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Issue 725

6 - 12 SEPTEMBER 2013

A total of 6,616 visit tourism offices AUGUST WAS a busy month for Torrevieja’s Tourism Office, as 6,616 registered users sought information about the City of Salt.

by Keith Nicol

Taffeta goes to the races

Taffeta goes to the races KENZ BAR in San Luis welcomed a real live horse to their infamous Race Night last Wednesday evening.

Ken and Jan Keely are massive supporters of The Easy Horse Care Centre in Rojales. Sue and Rod Weeding, co-founders of the foundation, decided it was time for Taffeta, one of their miniature horses to make an appearance.

Read the full story on page 25.

See page 70

UNSURPRISINGLY, OVER 80% of these visits have been recorded in the new Office of Tourism on the Paseo Vista Alegre , which has become one of the most visited places in the city since its opening in May. What was a surprise was that for the first time, enquiries from French tourists surpassed the British, in the number of visitors to the tourist information offices The new centre of Tourism, located in the former Miramar restaurant and beside Real Club Nautico, saw a visitor increase of 32% over it’s the previous location in the Plaza Capdepont.

Torrevieja’s Councillors for Tourism, Luis María Pizana said that “of the visits recorded in August 2013, we have noticed a significant increase in international tourism, who accounted for 60% of all visitors, with the highest number coming from France, who placed in front of the visitors from the UK followed by visitors from Scandinavia, Germany and Belgian tourists.”

As for domestic tourism, Pizana indicated that the majority of National visitors remain those from the regions of Madrid, Basque Country and Castilla y Leon. The main areas of information requested was related to information about the beaches of Torrevieja and its environment, existing trails and routes in the Natural Park of the Lagunas de La Mata and Torrevieja, cultural activities and transport.

Continued on page 6

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06-12 SEPT 2013

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Alicante rapist found guilty

by Jan Gamm A MAN arrested for the kidnapping and rape of a 30-year-old lady doctor last Wednesday has confessed to burglary, attempted murder and rape in an Alicante court. The 29-year-old Slovakian man, described by police as “very dangerous,” worked as a furniture salesman. He allegedly used duplicate keys to break into the Cabo de las Huertas home of the doctor on 16th August and gagged her before viciously assaulting her and holding her prisoner until eventually members of her family arrived at the scene. In his haste to escape the man injured one of the family members with a kitchen knife. The man was apprehended by an off-duty Provincial Public Safety Brigade officer who spotted him sitting on a public park bench. In addition to robbing the house of the victim, the man confessed to stealing from three other houses after certain items were found at his home. He awaits sentencing.

Marina business now a sinking ship IN THE port of Alicante boating has become an ‘unnecessary luxury’ with the registration of boats falling by 68% over the past six years; hardly surprising in cash-strapped Spain.

There are now 6,000 empty moorings in the region where discounts of up to 50% have failed to attract customers and enrolment in the first half of 2013 has fallen by more than 30% since last year, victim to the decline in boat sales. And marina management has expressed some concern over the demand for Spanish second hand boats in other Mediterranean destinations, which offers a solution for owners needing to sell but does little for the home market. In the Valencia region, new boat sales fell by 26% during the first half of 2013 compared to the same period last year - 181 vessels registered this year compared with 273 that registered a year ago from Alicante, Valencia and Castellón.

06-12 SEPT 2013

06-12 SEPT 2013

Pensioner fights back in war of attrition

Clive Walley

by Jack Troughton PENSIONER CLIVE Walley has jumped into the front line trenches as British expats across the globe fight back against the Scrooge-like squeeze by successive governments on the rights of UK citizens.

The loss of a vote after 15 years and the attack on the Winter Fuel Allowance (WFA) is just the “thin end of the wedge” warns the 71-year-old Costa Blanca resident. And speaking at his Benitachell home, retired businessman and author Clive says his views – many echoed by a growing number of campaigning OAPs across Europe and as far away as Australasia and Africa – should be of concern to British citizens of every age.

