RTN North Edition 852 by Round Town News

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#RTNNorthEdition852 (EL CAMPELLO - VALENCIA) Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

TEMPERS FLARE OVER GAS ANGRY EXPATS say signing up for natural gas has been a costly mistake as bills have soared since making the switch from bottles of butane.

Read the full story on page 7

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

From the Editor’s desk...

Hola!

LIVING IN Spain can present its challenges but most expats love their new home and try to get involved and integrate. However, there are stumbling blocks and once again utility bills have people getting hot under the collar. This time it´s natural gas which is no laughing matter. Readers complain that making the switch to a mains supply has hit them where it hurts – in the wallet. Back in the UK, consumers have grown used to competition and hopping between companies to get the best deal; sadly in Spain customers continue to be at the mercy of the pricing policy of giants which can send bills soaring. Together with the end of subsidies, it´s a double whammy. Every story printed in the paper about the cost of living and customer service seems to result in a huge postbag arriving at RTN Towers. The postman might not enjoy it but we do like to see that we are reflecting the views and experiences of you guys. Believe me, it´s a tonic for the troops. Meanwhile, after a wonderfully mild winter, spring is happening all around and it is easy to remember why we moved here in the first place. Almond blossom brightens up the scenery and those comical pink cotton buds on legs also known as flamingos didn´t even bother migrating south, so it´s all as pretty as a picture. And things are changing for the good. Spain doesn´t have the best record over animal rights but it was good to see the locals are picking up the sword to fight for a threatened animal charity – launched by expats but now integrated in a community that realises its value.

Enjoy the read! JT GOT A STORY?

Call Jack Troughton, 661 403 016, for Costa Blanca North and South & Ian Askew, 628 580 367 for Costa Calida

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PUBLISHER: Mia Media S.L MANAGING DIRECTOR: Daniel Wilkinson EDITOR: Jack Troughton AGENCIES: Santos T. Morales ACCOUNTS: Sam Holliday PRODUCTION: Daniel S. Thomas Rebecca T. Tyszka Alice Hillier GENERAL MANAGER SOUTH & CALIDA: Peter Clarke SALES: Kath Poole Colin Rich Eduardo Piana Laura Showell Michaela Smith DISTRIBUTION: Damien Forman Ian Tilley iDs Logística REPORTERS: Caroline Tyszka Ian Askew CARTOONIST: Carter McKeague COLUMNISTS: Peter Taylor Sara Bell Chris Ashley Carlos Baos Blacktower F.M Aunty Virus Dick Handscombe Kenny Corris Jane Cronin Tim Saunders

DEADLINES

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Edita : Mia Media SL, Servicios De Impresion S.A.- Deposito Legal : South A-853-1999 North: A-134-2004 Oficina Charral, Emilio Ortuno 6, 41, Benidorm. Alicante. Distribution: iDs Logística. info@idssl.es,

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Tiki Beach case continues

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

#NEWS BITES

VILLAGE VANDALISM THE MAYOR of Callosa d’En Sarria has called upon all residents of the town to be vigilant, following a spate of vandalism on Tuesday. Josep Saval, the mayor, said “we are asking the citizens to preserve their public spaces following graﬃti in the Llaurador Park.”

by CAROLINE TYSZKA

A DISPUTE between a popular bar on the Levante beach and some of its neighbours has resulted in the complainants being accused of perjury. The Tiki Beach bar, located on the Levante promenade, was very brieﬂy closed last year, following complaints from their neighbours about the levels of noise. The bar, which is very popular, particularly with British tourists, for its cheap prices and location on the beach front, was accused, by some residents in the apartments above the premises, of opening late into the night and causing a nuisance for those living nearby. Two witnesses in the trial are now accused, by the judge ruling on the case, of committing perjury, with one of them stating originally

that the bar was open until 3.30am during the summer, although it was always closed around midnight, according to the owner. The other witness is due to appear before a judge in Madrid, where he currently resides, with a further two complainants still waiting to hear if they will be charged with perjury. The bar has had ongoing problems with its neighbours, who have hung from their balconies large banners declaring the premises should be closed because of the noise. Whilst Tiki Beach bar can get very lively, with music as well as the tourists enjoying the sun, sea and sangria, police officers confirmed that, when the decibels were measured in the venue, there were no noise issues. The bar has a limiter fitted to ensure that sound level regulations are adhered to.

Vice-Consul in Calpe

BRITISH VICE-CONSUL Sara Munsterhjelm is the guest speaker of Calpe’s Association of Foreign Property Owners on Tuesday 23rd February. Mayor of Calpe Cesar Sanchez is also expected to attend the meeting in the SH Hotel Ifach to meet Ms Munsterhjelm; who, after addressing the meeting will answer questions from members. Doors open at 10am for a 10.30am start. Because this is a special occasion for Calpe and AFPO, members and prospective members of the association are invited to stay after the meeting to enjoy drinks and tapas. Membership of AFPO costs just 15€ per household each year. This includes three copies of the association magazine; which includes a letter from the president, local town hall information, articles by local writers, and other informative items.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

IS Jihadist cell too close to home Suspect being arrested. Inset: apartment in Alicante where arrests were made

by CAROLINE TYSZKA NATIONAL POLICE in Spain have arrested seven people suspected of being linked to the Islamic State, including raids in Valencia and Alicante. In an ongoing investigation launched in 2014, special oﬃcers had been monitoring what they called “foreign structures” of IS on Spanish soil. The suspects were arrested following numerous dawn raids in the cities of Alicante, Valencia and Ceuta (the Spanish North African enclave) over the weekend. Police stated that all the suspects are believed to be either members of IS or other jihadist groups, and had provided logistical support for terrorist activities in Iraq and Syria, including supplying women for militants in the two countries. Spain’s acting Interior Minister, Jorge Fernández Díaz, said they were “believed to be part of a jihadist group that sent weapons in shipping containers, disguised as humanitarian aid, amongst other things.” Four of the detainees are Spanish nationals but of Jordanian, Moroccan and Syrian origin. One was a Syrian citizen and another a Moroccan citizen. Police detailed some of the evidence discovered during the search of the properties, which included cash and electronic equipment. Spain’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement, saying, “the head of the cell directed a network of ﬁrms, which enabled him to send the logistical material in sealed containers from Spanish ports to the terrorist groups operating in Syria and Iraq, without raising suspicion. Sunday morning’s arrests brought the total number of detentions, since the start of 2015, in Spain of alleged jihadists to 82. The suspects were taken to Madrid for a private court hearing before they were remanded in custody.

#NEWSBITES

ALICANTE TRAM CARRIES 10 MILLION PASSENGERS THE ALICANTE tram system carried over 10 million passengers in 2015, a 1.36% increase on the previous year.

Figures for last year’s Alicante tram service show that the most popular station was Luceros, which saw nearly 1.7 million customers. Second, with just over one million passengers, was the Mercado and, in third place, was Marq, with 385,754 customers. Benidorm was the fourth most popular station, recording 276,062 passengers, with Crueta in ﬁfth place and Denia in sixth, with just under 50,000 users.

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Train collision in Germany TEN PEOPLE have died and many more seriously injured in a train crash that happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning in Germany.

At 6.48am on 9th February, two trains crashed head on, near Bad Aibling, in the southern German state of Bavaria, leaving several dead and further passengers in a critical condition, as rescue workers rushed to what has been described as an “inaccessible region.” Several carriages were overturned after the two trains, carrying 150 passengers, collided on a single track line about 60 km south east of Munich. “This is the biggest accident we have had in years in this region, and we have many emergency doctors, ambulances and helicopters on the scene,” said Mr Sonntag, a police spokesperson, when interviewed at the scene. Rescue helicopters airlifted the seriously injured to local hospitals, whilst rescue workers continued into the night to save those still trapped within the wreckage. The trains were carrying mainly commuters, as local carnival holidays meant that many schoolchildren, who would normally have been on board, were at home. An investigation has now been launched into what caused the head on collision,

with the black boxes having been recovered from the wreckage. The accident spot was on a curve in the track, leading accident investigators to surmise that the drivers “did not have eye contact, and neither had braked before they crashed into each other.” Both drivers were amongst the dead. The accident investigation will focus partly on the cab signalling system, which both trains had. The system is meant to prevent collisions by triggering an alarm if two trains are on the same stretch of track, and was introduced across the German rail network after two trains crashed in Saxony Anhalt in January 2011, killing 10. Other areas that accident investigators are set to examine will be if there had been any technical breakages on the track or vandalism that may have contributed to the incident. Klaus-Dieter Josel, a representative of Germany’s national train operator, Deutsche Bahn, said there had never been any problems on the 37 km stretch of track. Routine checks carried out last week had found no cause for concern. German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and Bavaria’s Prime Minister, Horst Seehofer, both “oﬀered their sympathy and expressions of sadness, and also thanked the rescue teams”.

Scene of the accident where 10 people died and many more were injured

Doctors begin 24 hour strike JUNIOR DOCTORS in the UK walked out for their second 24 hours strike on Wednesday, as thousands of patients had their operations cancelled.

Talks, between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government, have broken down, seeing junior doctors across the country downing their white coats and picking up placards in protest over weekend working. It is estimated that 3,000 patients had their operations cancelled, as the doctors only oﬀered emergency cover. The talks had been going well, with the arbitration organisation, ACAS, managing to get both parties to reach agreements on most of the issues, although there were still problems over whether Saturday should be treated as a normal working day. Dr Anne Rainsberry, national incident director for NHS England, said: “The NHS did everything possible to minimise the impact of this regrettable strike, which will delay care for thousands of patients at a time of year when service pressures across the health service are already at their highest. A poll, conducted by one of the leading national tabloids in the UK, found that nine out of ten doctors felt they would have to resign, should the current contract terms be imposed, with the government responding by saying medicine was an “attractive career.” This was the second 24 hour protest within a month by the junior doctors, something not seen in more than 40 years in the NHS. Leaked ﬁgures for the NHS show that applications by young doctors to continue their career within the NHS have fallen to an all-time low, as many seek employment in the private sector.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Bar owners arrested by CAROLINE TYSZKA

POLICE HAVE released details of a drugs raid in an Altea bar, which resulted in the owner and his partner being arrested. A Spanish couple, aged between 32 and 36 years old, were arrested at their bar in Altea by National Police officers, following allegations from the public that drugs were being sold in the establishment. Officers conducted an investigation into the suspected illegal behaviour, and then raided the bar, discovering 152 grams of cocaine, 7 grams of speed, 5 grams of cannabis and 36 ecstasy pills. Further drugs were discovered at the couple’s home in La Nucia, including 900 grams of cocaine, 160 grams of speed and other drug related items. Both were seen by a judge, who ordered the imprisonment of the man. National Police officers have been increasing their efforts to track down and arrest anyone they believe may be dealing in drugs, with this raid being one of many in the region recently.

Apartment block evacuated A 29 story apartment block in Benidorm was evacuated in the early hours of Wednesday morning, as ﬁre broke out on the top ﬂoor.

Firefighters began evacuating the entire 29 floors of a residential block at Calle Presidente Adolfo Suárez, at 3.40am on Wednesday, as a precaution, and, whilst no injuries were reported, some required treatment for dizziness and smoke inhalation. Neighbours reported that the occupants of the apartment, a Dutch couple, were seen running out of the building with suitcases, shouting “fire, fire.” By 6.20am the fire was extinguished and an investigation launched, with residents being allowed to return to their properties.

#NEWS BITES

JAVEA IS MULTILINGUAL

THE RESIDENTS’ Help Desk run by Javea Town Hall continues to be able to tell visitors: “we speak your language”. Staffed by two council workers with “advanced language skills” at the Office for the Attention of Citizens in Avenida Amanecer, English, German, Dutch and French are on offer to answer questions and explain paperwork. And between June and December last year, 1,106 foreign residents took up the offer of a helping hand – important for the other desks in the offices that deal with such matters as the padron, meeting council bills, and water supply. Doris Courcelles, the councillor responsible for the Help Desk, said the four languages spoken covered the needs of most foreign residents. She said the town hall was also taking further steps to promote integration, including Spanish courses for foreigners and a ‘Talk More’ – an initiative to help conversation in Spanish, taking place in cafes, restaurants and shops.

Providing information for the UK and Spain since 1998

www.UKandSpain.com

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Tempers flare over gas

ANGRY EXPATS say signing up for natural gas has been a costly mistake as bills have soared since making the switch from bottles of butane. RTN was told the mains supply from energy giant Gas Natural Fenosa was clean, convenient…and expensive – despite promises bills would be slashed. Tony Dean, who lives in Quesada, said he took the plunge when pipes were being laid in the street outside his home and a representative of the installation company cold-called. “He asked if I was interested. I said yes and invited him in for a chat. My first question was ´how much is it?´. He said ´25% less than a bottle of gas´,” Tony explained. “I said OK, fine, go ahead. It was 350€ to install; the engineers came down and picked up the pipe they had laid in the road.” The Deans were connected on 19th August last year. The first bill arrived after a month and was for 32.10€; two months later the second bill was for 59.14€. Tony said there were items on the bills he did not understand but the cost of the service was far higher than buying a bottle of gas, which for cooking could last up to three months. “We are talking about 92€ for three months as opposed to 14€ - it is only for cooking and suddenly I am paying a hell of a lot more. The consumption of gas on the second bill is 30€ plus all the other items,” he said. “It works out far more expensive than bottles. I did not expect to pay more than 90€ for three months´ supply of gas when I can buy it for 14€.” And he said a friend – who speaks fluent Spanish – also had natural gas installed and he has had central heating put in. “He had the great big bottles of butane before and people said he would be sorry and it would cost a lot more. UPSET “He is quite upset because it does! If my bill was 5€ a month more I could accept it. The guy who sold it said it was nothing to do with him but he should have known. “Personally I think it is a con. A scam – whatever you want to call it.” Tony said the company lacked transparency. He has sent emails but Gas Natural Fenosa had not responded. He said he spoke Spanish but found it difficult when dealing with a complex issue on the telephone and there was no one at the company´s customer service department who could speak English – despite other large companies like Iberdrola and Telefonica employing English speakers. And Tony said unless he could get some satisfactory explanation he will return to bottled gas. “Natural gas is much cleaner and convenient. It does have its advantages but it is expensive. “If someone could explain the situation it would be fine but to ignore me and my emails in Spanish is not on. I think they are hiding behind the issue and problems. I bet they are getting a lot of complaints.” This week Gas Natural Fenosa said it was unable to comment on the case or the issue of its prices. The energy company reported profits of over 1.5 billion Euros for 2015 – an increase of 2.7% - and supplies gas and electricity to more than 23 million customers across the world. Based in Barcelona, its shareholders include La Caixa and Repsol, and it has become the third largest distributor of gas and electricity on the Iberian Peninsula. In Spain, Gas Natural Fenosa serves more than 1,000 municipalities in nine autonomous regions – and has more than five million customers.

#NEWSBITES SPAIN LODGES PROTEST WITH FRANCE ON LORRY ATTACK THE SECRETARY General of Agriculture and Food, Carlos Cabanas, has conﬁrmed that the Spanish Ambassador in Paris has lodged an oﬃcial letter of protest with the French Government.

The Spanish Government is protesting the attack, last week, on a lorry from Lorca, in Murcia, carrying fruit and vegetables. The complaint to the French Government states that. it is “unacceptable” that these incidents occur on Spanish lorries in transit within Europe. “We demand that the French government allow the free movement of goods, in accordance with European Commission law. This includes the transit of Spanish products within the EU.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Animal charity “critical” by JACK TROUGHTON

THE PEOPLE of Pego turned out for a public meeting this week aimed at breathing new life into ailing animal charity LAPS. Founded in 2008 – its shelter on the outskirts of the town was opened two years later – the charity has found itself in crisis; it needs a new home, more volunteers, and support from the town hall. A group of Spanish animal lovers organised the meeting and have plans to involve the whole community in reviving LAPS to continue to help abandoned animals. An unexpected visitor on Monday night was Mayor Enrique Moll. He ﬁrst heard of the charity in 2011 when his son adopted a dog. It appeared the politician chose to dwell on the problems of the current shelter rather than pledge his support to the future. However, representatives of LAPS and those who wish to restore its fortunes will hold a formal meeting with Mr Moll next week. Founder Chrissie Edwards, who plans to retire, said since the charity was A LAPS success

launched 1,369 dogs and more than 500 cats had been helped. Dog trainer Ana Femenia told more than 70 people at the meeting: “LAPS has asked for our help in the critical situation in which it ﬁnds itself. “It was founded in 2008 by Chrissie Edwards. The object was to oﬀer protection and care for abandoned animals.” CONTRACT But she said the contract with the land owner for the charity’s shelter expired in April this year and new premises were needed; while 25,000€ a year was required to run and maintain the shelter. “LAPS keeps going thanks to donations from volunteers themselves, those who adopt animals, the sale of books and fund raising events.” Until 2014, the town hall contributed 1,000€ annually. Last year this increased to 10,000€ in what the mayor described as being in the public interest Ana said volunteers cleaned the shelter, exercised and socialised the dogs, fed and groomed the animals and when needed administered medicine. When there were too many animals, an agreement with the town hall meant they went to SPAP, a charity in Alicante. It was now hoped the mayor would act on a verbal agreement given earlier in which the town hall took over responsibility. “LAPS does not have the money to buy another plot of land...it is asked that the town hall give up some land with the same amenities in place.” And a provisional management team “with fresh ideas and “starting from scratch” has outlined how to run the charity involving the Spanish and expat communities and incorporating social media to improve communication. Throughout the meeting a backdrop read: “By saving an animal’s life you will not change the world, but you will change the world of that animal”.

xxxxx

La Nucia trains the unemployed

LA NUCIA town’s training programme, in which unemployed residents are taught the skills of mechanics, is nearing completion. The 350 hour practical and theoretical study of electromechanics will hopefully see all 15 gain their Certificate of Competence in Level 1 auxiliary electromechanical maintenance on vehicles. The grant of 36,907.50€, financed by the Ministry of Economy, Industry, Tourism and Employment, through Generalitat Valencia and the European Social Fund, has been able to assist La Nucia in offering the facilities, both within the classroom and in a garage situation. Other courses, offered by the town, include auto mechanics, air-conditioning, gardening and web design. A total of six courses will see 119 unemployed people trained, with a total investment of 771,000€ from government funding. Bernabé Cano said “This investment shows that the fight against unemployment is a priority for us and the government.”

