 1.6 CRDi DRIVE “2011” 10995 €

PEUGEOT PARTNER 16 HDi TOTEM COMBI “2008” 7995 €

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ALFA ROMEO 147 1.9JTD DISTINCTIVE “2008’ 8995 €

TOYOTA YARIS 1.4 D4D LUNA “2006” 4995 €

FORD S-MAX 2.0TDCi 7 SEATS “2006” 8995 €

FIAT BRAVO 1.6 JTD ACTIVE “2009” 8995 €

FORD FOCUS 1.6i 16v AUTO TREND + “2010” 9995 €

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CHEVROLET AVEO 1.4i SEDAN “2006” 4500 €

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11 - 17 january 2013

andrew james is... The Man in the Middle Sponsored by “The Three Lions” (Carrer de Manuel de Falla, Albir)

The Best Footy Bar on the Costa Blanca; Showing Every Game, Every Week!

The Majesty of Messi On Monday, in Zurich, Lionel Messi made history by becoming the first player to scoop the Ballon d’Or award on four occasions, beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Barca teammate Andres Iniesta along the way.

The 25-year-old Argentina skipper was handed the prestigious FIFA prize for a stunning 2012 in which he seemed to break every record going. Not only did Messi smash Gerd Muller’s “goals in a calendar year” tally by netting 91 times in 69 matches; he was the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match (on his way to breaking his own record for number of goals in a Champions League season) and became Barcelona’s all-time leading goal-scorer in the process!

You simply cannot underestimate how good this kid is. The superlatives ran out a long, long time ago!

He just seems to get better and better, year on year.

General wisdom suggests that one day he’ll be “found out” and somebody, somewhere, will figure out a way to stop him but we’ve been saying that for a while now and there’s still no end in sight to the levels of greatness he can reach.

It really does beg the question, is the young Argentine is the best player the world has ever seen?

Talent-wise, he’s surely up there with the best of them.

Some say he won’t achieve the status of “greatest” until he’s instrumental in his country being crowned World Champions (as Pele and Maradona have been with

Brazil and Argentina), but George Best never even played in a World Cup, let alone lifted one, and he’s still regarded as one of the game’s greatest ever players.

In actual fact, I’m not sure it’s even possible to answer the question of who’s the best ever because it’s practically impossible to compare footballers from different eras. What can be said however is that Messi’s at least equal to the likes of Pele, Maradona and Best in terms of

what he can do with the ball at his feet. I would also suggest that, being a product of the modern game, he probably possess a superior level of fitness and athleticism to that of his by-gone peers. When taking this additional attribute into consideration, it probably wouldn’t be difficult to crown Barca’s talisman the best ever.

You only have to look at the quality of player that Messi’s beaten to the Ballon d’Or prize to understand what a truly phenomenal footballer this guy is.

Second placed Cristiano Ronaldo, who in my opinion is actually a more complete footballer than Messi, was instrumental in Madrid’s La Liga success last season. He scored a ridiculous amount of goals and is credited with carrying his team, single-handedly, to victory on more than one occasion so, for any one man, to stand out so far, at a club like Real Madrid, amongst some of the world’s best players, deserves great distinction.

Andres Iniesta was named third best player in the world and while he can’t boast the dazzling goal-scoring statistics of Ronaldo or Messi, that’s not his game. Iniesta is the quiet hero. The players’ player. He’s all about possession, keeping the ball, bringing other players into the game and, in actual fact, enabling the Messis and Ronaldos of this world to operate. Not only do his fellow professionals appreciate him, but the suits named Iniesta “Man of the Tournament” as Spain retained their title at last summer’s European Championships.

So there’s no doubt that there’s a strong argument for any of the top three to be named the best but, given that the winner is voted for by current club and national team captains and managers, you have to say that it is indeed those in the know who have crowned their king.

This Week in “The Lions” Sat 12th Jan: QPR v Spurs (1.45pm) Norwich v Newcastle (4pm)

Stoke v Chelsea (4pm) Sun 13th Jan: Man United v Liverpool (2.30pm) Arsenal v Man City (5pm) 15th / 16th Jan: FA Cup 3rd Round Replays

11 - 17 january 2013

Andy Kay

The reign of Spain

The Final Whistle

For those employees at the FA and Premier League who are not completely obsessed by money (and I grant you, there won’t be many) the makeup of the FIFA team of the year for 2012 must have made for depressing reading.

All eleven places went to players who ply their trade in Spain’s La Liga.

The Premier League didn’t even get a sniff.

To be honest, it’s hardly surprising.

The number of Spanish players employed in their home league is approaching 65%.

In England, the number of home grown players is around 30%. Richard Scudamore’s pet project may be a cash cow and great to watch on TV but when it comes to skill levels and helping to build a competitive national team it is sadly lacking.

Roy Hodgson has already said that the England team will always find it tough to compete

when a number of the players he feels deserve a starting place on the international stage can’t even get in to their club’s first team. Moreover, respected TV pundit Gerry Armstrong thinks the problem is even more desperate.

The former Northern Ireland striker, who also played in Spain, highlights the case of Santi Carzola. The Arsenal star has received rave reviews since signing for the Gunners but he wasn’t even in the top 20 players in Spain while at his previous club Malaga.

Jamie Redknapp, a huge champion of the domestic game, also has serious concerns saying that young players aren’t working hard enough and are getting paid too much too quickly.

All of this should be a wakeup call to the mandarins that run the game in England and while the FA has acted with the creation of the St George’s Park sports performance centre, at the Premier League, I fear that short term financial returns will always win out over long term investment.

Far away Fourie?

This is going to shock you but a few public sector officials in the UK displayed a modicum of common sense this week. After injury curtailed the playing career of Hendre Fourie it was reported that the South African born flanker would have to return to the country of his birth as his visa was no longer valid. This is despite the fact that he played eight times for England and actually suffered his career ending injury while on international duty. Initially UK Border Agency officials stated that Fourie had just 60 days to get out of the country (perhaps he should have retrained as a hate preacher so he could have stayed forever, getting the state to pay for his numerous extradition appeals, housing benefit, wife and kids) but a change of heart by those at the top now means that Fourie can stay. And a good job too.

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looking down the barrel of a Bradford City v Swansea City final. Like us, sponsors must love the romance of the cup.....right up until the final when they want two Premier League big hitters!

That’s just capital!

One can only applaud companies that put their hard earned cash in to sports sponsorship. So spare a thought for those kindly soles at Capital One who, for their first Wembley showpiece occasion, are

Ladies Rugby Fishing Maggots End Finals in Torrevieja David Hoare 968 199 279

WELL HERE is 2013 so Happy New Year to you all - hope you are ready to get out and catch some fish!

Our first match this year was the 3rd in the Presidents cup series, the venue being the Embalse de Pedrera. At this time of year and with the cold winds, lakes are not normally the best to fish. However, fishing the deeper parts has produced some fish and some blanks for other anglers. As it was the first match of the New Year there was only a small turnout as some people were still in the UK. Of the 10 who turned up there were five blanks: fishing is not easy!

TOP RODS ON THE DAY 1st - Dave (Yours Truly) Hoare fishing the feeder and using maggot with 7.60 kilos 2nd - Jim (The Chairman) Rouse fishing the feeder using maggot with 3.60 kilos 3rd - Tony (The Flower man) Price fishing the feeder using maggot with 2.74 kilos PLEASE NOTE The club has some vacancies at present: if you are interested in joining please contact Derek Swann on 96 672 9293 or 603 535 771.

By Keith Nicol LADIES RUGBY may not be the most feminine of sports available to the ‘weaker sex’ but I dare you to tell that to any of the 250 or more of Spain’s best female rugby players who are descending on Torrevieja this weekend! The reason is twofold; to run a competition that pits the country’s top selections from the autonomous regions against each other, while at the same time selecting a squad that will go on to represent Spain in International Competition. The championship contest features the regional selections of Andalusia, the Basque Country, Madrid, Catalonia, Galicia, Castilla-León and Valencia.

On Tuesday, Torrevieja’s Councillor for Sports, Luis Maria Pizana, President of the Federation of Rugby of Valencia, Ignacio Davila and the President of the Rugby Club Torrevieja, Jose Anguita, held a press conference about the two day event, which will be held this coming weekend (Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 January) at the Estadio Municipal de Rugby ‘Nelson Mandela’ in Torrevieja’s Sports City.

The games will begin on Saturday at 9:30 am, with the opening game being played between Andalusia and Catalonia.

It is expected that the Championship final will take place on Sunday January 12, at 12:50pm. Ignacio Dávila highlighted the superb facilities of the Sports City of Torrevieja, and hopes that

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ABBEY ANGLING RESULTS Supplied by Terry Screen Firstly I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year.

As our first cup match is not until 8th January, a few of us

For further details ring Alan Roscoe 968 570 876 or email: anglerstogether@hotmail.co.uk

got together this week for an open match on the Embalsa de Pedrera. The water level has now started to rise slightly and the temperature is down, fish are being caught on various baits but not in great numbers. The best on the day was Richard King with four Carp but he also lost four.

1st - Richard (The Lion heart) King with 4.520kg fishing the feeder using corn 2nd - Pete (Yorkie) Kerr with 2.920kg fishing the feeder using maggot 3rd - Terry (Swing ‘Em) Screen with 2.100kg fishing the feeder using pellet The new annual fixture list will be available as soon as confirmation is received for all the match dates, and our next club meeting will be on 14th January 2013 at The Abbey Tavern.

All details are available from our website www.abbeyangling.com or from the match secretary Terry Screen on 96 532 8368.

Anglers Together THE OBJECTIVE of Anglers Together was to introduce anglers to each other, who otherwise had no one to fish with or didn’t know where to fish.

It was successful in bringing together many anglers who established friendships and which continue to this day.

No meetings are held now but information is still available through our email address: anglerstogether@hotmail.co.uk.

Tight lines…, Dave Hoare

the city can continue celebrating rugby championships both nationally and internationally. He commented on the terrific playing surface and the success of past ‘sevens’ competitions, which have been played here.

In addition, to this, the Valencia Ladies Rugby Team trained in Torrevieja last week in preparation for this upcoming National competition between the regional teams. They spent two intense days with several practice sessions daily where coaches from the Valencia Rugby Team tested their personal skills, technical characteristics, fitness and resistance of each athlete. Without doubt, this was an experience they will not soon forget as they were tested to their highest potential! The reason for this intense sports campus, which involved the participation of 30 athletes, was to select the best players to form the Valencia women’s team for this coming weekend’s competition.

Entry to the Nelson Mandela is free for everyone and Torrevieja School children also have the opportunity to take part in a raffle by dropping off their entrance tickets to be in for a chance to win prizes. Members from Torrevieja Tigers are helping to organise the event and be on hand to answer any questions about how to get involved in Torrevieja rugby, as a player, supporter or coach and all ages and both sexes are catered for. This is only the second year of operation of Torrevieja Tigers and if you would like more information about the club or the event please contact Jose on 622 723 973, Glyn on 634 341 302, or email info@torreviejrugbyclub.com.

FC Torry news Last Sunday Torry played at home against CD Burriana. In charge was newly appointed manager Joserra.

Torry got off to a winning start to 2013 with a goal on the stroke of half-time by Koeman and a second part way through the second half through a header from Dani following Torrys best move of the match.

An encouraging start for the new manager and a platform to hopefully build on. We are now into the January transfer window and hopefully there will be a few changes in personnel to freshen things up and give greater balance to the team. On Sunday at 5.00 pm Torry are at home again against CD Acero.

Try to be there and see Torry continue their winning start to 2013.

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11 - 17 january 2013

Too long thinking about it Noel’s world of golf

By Noel Eastwell Teaching Professional Alicante Golf 639 730 891

IN THE last two or more years I have constantly encouraged those running golf societies to do business direct with the golf club owners and managers. A number have tried to but far too many have not been bothered and instead have taken the easy option of using a third party to do their bookings for them. In some ways this is understandable but it shows a lack of resolve in my opinion.

As I have said many times it is the duty of any golf society committee to provide the most competitively priced golf for their members on golf courses that are in good condition and enjoyed by their golfers as something they look forward to competing on.

Dealing direct with the golf clubs is the only way to get the best deals for members providing the golf clubs are sensible. We all know that a majority of the people in charge of golf clubs is far from sensible but some of the things I hear are incredible.

Recently I was at a golf club in the area where a society secretary was attempting to make reservations for the coming year for his golf society and joined in the conversation with the club staff at the invitation of the society secretary. The negotiations involved

making ten reservations for 28 players over the year; a good source of income to any golf club. The amount of business offered was appreciated by the golf club but the stupidity shown was quite incredible when it came to agreeing a green fee.

A local agent had a price that was 5€ per player lower and the manager flatly refused to agree this price with the society secretary and was told that if he wanted that price he would have to go to the agent and deal through him. I thought I had heard a lot of stupid things coming from golf clubs in Spain but this was amongst the most stupid I have to say. This guy was turning down 280 green fees where he would pay no commission to a third party and actively encouraging the golf society to deal through an agent who would take 10% of all bookings made. At a stroke this idiot reduced his clubs profit margins on this golf society and took over half an hour to be persuaded that there was more money in the deal for his club if he dealt direct with the society. Frustrated does not begin to describe how the secretary and I felt as we enjoyed a coffee afterwards in the bar.

I am sure that if I had not been involved in this

talk the booking would not have been made and the society would have gone elsewhere; maybe that would have been a good idea? Too much time thinking about deals when they are plainly ideal for all concerned takes some believing does it not?

WIN A DOZEN SRIXON GOLF BALLS Answer the question below correctly to have a chance to win. The winner of this fantastic prize will be picked at random at the end of each month. Send your entries by email to golf@roundtownnews.com The decision of the editor of RTN will be final in making the winning selection.

QUESTION FOR 11TH JANUARY 2013 How many order of merit titles did Colin Montgomery win in his career?

All answers must be received no later than 5pm on 31st January 2013 to be entered into January’s draw, which will be made on 1st February 2013. The winner will be announced in RTN on 8th February 2013. To collect your prize you will have to come along to an RTN Golf Club day and meet with Noel Eastwell.

Any questions you have for Noel should be sent to golf@roundtownnews.com - Free golf lesson for all new RTN Golf members! Sign up now, limited offer

The RTN Club Scene

THE NEW RTN Golf League is under way and last Tuesday at Alicante Golf our members turned out to compete in the first match of 2013 to be tested by a golf course whose greens were in fantastic condition.

This year our Golf Leagues are open to all members of RTN Golf Club and their guests. All prizes on offer will be golf related and therefore will be of use to all who play. Member’s guests will have their own prizes subject to numbers. In addition we will be running a two’s pot this year where players can pay 2€ each to compete for the prize fund collected. The winners will be those who get a two on a par three, if we have no winner the prize fund will be rolled over to the next week until we get a winner.

In 2013 RTN Golf Club will play weekly at Alicante Golf on a Tuesday so now there is a chance for our members to play their golf each week with us and enjoy the game as it should be played, in good humour and friendly circumstances whilst still competitive. Our league matches will still be held on the second Tuesday of each month and we will be still competing at other courses around Alicante subject to prices.

We will be offering exclusive deals from Alicante Golf for membership to reduce costs to our members who wish to play every week and green fees for those who cannot play every week.

So to play golf with the very best club in Spain sign up now and enter by emailing your names and handicaps to golf@roundtownnews.com We look forward to seeing old and new faces in the coming months.

GOLFING TIP OF THE WEEK Flexibility is more important for the golf swing than strength.

NOEL EASTWELL GOLF ACADEMY Quality coaching at reduced rates for RTN Golf Club members held at Alicante Golf, contact Noel on 639 730 891.

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11 - 17 january 2013

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4 X BOSE 802 SPEAKERS with MK II Controller 750€ ONO 619 429 932 LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELCHAIR Folding, immaculate.150 euro. Mobility scooter.40km range. Road legal. Hardly used.499€ 627019403 LAPTOP FOR SALE HP LAPTOP WINDOWS XP DVD DRIVE CLEAN HARD DRIVE CHARGER 100.00 EUR TORREVIEJA TEL 693 956 707 SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS We buy, sell and exchange just about anything at GOLD WANTED English Jeweller wishes to buy broken or unwanted Gold and Silver jewellery & coins for cash. Call for an appointment. Peter (7 days) 664 890 990. Member of the Nat. ASSN of Goldsmiths

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11 - 17 january 2013

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