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25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Most wanted

By Jan Gamm AS PART of ‘Operation Captura 2011’, UK based charity Crimestoppers and SOCA (Serious Organised Crime Agency) are hot on the trail of Britain’s most wanted criminals believed to be currently at large in the Alicante area, releasing ten profiles of the ‘most dangerous’, wanted for a range of crimes including drug trafficking, sex crimes and murder. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Ken Gallagher, Head of European Operations for SOCA, said: “Operation Captura is helping make the ex-pat community in Spain an uncomfortable place for fugitives. Having the public’s attention focused on these individuals goes a long way to making it harder for them to hide and should act as a warning that Spain is no safe haven for British criminals.” To find out why these men are on the most wanted list turn to page 3.

See page 17

Issue 593

The Costa Blanca: Spain’s Florida by Patricia Thompson ON WEDNESDAY this week key seminars took place in Alicante under the heading ‘Active and healthy aging in the Comunidad Valenciana’. One speaker, Ricardo Moragas, Professor of Sociology and Social Gerontology at the University of Barcelona, produced statistics showing that in Spain the average life expectancy is between 75 and 82 years of age whilst in the UK and Germany life expectancy is between 74 and 80. For the elderly who move to Spain from the more Northern European countries, statistics show improvements in health problems like arthritis and patients are very often able to reduce the amount of drugs that they are receiving. “Overall findings evidence much better health is maintained here, rather than in colder countries,” he said. A greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, fresh vegetables and fish offers substantial protection against Heart disease, Cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and the elderly who relocate to Spain are shown to have a significant improvement in health status. Likewise the climate has significant advantages with moderate levels of sunshine being shown to enhance the immune system, encourage healthy circulation, boost one’s mood, enhance sleep and slow down the aging process. Attended by senior politicians and healthcare officials from throughout the Valencian region, the aims of the seminars at the Alicante Meliá Hotel were to explore the therapeutic benefits of the Mediterranean climate and diet for the elderly, and to investigate whether European citizens properly know the services available to them and their dependents in the Region. The President of the Enterprise Associa-

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tion of Residences and Services to Dependent People of the Valencian Community (Aerte), Alberto Giménez, spoke about how the Valencian Community now has all the elements, treatment centres and facilities to transform itself into “The new European version of Florida.” “Because of the climate, outdoor culture, quality of life and Mediterranean diet which are superior to those experienced in many other European countries and because of recent investment into the public health sector, the Valencian Community is extremely well placed to provide professional healthcare of the very highest order,” he stated. A wide variety of speakers including Vicente Arqués (Mayor of Alfaz del Pi); Lisette de Leeuw (Managing Director of Anneke Integral Care Services in La Nucia) and Pedro Valero Mazon (Torrevieja Councillor for Foreigners) outlined the range of possibilities opening up for the care of the elderly in both the public and private sector. “The importance of getting the information about the various healthcare options out there to the public has never been greater,” said Vicente Arqués whose population of 22,000 voters in Alfaz is 50% composed of nationalities other than the Spanish. “In fact” he continued, “there are over 100 different nationalities of voters in Alfaz making up 11,000 persons, the vast majority of whom are British, Dutch and Norwegian.” Such is the high standard of care therapies now available in our region, the seminars also centred on the ability of foreigners to come to Spain under the ‘Go & Care Programme’ which provides high quality short-term therapeutic stays in approved residences in the Valencian Community. Continued on page

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

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25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Most wanted in Spain

Continued from front page There are already ‘Go and Care’ residences in Castellón, Patacona, Valterna, Teulada, Benidorm, Guadamar and Pilar de la Horadada and with the expansion of Alicante Airport there is the real opportunity for the 30 million elderly in Europe, to ‘jet in and jet out’ for short-term healthcare stays. Closing the Conference, Angélica Such, the Valencian Regional Manager for Social Welfare, told the au-

dience, “Old age is not equivalent to illness. In old age we need to have relationships, cultural and physical activities. We are focusing on ‘active aging’ and the assistance that we can provide to elderly persons is extremely high quality and much higher than the average level in Spain and in the rest of Europe, and the Regional Government is always available to help you.”

Vicente Arqués (Mayor of Alfaz del Pi), Lisette de Leeuw (MD of Anneke Integral Care Services), Vicenta Baldó (Counsellor of Bienestar Social) and Elin Bergstrand (Norweigan Centre of Volunteers

Showroom opening times; Monday- Friday 10am-1pm

1 Jamie Dempsey: Wanted for conspiring to supply cocaine and facilitation of the use of criminal property. 2 Derek McGraw Ferguson, Alias William Murdoch Henderson: Sought in connection with the murder of Thomas Cameron on 28th June 2007. 3 Anthony Fraser: Son of the notorious criminal Frank Fraser: wanted in connection to his involvement in the importation of approx. 2 tonnes of cannabis into the UK from the Netherlands on 17/03/09: 4 Patrick Pious Hancox: Wanted for child sex offences and child abduction. Charged with offences, he failed to answer bail and a warrant for his arrest was issued. 5 Eriberto Jimenez Melo (nicknames: Nando and Eric): Convicted in his absence to serve 25 years for conspiracy to supply cocaine. 6 Jonathon Lejman/Lehman: Sought on an EAW for aggravated burglary in Staffordshire. 7 Darren Kevin O’Flaherty: Wanted for two offences of conspiracy to kidnap and rob. 8 William Thomas Robert Paterson / Patterson: Nickname: Buff / Billy: Sought in connection with the murder of Kevin Carroll, also known as McCabe. 9 Andrew Mark Spooner: Wanted for prosecution following failure to appear at Glasgow High Court for drugs (MDMA) offences on 10th September 2001: Since the launch of Operation Captura in October 2006, there have been 50 appeals with 38 arrests resulting in lengthy prison sentences for those captured. Calls to the Spanish 900 555 111 telephone number are answered in the UK by Crimestoppers’ call agents and a translation service is available upon request. Information may also be passed on anonymously via the online ‘Giving Information’ form on Crimestoppers’ website: www.crimestoppers-uk.org where detailed descriptions of the most wanted are provided. STOP PRESS One of the latest ‘ten most wanted’ criminals was arrested by officers of the Spanish National Police’s Greco Team at 18.30 on Monday 21st February in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. Netherlands born Everardus Wijtvliet allegedly organised the importation of more than 100kg of heroin and cocaine through the port of Dover in 2009. And his arrest was quickly followed by the capture of Dean Lawrence Rice on Wednesday 23rd February, who appeared on an earlier ‘most wanted’ Crimestoppers list. He was apprehended in Alhaurin, by the Spanish National Police.Rice, born in Exeter, was convicted in his absence of life imprisonment for conspiracy to kidnap and false imprisonment in 2006.

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25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

MEPs divided over consumer rights regulations by Jan Gamm MEPs ARE struggling with a consumer rights directive aimed at uniting consumers’ interests across Europe and unifying a range of product issues that include goods exchange policies and guarantees, especially when buying online. Difficulties have arisen when trying to unite a common policy, especially with regard to warranties as Scandinavian consumers’ rights include a lifetime guarantee on products, while other European countries’ only guarantee items for two or three years. As online shopping has rocketed in recent years and continues to increase due to the attraction of lower prices, the matter of a united European policy within the union has now become urgent. COMPLEX Chair of the Parliament’s Internal Market Committee and

British MEP Malcolm Harbour (ECR) said, “This is the most complex piece of legislation since the birth of the internal market. The Council already had 65 meetings, and it’s only the first reading.” Besides guarantees some of the fields covered include the information to be given before purchase; rules on delivery; cooling off periods; repairs; replacement; and unfair contract terms for all kinds of sale, whether online or in a shop. And further pressure is on to ensure the legislation is right ‘the first time round’ to avoid a possible division in policy later. HARMONISATION Despite months of negotiations, the Committee has failed to find an agreement, with the level of harmonisation remaining the main obstacle. (‘Harmonisation’ is the process by which different states adopt the same laws). The directive could appear on the agenda of the March session of the European Parliament.

International Tourism Fair in Valencia THE SEVENTH International Tourism Fair is being held in Valencia from 25-27 February. Hundreds of international exhibitors will be offering information about what their destination has to offer. There’ll be the chance to sample food and wine from different countries, as well as the chance for tour operators and other business professionals to learn more about new and existing tourist resorts. With plenty of information about places to visit in the Valencian Community, the local public should

also enjoy an entertaining and informative day at the Fair. Doors open from 10am-7pm Friday and Saturday, and from 10am-6pm on Sunday. The Fair is at the Feria

Feria Valencia set to open its doors

Valencia exhibition centre in pavilions one and two. There is free entry for the general public. For more information see the website: www.feriavalencia.com/tcv

Online shopping pressures MEPs

British man feared dead in avalanche

A 42-YEAR-OLD British man is thought to have been killed in an avalanche near the Spanish ski resort in Granada. The avalanche was one of the biggest ever seen in the region and it happened at 1.30pm on Sunday 20 February. Rescue teams have still not found British climber John Hogbin despite days of searching the Sierra Nevada mountains. Two helicopters, 130 soldiers and four rescue dogs were deployed but there was no sign of the climber, who is originally from York in the UK. Hogbin moved to Spain as a child with his English father and Spanish mother, he is understood to be a widower with a four-year-old child. His two fellow climbers were able to escape the avalanche with minor injuries.

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

The 5 Clubs Trophy at Calpe

Don’t miss the second stage this Sunday

THE FIRST racing day of the TOM28 League took place at the Real Club Nautico de Calpe 19th February, with a Skippers’ meeting at 10.30 stretched due to an hour’s postponement in a wait for improved sailing conditions. Speaking to RTN on Wednesday, Gabriel Fernandez Toribio, Dierector of the Club Nautico Sailing School said, “In very light conditions, we

had two tied races (one coastal and one windward-leeward) for six boats (about 30 crew). A 3rd start was given but wind dropped dramatically and the 3rd race had to be abandoned.” Next Sunday the 2nd stage of the 5 Clubs Trophy will take place at the RCNC. For further race details and results, visit www.rcnc.es

Wireless Years correction

AN ERROR in the performance date of the Wireless Years 2011 appeared in last week’s issue on a poster advertising details of the new production featuring Barry Britten and Chris Allen. The producers would like to apologise for the error: the date of the opening is actually 8th April, not 8th March.

Ondara Bullring to receive a facelift ONDARA CITY council has begun an application for a significant subsidy to be used for the restoration of its bullring. The mayor of Ondara, Ximo Ferrando, has requested an amount of €730,184 from the Valencian Catalan Autonomous Government, to cover the cost of restoring the outer walls of the building and the recovery of the original stone façade. In addition to restoration of the building, works would include the repaving of the terraces and an updated illumination system. The Ondara Bullring is considered to be an important example of Levantine architecture with elements of the arabesque style.

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25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

More on the Palomares bomb incident by Jan Gamm AN RTN article published in last week’s edition headlined Spain’s demands that the USA address the clean-up of the contamination area left after a fuelling exercise in 1966 resulted in four nuclear bombs accidentally being dropped in Palomares, near Mojacar in Andalucia. The article attracted a great deal of interest, particularly for reader David Hudson, who points out that when the area was ‘surgically cleaned’, there were still unknown quantities of Plutonium 239 and Uranium 235 scattered by dust storms throughout the region. SNAILS Latest reports dated 2009 state that although the USA considers the area safe, wildlife tested on the ground still showed contamination levels of four times the recommended safety limits and visitors even now are advised by locals not to eat snails with the local paella, as far away as Mojacar! The falling bombs caused widespread panic in the small and thus far peaceful Spanish village of Palomares. The 1,200 or so villagers witnessed the skies turn black, raining huge, fiery chunks of metal along with the four massive bombs. One fell in the cemetery: just eight minutes earlier, local children would have been injured as they played

nearby. In the tiny village school, teacher José fought to control his own panic and keep the children calm. The bombs were recovered relatively quickly but too late to avoid contamination. And even as the Municipal Architect of Mojacar Roberto Puig knelt at the mouth of one of the bomb craters, he sustained chemical burns on his knee. Operation ‘Broken Arrow’, a tent village staffed by more than 3,000 American personnel, was set up in Torrejon, near Madrid, 347 miles from the bomb site. Investigations were severely compromised by access difficulties in the mountainous terrain, aggravated by communication problems. The events that took place in Palomares during the recovery operation are well documented in a highly recommended book authored by Christopher Morris, entitled ‘The Big CatcH’. SALVAGE

And a most interesting splinter story over this incident involved the efforts of an enterprising local fisherman to claim one of the bombs that fell near his fishing boat as ‘salvage’, with a several million dollar percentage payout! The USA continues to put off the clean-up operation of the Palomares contaminated area. Credit: Information supplied in a report by Mr David Hudson

Train commuters winded by Spanish weather By Jan Gamm THE STRONG winds that hit Spain this week caused havoc on the railway line between Alicante and Barcelona, in the Tarragona area, leaving commuters stranded. Service was suspended during the rush hour between 07.00 and 10.00, with around 600 exhausted passengers affected and without the facility of bus transfer. GALES Wind speeds exceeding 100kph were recorded and gale warnings are likely to remain in place over this weekend.

100’s of passengers stranded

The casings of two of the B28 nuclear bombs involved in the Palomares incident are on display at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, in Albuquerque, NM

Charity Saturday auction at the Jacaranda Restaurant and Bar, Moraira THERE WILL be an auction at the Jacaranda on 5th March, 19th March and every two weeks thereafter, with our new auctioneer, Mr Bob Gingell. The auction starts at 13.30. Exchange your unwanted goods for cash! Items are always welcome for our charity section. Phone to book your items in - Jacaranda 965 743 292: Bob - 667 074 130.

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

British Consulate pilots extension of its opening hours by Patricia Thompson THE BRITISH Consulate in Alicante will be piloting evening opening hours for notarial work every Thursday in March to provide a more convenient service for its customers. This service will be by appointment only. The Consulate’s normal opening hours are 08:30-13:30, but during March a service will be available each Thursday from 16:30-19:30 by prior appointment. British Consul, Paul Rodwell, said “We feel that customers would like the flexibility of extended opening hours, as it means that people can sort out important documentation at times that suit them better. This pilot is to see how much demand

there is for this change and to provide a more customer friendly service.” In March, the Consulate in Alicante will be open on the following dates: • Thursday March 3rd 16:30-19:30 • Thursday March 10th 16:30-19:30 • Thursday March 17th 16:30-19:30 • Thursday March 24th 16:30-19:30 • Thursday March 31st 16:30-19:30 Examples of notarial services include documents regarding your change of residence or documents for getting married in Spain. If you would like to make an appointment with the British Consulate for any of these dates, please call 965 216 022 or email Alicante.Consulate@fco.gov.uk

British Vice Consul Lloyd Milen gives a customer her notarial document

Alicante council part-poops fiesta spending

Cuts to affect the Moors & Christians parade

By Jan Gamm IN ALICANTE, as part of a plan to reduce spending by €18 million in different sectors, the council has cut subsidies allocated for fiesta organisations to the tune of €350,000. The cuts will affect the summer festivities significantly with less to spend on promotion, decorations and parades including plans for Easter celebrations; the Moors and Christians spectacular and even expenditure required to maintain the museum that displays the ‘fogueres’. The budget allocation for fiestas is a complicated issue for all the provinces, with smaller amounts assigned for each part of every fiesta. This cut equates to a 30% reduction on last year’s spend on fiestas in Alicante. On a warmer note, the bonfire allowance of €123,000 remains untouched.

AP7 accident leaves driver in hospital A CAR smashed into a bridge on the AP7 motorway near Dénia last week, splitting the car in two and trapping the 21-year-old driver inside. The reason for the crash is not yet known. The car involved was a French-registered BMW and the accident took place at kilometre 607 of the motorway. The driver was extracted from the car by firemen and treated on the scene. Sources say that the driver is now in hospital in Valencia with a fractured tibia and multiple injuries.

Mayor scolds police for bad spelling LOCAL POLICE who cannot spell have been publicly humiliated by the mayor in the village of Benferri in the Vega Baja. The Socialist mayor, Luis Vicente Mateo, is also a local school teacher. He has issued a decree telling three

officers that they must adopt measures to ensure that their reports are written up without spelling errors. The PP party in the village has criticised the mayor saying it was unnecessary to make the matter public.

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Repsol pulls out of Libya by Jan Gamm THE SPANISH oil company Repsol ceased production in Libya on Tuesday as a result of unrest sweeping the country, while oil prices hit a 21/2 year high, above US$108 per barrel. Oil prices surged on Monday but stabilised on assurances from Saudi Arabia that OPEC members would be ready to meet shortages in supply. US companies that include Occidental Petroleum Corporation said that production remained unaffected despite several companies shutting down operations and evacuating staff. The El-Sharara oilfield shut down by Repsol pumps approximately 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), representing 13% of Libya’s estimated 1.6 million bpd production. Speaking from Madrid, a Repsol spokesman said, “We suspended all operations in Libya today because of the violence and uncertainty.” ENI Italian oil company Eni suspended operations on the same day. A spokesperson for the Italian ministry said the country would avail itself of emergency gas stocks if necessary. Analysts have pointed out that while OPEC might fill the gap in the Libyan oil supply, it was likely that it would be of inferior quality to Libyan crude.

TRADE Trade sources report that from Tuesday it was impossible to communicate with Libyan oil ports, shipping agents or port officials as lines were closed and operations at Benghazi, Tripoli and Misurata, handling cargo and container shipping, had all closed down. END OF GADAFFI Israel’s President Shimon Peres, at the start of his four day visit to Spain, said on Monday that he believed Libyan leader Muammer Gadhafi’s reign was nearing its end: “It was an ‘irony of history’ that Gadhafi recently expressed his desire for ‘…a Middle East without Israel’, but now it looks as if there will be a Libya without Gaddafi,” Peres said, addressing the Jewish community at the Central Synagogue in Madrid.

Israel’s President Shimon Peres

Spaniards await military rescue AN ESTIMATED 50 to 80 Spaniards in Libya are being evacuated by a Spanish military plane. Spain’s Foreign Minister Trinidad Jímenez quashed accusations that she had stalled too long in the decision to send the plane, and said that other EU citizens would also be able to board the aircraft if they too wished to be evacuated.

Icon Exhibition

A FINE exhibition of 11th and 12th Century religious icons is open at the Bancaja Cultural Centre in Alicante until 27th March. An icon is widely accepted as a picture, either painted or carved, of the likeness of saints or associated religious figures. Historically, icons represent or inspire worship. Within the Christian traditions, icons tend to be a flat panel representing the Holy Trinity, angels or the Cross. They may also be carved metal or in mosaic, particularly in Spain. Fine examples within the exhibition include a painted icon of St George, patron saint of the Russian capital are on loan to the exhibition from the Spaso-Andronikov monastery in Moscow. The 52 items displayed are mostly the work of the Potapov brother, curated by Oksana Smirnova. The Bancaja Cultural centre is located at 4 Rambla Méndez Núñez Street, Alicante.

Aunt Lola reaches 105 THE OLDEST person in the Valencian Community, Dolores Lopez, celebrated her 105th birthday this week. La ‘Tia Lola’ as she is affectionately known, (‘Aunt Lola), who lives in the Vega Baja area, spent the day surrounded by family and

friends and received a bouquet of flowers from the local mayor. Aunt Lola is pictured enthusiastically blowing out just three candles on her birthday cake – 105 would surely have caused quite a blaze!

Aunt Lola and her birthday cake

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Benitatxell spends €30,000 on five streetlights

Meet the team

THE RULING PP council in Benitatxell was under fire from opposition councillors last week over the astronomical cost of five regular streetlights. The five lights on the Camí de l’Abiar cost a total of €30,000, a figure that the PP local government has not denied. Members of the Bloc,

PSPV and Cibbenparties, along with councillor Antonio Colomer have demanded an inquiry into the cost of the lamps. Mayor Josefa Ronda and Deputy Mayor Nieves Garcia explained that the cost was also for the installation of the lights, but opposition councillors remain unconvinced.

U3A Meeting in Alfaz del Pi

THE NEXT General Meeting of the U3A Marina Baixa will be Monday, 28th February at 10.30 for 11.00 at the Casa de Cultura, Alfaz del Pi. New members are always welcome. For more information, visit the website www.u3amarinabaixa.com to whet your appetite - there are plenty of group activities with something for everyone. U3A meetings are always on the 4th Monday of the month.

Demolition for Jávea hotel? THE MIRAMAR Hotel in Jávea port could face demolition. The original grant giving permission to build the hotel in 1945 has now expired, and the terms and conditions state that the land where the hotel (and some of the adjacent shops) stand must re-

Ana Vasbinder and Paco Catala

by Jack Troughton INDEPENDENT INTERNATIONAL political party Nueva Javea is staging an open meeting tomorrow (Saturday 26th February) giving voters the chance to meet its team. With local elections being held in Spain on May 22nd,it is an opportunity to learn more about the party and its aim of restoring the town to being the Pearl of the Costa Blanca. The ‘open general assembly’ is being held at Javea’s Carrasco Restaurant at 18.00 with drinks and canapés to follow at 19.00. And the party will introduce its candidate

for mayor, Councillor Ana Vasbinder, and Nueva Javea’s other two serving councillors Paco Catala and Juan Planelles will also be present, along with other members of the board of directors. Councillor Vasbinder told RTN they were already expecting more than 300 people of all nationalities to attend the event. Nueva Javea is built around a professional team of citizens and wants to make the resort a better community through better management of the municipality and its resources combined with a policy of consensus and true participation of the people.

The Miramar hotel under threat of demolition

gain its status as land of the public domain. Jávea Mayor Eduardo Monfort has issued a motion urging the authorities in charge of coastal management not to proceed with the demolition, saying the properties along the port seafront are “historic”.

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Demands for new car Charity Concert in aid of needy families law to be scrapped by Jan Gamm A NEW car law in Spain has car manufacturers furious. The new law unveiled last week burdens them with losses on failed showroom sales throughout the country. Under the new law vehicle dealerships would be granted a full refund on cars that remain unsold after three months. In some instances, manufacturers would also be invoiced for staff costs and related expenses for dealership sales representatives and be required to compensate showrooms for loss of custom. The move is part of measures put in

place to ‘jump start’ the Spanish economy but pundits in the car industry are certain it is more likely to kill it stone dead. The carmakers association ANFAC (Spanish Association of Car and Lorry Manufacturers) which includes manufacturing giants such as Nissan, Ford, Peugeot and Volkswagen, are now reconsidering agreed investments: the car industry represents 6% of the Spanish GDP. The car dealership Faconauto contends that legal processes in place that allowed manufacturers too much leeway on contractual changes left dealers vulnerable to lost investment: “They could unilaterally change and terminate their distribution contracts with-

out compensation for lost clients investments or lay-offs,” they said. JOB SAFEGUARDS The restructuring of the law would allow jobs held by showroom personnel all over Spain to be safeguarded yet Spain’s industry minister, Miguel Sebastian, said in parliament last Wednesday that he “does not understand” the new law: “How will a German, Japanese or French car manufacturer understand this law if I do not even understand it myself?” Faconauto insists the law as it stood needed urgent revision. Manufacturers had the power to unilaterally change or even terminate distribution contracts without providing dealership compensation for lost investment or lay-offs, leaving showroom sales jobs unstable within an unreliable market. Last Thursday the industry ministry announced that a meeting had been called for attendance by regional government representatives, unions and vehicle manufacturers to reassess the new law. MISTAKE

Spain’s industry minister Miguel Sebastian

ANFAC Chairman Francisco Javier García Sanz, also chairman of the SEAT board of directors,said,“…they have made a mistake and they are going to have to correct it. If they do not, they will be responsible for the loss of investment and employment that this law will cause.”

By Julie Day THE DEPARTMENT of Social Services in Los Alcázares is organising a special charity concert this Saturday, 26th February at 20.00 in the Salón de Plenos in the town hall. The concert will consist of popular Spanish and Russian traditional songs plus well-known boleros and zarzuelas. Three excellent singers and musicians will perform the concert, being held to raise money for local families suffering due to the critical economic climate. Popular baritone singer Rafael Hurtado will star in the concert together with soprano María Gala and pianist Olga Vasylovskaya. Tickets at €10 each are available on the night from the ticket office at the town hall, or in advance from the Centro de la Tercera Edad ‘Adolfo López’, the Centro de Servicios Sociales y Mujer (CISSMU) in Los Narejos and from the Asociación de Amas de Casa of Los Alcázares.

Poster advertising the charity concert being held this Saturday

Thirty evacuated in fire A BLAZING fire in a Benissa warehouse saw 30 people evacuated from their homes last Sunday morning. The fire begun a little after 6am in a warehouse on Calle Joan de Joanes and spread to a bar, which was closed. The cause of the blaze is not known. The guardia civil say that there was so much smoke they were forced to evacuate people from neighbouring apartments to avoid that they suffer smoke inhalation. Firemen managed t put the fire out by 7.35am.

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Paying tax WE LIVE in Spain and have Spanish residency. I have just been told by my accountant that we have to pay tax on interest earned in the UK even though I have furnished proof that we have in fact paid tax on the money. If this is true, how are we expected to survive with the sterling rate being so low and almost no interest to be made on our savings? We find ourselves going to the bank and drawing money to live. Now our accountant says we should pay tax on what small interest we are making in the UK. Is it time to go back? A Loomes Ed says We asked the experts and this was the response: It is difficult to answer your question in full without some further information, however what I can say is that under normal circumstances you should not be paying tax on the same money or interest in two countries at the same time. A lot will depend on how your invested money in the UK is being treated i.e. is it taxed at source via your bank or do you do annual tax returns and the tax is calculated by the Inland Revenue. You state that you are “Resident “ in Spain, does this mean that you complete annual tax declarations in Spain or simply live in Spain full time and are not yet tax resident? Also do you have any other incomes in Spain or in the UK which would take you over tax thresholds ? If you would like further assistance on this matter please contact me at Link Point Legal and Business Services and we will be glad to be of assistance to you and any other people who may find themselves in the same situation. Christopher S Spence LINK POINT SERVICES CB Tel: 96 626 05 00

Cuts in Spain? FIRST I must congratulate you on an excellent publication. It’s a great paper and many of us Brits appreciate its existence. I do, however, have a couple of suggestions. I read and hear from the English media about all the cuts that are being made: I wonder what is

mail

talk tous

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letter of the week

Rose coloured specs I’M CONTINUALLY fascinated at the attitudes towards us ex-pat senior citizens and pensioners living on the Costa Blanca and wonder if those in authority in many areas really do realise who is actually living here. It was seeing the article and the related photograph of the tour of the Infanta Christina Sports Palace and the soon to be opened International Music Conservatory that prompted my letter. Wonderful to see that some ‘200 Brits’ enjoyed the tour; it’s just a shame that virtually all of those present, like me and my wife, are probably not young enough or agile enough to use the sporting facilities that are open to the public! I can just imagine many of us taking part in gymnastics, using the ice hockey and athletics track before building up a sweat with a quick game of rugby, cricket or football. Give us a game of bowls or golf any day, for which we are more than adequately catered for in the area! It’s exactly the same where we live in Urb La Marina where a brand

Be warned

new sports complex is being built containing a seven-a-side football pitch, tennis and paddle tennis and basketball courts, and they’ll be no doubt holding canoeing lessons to enable us to navigate along the bottom road to Iceland after a short shower. It is being built at a cost of almost €1 million - yet we’re still waiting for white lines at the dangerous junctions. Is paint that expensive these days? Torrevieja, I know has a very mixed bag of people, nationalities and ages, and I’m sure the facilities will be more than utilised, at first. As for La Marina, we already have an unused social centre, play areas that are surrounded by fences (those that are open are occasionally used for a ‘kick about’ by a few local youngsters - but that’s all. The latest information letter from the Ayuntamiento tells us that, “.....a play area for young children will be provided and negotiations are in hand to try to provide a fitness circuit with apparatus for ‘seniors”. So, once again, catering for the young and the fit but only

THE E-Lottery Syndicate, I would like to warn anyone thinking of joining any such scheme to check that it does not have a connection with Virtual World Isle Of Man. This company ceased trading in December 2010 but owes members of these syndicates money accumulated in their accounts. I have tried to get in contact with them since December without success. You cannot ring them or email them; the only address they gave out is in Panama City! I have written to this address three times without a reply. Virtual World, I understand, have started trading again under a different name: (£65 down the drain - some folks a lot more). Be warned. TH

TRYING to provide facilities for the mature resident! (The best exercise for the residents at the moment is walking miles to dump their rubbish!) On a day to day basis, just who is going to regularly use these new facilities? A huge majority of the younger families and the under 50s have gone back to the UK after trying and failing to run businesses and there appears to be fewer younger resident Spanish these days. There are exceptions, of course, but few and far between. A million euro sports complex on La Marina is like having a sun bed business in the Sahara Desert! It’s a complete waste of money. An indoor swimming pool, useable by everyone, is a better idea and would recoup investment very quickly. Equally, an offically run Bingo Hall would see a profit return within two weeks! As soon as the local politicians and others start removing their rose coloured spectacles the better! Colin & Jean Smith

No notification

WE HAD booked two tickets with Ryan Air on 11th November 2010, from Alicante to Newquay, Cornwall, at a cost of €400. In December, while on the internet, we noticed that Newquay was exluded from the list of destinations from Alicante. No notification about this cancellation had been received by our agent, Vivalia Travel of Torrevieja. Upon our agent enquiring regarding a refund, we were told that it was on its way, which of course was a load of bunk. We are both pensioners and have found it expensive to have to book again. Can nothing be done to see the demise of this awful company? David, Torrevieja

happening in Spain? The UK economy is supposed to be stronger than that of the UK yet I don’t hear of cuts being made in Spain. Perhaps there are some. Being unable to read Spanish I’m not really informed. It would be great if your paper had a section that was a translation of the main Spanish news. Tony Gee

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Music bug Having been a musician for many years in the UK, I finally stopped playing about 5 years ago. The scene in England was dying, the good clubs were now sad relics of their former glories. Some had huge stages, where there would be Artistes and Groups, and resident bands. Many with stage curtains and stage lights, with sound and light men. The clubs were full at weekends, afternoons and nights, and even with Bingo, they were a great part of our English social scene. May I add that they were also in abundance in North Wales. Now I am retired and living in LA. No Not Los Angeles, Los Alcazares. With more time on my hands the Music Bug has bitten me badly. I am playing guitar around the house, and missing my musician friends that I left in England. With some effort, friends and I have secured 2 nights of playing in local bars. We now have Mondays at Campbells Bar, Roda and Fridays at Fitzers Irish Bar, Los Narejos. We welcome any musicians and singers to come and join us , and hope that we will soon have a good mix of group members, to play, socialise, and to entertain our supporters. We welcome musicians of all standards. If in doubt, just turn up at a venue between 8 - 11 pm or phone me 968 170618. JIM DEVLIN

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Thumbs up for RTN

Snapped in action: Oscar Anton signs for a better future in Javea

Iron Art Security Grills – 24 years and still going strong! IRON ART in Quesada has been manufacturing all types of iron work on the Costa Blanca now for 24 years. They are experts in producing inspired designs made to last and also beautify your property. Business Owners Michael and Jackie Hamnett recognise that whilst home owners appreciate the need to install high quality grills and gates to their property, they can be aesthetically pleasing too. The factory began in 1987 with two highly skilled craftsmen producng wrought iron security grills and gates, later expanding to include fencing, balustrades, railings, staircases, gazebos, car ports and bespoke iron furniture to fit even the most awkward of spaces in your home. All products are powder coated to make them more durable and avoid the cracking, chipping and peeling that can become a problem with conventional paint films. Iron Art remains one of the few companies on the coast to fabricate its products from solid iron bar and stands firm-

Business owners Michael and Jackie Hamnett

ly by the philosophy that ‘cheaper isn’t always better’. Jackie explained: “At Iron Art, the strength is in the name, and we will not compensate quality materials in order to produce a second rate product that will not stand the test of time”. At Iron Art, clients can rest assured that they are investing in the future and a product that is made to last, so worth every penny in the longer term. Iron Art first started their advertising campaign with RTN more than 6 years ago and has never looked back. Jackie stated “We have tried many other local newspapers, but RTN has always been the best medium of reaching clients for

JAVEA LAWYER Oscar Anton fulfilled a public undertaking given last month in the Javea Parador. He committed in front of the Notary his key signs for a better way forward in Javea. “I want to show local people that things can and need to be done differently. I have signed my commitment to key issues that needed be implemented here. These would make sure that Javea is able to make a start to climb out of its current mess.”

us. We are a quality, long established company who advertise with a quality, long established local newspaper. We have known Gillian, our rep, now for many years and have developed a friendship as well as a professional relationship.” Opening hours at Iron Art are from 08:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday and 10:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays. A qualified surveyor can also be found at the Zoco market, near Algorfa every Sunday. For further details please contact the office on 965 725 740. Alternatively you may email enquiries to info@ironartgrills.com.

Anton signing at the Notary in Javea

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Benidorm streets to be pedestrianized SEVERAL STREETS in the centre of Benidorm could be pedestrianized to try and increase trade for shops and local businesses. The town hall is carrying out a study into the feasibility of the plan. If the pedestrianization goes ahead it will be during weekends in calle San Pedro, next to Elche Park. Firm plans are expected to be announced within the next few weeks. Calle Gerona could also be affected as there are several bars and restaurants there which could have new terraces if the street were pedestrianized.

WIBC countdown to International Women’s Day THE COUNTDOWN has begun for the 7th International Women’s Day Exhibition on Tuesday 8th March, one of the most popular events on the calendar, to take place this year at the Marriott Hotel, Denia. Hosted by the WIBC (Women in Business Club) in support of the victims of domestic violence, this year’s exhibition marks the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day and promises to be the best so far as local business women showcase products and services with spectacular ‘one day only’ offers available. BUZZ The last WIBC Exhibition, drawing an attendance of more than 1,000 visitors in one day, raised an impressive €3,000 for victims of domestic violence, with 40% of the amount raised through the now-famous WÏBC raffles and Tombola. And with over 100 prizes available, the odds of a win are greatly increased. WIBC Chairman Suzanna Mace says: “The buzz leading up to this event is getting louder by the minute. Each year the exhibition gets bigger and better, helping us to raise a massive amount to help victims of domestic violence.” OPERATION 100 WIBC decided this year to mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day with an unusual campaign to supply women’s shel-

Visitors are asked to donate sanitary wear

ters with donated feminine sanitary wear. WIBC Secretary Candy Wright noted a distressing shortage of sanitary wear when visiting one of the shelters where victims of domestic violence receive practical help. Each

woman receives a small daily allowance but this does not cover such costly personal items. Visitors to the 7th International Women’s Day Exhibition are therefore requested to bring along a dona-

tion of tampons or towels with the aim of providing an ongoing supply to stock the shelter. For more information on International Women’s Day and the WIBC, visit www.wibc-spain.com

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Unemployed to receive practical help RECENT OBSERVATIONS within the Labour Ministry have revealed that Spain’s unemployed receive inadequate help in seeking alternative employment and re-training. With 4.7 million jobless, representing 20% of the employable population, the Labour Ministry is taking a closer look at the way job centres are run and the policies implemented to help job seekers. Workers laid off by their employers may be entitled to unemployment benefit for a maximum of two years, based on their personal circumstances and the level of their Social Security contributions. After that, the unemployed struggle to survive, losing contact with the legal job market and often resorting to working below subsistence level for ‘black’ money. EXPATRIATES Expatriates are less likely to register with government job seeking agencies, partly due to the language barrier but also due to a lack of confidence in Spanish job centres. Secretary of State for Employment Mari Luz Rodriguez says: “We have to start thinking in terms of activeness: that people are unemployed, not redundant.” The ministry announced a series of measures designed to provide a better network of support for the unemployed, starting with a new facility to provide a skills profile for those with the potential to change their career. Present services available in job centres are woefully inept at assisting the unemployed in making a connection with a potential employer, basic in the extreme and consisting mainly of registration and the consigning of personal details to a filing system where they remain indefinitely.

Unemployed queue outside a Madrid job centre

view of the INEM (National Employment Institute).

RELOCATION The new proposals outline possibilities of workers being encouraged to relocate as well as finding new career paths and will focus on those whose benefits are about to expire. However, the longer term plan is also to address the problem of younger people ‘out of the system’ who have never been employed or, having had benefits expire, ‘disappear’ from the

Cyclists permitted to ride on certain pavements A CHANGE in the Highway Code will mean that cyclists can ride on pavements if they are wider than 3 metres. The new ruling was announced by the DGT traffic department last week as part of a plan to make bikes the preferred form of transport in cities and towns. The bike is being promoted because it reduces congestion and pollution and statistics show it to be a very safe form of transport. Cyclists will have to remain at least 1 metre away from buildings that line pavements, but will not have to wear helmets in towns and cities. No exact date has been given for the implementation of the new ruling.

PRIVATE HELP The government is to hire approximately 1,500 ‘orienteers’ to help negotiate a plan for a total restructuring of job centres by 2013. The Labour Ministry is also considering recruiting the services of private sector employment agencies to assist in the programme.

Fake charity workers arrested

THREE ROMANIAN citizens have been arrested for posing as charity workers and collecting money from members of the public in Finestrat. The guardia civil were alerted to the activities of the supposed NGO employees, who were operating in the car par of a commercial centre in the town. The three women carried fake ID and their victims were mainly elderly foreign residents. The women would also try to distract the victims and try to steal items from their cars.

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PSOE proposals for change in Javea by Jan Gamm SPEAKING AT a press conference on 17th February, the Socialist PSOE party in Javea emphasised that ‘change’ is the catchword for their future policies. The message will be developed within further proposals for practical change within the town to be implemented through positive legislature, decision making through participation and the restoration of links between politicians, social agencies and citizens. PSOE’s proposals are centred on reforms in spending priorities, particularly in urban development where they contend that current projects have been executed by a council “stuck in the past,” without considering the wishes of the town residents and without rational planning. The PSOE was particularly critical of schemes such as the ‘botched cycle paths’ put in place throughout the town and also the ill-advised financial bailout of the public car parks within the Old Town. CHILDREN

Members of the PSOE speaking to the press last Friday

Other aims of the party include expanding on kindergarten provision within the area. The town is home to more than a thousand children under three years of age, without adequate pre-school facilities, leaving mothers unable to return to full time employment.

main industry and source of revenue – tourism. The intention is to pay attention to projects that will boost tourism in the region, putting in place a strategic plan for changes based on new technologies combined with an improvement in the relationship of local citizens with the Town Hall.

TOURISM

CONFERENCES

PSOE policies included plans to ‘energise and revive’ the local economy with a clear political commitment to the town’s

Within the party’s ‘Forum for Change’, the following conferences are scheduled in March and April:

Benissa neighbourhood association meeting THE ASOCIACIÓN De Vecinos De Benissa (AVB) aims to bring a range of residents’ interests to the attention of local authorities and provide an accurate overview of on-go-

ing issues concerning the local community. The group meets every third Thursday of each month at 17.00 at Restaurante Asia along the coastal road ‘Avd de Marina’, near

Friday 4th March: 20.00: The Parador, Javea: José Antonio Rodriguez (Major of Jun, Granada) will speak on: New Technologies and Electronic Administration. Thursday, 24th March: 20.00: The Parador, Javea: Antonio Bernabé (Director General of Turespaña): Topic: Tourism. Monday, 4th April: 20.00: The Parador, Javea: Antonio Martinez (Director of the Strategic Plan for the town of Elche): Topic: Strategic Planning.

the beach exit for La Fustera. Their next meeting is on 17th March. And to make discussion easier to understand, conversations may be held in Spanish, English and German. Further ‘open office’ sessions where residents’ problems may be discussed are planned for the following dates: 1st March 10.00 – 11.00 Tourist Information Centre, Les Basetes

3rd March 17.00 – 18.00 Tourist Information Centre, Les Basetes Lesson 2: ‘The Little Rescuer’ The Municipal Elections will be held on 22nd May. The association is officially registered. To become a member or to find further information, visit the AVB website at www.vecinos-benissa.com.

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Lions and Caritas shop till they drop by Jan Gamm MEMBERS OF Caritas in Jalon recently appealed to the Jalon Lions for help. With many needy families to feed their storeroom was dwindling at an alarming rate. The Lions stepped in and generously agreed to donate €500 and on Tuesday 15th February members of both organisations met at Mas y Mas in Jalon to purchase supplies. An hour of careful shopping later, four trolleys of provisions were paid for which Mas y Mas kindly delivered. Members of Lions A Lions spokesman said, “Caritas is doing a sterling job in and these days of deprivation and hardship to look after people Caritas at who have nothing and the Lions are happy to help.” Mas y Mas

No rest and all play By Jack Troughton RESCUED PUPPY Luis is recovering from a second operation but refuses to take things easy and prefers the active life. An animal charity has collected around €500 to pay for vets’ fees but needs more help as the bill has already topped €900 to repair a shattered leg. As reported in RTN, Luis and his sibling Luisa were found abandoned close to death in a plastic bag in the campo near Jalon. It was later discovered he needed surgery to repair the affects of being cruelly mistreated. Last week Luis returned to the animal hospital in Alicante to have an external ‘fixator’ removed from his front leg and is now back at his Calpe foster home to recuperate. And the charity Sociedad Protectora de Animales is again making a public appeal for donations from animal lovers for his continued care.

BONE “Luis is doing well and is supposed to be resting but just wants to play,” Sue Schulein said. “He will need further xrays in two weeks to see how the bone is mending as there has been some bone loss Luis – and the results of these will dictate where before the we go with him. He may need to have pins second in his legs removed at some stage. operation

“We are pleading for the animal loving community to donate more money and would like to thank those who have contributed money and offers of re-homing him – Luis is not ready for re-homing yet.” Donations marked ‘Luis’ can be made directly into the charity’s bank at Banco Popular, Calle Santa Maria, Calpe, account number 06 0011 3817, or can be transferred from a Spanish bank using the account number 0075 1023 31 06 0011 3817, or internationally with the prefix ES 75.

While shepherds watch… IT MAY be the 21st Century but some things never change. A large flock of sheep graze in an olive grove near Benissa, watched over by two shepherds and three sheep dogs – just as they have done for thousands of years.

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Watts In Britain By

Paul Watts

Northern lights come down south DOH! NOW that I’ve just forked out on more de-icer, guess what happens? No more ice, of course. Just a week ago we Brits were getting used to frosted windscreens again and naturally the hunt was on to find any spare cans of de-icer. Could you find any? No, nada, just empty shelves and if you did happen to locate a hidden stash in some backwater garage it’d cost you top dollar. And so, now that I’ve got my £6.45 can of Icebuster, I have absolutely no ice with which to ‘ice bust’. Nope folks, this week the ice has scarpered while snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils have all decided to burst out declaring the eminent arrival of spring. I blame this sudden metrological turn around on the geomagnetic storms being thrown at us by the Sun (that’s the fiery furnace at the centre of our solar system not the Murdoch, News International, red-top tabloid). “Geomagnetic storms, Watts?” I hear you ask, “Are you sure?” Well, yes I am. Apparently, these solar disturbances have recently shown an increase and might even cause failure of communication systems satellites and cell phones to self-destruct. Internet activity may also be compromised, which I suppose is a good excuse for not getting my copy to the RTN editor in good time (maybe I could even blame my appalling grammatical and spelling errors on it too). “Sorry, Ed, it ain’t me it’s because of the geomagnetic storms and all this sun-spot activity!” Okay here is the science: “A geomagnetic storm is a temporary disturbance of the Earth’s magnetosphere caused by

a disturbance in space weather. Associated with solar flares and resultant solar coronal mass ejections (CME), a geomagnetic storm is caused by a solar wind shock wave and/or cloud of magnetic field which typically strikes the Earth’s magnetic field three days after the event.” We’re all waiting the one from last Monday at the moment – should be here by Friday. Uh oh, that’s today - hope it doesn’t interfere with the new Benidorm series on TV tonight. The upside to all this solar activity, I’m reliably informed by Prof Brian Cox, is that the Northern Lights may well be visible as far south as Birmingham. “Not so much Aurora Borealis, as Aurora Brumealis, eh bab?” Mind you, I can’t verify seeing them from here in Sutton Coldfield as it’s been bloody cloudy all week (probably another result of the CME). I guess for me the biggest upside to CMEs and any resulting cell phone disruption will be not getting unwelcome and unsolicited phone calls from mobile phone companies trying to sell me upgrades. PEOPLE POWER SAVES THE FOREST Maybe the government could blame the geomagnetic storms for their big recent U-turn over the Forestry Commission debacle. Yes folks, as reported here in RTN there were plans to carve up the country but following a massive public outcry the Con-Lib, Cam Co-op have decided to halt the consultation process. I don’t think the government spokesman who went on the BBC helped their

situation when he described concerned objectors as “being typical of mob mentality...” Indeed, a “mob” of over half a million signed a petition against selling Forestry Commission land. After much people-pressure the environment secretary Caroline Spelman confirmed on Radio 4’s Today programme that her plans were being halted. She said, “I would like to take full responsibility for the situation... I’m sorry. We got this one wrong, but we have listened to people’s concerns.” She added, “One of the things we teach our children to do is say sorry. It is not a humiliation; it is my choice.” Your choice, Caroline? Or maybe it was the power of the people combined with the power of the press. The UK national press certainly championed the cause, even The Sun got actively involved (that’s the Murdoch, News International, red-top-tabloid and not the fiery furnace at the centre of our solar system). And we featured it here in RTN too, so they must’ve taken notice of that! Anyway, the result is that when the Forestry Commission celebrates its centenary in eight year’s time it will be with all their woodlands intact. Hooray, for common sense. Oh well, hopefully the geomagnetic storm will have calmed down by now and I can watch that Costa Blanca comedy on ITV1. Have you been affected by geomagnetic storms? p.watts@roundtownnews.com Watts in the woods looking skyward for the southerly Northern Lights.

30th Anniversary of Spain’s 1981 coup d’etat WEDNESDAY MARKED the 30th anniversary of the Spanish military coup that began on 23rd February in 1981 and ended the following day. The incident was also known as ‘El Tejerazo’, after the coup leader, Antonio Tejero, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Guardia Civil. The takeover attempt was prompted by the ineffectiveness of the government’s dealing with economic problems; political problems; separatist attacks and social problems, resulting in 200 armed military officers storming congress during the election of Prime Minister Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo. King Juan Carlos publically denounced the coup ringleaders via a television address and eventually, after holding the Spanish parliament and the cabinet hostage for 18 hours, the takeover collapsed and the hostages were released unharmed. The failure of the operation, also known as ‘23-F’, was put down to lack of military strength and also the failure to take over communications networks such as radio and television prior to the coup attempt.

Tejero leading the coup

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Upgrading an electricity supply Tony Poole Sparks Electrical Services

IBERDROLA ARE writing to their customers instructing them to fit an ICP (power control switch) or face being charged a higher electricity tariff. A Royal Decree passed on July 1st 2008 declared that by law all electrical installations must have a device for controlling the contracted power; in domestic dwellings that means an ICP must be fitted. A possible consequence of installing an ICP is that insufficient power may be contracted. This is evident when several appliances are switched on at the same time and the power ‘tripsout’. The same thing occurs in properties with a contracted power supply of 3.3 kW. Generally, this was the standard power supply installed in homes completed before 2002. New Spanish electricity regulations increased that amount to 5.5 kW. It is practically impossible to run a home with modern day electrical appliances on a tariff lower than 5.5 kW ... a little oversight that property developers forget to mention … so the onus was left with the buyer to increase the contracted power supply if desired. If you need additional power you will need a new contract and for that you must obtain a bulletin (boletin), without exception. A boletin is an electrical certificate that guarantees your installation is electrically safe, able to adequately handle the additional power and complies with the current Spanish electrical regulations. The first step is to ensure your installation meets

the current specification. In some cases, generally newish properties, a boletin can be issued without the need for any work. For older properties, this usually involves some rewiring to ensure that the fixed appliances and the socket outlets are wired on dedicated circuits, in addition to the existing power and lighting circuits. Electricity supply upgrades in excess of 5.75 kW may involve rewiring the mains cable from the electric meter to the Consumer Unit (generally, in very old properties, 30 years plus). Obsolete socket outlets should be changed to the ‘Schuko’ type, which are now standard in most of continental Europe. The second step is to arrange for a boletin from an authorised electrician. This should be the electrician or contractor who carried out the improvements. Another electrician will generally not want to authorise another person’s work. The third and final step is to apply to Iberdrola for a new upgraded contract. Again, your electrician or contractor should arrange all of this. Iberdrola charges will be extra to steps one and two. The charges are invoiced by Iberdrola and defined as ‘Access’, ‘Extension’, and ‘Mains Connection’ charges. This is also a good time to consider the ‘Day And Night Energy’ tariff which offers cheaper electricity for 14 hours per day at 6.09 cents per kWh, compared to the standard rate of 14.01 per kWh. The remaining 10 hours are charged at

16.87 (charges not including IVA). Once all of this is completed, a nice man from Iberdrola will pay you visit and pop a seal on your ICP. For more handy hints on upgrades, ICP’s, and what to look out for, visit my blog: http://tonysparksinspain.blogspot.com

Old consumer unit

Article written by Tony Poole, Sparks Electrical Services. Tel: 626 693 440 www.sparksinspain.es

Life span extended for Spanish nuclear plants

Spanish nuclear plants, longer life THE SPANISH Parliament has approved a change in the law regarding sustainable economy, which permits the extension of the life-span of Spanish nuclear plants. The Government party PSOE had initially proposed the plants

should operate for 40 years. However, they have changed their opinion and necessary alterations in the law were approved with the support of PSOE, PP and the moderate nationalists in Catalonia and the Basque Country.

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Halo’s little angel by Jack Troughton HAIR AND beauty salon Halo has welcomed its newest junior to the team but it could be some time before Fredi William Davis starts giving clients a trim – he was only born on February 5th! Fredi is the son of Halo’s owner Victoria and was born three weeks early by Caesarean Section in Denia Hospital. He has already been introduced to her delighted colleagues at the salon in Javea Port and has also won the hearts the clients he has met. Victoria said Fredi weighed 6lb 7oz when he arrived early and mother and son spent a week in hospital where “everyone was really good looking after us.” And Victoria said problems with blood pressure meant she had stopped working in December and hopes to return to Halo in about four weeks.

REGULAR “I have to thank all my regular clients for all their patience and being absolutely fantastic – and of course all my colleagues and especially Kirsty – I don’t know what I would have done without her,” she said. “I hope to be back at work properly in about a month and look forward to seeing old friends and saying hello to lots of new faces.” Victoria already knew she was having a little boy before the birth – she said a baby shower was full of very traditional blue things. “I am really grateful for everyone for their presents and Tienda de Bebe in Javea Port for supplying many of the lovely gifts – because Fredi was born so early he will just have to grow into some of the clothes!” Victoria Halo can be found in Calle Sertoand rio, Javea Port. Call 965 794 202 to colleagues with baby make an appointment. Fredi

2515 FEB 03 MARCH 2010 2011 - 21- october

Woman brutally murdered in Torrevieja

23 25

Forensics entering the apartment block

by Julie Day ON WEDNESDAY afternoon a 34-year-old Spanish woman and mother of two was found tied, gagged and with her throat slit in a Torrevieja apartment. The horrific act took place in a property on the fourth floor of the Europa IV apartment block in Calle San Policarpo, in the Park of Nations area. The woman, who owns the property, which has been empty for two years, had arranged to meet someone to view the apartment with the intention of renting it out. It is not known whom the woman arranged to meet or whether this person committed the crime. However, the Guardia Civil are interested in questioning this possible suspect. The deceased arranged to meet her brother for coffee at 17.00 after showing the apartment

but when she failed to turn up he went to the apartment. On entering the property, he found her lying on the floor in a pool of blood with a severe neck wound. The Guardia Civil and an ambulance were called: ambulance staff confirmed that the woman had died from her injuries. A funeral van arrived at 19.00 but left empty. The body was removed from the apartment at around 21.30 after a forensic investigation team had spent several hours at the scene. Neighbours who live in the Europa IV apartments were interviewed but no one had seen anything untoward. They also said that they believed the apartment to be empty but had heard shouting and thought that a domestic row was going on. The Guardia Civil has not yet discovered the motive for the assassination.

Expat performers to feature in Torrevieja’s carnival

The Rascals wearing their carnival costumes

By Julie Day DON’T FORGET that this Sunday sees the first of Torrevieja’s spectacular carnival parades, now in their 25th year. The procession will set off at 16.00 from the Plaza María Asunción before proceeding along Torrevieja’s main high street, Ramón Gallud, finishing in Patricio Pérez. The evening procession will take place the following Saturday, 5th March, at 22.00, setting off from Patricio Pérez and finishing at the Plaza María Asunción, taking the same route but in reverse. For the first time ever, a ‘comparsa’ made up of expats will feature in the parade, and the carnival’s new additions come in the form of The Rascals, a fun group who raise money for local charities by putting on number of variety shows throughout the year. For those that have never seen The Rascals in action, there will be three performances of ‘Rags to Riches’ in late April, May and June. For further information about The Rascals or for enquiries on how to join the group, please contact Jill on 966 727 282 or check out their website at www.therascals.info.

“We are mo

re t h an j u

st a v oice on the phone”

04 10 February 2011 25-FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Appealing for a new home for Leon

Jane Cronin

A weekly ‘cut out and keep’ feature helping you to learn basic Spanish for everyday needs

Lesson 146

by Julie Day A FEW weeks ago RTN made a plea to find Leon, a lovely longhaired ginger cat, a new home. A home was quickly found and Leon went off to live with his new family. The new family was great but they already had a number of cats. Unfortunately, it became apparent very quickly that although Leon is a wonderful, gentle and very affectionate cat with people, he has a strong aversion to other cats. Leon has been returned to the APAH cattery, now desperate to find Leon another new home. Leon was discovered on some waste ground, very thin and having difficulty breathing. An x-ray showed that he had suffered some form of impact, possibly by a car, and most of his internal organs had been shunted up between his lungs and his ribcage leaving him unable to eat and struggling to breathe. It is not known how long he was wandering around, unable to eat, but the will to survive obviously kept him alive. An operation with a 50 - 50 percent chance

Spanish lessons by

Leon

of survival was performed, which thankfully was successful. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the vets who performed the operation, Leon made a full recovery, but he does not have full lung capacity. Leon can look forward to a long life, but only without the stress of outdoor-living. He needs to be an indoor cat, so if there is anyone out there who lives in an apartment, or can guarantee an indoor life for him and wants to offer this beautiful, gentle boy a loving home, please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

Answers to last week’s questions The most important point about the first exercise last week (as far as I am concerned anyway!) was to get to grips with the word order of an open question. Word order is a very tricky subject because our brains rebel against sentences in which the word order differs from our own language. Anyway, let’s get straight on to the answers, which I’m sure you’re dying to know. Example: “Where do you live?” “¿Dónde vives?” “Where does your friend live?” “¿Dónde vive tu amigo?” 1. Why are you running? ¿Por qué estás corriendo? 2. Why are the children running? ¿Por qué están corriendo los niños? 3. How many children have you got? ¿Cuántos hijos tienes? 4. How many children has Pedro got? ¿Cuántos hijos tiene Pedro? 5. What are you doing? ¿Qué estás haciendo? 6. What is your son doing? ¿Qué está haciendo tu hijo? 7. Where are you? ¿Dónde estás? 8. Where is the town hall? ¿Dónde está el ayuntamiento? (2 points each – 16 total) There are a few details in which your answers may have differed, for example you may have used the “usted” instead of the “tú” versions of you. If you have done this throughout, don’t forget that as well as dropping the “s” from the verb ending where appropriate, you will also need “su” hijo and not “tu” hijo in number 6. Notice the difference between “children” that is nonadults (niños) and “children” meaning “offspring” (hijos). I like the next exercise because it helps us to put the different tenses in order and reminds us of their meaning. With these three you can even visualize the difference between them (I’m going to eat, I am eating, I have eaten). This could be the next mantra for weight watchers – remember you read it here first. Voy a comer. (I’m going to eat) Estoy comiendo. (I’m eating) He comido. (I have eaten)

Man pays thousands for a stranger’s phone bills THOUSANDS OF euros in phone bills have been paid by a man in Mislata, Valencia even though the bills belonged to a man in Cartagena who he had never met. Luis Fernando Ramón from Mislata, received four bills amounting to €1,000, and even though he says he doesn’t use his mobile excessively, he paid the bills, but complained to the telephone company, who have yet to act. Meanwhile, Miguel Moreno from Cartagena believed he had won some sort of prize because his pay-as-you-go credit appeared to last for months without running out. Upon investigation Moreno learned that the phone company had switched his phone from payas-you-go to a contract without his consent. The bills were being sent to Mr Ramón. The phone was changed back to pay-as-you-go at the end of January, but phone company have yet to resolve the financial issues.

Vas a aprender. (You’re going to learn) Estás aprendiendo. (You are learning) Has aprendido. (You have learnt) 1. Va a dormir (S/he is going to sleep) Está durmiendo (S/he is sleeping) ha dormido (S/he has slept) 2. Vamos a bailar (We are going to dance) estamos bailando (We are dancing) Hemos bailado (We have danced) 3. Vais a pensar (You’re gonig to think) Estáis pensando (You’re thinking) Habéis pensado (You have thought) (plu) 4. Van a salir (They are going to go out) están saliendo (They are going out) han salido (They have gone out) (2 points each – 10 points in total) Our next question was to work out the infinitive verbs which belonged to some odd forms in the first person singular of the present tense. It would be better if you had used your memory banks for this rather than a verb book, but that is up to your own conscience! Here are the answers: E.g. caigo – is from the verb caer. Hago - hacer Veo – ver Salgo – salir Conduzco – conducir Oigo – oír Pongo – poner Sé – saber Tengo – tener Digo – decir Conozco – conocer. (1 point each) And finally, some translations into English. 1. Mi hijo sale los sábados por la noche. My son goes out on Saturday nights 2. ¿A qué hora coméis normalmente? What time do you usually have lunch? 3. Los chicos cocinan cuando están en el campo. The kids cook when they are at the camp. 4. No oigo mi móvil. I can’t hear my mobile phone. 5. ¿Escribes en español y en inglés? Do you write in Spanish and in English? 6. Aprendo poco a poco. I learn bit by bit. 7. Abrimos la tienda a las 9 de la mañana. We open the shop at 9 in the morning. (2 points each) There are always going to be a few small variations in the English translations, but the most important thing is that you have understood the sentence correctly in Spanish!

2515 FEB 03 MARCH 2010 2011 - 21- october

Alamo flies the Costa Blanca Flag at Old Trafford Local real estate agents Alamo International flew the Costa Blanca flag at Old Trafford recently and Alamo Managing Director Darren Lilley is still raving over the day! Alamo International are the ongoing sponsors of Crawley town and as such, their name on the Crawley Town shirts were viewed by millions at their high profile match against Manchester United live at Old Trafford on February 19th. Darren was invited as a VIP to watch and went along with mate Danny Wilkinson for the memorable occasion. “For me, it was a fantastic day. Having never been to Old Trafford and to be invited as a VIP it was incredible – we were treated so well by the Manchester hospitality. The Crawley town guys played fantastic and Man UTD should of played much better considering they are the league leaders. Rooney looked very frustrated and Ferguson did not have too many good things to say about his

team. Never mind, I’m sure Crawley’s focus is now on Project promotion so maybe they will win the FA cup next year. “At the end of the game we were shaking hands with all the players on the pitch! As shirt sponsors everybody we met at the club were interested to know who Alamo International were. When I told them what we did on the Costa Blanca everybody wanted to know what the property market was like. My answer was simple “It’s picking up and now is the best time to buy!” Darren explained an added bonus was the press coverage Alamo received; “Because the Sun Newspaper were on the front of the shirts, papers like the Telegraph, Mirror, Mail, Sport etc, showed the back of the Crawley players, so Alamo International was seen by Millions more than I thought. It was a great weekend and something I will remember for the rest of my life. Hopefully

Darren (left) at Old Trafford

Crawley get to play Spurs next year then I can tell you all about it”. Forget playing Spurs…we hope you sell some footballers a house on the Costa Blanca

23 27

Darren – WAG’s on the beach…. footballers in the bar…. and Benidorm will be on the front cover of OK before you can say ‘pass me the fake tan!’

Stabbing rampage in Ibiza

IN IBIZA this week thirteen people were attacked and stabbed by an assailant armed with a machete and an iron bar, following an earlier incident at 13.15 in the Suma supermarket in Alicante Street, Sant Antoni, where the man was accused of shop lifting. The Suma supermarket The man allegedly assaulted a cashier and two other where the employees before fleeing onto the street, continuing to incident indiscriminately stab passers-by and entering an internet happened in café and a hairdressing salon to attack more victims. Sant Two of the more seriously injured are critical, one Antoni

receiving a stab wound in the neck that required urgent surgical attention. Six required hospital treatment in Can Misses Hospital and Health Center San Antonio and were later discharged. Local armed police officers eventually subdued the man and arrested him but not before he had managed to cut himself in the throat during a brief struggle. The man is a 41-year-old Moroccan, living in Sant Antoni and thought to be suffering with mental problems and in financial difficulties.

business

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

PhotoScape makes photo editing fun by

Karla Darocas

Information Technology & Communications

I HAVE now started teaching a great digital photo editing software programme called PhotoScape. It is very user friendly and has a lot of robust options that go beyond the call of ‘editing’ duty. PhotoScape is good for beginners as well as pros. It installs quickly on Windows 98 / Me / NT / 2000 / XP & Vista. Here are my top 10 reasons to use and enjoy PhotoScapes and its cool tools and key features… 1. Photo Viewer: This feature enables you to view your folders photos in your MyPictures folder on your PC either one at time, in groups or as slideshow. 2. Editor: The photo editing tools are really great and can be tweaked to get very interesting results. You can resize your photo, add brightness and color adjustment, white balance, backlight correction, remove red eye, cropping - plus add a host of other filters such as grey scale, sepia tone – and more! 3. Some of the really fun editing tools include a host of different frames and masks in order to really make an impression. You

can also add balloons to put in text to make your photos into cartoons. You can add other text to title your photos. You can add drawings onto your photos. Plus, one of my favourite tools is the custom rotate that allows you balance up those horizon lines on your seascape photos. 4. Another incredible feature is the Batch editor. With this feature, you can load up those massive large photos you’re your super digital camera took and resize them all at once to a smaller size that is easier for uploading to the Internet and Facebook. Also, if you had your camera set to the wrong lightening for example, you can batch edit your entire group of photos to balance up your lighting and add a filter or two to make your photo perfect! 5. Do you like to collage your photos? Well, PhotoScape makes that easy too with a bunch of different templates that you just have to open and drag your photos onto it – and boom – instant collage! 6. How about making a big wide landscape photo to use as

a banner or panoramic. Then just choose the “Combine” tool and this will attach your photos horizontally – or vertically if you wish. 7. Do you want to make a quick animated graphic you’re your photos? Then use the ‘Animated GIF’ tool in PhotoScape. 8. If you have a colour printer – you will appreciate the ‘Print’ function of this software. You can print a portrait shot, carte de visite, passport photos, wallet photos and others. 9. If your want to divide your photo into multiple parts, then try the ‘Splitter’ tool. 10. Screen Capture is another great tool if you want to take a snap shot your computer screen to remember how your desktop should look before a rebuild or take photo of a webpage to remember.

To download your free copy of this programme visit www.Darocas.com/remote.htm and scroll to the bottom of the page till you see the ‘download’ button.

Karla Darocas * Business Communications Software Training & Computer Repairs *Helping You to Help Yourself 965 973 234

Before

After

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

legal

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

The legalisation procedure for property built or extended with no licence YOUR HOUSE is one of your most important investments and keeping it legal will definitely add value to it. However, sometimes you (or the previous owners) may have built extra rooms, extended and made improvements without applying for the necessary licences. Here Anna and Carlos Franco of CDF Arquitectura explain about ‘The Legalisation Procedure for property built or extended with no License’. Q. What’s a legalisation procedure? Very often you can be involved in this kind of situation when attempting to build with no license, or when you purchase a property where this has already happened. Q. What can you do then? An architect will help you to analyse your particular case and see if it is possible for the unlicensed work to be legalised. The architect does not legalise it himself; he produces the necessary technical documents that need to be presented at the Town Hall. Spanish rules oblige you to apply for a Major License before the material construction starts. This license is applied for at the Town Hall

by presenting the necessary documentation prepared by an architect and stamped by the architect’s college. Q. What happens when this procedure was not correctly done? This is when a legalisation procedure issue takes place. This work is called ‘procedure’ and not ‘project’ because the information compiled describes a construction already done with no project. The law R.D 2512, 1977 details the complexity of the procedure and the architects’ responsibility according to rules. And 7/1977 establishes that it is the architect who is the competent professional to do this task. If you need to enlarge your house, you cannot improve what ‘does not exist’- you will have to first legalise and then apply for a Major License. Of course each case where a property has been built or extended without legal permission will be different. A ‘no obligation’ discussion with Anna and Carlos will help you understand your personal needs. Legalisation is obviously preferable to a large fine, or indeed the ultimate penalty: a demolition

Ana and Carlos will help you to legalise your property

order. Call Ana and Carlos now to get a step closer to achieving peace of mind, and save yourself some very nasty headaches! CDF is located on the Calle Pedro García

Ortiz 25A, Plaza del Mariners, Calpe (03710). Telephone 965 832 922 or 628 801 957: carlosfranco@cdf-arquitectura.com and www.cdf-arquitectura.com.

money

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Insurance gets even better with age WITH MORE than 40% of the expatriate market in Spain, Liberty Seguros is now the leading provider of home, car, business and commercial insurances. What’s more, as many existing clients are already aware, Liberty Seguros is also a specialist in products for over 50s, providing them with ‘value for more cover’ with exceptional benefits and flexibility. Believing that responsibility comes with age, this high-ranking insurance company feels that model seniors of our community should be rewarded with better value for money products in-line with their lifestyles in Spain. Products for this age range are varied. Amongst others, they include motor cover, home insurance and commercial, leisure, life and business insurances – all of which over the past few years have helped Liberty Seguros to become recognised for delivering consistent and high quality customer experiences at the right prices. Liberty Seguros’ Expatriates Department operates through an extensive network of over 200 English speaking brokers – many of which also speak other European languages such as German, Dutch and the Scandinavian languages – and who tailor products to meet the needs of their expat customers. So if you are over 50 years of age and have not yet had the opportunity to find out just how much better insurance can get with age, then now is the time to locate your nearest broker. Visit www.libertyseguros.es/expatriates/en for details.

Thousands of foreigners living in Spain have already placed their trust in these products and are enjoying the cover and service that they deserve. And there is no reason why you shouldn’t too. Contact your broker today. Liberty Seguros…because you never know... ABOUT LIBERTY SEGUROS Liberty Seguros is the leading expatriate insurance provider in Spain with over 150,000

international clients, committed to providing high quality, competitively priced insurance products and services to both personal and business users. Liberty Seguros has been in operation since 2001 and is one of the top 10 insurers in Spain with a total of 1.5 million customers. It is part of the Liberty Mutual Group, the 5th largest property and casualty insurance company in the US with more than 90 years experience in the sector.

‘Crisis? What Crisis?’ THE GOVERNMENT is trying to excuse its bad performance during the economic crisis by claiming other organisations such as the International Monetary Fund also did not anticipate what was coming. However, it has now become public knowledge that the Bank of Spain informed Pedro Solbes, First Vice-President and Finance Minister, of the “delicate economic situation” and warned of the “fragile state of the property sector” and the consequences it may have for “a considerable number of families” as early as 26th May 2006. The Government ignored these warnings and until summer 2008 was still saying: “Crisis, what crisis?”

Pedro Solbes

money

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Attention All RTN Readers: Valencian government grants available NOW for window replacement RTN HAS recently been reporting upon the grant money placed into the ‘Plan Renove Caldera’ (the Boiler replacement scheme). Last week we told you about the €300,000 extra added to the scheme, but now only €247,900 remains…these grant monies go very fast! So don’t delay! This week, in conjunction with 100% Construction (part of the 100% Plumbing Group based in Calpe) RTN brings you news of another Valencian Government grant, this time for window replacement. This scheme is called the ‘Plan Renove Ventana’ and it started with a total grant allocation of €1.2million. As of writing there are funds still available of €874,439.

for thermal insulation. • The replacement windows must not increase the existing glazed area by more than 25%. • The total project must be greater than a value of €1,000.

WHO CAN BENEFIT? All Residents of the Comunidad Valenciana…yes, including expats! They can be owners, rental tenants or ‘usufructarios’ i.e. where the property is their habitual residence. These are the criteria under which a grant is available: • Available only when exchanging existing windows and frames, and where those windows are single glazed. • When the living space is less than 1000m2. • Only when the windows in question are exterior and affect the thermal insulation for the house. • Where the replacement windows are CE approved and reach the required standard

HOW MUCH IS THE GRANT WORTH? Up to €90 / m2 of windows, with a maximum grant amount of €3,000 per household.

HOW DO YOU RECEIVE YOUR GRANT ALLOWANCE? Your supplier or manufacturer applies for the grant on behalf of the home owner and once approved the government pay the grant directly into the homeowners account. ADVANTAGES FOR CHANGING? Up to 70% reduction in heat loss and substantial energy savings.

HOW TO APPLY Naturally there are various installers who are registered to install under this grant scheme. 100% Construction, however, is the only British owned company featured on the list of accredited installers. Contact Mike or Tracy Smeed of 100% Construction for more information: 965 835 939. But don’t lose out by delaying; exactly like the Boiler grant funds, these Window grant funds are going fast!

Window replacement

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legal

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Banks cannot sidestep their liabilities when not issuing individual warranties by

Marc White & Carlos Baos English & Spanish Solicitors

“Responsibility and claims against banks endorsing a general warranty instead of an individual warranty to each purchaser when returning amounts paid by the purchaser to the developer as per the Law 57/1968.” As is known by most home buyers and investors in Spain, Law 57/1968, of July 27th concerns ‘the sums of money given in advance for the construction and sale of properties for living purposes’ despite being a very brief Law, with only 6 articles, it is an important guarantee for any buyer when purchasing an off-plan property or a property that is already under construction. Under this Law, any developer who receives sums of money from the purchasers before the construction is started or whilst the construction is taking place, has to guarantee the repayment of these amounts plus the legal interest, through an insurance contract, or by way of a bank warranty. Thus, should the works not commence on time, or not be delivered on time, the buyer must be treated as a ‘consumer’ who can choose between terminating the contract and asking for a refund, or can choose to extend the contract. The refund should be requested to the developers, bank or insurance company that has warranted it. This law also

states in its Article 7 that ‘the rights granted by this Act to the transferees (purchasers) is obligatory and cannot be waived’. Now, contrary to the above scenario, there have been cases where banks have refused to honour the guarantees, on the grounds that the buyer’s money was to be deposited into a Special Bank Account that the developer should open only for this purpose. Some others banks have refused to pay by alleging that the warranty had an expiry deadline and had expired. The majority of these cases have been solved by a court order ruling that these circumstances are beyond the control of the buyer, and as such are not dependent on him; it is the developer and the bank who should fulfil the law and not attempt to make the purchaser lose his warranty and his money. Thus most court rulings have ordered the bank to return the money to the purchasers. There are other cases when banks have approved a general bank guarantee for a certain amount for a particular property promotion or for a particular developer but NO guarantees are given to the individual purchaser(s) for the money delivered. This has happened with many promoters, with one example being the case of DESARROLLO DE ACTIVOS INMOBILIARIOS S.A., known as DETINSA ( which is currently in bankruptcy proceedings), concerning its building promotion at RESIDENCIAL LA VÍA, in Denia, Alicante. In this case it was BANK CAJA MADRID who approved a general warranty for this promotion but did not give guarantees to some individual buyers. In these cases, although the developer has not delivered the property to the buyers, the bank is refusing to return the buyers’ money, claiming that there is only a general endorsement or guarantee in existence, and maintaining this is not enough to merit return of the

monies since the buyers do not have an individual guarantee. Our legal opinion is that this attitude and answer are contrary to the Law, since the buyers were informed that a warranty or an endorsement line had been approved. Indeed, this appears in writing on the buyers’ contracts and hence they believed that their money was safe and guaranteed. But the bank did not comply with its obligations and did not issue individual guarantees, and is later on claiming the lack of these to try to escape liability. Court verdicts have been issued in this regard; in a similar case the Court of First Instance and Instruction number 1 of Velez Malaga in its Order of 1st September 2010, ruled that in the claim against MALAGA HAENDEL S.A. and BANCO DE ANDALUCIA S.A., even though the bank had not provided individual guarantees to the purchasers, it was still responsible for returning the money plus the legal interest, even though the general guarantee was insufficient to cover the amounts paid by the buyers, and did not permit BANCO DE ANDALUCIA to waive its obligation or make the consumer’s rights disappear. I would like to thank my colleague and good friend from Marbella, Mr José F Criado Sanchez who supplied me with a copy of the said Order. Conclusion: With all the above in mind, you should be aware that if you have made a purchase where the promoter has not completed it, has not delivered or has not given you the money back, even though you may not have an individual warranty for the money paid, you are likely to be able to file a claim against the bank if an endorsement line or a general endorsement-guarantee was approved by them. The information provided on this article is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to legal issues.

Got a story? 902 118 999

rtnmail@roundtownnews.com

Marc White LL.B. & Carlos Baos (English & Spanish Solicitors) © White & Baos Abogados 2011 - All rights reserved. C/Diana 19, 2º-D, 03700 Dénia (located close to the Glorieta Square at the end of Marques de Campo). Tel: 966 426 185. Send your questions to spanishlawyer@roundtownnews.com or info@white-baos.com

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

25- FEB - 03 MARCH2011 2011 11 17 February

www.spanishhomefinder.com Brought to you by

Property

Never mind the quality, feel the price! By Guest Writer Michael Rushe of House Proud Property management & Letting LETTING YOUR holiday home should be treated like a business and not a hobby. The most important line in a business is at the bottom. To look after the bottom line you can’t just give away your assets. Getting the price right is very important. First of all, look at what the competition is doing. This will give you a feel for the market. Don’t just look at a few other properties - look at a lot. You should take into account what the other properties have to offer compared to yours. For example a 3 bedroom villa with air conditioning, satellite TV and internet access will have a price that reflects such facilities. You should try to keep your pricing structure clear and straightforward. The properties I let have 7 different price bands that refer to different times of the year. Similar properties with similar facilities are priced the same. Apart from Christmas there are no special (which usually means higher) prices for example at half term or Easter. The prices are easy to understand as they are all inclusive and have no ‘hidden extras’. A clear and transparent pricing structure attracts more enquiries. People are always looking out for a bargain but do not be fooled into believing that the cheapest price is always the best price. Sometimes a price that is pitched too low can put holiday makers off

because it can lead them to believe that the low price reflects a lower standard of property. Your price should be competitive and not ridiculous. You should try to be flexible and accommodate the holiday maker’s needs. Offering a variable arrival day at no extra cost can save your client a substantial sum and could be a deal winner. Offering a small discount, for an early booking for instance, can also clinch a booking. The reason you let your property is to generate income so, when deciding on the prices you charge, take into account the costs your

property incurs. For instance, if you have air con then your clients will use it but you will pay for it. Other costs can be overlooked such as IBI and Basura and if your property is in a community there are charges for this too. Rock bottom prices might fill your property with holiday makers but they may not cover your costs. In some cases cheap prices may not be necessarily cheerful for you. When deciding on price, consider what your property has to offer and what it costs you in taxes, utilities and maintenance and then make the price fair and reasonable. In my experience you will not go far wrong.

House Proud Property Management & Lettings Tel 96 578 1731 or 680 274 831 | info@houseproudindenia.com | www.houseproudindenia.com

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Chris Marshall

www.almerimarlife.com

Spanish property matters: Good, bad and ugly… IT HAS been an interesting time recently to say the least for the Spanish property market, with a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly as far as the market in Spain is concerned. As far as the ‘Good’ is concerned it is encouraging to see that recent research shows that the British are still the most enthusiastic property investors in Europe, with some two million British expats living abroad. OF THESE: • 450,000 expats are still in employment and have mostly moved abroad through corporate relocations or because they have set up businesses overseas • 1.2 million British expats are retired or semi-retired, of which 400,000 are in Spain • 350,000 are either on holiday, second home owners or ‘investors’ Encouragingly Spain remains one of the favourite destinations for British property investors, but the US, Caribbean and somewhat surprisingly Brazil, are increasingly popular. As for the ‘Bad’ there is no avoiding the ongoing concerns over mortgages in Spain, as for several months now the residential mortgage sector has performed a ‘bit of magic’: despite tumbling home prices and sky-high unemployment, just a small portion of mortgage borrowers have fallen behind on their payments. Impressive as this is, it does give cause for alarm that a new wave of defaults could be just round the corner as more job cuts are expected as part of the ongoing austerity measures. The resilience of Spain’s residential-mortgage sector has been a key plank in Spanish officials’ defense of the country’s financial system, which has faced increasing doubts about its health in recent weeks.

AND THE ‘UGLY’ Afraid there is no getting away from the long running issue of illegal properties in Spain with the UK Government currently dealing with more than a dozen different action groups made up of disenchanted expats who have lost hundreds of millions in property scams throughout Spain. Such is the severity of the problem that (at last) the Government in the UK has appointed a special overseas property advisor, so that contentious issues such as illegal properties that do not have correct permits; Cases where off-plan developments have not been built as specified and the length of time and cost involved in resolving property disputes were all recently raised by the British ambassador to Spain with the Andalucian regional government and the Minister for Public Works and Housing. Although ‘ugly’ the issue does have to be addressed so it is good news that National Police recently arrested 25 people for a scam estimated to have netted over €10 million in the management of timeshares in tourist areas. Seems that the primary targets were Germans; a reflection no doubt of the relative strength of their economy compared to the rest of Europe. And finally, the Junta de Andalucía has indicated that it wants to move ahead with the demolition of homes built in flood plains across the Córdoba area. The properties are said to be all ‘illegal’, damaged in the recent floods, and in some cases it is claimed the properties contributed to the damage to the river banks, which burst and caused the flooding.

Property Matters by Chris Marshall is sponsored by www.piagi.com The Currency Specialists, offering the best foreign exchange rates and currency prices. Chris Marshall is a freelance writer and blogger who runs the website www.almerimarlife.com, writes a monthly column for the Daily Telegraph and can be heard daily on Bay Radio discussing News Online Across Spain.

2.8 million new dwellings? AN INVESTIGATION by Acuña & Asociados reveals that property promoters owe Spanish banks and saving banks an estimated €143,000 million

for loans to purchase land for construction. That land includes projects started but not completed; the projects approved but not started up, and projects

that are in various stages of preparation. The total number of dwellings, which might be built on the land, is estimated at 2.8 million…

Spotlight: Property

An estimated €143,000 million is owed to banks by promoters

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Solar in Spain enters the wine sector

AS A result of the great success of Solar in Spain’s recent Introduction to Solar Energy seminars the company has decided to repeat the event on Thursday 3rd March at the Museo Del Vino in Jalón. Presentations will be made on the various applications for solar energy and Solar in Spain staff will be on hand to answer all your questions regarding solar pool heating, solar water heating, solar ventilation and solar electricity. In addition, there will be information about property owners both here and in the UK being able to sell solar-generated electricity back to their utility companies. There will also be a presentation on business opportunities that exist in the solar energy sector. A solar energy pool heating system supplied by Solar in Spain will ensure that you can continue swimming long after your neighbours have

closed down their pool for winter. If you rent out your property, an extended swimming season from the end of March until the end of October will considerably increase the income from your property. If humidity is a problem in your home, Solar in Spain has the solution: a solar powered ventilation system. As the sun shines, warm air is blown into your property without any drain on your electricity system. It will also supplement your heating system at the same time. Grants are available for solar energy hot water and electricity systems that are certificated by the Spanish Government and installed by accredited installers. Solar in Spain is one of the few accredited companies that have been working for many years with the government’s energy department to obtain generous grants for their clients. To help people through the current economic crisis, Solar in Spain has also introduced a low-rate financial package in association with a national bank offering 100% finance for up to 5 years on all its products. Solar in Spain has been established for 10 years and has hundreds of satisfied customers on who are enjoying the benefits of very low household bills as a result of installing a solar energy system in their property. Doors will open for the Solar Energy Information Day on 3rd March at 09.30 when coffee will be served. The event will run from 10.00 to 12.00 and is free to attend. However, places are limited so please pre-register by calling 902 636 570 or by sending an email to info@solarinspain.com.

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health

25 FEBJANUARY - 03 MARCH 2010 2011 15-21

Get Contoured with Dr Karen! By

Karen Gardner

Clinica Dental La Plaza.

IS THERE a small defect in your smile that always draws your eye in the mirror? A chip in a front tooth; some worn edges; shallow pits or grooves in the tooth enamel are all minor issues, but they do stand in the way of having a perfect smile. If you suffer from one or more of these problems, even to the extent of a minor fracture or overlap, they all can be fixed using a procedure known as ‘tooth contouring’ ‘reshaping’ or ‘dental bonding’. These teeth have been contoured and bonded. A harmonious smile is created in minutes. Using a polishing instrument, the dentist removes small amounts of surface enamel of one or more teeth to compensate for the imperfections. Followed up with a smoothing and polishing, this quick, painless, and inexpensive procedure can make a big difference in your smile. Because it is relatively inexpensive and non-invasive, it is a good place to start changing your smile to the one that you have always wanted, but Mother Nature failed to give you. If you have a perfect smile, why not flaunt it! Dr Karen Gardner would like to invite you for a free check-up, where you can receive advice on all aspects of anti-ageing dentistry as well, to make your teeth and mouth healthier, look younger, and restore a vibrant confident smile. (In addition you can choose to receive advice on facial-rejuvenation, botox and fillers available to hold back the years.)

Article supplied by Dr Karen Gardner, of Clinica Dental La Plaza, Edificio La Plaza, next to Club de Tenis – Javea: Tel 966 461 120 for a free consultation, check-up and advice.

GOmaD opens in Mazarron THE GOMAD Charity Shop was officially opened on Friday 4th February in Mazarron, attended by several local dignitaries, including the mayor, Francisco Blaya; Councillor Jackie Galviz; the Head of Social Services and the Chief of Police. A special thanks also to John Sloman for providing such excellent background music.

SOUP KITCHEN The bulk of the money raised is used to purchase food for the needy at a rate of around €600 per month, hopefully to increase in the future. Clothing and other household items are also supplied to all nationalities. It is not possible to use the shop as an ‘outreach centre’, so GOmaD is seeking further premises in the town, hopefully free, to provide a soup kitchen. Further information is available by visiting madmazarron.posterous.com; Facebook: madmazarron or by emailing madmazarron@live.com Shop: 8 Calle Del Carmen (near Guillermo II Restaurant/Hotel), Mazarron 6. Outreach/help: 678 598 677

Volunteers outside the new shop

even just for having chats over a cup of tea. The charity also needs volunteers to help man the advice desk and information centre, currently located in the Salón de Actos, on the first floor of the Orihuela Costa Town Hall. The charity is also keen for volunteers to work at the walk-in centre in La Siesta and their two charity shops in Torrevieja and Los Montesinos. Full training will be given to all volunteers; especially those who would like to work in the shops, and all they ask is for four hours of your time, one day a week. If you can help, please contact Age Concern on 966 786 887 (Monday-Friday 10.00 – 13.30) and 699 176 154 (Tuesday and Thursday 10.00 – 13.30)

Free help from HAH HAH HELP at Home, the voluntary free charity which offers short term help to those struggling to cope, are now launching a FREE help service for advice on health issues. If you have any worries, come along and have a chat with our Clinical Advisor. The ‘surgery’ will be held monthly at the Roda Social Centre (opp. Campbells Restaurant) starting on Thursday 10th March at 11.30. Just come along - no appointment is necessary and private discussions can be arranged. In an adjacent room, new volunteers will be welcomed to the HAH growing team of active and dedicated volunteers. HAH has now helped over 40 people in 4 months. Last week their nursing/caring volunteers put in 64 hours, anticipated to be in the high 70’s next week. Some clients need a little help, but others require

more, so if you would like to help HAH help others, go along on Mar 10th, or telephone Jackie on 968 575 231. Over €1,000 was raised last month by various events and donations and HAH applauds everyone who is giving and helping in so many ways. All money raised is going back into the community, paying volunteers’ expenses, home printing etc., and the nurses’ fund is growing steadily. For further information, visit www.helpathome.es or email helpathomespain@gmail.com. Pictured are: 150 people enjoyed Valentine’s with Showaddywaddy Legends at La Vereda Restaurant in Sucina: €350 was raised for HAH. HAH forthcoming events EVERY WEDNESDAY: Books sale at La Zona, Los Narejos: Bingo afternoon:

Alzheimer’s Association awarded prize AFA TORREVIEJA has been awarded the Social Work Prize in the Alzheimer’s Association category, covering the whole of the Valencian region. The presentation took place on Wednesday 9th February at Palau de la Musica in Valencia, during an event that included a concert by Banda Primitiva de Paiporta, directed by Ferran Ferran, organised by the Valencian Federation of Relatives of Alzheimer’s Patients. The three categories included: • Mass media (Levante mercantil was awarded) • Institutions (Council of Health was awarded) • Social Work (AFA Torrevieja) Judy Ferris of the AFA said, “We want to share with you how proud we feel for this award, and just to say that it belongs to all of you, our patients, relatives, volunteers, collaborators, technical team, the Town Hall, the newspapers, and all those who have helped us in a way to make this prize possible.”

Los Amigos De Mazarron FC

LOS AMIGOS de Mazarron FC held its 2nd Annual Gala Evening and Dinner in support of Mazarron Football Club, at the Sensol Hotel on Tuesday 8th February. The star- studded event attracted a sell-out audience with guest speaker, former Liverpool and Denmark international Jan Molby entertaining guests with amusing anecdotes and stories. Plans are already underway for the 3rd Gala Evening and Dinner which will be held next February.

Age Concern on the coast By Julie Day AGE CONCERN Costa Blanca Sur has been established for many years in the Torrevieja area, offering a free service to elderly expats in the southern Costa Blanca area. However, more recently a base in the Orihuela Costa has been set up, which will shortly be moving to a new office in the Centro Civico in Playa Flamenca. In the meantime, the charity is looking for volunteers in the Orihuela Costa region and would like to appeal to anyone who can spare just a couple of hours every week, to contact them. Age Concern is looking for befrienders, who can assist with shopping, providing relief for full-time carers, or

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Contact Norman 968 173 842. Monday, 21st February at Campbell’s Restaurant, Roda: €10 Italian themed cookery demonstration by Martin, followed by lunch 13:30: €10: (SOLD OUT) Monday 28th February: The Celt Bar, Los Alcazares: A physic evening with a clairvoyant. 20.00 prompt: Contact The Celt Bar. Tuesday 1st March: Volunteers Meeting, Las Claras, Los Narejos: 11:30. Saturday 5th March: Pig Racing at PJ’s, Campoverde: Contact Lesley 968 134 978. Thursday 10th March: Roda Social Club, Nurses Surgery (General advice given to those with health concerns): New volunteers’ meeting to meet and greet new volunteers or prospective volunteers to the charity: 11:30.

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Computing with aunty virus

Replacing batteries Grahame from Calpe asks: HI AUNTY. I have recently replaced the battery in my Acer laptop computer. It is not an Acer battery, and although it is working fine, the problem is that when it is showing about 25% battery life left, the computer shuts down without warning. Do I need to reconfigure the computer to suit this battery, and if so, how do I do this? Aunty Says: Hi Grahame. This is probably Windows remembering your old battery power levels. Go to control panel and ‘power options’ ‘change plan settings’ then ‘change advanced power settings’ expand the ‘battery’ section

and reset the values for ‘low battery level’ and ‘critical battery level’ to lower levels. You may need to experiment with the levels and XP and Vista/7 use different terminology, but the principle is the same.

Laptop slowing down Les via email asks: I SUSPECT some of your many readers may have this problem. My laptop has slowed down noticeably. I have ADSL 3Mb with XP. It has a Pentium M and I have a 20GB hard disc with 5GB spare. There are two main problems: my browsers are very slow, particularly Firefox, with Internet Explorer sometimes quicker. Is there a problem with Firefox? I changed from AVG11 to Avast because I think AVG was slowing it down. The other problem is I cannot play videos from emails or YouTube; they simply just don’t load after waiting ages. I have cleared

excess from my files and folders. I have 70 programs loaded, could that be a cause? I am curious to know what powers playing the video Aunty Says: A Pentium M and 5GB storage should be enough ‘oomph’ to do most Internet tasks Les, so maybe you have some spyware or virus interfering with your computer. A lot of folk are experiencing very slow internet performance after subscribing to one of the many UK TV services, as these need to change your Internet connection to a ‘proxy server’ which will slow your browsing down

considerably. AVG can cause some speed problems unless you do the custom install as per the ‘How Do I?’ link on the www.enetcomputers. net website. Your video problem may also be to do with Adobe Flash Player (or the necessary browser plugin/addon) which you can get from get.adobe. com/flashplayer. When you say ’70 programs running’ If you mean 70 processes running in task manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del) then that is rather a lot, but if it’s from the list of ‘currently installed programs’ via ‘control panel’ ‘add remove programs’ then 70 is about normal. Keep me posted.

That’s all for this week, email me on auntyvirus@roundtownnews.com and I will do my best to sort you out

Windows XP

Cris From Alfaz Del Pi asks: HOLA AUNTY, I bought a new computer here in Spain and had Windows XP put in but unfortunately I couldn’t open any attachments sent via an email. I downloaded Windows Professional on a trial basis and this did the trick but now the trial is up and I’m back to the old problem again. Is there another way other than buying expensive programs? Aunty Says: Hello Cris. There is nothing in Windows XP (Pro or Home) that will affect whether you can see email attachments, as this will be down to the specific email program you use. Both XP Prof and Home come with Outlook Express and there is a setting under ‘tools’ ‘options’ and the ‘security’ tab where you can enable/disable this function by un-ticking the box ‘Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus’. Let me know how you get on.

Registry Files

Harry via email asks: I HAVE just read your reply to Frank last week re: cleaning registry files. One point puzzles me about it though: I know you recommend AVG 2011 and I use it regularly. Recently I used their free option of a one-off single use of their PC Analyser. This digs deep into the Registry and I gave it the go-ahead because it is from a reliable source and all seemed to go well. Its use seems to conflict with your reluctance to go into those regions on a computer. Incidentally, through not knowing enough, I allowed CCleaner to dig away one day and I had to use my recovery disc to sort out whatever it did to my Windows 7. Aunty Says: Hi Harry. As much as I trust AVG (as I do Ccleaner) I will not let it fiddle with my registry. These programs can diagnose and report errors as much as they like, but once you give a program full access to edit and change your registry things can get messy. Things have got a lot better with Windows7, and I expect eventually the Windows registry will repair itself, but until then I leave it well alone. Again this is my opinion and I’m always grateful for others’ opinions and experiences.

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

GADGET INSPECTOR

the case of the Rovio Mobile Webcam THIS WEEK the Inspector interrogates the Rovio Mobile Webcam – ever wanted to be in two places at the same time? Now you can! (Or so say the manufacturers: we will see…) When asked about robots in the home, people think of the little vacuum cleaners that clean up the odd crumb or two and spend most of their time avoiding furniture and getting stuck. With a Rovio you could have so much more fun snooping on goingson in your home or office, from anywhere in the World. All you need is broadband and a Wi-Fi network where the Rovio lives, and a web-enabled device (laptop, phone, PDA or even games console) to control it from wherever you happen to be. The Rovio ultra advanced WiFi robot is fitted with a webcam, microphone and speakers. It even comes complete with a single LED headlight to guide it when the lights are out (there is an optional twin headlight attachment available for those indulging in domestic night rallies). The Rovio’s ability to stream audio and video of its surroundings has many practical uses – keeping an eye on your valuables when you´re away; spying on your flatmates or partner; scaring the pets; or checking

whether you left the window open. You can even use the built-in camera and microphone to chat with anyone at home. A smart three wheel design allows easy movement in any direction, and using the built-in GPS you can set up checkpoints and routes – allowing you to send the Rovio to the kitchen with a single click (you may need additional beacons to extend the range). It will still find the destination even if knocked off course, as the Rovio remembers where it is supposed to go – so any clever clogs picking it up and moving it won’t get any joy. But what if you’re away for weeks at a time? Surely Rovio will run out of power and leave you in the dark? Not at all - the clever little beastie knows when the power is running low and automatically returns to the charging dock for a fresh charge. The Inspector’s Verdict: the Rovio Mobile Webcam brings a whole range of possibilities for home security and interfering whilst you’re away. Have your own ‘Mini Me’ around 24/7, though don’t blame the manufacturers if you end up getting divorced or thrown out – sending it to the bathroom and surprising your partner while watching with your friends will definitely get you into trouble.

The Rovio Mobile Webcam costs around €175 with a 180 days manufacturer’s warranty

25 FEBJANUARY - 03 MARCH 2010 2011 8-14

Self-feeding the unemployed by

Clodagh & Dick Handscombe Practical gardeners and authors

THE NUMBER of unemployed in Spain is unlikely to fall dramatically in the next few years. At present the official unemployed figures are over 20% with the figure for under 25’s being a dramatic 40% plus. Many families are experiencing multiple unemployment and this is affecting RTN reader families and not only Spaniards and non EU immigrants. Figures back in the early 1990’s economic crisis were also high but then without the high immigrant unemployment. But in those days most villages and towns were surrounded by worked vegetable plots, orchards and olive groves and families still raised rabbits and chickens so there were many jobs within family circles to enable unemployed member to be gainfully employed in return for being kept.

Use water bottles as a starting point

Today many expatriates have large gardens wishing it was a little smaller, most apartment terraces are bare, much agricultural land around villages is abandoned and although public and private allotments are appearing, few unemployed would be able to fund the euro a day or more being charged for 50 square meters of land. About eighteen months ago, we launched the concept of Gardening Circles where a group of neighbours, family members or friends would get together in brightening up apartment blocks, neighbourhoods or growing vegetables. There are signs that some informal and formal circles have been set up but the potential is enormous among the unemployed. Many youngsters are probably reluctant to start growing their or the families’ vegetables alone. But if you have spare land and you suggested that an unemployed son or daughter might like to start to grow vegetables or fruit together with a group of friends and that you would pay for spare produce beyond their need the situation might in some cases change. Alternatively a group of unemployed of all ages might approach the owner of abandoned land and offer to work some of it in return for free vegetables, the land being kept tidy and avoiding it becoming a fire risk. Since some town halls have started to think about establishing public allotments a self help Gardening Circle might approach their

local mayor to discuss the possibilities. With elections coming up the timing might be successful. And of course an easy action is for those employed living in apartments is to start growing vegetables on their terraces in whatever containers they can find that can be hung on walls and railings as well as being stood on the floor. Empty water bottles and milk boxes with the tops cut off are inexpensive starting points. Growing one’s own food would not only save money but also use time interestingly and productively, Growing Circles among friends would also create comradeship in tough times. Once things start to grow, co-producers can set up a paella pan once or twice a week to cook healthy vegetarian paellas with a bag of inexpensive rice sufficient for ten persons and without the expense of meat… But if the group also started to raise rabbits inexpensively fed on freely available herbs from the countryside meat would be affordable and good manure for improving the soil used for growing the vegetables would be free. Hope these early morning thoughts on a wet Monday morning are interesting to a few. By the way it’s two wet for us to go out and weed our vegetable plot but one can tend containers of vegetables growing on covered terraces whatever the weather and at any time of the day as there is light.

Clodagh and Dick’s practical gardening books will be found to be useful for both experienced and new gardeners coming to Spain. The useful quartet of books can be obtained from bookshops or by email from the websites of Amazon, Santana Books, Bookworld and The Royal Horticultural Society. © Clodagh and Dick Handscombe www.gardeninginspain.com February 2011.

Terraces can be used to grow vegetables

AND THERE ARE BOOKS TO HELP These two books would be timely presents for unemployed family members and friends. They are available from bookshops, Carrefour and internet bookshops such as Santana Books, Amazon and The Royal Horticultural Society. STOP PRESS Clodagh and Dick Handscombe will be giving two talks at the beginning of March. On 1st March to a Rotary Club Denia luncheon and on 2nd March to the Costa Blanca Gardeners Circle, open to all comers, in the theatre of the La Senietta in Moraira. Further ahead, make a diary note that they will have a Questioin and Answer stand at the ‘This is Spain Exhibition’ at the Albir Playa Hotel on 19th and 20th March.

Springtime in Madrid THE MASSIVE Royal Palace sits majestically in front of the green oasis of the Plaza Orientea and statues of the kings of Spain line the pathways. The Palace forecourt throbs with life with an excited queue of tourists at the entrance which leads to the rooms and courtyards used for centuries by Spanish kings and queens, later to be inhabited by Spain’s notorious dictator General Franco, who ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly 40 years. Now used as an occasional Royal residence and for state occasions, the Palace is mostly open to the public. Plaza Oriente spills out into some of the older narrow streets of the city, which in turn spill out on to the Gran Via. This part of Madrid is almost reminiscent of New York with tall, stately buildings towering over

the broad avenue, the ‘Gran Via’. It is here that the people of Madrid seek out the best entertainment to be found in the country. A range of theatres and cinemas offer the latest blockbuster shows and films. Elegant, classy wine bars and eating places rub shoulders with basic bars and cafes. Not far from the Gran Via you can see in Plaza España the classic statues of the fictional creations of Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quijote with his faithful companion Sancho Panza, complete with mule and donkey. Incredibly, quite near here you can actually see an authentic Egyptian temple called ‘Temple Debod’, given as a gift to the people of Madrid at the time of the flooding of the Aswan valley. Another stroll past the Royal Palace

The majestic Royal Palace in Madrid

brings you to a quite modern but important cathedral: The Alameda was the venue of the most recent Royal wedding. The cathedral sits at the end of Calle Mayor. Here you will find some of the most notable attractions in Madrid. Plaza de La Villa, the square which formed the original village, the buzzing social centre of the city which is Plaza Mayor and the gate of the sun (Puerta del Sol) where you find the clock featured on Spanish television that ushers in each new year. Across the road from the Puerta del Sol clock, the streets throng with shoppers who happily drift from one major shop to another seeking the most fashionable items for that special night out in the Gran Via. Beyond is the botanic gardens; the lush green acres of the delightful Buen Retiro park where old people meet to chat on park benches, young couples kiss and cuddle, families picnic, sportsmen and women exercise and students read under the shade of broad-leafed trees. There is an enormous boating lake surrounded by the most magnificent statues. A five minute walk and you are in what is probably the most famous art museum in the world, ‘The Prado’- a must for all art lovers. But it doesn’t finish there. Cross the road and you can view the fabulous Thyessen collection. Go round the corner and you will find the Reina Sofia museum where Picasso’s ‘Guernica’ takes pride of place amongst a most impressive collection of paintings. A few more yards up the road and you are in the National Archaeological museum. If by that time you are cultured out, how about a different type of culture? With two of the biggest names in Spanish football – Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid based in the city,

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

The Gran Via in Madrid is alive 24 hours a day

you have two stadiums to consider visiting. David’s Coachtrips SL are offering all the delights of the capital city in springtime. Based in a 3 Star city centre hotel which sits right beside the Royal Palace and at a real bargain price of €199 including coach travel from in and around Torrevieja, this 4 day excursion leaves on 7th March and can be reserved by calling 966 785 910. For details of this and a range of low cost quality excursions visit www.coachtripsonline.com

25 FEBJANUARY - 03 MARCH 2010 2011 8-14

Waking the dead? I get several letters on the theme that the Dead are sleeping and that we have no right to disturb them in any way. In that case then I have done nothing but disturb them since I first began to receive their messages almost fifty years ago. If the dead are in fact only sleeping then I have been talking to myself for the entire length of a career specifically dedicated to contacting those who inhabit the Spirit World. They started this, anyway, way back then, by sending me messages to be related to my clients. These messages were specifically designed to bring comfort and joy and evidence of Spiritual survival, which indeed every message brings. Initially I was the one who was disturbed. Spirit had found an Earth dwelling channeller for their messages. A receptive, young man who was unafraid, openly receptive, and very willing and able to accept each message for just what it was, a communication from another World. I had to learn to switch on and to switch off to Spirit so that I wasn’t bombarded with the messages that they wanted to send. Because of this frantic need for them to communicate I never felt that they were sleeping in a twilight world of dusk, more that they were waiting, just waiting, to make a communication that could be heard by loved ones that they had left behind. Though this can happen to anyone at all it happened to me because I was open and unafraid and well able to interpret and to pass specific messages to those who needed to hear them. I had to learn my control, which involved study and practise; and I had to learn lessons of life that taught me to hone my skills as a communicator. Looking back it was rather a lot to take on, but I did so because it made others

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

I’d like to know how to talk to Spirit, and you make it sound so easy, but I am not so sure it would be for me. Can I get help with contacting my Uncle, he died last Spring and I miss him? Gail M.T. Thank you for your message. It is easy to contact Spirit because they are so responsive to all calls of any kind and everyone can send their message. It often helps to sit quietly and alone and the lighting of a candle sends a powerful message on your behalf, and tells the Spirit World that you mean business. Be distinct and ask for exactly what you want, or who you want to talk to, and then talk. Try to avoid begging and tears, be brave and be patient. The reply can come anyway, anytime, so don’t give up on this. Your messages will always be heard and you will feel a comfort that Spirit is listening, and that they can, and will hear you. Ask specifically to contact your Uncle. Have faith, and if there is any problem in your making contact give me a ring, I will do whatever I can to help you to reach him.

happy and that in turn brought me happiness in being able to link the living and the dead. A Medium is the middle line of communication in a procedure that is able to connect the living and the dead. I had to face my control, who was my leading guide at the time, and who was initially very fatherly to me. Nevertheless I had to learn and to learn quick. A lot of spiritual energies and wisdoms are passed during the unconscious state of dreams, whereby I would be shown things and then realise that these were actions that I should follow. I was shown portents, because these were things that I alone had to see. They helped my perception, which needed to be worked with, and as such, these centred my energies and brought a set of skills into play which I have learned to use and have used well, to the limit, throughout my professional career. Believe you me it is necessary to have spiritual communication because there are those in the Spirit World who do need to sleep maybe, and can’t because they have unfinished business here on Earth. Each and every soul housed and cared for in this vacuous location lived a life on Earth; and many forget this. Hence those souls at rest know what life is like, and the testing situation that many of us here are under; and many therefore want to warn us, support us, and prove to us that life here and now isn’t just existing on the Earth Plane. They come through wanting to tell us not to worry about death, and they sincerely hope that their messages can help us prepare, adapt, and to eliminate any fears we may have in a process that they have survived and now thrive in.

Love & Light... Kenny Corris

Kenny’s diary Saturday March 12th: Readings at La Fustera, between Calpe and Moraira. From 10.00 onwards. Contact: Penny Smith for info and bookings, on: 687 926 021 or: 965 749 182.

Readings in Gandia? Please contact Lorraine on: 654 092 691 for further information.

Saturday April 16th: Spiritual Spring Fayre at Bistro Maya. Readings Treatments. Crystals. Tarot. Angel Cards. Make a date for your Diary! Info: 966 868 213.

contact kenny Appointments: 96 587 8424 Mobile: 686 361 594 Web: www.kennycorris.net Forum: www.kennycorris.net/forum Email: kennycorris@hotmail.com

Please contact me for inclusion in my healing list!

horoscopes by Kenny Corris Watch plans change this week as you encounter the unexpected and adapt your schedule. There is so much in the routine you enjoy, but there are some wonderful chances to enjoy yourself, and it is time you let your hair down for once in a while. You are usually so guided and protected, but to take a break and see what’s on offer can only serve as a stimulus for further encounters with your happiness in mind. An emotionally challenging time for you, especially when something has been misunderstood and your actions are under close scrutiny. Blame all this on Venus, your amorous planetary leader, for taking on mighty Uranus and then heading for Aquarian time mid week. There is an apology to be made, so don’t be your usually stubborn and difficult self, because making up is half the fun. Beady eyed Mercury seeks the unity with Saturn, bringer of past and present wisdom. There is something currently not being revealed to you, and for sure this is because it isn’t the right time, and you could take things the wrong way very easily. Try reading between the lines and being determined in your actions and aims this week, you will reward yourself with a new angle of perception. Maybe you should spend a week inside that shell when all around you just now appear to be losing their temper, or losing their way? Someone has stirred up a hornet’s nest, and since you are involved and implicated this should be a time to clear your name. However in the heart of the matter you may find yourself saying that it’s just not worth it, and that you have better and more important things to do. You are fiercely independent, and about to start something very new and something very special to you. Don’t listen to what others say and put your fingers in your ears when they carp and criticise. Let nothing stop you and your quest for a slice of the action. Your inimitable charm and vibrant personality will see you safely through, and there is more, much more where this comes from! Messenger Mercury connects with Piscean energies midweek, suggesting that under the circumstances you could do no more than you already have. You had misgivings right from the start, and maybe if you had known where all this was going you would have declined to get involved. As it is you have steered the ship through dangerous waters into a safe harbour. So just walk away. Venus acts on two distinctly different levels this week as Uranus makes a connection in the fourth house bringing action, and enters boldly into Aquarius later on in the week. There are two sides to every story, and it would appear that the one you have been told isn’t the full one. Take a wide berth when emotions are running high, and you feel pressured to make a decision that you may live to regret. Fight fire with fire as it seems to be the only way out. Someone is remaining stubborn, and you expected loyalty and didn’t get it, when you most needed it. Now this week, as it is clear that the tables are turned ,the boot is on the other foot, and you have to have your say in the matter. Throw caution to the wind and set the record safe once and for all, though know that the truth may hurt someone. Try to keep your temper, and use your wonderful skills of judgment to wipe the slate clean. Saturn brings light onto a previously hidden part of your agenda. Take this as a sign to continue your good work and to show that, no matter what, you can openly defend what you did, and would do the same again under the circumstances. Be strong and others will back off for sure. A financial corner raises its ugly head this week as it is hard to break even and there are some financial pressures upon you. Take the positive way out and take the reins of finance under your belt. Some extra work remains unpaid, and you mustn’t be afraid to ask for what is rightfully yours; since someone is taking the mickey, and because, right now, every little helps. Venus brings love to your door and you are open and ready to move things to the next stage. It has been some time since someone entered your heart but it seems right now to be the most natural thing that could possibly happen to you. With passion stirring you begin to think for yourself for once and those who love you will welcome your decision, since whatever, it is your call. With both Mars and Mercury in residence there is a conflict of interests this week and your heart shouldn’t rule your head in the current scheme of things. Take a break and spend some quality time, as rest and relaxation will allow you to see things from a different angle, and then you may see what others see, and change your mind positively about the whole new venture in hand.

If it’s your birthday this week...

Ignore what others are telling you, since you have to form your own opinion as to what has gone on and what you have been told. This year is all about change, so don’t be afraid, fate leads you on for good reason!

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011 8-14 JANUARY 2010

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

Cryptic Crossword

Sudoku ACROSS 4. Divided in the way suggested below (7) 8. Attempt made by friend is insignificant (6) 9. Shout graduate near: he’s a weepy type (3-4) 10. Put money in underwear (6) 11. Language that should be easy to rub up (6) 12. Tribulation experienced in difficult vessel (8) 18. Stop being annoyed: it will make things perilous (8) 20. Directors on the ship (6) 21. Coeval niche (6) 22. Shield that will crumple easily? (7) 23. Half a smoke-stack would offer amusement (6) 24. It is selected by those who want to go back (7)

DOWN 1. Prig in untidy hut is virtuous (7) 2. No state for free men (7) 3. Is twice after credit to reach a turning-point (6) 5. Had a fight on the rubbish-dump, maybe (8) 6. It won’t put the batsman out when he can’t dance,apparently (2-4) 7. Take me up to the manager to raise in relief (6) 13. Don’t take so much notice, being rash (8) 14. A reason for not being able to sail, perhaps (7) 15. In short, an insect gets on the cheese (7) 16. So tube is blunt (6) 17. One hundred and fifty intake will get gear (6) 19. Innings closed with all possible speed (3,3)

ACROSS

DOWN

4. Foretell (7)

1. Admit (7)

8. Undid (6)

2. Protection (7)

9. Idiotic (7)

3. Alcove (6)

10. Bright (6)

5. Reply (8)

11. Acquire (6)

6. Signify (6)

12. Judgment (8)

7. Frank (6)

18. Cloudy (8)

13. Lonely (8)

20. Annul (6)

14. Brave (7)

21. Run (6)

15. Ordinance (7)

22. Attribute (7)

16. Diminish (6)

23. Is unable (6)

17. Antenna (6)

24. Lower (7)

19. Iterate (6)

Wordwheel

Quick Crossword

You can play these wordwheels by whatever rules you like. But there is at least one nine letter word hidden in each wordwheel (and thus using every letter in the wordwheel). For many players the fun element and biggest challenge of the wordwheel is to find a nine letter word. Other than that, the rules are up to you - but generally you should restrict yourself to only finding words that contain the central letter, as otherwise you will find huge numbers of words in many puzzles!

Win a meal for 2!

Inn Plaice in Torrevieja (Mon-Thu) Nemos (Next to RTN offices in La Nucia)

by answering the Cryptic Crossword correctly. Answers by email to: office@roundtownnews.com | or Fax: 96 585 60 54

Euromillions Draw Friday 18TH FEBRUARY

3 15 45 49

No ticket won the 28,569,173 Euros (£24,146,665) jackpot prize

Answers & Winners Last week’s Crossword and Suduko answers found on page 51/54. Crossword winner for issue 592 Julia Friend, Jardin del Mar, Torrevieja

music scene

Compiled by

Eric Taylor

Rob Sweeney Singer/Entertainer R OB IS a seasoned performer with a rich and powerful voice that he puts to excellent use, whether singing pop and soul classics or songs from the shows - some of which he’s starred in having studied and performed in musical theatre over the previous few years. As a cabaret artist he’s toured extensively throughout UK before moving to Spain. Rob is a class act with a versatile repertoire to suit all audiences. For more info phone: 609 320 924. website: http://robsweeney-singer.tumblr.com GIGS IN FEBUARY Saturday 26th Platino’s Lounge Bar, Arenal, Javea

GIGS IN MARCH Saturday 5th Arthur’s Bar, Els Poblet Friday 11th El Paraiso Restaurant, Parcent Saturday 12th Javea Golf Club Sunday 13th Bar Quo Vadis, Javea (16.00) Thursday 17th Magic’s Bar, Orba (formerly Lee’s Bar) Saturday 19th Le Cabaret, Cumbre del Sol Sunday 20th so What Bar, calpe port (17.00) Friday 25th Platino’s lounge Bar, Arenal, Javea Saturday 26th El Cid Restaurant, Beniarbeig

Heat Gold: 94.1FM Launch Party ON THURSDAY 17th February, ‘Heat Gold’ Radio Station held its Launch Party at Le Cabaret, Lirios Centre, Cumbre del Sol, Benitachell.

Over 100 people helped celebrate the launch of ‘Heat Gold’ 94.1FM, the sister station of ‘Heat FM’. 106.8 FM. A fun night was had by all as first class

entertainment was provided by Sharni (vocalist); Barry Moon (comedian); Mike Lee (vocalist); Olivia and her sister Sassy (vocalists) with Rob Sweeney (vocalist) closing the evening with a great set of golden oldies. A big thank you goes to all the entertainers and the staff of Le Cabaret for making the evening so successful. The presenters of ‘Heat Gold’: Mike Lee, Ray Peters, Barry Moon and Eric Taylor (ET) were there, supported by the presenters of ‘Heat FM’: Greig Roy, Kev Woods, Shorty B, John Mair and Barry the Brummie. For more information phone 965 744 363 or listen via www.heatgold.fm. Text 656 634 000 for your requests or dedications.

ET’s Golden Oldies Disco Tel: 965 748 199 or 659 921 875 or email: etinspain@hotmail.com If there are any music venues or acts that wish to be featured in this column,please contact Eric directly.

Rio - Melodic Rock Band

”RIO” CONSISTS of four of the most highly respected international musicians presently working around the Costa Blanca. Pam (vocals) and John Pearson (guitar) are currently working as the popular duo ‘Chill Factor’ – together with Jack Hazebroek (drums) and Luc van Breda (bass) they are ‘Rio’. They are playing at

the Don Quijote Bar, Paichi Centre, Moraira on Sunday 27th February when Tommy Duffy (ex Lindisfarne) will be deputising for Luc van Breda. Featuring Pam’s warm soulful voice, John’s impressive guitar skills and supported by the tight rhythm section, ‘Rio’ plays a mix of melodic rock. For more details phone: 965 528 671 or 696 731 290.

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Mendelssohn / Rucli to perform at Alfas del Pi Casa de Cultura

HE CLASSICAL Music Society of Alfas del Pi is proud to present the Dúo Mendelssohn – Rucli (viola and piano) at a concert on Saturday February 26th at 20.00 at the Casa de Cultura, Alfas del Pi. The programme, ‘De la nuit...’ will include works by Minoru Miki, John Cage, Gabriel Faurè, Rob du Bois, Elgar, Beethoven and Paganini. Vladimir Mendelssohn’s international career has taken him all over the world as a viola soloist and chamber musician, composer and arranger. He has composed music for chamber ensembles, choir and orchestra and for ballet, stage and film. He will be offering master classes on the morning of the concert, details of which are on the society’s website. Andrea Rucli, a concert pianist for twenty-five years, has participated in prestigious chamber music festivals around the World and recorded a number of Andrea Rucli on Piano CDs. He teaches piano at the ‘G. Puccini’ Pareggiato Music Institute in Italy. (Inset) and For non-members, tickets are €10 on the door. For full details of this concert, the Vladimir viola master classes and the Society’s 2011 programme, visit: Mendelssohn www.alfasmusica.com, or Tel: 965 888 865 on viola

Jubilee Jazz Band

THE JUBILEE Jazz Band began by interpreting jazz mainly in the New Orleans revivalist style which was also popular in Britain in the 40s and 50s. The band has now broadened its style to include other traditional jazz repertoire as well. The full band is a sextet with Mike Summers (trumpet/tuba), Dick Crooks (clarinet/ sax), Michael Kasche (trombone) Patrick Clancy (piano) George Rutherford (double bass) and Christian Gibaud (drums). The Jubilee Jazz Band performs on alternate Tuesdays at Monroe’s Carvery, Pedreguer, (Phone: 965 761 731 for table bookings), where there is a voluntary contribution from the audience. The band is also available for private functions. For more details phone Mike Summers at 635 24 15 88 – or check out their website: www.thejubileejazzband.com. The Jubilee Jazz Band are appearing at Monroe’s Carvery, Pedreguer on Tuesdays 1st, 15th and 29th March.

AFA Alzheimer’s organises ‘A Variety Spectacular’ Show in aid of their Buy a Brick campaign THIS VARIETY Spectacular, also being promoted as ‘The Good Old Days’ Show is being organised on behalf of the ‘Buy a Brick’ campaign for AFA Alzheimer’s Torrevieja and will take place on Saturday 5th March at the Virgen Del Carmen theatre. The show starts at 20.00 and promises to be a memorable evening to support those less fortunate. Top class entertainers supporting

the show include: the outrageous winner of the Albir’s Got Talent competition - JAIME from Benidorm and his cheeky girls; Derek Francis (tenor) and the lovely Maureen Roberts (soprano); The Footwork Dancers and Destiny; Cathy Carson, Costa Blanca’s own international vocalist and Cyril Derbyshire and his organ music. The show aims to take a trip down memory lane with some nostalgic numbers

blended with some modern pieces. All proceeds will go to ‘Buy a Brick’, the campaign aiming to raise €500,000 to build a residential care centre for sufferers of Alzheimer’s. Tickets are €6, available at the Alzheimer’s shop behind the main church in Torrevieja or from the municipal box office. For further information please contact: Judy Ferris –610 082 593.

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Discover the Costa Blanca

Derek Workman continues his series of excursions from his book ‘Inland Trips From the Costa Blanca’ which features 22 detailed trips that lead you to spots you’d never find by yourself.

The Canal de Navarrés Enguera and Anna (Part 1) The villages of the Canal de Navarrés are rarely beautiful and, apart from the usual church and sanctuary, have little to offer the history buff. Visitors to this area are usually here for the water, the walks and spectacular scenery.

later, in 1365, it was destroyed by the order of Pedro IV, who considered it too much of a threat to the security of his kingdom. It’s still possible to see many fine examples of the houses known locally as heredades, two-storey buildings with an outdoor corral, the homes of the 18th and 19th century bourgeoisie who made their money in the wool trade. These days the town’s fortunes are based on wrought iron, furniture and olive oil. In the Carmalite Convent, the Church of St. Michael the Archangel, there are paintings by Carnelo and Segrelles, and an anonymous alterpiece attributed to the so-called Maestro de Enguera. A short drive in the direction of Ayora is the Cuco Magno (on maps it is sometimes referred to as Cuco Montanyola) one of the unusual 19th century circular houses that

Enguera

Enguera is the main town of the area, a pretty little place of narrow streets and shady squares where elderly gentlemen pass the hours in relaxed conversation. Going as far back as the 11th century, the castle of Enguera was incorporated into the Crown of Aragon in 1244, but little more than a century

Cuco Magno

Anna lake

rural workers used during harvest time to save them having to trek back to their village. As you walk through the dry moorland to get to it, the air is filled with the scent of rosemary and wild mountain thyme and you see small bushes of white rock rose. The arched entrance to the cuco is through stout walls almost two metres thick and made of layered flat stones. The ceiling is beautifully constructed with thinner stones tapering to a central peak. The only fittings are a dry sink and a small fireplace. There are dozens of these cucos scattered throughout the Sierra de Enguera. Next stop up the Canal de Navarrés is Anna, a delightful village with a liquid appeal. A multitude of fonts bubble and cascade in

the hills and valleys surrounding the pueblo. The most important of them, as far as Anna herself is concerned, is the Albufera, a halfkilometre drive from the edge of town. The Albufera is a spring-fed lake whose water filters underground to irrigate the fields surrounding the village. The island in the middle of the lake, called el Merendero, is home to families of ducks and geese. You can hire a boat for closer inspection. What you find is what you and I would think of as a boating lake, surrounded by willow and poplar trees, picnic benches and peaceful areas for a doze in the sun. A delightful spot to while away an hour or two on a balmy summer’s day.

To discover more about Spain, visit www.derekworkman-journalist.com and http://derekworkman.wordpress.com. http://valpaparazzi.wordpress.com are random notes about life in Spain. Derek Workman’s books, Inland Trips from the Costa Blanca and Small Hotels and Inns of Eastern Spain are available from most good books shops or direct from the publisher, Santana Books, www.santanabooks.com or Tel. 952 485 838.

Rapid

recharge

1 small Courgette 1 Celery stick 40g of Spinach 40g of Alfalfa sprouts 2 Apples (makes 2 glasses) THIS IS a treasure trove of B vitamins, iron and healing phytochemicals. Plus some fruit sugars for a quick energy boost. This is good to regulate blood pressure and reduce fluid retention and will help to strengthen tissue and bones. Top and tail the courgette and pack into the juicer with the celery, spinach and alfalfa, finally add the apples. Juice all the ingredients. Pour into glasses and drink immediately. COURGETTES contain vitamins A, B6, C, folate, potassium, iron, phosphorous, These recipes are supplied by The Kamala Centre. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at The Kamala Centre on office@thekamalacentre.com or call us on 965 985 869. If you would like a copy of any of these recipes you can download them at our website www.thekamalacentre.com

copper, calcium and magnesium. It has anti-inflammatory properties CELERY contains potassium, calcium and vitamin C. It is anti-bacterial, a great cleanser and calms and rebuilds the red blood cells SPINACH contains beta-carotene, chlorophyll, folic acid, iron, choline, vitamins A, C and E. It is known as anticancer, helps memory antioxidant and anti-anaemia ALFALFA SPROUTS contains folic acid, zinc, calcium, silicon and vitamins A, B complex, C, E and K. It is a diuretic and a stimulant. APPLES contain Vitamins A, B and C, potassium, pectin, boron, ellagic acid, and carotenes. They are great system cleansers full of dietary fibre, a laxative and lowers cholesterol.

2514 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011 - 20 may 2010

50 61

Your UK TV Questions Answered WELCOME BACK to RTN’s regular features about the world of British TV here on the Costa Blanca. If YOU have a question about British TV you’d like answered, please feel free to contact us! Thanks for all your emails and calls; we’re glad to be able to help! by

Bill Pole

ConeXionS TV Solutions, professional sales, service, support & advice

Since your previous article regarding BBC signals, we have been using BBC 1 Wales (Sky channel 972) & BBC2 Wales (Sky channel 991) as you suggested, but we still find that the signals fade earlier than they used to. Am I doing something wrong, or is this just the way the signal is now? Sky have again recently re-jigged some of their channel slots and frequencies to allow for new channels, meaning that some of the ‘established’ channels have been shifted to new frequencies and channel slots. When installing 2.4m dishes for reception of BBC, we used to tweak the dish performance to favour the old BBC frequency. Now that this frequency has changed not just in value but also in polarity, we have found that it is necessary to adjust the dish itself slightly to regain BBC in the evening. Call us today to re-align YOUR dish if you live between Calpe and Oliva, and we will do our best to get you back up and running quickly, cheaply and easily. We recently slashed our local callout rates to reflect the tough economic climate, so take advantage today, and restore your missing channels! After all, why spend all that money on a big dish, if it’s not performing well?

I have a two year old Pace Sky box connected to a brand new Samsung HD flat-screen LED TV. I have connected the box to the TV using the best quality goldconnector scart cable (€80!) but it STILL looks like a pretty ‘ordinary’ picture – NOT the super-sharp HD image I saw when the

TV was showing the movie ‘Avatar’ in the shop. What am I doing wrong? If you have replaced your old TV with a new HD version but not your digibox, then your new TV can and will only display the signals it is given by the ‘standard’ Sky box, which will be in Standard Definition (SD) format. To get hi-def picture & sound, you must have both an HD television AND a Sky+HD digibox or other HD decoder such as FreeSat (or a Blu-ray player or other hi-def source). These must be connected via a DIGITAL HD cable (HDMI) rather than scart, which is still analogue – despite having gold connectors. This alone is enough to give you the free HD channels such as BBC1 HD, Sky News HD and some others. For the FULL range of Sky HD channels including movies and sports, you must subscribe to these Sky packages AND pay Sky an extra ten pounds a month for the HD versions of these channels. A full HD Sky package still costs around an eye-watering £58 per month…

UK using this Sky card, if you don’t have a large enough dish in Spain, you will NOT be able to receive these ‘big dish’ channels. Sports and Movie packages also don’t transfer between boxes, as the cards are electronically ‘married’ to their respective boxes. However, for most subscribers, bringing your card with you from the UK to Spain is often a very cheap and easy way of getting Sky here without paying for two separate subscriptions! Rental owners take note: advise rental clients to bring their own Sky cards form the UK to increase the amount of channels available to them whilst on holiday. It seems crazy that people come to Spain to watch British TV, but trust me – it happens all the time! Until next time…!

A friend of mine has recently mentioned his cheap new non-Sky HD box. He says he can bring his card from the UK with him to Spain and use it here without problems. I nodded, knowingly. What is he on about? Sky publicly deny their viewing cards can be used in multiple boxes. However, in the case of free-to-view and Family Pack subscription cards, this is simply not true. Take your card from the UK with you to Spain, insert it into your Spanish box, and voila – you have Sky in Spain. You will be limited to your dish size, meaning that although you can receive BBC easily enough in the

Bill Pole owns and runs the successful business, ‘ConeXionS Digital Satellite Solutions’ (based in Javea). Originally established in 1988, it is one of the longest-running and best known satellite TV names on the northern Costa Blanca, surviving through success, customer loyalty and recommendation. Find out why clients rate them #1 for installation, service, after-sales and pricing! Phone (+34) 660 638 975 or visit www.conexions-javea.com for the latest news, info and special offers: legal & licensed, and the best value for MILES around!

tv Friday 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wreck or Ready? 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 60 16:35 Bear Behaving Badly 17:00 Dani’s House 17:30 Tracy Beaker Returns 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Deadly 60 on a Mission 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 QI 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Graham Norton Show 24:20 National Lottery Friday Night Draws 24:30 High Crimes

07:00 Childrens TV 11:45 Chuggington: Badge Quest 11:50 Waybuloo 12:10 In the Night Garden 12:40 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella 14:00 Due South 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Living Dangerously 16:00 Wanted Down Under 16:45 Flog It! Ten of the Best 17:30 Perfection 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 My Life in Books 20:00 Forget the Oscars, Here Are the Kermodes 20:30 An Island Parish 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Britain from Above 22:00 Hidden Treasures of Australian Art 23:00 Fast and Loose 23:30 Newsnight 24:00 The Review Show 24:50 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

25 FEB - 03 march 2011

07:10 Treacle People 07:20 The Hoobs 08:10 Freshly Squeezed 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Frasier 09:30 According to Jim 10:00 Supernanny USA 10:55 The Good Wife 11:55 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Jamie at Home 13:30 Bless This House 15:10 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 16:55 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:25 4thought.tv 20:30 Teen Horse Whisperers 21:00 Relocation: Phil Down Under 22:00 Embarrassing Bodies 23:00 Friday Night Dinner 23:30 Lee Evans: Big - Live at the O2 24:35 10 O’Clock Live

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Granada News 15:00 House Gift 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Children’s Hospital 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Benidorm 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 The Cube 24:35 Take Me Out

07:00 Childrens TV 09:40 Hana’s Helpline 09:50 The WotWots 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:00 The Vanessa Show 12:45 CSI: NY 13:40 Five News 13:45 Street Market Chefs 14:15 Street Market Chefs 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:50 Rough Guide to... 16:05 Sorority Wars 18:00 Five News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 Home and Away 20:00 Five News at 7 20:30 Vets in Action 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 The Mentalist 23:00 Law & Order 23:55 NCIS 24:55 Cops in Crisis

08:00 Vet Adventures 09:00 Futurama 11:00 The Middle 12:00 Modern Family 13:00 Project Runway 14:00 Stargate SG-1 16:00 The Middle 17:00 Modern Family 18:00 Raising Hope 18:30 The Simpsons 19:00 Emergency Animal Rescue 19:30 The Simpsons 20:30 The Middle 21:00 The Simpsons 21:30 Modern Family 22:00 Raising Hope 22:30 The Simpsons 23:00 Louie Spence’s Showbusiness

08:30 Cross-Country Skiing 09:15 Luge 09:45 Alpine Skiing 10:30 Live Alpine Skiing 11:45 Cross-Country Skiing 12:15 Live Ski Jumping 13:30 Live Alpine Skiing 14:15 Cross-Country Skiing 14:45 Live Ski Jumping 16:30 Live WTA Tennis 19:30 Eurogoals Flash 19:40 Ski Jumping 20:45 Live Boxing 23:00 Strongest Man 24:00 Video Gaming 24:30 Extreme Sports: Freeride Spirit

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:50 Celebs 24/7 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Four Weddings US 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Bones 22:00 Criminal Minds 23:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Solutions to last weeks crosswords 592 CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS Across: 1 Second-class; 9 Aid; 10 Lower-case; 11 Picks; 13 Amiable; 14 Minute; 16 Uglier; 18 Deepest; 19 Might; 20 Underhand; 21 Pen; 22 Prime number. Down: 2 End; 3 Ogles; 4 Dewlap; 5 Larking; 6 Shambling; 7 Happy medium; 8 Penetrating; 12 Contender; 15 Theorem; 17 Strain; 19 Madam; 21 Pie. QUICK SOLUTIONS Across: 1 Acknowledge; 9 Pan; 10 Vigilance; 11 Recur; 13 Apparel; 14 Ponder; 16 Beaten; 18 Imagine; 19 Cadet; 20 Tangerine; 21 Gun; 22 Protagonist. Down: 2 Con; 3 Never; 4 Wigwam; 5 Ellipse; 6 Generated; 7 Appropriate; 8 Wellingtons; 12 Container; 15 Eminent; 17 Sewing; 19 Clean; 21 Gas. WORDWHEEL 593: ESSENTIAL

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Haveyoualreadyhadyourfingersburntbyhavingamicrowaveorrebroadcastingsysteminstalled,welldon’tgetthemburntagainbyhavingthewrongsatellitedishinstalled.Thereareseveralmanufacturersof2.4m,1.9m&1.45mdishesonthemarketthroughoutthecostablanca,twomanufacturersfromportugal,onefromspainand one from turkey. Our company use the famaval professional portuguese dish manufacturer who are known throughout the industry as having much higher quality and a supreme higher gain, our 2.4m professional dish in particular has a unique future proof option of increasing the size of the dish to 3.1m by using extender panels, this dish is easily distinguishable by the 24 small holes around its perimeter for these panels to be fitted if need be in the future, we call this our professional 2.4m upgradable dish. We can also supply an economy 2.4m dish but these can only be used in strong signal areas, please note these dishes are not upgradable as they do not have the adaptability of the professional dish. We use the same professional manufacturer of our 1.9m dish which again has supreme higher gain and quality and performs perfect with weaker signals such as bbc, itv etc. We call this our professional 1.9m dish. Our economy 1.9m dishes again can only be installed in strong signal areas, please note that bbc, itv etc.Will go off at approx. 10pm on the economy dish in certain areas.We also offer due to the robust build on all our professional dishes a 5 year guarantee against warping or kinking in high winds. Unfortunately this guarantee is not offered with our economy range of dishes. Check our website for more details.

LOOK AT ALL THESE FREE HD CHANNELS YOU CAN NOW RECEIVE WITHOUT PAYING ANY SUBSCRIPTION BBC1 HD – ITV1 HD – CHANNEL 4 HD – CHANNEL 5 HD – BBC HD – LUXURY LIFE HD PLUS 45 ENTERTAINMENT CHANNELS, 11 LIFESTYLE CHANNELS, 10 MOVIE CHANNELS, 13 NEWS CHANNELS, 8 KIDS CHANNELS, 13 MUSIC CHANNELS, 30 SHOPPING CHANNELS, 16 RELIGION CHANNELS, 38 INTERNATIONAL CHANNELS, 25 ADULT CHANNELS, OVER 65 RADIO STATIONS AND ALL TOTALLY FREE WITH OUR NEW Sky/Freesat High Definition USB PVR Recording Satellite Digibox with unique card slot function for the use of a Sky subscription card or a Sky FTV card. So if you are already a Sky television subscriber and you commute back and forth to Spain, all you would have to do is take your Sky viewing card out of its original Sky digibox in the UK and put it into the card slot on the front of the Sky/Freesat HD digibox to view whatever Sky viewing package you subscribe to. UK Authorised Sky Agent

WHY NOT PAY US A VISIT?

CHECK OUT WHO YOU ARE DEALING WITH – CHECK OUT OUR PREMISES CHECK OUT THE DISH AND THE ELECTRONICS QUALITY – CHECK OUT THE PICTURE QUALITY DEMONSTRATIONS A PLEASURE! ALL OF WHICH YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO DO WITH A LOT OF OTHER COMPANIES! With all installations you and your property are fully protected by our Public Liability Cover!! Payment by credit card – no problem. All major credit cards accepted

COMPLETE SYSTEM PRICES COMPRISING SATELLITE DISH AND LNB SKY/FREESAT HD DIGIBOX FREE SKY FTV CARD FULLY INSTALLED AND GUARANTEED 1.45m DISH SYSTEM – 795€ INCLUSIVE 1.9m DISH SYSTEM – 895€ INCLUSIVE 2.4m DISH SYSTEM – 1195€ INCLUSIVE

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tv Saturday

52 40

25 FEB MARCH4 2011 Feb 26--03 March 2010

07:00 Brainiac: History Abuse 08:00 Bill Bailey’s Birdwatching Bonanza 09:00 Guinness World Records Smashed! 10:00 WWE: Superstars 11:00 Soccer AM 13:00 Wayne Rooney’s Street Striker 14:00 A Town Called Eureka 15:00 Futurama 16:00 Futurama 17:00 Bite Size Brainiac 17:10 The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines 19:00 Futurama 20:00 The Simpsons 21:00 Futurama 22:00 Happy Gilmore 23:45 Road Wars 24:45 Bitten

07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 13:00 BBC News; Regional News 13:15 Football Focus 14:00 My Family 14:30 Outtake TV 15:00 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 17:25 BBC News; Regional News 17:35 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 20:00 Let’s Dance for Comic Relief 21:20 The National Lottery: Secret Fortune 22:10 Casualty 23:00 BBC News 23:20 Match of the Day 24:30 The Football League Show

07:00 Childrens TV 11:00 Trapped Ever After 11:25 OOglies 11:45 Copycats 12:15 My Life 12:45 MOTD Kickabout 13:00 Priceless Antiques Roadshow 13:10 Escape to the Country 14:10 Mr Deeds Goes to Town 16:00 Into the West 17:30 Final Score 18:15 Madagascar 19:15 Flog It! 20:00 Dad’s Army 20:30 An Audience with Ken Dodd 21:30 Arena 22:30 Faulks on Fiction 23:30 The Tudors 24:20 Nurse Jackie 24:45 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

07:00 Mini CITV 08:25 CITV 10:25 Coronation Street 12:45 This Morning: Saturday 13:45 Monk 14:45 ITV News 14:50 Thunderbirds 16:30 Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi 19:00 Granada News 19:15 ITV News 19:30 You’ve Been Framed! 20:00 Harry Hill’s TV Burp 20:30 Ant & Dec’s Push the Button 21:45 Take Me Out 23:00 Tomorrow Never Dies 24:05 ITV News 24:20 Tomorrow Never Dies

08:00 Brain Cell: Intelligent Sport UK Challenge 08:25 Freesports on 4 08:55 The Morning Line 09:50 Friends 10:25 Stars and Strikes 11:25 Glee 12:25 T4 at the NME Awards 2011 13:15 Friends 13:50 Big Bang Theory 14:50 Channel 4 Racing 16:50 Secret Supper Club 17:20 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 18:25 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 19:25 The Political Slot 19:30 Channel 4 News 19:55 4thought.tv 20:00 River Cottage Every Day 21:00 The Real King’s Speech 22:00 Mission: Impossible III 24:20 The NME Awards 2011

07:00 Childrens TV 08:30 Make Way for Noddy 08:45 Igam Ogam 09:00 Little Princess 09:15 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:30 Play! 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Olivia 10:15 Mr Men Show 10:30 The Milkshake! Show 11:00 UEFA Europa League Highlights 12:05 How Do They Do It? 12:35 The Gadget Show 13:40 Superman 16:15 Jane Doe 18:00 Patch Adams 20:00 Five News 20:10 NCIS 21:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 22:00 CSI: Miami 23:00 CSI: NY 24:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

07:00 Breakfast

24:55 Lead Balloon

07:00 Childrens TV 08:00 Basil and Barney’s Game Show 08:30 Arthur 09:00 Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab 09:30 Gimme a Break 10:00 Dick & Dom Go Wild 10:30 Cop School 11:00 Something for the Weekend 12:30 Film 2011 with Claudia Winkleman 13:00 Escape to the Country 14:00 I Know Where I’m Going! 15:30 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 18:00 Songs of Praise 18:35 Coast 18:55 The Terminal 21:00 Top Gear 22:00 Toughest Place to Be a Midwife 23:00 Match of the Day 2 24:00 League Cup Show 24:45 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

07:00 Mini CITV 08:25 CITV 10:25 May the Best House Win 11:25 Biggest Loser 12:30 This Morning: Sunday 13:30 Dinner Date 14:30 ITV News 14:45 Columbo 16:45 Midsomer Murders 18:50 Granada News 19:05 ITV News 19:20 Harry Hill’s TV Burp 19:50 Dancing on Ice 21:30 Wild at Heart 22:30 Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off 23:00 That Sunday Night Show 23:30 ITV News 23:45 I Was There When the Beatles Played the Cavern 24:45 Premiership Rugby Union

07:10 Treacle People 07:20 The Hoobs 07:45 FIS World Snowboarding Championships 08:15 That Paralympic Show 08:40 Friends 09:05 Friends 09:40 Hollyoaks 12:10 Friends 12:50 Glee 13:50 The Simpsons 14:20 The Simpsons 14:50 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 15:25 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 15:55 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 16:25 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 16:55 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 17:25 Deal or No Deal 18:25 Time Team 19:30 Channel 4 News 19:55 4thought.tv 20:00 Come Dine with Me 21:00 The People’s Supermarket 22:00 The Promise 24:10 Alan Carr: Chatty Man

07:00 Childrens TV 08:30 Make Way for Noddy 08:40 Igam Ogam 09:00 Little Princess 09:10 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:30 Family! 09:40 Rupert Bear 09:55 Olivia 10:15 Mr Men Show 10:30 The Milkshake! Show 11:00 Starlight: For the Children 11:30 Street Market Chefs 12:00 Stansted: The Inside Story 13:00 Cowboy Builders 14:00 Ice Road Truckers 15:05 Apache Drums 16:25 Five News 16:35 Father Hood 18:25 Superman II 21:00 Royal Navy Caribbean Patrol 22:00 Hancock 23:50 Maximum Risk

07:00 Hour of Power 08:00 Bill Bailey’s Birdwatching Bonanza 09:00 It’s Me Or The Dog 10:00 Football’s Next Star 11:00 WWE: Superstars 12:00 WWE: Experience 13:00 A Town Called Eureka 14:00 Emergency Animal Rescue 14:30 Emergency Animal Rescue 15:00 Dream Lives for Sale 16:00 Futurama 16:30 Futurama 17:00 Futurama 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 The Simpsons 19:00 Got to Dance 20:30 Got to Dance 21:00 Live to Dance 22:00 Hawaii Five-0 23:00 NCIS: Los Angeles 24:00 House

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wreck or Ready? 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 60 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 17:00 Big Performance 17:30 Blue Peter 17:55 Life on the Front Line: Newsround Special 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 Crimewatch 23:00 BBC News

07:00 Childrens TV 12:05 In the Night Garden 12:35 Meerkat Manor 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 GMT with George Alagiah 14:00 Due South 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Nature’s Top 40 16:00 Wanted Down Under 16:45 Flog It! Ten of the Best 17:30 Cash in the Celebrity Attic 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 My Life in Books 20:00 Top Gear 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 22:00 When Teenage Meets Old Age 23:00 Never Mind the Buzzcocks 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Granada News 15:00 House Gift 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 The Lakes 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Biggest Loser 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 Homes from Hell 24:35 That Sunday Night Show

07:10 The Hoobs 08:05 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Frasier 09:30 According to Jim 10:00 Supernanny USA 10:55 The Good Wife 11:55 Relocation: Phil Down Under 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 River Cottage Bites 13:15 The TV Book Club 13:45 The Mark of Zorro 15:10 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 16:55 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Dispatches 22:00 One Born Every Minute 23:00 The Full Monty 24:45 Beady Eye: Live from Abbey Road

07:00 Childrens TV 09:40 Hana’s Helpline 09:50 The WotWots 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:00 The Vanessa Show 12:45 House 13:40 Five News 13:45 Build a New Life in the Country 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:45 Animal Rescue Squad 16:05 Monte Walsh 18:00 Five News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 Five News at 7 20:30 How Do They Do It? 21:00 The Gadget Show 22:00 Royal Navy Caribbean Patrol 23:00 Ultraviolet 24:50 Ultimate Fighting Championship

08:00 My Pet Shame 09:00 Oops TV 10:00 Road Wars 11:00 Lie to Me 12:00 Real Filth Fighters 13:00 Project Runway 14:00 The Real A & E 15:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 19:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Modern Family 21:30 Raising Hope 22:00 Ross Kemp: Extreme World 23:00 Inside: Predator Task Force 24:00 Mental

tv Sunday

08:50 Match of the Day 10:00 Andrew Marr Show 11:00 Big Questions 12:00 Country Tracks 13:00 The Politics Show 14:05 EastEnders 16:00 Match of the Day Live 19:30 BBC News; Regional News 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 South Riding 23:00 BBC News; Regional News 23:25 Outcasts 24:25 Reggie Perrin

tv Monday

08:30 Ski Jumping 09:30 Wintersports 09:45 Live Nordic Combined Skiing 11:00 Live CrossCountry Skiing 12:15 Alpine Skiing 12:45 Live Nordic Combined Skiing 13:45 Alpine Skiing 14:15 Ski Jumping 14:45 Live Ski Jumping 16:40 Wintersports Weekend 16:45 Live WTA Tennis 18:30 Biathlon 19:30 Biathlon 20:30 Fight Club 22:30 Ski Jumping 24:00 Cross-Country Skiing

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 35MM 08:30 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:50 Celebs 24/7 10:00 Four Weddings 12:00 America’s Next Top Model 13:00 Biggest Loser 15:00 Nothing to Declare 17:00 Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey 18:50 Celebs 24/7 19:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 20:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 21:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 22:00 Criminal Minds 23:00 Criminal Minds 24:00 Criminal Minds

Mission: Impossible III Channel 4 22:00

08:30 World Superbikes 09:00 Live Alpine Skiing 09:45 Ski Jumping 10:30 Live Alpine Skiing 11:45 Live CrossCountry Skiing 13:15 Live Alpine Skiing 14:00 Biathlon 14:45 Live Ski Jumping 16:45 Biathlon 17:25 Wintersports Weekend 17:30 Cross-Country Skiing 18:45 Ski Jumping 20:00 Boxing 22:00 Biathlon 22:30 Biathlon 23:00 Ski Jumping 24:30 Cross-Country Skiing

Hawaii Five-0 SKY1 22:00

08:30 WTA Tennis 09:30 Biathlon 10:00 Ski Jumping 11:15 Live Nordic Combined Skiing 12:30 Live CrossCountry Skiing 14:00 Ski Jumping 14:45 Live Nordic Combined Skiing 16:00 Ski Jumping 17:15 Cross-Country Skiing 18:00 Eurogoals 18:30 Champions Club 19:45 Eurogoals: One to One 20:00 Strongest Man 20:45 World Supersport Championship 21:30 World Superbikes 22:30 Cross-Country Skiing 23:30 Nordic Combined

Watch New Season TV for Free with the RTN Network 966 463 170

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:50 Celebs 24/7 10:00 Four Weddings 11:00 RSPCA Animal Rescue 12:00 Four Weddings US 13:00 Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey 14:50 Celebs 24/7 15:00 Nothing to Declare 16:00 Passport Patrol 17:00 Four Weddings 18:00 America’s Next Top Model 19:00 Fat Families 20:00 Four Weddings US 21:00 Cougar Town 21:30 Hot in Cleveland 22:00 Bedlam 23:00 World’s Youngest Daredevils 24:00 Alex Zane’s Guest List

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:50 Celebs 24/7 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Four Weddings US 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 15:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Alex Zane’s Guest List 20:30 Oscars: The Highlights Show 22:00 America’s Next Top Model 23:00 Bedlam 24:00 Criminal Minds

tv Tuesday

25 FEB 03 MARCH 2011 Feb 26 - -March 4 2010

07:15 Treacle People 07:25 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Frasier 09:35 According to Jim 10:05 Supernanny USA 11:00 The Good Wife 11:55 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 River Cottage Bites 13:20 True Story of Jesse James 15:10 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 16:55 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 22:00 Heston’s Mission Impossible 23:00 Shameless 24:05 The Big C

07:00 Childrens TV 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:00 The Vanessa Show 12:45 House 13:40 Five News 13:45 Build a New Life in the Country 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:50 Animal Rescue Squad 16:05 Family Recipe 16:15 More Sex and the Single Mom 18:00 Five News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 Five News at 7 20:30 Extraordinary Dogs 21:00 Stansted: The Inside Story 22:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 23:00 CSI: Miami 23:55 CSI: NY 24:55 Law & Order

07:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 08:00 My Pet Shame 09:00 Oops TV 09:30 Oops TV 10:00 The Real A & E 11:00 Lie to Me 12:00 Real Filth Fighters 12:30 Real Filth Fighters 13:00 Project Runway 14:00 The Real A & E 15:00 Stargate SG-1 16:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 19:30 The Simpsons 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Got to Dance 22:30 Got to Dance 23:00 Happy Gilmore 24:45 Alex Zane’s Guest List

07:00 Childrens TV 09:40 Hana’s Helpline 09:50 The WotWots 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:00 The Vanessa Show 12:45 House 13:40 Five News 13:45 Build a New Life in the Country 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:50 Extraordinary Dogs 16:20 Abducted 18:00 Five News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 Five News at 7 20:30 Starlight: For the Children 21:00 Cowboy Builders 22:00 NCIS 23:00 Greatest TV Weddings

07:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 08:00 My Pet Shame 09:00 Top Design 10:00 The Real A & E 11:00 Lie to Me 12:00 Real Filth Fighters 13:00 Oops TV 14:00 The Real A & E 15:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 19:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Louie Spence’s Showbusiness 22:00 An Idiot Abroad 23:00 Mad Dogs 24:00 Ross Kemp: Extreme World

23:35 Mercury Rising

07:15 Treacle People 07:25 The Hoobs 07:50 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Frasier 09:35 According to Jim 10:05 Supernanny USA 11:00 The Good Wife 11:55 Country House Rescue 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Heaven Can Wait 15:10 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 16:55 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Beauty and the Beast: Ugly Face of Prejudice 22:00 Jamie’s Dream School 23:00 Model Agency 24:05 Shameless

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Granada News 15:00 House Gift 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Marchlands 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 Benidorm 24:35 Send In the Dogs

07:15 Treacle People 07:25 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Frasier 09:35 According to Jim 10:05 Supernanny USA 11:00 The Good Wife 11:55 Restoration Man 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Brief Encounters of the Sporting Mind 13:10 The Hunters 15:10 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 16:55 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Relocation, Relocation 22:00 Love Thy Neighbour 23:00 10 O’Clock Live 24:05 Friday Night Dinner

07:00 Childrens TV 09:40 Hana’s Helpline 09:50 The WotWots 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:00 The Vanessa Show 12:45 House 13:40 Five News 13:45 Build a New Life in the Country 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:50 Extraordinary Dogs 16:20 Murder without Conviction 18:00 Five News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 Five News at 7 20:30 Monkey Life 21:00 Jaws: The True Story 22:00 Pistol Whipped 24:05 Steven Seagal v Justin Lee Collins

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wreck or Ready? 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 60 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 17:00 Dead Gorgeous 17:30 Blue Peter 17:55 Shaun the Sheep 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Silk 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News

07:00 Childrens TV 11:25 64 Zoo Lane 11:45 Waybuloo 12:05 In the Night Garden 12:35 Meerkat Manor 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 GMT with George Alagiah 14:00 Due South 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Nature’s Top 40 16:00 Wanted Down Under 16:45 Flog It! Ten of the Best 17:30 Cash in the Celebrity Attic 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 My Life in Books 20:00 Natural World 21:00 A Farmer’s Life for Me 22:00 Horizon 23:00 How TV Ruined Your Life 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

07:00 Daybreak

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wreck or Ready? 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 60 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 17:00 Trade Your Way to the USA 17:30 MI High 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Boat that Guy Built 21:00 Waterloo Road 22:00 MasterChef 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 National Lottery

07:00 Childrens TV 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 See Hear 14:30 Hairy Bikers Short 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Nature’s Top 40 16:00 Wanted Down Under 16:45 Flog It! Ten of the Best 17:30 Cash in the Celebrity Attic 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 My Life in Books 20:00 Escape to the Country 21:00 Attenborough and the Giant Egg 22:00 A History of Ancient Britain 23:00 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Fast and Loose 24:50 Timeshift

07:00 Daybreak

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wreck or Ready? 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 60 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 17:00 Prank Patrol 17:30 Serious Explorers 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Human Planet 22:00 Famous, Rich & in the Slums with Comic Relief 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News

07:00 Childrens TV 11:25 64 Zoo Lane 11:45 Waybuloo 12:05 In the Night Garden 12:35 Meerkat Manor 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 GMT with George Alagiah 14:00 Due South 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Nature’s Top 40 16:00 Wanted Down Under 16:45 Flog It! Ten of the Best 17:30 Cash in the Celebrity Attic 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 My Life in Books 20:00 The Culture Show 21:00 The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best 22:00 The Spice Trail 23:00 Mock the Week 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Granada News 15:00 House Gift 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Grimefighters 21:00 Lion Country 22:00 Leah’s Dream 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News

tv Wednesday

23:35 The River Wild

09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Granada News 15:00 House Gift 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Live FA Cup Football 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News

tv Thursday

08:30 Champions Club 09:45 Nordic Combined Skiing 10:45 Cross-Country Skiing 11:45 Ski Jumping 12:45 Live CrossCountry Skiing 14:15 Biathlon 14:45 Biathlon 15:15 Cross-Country Skiing 16:00 Eurogoals 16:30 Champions Club 17:45 Cross-Country Skiing 19:00 Ski Jumping 20:00 Boxing 21:00 Biathlon 21:30 Biathlon 22:00 WTA Tennis 23:00 Extreme Sports: Freeride Spirit 23:15 Cross-Country Skiing 24:15 World Superbikes

53 53

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:50 Celebs 24/7 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Four Weddings US 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 15:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Cougar Town 21:30 Hot in Cleveland 22:00 Fat Families 23:00 Bridalplasty 24:00 Criminal Minds

Lion Country ITV1 21:00

09:30 Nordic Combined Skiing 10:30 Wintersports 10:45 Live Nordic Combined Skiing 12:00 Live Cross-Country Skiing 14:00 Live Cross-Country Skiing 15:15 Nordic Combined Skiing 15:45 Live Nordic Combined Skiing 16:45 Ski Jumping 17:45 Live Ski Jumping 19:00 Cross-Country Skiing 20:00 Nordic Combined Skiing 20:30 Olympic Magazine 21:05 Wednesday Selection 21:10 Show Jumping 22:10 Riders Club 22:15 World Golf Championship 23:15 Golf Club 23:20 Yacht Club 23:30 Ski Jumping

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:50 Celebs 24/7 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Four Weddings 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 15:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Four Weddings US 22:00 Bones 23:00 Grey’s Anatomy 24:00 Save the Last Dance

Jamie’s Dream School Channel 4 22:00

07:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 08:00 My Pet Shame 09:00 Top Design 10:00 The Real A & E 11:00 Lie to Me 12:00 Real Filth Fighters 13:00 Oops TV 14:00 The Real A & E 15:00 Stargate SG-1 16:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 19:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Hawaii Five-0 22:00 Mad Dogs 23:00 House 24:00 NCIS: Los Angeles

08:30 Ski Jumping 09:30 Cross-Country Skiing 10:15 Nordic Combined Skiing 11:15 Ski Jumping 12:15 Live Biathlon 14:00 Live CrossCountry Skiing 15:00 Nordic Combined Skiing 16:00 Ski Jumping 16:45 Live Ski Jumping 18:45 Biathlon 20:00 Fight Club 21:45 Ski Jumping 23:15 Biathlon 24:30 Cross-Country Skiing

Watch New Season TV for Free with the RTN Network 966 463 170

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:50 Celebs 24/7 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Four Weddings 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 15:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 18:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Criminal Minds 22:00 Strictly Ballroom 23:50 Bedlam 24:50 Criminal Minds

Feb 26--03 March 2010 25 FEB MARCH4 2011

54 44

The TV Round Up by

Alex Trelinski

Broadcaster and freelance journalist

Barlow’s hook of fear C OME ON! Admit it! You really did want Peter Barlow to knock nine bells of the proverbial out of Nick Tilsley on Coronation Street last week. I really thought he was going to do the deed with his metal implement borrowed from Captain Hook, as Nick quickly rushed offscreen to the nearest launderette to deal with his soiled underwear. Just as good was Peter’s mad dash in Lloyd’s cab to Manchester’s Piccadilly railway station, together with those predictable roadworks and red traffic lights! He needn’t have worried as Leanne changed her mind, and we got a happier ending than Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson managed in that forties classic, ‘Brief Encounter’.

That’s more than can be said for ‘Outcasts‘, which has been pulled from its primetime BBC 1 Monday slot, and will now appear late on Sunday nights. I liked it at first but it rapidly became an absolute bore. I can’t remember the last time when a heavily promoted BBC drama has been shunted away in the schedules, like a naughty schoolboy being sent to the headmaster. I always thought the BBC was an organisation that did not take decisions based solely on ratings. So what happens now to quality programmes which are critically acclaimed but are not instant audience hits? Many classics over the last fifty years had sticky starts with the viewers, and so this does set a

Book Review by

Danny Collins

copy@dannyjpcollins.com

worrying precedent. Whatever the many failings of ‘Outcasts’, it should have been allowed to wither away in its original timeslot.

One of ITV’s big hits is back tonight with ‘Benidorm’ up against a repeat run of the ever-popular ‘New Tricks’. I love the show, but I thought the Christmas special was the worst episode ever. It of course missed the late Geoffrey Hutchings and his brilliant character Mel, but with Johnny Vegas having departed as well, I just did not find it funny and it was left floundering with a pointless cameo from Su Pollard. I hope that it returns to form tonight, as the lovely Cilla Black makes a guest appearance. By the way, I always enjoy casting a careful eye over their mock-up of Alicante Airport: where do they actually shoot their internal airport scenes?

The BBC must be pleased that ‘The One Show’ presentation team is now firing on all cylinders after Matt Baker took over the permanent hosting mantle with Alex Jones. Baker, with his ‘Blue Peter’ and ‘Countryfile’ experience is simply miles better than his predecessor, Jason Manford, who quit in November due to some stupid sexual ‘tweeting’. In turn, Manford has been

The first of the new legal drama, ‘Silks’ popped up on Tuesday. There’s been a big hole in the schedule for some courtroom fun, since the nonsensical axing of ‘Judge John Deed’. This looks like filling it with the excellent Maxine Peake playing an ambitious defence barrister. The creator, Peter Moffat, has a great pedigree in legal dramas like the outstanding ‘Criminal Justice’ (of which the last series starred Peake) and based on the first episode, I can see this coming back for a few seasons.

The BBC has fired up some big drama guns in the last week: ‘South Riding’ on Sunday was terrific. Set in the thirties in a Yorkshire girls’ school, this had everything from the sizzling performances of Anna Maxwell Martin and David Morrissey through to the wonderful writing of Andrew Davies, who adapted the original novel.

The Berlin Wall

On the morning of 13 August 1961, Berliners woke up to the sound of construction along the demarcation line that marked the boundaries of East and West Berlin. The infamous Berlin Wall was to separate families and become a rigidly controlled frontier symbolic of the Cold War that existed between the USSR and the Western Powers from the days of the Berlin Blockade of 1948. I myself passed through Checkpoint Charlie with its warning notices of Leaving the US Zone on a number of occasions in the early 1970s, which saw the height of tension between the two zones enflamed by the deaths of those like student Peter Fechter who was shot by East German border guards and left to die within the eastern shadow of the Wall while attempting to escape to the West on 17 August 1972. Frederick Taylor has researched and written a faithful account of the Wall’s bloody history from August 1961 until it was demolished on 9 November 1989. The book, published in 2009, commemorates the 20th anniversary of the Wall’s demolition in the wake of Gorbochev’s announcement of Glasnost and the dismantling of

Suduko Answer

the USSR. Presented together with a section of black and white photographs, Taylor has written a history that should grace the bookshelves of anyone interested in the Cold War politics of the post war years. Taylor writes with an easy prosaic style that keeps the reader turning the pages, an art so often lost to today’s writers of modern history. Author: Frederick Taylor Publisher: Bloomsbury (paperback) Price: €13.00 ISBN: 978 1 4088 0256 4

struggling with everybody else on ITV’s fifth-rate ripoff of the Beeb’s ‘Live at the Apollo‘, ‘Comedy Rocks‘. The show has sunk without trace, with the plughole being pulled out by the entertaining ‘Hustle’ team on BBC1. It was great to see Hannah Gordon back on our screens in last week’s final episode, and let’s hope that ‘Hustle’ will be back next year.

motoring

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

New UK law for UK vehicles soon in force by

Brian Deller

Author of Motoring in Spain

THIS SPRING heralds the introduction of a new law in the UK that states all vehicle owners must keep their vehicle (or vehicles) insured unless they have notified the DVLA in Swansea that it (or they) are being kept completely off the road, with severe penalties for offenders. Any fines will be sent automatically through the post and the vehicles ‘flagged’ if the fines are not paid and the vehicles insured. What does this mean for Spanish residents still driving UK-plated vehicles? Those who have not transferred their UK vehicles onto Spanish plates have two choices: Legalise their vehicle or, if they are not full time residents here, advise the DVLA with a SORN, or ‘Sworn Off Road Notification’, that their vehicle is not being used on the road at all, and that means anywhere within the EU. This applies to all vehicles within the EU, not just British ones. The UK police are very hot on issuing fines to foreign owners caught there. Remember, if you lend your vehicle to a relative or friend you must give him/her a letter with all your and their identity details giving permission for the loan and the applicable dates of the loan. If you are operating a UK vehicle here in Spain and you have declared a SORN and get caught, you not only risk a stiff fine and an order to get it reregistered here but also a fine of up to £1,000 from the DVLA.

Another problem is that if you have been living here for a while, you risk having the vehicle being classed as a new import, not personal property as it would be when you arrived to stay in Spain, and then also being charged with import duty. Sadly one of the important actions that new expats coming to Spain (or most places) is that many fail to investigate to ensure vehicles are legalised as inexpensively as possible. So your UK-registered vehicle must now be insured in the UK (with a UK-based company; local brokers can arrange this) so it is entered on the national UK insurance database used by the DVLA to trace those that are not insured, just as Spanish-plated vehicles are in Spain, and the information is available to not only the police at the roadsides in the UK there but also in the roadside computer cameras with numberplate recognition software. Just think how much of a disaster it would be to arrive in the UK for a visit and have your car seized by the police and crushed a few kilometres up the UK road after disembarking from the ferry. My advice is to make life easier and cheaper for yourself by filling in a SORN (Statutory Off Road Notice) form available from the DVLA or your local UK post office. See: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/ OwningAVehicle/Motorinsurance or www.askmid.com. www.direct.gov.uk/en/ Motoring/OwningAVehicle/UntaxedVehicle/DG_ 4022058.

Remember though that any applications may be subject to an automatic check that the vehicle is already insured in the UK, so make sure your insurance broker/agent knows this fact and your UK-registered vehicle is already included in the UK database. If you have insured it in Spain then it should be on the list as the EU law says a foreign vehicle cannot be insured by a national, company, i.e. A UK registered car cannot be insured by a Spanish insurance company etc. through a UK company affiliated usually to Lloyds of London. Check with your broker here if applicable and get the answer you need in writing. As a friend noted during a conversation recently, many expats (as well as all of us in Europe) are suffering now with cash restraints due to the crisis but sadly again this will not be accepted as an excuse for not being legal. Many expats have been ignoring the law for years now so when the axe falls, who else can they blame? As I have advised for months now, the authorities are looking everywhere for more tax cash as they are battling to pay staff and supply services. Sorry for the bad news and please do not shoot the messenger. Keep safe out there. There are many very poor people with no jobs now. Be very aware when being asked for directions by a stranger or for the time, or a light, etc. Watch your back or your wallet/handbag.

There is much more detailed information on all motoring subjects in my book. Brian Juan (John) Deller, Malaga, author, ‘Motoring in Spain’ www.spainvia.com. Tel: 666 888 870 Brian Deller, author, book Motoring in Spain, ISBN No 978 84 611 9278 6. Shops’ addresses in my web site at: www.spainvia.com/bookshopslist.htm

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

APPROVED USED CARS

1996 CITROEN XANTIA 1.8i 16v Sxi 130,000kms with aircon and electric windows, service history

2009 CITROEN C4 110 HDi CMP cool 5 door, €12,500 49,000Kms silver metallic . Pack cool 2007 CITROEN C2 1.4i “CODE” Special edition with Tan Leather interior, Black metallic, only 34,000kms €8,000 2007 CITROEN C4 Picasso 5 Seat 1.6 HDi CMP Auto SX Coffee Metallic Dual climate 86,000kms full history €14,000 2007 CITROEN JUMPY 120Hdi 6 Speed, White paintwork €13,000 A/C and 6 Seats, only 52,000kms (P) 2005 CITROEN XSARA PICASSO 1.6 Hdi 110Hp Exclusive € 7,500 130,000kms Full service history 2003 CITROEN C3 1.4i SX Air conditioning CD radio Good €5,000 condition with 135,000kms in Silver 2001 CITROEN SAXO 1.4i sx with air conditioning silver €2,300 metallic good runabout 2001 CITROEN XSARA PICASSO Green metallic Aircon CD €2,500 radio slightly high Kms a bargain

We Buy, Sell & Part Exchange Quality British & Spanish Cars Transfer Documents Completed Competitive Insurance Quotes All cars Fully serviced and valeted

2006 SEAT ALTEA 140Tdi REFERENCE in Blue metallic with 70,000kms with 6 speed gearbox with only 27,000kms, Super Luxury (P) with 57,000kms Perfect for a holiday home car

OPEL ASTRA 2006 1.7 CDTI DIESEL

FORD KA 2006 1.3 LTR PETROL

Aircon Radio CD Excellent condition

€5,750

€5,995

€6,500

2001 RENAULT MEGANE 1.6i Automatic Expresión, 1996 MERCEDES Clase C 220 Cdi Silver metallic with full option pack 158,000kms Very well looked after(P) €4,000

VENUS

965 368 274 €6,495

FSH

RENAULT MEGANE GRAND TOURER ESTATE 2004 2 LTR PETROL FSH

€5,995

CITROEN C3 SX PLUS 2004 1.4 LTR PETROL

CITROEN C3 SX PLUS 1.4 LTR PETROL 2005 ONE OWNER

€11,995

rhd

FORD MONDEO GHIA 2008 2LTR DIESEL AUTOMATIC/TIPTRONIC LOW MILES

€4,995

25000kms

HYUNDAI GETZ 2007 1.1 LTR PETROL

€2,495

SMART FORFOUR 2004 1.3 LTR PETROL

€6,995

Cars S.L.

www.venuscars.com

CITROEN C3 70 SX Plus 2005 1.4 HDI DIESEL, ONE OWNER

€2,495

€3,995

49000kms

fsh

automatics

SOLD

€4,200

Well looked after 135,00kms 5 puertas €3,500

one owner

BMW 320 I SE 2001 4 DOOR

€60,000

2005 FORD FOCUS 1.6i Trend Silver grey, 80,000Kms

€6,995

€7,995

2006 FORD KA 1.3i collection 70 Silver metallic

Find us next to Petrol Station TORREMENDO 10 Minutes inland from San Miguel, Los Montesinos & Junction 751 on the AP7 towards Orihuela. Torremendo turning on CV95 towards San Miguel

€7,995

€8,500

2006 AUDI A8 4.2 Tdi All of the extras from Audi and

SPANISH REGISTERED CARS LHD €4,995

€6,800

full option pack with 108,000kms and Service history

Opening hours Mon - Fri 9-6pm (No siesta) Sat 10-1pm

WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS

€1,500

2004 RENAULT MEGANE SCENIC 1.9Dci Privledge

80000kms

FORD KA 1997 1.3 LTR PETROL

€5,995

€7,495

49000kms

SEAT IBIZA 2006 1.9 TDI DIESEL

SUZUKI VITARA 2002 4X4 1.9 LTR DIESEL

€5,250

FSH

FIAT STILO JTD 2001 1.9 LTR DIESEL

FORD FOCUS 2003 1.6 LTR PETROL GHIA FSH, ONE OWNER

€2,995

€4,250

€6,495

PEUGEOT PARTNER 2000 COMBI 1.9 LTR DIESEL

PEUGEOT 206 2001 1.4 LTR Petrol

43000kms

UK RIGHT HAND DRIVE CARS

€7,995

FORD FOCUS ZETEC 2008 1.8 LTR PETROL ONE OWNER, TAXED

€4,995

one owner

IPTRONIC

FORD FOCUS ESTATE 2002 1.6 LTR PETROL AUTOMATIC

AUTOMATIC/T

SEAT TOLEDO 1998 PETROL AUTOMATIC

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ESTATE 2002 1.9 LTR TDI AUTO TIPTRONIC DIESEL

Ford Focus Trend 2003 1.8 Ltr TDCi Diesel

See our vehicles on our website www.venuscars.com

Ford Transit Connect T200 2005 1.8 TDCi Diesel

Classified Ads 25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

All Major Credit Cards Accepted - 0.31e per word + IVA

Book your advert now 902 118 999 (ext 2)

EMAIL: classifieds@roundtownnews.com | WEBSITE: www.roundtownnews.co.uk | Fax: 96 585 60 54 | Or see our list of classified agents in this section

UK-SPAIN-IRELAND All European Destinations

Removals with the personal touch. Full/part loads. Parcels, flat packs, luggage, door to door service, Storage available, pets transported

Phone 965 696 750 • 0044 (0) 1460 74191 email: chrisyounge73979@aol.com

PRISTINE POOLS

• Professional pool maintenance & cleaning • Replacement pumps, filters, salt systems Ph regulators and accessories supplied and installed • Pipe leaks pressure tested, detected and repaired • Structural leaks investigated and repaired • Refurbishments & upgrades undertaken British Trained with over 15 years experience. Extensive references. All work guaranteed Tel: 96 677 4199 or 678 080 500 www.pristineswimmingpools.com Torrevieja and surrounding areas plus Costa Calida

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011 week, €31,000 nett yearly. 25 pringle vending machines with sites €14,900.€250 per week guaranteed.965-326-442/ 659-696-455 SOLAR ENERGY BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Long established company, own product range. First class training & support. Telephone 606586587

FORMER WORLD KICKBOXING CHAMPION lessons in kickboxing/martial arts. one on one, get fit, blackbelt programs. 659-696-455

Blocked Drains SERVICE AIR David Higton: (Tel) 966-865-883 (Mob) 629-308-505 (Email) cool@serviceair.biz

MOBILE/PARK HOMES FROM 15,000€ Fully furnished ready to move into, A/c, tel, eng tv, on permanent site, bar/res, pool,tennis,gym, shop. Walking distance to San Javier. 5mins to beach, Airport, hospital by car. Also bungalows for rent. Carol:-968-192-425. Mob:-626-055-622 www. mobilehomesmarmenorspain. com CAMPING LOS GALLARDOS Come to Mojacar! Large campsite + mobile home park open all year, great expat community site, all welcome. 950-528-324. www. CampingLosGallardos.com

2 BEAUTIFUL YORKSHIRE TERRIERS looking for a loving home with a garden. They are sisters and like to stay together, they are 18 months old and very playful. Denia Area.Tlf:966-408-328 PETZBACK HOME Professional pet transportation. UK/Spain/UK www. petzbackhome.co.uk Ring 0044-1209-319204 PAWS PET TRANSPORT Spain-UK-Spain every month. PC SOLUTIONS 4U For all your computer needs. Reliable & Friendly service. Alicante North area.Call Fred:634-638-664 BYTEBACK MICROS computer repairs/upgrades in your home. Qualified technician. Systems custom built. Whatever your problem call: 965-312-006 or 606-127-424 COMPUTER SOLUTIONS All your computer needs carried out in our workshop, or at your home or office. Sales, repairs, upgrades, etc. Alicante to Torrevieja plus inland. Call Jim on 966-790-520 or 616-211-023

We look after your pets as if they belong to us. Call Joe for a chat on 966-074-576 or 650-341-087. email:pawspettransport@hotmail.com SMALL FRIENDLY BRITISH KENNELS individual runs, large excercise area. 25 mins Alicante airport. www. parkbark.co.uk 628-244-712

NATUROPATHIC HEALTH AID Excellent product and Business Opportunity. Try it and see!! 696-640-747/UK:- 07540-932133 wellbeingnetwork@hotmail. com www.wellbeingbus.com FOR TRASPASO. BARRESTAURANT. Center of Torrevieja. Same owners for 23 years. Reason for sale, retirement.telephone:966-707-580 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Home based internet business secure your future minimal monthly outlay, free health band, and much more www. referlife.com/1080 or tel:663-559-806 RESTAURANT LEASE FOR SALE Fully fitted and licensed restaurant for sale at a very realistic price.The restaurant has been trading for 8-years and is well established. tele:687-913-775 10 COLD DRINK/SNACK VENDING MACHINES with sites,€39,900.excellent cash income, no overhead, work from home, work only one day per

AVONDALE LEDA (UK) twin axle, 22 feet. Appr.5 Berth caravan. Good condition many extras including 5m awning. 4250Euro 966-491-354 Moraira ABBEY GT 2 BERTH TOURER Ex. Con. New Awning and Annexe and all extras. In Situ, Camping Los Pinos, Denia. 950€ Tlf/Txt:-0044-784-007-7163

FULLY QUALIFIED UK ELECTRICIAN with 10 years experience on the CostaBlanca. All jobs undertaken-extra sockets, rewires, fault finding. Tlf:-Hugh-690-275-223

PART TIME COOK REQUIRED for busy restaurant in Guardamar. Experience necessary. Apply by telephone to Paul on 636-889-232

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011 AVON NEED AGENTS AND LEADERS work hours to suit you. For info Phone Rosh 966-785-520 DUE TO EXPANSION, MILLIE MUNRO SERVICES Requires experienced S/E Sales Consultants. You will be promoting Golden Leaves Funeral Plans, Private Health Insurance and our other services targeting the expat regions of Spain. This is also a great opportunity to expand your existing business. You can expect to earn excellent commissions and full product training will be provided. Interested...? Then forward your CV to simon@milliemunro.com or call 966 493 082 SALES BARCELONA Experienced sales executives required for our new office in Barcelona. We are looking for highly motivated individuals with exceptional communication skills. Excellent package offered to the right candidate. Please call Alex on:-674-617-787 FEMALES AND COUPLES 18 to 65 required for adult internet photo and video modeling. Excellent rates. 697-697-842.

PALM AND TREE TRIMMING/ REMOVAL All Garden Maintenance Call 619-336-762

TEETH WHITENING. Professional and pain free. Cosmetic One Hour Treatment, from 99€. Javea, Denia, Calpe, areas. Tel:-680-501-404 or email: info@nulookteeth.com WEIGHT LOSS GUARANTEED/GET FIT world class personal trainer €50 per hour.659-696-455. PRESTIGE NURSING offers Legal, Registered and Professional Home Care on the Costa Blanca. All your home nursing care service needs can be undertaken by our highly trained nursing/ domiciliary team. Call Prestige Nursing on 687-015-517

AT MICHAEL’S you can get part exchange on certain beds when you buy a New bed from our New Bed shop in the Arenal. See photos (updates every 5-6 days): www.michaels-javea.com MICHAEL’S 28 YEARS IN JAVEA ENSURES YOUR SATISFACTION! We sell high quality pre owned furniture, many from show apartments etc. Look at: www.michaels-javea.com Tel 96-579-1328 S.O.S. INSURANCE CarHome-Health-Comercial. Funeral Plans and Insurance. Tlf:-966-787-123/ 622-275-561/686-116-297

LP COLLECTION TO SELL please ask for list. Location near Benidorm. Information by email michaelinspain@hotmail.com MOTOR, 80CM DISH and mounting column, 135euro. Moraira, 966-495-263 WHEELCHAIR Light, Foldable, Hardly used. 150€. Mobility Scooter 40km range 499€. Both like new! Tlf:-627-019-403 FOR SALE IN OLIVA Trailer, 6x3ft, cover, new tyres incl spare - €250 ovno; Mountain Bike, 21 speed, extras - €120 ovno; Honda Petrol Rotavator, service record & manual - €260 ovno; Continental headlights for Renault Scenic 1998-2002 - €250 ovno & Renault Laguna 1996-2001 - €200 ovno. Tel:962-838-882 after 1600hrs HAIRDRESSING EQUIPMENT 2 backwash units, 2 hairdressing chairs, Hood Dryer on Stand, Climazon Dryer Nearly New 1600€. Tumble Dryer 200€ Genuine Interest Only Tlf:-620-408-678 2 X MATCHING SOFA TABLES Circular, Diameter 60cm, Height 55cm, 3 legged pedestal base, Light oak finish. VCG. Altea area, Buyer collects. 50€ the pair. 691-202-307 POOL TABLE FOR SALE. BRAND NEW Never Used. Bought new for 1500€, will accept 750€. Tel:-637-583-373 TUBE HEATERS tubular heaters. suitable for wardrobes, bathrooms, garages etc. low running costs. new with guarantee. all areas covered. From 30 euros. 628809829 tubularheaters@gmail.com

AT MICHAEL’S you also get NEW high quality Spanish beds. All sizes available as we deal directly with the manufacturers! Famous brands like United Colors of Benetton, etc www.michaels-javea.com AT MICHAEL’S Many table sets - all styles.Several large carpets, very high quality. High quality guest beds with storage. See over 600 photos: www.michaels-javea.com AT MICHAEL’S several different chest of drawers, pine, wicker etc. Mahogany corner cabinets. Designer furniture half price! New beds - quick delivery. www.michaels-javea.com

WANTED INSTANT CASH PAID Antique and modern jewellery, vintage watches bought sold part exchanged, insurance valuations. Jewellery & watch repairs. Alexanders, Javea Port seafron near Bar Esquina. Established since 2003. Tel:965-792-595

BALLROOM/LATIN/ SEQUENCE DANCING with LA BAMBA’s. Los Arcos Restaurant, Avenida Baleares, Torrevieja, New Beginners class Monday 10.30am-12.30pm. SOCIAL DANCE Saturday 7.30pm-10pm. Tuesday Improvers Lesson 7.30pm8.30pm plus SOCIAL DANCE 8.30pm-10.30pm. New Venue: The Wok Royal, Benijofer (966714-820) New Beginners Class: Monday, 7.30pm-8.30pm, Argentine Tango Class 8.30pm9pm plus SOCIAL DANCE: 8.30pm-10.30pm. Bienvenido Chinese restaurant, at La Zenia roundabout.New Beginners Class: Wednesday 7.30pm9.30pm. Tel: Andrea and Brian 616-478-157 WEIGHT WATCHERS Call our Free English call centre now to find your nearest meeting. 900-818-794

INDUSTRIAL CATERING EQUIPMENT chest freezers(glass sliding lid)275euro,2mtr upright stainless steel freezer(single door)850euro,meet slicer 175euro,heated bar top display(pies etc)345euro,new 1.6mtr canopy inc motor and light 1500euro,3mtr conopy inc motor(used)1200euro,double frier 375euro, pizza oven and dough maker(3phase)1200euro, tele:-693-004-845 ORIGINAL FINNISH FOOD SMOKER BAG 4 bags including shipping cost 8,00E (only Spain). Order to michaelinspain@hotmail.com. BEV´S CAKES For all occasions, made to your specification. Alfaz/Benidorm areas. Call for more info 670-533-488 QROPS FEES! Have you looked at transferring or cashing in your UK pension only to be dissappointed by expensive fees? If so call me. Lowest QROPS Fees Guaranteed! Paul 965-058-488 or 691-219-354 KARAOKE MEDIA PLAYER “Brand New” 500GB. 70,000songs, software, songbooks, bar/home use. 275euros Tlf:-657-766-341 POOL, SNOOKER TABLES Also Table Tennis and Darts. Will beat any price!. Tlf:-666933-726. www.spainpool.com

LOOKING FOR A CAR? FWR has a good selection of LHD and RHD Vehicles for sale or exchange. New and Used Vehicles Sourced. Call Frank at Your Friendly English Car Sales on the Costa Blanca. Tlf:600-726-221/965-687-976 or simply view our website www. fwreurocars.com OPEL ASTRA ESTATE CDTI 2007, 58000Km, 3 month Opel warranty, Ecotec diesel, very economical, company car forces sale. 7750€ ONO.966462-082 or 662-444-955 FORD KA, 1997, 1.3 LTR Petrol, Spanish LHD, blue, electric windows,central locking,

air conditioning, only 80510 klm. 2495€ www.venuscars. com 965-368-274 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ESTATE, 2002 1.9 Ltr TDi , Automatic/tiptronic, Spanish LHD, diesel, silver, alloys, climate control, all round electric windows. 6995€ www. venuscars.com 965 368 274. SEAT IBIZA, REFERENCE, 2006 1.9 LTR Diesel, Spanish LHD, Burgundy, alloys, CD/MP3 player, electric windows, central locking, cruise control, climate control, only 49000 Klm . 7495€ www.venuscars.com 965 368 274 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT T200, 2005 1.8 TDCI, diesel, Spanish LHD, only one owner/driver. Very well maintained.4995€ www. venuscars.com 965-368-274 SUZUKI VITARA, 2002 4X4, Spanish LHD, Burgundy/Silver, 1.9 Ltr diesel, manual, only 43000 KLM 5995€ www. venuscars.com 965 368 274 SEAT TOLEDO, 1998 Petrol Automatic, white, Spanish LHD,air con, all round elc windows, good condition 2495€ www.venuscars.com 965 368 274 2 SPANISH PLATED LHD 2004 BMW 330 CDI Coupe Sport silver with black leather new tyres & itv 161000kms. vgc.10500euro 2002 Seat Alhambra SE 1.9 tdi. 130 bhp.7 seats silver. alloys new itv 169000 kms.5250euros 660271-549 or 0788-511-1333 will consider px RHD.uk plate PICASSO CITROEN DIESEL SX HD110 2007. Low Milage, Returning to UK. 7990€. Tel :-696-655-028/UK:-07540-932133. briansierra@hotmail.com BUMPERS, WINGS AND MIRRORS All body panels for all cars supplied. Tel:-966-875497 or 618-592-396 HEADLIGHTS4U.COM Left hand drive headlights supplied and fitted. All makes. Also air conditioning rechargeTel:-966875-497 or 618-592-396 MERCEDES 230 CLK, UK PLATES black, 6 speed box, taxed til end june mot 4 months, just serviced, Elegance model, all extras, perfect for returning to Uk. great condition, 2450euro may part exchange. tel:680-665-583 WE BUY any car,van,motorhome,boat, jet ski. Instant decision at good prices. Tel 680 -665-583 WANTED I buy any car, van,Caravan,4x4 Etc.British, Spanish. Immediate cash 600781-873 ibuyanycar@hotmail.com BMW 120D SPORT Reg 12/05.63k.clim cont. Silver,18”alloys,privacy glass. ITV 2012.6sp.5 dr. Immaculate condition. 11,800€ tel:966-731-156/699-808-656 WANTED, MERCEDES CLK CLK Elegance Wanted. Excellent condition, leather, 2004 or later, will pay up to 12,000€. 618-133-799 HYUNDAI SANTA FE V6 AUTO 2003 Spanish lhd 104,000km 8,500euro tel:660-375-093 WANTED Scrap cars, vans, lorries, plant and caravans. Turn your scrap into cash. Free collection. Tel.689929395

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

IM PAINTING interior and exterior painting to the highest standard. smooth or textured finish. up to 10 year guarantee. references available. call ian on 696-708-567

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25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

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25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

The final whistle With Andy Kay

RTN Golf Club update

Ticket madness Dennis Jordan NORTH REGION

Mike Probert SOUTH REGION

Giorgio Marchetti

HERE’S SOME fun-take a look at the following two statements and tell me what’s wrong with them: A. We want to hold the 2011 Champions League final on a Saturday so more families can attend. Michel Platini – Uefa President. B. Ticket prices for neutral fans will start at £150 each, going up to £225 and £300 for better seats. Giorgio Marchetti–Uefa Director of Competitions. What planet are these deluded, money grabbing people on? Having stated that they want more children to watch the most important European club game of the season, they then expect a family of four to shell out a minimum of £600 to do so. Plus another charge of £26 for admin – itself an absolute disgrace. Marchetti tried to justify the prices by saying they compared favourably to the European Championships. Hardly surprising really, Mr Marchetti, seeing as it’s your mob that organises that tournament as well. More telling is how they compare to other major sporting events. The cheapest ticket for the men’s final at Wimbledon last year was a shade over £100 and that’s about the same as you’ll pay to watch the men’s 100m final at London 2012. As for the £26 admin fee, Marchetti said that ‘costs were involved’ whatever that means. Perhaps he’s angling for a job at Ryanair when he quits football. Whilst I hope that we see two iconic teams at Wembley in May, a bit of me desperately wants a Schalke v Shakhtar Donetsk final just to see the look of Platini and Marchetti’s faces when they realise that no-one is going to pay way over the odds to watch that. PITCH BATTLE Staying on a Wembley theme, officials there insist that the pitch for this weekend’s Carling Cup final will be the best ever and promise that it will not be the ‘disgrace’ that it was for a number of high profile matches last year. Mind you, that’s not saying much really as, to be honest, Arsenal and Birmingham City could come and play the Carling Cup final in my back garden and the surface would be better than it was last season. REDUNDANT STATEMENT French rugby union coach Marc Lievremont didn’t exactly shock the sporting word this week when, ahead of Saturday’s match at Twickenham, he revealed that he and his players don’t exactly like the English. Not really a case of ‘Quelle Surprise’ is it? Indeed, I suggest that Lievremont and his team take their places behind all the Celtic nations plus South Africa, Australia and New Zealand who also go out of their way to maintain a healthy dislike for any team wearing the red rose. Personally, I love the French when it comes to rugby as you are never sure what team is going to turn up. They will either entertain royally on Saturday or be completely awful, allowing England to stick about 30 points on them. I rather hope it’s the latter.

Dennis Jordan NORTH

REGION

GOLFING ON the Costa Blanca has been getting more and more popular in the last few years and the good news is that prices are getting cheaper than they have ever been, although offers have changed over the last few weeks and with twilight timings now starting later, the prices overall for a round of golf have come down. To take advantage of discount prices in the north keep a look out each week here in the RTN weekly golf information page. If anyone would like to obtain a free RTN Golf Membership Card, log onto www.roundtownnews.co.uk and fill in the application form online. Your card will be processed and posted out to you: it couldn’t be easier.

BY THE time this article is published the clock will be well and truly ticking for the end of the winter ‘low season’ period with such deals ending on the 28th February 2011 at Hacienda del Alamo, La Finca, Las Ramblas, Roda, Villamartin and Vistabella. So if you want some last minute cheap golf bargains then you will need to book quickly. The good news is that a few of the courses will launch ‘spring’ deals but these will be few and far between. As reported last week, Vistabella and Roda are proving popular but note that at Roda they do have a temporary green in place on the 13th hole as they do some necessary repair work on the green. The biggest surprise to me is that the special €55 Friday deal at Altorreal is not being used by RTN golf club members as well as I would have thought and so it is either the thought of the drive to the course or dropping off the better half at Ikea and Nuevo Condomenia to do serious damage to the credit card. You can see the current deals available to RTN Golf Club members in the price table.

I WOULD like to start by thanking RTN for including MurciaGolf.com in their weekly column. We look forward to helping RTN readers reduce their green fee costs throughout Murcia, at the same time as offering them more courses to play on. The team at MurciaGolf.coare all avid golfers and consist of professionals, single figure as well as higher handicappers, so we are well equipped to help everyone with advice on the best courses to play and when. MurciaGolf.co also works closely with many hotels in the region and can offer great deals on ‘stay and play’ packages should you be looking for a weekend break away. We look forward to speaking to many of you in the near future. For more information please contact Murcia Golf on murciagolf@roundtownnews.com or 671 748 625.

Joinour

Club!

NORTH Region Golf Course

RTN Price

Comments

Alenda

€45

Single Green fee

Alicante Golf

€46

Single Green fee + Buggy

Bonalba

€42

Single Green fee

Don Cayo

€43

Single Green fee

El Plantio

€45

Single Green fee

Font del Llop

€40

Single Green Fee

Villaitana Par 62

€39

Single Green fee + Buggy

Villaitana Par 72

€45

Single Green fee

For more information email Dennis at dennis@roundtownnews.com or direct to www.benidormgolf.com on 630 714 373.

SOUTH Region Golf Course

RTN Price

Comments

Altorreal

€55

2 Players and 1 Buggy (Fridays)

Hacienda del Alamo

€89

2 Players and 1 Buggy

La Serena

€76

2 Players and 1 Buggy

Roda

€80

2 Players and 1 Buggy

VistaBella

€72

2 Players and 1 Buggies (Weekend) 2 Players and 1 Buggy (From 2.00pm)

€45

For more information contact Mike at mike@ roundtownnews.com or direct at Costa Blanca Green Fee Services on 966 704 752 or 661 345 931.

MURCIA Region Golf Course

RTN Price

Comments

La Envia

€41

Single Green fee

Sensol

€35

Single Green fee

Valle del Este

€90

2 Green fees and Buggy

Aguilón

€40

Single Green fee

Alborán

€48

Single Green fee

Cortijo Grande

€30

Single Green Fee

Almerimar

€60

Single Green Fee

Desert Springs

€65

Single Green fee

For more information email Lee Stent: Murcia Golf on murciagolf@roundtownnews.com or 671 748 625.

PLAYING GOLF for RTN Golf Club members could not be better as everyone scores a hole in one to enjoy a complete discount package at the best prices possible. Players can get out on 30 Costa Blanca courses and pay the most competitive green fees available. This ‘superb’ deal means a RTN Golf Club member and up to seven guests can all be enjoying spectacular discounts at clubs along the coast. To book a round, all members have to do is to send their requirements to the two agents, who will deal with requests quickly and efficiently. For the south email: mike@roundtownnews.com and for the north email: dennis@ roundtownnews.com To apply for your membership card go to: www.roundtownews.co.uk and click on the Golf club logo on the homepage. Allow 21 days for delivery

ANYONE FOR FOOTBALL? Aged between 20 to 40 ? Torrevieja area Call Doug on 628 789 335

25 FEB - 03 MARCH 2011

Behave yourself or stop playing Fishing Maggots End Noel’s world of golf By Noel Eastwell Teaching Professional Campo de Golf El Plantio 639 730 891

FOR MANY years, along with most of the golfing world, I supported and admired the great Tiger Woods. I have even at times proclaimed him to be the best golfer the World has ever seen and said I was lucky to be alive during his era to witness his greatness first hand. Boy has my attitude changed in the last year and a half! Tiger’s behaviour on the golf course over this time has been an absolute disgrace on some occasions. Okay he was never the greatest in terms of signing autographs and the like but he was respected for his golf and the way he behaved and how highly he regarded the traditions of golf. In The Omega Dubai Desert Classic this year, his constant spitting was nothing short of abhorrent. I lost count of the number of times I saw him spitting and when he did so on the green any last amount of respect I had for the man very quickly reduced substantially. In an era when any blood injury is treated seriously in many sports how much less dangerous is this disgusting habit of Tiger’s? Okay some will try to defend him by saying he may have had a cold. Well why then did he not seem to have what many civilised human beings would have: a handkerchief? To spit anywhere on a golf course is not the way for one of the game’s biggest names to behave: to spit on a green where a fellow professional may have to putt over the mess shows absolutely no respect for fellow golfers. The European Tour, to their credit, did fine him for his behaviour but have refused to reveal how much he was fined. Bearing in mind he got millions of dollars just for turning up, unless they fined him the whole of his appearance money, however much it was it was not enough.

This man is someone that most of the younger generation of golfers still worship - what kind of example does this present? I have gone on here a bit about his spitting but recently Tiger’s whole demeanour on the golf course has been unacceptable. I hope sincerely that he gets his head together and returns to the consummate professional he once was.

WIN A ROUND OF GOLF FOR 2 INCLUDING BUGGY AT THE BEAUTIFUL EL PLANTIO RESORT IN ALICANTE To enter this competition, simply answer the question below correctly. Every correct answer will be entered into a draw at the end of the month and the winner of this fantastic prize worth over €180 will be picked at random at the end of each month. Send your entries by email to golf@roundtownnews.com. The decision of the editor of RTN will be final in making the winning selection. QUESTION FOR 25TH FEBRUARY 2011 Where is The Avantha Masters played? A. New Delhi B. Calcutta C. Bombay All answers must be received no later than 17.00 on 28th February 2011 to be entered into February’s draw, to be made on 28th February. The winner will be announced in RTN on 4th March 2011. NOEL EASTWELL GOLF ACADEMY AT EL PLANTIO For the very best in golf tuition, contact Noel on 639 730 891.

Any questions you have for Noel should be sent to golf@roundtownnews.com

Camps congratulates La Vila

David Hoare

968 199 279 For further details ring Alan Roscoe 968 570 876 or email: anglerstogether@gonuts4free.com THERE ARE some matches that are memorable and some, like this week, that just need to be forgotten! The match this week was the third in the Coastrider Challenge Cup, and the venue was Blanca. For those who have fished it, you will know that it is not prolific even in the summer and far, far worse in the winter. Of the 13 anglers that fished, 10 blanked. I will just leave it there. TOP ANGLERS ON THE DAY 1st John (AKA Johnny M) Marsh fishing the feeder using corn & pellet with 2.59 kg. 2nd Ian (IrishWizard) Dalzell fishing the feeder using maggot with 1.70 kg. 3rd Terry (Swing ‘Em) Screen fishing the whip using maggot with 1.53 kg. WEIGHTS ON THE DAY Rods and Reels with 0 Abbey Anglers with 5.82 kg ACCUMULATIVE WEIGHTS Rods and Reels with 27.460 kg Abbey Anglers with 29.540 kg PLEASE NOTE There are two vacancies within the club - if anyone is interested in joining please contact Sue Swann on 966 729 293.

Camps (rugby ball in hand) with the champions

THE PRESIDENT of the Valencian region, Francisco Camps, accompanied by Villajoyosa’s Mayor, Jaime Lloret, has congratulated La Vila Rugby Club for attaining the RENFE league championship. The reception was attended by the La Vila management team and players and the Club received a cordial welcome from Francisco Camps at the Palau de la Generalitat in Villajoyosa on Tuesday 22nd February. Camps remarked that the Club’s brilliant season was a “…fantastic success for the Alicante department.” The mayor said, “We are going to celebrate this triumph by proposing at the next town plenary meeting a gold medal for the La Vila Rugby Club.” He also commented that the Club’s achievements were memorable for the town and for the sport in general.

FC Cartagena update FC Cartagena 1 - Numancia CD 0

OTHERS LOCAL SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS • La Vila rugby club with the title champion of the Spanish league. • Marta Baldó Marín: Gymnast: Montemar: Gold medal with the national team in the Olympics games in 1996. • José Lloret Pérez ‘Calsita’: Footballer: Trained in Villajoyosa, registered from 1949 to 1950 in Atlético de Madrid: His record includes 23 goals. • José López Ramírez: Player in indoor soccer for the blind: Best scorer and in 2004, for the Olympics games for handicaps he achieved a bronze medal. Best European player 2005. • Maisa Lloret Ivorra: Montemar Athletic Club: Attended the Seoul Olympics.

FORTHCOMING FIXTURE Next Saturday, 26th February, KO 18.00, mid-table Cordoba hosts Cartagena: the visitors will want revenge for a narrow defeat at Cartagonova Stadium back in September. Then, unusually for Spanish football, Cartagena hosts a midweek div 2a fixture. Cartagena v Tenerife is on Tuesday 1st March, with an earlier than usual midweek KO time of 20.00. For regular updates on FC Cartagena, check out www.nosoloefese.es or www.futbolclubcartagena.com.

ABBEY ANGLING RESULTS supplied by Terry Screen This week was the 4th round of the Abbey Angling Cup fished on the river Segura at Murcia on 15th February 2011. The water levels were down, very cold and had a funny green-greyish colour to it which did not look natural. It was cold and dry first thing, but an hour into the match it started to rain heavily and lasted all day; most of the anglers opted to go onto the feeder. Ian Dalzell fishing the bridge peg showed his expertise and won the match with an excellent bag of fish. THE RESULTS WERE 1st Ian (The Irish Wizard) Dalzell with 15.880kg on the pole with maggot and corn 2nd Alan (The Quiet Man) Reid with 8.580kg 3rd Stuart (I’m Married Again) Taylor with 8.440kg, fishing the feeder with maggot and corn The photograph below is showing dead fish, found in an ‘irrigation well’ at Zoco. The well is approx 18ft wide and the water level is about 20ft down; these fish we believe were netted out of Zoco by the unlicenced ...gang. I would estimate in the region of 2-300

fish were there either dead or dying. Attempts were made to rescue them but the drop was too far down for us to get to them and the live fish were gasping for air amongst the dead ones: what a cruel waste! All match details are available from the Match Secretary Terry Screen on 965 328 368. Hondon Trout Fishery THE WINNER of the fly competition of Wednesday 16th February was, again, Jim McGirl from Pinar de Campoverde. Right from the start at 14.00, it was clear that everyone would catch a lot, but after the break Jim, from the restaurant ‘The Rusty Nail’, left his competitors behind and became the winner at 17.30 with a catch of 30 trout. Kieran from Jijona was second with a catch of 23 and Dafidd from Catral was third with a catch of 18 trout. Jim received from Jan a voucher for one morning free fishing and 2 litres of tinto rosado of the Algueña bodega. Again he sponsored the foldable stool for the next competition: Saturday 5th March from 14.00 till 17.30. If you want to participate call Jan on 636 314 033 or visit www. hondontrucha.com Anglers Together ANGLERS TOGETHER was formed to introduce and encourage anglers of all abilities to meet up and get together to fish, either sea or freshwater. Firm friendships have been formed during the time the group has been active and information on fishing venues and licenses required are available at the meetings or by regular emailed newsletters. Meetings are held in two locations on the second Friday and Saturday of each month. Anyone with an interest in fishing (sea or freshwater) is welcome to come along to a meeting to see what we’re about. The next meeting at Mary’s Bar, Campoverde (near Pilar de la Horadada) will be held on Friday 11th March at 12.00. There is a new venue for the Puerto de Mazarron meeting starting in January 2011. On Saturday 12th March at 12.00 the meeting will be held at The New Royal Bar and Restaurant at El Alamillo, opposite the sea-front between Isla Plana and the Port. Refreshments and lunch are available at each location. Come along to a meeting nearest to you.