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Baby swept away by waves A BABY was swept away by a wave earlier in the week in Navia, Asturias.

Rescue workers have continued to search for the body of a 20 month old baby who was swept away by a giant wave on Monday afternoon, when he was with his father and grandfather on the Frejulfe beach in Navia. Ground search teams from Asturias Fire and Civil Guard joined the rest of the ground operation, in which a total of 50 people were involved, to help in the search for the body of the young baby, but the sea swell has hampered the recovery operation. The storms, that struck the coast on Monday, swept baby Hugo from his grandfather’s arms as they were walking along the sand. The family had only arrived in Asturias from Peru a few weeks earlier ,with the parents having to be treated at a local hospital for shock. A family member said “they are broken. The child, their only child, was their whole life.” Many locals gathered along the coastline to see the search and oﬀer any assistance, with one family friend saying “we must have Hugo back to give the family a decent burial.” The beach area is renowned for being dangerous, with six drownings being recorded in recent years.

President of Asturias, Javier Fernández, visited the area to oﬀer his personal condolences to the family. He wanted to have a few words of remembrance for the family of little Hugo and also explained that “air assets had to be withdrawn temporarily because of the weather conditions and strong winds.” The parents, and grandfather, were released from the local hospital in Jarrio and returned to their home in El Espín, a town in Coaña which is only separated from Navia by a bridge that runs across the estuary. The three are being comforted by family while they wait for news from the rescue services.

Rescue workers have continued to search for the body

NEWS BITES MADRID’S METRO providers have agreed that dogs can travel on the underground rail

CANINE system, provided they are muzzled. regional premier, Cristina Cifuentes, made the announcement on Tuesday, following PASSENGERS Madrid’s on from many dog owners campaigning for the change. The restrictions were lifted as from Wednesday, meaning that dogs could travel for free but with certain restrictions; one animal per ALLOWED person, muzzled and on a tight lead, no more than 50 cm in length and only during oﬀ-peak except for weekends, bank holidays and the months of July or August. A further condition ON MADRID hours is that dogs must travel only in the last carriage. Whilst some travellers welcomed the idea, others were concerned that the welfare of the dog was not being considered, as the underground METRO system can become very congested, and may cause the animal unnecessary distress.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Storm Imogen smashing into Britain by CAROLINE TYSZKA BRITAINS NINTH storm of the winter, Imogen, caused severe disruptions, particularly at rush hour on Monday morning. Winds were recorded at 96mph, with the situation changing by the hour. As large parts of Britain were hit by the fierce gusts and torrential rain, some transport links were closed, and thousands of homes have been left without power. The Highways England agency announced that the Severn Bridge, on the M48, had been closed to all vehicles, and part of the A35 bypass, at Dorchester, had also been shut due to flooding. Gary Webb, from the Highways England Agency, advised travellers not to travel unless it was absolutely necessary Late on Sunday evening, the Port of Dover was closed for two hours, but disruption for P & O Ferries also caused more travel chaos. Brittany Ferries said they experienced “significant” disruption on their Spanish service. Train services suffered speed restrictions which were enforced in many

Top clubs in Costa cup

ENGLISH PREMIERSHIP leaders Leicester City will join La Liga giants and local Costa Blanca sides in a new youth international football tournament.

The coast being battered by collosal waves

areas, as winds of up to 96mph were recorded at The Needles, oﬀ the Isle of Wight, early Monday morning. One couple taking pictures had a lucky escape when they were hit by a gigantic wave and swept 50ft along the seafront. Luckily, Royal National Lifeboat Institution volunteers witnessed the scene, and were immediately able to assist. The woman was taken to hospital,

where she was treated for a broken arm and head injuries, having landed in a boat in the quay, whilst her partner was saved by some railings which prevented him from falling into the harbour. The pair had been photographing the wild weather at South Quay in Newquay, just after 4pm yesterday, when they were knocked over by the colossal wave.

Teulada Moraira Town Hall is staging the ﬁrst ‘Mi Balon International Cup’ this Easter and Leicester will be joined by the likes of Valencia CF, Atletico Madrid and Levante UD. And on Wednesday, Teulada Moraira Mayor Carlos Linares welcomed staﬀ from Leicester City including Gareth Gennings, Director of the club’s Academy and Under 21 and Under 19 coach Inigo Idiaquez, a former player with Spanish sides Real Sociedad and Rayo Vallecano. They were joined on a tour of the sports facilities of both Teulada and Moraira by Celso Alcazar, director of the council’s own football school, and Agustin Macias, organiser of the competition scheduled to take place between 24th and 27th March. The visitors from Leicester praised the quality of the facilities and the timing of the competition; during the Easter holidays.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Liberty Seguros insurance, the expats no.1 choice OF THE many thousands of expatriates living either temporarily or permanently in Spain, Liberty Seguros is the favourite of many who are seeking professional insurance at a sensible price. Currently, Liberty Seguros have around 175,000 expatriate clients just like you serviced by over 300 brokers and agents who speak your language. It’s so pleasant to have a face-to-face chat with a dedicated expert about all your insurance needs rather than an impersonal, over the telephone chat, with someone you’ll probably never meet.

As Iván Ortego, Expatriate’s Experience Director at Liberty Seguros explains: “We endeavor to provide the best insurance cover at the best price, so that our customers are covered for as many eventualities as possible. Like every insurer, there is some small print as the saying goes, but we like to keep this to a bare minimum to ensure our customers have not had the ‘wool pulled over their eyes’ so to speak, and to be as transparent as possible. Our brokers/agents can explain this type of detail at the time of contracting the policy in their oﬃces” Liberty Seguros not only covers your main insurance needs for car and home, but also provides Life cover, Marine, Commercial (oﬃce and industrial), Pet, Leisure, like Golf and other pastimes and Sports, Personal and Public Liability too. Our advertising campaign sums up our philosophy: Better Care, Better Cover, Better Insurance from the market leader. To contract insurance from Liberty Seguros, you can telephone 902 255 258 for an instant quote and the name of your nearest broker/agent or visit www. libertyexpatriates.es Alternatively, if you know where your nearest broker is, go along and be sure of a great reception and all the help you need.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Tensions rise in the Far East by CAROLINE TYSZKA

NORTH KOREA launched a rocket at the weekend, despite being warned of the repercussions of such an event. As North Korea announced to UN agencies last week that it planned to launch an “earth observation satellite” later this month, Japan put its military on alert, viewing the move as hostile and an excuse to do a long-range missile test. Other nations in the region, such as China, also raised concerns, and asked the regime to exercise restraint, whilst South Korea was more forceful in their response, saying that their neighbours would pay a “severe price” if the launch went ahead. Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, condemned the plan, and said “this is a serious provocation. We will shoot down the missile if it crosses into our airspace.” John Kirby, US State Department spokesman, said that the UN needed to “send the North Koreans a swift and ﬁrm message.” In response to this, North Korea said that “it is our sovereign right to have a space programme and launch rockets.” Despite all the international condemnation, North Korea went ahead with the launch only days after the announcement.

The rocket blasted off from the Sohae launch facility at 9am on Sunday, entering orbit nine minutes and 46 seconds after lift-off. Two days later, on Tuesday, South Korea released images of debris believed to be from the long range rocket. Approximately 270 objects were recovered from the sea and taken for analysis. Preliminary findings indicate that the first stage rocket was fitted with a self-destruct device. North Koreans celebrated the launch with an official fireworks display Monday night in Pyongyang, as state television reported “We hope that the future of our space technology keeps growing and shines like these fireworks in the sky.” Yoon Dong Hyun, vice director of the Ministry of the People’s Armed Forces, vowed that the country would continue developing its aerospace technology in the face of international sanctions. Efforts by other countries to block such an advance were “nothing more than a puppy barking towards the moon,” he said. Members of the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Sunday, following the launch, to discuss further sanctions that could be imposed.

Debris found by South Korea

#NEWSBITES

ASYLUM ATTACK PLOT

POLISH FAR-RIGHT activists have been arrested in Sweden allegedly planning an attack on asylum seekers at a centre south of Stockholm. The 14-strong group – said to be part of the “far-right scene” - were held by police following a tip-oﬀ. Aged between 20 and 35, some live permanently in Sweden, others were visiting and three were arrested on a demonstration against refugees just two weeks ago. Sweden opened its doors to Syrian refugees in 2013 but last November tightened border control worried about “unsustainable” numbers of migrants arriving. There has been heightened tension over migration with attacks on people thought to have an ‘immigrant background’. Around 163,000 people applied for asylum in 2015; along with German, Sweden has been a prime destination for refugees and migrants. However, the government is preparing to deport up to 80,000 whose asylum applications have failed.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

#NEWS BITES Wartime sweethearts reunite MERCADONA’S by CAROLINE TYSZKA

VALENTINES DAY for wartime sweethearts, Norwood Thomas and Joyce Morris, will be extra special as they are reunited after 7 decades of being apart. American WWII veteran Norwood Thomas, aged 93, was just 21 years old when he met a 17 year old British girl called Joyce. The couple met in London, just before D-Day, and dated for a few months, before Mr Thomas was posted to Normandy. Following the war, Norwood returned to America, but the couple continued to write to each other, until Joyce misunderstood one of the letters, and believed he had fallen for someone else. Both sweethearts then married other people, and had children, with Joyce moving to Australia with her new husband, to whom she was married for 30 years, whilst Norwood’s wife died in 2001. After the discovery of his name in an article about D-Day in a newspaper in Virginia, the two made contact and spoke on Skype, with the help of their children, and then Mr Thomas’s local newspaper started a campaign to send him from his home in Virginia Beach to Australia, to meet his long-lost sweetheart again. Readers, seeing the story, were quick to donate, and Air New Zealand donated ﬁrst class airfares for Mr Thomas and his son Steve, who lives

Andy Murray becomes a dad

sweethearts

NEW FLEET

THE POPULAR supermarket chain, Mercadona, has revealed its new ﬂeet of vehicles, which will save costs and also help the environment.

with his father and looks after him. Now, 72 years later, the couple have been reunited. Ms Morris, who is now 88 and struggling with failing eyesight, laughed, adding: “We’re going to have a wonderful fortnight.”

KIM SEARS, the wife of British tennis star Andy Murray, gave birth to a baby girl on Sunday night, in a well-kept secret, until being officially announced on Tuesday morning. Murray, who had just returned from his finals match in the Australian Open tournament only a few days before, had paid tribute to his wife in his speech, having lost to Novak Djokovic, saying,“to my wife Kim. She’s going to be watching back home just now. You’ve been a legend the last two weeks. Thanks for all your support and I’ll be on the next flight home.” Before rushing to catch a flight back to London, Andy said “she’s been amazing, handled everything unbelievably well. I have to thank her for allowing me to play and stay here, with everything that was going on.” Murray and Sears, who are both 28, got married in the world number two’s home town of Dunblane, in Scotland, in April last year.

The mega-trucks, purchased by the Valencian supermarket leader’s transport providers, Acotral and Disfrimur, are now operating from their Málaga and Murcia distribution centres. New rules came into force recently, which allowed the larger vehicles within Spain, as the length and weight allowance has been increased, to help reduce transportation costs. This means that “Mega-Trucks”, as they are known, can be up to 25.25 metres in length, and allowed to be up to 60 tonnes in weight. They are one of the ﬁrst companies in Spain to take advantage of the new regulations.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Legion salutes Poppy Appeal success BIG-HEARTED PEOPLE recognised the sacrifice of others to help raise a mammoth 171,543.43€ for the Royal British Legion in Spain’s 2015 Poppy Appeal. The total was officially announced this week, with the “incredible” amount being donated “in spite of the difficult financial times in which we live”. And a spokeswoman for the charity told RTN: “Once again, the Royal British Legion in Spain is indebted to the wonderful generosity, not only of our expat community, but to all nationalities who contributed to the 2015 appeal. “Our grateful thanks goes to all the Branch members, friends, local businesses, churches, consulates and embassies, as well as the many clubs and individuals who have contributed to this amount.” At the Legion’s annual conference there was a presentation of awards; including the Recruiting Award to Pinoso Branch, and the Poppy Award – for the highest amount per member raised for the appeal – went to Gran Alacant and La Marina Branch, for efforts that averaged out at over 345€ per member. Welfare caseworker scrolls were also handed to two members of Orihuela Costa and District Branch for their work over and above what would normally be expected. In the coming months, the work of the charity and how the money is spent on welfare will be made public through a series of articles in the press. Pictured is Robert Hargrave, the District Poppy Appeal co-ordinator, revealing the 2015 appeal total. Anyone wanting to know more about the Legion or finding their nearest Branch can contact the Secretary by calling 648 860 251 or by email to secretary.rbl.dns@gmail.com.

And for all welfare enquiries, call 676 451 780. More information is also available on the website www.britishlegion.org.uk/counties/spain-north.

#NEWSBITES

CARNIVAL FUN ACROSS THE REGION

CARNIVAL TIME across the region saw towns full of children and adults dressed in an explosion of colour and imagination at the weekend. In Alicante, thousands took to the streets to celebrate the annual Carnival event and parade to the percussion music of the batucada, with Vikings, sheep, the mask and many more original costumes swaying down the city’s streets. In Benidorm, over 2,000 attended the children’s parade which was held in the morning and included a bit of fun time on inﬂatables supplied by the town hall, as well as some games and a snack. In the evening, it was the turn of the adults to don their costumes, with 800 taking part in the main parade. In La Nucia 150 children participated on Friday at Children’s Carnival organized by the Penya ‘Els Socarrats. The party was held in the Social Hall “The Cirer”, with snacks and prizes for the best costumes. Children in Callosa d’en Sarria celebrated for the ﬁrst time in many years with their own parade, and similar events took place in other towns, including Alfaz del Pi.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

#NEWS BITES

MADE IN THE SHADE SCHOOL CHILDREN at a Costa Blanca school will soon enjoy a shaded area in their playground thanks to an appeal by parents and teachers. Javea Town Hall has planted trees at the Arenal School following a petition from AMPA to provide respite from the sun, while repositioning other facilities. Councillor Kika Mata, responsible for the department of services and the environment, visited the school to supervise the improvements. And trees will soon be planted in Javea Port to replace those felled earlier during improvements in Calle Jaume I.

Bless the weather by JACK TROUGHTON

MILD WINTER temperatures have changed the travel plans of migratory flamingos who have continued to enjoy feeding in Calpe’s salt wetland Las Salines. Always a colourful attraction for bird watchers, photographers and visitors, the wading birds have abandoned their normal migration from Carmargue in France to North Africa and Andalucia. Calpe is merely a stop-over for the flamingos. Many breed at the Fuente de Piedra near Malaga, where 13,000 were born in 2015 and volunteers help ring the birds. At present Las Salinas plays host to more than 115 flamingos. Thanks to the programme of ringing the birds, the town hall’s environmental department has confirmed one member of the flock is a 17-year-old veteran. The crustacean diet means the flamingos slowly take on a pink plumage – juveniles born this year are still grey. Councillor Carole Saunders said the town hall had a list of the ring numbers of birds and was able to help monitor the population. “Breeding takes place in spring and the youngsters all hatch at the same time – apparently the salt flats where they are born are left covered in tiny grey feathers,” she said. “At Calpe we are always very pleased to see these visitors. It continues to show the water in Las Salinas is in very good condition.”

Art resurfaces DENIA RESTAURANTEUR Jose Piera Puchol is donating his private antique collection to the town hall so it can be enjoyed by the public.

Known as ‘Pepe el Pegoli’, he owns a “vast” collection of archaeological treasures rescued from the sea and has pledged them to the town’s museum. Pepe met with Mayor Vicent Grimalt, Councillor for Culture Rafa Carrio, and Director of the Archaeological Museum Josep Antoni Gisbert to show a sample of the gift – four 15th Century amphora and a neoclassical sculptured marble head. The containers were once used to transport oil or wine and are typical of those made in Paterna or Manises, while the characteristics of the sculpture reveal it to be in the style of a French or Italian artist and made between 1790 and 1820.

#NEWS BITES

KRACKLINS CARDS

ON TUESDAY last week the RTN distribution team ventured into Jalon looking for new distribution points for the area. Upon passing Heidi’s Flower Shop (a long standing point) we were surprised to see that the shop next door had an RTN distribution sticker in the window! When we went in to speak about receiving our papers, we were greeted by a very friendly face and owner Jacquie of “Kracklins Cards & Stationery” on Carrer Denia 1, 03727 Jalón/Xaló, and it is now a new distribution point. We are constantly looking for new drop oﬀs for our newspapers so if you are interested in becoming one or even advertising contact: damien@ roundtownnews.com or call 902 118 999

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Life in the fast lane

NEWS BITES

GOGGLEBOX LADIES LOVE BENIDORM

EVEN GOGGLEBOX celebrities love coming to Benidorm for their holidays, as lively best friends Sandy and Sandra hit the town last week.

by JACK TROUGHTON HARLEY DAVIDSON Motorcycle owners on the north Costa Blanca have formed a new independent group ‘Outlander Bikers’. Within two weeks of its launch, the Outlanders have signed up 42 members and organised a busy diary of exciting club rides and social events. The group has also pledged its backing for two local charities; Make A Smile, which supports children living in EMAUS homes and a self-suﬃciency farm project, and the Preventorio de Gandia, a home for children unable to be with their families. And the group has also secured over 1,000€ in sponsorship from Telitec Connections and Oliva’s California Motorcycles – a specialist in Harley Davidson machines and its new prem-

ises already “the spiritual home” of Outlander Bikers. Club President Peter Emmett told RTN: “Our new group will be focussed on members enjoying their bikes in likeminded company. “But we also want to insure that we beneﬁt the needs of those less fortunate in the process and by way of a number of fund raising events throughout the year.” The group is still busy recruiting members and has a set a target of raising 10,000€ by the end of 2016 for charity. For further information and for inquiries about membership, call Peter on 96 646 1039 or email peter@peteremmett.com. Pictured are the seven founder members of Outlander Bikers with Gemma Broad, Telitec’s Marketing Manager. They are (from left) Joseph Fay, Andy Wood, Babs Heijmerink, Gemma, Lisa Fox, Liz Emmett, Alan Fox, and Peter Emmett.

Queen Bee and Sandy, as they are known to many viewers, took time out of their television viewing commentary programme to travel to Benidorm for Sandra’s birthday and have a bit of a break. Sandy Channer, aged 48, and Sandra Martin, 52, are best friends from Brixton, London. Sandra has four children and two grandchildren, and has been best friends with Sandy for over 40 years. The ladies made sure that they enjoyed every moment of their break, from champagne tasting at their hotel to visiting one of their favourite bars, Union Jack, before hitting the town for Karaoke. They even had time to enjoy the famous Carnival 2016 at the weekend, before travelling back to the UK. Series 7, episode 1 starts Friday 19th February at 9pm UK time on Channel 4.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Broadways panto perfection by CAROLINE TYSZKA THE BROADWAY Academy, based in Alfaz del Pi, entertained young and old at the weekend with their “Alice’s Wonderland” pantomime. The group of talented singers, actors and dancers performed on Friday and Saturday night to packed audiences. As the curtains opened, you were immediately drawn into the mystical world that Alice would travel through, with outstanding scenery and quick scene changes helping the show ﬂow perfectly and special eﬀects adding to the show’s professionalism. Alice soon met the white rabbit, and was tempted by the magic potion to enter wonderland where she would then meet characters such as the very tired dormouse, tweedle dumb and tweedle dee. Matt King, writer, said: “We have had a fantastic amount of response from our audience and sponsors. I was even told by a lady who’d just returned from the UK that

it was better than a professional show she had seen whilst there. We ask nothing more than a 100% commitment to the shows from everyone concerned and when you get it the shows speak for themselves!” The Queen of Hearts performance was scarily good, with everyone shouting “boo” as she screeched her “oﬀ with their head” at all and sundry including some of the audience. Each scene was a combination of acting and dancing, including everyone in the Broadway gang, no matter how young. The little ones, “minions” as they are fondly called, arrived on stage to huge cheers from the crowds, assisted by Rebecca Troch, choreographer and dance teacher. “We don’t have stars at Broadway.” Matt said, “Each Actor, Dancer or Singer is as ‘special’ as the next, Beki and I just want to bring out the best in everyone, and everyone can bring something to the table.” To say how wonderful every member of the Academy group were individually would

take a novel, suﬃce to say RTN were very proud to have been sponsors of such a wonderful, feel-good pantomime. Broadway Academy start rehearsals for their next show soon but, in the meantime, classes on Tuesday are Tap and Contemporary, and acting is on Wednesday, at the studio in Alfaz del Pi. Anyone wishing to join the group for their next production, or would like further information on the classes through the week, can contact Matt 678657136 for details.

Better facilities for Fonts del Algar THE TOWN council of Callosa d’en Sarria has begun a feasibility study to improve the public space at the Fonts del Algar. The mayor of Callosa, Josep Savall, met with the Director General of Tourism of Valencia, Raquel Huete Nieves, to show the town’s proposals for planting trees and native plants in the popular tourist attraction. During the meeting both parties discussed the possibilities of adding further picnic areas, with tables and benches situated in the shade, to protect visitors during the summer months. The council also explained the need for a safe area for bathers to leave their belonging whilst enjoying the cooling waters. The meeting concluded that there would be a joint aid programme to fund the feasibility study of the new plantation and tourist facilities.

#NEWS BITES

CHEMIST WINDOW DISPLAY AWARD

WORLD CANCER Day on February 4th saw a special presentation in Alfaz del Pi for one of the pharmacists serving the community. Alfaz del Pi pharmacist, M. Eugenia García received a certiﬁcate as third prize winner in the local Christmas window display competition. As a collaborator with the local committee of AECC, Mrs Zaragoza invited President Pamela Dawson Tasker, and Vice-President Maribel Torres, to join the presentation which was made by representatives of the Town Hall Marisa Cortes and Loli Alberi, Councillors for Residents and Health Department respectively.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Vision on by JACK TROUGHTON SPECIAL GLASSES to help correct the sight of a Marina Alta youngster have been delivered thanks to Teulada Moraira Lions Club and opticians Direkt Optic. Benitachell Social Services contacted the Lions to inquire whether the club could assist with the cost of special lenses to help solve a “difficult problem” with the vision of a young child in the village. And the Lions were quick to take up the challenge. Social services had already obtained quotes from a number of opticians of between 300€ and 350€. Mike Dunn, the club’s Liaison Officer for Benitachell, decided to recruit the help of Robin O’Toole of Moraira optician Direkt Optic to see if he could better the figures. Robin could. He offered to make up the prescription for the pair of lenses free of charge. The work was quickly completed, the glasses delivered, and they are already making a huge difference for one lucky youngster. Later Lions President David Platt and Mike Dunn visited Direkt Optic to say “thank you” and to present Robin and his team with an official Certificate of Appreciation.

(from left) Mike Dunn and David Platt present Robin O’Toole with the certificate

NEWS BITES

DISCOVER THE SOURCE

COSTA BLANCA adventurers can travel to the source of the Rio Cuervo, Teruel and Canete on an excursion organised by Javea-based animal charity APASA. The short trip – 9th to 11th March – includes exploring the source of the river – where there will be an open air ﬁesta – Teruel and Canete for 165€. And the price includes transport and full-board, including drinks, at the 3-star Hosteria Canete. Reservations are essential, call Sue on 96 574 1668 or 606 588 197.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

TV show seeks hopeful hoteliers A BRITISH television company is on the search for couples and families who are in the process of becoming hoteliers. Twofour, part of the ITV Studios, is planning on producing a brand new documentary series, similar in style to the Channel 4 series “Grand Designs.” Katherine Healy, Twofour researcher, has been contacting local media outlets throughout the Costa Blanca, asking for anyone who thinks they may be interested to contact her for further discussions. Requirements for applicants are that the project is no more than 50 percent completed, and that the deadline for opening, as a going concern, be during the summer months of this year. The programme will not only follow the progress of the renovations, and all the difﬁculties that may come along with building regulations etc., but also focus on the human element, following the families and individuals, as they go through the transition. Twofour is the company behind such popular television shows as “The Jump” hosted by Davina McCall, “The Hotel Inspector” presented by Alex Polizzi, “The Housing Enforcers,” and “Our School.” The company was named “Indie of the Year” at the 2014 Broadcast Awards. Katherine says that anyone interested can either call her on 0044 1752 727643 or send their details to her via email at katherine. healy@twofour.co.uk.

Altea tree planting DESPITE THE strong winds this weekend, many people attended the celebration of the day of the tree and wetlands, in Altea. The day of commemoration started with a talk, given by an expert in the ﬁeld of the environment, and also by a biologist, at the youth centre in the town, where 60 people attended. Following the discussion, a short documentary called “the river does not laugh” highlighted the importance of climate change and the need to protect our water. Later, adults and children, including the Mayor of Altea, Jaime Llinares, met at the Algar River area, where the day concluded with the tree planting. In addition, the council gave seedlings to the 100 girls and boys who attended, with instructions on how to care for them throughout the year, so that they could be planted next year by the river.

#NEWS BITES

WALKING FOOTBALL CHARITY TOURNAMENT

THE PLAYA Flamenca Walking Football Tournament will take place on Friday 4th March, from 10am to 5pm, at the Playa Flamenca Sports Centre (CDM) 8 teams are participating, from England, Los Montesinos, Moraira, Daya Vieja, and Playa Flamenca. Refreshments will be available, and spectators are welcome. Go along, watch and enjoy. The proceeds will go to Elche Children’s Home. For further details, call -Terry Sawkins, on 965 31 92 79.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Charity is the answer by JACK TROUGHTON

FREEMASONS OF Javea’s Arenal Lodge enjoyed their annual Quiz Night at the L’Echalote Restaurant in Costa Nova – a raﬄe raising 320€ for the children of the Preventorio in Gandia. Master of the Lodge William Turney has chosen the home as the nominated charity for the year and everything raised will be donated in May. He said the money raised on the night was a tribute to the generosity of those attending. “As Master of the Lodge, I would like to thank each and every one of you for attending what was generally agreed to be a fantastic night. I can assure you every cent will be well spent.” The popular quiz night has gone from strength to strength over the last few years and 60 Freemasons and their guests enjoyed supper and testing their grey matter.

Enjoying the evening

Among the guests was Sylvia Barnish – charity organiser for Bay Radio and the Lodge’s liaison and translator in its dealings with the Preventorio.

She explained how youngsters were cared for at the home, and how it relied on charitable donations and volunteers to continue its good work.

#NEWS BITES

BENIDORM & DISTRICT ROYAL BRITISH LEGION

THE BENIDORM and District branch of the Royal British Legion meet on the ﬁrst Friday of every month at Ciudad Patricia Seniors Resort in Benidorm, where there are bar and restaurant facilities. They also meet on the second and third Friday’s for coﬀee and or a lunch.

The organisation offers a vital service throughout the year for the welfare of ex-service people (all those who have seen some service in the Armed Forces may be beneficiaries) and their dependants. Dates for the diary for March are: General Meeting at Ciudad Patricia on Friday 4th at 11 am, Coffee morning at the Salt and Pepper Bar in Albir Friday 11th at 11 am and lunch at Patagonia Rest in Albir with dates to be confirmed. For anyone wishing to have details about the Royal British Legion in Benidorm events and how they can help you contact the branch pdawson802t@cv.gva.es, call 96 686 0735 or go direct to District Welfare Officer on 676 451 780 9-5 Mon-Fri or email welfare.rbl.dns@gmail.com.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Golden Leaves Expat Services sponsors leading Costa Blanca lifestyle show Golden Leaves Expat Services, the ground breaking initiative from Golden Leaves International Limited today announced its sponsorship of Pet Idol 2016, the latest exciting addition to the annual Homes Gardens & Lifestyle Show in Costa Blanca. The leading show of its kind for the expat community is also one of the most popular events in Costa Blanca providing inspiration, information, fun and feature attractions as well as opportunities to meet with celebrities. Pet Idol 2016 provides animal lovers with the opportunity to put their furry friends in the limelight and be voted favourite Costa Blanca pet, with the winner receiving a year’s pet insurance courtesy of Golden Leaves Expat Services. Pet Idol 2016 will also be raising much needed awareness for the work of the animal charity APASA. Barry Floyd, Managing Director at Golden Leaves International Limited explains why Golden Leaves Expat Services was keen to support the show. “For pet owners everywhere, their pets are more than just animals. In many ways they are family, loved by old and young alike and as such, deserve the

same loving care as any other family member. Pet insurance is the most cost effective way of ensuring that your beloved pet will receive the care it needs, when it needs it, which is why pet insurance is one of the many valued services that we provide for the expatriate community.” He continues, “For this reason we are delighted to sponsor Pet Idol 2016 as well as showing our support for the important work of the APASA. We would encourage all pet owners to enter the competition and wish everyone the very best of luck. While there can only be one winner of Pet Idol 2016, we would of course be more than happy to discuss anyone’s pet insurance requirements with them either at the show or at our new offices.” The Homes Garden & Lifestyle Show will be held at the Denia Marriott Hotel, La Sella Gold & Spa Resort, Jesus Pobre on 11th-12th March, 2016. For more information about GL Expat Services’ portfolio Call 8000 98309, visit glexpatservices.com or pop in and see their team at their new offices in Javea, in the Arenal at Avenida De La Pla 123-125, Edifico Caribe, Locale1 Javea 03730 Alicante.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

News from afar

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

A spider named Johnny SCIENTISTS HAVE named a new species of giant black tarantula discovered in the California desert after country music legend Johnny Cash.

The dark colour of the tarantula struck a chord with researchers – the singer was known as the ‘Man in Black’ because of his choice of wearing dark clothing on stage. And the name is even more fitting as the spider was discovered near Folsom Prison; where Cash – who died in 2003 – famously performed free concerts for inmates and inspired his famous hit song Folsom Prison Blues. It may not be as famous around the globe as its namesake but it walked the line into the world’s press after being named Aphonopelma johnnycashi. It is just one of 14 new species of tarantula discovered in the United States; all members of the Aphonopelma family. Dr Chris Hamilton, from the Florida Museum of Natural History, who named the spider, said: “We often hear how new species are being discovered from remote corners of the Earth, but what is remarkable is that these spiders are in our own backyard.” His team has spent almost a decade combing the land for tarantulas in locations ranging from scorching deserts to frigid mountains across the American South-West and examined nearly 3,000 specimens. They identified 29 species of tarantulas in the most comprehensive study ever undertaken – 14 are new to science. Some were no bigger than a small coin but others, like Aphonopelma johnnycashi, have a leg span of six inches...or more. And while the US tarantulas may be fearsome looking, their bite – although venomous and painful – is not considered painful. Dr Hamilton stressed they were harmless. “They are teddy bears with eight legs.”

Violence erupts in Hong Kong

NEW YEAR celebrations in Hong Kong were marred by violence as police were attacked as they cleared unlicensed food stalls in Kowloon. More than 90 people were arrested and 61 people were injured as officers attempted to move the street food vendors who had set up stalls at a busy junction for the Lunar New Year holiday celebrations. Angry protesters hurled bricks and bottles at police and security forces responded with baton charges and pepper spray; even firing two warning shots into the air. The clashes took place as crowds gathered to defend the food vendors – street food is seen as a traditional part of life in the former British colony. Officials usually turn a blind eye to the hawkers’ lack of permits but this year it was decided to stage a crackdown. Police blamed “radical elements” for the violence and accused demonstrators of bringing “self-made weapons and shields” to attack officers. However, tensions have been running high. Protesters – many want greater autonomy for Hong Kong – believe its identity, culture, and traditions are under threat. The worst unrest since the pro-democracy protests of 2014 was widely featured on social media where it was tagged #fishballrevolution.

Friday, February 5 - Thursday, February 11 2016

The road to hell

Chris Ashley

Writer & Broadcaster

Just as Generalissimo Franco was about to shuffle of his Fascist Coil in 1975, I reckon he issued an edict that proposed “All Spanish Males When Driving Can Do What They Like, To Whom They Like, When Or Where They Like.’

Which would explain their loony tunes motoring habits should a woman driver have the temerity to overtake the aforementioned Butch Boy Racer. He will go to the ends of the Earth to snatch back the lead, making Lewis Hamilton look like he’s ‘Driving Miss Daisy.’ Another quirk is driving out of a side street with the swiftness of a Nike denial, causing you to brake violently, and then proceeds at half the speed of smell in front of you. When an opportunity to overtake occurs, Señor Loco dons the lead boot & puts the pedal to the metal. It’s almost like he wants to get all his life threatening accidents over in one fell swoop. Talking of which, we went to a funereal in the UK for a distant Great Aunt. She was 103 years old when she popped her clogs (ironically she was of Dutch lineage). At the wake a fellow asked me “How did she die?” How did she die? 103 years old – how did she die? So I said, whimsically, “She was endeavouring to jump 14 double decker buses on her Harley, almost pulled it off too, just clipped bus 14.” The chap sighed and said “It’s the way she’d want to go.” and wandered off in search of a vol-au-vent. My Spanish coffin dodging amigo, Juan Nitestand, on principal refuses to pay motorway tolls. We needed to drive from Alicante to Gibraltar - some 380 miles which should take – what? 5½ - 6 hours? Because he refused to kowtow to the authorities and pay the tariff, we drove on the secondary roads through villages where they didn’t even know Franco had died, let alone Elvis. We went so far into The Sierra Nevada we needed a Sherpa to get us out. It took 2 days & 6 times the money to get to the Rock, which one senior resident summed up thus - “Gibraltar is 7 sq. km of rock, with 30,000 drunks clinging onto it.” Cheers M’dears!

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Friday, February 5 - Thursday, February 11 2016

IF AS non tax residents in Spain (but tax resident in a country of the European Union)you paid inheritance or gift tax in Spain before the change in the Inheritance and Gift Tax Spanish Rules which took place on the 01.01.2015 THEN IT is probable you paid taxes as per Spain’s national tax scale, and you were not able to benefit for the tax benefits of the different Spanish regions, like: Community of Valencia Inheritance tax, etc. As we have explained in many other articles, this situation (prior to 01/01/2015) was a clear discrimination against EU citizens who were not tax resident in Spain, since often they paid many more taxes than tax residents. The Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) in its judgment of 3 September 2014, declared that the Spanish tax laws were discriminatory, and finally Spain changed the rules into a non-discriminatory system, in their Law dated 26/2014. Therefore from 01/01/2015 the citizens residing in the European Union or the European Economic Area may benefit from regional regulations (Valencia, Catalonia, Madrid, etc.) and their corresponding tax advantages in Inheritance and Gift tax. Therefore, if in the last 4 years, you have paid inheritance or gift tax in Spain as non resident ( but being resident in a European Union Country), and you received the gift or estate from your ascendants: father, mother, grandfather, etc., descendants: children , grandchildren, etc., or spouses, you could be able to claim for the majority of the tax to be paid back.. We have had the opportunity to help many clients to claim back inheritance and gift or donations tax paid, and 100% of our claims have been accepted, all of our clients whose cases have already reached a definitive decision, obtained the return of the unduly paid tax, plus interests. Also, in order to help affected people to claim for their rights, we only charge if the claim is accepted and the clients get the overpaid tax back. Therefore, if you or someone you know, has paid inheritance tax in Spain over the last 4 years, contact us without commitment, and we will confirm whether you can claim back the tax paid, all at no cost to you, Contact Us

The information provided in this article is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to legal issues. White & Baos Abogados. Tel:+34 966 426 185. E-mail: info@white-baos.com White & Baos 2014 – All rights reserved. Send your questions to spanishlawyer@roundtownnews.com or info@white-baos.com

LEGAL & FINANCE

If you have paid inheritance or gift tax in Spain during the last four years you could get your money back

Carlos Baos

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Savings returns hit rock bottom and markets seem to be on a downward spiral

MONEY

LAST WEEK, the Bank’s Governor Mark Carney announced that a further cut in interest rates should not be ruled out WITH INTEREST rates held at 0.5 per cent for the 83rd consecutive month, it’s great news for UK small businesses and those in the UK with mortgages, but – as always – not such good news for savers.

Christina Brady

Regional Manager of Blacktower Costa Blanca

Those who get their income from interest paid on their hard-earned savings have seen no pay rise for seven years – that’s seven years. Share dividends are being slashed, top cash savings rates axed , NS&I rates slashed, all when prices of goods haven’t decreased to the same degree, which means seeing your pennies dwindle in bank accounts with pitiful low or nonexistent interest rates. Now there is talk of negative interest rates, something already happening in Japan and in some parts of Europe where you have to pay to open a deposit account. The idea behind all this is that people will stop saving and spend, spend, spend thereby boasting world economies and growth. This is all well and good but some of us cannot afford to spend, spend, spend , either because you are retired and rely on saving/investment returns to boost your income, or you are nearing retirement age and want to have as much money saved as possible so you can enjoy your retirement when it comes. On top of this the World Stock Markets are so volatile no one knows where it will end at the moment. What may you ask can be done? Who can I turn to for honest, professional advice? Blacktower Financial Management has been established for 30 years and have worked with clients through the good and the bad times, offering sound advice. We have products that can to a certain extent smooth out the volatility for clients and offer consistent returns and for those of you interested in wealth preservation we work with one of the oldest and most respected Swiss Banks Lombard Odier who specialise in helping high net worth individuals manage their wealth. I am here to help you find the right solution to make your money work for YOU, to arrange an independent, professional and impartial consultation please contact me by email christina.brady@blacktowerfm.com or call me on 658 892 330 .

Blacktower Financial Management Ltd is authorised and regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV. Blacktower Financial Management (Int) Ltd is licensed in Gibraltar by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) and is registered with both the DGS and CNMV in Spain.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

THIS ARTICLE will discuss the essential issues involved in buying or renting property in Spain. Please pay attention to the following questions.

Even if the seller or real estate agent assures you that everything is correct, look for an independent legal advice for your complete tranquility. Even when it is not a mortgage, and the measures of square meters have been already given to you, do measure them by yourself or let a qualiﬁed expert do it for you. Make sure that all the additions to the original construction are legal, such as a terrace, swimming pool, basement, barbecue, etc. Do not allow anyone to sell you a property with unpermitted constructions, because they can be demolished without you being able to avoid it. Any seller will be glad to have his/her property reviewed by an independent lawyer, who will check all the documents proving that everything is correct.

We all realize the presence of unpermitted constructions when unaware buyers end up having problems with unpaid taxes, illegal land titles or having difficulties in obtaining municipal services or non-existent permits for such additions. You may face the following problems when buying a property: Lack of bank guarantee for down payment (buying an off-plan property). Problems with sales contract and cadastre (unpermitted actions, different measures that do not match the actual meters from the house and land, etc.). Lack of project and license of the house. Lack of 10-year Structural Insurance Certificate. Lack of License of Fist Occupation. Undervalued property. Lack of license for Electrical and Plumbing. Problems with infrastructure.

If you are planning to buy or sell a property, contact Berger & Dozet by calling 966 236 587 or email info@bergerdozet.com for an appointment.

Lack of other certiﬁcates. We recommend you to hire an independent lawyer who will work only for you and for your own interests. The right moment to hire such a lawyer is before you commit any payment. The tax implications when buying property are very important, and it is good to keep them in mind before signing any document. If you buy an apartment or villa, or decide to rent a luxury villa or just to buy property oﬀ plan, do not forget to protect your money properly with the help of the independent advice of your lawyer. If you plan to buy or sell a property, please contact us at 966 236 587 or email us at info@bergerdozet.com and our secretary will organize an appointment with a solicitor for you to explain everything more carefully.

FEATURE

Tips to consider when buying property

Alejandro Rosenberger

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

#life&leisure

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016



Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Show This year’s Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Show is truly exceptional, with free tapas, free cava cocktails, free advice/ consultations, free eye tests, plus free prizes, including an 8 day Mediterranean Cruise! Read the full story on page 37.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #gardening



Hedges and fences

Dick Handscombe Holistic gardener and author

HAVING SPENT the last couple of days trimming the hedges around the garden I thought that a column about hedges and fences would perhaps be of interest. ORIGINALLY I had no hedges but just a wall on two sides and woven wire fences on the other two sides. The two sides with wire fencing created the boundary from my plot cleared of dead fruit trees and two thick pine tree copses. One of the walled sides of the plot was alongside an earth track which would eventually be tarmacked with pedestrian pavements on both sides. The second wall separated the plot from abandoned agricultural terraces then and for some years later was grazed daily by a couple of flocks of sheep. The rear fence was on top of the edge of a metre high terrace so it would be difficult to grow a hedge to screen me from persons walking dogs through the edge of the copse and the house that I expected to be eventually built. In fact it took ten years for this to happen with the economic problems of the early 90’s. The solution was to laboriously dig out a fifty centimetre trench in the rocks topping the wall, line the sides with black plastic sheeting to retain moisture, fill the bottom twenty centimetres with goat manure and then fill in with soil and plant oleanders. These were trimmed to one and half metres to allow me to see into the copse until it was felled and the neighbouring house was built and then raised to three metres for privacy. A young carob tree that I had inherited on the boundary had now grown high enough to block out part of the house to roof level so this was pruned to create an ever widening fan shape to eventually block out most of the house. The sheep fields were built on after fifteen years so a tall thick mixed hedge of oleander, jasmine, olive acacia and wild pistachio trees was planted to block out the new buildings and create a wind break from westerly winds. When one of the acacias died pink trumpet vine bignonias ,yellow winter jasmines and honeysuckles were grown to cover the trunk and branches and create a thick screen with flowers for much of

the year. A tall cypressus hedge was grown inside the second woven wire fence. Initially trimmed to two metres this had to be raised to four metres when the owner of a new house raised up the old terracing to the level of the road in front of the property, as is allowed in Spain, and could therefore walk along the top of my carefully clipped hedge. The second wall was initially used as a support for a purple ﬂowering bougainvillea, a grape vine, a fan mango, a banana plant and edible passion fruit vine.

The latter four were lost during the heavy frost of March 2005 and were replaced by the easily controllable campsis and capensis bignonias, a tall orange lantana, and a fan apricot tree. These give good colour for nine months of the year and rise above the height of the wall to create extra privacy. As a result of these actions the garden is now an enclosed glade within the urbanisation that replaced the previously productive historic agricultural terraces built and cared for by monastery workers for many centuries.

Email auntyvirus@roundtownnews.com

life&leisure #aunty virus

////////////////////////////////////

Home Premium Hi Aunty V, I’ve upgraded to Windows 10 from Win 7 Home Premium.

When I’m back in England I use an EE 6GB mobile sim, valid for 90 days, subject to usage. With win 7, I could close down all updates etc. and update when visiting my daughters, or use a hotspot,so I never used all the 6GB, allowance.Now I’m beginning to think that it was a mistake to upgrade as, with Win 10, I cannot find out how to switch off all the auto updates etc. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Kind regards Robert Aunty says: You are correct.Windows 10 does not have the option to disable updates, like its predecessors.The only way I can see is to stop the Windows Update service and make sure that it doesn’t start again. Type “services” in the Windows 10 search box and click ‘View Local Services’. Scroll down to Windows Update and double-click the service. Set the startup type to ‘Disabled’. If the service is already running, click ‘Stop’. After the service has stopped, click ‘OK’. If you now click ‘Check for Updates’ in the Windows Update app, you should see a reassuring error message: ‘There were some problems installing updates’. If you want to later enable Automatic Updates again, you have to remember to go through this process and set the type of the Windows Update service to ‘Automatic’ or ‘Manual’ and then start the service. Response: Once again, I have to thank you for solving another of my problems

How to connect

Dear Aunty, I want to use my iPad5 to connect to my Samsung smart tv via hdmi cable in order to watch tv. I read your article with interest, hoping it would help me. Not to be. Can you advise me what process I need to follow to connect my iPad to my tv. I have, at great expense, purchased a cable (lightning cable?) in the hope this will work. I look forward to your reply, Cynthia Aunty says: As you already have the “lightening cable”, simply connect one end to your Ipad (only one end of this cable will connect to your Ipad!) Then, connect a HDMI cable to the other end of the lightening cable, and the other end of the HDMI cable to a HDMI input on your TV.Select the correct HDMI input on your TV.Turn on your Ipad / Iphone etc., and the TV picture will mirror the Ipad screen.There should be no need to change any settings or download any apps or software. This Youtube video shows you how to do it and how simple it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1TbZCNjk4o.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Sara Bell life&leis re ask Sara u  by

Life Coach

WITH A background in family and matrimonial mediation, Life Coach Sara Bell helps Readers with their daily worries. If you are having difficulties with relationships, family, work or any other aspect of your life, then help is at hand.

She’s changed her mind

MY WIFE and I have been talking about moving to Spain for several years. We are due to retire this year, and can ﬁnally see a light at the end of the tunnel. However, my wife is having second thoughts. This revelation is causing many arguments, because I thought it was her dream too. We haven’t much to stay in the UK for, and the children are all grown and live in other parts of the country, so we don’t see them much as it is. What can I do? It could just be cold feet. It can be a big thing, especially for women, to sell up, leave the family and move to another country. You could suggest that you spend some time renting in Spain, may be two or three months to see how she likes it. And invite the family over for a lovely holiday. Whilst some people who emigrate miss their family too much, others say it’s the best thing they have ever done. At least give it a try. Not to try is not to know.

I have done bad things WHEN I was younger I got into trouble and went to prison. I used to think I was a bad person, and sometimes still do because of my past, even though I have paid my debt to society. I never told my family that I suﬀered mental and physical abuse from one family member, who is no longer around. I feel guilty about the hurt I caused others when I committed crimes. I would give anything to turn back the clock. Nobody is born bad. The fact that you say you suﬀered abuse could certainly be the reason why your life took the direction it did. We are all born with potential, and we owe it to ourselves to realise that potential, to become who we should be. We are all much more than the sum result of our actions. You say you feel bad about the hurt you have caused others? May be think about doing some voluntary work. Giving is more satisfying than taking.

Write to Sara in conﬁdence. A pseudonym will be used if you wish. Sara reads all letters and can give a personal reply. Email your question to agonyaunt@roundtownnews.com or Sara is available for private consultations, telephone 650 054 467.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure Homes, Gardens & Lifestyle Show

11th & 12th March at the Denia Marriott BRIM-FULL with feature attractions, The Homes Gardens & Lifestyle Show has two whole days full of inspiration, information and fun! This year’s Homes Gardens & Lifestyle Show is truly exceptional, with free tapas, free cava cocktails, free advice/consultations, free eye tests, plus free prizes, including an 8 day Mediterranean Cruise. All this, and much, much more, is on offer to ensure a fantastic day out for anyone here on the Costa Blanca. The place to be is the Denia Marriott Hotel, Jesus Pobre, near Javea on 11th and 12th March. Show Sponsors BLU So Easy! will welcome you with a stylish BLU cava cocktail from the cava fountain in the main lobby, by the Jazz and Blues Bar, where some magic awaits you, as Yanni the Street Magician, courtesy of Round Town News, sponsors of our new magic experience, will be performing memorable magic. Not only that, there is also an 8 day Mediterranean Cruise to be won in RTN’s free to enter draw. As if by magic, the winner could be setting sail in 2016! For more about this, see next week’s RTN. By popular demand, the Costa’s Cook Off is back! Sponsored by Cambridge 800, this cooking competition has 4 local chefs creating culinary dishes, for the audience to decide the best dish! How would you like to win 250€, courtesy of Infinity International FX, in ‘crack the safe and win the currency in the casino’. Female Focus have a TV to be won, or you could win TOTAL FM’s totally cool, summer party package (food, wine, cava,

an entertainer and some garden decoration for up to 20 people for a garden party), The CBN & The Post also have some great give-aways. We are pushing the boat out with more features than ever before, including the new ‘Legal Suite’ sponsored by Pellicer & Heredia, your legal questions answered, and the opportunity to win a ‘Free Will’, besides many other prizes! There’s a brand new ‘Tapas Trail’, so just follow the show route map to find participating stands and receive your free tapa! For all the animal lovers out there, there’s ‘PET IDOL 2016’, the cutest pet photograph competition, sponsored by Golden Leaves EX-Pat Services. To enter, send you pet photos (cat, dog or other furry or feathered pet) to office@ gmpromotions.es with your pet’s name! The winning photo will receive a year’s free pet insurance (cat or dog). Don’t miss the ever-popular Art Gallery in the Ballroom Foyer. Also back by popular demand, UK TV’s antiques expert, Mark Stacey, will be on hand to value antiques and collectables. Bring them along, and also taske part in his Antiques quiz, in the Casino, to win an antique! (No, not Mark!). As if all that weren’t enough, Celeb Syd Little, from Little & Large fame, will be cooking up some comedy and cuisine, with our very own Masterchef semifinalist, Danny Bowler, in the show-case kitchens on both days. It’s a new year, so you may be on the lookout for new ideas for your Homes, Gardens and Lifestyle. The Spring Show will boast hundreds of products and services, all for you to see, touch, taste, try and buy. For a truly informative, fun-packed two days, there is only one place to be! See you at The Homes Gardens & Lifestyle Show! Just a few stands are still available now, so to book your stand at the event of the year, email gina@gmpromotions.es, call 695 39 98 41 or see www.gmpromotions.es for regular updates. Also, see Facebook Homes Gardens and Lifestyle Show.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #horoscopes

Kenny Corris kennycorris@hotmail.com 686 361 594

 Be on guard and one step ahead this week because there are things going on that you need to be a part of. You can no longer view objectively from a distance and it’s all about trust and dedication as others may not have your true interests at heart. Your astute interpretation of recent events is safely backed by the Mars sextile of Jupiter midweek. Don’t worry that somebody has chosen to take offence; you know very well that what was said had to be said, and the truth can be just an excuse for taking umbrage. Venus enters into Aquarian energies and rewards you with the green light that you have been waiting for, as a project opens up, at last, and your tender loving care is sought after. Mercury enters into Aquarian energies this week, bringing open and distinct channels of communication and putting love back on the menu. This is a time for working within with your innermost self, with subtle energies to enable a positive result. In a week where there are some wonderful surprises too, a new you is there in the balance. Bite your tongue because you will be surrounded by others who are losing their temper this week, and you have to keep yours, at all costs. As warring Mars takes on lucky Jupiter there is bound to be some conflict somewhere along the line. So too soon there should be a happy and resolving ending to something that has been a thorn in your side. The Sun illuminates Kora, who serves to call time on something that, through poor leadership, is veering out of control. In hindsight you should never have got involved, but then it certainly wasn’t you who moved the goalposts. With alternatives definitely on the horizon now, not all is lost and you are able to just walk away when the right time comes. Mercury dictates somewhat this week, but it is to save you from making a mistake. You need to see things from every aspect, and it is time to take a break away and to be able to look back; since at the moment you are too close for comfort. A break from routine coupled with viewing things from another angle is what you need to help with a decision. With romantic Venus in cahoots with a soothing Aquarius your balance is assured and you are well within your comfort zone. There is an inkling, however, that you are poised to make strides, and this connects with an offer that seems almost too good to be true right now. Take away any pressure, but do weigh up the pro’s along with the con’s! A new friendship starts when you help a stranger this week. Your practical and down to earth energies often have a positive and inspiring effect on others, and this week is no exception. The Mars sextile with Jupiter brings you the reward of someone who will play a part in your life; someone who respects you and is out there on your wavelength. Jupiter urges you to focus on something very close to home, which, for some reason, you may have turned a blind eye to. Here, however, things will not get better by themselves and indeed they may get a lot worse. It is unusual for you not to want to confront things face on, but you have reasons, and actions do speak louder than words ever could. It is a thoroughly stubborn streak that brings you to examine every possibility to get what you want right now. It is a step forward that you are finally thinking of yourself for a change, and after much compromise you know now what you want to achieve. Your fourth house shows clearly the open door to your new home, and a new life too. With significant actions taking place this week between Mercury and Venus it seems as if you have achieved a new understanding in a relationship issue. Venus sends love and forgiveness and Mercury provides the necessary mechanics to reinstate the broken down communication that realises you both had too much to lose! Money needs to be kept in check since it would appear that there have been some recent necessary drains on your finances. A financial corner develops with Kora in quincunx with Mars, but resolve is just around the corner as the Sun steps in to sextile midweek. Check bills and bring in economies to help to balance up the books meanwhile.

If It’s Your Birthday This Week

All across the Cosmos there are changes afoot, and to stay on track you have to be one step ahead. Put your best foot forward because for you in this Astrological Year there is work to be done!

Haunts

PEOPLE ASK me, usually with trepidation, if I have ever seen a ghost; and I have to reply that I have seen many in my time. I often feel that people do not fully understand what a ghost actually is, so let’s make it quite clear once and for all what actually is a ghost. Every dead person should make their transition to the Spirit World when the time comes to relinquish life on this Earth. Though the body remains and has to buried or cremated, the soul of the departed makes the start on a journey that sees them being openly received by the Spirit World. In this, the most spiritual of holding stations, a number of different opportunities are on offer, and so the soul moves on any which way by absolute choice. A ghost however is the saddest remnant of the end of a life on Earth. Ghosts do not accept, for whatever reason, that they are dead, and so they inhabit the Earth Plane, even though it is a location for only the living. A small percentage, it is thought, do not know that they are dead, and they need a firm but loving helping hand to get them to move on to where they should be, which sadly is never where they are. Depending on the timescale there are therefore ghosts who have inhabited this Earth for hundreds of years. Ghosts are not necessarily new, and they sadly fade from their natural colouring as they become greyer with age, so much so that ancient ghost specimens can be virtually transparent with the passing of time. They also live now as they did way back when, and so newly constructed houses and roads do not exist for them. They can walk through any wall or door providing that they weren’t built in their lifetime and they sadly are cooped up in making the same journeys or haunts, as they are called, in perpetuity with no remission or remorse. This, of course is not living here on Earth but it is a pathetic existence, only possibly compensated by the odd shriek received from being located by someone from the actual living World. They do not co-exist with this living World since they do not exist....they are dead and should be encouraged to move on out. They may be very happy where they are, but ghosts are unhappy as they know that they don’t have a right to be where they are. The undead have no rights whatsoever. They may bring in tourists into staying in haunted hotel rooms or be allowed to wander freely in Baronial Irish Castles. They are a fascination for many but they are an abomination as the ghosts have no tenure, no rights and no abode. Here on the Costa Blanca we have our fair share of ghosts. I am very often called out to sense presences and to issue marching orders to those who need to sling their hook. My own house had its fair share but they didn’t remain around for very long after I took up occupation. My very first client experienced with me a gunshot, and as we ran out of the room we started to smell the cordite. On our return into the room we couldn’t see our shoes, as a fine mist obscured the entire floor. Ghosts gone....and never to return again. I asked that they would have a safe passage to wherever they needed to be, suggesting, as I always have, that here had to be somewhere better and that their souls be sent to the Spirit World. Nothing is quite as sad as somebody not being in the right time in the right place, but ghosts do not have a body, in any sense of the word, to start with. Many people find it easy to just get on with their ghosts as they haunt the homes of the living; but it is a total compromise. Harmony is truly restored when the ghosts, the undead, are located and helped onwards to better the quality of life for the sakes of both the living and the dead. Haunting stuff!

Kenny‛s Postbag

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

KENNY, I have kept the ashes of my husband in the house for the last three years. Initially I didn’t want to be parted from his remains but recently someone told me that it is unfair not to scatter him and thus allow him his freedom on this Earth. Hilda R. Hilda. I am so glad that you brought this up. There is no speciﬁc spiritual rule as to what is supposed to be done with the small quantity of human remains. I can understand that you have kept the ashes in the home you once shared with your living husband, but if there is a special place you could scatter him; and it feels the right thing to do....go for it. A good idea would be to release the ashes in your garden, if you have one. It gives him freedom to return to the earth and it’s still on your doorstep.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #puzzles /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Sudoku Last weeks crossword answers can be found on page 56.

Across 7. Shares (6) 8. Visitor (6) 10. Uniform (7) 11. Concise (5) 12. Small bay (4) 13. Tell-tale (5) 17. Memento (5) 18. Daybreak (4) 22. Perfect (5) 23. Eager desire for wealth (7) 24. Stress (6) 25. Bog (6)

Doodle box

Quick Crossword

Down 1. Largest bird (7) 2. Pardon (7) 3. Aptitude (5) 4. Warlike (7) 5. Vigilant (5) 6. Command (5) 9. Head (9) 14. Effective (7) 15. Main city (7) 16. Vehement (7) 19. Essential (5) 20. Educate (5) 21. Truck (5)

Cryptic Crossword

Across 7. It breaks up these endless taxes (6) 8. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m more confused by this biographical sketch (6) 10. Stop the Spanish officer (7) 11. See 9 Down 12. We turn and hesitate but became a pitcher (4) 13. A practice that attracts a considerable amount of interest (5) 17 & 4 Down. Inexperienced zoo attendants become groundsmen! (5-7) 18 & 1 Down. William, a persevering type, is in the advertising business (4-7) 22. An inclination after tea to go for a walk (5) 23. Come home after everybody else, but live longer (7) 24. A number of notes we hear producing harmony (6) 25. Physical strength for which there could be a thousand different clues (6) Down 1. See 18 Across 2. Describing any flower deliberately sought after (7) 3. A deceptive movement is not easily distinguished, one hears (5) 4. See 17 Across 5 & 6 Down. What tennis-players wear when invited to the Palace! (5-5) 6. See 5 Down 9 & 11 Across. What French capitalists use when facing the wall? (7,2,5) 14. Material per yard as arranged (7) 15. Monetary affairs can get mixed up in legal penalty (7) 16. To be sycophantic is not so sharp! (7) 19. Illegally acquire southern bird (5) 20. Be inclined to favour a caprice (5) 21. Overweight porter (5)

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leis ure #whats on 

Tribute to guitar legend by JACK TROUGHTON COSTA BLANCA Blues celebrates the music of the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan with a special matinee show on Sunday 21st February. Texas Flood – a tribute band named after the guitarist’s 1983 debut album – is playing Bar Mediterraneo in Teulada for a Backroom Blues Party. Tickets are 10€ and must be reserved in advance and because the Sunday Matinee shows have a tendency to fill up quickly; the advice is book early. CB Blues music director Buddy Paul Tidiman was asked to find a Spanish band to play a tribute to Stevie Ray and picked the Valencia-based outfit as the “perfect entertainers” for the monthly gathering of blues fans. Stevie Ray was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, in 1954, and with band Double Trouble quickly established a worldwide reputation after the success of the first album. Sadly, aged 35, the musician died in a helicopter crash in August 1990. However, he was already considered one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of the blues. Influential music magazine Rolling Stone rated Stevie Ray as the 12th greatest guitarists of all time. In 2000, Stevie Ray, already a winner of Grammy Awards, was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. In 2014, he joined the Musicians Hall of Fame, and last year joined the elite members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. To reserve places for the show, call 648 156 066 or visit www.CBBlues.com.

Stevie Ray Vaughan

Lucky to be alive

FIVE MASTIN puppies have been rescued by Jalon Valley ARC after being found abandoned on the mountains surrounding the Marina Alta town. Mystery surrounds how the litter was ‘dumped’ in the Marnes and Pinos area, near the Donkey Sanctuary. Two were found together and the remaining three several kilometres away. The youngsters are weaned and aged between six and eight-weeks-old but were unlikely to have survived unless they were discovered. And while it is not known whether this is the full litter, ARC volunteers have combed the area but have not found any more pups. All the puppies have been checked over and wormed at the Bernia Veterinary Clinic and given a clean bill of health – but ARC now has 12 puppies desperate for a home. A spokesman for ARC said: “There is a mystery surrounding the dumping of these puppies and A.R.C. volunteers have been out searching the area to see if there are any more. “They were left without food or water and could only cuddle up to each other for warmth. It is a blessing they were found when they were as they probably would not have survived.” Anyone able to home a puppy is asked to contact Sally on 625 985 689 or Jayne on 649 310 285. For more information about ARC visit www.jalonvalleyarc.com or go to its Facebook page. one of the litter

Ties and Tiaras for Animal refuge PLANS HAVE been ﬁnalised for the “ties and tiaras” dinner dance, to raise funds for the La Nucia animal shelter. The event, which is being organised by Mal Ritchie, is to help make founder member Pepita’s wish come true of having a cattery. Pepita passed away just before Christmas, and never got to see her dream of having the shelter expanded to house cats, even though she had acquired the land and workers to build the cattery. The dinner dance will be held at Camping El Raco’s restaurant on 27th February starting at 7pm until late. Tickets are priced at 12.50€ and include a three course meal with wine and entertainment. Taylor Marc, adult humour, Jonathan White and Raco’s very own Oliver Mayers are all kindly giving their time to entertain the audience for the evening. There will be a raﬄe and tombola, so anyone wishing to donate a prize for either, or to purchase tickets should contact Mal on 671 45 99 00.

Calling all budding linguists FREE SPANISH conversation hour!

No registration. Just turn up, listen and chat! With a spanish teacher. Every Tuesday, 5:30pm –6:30pm at Librería Europa Bookshop, C/. Oscar Espla 2, Calpe.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #people

Majbrit charity jam success MUSICIANS FROM around the Marina Baixa got together at the weekend to raise funds to help Alfaz del Pi resident Majbrit Jessen. As reported in RTN a few weeks ago, Majbrit needs expensive surgery in America to save her life, and the musical community, which she has always supported, gathered together to raise as much as possible. The event was a resounding success, with a total of 2,547€ being raised on the day from some very generous raffle donations, auction items, burger and hot dog sales, vodka jelly sales and individual financial donations from the bar staff and the owner of the train station bar in Alfaz del Pi, where the event was held. Majbrit looked very frail, but managed to attend the event, which was understandably rather overwhelming for her. Majbrit said: “Thank you to all the amazing people who made this event possible, I am extremely grateful for everyone who has helped me to get nearer to having my surgery. From all of my heart, thank you.” On Saturday 13th February at 2pm, Nick from the Paradise Bar in Albir, will be cooking a paella, with vegetarian and meat options, at a cost of 3.50€ a plate, with all proceeds being donated to the charity. Any musicians that want to do a jam, with either acoustic or electric guitar, and sing on the terrace, are more than welcome to go along to make it a great afternoon. There will be a continuation of the raffle from the charity jam session last week, with at least 17 prizes still to be drawn, so hold onto those tickets, just in case. Full details on Majbrit’s medical condition, and donations, can be found at: www.gofundme.com/hngptfvk.

Spirited Burns celebration THE BIRTHDAY of Robbie Burns, Scotland’s greatest poet, was celebrated in style by the North Costa Blanca Branch of the Royal Air Force Association. Members and guests arrived at Los Leones Restaurant in Moraira to a rousing welcome from Piper Drew Wilson in full Highland dress. And the evening included a traditional ‘Burns Supper’ – cocka-leekie soup, haggis with ‘tatties and neeps’, a main course of roast beef, and a delicious chocolate dessert. The ‘Selkirk Grace’ was given by Angela Niblock and the ‘Address to the Haggis’ by Chairman Bob Hunt. Colin McNae made an excellent ‘Immortal Memory’ – a reﬂection on the life and times of the poet himself – before a ‘Toast to the Lassies’ from Martin Bentley, and in reply ‘A Toast to the Laddies’ from Carole Bentley. Bob later said 80 people attended the function, including a sizeable contingent of German expats. “Although we are not sure how much they actually understood as it was diﬃcult for the English present. “It was a perfect evening in celebration of Scotland’s Bard. First class company, excellent food, appropriate speeches and all accompanied by some very enjoyable Scottish Whisky.”

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #travel 

Worlds largest & newest cruise ship comes to the Mediterranean: Enjoy an 8 day cruise on board the Harmony of the Seas. Harmony of the Seas

EXPERIENCE HARMONY of the Seas®— the third of its kind to join the ground-breaking Oasis class of ships. Harmony of the Seas® will feature the cruise line’s seven distinct neighbourhoods for which Oasis class is known, and will offer the most amazing collection of experiences, amenities and activities at sea. Guests can test their mettle on the ship’s three multi-story waterslides all of which twist and turn over Central Park, then let imaginations soar. Harmony will also feature a new Bionic Bar on the Royal Promenade, first introduced aboard Quantum of the Seas® and featuring robot bartenders. Interior accommodations also will be outfitted with Royal Caribbean’s exclusive Virtual Balconies which offer beautiful views in every stateroom. Additionally, guests onboard will enjoy RFID technology with Royal WOWBands that provide them access to their staterooms as well as make onboard purchases and reservations. Like her sisters, Harmony will also feature the fastest internet connection at sea.

Shows & Nightlife

Let’s hear a round of applause for an unrivalled entertainment line-up—an amazing array of shows and performers, included with your cruise fare. Picture Broadway shows just steps from your stateroom. Memorable moments with Shrek, Po and other DreamWorks friends. World-class performers that WOW on stage, ice, and in the water. And when the sun goes down, the night heats up with energetic parades, live music, comedy shows and much more.

Things to do

Our ships boast a sea of vacation possibilities for every guest. Like the chance to learn Italian, salsa dancing, or the recipe for a perfect martini. To conquer the rock climbing wall and ice skate on the equator. Or slow things down with a hot stone massage and duty-free designer shopping. See, do and learn more at sea than you ever thought possible.

Vitality SPA & Fitness Center

Nurture mind, body and spirit with a personalised service that anticipates your every need. Restful features designed for your total enjoyment help you achieve zen moments in the Vitality Spa. State-of-the-art equipment in our Vitality Fitness Centres keeps you in shape while you’re on the high seas. Everything you need for a peaceful, rejuvenating journey is waiting for you onboard.

Size:

Year of construction: 2016 - Guest capacity: 5,402 (maximum capacity) - Crew: 2,100 – Tonnage: 225.000 t – Cruise speed: 23 knots.

Sailing Dates:

17TH July – 25TH September – 16TH October PICK UP POINTS ALONG THE COSTA BLANCA COAST

Itinerary DAY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

PORT Barcelona, Spain Palma De Mallorca, Spain Marseille, France Florence/Pisa , La Spezia Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Naples, Capri, Italy Cruising Barcelona, Spain

ARRIVE DEPART 18:00 08:00 16:00 09:00 18:00 08:30 20:30 07:00 20:00 07:00 20:00 05:00

ACTIVITY EMBARK DOCKED DOCKED DOCKED DOCKED DOCKED CRUISING DISEMBARK

Cruise oﬀered by Gandia Tours, from 1130€* per person in inside cabin (double occupancy), for other category prices & information, contact us on 96 610 68 72.

*prices include transport to/from barcelona, taxes and tips

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #music

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Hot Dogs sell out success THE POPULAR Hot Dogs Jazz Band returns to play Restaurante Jimy in Calpe on Saturday 27th February after last month’s sell-out gig. The venue was filled to its 70 person capacity in January with some music fans having disappointed after being unable to gain entrance. The band is back playing from 8pm and 11pm at the restaurant in Calle Pintor Sorolla. Admission is 5€ and once again, booking is essential. And the Hot Dogs’ Gerry Carter said: “We would like to apologise to the people who had to be turned away as it was a complete sell-out. “The night was a resounding success so we are repeating it on 27th February – and would like to stress that reservations are essential.”

The Brink Band Monday jam sessions For the past four years The Brink Band have been rocking Monday nights with their Jam Sessions at Café del Mar, Cala Andragó, Moraira. Not knowing which guests will arrive (and there have been some great surprises) along with the quality and variety of the music, make it an evening not to be missed and have kept the place “jam packed”. Booking for seating on tel. 96 574 5356 is recommended but eating is not compulsory. although food is available. The Brink Band, comprising Billy (guitar, flute, vocals, harmonica) Janet Brink (keyboards, guitar, vocals, sax), Tommy Duffy (bass) and Enrico Garcia (drums) is also available for parties, weddings and dances. Billy & Janet also perform as a duo. For more information phone: 635 831 922 or visit www.brink.demon.co.uk. Gigs in February: Saturday 13: Rte. El Rancho, Javea. 19.30 (The Brink Duo) Monday 15: The Brink Band Jam, Café del Mar, Cala Andragó, Ctra. Moraira to Calpe, Moraira. Tel. 96 574 5356. (Every Monday). Friday 26: 4th Anniversary Party with The Brink Band, Café del Mar, Cala Andragó, Ctra. Moraira to Calpe, Moraira. Tel. 96 574 5356.

Becky BB – Female Vocalist Becky BB is a versatile Female Vocalist with a beautiful unique voice, who keeps her song list up to date with songs from todays artists - Adele, Sam Smith, Olly Murs, Meghan Trainor, Jess Glynne, Jessie J, Bruno Mars. Becky BB does mix her song list up by singing peoples favourites from Jennifer Rush, Bette Midler, Elkie Brooks, Judy Garland, Etta James, Brenda Lee, Alannah Myles, and much more.

Becky BB sings every first and third Thursday of the month, next evening on Thursday 18th February, at the Jacaranda Restaurant & Bar, Camino Viejo del Portet, Moraira from 9 pm. Full menu available from 6pm to 8pm.To find the Jacaranda, from Moraira to Teulada road turn right at the roundabout just before Mas y Mas supermarket and follow the road to top of the hill and it’s on the left. Telephone 96 574 3292. Find Becky BB on Facebook and Join her Page.

Zodiac Duo

Zodiac are the “People’s Favourite”, Vocal Harmony Duo on the Costa Blanca, covering songs from the 60’s to up - to – date. Zodiac, who regularly perform in Benidorm during the week, would like to remind everyone that although they are now semi retired they still work elsewhere, either on a Friday or Saturday night. Zodiac are also very popular with the local Masonic Lodges, Bowls Clubs, Social Clubs, etc. as the entertainment for their dinner / dances. For a fun night’s entertainment, get along and enjoy the boys show. For more info phone: 661 179 765. Gigs for February: All Wednesdays @ Hotel Helios, Benidorm. 8.30 pm All Thursdays @ Rio Park Hotel, Benidorm. 9 pm Tuesday 16: Rio Connection Bar, Benidorm. 9.30 pm Friday 19: Bar Quo Vadis, Javea. 8.30 pm Saturday 27: Le Cabaret, La Pedrera Industrial Estate, Benissa

Irish Des out and about

POPULAR ENTERTAINER Irish Des has a busy weekend ahead playing party music in Altea tonight (Friday) and sprinkling a little romance on Valentine’s Day on Sunday. From 7.30pm tonight, Irish Des – sometime frontman of the Shamrockers - is playing Cafe Haventje on the seafront in Altea, a bar starting to make a name for itself as a live music venue with a great atmosphere. And on Sunday 14th February, he will be playing some romantic numbers at L’Echalote and the Casa de la Pizza Restaurant on Javea’s Costa Nova. There is a special Valentine’s Menu available, call the restaurant on 96 647 3364 for details and reservations.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

#tv&showbiz goss

by Peter Taylor

 IN 2000 Tulisa Contostavlos joined rappers Dappy and Fazer and formed N-Dubz. They eventually got a record deal and put out their first single ‘You Better Not Waste My Time’ in 2006. Their music bundled along until 2011 when Tulisa got a judges job on the X Factory, and week by week, month by month she proved to be quite a handful. Her removal from the show was followed by sex tape rumours, supplying drugs, and drink driving issues, but Tulisa now says “that couple of rubbish years are behind me” as she prepares to return to recording. Is the world ready for Tulisa’s return?

WE ALL have our fav sweet, for me its Kit Kat; just mentioning it has produced a note to self to stock up. But I Digress. Last week 20 year old student Saima Ahmad contacted Nestlé demanding they give her a lifetime supply of Kit Kats after she purchased a pack of eight that didn’t contain the wafer portion of the chocolate treat. She only did! “No one else in the industry has that unique concept of mixing the wafer with the chocolate … if I wanted purely chocolate, I´d have purchased a Galaxy,” said law student Saima. Yes, she´s a law student … cool! COME DINE with Me Ćhampion of Champions´ is well under-way on Channel 4, but is here today after I found out how surprised people were when they first saw the face of narrator Dave Lamb, the únseen´ voice of the show. As always social media got involved with Lauren Macpherson posting “Watching Come Dine Champion of Champions has really troubled me; Dave Lamb just doesn’t look like I imagined, and now my brain has broken!” I started watching the show seven years ago Lauren and I know what you mean! … The face doesn´t fit the voice does it!

CINDY CRAWFORD, who turns 50 next Saturday told Rhapsody Magazine “it’s time to retire, I’m sure I’ll have my picture taken for 10 more years, but not as a model anymore.” Strong purposeful words to which she added “I can’t keep reinventing myself, I shouldn’t have to keep proving myself, I don’t want to,” again pretty much in your face stuﬀ. On her 14 year old daughter Kaia Cindy said “They are all taking pictures of themselves, or having their friends take pictures for their social media, Kaia would be modelling even if she weren’t modelling … all the girls are modelling!” ??????

JEFF LYNNE was one of the founder members of Birmingham band The Move in the 60´s, but it was only when he formed the Electric Light Orchestra and they did their ﬁrst gig at The Greyhound Pub in Croydon in 1972 we found out how good he was. ELO had 7 top ten albums from ´76 – ´86, two of which made No 1. I saw them live three times and was spellbound by their mix of rock and classical music, and now I must cancel all other engagements come June as ELO are to perform live on the Legends Stage at Glastonbury in the summer. Super Hurrah!

Is it your time to go mad in Mexico? BLACK COMEDY Ánalyze This´ came out in 1999 starring Robert Di Niro, whom, up to that point was solely known for his roles as a real mean dude. He has since gone on to prove comedy is something he excels at. His latest film ‘Dirty Grandpa´ was released last month, but todays main story is not about Di Niro , but is about a MTV show due to hit the small screen in the summer called ´Spring Break With Grandad.´ What the TV show is connected to is the plotline of the movie where Di Niro´s character, army veteran Dick, takes on grandson Jason (Zac Efron) in all the man stuff that normally goes on between two young guys trying to impress the ladies, including lots of muscle flexing and drinking for America. Spring Break with Grandad begins with eight ‘twenty-somethings’ arriving at beach party capital of the world Cancun with their grandparents in tow, then their parents parents take centre stage as they set about trying to re-live their wild partying days. MTV are making all sorts of claims as to what will be on offer for the various happy family groups, with the promo doc reading “we´ll be treated to crazy, cute and definitely cringe-worthy events, as we witness the grandparents and their grandkids spending four weeks together in a luxurious Mexican villa!” Are they out of their minds? … Grandparents and 20 somethings in tight together for a month! For sure it will end in tears. The filming is being done by Handsome Productions and executive producer Sharon Stansfield said “Spring Break is the perfect backdrop for a big reality series, who knows Cupid may even strike for grandad,” before adding “if you fancy a slice of this pie, MTV are now casting the show.” Well then … Whatýa waiting for!

THE REAL Housewives of Atlanta is an American reality television series that premiered on October 7, 2008, and it’s gone on to be a ´must see´ show for lovers of the banal in all its wondrous glory. Along the way there´s been a dozen different ladies presenting the show including Kim Zolciak Biermann who is here today on the back of her having hit the headlines last week because she had her ass frozen … that’s right misses, had her ass.. Apparently the bum freezer is part of a spa treatment she´s having … exciting stuff innit! You want banal … you got banal!

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

tv listings 12th February - 18th February 2016

Youtube videos of the week



I have my good friend Nick in Folkestone to thank for this ﬁrst vid to take you to chucklesville ´Dogs and Bathtubs´ followed by an equally worthy item in the shape of ´Movie Middle Finger´ that highlights that very expressive part of your hand that gets the job done when words are unnecessary.

BBC1

BBC2

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Emergency Rescue Down Under 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at Two and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Seven Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 A Question of Sport 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Dickensian 22:00 Shetland 23:00 BBC News at Eleven 23:35 The Graham Norton Show 24:25 Would I Lie to You? 24:55 The Apprentice USA

07:15 The Housing Enforcers 08:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:45 Emergency Rescue Down Under 09:15 MasterChef: The Professionals 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Coast 14:05 The Pallisers 15:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:45 The Best Dishes Ever 17:15 Nature’s Great Events 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 Sea Cities 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 What to Buy and Why 22:00 Earth’s Greatest Spectacles 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight 24:00 Artsnight 24:30 Weather 24:35 Rudolf Nureyev - Dance to Freedom

SATURDAY 13th February

BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 Mary Berry’s Foolproof Cooking 13:00 BBC News; Weather 13:10 Football Focus 13:50 Saturday Sportsday 14:00 Bargain Hunt 15:00 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 17:30 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 19:55 BBC News 20:05 BBC Regional News and Weather 20:15 The Voice UK 21:30 The National Lottery: Win Your Wish List 22:20 Casualty 23:10 BBC News; Weather 23:30 Match of the Day 24:55 Meet the Parents

BBC2

07:20 Battle Cry 09:45 The Desperados 11:10 Homes Under the Hammer 12:10 Natural World 13:00 James Martin: Home Comforts 13:45 Rick Stein’s India 14:45 The Best Dishes Ever 15:15 Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Final Score 18:30 Earth’s Greatest Spectacles 19:30 Back in Time for the Weekend 20:30 Henry VII: Winter King 21:30 Dad’s Army 22:00 The Real Marigold Hotel 23:00 Live at the Apollo 23:45 Insert Name Here 24:15 There Will Be Blood

ITV1 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 ITV Regional Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 The Martin Lewis Money Show 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Mr Selfridge 23:00 ITV News at Eleven 23:30 ITV News 23:45 Birds of a Feather 24:15 Evil under the Sun

ITV1

CHANNEL 4 07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 The King of Queens 08:35 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Frasier 11:30 Undercover Boss USA 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Four in a Bed 13:35 Four in a Bed 14:10 Four in a Bed 14:40 Four in a Bed 15:10 Deal or No Deal 16:10 Countdown 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine Champion of Champions 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast 22:00 First Dates 23:00 The Last Leg 24:05 Virtually Famous 24:55 Rude Tube

CHANNEL 4

07:00 Childrens TV 07:15 The King of Queens 09:10 Nerds & Monsters 07:35 Frostgun Invitational 09:30 Jessie 08:30 Tenerife Blue Trail 10:05 The Tom & Jerry Show 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:25 Columbo: It’s All in 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond the Game 10:00 The Morning Line 12:15 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:00 Frasier 13:20 ITV News and Weather 11:30 Frasier 13:24 ITV Regional Weather 12:00 The Big Bang Theory 13:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 12:30 The Big Bang Theory 14:30 Judge Rinder 13:00 The Big Bang Theory 15:30 Tipping Point 13:30 Marvel’s Agents 16:30 Doc Martin of SHIELD 17:30 The Martin Lewis 14:30 Channel 4 Racing Money Show 17:00 Come Dine with Me 18:00 The Chase 17:25 Come Dine with Me 19:00 ITV News 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:15 ITV News and Weather 18:25 Come Dine with Me 19:30 You’ve Been Framed! 19:00 Come Dine with Me 20:00 Ninja Warrior UK 19:30 Channel 4 News 21:00 Take Me Out 20:00 Great Canal Journeys 22:20 The Jonathan Ross Show 21:00 Penelope Keith’s 23:20 ITV News and Weather Hidden Villages 23:34 ITV Regional Weather 22:00 Escape Plan 23:35 Twins 24:20 Predator

CHANNEL 5

ITV2

07:00 Childrens TV 09:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Paw Patrol 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:15 The Wright Stuﬀ 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Beneﬁts 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Justice for Natalee Holloway 18:00 5 News at 6 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Funniest Fails, Falls & Flops 20:30 That’s So 21:30 Bankrupt & Broke: When Celebs Go Bust 23:00 Lip Sync Battle UK 23:30 The Best of Bad TV

07:00 Planet’s Funniest Animals 07:20 Dinner Date 08:10 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 09:05 Emmerdale 09:35 Emmerdale 10:05 You’ve Been Framed! 10:35 Catchphrase 11:20 Dinner Date 12:20 Royal Pains 13:10 Emmerdale 13:45 Emmerdale 14:15 You’ve Been Framed! 14:45 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:45 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:50 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Two and a Half Men 22:00 The Bourne Identity 24:20 Take Me Out

07:00 07:50 08:35 09:05 09:35 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 24:30

CHANNEL 5

07:00 Childrens TV 09:30 Wanda and the Alien 09:45 Toby’s Travelling Circus 09:55 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 10:30 The Saturday Show 12:30 Funniest Fails, Falls & Flops 13:00 Police Interceptors 14:00 Now That’s Funny! 15:00 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 16:00 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 17:00 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 18:00 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 19:55 5 News Weekend 20:00 World War II in Colour 21:00 Nazi Quest for the Holy Grail 22:00 Football League Tonight 23:00 Football League Tonight 23:30 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 24:25 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

ITV2

07:00 Emmerdale 09:35 Coronation Street 12:00 Ninja Warrior UK 13:00 Scorpion 14:05 You’ve Been Framed! 14:35 You’ve Been Framed! 15:35 Beethoven 17:25 Catchphrase 18:10 Despicable Me 20:05 The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor 22:20 Take Me Out - The Gossip 23:20 Secret Dates 24:20 Ibiza Weekender

07:00 07:25 07:45 08:05 08:35 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:30 14:30 16:05 16:35 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 24:15

“ Quote of the week

Lily Allen has challenged The Brits for their lack of grime artists nominations saying “the music industry’s annual jolly is characterised by pushing the likes of M People, Sting and (mercy me) Jimmy Nail to the front, it´s the awards ceremony Alan Partridge would approve of.” Love you Lily.

Despicable Me 18.10

“

FRIDAY 12th February

Made in Chelsea Charmed Hollyoaks Rules of Engagement Rules of Engagement New Girl New Girl Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey Charmed Charmed How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother New Girl New Girl The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Bridesmaids The Big Bang Theory

Rules of Engagement Rules of Engagement How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother Baby Daddy Baby Daddy Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey The Goldbergs How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother Brooklyn Nine-Nine The Goldbergs The Jump The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Magic Mike Gogglebox

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

sunday 14th February BBC1

BBC2

07:00 Breakfast 08:35 Match of the Day 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Sunday Politics London 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 14:15 Homes Under the Hammer 15:15 The Truth About 16:15 Escape to the Country 17:15 Songs of Praise 17:50 Pointless Celebrities 18:35 Nature’s Miracle Orphans 19:35 BBC News 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Call the Midwife 22:00 British Academy Film Awards 24:00 BBC News 24:20 BBC Regional News and Weather 24:30 While You Were Sleeping

07:00 The A to Z of TV Gardening 07:45 The A to Z of TV Gardening 08:30 The Secret History of the British Garden 09:30 Countryfile 10:30 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 12:00 James Martin: Home Comforts 12:45 The Best Dishes Ever 13:15 MOTD2 Extra 14:00 Coast 14:30 84 Charing Cross Road 16:00 The Importance of Being Earnest 17:30 Cats v Dogs: Which Is Best? 18:30 Flog It! 19:15 Ski Sunday 20:00 Six Nations Highlights 21:00 Greece with Simon Reeve 22:00 Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth 23:00 Match of the Day 2 24:10 Tron Legacy

ITV1

07:00 Childrens TV 08:30 Scrambled! 08:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series 08:50 Horrid Henry 09:10 Nerds & Monsters 09:30 Bear Grylls Survival School 10:05 The Tom & Jerry Show 10:25 Columbo: Murder with Too Many Notes 12:15 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:20 ITV News and Weather 13:29 ITV Regional Weather 13:30 Off Their Rockers 14:00 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 17:30 Big Box Little Box 18:00 Ninja Warrior UK 19:00 ITV News Central 19:15 ITV News and Weather 19:35 Planet’s Got Talent 20:05 Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands 21:00 Vera 23:00 ITV News and Weather 23:14 ITV Regional Weather 23:15 Rookies 24:15 Premiership Rugby Union

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

07:15 How I Met Your Mother 07:40 The King of Queens 08:05 The King of Queens 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:55 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:25 Frasier 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Sunday Brunch 13:30 George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces 14:30 Location, Location, Location 15:35 The Harry Hill Movie 17:20 Bear’s Wild Weekend 18:20 Channel 4 News 18:40 Mr Popper’s Penguins 20:30 The Jump 22:00 Deutschland 83 23:45 Predator 2

07:00 Childrens TV 08:35 Little Princess 08:50 Pip Ahoy! 09:00 Blaze and the Monster Machines 09:25 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:45 Wanda and the Alien 10:00 Toby’s Travelling Circus 10:15 Jelly Jamm 10:25 LazyTown 10:50 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:25 Football League Tonight 12:20 Football League Tonight 12:45 Police Interceptors 13:45 Mr Holland’s Opus 16:20 HouseSitter 18:20 What a Girl Wants 20:25 5 News Weekend 20:30 Jumper 22:00 Homefront 24:05 Revolver

07:00 The Hot Desk 07:10 Planet’s Funniest Animals 07:35 Emmerdale 10:20 Coronation Street 12:55 Take Me Out 14:05 Take Me Out The Gossip 15:10 The Perfect Man 17:15 Legally Blonde 19:10 Catchphrase 20:15 Along Came Polly 22:00 Ibiza Weekender 23:00 Love Fix 24:00 Forgetting Sarah Marshall

07:00 Rules of Engagement 07:25 Baby Daddy 07:45 Baby Daddy 08:05 Melissa & Joey 08:35 Melissa & Joey 09:00 The Goldbergs 09:30 The Goldbergs 10:00 The Goldbergs 10:30 The Goldbergs 11:00 Hollyoaks 13:30 Couples Come Dine with Me 14:30 Couples Come Dine with Me 15:30 Furry Vengeance 17:20 Rude(ish) Tube 17:30 The Big Bang Theory 18:00 The Big Bang Theory 18:30 The Big Bang Theory 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 The Big Bang Theory 20:30 The Big Bang Theory 21:00 The Big Bang Theory 21:30 The Big Bang Theory 22:00 Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD 23:00 Tattoo Fixers 24:00 Rude Tube

monday 15th February BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Claimed and Shamed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at Two and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Seven Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out London 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 The Not So Secret Life of the Manic Depressive: 10 Years On 23:00 BBC News at Eleven 23:45 Tracey Ullman’s Show 24:15 Have I Got Old News for You

BBC2

07:15 The Housing Enforcers 08:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:45 Emergency Rescue Down Under 09:15 Close Calls: On Camera 09:45 Now You See It 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 Coast 12:05 The Taming of the Shrew 14:05 The Pallisers 15:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:45 The Best Dishes Ever 17:15 Frozen Planet 18:15 Antiques Road Trip 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 The Great Interior Design Challenge 21:00 Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth 22:00 American Crime Story 23:00 Mock the Week 23:30 Newsnight 24:10 Weather 24:15 Greece with Simon Reeve

ITV1

07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Masterpiece with Alan Titchmarsh 16:59 ITV Regional Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Griff’s Great Britain 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Benidorm 23:00 ITV News at Eleven 23:30 ITV News 23:45 The Jonathan Ross Show 24:50 Car Crash Britain: Caught on Camera

CHANNEL 4

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 The King of Queens 08:35 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Car SOS 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 The Supervet 14:05 The Supervet 15:10 Deal or No Deal 16:10 Countdown 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine Champion of Champions 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Dispatches 21:30 Supershoppers 22:00 Royal Navy School 23:00 Crashing 23:35 Tattoo Fixers 24:35 Bodyshockers

CHANNEL 5

07:00 Childrens TV 09:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Paw Patrol 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 A Woman Betrayed 18:00 5 News at 6 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 FIA World Rally Championship Highlights 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 The X-Files 23:00 Gotham 24:00 Trespass

itv2

07:00 Planet’s Funniest Animals 07:20 Dinner Date 08:10 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 09:05 Emmerdale 09:35 Coronation Street 10:05 Coronation Street 10:35 Catchphrase 11:20 Dinner Date 12:20 Royal Pains 13:10 Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 14:15 Coronation Street 14:45 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:45 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:50 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 20:30 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Two and a Half Men 22:00 The Bourne Supremacy 24:10 Plebs 24:40 Plebs

07:00 07:50 08:35 09:05 09:35 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 23:05 24:10 24:40

Made in Chelsea Charmed Hollyoaks Rules of Engagement Rules of Engagement New Girl New Girl Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey Charmed Charmed How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother New Girl New Girl The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks Battleship Rude Tube The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory

tuesday 16th February BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Claimed and Shamed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at Two Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Seven and Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Happy Valley 23:00 BBC News at Eleven 23:45 My Baby, Psychosis and Me 24:45 Animals Unexpected

BBC2

07:15 The Housing Enforcers 08:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:45 Claimed and Shamed 09:15 Emergency Rescue Down Under 09:45 Great British Railway Journeys 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 The Restless Breed 13:20 The Super League Show 14:05 The Pallisers 15:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:45 The Best Dishes Ever 17:15 Frozen Planet 18:15 Antiques Road Trip 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 The Great Interior Design Challenge 21:00 Back in Time for the Weekend 22:00 Chinese New Year: The Biggest Celebration on Earth 23:00 Phone Shop Idol 23:30 Newsnight 24:10 Weather 24:15 The Story of China

ITV1

07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Masterpiece with Alan Titchmarsh 16:59 ITV Regional Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 The Kyle Files 21:00 It’s Not Rocket Science 22:00 Car Crash Britain: Caught on Camera 23:00 ITV News at Eleven 23:30 ITV News 23:40 School Swap - The Class Divide 24:45 Double Decker Driving School

CHANNEL 4

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 The King of Queens 08:35 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Car SOS 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 The Supervet 14:05 The Supervet 15:10 Deal or No Deal 16:10 Countdown 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine Champion of Champions 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 The Secret Life of the Zoo 22:00 The Supervet 23:00 First Dates 24:00 Britain’s Weirdest Council Houses

CHANNEL 5

07:00 Childrens TV 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Paw Patrol 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Lost Letter Mystery 18:00 5 News at 6 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies 21:00 Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun 22:00 The Great British Benefits Handout 23:00 Killers Behind Bars: The Untold Story 24:00 The X-Files

itv2

07:00 07:50 08:35 09:05 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:50 24:55

Made in Chelsea Charmed Hollyoaks Rules of Engagement New Girl Melissa & Joey Charmed Charmed How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother New Girl New Girl The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks The Big Bang Theory The Goldbergs The Goldbergs Tattoo Fixers Virtually Famous Gogglebox The Big Bang Theory

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

wednesday 17th February BBC1

BBC2

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Claimed and Shamed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at Two and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Seven and Weather 19:55 Party Political Broadcast 20:00 The One Show 21:00 The Great Sport Relief Bake Off 22:00 DIY SOS 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:45 Life After Suicide 24:45 Film 2016

07:15 The Housing Enforcers 08:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:45 Claimed and Shamed 09:15 Great British Menu 09:45 Mary Berry’s Foolproof Cooking 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 Coast 12:10 Pride and Prejudice 14:05 The Pallisers 15:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:45 The Best Dishes Ever 17:15 Frozen Planet 18:15 Antiques Road Trip 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 The Great Interior Design Challenge 21:00 The Â£100K House: Tricks of the Trade 22:00 One Child 23:00 The Great Chinese Crash? With Robert Peston 23:30 Newsnight 24:10 Weather 24:15 Russell Howard’s Good News

ITV1 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Masterpiece with Alan Titchmarsh 16:59 ITV Regional Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News 19:25 Party Political Broadcast 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 ITV News at Eleven 23:30 ITV News 23:45 UEFA Champions League Highlights 24:45 The Kyle Files

CHANNEL 4 07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 The King of Queens 08:35 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Car SOS 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 The Supervet 14:05 The Supervet 15:10 Deal or No Deal 16:10 Countdown 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine Champion of Champions 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Posh Pawn 22:00 24 Hours in A&E 23:00 Bodyshockers 24:05 Royal Navy School

CHANNEL 5

itv2

07:00 Childrens TV 09:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:35 Paw Patrol 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Magic beyond Words: the JK Rowling Story 18:00 5 News at 6 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 21:00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 22:00 Violent Child, Desperate Parents 23:00 The Boy with Giant Hands 24:00 10,000 BC

07:00 Planet’s Funniest Animals 07:20 Dinner Date 08:10 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 09:05 Emmerdale 09:35 The Cube 10:35 Catchphrase 11:20 Dinner Date 12:20 Royal Pains 13:10 Emmerdale 13:45 You’ve Been Framed! 14:45 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:45 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:50 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Two and a Half Men 22:00 White House Down 24:50 The Keith Lemon Sketch Show

07:00 07:50 08:35 09:05 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 24:00 24:30

Made in Chelsea Charmed Hollyoaks Rules of Engagement New Girl Melissa & Joey Charmed Charmed How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother New Girl New Girl The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory The 100 Supernatural The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory

Thursday 18th February BBC1 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 The Housing Enforcers 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 12:45 Claimed and Shamed 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at Two and Weather 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Father Brown 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman 17:30 Flog It! 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Seven and Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Dickensian 21:30 Room 101 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News at Eleven 23:45 Question Time 24:45 Professor Green: Suicide and Me

BBC2 07:15 The Housing Enforcers 08:00 Wanted Down Under Revisited 08:45 Claimed and Shamed 09:15 The Great Interior Design Challenge 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 Coast 12:10 The Wind and the Lion 14:05 The Pallisers 15:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 16:00 A Place to Call Home 16:45 The Best Dishes Ever 17:15 Frozen Planet 18:15 Antiques Road Trip 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great American Railroad Journeys 20:00 Sea Cities 21:00 Big Dreams Small Spaces 22:00 The Story of China 23:00 The Clare Balding Show 23:30 Newsnight 24:10 Weather 24:15 American Crime Story

ITV1 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 Masterpiece with Alan Titchmarsh 16:59 ITV Regional Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Birds of a Feather 22:00 Jericho 23:00 ITV News at Eleven 23:30 ITV News 23:45 UEFA Europa League Highlights 24:45 Car Crash Britain: Caught on Camera

CHANNEL 4 07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 The King of Queens 08:35 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Car SOS 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 The Supervet 14:05 The Supervet 15:10 Deal or No Deal 16:10 Countdown 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine Champion of Champions 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 Keeping Up with the Khans 23:00 Inside the Ku Klux Klan 24:05 24 Hours in A&E

CHANNEL 5

itv2

07:00 Childrens TV 09:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:35 Paw Patrol 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 The Nightmare Neighbour Next Door 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Imaginary Friend 18:00 5 News at 6 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 5 News Tonight 20:00 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 21:00 Flood Chaos: Winter Road Rescue 22:00 Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons 23:00 Whitney and Bobby: Addicted to Love

07:00 Planet’s Funniest Animals 07:20 Dinner Date 08:10 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 09:05 Emmerdale 09:35 Coronation Street 10:05 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 10:35 Catchphrase 11:20 Dinner Date 12:20 Royal Pains 13:10 Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 14:15 You’ve Been Framed! 14:45 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 15:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:45 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:50 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Scorpion 23:00 The Keith Lemon Sketch Show 23:30 Delivery Man

07:00 07:50 08:35 09:05 10:00 11:00 12:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 24:00 24:30

Made in Chelsea Charmed Hollyoaks Rules of Engagement New Girl Melissa & Joey Charmed How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother New Girl New Girl The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Brooklyn Nine-Nine Brooklyn Nine-Nine Gogglebox The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

xxx

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #Spanish

Basic Spanish for everyday needs by Jane Cronin

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Past simple:

Happy birthday Ann Short text and comments

“¿Qué hiciste ayer?” “What did you do yesterday?” Well, it would be extraordinary if any of us had a day which allowed us to use all the verbs we’ve learnt in the past simple, but I will do my best.

“Ayer me desperté a las siete como siempre. Era un día de trabajo y tuve que levantarme para llevar a mis hijos al instituto. No pude despertar a la menor enseguida porque dormía muy profundamente y no quiso levantarse. Mi otra hija se levantó con más facilidad y se fue a la cocina para desayunar. Yo me duché, me vestí y desayuné también y después fuimos en coche al instituto, llegando justo a tiempo. Al volver a casa leí mi correo electrónico y los titulares de los periódicos en Internet. Hablé con dos o tres personas por teléfono y tomé un té con leche al estilo inglés. Después de varias otras tareas domesticas y profesionales, como poner la lavadora y preparar fotocopias, cogí mis cosas y me fui a trabajar en Torrevieja. Después del trabajo comí también en Torrevieja y me relajé un poco. Por la tarde hice las compras y al volver a casa guardé todo en la cocina. Mi hija me llamó para decirme donde estaba y luego me senté otra vez con el ordenador a trabajar. Más tarde salí para hacer algunos recados y después de cenar en casa vi mi programa favorito en la tele. Me acosté sobre las doce y me dormí enseguida.” Well I managed to get quite a few verbs in, but tried to

keep it simple and fairly natural at the same time which is actually not very easy. If you read through the text carefully and look at the verbs in detail, as well as just getting the general meaning, you may notice one or two things of interest. Firstly, in real life we tend to mix the two past tenses (remember we did the past continuous tense before) and these two time concepts inter-relate. For example: “No pude despertar a la menor enseguida porque dormía muy profundamente”. Here there is a prolonged activity of sleeping interrupted by my single action to trying (and not being able) to wake her up – hence two different verb tenses are used. Another example is: “Mi hija me llamó para decirme donde estaba”, she was in a place for some period of time and phoned me on one occasion to tell me. Another thing which is part of natural speech, and which I explained right at the beginning of these articles, is that we very often revert to using verbs in the infinitive; that is in their base form without making any ending changes. This happens far more often than most Spanish courses will have to believe. In fact I have just counted twelve examples of infinitive verbs in this text, and I was actually making a conscious effort to avoid them and use past tenses. I think they might be some more food for thought for you there. I will provide a translation and more comments next week. See you then.

U3A VALL del Pop presented member Ann Williams with flowers and a card to mark her forthcoming 80th birthday.

Ann will be celebrating her big day at the Citrus Bar in Orba with family and friends on Monday (15th February) and it was the nearest U3A meeting to the date. Originally from Staffordshire, where she worked as a school secretary; Ann moved to Spain in 1990 to live in Parcent. Sadly her husband died in 2006 but she continues to enjoy the Spanish way of life. She worked in the Red Cross charity Shop in Parcent when it opened in 1992, and as well as U3A, she enjoys Tai Chi, line-dancing, swimming, knitting, and card-making.

Crossword Solutions for Last Week Cryptic solutions Across: 1 Cower; 4 Learned; 8 Upright; 9 Noted; 10 Test; 11 Bearably; 13 Cord; 14 Race; 16 Assisted; 17 Brag; 20 Talon; 21 Silence; 22 Redhead; 23 Press. Down: 1 Court disaster; 2 Words; 3 Rage; 4 Letter; 5 Abnormal; 6 Notable; 7 Daddylong-legs; 12 Presence; 13 Castled; 15 Ceased; 18 Range; 19 Clap. Quick solutions Across: 1 Tread; 4 Crammed; 8 Breathe; 9 Jests; 10 Eats; 11 Delusion; 13 Bare; 14 Knee; 16 Normally; 17 Late; 20 Adieu; 21 Matelot; 22 Nursery; 23 Bated. Down: 1 Table Mountain; 2 Erect; 3 Duty; 4 Clever; 5 Adjourns; 6 Massive; 7 Disinterested; 12 Creature; 13 Barrier; 15 Clumsy; 18 Allot; 19 Stub.

Suduko Answer

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #architects

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Going towards a more ecological home The human race has been trying to be ecological since they started to shelter themselves using any local materials available at the time. In Spain there are large differences between homes at north where temperature can plunge to a freezing -20Cº (-4º Fahrenheit) to temperatures in Seville for example where we can see luminous street sign displaying a scorching 50ºC (122º Fahrenheit) during midsummer. Houses on those regions differed tremendously in their constructions, forms and their orientations. At north windows of houses are installed with an orientation towards South in order to get light and heat. In the south regions windows tend to be smaller as there is more sun light and also most façades are painted white intending to reflect the heat and obtain a fresher interior environment during the sizzling summers. New materials and technologies. The difference between this form of construction and the current methods is that now there are new materials and technologies so that building can go one step further and be designed with little environmental impact. The latest approved regulations point towards this direction. One of them is the revision of the European directive (200291EC) on energy efficiency of buildings. The directive makes obligatory to meet minimum requirements for energy efficiency and supply accreditation with a certificate with validity not exceeding more than 10 years. This certificate was explained in my last week article for CBN. Homes built from 2019 onwards must be energetically selfsufficient. It will be required that all buildings that may commence construction from 2019 must be energetically self-sufficient and may not emit any harmful gases into the atmosphere. This

measure is expected to reduce to zero the energy expenditure of the new homes and reduce total domestic energy consumption. I personally think that this challenge will be very difficult to be achieved if not impossible although I hope to be wrong. It has been shown that the method that houses is built influences noticeable the way it increase or decrease the use of energy in Europe. The EU already verified that new houses consume between three and five liters of fuel in heating per square meter of built floor area per year, that consumption rockets up on old homes with poor or none existing insulation to 25 liters of fuel per year. The new Spanish Building Regulations “El Código Técnico de la Edificación” (CTE) adopted in 2007 replaced the previous regulations on thermal insulation, dated back to 1979, when energy saving was not as a serious problem as it is now and the consumer was not so demanding on environmental quality of housing. Triples the requirements for acoustic insulation. The new regulations on noise insulation compared to the previous, triples the requirements for acoustic insulation in new housing projects. But that is not the only change. The greatest novelty of the CTE is defined as a series of demands that the architect must fulfill covering all the elements in the construction, from the foundations to the roof. In many cases, these changes materialize in issues that are not always perceived by the user, as it is the case of thermal insulation in walls. Another outstanding issue in the new code affects ventilation. As we all know houses have been ventilated since immemorial times by opening the windows. However, now the way of life has changed and building materials have also changed. Windows can be hermetically closed and it is no longer an exception that a home could remain closed for days, weeks and even months, without allowing a any air getting in, which affects the amount of pollutants and pathogens bacteria that are accumulated indoors.

Ventilate whether you like it or not. To ensure ventilation of buildings, the CTE forces new homes to incorporate a system of permanent ventilation that allows air circulation even though the home is closed. Other requirements are based on a greater thermal insulation, the obligation to take advantage of solar photovoltaic panels and in the fulfillment of minimum energy efficiency requirements. The CTE does not say how to do it exactly, what it does it establishes the conditions which are required for new houses regarding temperature comfort, moisture, sound insulation, or ventilation, among others, so it is in the hands of the architect to study each case, taking into account the location, the climate and other environmental facts, and providing the solutions to meet those requirements. However, only new projects with building licenses that have been applied for after 2007 must comply with these standards. It is expected that new buildings consume between 30 and 40 less energy and reduce CO2 emissions, between 40 and 55%. These savings can be higher in the future. Proof of this is the European directive that aims to build self-sufficient buildings from the energy point of view. An example of this is a project, developed by a consortium of construction and technological companies together with several universities, and with the support of several Regional Governments, the European Union and the Ministry of Education and Science are proposing that new buildings should save more than 80 and 90% on conventional energy by the usage of passive solar systems based on bioclimatic architectural design and the use of solar energy systems together with the use of biomass energy. To demonstrate this, it is possible that five pilot buildings are built in different Spanish towns with very different climates such as Asturias, Soria, Madrid and Almeria. Something I look forward seeing.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #Food  by

Dani Bowler

Owner Vintage Cafe, Albir & MasterChef semi finalist

Black pudding sticks with caramelised apple purée dip RECENTLY I have been a huge fan of black pudding, as I find it goes with many ingredients, especially sweet. For those who follow my recipes you might remember I used black pudding with apple and scallops” This recipe is really simple and goes down a treat as finger food, or even a starter! Filo pastry 200g black pudding (morcilla de cebolla) 1/2 onion (finally diced) 1 Egg yolk Vegetable oil 2 apples 4 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons honey 3 knobs butter Olive oil “Black pudding sticks” In a pan on a medium heat fry your onions till soft

and brown, take the skins off the black pudding and add the black pudding mix to a bowl, add the onions, season well and mix with your hands! Whisk the egg yolk ready to seal the filo pastry. Pre heat your deep fat frier or a use a pan to shallow fry in vegetable oil. Lay out the filo pastry and using two sheets add a spoon full of the mixture and roll to any size you would like your sticks using the egg yolk to seal the edge. Fry for about 20 seconds on each side, dry using kitchen paper. “Caramelised apple puree dip” Place the apples into a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, knob of butter, and cook till soft and start to brown set aside. In the same pan now add the honey and brown sugar, when the sugar Starts to devolve and starts caramelising then add your apple mix back to the pan and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until a smooth purée. Place into the fridge to chill until ready to serve.

Sponsored by Vintage Cafe Albir. For bookings and info call: +34 865 60 93 45 Kitchen open 13h-16h 18,30h-22h Avenida del Albir, 68 (next to Europa Sol) info@danibowler.com

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #teams

Early warning system by JACK TROUGHTON CANCER CARE Javea has donated 20,000€ for a breast cancer support group to buy a machine that can detect the early signs of Lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes. Members of Marina Baixa charity Anemona visited Javea for the presentation and met some of the Cancer Care volunteers. Anemona President Maria Botella explained her team supported people of all nationalities aﬀected by breast cancer – helping them obtain the best quality of life and insuring their mental and physical well-being.

On an earlier visit to Anemona, Cancer Care was told of trying to raise the funds to buy the machine. And a spokeswoman for the Javea charity said: “Cancer Care was privileged to donate 20,000€ to purchase this machine which will assist Anemona to help so many people. “Thank you to everyone who supports Cancer Care, our volunteers, customers, clients, donors and people who help us raise funds. Their support enables Cancer Care to ‘make a diﬀerence’.” For more information about Anemone and its work, visit www.anemona.org.

volunteers from both charities

Haydn’s hundred ALBIR CHURCH of England staged a classical fund raising event with the music of composer Haydn being played as people enjoyed coﬀee, tea, biscuits and cake. ‘One Hundred Minutes with Haydn’ involved pianist Elaine Mitchell playing the composer’s Sonatas from one to 36 – without repeating any of the music. A total of 20 of the church congregation and friends relaxed at Elaine and Geoﬀ’s home in Albir and helped raise 210€. The church holds a service of Holy Communion in Albir every Sunday at 9.45am. Services are held at the Norwegian Seaman’s Church, in Carrer Mart, near the Rober Palas Hotel. And every Thursday at 11am a service of Holy Communion is also held at Forum Mare Nostrum in neighbouring Alfaz del Pi. The second Thursday of the month is a healing service. For more information, call local Church Warden Hazel Layt on 96 689 5306 or 659 018 400. Albir is one of eight churches in the Costa Blanca Anglican Chaplaincy, covering the area from Gandia to El Campello. It has a website www.costablanca-anglicanchaplaincy.org. On Friday 4th March at 4pm the Albir Church is marking World Day of Prayer with an hourlong interdenominational service.

Back on track

MODEL MAKER Howard Parker is still hard at work building miniatures after starting making up Airﬁx plastic kits as a child. Squadrons of planes hung from his bedroom ceiling as a youngster and his love of making models continues – currently he is dedicated to the world of railway. And Howard, who lives in Javea, took time out to visit U3A Vall del Pop to entertain with a talk entitled ‘From Small Beginnings”. Howard joined Bristol Police and for a time motorbikes took over his interest, followed by getting married and starting a family – model making may have taken a backseat but his interested never waned. In his thirties, he began entering competitions and writing articles for an international model making magazine – which led to him leaving the police to become a professional; making models for ﬁlm – including Wallace and Gromit – products and architects. Howard joined Sunseeker Boats to make life-size models and stayed as a pattern maker until retiring in 2008. He was invited to see a friend’s model trains and caught the bug again. And outside his miniature world, Howard moved to Spain in 2011, plays in a band and is Membership Secretary of Javea U3A.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #health

Valentines special offer from Pearlsmile

Pearlsmile are offering Valentines teeth whitening for only 49 euros per person! MODERN DAY technologies made the pearl smile an affordable luxury for everyone! Unlike the traditional methods of teeth whiting, the cosmetic teeth whining from PEARLSMILE is based on the use of gel that has a total amount of no more than 0.1% peroxide and is activated by the cold LED light. This combination allows to whiten the teeth delicately, without causing any pain. A cosmetic teeth whitening treatment PEARLSMILE® has a lot of followers around the world. ABSOLUTELY PAINLESS TREATMENT The PEARLSMILE teeth whitening gel does not damage the teeth enamel, the cold LED light eliminates dehydration of the tooth denta as well as gum damage. This all makes the PEARLSMILE cosmetic teeth whitening treatment not only painless but also a desirable feature for everyone. RESULTS JUST IN 21 MINUTES The PEARLSMILE treatment is just like any other cosmetic treatment. The length of the treatment may vary from 21 to 45 minutes depending on what kind of result you would like to achieve. You can easily achieve a great white smile in less than an hour. Take a seat and lay back in a remarkably relaxing chair and then enjoy a great smile! TEETH WHITENING UP TO 9 SHADES BRIGHTER! After the first treatment your smile will get up to 9 shades brighter. Results vary from person to person. During the treatment the gel neutralizes coloring pigment in the teeth enamel. You can repeat the treatment as often as you like to maintain your outstanding results. AFFORDABLE PRICE PEARLSMILE® teeth whitening is 100% cosmetic treatment. It does not require any professional dental equipment nor it requires medically trained specialists. It also does not take much space and time, and does not cause any pain during and after the treatment. Therefore we can offer this treatment at a very affordable price for everyone. Purchasing a subscription for a few treatments in advance will allow the client to save even more money. Anyone can get this treatment at an important life occasion wether it would be a wedding, a date, a job interview, a photoshoot or a party. You are the owner of a bright and confident smile!

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #road test

Tim Saunders Independent unbiased car reviewer

Kia Venga I LIKE surprises.

When I took delivery of the Kia Venga, the mini MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle), I don’t mind revealing that I was just a little bit disappointed by its small size. In fact I thought I was going to have to re-evaluate what we took on holiday and leave much of our luggage for our trip to Cornwall, at home. I quickly realised, however, that Kia has produced a compact car that is indeed a surprise. It is no wonder that the manufacturer has come up with “the power to surprise” as its all important marketing strap line. The Venga is perhaps taller than its rivals, and uses space more cleverly because it has a deep boot that easily accommodates all the Saunders family paraphernalia. I like the fact that the rear seats slide back and forth, allowing more or less legroom as the need arises. It is a strange name for a car though, and I have absolutely no idea what it means. Nevertheless, even two year old daughter Heidi can remember it, so it’s clearly a good one. It’s a long journey from Hampshire to Cornwall, some 250 miles, taking over five hours, if you’re lucky. In fact, on the return journey, it takes closer to eight, thanks to some horrendous road-works on the A30 in Cornwall, where the road is being widened into a dual carriageway. Apparently this will run into 2017. Then as we make our way into Dorset, there is gridlock due to the sheer volume of traffic. It seems that all the money poured into new roads for the Olympics in this part of the world has had absolutely no effect whatsoever. Working from home now, I am stunned at the amount of traffic on Britain’s roads. The Venga,

though, copes admirably throughout this demanding road test. It cruises on the motorway with little road noise and its air-conditioning keeps us all cool during some of the hottest temperatures of the summer. The 1.4 diesel SR7 model tested is equipped with a six speed manual gearbox and, in third gear, is surprisingly punchy. However, at times, Cornwall’s hills really do prove a challenge for this little car, resulting in my having to change into ﬁrst to conquer them. Leave it in second and there is just not enough momentum to carry you forward, but use the gears correctly and it pleases. When in a gear that the Venga does not like, there is a protest of rattling plastic from the steering column. It’s pretty frugal, returning over 40mpg over the course of the trip. Bearing in mind this is a car that costs under £15,000 new, expectations cannot be too high, but, although the interior is perhaps bland and plasticky, it is nevertheless comfortable, and I can report that I do not have back or neck ache when we arrive in Cornwall. That cannot be said of some vehicles costing four times this amount. You cannot help noticing the lack of a sat-nav but, frankly, we don’t miss it, because you cannot rely on them anyway. There are four electric windows and electrically adjustable wing mirrors. The wing mirrors themselves can be manually folded, which is especially helpful when unloading in a particularly tight spot in St

Mawes. The roads here are so narrow that when you drop oﬀ or collect, tailbacks quickly form. It’s a nightmare, but, thankfully, folk in this part of the world are used to queuing and there is no beeping of horns whatsoever, even when it takes us 10 minutes to all get in the car! Externally, the little Venga is an attractive looking ca,r and there is even a chrome grille, which is a very nice touch. Overall, this car should appeal to the budget conscious young family in need of a versatile vehicle. I would certainly consider it. FACTS AT A GLANCE Kia Venga 1.4CRDi SR7 Top speed: 104mph 0-60mph: 14secs Economy: around 40mpg 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

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Alfaz Fantasy Football League by PATRICIA THOMPSON Last week’s 20 Premier League games produced 41 goals,16 clean sheets,50 yellow cards and 3 red ones, to give the Fantasy League its highest average score of the season. Joe’s team, Keith Lard F.C., extended their lead over Scott’s Dog Dale, while.Paul’s Elite Kitchens, Swinton and Arthur’s Wombles have remained in 3rd & 4th place. Lyn’s Handbrake City are still at the bottom. The Mark Carter Ladies Section has Pam’s People at the top, just 1 point ahead of Karen’s Ceasar’s Blackcats. The top scoring lady this week is Tracey’s Flyers, with 107 points which jumped them up 29 places to number 21, and they have also won the Quicksave Supermarket voucher, by taking a 17 point lead over the Foxy Filberts. Nathan’s Tyrannosuarez-Rex F.C. have regained first place in the U.K.T.V. SPAIN Junior League, by going 6 points ahead of last week’s leaders, Ginger Ninjar. At the foot of the table, Bradley’s team Hero to Zero are now only 8 points behind Lily’s team, Sponge Bob. In the Leonard Knowles Construction Golden Boot League, the leaders, James’ Jukeboxers, increased their lead to 34 points over Pearson’s Smashers. At the other end Handbrake City are still 20 points behind Anne’s team, Bolton Wanderers. The 1st 2 teams going into the February draw

for a case of cava, sponsored by Premier Imports, are top scoring team, Tracey’s Flyers, and lowest scoring team Handbrake City, who only managed 6 points. Manager of the Month for February is being generously sponsored by Mick & Mark at the Paneil’s Restaurant in Benidorm,Old Town, who provide excellent 2 & 3 course meals at reasonable prices. Tracey’s Flyers have a 12 point lead over 2 teams, Joe’s Keith Lard F.C. and Chris’s Always Hoping. Chris’s team, Always Hoping, have won this week’s Breakfast for 2 at Rafters, sponsored by Kate, after climbing 48 places to number 90. This week is the 4th round of the RTN K.O. Cup Competition. Jack’s team, Lads on Toure, the last of the Junior Managers, play Joe’s team, Gonners. Dog Dale, the new favourites, will play Dougie’s Waverley Wanderers. The top 45 teams in the RTN F.A. Cup League, and the draw for this week’s K.O. Cup, are on the website wwwaffl.com, so check out how your team is performing. Alternatively, pop into one of the bars who display the league tables and results, in Albir, The Local & Wyndhams, in Alfaz, Robin’s Nest, in Benidorm, Union Jack, and in Moraira, Barilloche.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

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RENAULT MEGANE GRAND TOURER ESTATE 2007

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #sports

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Rugby La Vila by PATRICIA THOMPSON

LAST SUNDAY’S home game was La Vila versus Barcelona San Cugat, the top two teams in the league playing each other. It turned out to be an Important win for La Vila, who beat Barcelona San Cugat by 19-10, giving them an 11 point lead, and a guaranteed place in the play offs. In a game that was far from easy, the score at the end of the first half was 5-5. The second half favoured La Vila, with one penalty try for collapsing the scrum, plus another try from Damián Jurado, just on the corner. It was a superb turn out, with a crowd of over 600. In addition, the Russian National Women’s Sevens team were watching the game as La Vila’s special guests. The game was sponsored by the Fishermen’s Association from Villajoyosa, who

Benitachell Bowls Club winter league

provided free fried fish to everybody. It was a big success. The Provincial Deputy Fernando Sepulcre, and the mayor of Villajoyosa, Andreu Verdu, were at the game, and enjoyed La Vila’s victory. The next home game will be on Sunday 6th March, when La Vila will play Les Abelles Valencia, the only team to have beaten them this year. Next weekend, at home, on Saturday 13th February, the under 18s will play Montcada Valencia, at 1pm, and the women’s team will play San Roque Valencia at 6.30pm. The club house will be open on Saturday to watch the Six Nations’ games, at 3.35pm France v Ireland, and, at 5.50pm, Wales v Scotland. The club house won’t be open on Sunday.

The 30th International Benidorm Sevens competition will be held next 28th and 29th May, where top teams will be preparing for the forthcoming Olympic Sevens Qualifiers. La Vila Rugby Club is situated at Carretera El Pantano, Villajoyosa. Just take the motorway AP-7 exit 66 (Villajoyosa). At the first roundabout head for the mountain. It is about 1 km from the Motorway exit 66. Alternatively, take the Villajoyosa by-pass, and take the middle exit, at the first roundabout bear right towards the motorway entrance and at the second roundabout bear left towards the mountain. If you are interested in joining La Vila contact Jason Craig on 659 67 47 68 or Ignacio Davila 608 06 82 08 or email oficina@rugbylavila.net.

This week’s winter league game againsVistabellasaw BBC making the trip south and hoping to maintain its great winning run but, unfortunately, the only winning rink was that ofof Skip Jeff Richards, Tony Lawley, Derek Mawson and Linda Richards. They played out an evenly contested first half, winning 5 of the first 9 ends, to lead by 7 – 6 at the half way stage. By the 15th end the score had grown to 16 – 7 and they kept the pressure up to be worthy winners 20 – 9. Terry Corner, Iris Gardiner, Mike Smith and Bert McLean had a final score of 15 – 20.David Roberts, Bob Cockell, Richard Gardiner and Christine Mawson lost 11 – 17, while Skip Maggie Lawley, Jacquie Roberts, Mary Cockell and Tim Woodcock also lost, 15 – 17, and Dudley Davies, Clive Langan, Carol Davies and John Avey had a final score of 12 – 20.The Berleen Game Skipped by Harry Chick with Vivian Erridge, Steve Griffin and Linda Smith put on a great show with a fantastic 7 on the 10th end and going on to a deserved victory 19 – 15. For a full update and further information about forthcoming games and results, please visit www.benitachellbowlsclub.com.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

life&leisure #sports

UK Rugby - RBS 6 Nations roundup by PATRICIA THOMPSON

LAST WEEKEND saw the start of the 6 Nations rugby. England are favourites to win even though they have a new head coach and captain. The Official betting odds are: England 13/8, Wales 11/4, Ireland 7/2, France 6/1, Scotland 14/1, Italy 500/1. The first game of the competition saw France play Italy in a thrilling opening match. As Italy are ranked outsiders at 500/1 for winning the 6 nations, France, at 6/1. was expected to walk all over Italy. The problem was, no one told Italy, who led for most of the match until, finally, losing by only 2 points, in an actionpacked match. The next match in the opening weekend was Scotland v England. This is also called the Calcutta cup which, incidentally, is one of the oldest sporting competitions. England are favourites to win the 6 nations competition

Las Salinas winter petanca league

whilst Scotland are 5th favourites. However, with a new coach, could England be back on form? The best way to sum it up was said by the England captain after the match, ‘job done, just’. England led throughout, but Scotland kept fighting back to show it was not going to be a walk over. The final score was 9-15. Day 2 had Wales, 2nd favourites, play Ireland, 3rd favourites. This was most certainly a game of 2 halves, with Ireland dominating the first 30 minutes. Then, Wales came back with an incredible show of strength and determination, to finish the game with a draw. After the opening weekend, England top the table on point difference, followed by France. Then it’s Wales and Ireland joint 3rd, followed by Italy and finally Scotland Next weekend will see the second round of matches: France v Ireland, Wales v Scotland and Italy v England

THE LEAGUE is now into week 10. In division 1 there were good wins for Rocajuna, Buccaneers and Lakeside Lakers, and a very surprising win for Los Bandidos over the league leaders, Amigos Belgas 1, 8-0. In division 2, Blagul 1 won a hard-fought match against El Mirador Hawks, 5-3. Second placed Lakeside Mosquitoes had a good, away win against El Mirador Eagles. Amigos Belgas 2

moved up the table with a home win against Danish Dynamite, 5-3. XPS and Corsairs drew 4-4. Division 3 leaders, Pumas, won 7-1. Second place Amigos Belgas 3 had a good away win at Danish Friends 7-1. El Mirador Kestrels remain 3rd with a 7-1 win over Torre Bears 1. Peacocks Red drew 4-4 with Buddies. In Division 5, the leaders, Dominos McCoys, won 6-2 over 2nd placed Guardamar, while 3rd placed San Miguel

Vega Baja Premier Golf League

THE FOURTH fixture of the season took place at Saurines de la Torre Golf Resort The league leaders, El Valle G.S. took on second place La Manga North G.S. while the other La Manga team, Residents Golf Association two points above bottom took on the holders of that position Rockets G.S. The results were, La Manga North, ½ (139 points) v El Valle G S, 3½ (154 points), Rockets G S, ½ (130 points) v La Manga RGA, 3½ (144 points). Bonus points went to El Valle G S and La Manga RGA. The highest pairing scores came from El Valle G.S., Danny Totten/Kevin Grenier with 43 points. El Valle now have a commanding lead, and it seems that El Valle will be in the Singles Matchplay Final in May for the VBPGL Trophy. The penultimate round matches of the season for the South Division are on Friday 4th March at Altorreal Golf, First Tee time 9.28am. This is a change of venue as La Serena cancelled the booking as it clashed with an Evolve Tour professional tournament. To see updated Vega Baja Premier Golf League fixtures, tables, and news visit the website www.vegabajapremiergolfleague.com and Facebook. For more information on the Vega Baja Premier Golf League, contact the Secretary, Ivie Davies 669 21 14 10 or golfdavies@gmail.com.

Velocity Racing Spain THE 2016 SEASON is about to begin, and Velocity’s Open Day will be on 5th March with racing at 7pm. All drivers should register by the 18th Feb-

ruary. Future ﬁxtures will be held the ﬁrst Saturday of each month, with the last meeting of the year being 3rd December. For further details please contact Martin on 674 25 61 47.

Tigers beat Florentillies 6-2. Division 6 leaders, Rocajuna Lions, beat the Falcons 8-0, and 2nd placed Blagul 2 lost to Daya Vieja red necks 5-3. The league held a mixed triples competition for the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th divisions, which was won by Amigos Belgas 3. The proceeds will be given to charity of the year, AECC. Thanks go to sponsors Casas Manuel, Dominos bar, Redital orange mobile.

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

Classifieds

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

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Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

arranged in other vehicles. Tel UK 0800 612 4922 or Spain 960130537 IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A DOG OR PUPPY please join our Facebook group. We have many dogs, large, small, scruffs and pedigree! Just go to Facebook and search Costa Blanca Dog Homing. Even if you cannot offer a home, rescues are always needing foster homes, and just sharing the dog posts really helps us to help them.

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

A1 SPECIALIST CLEANING Carpets, Upholstery, 15 years experience 965 058 177 / 697 511 071 marc@barnaclebills.co.uk www.britishbusinesspageinspain.es

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Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

LOOKING FOR REGULAR WORK Honest, reliable man with very clean 19m Iveco van. Tel Pego 653215922

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REPAIRS Washing machines, Dishwashers & Dryers. Also Boilers and any electrical problems. 24hours. Cheap prices Tel 604 273 387

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

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

MR FIXIT For all your electrical, Plumbing, General & Appliance & Boiler Repairs. No call out charge. 698 320 434

WANTED I BUY ANY CAR Van, Caravan, 4x4 Etc.British, Spanish. Immediate cash 600 781 873 ibuyanycar@hotmail.com

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PROBLEMS WITH INSECTS? Cockroaches, woodworm, rats & mice. Call 604 270 676 All insects

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LA COMETA III CALPE Detached villa, 800 sqm set in a tranquil area only 3km from the centre of Calpe.2 bedrooms, air conditioning.Garden and private swimming pool. Sold Fully furnished. WAS 300,000€ REDUCED TO 250,000€ Call: 965831250

Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016

VAN LEAVING UK TO SPAIN 20th February.Space available. 652 079 071 / 00 44 7552985343 or email keithvanman9@gmail.com SPANISH MOVES Small removals and deliveries. Spain/UK Budget prices. Last minute jobs undertaken. www. spanishmoves.net. Pet transport also arranged in our air conditioned pet/people carriers. Telephone UK 0800 612 4922 or Spain 960130537

I BUY RECORDS LP´S SINGLES AND CD´s ANY STYLE, JAZZ, BLUES, POP, PUNK, ROCK, ETC... TOP CASH PAID. 622 750 117 RECORDS AND CDS WANTED Pop,Rock,Jazz,Blues.Top Cash Paid. 630 665 363

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Friday, February 12 - Thursday, February 18 2016