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Issue 598

By Royal appointment 01 - 07 april 2011

by Jack Troughton THE PRINCE of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall charmed representatives of the British expat community as the royal couple began a three day visit to Spain on Wednesday. Their Royal

Highnesses looked happy and relaxed as they mingled with 300 guests on the lawn of the British Ambassador’s Residence in Madrid.

They took the time to shake hands with everyone

of the throng assembled under a marquee and visibly enjoyed chatting and joking with guests who had travelled from as far away as the Balearics and the Canaries.

And told by a young Spanish lady that he was very good looking, the prince – possibly remembering fa-

mous snaps of being kissed in the Australian surf – replied: “Please don’t start all that again!”

The reception was staged during the official visit to allow the senior members of the Royal Family to personally thank representatives of a network of voluntary

organisations and charities for their tireless efforts in helping a million strong British community living across Spain – and some 15 million visitors arriving each year from the UK. Continued on page

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01 - 07 april 2011

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New Museum opens in Orihuela

by Patricia Thompson ORIHUELA CITY is fast becoming the cultural capital of Valencia following the inauguration last week of the Pedrera Foundation Museum, located in the Palace of Sorzano de Tejada. The museum was inaugurated by the Mayor of Orihuela, Mónica Lorente, and Antonio Pedrera, a lifetime Orihuela resident and businessman who, thanks to a very generous donation, made the museum become a reality.

The Mayor was also accompanied by the Territorial Director of Patrimony, Concha Sirvent; the Alicante Diputada in charge

of Culture, Pedro Romero and the Orihuela Councillors for Culture and Urbanism, Pepa Ferrando and Antonio Rodríguez Barberá, who have both been in charge of the museum restoration project.

Ms Lorente said “I would like to thank Orihuela´s son, Antonio Pedrera, for his amazing generosity and the wonderful vision that he had in transforming the Palace Sorzano de Tejada into this amazing museum, which I am sure will gain national recognition.”

The museum is currently displaying some amazing works of art by famous Spanish artist, Joaquín Agrasot.

Mayor of Orihuela Monica Lorente and Antonio Pedrera inaugurate museum

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See our feature on P34

Chaos delays medics

by Jack Troughton

ROAD CHAOS in a Marina Alta town centre caused a vital 20 minute delay in paramedics reaching a man who collapsed and died on the pavement, it was alleged this week.

Critics say road closures left an ambulance crew baffled as to how to get to Gallerias Aitana in Calpe – until a police escort arrived to guide them through back streets to reach the pensioner.

And while they accept the man’s death could have been unavoidable, the tragic incident highlighted problems with months of disruption caused by a €5.5 million programme of laying new drains in the streets.

Carole Saunders, deputy leader of the Calp Independientes Los Verdes, said there appeared to be no co-ordination in the programme of works and diversions were not signed.

“A man in his 60s was taken ill on a corner of the street. He was seen to fall and knock his head and he was bleeding badly,” she said.

“He is believed to have been walking

Fun day for new charity

up from the post office because he had a Correos carrier bag in his hand. An ambulance was called immediately – unfortunately the crew was not local and did not know how to get to where the patient was.

“It was only when the local police arrived they could show how to get to where the man was lying and by that stage he was already dead.”

She told RTN: “This just shows how badly the roadworks have been planned.

It is a nightmare for everyone getting around town and the confusion is underlined by this sad incident.”

Laying new drainage pipes is a project 70% funded by Europe but with the town hall’s contribution being paid for by money set aside for a new desalination plant.

Carole said independent civil engineers maintained the new pipes were not protected properly and risked being damaged by traffic.

And she said the project was rubberstamped three years ago but was now Work in being rushed without sufficient plan- Calpe’s ning rather than “forfeit the EU grant”. Gabriel Miro

By Jack Troughton BUSINESSES CAN help support a new Marina Alta animal charity by hiring a pitch at next month’s Fun Day and Dog Show.

People and their dogs are invited to the family event at La Solana Kennels in Jalon being staged in aid of Akira – when it is hoped to put much needed cash in the charity coffers. The fun day and dog show is being staged on Saturday 14th May at La Solana Kennels and there will be refreshments, food, as well as face painting and a bouncy castle for the children. And stalls already booked include tombola, bring and buy, handmade jewellery, and dog accessories.

For more information or to book a stall for just 10€ call Jacqui on 669 987 976 or email jacquelinebevan@gonuts4free.com

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01 - 07 april 2011

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01 - 07 april 2011 INVITE

Continued from front page ROLE RTN was invited to meet the Royal couple to mark its key role in keeping readers informed of vital information affecting the lives of expats. Also present were members of Spanish local and regional authorities and the British Consul team.

The Duchess of Cornwall, wearing a long cream jacket over an ivory dress, accessorised with pearl and diamond jewellery, revealed she knew the Costa Blanca well after spending happy holidays in the Javea area.

And as patron of Maggie’s Cancer Caring Group, met representatives of the charity hoping to open a new centre in Barcelona – the first outside the UK. Told of the large British population in Alicante, Prince Charles said he was convinced English speaking newspapers, radio, and television “were essential” to the community, laughing: “I am far too old to learn Spanish.”

The prince admitted he had heard of Benidorm’s reputation as a good time holiday destination, and smiled when RTN’s managing director Geoff Gartland suggested a visit to the resort.

Geoff Gartland and Jack Troughton meet the Prince of Wales

Later Geoff explained: “He certainly knew all about Benidorm, so I invited him to see for himself and he grinned – it seemed he would certainly like to try it for himself.”

He added: “On a serious level, it was fantastic to see how much every guest – chosen to represent charities working hard across the country – valued this special recognition of their work.

“I was so impressed how the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were able to take a very personal interest in everyone and make a very special day such a success – people will keep the memory with them all their lives.”

He added: “Certainly on a personal note, I was very proud to meet Their Royal Highnesses. It is not something that happens every day to a working class lad from Leeds.”

Bay Radio’s Andy Stammers and Danny Sanders travelled with RTN to Madrid, honoured to be the only English radio station at the reception.

STANDARDS Andy said: “It is very clear that RTN’s high standards of journalism and our own concentration on live presenters broadcasting community news and events has won this recognition and invitation.”

And Sarah Rogers of Age Concern Espana said: “WE were all very pleased that the Royal couple spent time chatting with representatives of our many groups. It was very rewarding to have the work of our volunteers recognised and to know that their efforts are very much appreciated.”

Jacqui Phillips, MBE, President of the MABS Cancer Support Group, said the prince asked about her award. “He wanted to know who gave me it me at Buckingham Palace and I had to tell him it wasn’t him but the Queen.

“However, he was very interested in our group and the work we do along with other charities helping the international community.”

The visit is part of a Royal tour of Portugal, Spain and Morocco, officially hosted by the Prince and Princess of Asturias.

TRADE During the visit there were a number of high-level meetings with business leaders to further boost investment and trading links between the UK and Spain, with the message that Britain “is open for business.”

RTN’s Managing Director Geoff Gartland (far right) chats to the Duchess of Cornwall

Also on the agenda were talks about the hopes to develop a low carbon economy and how the two allies might work together to combat climate change while generating business growth.

However, it was once again meeting British citizens and paying tribute to their work that was a highlight of the visit.

Ambassador Giles Paxman said: “The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall thoroughly enjoyed meeting the volunteer representatives and learning about some of the challenges they face.

“They were very pleased to have the opportunity to pass on their heartfelt thanks to the many thousands of British and Spanish volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to help more vulnerable British residents.”

The diplomat said it was impossible for the Royal couple to meet every volunteer but the presence of the invited guests was a tribute to every person who helped others.

“I want to add my own heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers. Their kindness and care is hugely valued and appreciated, and makes a very big difference to many people’s lives.”

Elton’s baby in kidnap drama

by Jack Troughton ELTON JOHN’s baby son Zach has been snatched by cruel kidnappers demanding a huge ransom from the singing star, RTN exclusively reports today (1st April).

The tot – full name Zachary Jackson Levi Furnish John – was taken in his carrycot from the rear of the star’s parked car while his attention was diverted.

Detectives hunting a “cunning” gang said the baby vanished on Wednesday, the only clue being a scribbled ransom note.

And Elton John asked to use the power of the Costa Blanca’s favourite English newspaper to appeal to the kidnappers: “Don’t go breaking my heart.”

He said they were still waiting to hear from the criminals responsible for the cruel act. “All there was left was a ransom note saying ‘5,000€ or the baby’s gone’.”

RANSOM Such a ransom might be small beer to a multi-millionaire pop star but to Ricky Price, who appears in Benidorm as Elton John, it is a sizeable sum Ricky said Zach – a doll with star appeal - was a new addition to the act and was taken as he loaded his equipment into his car after performing in the Elton John and Tina Turner show.

“I am very distressed. I cannot believe it has actually happened – this is our

Got a story?

Ricky and Zach in happier times

newborn brought into the show because Elton John has a baby now,” he said.

“All the audience were asking “how’s the baby?” so I brought him into the act for a laugh and little Zach is very popular.

902 118 999 rtnmail@roundtownnews.com

“I am still waiting to hear from the kidnappers. I’m really panicking because I need him back. The whole incident is very upsetting – I guess that’s why they call it the blues.”

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Spanish MEP accused of corruption

Brit arrested with forged bank notes

by Patricia Thompson SPANISH PABLO Zalba has become the fourth MEP to be caught in a ‘cash for law’ corruption allegation through an investigation by the European Parliament.

Snr Zalba of the Partido Popular party protested this week that he had been “deceived” by undercover reporters for the The Times newspaper, saying that he did not accept their cash offer. However, he even so amended draft legislation requested by the reporters who presented themselves as ‘lobbyists’, saying he did so in an effort to “protect small investors.”

The Sunday Times reporters were succinct in their claims that Snr Zalba was aware he would be paid for making the amendments.

The week before, Slovenian MEP Zoran Thaler, Austrian MEP Ernst Strasser and Romanian MEP Adrian Severin were all accused of taking cash for influencing laws in the European Parliament. Each is now being investigated by their respective anti-corruption authorities, which in Spain is governed by the Ley de Funcionarios Civiles del Estado.

Pictured right, Pablo Zalba

Airport strikes called off A POTENTIALLY devastating strike by airport workers has been called off. IT support staff, administrators, engineers, firefighters, runway staff and technicians were planning to strike on key dates at Easter and over the summer.

An agreement has now been reached between workers’ unions, the government and AENA (the Spanish airports authority) and €100 million will be invested in air travel.

Bizarre endurance test to win luxury car A LUXURY car has been won by a woman who spent 26 hours with her hand glued to it. She then balanced a spoon with an egg in her mouth, then a plate on her head and eventually was chosen to win

the car when her name was drawn from a hat. It was all part of a very odd competition that took place in the Bonaire shopping centre near Valencia where 1,100 people signed up to take part.

A 56 YEAR old British man was arrested last week after trying to pay for items at a supermarket using a forged €50 note. The man, an Orihuela Costa resident, was at the supermarket in the Punta Prima complex when he presented the fake note and following a call to the Local Police, he was promptly arrested and taken to the Guardia Civil station in Torre de la Horadada, where he was charged and fast tracked to Orihuela court.

This was the second occasion recently when a forged €50 note has been used in the area. The second incident involved a 25 year old man who tried to pay for his petrol at the supermarket in La Zenia using one of the forgeries. He too was apprehended and charged at the Guardia Civil station in Torre de la Horadada.

Local Police ask that all residents be extra vigilant, especially local businesses, as it appears that there may be a lot of these fake €50 notes in circulation, particularly in Orihuela Costa.

Pride of IVF pioneer

by Jack Troughton The visionary who created the miracle of IVF was proud to be honoured with a Nobel Prize for Medicine after bringing joy to thousands of families, a colleague said this week.

He said the committed family men Prof Robert Edwards and his partner Dr Patrick Steptoe pioneered the technique that resulted in the birth of Louise Brown, the first ‘test tube baby’ in 1978.

The pair – sadly Dr Steptoe died in 1988 – went on to found Bourn Hall in Cambridge, the world famous IVF clinic near Cambridge and continued to hone the science that has made the technique almost routine.

Mr Thomas Mathews, the current Medical Director of the ground-breaking clinic, was in Alicante last weekend to pay tribute to both men’s vision and persistence in a public presentation and celebration of British excellence.

Organised by the Instituto Bernabeu, itself an internationally renowned gynaecology and fertility clinic, to mark the award to the ‘father of IVF’, RTN accepted an invitation to meet Mr Mathews before the lecture.

about that, but if you can put a word in for me with the Nobel Prize committee….”

VISION He said three decades ago no-one had the technique of IVF. “It is amazing how this man had the vision of taking eggs outside the body, fertilizing them and replacing them in the womb.

“They had many years of failures and disappointment but persisted and never gave up.”

Mr Mathews said success also meant accusations of ‘playing God’ and facing criticism from the establishment. “There was so much opposition that they nearly left England to go and work in America.

“Fortunately they didn’t but persisted and they then tried to win people over to their side of the argument. It was a long long struggle but now IVF is commonplace and accepted – and is an accepted medical service.”

Asked if a breakthrough in medical science would always be greeted with controversy, he admitted it would always prompt “a reaction”.

PROUD

POSSIBLE

“Winning the Nobel Prize is something we are all very proud of,” said the surgeon. “We all feel Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe should have received this many years ago, it has been a long time in the decision making process but better later than never.

“Unfortunately Steptoe died in 1988 and one of the Nobel Prize rules is that you cannot be awarded it posthumously.”

He said Prof Edwards was obviously very proud, describing his colleague – who won the award aged 85 - as “a very humble man, a man who has been down to earth all his life”.

Mr Mathews said the professor was a “common man’s champion” with a wonderful sense of humour, and a good friend, who had always hoped his work would one day be honoured.

“Asked if he thought he should have been recognised with a knighthood, he said he was not bothered. He said ‘I don’t care

“The press is very important because you have to let people know what is possible. If it is correctly reported, not sensationalised, and properly discussed, it is easier to deal with it.”

And he said the science of 1978 had since been employed in stem cell research and cloning.

“The future of IVF is improving success rates and making sure we have one healthy baby at a time – that is better for the mother’s health – reducing the number of multiple births.”

Mr Mathews said IVF was pioneered by two very family orientated men and its use quickly spread. “One of the things Edwards and Steptoe were very keen on from the start was this whole new way of treating patients should not be a secret, they publicised their work and everything they did.

“It has spread to every corner of the world and we are very proud of the fact that it came from these two men, many years ago.”

Mr Thomas Mathews with host Dr Rafael Bernabeu, Medical Director of the Alicante clinic

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‘Diamond is Forever’

by Patricia Thompson JOSEPH AND Lilian Newman celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on St Patrick’s day at a reception held for family

and friends. They met on New Year’s Eve in 1948 and were married in St John’s church, Leytonstone, London, on 17th March 1951.

They have had a home on La Siesta since 1988.

Baby Pandas first outing

By Jan Gamm TWIN BABY male Panda cubs born through the technology of artificial insemination on 7th September 2010 at Madrid Zoo and Aquarium were introduced to the outside world on Tuesday by Queen Sofia of Spain.

Now almost seven months, each weighing approximately 12 kilos, they hesitantly ventured outside onto the grass outside their enclosure, coaxed

by Doña Sofia who was thrilled to be able to cuddle the cute little bears and show them off in front of the cameras.

Next week, visitors to the zoo will be able to view the Pandas at play in their outdoor habitat, although the cubs will not share a pen with their mother, Hua Zui Ba, for some months to come. They are already eating Bamboo shoots but will still require feeding by their mother until they are a year old.

Queen Giant Pandas are an endangered Sofia and species in danger of extinction. friend

Royals invited to Benidorm for honeymoon THE MAYOR of Benidorm has officially invited Prince William and Kate Middleton to spend their honeymoon in the popular Costa Blanca resort. Mayor Agustín Navarro sent a letter to Buckingham Palace last week.

He believes that the royal couple would enjoy being close to their fellow Britons.

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by

Alan Gilchrist The Costa Blanca’s Top Hypnotherapist

Fast Track Hypnosis goes to Holland!

IT’S FUNNY how things turn out. Having decided to semi retire 6 years ago my plan was to keep my 7 Clinics in Northern Ireland, fly back to them every other week, then back here to have a well-earned rest.

It didn’t work out that way. I think there are more Irish people on the Costa Blanca than in Ireland itself because when word got around that I had moved over here, many of them knew me from Ireland, and so for a full year I was constantly asked to start up my Fast Track Hypnosis system in Spain. For a full year I said no because I was semi-retired. However, I decided that I would do a ‘one off’ for some of them after the New Year of 2006 and that was it! Now I have 3 clinics here on the Costa Blanca as well as flying back to Northern Ireland. So much for retiring!

Every so often I am asked to do clinics further afield.

Last month I was asked to do a clinic in Malta and also California but with no time to do them. I have decided to do one in Holland instead. This came about because some of my previous clients from Holland have told their friends of their success and so they now want to try it. So from April Fast Track Hypnosis goes international!

Last year I also introduced the Fast Track Gastroband system, probably one of the most talked about therapies in Spain. There are literally thousands of Hypnotherapists and Hypnotherapy organisations throughout the World offering this type of treatment, myself included, each using their own individual styles, (check it out on the internet by typing in ‘gastric band hypnosis’). Some have even developed and registered their own particular systems so other hypnotherapists can

go on courses to learn their techniques.

Do you have to be registered to carry out this type of Hypnotic induction? Absolutely NOT! I prefer to use my 25 years’ experience in helping people lose weight by using my OWN particular unique system which I developed (Fast Track Hypnosis with Laser Therapy plus Gastric Band visualisation, calling it Gastroband).

HOW DOES IT WORK? The subconscious mind learns from imagined experiences in the very same way that it learns from real events. By using Hypnosis, the subconscious mind is allowed to believe that the surgery has actually happened, consequently it ‘tricks’ the mind into allowing the person to eat smaller amounts of food so they will lose weight.

However this technique is not suitable for everyone as it has its limitations. For example people who have phobias of medical procedures shouldn’t use it until the phobia is actually addressed, or if the client is already only eating small quantities of food, then having a smaller appetite isn’t going to make much difference, so the Fast Track Weight Control Session with would be used instead. This covers areas such as making healthy eating choices naturally, avoiding junk food, taking a lot more interest in their shape, fitness and vitality etc.

“For years I have been struggling to get rid of my excess weight. Even though I played a lot of sport I was overweight and continually overeating. One day I picked up the courage to phone Alan for an appoint-

ment and I only wished I had done it a lot sooner! As instructed I listened to the CD every day for the month and inside 8 weeks I had lost nearly 2 stone (12.7 kilos).

A year later I listen to the CD every so often and have been able to maintain my weight at the level I want. I was surprised how easy it was and would recommend Alan to anybody in the same situation.

I’m current listening to Alan’s goal setting CD (after my session with him) and totally look forward to the same successful result. Alasdair...”

Alan holds his Fast Track Hypnosis Stop Smoking and Weight control sessions as well as personal problems in Cabo Roig, Guardarmar and Benidorm.

For an appointment, brochure or a free of charge initial consultation on your particular problem, contact Alan Gilchrist on 659 229 408 or visit his websites www.alangilchrist.com www.thegastroband.com or www.fitnosys.com

Which of these is a proper passport photo?

by Patricia Thompson DESPITE ALL the information needed in a passport application, your photo is one of the most important elements. And people often get it wrong. It should be easy. You go into a photo booth, put your money in, smile and there you go. But unlike getting your holiday snaps taken, producing an acceptable passport photo is not quite so straightforward.

“We produce around 32,000 passports a year for customers in Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Cuba, North Africa, Greece and Cyprus,” says Andrew Hamilton, Head of the Regional Passport Processing Centre in Madrid. “But no matter where the applications come from, we invariably find that the biggest cause for delay is that the picture doesn’t meet the required standard.”

So if you don’t want your passport application delayed because of your mug-shot, follow our tips below to make sure your photo is correct.

• Size matters – We need to see more ‘head’ and less ‘shoulders’ in the photo. There should be at least 29mm from the top to the bottom of the head, but no more than 34mm.

• No smiling – Although it’s tempting to smile, its better if you keep a neutral expression. Teeth should not be visible.

• Remove glasses – If at all possible, don’t wear glasses, they can give off a glare which means we can’t see the detail of the photo.

• Make sure the face is clearly visible – Don’t wear hats, and try not to let your hair cover your face.

• Make sure you’re straight on – You need to look straight at the camera. Although we all may have a ‘good’ side, for the passport photo you need to be straight-on.

• The plainer the better – Photos should be against a plain, light or off-white background.

• Don’t use your home camera – The photos have to be of a particular resolution, printed on specific photo-quality paper. It might look okay to you, but on our systems it can often come out grainy and faded.

For children, the rules aren’t so stringent. For children under one year of age the photo needs to be a good likeness, showing as much of the child’s face as possible. For children between1-6, we can waive the need for a neutral expression, and the eyes don’t need to be looking straight at the camera.

But for adults, we need it to be right first time.

And for those who want to know, the correct photo is number 3.

For more detailed information on passport photos, visit the DirectGov website www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Passports/ Applicationinformation/DG_174152 For more information on passport applications visit the passports section of the UK in Spain website: www.ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/passports

Grave robbery in El Altet

The gravestone was pushed aside

By Jan Gamm RESIDENTS OF El Altet are disgusted at the desecration and robbery of jewellery from the grave of Carmelo Sanchez who died aged 29 and was buried ten years ago in the local cemetery.

Those responsible for the security of the cemetery are now keeping a close vigilance while investigations continue. For the time being it has been decided the cemetery will be closed overnight; a hardship for some mourners.

It is now believed the perpetrator/s of the desecration might have been in close acquaintance with the family, as few were

aware of the presence of valuables in the tomb. The grave was attacked last Friday – the gravestone was found pushed inside the tomb where remains had been scattered as the thief searched for the jewellery.

In Spain such crimes are punishable under Chapter IV of the Spanish Penal Code covering ‘crimes against freedom of conscience, religious beliefs and respect for the dead’ which rules that desecration of a body or ashes is punishable with imprisonment.

This was the only tomb desecrated and the deeply distressed family of the deceased has confirmed a ring, a necklace and a medal is missing.

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Car park “robbery” NUEVA JAVEA has branded the controversial purchase of the town’s two underground car parks as “robbery” and has demanded a full explanation of the multimillion euro move.

The opposition party said the cash could have funded regeneration programme through the Marina Alta resort and created hundreds of new jobs to ease soaring unemployment.

And Nueva Javea’s General Secretary Juan Planelles accused Mayor Eduardo Monfort of rushing through the 12 million euro loan to beat a clampdown on local authority debt – describing it as “the biggest heist in the history of the town.”

The buyout was instigated after the operating company demanded compensation

for the underuse of the car parks – despite legal opinion that the town hall should not underwrite a commercial venture.

Nueva Javea maintains that rather than risk a court case over the issue, the local authority negotiated a rescue operation that would drive town hall coffers even further into the red.

SUGAR Juan, one of the party’s three councillors, spoke out after the mayor signed the purchase agreement and took the opportunity for a photoshoot – Mr Monfort sugaring the pill with free parking until new tariffs are agreed.

He said: “With the purchase of the car parks was committed the biggest robbery in the history of the town.”

The car park at Clot

Juan Planelles (right) with colleagues Ana Vasbinder and Paco Catala

And he pointed out the mayor had put Javea in a “hole” as the syndicated credit agreement with three banks would see the loan repaid over 20 years – with interest payments alone costing 1 million euros.

“This 12 million euros is two times the money paid under Plan E and would give work to 500 people – 20% of the workers listed as unemployed in Javea,” said Juan.

“Providing employment for a person is an investment because that person is a consumer and uses services in the town.”

JUSTIFY He said the council had used a series reports to justify the purchase of the underground car parks to show the projected

demand and use of the facilities. However, Juan underlined that the reports were based on feasibility studies drawn up as long ago as 2005.and which had proved to be “95% wrong.”

He predicted the council was “making the same mistake” and the money would be better spent rejuvenating Javea’s three main urban areas – the Old Town , port, and the Arenal.

The politicians said Nueva Javea had always made a stand against the purchase and avoid the “robbery of the Javea people.”

Nueva Javea is calling for a full explanation of the details of the purchase and the town hall’s agreement with Ecisa – the former operator – to be made public.

Sea rescue drill on coast

THE CIVIL Protection group in Jávea, together with a sea rescue helicopter practised a rescue drill last week. The exercise involved 20 volunteers and it took place at Cabo de la Nao in Jávea. Jávea Mayor Edurado Monfort was present.

Canine capers

by Jack Troughton PET OWNERS can enjoy a dog day afternoon and help the Marina Alta based charity Guardian Angels – supporting one parent families in the area. A grand Dog Show is being staged on Sunday 10thApril at Pinosol Park, Javea, with doors opening at 2pm for a 2.30pm start. And as well as a series of classes to involve every type of dog imaginable there are also refreshments, stalls, a clown and a picnic area. Planned classes for dogs include: cute, talented, obedient, handsome, best buddy, waggiest tail, soulful eyes, best pedigree, best mixed breed and best oldie.

Charley is cute candidate

An equal opportunities policy means the show is open to every type of canine and organisers hope to see pooches from all walks of life. However, only animals entered in show classes will be admitted into the show, by order of Javea Council.

Exhibitors can register at Iceland, Javea, on Wednesdays 6th April, between 3pm and 6pm, or registrations also take place at the MABS Centre, Sol Park, Moraira, on Thursday 7th April, between 3pm and 5pm.

For more information or to book a stand call Tamsin on 666 622 786 or email tamsin@guardian-angels.es, or visit the charity website www.guardian-angels.es

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Stopped and fined I UNDERSTAND from other readers/ contributors that I am not the first to have experienced this.

Nevertheless I feel that it should be mentioned every time it happens, until such things hopefully stop.

What happened to me was that I was driving along in the quiet streets of the otherwise ‘peaceful’ village of Algorfa: I was driving slowly and carefully, crossing a couple of streets when the local police stopped me (and fined me) for “not having respected (stopped in front of) two ‘give way’ signs. No, I did not stop as there were no cars crossing: in other words, a traffic rule invented by a needy police department.

I can survive the fine, but it is quite frightening that an allegedly civilised country can tolerate a corrupt police force – and at the same time desperately wanting tourists to come.

I do hope somebody will take the necessary responsibility to make an end to this.

Arne B Algorfa

Every sympathy I SYMPATHISE with Sr and Sra de la Fuente. My meter was last read in July 2009; not quite such a delay as the de le Fuentes have experienced but none the less perturbing.

I have written to Iberdrola but, of course, there has been no reply; I have also telephoned them and been assured one more than one occasion that my meter would be read “…almost every six months!”

My bills for estimated readings have reached 200€ during a period when I was not even in Spain.

Can anything be done to enforce the law?

Allen Everington

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talk tous

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

Email: rtnmail@roundtownnews.com

letter of the week

Telefonica trouble BEWARE OF Telefonica! They are arguably the worst company in Spain! Having waited eight months for them to release my line to another provider (my free choice!) and finally receiving a credit from them for the unused line rental, everything was fine...UNTIL NOW! They have arbitrarily, so it appears, decided that as a free consumer I have no rights...and grabbed my line back! These are bully boy tactics in the extreme and should not in any way be tolerated by the European Courts.

Rather than waste millions of euros sponsoring motor racing they should be forced to attend courses on how to run a business - and pay vast amounts of compensation to the injured parties, of which I have no doubt there are thousands!

I shall be making as many waves as I can through my solicitor and MEP in Strasbourg to outlaw this offensive and disgusting tactic...needless to say the minute a bill appears at my bank it WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE PAID I would sooner have red hot needles shoved in my eyes than pay these arrogant imbeciles one cent! Anyone who has ever had dealings with them should be warned they will come again and again until they have bled you dry...

I would sooner live in cave in Rumania rather than have any more dealings with TELEFONICA! Can something be done or will they be allowed to blatantly ignore all efforts to stop them...!

Richard Carder

neighbourhood Watch activities AFTER READING the press coverage in several of the English language newspapers last week I felt compelled to write again about my concerns regarding Neighbourhood Watch´s activities. Mr. Chris Poole replied very quickly to my letter last year, and also to the letter from the CLARO party, after he felt his toes had been stepped on.

Neighbourhood Watch and especially Mr. Poole´s name were very prominent last week in the local press and always in connection with the PP party. One article actually stated that Monica Lorente had said of Mr. Poole: “Chris Poole was instrumental in getting the new emergency centre for the coast and I am very pleased that he is here in Orihuela Costa to help the local police in their fight against crime.” I wonder if Mr. Poole ever expressed his concerns to the Mayoress, and the PP party, about the length of time it has taken and will still take to get the centre up and running? I think not. Of course the Mayoress is pleased that Mr. Poole is here in Orihuela Costa to help the local police in their fight against crime – she certainly should be considering the insufficient number of police officers here on the coast. Can you honestly still say Mr. Poole that you and Neighbourhood Watch are not political? I

quote your statement in one local newspaper from June last year: “I would like to point out that as a group, we are not political. I am not political and I am not a member of any political party.”

I for one really do not believe you, Mr. Poole.

Will Mr. Poole and Neighbourhood Watch still support the Mayoress now she has been charged with breach of trust, embezzlement of public funds and forgery? This further PP scandal has not been mentioned at all by the English press up until my time of writing.

This matter is also of interest to readers; not just photographs and reports of the laying of foundation stones and meeting the British Consul. Returning to the reason for me writing this letter: Is Mr. Poole (and the Neighbourhood Watch by association) caught up in the PP’s wheels of motion and been offered too many ‘favours’, accepted and now too late to decline? Would Neighbourhood Watch support this type of behaviour in England, Mr. Poole? I do not think they would. You were very quick to reply to my letter last year Mr. Poole and I am very interested to read what you have to say in your defence this year.

Edith Wood La Florida

Solving crime is pretty remote THANK YOU for printing my letter regarding the theft of my handbag from the car, parked in Lidl Carpark, on 18th March.

I subsequently paid another visit to the

Guardia Civil Office to determine whether or not any information had been gained from the CCTV coverage, only to be told that they could not confirm that the cameras

were operational at the time of the incident.

I can only conclude that any prospect of solving crimes by this method is pretty remote.

Anne Riddell, Albir

Got a story?

902 118 999

rtnmail@roundtownnews.com

Cannot feel compassion IN ANSWER to Mrs Riddell’s letter to your paper of 25th March: How could anyone be so stupid as to leave their handbag underneath a seat of a car and go into Lidls – I understand she had two dogs in the car as well and left the window slightly ajar – how commendable of her and so she should – but she is lucky the two small dogs weren’t stolen as well, as they are also worth money.

Thieves are highly adept at forcing doors, windows and even boot locks…

Thieves are thieves and if they want to get in either to your car or your house they will – these morons work Lidls car parks all the time – they sit, watch, bide their time and then pounce... they are highly confident in what they do, they are doing it daily and never seem to get caught I’m sorry but I cannot feel compassion when someone is so stupid. Does she not read the newspapers – it’s happening everywhere…

SMB – Elche

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Faith undergoes emergency leg amputation

by Patricia Thompson

RTN READERS anxiously awaiting news of Faith, the miniature horse undergoing pioneering bone healing surgery at a clinic in Barcelona will be relieved to learn the little horse is recovering after surgical amputation of her lower leg.

Faith stumbled while still in a cast following surgery three weeks ago, fracturing her already severely weakened canon bone.

Early elation at the success of the bone-healing treatment was replaced by horror as it was soon evident the leg would have to be amputated if Faith was to survive.

Faith was in surgery for five hours. A cast will remain in place for three weeks for the stump to begin to heal and the swelling

to go down, before a mold of her stump can be made for a customised prosthetic limb.

Pioneering veterinary surgeon Gasper described Faith as “an amazing and gutsy little horse.”

She bravely stood up on her temporary prosthetic limb and walked back to her stall.

Sue Weeding of the EHCRC said: “We can only wait and hope that everything goes well, Faith deserves a chance at a happy life after all she’s been through. The Rescue Centre would like to thank everyone involved, and those who have made donations, to the Faith Appeal.”

This incredible story may be followed on SOL Productions TV and online at www.solproductions.tv. Latest updates are also available on www.easyhorsecare.net

Faith’s destroyed leg when she came to ECHC

Spanish star Penelope Cruz on the Walk of Fame

Penelope Cruz on the Walk of Fame

By Jan Gamm PENELOPE CRUZ has been awarded a Hollywood Star on the Walk of Fame. The actress will join other Spanish legends such as Julio Iglesias, Placido Domingo and Antonio Banderas at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard, the occasion to be marked by a reception hosted

by Rob Marshall, director of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ in which the actress stars alongside Johnny Depp.

Cruz received a Best Actress Oscar for her role as Maria Elena in ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’.

Penelope Cruz will be the first Spanish actress to receive a Walk of Fame star. She is married to Spanish actor Javier Bardem and recently gave birth to their first son, Leo.

The Great Escape: Wolves on the loose in Barcelona Zoo

By Jan Gamm TWO IBERIAN Wolves escaped from their enclosure in Barcelona Zoo on Wednesday afternoon.

One of the wolves was apprehended by keepers within the park premises shortly after the escape was reported, while the other was found lurking metres from his cage.

At first it was feared the animals had managed to access neighbouring areas of El Born and Ciutadella Park but the Zoo director, Miquel Trepat has confirmed that this was not the case and the animals were quickly recovered and returned safely to a secure enclosure.

At the time, 900 visitors were within the park including a group of school children, confined to a safe area while the search for the fugitives took place.

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Plaque honours those who died in Civil War REPUBLICANS FROM Alicante who died at the hands of Franco’s firing squads in the Spanish Civil War have been honoured by a memorial plaque in Alicante cemetery.

There are 724 names inscribed, and reports say that three out of four who died were under 45.

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Seek expert advice

“If they have done it before, they will do it again”

Recovering in hospital Paul Rodwell addresses the meeting

by Jack Troughton BRITISH EXPATS were advised it was “essential” to get information from the experts at official sources at the latest British Consulate Open Day. Alicante-based Consul Paul Rodwell and members of the Pension, Benefit and Healthcare team travelled to Mazarron to meet British residents at the new social centre – only opened shortly beforehand by the consul and Mayor Francisco Blaya.

Winter fuel payments, access to healthcare and property problems were amongst topics given an airing during ‘lively’ debate at the road show and the team was kept busy answering specific problems and concerns at the fully booked event.

Afterwards Mr Rodwell said there was a “fantastic turnout” and praised the new centre giving the people of Camposol a welcome place to meet.

MESSAGE “However, the one message I hope people took away from the event is that it is essential to get their information from official sources,” he said.

The consul added there was a wealth of information on the website www.ukinspain.fco.gov.uk “Our Living in Spain section covers everything from residency requirements, pension and healthcare issues to who to contact regarding property issues. If anyone has any doubts about what they should do or what they are entitled to, they should check it out there,” he said.

Mazarron Town Hall’s councillor for foreign residents Jacqueline Galvez was present at the open day along with charities such as Age Concern Costa Calida, which supports people aged 50 and over, MABS Mar Menor, which helps people suffering from cancer, and Go Mad, a Mazarron charity seeking to help people experiencing hardship.

By Jan Gamm A 19-YEAR-OLD girl (name withheld) is recovering in hospital after jumping from a first floor balcony to escape her violent partner after being held against her wishes for four days in an apartment in Valencia.

Her 20-year-old alleged assailant, known as ‘Carlos SR’, subjected the girl to continuous beatings over the four day ordeal, using a broom handle and the butt of an air gun to inflict a series of horrific injuries.

A restraining order was placed upon Carlos SR in February following previous incidents of violence that forced the victim, a business administration student, to

move back into her parents’ home. However, against her father’s advice she agreed to return to the apartment she had shared with the man following his assurances that he had “changed,” a decision that almost resulted in her death and that she now regrets.

Speaking from her hospital bed, having sustained a broken elbow and pelvis along with multiple lacerations and bruises as a result of her brave leap from captivity, the girl’s advice to other victims of domestic violence is: “I know that if I had not jumped, he would have killed me. I now know that if they have done it before, they will do it again.”

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The Mirador Challenge

L-R: Boris Riley, Walt Tarplee, Dave Stewart, Mike Smith, John Channon, Will Guest

by Patricia Thompson A GROUP of friends walked from one end of Jávea to the other on Saturday 26th March during the inaugural Mirador Challenge, a total distance of just over 27km, passing through the fifteen official ‘miradores’. The viewpoints ‘Los Miradores de Xàbia’ are a set of remarkable attractions selected for both their natural beauty and their historical importance to the local area.

Starting at 8am at the remote viewpoint of La Granadella on the edge of the rolling Parque Forestal de Grandella, the six intrepid walkers – Mike Smith, Boris Riley, John Channon, Will Guest, Dave Stewart and Walt Tarplee, with support team Fay Hughes and Jo Riley, marched through each checkpoint along the rugged coastline of Jávea.

Resplendent in T-shirts supplied by the DeVere Group, they completed the 27.2km route in 8 hours and 22 minutes. Organiser Mike Smith believes that they could be the

first people to have completed such a challenge: “Walking between each viewpoint opened up some marvellous scenery that few might know existed and I wondered if all fifteen could be linked. I couldn’t find any reference to such a challenge online and locals didn’t know if it had been done before.

So we could be the first to have done this.

And to have completed the walk almost 45 minutes ahead of our target time was fantastic. Now we extend the challenge to others!”

Now that they have determined that the walk can be done, Mike and his fellow challengers hope that the Mirador Challenge could become an annual event offering a unique walking challenge for those with the stamina to cover the distance. The date has already been pencilled in for the end of next March 2012 for the 2nd Mirador Challenge.

For more details, visit the website at www.javeamigos.com and click on ‘Walking in Javea’.

Animal Rights, Tax, Wills and other matters of interest to expats in Spain Sponsored by P.E.P.A. The ‘Helping Hands’ Charity for Animals Lunch and talk by Lex Consillium Legal Services speaking and giving advice on Animal Rights, Tax, Wills and other matters of interest to expats in Spain Tuesday, 12th April 12.30pm at the Viva España Restaurant, (N332, Oliva) Price - 17€ (includes 3 course lunch, plus wine and coffee) For reservations and menu choice please telephone 96 280 8332 (before 5th April) www.pepaspain.com

Step out for MABS

By Jack Troughton FUN CHARITY event Race for Life in aid of the MABS Cancer Support Group is being held on Sunday 3rd April.

The 5km run, jog or walk begins at 11am from the Cancer Support Centre at Sol Park, Moraira, and all money raised goes to help the work of the charity.

Entry is 10€ for adults and 5€ for under 12s and registration and T-shirts will be available from 9.30am on the day.

Everyone is welcome to join in and entry forms can be collected from the centre today (Friday 25th March) and Friday 1st April.

Alternatively call Lyn Jones on 96 647 0187,

Jacqui on 686 305 006, or Pam on 687 393 035.

Organisershave promised the route is flat, changed from last year to avoid a rather steep hill.

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Old soldiers are special guests The World Cup in Costa Blanca THE WORLD Cup, won by the Spanish football team in South Africa last summer 2010, is to be exhibited in the Costa Blanca for public viewing, thanks to the Valencian Football Federation.

Chelsea pensioners

by Jack Troughton SMARTLY UNIFORMED in familiar scarlet, four Chelsea Pensioners will be the special guests of the Royal British Legion during its 90th anniversary celebrations in Alicante.

The group will be hosted by the Orihuela Costa and District Branch of the RBL during their stay in Spain from 31st March until April 3rd.

And a highlight of the four old soldiers trip will be the star studded 2nd April Benefit Concert and the newly opened €50 million Auditorio Provincial de Alicante.

There are two concerts on the Saturday and organisers say while seats are selling fast for the performances at 12 noon and 7pm, there are “plenty” available for the matinee.

Classical singers All Angels feature on the bill along with talented X-Factor finalist Ruth Lorenzo and the massed voices of local choirs.

Music is provided by the Torrevieja Band

of Pipes and Drums and the gleaming instruments of Just Brass.

And RBL standards will be paraded through the auditorium during both services and a moving Drum Head Service will be taken by the Bishop of Europe.

Tickets for the matinee are 12€ each and for the evening show 15€. Reservations can be made by calling 96 686 0735 or by emailing rbltickets2011@ gmail.com And full details of the artists, performances, and location of the concert hall can be found at www.britishlegion.org.uk/counties/spain-north A spokesman for the RBL said: “This is a unique event, the first of its kind to be organised by the Legion here in Spain and one definitely not to be missed.

“We are indebted to the Diputacion de Alicante for the tremendous assistance we have received by providing the venue, programmes and tickets, and would like to thank all our sponsors for their support.”

Spain’s striker Fernando Torres raises the World cup trophy wrapped with a Spanish flag

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The Cup will be on display in Benidorm Town Hall on Monday 4th April from 10am to 8pm; in Vila Joyosa, Barbera dels Aragonés on Wednedsday 6th April from 9am to 5pm and in La Nucia Town Hall from 6pm to 9pm.

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Twenty words for one

THERE IS a great new series on BBC 4 called, Twenty Twelve. It’s written and directed by ‘People Like Us’ writer John Morton and filmed in a similar documentary style. Twenty Twelve follows the challenges By faced by the team responsible for delivering the 2012 London Olympics. The so-called, Olympic Deliverance Watts Team must try to get through to the end of the year without all the wheels falling off at once. Leading a brilliant cast is Hugh Bonneville as the - ultra-calm Head Of ­Deliverance – a master at “managing expectations” and staying positive at all costs. If, like me, you have a passionate dislike of corporate-speak (aka gobbledygook), you’ll both love it and hate it: it is full of jargon and corporate-speak.

Corporate, business, or management-speak, according to the good folks at Wikipedia “refers to a particular syntax often used in large organisations.” Wiki continues, “The tone is associated with managers of large corporations, business management consultants, and occasionally government.” Occasionally government...? Hang on, haven’t we recently had thirteen years of Alastair John Campbell, turning businessspeak into Blair-speak? Oops, sorry folks, I “went off message” a bit there.

There is even a top ten of the most annoying jargon.

Have you had to “move the goalposts” to a “more level playing field”? Are you pressurised to “press the flesh” or score “a home run”? Maybe you’re simply tired with

Watts In Britain Paul

“thinking outside the box” and “pushing the envelope?” Edwin Pottle, from Llandudno, certainly is. He writes: “The health service in Wales is filled with managers who use this type of language as a substitute for original thought.” To relieve the tedium at meetings Edwin says that he and like-minded colleagues play “health-speak bingo.” He says, “Counting the key words lightens the tedium of meetings - including, most recently, ‘My door is open on this issue.’” Edwin pleads: “What does that mean?” What indeed, Ed? Meanwhile, back at Wikipedia’s definition of corporate-speak, we discover that: “The term is typically derogatory, implying the use of long, complicated, or obscure words, abbreviations, or acronyms.” How about, Complete Revision Absolute Priority as an acronym?

“Some of these words,” warns Wiki, “may be new inventions, designed purely to fit the specialised meaning of a situation. Frequently management speak is used to ‘spin’ negative situations as positive situations.” Aha, so back to Alastair Campbell again.

As demonstrated on BBC 4’s Twenty Twelve, we should never settle for a few words when you can use page loads. Verbosity is the key to corporate-speak. For example, Siobhan Sharpe (she was born in Harpenden but thinks she’s American) played by the superb Jessica Hynes has a favourite saying: “Guys we are where we are with this, and that’s never a good place to be.”

Pithy, I guess, would be the direct opposite of ver-

Government cracks down on electricity companies FINES OF up to €3.87 million are being slapped on three power companies in Madrid for breaking consumer protection laws. The companies are accused of charging customers based on estimated meter readings, which has led to many cases of clients paying for power they have not consumed. The law states that electricity meters should be read once every two months.

bosity and I had to smile at bad-boy Russell Brand’s sixty-second interview with the Metro this week. This achingly intelligent man can condense so much into a short space of time. If you doubt this have a look at his interview with Jeremy Paxman from a recent Newsnight (it’s on YouTube). In his metro appearance the interviewer muses: “You seem less provocative than you were. Have you changed?” To which Brand replies: “Probably. Change is perpetual and, to be honest, I don’t see any great value in being a provocateur around trivial subjects. We’re living at a time of incredible change and incredible consequence. And I think perhaps we should preserve our rhetoric for important subjects.”

Clever, eh? He has got her now and so she must ask: “Such as?”

Deep breath from Brand; and he’s off: “The impending ecological doom being brought about by the irresponsibility of big business; the predatory nature of the financial industry; the constant subjugation of the world’s poor; the outsourcing of manufacturing industries into the Third World; the growing disparity between the rich and the poor in apparently civilised nations like Britain and the US.” Go Russell, go.

Oh well, I don’t want to use up too many more words so I’d better say bye, bye.

Watts in Britain, so you don’t have to be…

Spanish organ transplant system better than UK

Spain top of the list for transplants

By Jan Gamm SPAIN IS now one of the best places in the World to undergo an organ transplant ranking seventh in the WHO’s (World Health Organisation) Top Ten countries in the field of transplant and organ donation.

Spain also pioneers stem cell surgery and full face transplants, notably the case of a man who underwent a face transplant that included jaw, teeth and palate after a hunting accident last year.

A particular area of expertise where Spain excels is in the ‘procurement’ of organs; the emotional and harrowing exercise of persuading soon-to-be-bereaved families to donate a loved one’s organs to a needy recipient. And in this department, Spain advises other countries on how to go about the distressing task, including the UK and parts of South America. In UK about 60% of families will agree to donation: in Spain the figure is 85%.

DONOR CARDS Is it about donor cards, registration and consent forms? Spanish experts say it is not.

Transplant surgeon Adolfo Martínez Pérez of Madrid’s Ramón y Cajal hospital advocates it is all about the hospital medical and surgical team being ultraorganised at the moment of death: “In

Spain, when a patient arrives for critical care after an injury, heart attack or stroke there is no limitation to the care given if there is a slight possibility to save the patient’s life. Medical staff carries on trying, beyond much hope of resuscitation or recovery, and there are a high number of critical care beds. This also means that most of those who die in hospital are certified brain dead on a ventilator, which makes more organ donation possible.”

At this stage the grieving family will be visited, probably not by a surgeon but by an ‘Intensive Care Specialist’ carefully trained to request organ donation in the most sympathetic and compassionate manner.

WAITING LIST The figures bear out Pérez’ comments: in the UK there are 8,000 patients on the transplant waiting list compared to just 5,500 in Spain and despite Spain’s smaller population of patients, the proportion of donations per million is 34 compared to the UK’s 15.5.

Spain’s average donor is aged over 55, with the oldest a surprising 88, with ‘living’ donations now being actively encouraged, especially within families, where a small piece of liver could save a young child’s life and ‘re-grow’ in the donor.

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Horses held prisoner

by Jack Troughton SHOCKED ANIMAL lovers have discovered two horses imprisoned in the ruins of a rural building without food or water.

The animals stand in mud – water when it rains – and building debris and cannot even see the outside world.

This week animal charity Pluto Tierschultz called for the horses’ owner, a middle-aged man living in Teulada, to give up the animals and allow them to be rescued.

The charity’s Angelika Macholl took RTN to see the equine prisoners in the crumbling ruin hidden in a copse of pine trees in the ‘campo’ just outside the town – and ironically just 400 metres from a modern riding stable.

She said officers from Seprona – the Civil Guard’s environmental arm – had already visited the horses and believes publicity might pressurise the town hall to take action.

Angelika said they first found the horse in August where they were kept fenced in a tiny corner of a field without food, water, or shade.

SHELTER “The owner did not regularly bring them water or feed and there was no shelter from the sun,” she told RTN. “The man’s mother explained

Cemetery needs more space THE CEMETERY in Benidorm is running out of space. It’s currently at 95 percent capacity and councillors have agreed to allocate more space. Following a meeting last week it was announced that the grounds would be expanded by 50,000 square metres.

The prisoners of Teulada

her son was out of work and therefore had no money for food.”

She said the charity stepped in to feed the horses and with the owner’s agreement moved them to a nearby paddock where they could graze. Unfortunately the land has since been sold and the animals moved – to their present prison.

“We have someone who will give them a home but the town hall must get the man to give them up,” said Angelika. “They are just barricaded in this old finca. There is no shelter or water. “They are standing in water when it rains and the

mud afterwards. He only feeds them occasionally and it has been like this for two weeks now – we have had to bring them food and water.

“Without the charity’s help they would die. They are losing a lot of weight and will probably go mad if they cannot get out soon. It is very important that something is done.”

Angelika’s charity rescues animals and also has a programme of neutering feral cats – which is how she discovered the horses. “We help where we can.

For more information about the charity visit its website www.pluto-tierschultz.de.

Council agrees new rules for terraces A NEW agreement has been reached between the council in Benidorm and bar and restaurant owners.

After much deliberation, the town hall has decided to measure terraces in square metres as opposed to the number of tables and chairs situated in public space.

by

Jennifer Cunningham

1501 - 21- 07 october 2010 april 2011

Are you sure it won’t happen to you?

DURING THE last two weeks our television and papers have been filled with the frightening news of the Japanese earth quake followed by a horrendous Tsunami.

If that wasn’t enough the dreaded word ‘Nuclear’ entered the world utter devastation, along with fear.

Now I understand something is happening to the Japanese - anger - which is an unusual emotion for them to feel.

Whilst appreciating that Japan is built on very volatile land and Tokyo has been living for years with the threat of a possible earthquake happening at some stage, no one expected such a huge tragedy to unfold, miles away. The knock on effect on industry and business in and around Tokyo is I am sure affecting many, and playing havoc with the economy.

The vast amounts of energy and money required to rebuild the destroyed parts of Japan will I am sure take years.

We in the west, sit in our homes watching events happen not only in Japan but in Libya, Afghanistan and other countries in the Middle East and feel, I am sure, relief that we are safe from these sad, dangerous events. Having said that, the service men and women who risk their lives daily trying to protect us all from mad men, leave me feeling grateful but so very sad when we hear far too frequently of the many deaths.

When I watch on television the hatred and the recent destruction in the West End of London by people who are so unhappy with the way most of us choose to live, I feel nothing but pure anger.

Throughout our lives unpleasant situations do happen to all of us. It’s no good kidding ourselves that it only happens to other people, this is just not true. It may not be as dramatic as being caught up in an earthquake or a war, but in Spain earthquake tremors do happen, the last one that I felt was in the Torrevieja area and it was 6.1 on the Richter scale. This was big enough to cause structural damage to walls, shatter precious or valuable items on a shelf, etc. Yes, I have also read the insurance advertisements that state ‘earth quakes are fully covered’. This is of course is correct, but only earth quakes in excess of 6.8 on the Richter scale and then only if the Spanish government department via the Consortium takes the claim over. Therefore, unless you have accidental cover on your policy as an optional extra, tremor damage will not be covered.

Companies/Banks that offer cheap insurance cover, while at

the same time promising that everything is covered are very suspect. Often adverts tend to stretch the truth. Take very good care that you do not get caught out by flashy advertisements, always remembering we live in a different culture, with their own regularity body, the DGS. Can I therefore, suggest that you check that companies offering any type of insurance, funeral or health plans are fully regulated by the DGS and money being invested on your behalf is in a fund that is fully protected by law, and is secure.

Money is so precious that when any transactions are carried out, check and check again that you are paying into a genuine company account and not to a private individual and you feel confident that your money is safe at all times. I have worked and lived in Spain for years and it never ceases to amaze me that people trust others with their hard earned cash, when I am sure in the UK they would not do so. Having said that, I often watch on the TV a programme called ‘Rip off Britain’.

My company only deals with honest, fully regulated insurance companies, with enough equity to guarantee that there will be continued life after this dreadful recession has passed.

Yes, I find my company having to work harder to find and retain clients as the competition, via advertising, becomes even more aggressive.

The changes within the Spanish insurance market place have altered over the last two years, and are I know causing quite a bit of concern, to the large Spanish insurers. Whilst wanting to offer excellent policies, supported by good service, the premium’s that are being offered by some companies, are just not I assure you sustainable to be able to do this for ever.

I always advise reading the small print in your policy very carefully. Do not ever accept the verbal word and if in any doubt please feel free to call us. *stop press* Funeral insurance is at a 30% discount for 2011 and 15% for all subsequent years... Ask for information and an individual quote NB: Special offers on new health insurance policies with ASSSA, free upgrades, interest free installment payments: For life, with a special policy to back up social security and give you instant access to GPs and specialists. Ring now - your health is important.

Jennifer Cunningham Insurances S.L The Costas leading insurance consultant.

If you have a question please email her at: jennifer@jennifercunningham.net Regulated and Authorised by the DGSFP in Spain.

“We are mo

re t h an j u

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st a v oice on the phone”

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01 - 07 april 2011

HELP Helping Raquel Payá School

by Patricia Thompson THE RAQUEL Payá School has been putting together a special sensory room for some time now. The room cost about 5,000€ to build with specialised equipment costing around 7,000€.

Reliant on charitable donations to raise the amount the school was most grateful to receive 2,000€ from HELP of Denia and Marina Alta. As donations come in, the school is able to pay for the equipment purchased.

The equipment being installed is very costly, imported from England, featuring a one-switch remote control allowing a nurse or psychologist to select ap-

Tune in with SCAN

By Jack Troughton CAT CHARITY SCAN is staging an evening of music and dance to raise money for the animals in its care on 2nd April.

Entertainers Ramon and Lydia will have everyone on the dance floor after a supper at the Society for the Care of Animals in Need event being staged at the El Cid Restaurant and Bar in Benidoleig.

Tickets are 15€ and the fun starts at 7.30pm. They are available by calling Val on 663 739 702, or Pat on 666 366 966, or at the El Cid bar.

propriate equipment for a particular child without moving around the room. One of the pieces, a tall column of revolving lights and shapes, can be worked by the child by pressing different coloured buttons on a switch on the floor. Even the most seriously handicapped child receives stimulation by lying on the floor and looking at the stars reflected on the ceiling.

The stimulus is predominantly visual but there is also aural stimulus with music, also worked by the remote control. The benefit to the most seriously affected children is enormous and immediately visible.

For information about HELP and how to become a member please visit the website www.helpofdenia.com or call the HELP Centre on 96 642 7044.

Some of the visual stimuli in use

New children’s park

DÉNIA COUNCIL has installed a new play park for children on Calle Vía next to the toy museum. The park cost €19,234 and has been open since last week. Children can now enjoy slides and climbing frames in a protected area.

Climber suffers injury in fall near Calpe Purrfect harmony

TWO SPANISH climbers had to be rescued by helicopter after falling in the El Mascarat gorge near Calpe last week. One climber suffered injuries to his hands from trying to grab the rope, but the other has serious multiple head injuries and was flown to hospital in Alicante.

1501 - 21- 07 october 2010 april 2011

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01 - 07 april 2011

More questions Spanish lessons by

Jane Cronin

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

Lesson 151

The next set of questions is based on articles 70 to 79 as found on my website, and I have to say there is a huge range of things to ask about. Firstly, we looked at “prepositions of place”, things like “near”, “next to”, “under” and “prepositions of time” such as “before” and after”.

Here are a few sentences to translate to get us going.

1. It’s near the door.

2. The cat is under the table.

3. I live next door to the chemist.

4. The museum is opposite the town hall.

5. I’ll call you before the appointment.

6. He has a cup of coffee after running.

7. The shop opens at about nine o´clock.

8. We live between Torrevieja and San Miguel.

(2 points per sentence – maximum 16 points) The next subject is possessive adjectives. How do we say …

1. My book, my books, my chair, my chairs.

2. Your son, your children, your house, your houses.

3. His girlfriend, her cars, her boyfriend, his shirts.

4. Our family, our dog, our holidays, our granddaughters 5. Your (plural) newspaper, your window, your pencils, your magazines.

6.Their garden, their bed, their balconies, their pets.

7. The computer is ours, the papers are mine.

8. Whose are these? Whose is that?

(2 points per question – maximum 16 points) Your next task is to translate from Spanish to English. The idea is to give you a bit of a rest.

1. “¿Para qué estás haciendo eso?”

2. “¿Adónde vas de vacaciones?”

3. “¿En qué trabajas?”

4. ¿En qué aula estamos hoy?

5. ¿De dónde eres?”

6. “¿Durante cuánto tiempo hay que cocinarlo?

(2 points per sentence – máximum 12 points)

Now for some fun vocabulary: 1. If “gustar” means “to please”, what does “desgustar” mean?

2. If “obedecer” means “to obey, how do we say “disobey”?

3. If “desaparecer” means to “disappear” how do we say “to appear”?

4. If “enfadado” is “angry”, what kind of person is “desenfadado”?

5. If “desesperar” means to “despair”, what meaning can “esperar” have as well as “to wait”?

6. If “vivir” is “to live”, what is “convivir”?

7. If “decir” is to say, what is “contradecir”?

8. How do you think we might say “to predict”?

(1 point each – total 8 points) What do you think the following words mean, without looking them up?

1. Boquiabierto - (sometimes we have this reaction to surprising news).

2. Nomeolvides – (a kind of flower).

3. Agridulce – (some of life’s experiences are like this).

4. Aguardiente - (be careful how much you drink).

(1 point each – total 4 points) Superlatives – saying things are “very, very …”

Supply the missing word, following the example. e.g. Fácil (easy) fácilísimo (extremely easy, cinch) 1. Guapa (pretty) ______________ ____ (stunning) 2. Gordo (fat) ___________________ (gross) 3. Delgada (thin) ________________(practically anorexic) 4. Muchas gracias (many thanks) ________________ ___ (thank you ever so much) (1 point each – total 4 points) And finally, where to these people come from?

1. El londinense 4. El ilicitano 2. El cartagenero 5. El pinatarense 3. El madrileño 6. El cordobés (1 point each – total 6 points)

01 - 07 april 2011

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money

01 - 07 april 2011

by

Suzanne O’Connell Customer Care at Ábaco

Les Fonts, Benitachell, 03726

Julian Formby

E-mail: whiteknight@gmx.co.uk

ZIG ZAG

THERE’S SOMETHING not quite right about paying tax on a pension; a little like a toddler sharing his sweets, you have the sense of being given something only to have it taken off you again. So, even more disconcerting is the idea of it being taken off you twice.

British pensioners living in Spain can often find themselves confused about what they should be paying to whom. So we thought we´d draw up a little table just to clarify who you should be sharing your pension with if you are a resident in Spain: Remember you are a resident of Spain if you live here for 183 days or more. You will notice from the table that the best position to be in is if you have a civil service and state pension. As the state pension is taxed in Spain and the civil in the UK you have two sets of allowances to reduce the amount of tax you pay overall.

BETTY MARGARET INGLIS Anyone having any knowledge about the abovenamed individual, or who has had business or personal dealings with her, is invited to contact the undersigned (with brief details) in complete confidence.

Paying tax on your pension

Status

Where you are taxed

How and when

Pensioner with state pension only

Spain

You should make an annual tax declaration in May/June

Pensioner with state pension and income from savings/ other world income

Spain

You should make an annual tax declaration in May/ June of your worldwide income

Pensioner with state and civil service pension

Taxed on civil service pension in England and state pension in Spain

Your civil service pension tax will be deducted from source in the UK Your state pension should be declared in Spain (no need to declare your civil pension) in May/ June

Pensioner with state and private pension

Both pensions taxed in Spain

Both pensions should be declared on a May/ June tax declaration

Ex Pat INSURANCE Low Premiums Guaranteed Motor-Home-Travel-Pets Marine-Funeral-Health

zigzaginsurance.com

965 058 445

In some cases you may find that you have no tax to pay on your state pension, anyway. There is a personal allowance which increases when you are over 65 and again when you are over 75, as well as other individual reductions. Even where it is a nil return we still recommend that pensioners make their tax declaration as this is one way of confirming your fiscal residency when it comes to inheritance or capital gains tax reductions.

If you are still paying income tax on a state pension in the UK or a civil service pension that needs to be treated separately from your state pension you should ask for a ‘Form SpainIndividual’, previously FD9, from HM Revenue and Customs in Nottingham. After all, double taxation would be good cause for a tantrum.

If you would like advice about paying tax in Spain take advantage of our free consultation, no obligation offer by calling ÁbacoConnect Help-Line 96 670 3748.

“If you would like a FREE, no obligation tax consultation and help with completing your annual tax declaration contact one of Ábaco’s friendly team on ÁbacoConnect Help-line 966 703 748 www.abacoconnect.com”

money

01 - 07 april 2011

Your health in Spain WE INSURE our cars, our houses but often do not think about our health. Medical conditions can appear at anytime and anywhere – even in a foreign country. It could be that you need to visit a GP or need a blood test, X-ray or maybe even emergency treatment. The service you will receive in any of these situations depends entirely upon whether you have health insurance.

• Have you ever been in a hospital emergency room in Spain and had to wait hours and hours and then also had to deal with the language problems?

• Did you ever need to see a specialist, cardiologist, oncologist etc. quickly?

• Do you know how to go about organising precautionary or routine cancer tests here in Spain?

• Did you ever wonder how to book routine blood tests, mammograms and prostate checks?

Many questions and yet only one answer – invest in your health! Get the personalised service that ASSSA Insurance provides to all its health insurance clients and at prices more favourable than ever before!

QUALITY INSURANCE ASSSA offer flexible health insurance cover which meets the different needs and requirements of all clients. There are a number of flexible plans

which range from top-up insurance (starting from 41€ per month) to fully comprehensive cover (starting from only 82€ per month).

10% lifetime discount currently available on all PLUS, MASTER and SUMMUM policies and 50% reduction in premium for children on the parent’s policy if under 16 years of age.

ASSSA offers fractional payment of the annual premium free of the normal surcharges.

CUSTOMER SERVICES OFFICES ASSSA has multilingual staff in all its offices working to ensure that clients are assisted with any questions or requests. After joining ASSSA a personal, English speaking contact will be allocated, there to deal with the client directly in terms of medical support, booking hospital appointments, tests etc. There will always be someone to go to or to call for assistance and support.

PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE Early detection and prevention of cancer is one area of extreme importance to ASSSA and therefore the PLUS, MASTER and SUMMUM policies have all been designed to include mammography, ultrasound & gynaecology examinations and bone density tests for women and cardiology, prostate & urological examinations for men. All tests are carried out once a year and are booked for the clients by your customer service contact.

ASSSA GUARANTEES When you contract a policy with ASSSA, the following is guaranteed: • The age you join is the age you stay – premiums will not increase simply because you grow older.

• The policy is guaranteed for life! We will not terminate the policy due to illness or a heavy claims year.

Many other insurance companies make these promises verbally, but if they do not appear in writing in the actual contract, there is no obligation for them to deliver a first rate service.

ASSSA will always guarantee all policies for life and all of our guarantees, terms and conditions will be provided to clients in either English or most other European languages.

CHANGING YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY? Has your private health insurance company drastically increased your premiums? Are you unhappy with the current service you receive from your current insurer?

Are you tired of receiving all updates and insurance information in Spanish?

Call into one of ASSSA’s offices today and receive a personal no obligation quote. Offices are open Monday – Friday from 9.30am – 1.30pm and later appointments or home visits can be arranged.

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ASSSA’s Offices: 1. MAGDALENA KOCZON ALTEA Tel: 966 882 680 altea@asssa.es 2. ILKA THIEDE CIUDAD QUESADA Tel: 965 725 421 ciudadquesada@asssa.es 3. ANA MARIA VALERO DENIA Tel: 965 786 969 denia@asssa.es 4. KATE TAYLOR MORAIRA Tel: 965 744 033 moraira@asssa.es 5. KATRIN SASSE ORIHUELA COSTA Tel: 966 761 794 katrinsasse@asssa.es 6. TERESA HOWARD ORIHUELA COSTA Tel: 966 761 794 orihuelacosta@asssa.es

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legal

01 - 07 april 2011

by

Carlos Baos

of White & Baos Abogados English & Spanish Solicitors

DEAR SIRS, I own a 2,200 square meter urban plot in Benidorm that is registered at the Land Registry as an area of just 1,150 square meters. As in this area of Benidorm the minimum square meters required for a building plot is 1,000 square meters, I would like to update the details in the Land Registry in order to then be able to split the plot into 2 plots for building purposes. Can you help me?

THANK FOR you for your email. As you imply in your email, it is very important for all of us to make sure that the measurements of the surface area of our plot agree and match with the records that appear at the Land Registry (Property Registry) and also at Catastro, and this

can be checked quite easily. In your case, the difference between the actual size of the plot and the size recorded in the Land Registry (as on your deeds) exceeds 20%.

The normal way to deal with this situation would be to update the details at the Registry by means of an ‘undisputable affidavit’ called Acta De Notoriedad which is signed in front of a Spanish Notary or by initiating a Court Case called Expediente De Dominio. However this latter procedure may not be necessary if the Registrar can be sure without doubt that the intended adjustment is correct and does not affect any adjacent plot. (Note that if the difference were less than 20% the process of updating the Land Registry information would be considerably simpler.)

The Acta De Notoriedad is a procedure done through a Notary to whom you will need to provide a geographical and descriptive certificate from Catastro as well as a certificate from the Land Registry.

The Notary will normally require that all the adjoining neighbours are summoned and are present and in agreement with the

enlargement of the recorded plot. This is probably the easiest course, but it does require that all the neighbours attend and are in agreement.

Another possibility is to notify all the parties who are interested (i.e. the holders of rights over the adjacent properties) and they can make a written statement about whether they are in agreement or not.

With all of this, it is the Notary who must implement the necessary enquiries and measures and request the information required by Law, or anything else that he may deem necessary to confirm beyond any doubt that the proposed land extension is undisputable, correct and reflects the true situation. The Notary will not approve an adjustment to the deeds it if he is not 100% sure. Presuming that everything is in order the ACTA will be granted by the Notary and then (dependant on the way it has been passed) it will either be sent to be ratified by the Court or directly to the Land Registry.

However, if the Notary cannot pass the Acta, perhaps due to a neighbour’s opposition or disagreement or should the Notary not

consider it undisputable that your plot has the meters you claim, then a court proceeding called Expediente De Dominio should be started.

The Expediente De Dominio is regulated by the Ley Reglamento Hipotecario and is a Court proceeding in which a petition is made to the Court to redefine the actual situation and the Land Registry information to be recorded as the same in the records.

The appropriate Court will be the Court that presides over the area where the property is located; thus in your case it is the Benidorm Court.

As before, under the rules of Spanish Real Estate Law, all the holders of rights over the property to be extended and also the owners of rights over the adjacent properties will need to be summoned.

For additional information in regards to updating your property records please do not hesitate to contact us.

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

Marc White LL.B. & Carlos Baos (English & Spanish Solicitors) © White & Baos Abogados 2011 - All rights reserved. C/Diana 19, 2º-D, 03700 Dénia (located 1 minute away from the La Via underground car park). Tel: 966 426 185. Send your questions to spanishlawyer@roundtownnews.com or info@white-baos.com

International fraudster arrested in Valencia

A MAN who has defrauded investors of more than €212 million has been arrested in Valencia.

He was operating a type of ‘pyramid scheme’ which affected 100,000 in 110 countries. Investors believed they were putting their money into the currency markets and were told they would get a return of 10 to 20 percent. In reality, the money was invested in real estate.

Enquiry into land distribution THE COURT has ruled that a Calpe resident can have his case heard regarding the re-division of land in the Calpe port area. However, the case comes 16 years after the land was distributed. The resident has an apartment that was affected by new development plans completed back in 1995.

business

01 - 07 april 2011

33

TED.com is for people who love to learn by

Karla Darocas

Information Technology & Communications

In today’s myriad of video-based websites, one is really standing out as an intellectual hotspot. TED. com has become a phenomenon; a website that is spreading ideas of worth.

The videos on TED.com range from master storytellers to learning how the mind works to exploring creativity, oceans, space, women, men, Africana food, exotic cities and so much more.

TED.com was launched back in April 2007 showcasing the extraordinary talks that have made the TED conferences famous. With its striking design and groundbreaking video technology, the free website encourages audience participation consistent with its motto, “Ideas worth spreading.”

TED conferences are an invitation-only event where the world’s leading thinkers and doers gather for inspiration and insight. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design—three broad subject areas that are, collectively, shaping our future. In fact, the event is broader still, showcasing ideas that matter in any discipline.

TED is owned by a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to leverage the power of ideas. The new website was inspired by the viral success of TEDTalks, the audio and video podcast series, which premiered in June 2006. Here are some of my reasons why students of all ages should tune-in to TED.com…

1. To get ideas for your own public speaking engagements. I often get asked to speak at business meetings and conferences, and by listening to great minds talk about certain subjects, I can form my own opinions and fit them into my own streams of thought and subject matter.

2. To improve my writing skills. I can often find inspiring quotes by influential people to drop into my articles and literary reports in order to support my own ideas.

3. Change your life. There are a lot of topics on TED. com that provoke the imagination and the logical aspects of life and by listening to the world’s most successful humans, you will find answers to those questions that perhaps your family and friends cannot help you with.

4. See Emerging Trends. The world is changing fast and by surfing through the TED website, you can

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

glean important information from the best minds in the world and put together emerging ideas that will eventually create trends in business, health, technology, design, society, and more!

5. Eliminate fear and feel more optimistic about the world. We all have fears about the future of our planet, but on Ted.com you can find thousands of people willing to meet, learn, dream, think – and that is thrilling.

NOTE: I rarely watch the videos – instead I put the video player on – turn up the volume and go about the house and do my chores. When I hear something that inspires me, I can easily return to my computer, put my video player on pause and jot down the quote – or if I missed it – hit rewind on my video player and replay the exact quotation. We are so lucky to live in the age of the Internet – use it!

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money

01 - 07 april 2011

Spring clean your UK pension by

Stephen Ward & Robert Burns WELL ANOTHER Budget has come and gone and the usual rumours about the new government changing the legislation as it relates to QROPS prove once again to be ill founded.

So perhaps now is the time to dust off your UK private pension and to look to maximise its value to you both now and in the future? So far as ‘now’ is concerned, many of us chose to live outside the UK at a time when the financial environment was much more favourable. At a time when perhaps the exchange rate was €1.40 or more to the pound as opposed to about €1.13 today. Or at a time when the outlook for the business venture you decided to set up was based on ‘normal’ economic conditions. So to be blunt, many expats find themselves short of cash.

It can be frustrating to be in that position when you have an asset that conventional wisdom says you are unable to access any value from until age 55 at the earliest. Alternatively, although you may be accessing value now by drawing income from your pension fund you would like the flexibility to have access to capital.

We can help you with these requirements. One possibility is by a transfer to a QROPS whilst another possibly uses a different solution altogether.

FEES ARE NOW MUCH LOWER If you looked at transferring your UK pension fund to a QROPS in the past and were put off because the fees were too expensive them we have some good news for you: fees are now much lower than they were this time last year - and in some instances considerably so. There is also now a wider choice of QROPS jurisdictions to choose from.

GUERNSEY, MALTA AND ISLE OF MAN Malta is now firmly on the QROPS ‘map’ as is the Isle of Man with its new pensions legislation. The Isle of Man in particular has become a serious competitor to Guernsey with a robust

regulatory framework and new legislation which for long term pension investors offers a more favourable lump sum than is available elsewhere. One IOM provider is about to break the mould regarding Trustee fees with a market beating structure.

HOW MUCH IS YOUR PENSION POLICY WORTH? So perhaps now is the time to check that pension policy or ‘frozen pension’ statement and find out how it can be used to your benefit. Many clients we encounter have a starting point of having little idea as to what their pension fund is worth.

Sometimes finding out can be a pleasant surprise; on other occasions less so. If, however, you are rather better organised and know what your fund is worth, when was it last reviewed - if ever?

As an expat there are pension planning opportunities available to you which are not available to UK residents.

TIME FOR A SPRING CLEAN To find out more about these opportunities do contact us at Premier Pension Solutions for a pension spring clean. Please email review@qrops.es or see http://www.qrops.es or http://www.prempensions.com

THIS ARTICLE IS WRITTEN BY STEPHEN WARD AND ROBERT BURNS, PREMIER PENSION SOLUTIONS S.L., February 2011. Please see our advert on Page 2. At the forefront of the industry with over forty years combined experience with pensions, regulated and authorised, liaising directly with providers and HMRC, Stephen and Robert are two of the leading authorities on QROPS. E: review@qrops.es T: 965 790 918 www.qrops.es www.prempensions.com or www.qropsnz.com

01 - 07 april 2011

Home Garden

35

Brought to you by

www.spanishhomefinder.com

Giles Walker re-launches in Javea A LEADING estate agent in one of Javea’s prime locations in the port has changed hands recently.

Under the leadership of Michael Taylor and Ann Haydock, Giles Walker Properties is staffed by an enthusiastic and experienced multi-lingual team with an unrivalled understanding of the property market.

Michael’s 30 years’ experience in Spain brings a broad expertise to Giles Walker, with a wealth of reliable providers at his fingertips to facilitate Mortgages, Insurance, Architectural, Project Management and Accountancy. Attention is given to every detail in the many issues that influence successful property matters.

Michael sees his role as very much a ‘hands-on’ involvement in a team effort to give valued clients the right advice and assistance they require.

Ann Haydock has a long successful background in property sales in the UK and in Spain and will head up the sales division. She aims to continue with her philosophy of working closely with property owners and purchasers to achieve a stress free property transaction across a wide spectrum of available properties that the expanding company have available. “Owners are given the best possible opportunity to present their property to advantage,” said Ann, “Listings appear within 24 hours and regular status checks ensure owners are kept informed of market changes that could affect their sale price. Purchasers are guided through the buying process all the way. At Giles Walker

we make sure that correct documentation is in place to guarantee peace of mind and to provide our clients with a full and comprehensive, professional service.”

OPPORTUNITIES The company already has a firm foothold in property sales but the new management team intends to take Giles Walker to new levels with an innovative and resourceful approach to the opportunities available in a recovering market.

Newly renovated premises with an impressive frontage dominate a prime location in the port of Javea’s Avda Jaime I and an extensive, effective programme of expertly targeted advertising and related promotions are planned for the rest of 2011. “I don’t see the point of redundant advertising,” said Michael. “If it isn’t working, we will promptly change it for something that gets results.” Much of the company’s success has been built on returning clients and frequent recommendations, with new links now being established in Northern Europe bringing an expansion to their client data base, widening their portfolio.

This is the best possible testimonial for this company moving into the reviving property market.

To contact Giles Walker Properties, telephone 0034 966 463 118, fax 0034 965 795 937, email info@gileswalkerproperties.com or visit: www.gileswalkerproperties.co.uk

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01 - 07 april 2011

Home & Garden

01 - 07 april 2011

37

BENIDORM Fantastic apartment for holiday rental and also available through the winter months either weekly or monthly. A beautifully furnished one bedroom apartment, comfortably sleeping 4 people with fantastic sea views and a very short walk to Poniente beach. Contact us for availability and prices starting from an amazing 200€/week.

OPI Alfaz S.L. Calle Ferrería 16, Local 2. 03580 Alfaz del Pi. (Alicante) UK Tel: 020 30062346 Spain Tel: 966 860 084 Fax: 0034 965 889 014 www.opialfaz.com

Believe it or not, now is the perfect time to buy your Neater Heater “YES IT really is!” Neater Heater´s Tony explained: “Right now most of us can still remember how cold it was in the winter. In fact, we may have a few more cold snaps left before the summer comes.

Right now your local distributors are fully stocked, we are fully stocked, and our supplier is fully stocked. This is the first time since November that we can say that!

“What most people do in the summer is intend to buy heaters in preparation for next winter, but then the good weather arrives and the ‘mañana state of mind’ kicks in. We forget what it is like to feel cold, then bang! - December arrives and people want heaters NOW! Unfortunately by then we are at the back of a long queue.

“In Northern Europe they will get cold, and start buying heaters in September when we are still in the 30s. By mid-November the BEHA factory in Norway will have run out of stocks and will have started a waiting list - Spain, however, is still basking in the 20s. By December when we get cold - and boy do we get cold - our customers would be at the end of a six-week waiting list - if we hadn´t built up a large stock-pile of heaters. But there are just so many heaters we can buy in advance.

“Our goal,” says Richard “is to educate as many people as we can to buy their heaters in the spring and the summer. That way we can ensure that we can provide them with the heaters they want ready for next winter, without the hassle of them being at the back end of

a long waiting list. After all, no-one waits until Christmas Eve to order their Christmas Crackers!”

WHERE NEATER HEATERS CAN BE VIEWED AND BOUGHT: COSTA BLANCA NORTH Gata de Gorgos: Iron Art Factory Outlet: Tel 680 491 740 Moraira: Neater Heater, Calle Mostoles 41a. Tabaira (AM only): Tel 96 505 0699 Calpe: Imprint. Avda Gabriel Miró 34. Tel 96 587 4451 La Nucia: Labels and Tables. Tel 96 687 6153 COSTA BLANCA SOUTH Gran Alacant: Suzie Screwz Fereteria: Tel 648 859 672 Benijofar: MJD Property Maintenance. Tel 96 572 4999 Playa Flamenca: Busters Bar. Centro Comercial Tel 678 063 268 Mazarron: La Red Solutions, (Mapfre) Camposol B: Tel 96 819 9025 For Site visits and surveys in the North Costa Calida area: Call Edmund on 679 586 307 Neater Heater: Sole Spanish suppliers of BEHA Heaters.

Email: info@neaterheater.es Web site: www.neaterheater.es or phone us directly on: 634 312 171

Brought to you by spanishhomefinder.com

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01 - 07 april 2011

April gardening by

Clodagh & Dick Handscombe Practical gardeners and authors

BY CHANCE, today’s column is published on 1st April and spring is in the air but no time for fooling in the garden, for urgent things need doing before Easter in three weeks’ time. Being the latest it can be, Easter gardens should be at least as colourful as last year in spite of the set back by heavier than normal frosts back in late January and early February in many areas.

Knowing that many gardeners are not retired and have little time, we highlight priority tasks; things that take little time but make significant impacts on the appearance and productivity of gardens.

Cut off any remaining frost damage.

Give evergreen plants and citrus trees a foliar feed with a proprietary product or a nettle infusion as we do, having collected and dried young nettle plants back in February before locals killed them off with herbicides. Use half the quantities recommended on the bottle per litre of water, as although you are about to give the plants sufficient spring tonic to brighten them up and recover from the shock of frosts that yellowed citrus leaves, you don’t want to stimulate excessive growth that could be weak and susceptible to

insect and fungal attacks.

Plant out the first summer annuals for extra Easter colour in gardens and especially on apartment gardens. For window boxes, Chapter 4.5 ‘Effective colour combinations’ in our book, ‘Apartment Gardening Mediterranean Style’ will give you some new ideas.

If not already done, give hedges a trim.

Make final spring sowings of annuals – we always have a patch of zinnias on our vegetable plot for cutting for the dining table.

Start to give plants in containers a little more water. We include detailed guidelines for both thirsty and drought resistant plants in terrace balcony and window boxes on page 119 of ‘Apartment Gardening Mediterranean Style’.

Plant out the first summer vegetable plantlets such as squash, peppers, tomatoes, lettuces and tomatoes, protecting them for a few weeks with plastic tunnels, cloches or cut off water bottles in chilly areas.

Make last sowings of carrots, parsnips and beetroots.

Take a first cutting of comfrey leaves and put in a bucket or barrel with water. Within three weeks you will have an excellent ecological fertilizer for the vegetable plot and flowering and vegetable plants in containers.

Try and keep on top of spring weeds.

Spring showers will bring out the snails and slugs so sprinkle some Neudorff ecological snail pellets around.

Buy some yellow sulphur powder to have ready

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

corner of our spring garden last year

for sprinkling over ants and dusting tomato pepper and courgette plants against mildew.

For keen gardeners comprehensive lists of seasonal gardening tasks for each month of the year are included in each of our books.

Two other useful things in each book are a comprehensive English-Spanish-Latin vocabulary of plant names, and an English–Spanish dictionary of the words for plant types and parts, gardening materials and tools, gardening verbs and adjectives, plus useful measurements and other words.

So especially if you are learning Spanish, turn to these pages before you go out shopping for Spring plants and gardening materials etc..

CLODAGH AND DICK’S BOOKS These very practical and useful books will be found in good bookshops and newsagents such as Bookworld, Carrefour and Humpty Dumpty.

If not near one of these buy by mail order via the websites of Amazon, Angloinfo Spain and Santana Books, the publishers.

01 - 07 april 2011

Caught speeding HAVING WRITTEN last week that there had been a 62% decrease in speeding fines issued in Spain since the introduction of the energy saving 110kph speed limit, I thought the least that I could do was to get caught for speeding to help them top up their funds!

I drove to France and back recently, and apparently somewhere around Valencia I was doing 123kph in a 100kph zone, which I assume was some temporary limit they had imposed. Note I was only going 123kph, which I accept is above the 116kph threshold, but was hardly ‘flooring it’ and I must say that throughout the whole journey I was more vigilant than usual - well with the above exception that is - and the fuel consumption was noticeably better, although as it rained constantly from 7.30pm on the Friday night until 3.30pm on the Saturday afternoon I suspect that had a lot to do with it.

As it was a hire car the first I knew about the fine was when they rang up to say that they had received notification of a 100€ speeding fine. As they left a message I had to call back, to be told that if I paid promptly and didn’t challenge it, the fine would only be 50€. The weird thing is this

felt like a ‘result’, and upon reflection it is great psychological ploy by the Spanish: lead with one rather large number, then immediately offer a 50% discount if you just accept and pay up. Well it worked in my case!

Having helped out one government department with my 50€, I am now considering taking up smoking again as I felt so sorry for the Government when I read this week that the Governments tax income from tobacco has fallen by 32% as cigarette sales have slumped, and the state could lose out on 2.4€ billion this year.

I am joking. I quit nearly three years ago and don’t regret it at all, although ironically since the introduction of the smoking ban I seem to spend most of my time sat outside with the smokers on the terraces. In part this is because about 50% of the people I socialise with on a regular basis smoke, but primarily it is because one of the attractions of living in Spain was the outdoor cafe culture that seems so romantic when you read about it, and used to be so much better before the introduction of the smoking ban.

Sure before the ban people smoked on the

terraces, but they also smoked inside, and they didn’t congregate at the doors of the bars and cafes. It was possible to find a nice quiet table, away from the smokers and have a chat with friends, and never have to go inside as the waiter would take care of the orders and the bill. Now I am left with a choice: sit inside feeling trapped and somewhat ostracised from those outside, or join them, which means sitting at a table full of cigarette ends, surrounded by smokers… I remain unconvinced by the smoking ban, although I am slowly getting used to the concept of conversations that include the equivalent of the commercial break as people pop out for a quick cigarette mid chat!

Chris runs an expat blog about life in Spain (www.almerimarlife.com) and is a regular contributor to a number of publications and radio stations in Spain, as well as writing a monthly column for the Daily Telegraph Expat site and is a Daily Telegraph guest blogger.

He lives in Almerimar with his wife Sands, four cats, two Harley’s and more often than not a glass of red.

His column in the RTN is sponsored by Central Contracts (www.centralcontracts.com) a leading car leasing company supplying cars and vans to business users and private individuals.

39

Facebook denounced for offensive group THE SOCIAL networking site, Facebook, has been denounced following the commencement of a group on the site which is aimed at personally attacking the Mayor of Orihuela, Mónica Lorente.

A spokesman said: “The site contains language which is offensive and upsetting and equates to a personal attack on the PP Mayoral candidate for Orihuela.”

The administrators of the Facebook site have agreed to look into the group and will decide on its future during the next few days.

40

01 - 07 april 2011

Computing with aunty virus

Printer’s software Keith via email asks: HOLA AUNTY, I recently purchased an ACER Travel Mate which has windows7.

Previously with my older computer I had Windows XP and with this system, when about to print, a block appeared showing the status of the toners, i.e. the amounts available for both black and colour.

With Windows7 this does not happen.

Rather annoying don’t you think? I would appreciate any ideas to resolve. By the by, your letters and columns are very helpful; long may they continue.

they quite often don’t include some of the additional functions the genuine software will provide. You need to go to your printer manufacturers’ website and navigate to the support/download section. Type your printer model into the search box and look for the full software package for your printer and version of Windows. Once downloaded and installed you should see all of the features you enjoyed with your old system.

Aunty Says: Hi Keith. This is probably due to the printer’s software (drivers and programs) not being fully installed. When you plug a printer (or any USB device) into a new computer Windows will look through its own list of drivers and install what it thinks is the best one. Although these nearly always work,

Installation procedures Keith from La Manga asks: HI AUNTY not sure if I have been going the correct way with my queries, but have recently posted problems on the enetcomputers.net ‘Ask Aunty’ page, to no avail, are you still working with them? My main problem is that I have recently tried to download AVG 2011 and the first attempt told me “unable to install, manually uninstall AVG 9 then Install 2011”. I did

this and have tried both custom and standard install. At the end of the installation procedure I get a message “severity error OxC0070643.” I have no AVG icon on my desktop nor is it in the list of programs.

A visit to the Windows security centre shows my antivirus is on and AVG is up to date and scanning, also emails are arriving with the message scanned

by AVG .Have you any

suggestions as to how I can sort this one?

Aunty Says: I did see your message Keith but I wasn’t 100% sure how to fix it. The only thing I can suggest at the moment is to maybe try the AVG removal tool from http://www.avg. com/ww-en/download-tools or try the Revo Uninstaller from download.com. I will continue to look into the error and keep you updated.

‘Pay as you go’ dongles Teresa via email asks: I HAVE a Spanish landline. However, I visit Spain for maximum of three months a year.

What would be the best why for me to access the internet? Can I purchase a ‘pay as you go’ Spanish dongle?

Aunty Says: You can Teresa, and I think all the main mobile providers offer PAYG dongles. The most important thing to check though is the quality of signal in your area. It will be the same as a mobile phone, so see if you can get friends and family to test their mobiles in your Spanish home. I used to have a Vodafone dongle and it worked fine in the shop and some public areas and bars but it was all but useless in my house. Try the Phone House in Carrefour as they are relatively impartial (but watch out for their sneaky insurance).

Switching itself off Pauline via email asks: I HAVE a problem with my laptop. It switches itself off! Sometimes straight away or after 20 minutes; it doesn’t matter what I am working on.

Aunty Says: The most common cause of this is overheating or a bit of faulty hardware, Pauline.

You can test the possible

temperature problem by inspecting and blowing out any fluff from the air vents underneath or on the sides of your laptop. Also try propping up the back with a couple of pens to allow a bit of air to flow around the underneath. Let me know how you get on as the other possibilities are a little more complicated so we’ll deal with them if we need to.

Downloading in spanish Les via email asks: HI AUNTY, I down loaded Open Office using the facilities of the eNET Computers web page. All the way through the download the instructions were in English, but the downloaded version is all in Spanish. Nowhere during the download did l see an option to choose a language.

Is there any way of changing the language to English, or would I have to remove it and start again, if so, how do I make sure of getting it in English? Hoping you can enlighten me. Thanks, Aunty Says: Not sure to be honest Les. You could try uninstalling it and downloading the latest UK/US language one from www.openoffice.org. If this persists then it may be caused by the annoying feature of Windows where it will detect your location and decide you want the Spanish version, so temporarily changing your location and/or keyboard to UK from ‘control panel’ may resolve it.

01 - 07 april 2011

GADGET INSPECTOR

The case of The Silverlit VJet Flyer THIS WEEK the Inspector flies into the blue yonder with the toy equivalent of a cross between Airwolf (for those of you who remember the 80s TV series about a helicopter…) and a plane (or flying plank as far as a helicopter pilot is concerned) – The Silverlit V-Jet Flyer remote controlled plane.

On first examination you could be forgiven for mistaking the V-Jet Flyer for a bog standard remote controlled plane. But take a closer look and you will notice the unique swing-wing feature which allows the whole wing assembly to tilt. Thus when the wings are in the vertical position it is possible to take-off or land; or hover when in flight – just like a helicopter.

Conversely with the wings horizontal the V-Jet Flyer behaves just like a conventional plane – allowing un-restricted attempts to break the sound barrier (or next doors fence…) and you can change flight mode whilst the model is flying. If you have enough space the V-Jet Flyer can be taxied and take-off, just like a real plane…

The V-Jet Flyer has a 3 channel digital proportional radio control (with 27 MHz and A/B band support), and hobby grade transmitter including a roll and yaw trimmer. In helicopter mode the transmitter joysticks give up/down and left and right yaw control, and in plane

mode give throttle and left and right yaw control.

The transmitter requires 8 x 1.5v AA alkaline batteries, and doubles as a charger for the model - simply plug in the plane with the easy to use jack plug connector. A full charge takes between 20 and 30 minutes and gives 5 minutes’ flying time.

The V-Jet is constructed from tough lightweight flexible foam, meaning it can withstand the odd heavy handed landing – but it is not indestructible so don’t expect the model to survive any kamikaze-style attacks (two replacement main rotors are supplied in the pack).

The V-Jet comes supplied with a detailed flight manual which is suitable for remote control pilots of all skill levels, and a substantial box for safe storage between flying sessions.

The Inspector´s Verdict: The Silverlit V-Jet Flyer remote controlled plane combines the best of both worlds – a helicopter when you want to dive-bomb the cat/dog; and a plane when you are doing your best Tom Cruise Top Gun impression. Don´t forget a calm day is needed if outside flying is to be attempted, and a large indoor room otherwise.

The Silverlit V-Jet Flyer remote controlled plane costs around €55, with a one year manufacturer’s warranty.

41

health

42

01 - 07 april 2011 2010 15-21 JANUARY

Hip replacement by

Joan McLellan

M.C.S.P S.R.P Grad Dip

I AM Joan McLellan, and I am a physiotherapist. As there are many older people retired here in Spain I help many people recover after they have had hip operations and hip replacements.

HIP REPLACEMENT The hip is a ball and socket joint allowing a wide range of movement.

Because of the heavy weight bearing it has to endure it is particularly prone to wear and tear. Fortunately hip replacement has become one of the most successful procedures performed.

Total hip replacement is now a routine operation for the relief of pain and disability mainly due to Osteoarthritis, and gives some of the greatest increase in the quality of life of all medical procedures. Many older people will typically get a very good result, but sadly others do not reach their greatest potential due to the lack of follow-up rehabilitation.

SYMPTOMS In the early stages, pain causes is often felt in the groin and buttock areas, but quite often also refers to the knee.

In chronic cases the edges of the joint forms extra bone ‘lipping’ around the

joint and consequently movement is restricted. The stiffness caused by this restriction gradually increases if the leg is not exercised. Unfortunately, people think it best to rest when in fact this is the worst thing to do.

Physiotherapy can delay the need for an operation quite considerably because exercises performed without weight on the joint will help maintain mobility and therefore delay restriction. And progressively, more exercises will further strengthen the muscles around the hip.

This is important as the weaker the muscles, the more strain the hip joint has to cope with. Hip replacement is only performed when pain and consequent deformity becomes intolerable – and can be delayed by many years by proper physiotherapy sessions.

THE OPERATION The most common approach is replacement of the head of the femur by a prosthesis which is fixed into the shaft of the femur. The socket in the pelvis is lined, giving pain free movement.

There are varying techniques for hip replacement and every surgeon has his particular procedure.

Technology has greatly advanced over the years reducing the problems after surgery, depending of course on the cause of the replacement and the condition of the bones. The least invasive procedure is hip resurfacing where instead of removing the head of the femur, the ball is resurfaced and the cup is lined. This can only be done if the bone is in good condition.

Younger patients greatly benefit from this technique.

POST OP PHYSIOTHERAPY Physiotherapy is very important after hip replacement, and advice and guidance alleviates much worry and anxiety. Many patients are sent home without advice and progression is much slower and possibility of dislocation occurs. Learning to avoid certain movements is essential.

At first it is important never to raise

the knee more than right angles to the body.

This means: a. No sitting in low chairs b. No reaching forward to feet i.e. when dressing or putting shoes on GET HELP NEVER attempt to cross the legs, or sit with legs crossed.

When lying on your side put a cushion between your knees to prevent the top leg falling across in front of the bottom leg.

Gentle exercises under supervision are helpful and progress is much more rapid, with walking soon progressing from ‘partial weight bearing in a frame’ to ‘crutches’.

And with proper physiotherapy and advice walking with one crutch or stick may be attained in only a matter of weeks. In time the movement of the hip will improve and activities will return to normal.

This article has been written by Joan McLellan a physiotherapist since 1974. For more information call 609 954 237 or email joan.mclellan@gmail.com

bad breath Ask the Specialist by

Dr Colin Evans

MB.ChB., F.R.C.S., BDS., FDSRCS

MY HUSBAND has recently developed very bad breath. He cleans his teeth regularly and has scheduled check-ups so what could be causing this?

Bad breath (Halitosis) has many possible causes. In most cases it is caused by a build up of bacteria in the mouth. These bacteria may live in trapped food, dental plaque (a white substance formed when food is combined with saliva and bacteria) or a ‘coated’ tongue. It is thought that a coated tongue maybe due to sinus problems which can cause mucous to drip down the back of the throat (post nasal drip).

Post nasal drip is one of the symptoms of a common condition known as allergic rhino-sinusitis, which can be acute or chronic.

Many people (around 80-90% of the population) suffer with this to some degree, with around 40% having symptoms. As well as bad breath, symptoms may include blocked nose and ears, hearing loss, tinnitus, catarrh, headaches and facial pain. Symptoms vary between individuals from hardly noticeable to severe.

Has your husband recently started taking any new medications? It is known that certain drugs can lead to bad

breath. These include: Betel, tri-cyclic antidepressants, chloral hydrate, nitrites and nitrates, dimethyl sulfoxide, disulphiram, some chemotherapy drugs, phenothiazines and amphetamines.

If the smell is very sweet and sickly this is probably caused by ketones in the blood. Ketones can appear when a person is crash dieting or otherwise not eating enough, also in poorly controlled or undiagnosed diabetes. Sjrogen’s syndrome, among other symptoms, causes a dry mouth and may also be a cause.

Other causes of bad breath include polyps in the nose, or a ‘foreign body’ stuck in a nostril. In these situations the smell tends to occur only, or more severely, upon breathing out through the nose; it is not so noticeable when you breathe out through the mouth.

Infections or tumours of the lung, throat, mouth or tonsils are sometimes a cause and may need to be ruled out. Other causes are rare.

In most cases of halitosis, improving oral hygiene (which includes flossing, tongue cleaning and mouthwashes) avoiding spiced foods, alcohol and smoking will cure the problem. Failing this, your husband should see a doctor.

Article written by Dr Colin Evans (MB.ChB., F.R.C.S., BDS., FDSRCS.) The English Medical Clinic, Avda del Albir, 72. Edificio Primavera, Bloque 1. ALBIR, (Alicante) 966 868 013.

Email: englishmedicalclinic@gmail.com

01 - 07 april 2011

43

HELP Annual General Meeting The recent AGM

HELP OF Denia and Marina Alta held their AGM on 26th March at Casa Holanda in Denia. HELP Chairman, Pat Lee Patton, opened the meeting before announcing that HELP representatives had been invited to attend a reception for HRH Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to be held at the British Embassy in Madrid on 30th March. The HELP organisation has worked closely with the British Consulate over the last 12 months and feels very proud to be recognised in this way.

A report was given on donations over the past year, for example to Raquel Paya School and La Pedrera Hospital. The meeting continued with reports from all the Officers and Coordinators informing members of the work

done at the Hospitals by Interpreters, shadows on the HELP desk and hospital visitors.

Catherine Perez Pinto informed the meeting that due to increasing commitments she had decided to stand down as Vice Chairman.

However, she will remain on the Committee as Hospital Representative. A new Vice Chairman, Judith Goodall, was proposed by Pat Lee Patton and accepted.

It was stressed at the meeting that HELP can always use more volunteers. If you feel you have something to offer, even just an hour or so each week, please come forward.

Learn more about HELP and its work in the community by visiting www.helpofdenia.com or call the HELP Centre on 96 642 7044.

44

01 - 07JANUARY april 2011 2010 8-14

horoscopes by Kenny Corris

Fearless

Fear stops people from coming through my door, and I know it. I wish that there was something that I could automatically do to allay any traumas that my clients may feel post appointment. Of course fear is the very one thing that can spoil a reading. The connective element of working with Spirit works well if both sides are happy, and fear stops that process inevitably. The knowledge of the Spirit World and just what it is composed of may help greatly to prepare the nervous for spiritual connection. Just what is up there? Well, the inhabitants make that other side, and each and everyone of them, without exception, has to have lived on Earth. So we can expect the souls at rest above to have known the troubles, trials and tribulations that life on this Planet Earth brings us, day by day. They have experienced just what a difficult life it can be, and they have survived the process that allows for the reception of all those who have decided to take their rightful position on high. They are teachers and librarians, supermarket workers and pilots, cleaners, chefs and bus drivers.

They have earned a living and the only thing that unites them is their deaths. They have made a decision to survive and thrive and they have passed on. Not everybody can do this, but they have, and it is only natural that many of them have a strong need to advise us of the process that has brought about their individual pain free survival. This is therefore a need to instruct us, and every soul has a tale to tell.

How can their messages be heard if there is nobody to listen?

We have nothing to worry about during a reading or sitting, because it is our loved ones who will normally make a choice to communicate with us. They do not have to be family, but they are those who have connected to us from the actions of the past. During this action everything is under the control of the Medium, whose job it is to allow for the reception of the messages or the direct contact, and the interpretations that result. I personally hold back on anything that may cause my clients any stress or discomfort. This does not mean that the impetus of the communication is lost in anyway, but that a safe version of events can be shown. Nobody needs to be reminded

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

Kenny I still dream of the passing of my little girl. She was taken to Spirit just three days before her seventh birthday. How can I ever forget or forgive the drunken driver that took her little life? I wish that it had been me taken and my little Tracey who survived.

M. O’Brien Oh Pat, so sad to hear your story, and to hear about the accidental death of your daughter. I know that we have had a fair crack of life, but to lose such a young child under such circumstances is a tragedy you will never forget. It is so easy to say, but it is true that fate intervenes, and we never know when we are born what age we are going to reach. Tracey is in Spirit and I can only hope that the death was instant so that she didn’t suffer. Whether you forgive or not, nothing can bring Tracey back to you, except that the fond memories she leaves behind reveal a short but happy life. It is not the number of years we live, but the quality of the life we have. Bless her. Let’s try to make contact so I can say what I really need to say, and help you in the grieving process.

of death by appalling injury or to visit the death scene; which is always the point by which those in the Spirit World left the Earth plane.

This final phase may be very important to those who have made their spiritual transition, but can cause grief and trauma to clients who do not wish to experience or view it. It is inevitable that the Medium keeps some details from being exposed.

I can always remember a young man coming through to me after his death in a car crash.

The face was masked with a material not unlike cotton calico. I could see the features just, but I couldn’t see the skin. I realised that this was because there were significant injuries to the face, and that my work had been done for me, the face was duly masked and covered. It was revealed to me later that this young man had been thrown through the windscreen of his car, and had sustained severe facial injuries. On another occasion I could not see the Earthly body of the departed one, only the head which appeared separately but with depth of clarity.

It was explained to me afterwards that death was brought about by decapitation. I was able to vividly describe the head I could clearly see, and the client was delighted with the accuracy, but I hid the fact that this face was divided from the body during the reading.

Finally I have always told each and every client that the door in which they entered in to my room is the door that they are free to leave by if anything causes them any discomfort or trauma whatsoever. This means that they are in control of the sitting and have the freedom to veto anything. There are some people who genuinely fear that someone they don’t want to see will come through to them, so they are told to simply tell them to go. So the client has control within the sitting or reading and it works.

In almost fifty years of working with clients I have helped connect, brought physical entities out of the woodwork and passed on specific messages that have brought comfort to both sides. Nobody has ever left my room even though they well knew they had a right to, and I really think that it will always be that way, so have no fear!

Love & Light... Kenny Corris

Kenny’s diary Sunday April 3rd Radio Interview on Xtra Radio F:M: at 10.00 Monday April 4th and Wednesday April 6th Readings at Bistro Maya, Albir from 17.00. Call: 966 868 213 for bookings and further info.

Saturday April 16th Spring Psychic Fair at Bistro Maya in Albir.

Readings. Tarot. Angel Readings. Crystals.

Spiritual Gifts. Some appointments left for readings with me. Call Els on 966 868 213 for further details.

Sunday April 17th Higher Realms Workshop in Finestrat: from 10.30 to 17.30. Learn to work with, and to make changes with, Higher Guides to maximise your Spiritual Journey. Call for information or check: www.kennycorris.net

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!

The entry of Mars brings you the power you need to get something off your chest and well and truly dealt with. This is an ideal time for you to release that stored anger and to tell some home truths.

Later on in the week Uranus makes a strong connection to back you all along the way. It is time that there was some clarity in your life and this means the clearance of all the debris!

This may be a time for you to face facts, but you do not have to go cap in hand because there are some things that your pride would never allow.

The solution to the immediate dilemma is to wait and see, and let’s see what comes out of the woodwork to hurry things along. Someone isn’t telling you the truth, but you need to find out why this smokescreen is necessary and what it is really hiding?

With Mercury retrograde there is an additional pressure on your resourceful and talented mind. With a decision having to be made, and with some highly inspiring goals to score you must turn around the negative energy that you have encountered and strike while the iron is hot. Yes you have a right to be very angry, but this is a time to both proceed along your own lines, and to set a precedent.

Actions in your opposing sign of Capricorn herald a time to balance your wishes with the needs and aspirations of others. It is painfully clear that you need to take the upper hand, but in the general scheme of things is it worth it? You need and deserve a quiet life this week, but as to whether or not you get it depends on you, your shrewd powers and the alternative to just retreat into your shell.

Leave everything to others to sort out and just take a backseat and allow things to happen. Your leadership style sometimes means that you can bulldoze a project at your whim, and there is so much to discover right now, if you take a concerned look from a further distance. You are thinking of now, and it is the future that promises to bring about the changes you so warmly welcome and support.

Love brings complication and puzzles when somebody may not be what you thought that they were. It is high time that you shared the depths and the beauty of your innermost soul; but things have to be right, and any doubts must be truly eliminated as this will hold you back. Look deeply into your innermost energies to make sure that what is on offer is what you want too, for real.

A midweek tryst with both the Sun and Saturn only serves to complicate your current situation. With options well and truly open take control of plans and sanction what you must to keep that wonderful balance in operation. Dare to challenge when you know that you must; and be scathing in your desire to know better the truth that someone close to you is so very frightened of!!

Talk about a sting! You are very disappointed in something that just didn’t pan out, and yet you must remain calm if you want to see where things really went wrong. This means creating an inner calm and playing the game, even if somebody thinks, quite wrongly, that you are playing by their rules. Resist the chance of any backlash, you can and will show them what you are made of when the right time comes.

The Sun adheres to your lucky planetary soulmate, Jupiter,at the end of the week, releasing you and pointing you in the right direction. With Arian influences abounding you may have a fight on your hands, but knowing that you will win may spur you on to make some progress in a matter that appears to be dragging its feet, and which needs some of your masterly concerned intervention.

Neptune squares with Pisces and brings you some wonderful nostalgia with a connection from somebody from the past. You may have a changed routine this week, but it is for a reason and you will greatly benefit from the love and good energy from this surprise contact. Take this opportunity to bring love into your life and lighten your heart and soul with fond memories and further good times.

Uranus hedges in on a sultry Mars who is known to often bring conflict to the simplest problem. This week any anger that you have is within the family, and don’t regret the chance to tell things just the way that they are, you need to be appreciated for all that you are doing to bring harmony against the odds. You may not get an immediate reward, but someone needs to know their place.

Neptune brings some financial pressure, and you would be wise to adjust to a spending limit whilst carefully examining your financial situation as a whole. There is an adjustment to be made but don’t hold your breath, and broken promises don’t amount to much when cash in your hand is what is really needed right now to help you steer the ship through a turbulent sea of expenditure and income.

If it’s your birthday this week...

Check finances and allow for an estimate to escalate, for a variety of reasons. Security has always been your motive and this year needs to see you afloat and at the helm where finance is concerned!

- 07 april2010 2011 8-14 01 JANUARY

45

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 1. Cringe with hesitation by milkproducer (5) 4. A pound got through work to become scholarly (7) 8. Honourable cry in favour of Conservatism? (7) 9. Toned in well-known manner (5) 10. Those who stand it may have sat for it successfully (4) 11. Real baby changed in a way that could be tolerated (8) 13. One note or the next in string (4) 14. Athletic contest for a human group (4) 16. What an idiot Edward is to have given help! (8) 17. Boast that costume has gone back (4) 20. Claw used in frontal onslaught (5) 21. License complete quiet (7) 22. Why brunette can’t be a leader in the Eastern bloc? (7) 23. Urge newspaper men to be seen here (5)

Down 1. Take too big a risk resulting in catastrophic trial? (5,8) 2. They are puzzling when cross (5) 3. Change gear in a temper (4) 4. Correspondence from the landlord? (6) 5. Ban moral arrangement that is irregular (8) 6. Unskilled apparently, but famous (7) 7. Male insect can make great strides with youngsters? (5-4-4) 12. Attendance at scene shown by rep in complete disarray (8) 13. The actors went first and made a move on the board (7) 15. Stopped when many were given relief (6) 18. Line of mountains to the north

Wordwheel

in 3 (5) 19. Give thunderous applause, perhaps (4)

Quick Crossword Across

Down

1. Step (5)

1. Cape Town landmark

4. Stuffed (7)

(5,8)

8. Respire (7)

2. Build (5)

9. Jokes (5)

3. Obligation (4)

10. Consumes (4) 11. False belief (8) 13. Uncovered (4) 14. Leg joint (4)

4. Gifted (6) 5. Postpones (8) 6. Huge (7) 7. Impartial (13)

16. Usually (8) 17. Tardy (4)

12. Animal (8)

20. Farewell (5)

13. Obstruction (7)

21. French sailor (7)

15. Awkward (6)

22. Child’s room (7)

18. Distribute (5)

23. Blunted (5)

19. Stump (4)

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 25th MARCH

6 12 21 27 33

3

7

One Belgian and one Portuguese ticket each won a 69,105,267 Euros (£60,861,008) jackpot prize

Answers & Winners Last week’s Crossword and Suduko answers found on page 51/54. Winner for 597 Brian Richardson, Ciudad Quesada

music scene

46

The Nomad - Live Music Show

B

RUCE IS the incredibly lively singer, blues harmonica and saxophone player with the trademark long black coat, top hat, and stuffed Compiled by white rat on his shoulder.

Previously Bruce specialised in rock and blues music, but now The Nomad - Live Music Show contains a much bigger and wider, range of songs.

Bruce can be contacted on: 629 809 638, or via his website: www.nomadshow.piczo.com

Eric Taylor

Mothers Day April 3rd CARVERY

2 courses 6.40€ 3 courses 8.95€

Includes home made Truffles for Mum

A la Carte Menu also available

New opening times: Wed-Sat 1pm-3.30pm & 7-10pm.

Sunday 1pm-7.30pm Bookings advisable

BOOKINGS FOR APRIL: Saturday 2nd Arthurs Bar, Els Poblets Thursday 7th Magic’s Bar (formally The Lees Bar), Orba Saturday 9th Coll De Rates Restaurant (CV715), Parcent 13.30 Saturday 16th Magnum’s Bar, Oliva Thursday 21st Coll De Rates Restaurant (CV715), Parcent 13.30 Friday 22nd Private Party

Saturday 30th Coll De Rates Restaurant (CV715), Parcent 13.30 Saturday 30th Bar Delphin, Camping Los Llanos, El Vergel

Bunty and the Beanos Party Band

Soggy Bottom Band – Jam Sessions

BUNTY & the Beanos are a lively, fun party band, who play a selection of music from the 50s, 60s & 70s you can dance to. This is a band comprising of Bunty (Anne) keyboards/lead vocals, Neil (lead guitar/vocals), Bob (rhythm guitar), Malcolm (bass) and new drummer Geoff Cookson (ex. Black Gold).

As a five piece band, they all play instruments, which means they are more versatile, as there are both male (Neil) and female (Bunty) singers. Altogether a great fun night with the Bonkers Beano’s!

For more information and bookings phone: 96 648 0125 or check out their website: www.buntyandthebeanos.info APRIL GIGS: Sunday 3rd, Private Party Friday 8th, Don Quijote, Paichi Centre, Moraira Sunday 10th, Casa del Cultura, Adsubia (near Pego) Friday15th, Bar Emillo, Llosa de Camacho Friday 22nd, Easter Party (Private) Friday 29th, Street Party, Javea

THE SOGGY Bottom Band consists of Malcolm Adams (guitar-vocals), Nigel Clegg (drums), Phil Mogg (guitar-vocals) and Paul Adrians (bass guitar-vocals). Other ‘Soggy regulars’ are Pauline McGough (bass-vocals) and Dutch Rick (piano-vocals).

The Jammin’ Sessions are at Emilios Bar, Llosa – (first Sunday in the month); Magic’s Bar (formally the Lees Bar), Orba – (second Sunday); and Bar 23, Jalon – (third Sunday).

The ‘Jams’ are popular

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.

Parcent

April 6th Easter theme Charity Quiz for Eamus. Tickets from Paraiso or Heidi’s Flower Shop in Jalon.

Thursday April 21st St Georges Day – James Hurst & The Good Old Music Hall Show Good Friday 22nd April Zodiac – (Book Early) Easter Sunday 24th April Lunch Please book early Tel 96 640 5398 For reservations

as many established, intermediate and beginner musicians turn up to play and sing.

The ‘Soggys’ can be contacted on 616 595 389.

Sunday 3rd April, Bar Emillo, Llosa de Camacho: 3pm Sunday 10th April, Magic’s Bar, Orba: 3pm Sunday 17th April, Bar 23, Jalon: 3pm

01 - 07 april 2011

FREE fun-packed weekend

by Jack Troughton THE OLD saying ‘you don’t get something for nothing’ has just flown out the window – this is one occasion when you get LOADS for nothing! You just need to head down to Playa de l’Ampolla in Moraira on the weekend of 9th and 10th April to enjoy a FREE fun-packed weekend for the whole family.

At the Fiesta del Mar organised by Coast Mountain Kayak, in association with the Teulada-Moraira Tourism Office, your whole family can try kayaking; stand-up paddle; and sailing for FREE. There will be loads of demonstrations for beginners and families as well as mini kayak and ‘stand-up paddle’ excursions; scuba dive initiations; music and a chance to win an O’Neill wetsuit plus lots of other great prizes.

This is a fantastic opportunity to ‘dip your toe in the water’ and try some new watersports without the expense.

Coast Mountain Kayak can provide you with the opportunity to ‘discover the Costa

Talent spotting

By Jack Troughton CARELINE THEATRE is hunting for new faces to take on roles in its next production, the hilarious seaside comedy

Blanca’ by sea, with their exciting and breathtaking kayak and Stand-up Paddle tours that take in the beautiful coastline of Moraira and Javea, with impressive caves, secluded beaches and scattered islands.

The Denia Kayak excursion affords an exciting kayak into the ancient man-made sea cave, Las Cuevas Talladas, and snorkelling within the protected marine reserve at the entrance of this remarkable cave.

The Calpe excursion kayaks past the towering cliffs of Mascarat towards the Penon Ifach - a real fun day out where you can check out the cave and rope swings, with some cliff climbing spots too.

The excursions fill up quickly, especially in the Summer months so why not take a look at their website and view the different excursions and tours they offer www. coastmountainkayak.com or telephone 96 649 1962 for more information.

The Fiesta del Mar is the perfect opportunity to take a look at what Coast Mountain Kayak has to offer.

Sand Castles. Set at a British resort and penned by Bob Larbey – the writer of the evergreen ‘The Good Life’ – the play centres on the adventures of the occupants of three beach huts and examines prejudice and snobbery.

Director Jim Sissens’ first priority is to find a male actor to play the part of easy-going Doug but he also needs to cast a teenage girl aged between 16 and

18, an actress to play a mother in her dotage, and two character actresses.

Sand Castles will run at Careline’s Alcalali Theatre for three nights between 26th and 28th May. Anyone interested in treading the boards with the theatre group should call Jim on 96 640 4310 or contact him via the Careline website www.carelinetheatre.com

47

48

01 - 07 april 2011

Uncork a classic vintage

by Jack Troughton CLASSICAL MUSIC duo Dolce Divas bring their talents to a special ‘wine and dine’ evening in Calpe next week. Claire Post, soprano and flute, together with partner, pianist Kirsty Glen, will be joined at the Hotel-Restaurante Marisol by surprise guests adding a little jazz to the 8th April show.

And international wine critic Colin Harkness will guide guests tasting six wines and cavas from Bodegas Dominio de la Vega.

The night begins at 8pm with a crisis ticket price of 35€ included a superb five course menu.

Claire told RTN: “The musical performance accompanies a wine tasting with Colin and this is part of a series of classical performance in top quality restaurants on the Costa Blanca.” Entry is by reservation only. Call Colin on 629 388 159 or email colin@colinharknesswine.com or info@dolcedivas.net or www.dolcedivas.net

HELP Antiques Roadshow THE ART Centre Association in Javea’s annual ‘Arty Farty Party’ will this year feature an all-day Antiques Roadshow from 10am to 5pm, on Sunday 8thMay to benefit HELP of Denia and Marina Alta.

Visitors will be able to consult nine experts to value antiques and collectibles ‘just like on the telly’ for a charge of 3€ per item (or set as in the case of a dinner service…) In the case of large sets, bring a few items and photos of the remain-

ing pieces. The Art Centre recommends using bubblewrap, towels or blankets rather than newspaper for wrapping. Items that are too large to bring to the Art Centre Garden should be photographed and emailed in advance to artcentrejavea@ yahoo.com And advice will be given on repair and restoration.

There will be food, drinks and a cake stall with midday entertainment from the Costa Barber Singers. Antique prizes are up for grabs in the

fabulous raffle with all proceeds earmarked for HELP. The Art Centre Garden is in Javea, CalleLagoTana, off Cami de Las Cansalades.

Look out for signs near the entrance to Las Laderas urbanisation, not too far from Inn on the Green Bowls Club.

Sorry, no children or dogs, it would be risky for fragile objects. Email or ‘phone Art Centre Chairwoman Lorely Griffiths on 96 647 2049 for further instructions, a map or more information.

The sound of music

Kirsty and Claire

Masons Walk for Breast Cancer On Saturday the 19th March the masons of Santa Faz Lodge in El Campello held a Sponsored Charity Walk along the seafront from El Campello to San Juan in support of AECC (Asociacion Espanola Contra El Cancer).

The Worshipful Master

Brian Parry thanked everyone for their support in making this a wonderful fun day and raising €1700 for a very worthy cause. The money will be added to earlier funds raised and used to purchase equipment at the AECC Alicante clinic to

support those Ladies who have undergone breast cancer surgery under their programme ‘Mucho X Vivir’.

The equipment will be presented to AECC at a ceremony at the Alicante Clinic on Thursday the 14th April.

Pupils show the way.

By Jack Troughton MUSIC HIT a high note with pupils at Laude Lady Elizabeth Junior School when they were treated to a live programme of voices and instruments.

Excited youngsters at the school at Cumbre del Sol were treated to a performance on a grand scale – and then spent days talking about the close encounter.

Music teacher Rosie Butson organised the special ‘musical event’, took on the role of compere, and even found time to conduct a choir, play piano and trombone.

At the outset she said students were not

going to listen to music on an I-Pod, CD, DVD, or video but hear people who had taken the time and trouble to practice and rehearse.

“This music is live, you are hearing it for the first time – all sorts of music, some instruments and some voices - it may not be performed again, you may be hearing it for the only time it is played,” she explained.

The junior school choir and band were the first to perform followed by a series of music teachers and guest musicians, including the Costa Blanca Male Voice Choir, unveiling a blend of entertainment ranging from classical to classics, pop to folk.

Jubilee Jazz at Monroe’s

THE JUBILEE Jazz Band is still performing at Monroe’s Carvery, Pedreguer, every second Tuesday at 8.30pm, with performances scheduled on: 29th March; 12th April; 26th April and 10th May. Table reservations are recommended: 96 576 1731.

Do visit the website where there are lots of photos, videos and recommended items from Youtube. www.thejubileejazzband.com

A wonderful fun day was had by all taking part

HELP plaque at La Pedrera Hospital THE MORNING of 23rd March, six volunteers from HELP of Denia and Marina Alta visited La Pedrera Hospital in Denia.

The volunteers were received by the hospital’s Director, Jaume Morera, the Chief Nursing Officer, Inmaculada Simó and María Dolores Marcos, in charge of Attention to Patients. All the volunteers have close links with the hospital and they were there for the presentation of a plaque commemorating the donation by HELP of the furniture in the hospital’s new multi activity room.

As La Pedrera is a hospital for chronic patients who are there for rehabilitation, convalescence or palliative care, the average patient tends to be there for some time and has special needs. The room provides an ideal place for patients and their families and friends to spend time socialising, reading, relaxing, doing gentle exercise or working on the computers.

Outside groups regularly visit the hospital to entertain the patients and their visitors in this room with singing, dancing and a variety of entertainment. More information about HELP of Denia and Marina Alta can be found on their website www.helpofdenia.com.

01 - 07 april 2011

Cute

kiwi

3 Kiwi fruit 1 medium Cucumber Juice the ingredients Contains: Vitamin C. Good for : A high boost of restorative vitamin C for anyone getting over an illness; it can also have a gentle laxative effect from the Kiwi. If it’s too bitter for you, try adding an apple for a bit of sweetness 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

49

tv Friday

50 61

01 14- -0720april may2011 2010

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 A Hundred Years of Us 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Britain’s Empty Homes 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 32 Brinkburn Street 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Deadly 60 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 16:55 Shaun the Sheep 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 Rip Off Britain 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 QI 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Michael McIntyre: Live & Laughing

07:00 Childrens TV 10:55 3rd & Bird 11:05 Postman Pat 11:20 Pingu 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 Diagnosis Murder 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Restoration Roadshow 16:00 Flog It! 16:45 Helicopter Heroes 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Escape to the Country 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Royal Upstairs Downstairs 20:00 Britain by Bike 20:30 An Island Parish 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Gardeners’ World 22:00 British at Work 23:00 Frank Skinner’s Opinionated 23:30 Newsnight 24:00 The Review Show 24:50 London to Brighton

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 60 Minute Makeover 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 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

07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 Max Bear 07:25 The Hoobs 07:50 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:45 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Frasier 09:40 Friends 10:10 Supernanny USA 11:00 Brothers & Sisters 11:55 Gok’s Fashion Fix 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Designers Under Pressure 13:25 The Thief 15:05 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 16:55 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Fern 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:25 4thought.tv 20:30 Unreported World 21:00 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 22:00 Embarrassing Bodies 23:00 Friday Night Dinner 23:30 Rude Tube 24:35 10 O’Clock Live

07:00 Childrens TV 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:05 Brighton Beach Patrol 13:05 Family Recipe 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:20 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:05 Family Recipe 16:15 Honeymoon with Mom 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 5 News at 7 20:30 Fifth Gear 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 The Mentalist 23:00 Law & Order 23:55 CSI: Miami 24:55 Cops in Crisis

08:00 Zoo Vet at Large

08:30 Live Snooker

07:00 Nothing to Declare

09:00 Oops TV

11:30 WTA Tennis

08:00 Jerry Springer

10:00 Wedding SOS

13:00 Snooker

09:00 Maury

11:00 Mental

13:30 Live Snooker

10:00 America’s Next Top Model

12:00 UK Border Force

16:45 Snooker

11:00 Four Weddings

17:30 WTA Tennis

12:00 Maury

18:30 Horse Racing

13:00 CSI: Crime

Time

Scene Investigation

19:00 Timbersports

15:00 CSI: Crime

Series

Scene Investigation

19:30 Timbersports

16:00 Criminal Minds

Series

17:00 Charmed

21:00 The Simpsons

20:00 Strongest Man

19:00 America’s Next Top Model

21:30 Modern Family

21:00 Live Boxing

20:00 Ghost Whisperer

22:00 Raising Hope

23:00 Snooker

21:00 Bones

22:30 A League of Their Own

24:15 Extreme Sports:

22:00 Criminal Minds

23:30 Spartacus: Gods

Freeride Spirit

23:00 CSI: Miami

of the Arena

24:30 WTA Tennis

24:00 Criminal Minds

13:00 Oops TV 14:00 Body Language Secrets 15:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 18:00 Futurama 19:00 Glenn Martin, DDS 19:30 The Simpsons 20:30 The Middle

New Tricks BBC1 22.00

Los Secretos in concert in San Pedro

by Julie Day

By Julie Day LOS SECRETOS, one of the most emblematic and significant pop-rock groups in Spain since the 80s, will be performing in San Pedro del Pinatar on Friday 29th April.

Hailing from Madrid, this pop trio have enjoyed a long and successful career and are just as popular now as they were 30 years ago. Los Secretos are labelled as one of the founders of the New Wave of music that came out of Madrid in the 80’s, although the

group themselves identify their songs with those of the New Wave groups that emerged from the UK during this time.

During their career Los Secretos have released a total of 12 studio albums, three live albums and seven compilation albums.

This fantastic concert takes place on Friday 29th April at 10pm at the Teatro-Cine Moderno, Calle Barón de Benifayo, 30740, San Pedro del Pinatar.

Tickets are priced at 31€ and are available through www.servicam.es or from the theatre’s ticket office.

Los Secretos in concert

Classical Music Society to present Duo Bakanova-Mascalo THE CLASSICAL Music Society of Alfas del Pi is proud to present the Dúo BakanovaMascalo (soprano and piano) for its next concert on Friday 15th April at 8pm at the Casa de Cultura, Alfas del Pi. The programme, ‘From Italy to Russia – the magic of colour and lyricism’, will include vocal works by Donizetti, Rossini, Scirabin and Ipploitov-Ivanov.

Russian lyric soprano Elena Bakanova has a truly international career, performing in operas and concerts all over the World. A

versatile artist with a broad repertoire, her range includes Baroque and contemporary music. Raffaele Mascolo studied music in Milan before performing in many countries, primarily conducting in opera houses. His vast repertoire includes established works

by Cimarosa, Rossini, Puccini, Donizetti, Bizet and Wagner plus contemporary pieces by composers such as Ligeti.

For non-members, tickets are 10€ on the door. Full details of this concert and the

Society’s 2011 programme are on the Society’s website: www.alfasmusica.com, or Tel: 96 588 8865 Website: www.telefonica.net/web/ arcosaltea

tv Saturday 07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:30 BBC News; Regional News 12:45 Football Focus 13:30 Match of the Day Live 15:55 Galaxy Quest 17:30 Final Score 18:15 BBC News; Regional News 18:30 All New Total Wipeout: The Awards 19:30 So You Think You Can Dance 20:30 The National Lottery: Secret Fortune 21:25 Casualty 22:15 Live at the Apollo 23:00 BBC News 23:20 Match of the Day 24:45 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 Coast 13:15 Diagnosis Murder 14:00 The Prince and the Showgirl 15:55 Priceless Antiques Roadshow 16:25 Escape to the Country 17:25 Flog It! 17:55 Carry On Again Doctor 19:20 Dad’s Army 19:50 Welsh Greats 20:20 The Last Goon Show of All 21:00 Edward VII: Prince of Pleasure 22:00 Goldie’s Band: By Royal Appointment 23:00 The Tudors 23:55 Nurse Jackie 24:25 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

01 - 07 april 2011

07:00 Mini CITV 08:25 CITV 10:25 Coronation Street 12:45 This Morning: Saturday 13:45 Monk 14:40 ITV News 14:45 You’ve Been Framed!

15:15 Like Mike 17:05 ‘Crocodile’ Dundee in Los Angeles 18:45 Granada News 18:55 ITV News 19:10 You’ve Been Framed!

19:40 Harry Hill’s TV Burp Compilation 20:10 Ant & Dec’s Push the Button 21:25 Live Celebrity Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?: Mother’s Day Special 22:40 Wanted 24:45 ITV News

07:10 Sali Mali 07:15 The Hoobs 08:05 FIM Superbike World Championship 08:30 The Grid 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 Friends 10:30 T4 Movie Special 11:00 Friends 11:30 Glee 12:25 Great British Hairdresser 13:30 Big Bang Theory 13:55 Big Bang Theory 14:25 That Paralympic Show 14:55 Channel 4 Racing 16:55 Secret Supper Club 17:25 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 18:25 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 19:30 Channel 4 News 19:55 4thought.tv 20:00 River Cottage Every Day 21:00 Seven Ages of Britain 22:00 The Transporter 2 23:35 Stand Up for the Week 24:25 Nine to Five

07:00 Childrens TV 09:30 Play!

09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Olivia 10:15 Mr Men Show 10:30 Gerald McBoing Boing 11:00 Meals in Moments 11:10 Fifth Gear 11:40 The Gadget Show 12:40 Megastructures: Extreme Bridge Demolition 13:45 Up Periscope 15:55 The Sea Chase

08:00 Zoo Vet at Large 09:00 WWE Special 11:00 Soccer AM 14:00 A Town Called Eureka 15:00 WWE: Smackdown 17:30 Oops TV 18:30 Emergency Animal Rescue 19:00 Emergency Animal Rescue 19:30 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Futurama 21:30 Futurama 22:00 Beverly Hills Cop 24:05 Ross Kemp: Battle for the Amazon

08:30 Live Snooker 11:30 WTA Tennis 13:00 Live Snooker 16:45 WTA Tennis 18:30 Live WTA Tennis 20:15 Snooker 22:00 Live Curling 24:30 Rallying 24:45 Snooker

51

09:00 Maury 10:00 Four Weddings 11:00 America’s Next Top Model 12:00 America’s Next Top Model 13:00 Biggest Loser 15:00 Nothing to Declare 15:30 Nothing to Declare 17:00 Drop Dead Diva 18:00 Drop Dead Diva 19:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 20:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 21:00 Chuck 22:00 Criminal Minds 23:00 Criminal Minds 24:00 Criminal Minds

18:05 Anzio 20:20 5 News Weekend 20:25 NCIS 21:20 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 22:15 CSI: NY 23:15 CSI: Miami 24:15 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS for 597

Across: 3 Digestion; 8 Laud; 9 Time-cards; 10 Choirs; 11 Asset; 14 Awful; 15 Sawn; 16 Lease; 18 Germ; 20 Beech; 21 Merge; 24 Instep; 25 Nonentity; 26 Spin; 27 Metronome.

Down: 1 All change; 2 Out of form; 4 Iris; 5 Evens; 6 Traces; 7 Odds; 9 Troll; 11 Aware; 12 Take steps; 13 In the pink; 17 Ebony; 19 Meteor; 22 Get on; 23 Lore; 24 Item.

Quick Solutions Across: 3 Adversity; 8 Lees; 9 Behaviour; 10 Eroded; 11 Steer; 14 Incur; 15 Rein; 16 Dying; 18 Tale; 20 Radio; 21 Emmet; 24 Terror; 25 Disregard; 26 Snug; 27 Enhearten.

Down: 1 Alleviate; 2 Reconcile; 4 Deed; 5 Exact; 6 Shiver; 7 Thus; 9 Beard; 11 Swift; 12 Rendering; 13 Encourage; 17 Greed; 19 Emerge; 22 Eager; 23 Sign; 24 True.

WORDWHEEL 598: EFFECTIVE

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Have you already had your fingers burnt by having a microwave or rebroadcasting system installed, well don’t get them burnt again by having the wrong satellite dish installed. There are several manufacturers of 2.4m, 1.9m & 1.45m dishes on the market throughout the costa blanca, two manufacturers from portugal, one from spain and 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.

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tv Sunday

52 40

01 - 07 20114 2010 Feb 26april - March

07:00 Breakfast 08:30 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 Bargain Hunt 16:30 Escape to the Country 17:30 Points of View 17:45 Songs of Praise 18:30 BBC News; Regional News 19:00 Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers 19:30 The Boat That Guy Built 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 Waking the Dead 23:00 BBC News; Regional News 23:25 Imagine: The Trouble with Tolstoy 24:25 The Last Station

07:00 Childrens TV

07:00 Mini CITV

09:00 Fee Fi Fo Yum

08:25 CITV

09:30 Gimme a Break

10:25 May the Best

10:00 Dick & Dom Go Wild

House Win

10:30 Cop School

11:25 House Gift

11:00 Something for the

12:30 This Morning:

Weekend

Sunday

12:30 MasterChef

13:30 Dinner Date

07:00 Childrens TV 09:30 Family!

09:40 Milkshake Monkey 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Olivia 10:15 Mr Men Show 10:30 Gerald McBoing Boing 11:00 Nigel Marven’s Rhino Adventure 12:05 Andre Rieu in New York 13:05 Ice Road Truckers 14:05 Emergency Bikers 15:05 Prince Charming 16:50 13 Going on 30 18:45 5 News Weekend 18:50 High School Musical 3: Senior Year 21:10 Just Married 23:00 Two Weeks Notice

07:00 Hour of Power 08:00 Zoo Vet at Large 08:30 Zoo Vet at Large 09:00 Oops TV 10:00 Wayne Rooney’s Street Striker 11:00 WWE: Superstars 12:00 WWE: Experience 13:00 Road Wars 14:00 A Town Called Eureka 15:00 WWE Special 16:00 Emergency Animal Rescue 16:30 WWE Wrestlemania Preview 17:00 UK Border Force 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 The Simpsons 19:00 Live to Dance 20:00 The Middle 20:30 Modern Family 21:00 Raising Hope 21:30 The Simpsons 22:00 Hawaii Five-0 23:00 NCIS: Los Angeles 24:00 House

08:00 Zoo Vet at Large 09:00 Oops TV 10:00 Wedding SOS 11:00 Mental 12:00 UK Border Force 13:00 Oops TV 14:00 Body Language Secrets 15:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 18:00 Futurama 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Glenn Martin, DDS 19:30 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Rooftop Rainforest 22:00 Ross Kemp in Search of Pirates 23:00 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena 24:15 A League of Their Own

22:00 Louis Theroux

19:35 Granada News

23:00 Match of the

19:45 ITV News

Day 2

20:00 The Cube

24:00 Football League

21:00 Lewis

Trophy Final

23:00 ITV News at Ten

24:40 Awaydays

23:15 The Bucket List

07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Freesports on 4 08:30 Crunchtime 08:55 The Crush 09:25 Friends 09:55 Friends 10:25 Hollyoaks 12:55 Glee 13:55 The Simpsons 14:30 The Simpsons 14:55 Four in a Bed 15:30 Four in a Bed 15:55 Four in a Bed 16:30 Four in a Bed 16:55 Four in a Bed 17:25 Deal or No Deal 18:30 Time Team 19:30 Channel 4 News 19:55 4thought.tv 20:00 Come Dine with Me 21:00 Civilization: Is the West History?

22:00 Country House Rescue 23:00 The Magdalene Sisters

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Neighbourhood Blues 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Britain’s Empty Homes 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Justice 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Gastronuts 16:35 Dennis & Gnasher 16:45 Deadly Art 17:00 Sadie J 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 Bang Goes the Theory 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 Waking the Dead 23:00 BBC News

07:00 Childrens TV 11:00 Mightymites 11:15 Postman Pat 11:35 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 Diagnosis Murder 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Real Rescues 16:00 Cash in the Celebrity Attic 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Escape to the Country 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Menu 20:00 The Great Rift: Africa’s Wild Heart 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Lambing Live 23:00 Never Mind the Buzzcocks 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Louis Theroux

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 60 Minute Makeover 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 Britain’s Best Dish 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 The Dales 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Law & Order: UK 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 Real Crime 24:35 River Monsters

07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 Max Bear 07:25 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Frasier 09:35 Friends 10:10 Supernanny USA 11:00 Brothers & Sisters 11:55 Relocation, Relocation 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 River Cottage Bites 13:10 Jamie at Home 13:35 Sea Wife 15:10 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Fern 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 Heston’s 70s Feast 24:05 The Event

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 12:05 The Blasters 13:05 Family Recipe 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:20 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:05 Chinese Food in Minutes 16:15 Recipe for Revenge 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 5 News at 7 20:30 How Do They Do It? 21:00 The Gadget Show 22:00 Executive Decision 24:45 Undisputed

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Neighbourhood Blues 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Britain’s Empty Homes 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Justice 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Gastronuts 16:35 Prank Patrol Down Under 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 19:55 Party Political Broadcast 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Candy Cabs 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News

07:00 Childrens TV 11:35 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 13:55 Diagnosis Murder 14:40 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:25 Real Rescues 15:55 Cash in the Celebrity Attic 16:40 Flog It! 17:25 Pointless 18:10 Escape to the Country 18:55 Party Political Broadcast 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Menu 20:00 The Great Rift: Africa’s Wild Heart 21:00 Lambing Live 22:00 Filthy Cities 23:00 Later Live... with Jools Holland 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Perfume: the Story of a Murderer

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 60 Minute Makeover 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 Britain’s Best Dish 19:00 Granada Reports 19:25 Party Election Broadcast 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Grimefighters 21:00 Countrywise 22:00 Smugglers 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 The Matrix

07:10 Max Bear 07:25 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Frasier 09:40 Friends 10:10 Supernanny USA 11:00 Brothers & Sisters 11:55 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Quiller Memorandum 15:05 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Fern 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Supersize vs Superskinny 22:00 Katie: My Beautiful Friends 23:00 Campus 24:10 Pete Versus Life 24:45 School of Comedy

07:00 Childrens TV 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:05 The Blasters 13:05 Meals in Moments 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:20 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:05 Chinese Food in Minutes 16:15 NYC: Tornado Terror 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 5 News at 7 20:30 Extraordinary Dogs 21:00 Tsunami: British Search & Rescue 22:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 23:00 CSI: Miami 23:55 CSI: NY 24:55 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

13:30 Live MotoGP 15:05 Viva Knievel!

16:45 The Gumball Rally 18:30 The Truth About Lions 19:30 Jackie Stewart: The Flying Scot 21:00 Top Gear

14:30 ITV News 14:35 Columbo 16:05 Torvill and Dean’s Dancing on Ice Tour 2010 17:05 Midsomer Murders 19:10 Harry Hill’s TV Burp Compilation

tv Monday

tv Tuesday

08:30 Live Snooker 11:30 WTA Tennis 12:30 Live Cycling 17:00 Snooker 19:30 Boxing 21:00 Live Curling 24:00 Rallying 24:15 Snooker

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer 09:00 Maury 10:00 Four Weddings 11:00 Drop Dead Diva 12:00 Drop Dead Diva 13:00 Dog Patrol 14:00 Dog Patrol 14:30 Dating in the Dark 15:30 Dating in the Dark 16:30 Step Kids In Love 17:30 Nothing to Declare 18:30 Passport Patrol 19:00 Passport Patrol 19:30 The Children’s Champions Awards 2011 21:00 Cougar Town 21:30 Hot in Cleveland 22:00 Katie 23:00 Four Weddings 24:00 Grey’s Anatomy

Lewis ITV 1 21.00

08:30 Rallying 08:45 Cycling 10:00 Curling 12:00 Snooker 14:00 Cycling 15:15 WTA Tennis 16:15 Snooker 18:00 Eurogoals 18:30 Champions Club 19:45 Strongest Man 20:45 Snooker 22:30 Live Curling 24:30 Rallying 24:45 Eurogoals

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer 09:00 Maury 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Nothing to Declare 12:00 Maury 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 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 21:00 Katie 22:00 Four Weddings 23:00 Stepkids: Don’t Ruin My Big Day 24:00 Criminal Minds

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

07:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 08:00 Zoo Vet at Large 08:30 Zoo Vet at Large 09:00 Oops TV 10:00 Wedding SOS 10:30 Wedding SOS 11:00 Mental 12:00 UK Border Force 13:00 Oops TV 14:00 Hello Goodbye 15:00 Stargate SG-1 16:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Oops TV 18:00 Futurama 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Glenn Martin, DDS 19:30 The Simpsons 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Rooftop Rainforest 22:00 Beverly Hills Cop 24:05 Rio Special 24:35 Fringe

08:30 Rallying 08:45 Champions Club 10:00 Curling 12:00 Eurogoals 12:30 WATTS 13:30 Cycling 14:30 Snooker 15:30 Eurogoals 16:00 Champions Club 17:15 Live Curling 19:30 Tennis 20:00 WATTS 21:00 Boxing 23:00 Extreme Sports: Freeride Spirit 23:30 Fight Club 24:30 Rallying 24:45 WATTS

Candy Cabs BBC 1 22.00

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer 09:00 Maury 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Nothing to Declare 12:00 Maury 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 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 21:00 Cougar Town 21:30 Hot in Cleveland 22:00 Katie 23:00 Bridalplasty 24:00 Criminal Minds

tv Wednesday 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Neighbourhood Blues 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Britain’s Empty Homes 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Justice 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Gastronuts 16:35 Prank Patrol Down Under 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 19:55 Party Election Broadcast 20:00 The One Show 20:30 The Boat That Guy Built 21:00 Waterloo Road 22:00 MasterChef 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News

07:00 Childrens TV 11:35 64 Zoo Lane 11:45 Waybuloo 12:05 In the Night Garden 12:35 Meerkat Manor 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 See Hear 14:30 Coast 14:40 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:25 Real Rescues 15:55 Cash in the Celebrity Attic 16:40 Flog It! 17:25 Pointless 18:10 Escape to the Country 18:55 Party Election Broadcast 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Menu 20:00 The Great Rift: Africa’s Wild Heart 21:00 Lambing Live 22:00 The Crimson Petal and the White 23:00 Have I Got News for You 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Golf

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 60 Minute Makeover 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 Britain’s Best Dish 19:00 Granada Reports 19:25 Party Election Broadcast 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 UEFA Champions League Live 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 UEFA Champions League 24:35 Smugglers

01- -March 07 april 2011 Feb 26 4 2010

07:10 Max Bear 07:25 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Frasier 09:35 Friends 10:05 Wife Swap USA 11:00 Brothers & Sisters 11:55 Country House Rescue 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Gallipoli 15:10 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Fern 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Vacation, Vacation, Vacation 21:30 Superscrimpers: Waste Not Want Not 22:00 Jamie’s Dream School 23:00 Model Agency 24:05 Big Bang Theory 24:40 The Big C

07:00 Childrens TV 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:05 Great Railway Adventures with Dan Cruickshank 13:05 Family Recipe 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:20 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:05 Meals in Moments 16:15 The Hollywood Mom’s Mystery 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 5 News at 7 20:30 Starlight: For the Children 21:00 Emergency Bikers 22:00 NCIS 23:00 Law & Order: Criminal Intent 23:55 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

07:10 Max Bear 07:20 The Hoobs 07:50 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Frasier 09:35 Friends 10:05 Wife Swap USA 11:00 Brothers & Sisters 11:55 Restoration Man 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 River Cottage Bites 13:15 The Colditz Story 15:05 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Fern 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Three in a Bed 22:00 A Bodyshock Special 23:00 10 O’Clock Live 24:05 Friday Night Dinner 24:35 Ricky Gervais Show

07:00 Childrens TV 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:05 Great Railway Adventures with Dan Cruickshank 13:05 Family Recipe 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:20 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:05 Chinese Food in Minutes 16:15 The Last Chance 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 OK! TV 20:00 5 News at 7 20:25 How Do They Do It? 20:55 Live UEFA Europa League Football 23:00 Dragon: the Bruce Lee Story

53 53

08:00 Zoo Vet at Large

08:30 Rallying

07:00 Nothing to Declare

09:00 Oops TV

08:45 Snooker

08:00 Jerry Springer

10:00 Wedding SOS

10:00 Curling

09:00 Maury

11:00 Mental

12:00 WATTS

10:00 America’s Next Top Model

12:00 UK Border Force

12:30 Eurogoals

11:00 Nothing to Declare

13:00 Oops TV

13:00 Champions Club

12:00 Maury

14:00 Hello Goodbye

13:30 Strongest Man

13:00 CSI: Crime

15:00 Stargate SG-1

14:30 WATTS

Scene Investigation

16:00 Stargate SG-1

15:30 Tennis

14:00 CSI: Crime

17:00 Oops TV

16:00 Snooker

Scene Investigation

18:00 Futurama

17:00 Live Curling

15:00 CSI: Crime

18:30 Futurama

19:30 WATTS

Scene Investigation

19:00 Glenn Martin, DDS

20:00 Eurogoals Flash

16:00 Criminal Minds

19:30 The Simpsons

20:10 Olympic Magazine

17:00 Charmed

20:00 The Simpsons

20:45 Wednesday Selection

19:00 America’s Next Top Model

20:30 The Simpsons

21:00 Equestrian

20:00 CSI: Crime

21:00 A Different Breed

21:30 Riders Club

Scene Investigation

22:00 An Idiot Abroad

21:35 PGA Tour Golf

21:00 Four Weddings

23:00 Fringe

22:35 Ladies European Tour Golf

22:00 Bones

24:00 Martina Cole’s

22:45 European Tour Golf

23:00 Grey’s Anatomy

The Runaway

23:15 Golf Club

24:00 Criminal Minds

Martina Cole’s The Runaway Sky 1 24.00

tv Thursday 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Neighbourhood Blues 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Britain’s Empty Homes 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Justice 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 Gastronuts 16:35 Prank Patrol Down Under 17:00 Project Parent 17:30 My Life 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 19:55 Party Political Broadcast 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Watchdog 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Question Time

07:00 Childrens TV 11:00 Mightymites 11:15 Postman Pat 11:35 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 Diagnosis Murder 14:45 Racing from Aintree 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Escape to the Country 18:55 Party Political Broadcast 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Menu 20:00 David Attenborough’s First Life 21:00 Lambing Live 22:00 A History of Celtic Britain 23:00 Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Filthy Cities

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 60 Minute Makeover 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 Britain’s Best Dish 19:00 Granada Reports 19:25 Party Election Broadcast 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Monroe 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 Benidorm 24:35 Celebrity Grimefighters

08:00 Zoo Vet at Large 09:00 Oops TV 10:00 Wedding SOS

08:30 Rallying

07:00 Nothing to Declare

08:45 WATTS

08:00 Jerry Springer 09:00 Maury

11:00 Mental

09:45 Curling

12:00 UK Border Force

12:00 WATTS

11:00 Nothing to Declare

12:30 Champions Club

12:00 Maury

13:00 Oops TV 14:00 Hello Goodbye

10:00 America’s Next Top Model

13:00 CSI: Crime

15:00 Stargate SG-1

13:00 WATTS

16:00 Stargate SG-1

13:30 WATTS

14:00 CSI: Crime

14:30 Curling

Scene Investigation

17:00 Oops TV 18:00 Futurama

Scene Investigation

15:00 CSI: Crime

18:30 Futurama

15:30 UEFA Women’s

19:00 Glenn Martin, DDS

Champions League

16:00 Criminal Minds

17:00 Live Curling

17:00 Charmed

19:30 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons

Scene Investigation

19:00 America’s Next Top Model

21:00 Hawaii Five-0

19:30 Eurogoals Flash

22:00 Martina Cole’s

19:45 Live WTA Tennis

Scene Investigation

22:45 Live Curling

21:00 Chuck

The Runaway 23:00 House 24:00 NCIS: Los

24:30 Rallying

Angeles

24:45 WTA Tennis

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

20:00 CSI: Crime

22:00 Hidden Lives 23:00 Katie 24:00 Criminal Minds

01 - 07 2011 Feb 26april - March 4 2010

54 44

Bad news and good news

The TV Round Up by

Alex Trelinski

Broadcaster and freelance journalist

H

ERE’S SOME bad news: the wretched ‘My Family’ is coming back for an eleventh series later this year. The good news: the BBC has mercifully said that this will be the last run for an alleged comedy that has consistently wasted the talents of Robert Lindsay and Zoe Wanamaker. At least Kris Marshall had the sense to bail out a few years ago to earn his bags of gold from the BT ads.

My early week viewing is starting to fall apart somewhat with the temporary farewell to ‘Mrs.Brown’s Boys’, and then Tuesday night seeing the end of BBC 1’s sassy legal drama, ‘Silk’. Smart, clever, intelligent, amusing, and full of backstabbing, this show has had it all in spades. I’ve always been told not to trust people in the legal profession, and the six week run of ‘Silk’ has certainly proved that! Surely this will return for another series next year, but there’s been no news on that front…yet.

One of the biggest names in TV is Nigel Lythgoe and his shrewdness is there to be seen big-time. He was brought back as executive producer of ‘American Idol’ on ITV 2 after a two year self-enforced

break. His remit was to drag the show up by its bootstraps, and so he promptly did the impossible by proving that there was life after Simon Cowell, with a different ‘happier’ edge to the contest.

Meanwhile Lythgoe is involved with another of his projects, with the return of ’So You Think You Can Dance’ to BBC 1 last Saturday. Strangely the first series was not a massive hit in the UK last year, after a very strong pedigree in the States. But I’m sure that was just a hiccup, and the first auditions show was of a high standard, and it was great to see Arlene Phillips reminding us what a loss she was as a judge on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

Book Review by

Danny Collins

copy@dannyjpcollins.com

More bad news:- the fantastic ‘Mrs. Brown’s Boys’ finished its hilarious Monday night run on BBC 1 this week. The great news: a second series has already been ordered which we should see towards the end of the year or early in 2012. With its brilliant audience figures, the BBC should move it to an earlier 9.30pm slot, which is after all the time that viewers to RTE in Ireland saw it screened a few months ago.

It’s great to see the lovely Fern Britton back on the box with her new teatime show on Channel 4. Natural performers in front of the cameras are rare beasts, and after leaving ’Ready Steady Cook’ and ‘This Morning’, neither programme has had the same fizz or professionalism.

Last Friday’s results hour, which featured the dramatic saving of the bearded Casey, and brilliantly hosted by Ryan Seacrest, was one of the most entertaining programmes I’ve seen this year.

Quickly to my regular report on ITV1’s ‘Benidorm’ which returned last Friday after a one-week break. It was easily the best episode of the series, with the highlight being the drunken advice that South African, Pauline, gave young Michael Garvey over love and relationships. She certainly came up with the funniest pronunciation of a rude bit of Anglo- Saxon that I’ve ever heard, causing my rewind button to be pressed into heavy service!

One Year In Spain WRITING POETRY, as Thomas Hood and Federico García Lorca probably never said, is a funny old game. It goes beyond bringing one’s most intimate thoughts into light and has many ways of doing it. The forms of verse are many: villanelle, terza rima, sestina, rondeau, enjambment, vers libre – have I lost you yet? I hope not, for to the reader, whether the lines rhyme or not, the most important of all is to feel the striking of a chord.

Migel Jayasinghe is an occupational psychologist. In semi-retirement he is destined to sit in the shade, light a cigar, and listen to the bees: would that we all could. He shares his musings with us – pleasant and philosophical – and we, should we bother to listen, are no worse for it and even improved a little. All civilisations should listen to their poets and take wine with them. Raise a glass to Migel Jayasinghe and be happy that such as he is among us.

One Year In Spain is a collection of 48 poems written during late summer 2009 and early autumn 2010 while living in retirement in Costa Blanca, Spain. Most of the poems are rhymed; a few in free

Suduko Answer

verse form (vers libre). But, most important, in these pages you can experience and enjoy established verse forms such as villanelle, terza rima, sestina, rondeau and enjambment.

Author: Migel Jayasinghe Publisher: Createspace (paperback) Price: €6.40 ISBN: 978 1456485146

Because her original background was in journalism, she’s equally good at asking questions to politicians and showbiz guests. It’s also a relief that somebody had a major reality check as the nice but puerile Peter Andre was at one time being seriously considered for this slot!

motoring

by

Brian Deller

Author of Motoring in Spain

I AM not a mechanic or even literate as far as mechanical things are concerned, especially with motor cars but my husband tells me that I more than make up for it in other ways (cooking?) I have heard ‘catalytic converters’ being discussed in our local meeting place where we women sit to make sure our men are not paying any Spanish señoritas too much attention. How do they work and what is special about them? Please keep it very simple for the above reason and thank you in advance.

Rose Smith, Roquetas del Mar. THANK YOU for your intelligent question and I applaud you for wanting to know. Most male drivers in my experience have very little knowledge of what these mandatory devices are and do not want to know but as these parts of the exhaust systems of petrol engine vehicles are very important and being also very expensive to replace, your enquiry is admirable. You will be able to supply the facts the next time the subject is discussed. What is a catalytic converter (CC)? It is a stainless steel box in the exhaust system with steel baffles, coated with a compound that when hot exhaust gasses flow past them, a chemical reaction takes place and with the resulting chemical reaction causing the dangerous toxic parts of the exhaust gasses to be converted to far less dangerous gasses before they are passed into our atmosphere. They can only be used with non-leaded petrol, and the expensive petrol for high performance cars now has a lead replacement chemical added instead of lead for this reason.

The metallic compound on the baffles is platinum; a mineral that is worth much more per Kg than even gold and this makes the device very expensive to manufacture. A new major problem reported in the UK now is the theft of the CCs from parked vehicles as a new one for a large BMW for example costs over €5,000. They work efficiently depending on use for up to 80,000 to 120,000km and a part of the MOT/ITV test is pollution check of the exhaust. If the test report fails due to this item, it can be an expensive job to replace to pass the vehicle.

Luckily the baffles need only be plated (like chrome-plating) with a thin layer of platinum for the device to work efficiently. So if buying an older petrol-engined vehicle, it would be prudent to insist on it being ITV-ed with your direct supervision or by a trusted friend, to avoid being cheated

01 - 07 april 2011

before parting with the cash. If it is a classic (a historic) which means that it is 25-plus years old in Spain, allowances are made for this as it will not have a CC but as has happened elsewhere in the EU, Berlin and other cities, such as Germany as an example, older vehicles are now banned from entering cities except for occasional vintage vehicle rallies. Vehicles even from new must be treated with care, and an example would be plunging into a cold water-ford with a hot exhaust system. Also driving over rough land where the exhaust can be hit by rocks etc. I trust that answers your question. Diesel engines have different exhaust systems and I can cover those (again) in the near future if requested. yOu HAVe recently advised that vehicles with RH steering, vans or auto caravans, without an unrestricted 360-degree view from the driver’s seat would not be passed for re-registration onto Spanish plates. I have been told locally that this has been changed and they can now be passed. What do you think?

Bill Jones, Torrevieja.

THANK YOU for your question, Bill. I have passed this one to my local expert and amigo, a Spanish company that attends to the re-registering of foreign vehicles every day, and the boss man Antonio’s immediate reaction was that the law is still true, but he is checking through their contacts at Trafico and the local ITV station where they are well-known to see if it has recently changed. I will advise very soon. Personally, as Trafico is very hot on road safety and is succeeding with the continuing drops in the accident rates in recent years, any action that will reduce that trend is unlikely but these days we do not trust anybody until we know for sure. Watch this space in the near future. Meanwhile I would play safe and wait.

Summer is coming again. But will we be flooded out with visitors with the credit crunch? Perhaps we all need a good holiday but money will probably be tight.

Be safe and careful. Repairs are still very expensive and service your vehicle to retain its safe condition and resale value. My wife is charming me for a new car so we may have a low mileage (65,000km) Ford Focus (2008 diesel) for sale soon. The 2001 model we sold locally in 2008 at 150,000km is still running very well at 180,000km. All the best.

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

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01 - 07 april 2011

Classified Ads 01 - 07 april 2011

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

57

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

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01 - 07 april 2011

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

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

2 YORKIE TERRIERS Male and Female, KC Registered needs re-homing to a good pet caring family, for free contact: richbenson1@live.com for more information PAWS PET TRANSPORT Spain-UK-Spain every month.

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

ROLLER SHUTTER REPAIRS 50kms radius Calpe. Ray Bowers 626576706

PC SOLUTIONS 4U For all your computer needs. Reliable & Friendly service. Alicante North area.Call Fred:-634-638-664

SAILING BOAT ARAEZ 22FT moored MarMenor. Good condition. Marina 8 engine.

Spinnaker, Depth Finder etc.

Offers around 6500€. Tel 968-582-358/618-489-904/ UK+44-7895-055-198

10 COLD DRINK/SNACK VENDING MACHINES with sites,€39,900.excellent cash income, no overhead, work from home, work only one day per 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

AVONDALE LEDA (UK) twin axle, Approx. 22 feet.5 Berth caravan. Good condition many extras including 5m awning.

4250Euro 966-491-354 Moraira MOBILE HOME 2 bed Aitana Mobile Home 5yrs, unfurn. sited but can be moved 6500€ ono.

Tlf-660-061-684 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

FULLY QUALIFIED UK ELECTRICIAN with 10 years experience on the CostaBlanca.

All jobs undertaken-extra sockets, rewires, fault finding.

Tlf:-Hugh-690-275-223

PENSION TRACKERS Looking for rewarding enjoyable work, then join our fast growing lively telemarketing booking team. If you are hardworking, enthusiastic and well organised then this is for you. Experience preferred but not essential as full training is given. Contract available after completion of training and trial period. Call:966-864-598 AVON NEED AGENTS AND LEADERS work hours to suit you. For info Phone Rosh 966-785-520 HYGIENIST IS REQUIRED for a dental practice in Benidorm. The person must speak Spanish and English. Please send curriculum in Spanish to flor@id-mediterraneo.com GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY For a good Cook and Average Handyman. Small apartment in La Manga, in a chalet situated in the front line of Mar Menor, to let in exchange for light services.

For full details Tlf Ernesto:968-564-022 FEMALES AND COUPLES 18 to 65 required for adult internet photo and video modeling.

Excellent rates. 697-697-842.

BENIDORM´S TOP PIANO ENTERTAINER Dave Peterson available from April 1st for one nighters or residencies. Up to 4 hours of quality entertainment.

See www.darkcavestudios.com or call Dave on 626-496-735.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS - COSTA BLANCA Confidential Helplines South - 625-912-078 North - 648-169-045 www.aa-costablanca.org

TEETH WHITENING. Professional Pain Free Cosmetic Treatment, from 99€. Javea, Denia, Calpe, areas. Tel:-680501-404 www.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

S.O.S. INSURANCE Car-HomeHealth-Comercial. Funeral Plans and Insurance. Tlf:-966-787123/622-275-561/686-116-297

HAIRDRESSING EQUIPMENT 1 backwash unit, Hood Dryer on Stand, Climazon Dryer Nearly New 1000€. Genuine Interest Only Tlf:620-408-678 ANTIQUE PINE EXTENDING DINING TABLE 70€ Oil filled electric fire 30€, Double bed and head board 50€, Light wood 3/4 size wardrobe 30€, Chest of Drawers 30€, Sofa-bed 20€. Catral Area. Tlf:-965-976-756 AUTOMATIC GATE SYSTEMS €399!! Automatic Garage Doors €249!! Fully Installed/Guaranteed!

All brands repaired 627-191-639/ www.elektro-nex.com SOLAR PANEL´S (THERMAL) NEW 194x94x10 CM Copper/ Selective coated. 250€ each TLf:677-260-473 WHEELCHAIR Light, Foldable, Hardly used. 150€. Mobility Scooter 40km range 499€. Both like new! Tlf:-627-019-403 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

WANTED Experienced kitchen

Designer - Salesperson required for busy showroom in Pedregeur.

CAD experience preferred but applicants otherwise qualified will be considered. Full time position with basic salary

BYTEBACK MICROS computer repairs/upgrades in your home.

Qualified technician. Systems custom built. Whatever your problem call: 965-312-006 or 606-127-424

AT MICHAEL’S Lovely 3-piece suite in beige leather. Two dark blue leather sofas. Comfortable blue leather recliner. See more than 600 photos on: www.michaels-javea.com

and commission and contract after trial period

Tel: 96 645 6269 or 686 237 874

01 - 07 april 2011 AT MICHAEL’S Exercise equipment like professional stepper etc. Large Phillips professional solarium. Visit our Port shop or see photos: www. michaels-javea.com Tel 96-579 1328 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 brown wicker bedroom furniture, chest of drawers, bedsides, headboards etc See more than 600 photos on: www.michaels-javea.com (updates every 5-6 days) 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

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 7.30pm10pm.Tuesday Improvers Lesson 7.30pm-8.30pm plus SOCIAL DANCE 8.30pm10.30pm. New Venue: The Wok Royal, Benijofer (966-714-820) New Beginners Class: Monday, 7.30pm-8.30pm, Argentine Tango Class 8.30pm-9pm plus SOCIAL DANCE: 8.30pm10.30pm Tel: Andrea and Brian 616-478-157 WEIGHT WATCHERS Call our Free English call centre now to find your nearest meeting.

900-818-794

HONDA BROSS 650CC LIGHTWEIGHT Water cooled v-twin (75mpg) superb condition ITV & TAX 32K just serviced including new battery & plugs, Spanish reg 1000euros ovno 651-186-765 SCOOTER.KYMCO BET & WIN 125CC Matching 45ltr top box, immaculate condition, as new €1300. 965-770-301

INDUSTRIAL CATERING EQUIPMENT chicken machine with stand 1200euro, meat slicer 200euro, 2mtr canopy with motor 1550euro, bottle fridge 250euro,double frier 10x10,375euro,dish washer 800euro,double glass fronted fridge 800euro,bain marie 3 pot 270euro, 120cm gas plancha 750euro, tele 693-004-845.

FANTASTIC WORK HORSE JOHN DEERE tractor 515. Old but in full working condition with brand new battery, including cultivator and bucket. Three arm hydraulics. Operates on red diesel. Selling due to house move. Good buy at 3,000euros.

Brand new cast iron log burner.

Never been used. Self cleaning glass fronted doors. Including flue. 300euros. Wrought iron double bed with mattress (50 euros) and three single beds with mattress 30euros each. All immaculate condition. Aspe near Elche area.Telephone 645-746-502 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 BEV´S CAKES For all occasions, made to your specification. Alfaz/Benidorm areas. Call for more info 670-533-488 KARAOKE MEDIA PLAYER Special Offer 500GB. 80,000songs, software, songbooks, bar/home use.

195euros Tlf:-657-766-341 POOL, SNOOKER TABLES Also Table Tennis and Darts. Will beat any price!. Tlf:666-933-726. www. spainpool.com

OPEL ASTRA ESTATE 1.7 CDTI, Late 2007, very low kilometers, fully serviced, top spec with ALL extras, looks and drives as new, only 7950euro may part exchange. tel 680 665 583 or exchange for motorhome cash either way CITROEN C5 ESTATE 2.0 HDI year 2002, UK Car fully loaded, just serviced, Tax and Mot until November 2011, excellant condition, Perfect for returning to UK as has large boot, 2950 euro will part exchange for Spanish car/van. cash either way. tel:680-665-583 CITROEN PICASSO XSARA. 1.6 SX. Sept 2003. 2 Owners, FSH, Alloys, Aircon, CD, Front Fogs, Pic-Nic Tables, Rear privacy Glass, Lovely Condition.

Metallic Burgundy only 5750€ Includes 1 year warranty and transfer. . Tel 600-726-622/965687-976 or simply view our easy to use website www.fwreurocars.com LOOKING FOR A CAR? We have a nice selection of LHD and RHD Vehicles for sale or exchange from only 1500€, Automatics, Saloons, MPV´s, 4x4´s, Sports, Cariolets, and Commercials. New and used Vehicles Sourced. Tel Frank your friendly English car sales on the Costa Blanca. Tel 600-726622/965-687-976 or simply view our easy to use website www.fwreurocars.com BUMPERS, WINGS AND MIRRORS All body panels for all cars supplied. Tel:-966-877-145 or 618-592-396 HEADLIGHTS4U.COM Left hand drive headlights supplied and fitted. All makes. Also air conditioning rechargeTel:-966877-145 or 618-592-396 HYUNDAI SANTA FE V6 AUTO 2003 Spanish lhd 104,000km 7,400euro tel:660-375-093 BREAKERS YARD HGV, Vans, 4x4, Cars, Bikes. Most vehicle parts in stock.

Delivery service for engines, etc.

Vehicle sales and scrappage service. Free pick-up and transfer.

Call 692-790-377. E-mail: hgmservices@yahoo.com

MAZDA 3 2.0 Sportive 150CV 2008 / 37.000kms Alloys, Climate, Sensor Lights 12 Months Warranty (Parts & Labour) Price: 10.799€ + Transf AUTOELITE Industrial Estate TEULADA Tel: 902 222 095 stefanie@autoelite.es

PEUGEOT 308 1.6 Hdi Confort 2008 / 48.633kms Metalic Paint, Climate, RadioCd 12 Months Warranty (Parts & Labour) Price: 10.999€ + Transf AUTOELITE Industrial Estate TEULADA Tel: 902 222 095 stefanie@autoelite.es

CITROEN Berlingo 1.9 D Combi 2006 / 45,215kms AirCon, Central Lock 4 Available, 12 Months Warranty (Parts & Labour) Price: 6,499€ (IVA Incl) + Transf AUTOELITE Industrial Estate TEULADA Tel: 902 222 095 stefanie@autoelite.es

JAGUAR XJ6 2.7D V6 Executive 207Cv AUTO 2006 / 55.743kms Alloys, Leather, Parking Sensor 12 Months Warranty (Parts & Labour) Price: 25.499€ + Transf AUTOELITE Industrial Estate TEULADA Tel: 902 222 095 stefanie@autoelite.es

OPEL Corsa II 1.3 CDTi Enjoy 2007 / 58.917kms Alloys, Climate, Easy to Park 12 Months Warranty (Parts & Labour) Price: 7.799€ + Transf AUTOELITE Industrial Estate TEULADA Tel: 902 222 095 stefanie@autoelite.es WANTED Scrap cars, vans, lorries, plant and caravans.

Turn your scrap into cash. Free collection. Tel.689929395 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 600-781-873 ibuyanycar@ hotmail.com

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NEW RECORDING STUDIO Specialists in vocal recording.

For all your recording needs and special offers visit www. darkcavestudios.com or call Dave on 626-496-735

DUE TO STUDIO REORGANISATION Focusrite Trackmaster Platinum Pro Vocal channel €120. Roland EXR-7s Arranger Keyboard. 76 note keyboard. Very slight damage to corner of case. Impossible to find second hand. Perfect working order €399. Behringer Ultra Match Sample rate convertor €99. Behringer Ultra Patch Pro Patchbay €39. Tel Dave on 626-496-735

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01 - 07 april 2011

WARNING!!! Are you exterior painting? Before you paint, get this FREE essential report. Tlf:966-114-546 or download at www.paintingmyvilla.com PAINTOR AND DECORATOR Exterior/interior Spray Painting Specialist. Woodwork, iron work, all aspects. For a free friendly, no obligation quote call Kevin Guilfoyle. 965-831-209/ 636-653-516 or Guifoyle.kev66@gmail.com

GORGEOUS ENGLISH BLOND 45 years, Massage, 1 hour or over night, 15 mins Alicante airport.Tel:-Karen 662-049-021 ELEGANT, SLIM, SEXY LADY ESCORT My Place, Home or Hotel visits. Torrevieja-La Manga-Mazarron Areas.

Tlf:-693-357-526

Spanish or UK home for more information call 0044-1516332321 or email : alan.aitken@hotmail.co.uk CLASSIC SPANISH OLD TOWN HOUSE CALLOSA. 3 double bedrooms (one en-suite) new kitchen, large living room/ diner. Bbq terrace and LOTS more. Recently reformed/fully furnished. 135,000€ Tel: 609-177-032.

CAMPELLO 2 bedroom/2 bathroom apartment with magnificent sea views.

199.000€. See our blog for details at www.apartment-forsale-campello-spain.com and/or 670-661-605

ASHLEY- ENGLISH MIXED RACE South American, very sexy 29, tall, slim with long legs, excellent rates, near Hospital-deTorrevieja. Call me direct:634-336-712 SPANISH LADY PLAYA FLAMENCA near new Carrefour before La Florida. 35 years, attractive, classy lady, private house, parking. Offers all erotic services, massage, sexy lingerie, economical prices from 40€. Full discretion. Call Ana 680-735-412 BI-GAY PLUMBER W/E Spanner. Specialist in Ballcock, Overflow Services Ladies, Gents, Couples. Tlf:660-409-206.

TORREVIEJA TRANS PERLA Stunning Blonde.Huge breasts, sculptural body.Speciality erotic masage.Very feminine and sexy.

Call me 671-424-456 TORREVIEJA BRAZILIAN Lovely Lady. Stress! Have Silken Hands Massage, Relax, Pleasure, Discretion. Escort Service. 664-664-390 CASA ANGELA TORREVIEJA Luxury Private Chalet, parking.

Drinks invitation. Feeling alone?

Just want some company?

Exotic girls from South America.

Call us, come and enjoy! Also Escort Service. Full discretion.

Street: Avenida Asociacion Vistimas del Terrorismo.

609-573-468 or 639-832-118 NEW PLACE! TORREVIEJA Sexy girls from South America.

Come and enjoy, economical prices from 40?. NEW ADDRESS Zone Los Locos beach. 639-622-285 TORREVIEJA CHINESE SUPER SEXY Young and beautiful. Calle Orihuela Nº60, 2º1 DANI 24, SWEET GERMAN GIRL Offers erotic service.

House and Hotel visits or in my apartment. 650-104-534 Torrevieja BEAT THE CREDIT CRUNCH! Blonde, English, Aged 44. 40€ all inclusive. Tlf:-626-324-088 NEW IN BENIDORM MATURE SUSI 49 Made in Switzerland.

7 days, Incalls or Outcalls.

Tlf:-672-836-234 or www. maduraescort.com PORNO DVD´S! The Best You´ve Ever Seen! Gay, Bestial, She-Male, BDSM 10€ each.

Rebecca:-Tlf:-636-929-511 ARE YOU MALE, FEMALE OR A COUPLE? Need some Sexy FUN? Contact me soonest.

63 year old Dom/Sub switch.

Available for fun with Males, Dom and Sub and Cross Dressers, Females Dominatrix and Submissive. Couples including Same Sex Couples.

“Anything Goes” Can sometimes accomodate. Home Visits no extra Charge/Low Fees. Call me now on 655-058-554

POOL LEAK REPAIR SPECIALIST’S Pipe leaks pressure tested, detected and repaired. Structural leaks investigated and repaired.

Professional, consciencious service to the highest standards.

Refurbishments and upgrades undertaken. Replacement pumps, filters, salt systems, ph regulators and accessories supplied and installed. All work guaranteed. British trained in the UK pool industry with over 15 years experience. 8 years served on the Costa Blanca. Torrevieja and surrounding areas including Costa Calida. Tlf:- Pristine Pools on 966-774-199 or 678-080-500 www.pristineswimmingpools.com SWIMMING POOL MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING SERVICE BY POOLTECHSPAIN. We are a fully legal, qualified and registered business who have been operating on the Costa Blanca for 6 years. We offer a professional, reliable, safe and efficient pool service, inc. re-grouting, pressure testing and leak repairs. Private and community swimming pools undertaken. Call now for more information on 965-725-565 or mobile 676-945-360/ 620-743-048 www.pooltechspain.com

SPECIAL OFFER Los Altos, Detached Villa, 220 square metre plot, only 104,000€ 669-283-973 VILLAMARTIN AREA Middle Town House, 2/3 Bedrooms, Bathroom, Seperate Toilet, Garage, F/F, Fitted Kitchen, 84.000€. Tlf:-669-283-973 LOOKING TO RELOCATE We have new and pre-owned luxury park homes for sale throughout the UK 12 month occupancy part exchange considered on your

LA SIESTA 2 bedr 1 bath Villa.

Secluded Pool €500 P/M Long Term + Bills. 628-478-313 JALON VALLEY Quality apartments and Villas to let long term. All facilities. Call Rod 605-231-331 APARTMENT FOR RENT 3 bedroom, clean spacious apartment in Pedreguer town, close to all amenities. 2 bathrooms, lounge, kitchen, aircon and lift. Available now €450 per month bills included.

Call 638-207-343 EL PINET F/F 2 BED FLAT Sea View, 10 mins to Beach, Overlooking Pool. Call:-649-411634 www.carefreproperties.co.uk CLOSE TO THE VILLAGE OF ALTEA LA VELLA Refurbished Apartment. Fully Furnished. A/C and C/H, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, large lounge, Kitchen/Diner.

40M2 Sun Terrace with Bar-bque. Very large Garden, Private Pool. Transport essential. No Pets or Small Children. 495€ per month plus bills. Available Now. Tlf:-966-881-048/691-202-307

ways. Great rates contact Joe on 966-074-576 or 650-341-087 or email civic1235@msn.com LARGE EMPTY VAN with experienced owner, driver returning to UK regularly. Dave: 965-329-610/ 686-767-839 MAN & LWB SPRINTER VAN going to UK- Spain twice a month. Tel: 610-846-260 or 0044-7519-186-355 email:van.man@hotmail.co.uk

ALL SATELLITE SYSTEMS Installed, Maintained and Repaired. 10 years experience with Satellites in Spain. All areas covered. Tlf:-Hugh-690-275-223 CRYSTAL CLEAR SATELLITE AND INTERNET TV for all your digital and TV requirements.

No Annual Fees on Sky Cards.

Steve:-660-186-505/Ros:-965584-097. www.ccsattv.com info@ccsattv.com

WANTED - GYM EQUIPMENT ladies/mens mountain bike Javea Tel 606-936-012 karensg8@gmail.com TURN YOUR UNWANTED FURNITURE Electrical, Household Goods and Brica-brac into Cash. Anything!

Anywhere! 965-319-220/ 618-165-877 WANTED TECHNICS 1200 OR 1210 TURNTABLE in good condition. Tel:-617-893-036 or email kath_poole@hotmail.com GOLD WANTED!! English Jeweller, will buy for cash, broken or unwanted gold jewellery and coins. Tlf:Peter664-890-990 RECORDS AND CD´S WANTED Top cash paid. Pop, Rock, Blues.

Tlf:-630-665-363

LONG TERM RENTAL JAVEA AREA Small 2 bed villa preferred, casita or ground floor apartment. Needs garden for dog, Internet and TV. Tlf:-680-501-404

INSURED UK TRANSPORT Fully Insured space available in modern clean van with experienced driver, going to UK early April, with Goods In Transit insurance included free, up to 19 cubic metres available for single items to full load. Ring 673-767-776 anytime TRUCK TO UK Truck leaving Torrevieja area for Wiltshire early April. Space available for part loads. Call Steve 693-455-396 for info.

MICK WITH HIS VAN Removals Collections Deliveries. For a reliable effective service. Hourly rate or quote. Call Mick anytime 600-247-535 VAN LEAVING FOR THE U/K every two weeks space both

tips and tricks for all of your business and personal needs.

Karla Darocas - certified instructor since 1990. Tel: 96 597 3234 info@KarlaDarocas. com Referrences - www.

KarlaDarocas.com BRITISH GRADUATE TEACHER Offers secondary/ primary tuition. English/ Mathematics. Tel:-Margaret Johnson B.Ed. 965-350-516/ 616-660-687

ASSISTANCE AT THE DOCTORS Hospital, Police, etc., Help to interpret mail and documents. 30 years experience in Benidorm and local towns.667-323-289 QUALIFIED TRANSLATOR Bi-Lingual Spanish-English, High Level French and German.

Confidential and Reliable Service. Competative Rates.

Torrevieja Area. Call Virginia on 629-201-192.

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01 - 07 april 2011

The final whistle With Andy Kay

RTN Golf Club update

www.andykayevents.com

Rugby, but not as we know it

Dennis Jordan NORTH REGION

Mike Probert SOUTH REGION

Dan Carter IT WAS marvellous to see the rugby union world come together last Sunday when the Crusaders played their ‘home’ Super 15 match against the Sharks at Twickenham, raising much needed revenue for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake. It was a cracking game too with the Crusaders backs putting on a real show in the first half only for the Sharks to mount a powerful second half comeback which ultimately, just ran out of steam.

But I couldn’t help thinking while watching that these guys were playing a different game to the ones I regularly watch in the Northern Hemisphere – and it all came down to the interpretation of the rules by the referee. Forward passes were ignored, crooked feeds missed and players were not punished for constantly standing offside. As for crooked feeds at the scrum, the IRB’s current dictat on trying to eradicate this might as well have been written on the back of a fag packet for all of the attention that was paid to it.

It probably won’t surprise you to find out that the referee in question was New Zealand born, now Australia resident Steve Walsh - the kind of guy who can’t spot a squint feed in a Southern Hemisphere game from 2 feet away but can see an England hand in the ruck during a Northern Hemisphere encounter from about 50 yards!

Supporting Sir Alex Regular readers of this column will know that I don’t often have any positive to say about Sir Alex Ferguson but this week it’s different as I support his call to move the two FA Cup semi finals to the North of England 100%. It’s an absolutely crazy decision to force supporters of Man Utd, Man City, Bolton and Stoke to travel hundreds of miles to the Capital when both games could be played at neutral grounds ‘just down the road’. Fans will be made to share one major road network and one rail line and will also clash with Liverpool fans on their way to the Emirates for their match with Arsenal not to mention competitors and supporters going to the London Marathon. It’s a scandalous decision by the FA, made for their benefit not the fans.

A sad loss The world of sport lost one of its giants last weekend with the death of Martin Webster. It’s possible that not too many of you will know his name but almost all of you will have enjoyed his work as Martin was for many years, the BBC’s executive producer on major sporting output such as the World Cup, Olympic Games and London Marathon.

He was one of those guys who, just by his shear presence at an event, made you raise your game to try and match his exacting levels. Martin fought an incredibly brave battle against Motor Neurone disease for a number of years before passing away on Sunday. He taught many of us so much and he will be greatly missed by all who benefitted from his extraordinary talent, generosity and friendship.

Murcia Golf Hound Murcia Region

THE COSTA Blanca has seen some bad weather of late, with some of the courses closing due to slow drainage, but we can now be assured of more daylight playing hours, thus bringing in some good ‘Twilight offers’: Font del Llop has tee times after 4pm for 29€ each, including a buggy on Monday - Thursday and Friday - Sunday 29.50€ each including a buggy. Also any early birds out there can play between 8am-9am tee times, for 32€.

El Plantio Twilight offer has an excellent offer playing after 12pm midday of 35€ and with a buggy 45€.

All these offers are only with a RTN Golf membership card and we are working to try to get more deals. To obtain a membership card, go onto the RTN website, click on ‘sport’ and then ‘golf’ and you can join for free: we have been inundated with people joining so don’t miss out and most importantly, don’t pay more than you have to for your round of golf.

HOPEFULLY AS the weather begins to warm up a little we will see more golfers on the fairways of the local courses.

There has always been a complaint from ex-pat golfers that the prices on the local courses are way too high in comparison with the UK and their limited pension spending power.

The economic crisis has made the courses take a re-think and there are certainly more deals available at this time of year than normal.

I have been reporting for some time the extraordinary Friday deal at Altorreal for only €55 for two players including buggy.

Well I can now report that this deal has now been extended to include Mondays and in addition that a new deal of only €65 for 2 players including buggy will be available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

I reported last week the special prices at La Peraleja and these have proved very popular with the local golfing public and the course is filling rapidly.

ON MY journeys across south east Spain, it is always a pleasure to have a café con leche before my game. Whilst at the delightful clubhouse at El Plantio the other day I started thinking about the quality of restaurants on offer throughout the region. There are some highlights where a medio tostada de tomate and café cost 3€ and set you up for your round, but there are also some where you won’t be getting change from 5€ for the same – is that why they call it 5 star?

Keeping hydrated throughout your round is important; it is after all a 3, 4, 5 or 6 hour walk depending on how slow the play is, and boy is there some slow play out there! This morning on my walk around La Manga South I witnessed a Scandinavian visitor take four minutes to play his second shot – 15 practice swings and he was on and off the shot four times – unacceptable from the guy in question, and clearly he was oblivious to the concept of 13 minutes per hole.

Restaurant of the week on course is Las Ramblas for its stunning menu del dia in the new clubhouse. So good that one of our gastro Spanish friends was happy – makes a change. If you are playing around the Los Alcazares or La Manga areas the new Garnacha Brasserie in Los Belones, is awesome. Menu del Dia is €13.50 and last week for example included Cesar Salad, Estofado de Ternera, Chuletas, postre, copa de tinto and an asiatico. All this talk of food is making me hungry… enjoy your game, keep hydrated and next week I’ll write something about Golf…

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

Altorreal

€55

Comments

€65

2 Players and 1 Buggy (Mon-Fri) 2 Players and 1 Buggy (Tue,Wed,Thurs)

Hacienda del Alamo

€30

Single Green Fee (3pm)

La Serena

€90

Single Green Fee (3pm)

Polaris World Courses

€92

2 Players and 1 Buggy

Roda

€100

2 Players and 2 Buggy (limit)

Las Ramblas

€33

Single Green Fee (3pm)

VistaBella

€82

Single Green Fee (S.Deal)

La Finca

€42

Single Green Fee (2.30pm)

Las Colinas

€260

4 Players and 1 Buggy (3pm)

€76

2 Players and 1 Buggies

€140

4 Players and 2 Buggy

La Peraleja

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

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 contact the Hound on Facebook, twitter: murciagolf@roundtownnews.com or 671 748 625.

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

The Stableford obsession Noel’s world of golf

By Noel Eastwell Teaching Professional Campo de Golf El Plantio 639 730 891

IN OUR part of Spain the standard method of calculating golf scores has become the Stableford points scoring method. This in itself is not a bad thing but why don’t we play many of the other scoring forms of golf? I refer in particular to Medal Play; the only real way to play golf and accurately calculate just how good you are.

I have lived in our part of Spain now for nearly eleven years and involved in local golf matters for nearly all of that time. The reluctance to change to medal play amongst the vast majority of golfers astonishes me. Back in Great Britain, UK Stableford competitions were rare things that came along perhaps three or four times a year at most clubs. It was The Monthly Medal that was used to calculate your handicap.

I know all too well that many will say that was when most of us were part of a golf club and we are not now. That is indeed a good argument but one that does not really hold water. The majority of us now play our golf with societies. That is all well and good and I think golf societies have a very valuable place to play in recreational golf but what about real competitive golf? When it comes down to it is the handicapping system used in Stableford scoring accurate enough to serve its purpose for the competitive golfer?

This seeming obsession with the Stableford system leads to complications when we get to serious competition golf. I was referee recently at a RFEG competition where the competitors entered what they thought was their Stableford points total on their scorecards. When the scorecards were checked by the scores there were some serious problems unearthed as the winner was shown to have accumulated 53 points.

When I was asked for my opinion it was obvious the points were entered on the scorecard when the gross score was all that was required. This led to the referee wanting to disqualify most of the field.

After much argument it was agreed we would run the scores through the RFEG computer again and ignore the ‘mistakes’ made on the scorecards.

I fully understand why golfers in societies enter their points score with their gross score in a society day out but golfers need to be aware that under The Rules of Golf only the gross score should be entered on a competition scorecard. Anything else entered could lead to confusion and disqualification. That is something we all want to avoid.

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 1ST APRIL 2011 Where is considered to be the ‘Home of Golf?’

A. Scotland B. England C. Wales All answers must be received no later than 5pm on 1st May 2011 to be entered into April’s draw, to be made on May 1st. The winner will be announced in RTN on May 6th 2011.

WINNER OF MARCH COMPETITION Heinz Rottwilm 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

Cast Off with

Robbie France

THEY SAY sports such as snooker and billiards are all about angles.

I have to say that the same can be said about sailing. More column inches have been written about the sheer physics of sailing and how the force of wind propels a boat forward than any other sporting topic, apart from the subject of David Beckham’s latest tattoo, or Wayne Rooney’s salary that is! Bearing that in mind, let’s try and get the basics sorted in a few paragraphs. Wish me luck.

To understand the way a sailboat works needn’t require diagrams of airplane wings, teaspoons under the tap, or a bar of soap popping up between two inward pressing palms. A boat goes forward into the wind by placing her on an angle of such a degree that the wind flowing over the sails, (creating force), aligned with the

position of the rudder, (creating a stable direction), moves her forward at an angle, allowing us to manoeuvre her to and fro along a set point (your course to steer), towards a destination. This is called ‘tacking’. Let’s put it this way…

Sit in a boat. Wait for the wind.

If you now go straight into that wind, all you’ll hear is a flapping of the sails; you may even go backwards! But move the rudder to enable her to sail into the wind at more than say, 45 degrees… and magic occurs. You are going forward. Move the rudder slightly more…you are going faster and the boat will start to tilt on an angle, (or heel).

So now you’re moving forward to the right. But, hey! Your destination is off in the distance and way over to the left and

you fear the next time you step ashore will be in Ibiza! Time to tack: You move the rudder in the opposite direction to which you have it now, changing her direction to go through the wind: the sails will move to the centre of the boat, then over to the opposite side from where they were before…and once you’ve got her at an angle of more than 45 degrees and the wind is filling her sails once more you are going towards the destination on another course.

Repeat as often as necessary.

Arrive at destination: Moor up: Order lunch: Pay bill: Get back in boat: Do same. However, going home with the wind at your back? It’s a bit different. This is called jibing. I’ll explain that and its pitfalls next week…!

There is nothing like lying flat on your back on the deck, alone except for the helmsman aft at the wheel, silence except for the lapping of the sea against the side of the ship. At that time you can be equal to Ulysses and brother to him. Errol Flynn.

63

01 - 07 april 2011

Fishing Maggots End by

David Hoare

968 199 279

For further details ring Alan Roscoe 968 570 876 or email: anglerstogether@gonuts4free.com THIS WEEK saw us at Blanca again for another exciting match. After the last few weeks of missing the rain it got us this week - that was in the morning - come the afternoon we were subjected to a near gale force wind! That was the kind bit - the fishing was as poor as before with 11 anglers braving the elements; we still had 4 dry nets. If only the fishing matched up to the scenic beauty of this place it would be a joy to fish.

This match was also the 3rd in the RTN series and with one match remaining it is a tall order for Rods and Reels to win.

TOP ANGLERS ON THE DAY 1st Terry (Swing E´m) Screen, fishing the feeder using corn with 6.34 kilos 2nd Ian (Irish Wizard) Dalzell, fishing the feeder using maggot with 4.150 kilos 3rd Marlene (The Sweetie Lady) Hutchinson, fishing the feeder using maggot with 2.50kilos WEIGHTS ON THE DAY Rods and Reels with 6.10 kg Abbey Anglers with 14.33 kg ACCUMULATIVE WEIGHTS Rods and Reels with 57.12 kg Abbey Anglers with 71.66 kg ABBEY ANGLING RESULTS supplied by Terry Screen This week’s 9th round of the Abbey Angling Cup on the 22nd March was held on the river at Olivarejos and was our first visit there this year and probably the last! There is an access problem with the farmer even though these matches have all been booked with the Murcian Federation. He will not let the anglers use the road which runs through his land to the river which means taking another road which is very narrow and means reversing the vehicles out and also entails a long walk with all the tackle.

After saying all that, the river looked in perfect condition with a gentle flow, but did not respond and only 4 anglers caught fish.

1st Alan (Quiet Man) Reid with one nice Barbel of 2.980kg 2nd Bob (The Gent) Elms with 1.960kg

3rd Mike (The Arsenal) Hill with 1.260kg All fishing the feeder and corn.

All details are available from the Match Secretary Terry Screen on 96 532 8368.

HONDON TRUCHA This week’s winner was Malcolm from Denia. Because of the strong wind all anglers were fishing from one side of the lake. Most of them started with an intermediate line, but soon changed over to a floating line. Also dry flies were used, but at the end the ‘fat ass booby’ of Malcolm was most successful. He was the winner with a catch of 23 trout. He received a voucher for one morning’s free fishing, two litres of Oporto from the local bodega and a travel blanket.

Next competition is on Saturday 2nd April. If you want to participate please call Jan on 636 314 033 or have a look on 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 8th April at 12 noon.

There is a new venue for the Puerto de Mazarron meeting starting in January 2011.

On Saturday 9th April at 12 noon 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.