“Today’s children are tomorrow’s pensioners. Already they are being told they will not be able to draw a State Pension until they are almost ready to drop because no British Government of any political persuasion, including the UK Independence Party, wants to pay pensions out,” he said.

“People in the meantime will continue to forcibly pay into the system. The money they are paying right now is being doled out to hundreds of thousands of people entering the UK from outside the EU legally or otherwise. It is not being saved for their future.”

There are around 5 million British pensioners living outside the UK and the campaign uses the power of the Internet to recruit members and organise a rearguard action against Westminster politicians presenting expat pensioners as idle scroungers sipping gin and tonics in the sun.

He speaks to RTN surrounded by downloaded documents, letters to and from MPs, and research. They are stored as hard copies in a file labelled: “War on Pensioners”. And he justifies this: “It is like a war. They are taking the WFA; they are taking the right to vote. The cost of passports is going up and up and soon they maybe out of the reach of some pensioners here – not the rich ones and there are plenty of those but those who have to stretch a miserly UK pension and make something go further.”

Clive added everything seemed to be under threat and “being disenfranchised with no vote is at the heart of it.”

He said: “In my view the British Government is imprisoning people and punishing them for moving outside the country.

“For years governments of all persuasions have eyed the pension and health benefits going to its elderly citizens with almost jealous rage. In short they would like us to die sooner and save the expense.”

He said from time to time politicians have used pensioners to improve their image by appearing to show benevolence towards them. “A classic example was the introduction of the WFA”.

THREAT Clive said for many it took a European Union court ruling to insure all pensioners received the payment – now under threat through a controversial temperature test.

And he said when Britain joined the EU after a referendum there was the idea of ‘no borders’ and people could choose where they wished to live and work. “All the things we were promised as an electorate to get a ‘yes’ vote seem to be lies now and we are starting to see the truth.

“This is not just for pensioners but every British expat who chooses to live outside the UK.” Clive proposes five bullet points to protect expats after he believes pensioners are already being targeted in policies any incoming government would adopt.

The right to vote for all UK citizens around the world must be protected.

The ability to vote must be protected.

Preservation of the right to a State Pension by those who have contributed all their lives, wherever the recipient lives.

Universal payments such as the WFA must be protected unless universally withdrawn and the government should have no right to sideline European Court rulings.

The right to hold a British passport must be unchallengeable and sacrosanct during the life of the holder unless they choose to relinquish it and adopt another nationality.

Clive said: “I see the WFA as being the thin edge of the wedge. It is almost like they are probing to see what they can get away with in government. I am not an agitator. I believe in fair play and justice for all and I am a great believer in real democracy.” He urges people to lobby Prime Minister David Cameron, Chancellor George Osborne, MPs, “and anyone else in government to disturb their slumbers.”

For more information visit www.votes-for-expat-brits.com

New rail safety measures at Santiago IT HAS been confirmed by the Minister for Development Ana Pastor that Railway infrastructure company ADIF has implemented the safety measures recommended for the stretch of track where the Santiago rail disaster of 24th July occurred. The upgrade includes new and more precise signalling and also automatic braking systems in parts of the track.

06-12 SEPT 2013

OMIC receives 479 complaints COUNCILLOR AUGUSTINA Esteve issued the latest figures from Torrevieja’s OMIC office this week. She announced that during the first six months of this year 2013 a total of 1,256 people visited the Municipal Office of Consumer Information (OMIC), located in the La Mata Town Hall.

by Keith Nicol Of the 1,256 served, 479 had some type of claim or complaint, while the remaining 777 needed some information or advice.

Of the 479 complaints, the largest sector was once again telecommunication companies, with a total of 192 complaints, followed by Banks and Savings Companies with 45 claims then it’s the turn of the supplies sector, in particular the supply of electricity, with 32 claims.

By contrast, the sector that received fewer complaints was the Housing sector, with only four claims, which is significant because in previous years it was one of the sectors most affected by the claims and complaints.

Agustina Esteve highlighted the fact that there are hardly any complaints against small and medium local businesses, which must be taken into account by the consumer, and she noted that this was significant because “it gives you peace of mind when carrying out your purchases.” OMIC noted that in terms of the power industry, that when there is a conflict or misunderstanding between the local merchant and the consumer, this is usually resolved without going through the complaint process.

With regard to requests for information or advice, as has happened with the claims in previous years, the sector that generated more was the Telecommunications sector, in particular, on issues relating to invoices, penalties and premium services.

Agustina Esteve said that “during the first six months of 2013, due to the current situation, we also advised on issues related to foreclosures, repossessions, social rents, etc. Thus we are carrying out an information campaign about the pos-

sibility of stopping an eviction by publishing a booklet with the most interesting and relevant facts about the Act, which can help to accommodate groups, advise on economic limits, time of closure etc and how one can apply for help.

The month with the highest number of visitors to the OMIC was January, followed by April and May with February having the least number of complaints and requests for information or advice.

Esteve reported that “the Municipal Office of Consumer Information has collaborated with the Consumer Arbitration Board of Alicante in the processing of applications for accession to the Arbitration System by Torrevieja establishments and companies, as well as the request for Arbitration by consumers and collaboration with the Youth Council to hold a Workshop on the Use of Social Networks.” Finally, the Consumer councillor said they the council “have developed various information campaigns: Court Fees, stopping mortgage foreclosures, protesting about the financial sector and a campaign against counterfeiting. More information about OMIC and other aspects of the Municipal council can be found on the city’s website: www.torrevieja.es.

The La Mata Town Hall, the new home for OMIC

Protestors derail Alicante tram inauguration

THE TRAM connection between Alicante and San Vicent del Raspeig was to have been opened by the head of the Generalitat, Alberto Fabra this week, providing a convenient link between the two cities. The new shuttle offers transport for 4,000 passengers in and out of the University campus at peak times running every eight minutes. The FGV (Ferrocarriles de la Generalitat) shuttle at a cost of €150 million was planned to open for service at 2pm on Wednesday. However, around 150 protestors carrying posters and anti-corruption slogans against Rajoy’s PP government staged a peaceful demonstration across the tracks on Line 2 during the afternoon, forcing the inauguration to be suspended along with the maiden tram run. The 9km route, 1.6km of which is underground, features 14 stops with prices set the same as for other urban transport: 1.45€ for a single ticket; 8.25€ for 10 travel vouchers and bulk ticket deals available. Pensioners travel free.

06-12 SEPT 2013

Mayor welcomes this summer’s volunteers

by Keith Nicol EDUARDO DOLON, Torrevieja’s Mayor, accompanied by the Councillor for Social Welfare and Accessibility, Bienestar Social y Accesibilidad, Tomás Ballester, welcomed volunteers who helped out with this summer’s programme called ‘Blue Leisure Days’. The special project was developed along with the operators of the Aquópolis waterpark where the volunteers helped to cater for the needs of more than a hundred visitors, all suffering from different cases of disability, who otherwise would have been unable to enjoy the facilities of the park.

Along with being able to optimise the resources offered by Aquópolis, including all of the activities, it proved to be a pleasant way to improve community awareness of the disabled.

The Mayor thanked the management and staff of the Aquatic Park Aquópolis for their invaluable assistance, and all the volunteers for their dedicated and unselfish work, their dedication and in giving up their own free time to such a worthy endeavour.

Dolon added, in reference to the volunteers, that they are “ensuring they are a clear example for many people, waiting for next summer, as we hope that more people will become involved in this exciting charity project, which has proven to be such a success.

During the summer 2013 a total of 26 volunteers coordinated and supported more than a hundred people with dis-

abilities who enjoyed such different activities as aqua gym combined with relaxation and stretching activities, face painting, table games and bowls. Similarly, and within this

Continued from front page In regard to Hotel occupancy during August, Pizana said that from information correlated form the city’s hotels and tourist apartments, that the occupancy rate for the month of August reached 88%, especially in the first three weeks of month, selling out with a 100% occupancy level during the changeover weekend in the middle of the month.

Luis María Pizana said that “overall the hotel industry professionals were satisfied with the results obtained, thanks mainly to late bookings, which increasingly are becoming more frequent.”

solidarity program, more than one hundred families with limited financial resources were also able to enjoy Torrevieja’s superb Water Park for free.

The black market copper trade THE GUARDIA Civil has called for more involvement from municipalities to help curb illegal junkyards that trade in stolen copper. One of those at the helm of the renewed drive to combat copper theft is Head of Seprona Lieutenant Antonio Carrillo: “This is not a single battle,” he said, “Much of the thefts are on a ‘steal to order’ basis and there is an extensive network of warehouse

operating outside the law.” Carrillo acknowledges that to surprise a burglar in the act of thieving copper is “virtually impossible” and by the time the crime has been discovered the copper is often already cut up and distributed through various warehouses. A new network of command is being set up in September in an effort to control the massive black market metal trade.

06-12 SEPT 2013

Gibraltar tension rumbles on AS THE EU prepares to send a monitoring team into Gibraltar this month, UK and Spanish foreign ministers have confirmed that no talks on sovereignty of Gibraltar are on the agenda.

by Jan Gamm Prime Minister David Cameron assured Gibraltar first minister Fabian Picardo last week that Britain was standing firmly behind Gibraltarians, who have made it clear that they wish to remain under the British flag. And Foreign Secretary William Hague told the Commons that the UK government would “never negotiate over sovereignty” over Gibraltarian heads. Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, ad-

PP accused of destroying computer evidence THE NATIONAL Court has confirmed that computers used by ex-PP Treasurer Luis Bárcenas, appearing on charges of corruption and fraud, have been ‘manipulated’. Bárcenas lawyer, Javier Gómez de Liaño, told the press that the computers contained “extraordinarily important information of interest and relevance to the case.” Bárcenas used the computers at the PP HQ in Madrid and now claims the machines have been tampered with. The left wing party Izquierda Unida has described the PP’s behaviour as “Mafia-like,” saying the PP had “lost all shame and composure.” The revelations come as Bárcenas’ legal representative prepares another bail request.

Border Force nets smuggler

A 44-year-old man is behind bars after attempting to smuggle five kilos of cannabis with a street value of over £60,000 into Britain from Spain.

Officers of Border Force stopped Nicholas Giles at Southampton International Airport on 6th May after he arrived on a flight from Malaga – a victory for the new law enforcement agency created in March last year to protect UK borders. Before his luggage was searched, Giles, who said he was of no fixed abode in Spain, admitted having five kilos of “weed” in his suitcase. It was opened and the drugs were seen wrapped in clear plastic. At Southampton Crown Court on Monday, Giles was jailed for 12 months after he earlier admitted being knowingly concerned in the evasion of the prohibition on the importation of a Class B drug.

Border Force’s Malcolm Bragg said the case should warn others that drug traffickers would be caught and punished. “Our officers play an important role in protecting t he public and work hard to make sure drugs are not smuggled into this country,” he said. “Drug trafficking is a serious offence and those convicted will face prison sentences. The message to anyone tempted to get involved is clear. We will catch you and you will pay with your liberty.”

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling can call a special hotline on 0800 59 5000.

dressing Spanish MPs, said: “Friendship should prevail between Spain and the UK,” adding that “…now is not the time to discuss sovereignty,” hinting that when the time was right such “private conversations” would be held behind closed doors, “not under the spotlight.” Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman said Hague as foreign minister should make it clear to Spain that “harassment at the border and intrusion into British sovereign waters will not be tolerated and if need be there will be reprisals.”

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06-12 SEPT 2013

Operation Captura down to last ten

by Keith Nicol CRIMESTOPPERS HAVE been successful in locating all but the final ten fugitives on their International Campaign, Operation Captura.

Crimestoppers and the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) have released information about criminals believed to be on the run in Spain in seven batches under Operation Captura since 2006. 52 of the 65 people wanted under Operation Captura have now been arrested and brought to justice.

For years, Spain has been an appealing hideaway for British criminals evading capture. But this changed in 2004 with European Arrest Warrants, making it easier to bring British criminals back to face justice.

Now the final countdown begins in Spain as only ten most wanted individuals remain on their Operation Cap-

tura list following the arrest of the 53rd target.

Many of those arrested are now serving lengthy prison sentences for their crimes, which range from drug trafficking to sex crimes to murder.

The latest arrest was that of Darren Kevin O’Flaherty, who was detained in North Wales on August 6th whilst celebrating his birthday in a Chinese restaurant. The 39-year-old was wanted for kidnap and robbery offences for his involvement in an HGV driver being held at knifepoint while his lorry was driven from North Yorkshire to Liverpool. Once the £400,000 worth of cargo was unloaded and the driver released after several hours, the vehicle was set alight. O’Flaherty was also wanted over the 2010 murder of Dublin holidaymaker John O’Neill in Spain.

Other recent high profile arrests include that of Mark Lilley, one of Britain’s most wanted fugitives, found hiding in a panic room when officers raided a luxury villa in Malaga on July 6th. On July 8th drug dealer Eriberto Jimenez Melo was returned to the UK to serve a long prison sentence, having been arrested in Italy following an operation car-

ried out by officers of the Udine and Parma Carabinieri. The 50th Operation Captura arrest took place in May when Andrew Moran was arrested in Spain for an aggravated robbery that took place eight years ago.

Awareness of the last ten fugitives is being highlighted across Spain in areas with a large British expatriate community such as Malaga and Alicante, which are potential hideouts for fugitives on the run from British law enforcement.

Roger Critchell, Director of Operations at Crimestoppers, said: “With the arrest of O’Flaherty we are down to the final ten remaining fugitives left on the run from our Operation Captura campaign. The success of

these appeals means that they won’t be out there for long. The recent arrests we have seen have proven again that the cooperation between UK and Spanish law enforcement, SOCA and the public is essential in this fight against crime. It is thanks to them that we only have ten criminals left on this list. If you call us, no-one will ever know you who you are and you will not go to court. Contact us on 0800 555 111 or through our website.” Calls to the Spanish telephone number 900 555 111 are answered in the UK by Crimestoppers’ call agents and a translation service is available upon request. More information at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org.

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06-12 SEPT 2013

Torrevieja open Saturday

by Keith Nicol SUMMER’S OVER which means it’s a return to Torrevieja’s ‘Open Saturday’ campaign. Unlike the shops back home in the UK and Ireland, most downtown shopping areas in Spain tend to take a half-day on Saturday and Torrevieja is no exception: except during these special promotional campaigns. Thus tomorrow, Saturday, September 7, the Department of Commerce along with the small and medium business association ‘Apymeco’ resumes their commercial campaign ‘Torrevieja, open Saturday’ with various events happening around the town centre.

The first activities start around the area of the Inmaculada Church on calle Concepción from 11:30am and reopen after lunch from 5:30pm until around 8.00pm. look out for your chance to experience what it’s like to parachute freefall with a special wingsuit simulator both morning and evening. The evening features music from the British group the ‘Reef Band’, with their repertoire of pop music from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Everyone is encouraged to join in the fun with singing and dancing in the streets to songs from The Beatles, Take That, David Bowie, Bon Jovi, Cliff Richard, Buddy Holly and

Elvis, to name but a few.

In front of the Inmaculada Church and Town hall in the main Plaza of the Constitution, there will be a bouncy castle for the little ones to enjoy. Joining them in the square will be members from ASILA Association offering you a taste of their International cuisine plus some musical performances and dancing. At the intersection of calles Joaquín Chapaprieta and Pedro Lorca, Elche’s Rio Safari will be setting up a display area and petting zoo with their animals that will probably include camels, iguanas, ponies and other small animals and playground Arena Park there will be

face painting workshop and children’s entertainment, accompanied by monitors and the TV character SpongeBob, to liven up your children’s afternoon.

The gym Fit4all will offer the chance to join in with one of their Zumba classes, there’s a kids karate demonstration and a display and demonstration of cosmetic products from Mary Kay on Calle Caballero de Rodas, opposite the Post Office. A list of all of the Apymeco shops taking part in Saturday’s campaign can be found at www.shoppintorrevieja.com,where you will also find all of the offers and deals plus promotions for Saturday afternoon.

The Iberdrola Bus visits Torrevieja IBERDROLA’S ECO bus visited the centre of Torrevieja last week. Located on the central Paseo de la Avenida de la Libertad over the course of fours days more than 1,500 people visited the bus to learn more about how to save money on the electric bill. Staff showed visitors how the interactive displays worked and taught everyone about the importance of renewable energy and how best to care for the environment. All this was achieved through several monitors, laptops and explanatory videos.

Visitors stayed in the bus for an average of 30 minutes and on completing their tour received gifts, which included a personified pin with a photo of themselves, recyclable shopping bags, candy or fans, so useful at this time of year, between other gifts.

Iberdrola is the world leader in wind energy production and the energy group leader in Spain, and this travelling campaign was an opportunity for everyone to discover the Bus, and to learn more about their commitment to the environment. The bus is visiting San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia), today Friday September 6th and Saturday 7th in Mar Park, SSMM los Reyes de España Esplanade. From 10th to 14th of September it shall be visiting Sagunto (Valencia).

Beaches back to normal THE ALICANTE beaches of San Juan and Albufereta have returned to normal after being deluged with garbage, dead rats and cockroaches following last week’s storm. 16 operators instead of the usual 12 worked tirelessly to return the beaches to their usual pristine condition. Last Friday morning the area was littered with fallen branches, glass, bottles and other waste, prompting operators to prohibit swimming until all traces of contamination had been cleared.

Access to Spain’s health system

by Jack Troughton BRITISH EXPATS have a final chance to learn how to correctly use their European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) to access medical treatment in Spain.

A final round of talks to British residents in the Valencia Autonomous Community is taking place this autumn and winter in a successful campaign that started a year ago.

The talks centre on the EHIC and have helped raise awareness of the card and how to use them amongst British citizens - and Spanish healthcare staff.

Martyn Standing, who leads the campaign on behalf of the UK Department of Health, said: “After a lot of stories in the media about EHICs over the last few months, this is a great opportunity for expats to come and get the facts straight from the horse’s mouth.

“Given the recent changes to the state healthcare system and the latest news regarding the Spanish Government Insurance Scheme, which will provide state healthcare for people who aren’t currently covered, Britons living in Spain really shouldn’t miss the chance to get to one of the final talks on EHICs”.

TARGET After controversial media stories about people refused treatment or facing demands for payment, the campaign also targeted the administrative staff of the Valencia Health Authority.

This is to explain how the UK government covers its citizens in Spain and how their medical care is funded by Britain.

The European Union funded campaign has involved an innovative partnership between the Department of Health and Valencia Health Authority. Comprehensive information on the use of EHICs can be found at www.healthcareinspain.eu

Martyn Standing

All the talks with Martyn Standing will start at 12 noon will be held at the following venues: 10th September, at Guardamar del Segura, (Casa de Cultura, Calle Colón, 60); 24th September, La Nucia (Centro Cultural Auditori de la Mediterránia, Plaza de l’Almassera, 1); 2nd October, San Fulgencia (Ayuntamiento de San Fulgencio, Centro Social, Calle San Fransisco de Asís, Urb La Marina); 3rd October, Orihuela Costa (Ayuntamiento de Orihuela Costa, Salon de Actos, Playa Flamenca N332).

On 22nd October, Santa Pola (Casa de la Cultura, