RTN North Edition 544 by Round Town News

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Issue 544

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March 19 - 25 2010

Classroom revolution by Jack Troughton PARENTS ARE being urged to support a campaign to revolutionise the school day to improve the education of youngsters attending Spanish state schools. Teachers and education professionals want to introduce a ‘continuous day’ across Valencia and scrap the current three hour break for pupils aged from three to 12. They maintain at present youngsters lose concentration in the afternoon – even falling asleep at their desks between 15.00 and finishing school at 17.00. The change would mean curriculum subjects would be taught in the mornings – usually from 09.00 until 14.00, with two short breaks – and allow the afternoons to be kept free for non-scientific subjects like music practice and sport. However, the schools would be open throughout the day and teachers would continue to work their full hours.

See main ads on P4

PETITION

RTN golf winners Danny Herron from Javea & Linda Rees from Calpe, see page 61 for full story!

The Associacio Educativa - motto ‘Together for Education’ - is collecting signatures to petition the regional government to debate the issue and allow schools to ring in the changes. RTN was told the continuous day had already been adopted by schools in a number of the independent autonomies, such as Andalucía; Murcia; Galicia; Castilla La Mancha and the Balearics. “Not every school would want to have the continuous day but we want them to have the right to see if they want this system or not,” said members of the education association. Continued on page 4

what is the biz spain? find out next week...

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The weather in Spain OVERCAST CONDITIONS across the country with the chance of a shower continuing into the weekend. More likely to rain on the holiday costas on Sunday Temperatures Highs: Santa Cruz de Tenerife 25, Granada

24, Almería 22, Cádiz, Murcia, Valencia 20, Alicante 19, Palma de Mallorca 18, Barcelona, Madrid 16, Lows: Santa Cruz de Tenerife 18, Cádiz 14, Almería 11, Barcelona 9, Madrid 8, Alicante 7, Valencia 6, Granada, Murcia 5, Palma de Mallorca 3

40,000 still with no power in Catalonia ONE WEEK after heavy snow storms devastated the region of Catalonia, 40,000 homes were still without power. Another tension line fell last Sunday and initially caused a loss of electricity to 100,000 homes. By Monday, that number had been reduced to 40,000. The areas of Tossa de Mar, Lloret de Mar, Platja d’Aro, Santa Cristina d’Aro and Sant Feliu de Guíxols were affected. Local mayors have expressed their anger and say that the electricity companies should take full responsibility. Mayors have also criticised power companies for not providing sufficient information.

A Catalan man braves the cold in a snowy treelined street last week

19-25 March 2010

Political change promised by Jack Troughton A NEW ‘passionate’ team plans to modernise town hall politics and revive the fortunes of one of the Costa Blanca’s key resorts. The 22 strong group within the Partido Popular in Javea believe they can win the party leadership in internal elections on April 9th and install Juan Crisostomo as PP president – and work with other members in the best interests of the town. And the new generation hopes next month’s poll will be the first stepping stone to taking charge of the municipality in next year’s local elections and creating open democratic government for Javea. Key to the movement’s success is winning universal support with the electorate – appealing to families who have lived in the Marina Alta town for generations, Spanish people who have migrated to the area, and people who have settled on the coast from outside the country. Most important is securing the European vote and British expats are the largest and most important group. Many are already PP

members. Maria Jose Sueiras has been chosen as a spokesman for the new PP group. She told RTN the group wanted to instil the disciplines and values of the PP at national level while using local knowledge to make Javea a better place. PEARL “Javea used to be the pearl of the Costa Blanca but it is not anymore,” she said. “Ten years ago Javea was beautiful, it was lovely but 10 years later it is very different.” Maria Jose said the group believed it could convince voters it could modernise Javea and the town hall and everyone would benefit as a result. “I believe that if we can win the leadership of the PP we can win the town hall in the local election,” she said. “It will be a good change and an historic moment.” However, she said the party had to work with everyone who had an interest in restoring Javea to its former glory. “We are not looking for confrontation but solutions,” she added. “And we want to be known by achieving results.”

Juan Crisostomo

Investment plans Spring clean

THE GOVERNMENT has announced plans to invest €70 million developing the Marina Alta over the next two years. Plans include improving the road system, water, housing, and activities available to residents and visitors while protecting the coastline. The investment is also intended to ‘create jobs’ and improve the ‘quality of life’ for residents, according to the Valencia government. And one future major project receiving the backing of the regional authority will be the establishment of a high rail service between the cities of Valencia and Alicante – with an important interchange at Denia for the Marina Alta communities.

THE CENTRE of Spain’s most famous seaside resort is to get a spring clean in preparation for a new holiday season. The first phase of the operation will concentrate on 36 streets and squares

in the centre of Benidorm and is expected to last three months. Graffiti, chewing gum, oils and animal mess will all be targeted in a €60,000 operation, said Councillor Conrado Hernandez, who

promised the face lift would be extended to other parts of the town in consultation with residents and businesses. He said the local police are attempting to clamp down on the graffiti problem – keeping a database of offenders and their ‘tags’ – and the whole operation is aimed at giving Benidorm a better image.

19-25 MARCH 2010 continued from front page

“IN THE last 10 years, plenty of different schools have applied for this system but they have never had an answer in the positive or negative. We have formed Educativa – as parents, teachers and even pupils – to have a proper debate.” And one Costa Blanca teacher said: “At present it is too long a day for little children as young as three. They are falling asleep. It is not worth teaching them because they are not learning as they cannot concentrate.” EXPERIENCE

He said the continuous day worked in other regions across Spain. “We have spoken with parents who have children who have experience of schools outside Valencia and they say it works.” A colleague added: “This is not a political move; it is all about improving the quality of the education system. “This is a very positive choice and it is an improvement for the children and their families.” Under the system, pupils would

still eat after classes and finish school at 17.00 – so working parents would not be under pressure. However, parents could decide to collect their children at any time after 14.00 because compulsory classes would have finished. “We believe that is a benefit for family life and gives parents more choice.” TEACHER

RTN was reassured that “there will always be teachers still working at school” and the change allowed alternative activities in the afternoon that did not require hard concentration – similar to the senior schools. “Each school will be responsible for rearranging its own timetable to best benefit the children and their classes,” it was explained. “By law there has to be five hours of classes a day and it is all about how you organise it for the best results.” For more information about the campaign, contact associacioeducativa@hotmail.com or visit http://associacioeducativa.blogspot.com where it is possible to join the campaign and download forms to sign the petition.

At present it is too long a day for young children

Don’t lose your right to vote by Louise Clarke LIVING IN Spain should not stop you having your say back home in the UK. Every British citizen registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years is eligible to vote in the forthcoming UK Parliamentary elections and even if you were too young to register when you left the UK, you can still register as an overseas voter, so long as your parent or guardian was registered to vote in the UK and you left the UK within the last 15 years. Statistics have revealed that at the last general election, of the 3.5 million expat voters around the world, only 14,000 bothered to register to vote! At a meeting at the Virgen del Carmen Centre in Torrevieja on Wednesday evening, details of how to register to vote were given. Members of the Torrevieja Town Hall, including Mayor Pedro Hernandez Mateo, Graham Knight and members of the local group of Conservatives Abroad attended. According to UK press reports, an election is likely to take place on May 6th with registration to be complete by 1st April. Margaret Hales, from Conservatives Abroad, told the audience: “We all have a right to vote and we want to make sure that you don’t

Pedro Hernandez Mateo and Margaret Hales

lose that right, whichever party you choose to vote for. Everyone must be encouraged to register to vote so they don’t lose the opportunity to have their say.” OVERSEAS VOTER It is easy to register. Yo will need a computer, a printer and some money for a stamp! (Don’t worry if you don’t have a computer - Torrevieja Town Hall will be providing an office where you can access a computer and the forms - or ask a friend!) Go to either the electoral commission website at www.aboutmyvote. co.uk or the Conservative equivalent www. dontleaveyourvoteathome. com and click on the ‘Overseas Voter’ icon to take you to a two page registration form that you need to print out and fill in. There will be people at the International Residents

Office in Torrevieja able to help if you need it. You must assign a proxy vote to a friend, neighbour or relative in the UK and fill in the appropriate form, also on the website. The three forms (per person) should be sent in the post to the Electoral Registration Officer in the constituency where you used to live; the address of which can also be found on the website. Gerald concluded: “We realise that this is a really longwinded and awkward way to go about it, but until the system is changed, hopefully after the general election, this is the way it must be done. But please do not let this prevent you from exerting your right to vote.” Remember, these forms must reach the UK by April 1st. The meeting also detailed how to get on the Padron to get your vote in the Municipal elections here in Spain and RTN will have more on that next week.

Language problem

19-25 March 2010

Mayor supervises municipal parking for county hospital

Jaime Lloret at the opening of the new car park

Complaints have been made claiming police will only speak Valenciano

by Jack Troughton COMPLAINTS CLAIMING police officers attending emergency calls will only communicate in Valenciano have triggered a top level investigation. Expats living in the Marina Alta say the situation was unacceptable when attempting to report serious crimes like burglary, robbery and assault to local police. And they have called on Benissa Town Hall to take action, reminding the local authority more than half the population were “foreigners.” Mayor Juan Bautisa Rosello said he was worried by the complaint and found it hard to believe. “I have put this

question to the police and the police categorically deny it. “In any case, I would like the people who have this problem to contact me directly because I want to open an investigation and would like to know what has happened.” COMMIT The mayor praised the local force for their commitment to the community. “The conduct of Benissa Police has always been exemplary. Officers have even put their lives at risk in order to save the lives of other people.” But he said there were “difficult” times – major incidents such as storm damage affecting the whole of the area – when

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the emergency service had to make decisions about how best to cope with a large volume of calls for assistance. He assured citizens that every officer was fully trained in first aid after attending courses and the municipality was lucky to also have a 24 hour ambulance service and the forest fire brigade stationed in Benissa. However, the mayor said: “Residents have the responsibility to learn enough basic Spanish to communicate in an emergency.” He said the town hall was preparing a leaflet to help expats with standard phrases to talk with the police, ambulance and fire brigade. “This will provide very good support in itself.”

JAIME LLORET, the Mayor of Villajoyosa, announced the opening of a 169 place (including 6 invalid spaces) parking facility at the county hospital on 12th March. Local government utilised land around the Marina Baixa Hospital to relieve the parking problem. Jaime Lloret explained: “It was necessary to implement public park-

ing to enable access to the hospital for all citizens. We took the decision independently of other towns which will also benefit.” The 4060sq m facility will be open 24 hours all week. Jaime Lloret added: “This decision is an act of generosity and solidarity from the people of Villajoyosa to other citizens of the county. I hope it will be appreciated.”

Current affairs

RESIDENTS OF a Marina Alta community have the chance to catch up with all their town hall news at a meeting on Thursday March 25th, at 18.00. The Mayor of Teulada Moraira, Antoni Joan Bertomeu, will meet English speaking residents at the Salon de Banquetes Canor and bring them up to date with the affairs of the local authority. And as well as briefing his expat citizens, the mayor will answer questions in what have become informative and interesting open meetings.

19-25 March 2010

Hotel Melia Benidorm Avda Severo Ochoa 1 Benidorm Friday 19th March

Hotel Parquemar Calle de Gabriel Miro Guardamar de Segura Tuesday 23rd March

La Serena Golf Resort Los Alcazares Murcia Wednesday 24th March

Grand Hotel Sol y Mar Calle Benidorm 3 Calpe Thursday 25th March

19-25 March 2010

These RTN readers benefited FREE OF CHARGE – did you? Your LAST CHANCE is NEXT THURSDAY 25th March… LAST WEEK over 35 UK expats attended the FREE Vives Pons ‘Income Tax’ seminars. Many of them were RTN readers who had seen the FREE SEMINARS advertised in this paper. RTN attended and spoke with some of the readers there. Mr Karel Kosina, originally from Newcastle and now living in La Sella says, “I am so pleased to hear the facts about Tax. Everyone seems

to have their own interpretation about the tax rules; today Fransciso and Salvador (from Vives Pons) have explained it just as it is.” Next we spoke with RTN readers Roz and Phil Goodenough who live in Gata de Gorgos near Javea. “This is all very professional” they say. “The information is useful, and presented very clearly. We will definitely be using Vives Pons. We need this

kind of expert help and they obviously know what they are doing.” Ricky and Ruth Jones from the Jalon valley commented: “This has helped sort out our understanding of how the UK and Spanish Income Tax rules work together. It has also helped explain the current Residencia system. We have heard so many stories about ‘you need to do this’, ‘you don’t need to do that’

Ricky and Ruth Jones “has helped to clear up some of our questions”

Road safety

NUMBERS OF accidents recorded on the busy streets of Benidorm fell by more than 15 percent in 2009, new statistics revealed this week. Complaints of drivers breaking traffic laws were also down on the previous year by 20 percent according to police figures. And the town also saw a corresponding drop in the numbers of fatalities linked to road accidents – from three in 2008 to one last year. The audit revealed people injured in accidents fell from 575 to 439 over the same period.

Roz and Phil Goodenough “very professional”

and so on. Now we know what to do! We saw these seminars advertised in the RTN and it has been well worth coming.” The last FREE SEMINARS in this series of talks by VIVES PONS are next Thursday 25th March at 11.00 and 16.30. Don’t miss your chance to be there…the Seminars are entirely FREE and if it turns out that as a result of attending the seminar you think that

you may need Franscisco or Salvador’s help with your tax matters, even the first OneTo-One exploratory meeting is completely FREE. All too often we at the RTN receive letters to the editor about financial problems, tax problems, residencia problems and so on that our readers have encountered. RTN highly rates this series of fiscal seminars, and recommends that if you have doubts

or questions about your tax matters then you should go along. You have absolutely nothing to lose, and a lot to gain. As usual, places at each seminar need to be limited because of the venue size, so early reservation is recommended for next Thursday by calling Joe Bassim on 686 566 106. For more details on the topics covered at the seminar see Vives Pons’ advertisement below.

Restraining order for homophobic youths A group of 14-16 year olds have been ordered to maintain a distance from a gay man they attacked in 2004. The ruling was passed in Sabadell, Barcelona. The victim has recently returned

to the town to live, six years after the original incident. The aggressors must stay at least 300 metres from the victim’s house, must also pay a fine and are not permitted to contact him.

This is the first time that a Spanish court has treated homophobia as a similar crime to domestic violence. The Catalan gay rights group, FAGC, is very pleased with the ruling.

Play time 8

19-25 MARCH 2010

by Jack Troughton

YOUNGSTERS AT a Marina Alta school can look forward to hours of fun on a new adventure playground thanks to Teulada Moraira Lions. Club members joined staff and pupils at the Moraira school this week to officially declare the safety play area and its equipment open. The popular new attraction was made possible with a donation of €1,500 but continued

bad weather meant the building work took longer than expected. Lions President John Snell was watched by club members, teachers and children as he cut the ribbon during a short opening ceremony. Anyone wanting more information about Teulada Moraira Lions and the club’s fund raising activities can contact John on 965 744 253 or visit the website www.teuladamorairalions.org

Lions, staff and pupils

Low cost Indie festival for Benidorm Placebo will be playing in July

THE BRITISH band Placebo are among many indie rock groups who will be playing in a two-day festival called Low Cost, in Benidorm. The festival has previously been staged in Alicante but this year will relocate to Benidorm’s Parque de l’Aigüera. Dates for the event are 23rd and 24th July and tickets cost only €35. There’ll be a total of 25 bands including: Los Planetas (Spain); These New Puritans (UK); Tokyo Sex Destruction

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Tapes (USA). The organisers hope that the event will be the Costa Blanca’s answer to Benicàssim’s big indie festival, FIB, or Murcia’s SOS festival. To promote interest ahead of the July dates, certain bands will be touring Spain and giving free performances during May – among these are Jessie Evans & Toby Dammit and Tokyo Sex Destruction.

Job creation COUNCILLORS IN Villajoyosa have voted to rewrite the town’s General Plan and allow the building of luxury four and five star hotels in the resort. The local authority believes construction on urban land will boost tourism and create vital jobs in the area. The initiative will also give incentives for sustainable development through ‘legal’ construction and benefit the whole of the local economy.

AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH CRYSTAL WINDOWS HAVE DESIGNED AND DEVELOPED THE MOST SECURE ALUMINIUM WINDOW AND DOOR SYSTEM AVAILABLE TODAY; “SYSTEM 7”, WHICH HAS SEVERAL UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS, RENDERING IT SUPERIOR TO ORDINARY DOUBLE GLAZING. THE MATERIALS

(Spain); Jesse Evans & Toby Dammit (Germany) and Memory

Villajoyosa beach

Villajoyosa museum lend to MARQ

The head of Bes

THE COUNCIL of culture of Villajoyosa have loaned some pieces from the municipal museum for an exhibition in the museum MARQ in Alicante, from March until October. The exhibition is called ‘Egyptian objects in Alicante’ and is in parallel with the Paris Louvre exhibition ‘The enigma of the mummy.’ One third of the pieces are from Villajoyosa. One of the pieces loaned is a Phoenician medallion in gold with Pharaonic symbols, in exhibition in the 2007 ‘La méditerrannée des phéniciens’ (the Mediterranean Phoenicians) organised by the Louvre. Another example is an Egyptian water bottle from the new year, made 600 years BC in Sais, the Egyptian capital during the dynasty XXVI; a unique piece in the Iberian peninsula. Also the Villajoyosa museum gave another necropolis piece from Poble Nou and Casetes-Creueta (an example of an amulet that would be placed with a dead person to ensure eternal life). Antonio Espinosa explained that amongst the pieces given is a sphinx with wings, with the head of Bes and feathers: Bes was the God who protected the family, especially women and children.

19-25 March 2010

Learn to relax using Fast Track Hypnosis Fast Track your way to a healthier life style in 2010 in ONE simple 30 minute session - With Guarantee ! With Alan Gilchrist, Costa Blanca’s top hypnotherapist IT IS commonly accepted that some people can cope with the stresses of modern day life more readily than others. Some people seem to fall completely apart at the slightest pressure, while others seem to be untouched by stress. If a person is presented with enough stress, through bereavement, difficulties in personal life, financial problems, loss of employment or other outside pressures, they will become anxious. This may also occur due to PMS, anger, or being in constant pain. While certain types of stress can be beneficial (a romantic encounter-or the anticipation of an event or celebration) what is not acceptable is the stress that can debilitate the body and mind. Millions of people use hypnosis to take control of and enjoy their life every day. The more relaxed you are, the more you have to gain in every area of your life. Business people, sportsmen and women, politicians, students regularly use hypnosis, in fact people from every walk of life. If you feel stressed and unable to cope, using this unique method of Fast Track Hypnosis could be your answer to help overcome it. Fast Track Hypnosis can also help to relieve stress symptoms such as insomnia, nervousness, blushing, etc. Relaxation in itself will not solve any particular problem that you may have or expect to happen, however, with the use of Fast Track Hypnosis (plus the techniques that I show my clients) and the ability to relax, it will allow you to see your problems more clearly. You can transform the negatives into positives, providing direction in your life, taking charge once again. The fast Track method will help give you more confidence, a better memory, more energy and more motivation. Consequently, you will then be calm enough to deal with problems

more efficiently and effectively. The old expression ‘calm down and you will see things in a different light’ is very true using this type of hypnosis. MENTAL RELAXATION This can bring an increased sense of serenity; lessen irritability or prevent you losing your temper as often; help you to get things done; sleep more deeply and wake more refreshed, etc. Indeed, clients would often contact me because they are falling asleep when listening to their CDs, but now they are sleeping far better than ever before, which is perfectly normal. PHYSICAL RELAXATION Stressful lifestyles involving long hours of work can lead to physical conditions such as high blood pressure; stomach and duodenal ulcers; migraine; bruxism (teeth grinding); tense shoulders; tension throughout the body; tension headaches, etc. The body is telling you to ease off the pressure or suffer the consequences! Fast Track Hypnosis can help with stress related disorders by helping to reduce stress levels effectively and quickly as opposed to some conventional therapies can take much longer to work. However, before commencing treatment it is always advisable that you contact your GP to ensure that the problem is NOT genuinely physical, as hypnosis may then be ineffective. With the use of my Fast Track method it is possible to develop not only a mental attitude towards your well being but also a physical one as well. The whole process can take up to 4 sessions depending on the severity of the problem, and the response and commitment from you, unlike conventional Hyp-

Alan Gilchrist Costa Blanca’s Top Hypnotherapist

notherapy which may take many more sessions (up to 15). CDs are also supplied to reinforce the sessions and finally you are taught Auto hypnosis so that you can achieve this wonderful state of relaxation yourself. “Dear Alan, I attended your office at the end of July for your stress relief therapy. I had already been through 4 cycles of IVF treatment and was about to go for my fifth try, so I wanted to make it as stress free as possible. I listened to your CD every night for the month before the treatment and although I did fall asleep ever night before the end of it I am happy to report that I have just had a positive pregnancy test. I want to thank you sincerely for your help as I do believe that stress plays a large part in the outcome of this treatment. Thanking you, Rhonda.” If you want to know what Hypnosis is like, go onto my web site alangilchrist.com and listen to a complete relaxation session free of charge. In fact my site gets over 2500 hits per day from people who do just that, or type into Google “alan gilchrist relaxation” and it will come up number one. Alan holds has “Fast Track Hypnosis” and “Fast Track Stop Smoking in under 30 minutes” sessions in Cabo Roig, Guardamar and Benidorm. For an appointment, brochure or free of charge initial consultation, contact Alan Gilchrist on 659 229 408. Or visit his web site, www.alangilchrist.com

19-25 March 2010

Zumba dancers

Zumba zooms in

ryone got tired but it didn’t – it was just as crowded at the end as it was at the beginning – and I would love to do it again, perhaps in September.”

LOUD, PROUD, and highly infectious fun, the Latin-inspired dance to keep fit craze Zumba went public with a marathon outing to raise 1,300 euros for charity. Dozens of dancers brought Javea’s busy Arenal Beach to a halt last Sunday in the three hour long charity ‘Zumbathon’, with the cash collected

And after throwing down the gauntlet and challenging men to get involved, Kimberley was pleased eight males registered and completed five dances, even if it cost her 5 euros each. She added: “I don’t see why more men don’t come along to classes, in Latin America half the people tak-

by Jack Troughton

destined for the coffers of local animal charity APASA. It was a morning of rhythm and blues - and a rainbow of other colours - as the sounds and spirit of Latin America filled the air and drew an appreciative crowd to watch children to pensioners shake, rattle and roll. Enthusiastic instructor Kimberley Harrison was delighted at the success of the event and the

amount of cash raised by the event after leading from the front for most of the dances. “It was fabulous, absolutely brilliant, and it went so well,” she said afterwards. “It was a really busy day. I thought that perhaps we could make 500 or 600 euros for APASA so I am so pleased with the result, it is absolutely great. “I thought it would tail off as eve-

DANCE

ing part in Zumba are men.” Taking part together were John Migan and eight-month-old Oliver – and both enjoyed the experience in the March sunshine. “It is really great fun,” John told RTN. “I think it is a really great work out and more guys should have a go. “If we can get a few blokes together and start classes – it might be a bit intimidating otherwise – it will be a really good giggle.” To find more information on Zumba visit the Kimberley’s website www.zumbacostablanca.com

Keeping MABS running By Jack Troughton THE MARINA Alta’s latest Race For Life is being staged next month, aimed at raising funds to keep the MABS Support Centre open. The fun run will start and finish at the centre in Sol Park, Moraira, and everyone taking part will complete – at their own pace – a course of just under 5km around the area’s quiet side roads. The event starts at 11.00 and there is an entry fee of €10 for adults and €5 for children under 12. Registration forms are available to download from www.mabscancersupport.org or by ringing Jacqui on 686 305 006 or Francis on 636 986 301. And MABS President Jacqui Phillips MBE told RTN: “It really is a case of the more the merrier because all the funds raised will go toward keeping the support centre going.”

Last year’s Javea charity run

Oh yes it is! MAGICAL PANTO Beauty and the Beast thrilled audiences earlier this year and once again the cast and crew were playing their traditional charity role. Each year, Careline Theatre donates the price of every first night ticket sold to a good cause – and

this year it was the MABS Cancer support group’s turn to benefit. Andy Crabb, who starred as the romantic Beast, and Brenda Taylor, who played the ‘goodie’ Rose Fairy, presented a cheque for €1,000 to MABS President Jacqui Phillips MBE.

ETA shoot and kill French policeman

French police guard the scene where an officer was killed

A FRENCH policeman was shot dead 50 kilometres south east of Paris last Tuesday. Police had been questioning three people in a BMW that they suspected was stolen, when a second car pulled up and a man got out and opened fire.

The gunman was later arrested and identified himself as Basque and claimed to be a member of the terrorist group ETA. The Spanish press have named the arrested man as Josebo Fernandez Aspurz. Prime Minister José Luís Ro-

dríguez Zapatero has said that the shooting was a “criminal action” and expressed his solidarity with France, emphasising the work France has done in conjunction with Spain to help crush the terrorist group’s activities.

ETA suspect detained in London without bail

AN ETA terrorist, arrested in London, has chosen to stay in custody in the UK. The 29year-old was working in a health food restaurant in Soho but has had an international arrest warrant over his head since he skipped bail in 2006. At a preliminary trial in London last week, the judge denied him bail. A second hearing is scheduled. The prisoner, named as

Irresponsible parents caught with young son in brothel Police have arrested a couple who took their 13 year old son to a whorehouse in Ibiza. The boy’s mother is allegedly the club manager and his uncle is the owner. National police raided the premises last weekend and found the boy in a private room, along with his father, who had two grams of cocaine in his pocket. The area where the boy was being kept is thought to be used for drinking and drug taking. The boy has now been handed over to social services and his parents – a 30-year-old German woman and a 46-year-old Spanish man – are being charged with corruption of a minor.

More arrests in Mallorca

Francisco Buils, the former Minister of Tourism in the Balearic Government, together with business man Jacinto Farrus, have been arrested suspected of fraud and the embezzlement of public money. Farrus is the owner of the TV company Canal 4, the production company SBT and Torun Consulting; he has a number of contracts with the regional government.

Garikoitz Ibarlucea Murua, is wanted for numerous crimes, including his part in the attempted bombing of a post office in Tolosa (Guipúzcoa); possession of incendiary devices; for throwing explosives at the homes of two PSOE councilors in 1999; launching Molotov cocktails at the Diaro Vasco newspaper headquarters in 2000 and an attempted attack on a public sector worker’s car in 2001.

19-25 MARCH 2010

Non-smokers be warned

Re: the letter ‘Smoke till you croak’ - does this righteous control freak think we are not big enough to make up our own minds, including bar and restaurants owners? And if we all respect each others’ wishes and stay in our areas, there should be no problems. Smoking taxes are way above the amount spent on RELATED diseases. Workers have to stand outside smoking because self centered evangelists forced them there. Smokers should find something more important to moan about. You might find us running through your non-smoking paradise, pipes a-puffing, cigars a-smouldering and fags a-blazing. So be warned. Yours respectfully P WISE , Sec: FAG

Greedy banks This is another example of Spanish banks taking too much commission. Our Spanish bank, with several banks and savings banks in Britain, charged us €20 commission on euros sent by a UK bank (they charged us for the transaction - fair enough). We asked for it to be reimbursed three times. On the fourth visit, we were told we could be reimbursed in total. I told them to send it all to the Red Cross for their Haiti fund. This week we have received a statement from our Spanish bank and saw that they had taken commission in the form of ‘envoi’ for the charity money. Why is the bank so greedy? Mrs B Hall, Torrevieja

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letter of the week

Use your vote I was interested in your article in RTN on using your vote in Spain etc. The item on 26-2-2010 mentioned misguided people who say that if you live abroad, you shouldn’t vote. One very good reason for voting is that a Tory pressure group called the UK Taxpayers Alliance wants an incoming Conservative government to stop paying the Winter Fuel Allowance to overseas Brits. Utterances from the UKTA have a habit of appearing later as Conservative policy. Good examples of this are the policy to freeze public sector pay etc, which first appeared as a UKTA suggestion. What may be more damaging is the fact that this body has already called for

the freezing of the UK state pension! We know from experience that the last Conservative government not only ended the Rooker\Wise Amendment which stopped the state pension from rising with wage inflation but refused to increase the pension with general inflation. The result was that by 1997, pensioners were £20 per week worse off. I will also mention that when the Tories left office, the Winter Fuel Allowance was ‘£20 after two weeks of freezing weather.’ The result was that over 45,000 people were dying of cold related diseases each year. The WFA last year was £250 minimum! Jack Johnson, La Cala Finistrat, Alicante

Kerb crawling Thank you RTN for the information on the prostitution eviction from Daya Nueva. This is a follow on from Orihuela Costa (possibly because the mayor is a woman) banning all roadside prostitution. Now here in Torrevieja we are noticing high profile policing as police, with blue lights flashing, confront drivers as they stop to engage a roundabout girl, taking the drivers particulars. We live at Aguas Nuevas and hope now that children won’t have to pick their way through used condoms on their way to school - absolutely disgusting. Most of the prostitutes working here are from Africa, which has the highest AIDS infection rate. At last now police are fining kerb crawlers €750. If prostitutes must work, make sure they are well out of town, not in the centre of Torrevieja satisfying their clients in full view. Victor, Aguas Nuevas Just wanted to thank you and tell you what a great day out we had at Terra Natura with the tickets we won in your competition. It’s a brilliant place in beautiful surroundings We will be recommending Terra Natura to all our friends and relatives. Linda Ferguson and William Daysh, Gata de Gorgos

Why is nobody ever punished? I write with reference to the above article in last week’s RTN. I was appalled at the conditions these poor animals were expected to endure. Thank God for people like Sue, who is trying to make a difference. I cannot understand why Spain does not have or appears not to have any laws regarding animal cruelty. I love Spain but this is one of the things I really hate about it: the Spanish just don’t seem to have much compassion toward animals of any kind. Oh I know there will be letters saying: “If you don’t like it here, go back to where you came from.” That is not a

solution. In the UK we have the RSPCA with the power to go and remove any animal they believe is suffering unnecessarily and then take the offenders to court. Why can Spain not adopt this attitude instead of having to go through the Police and then the courts before anything can be done? Sometimes it’s too little too late. Good luck, Sue, in your quest and I hope by the time the next addition of the RTN goes to print that those poor animals have been rescued and the animal that has caused the unforgivable suffering has been charged accordingly. Maggie

Businesses beware of the figure fudgers…

In these times of crisis it is ever more important to choose where you place your advertising budget …we all know that advertising is a necessity that helps new lead generation. Of course all advertising outlets will claim to be the best route to market your business for reasons such as the return on investment, or bringing your business to life as an added visual tool...but BEWARE - there are struggling advertising companies out there that fudge their figures to encourage you to part with your cash. It has to be said that for the high end papers this is not the case, you only have to watch on any day a main stream freebie presents itself on the doorstep of a shop or bar and is quick to be snatched up…radio stations have a catchment area and profess to no more...but the visual companies, those that promise so many viewers online and on screen are in my opinion the ‘figure fudgers.’ When website figures are genuine you have the ability to look them up on Alexa.com - the lower the figure, the more visitors the site receives and the higher the rank of the website. But watch for fudgers who will say: ‘We receive thousands of hits per day,’ and ‘It’s the unique visitors my techy people tell me that are the important statistics’, and ‘They are in advance of 300 a week...’ Blah blah… fishpaste... My advice is: if it sounds too good to be true it is because it is. Thank you for reading… Yours, Fudge Buster

8-14 19-25 JANUARY MARCH2010 2010

Painting the town GREEN by Louise Clarke THE COSTA BLANCA went green this week to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, the patron saint of Ireland. There were festivities up and down the coast and in Orihuela Costa the second annual St Patrick’s Day Fiesta took place in Playa Flamenca. Officially inaugurated by the Mayor of Orihuela, Monica Lorente, the three day event was a great success with stalls and entertainment as well as traditional Irish fayre. Several bars, including the Celtic and Emerald Isles and the Lansdowne, were represented, serving traditional Irish drinks including Guinness. During the inauguration, Cabo Roig resident Kathleen Vahey, originally from County Galway, presented Ms Lorente with a ‘Happy St Patrick’s Day’ badge and then sang ‘When Irish Hearts are Smiling’ to the Mayor and other gathered dignitaries. Stefan Pokroppa, the European Residents Officer based at the Playa Flamenca Town Hall, told the audience that it was a very important fiesta for the coast as there is a large Irish expat population. He also went on to say that the Town Hall and the residents of the coast, who are in the majority foreign residents, must do their upmost to make the coast as attractive as possible to tourists and fiestas like the St Patrick’s Day event attract visitors to the area. Monica, in English, thanked everyone for attending and then went on to say, in Spanish, that events like the fiesta are an excellent way for Spanish residents to learn about other European cultures. She said: “With music, food and the market as well, this event is very important for positive integration within our

The Jennings Family from Dublin are here on holiday and were enjoying the St Patrick’s Day Fiesta

community.” She added: “Unity is the symbol of Orihuela. Whether you live in the city or on the coast or you are a foreign resident or a Spaniard, we are all Orihuela.” She concluded: “St Patrick is now in my heart forever.” The inauguration ended with Ms Lorente reciting a traditional Irish blessing and then The Voodoos and later, the amazing female vocalist Layla Gillespie took to the stage to entertain the crowds.

Madrid attempts to slash noise pollution THE GOVERNMENT in Madrid has decided to try and cut noise pollution from traffic. Traffic noise is a problem in many areas of Madrid, with most residents questioned saying it’s the thing they like least

Catalonia offers cut-price condoms THE AUTHORITIES in Catalonia have decided to offer condoms for sale at half price. Six hundred pharmacies are involved in the initiative and 60,000 boxes of condoms are available at €1.50 for a pack of three. The campaign is in response to a high number of teenage pregnancies in the region and it is aimed at the 14 to 29-year-old age group. The campaign’s slogan is “Don’t play with your future.”

about the city. The Madrid town hall has revealed a plan to reduce the speed limit in some areas to 30km/hr in the hope that slower speeds will lower pollution levels and reduce traffic noise.

The ‘Zona 30 plan,’ as it’s known, will be introduced near to schools, hospitals and areas of cultural interest. The authorities are also looking into new technology - low-noise road surfaces - to combat the problem.

19-25 March 20102010

At RTN we love our Mums! MOTHER’S DAY is always special for any mother, with hell to pay for any child who forgets it! This Mother’s Day was no exception as the RTN Network saw a huge rise in the calls being made to customers on March the 14th. Their customers received over 160 hours in calls on mother’s day which is well over triple the daily average for calls made using the service and is the highest peak since the service started. The RTN Network have had well over 7,000 hours of call traffic on the service since they launched last year, saving their customers families in the region of £59,000 of savings on the cost of their calls. BT charge UK standard customers an average of £0.18 per minute to call Spanish fixed lines: RTN Network charge UK callers just £0.04 per minute to call Spanish fixed lines through the 0843 service! The 0843 numbers enable all your family and friends in the UK to call you here in

Spain at least four times cheaper than they would with BT. If you did not get a call on Mother’s Day or you didn’t talk for long enough because of the price, perhaps you should have signed up for an 0843 number with the RTN Network? Subscribers to the service have been growing rapidly from day one, as word got out about the completely FREE service. You can sign up over the phone or online and are instantly given a unique 0843 phone number. Pass this number to all your friends and family back in the UK and they can call you direct to your Spanish landline number for just the equivalent to their local call rate. If you are missing family and friends back home, why not sign up today? To do so is completely FREE of charge and your loved ones will benefit greatly by getting cheap phone calls to you. This number means

If you want loved ones to be able to keep in touch then you need to get an 0843 number!

that you will never lose touch again and your family and friends can call you for the equivalent of a local call in the UK as often as they like. How good is that? It’ll be just like it was when you lived down the road! The savings don’t stop there. You can also get 120 minutes of FREE calls to the UK when you take one of the Round Town Net-

work line rental or calls packages and with 6Mb Broadband packages starting from just €14.95, you are sure to save on your internet packages too. Apply for your 0843 number today online at www.roundtownnetwork.com or call 966 463 170 for more information on these fantastic services!

19-25 March 2010

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19-25 March 2010

Marathon raises over 6,000 euros! by Steve Ashley WELL, WE did it! Sunday March 7th 2010, the date of this year’s Barcelona Marathon came around all too quickly, certainly for me, when another year’s training would have helped. Nevertheless, Andy and I both completed the marathon, getting around the 42.2 kilometre course within the 6 hour time limit set for the race. With clear blue sky, so much better than expected, at 08.30 at the bottom of the steps outside the Palacio de Alfonso X111, with all the magnificent fountains in full flood, and to the sounds of Montserrat Caballe reaching a crescendo in the Barcelona Olympic song ‘Barcelona’ with Freddy Mercury, the klaxon sounded and over 11,000 runners and even more spectators got off to a fantastic start. The route took us around some of Barcelona’s most famous landmarks and also had us running up some very long, straight streets which, in the cold, seemed to go on forever. Fortunately, the spirit among the runners was fantastic and both Andy and I met some very interesting and energised people during the race and again at the

end. The streets were lined with people encouraging us on and there were reggae bands, a jazz band, the Spanish equivalent of Morris dancers and other energetic attractions designed to spur us on. We of course had our own marathon groupies and seeing Hilda and Pam near the 13k marker helped lift my spirits and of course in the background we had Jerry and Simon, uncomplaining bag and equipment carriers and official photographers for the event. Andy had a little trouble with cramp at times but nevertheless got around in a very respectable four hours and 11 minutes; an amazing achievement considering this is faster than his previous marathon time which he ran more than 20 years ago! For me, just as the halfway mark approached my knee began to be troublesome and between 24 and 25 km I was reduced to walking, which I did for the rest of the race, until the end that is. With about 300m to go and less than two minutes of the qualifying six hours left, it was a case of not achieving after all the effort of the day and the previous training, and maybe not pulling in all the sponsorship that had been promised, or going for it.

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Andy and I after completing the marathon

So buoyed by the crowds I somehow ran that last bit and got through with a few seconds to spare, although now I do not remember doing this. The race was very well organised with video and still cameras allround the route and if you’d like to see us in action then just go on to the Barcelona 2010 Marathon and input our numbers, Andy 7471 and me 11299 and all will be revealed. I said that we were lucky with the weather and we were because that afternoon the rain set in and on Monday the centre of Barcelona was covered in snow. This all happened spectacularly within a couple of hours and,

according to the Spanish man we were speaking to, was unlike anything he had experienced since he was a young child back in 1962. Andy is already considering which marathon to run next while I am still in ‘never again’ mode, but then who knows? The race of course was in aid of Costa Blanca Samaritans (open on 902 88 35 35 every day from 20.00 until midnight) and we know we have raised over €6,000 to support their work. We will confirm the figure for RTN as soon as possible, but of course it is not too late to donate at www.samsrunners.wordpress.com

Naked protest against bull fighting Protestors from the animal rights group Fundación Equanimal formed a huge human SOS by lying on the floor naked in Madrid’s Plaza Callao last Sunday. They were armed with spears and carried fake blood to try and get their message across. The group is angered about the decision of the Valencia, Murcia and Madrid governments to designate bullfighting and bull runs ‘of international cultural heritage value,’ saying that the glorification of bullfighting is “pathetic.” The activists claim that 70 percent of the Spanish population is against bullfighting, 20 percent have no view and therefore only 10 percent of the country actually supports it. Protestors also say that the paperwork necessary to elevate bullfighting to the level of cultural heritage interest would take three years, and the group believes the reason behind the decision to culturally recognise bullfighting is because the European Union would likely give grants to Spain if the new status was achieved. More protests are planned in Madrid for 28th March.

Protesters were armed with spears and fake blood

19-25 MARCH 2010

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Paul wows for Pablo by Louise Clarke WEST END star Paul Monaghan wowed a packed Eduardo’s Restaurant last Friday night in aid of Baby Pablo, who is not so much a baby as a toddler now! Paul, who has played Phantom in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, was born in Dublin but has lived in London for the last 17 years. Hailing from a talented family (his nephew is Hollywood actor Colin Farrell), Paul was delighted to perform on the Costa Blanca for such a worthy cause. His niece Yvonne is the owner of the Lansdowne Bar in Playa Flamenca and asked him to come over to Spain to perform for free in aid of the Baby Pablo’s Fight for Life Appeal. And Eduardo’s was happy to play host to the event; with a stunning menu and atmosphere to match, they couldn’t have chosen a better venue. DESPERATELY ILL As regular readers will be aware, Pablo was born with Transposition of the Great Vessels; in other words, his heart is plumbed the wrong way. He needs a fourth life saving operation or he will die. For this next operation, Pablo and his parents Cati and Stefan must travel to Madrid, where the surgeons have more experience of the necessary procedure. Pablo needs to have this operation soon and the expat community has been rallying around the family to raise money for the trip and the procedure. Pablo, with his Mum and Dad, was at the Charity Gala Dinner, which raised over €4,000 for the appeal, and kept Mum Cati very busy running around the restaurant. It was hard to believe that such a lively little boy could be so desperately ill; he is a typical toddler, but as Cati said, appearances can be

Paul Monaghan

deceptive. She tearfully told RTN: “He is getting weaker by the day and he has had a very long rest this afternoon, so that he could be ready for tonight.” AMAZING Cati is overwhelmed by the generosity shown by the expat community. She added: “I have to say a massive thank you to Eduardo’s, The Lansdowne and everyone who has fundraised or donated to the appeal. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I would also like to thank Paul and Nikki Gail who were amazing tonight.” Because they don’t know how long Pablo will have to stay in hospital after the procedure, they need to raise as much money as they can. They already have €7,000 to go toward the trip and Cati hopes that it will be sooner rather than later. She commented: “Every day is a gift, but he is getting a little worse every day and his Dad Stefan and I can notice the deterioration sometimes on a daily basis.” FREE COPY

Pablo

A charity CD has also been released for the appeal. Priced at €5, the CD, which was sponsored by Legends Bar, features various people, none of whom are professional singers! It has been professionally produced by Jamie Exley at his studios in Playa Flamenca and features waitresses, chefs, bar owners and customers; all keen to help raise money for the Pablo appeal. RTN has a free copy to give away. All you have to do is name the condition that Pablo was born with and e-mail louise@rtnnewsgroup.com with the correct answer. The first person to e-mail will win the CD. If you are not lucky enough to win our copy, they are available from various outlets in Playa Flamenca, including Legends Bar and the Lansdowne.

€80 million to clean beaches withdrawn

The ministry of Environment had announced that it would spend €80 million on cleaning beaches in the province of andalusia. The coastline has suffered due to the intense rain of

the past few weeks and the beaches are full of debris. But the decision has now been reversed and the ministry says it will merely perform a face-lift. Stones, bamboo and other

litter will be removed in time for easter. Officials say that once the extent of the coastal damage has been assessed, money will be released for a bigger clean up and repair operation.

Traffic Survey The Torrevieja Town Hall has announced that it will be carrying out a traffic survey during the coming months to ascertain the transport habits of the municipality’s residents. The €145,000 project is being partly funded by the Valencian Institute of Energy (AVIN) and will concentrate on promotion of public transport and bicycle riding as well as reduction of CO2 emissions. They will also investigate the city’s traffic schemes, one way systems and parking availability, with plans to implement cycle lanes into the city and more sustainable transport options such as car sharing schemes.

19-25 MARCH 2010

Jennifer tries to find her heart again I TRY always to be upbeat about life and even when a number of events hurt me or worry me, I normally bounce back quite quickly. However, for some months now I have felt as if I wanted to get in a space craft and zoom away from it all! Like all of us, I have found the recession quite relentless in its destruction. I hate driving down streets and seeing all the businesses closed down. It is so sad and just not acceptable to know that thousands of people have lost money and their dreams have gone up in smoke. Then, of course, the weather all over has been particularly dreadful, even in Spain. I cannot remember it being so cold. Today, the sun is shining at last, but more rain I understand is on its way. As I have mentioned before, the insurance industry in Spain has changed within the British market place and it has now become as ruthless as the housing market used to be. Various telephone companies advertising cheap prices (I wonder if these people are regulated by the DGS, Spain’s equivalent to the UK’s FSA). The problem is that the commissions are very small on insurance premiums and there is, therefore, very little room for manoeuvre. There are a few companies who are on a destruction course, in the meantime affecting the whole insurance business. The prices being charged are not sustainable. It will all change, but not before so much damage is caused to a small business like mine, or to clients who require a good after sales service, with full claims being met. To be able to run an efficient claims service, employ assessors and pay out claims

takes time, energy and money. If the premiums being charged are not enough to cover all the costs, of course there will be problems for everyone, with prices having to go up. My company has always had such pride in being there for people living in a different country, who may not be aware of all the rules and regulations. We also help by translating your policy or health report, or talking to the driver who turns up with the GRUA who doesn’t speak English. This type of service is, I know, old fashioned, but maybe that’s me. Unfortunately, we cannot offer this type of service or the cover unless we reach out to new clients and retain as many as we can on renewals. Perhaps the time has come for me to move on or to just answer email enquiries and issue quotes all day via the internet. Somehow I don’t think this is my forte or that of my staff. We do like being there for all of you but we cannot do it without you supporting us through this dreadful time. I do understand there are thousands in the UK who want to still live in Spain. With so many bargains around it is a great time to purchase an apartment or villa. There is optimism that we will be out of this recession soon. Let’s hope so and that the insurance market becomes a fairer and more honest place for both clients and companies like mine to be able to continue offering our excellent service. On the other hand, Paul Cunningham Nurses are giving me and many others a lot of joy. Joy because so many have taken us to their hearts, including the great news of TKO, a very popular and successful radio station coming behind the charity.

by Jennifer Cunningham

The Costas leading insurance consultant If you have a question please email her at: jennifer@jennifercunningham.net

This is so exciting for us all. The Round Town News, from the very first day, has always given their full support, and now a radio station joins us, also working closely with RTN . There are many events coming up during the next few weeks that will keep us all very busy, the first being the Fun Day at the Hotel Corazan in Quesada Golf (you go through Royals) on 27th March. It starts at eleven o clock, followed by a Dinner Dance with a buffet and Max Bacon. The day, as long as it is a lovely sunny day, will be fantastic. There is something for everyone; Mum can be pampered, whilst Dad has a go in the Gym, punch ball, a game of bowls or Mini Golf. The children will be safe, with so much for them to do. Barbecue all day, free raffle and the PCN charity shop ladies will be there to sell you all kinds of bargains. Susan was very excited the other day to find an honest specialist who purchased some of her old pieces of gold. She has persuaded this gentleman to come along, so bring your old gold. Kenny Corris the RTN Medium (see page 44) will be doing readings. TKO will be there with all their music and keeping everyone informed of what is going on. For more information see page 32, phone Susan Reader on 966 713 503 or email sueinthesun@terra.es to book a reading with Kenny or a ticket for the Dinner dance (limited numbers). Tickets are also available from the Quesada Charity shop. PCN also hopes there will be some more fantastic news on that day. Perhaps I won’t order my space craft just yet! Maybe I will find my heart again soon: I do hope so.

Jennifer Cunningham y Asociados S.L. The Costas leading insurance consultant. If you have a question please email her at: jennifer@jennifercunningham.net

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19-25 March 2010

Orihuela Costa resort hosts ‘This is Spain exhibition’ trade fair THE FOUR star luxury Orihuela Costa Resort is to be the venue for the next ‘This is Spain Exhibition’ trade fair which is to be

held on the 23rd, 24th and 25th April 2010. The venue is ideal for an exhibition like this with an elegant, purpose built pavil-

New 2 You at last years show

Clodagh and Dick Handscombe will be at the show

ion containing a large exhibition hall and plenty of outdoor space for people with larger products to display. To reach the Orihuela Costa Resort, come off the N332 at the La Zenia roundabout, head towards the sea, take the first right and follow the signs. You will find the resort on your left. There is an elegant restaurant as well as a pool with outdoor bar and snack area. The ‘This is Spain Exhibitions’ are the most popular amongst the ex-pat trade fairs and the stands fill up very quickly. There are still some stands available but you need to book your space now to ensure that your product or service reaches the widest possible audience! Stands come in a variety of sizes and prices to suit all business needs. There will be a wide range of exhibitors, as always, covering financial and insurance products; homes and gardens; jewellery; food and drink plus new products that have not been in Spain before. For gardening enthusiasts, Richard and Clodagh Handscombe, whose regular gardening features appear in the RTN, will be

promoting Richard’s new book. Richard and Clodagh will be available to answer all your gardening questions. Several well known charities will also be represented and as well as the stands, there will be all day entertainment with music provided by TKO radio and Phoenix Promotions and dancing from Raquel Pena’s THE SEVILLANAS CLUB FLAMENCO DANCERS, the Kingsbury Academy of Dance, and Ghost Academy. Should anyone wish a change in career, an experienced magician will be on hand to teach the tricks of the trade and sell the necessary props! This will be a great day out for all the family, with many bargains and exhibition offers to suit all budgets, great entertainment and the ever popular raffle, all included in the €1 entry fee. For more information and to book your stand, call Christine Roche on 627 409 881 or 96 563 2835 or email her at info@exhibitions-spain.com. See the website at www.exhibitions-spain. com for regular updates and details of the businesses exhibiting.

19-25 March 2010

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19-25 MARCH 2010

Stand by for spring Watts In Britain By

Paul Watts

DO YOU know what tomorrow is folks? Any ideas? I can hear a low mumble… I suppose there may be some who’ll say, “Yeah Watts, we know. It’s March 20th, the day that Sir Isaac Newton died way back in 1727.” And, of course, they would be right but departing mathematicians aside, tomorrow is the day that trainee depressives like me and SAD sufferers everywhere throw their hands up in glee and cry, “Spring is here!” Yup, we can finally throw off the shackles of winter and rejoice in the fact that spring is upon us and with it longer, and hopefully warmer days. Now, here I am loudly stating that ‘Spring’ starts tomorrow but recently there has been some controversy over this. There are those that know better. The Met Office, for instance, has decided in its infinite wisdom that spring starts

Charlie Brown then

as of March 1st. Eh? Down at Gatwick on March 1st we were still sweeping the snow off the runway. As we battled with the white stuff we didn’t have much time to think, “Ah, March 1st, spring is here.” I mean, snow piles are hardly a harbinger of seasonal change. Still, you must remember that this is the same Met Office that supports the Greenwash Brigade and calls anyone who questions Global Warming a Philistine. Oh dear, I can feel a rant coming on… For me and I guess and a lot of other people, spring historically starts on the day of the vernal equinox. This occurs most usually on the night of 20/21 March. Okay, let’s go over to the BBC for an etymological lesson: “Vernal comes originally from the Latin word for bloom and refers to the fact that, in the northern hemisphere, this equinox marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.” Thank you, David. Equinox, as we know, is a time when the nights are as long as the days. Back to the BBC: “The vernal equinox is recognised the World over as the start of the new astrological cycle.” Did you hear that Met Office? Recognised the World over?” I suppose that the Met Office has little time for celestial patterns and historical precedent, nowadays. Apparently “it picked March 1st for simplicity’s sake, choosing to slot the four seasons neatly into the 12 months... June, July and August are the summer months; September, October and November autumn, and so on.” Oh, that’s all right then, we’ll forgive them and forget that we were in the grip of the

worst winter this side of the sixties if it’s all just an exercise in ‘calanderial’ decimalisation; we’ve gotta keep things neat, eh chaps? Across at Westminster, MPs do not agree and are definitely not for forgiving them. The wonderfully named Sir Nicholas Winterton MP, fumed: “The [Met Office] may say that March 1st is the first day of spring - but it is not – [and] it certainly didn’t feel like it.” Fellow MP Stuart Bell, added: “Spring starts on March 20/21 and if the Met Office are not aware of this simple fact, it reflects a casual approach to facts, which is all too inherent today.” This is a first for Watts in Britain, we do not usually find ourselves in agreement with MPs. But Bell is right and as the University of Anglia’s Climate Department eminently demonstrated “a casual approach to facts” is seemingly the norm. But let’s not dwell on such gloomy matters, the daffodils are busting out all around and as I slave away over this hot typewriter it is still light at half-past six! There is a definite a ‘spring’ in the steps of most people. I’m guessing that maybe it was for this reason that my own mum and dad decided on March 21st to get married. On Sunday they chalk up 57 years of wedded-bliss. To put it into perspective, that’s three ‘life’ sentences. Only joking, me dears, have a great day and God bless. Raise your glass dear reader, the toast is to Peter and Pat. Now, as I’ve veered onto the subject of anniversaries you might remember a few weeks back I mentioned my work chum Charlie Brown. He is the one who

EQUIMUR 2010

By Louise Clarke FORGET THE Horse of the Year Show; EQUIMUR, Spain’s leading horse show, takes place this weekend at the IEFPA centre in Torre Pacheco, Murcia. The 15th National Horse Show is a must for all equine minded people and will be the venue for a magnificent display of some of the most beautiful horses in the country. EQUIMUR has become the place to go for any equestrian regardless of age or experience, and is recognised worldwide due to the prestige of horses and riders on display. There is a huge programme of activities taking place during the event which started yesterday (18th) and which will continue until Sunday. There will also be an array of exhibitors showcasing the best and most innovative horse care products available, as well as veterinary advice, equestrian laboratories and information on local clubs, centres and stables. There will be attractions for all the family as well as equine displays and competitions. If you would like a discounted entry to the show, please make sure that you take a copy of the advertisement in last week’s RTN: this article will not be valid for a discounted entry.

Charlie Brown now

regularly scrutinises these columns with an eagle-eye (e.g. according to Charlie, I typed ‘brain’ instead of Brian in last week’s WIB – doh! and sorry Brian). Anyway, next week on March 24th, Chaz clocks up a landmark birthday of his own. I won’t give Charlie’s age away but it will end in ‘0’ and he will be in full receipt of a West Sussex County Council Omnibus Pass. The interesting thing is this: 1950 was also the year that his cartoon namesake was ‘born’. Could it be that cartoonist Charles M Shultz, based his Charlie Brown on our Charlie Brown? Strange thing is you never see the two Charlie Browns together. Hmmm…. I don’t know what the aforementioned Sir Isaac Newton would have made of all this. Maybe he’d think it was a parallel-improbable-inverse-reality. Who knows? One thing Newton would certainly have known and that was when spring started. Watts in Brighton, saying: “Happy 57th Anniversary Ma and Pa; and Happy 60th Birthday Charlie Brown (the real one AND the cartoon one)”

Alonso wins Bahrain Grand Prix SPANISH RACE driving champion Fernando Alonso has won the Bahrain Grand Prix. Driving for Ferrari, he allegedly yelled out in Italian when crossing the finish line. Critics have hailed the race dull overall though, due to new rules that prevent the

cars from stopping to refuel – commentators say that the heavily fuelled-up cars led a steady procession around the track, with the only real incident being Renault’s Sebastian Vettel developing an exhaust problem that cost him the lead.

Madrid wins European MTV Awards THE EUROPEAN MTV Awards are to be held in Madrid’s Caja Mágica on 7th November this year. This is the second time that Spain has hosted the event; the first time was in Barcelona in 2002. The Awards will be combined with a celebration of the 10th anniversary of MTV Spain and are being held on Sunday instead of the usual Thursday, in the hope that more members of the public will attend. A spokesperson from MTV Spain has confirmed that there will be concerts throughout the weekend, although the names of bands playing have not yet been released. The prize giving ceremony will be broadcast to 600 million homes globally.

19-25 MARCH 2010

Happy holiday TOURIST CHIEFS are predicting a happy holiday weekend for Benidorm with thousands of visitors expected to enjoy the good weather in the resort. Today (Friday March 19th) is Father’s Day in Spain and a national holiday to celebrate the Feast of San Jose. The long weekend also makes the Costa Blanca a magnet for people wanting a quick getaway. Hotels in Benidorm are expecting occupancy rates to soar – in some cases there are reports of establishments being 90 percent full – and the success has boosted optimism for the coming Easter break.

How many Spanish speak English? THE CENTRE of Sociological Investigations (CIS) asked the Spanish if they are fluent in English; 23% maintained they could speak and write in the main international language; 63.1 % said they could do neither. The study revealed only 8.3 % were studying a foreign language; 68.4 % English; 7.8 % French; 5.3 % German; 3.9 Italian; 2.4 Portuguese and 1.9% Chinese or Arabic. One Spanish commentator is quoted as saying he very much doubts that 23% of the Spanish can actually speak and write English. He said he had been in the USA for a year learning English and he cannot understand half of what English speakers say. He believes not even 1% of Spaniards can speak and write English fluently!

NOW OPEN IN CALPE!

legal

19-25 MARCH 2010

Marc White & Carlos Baos

English & Spanish Solicitors

I have moved property and need my medical notes to be transferred to my new doctor. Is this possible?

TRANSFERRING A person’s medical notes can be of importance for many different reasons. The continuity of treatment needs to be ensured, life insurance providers may request the information, and peace of mind cannot be underestimated. At present, Spain’s regional health services do not communicate with one another terribly well and this can cause difficulties where, for example, a person from Alicante is injured whilst on holiday in Marbella. Plans are in place to link the country’s autonomous health authorities in order to avoid this and these are supposed to be implemented by the end of 2010. This issue is of broader relevance and comes ahead of EU plans for European Citizens to have free movement and access to health services from 2015. This is of particular importance to many British people living or working in Spain. Recent changes have seen people denied treatment

or subsequently charged for services received. The reason for this is that the Spanish system is based upon contributions made as opposed to simply being ordinarily resident in Spain. Basically you need to have paid into the social security system in order for you and your dependants/children to receive healthcare from the state. THERE ARE CERTAIN OTHER EXCEPTIONS AS FOLLOWS: • Retired early to Spain / E106 - where you are an early retiree to Spain and have been resident here less than two years • Pensioners / E121 - in receipt of a UK state pension, long-term contribution-based Incapacity benefit or Bereavement benefit • Employees of a UK company - you should ensure that your employer has confirmed your status and registered with your local health centre • Dependants/Children - dependants

of a person, covered by one of the categories above, should also register with their health centre. Children under 18 who do not qualify through their parents are automatically entitled to cover • Holidaymakers – visitors to Spain should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). This is similar to the old E111 form The basic advice is to register now and not wait until treatment is required. The British Consulate’s website as well as the NHS’ website both contain valuable information particular to a person’s circumstances. It remains to be seen whether the EU’s plans for free access throughout Europe will be implemented on time and without confusion but past experience suggests otherwise. I trust the above is helpful and please feel free to get in touch if you wish to discuss this or any other issue.

Marc White LL.B. & Carlos Baos (English & Spanish Solicitors) C/Diana 19, 2º-D, 03700 Dénia (located close to the Glorieta Square at the end of Marques de Campo). © White & Baos Abogados 2008 - Tel: 966 426 185. All rights reserved. Send your questions to thespanishlawyer@roundtownnews.com or info@white-baos.com

Beach barred

MADRID’S HEAVY handed approach to the controversial Law of the Coasts by declaring beach bars and restaurants outlaws was attacked by a tourist chief this week. Valencia’s councillor for tourism, Belen Juste, accused Prime Minister Zapatero of attempting to destroy the region’s tourism sector. On a visit to the beaches of El

Campello, she said central government was trying to “blow up” an industry vital to Valencia’s economy by creating uncertainty regarding the future of businesses that face demolition under the “insensitive” interpretation of the Act. However, on a more optimistic note, the politician said forecasts for Easter – seen as the start of the holiday season – predicted occupancy rates were up between eight and 10 percent on 2009.

19-25 March 2010

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business

5-11 FEBRUARY 19-25 MARCH 20102010

What personality traits make a good business leader? by

Karla Darocas

Information Technology & Communications

WITH THE economic crisis all around us, many business people are coming apart at the edges. It takes a great person with emotional stability to stride the divide and mend the gaps when they come unstuck! Having worked with some very accomplished leaders in my day, I would sum up their most impressive traits as follows: A great leader brings out the best in each of us. They do not critique or offer negative judgment but instead aim to bring out the best solutions to success with self-disciplined stamina. It is their listening

skills that come into play and their ability to extract quality feedback from everyone around them. They don’t bring in the ‘fear factor,’ which shuts others down to feedback and resolution; they encourage creative thinking and crazy, playful answers – which often times will hold pearls of wisdom. The most serious mistake a leader can make is not being able to manage their behavior and engaging in self-destructiveness. I have seen people who have fallen into leadership positions in organisations by hook or

by proxy and because of their self-destructive nature they knowingly do things that will cause them and the organisation to fail. Leaders are not dictators: they invite collaboration. They reward ideas with genuine appreciation and they demonstrate gratitude for efforts given by their members, employees and teams. Clever leaders utilise their intuition and know how to read faces and body language. They can spot a trouble-maker or a silent genius within the organization and can have the empathy to

deal with both personalities with tactful proficiency. Brave leaders take risks that are calculated with qualified objectives and goals. They also know how to combine a certain amount of luck into the mix. They have the courage to take risks and the empathy and the ability to guide a team towards a common goal.

Gifted leaders know how to bring humour to the surface in the face of adversity and how to offer tactile handshakes and hugs to bring warm and personal resolve to any business deal. Brilliant leaders understand that celebrating achievement makes everyone part of the process and hence part of the success.

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

Construction companies say demand growing THE PRESIDENT of the Association of Promoters and Constructors (Procosta) for Torrevieja and the Vega Baja, Antonio Navarro, says that consumer demand for housing is growing. Although he has stressed that no one can be sure that there is going to be a significant increase in house

sales, he affirms that in January there was a higher level of interest from potential buyers from Norway, Switzerland and Germany. An increasing number of foreigners have been attending construction fairs and booking inspection trips – which are

designed to give buyers a chance to get to know the area before they purchase. Procosta say that countries such as Norway, Switzerland and Germany have now enjoyed several months of recuperation from the economic crisis, resulting in more spending confidence from citizens.

money

19-25 MARCH 2010

Who do you love more? Your family…or the Taxman? by

Lucio Ventrella OFS Spain

ALTHOUGH THE long, hot summer of last year might seem a distant memory, we know for a fact that in a few weeks’ time summer will be well and truly with us. Gardens will spring into life, Barbeques will be dusted down and people will once again put unbelievably white legs on show as our lives move to the outside world. It’s little wonder then that the last thing to cross your mind would be the size of the tax bill you would probably leave behind if you were to die. You are not alone. It’s a fact that most people have made no plans to get rid of, or even reduce the potential liability to

Inheritance Tax in Spain. A lot of people don’t even think they need to pay Inheritance Tax in Spain. It’s as though you are welcoming the taxman into your family, inviting him to become a beneficiary to assets you have taken a lifetime to accumulate. Of course no one intends to die but unfortunately everyone does. By putting off until tomorrow what really needs to be done today, you are running the risk of leaving your loved ones with a memorable legacy…an Inheritance Tax bill. You might have heard about a change in regulations governing the calculation

of Inheritance Tax that was introduced in 2007; one that could reduce the potential charge by 99%. However, this allowance applies only to the surviving spouse and immediate family who, at the time of death, were habitually resident within the Valencia region. DID YOU KNOW THAT: • Inheritance Tax in Spain is levied on the beneficiary and not the deceased’s Estate as it is in the UK. • If you were to die first, any assets left to your spouse will be assessed for Spanish Inheritance Tax because, unlike in the UK, there is no

exemption between husband and wife. • You could be liable to Spanish Inheritance Tax even if you are a non-resident for tax purposes and your property is used only for holidays. • You could be liable to pay Inheritance Tax not just in Spain but also in the UK. • You could be liable to pay Spanish Inheritance Tax on any worldwide assets left to you by your spouse. • The Spanish Inheritance charge on the beneficiary ranges between 7.65% and 34% on the net value of the inheritance. However, under certain circumstances the actual rate charged could be as low as 1%, but as high as 81.6%. • Any jointly held bank accounts that you have with your spouse in Spain could be frozen following death and remain so until any Inheritance Tax liability is settled.

• The house in Spain cannot be sold by the beneficiaries to pay for an Inheritance Tax liability. • A beneficiary has six months to settle the liability before a possible surcharge, interest or even fines are incurred. No wonder the taxman is extremely grateful that so many people have made no attempt to reduce this tax. But with the right advice and assistance you could reduce or even mitigate the bill entirely. WITH A BIT OF PLANNING: • Your beneficiaries could avoid being charged Spanish Inheritance Tax on assets located both outside and inside Spain. • You could retain access to your assets during your own lifetime. Call OFS Spain now for a no obligation review of the legacy you will leave behind.

If you have any financial questions or queries, feel free to email me directly at: lucio@ofs-spain.com or call 966.112.961

Land prices plummet

NEW STATISTICS from the Ministry of Housing show that the price of land fell by 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. A total of 6,150 urban land transactions took place between October and Decem-

ber 2009, compared with 5,023 in the previous quarter. The total transferred area amounted to 6.4 million square metres, which represents a year-on-year decline of 41.6 percent.

The price of urban land in the fourth quarter of 2009 stood at €232 per square metre, which represents 6.5 percent less than in the fourth quarter of the previous year.

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legal

19-25 MARCH 2010

The best laid schemes… by

Michael Olmer

Solicitor, Link Point Legal and Business Services

QUITE APART from any illegality, ‘clever’ schemes to try and evade tax can have undesirable and costly consequences. In particular, the practice of delaying an application for Spanish Probate until the 4 year and 6 month limitation period for the payment of inheritance tax has passed can cause misery for the beneficiaries of an estate. For example, Mr X and Mrs X were English and jointly owned a holiday home in Spain in equal shares. In the 1980s, they both made English Wills leaving their estates to each other, with their estates ultimately passing to their children. Their Wills named a solicitor and an accountant as executors. In 2005, Mrs X died and her estate passed to Mr X. Under English law there is no inheritance tax on gifts made between spouses. As the late Mrs X only had a very small estate in her sole name in England – a small life insurance policy, and some cash in the bank - it was not necessary to obtain Probate for her English estate. However, Probate should have been

obtained so as to deal with her share of the Spanish property and transfer it to Mr. X, who survived her. Unlike in the United Kingdom there is only a small exemption in Spain for Inheritance Tax on gifts between non-resident spouses, so Mr X would have to pay Spanish Inheritance Tax on receiving his late wife’s share of their holiday home. To try and evade Spanish Inheritance Tax, Mr X was advised not to obtain Probate immediately and deal with the transfer of his late wife’s share in the Spanish Property to himself, but to wait until the limitation period for paying Spanish Inheritance Tax had passed and so save the tax. In 2007, Mr X remarried and he and his new wife made new English and Spanish Wills, leaving their estates to each other, and in their English Wills, appointing each other as Executors. In 2009, Mr X also died, after the limitation period for paying the inheritance tax on his first wife’s share in the estate had expired, but before the share of the first Mrs X had been transferred to him. The second Mrs X now wanted to sell their

Spanish holiday home but she was faced with following problems: • Tracing the original executors for the English Will of the late first Mrs X. As more than 20 years had passed since the first Mrs X made her Will, they might themselves have moved or died. This might involve placing advertisements in the local papers for the areas where they had lived, asking them to come forward, or engaging enquiry agents. If they had died and left Wills appointing executors, under a little known rule of English Probate Law known as the ‘chain of representation’ contained in the Administration of Estates Act 1925, their own executors would also have to administer Mrs X’s estate. If there were no executors surviving, family members would have to obtain ‘Letters of Administration,’ for an unadministered estate, known as ‘de bonis non administrates.’ • Obtaining English Probate for the entire of Estate of the first Mrs X, including her share in the Spanish Property. She would have to obtain a valuation of the property as at the date of her death in 2005, and pay the English Probate fees. • Getting the English Probate translated and legalized by the Foreign and Commonwealth office before applying for Spanish Probate of the Spanish estate of the first Mrs X. • Either arranging for the executors, or administrators, of the estate of the late First Mrs X to come to Spain for the transfer of the Property, or arranging for them to grant Powers of Attorney

in favour of a representative to act on their behalf. • Transferring the share in the Spanish Property of the late First Mrs X to the estate of the late Mr X, and then transferring the entire property to herself. • All of this would delay obtaining Spanish Probate of the late Mr X’s Spanish estate, and the sale of the Spanish Property. If more than 6 months had passed since the date of his death, surcharges would be applied to the Inheritance Tax which would either have to be paid by the second Mrs X or deducted from the proceeds of sale of the Spanish property, reducing her legacy. • Paying the additional legal costs for all this extra work done by her lawyers. So what had been achieved by following the advice of “not to obtain Probate of the estate of the first Mrs X”? Sure, some tax had been saved by waiting 4 years, but if the value of the Spanish property was not large, much of this saving could be negated by a long delay in obtaining Probate of the estate of the late Mr X. The grief and sadness which accompany the loss of a partner would have been compounded by the aggravation of such a convoluted administration of an estate. A lot of ill feeling would have been created between family members The second Mrs X would have received a smaller legacy. The lesson of this sad state of affairs is not to leave matters to chance, and review your Wills and financial planning regularly through a qualified adviser.

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19-25 MARCH 2010

currency

House sale costs FOLLOWING ON from last weeks article I have had a number of questions on the costs associated with the currency exchange after a house sale. With all the associated costs and taxes that need to be paid out, maximising the amount of pounds sterling that you finally receive for your euros is vital. Clients need to be aware of two important factors that can cost you dearly when converting your euros into pounds and moving those funds out of Spain.

Kevin Wright

Account Manager, Moneycorp

SPANISH BANK CHARGES Once your sale has been completed you will receive a cheque from the Notary. Many Spanish banks will charge a fee based on the value of this cheque to accept and clear the funds. They will then look to charge a further percentage fee to send your funds out of Spain. To put this into perspective, on an amount of 150,000€, you could incur costs of up to 1,200€ just to clear your cheque and transfer funds out of Spain. As most clients close their accounts when they leave Spain, there is often little room for negotiation. EXCHANGE RATE RISK ON REPATRIATION The agreed sale price of a property is often based on the amount of pounds sterling that the seller hopes to receive, according to the exchange rate at that time. However, a Notary / completion date can take place some weeks or even months after the contract of sale has been signed. This means that sellers run the risk of the exchange rate moving against them and thus reducing the amount of pounds sterling that they receive. For example, with an exchange rate of 1.11, a sale value of 150,000€ will give you £135,135. Should this exchange rate rise to 1.14, a rise of just 3 cents, this would give a return of £131,578 – a difference of £3,556! Moneycorp offers a range of service that allows clients to lock into favourable exchange rates at the time of the signing of the contract, taking away the risk of the exchange rate moving against them in the future. In most cases we can also help to drastically reduce the bank fees leading to even greater savings. Please feel free to give us a call to see how we can help.

For more information on how Moneycorp can help you to save hundreds of euros on your Spanish bank fees, as well as helping you get more pounds for your euros, contact us on 902 887 243 or email Moneycorp directly at roundtownnews@moneycorp.com

Euro/Sterling Weekly Market Update brought to you by .uk

& Sterling rides most of the blows

Poor economic statistics and unhelpful comments rain down on sterling. Investors take the view that something will turn up for Greece. Sterling proved to be slightly less fireproof than it had been the previous week... In a dull week for hard data the British economy did not have a whole lot to say for itself and what it did manage to scrabble together was not particularly edifying. Two house price indices damned the property market with faint praise. UK industrial production figures were a bigger disappointment. The significantly more competitive currency is still not having any positive effect on the balance of trade... Sterling also had to contend with unhelpful comments from several quarters. Credit ratings agency Fitch was ‘uncomfortable with the fiscal adjustment path set out by UK authorities’. Credit Suisse anticipated that UK banks, collectively, would have to reduce their balance sheets by more than £500 billion over the next three or four years. The prime minister reassured investors that Britain’s AAA credit rating was solid but not all of them were convinced... Euroland was just as starved as Britain when it came to useful statistical guidance. Investor confidence improved but the figure was still negative. It was only really euro zone industrial

production that counted for anything. More salutary than that were Germany’s trade figures. In the same month that the UK made an £8 billion loss, Germany turned a profit of almost the same amount. It did so despite what the authorities in Berlin and Paris describe as an overvalued euro... Underlying everything to do with the euro was still the co-ordinated (or not) bailout programme for Greece. As things presently stand there are several schools of thought with the argument that, with or without Germany’s co-operation, Brussels cannot afford to see the economy of a euro member crumble for lack of cash. The market’s point of view, for the moment at least, is Micawberesque; ‘something will turn up’. Investors are not sweating too much as long as nothing explodes... Sterling surprised many with another refusal to lie down last week despite a string of potentially damaging developments and data. However, as long as the opinion polls continue to indicate a hung parliament investors will continue to fear that even after a general election Britain’s government will be unable or unwilling to tackle the budget gap...

To read the full report click on Currency Guidance at www.moneycorp.com/roundtownnews

19-25 MARCH 2010

TKO supports PCN RTN REPORTS that Paul Cunningham Nurses are absolutely delighted to announce the support of TKO radio choosing PCN as their charity for 2010. Their very first joint venture, a Fabulous Fun Day, will be held in conjunction with El Corazon Hotel, another committed supporter of the charity. TKO will be out and about in full force with their mobile road show and they will be broadcasting on the day, Saturday March 27th, with live ‘phone ins’ from El Corazon Hotel, Quesada. There will be a talent contest – so hopefuls should call in to register as TKO are looking for at least 10 contestants on the day. RTN, already staunch PCN supporters, is very pleased to see TKO take up the baton and RTN reporter Louise Clarke will be there on the day. Jennifer Cunningham, founder of the charity said: “I am overwhelmed by this news; it will help tremendously with our ever changing story. Events backed by TKO and plans for a second charity shop will literally mean that ‘brick by brick’ the Paul Cunningham Nurses charity is growing every day.” Ian Rockford, managing director of the

Tickets for the Fabulous Fun Day are just 2€ for adults and 1€ for children, available at Paul Cunningham Nurses Charity Shop in Quesada or from Hotel El Corazon –details are at www.paulcunninghamnurses.com or call 629 869 959.

Jennifer Cunningham & TKO Managing Director Ian Rockford

TKO Media Group stated: “We are delighted to offer our support and be associated with such a well organised and worthwhile charity. We all look forward to supporting the future events and fund raising activities of Paul Cunningham Nurses. As TKO FM and TKO Gold have the largest audiences out of all the British radio stations here on the southern Costa Blanca, we feel that we have

HELP Murcia Mar Menor HELP MURCIA Mar Menor is holding a Golf Tournament sponsored by Barclays Bank of Los Alcazares, at LA TERCIA golf club, on Thursday 25th March, teeing off at 09.30. The cost is €35 per player. To keep you occupied, there will also be putting and pitching competitions, with many

prizes to be won. In the evening there will be a free buffet at Café Golf for participants. Partners and friends are also welcome at €5 per head. For details, call Cafe Golf on 666 766 600 or 661 627 985. Holes can be sponsored for €30 per hole. All money raised will go to the HELP MMM charity.

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the perfect platform to raise the profile of this much needed and important charity.” Susan Reader who has been the fund raising manager for the last year, said: “Last year I rarely used just the PCN initials as I wanted everyone to get used to and remember the full name of the charity, however, although a long way from IBM status I think PCN is now well on the way!

You HELP us… JALON VALLEY HELP were delighted when Susan and Marcel Valeriani, owners of the Bar Amigos in Oliva, kindly offered to hold a Quiz Night to raise money towards the local projects that we fund and support. With questions set by Brian Kitchen, who played Quiz Master on Sunday 28th February, everyone enjoyed a fun evening and better still Jalon Valley HELP received €175 towards our 2010 funds, already being distributed around our Community.

THIS WEEK’S St Patrick’s Day saw a fun run in La Marina Urbanisation, organised to raise funds for a local charity and two supported associations. Sponsored runners and walkers completed a three kilometre hike around the urbanisation and raised an amazing total of €1,370 between them. The K9 Club animal welfare charity, the San Fulgencio Cricket Club and the Totally Dance group

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Josie Lucas President of Jalon Valley HELP receiving the donation from Bar Amigos owner Marcel Valeriani

La Marina St Patrick’s Day fun run

for a quick connection call

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ACTIVITIES There are a number of activities taking place including: BBQ Chocolate Fountain Skipping Competition Crazy Bull Sumo Suits Competition Spinning Face Painting Magician Trim Dance demonstration Tae Kwan Do 10 Pin Bowling Tuition Kenny Corris PCN nurses with Blood Pressure and Sugar Test Gold Man – bring in any old gold you have to sell Reflexology, Reiki and Indian Head Massage

The Adult Runner trophy being presented to Jimmy Cullerty

all benefited from the participation of their members and supporters in this event. Great fun was had by all those who took part and also by those who witnessed the fun run. The Mayor of San Fulgencio, Trinidad Martinez, was accompanied by Councillor Mark Lewis and Councillor Jackie Malonda, when she presented the trophies to the winning adult and two winning juniors.

19-25 March 2010

health

15-21MARCH JANUARY 19-25 20102010

The Kamala Centre

colonics…beauty…wellbeing… CAROL WEST from The Kamala Centre at the Club de Tenis, Calpe, is very pleased to be asked to join RTN’s panel of experts and looks forward to answering your questions each month. Carol is one of the UK’s most highly qualified Colon Hydrotherapists and regularly

returns to the UK to train new Colon Hydrotherapists. She really loves her job and will happily discuss with anyone the benefits that a colonic can give to even the healthiest of people. Carol has treated Page 3 Models (WAGs), professional rugby players, body builders etc and she used

Carol West from The Kamala Centre

to have clients fly in from all over Europe for treatments at her clinic in the UK. Although only based in Spain for a few months she has already had several clients travel hundreds of miles for a treatment. Although the subject of Colon Hydrotherapy makes most people cringe, the results are amazing, especially for those suffering with conditions such as constipation, IBS, Crohn’s disease, excess wind etc. It is also great for people commencing a weight loss or detox programme. Also based at the clinic is Carol’s husband Andy, an expert in Emotional Freedom Technique and Hypnotherapy. They also offer an extensive range of beauty treatments and other therapies like bio-resonance, sports massage, food intolerance testing and past life regression. If you have a question for Carol in relation to Colon Hydrotherapy please send it in to RTN or you can email Carol on carol@thekamalacentre.com or call The Kamala Centre on 965 875 869.

Easier access to National Healthcare NATIONAL HEALTH hospitals from different regions of Spain are to share patient data. Computers will be linked so that health records of all patients will be available to doctors, no matter which hospital they are in. At the moment patient records stay in the hospital where they originated, but

the synchronisation will mean that national health users will be able to take their social security health card into any hospital and doctors will be able to access their records. Trinidad Jiménez, Minister for Health, announced last week that the new Trinidad system will be up and Jiménez, running by the end of Minister the year. for Health

15-2119-25 JANUARY March2010 2010

PROMINENT Specialists in armchairs, sofas

and mobility scooters FOR MANY months RTN has carried advertisements and written features about PROMINENT, the ultimate specialist in armchairs, sofas and mobility scooters. And we have featured many of the Shows and Expos where PROMINENT have demonstrated their quality products. Recently, RTN Rep Roddy Cunningham visited Mrs Audrey Norman in Calpe, one of the many

clients who have written positively to PROMINENT. COMFORT AND SUPPORT In May 2009 Audrey wrote: “I have had my ‘recliner with lift’ chair for a month now and realise what I have been missing. It is so easy to get into and out of and so good to raise my legs without effort. Not only that, it’s a very smart piece of furniture. I should have bought one sooner.”

Eddie Schermacher showing his leg in the outstretched position

RTN visited Audrey ten months later. Audrey was in the chair when Roddy arrived and she told him: “Oh, yes, the chair has become a very important part of my life. It is so easy to use, and at one stage after an operation when I couldn’t make it into bed, I used to sleep in it because it is always so comfortable. I have no hesitation in recommending PROMINENT to any of my friends.” BESPOKE DESIGN PROMINENT is only fully satisfied when the chair of your choice is tailored to your personal height, weight, build and health. Every person is unique and PROMINENT custom makes every chair. This does not add to the cost and ensures maximum comfort. PROMINENT excel in bespoke design but not only with their chairs and sofas. Recently a lady customer was unable to bend one of her legs. She wished to buy a mobility scooter but could not find a suitable scooter anywhere because of her special requirement of needing to keep one of her legs outstretched at all times. Worryingly, she had been advised by one store that adaptation of any of their new scooters would render the warranty void. In desperation she contacted PROMINENT in Teulada. They designed and made a bespoke leg support attached to the front of the scooter, demonstrated here by Eddie Schermacher (one of the Prominent owners), with his leg fully extended. PROMINENT’s customer

Mrs Audrey Norman

service is second to none. Mr Alexander from El Campello had bought a mobility scooter but had returned to Holland for six months without charging the battery up before his departure. On his return to Spain, the battery was completely dead and it would not re-charge. He took the scooter to PROMINENT in Teulada, who rang him the following day to advise him: “The scooter is mended: you can collect it today if you wish.”

Mr Alexander writes “You could have said: ‘Buy a new battery’ but instead I have the same battery, the scooter was fixed, and you have thoroughly cleaned it for me. In fact it is like completely new. This is what I call truly wonderful service.” If you have a mobility problem, PROMINENT is the place to go. Call now for an appointment, or for more information, on 965 793 229, see their advert on page 11, or visit their website www.prominent.nu

The Prominent van

19-25 March 2010

Past simple

Spanish lessons by

Jane Cronin

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

Lesson 99

WE ARE learning about the past simple tense for a while. Some people know this tense as the ‘past historic”’ and others as the ‘preterite.’ In Spanish it is called the ‘pretérito indefinido,’ but why we should ever need to know that I’m not sure. When I’m in the mood I call it the ‘done and dusted’ tense. It’s up to you what you call it! Let’s look at a few more verbs in this tense so that we get used to what they look like and what they mean. For example: ‘hablar.’ Remember that the first thing to do is find the root of the verb by removing the two letter ending from the infinitive. Hablé Hablaste Habló Hablamos Hablasteis Hablaron

I spoke you spoke he / she spoke we spoke you spoke (plu) they spoke

We’ll do one more which happens to illustrate two more things I want to say – jugar Jugué Jugaste Jugó Jugamos Jugasteis Jugaron

I played You played He / she played We played You played (plu) They played

What I want to say about this is firstly – notice the spelling of the first person form. This is another example of a very common phenomenon in Spanish, where the spelling of a word changes to reflect a regular sound. The ‘u’ here is not pronounced as it is there to preserve the hard ‘g’ sound before the letter ‘e’. The other thing to notice is that even though this verb is rootchanging in the present tense, it

is not so in the past tense. In fact none of those root-changing rules which took us so long to get to grips with have any relevance at all in the past tense, they were all for the present tense only. I know – I agree. Well, it’s not very practical to write out more and more verbs in this way but you can definitely have a go at some for yourselves. Here is a small selection of verbs which do exactly the same as the one above in the past tense: ayudar buscar cambiar cocinar comprar escuchar firmar limpiar Pagar pensar soñar trabajar viajar Two of these verbs have to make spelling changes in the first person singular to reflect their regular sound. See if you can work them out without looking them up in a grammar book. Have fun!

Torrevieja U3A visits Valencia

Jane Cronin news update Audience-taught Spanish language courses starting on 26th April 2010 at Los Arcos Restaurant, Torrevieja Level One: Survival Spanish Tue + Thurs 10 – 11.30 a.m. Level Two: Essential Spanish Tue + Thurs 11.45 - 1.15 p.m. Level Three: Practical Spanish Tue + Thurs1.30 – 3.00 p.m. Level Four: Grammatical Spanish Mon + Wed 1.30 - 3.00 p.m. Level Five: Logical Spanish Mon + Wed 11.45 - 1.15 p.m. Level Six: Successful Spanish Mon + Wed 10 – 11.30 a.m.

From absolute beginners to intermediate – there is a course for you! ONLY

45 euros per eight-week course A Portrait of Spain

Illustrated presentations at Los Arcos Restaurant, Torrevieja. Talk three: The Geography of Spain Mon. March 22nd Talk four: Moorish Spain Wed. March 24th Talk five: Spain after the Moors Mon. March 29th Talk six: Contemporary Society Wed. March 31st ONLY 4 euros per talk Talks also planned for North Costa Blanca in May For information and enrolment details: phone 619 488 903 / 968 18 32 58 janejcronin@gmail.com www.janecronin.eu

ON A recent 3 night visit to Valencia, Torrevieja, one of a number of planned trips, U3A members were greeted by a dramatic firework display right outside their hotel. Not the usual display though - this one, called the ‘Mesclatá,’ is all about noise and designed to really shake the city. The display lasts only about five minutes but what it lacked in duration was made up for in effect! Although the group thought this may be Valencia’s way of

welcoming Torrevieja U3A, it was actually an introduction to the Fallas celebrations to follow. The art, history and impressive architecture of Valencia provided an opportunity for U3A members to pursue particular interests whilst the peaceful parks, square and narrow streets of the old quarter afforded an opportunity to enjoy the local tapas and a glass (or two) of wine. For more details of Torrevieja U3A, visit our website www.u3atorrevieja.com

19-25 March 2010

music scene Javea Rock Academy

T Compiled by

Eric Taylor

REPAIRS KEYBOARDS, AMPS AND MIXERS AVS, 117 AVENIDA EUROPA, ALFAZ.

Telephone:

96 686 5049

ET’s Golden Oldies Disco Tel: 965 748 199 659 921 875 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.

he Javea Rock Academy provides workshops for live performance, confidence, stage awareness, sound recording, etc. Their mission is to work in partnership with parents, carers, tutors and local authorities to develop high quality musical tutoring for all students. The students will be encouraged to enjoy the learning experience whilst increasing their self confidence and potential. On Saturday 20th March at 19.30, the Javea Rock Academy are presenting ‘Rock Academy Live’ in the Benitachell Arts Centre. There will be kids and parents performing in bands and much more. Tickets are €5, available from the English Baker, Javea and also Zapateros (cobblers), Javea, with a donation to a Childrens Charity. A great family night out – come along and support them. For more information about the Javea Rock Academy, phone: 654 718 393.

Sharni vocal entertainer Sharni has over twenty years experience in the entertainment business with residencies in five star hotels in the Middle East and major holiday/leisure resorts in the UK. Since arriving in Spain, Sharni has been in great demand at many venues in the area. She is ideal for cabaret, dancing or easy listening – singing hits from the 60’s to the present day. For bookings and more info: phone 690 169 975. Gigs for March Every Monday: The Clansman & The Tower Lounge Bar, Benidorm Sunday 21st Chez Flo Bar, La Fustera, Calpe Saturday 27th Platino’s Lounge Bar, Arenal, Javea Sunday 28th So What Bar, Calpe Port, Calpe, 17.00

Chloe Hooper female vocal entertainer

Chloe Hooper is an international vocalist with a versatile mix of country, blues, soul, jazz and easy listening. She has been singing for nearly twenty years, twelve of that professionally, both as a successful solo/tribute artist and as a session singer. During this time, Chloe has worked with a number of top writers and producers, plus supported some big named acts along the way. Her latest project is a tribute to legendary rock diva Bonnie Tyler, hence during the winter months she has been in a recording studio putting the show together. Chloe can be found performing every Friday night at the popular Rustys Bar/Bistro, Benitachell, where she has been resident for four years. Phone 607 621 699 for more details or visit her website: www.chloehooper.net

Chill Factor - vocal duo Pam and John Pearson are ‘Chill Factor’ - a selfcontained musical duo that performs a repertoire of classic songs from bands such as Pretenders, Police, Beatles, Crowded House, Coldplay, Oasis and many more. They also perform in an acoustic band ‘Sanfaryan’ with Andy and Debby Price (The View). Together they

Focus

M R O D N BE

The

are also part of ‘Lapse of Reason’ the Costa Blanca’s top Pink Floyd tribute band. For more details phone John or Pam on 696 731 290 or check out their web site: www.pamandjohn.net Gig guide for March Friday 19th Coll de Rates Mountain Rte, Parcent, 13.30

Every week Nigel Turner, Cumberland Bar, Benidorm will be doing a Focus report on the nightlife of Benidorm and the artists performing there. Should any artist/venue wish to be included :– contact Nigel on 685 550 106, email: ngltur@aol.com, web site: www.cumberlandbarbenidorm.com

Jess Stretton – Female Vocalist JESS STRETTON is a 19-year-old female vocalist from Wigan who moved to Benidorm in January. In UK, she was singing in pubs/ social clubs all over the NorthWest and in 2002 she appeared on ‘Stars in Their Eyes’ as Marie Osmond. In 2005, Jess got to the British final of the ‘Junior Eurovision Song Contest’ with a song she wrote herself. She can now be found performing regularly at

Friday 19th Meson de Paco Bar, Benitachell/Javea road @ 9pm Sunday 21st The Royal Beach Bar, Moraira Friday 26th Bar 23, Jalon Sunday 28th Coll de Rates Mountain Rte, Parcent, 13.30 Wednesday 31st Monte Vista Pool Bar, Cumbre del Sol

‘Simply The Best’ in La Cala de Finestrat and at ‘Valentines’ and ‘Liverpool Arms’ in Benidorm. Jess performs a mixture of all types of music, from Doris Day to Cheryl Cole. She has also recently joined ‘Supreme’ a tribute show to ‘The Supremes,’ who will start performing in the near future. So watch out for this young lass: a star for the future. For more information, phone: 652 290 490.

19-25 March 2010

Comic catastrophe

room for a character named ‘disaster’ when a mother-in-law arrives out of the blue. Lee Hodges and Lynne Martin together with Keith Livesey and Gillian Hodges play the devious wayward couples; Rob Lee is a bumbling accomplice; Carole Saunders drops in as a suitably bossy in law; Geraldine Livesey adds to the confusion by making a surprise visit and a heady cocktail is shaken further by the alcohol induced ineptitude of Norman Dunnington as the rep.

Holiday Snap in rehearsal

by Jack Troughton

IMESHARE TAKES on a new meaning when two cheating couples are double booked into a villa in Portugal by a drunken holiday rep in the farce Holiday Snap. The foursome’s getaway quickly becomes a postcard from the edge in Javea Players’

production of the hit comedy by Michael Pertwee and John Chapman. Directed by David Garnett, an experienced cast and crew are busy rehearsing the play and are determined to do a comic masterpiece justice when the curtain rises in Gata de Gorgos next month. Mayhem, chaos and calamity share a stage as a witty and clever plot unravels. There is even

BOOK Holiday Snap runs at the Union Musical at Gata between 19th and 23rd April. Bookings are currently being taken by Mabel at the Box Office on 965 794 937. And emerging from the planning stages is Javea Players’ summer show under the stars at the Micheta Restaurant overlooking the Ifach Golf Course, Moraira. Hugh Norton makes his debut in the director’s chair with playwright Frank Vickery’s ‘A Night Out.’ The comedy has been cast and rehearsals start at the end of April for a production scheduled for 21st to 26th June. The Box Office will open shortly for these popular annual outdoor performances. The theatre group is always looking for new – especially younger – blood whether it is to audition for a part, take a backstage role or become a social member. Find out more at www.javeaplayers.com

Spring surprise

By Jack Troughton THE TALENTS of the United Craft Clubs go on show and there is a chance to buy something highly original at the Annual Spring Gift Fair. Every visitor to the event at the Inn on the Green in Javea on 22nd March will be asked for €1 entry – and the cash will go to Friends of the Children of EMAUS to directly help the children cared for at homes across the region by this charity. The Friends spent €4,000 on Christmas presents and treats for the youngsters and the charity is currently busy raising money to help the children enjoy end of term school excursions and summer camps. The gift fair is traditionally a popular and happy event – and weather permitting, stalls will spill out into the courtyard, while refreshments are available at the bar. For more information about the craft clubs, call Lesley Clark on 965 794 462 or email craftclubsjavea@gmail.com

Get pampered! Menu de la Casa from 14.95 euros

Full A La Carte Menu

Now taking bookings for Easter Weekend!

So, let us get right to the point, We don’t pop our corks for ev’ry one we meet ..... Hey, big spender, spend... A little time and eat! eat! eat!

Hair display

THE MARINA ALTA goes all girlie next week when a special MABS Ladies Evening gives the chance to get pampered and support the hard working charity. Benitachell Arts Centre hosts the event and organisers hope women will take the opportunity to treat themselves to a little something, whether it is a massage, mini facial, make-up or having their nails done. And mums can take the little ones

along - there is a play area where a €2 donation to the MABS Cancer support Group secures an hour’s supervision and the chance for the kids to try some face painting, cake decorating and some fun games. The centre’s main hall will be packed with stalls while onstage there will be hair and make up demonstrations, fashion shows, dancers, Zumba and the talented singer Sophie Jackson. Ann

The minute you walked in the joint, I could see you were a man of distinction, A real big spender, Good looking, so refined. Say, wouldn’t you like to know What’s going on ? What you´ll find?

Martin stages a MABS evening every year and all the cash received from €2 entry money – entrance is free if people pre-book – raffles and the kids area go to the charity. “We are encouraging mums to bring the kids along. They will enjoy the children’s area and we will look after them while mums get pampered,” said Ann. To book or to find out more ring Ann on 680 673 871 or email info@benitatxellartscentre.info

Fine wine promotions, great food and fantastic entertainment ! What more could you sing about? 5 course menu from 12.95e Lacey Avery and Jon the fiddler Sat 20th March 18.95 inc 5 course meal Music and promotions available from Victoria on davidreeley@hotmail.com join our mailing list!!

Tel 96 640 5398 For reservations

Friday 26th March Saturday 27th March Sunday 28th March

Direct from Blackpool & Benidorm, Comedienne/ Vocals; ANGIE Mr Cool himself. ADAM KING Starting from 7pm JOHN COOPER, Keyboards & Vocals & Open mike with Barry and Dave

19-25 2010 FEB 26MARCH - MARCH 4 2010

Planting up your garden this Spring by

Clodagh & Dick Handscombe Practical gardeners and authors

WHETHER YOUR garden is small or large, planting is a risky business and if you get it wrong it can also be expensive. Several times we have had readers write to us in desperation along the following lines: ‘ My husband won’t give me any more money for plants - the first three years they all died. What can I do?’ When we write back asking for a few basic facts before offering some helpful suggestions we get replies along the following lines: • ‘We live inland and found that all the subtropical plants we planted did not like the frost.’ • ‘We live on a cliff top and have left the plot without fences or hedges for the view. We find that everything seems to dry out quickly and get wind burnt.’ • ‘I have just bought your book ‘Your Garden in Spain’ and discovered that even Spanish

plants and not only imported plants need watering. My neighbour told me that but I didn’t believe her at first.’ • ‘I planted annuals in window boxes on my apartment terrace but I forgot to water them twice a day.’ • ‘I sprayed my geraniums every month but they still died because of the geranium moth.’ • ‘I keep feeding my orange and lemon trees but they still don’t grow.’ You may say that’s impossible. But it is not and such issues come up at every talk or Charity day question and answer session we give. Fundamentally, people don’t recognise that the Spanish climate and the many local variations within a region, the soils, the plants, the pests and diseases and the gardening products sold are in many ways different to those left behind in northern Europe. So before you go out and buy any more plants ask yourself the following questions: 1. Which of my plants have been most successful? Are they the traditional local plants or recently imported varieties? 2. Have we established a sheltered garden with thick hedges, fences and trees before planting tender plants?

3. How deep is our soil? Did we improve it before planting anything? Would we be better to construct raised beds rather than continuing to grow things with just a few centimetres of soil over bed rock? Yes you can get away with drilling planting holes in rock with a Kanga hammer but the holes soon become root bound. 4. Since we have absentee gardeners living on both sides for nine months of the year with dying/dead geraniums should I not spray twice a week not once a month? It’s a great pity that the import of infected plants in the mid 1990’s decimated the traditional banks of geraniums through out Spain within five years. For many the only solution is to treat geraniums as an annual plant and spray twice a week. 5. Did we dig sizeable planting holes for our citrus trees, enrich the soil before planting and spread the roots when planting or did we just dig a hole the width of the tall plastic sleeve in which we purchased the tree, plant the corkscrew of roots as they were then burn them irreversibly by feeding with industrial strength chemical fertilizer from the local cooperative? 6. Have we been buying small plants with young open developing root balls that are easy to keep moist or large mature plants solid tightly packed root balls which are difficult to water and tend to dry out in the middle? 7. Are we persevering with annuals on our south facing blind less balcony or have we changed over to sun loving drought resistant plants? It was finding that many people living in Spain - expatriates and Spaniards - struggled

with such problems that led us to write our seven gardening books and contribute articles to newspapers even though we receive no payment for the latter: we just enjoy helping you get more out of your life in Spain. CLODAGH AND DICK’S CURRENT QUARTET OF BOOKS You will find the following books practical and comprehensive. They can be obtained from book shops and by mail order from www.santanabooks.com or 952 485 838. • Your Garden in Spain • Growing Healthy Fruit in Spain • Growing Healthy Vegetables in Spain • Mediterranean Apartment Gardening Included in each of the books are descriptions of the most appropriate plants for inland and coastal, and villa and apartment situations.

BY CLODAGH AND DICK HANDSCOMBE practical gardeners and authors who have enjoyed gardening in Spain for themselves and at times others for twenty five years. New book ‘Mediterranean Apartment Gardening’ is to be published this month and can be obtained from high street and internet bookshops including www.gardeninginspain.com for the fastest deliveries.

Readers’ recipes

Chargrilled Salmon with creamed Garlic Peas and a Balsamic Reduction INGREDIENTS For the Salmon: 2 Salmon fillets about 150g each Olive oil salt pepper

41 41

FEB 2619-25 - MARCH MARCH 4 2010 2010 METHOD For the Salmon: rub the Salmon with olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a griddle pan until very hot, add the salmon and griddle for 1-2mins on each side, or until charred on the outside and only just cooked through. For the creamed garlic peas, place the peas into a pan of boiling salted water and boil for 2-3mins then drain. Place the cooked peas into a small pan, add the butter and garlic and fry gently for 1-2mins. Add the cream, thyme, salt and freshly ground pepper and simmer for a further 2mins.

For the balsamic reduction, pour the balsamic vinegar into a small pan and simmer for 10mins, or until reduced and sticky. If you can find it, ‘Cream of Balsamic Vinegar’ is available in at least one supermarket and works just as well. To serve, spoon the peas on to the plate in a neat rectangular shape, top with the grilled Salmon and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar.

INGREDIENTS For the creamed garlic peas: 150g frozen peas 25g butter 1 fat garlic clove (or two if smaller) 4tbsp double cream salt pepper 1 generous sprig Thyme, leaves only (½tsp if using dried) 4tbsp Balsamic vinegar (see below)

Serving suggestion – boiled potatoes and Broccoli.

Enjoy, Jim McEleny Don’t forget: if you have a recipe that you would like featured in RTN please email to rtnmail@roundtownnews.com

Another successful year for Fiesta Crafts HAVING JUST moved into its third year of successful trading, Fiesta Crafts of Javea continues to provide all manner of ‘craft’ items to a growing number of clients. Samantha Warren and Sally Brooker believe that regular advertising with RTN has helped their customer base to grow. Said Samantha, “We have advertised with RTN now for two years as we feel it is the leading newspaper across the Costa Blanca which is widely read by our customers and prospective new clients. RTN offers us good value for money and Ian, our RTN Sales Rep, makes it easy to do business with his helpful and friendly attitude. He is always happy to chat through new ways to promote our

craft shop and we look forward to another successful year.” Last month Samantha and Sally attended ‘Stitches’ Craft and Hobby show at the NEC Birmingham, so visitors to Fiesta Crafts can look forward to seeing the latest products appearing on the shelves of the Javea shop. Another reason to visit the shop regularly is the ‘loyalty card’ - the card is stamped for every €5 spent and once the card is full, €10 is given off the next purchase. So you can spend and save at Fiesta Crafts! Find Fiesta Crafts at Local 3, Ctra Cabo La Nao, Pla 138, Javea. Tel: 966 461 788. Email: info@fiestacrafts.eu, web: www.fiestacrafts.eu

Ian discusses the latest Fiesta Craft advert with Samantha and Sally

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19-25 MARCH FEBRUARY 2010 2010

Semana Santa

SEMANA SANTA in Valencia is unlike anywhere else in the World. Usually in Spain Easter week is seen as a subdued occasion to mourn the death of Christ and then finally, to celebrate his resurrection – but it is rarely as flamboyant as the other fiestas for which Spain is famous. However, in Valencia it’s worth coming to see the colours and costumes and to experience the buzzing atmosphere.

Kirsty Tuxford Freelance writer

There is a solemn aspect to Holy Week in Valencia too, but as a visitor to the city, the three main events to look out for are: the Procession of the Palm Leaves, the Procession of the Holy Burial and the Procession of the Resurrection. The origin of these celebrations goes back to the 15th Century, with the formation of a religious group called the Concordia dels Disciplinats, which had San Vicente Ferrer as a leading member. The festival centres on the seafront districts of Cabanyal and el Grau, which around 150 years ago were separate villages fighting to maintain their identity and avoid being absorbed into the city. The Easter celebrations grew in strength in this area as the people banded together to create a separate identity for their seaside villages. Because the centre of the festivities is near the port, the fiesta in Valencia is called Semana Santa Marinera. Events are organised by parishes each with a brotherhood (cofradía) dedicated to worshipping different aspects of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, for example: the flogging, the judgement or the burial. The brotherhoods’ job is to portray Christ’s story through processions, of which there are many different types: retrata (to announce the coming festivities); processions of silence on Good Friday, to mourn Christ’s capture; processions of glory on the Sunday of the resurrection, and many more.

During Semana Santa, Valencia has more ‘brotherhoods’ than anywhere in Spain. Unusually though, uniquely to Valencia, you’ll see three brotherhoods dressed as Napoleonic grenadiers! This is because during Napoleon’s invasion, French troupes were sent to guard an image of the Virgin of the Forsaken in the Basilica de la Virgen de los Desamparados – this act of kindness in the middle of a bloody war touched the hearts of the Valencians so much that they still commemorate the grenadiers. What you can expect to see are lots of processions, each with different costumes and carrying different meanings. The largest processions take place on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. People of the city also attend mass most days throughout Easter. At midnight on 3rd April (Glorious Saturday) the church bells will ring out in celebration of the resurrection, and the residents of the neighbourhood will throw pots of mud from their windows and balconies; a curious old tradition known as the Trenca de perols. This year, las Fallas coincides with Semana Santa, meaning that the whole of March is a party for Valencia. The Fallas finishes on 19th March with the Nit de la Cremà, but celebrations will continue with the processions of the Semana Santa Marinera. For more information, see www.fallasfromvalencia.com and

The

Valencia

Experience

www.semanasantamarinera.org Museum of Semana Santa Marinera: Rosario, 1, 46011,Valencia. Tel: 963 525 478, ext. 4079. Opening hours: Tues-Sat, 10.00-14.00 and 16.30-20.00. Sundays and public holidays, 10.00-15.00. Entry: €2 or €1 (for children from seven to12 years,

groups, pensioners and students with Youth Card). Municipal museum card with entry for all municipal museums, valid for one-day, €6 (on sale at all municipal museums). See www.turisvalencia.es/en/ museums/museum/7432 for a map of how to get to the museum.

Semana Santa Processions There are too many to give details, but most, if not all will pass through the main street of Calle de la Reina – also worth seeing for its unusual architecture. Also see the following churches, which have brotherhoods participating in the processions: Iglesia de Santa Maria del mar (also known as ‘The Temple’), Avenida del Puerto. Iglesia de los Angeles, Plaza de los Angeles. Iglesia del Rosario, Plaza del Rosario. Iglesia San Rafael, Calle de la Reina.

Easter dates for your diary 26th March

(Viernes de Dolores)

27th March

(Sabado de Pasion)

28th March

(Domingo de Ramos)

29th March

(Lunes Santo)

30th March

(Martes Santo)

31st March

(Miercoles Santo)

1st April

Maundy Thursday (Jueves Santo)

2nd April

Good Friday (Viernes Santo)

3rd April

(Sabado de Gloria)

4th April

Easter Sunday (Pascua/Domingo de Resurreccion)

5th April

Easter Monday (Lunes de Pascua)

19-25 March 2010 Win a meal for 2 at the Inn Plaice in torrevieja (Mon-Thu) or at La Pista Restaurante In Jalon (Mon-sat Lunchtimes Only) by answering the Cryptic Crossword correctly. Answers by email to: office@roundtownnews.com or Fax: 96 570 5328.

Euromillions Draw Friday 12th march

1 26 33 36 46 6

No ticket won the 15,000,000 Euros (£13,633,500) jackpot prize

Answers & Winner Last week’s Crossword and Suduko answers found on page 48. Crossword winner for issue 543: Shirley Fairway, Finestrat

Quick Crossword

Cryptic Crossword

Across

Down

1. Step (5)

1. Cape Town landmark (5,8)

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)

Sudoku

4. Stuffed (7) 8. Respire (7) 9. Jokes (5) 10. Consumes (4)

2. Build (5) 3. Obligation (4) 4. Gifted (6)

11. False belief (8)

5. Postpones (8)

13. Uncovered (4)

6. Huge (7)

14. Leg joint (4)

7. Impartial (13)

16. Usually (8) 17. Tardy (4) 20. Farewell (5) 21. French sailor (7)

12. Animal (8) 13. Obstruction (7) 15. Awkward (6)

22. Child’s room (7)

18. Distribute (5)

23. Blunted (5)

19. Stump (4)

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

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8-14 JANUARY 19-25 MARCH 20102010

Seeds of today MANY OF us were spiritual as children. A lot of us have to look back to see what we did way back then, and then we may start to sing a different song as we realise what happened to us. For many, spiritual energies could not be detected when we were small, but many have their tales to tell, and many have chosen to share them with me; and I thank them. I was called very young, but somehow was very unafraid. I always felt that my experiences were common to everyone, so I had to learn that perhaps in foresight they were not. Somehow I felt comfort with the entities around me. I was always safe and I found happiness the way an only child in a broken parenthood can. It was very sure that I was never harmed, but the more that I enjoyed the experiences shown to me the more that I gained the vital knowledge that was to become the basis of my spiritual foundation. There are some revealing similarities that seem to herald the birth of spiritualists when we retrace our steps. A number of people have reported that someone used to sit at the end of their bed when they were young. Some were afraid of this, but mostly it was a comfort not to be alone in a darkened room. Many knew and recognised their loved ones and have recalled conversations with grandparents and parents who chose the fall of night to come and visit. Several people actually saw their departed love ones in the light of day. Obviously this scared some, and they regarded subsequently spiritual contact with fear; whilst others loved the contact, like me. Unlike others, I had never seen any of my family in real life since both my parents had no living family when they married.

My ancestors were all dead and unknown to me alive so they became an eerie family of phantoms teaching me what was to become my spiritual destiny. They did a good job. One client confided in me that her Father always came through on her birthday. Her Daddy appeared amidst the cakes and the jelly and the sad clown entertainers when she was a little girl. In trance contact with me, this annual Daddy came through, asking his daughter to look after Albert. Albert was his Teddy Bear, and my client slept through her childhood with Albert always there for her. Daddy described her tenth birthday party at the ballet. He was there watching too, or how could he know? If all this is hitting home to you, please share your experience. Many are called far too young, and when spiritualism is equated with fear it doesn’t work. Spirit is loving and kind and it does not wish us harm, rather exactly the opposite. I try to promote the loving care of Spirit, but if fear is brought into the equation it is understandable some people had a difficult start to their beliefs. Many conquer fear, as we learn to do. Many recall events that they experienced that have no explanation, but which actually brought Spirit right to the front door, where they belong. Sadly there are many who could not interpret or fathom out the presence of Spirit, for whatever reason. Love is what keeps Spirit coming back, as our loved ones do not forget that we all started small and had to grow, as indeed so did they. We were all children once, and the flowers of all our tomorrows lie in the seeds of today.

Love & Light... Kenny Corris

Kenny’s Diary

Postbag

ALL SPRING WORKSHOPS

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

NOW BOOKING Information on this and all

You mention that Planet Pluto is Lord of the Underworld. What does this mean? My Father is Pluto in his rising sign and I have Pluto in my seventh house and we are both prone to disasters this way and that! Christine MD.

workshops on:

Pluto governs the world beneath our feet. When natural disasters are brought about by volcanoes, earthquake and tsunami, Pluto features heavily, mostly in opposition. Whenever there are forensic investigations into anything, Pluto appears as the underlying cause for destruction and disaster. However, in your seventh house Pluto must have shaken your resolve and brought you an inquisitive nature, with an ability to gain rapidly essential background or forensic information from grass roots levels. It certainly will have brought you promotion for your endeavours. As for your Father, he has not so much a dark side but often can be pessimistic and negative and doesn’t always immediately see the positive side. He will be very authoritarian and knowledgeable as this masks things somewhat!

Bistro Albir on 22nd and

New online forum! www.kennycorris.net/forum. Please feel free to ask questions of Kenny and read questions and comments of others.

www.kennycorris.net or please call for details. Mini readings at Maya 24th March. Readings in Quesada on Saturday 27th March in aid of Paul Cunningham Nurses. See page 32 for more details.

contact kenny Appointments: 96 587 8424 Mobile: 686 361 594 Web: www.kennycorris.net Please contact me for inclusion in my healing list!

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horoscopes by Kenny Corris As the Sun enters this weekend, you feel ready to take on that which you must in the current scheme of things. Bringing light to the darkness just when it is needed allows you to see where your next move should be, and confirms that you are playing the game to win. You must wish that things hadn’t got this bad, but with a renewed energy and love in your heart know best just where your loyalties lie, and just what you have to do to make sure your dreams become realities. Balancing Libra and conniving Saturn combine with Plutonian energies to bring you a real mixed bag right now. Progress has stopped in all directions and you would be very wise to work on that stubborn streak which often can both motivate and strengthen you when you need it to. Somebody doesn’t help this week as they manage to get hold of the wrong end of the stick; however things are starting to happen, and you will find the support you need from an unexpected source. You’re in two minds, and have to be patient and adopt a wait and see policy until you are really sure. Others have pressured you into a corner, but this is a time for your own energies to embrace the problems and to deal with this the way that you know best. Only you know the whole truth, and if others did they would quickly take your side. Do not feel alone, since aid via Saturn to help make positive changes, and the balancing power of Libra to inspire are both working for you. A great time to walk down memory lane as you take a nostalgic look back at the past. This isn’t just going back, it’s a way of better seeing your way forward; and someone is finally coming to help you on the journey. Friendships have always coloured your life and brought you happiness and the joy of being a real friend when and if you were needed. You won’t ask for help right now, even if you need it, but you do need to share those happy sentiments with someone you love. Mars resides, and challenges as you are currently in sextile with Saturn. This is a great opportunity to complete a project and action is focused on the domestic front, where it will help you achieve a good result. Creative projects begin when you sweep away the unwanted clutter of your life and allow your naturally instinctive power to shine. Work alone because the sense of knowing what you yourself can do will make all the hard work involved seem so very worthwhile. Mercury, your busy planetary leader, helps you pass on a message this week. It may not be what someone else wants to hear but telling the truth clears away your negativity and puts the ball into play, and not in your court. As Mercury squares on Pluto this weekend, take some necessary rest and relaxation, inspiring you to plan a way forward that takes you and your hopes, wishes, and desires into consideration; and this time around with no hint of a compromise. With Saturn now at your side and Mars in sextile, expect an eventful week. Prepare to step into someone else’s shoes at short notice and see just what you are capable of when you try. People need to see you in a different light, and there is a distinct possibility that they do not know your boundless enthusiasm, and ability to work well under pressure. Above all, maintain your balance at all costs and take control. You are on the threshold of a new start as opportunity beckons. Body energies are in need of a tune this week. Take time for yourself and treat yourself to some healthy detox. Maybe a massage or a facial or an holistic therapy can help you to connect with your inner self and help to restore your energies? Meditation will help put you back on track better than anything else could, and will recharge your batteries restoring your vitality. Taking good care of yourself will bring you results and clear a way forward. Take control of your finances by balancing your expenditure and making economies. Currently Libran energies inspire you to get things right, whilst Plutonian power sees you looking right where you should at the cause of the problems that have arisen. Somebody doesn’t pay their way, and at a time when the coffers need replenishing there is no place for sentiment. If ever there was a time for cards on the table it is now, and it will clear the air too! Pluto resides, and Mercury squares, and anything is possible this week. A message gets misconstrued whilst you start to see the deeper meaning in something, and why somebody had to act the way that they did. As the week develops you begin to find the flaws that hold you back from making the right moves and gain the inspiration to dare to make a difference. You are in the right place right now, and a boost to your confidence wouldn’t go amiss. Accept right now that you may never know the truth behind the actions this week that have caused such an eruption. Your involvement in all this is a way of helping to establish peace, but it would be good to know what really brought all this on in the first place, because then you would know just how to go about resolve. Taking control means that you are able to read between the lines, but here your loyalties are divided and you are advised to exercise caution above all. Continuing to accept the challenge that is brought to your door you are about to take a significant step along the pathway. You do not always get the love and the support you need, but you are the first to help others anyway that you can. Your beliefs surpass any challenge and your motivation is empowering and refreshing. Now is a time to take a stand and to make a bid for freedom because with this pressure removed, your happiness is certain.

If it’s your birthday this week... Time is right to make plans and to take positive action, especially with regard to moving on to the right place. Look at this as consolidating all that you hold dear and making the progress that you know you have to!

8-14 19-25 JANUARY MARCH2010 2010

Nordic walking My Costa Adventures by

Anna Ratcliffe

Adventure days & experiences

MY NORDIC walking experiences with Lee Barry of Vamos Nordic Walking have been some of the most rewarding I have had for a long time. On my first session with Lee, I thought I would just walk for an hour, then be able to Nordic walk on my own. However, Lee put me through a six-session programme that resulted in raised stamina levels and the loss of several inches from my waist, stomach and hips! In the past fifty years, Nordic walking has morphed from an off season training exercise for cross country skiers in Finland into its present recreational form, with participants growing exponentially and more than ten million European participants. It’s a low impact sport, great for people like me with knee complaints and also suitable for people with neck, shoulder and back problems. A cardio-vascular activity, it is ideal for the heart and lungs. Cheap, easy, anyone can do it and the benefits are tremendous as it engages all of the muscles above the hip area. When 90% of all body muscles are engaged, more than 600 muscles are working at the same time, speeding up your metabolism and toning the body at an incredible rate. It burns up to 46% more calories than exercise walking without poles or moderate jogging and

you don’t feel you are putting in a huge amount of effort while doing it. A qualified instructor is best for Nordic walking techniques and classes, for health and safety reasons and because you would have no clue where to start, let alone be aware of any points about the necessary techniques! Outstanding conditions or ailments should be discussed with a trained and certified instructor prior to classes. The Nordic walking technique involves ten steps which work toward health, fitness and sport. The technique of walking with poles comes easy with practise. During my first three sessions, I learnt to carry, drag, plant and push the pole into the ground whilst walking. This is simple once you get to session six, but to begin with I found my coordination was sometimes hilariously misplaced. From there the techniques introduced included letting go and re-gripping the poles (they were still attached to my wrists by a Velcro strap), this then exercised further muscles in the hands, wrists and forearms. Leaning forward whilst walking would speed me up and again Lee expertly taught me how to retain the techniques and use this additional aspect to bring a different dimension to the activity. My favourite part of the technique was the torso rotation, this sculpted my waist

RTN reporter Louise and myself, all geared up for the walk

incredibly and when I focused on this aspect, I could really feel it the next day! So who is this lady who has rocked my World? Where did she come from? Lee Barry has a colourful professional background that included a global expedition. Lee has been leading Nordic walks in the UK and Spain for the last two years and built up a good geographical knowledge of the Costa Blanca. Lee works closely with Karen Ingram from British Nordic Walking, both regulated by the International Nordic Walking Association (INWA). Karen is now

the vice president of this governing body. I would suggest that anyone who wants to get out of the house, make the most of the stunning scenery, get fit and meet new people whilst doing an affordable activity contact Lee now on: 670 299 025, or check out www.vamosnordicwalking.eu For information and inspiration on further adventures across the Costa Blanca, check out www.costa-adventures.com and find a page named ‘My Costa Adventures,’ a popular resource for those planning gift experiences for loved ones. Enjoy!

For gift experiences and adventures days check out: www.costa-adventures.com. For all my published articles so far, go to the page ‘My Costa Adventures’.

International Animal Rescue cancellation INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL Rescue were scheduled to visit Orihuela Costa on 20th March 2010 for a period of one week to trap and sterilise feral cats, regretably they are unable

to be there on that date due to logistical problems, being unable to ship their drugs and other equipment required for the visit. They hope to re-schedule the visit for the end of

April and when more is known Association Street Cats will publish the details. To all those who have phoned in, your details are already recorded and will stand for the future visit.

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tv Friday

19-25 March 2010

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Missing Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 To Buy or Not to Buy 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:00 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Missing 16:00 BBC News 16:05 3rd and Bird 16:15 dirtgirlworld 16:25 Dennis & Gnasher 16:40 Shaun the Sheep 16:50 Muddle Earth 17:05 Sport Relief Does We Are the Champions 17:35 Gastronuts 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 Regional News 20:00 Sport Relief 2010 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Sport Relief 2010

08:00 - 11.00 Childrens TV 11:00 Tinga Tinga Tales 11:10 Waybuloo 11:30 In the Night Garden 12:00 Primary Class Clips 12:15 Emotional Literacy 12:25 Primary Class Clips 12:40 Look and Read 13:00 The Daily Politics 13:30 Working Lunch 14:00 Open Gardens 14:30 Castle in the Country 15:00 Animal Park 16:00 Diagnosis Murder 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Escape to the Country 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Antiques Road Trip 20:00 Coast 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Gardeners’ World 22:00 Mastercrafts 23:00 Sport Relief 2010 23:35 Newsnight 24:05 The Review Show 24:45 National Lottery EuroMillions Draw 24:55 Heroes

07:00 GMTV 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 12:25 ITV News 12:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 15:00 House Guest in the Sun 16:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 17:00 Rosemary and Thyme 18:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Dancing on Ice Friday 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Michael Winner’s Dining Stars 23:00 ITV News at Ten & Weather 23:35 Parting Shots

08:00 - 09:25 Childrens TV The Morning Line 10:20 Will and Grace 10:50 Deal or No Deal 11:35 Coach Trip 12:05 Wife Swap USA 13:00 Channel 4 13:05 Dolce Vito: Dream Restaurant 13:30 Cheltenham Festival 17:15 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Coach Trip 18:30 The Simpsons 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:25 Cheltenham Festival Highlights: Gold Cup Re-Run 20:30 Dom Joly and the Black Island 21:00 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 22:00 Embarrassing Bodies 23:00 Chris Moyles’ Quiz Night 23:50 Without a Paddle

07:30 - 9.25 Childrens TV 09:25 Thomas & Friends 09:40 Igam Ogam 09:50 Castle Farm 09:55 The WotWots 10:05 Mio Mao 10:15 The Wright Stuff 11:45 Trisha Goddard 12:45 House Doctor 13:15 House Doctor 13:40 Five News 13:45 Axe Men 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:50 I Own Britain’s Best Home: Flying Visit 16:05 A Time to Remember 18:00 Five News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 Live From Studio Five 20:30 Building the Ultimate 21:00 Highland Emergency 22:00 The Mentalist 23:00 Law & Order: Criminal Intent 24:00 NCIS

07:00 Breakfast

League Show

08:00 Dennis & Gnasher 08:15 Sportsround 08:40 What’s New Scooby-Doo? 09:00 Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab 09:30 Jump Nation 10:30 Prank Patrol 11:00 Ed and Oucho’s Excellent Inventions 11:30 Keep Your Enemies Close 12:00 Dani’s House 12:30 My Life 13:00 Greek 13:45 Single, Together, Whatever 14:15 The 5.19 Show 14:40 The Cut 15:05 Sodom and Gomorrah 17:30 Final Score 18:25 Nicholas Nickleby 20:30 The Great Offices of State 21:30 Michael Portillo: Power to the People 22:30 QI XL 23:15 Heroes 24:00 Heroes

08:00 - 10.25 Childrens TV 10:25 Horrid Henry 10:40 Emu 10:55 Tricky Quickies 11:00 The Crocodile Hunter Diaries 11:30 Lion Country 12:00 Dickinson’s Real Deal 13:00 ITV News & Weather 13:10 This Morning: Saturday 14:10 Midsomer Murders 16:15 Granada News and Weather 16:30 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone 19:15 ITV News & Weather 19:30 New You’ve Been Framed! 20:00 Harry Hill’s TV Burp 20:30 Ant & Dec’s Push the Button 21:30 Piers Morgan’s Life Stories 22:30 Casino Royale 24:20 ITV News & Weather 24:35 Casino Royale

08:00 World Sport 08:30 Road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup 09:00 The Morning Line 09:55 Friends 10:25 Glee 11:20 4Music Favourites 11:50 Chipmunk: Video Exclusive 11:55 Pixie Lott’s Sexy Pop Top 10 12:55 Ultimate Traveller 14:00 Smallville: Superman the Early Years 14:55 Channel 4 Racing 16:55 Three Hungry Boys 17:25 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 17:55 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 18:25 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 18:55 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Titanic 23:35 The Departed

08:00 - 9.30 Childrens TV 09:30 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:50 Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs 10:00 Olivia 10:15 The Mr. Men Show 10:30 Gerald McBoing Boing 11:00 Europa League Football 12:05 The Gadget Show 13:05 Star Wars in Concert: The Making Of 13:30 FlashForward: What Did You See? 14:30 Chinese Food in Minutes 15:00 They Were Expendable 17:30 The Sea Chase 19:50 Five News 19:55 NCIS 20:40 NCIS 21:35 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 22:30 CSI: NY 23:30 Law & Order 24:30 Crime Scene Academy

07:00 Breakfast 08:35 Match of the Day 10:00 The Andrew Marr Show 11:00 The Big Questions 12:00 Country Tracks 13:00 The Politics Show 14:00 Sport Relief: Helen’s Amazon Adventure 14:45 Match of the Day Live 17:05 The Sport Relief Mile Show 18:35 BBC News 18:50 Regional News 19:00 Countryfile 20:00 Antiques Roadshow 21:00 Lark Rise to Candleford 22:00 Seven Ages of Britain 23:00 BBC News 23:15 Regional News and Weather 23:25 Eddie Izzard: Marathon Man 24:25 High Heels and Low Lifes

08:00 Arthur 08:15 Dennis & Gnasher 08:25 Dennis & Gnasher 08:40 The Basil Brush Show 09:05 Jinx 09:25 Leon 09:30 The Legend of Dick and Dom 10:00 Tracy Beaker Returns 10:30 Spirit Warriors 11:00 Something for the Weekend 12:30 On Thin Ice 13:20 Monk 14:00 EastEnders 15:25 Disney’s The Kid 17:00 Escape to the Country 17:30 Songs of Praise 18:05 Richard Hammond’s Engineering Connections 18:55 Sport Relief Does Dragons’ Den 20:00 Top Gear 21:00 Tropic of Cancer 22:00 Wonders of the Solar System 23:00 Match of the Day 2 24:00 The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada

08:00 My Friends Tigger & Pooh 08:25 Tom and Jerry Tales 08:35 Dork Hunters from Outer Space 09:00 The Replacements 09:25 Batman: The Brave and the Bold 10:00 Power Rangers: RPM 10:25 Coronation Street Omnibus 12:45 ITV News & Weather 13:00 This Morning: Sunday 14:00 Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star 16:05 Agatha Christie’s Poirot 17:10 Foyle’s War 19:15 Granada News 19:30 ITV News & Weather 19:50 Harry Hill’s TV Burp 20:20 Dancing on Ice 21:30 Boyzone: A Tribute to Stephen Gately 22:30 Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off 23:00 ITV News & Weather 23:15 Mary Nightingale Interviews Nick Clegg 24:15 Piers Morgan on Sandbanks

06:10 Scrapheap Challenge 07:05 The Hoobs 07:30 The Hoobs 07:55 Yo Gabba Gabba 08:20 The British Gas Great Swim Series 09:10 Mobil 1 The Grid 09:40 Freesports on 4 10:10 The Hills 10:40 Friends 11:10 Hollyoaks Omnibus 13:40 Ultimate Traveller 14:45 Friends 15:15 Friends 15:45 90210 16:40 The Simpsons 17:10 The Simpsons 17:40 Deal or No Deal 18:30 Glee 19:30 Channel 4 News 20:00 Embarrassing Bodies 21:00 Come Dine with Me 22:00 The Restoration Man 23:05 Road to Perdition

08:00 - 9.05 Childrens TV 09:05 Hana’s Helpline 09:15 Mist: Sheepdog Tales 09:30 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:45 Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs 10:00 Olivia 10:15 The Mr. Men Show 10:30 Gerald McBoing Boing 11:00 Hannah Montana 11:35 Wizards of Waverly Place 12:10 Zoo Days 12:20 FlashForward: What Did You See? 13:20 Ice Road Truckers 14:20 Brits Who Made the Modern World 14:50 Sugarfoot 16:25 Krull 18:45 Five News 18:55 Zathura: a Space Adventure 21:00 Into the Blue 23:00 Snatch

tv Saturday

11:00 Saturday Kitchen Live 12:35 Rachel Allen: Home Cooking 13:00 BBC News 13:10 Regional News and Weather 13:15 Football Focus 14:00 The Best Bits of Sport Relief 2010 15:00 Six Nations Rugby 17:30 Six Nations Rugby 20:00 BBC News 20:10 Regional News and Weather 20:15 Six Nations Rugby 23:00 The National Lottery Draws 23:10 BBC News 23:30 Match of the Day 24:50 The Football

tv Sunday

08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 The Simpsons 09:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 10:00 Lie to Me 11:00 Customs UK 12:00 The Lion Man 12:30 Airline 13:00 The Biggest Loser: Australia 14:00 Lie to Me 15:00 Angela and Friends 16:30 Project Runway 17:30 The Lion Man 18:00 WWE: Superstars 19:00 Oops TV 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Best of Oops TV 22:00 Lost 23:00 A League of Their Own 23:30 Glenn Martin, DDS 24:00 Pineapple Dance Studios

08:30 Abu Dhabi Challenge 09:00 Ski Jumping 10:00 Biathlon 11:00 Biathlon 12:00 Live UEFA Champions League Draw 12:30 Live UEFA Champions League Draw 13:00 Live UEFA Europa League Draw 13:30 Live Cross-Country Skiing 14:15 Cross-Country Skiing 15:00 Live Ski Jumping 17:00 Cross-Country Skiing 17:30 Live Speed Skating 18:50 Eurogoals Flash 19:00 Live Speed Skating 19:30 WTA Tennis 20:00 Live WTA Tennis 21:45 Live Winter Paralympics 23:00 Strongest Man

08:00 The Jerry Springer Show 08:30 The Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:55 Celebs 24/7 10:00 Passport Patrol 10:30 Passport Patrol 11:00 America’s Next Top Model 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 60 Minute Makeover 14:00 Canada’s Next Top Model 15:00 Four Weddings 16:00 Ghost Whisperer 17:00 Charmed 18:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Medium 22:00 Criminal Minds 23:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 24:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

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08:00 Malcolm in the Middle 08:30 Malcolm in the Middle 09:00 Oops TV 10:00 Soccer AM 13:00 The Simpsons 13:30 The Simpsons 14:00 Futurama 14:30 Futurama 15:00 The Real A & E 16:00 Fat Families 17:00 The World Wild Vet 18:00 Pineapple Dance Studios 19:00 Futurama 19:30 Noel’s Are You Smarter Than Your TenYear-Old? 20:30 Glenn Martin, DDS 21:00 Best of Oops TV 22:00 What Lies Beneath 24:30 Fringe

08:30 Cross-Country Skiing 09:00 Live Ski Jumping 10:00 Live Ski Jumping 12:00 Cross-Country Skiing 12:30 Cross-Country Skiing 13:15 Live Cross-Country Skiing 13:45 Ski Jumping 14:15 Live Biathlon 15:00 Live Cross-Country Skiing 16:00 Live Pro-Tour Cycling 17:15 Biathlon 18:00 Live Winter Paralympics 18:30 Biathlon 19:00 Ski Jumping 20:00 Live Winter Paralympics 21:00 Live Winter Paralympics 22:10 Planet Armstrong 22:15 Live Curling World Championship 24:00 Intercontinental Rally Challenge

08:00 I Dream of Jeannie 09:00 Bewitched 10:00 My Wife and Kids 11:00 The Fresh Prince of Bel Air 12:00 Will and Grace 13:00 Four Weddings 13:30 Four Weddings 14:00 Four Weddings 14:30 Four Weddings 15:00 Four Weddings 16:00 Changing Faces 17:00 The Next Karate Kid 19:10 Celebs 24/7 19:30 Nothing to Declare 20:00 Nothing to Declare 20:30 Nothing to Declare 21:00 Nothing to Declare 21:30 Nothing to Declare 22:00 Criminal Minds 24:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Casino Royale ITV 1, 22.30

08:00 Malcolm in the Middle 08:30 Malcolm in the Middle 09:00 Pineapple Dance Studios 10:00 Futurama 10:30 Futurama 11:00 WWE: Superstars 12:00 WWE: Experience 13:00 The Simpsons 13:30 The Simpsons 14:00 Glenn Martin, DDS 14:30 Futurama 15:00 Futurama 15:30 Futurama 16:00 Cold Case 17:00 UK Border Force 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 The Simpsons 19:00 Pineapple Dance Studios 20:00 The World Wild Vet 21:00 The Simpsons 21:30 The Simpsons 22:00 24 23:00 House 24:00 Bones

08:30 Eurosport for the Planet 09:00 Live Ski Jumping 10:00 Live Ski Jumping 12:00 Speed Skating 13:15 Live Cross-Country Skiing 14:00 Live Biathlon 15:00 Live Cross-Country Skiing 16:00 Live Biathlon 16:40 Wintersports Weekend 16:45 Live Curling World Championship 18:30 Speed Skating 19:30 Live WTA Tennis 22:00 Winter Paralympics 23:00 Biathlon 23:30 Biathlon 24:00 Intercontinental Rally Challenge 24:30 Ski Jumping SlumdogIzzard: Eddie Millionaire Channel 4, Man Marathon 10.00pm

BBC 1, 23.25

08:00 I Dream of Jeannie 09:00 Bewitched 10:00 My Wife and Kids 11:00 The Fresh Prince of Bel Air 12:00 Will and Grace 13:00 New America’s Next Top Model 14:00 So You Think You Can Dance 15:00 So You Think You Can Dance 16:00 The Next Karate Kid 18:10 Celebs 24/7 18:30 Nothing to Declare 19:00 Changing Faces 20:00 Super Secret Celebrity Weddings 21:00 Grey’s Anatomy 22:00 Jade: A Year Without Her 23:30 Criminal Minds

tv Monday

Feb 19-25 26 - March March4 2010 2010

08:00 The Simpsons 09:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 10:00 Lie to Me 11:00 The Real A & E 12:00 The Lion Man 12:30 Airline 13:00 The Biggest Loser: Australia 13:30 The Biggest Loser: Australia 14:00 Lie to Me 15:00 Angela and Friends 16:30 UK Border Force 17:30 The Lion Man 18:00 Malcolm in the Middle 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Body Language Secrets 22:00 House 23:00 NCIS: LA 24:00 Road Wars

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Missing Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 To Buy or Not 12:45 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:45 Doctors 15:20 Missing 16:05 3rd and Bird 16:15 dirtgirlworld 16:25 Dennis & Gnasher 16:45 Shaun the Sheep 16:50 Muddle Earth 17:05 Sorry, I’ve Got No Head 17:35 M.I. High 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Bang Goes the Theory 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 MasterChef 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:25 Regional News 23:35 The World’s Strictest Parents 24:35 Late Kick Off

08:00 - 10.30 Childrens TV 10:45 Guess with Jess 10:55 Big and Small Songs 11:00 Tinga Tinga Tales 11:10 Waybuloo 11:30 In the Night Garden 12:00 Science Clips Investigates 12:10 Science Clips Investigates 12:20 The Maths Channel 12:30 L8R Youngers 13:00 The Daily Politics 13:30 Working Lunch 14:00 Winter Paralympics Highlights 15:00 Animal Park: Wild on the West Coast 16:00 Diagnosis Murder 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Escape to the Country 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Antiques Road Trip 20:00 Trust in Politics 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 22:00 A Band for Britain 23:00 Grumpy Old Women 23:30 Newsnight

07:00 GMTV 09:35 GMTV with Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 12:25 ITV News 12:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News & Weather 15:00 60 Minute Makeover 16:00 Auction Party 17:00 Rosemary and Thyme 18:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News & Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 The Lakes 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Married Single Other 23:00 ITV News at Ten & Weather 23:35 The Witches of Eastwick

08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:20 Frasier 09:50 Frasier 10:20 Will and Grace 10:45 Deal or No Deal 11:30 Coach Trip 12:05 Wife Swap USA 13:00 Channel 4 13:05 Dolce Vito: Dream Restaurant 13:35 Kitchen Pharmacy 13:45 Helen of Troy 15:55 The TV Book Club 16:25 Countdown 17:10 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Coach Trip 18:30 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Dispatches 22:00 The Secret Millionaire 23:00 The Good Wife 24:00 Alfie

08:00 - 9.12 Childrens TV 09:12 The Milky and Shake Show 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:20 Peppa Pig 09:25 Thomas & Friends 09:40 Igam Ogam 09:50 Castle Farm 09:55 The WotWots 10:05 Mio Mao 10:15 The Wright Stuff 11:45 Trisha Goddard 12:45 CSI: NY 13:40 Five News 13:50 Axe Men 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:50 I Own Britain’s Best Home: Flying Visit 16:05 Nowhere to Land 18:00 Five News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 Live From Studio Five 20:30 How Do They Do It? 21:00 The Gadget Show 22:00 FlashForward 23:00 FlashForward 24:00 Hostel: Part II

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Missing Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 To Buy or Not to Buy 12:45 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Decade of Doctors 15:20 Missing 16:05 3rd and Bird 16:15 dirtgirlworld 16:25 Dennis & Gnasher 16:45 Shaun the Sheep 16:50 Muddle Earth 17:05 Deadly 60 17:35 Blue Peter 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:25 Regional News 23:35 The Man Who Cycled the Americas 24:25 The Ladykillers

08:00 - 10.45 Childrens TV 10:45 Guess with Jess 10:55 Big and Small Songs 11:00 Tinga Tinga Tales 11:10 Waybuloo 11:30 In the Night Garden 12:00 Primary Geography 12:20 Science Clips 12:30 Primary i-D&T 13:00 The Daily Politics 13:30 Working Lunch 14:00 Open Gardens 14:30 Car Booty 15:15 Animal 24:7 16:00 Diagnosis Murder 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Escape to the Country 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Antiques Road Trip 20:00 Wonders of the Solar System 21:00 Grow Your Own Drugs 21:30 The Delicious Miss Dahl 22:00 Edward VII: Prince of Pleasure 23:00 QI 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Mad Men

07:00 GMTV 09:35 GMTV with Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 12:25 ITV News 12:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News & Weather 15:00 60 Minute Makeover 16:00 Auction Party 17:00 Rosemary and Thyme 18:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News & Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Children’s Hospital 21:00 Cops with Cameras 22:00 Law & Order: UK 23:00 ITV News at Ten & Weather 23:35 Martina Cole’s Lady Killers 24:35 River Monsters

08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:20 Frasier 10:20 Will and Grace 10:50 Deal or No Deal 11:35 Coach Trip 12:05 Wife Swap USA 13:00 Channel 4 13:05 It’s Me or the Dog 13:35 Location, Location, Location 14:35 Dark Command 16:25 Countdown 17:10 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Coach Trip 18:30 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Supersize vs Superskinny 22:00 One Born Every Minute 23:00 Shameless 24:05 8 Out of 10 Cats 24:40 Comedy Showcase

08:20 - 9.55 Childrens TV 09:55 The WotWots 10:05 Mio Mao 10:15 The Wright Stuff 11:45 Trisha Goddard 12:45 CSI: NY 13:40 Five News 13:50 Axe Men 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:50 The Family Recipe 15:55 I Own Britain’s Best Home: Flying Visit 16:10 Love Is a Four Letter Word 18:00 Five News with Natasha Kaplinsky 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 Live From Studio Five 20:30 Chinese Food in Minutes 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 23:00 CSI: Miami 24:00 CSI: NY

08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 The Simpsons 09:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 10:00 Lie to Me 11:00 The Real A & E 12:00 The Lion Man 12:30 Airline 13:00 The Biggest Loser: Australia 13:30 The Biggest Loser: Australia 14:00 Lie to Me 15:00 Angela and Friends 16:30 UK Border Force 17:30 The Lion Man 18:00 Malcolm in the Middle 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Stargate Universe 22:00 Caprica 23:00 Fringe 24:00 Lost

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Missing Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 To Buy or Not 12:45 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Decade of Doctors 15:20 Missing 16:05 3rd and Bird 16:15 dirtgirlworld 16:25 Dennis & Gnasher 16:45 Shaun the Sheep 16:50 Muddle Earth 17:05 SMart 17:35 Blue Peter 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Life of Riley 21:00 MasterChef 22:00 Chocolate: The Bitter Truth 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Budget Statement by the Chancellor 23:40 The National Lottery 23:50 Damages 24:30 The Ghost and the Darkness

08:00 - 10.15 Childrens TV 10:15 Clifford’s Puppy Days 10:30 I Can Cook 10:45 Guess with Jess 10:55 Big and Small Songs 11:00 Tinga Tinga Tales 11:10 Waybuloo 11:30 In the Night Garden 12:00 See Hear 12:30 Budget 2010 16:00 Diagnosis Murder 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Escape to the Country 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Antiques Road Trip 20:00 Cycling 22:00 Inside John Lewis 23:00 Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Budget Statement by the Chancellor 24:25 The Bubble 24:55 A Band for Britain

07:00 GMTV 09:35 GMTV with Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 12:25 ITV News 12:30 This Morning 13:15 The Chancellor’s Budget: An ITV News Special 14:30 ITV News & Weather 15:00 60 Minute Makeover 16:00 Auction Party 17:00 Rosemary and Thyme 18:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News & Weather 19:55 Budget Broadcast by the Chancellor of the Exchequer 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 FA Cup Replay 23:00 ITV News at Ten & Weather 23:35 The Specialist

08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:50 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:20 Frasier 09:50 Frasier 10:20 Will and Grace 10:50 Deal or No Deal 11:35 Coach Trip 12:05 Wife Swap USA 13:00 Channel 4 13:05 It’s Me or the Dog 13:35 Battle Cry 16:25 Countdown 17:10 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Coach Trip 18:30 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Relocation, Relocation 22:00 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA 23:00 Desperate Housewives 24:00 Shameless

08:20 - 9.55 Childrens TV 09:55 The WotWots 10:05 Mio Mao 10:15 The Wright Stuff 11:45 Trisha Goddard 12:45 CSI: NY 13:40 Five News 13:50 Axe Men 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:50 Zoo Days 15:55 I Own Britain’s Best Home: Flying Visit 16:10 Mystery Woman 18:00 Five News with Natasha Kaplinsky 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 Live From Studio Five 20:30 Highland Emergency 21:00 The Business Inspector 22:00 NCIS 23:00 Law & Order: Criminal Intent 24:00 Numb3rs 24:55 PartyPoker: The Classics

08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 The Simpsons 09:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 10:00 Lie to Me 11:00 The Real A & E 12:00 The Lion Man 12:30 Airline 13:00 The Biggest Loser: Australia 14:00 Lie to Me 15:00 Angela and Friends 16:30 UK Border Force 17:30 The Lion Man 18:00 Malcolm in the Middle 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 The World Wild Vet 22:00 The Real A & E 23:00 A League of Their Own 23:30 What Lies Beneath

tv Tuesday

tv Wednesday

09:00 Ski Jumping 10:00 Seoul Marathon 11:00 Curling World Championship 13:00 Short Track Speed Skating 14:00 Cross-Country Skiing 14:45 Ski Jumping 15:30 Biathlon 16:00 Biathlon 16:30 Ski Jumping 18:00 Eurogoals 18:45 Champions Club 19:45 Eurogoals: One to One 20:00 Football 20:30 Eurogoals: One to One 20:45 All Sports 20:50 WATTS 21:00 Pro Wrestling 22:25 All Sports 22:30 Champions Club 23:30 Biathlon 24:00 Biathlon

08:00 The Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:55 Celebs 24/7 10:00 Nothing to Declare 11:00 America’s Next Top Model 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 60 Minute Makeover 14:00 Canada’s Next Top Model 15:00 Celebrity Four Weddings 15:30 Nothing to Declare 16:00 Ghost Whisperer 17:00 Charmed 18:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Britain’s Worst Wife 22:00 New America’s Next Top Model 23:00 New America’s Next Top Model

Watch Coronation Street for Free with Europa call 902 050 999

08:30 Eurogoals 09:15 Champions Club 10:15 Biathlon 10:45 Biathlon 11:15 Ski Jumping 12:00 Live Figure Skating 15:45 Live Curling World Championship 18:30 Champions Club 19:00 Eurogoals Flash 19:10 Live Figure Skating 23:00 Freeride Spirit 23:30 Intercontinental Rally Challenge 24:00 Track Cycling

Richard Hammond’s Invisible Worlds BBC 1, 22.00

08:30 Freeride Spirit 09:00 Intercontinental Rally Challenge 09:30 Champions Club 10:00 Eurogoals 10:45 Curling World Championship 13:00 Figure Skating 14:00 Live Figure Skating 17:45 Figure Skating 19:00 Eurogoals Flash 19:10 Live Track Cycling 20:45 Live Figure Skating 22:15 Wednesday Selection 22:20 Riders Club 22:25 European Tour Golf: Hassan II Golf Trophy 22:55 Golf Club 23:00 Yacht Club 23:05 Wednesday Selection 23:10 Sport Destination 23:30 Abu Dhabi Challenge

Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience BBC 2, 23.00

08:30 The Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:55 Celebs 24/7 10:00 Nothing to Declare 10:30 Nothing to Declare 11:00 America’s Next Top Model 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 60 Minute Makeover 14:00 Canada’s Next Top Model 15:00 Celebrity Four Weddings 15:30 Nothing to Declare 16:00 Ghost Whisperer 17:00 Charmed 18:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 New America’s Next Top Model 21:00 New America’s Next Top Model 22:00 Celebrity Restaurant in Our... 23:00 Jade: A Year Without Her

08:00 The Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:55 Celebs 24/7 10:00 Nothing to Declare 11:00 America’s Next Top Model 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 60 Minute Makeover 14:00 Canada’s Next Top Model 15:00 Celebrity Four Weddings 15:30 Nothing to Declare 16:00 Ghost Whisperer 17:00 Charmed 18:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Celebrity Restaurant in Our... 22:00 Supernatural 23:00 Medium 24:00 Criminal Minds

tv Thursday

Feb 262010 - March 4 2010 19-25 March

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Missing Live 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 To Buy or Not to Buy 12:45 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at One 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Decade of Doctors 15:20 Missing 16:05 3rd and Bird 16:15 dirtgirlworld 16:25 Dennis & Gnasher 16:45 Shaun the Sheep 16:50 Muddle Earth 17:05 Horrible Histories 17:35 Relic: Guardians of the Museum 18:00 Newsround 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News at Six 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 MasterChef 22:00 Inside the Perfect Predator 23:00 BBC News at Ten 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Budget Statement by the Shadow Chancellor 23:40 Question Time 24:40 This Week

08:25 Newsround 08:30 Space Hoppers 09:00 Dead Gorgeous 09:30 Zigby 09:40 Pinky Dinky Doo 09:55 Pinky Dinky Doo 10:05 Louie 10:15 Clifford’s Puppy Days 10:30 I Can Cook 10:45 Guess with Jess 10:55 Big and Small Songs 11:00 Tinga Tinga Tales 11:10 Waybuloo 11:30 In the Night Garden 12:00 Primary History 12:20 Primary History 12:45 Primary Creative Arts Around the World 13:00 The Daily Politics 13:30 Working Lunch 14:00 Open Gardens 14:30 Car Booty 15:15 Animal 24:7 16:00 Diagnosis Murder 16:45 Flog It! 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Escape to the Country 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Cycling 21:00 Museum of Life 22:00 Total Recall: The Toyota Story 23:00 Never Mind the Buzzcocks 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Budget Statement by the Shadow Chancellor 24:25 Women

07:00 GMTV 09:35 GMTV with Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 12:25 ITV News 12:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News & Weather 15:00 60 Minute Makeover 16:00 Auction Party 17:00 Rosemary and Thyme 18:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News & Weather 19:55 Budget Response by the Shadow Chancellor 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 The Bill 23:00 ITV News at Ten & Weather 23:35 Car Crime UK 24:35 Nightwatch with Steve Scott

08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:25 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:20 Frasier 10:20 Will and Grace 10:50 Deal or No Deal 11:35 Coach Trip 12:05 Wife Swap USA 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 It’s Me or the Dog 13:35 Location, Location, Location 14:35 The Valley of Gwangi 16:25 Countdown 17:10 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Coach Trip 18:30 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Country House Rescue 22:00 The Air Hospital 23:00 Alan Carr: Chatty Man 23:50 Hung

CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS 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.

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07:00 Good Morning Sports Fans 08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 The Simpsons 09:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 10:00 Lie to Me 11:00 The Real A & E 12:00 The Lion Man 12:30 Airline 13:00 The Biggest Loser: Australia 14:00 Lie to Me 15:00 Angela and Friends 16:30 UK Border Force 17:30 The Lion Man 18:00 Malcolm in the Middle 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Pineapple Dance Studios 22:00 A League of Their Own 22:30 Glenn Martin, DDS 23:00 Bones 24:00 NCIS: LA

Crossword Answers 543

UK Television...

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07:55 - 9.00 Childrens TV 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Thomas & Friends 09:40 Igam Ogam 09:50 Castle Farm 09:55 The WotWots 10:05 Mio Mao 10:15 The Wright Stuff 11:45 Trisha Goddard 12:45 CSI: NY 13:40 Five News 13:50 Axe Men 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 Home and Away 15:50 Zoo Days 15:55 I Own Britain’s Best Home: Flying Visit 16:10 Murder 101: If Wishes Were Horses 18:00 Five News 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 Live From Studio Five 20:30 Zoo Days 21:00 Build a New Life in the Country 22:00 Felon 24:05 FlashForward

® www.europa-network.com info@europa-network.com

08:30 Abu Dhabi Challenge 09:00 Figure Skating World Champs 10:00 Figure Skating 11:00 Curling World Championship 12:45 Live Figure Skating 14:15 Live Biathlon 15:45 Live Figure Skating 17:00 Live Curling World Championship 18:30 Live Track Cycling 19:00 Eurogoals Flash 19:10 Live Track Cycling 21:00 Live Figure Skating 23:00 Dancing 24:30 Biathlon

08:00 The Jerry Springer Show 08:30 The Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 09:55 Celebs 24/7 10:00 Nothing to Declare 11:00 America’s Next Top Model 12:00 Maury 12:55 Celebs 24/7 13:00 60 Minute Makeover 14:00 Canada’s Next Top Model 15:00 Celebrity Four Weddings 15:30 Nothing to Declare 16:00 Ghost Whisperer 17:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Most Haunted Live

Suduko Answer

Feb 26 19-25 - March March 4 2010 2010

Kiss Of Evil DESPITE THE title, this book has nothing to do with seeing the mother-in-law off at the airport – my mother-in-law flies but I suspect she doesn’t use airplanes – but rather it is a journey into the mind of top selling US author Richard Montanari, where dwell serial Book killers and cult murderers to Review by keep the reader awake and Mr Montanari very wealthy. I suppose that’s life, but Kiss of copy@dannyjpcollins.com Evil speaks very forcibly of death in its most bizarre forms. A man is castrated, a woman’s brain is removed – no jokes there about what the opposite sexes think with, thank you – and it’s a chilling case for Detective Jack Paris of Cleveland Homicide, especially when it seems the killer is seeking him. Throw in a little voodoo in the form of Santeria and a lot of sex and your set for a nail-biting read into the wee hours. The plot deals with a startlingly beautiful brother and sister who set out to revenge the death of

Danny Collins

Author: Richard Montanari Publisher: Arrow Books (paperback) Price: €9.10 ISBN: 978 0 0995 2484 7

their mother, beaten into insanity by a drunken and drugged up husband, and they tend to take out everyone else along the way. Montanari is very good at the complicated plot, although I suspect he’s a bit weird in the flesh and he certainly knows how to grip the reader. So much so that Arrow has reprinted this book that first hit the stands in 2001. With Montanari that

doesn’t make it old and this topped the New York bestseller list in the day. You’ll want company when you read this although I wouldn’t recommend my mother-in-law, whom I’ve always suspected of being one of those little voodoo dolls herself…what’s happened? I wasn’t a frog when I started writing this… copy@dannyjpcollins.com

All the featured books are available off the shelf or by mail order from Librería Europa, Calle Oscar Esplá 2, 03710 Calpe. Tel: 96 583 58 24; e-mail: libreria.europa.calpe@gmail.com Take along or send this review for a discount of 5% on your purchases.

Mabs Cancer Support - Murcia/Mar Menor Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4 April – Craft Fayre - Las Claras, Los Alcázares. Doors open 12 until 4pm. 1 Euro entry. If you paint or make anything

and would be interested in taking part contact Tracey on 671 138 963 for more details and to book a pitch Wednesday 7 April – 11:00 –

Volunteer Meeting. Centro Las Claras, Los Narejos, Los Alcázares. For more info call 693 824 511, Email: info@mabsmurcia.com or visit www.mabsmurcia.com

50 44

FEB 26MARCH 19-25 - MARCH 2010 4 2010

Computing Recording music from cassettes to computers with aunty virus

Ian from Villa Martin asks: Dear Aunty, you recently gave advice to a reader who wanted to record cassette tapes onto PC using Windows Sound Recorder, and the blue input on the PC. I have a laptop and have tried this using the microphone input on the computer (I have no blue input socket) and am receiving error messages ‘an audio recording device cannot be found’ followed by ‘No audio devices are installed.’ The program does not appear to offer the option of selecting an input source. Do you have any suggestions?

Aunty says: Hello Ian. It sounds like either you sound card’s software drivers are missing or the device is disabled or faulty. Right click on ‘My Computer’ (or Computer in Vista and 7), choose ‘properties’

Conflicting programs

and go to ‘Hardware’ ‘Device Manager.’ If you see your sound device with a yellow exclamation mark you can right click and choose ‘update driver.’ If your sound device is not listed you may have a more serious problem. Keep me posted. Gwyn from Calpe asks: Hi Aunty. I recently bought a new laptop from England and the salesman was persistent that I should buy the Norton 360 version 3.0 all in one, security compatible with Windows 7. When I try to install it I am told that there is a trial version of McAfee pre installed which Norton will automatically uninstall. Everything goes well up to here with Norton installed and everything working, keeping my computer protected. The problem is once I have switched the laptop off and switch it back on again, a blue screen appears. It tells me that a new programme that has been installed isn’t working. I then have to start it in safe mode then roll back to a previous date when it

was working properly. Is this a cookie that has been embedded by McAfee that is stopping me loading Norton? Aunty says: It’s not a cookie as such, Gwyn, but two similar programs conflicting with Windows and causing serious problems. This is a really bad problem with new laptops these days as most of them come bundled with so much junk they can quite easily become unusable in a very short space of time. What I would do is go through ‘Control Panel,’ ‘Programs and Features’ and uninstall everything McAfee and Norton/Symantec related. Then get yourself AVG9 free, Malwarebytes (free) and Superantispyware (free) from download.com and you should be fine.

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

FEB 26 19-25 - MARCH MARCH 4 2010 2010

51 45

Beat the cold with Neater Heaters SIX MONTHS ago, two British expats, Tony Sim and the aptly named Richard Winter set up Neater Heater, to import and sell Norwegian BEHA electric panel heaters. These heaters were unavailable to buy in Spain and are amazingly simple. They are smart, economic, extremely efficient, and a fraction of the cost of any serious competition. Richard and Tony felt that it would be a crime not to make them available to everyone shivering away in their uninsulated Spanish homes. Within days of starting to import the heaters Richard and Tony had no stocks left. More heaters were quickly ordered, but then disaster struck: the heaters previously ordered in anticipation of high demand were snow-trapped in a transport depot over Christmas and the New Year. “Fortunately people recognized how good BEHA heaters are and most were prepared to wait for the thaw. Many of them had been referred to us by some of our previous

customers, so they knew it was worth the wait,” says Tony. “Eventually new stocks arrived, but alarmingly not all of them. The severe winter that hit Northern Europe caused the BEHA factory and supply chain to be totally stripped of stock, meaning that Neater Heater could not meet local demand: “We had orders building up but were unable to supply everyone.” The good news is that the wait is now over and new supplies are coming in thick and fast. “You really can’t begin to understand the frustration of having a product that everyone needs, everyone wants, and you just cannot get enough of to satisfy demand,” says Richard, adding that, “We are lucky to have sourced such a reliable product that people were prepared to wait for, refusing to settle for second best.” Having proved so popular in their first season, the question is what is next for

Tony Sim and aptly named Richard Winter (seated)

Neater Heater? “We are definitely here to stay, but we urge people not to wait until they are shivering next year before thinking of staying warm. There’s still a bit of this winter left and now would be a good time to prepare for the next big chill, before the summer makes you forget just how cold it can be here!”

DVD driver jammed

Janet via email asks: Hello Aunty, I read your article in the paper every week. I quite often get a DVD stuck in my CD drive and sometimes even if I restart windows I cannot get it out. It’s not always the same disc and the little light flashes when I press the eject button.

SuperFast Internet!

Aunty Virus says: Hello Janet. You can try and eject a stuck CD or DVD by either right clicking on the CD drive icon in ‘my computer’ and selecting ‘eject’ or you will find a very small hole on the front panel of the drive and by firmly pushing in a straightened out paper clip you can manually force open the door.

To contact Neater Heater you can email info@neaterheater.eu or telephone phone 634 312 171. And more information can be found at their website: www.neaterheater.eu Also, a selection of BEHA heaters can be viewed at BUSTERS BAR in Playa Flamenca; THE TOOL BAR in Moraira and SUZY SCREWZ in Gran Alacant and Algorfa.

In a jumble Margery via email asks: I do hope you can help. For some time now when I type anything on my laptop, which is here in Spain with me, everything I type becomes a jumble of words which I have to sort out as I go along. It is so frustrating and I don’t know what to do as I use it every day.

Aunty says: It sounds like you may have a faulty keyboard Margery. Is there any pattern to the jumbled words and how they appear? Just one sticky key can cause all sorts of strange problems. Open a Word document and type each key and make a note of which ones work and don’t work and let me know.

motoring

19-25 MARCH 2010

Registering UK vehicles in Spain by

Brian Deller

Author of Motoring in Spain

From Dugel: A recent article in a local English language paper suggested that tourists with a UK plate, as set out on page 192 of the second edition of your book, could find themselves vulnerable to fines if the car had been in Spain for over two months. We will drive down in October – (car taxed and insured in UK with no MOT as it is a new-ish car) and probably leave the car here, fly home at Xmas then return to Spain in January. Finally, we’d return to the UK late March - within the 6 months. Are we at risk? Your book suggests a ‘one-off payment of 16%IVA’ - but to whom and for what? Appreciate any advice you can give. Thanks in anticipation. First of all as a genuine tourist, even if you own property here but are tax resident in another EU country, this does not mean that you have to

change the vehicle’s registration here to Spanish, but beware that your insurance covers you for any extended periods travelling outside of the country of insurance. Usually three months is allowed as standard but read the policy to allow for ‘Continental holidays.’ But if you are moving here or using Spain as your principle country of residence, you will need to re-register your vehicles onto Spanish plates. You can leave your UK vehicle here as long as it is insured properly and such needs as the broad tax fund is paid in e.g. the UK and where applicable the MOT is correctly carried out and the certificate carried. If you have an accident with no legal MOT certificate, the insurer will not usually refuse cover for that reason as they inspect the vehicle to see if it is mechanically safe (and this applies to ALL vehicles after an accident involving injury or a big repair cost). However, do not think that by having

A UK trailer or caravan needs to have an EU certificate

an ITV done that this will satisfy the authorities, as many presume. The ITV station will take your money and do the test but the details will be forwarded with all the other vehicles to Trafico, who manage the ITV stations. Eventually, when enough foreign registrations show up where they are not in process of being transferred to local plates, a bulletin will be sent out for a blitz by the policing authorities to stop and take action. Please note: if you are bringing a UK built trailer to Spain, including a caravan, before leaving the UK check with the UK manufacturers that there is an EU homologation certificate

available as you will need to have even a 750 Kg or less trailer checked by the ITV/CEE inspecting engineers to see that it is safe. This will greatly speed your transfer time and reduce costs and it is quite feasible to do the work yourself if you have the time (retired?) as in my book. A stamped plate will be fitted to the trailer tow bar if it passes okay and if you are stopped by the police with no official plate, including a legal trailer’s manufacturer’s plate, some of which are only glued on, not riveted, you may well be in trouble with a fine. There are many other regulations to follow but no room here to write them up.

No more space: more next week. Email your questions to rtnmail@roundtownnews.com and I will do my best to sort you out. Brian Juan (John) Deller, Malaga, author, ‘Motoring in Spain’ www.spainvia.com We Buy, Sell & Part Exchange Quality British & Spanish Cars Transfer Documents Completed Competitive Insurance Quotes All cars Fully serviced and valeted

WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS

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

SPANISH REGISTERED CARS LHD €11,995

€13,995

VENUS

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

€6,995

965 368 274

www.venuscars.com €3,995

€5,995

€4,495

Cars S.L.

€10,995

UK RIGHT HAND DRIVE CARS

€8,495

SKODA OCTAVIA 2007 1.9 LTR DIESEL ONE OWNER FSH

€2,500

YAMAHA MAJESTY 2004, 250 CC

€2,500

DERBI GPR 125CC 2005

ONE OWNER

SEAT ALTEA XL,2007 1.8 LTR PETROL ,SPORT UP

€12,995

OPEL ASTRA TWIN TOP 2007 1.9 LTR DIESEL

€5,995

FSH

MG ZR 2002 1.4 LTR PETROL FSH

AUTOMATIC FORD FUSION TDCI 2004 1.4 LTR DIESEL

PEUGEOT 206 2002 1.9 LTR DIESEL

€6,995

€9,495

FORD FOCUS ZETEC 2004 1.6 LTR PETROL

€8,995

BMW 320 I SE 4 DOOR 2001

FORD FOCUS ESTATE 2003 1.6 LTR PETROL

RENAULT LAGUNA 2.0 PETROL 16V FSH 2003

€6,495

FSH

Mini One 2004 1.6 Ltr Petrol

FORD FOCUS TREND 2004 1.8 LTR DIESEL

RENAULT KANGOO 2001 1.9 LTR DIESEL

€39,995

€6,495

AUTOMATICS

ONE OWNER

PORSCHE CAYMAN S 2006 FULLY LOADED

PEUGEOT 307 CABRIOLET 2003 ONE OWNER, FULL LEATHER

€13,495

ONE OWNER

FORD FOCUS CMAX 2008 TREND PLUS 1.6 LTR DIESEL

€5,995

10,995

FORD FOCUS TREND 2002 AUTOMATIC 1.6 LTR PETROL

MERCEDES BENZ E300 CABRIOLET 1992 AUTOMATIC

See our vehicles on our website www.venuscars.com

LHD

MERCEDES 300SL 1990

€7,495

7 SEATER

RENAULT MEGANE SCENIC 2007 1.6 LTR PETROL TAXED

€1,995

LDV 400 CONVOY VAN 2000. LONG TAX & MOT

19-25 March 2010

Audi gets sporty with ABT THE R8 is no lame duck, especially when tuned by ABT Sportsline. The result is a model athlete, oozing power and without a single gram of fat. With the limited version R8 GT R (with only 25 units available), engineers and designers have gone one logical step further; experience from motorsport flowed into the design, all the components systematically trimmed to ensure a lightweight construction, and optimal weight distribution. As a result not only the bonnet, front and rear aprons and adjustable rear wing or the tailgate are made of carbon, also

the outline edge on the rear, the external mirrors and the door panel are made of the same material. The Makrolon side windows reduce weight and have impressive strength. The result: the ABT R8 GT R is a proud 100 kilos lighter than its series counterpart. How much motorsport the team brings to the road can be seen from the details: Recaro racing seats; a 4-point seat belt system; stainless steel roll-over bar with seat belt attachment; hand-held fire extinguisher; an ABT Sports steering wheel made of carbon – the people at ABT have thought of everything.

“I recommend trying the GT R on a racing track from time to time, as the car is great fun to drive there,” says the General Manager of ABT who is responsible for technology. The adjustable front panel allows sports inserts; the ABT driver overalls, helmet, racing shoes and gloves are just as much as part of the effective GT R special equipment as an on-board video system and the expandable data module. The car has enormous performance potential, providing a massive 620HP (456 kW). Top speed is 325 km/h, it does 0100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds and the GT

R reaches the 200km/h mark in a mere 9.9 seconds. To ensure optimum power performance on road and track, heightadjustable ABT Sports suspension and adjustable dampers are standard. The ceramic brake system with modified brake pads is adjusted to meet the potential of the super sports car. Ultra light ABT CR alloys round off the package, 9x19 inch on the front and on the rear axle 11x19 inch, with Michelin sports cup tyres. The ABT R8 GT R is unique, designed for driving to the limit: ABT’s love of motorsport can be seen in every detail.

19-25 March 2010

8-14 JANUARY 19-25 FEBRUARY2010 2010

MOTORING IN SPAIN

Third Edition VITAL INFORMATION FOR OWNING A CAR AND DRIVING IN SPAIN ORDER YOUR COPY ON LINE AT www.spainvia.com/motoringinspain.htm

or call 666 888 870

PRACTICAL INFORMATION ISBN No. is 978-84-611-9278-6

19-25 MARCH 2010

Classified Ads All Major Credit Cards Accepted Round Town News

Book your advert now 96 570 5204

EMAIL: classifieds@roundtownnews.com WEBSITE: www.roundtownnews.co.uk IN PERSON: Torrevieja,Comercial San Luis, Calle Aviles Nº 41,Local Nº 7. 03184, Torrevieja, Alicante OR La Nucia,Vall de Biar 14, 03530.

INDEX PROPERTIES

SOUTH-UNDER 100,000 SOUTH 100,000 - 200,000 SOUTH 200,000 - 300,000 NORTH-UNDER 100,000 NORTH 100,000 - 200,000 NORTH 200,000 - 300,000 FOR SALE OVER 300,000 FOR SALE GENERAL TO LET ESTATE AGENTS PART EXCHANGE

10 11

PRISTINE POOLS

15 17 18 19 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 20 SERVICES NURSERY HIRE 200 AIR CONDITIONING 210 BUILDERS 220 ELECTRICIANS 230

• 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

PAINTERS AND DECORATORS PLUMBING & HEATING TILERS LOCKSMITHS REMOVALS TUITION TV-SATELLITE TRANSLATIONS POOLS GARDENING DRAINS GENERAL MECHANICS PEST CONTROL KITCHENS FLOORING PHOTOGRAPHY FURNITURE SECURITY SOLAR POWER

240 250 260 270 280 290 300 310 320 330 340 350 360 370 380 390 400 410 420 430 COMPUTING - TECH COMPUTERS 500 MOTORING-TRANSPORT CARS 600 MOTORBIKES 610 CARAVANS 620 BOATS 630 CAR HIRE 640 BIKE HIRE 650 EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT 700 LEISURE LEISURE 750 PERSONAL PERSONAL 760 DANCE DANCE 770 ENTERTAINERS ENTERTAINERS 780 MUSIC 790 HEALTH HEALTH & BEAUTY 800 ANIMALS ANIMALS 850 WANTED WANTED 900 LEISURE 910 B&B 920 MISCELLANEOUS MISCELLANEOUS 930 ANTIQUES 940 JEWELLERY 950 FOR SALE ITEMS FOR SALE 960 ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS 970

Torrevieja and surrounding areas plus Costa Calida

es Pric 70 £ m fro ubic c r pe re met

• 25 Years Experience • Full or Part Loads • Friendly Personal Service • Large Secure Ware house, Fully Insured

• Storage Available 24 Hrs a day • Storage for Long & Short Term (Cars & Motorbikes etc) • FREE Quotations

Office: 966 792 751 • Mobile: 691 747 030 • banksremovals@yahoo.com

ENGLISH CARPENTER Fitted wardrobes, kitchens, storage solutions, shelving, cupboards, doors, etc... Reliable and professional Torrevieja area For your free estimate, call Dave on

693 215 192

19-25 March 2010

PINE CHALET Totana. 2 bedrooms. On quiet and secure site. Private plot at end of cul-desac. Workshop/ shed. In good order inside and out. Parking alongside. Sensible ground rent. Fully furnished. 30,000€. ONO. 685-219-155

JACARILLA 3 bed end terrace large bathroom, downstairs cloakroom, lounge, kitchen, diner, garage. 190,000€. Now 145,000€. Phone 622-380-290

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT offering a complete and competitive service for all your property rental needs including: Keyholding, Pools mainmatined, cleaning & laundry, meet and greets, airport transfers Los Alcazares. Tel: 628-772-418 email: rosaliamews@live.co.uk MOBILE/ PARK HOMES ready to move into on permanent site. Carol. 968-192-425/ 626-055-622. Web: www.mobilehomesmarmenorspain. com STRUCTURAL SURVEYS Mark Paddon BSc Hons Building Surveying. MCIOB. Free 15pg buyer’s guide via website www. surveyorspain.com Tel 962807247 / 653733066 LOOKING FOR A HOUSE INSURANCE? 100.000 building - 20.000 contents for just 185?/pa. contracts in English. Call 661-362131 for your personalized quote >>>> 250,000? <<<< 3 story semi, underbuild to be finished as you desire. 1st floor - lounge, fitted kitchen, bedroom, back and front balcony. 2nd floor - 2 beds, large and small balconies, sea and mountain views, his and hers bathroom. 200m2 house, 425m2 land with private parking. A/C, alarm, tel, cetral heating. Lots of green, fantastic views, ideal for family. Call Tony: 699-843-553.

CABO ROIG BEACHSIDE 1 minute from beach Cala Capitan. Apartments or terraced house for rent. Long term or short term. Tel: 966 773 985

RENT / SALE, 2 BED

apt. in Alicante city, easy access to auto route A-70 (Exit 69)

ONLY 375€ month 62 034 0548 Juan

ROOM TO RENT IN LOS MONTESINOS big spacious apartment to share. Reasonable rates. Suit single person. References required. Tel: 678-192-099 1 BEDROOM BUNGALOW with large garden & parking, for yearly rental on Camping pueblo, san Javier. Carol 968192-425/ 626-055-622 Email: haydn47@hotmail.com Web: www. mobilehomesmarmenorspain.com BENITACHELL (LES FONTS) PRIVATE RENT. 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, Fitted kitchen, Satellite & telephone connection, Front south facing terrace, Large Garage/ Storeroom. 85m2, community pool, Quiet location in cul-de-sac. Ideal for retired or young couple, no pets please. Telephone: 965-748-199/ 659-921-875. Price: 550? per month, plus Utility Costs. HOUSE IN QUESADA FOR RENT 2/3 bedrooms, overlooking community pool. Good views. Close to all amenities. Tel: 965702-170/ 625-830-776 ALGORFA TOWN CENTRE two bedroom ground floor flat, large terrace, swimming pool, furnished 300? per month +100? bills. Ring 966-783-555/ 00447949589539 or londonangels@hotmail.com PROPERTIES REQUIRED for holiday lets in Javea area. Free advertising & professional photography 697-432-226 www.javeapropertyservices.com

PLAYA FLAMENCA Corner house, 2 bedrooms, furnished, a/c, garden, patio, solarium, immaculate condition, community pool, ONLY 89.900 euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo.com LA FLORIDA Large one bedroom apartment, fully furnished, aircon, glazed in balcony with nice views, south-west facing, off road parking, close to all amenities. 62.700 euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo.com CABO ROIG Large corner house, 2 bedrooms, bathrooms, guest toilet, furnished, large balcony, garden, solarium, south facing, off road parking, community pool. 138.000 euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo.com VILLAMARTIN Detached house, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 terraces, furnished, a/c, storage, central heating, sea views, conservatory, sunny side, parking, community pool. 149.000 euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www. hf-immo.com LA ZENIA BEACH Furnished apartment, 80 m² living area, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, balcony with lovely sea view, terrace overlooking green area, 3 min walk from the beach. 109.000 Euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo. com GUARDAMAR Lovely 2 bedroom, apartment, furnished, balcony with sea views, lift, only 500m to the beach and close to the centre but quiet area. 139.000 euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo.com

VILLAMARTIN Terraced house, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, large kitchen, a/c, terrace, front and back garden, solarium, storage room, quiet area, close to all amenities. 79.000 euro Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo.com PLAYA FLAMENCA Terraced house, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, furnished, balcony, sunny side, off road parking, community pool, quiet area and close to all amenities. ONLY 109.000 euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo.com CABO ROIG BEACH Cala Capitan. Semi detached house, 2 or 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, fire place, furnished, 2 balconies, 2 terraces, big cellar, great seaviews, 1 min walk to the beach. 239.000 euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo.com LA ZENIA Detached villa, 400m² plot, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, dining room, fire place, furnished, nice garden, large storage room and garage, pool possible. 176.000 euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo.com LA ZENIA Terraced house, 3 bedrooms, bathroom, guest toilet, alarm, roof terrace, off road parking, community pool, lovely sea views, quiet gated community. Only a short walk to the beach! 164.000 euro. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985, www.hf-immo.com WE ARE LOOKING FOR RESALE PROPERTIES ON THE ORIHUELA COSTA. IF YOU WANT TO SELL YOURS, PLEASE CONTACT US. Tel: 616 939 326, 966 773 985 KEY READY DETACHED VILLA in Las Ramblas Golf, 3 bed, 2 bath, light and large lounge, American kitchen, A/C, marble floors, solarium, terrace, car port, garden with room for a pool. NOW REDUCED €292,000. Viewing essential. Call Price Crash Property on 628 932 137 ENTRE NARANJOS Quad house. 3 bed, 2bath, lounge/diner, sep kitchen. Solarium off master bed & roof solarium. A/C, fully furnished, comm pool, off road parking. ONLY €99,950. Call Price Crash Property on 628 932 137. REFURBISHED FINCA IN LA MATANZA Fortuna. 3 bed, 2 bath on 2000m plot and private salt water pool. Very well presented and furnished with conservatory, low maintenance gardens with citrus trees, garage, outbuilding, roof solarium. €239,000. Phone 628 932 137. DETACHED VILLA on 400m corner plot in Las Filipinas. 3 bed, 2 bath, A/C, fully fitted separate kitchen, good size lounge and separate dining area. Garden with room for pool, balcony and off-road parking. €199,450. Phone 628 932 137. ENTRE GOLF, VILLAMARTIN 3 bed, 2 bath townhouse. Separate kitchen, good size lounge/diner, A/C, glazed galleria, garden, roof solarium with views to the salt lakes and communal pool. The property is only 2 years old and a fantastic price of €143,350. Call Price Crash Property on 628 932 137. ALGORFA APARTMENT 2 bed, 1 bath, fully furnished. Ground

floor with garden and patio to the front, communal pool. Ideal holiday home at a very good price, ONLY € 72,995. Call Price Crash Property on 628 932 137. LADERAS DEL SOL 3 bed, 2 bath quad house in a secure, gated complex with a central communal pool area. Corner plot with a nice garden, patio area and a solarium.. Lounge/diner, separate kitchen and utility area . The master bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe. Part furnished. Extras include air conditioning throughout and a car park for residents. €121,450. Phone 628 932 137. BLUE LAGOON chalet-style terraced 2 bed, 1 bath property Entrance is via the conservatory which is currently being used as a dining area. Good size lounge, modern, fully fitted American kitchen, utility room. 2 beds with fitted wardrobes. Main bedroom has access to the tiled rear terrace. Roof solarium with a handy storage igloo. Beautiful views to the sea and salt lakes. €86,000. Phone 628 932 137 PLAYA FLAMENCA 2 bed, 1 bath, top floor apartment with sea views. Glazed balcony, bright & spacious lounge/diner, American kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, fully furnished. Large, private roof solarium with lovely views, communal pool and off-road parking. Ideal holiday home. REDUCED €98,000. Call Price Crash Property on 628 932 137 LAS PALAS, IN FUENTE ALAMO 2 bed, 1 bath terraced village house on a private plot with views of the surrounding countryside. Private courtyard, lounge with wood burning stove, private pool and patio. Fully fitted separate kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, & family bathroom. Sat TV, outside storage room and toilet. 10 minutes from Cartagena. Fantastic price €73,500. Call Price Crash Property on 628 932 137. LOS BALCONES large, modern detached villa with 3 beds and 3 baths. Recently refurbished throughout, large loung/diner, separate kitchen, master bed with large en suite, central heating. Tiled garden, off-road parking, comm pool. €188,500 Phone Price Crash Property on 628 932 137 VISIT OUR WEBSITE www. pricecrashproperty.com for more great deals on the Costa Blanca

3 IN 1 BUSINESS Large premises (snooker hall, restaurant & bar) Sale or rent. Benidorm 600-302-824. COSTA BLANCA NORTH Well established retail shop. curtains, bedding, mattresses etc. high turnover high margins. Fully fitted inc air con. possibilty of second shop included in the price of 25.000? plus SAV. more info 625-546-111

For Rent Luxury 2 & 3 Bedroom (2 Bathroom) apartments in the centre of San Miguel de Salinas, video entry, marble entrance,lift to all floors – underfloor heating, roof top pool,next to supermarket, stunning views From: 385€ per month Call 965 720 817 or 616 493 487

FOR SALE IN ALTEA LA VELLA

Spacious furnished 3 bedroom apartment for sale in middle of beautiful village. 110m². New kitchen with dishwasher and washing machine, 1 bathroom and 1 shower room. Bars, restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacy all within a couple of minutes walk. Large terrace at back of the apartment overlooking orange groves and balconies off 2 bedrooms. Trastero and private parking. AP-7 3 minutes by car.

€200,000 Tel: 617 893 036 or email kath_poole@hotmail.com

WWW.SURVEYORSPAIN.COM

Buyer’s structural surveys, defects reports & solutions Mark Paddon BSc Hons Building Surveying. MCIOB. T 0034 962 807 247 M 0034 653 733 066

SERVICE AIR David Higton: (Tel) 966-865-883 (Mob) 629-308-505 (Email) cool@serviceair.biz EXCEL AIRCONDITIONING See main ad on page 27. Tel/Fax (Head Office) 966-897-772. Mobiles: 680-154-432/676-265-675. Email: excelairconditioning@hotmail.com. All credit/debit cards accepted.

ALL TYPES OF CONSTRUCTIONS and reforms. Cheapest prices, always on time, guarantee, save your time and money. 622-028-742 GENERAL BUILDING AND GARDEN MAINTENANCE No job to small. Reliable service. Competitive prices. Tel. 671442998

19-25 March 2010 SPANISH CLASSES MondayFriday (mornings) My house or your house. Good prices. Sara(La Nucia) 677-340-292. BRITISH GRADUATE TEACHER offers secondary/ primary tuition. English/ mathematics. Tel: margaret Johnson B.Ed. 965-350-516/ 616-660-687

SKY SUPPLIES Full Range Pace, Thompson, Amstrad digi-boxes. White cards, Fault finding. Dish’s Realigned, sold, wanted. LNB’s. 966-194-013/ 600-899-096 PROFESSIONAL SATELLITE INSTALLATIONS At unbeatable prices. All work guaranteed. 25 years experience. Call Steve 617-911-118. 1.9M SATALITE DISH twin LNB & wall stand 150?. Mobile 676-673-285 SKY UK ENGINEER Famaval Satalite Dishes, Trade prices from 395?. Sky Sports, Sky HD, Home Cinema. Tel: 965-070-458/ 618-585-051 CRYSTAL CLEAR SATELLITE & TELEVISION Forget the rest go to the best for all your digital & TV requirements Steve 660-186-505 Ros 965-584-097 www.ccsattv.com info@ccsattv.com SKY FREE TO VIEW Small dish & mesh upgrades, yes back on 90?. BBC, ITV, CH4 & lots more. Also installations/ repairs. 10 years. Torrevieja. 679-876-926 UKTV SPAIN Reliable Satellite Technicians, Installations, FaultFinding, Sky Contracts arranged, Freesat cards.Tlf:689-205-137/ 965-888-348. DIGITAL SATELLITE SYSTEMS Largest supplier and installer of famaval satellite equipment on the costa blanca. A genuine registered company with genuine registered premises. Mon-fri 8:00- 4:30. Www. digitalsatsystems.com 965-852251/ 965-866-999/ 965-854-528/ 966-804-748 (or see our main ad in the tv section)

ALL PLUMBING central heating & Aircon work undertaken including installation of your own units. Re-gas and full Aircon service ?49. Trade work also. 965-638-529/ 618-036-611

INTERIOR PAINTER One bedroom property from 135?. Two bedroom property from 200?. Three bedroom property from 265?. Fast, reliable service. Will quote for exterior painting. No job too small. For more info. tel: 634-793-984

REGISTERED LOCKSMITH For emergency safe opening. Tel. Michael Rice: 686-513-510. Denia - Alcante.

SPANISH LINKS LTD Low budget door to door fast collection & quick delivery removals or storage. Weekly reliable service. Full or part loads and even small deliveries. Spain/UK/Spain. Credit or Debit cards accepted www.spanishlinks. co.uk Telephone UK office 00441209-843-971 LARGE EMPTY VAN with experienced owner, driver returning to UK regularly. Dave: 965-329610/ 686-767-839 GRAHAM’S TRANSPORT 24/7 Deliveries, Collection. Spain- UKSpain or any where in Europe. Reasonable rates. Storage facilities are available in Spain and UK. Tel: Lyn or Graham 661-752-010/ 0044-7733-329-305 STORAGE/ VAN HIRE/ REMOVALS First class storage facilities north and south CB with free access, low cost van hire with or without driver, local and international removals, boxes and packing materials for sale. Call 965-681-605 CB south or 965-760111 CB North www.securistore.com MAN & LWB SPRINTER VAN going to UK- Spain twice a month. Tel: 610-846-260 or 0044-7519186-355 email van.man@hotmail.co.uk BMC TRANSPORT High volume box van, deliveries, collections 24/7 All types of work undertaken, full or part loads UK and Europe covered. For a professional and reliable service call Sue daytime/evening 620 044 983. MICK WITH HIS VAN Removals Collections Deliveries. For a reliable effective service. Hourly rate or quote. Call Mick anytime 600-247-535

TRANSLATOR Spanish and English speaking. Available for medical visits etc. Benidorm and surrounding areas. Tel Dawn: 626-337-258.

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

POOL LEAK REPAIR SPECIALIST’S Pipe leaks pressure tested, detected and repaired. Structural leaks investigated and repaired. 100’s of private and communal pools successfully repaired on the Costa Blanca. 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. Torrevieja and surrounding areas including Costa Calida. Tel Pristine Pools on 966-774-199 or 678-080-500 Email info@pristineswimmingpools.com www.pristineswimmingpools.com

WELD IT RITE Mobile welding/ repair service, Metal carpentry/ Fabrication projects. Time served & quallified. tel: 966-490-338 Mobile 638-479-467 Email iwanegan@ hotmail.co.uk (Moraira based)

WOODWORM, BORING BEETLE, OR TERMITE problems? Call Woodtech now on 625-160-325 COCKROACHES, RATS, MICE, WASPS OR HORNET problems? Call Pestkill now on 625-160-325

WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER Now with video highlights included as standard. Contact Steve 966-470-163/662-570-702.

BYTEBACK MICROS computer repairs/ uppgrades in your home. Qualified technician. Systems custom built. Whatever your problem call: 965-312-006 or 606-127-424

MITSUBISHI L200 PICK UP TRUCK 2.5 diesel Spanish reg Oct 2004 new tyres, alarm, A/C, etc, good condition 9.850€ ono. Tel 680-472-178

ENGLISH HANDYMAN AVAILABLE plumbing, roller shutter blind repairs. Odd jobs. IKEA assembly. Tel: 646-236-291 LADY AVAILABLE for helping around the house cooking, cleaning, ironing Etc. Phone 622-028-742 WILLS BY UK QUALIFIED MEMBER of Society of Will Writers. Dual UK/ Spanish recommended. Home call service. Wills Trusts. Probate, Powers of Attorney, etc. Tel David Richardson 966-188-941 ALARMS all types including grillguards extensions repairs and servicing. Tel: 966-797-370/ 600-237-223 DRESSMAKER/ DESIGNER Also alterations. Tells:- 686-453-827/ 965-771-397 WANT YOUR GROCERY SHOPPING DONE FOR YOU? Javea to Benidorm Area. 9am to 8pm, Call one day in advance. Contact Lynn 620-526-263 or Email:maitailynn@hotmail.com PALM & TREE TRIMMING and removal. Also all garden maintenance carried out. reliable service. 619-336-762 GUALIFIED TRADESMEN Air Conditioning. Satalitle TV installation, plumbing, electrical, boilers, fencing, painting, balustrades, tiling & general maintenance. Small jobs welcome. Torrevieja surrounding area. Tel: 965-328-361/ 680-934-549 YOUR INSURANCE OFFICE IN LA ZENIA CAR-HOUSE HEALTH. Get your car insurance from 199?/pa. Call 661-362-131 for your personalized quote

LAND ROVER FREELANDER 2.5ES Automatic, year2000, Spanish plated, RHD, towbar, ITV, vgc, bargain! 3250€ Tel:966-875240/618-182-500. MERCEDES A CLASS 17” alloy wheels X4 with good tyres, 205/40Z17, complete with studs. Excellent condition. Fit most mercedes with 5 stud fitting. 325? ONO. Picures and details. Tel: 962-838-529 Oliva MERCEDES C240 AUTO ELEGANCE estate, Dec. 2001, W203 model, 119,000kms, LHD, Spanish Reg, Recent major service, service history, fully loaded, beautiful car. 12,750?. Pictures and details. Tel: 962-838529 Oliva WANTED RHD UK REG large estate car/ MPV, diesel, year 2000 onwards. Realistically priced. 965976-756/ 637-994-096 FIAT PUNTO with city power steering , new MOT in white, very clean and tidy. 3,000?. Tel: 965302-152/617-899-226 RENAULT MEGAN II COMFORT EXP 1.9DCI 2004, 5dr, L/H/D, 87,000klms, 2yrs ITV, SILVER. Climate Control. Trip comp, E/W, E/ M, Remote C/L, Keyless start. CD Stereo player, 6 Air Bags, Censor lights/mirror Alarm & Imob. Recent tyres, battery, front disks& pads. Very economical, VGC, genuine reason for sale, 4495 euros ono. Tel: 680-159-391.

19-25 March 2010

ACE AUTOS

British & Spanish used car sales

97 VW PASSAT T.D.I. A/C P/S E/W LOW KMS 00 FORD FIESTA DIESEL 5 DOOR A/C P/S 99 FORD FIESTAVAN DIESEL CLEAN LOW KMS 98 RENAULT LAGUNA A/C C.D. LOW KMS 99 FIAT PUNTO 3 DOOR HATCH LOW KMS 01 PEUGEOT 306 CABRIOLET A/C P/S 94 HYUNDAI SONATA AUTO,LEATHER, 00 OPEL CORSA 1.3 A/C P/S 5 DOOR 00 CHRYSLER VOYAGER 7 SEATS 2.3 MAN

2,450€ 2,450€ 1595€ 2450€ 1,950€ 3,750€ 1,350€ 1950€ 3,750€

93 SUZUKI VITARA JEEP P/S A/C E/W 00 HYUNDAI TRAJET 7 SEATS A/C P/S 06 MERCEDES SMART CAR AUTO A/C U.K RHD 00 CITROEN XANTIA TURBO DIESEL 00 RENAULT KANGOO DIESEL VAN 02 CITROEN XSARA 1.4 5 DOOR LOW MILES 98 CHEVY CAMARO V6 AUTO A/C

1,750€ 3,750€ 4,950€ 1,750€ 1,250€ 2,450€ 2,950€

MANY MORE CARS IN STOCK ALL WITH NEW ITV/MOT´S P/X ON MOST CARS.

Tel: 620 738 023 10am to 5pm

FIND US NEAR NEW MERCADONNA. PUEBLE PRINCIPLE,VILLA MARTIN

Cars wanted for cash LHD/RHD

MOTORING IN SPAIN Third Edition

VITAL INFORMATION FOR OWNING A CAR AND DRIVING IN SPAIN ORDER YOUR COPY ON LINE AT www.spainvia.com/motoringinspain.htm

or call 666 888 870

PRACTICAL INFORMATION ISBN No. is 978-84-611-9278-6 MAZDA MX-5 1.8 SPORT silver, 2003, RHD, 27,500mls, Spanish plated, ITV 2011, AC, SAT. NAV/ CD, FSH, plus had top. 1 owner. 8,500?. 650-345-671 IMPORTING YOUR CAR need headlights. Contact www.headlights4u.com Tel: 966-875-497 or 618-592-396

WANTED UK registration right hand drive cars. Immediate cash settlement. Please phone Rod 687434-950 or 966-462-089 CARS WANTED cars/ vans bought and sold, uk or spanish upto 3000? cash today 678-808-837 WANTED BRITISH OR SPANISH CAR 4X4, Van, Caravan. Etc. Immediate cash. Buyer going home. 600-781-873

TUBE. for details Tlf-617-923-578 or 670-668-518. 7000GBpounds or offers MOBILE/ PARK HOMES from 18.000? tv, A/c, Tel, Some with conservatories, permanent site, pool, Tennis, bar, supermarket, 5 mins walk San Javier. All amenities, 3km beach & hospital. 7 mins murcia airport by car. Also bungalows to rent. Carol 968-192-425/ 626-055-622. Email: haydn47@hotmail.com Web: www. mobilehomesmarmenorspain.com

MOBILE HOME PLOTS AVAILABLE IN PINOSO Fantastic mountain views, large swimming pool, 10 minutes to Fortuna hot springs, 24 mins to Nueva Condomina. Plot size 200spm. Tel: 620-761-643 CARAVAN WITH BEN EISLER CONSERVATORY Sleeps 4 on permanent site near Benidorm. Fully equiped, plumbed in. Site rental 286euros monthly. Video on YOU-

MERMAID BOAT CARE For all your boat valet and management requirements. Serving the marina?s in Torrevieja and the surrounding areas. Experienced, professional and trustworthy service at competitive rates. Adhoc arrangements and boat-sitting welcome. For more details or just an informal chat contact Anna on: 680-297-955 mermaidboatcare@ yahoo.com

Chef required for busy pub / restaurant in Villamartin plaza. Good rates of pay. Full time only

Contact Albert 606 775 913 or Roy 606 690 973 Jennifer Cunningham Expats Services require an English/Spanish speaking person to work in the Javea office. Good selling ability necessary, confident on the telephone and computer REPAIR & SOLD & BUY Pickup from your home second hand motorbikes and Scooter for reasonable Price and quick service open 7 days Tel: 680-644-010

literate. Apply with CV to info@jennifercunningham.net

We Want You Enthusiastic and commited sales people wantedto work on commission only basis, must have own transport, if you can close adeal and have a desire to work for an established company call 965 720 817 or 616 493 487 BENIDORM HOLIDAY COMPANY require marketing staff for positions with great earning potential and working hours. The job includes contract and full traning for a 5 day work of fun in the sun. Call Carlie 966-813-210 or Harry 618-477-505 EXPERIENCED BOOKKEEPER REQUIRED one full day per week, Spanish language advantageous to work in our friendly Benitachell office. Call Millie Munro 966-493-082/ 660-049-460 DRIVER - MALE 35, FULL CLEAN LICENSE 1 year exp. of driving in Spain, cars - 3.5tons. Available for work, please call Warren on 615-201-182. CAR SALEMAN WANTED must have at least 5 years experience in used cars. Torrevieja area. Please enclose a recent photo. Email CV to automabiles@live.co.uk UPHOLSTERER REQUIRED Sofa Medico estd. on Costa Blanca for 6 yrs are looking for an upholsterer to work at their new estab. in Gata De Gorgos on the N332. Must have experience in all aspects of the re-upholstery trade and be flexible with hours. Tel: 966-074-034/ 699-836-251 email: sofamedico@yahoo.co.uk ANN SUMMERS PARTY ORGANISERS WANTED Earn €40-€50 per night with NO OUTLAY! Call Anne 966-462-317 or 675-860-665 or www.spanishsummers.com TELEMARKETERS WANTED for our Moraira office. Must be able to speak Spanish. Tel 965-050-200

BALLROOM/ LATIN/ SEQUENCE DANCING with LA BAMBA?s. NEW VENUE: Los Arcos Restaurant, Avenida Balaeres 34, Torrevieja, SOCIAL DANCE: Saturday 7.00pm-10pm: New Beginners class Monday 10.30am - 12.30pm. Also at the Bienvenido Chinese Restaurant at La Zenia roundabout: TUITION, Beginners Wednesday 8pm - 10pm; Beginners Thursday11.30am 1.30pm; Intermediates Friday 11am - 1pm. Tel: Andrea or Brian 616 478 157

DATEMED.ES Great new online dating site for English speaking people on the Costa Blanca. Free full memberships - Join Now! www.datemed.es

ENGLISH LADY 42 Provides various services for mature gentlemen. Torrevieja 685-436-065 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. THE WEATHER MAY HAVE

COOLED but Tanya is still hot! All inclusive 40?. Tel: 626-324-088 GORGEOUS ENGLISH BLOND 45 years, gives discreet massage, 1 hour or over night stay, 15 mins Alicante airport. Tel: Karen 662-049-021 ATTRACTIVE MATURE ENGLISH LADY For escorting, dinner dates & more. My Villa is between Torrevieja & Alicante. Also available as an m/f couple. Call (0034) 648-676-277 NEW GHANA & SPANISH LADY slim, tall & nice body. All services. 634-318-386 NEW 2 BLACK LADIES nice body, big breasts. All services, massage. 24 hour escort service. 600-064-423 SEXY MALE MASSEUR offers pleasure to women. Treat yourself to an experience of pure indulgence and desire at my villa. Safe and discreet. Call Sebastian 663-478-337 SEXY COUPLE together or seperate offers erotic pleasure to couples, woman, men. Also girl on girl enjoyment. Visit our apartment, relaxed and discreet, or we come to you. Call Jasmine/ Sebastine. 663-478-337 COUPLE 40’S seek females for adult fun. Torrevieja area, low rates. Tel. 689-133-384 DVDS! Gay, Sado, Bestial, you name it! 7 for 25?. Tel: 697-647-367 JAVEA, MORAIRA East European lady, super erotic massage and more. 661-034-261 Hotel & Home visits NAUGHTY JAPANESE HOUSEWIFE age 24 alone or together with my English husband for DP and SR. Role play, humiliation and punishment also available. Torrevieja, call Saki 687-891-139 CHARMING BI-SEXUAL MALE 50 and my beautiful 25 year old girlfriend, both British, offer erotic massage and more, we also have other girlfriends who you may visit either alone or together. In addition we have a selection of home made DVDs for collection or by post. Very discreet private villa near Torrevieja, call Steve 697-892-969 GOOD FUN 62 year old Dom/ Sub switch, specialising in males, cross dressers. Loves the more mature woman and great fun with couples. Low rates. Full body massage and much much more. 655-058-554 FEMALES AND COUPLES 18 to 65 required for adult internet photo and video modeling. Excellent rates. 697-697-842. NEW PLACE! TORREVIEJA Sexy girls from South America. Come and enjoy, economical prices from 40?. NEW ADDRESS Zone Los Locos beach. 639-622-285 CASA ANGELA TORREVIEJA Luxury Private Chalet, parking. Drinks invitation. Feeling alone? Just

19-25 March 2010

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

SOLO GUITARIST/ VOCALIST seeks work, blues & Country. In bars etc. No set price. Pay what you can afford. Tel: Charlie 691-622-804

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 JODIE’S GELS Nail technician: Gel nail extensions, gel nail overlays, gel toenails. Finishes: French, colour, glitter. Repairs. Tel: 622-244-613. WEIGHT WATCHERS Call our free English Call Centre now to find your nearest Meeting. 900-818-794 CREATIVE NAILS Creative acrilic nails. You come to me (Alfaz Del Pi) or I’ll come to you (Altea - Villajoyosa). Fully qualified, 15 years experience. Tel: 669-126-281.

SMALL DOGS CARED FOR IN OUR OWN HOME so if you need to go away on holiday but don’t want your dog to go into kennels then we will look after them. References available on request. Call Diane and Trish: 965843781 or 622514980 (Altea Area) PETZBACK HOME LTD Professional door to door pet transportation. UK/Spain/UK. Travel in our petmobile with your pets for free (subject to availability). Or treat yourself in one of our air conditioned luxury vehicles with our fully chaperoned Limo Service. A regular, reliable and safe service. Defra pet passport advice given. ww.petzbackhome.co.uk Credit or Debit cards accepted. Telephone UK office 0044-1209-843-971 ENGLISH BULLTERRIER PUPPIES for sale full pedegree, English stock, both parents can be seen. Deposits now being taken. Call 966-193-470/ 689-645-946 HOME FROM HOME caring dog boarding with experienced owner in my rural home near La Marina. No Kennels. Inspection welcome. Tel: 616-459-599 NEED YOUR DOG TAKING CARE OF? No Kennels, Just a friendly home. Larfe fenced garden (Altea) Tel: 699-790-080 LABRADOR MIX PUPPIES 8 weeks old, looking for a loving

home! Must come see! Call Jodie on 622-244-613. PARK & BARK small friendly British kennels, individual runs, large excercise area, 25mins Alicante airport. www.parkbark. co.uk Tel: 628-244-712 FELINE FRIENDS CAT HOTEL The Purrfect place to stay. Free pickup and delivery. tel: 965967-081/ 665-080-885 www. felinefriendscathotel.com TRANS-PET SPAIN-UK door 2 door service, professional driver with pet care experience, kennels and cattery, passport service. Contact Sharon 965-960-658/ 600552-030 www.trans-pet.co.uk or sharon@trans-pet.co.uk DEANACAONA BOARDING KENNELS & CATTERY Social training for dogs. Home delivery and collection service. English trainer. Balsicas, 10 minutes from San Javier. Tel 639-286-428 www.deanacaona.com

TRAILER/ CAR TRANSPORTER 3M long X 2M wide approx. Tel: 693-827-440 DINGY The SAMM Catamaran Group is looking for a fibreglass rowing boat about 10 feet long. Any condition considered. Please contact mike 968-572-315 DRIVER - MALE 35, FULL CLEAN LICENSE 1 year exp. of driving in Spain, cars - 3.5tons. Available for work, please call Warren on 615201-182. HOUSE/ PET SITTER AVAILABLE July & August, UK - Spain. Call Gail 669-126-281.

WANTED HOUSEHOLD ITEMS Instant cash payments. Furniture, electrical, tools etc. Tel John: 626-918-833.

DRIVING TO THE UK? English owned B&B in France close to the Spanish border. Peaceful location, ideal for your stopovers. Please ring for details: 0033-562-33-19-62 or visit website: www.millefleursbb.co.uk

LOOSE COVERS Curtains etc. Made to measure. Choose from a wide range of beautiful materials in

your own home. Javea based. Tel: 965-771-397/ 686-453-827

KARAOKE MEDIA PLAYER 500GB. inc 70,000 songs, software/ song book, ideal for bar/ home use. Only 275?. Tel: 654-925-679 LA MARINA FURNITURE All Furniture Bought & Sold At Unbeatable Prices. Now Also In Shop, New Linen, Lingerie, Jewellery & JML Products. Also Cars Bought For Cash. Come and visit La Marina Furniture shop on the main street through La Marina. Call Allan on 966-443-370 or 625985-491 FLYING FLOWERS beautiful bouquets to any UK address. Order by credit or debit card. Call Kelly’s 965-761-595/ 966-425-713

POOL, SNOOKER TABLES will beat any price. Tel: 666 933 726

visit La Marina Furniture shop on the main street through La Marina. Call Allan on 966-443-370 or 625-985-491 WHEELCHAIR Light, foldable, LIKE NEW. 175.00?. Tel: 627-019-403. FOR SALE Beautiful old convertible snooker/dining table with original ivory balls. Slate base. Gd con. 2.00m x 1.10m. 750?ono. Call Andy 630949883. ALADDIN’S For quality furniture and second hand household goods at prices that won’t dent your wallet telephone 966-457-291

ALADDIN’S Disappointed with offers elsewhere on Jewellery etc? Telephone 966-457-291 WANTED INSTANT CASH PAID Antique and modern jewelley, bought sold & part exchanged, insurance valuations. Jewellery & watch repairs. Alexanders, Javea Port seafront near Bar Esquina. Established since 2003 Tel: 965-792-595.

ELECTRIC MOBILITY SCOOTER 350?. Wheelchair 125?. 8H.P outboard 300?. Half Sovereigh ring 110?. Details: 697-647-367 LA MARINA FURNITURE All Furniture Bought & Sold At Unbeatable Prices. Now Also In Shop, New Linen, Lingerie, Jewellery & JML Products. Also Cars Bought For Cash. Come and

VIVES PONS & ASSOCIATES the leading Legal, Fiscal and Architectural based in Denia are conducting a series of free, informative talks on fiscal, legal and architectural issues which are very relevant to expats. Each session is approx 30 minutes long and will be followed by questions and answers. This is your chance to receive free expert advice direct from the experts. Please contact Joe Bassim on 686566-106 or see our half page advert in this weeks RTN for details.

2nd Hand Furniture bought for cash 966 723 437 or 965 720 817

19-25 MARCH 2010

Classifieds Agents Now it’s even easier to place a classified advert with the RTN by using our official agents listed below! Cars, Houses, Boats, Computers find them all in the classifieds section. Or maybe you have unwanted items to sell or something to offer? Our classified agents will be happy to help you whatever your needs.

AGENTS NORTH

ROUND TOWN TRAVEL 1, Avenida Dr Severo Ochoa, 1, Urb. El Admiral, Local 1, Rincon Benidorm, 03503, Alicante. Lisa 966 811 123 BENIDORM ROUND TOWN TRAVEL 2, Calle Gerona, 39, Benidorm, 03503, Alicante. (Next to Hotel Ambassador) Kerry/Gemma 966 813 261 BENIDORM ROUND TOWN TRIPS, Calle Narcisco Yepes, 4, Local 8, Albir, 03581, Alicante. (Opp. Golf Course, next to Kwik Save) Lee/Jackie 966 867 294 • lee@roundtowntrips.com ALBIR PROMINENT, Teulada Industrial Est. Calle Llanterner, 2 alto, 03725, Teulada, Alicante. Marja 965 793 229 • espana@prominent.nu

TEULADA

MILLIE MUNRO INSURANCE, Avenida Lepanto, 6, 03726, Benitachell, Alicante. Millie 966 493 082 • millie@milliemunro.com

BENITACHELL HORIZON CONSULTANTS INSURANCE, Calle San Rafael 45 - 1, Jalon, 03727, Alicante. (Near Kwik Save) Aaron 966 481 382 • info@horizonconsultants.com JALON MICHAEL’S FURNITURE SHOP, Avenida Lepanto, 9, Javea Port. Cristina 965 791 328 • astorga@telefonica.net EASYBUY, Avenida del Portet 24, Moraira. 03724 Alicante 965 745 969

JAVEA MORAIRA

AGENTS SOUTH

BARGAIN BOOKS, Plaza Juan Carlos 1, Nº 2, San Miguel de Salinas, 03193, Alicante. (Opp. Tourist Info) Gaynor/Lee 688 667 389 • leeshaw.evans@gmail.com SAN MIGUEL JOHNSONS EL LIMONAR,JCP Commercial Center, Local 31, Los Altos Del Limonar, Torrevieja, 966 785 600 TORREVIEJA JOHNSONS QUESADA, Ava. Las Naciononies 1a -17, Quesada, 966 717 848 QUESADA JOHNSONS ALGORFA, Local 30, Commercial Center La Finca Golf, Algorfa, 966 729 647

ALGORFA THE POST ROOM, Centro Comercial 5, Via Park III, Calle Panticosa Nº 2, Los Altos, 03189, Orihuela Costa, Alicante. Aoife/Chris 965 319 665 • aoifesweeney@hotmail.com ORIHUELA PENNYS SUPERMARKET, Flamenca Beach Comercial Centre, Unit 123, Playa Flamenca, 03189, Orihuela Costa, Alicante. Peter/Sarah 966 733 257 • bulldogstores@live.com ORIHUELA PRINT SOLUTIONS, Avenida Londres 136, La Marina Urb, San Fulgencio, 03177, Alicante. Jim/Trish 966 790 520 • jim@printsolutionsspain.com SAN FULGENCIO INTERPOST, Avenida de la Alegria Nº 32, La Marina, 03194, Alicante. Malika/Malcolm 965 419 673 • Inter-post100@live.com

LA MARINA VILLAMARTIN SATELLITE CENTRE, Avenida Las Brisas 33, Villamartin, 03189, Alicante. (Near Supervalu, Los Dolses) . Sarah/Heather 966 764 878 • villamartinsatellitecentre@yahoo.co.uk VILLAMARTIN BEST WISHES, Local 30, Comercial Centre Hispania, Avda de la Union 72, San Javier, 30730, Murcia. Kathy 968 192 235 • kaffywalker@hotmail.com MURCIA ONONIX MAR SL, Calle Mayor 30, bajo derecha, Guardamar, 03140, Alicante. Ron/Alicia 965 728 178 aliciamuddle@ononix.com GUARDAMAR

ANIMAL AID TEL: 965725794 WWW.ANIMALAIDCOSTABLANCA.ORG CAIRO was found as a tiny puppy last autumn. We’ve seen her grow into a gorgeous, friendly girl, who loves sunshine, walkies & playing with her toys. Cairo is so good – she eats what she’s given, doesn’t get up too early & she puts herself to bed! Tel: 965725794 Linda, Animal Aid www.animalaidcostablanca.org

OZ KENNELS 968 431 265 OR 968 431 590 Hoppy is a 3 year old (approx) Tibetan spaniel He was found outside our kennels with a broken back leg but has now had his operation had has made a full recovery,he is a loving and funny little boy but is jealous of other dogs as he wants all the love,would make a good companion for an older couple

APAH CONTACT NATASHA ON 616 210 850. Sandy is an 18 month old medium sized, mixed breed male. He is a really lovely dog. Gentle and trusting, he has an awful lot of love to give, and needs someone to give it to. Sandy would make a fantastic companion dog as all he wants is someone to call his own! To arrange to meet Sandy or any other APAH dog, please contact Natasha

NATASHA ON 616 210 850 WWW.APAHRESCUE.COM

A.P.A.S.A. 618 754 635 WWW.APASA-JAVEA.ORG

AYISHA OR MICHAEL AT 968 685 837 LOSGRUENHEIT@HOTMAIL.COM

ALDEA FELINA-DENIA LYNDA - 648 100 629

PEPA 650 304 746 WWW.PEPASPAIN.COM

S.A.T. 966 710 047 INFO@SATANIMALRESCUE.COM

K9 Club 676 447 682 k9club@lamarina.info www.petsinspain.info

EASY HORSE CARE RESCUE 96 596 7033 or 652 021 980 George used to bite his stable door, so his owners cut off his teeth with an angle grinder! George is safe now, but many horses are still suffering. Help us end the cruelty. Open days Wed & Sun 1pm-4pm

JOE THE CATMAN 96 671 9272

WWW.GIVEADOGAHOME.ES 619 938 955

K9 CLUB 676 447 682

Gracie and Macie are two beautiful sisters. Born in September 2009, they were found as tiny kittens in a sewer pipe. They are very loving towards each other, but also get on well with other cats. It would be wonderful to be able to home them together, rather than have to separate them. To arrange to meet Gracie and Macie or any other APAH cat, please contact Yvonne on 630 422 563.

Oriana was found in a bin on Cami de Gandia. She is now very cute and friendly and would make a wonderful pet. If you would like to adopt Oriana, or any of our other cats/kittens please call. See our website http://aldea-felina.blogspot.com. LYNDA - 648100629

Harry was thrown from a moving car so is nervous in and around cars. He has a face only a mother or father could love, but is very loving and kind. He is fully vaccinated, neutered and housetrained PAWS LINDA ON 646 645 035

Jo is a beautiful boy of around 6 months. His owners have to move back to the UK and can´t take him with them so he needs someone to love and look after him. He is a sweetheart and will make a loving companion. If you are interested in Jo, or any of the cats or kittens that we have, please contact Linda on 646 645 035

DESIREA, female, Shelter since 14.10.2007 Spaniel Cross, DOB approx. Oct. 2006 – 45 cm She’s rather like a jack-in-thebox and is continually ready for affection and a game. Desirea would like to have a sportive family who would have a lot of action with her. She walks well on the lead and she is very fond of water Erin is 2-3 years old and is an Argentine Dogo X. Her foster carer says she has never seen such a gentle loving dog and considers that she would be a very loyal companion. All she asks for is a bit of love and a good home. For more information please telephone P.E.P.A on 650304746. www.pepaspain.com

Puppies Beautiful labrador mix puppies, 6 weeks old, 4 male, 3 female. Born at the kennels so they have had a great start. Roll of Andrex is not included !!

Urgent! Baños de Fortuna. Female dog, German Shephard type, 9 years old, ca. 25kgs, 21 inches high at the shoulders, sterilized and with all her vaccinations, shy and loving. Male dog, large mix-breed, 4 years old, ca. 25 - 30 kgs, 28 inches high at the shoulders, sterilized and with all his vaccinations, friendly and loving. Owners must return to England for assisted living and cannot take the dogs with them. Call Ayisha or Michael at 968 685 837

DANDY and BEEZER are two cute three month old brothers who were found in a field in Dolores. They are playful terrier types who enjoy the company of people and other dogs. Although brothers they don´t need to be homed together. Dandy and Beezer have had all their vaccinations and are micro chipped.

Ginger is a gentle, friendly, ginger and white boy nearly two years old. He has been neutered and will make a loving companion for someone on their own or a couple. Please call Joe (The Cat Man) on 966719272 Randy is a Fox Terrier cross and was rescued after nearly being hit by passing vehicles. He is 2 years old, a very friendly little chap and will make a great pet. k9club@lamarina.info www.petsinspain.info or call 676 447 682 for more information

19-25 MARCH 2010

Getting ready for the off on the first tee

RTN on the Fairway By Jack Troughton and Louise Clarke TESTING FROM the first tee, Alicante Golf’s championship course proved an enjoyable but at times frustrating challenge for nearly 70 golfers yesterday (Thursday). Scores were generally high in the annual RTN Golf Tournament as players young and old pitted their wits against fast greens and tricky bunkers. Once again the quality of golf though, was par for the course! And the competition was a great success for everyone involved. The winning pair were Linda Rees and Danny Herron, their 40 point score was just enough to claim first prize by a single point margin. Linda, from Calpe, who plays off 21, was on home turf because she plays her golf at the Alicante course. “I think the competition is wonderful. Especially now! I played last year but got nowhere.” And Danny, from Javea, who has a handicap of 14 and normally plays at Oliva Nova golf, said the course

Team North: Max and Nats

has been in excellent condition. “I played last year as well we were playing together today because Linda argues with her husband all the time.” RTN’s golf guru, Noel Eastwell, who organises the annual tournament, admitted that the course was proving difficult for many players and keeping them on their toes. “The greens were playing really fast and I told the players who complained that I had been out to iron them especially this morning!” he joked. This year’s competition was sponsored by health insurance experts, ASSSA, as part of their 75th Anniversary celebrations, their motto is to keep sportsman healthy so that they can keep players on the golf course for longer. The Golf Factor kids faired well and all thoroughly enjoyed the experience of playing on such a top quality course. Team North and Team South for once were not competing against one another, but were mindful of their rival’s performance during the event!

Left: Noel Eastwell with Peter Hudson the President of the World Golf Teachers Federation

19-25 MARCH 2010

The final whistle Special Jose With Andy Kay

Torry show determination FC Torrevieja 1 La Nucia 0

WHAT A difference a week makes. Seven days after one of FC Torrevieja’s worst performances of the season, losing at Alicante B, the team stepped up a couple of gears to notch up a much needed and morale boosting home win over an ‘in form’ La Nucia side. It was just the tonic for a team that had not won in six matches and had seen an outside chance of a play-off spot worryingly convert itself into a possible relegation battle. Using the Alicante game as a benchmark, which is not saying a great deal, it was a more consistent performance over the full ninety minutes, and there

was the novelty of keeping eleven players on the field, something they had failed to do in their last three outings. In fact, just three Torrevieja players were booked by the referee, Rives Leal. The match could hardly be labeled a classic, unless you had quickly consumed a couple of litres of sangria, but the one goal that came was worthy and memorable. With ten minutes remaining on the clock and most people beginning to settle for a point, early slumbers were dramatically disturbed. It was well worth waiting for, as Bailen struck a cracking thirty-yard free kick into the top corner of the net. There were honest endeavours from Torres and Aitor especially, but La Nu-

cia’s goal was rarely troubled with any telling strikes. There was a nasty moment for Heredia as well in the second half when he was felled by a closely struck ball, but alongside Bailen’s memorable shot, they were the only moments that offered genuine excitement for the local supporters, who rose to give the players a standing ovation of relief on the full time whistle. Bolstered by some added spirit and three vital points, FC Torrevieja now has a golden chance this coming Sunday to get another win as they make the short journey to the bottom club, Elche Ilicitano, and a chance to realistically banish any lingering thoughts of relegation.

Nightmare at Las Rebosas continues Alone de Guardamar 1 Alfaz del Pi 2 Jose Mourinho

WHILST WORKING at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha last week, I had the pleasure of watching Aussie pole vaulter Steve Hooker take the gold medal after clearing a new Championship Record of 6.01 metres. His fans in Oz call him ‘the mailman,’ as he always delivers. The same is true of Jose Mourinho. The man may have an ego the size of a small planet but unlike so many people in his profession, Mourinho doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk. His tactical nous accounted for Chelsea in the Champions League this week as his Inter Milan side beat the Premier League team 3 – 1 on aggregate after a near perfect performance in the second leg at Stamford Bridge. Indeed, Chelsea’s players would have been forgiven for thinking that they were playing a mirror image of themselves from 5 years ago, such has Mourinho’s influence been on his Italian charges. Mourinho never lost a league game whilst in charge at the Bridge and you kind of get the impression that in his mind, there was no way he was going to lose on Tuesday either. BORING BAHRAIN Although I didn’t see the opening Formula One race of the season live, I did watch a re-run on Sunday evening. Or at least, I tried to. Trouble was, I kept nodding off due to the incredible boredom factor. No refuelling, no KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and no overtaking equals - no entertainment. These days, F1 is all about producing a quick lap in qualifying rather than an enthralling spectacle for the fans on race day. My youngest son is only 5 but is already a keen petrol head. So Bernie Ecclestone take note: after viewing the first 15 minutes of the race on Sunday, he announced that he’d rather watch his Thomas the Tank Engine DVD. At least in that, he saw Spencer overtake Gordon! ENGLAND CHANGES England’s rugby union players were okay in their opening 6 Nations match against Wales but it’s been pretty much all downhill from there. Their style of play has been slow, laborious, predictable and hugely uninspiring. So thank goodness manager Martin Johnson has made changes for the final match of the Championship away to France. World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson makes way for Toby Flood as fly-half; Shaw and Moody are back in the pack; Tindall is restored to the centre while the exciting talents of Ben Foden and Chris Ashton are included in the back three. My only question is this: why has Johnson taken so long to act? TIGER’S RETURN Wouldn’t it have been better for Tiger Woods to make his comeback at a low key event rather than at the Masters as has been announced? Surely, one of the four Majors of the season deserves better than being turned in to a golfing freak show. Woods was accused of selfishness when he held his toe curling ‘I’m so sorry’ news conference on the Friday of the Accenture Matchplay Championship whilst a selection of top ranking players have gone on record suggesting that he’d be better off making at least one appearance before Augusta. But after a number of months in the doghouse, it seems that Woods has learnt very little. He obviously thinks the World still revolves around him, which is how he got into such a mess in the first place.

By Steve Hibberd ALTHOUGH ALONE sacked their manager Carlos Perez last Thursday, his ghost continues to haunt the club as once again they fell to a last minute goal, condemning them to a birth in the Preferente div relegation zone. This defeat means that they have swapped places with their opponents, although it has to be said that it was a spirited performance. Everything looked ‘hunky dory’ after 17 minutes, when a perfect Moreno cross was headed into the back of the net by Nino, to give the home side an early lead. Failure to clear their lines from an in-swinging cross resulted in Alone conceding an equaliser just before half time, as an Alexis drive easily beat keeper Michel. It could have been worse, when less than a minute later the post came to Alone’s rescue, relieved to hear the ref’s half time whistle. Alfaz goalscorer Alexis was unlucky half

José has the Midas Toche FC Cartagena 4 Cadiz CF 1 By Steve Hibberd SUMMER SIGNING top goalscorer Jose Toche added another brace to his already impressive total of 13 as Cartagena launched a 2nd half blitz, which left Cadiz not knowing what had hit them. This div 2a battle of Spain’s major naval ports was on paper promotion v relegation candidates, but on the first half showing, you could have been excused for mistaking which was which. Cadiz were by far the more impressive side during the first 45 minutes, restricting the home side to a solitary worthwhile strike by Moreno on 24 minutes, which edged fractionally the wrong side of the far post, following a great assist by Longas. No one could have imagined that such a dramatic turn around could occur, following a superb opening goal for the visitors after only 6 minutes. The impressive Abrahams struck a 25 yard free kick with such venom, that even keeper Ruben’s timely dive could not prevent the ball squeezing just inside the post. Abrahams continued to torment the Cartagena defence in the 2nd half, shooting just wide on 53 minutes, repeating the feat

2 minutes later. Up to this stage, it looked like it was only a matter of time before Cadiz added a 2nd goal, that was until Toche turned the game on its head (although somewhat fortuitously), totally against the run of play. Veteran striker Victor, on as substitute, rose majestically to head home an inch perfect cross by Moreno on 64 minutes. Now it was one way traffic, and when Toche converted a De Lucas assist on 75 minutes, poor Cadiz knew there was no way back. With 10 minutes remaining, Victor turned provider for De Lucas to rub salt into the wounds of a good Cadiz side, who did not deserve to be on the end of such a hammering. This victory completed a double over the men from Andalucia, but more importantly, kept daylight between themselves and the chasing pack (all who won) for the coveted 3rd place slot. Next Saturday, 20th March KO 18.00, Cartagena takes a long journey to northern Spain, when they take on fallen giants Celta Vigo in another div 2a fixture. For further information on FC Cartagena, visit www.gotocartago.com or www.futbolclubcartagena.com.

an hour into the 2nd half, when his firm header inched just over the bar. Shortly afterwards, Nino was played through with just the on-rushing keeper to beat, but he well and truly bottled it (chickened out - call it what you will), allowing the keeper to hoof the ball up field. Action was fast and thick, in this end to end contest, when following a fractionally off target drive by Alone’s Juanje, Michel did well to prevent Alfaz taking the lead, superbly pushing a goal bound shot around the post. When Alexis received a defence splitting pass, he looked suspiciously offside but the pretty, pony-tailed female assistant referee decided otherwise, allowing the superb Alexis to plant a fierce drive past a helpless Michel, for what proved to be a cruel and far from deserved winning goal. Life’s a bitch, and then you get a female lino (can I say that?) With a week’s break for the Preferente league imminent, Alone officials now have a fortnight to find a suitable replacement for senor Perez (no comment!)

ANYONE FOR FOOTBALL?

Aged Between 20 - 40 Call Doug on 628 789 335

19-25 MARCH 2010

Noel’s world of golf Maggots end Fishing Costa Blanca round-up

Noel Eastwell Professional coach and RTN golf expert 639 730 891

IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN MANY LOCAL golfers get upset at this time of the year when they see our lovely greens practically turned into ploughed fields. ‘Hollow tining,’ as we know it, is a must if greens are to grow properly and good putting surfaces maintained. We all want the best possible putting surfaces and many will be the first to complain when we see the greens deteriorating, yet none of us want this necessary maintenance work undertaken. We all want to be able to putt on perfect surfaces all year round. Well sadly, that just cannot happen. We have to live with this inconvenience at least twice a year here in our part of the world if good greens are to be found on our golf courses. The golfer requires firm, fast, true and smooth greens that are receptive to well hit approach shots. That grip then releases a chip and also allows a putt to roll out true. This type of surface is not the easiest to get in the part of the World, due to the excessive heat we get in summer. Our local greenkeepers do a very good job on the whole but they receive little or no thanks for their efforts. We have all seen staff out on the course undertaking this laborious task and wonder what all the fuss is about. Have any of us ever wondered how many man-hours go into hollow tining just one green? I bet very few of us, if any, will have given any thought at all to this question. Last week I had a break in teaching and sat on a buggy watching the care and precision that went into just one green out of eighteen. Let me tell you now, I would want a lot more money than our greenkeepers for the effort they put into getting each and every green perfectly prepared and worked on and back in play so quickly. All golfers should

respect the care and dedication of these workers. Unfortunately very few of us do. Most of us see them as a nuisance that should be off the golf course before we get near it. Having watched these men and women work so hard for our enjoyment I will be hard pushed to ever criticise their work again. The most amazing thing for me was the way that they carefully brushed the sand into the holes they had made so that within a few minutes the greens were playable again. Okay, they were not exactly perfect but they were just a week later and that is some achievement when you see a green looking like a ploughed field at one early stage of this necessary evil deed. To see the amount of what is really perfect grass and soil that is removed is astonishing. Then that has to be moved to somewhere that it can be dumped or used on another part of the course. Where I was watching, the grass was used to fill in some uneven parts of the rough getting overused as a passage to the next tee-ing ground. Just one week after the grass plugs were spread and rolled, this previously damaged area looked incredible. Golfers are fussy people and always demand the very best greens at every golf course. The only way to get what we require is to bow to the superior knowledge of those who have been trained in what is surely an art. Many of us think that anyone can grow grass where the temperature is high enough to provide growth all year round, just as we have here in our part of the world. To those people I say ‘give it a go in your garden and see how good you are.’ See how much water and feed it needs just to stay green, let alone good enough to be a putting surface. Any who have tried this here in The Costa Blanca will know exactly what I mean; it’s almost impossible. Greenkeepers are amongst the most disliked people in our sport because many of us see them as a huge inconvenience, getting in our way when playing or destroying for a few weeks what we see as

perfect playing surfaces. The next time you have a few minutes at the golf course just stop and take in what the greenkeeper and his staff are doing for you. Maybe then you will appreciate what they do and understand that theirs is a job of dedication rather than something where they will earn large sums of money.

THE PROFESSIONAL TOURS The WGC CA Championship in Florida took centre stage last weekend. Ernie Els returned to form in the early stages and at one time looked like he was going to run away with the event. A dodgy putting stroke that appeared on Saturday put paid to that expectation. The final round of 66 on Sunday took Els to his first WGC title and gave him a four shot victory over Charles Schwartzel. Harrington was the best of the home based players in third place. Yani Tseng won the Handa Australian Open on the ladies European Tour, taking the title by 3 shots from Laura Davies, the defending champion. 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 MARCH 2010 How many Majors has Seve Ballesteros? A. 5 B. 3 C. 4 All answers must be received no later than 17.00 on 1st April 2010 to be entered. The winner will be announced in RTN.

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

Welsh rugby comes to Torrevieja By Louise Clarke THE TORREVIEJA Rugby Club welcomed Welsh rugby football team Rumney RFC to Torrevieja for a friendly match last weekend. The Welsh Division One East club were in Torrevieja for the first time and despite some drunken shenanigans, in typical rugby style, the night before the match, the Welsh wonders stomped to victory against the home side. The final score was 21-53 in a highly entertaining match at the Rugby field in the Torrevieja Sports Ground. For more information on Torrevieja RFC, please call Jeff on 677 607 424 or Jerry on 695 953 137.

Welsh rugby football team, Rumney RFC

Torrevieja RFC

David Hoare

968 199 279

RODS and REELS THIS WEEK’S match was the 10th in the winter championship series, held on the Rio Segura at the Eden canal stretch. This championship is a series of 11 matches with the best 8 to count the last match to be held at the end of March. The weather took its toll again this week on the fishing. We arrived at the river with 2 degrees showing on the car thermometer. The river was running through at pace and was up and coloured. This was ‘draw your peg and find some slack water to fish.’ Overall there were 6 blanks and I was with several others nearly increasing these numbers. My first fish was just before 15.00 (we started at 09.00) with a second at 15.25, five minutes before the finish. Paul Baxter’s only fish came at 15.20. “Oh, the joys of fishing in Spain…” In saying that, at least we have fished all through the winter, whereas in the UK they have either had to break the ice, or not fish at all. Roll on the summer. TOP RODS OF THE DAY 1st John (Again I can’t believe it) Winstanley, fishing the feeder using corn with 3.74 kilo. Note: Must go in the pools next time. 2nd Harold (H) Clarke, fishing the pole using corn with 3.72 kilos 3rd Derek (The Beancounter) Swann, fishing the pole using maggot with 2.34 kilos OVERALL POINTS STATUS WITH NO DEDUCTIONS 1st Paul Baxter with 69 points 2nd Dave Hoare with 71 points 3rd Bill Reade with 89 points ANGLERS TOGETHER IMPORTANT MESSAGE: The friday Campoverde meetings will now be held at Marys Bar/ Restaurant. Taking the CV 925 from Pillar de la Horadada, turn right at the 1st roundabout into Pinar de Campoverde, then first left and following the slip road (past Fibber Mcgees and Lounge Bar 6) until you get to the next parade of shops. Mary’s bar is the 3rd / 4th unit up. The next meeting will be held on Friday 9th April at 12.00. The Puerto de Mazarron meetings remain at Los Galayos Bar/Restaraunt on the paseo, adjacent to the beach. Next meeting will be held on Saturday 10th April at 12.00. Work is still continuing on the Rio Segura at Murcia but is still fishable. Embalse de Pedrera: the water level has risen dramatically and is over the road at the broken bridge and still rising. Sweetwater: the final dredging has taken place and the works personnel have cleared the surrounding road of all the silt that was deposited there. However there are still workmen there. The banks are now angled and swims need cutting in! Please note that anglers have been turned off this water by the Spanish workers so be careful if you go there. Anglers Together continues to grow as a club with many friendships formed over the past 3 years. Many members fish together regularly and say they are pleased that they have taken up a sport that they once followed in their youth. We have the occasional organized outings but the main aim is to introduce members to find fishing companions and to assist in finding the fishing venues. The joining fee is €10 for new members and €5 for renewing members. If you are interested in joining or finding out more about Anglers Together, either come along to one of the meetings or contact Dave. (Alan is away on his annual trek to Oz). anglerstogether@gonuts4free.com or telephone Dave Hoare on 968 199 279. TIGHT LINES, DAVE HOARE

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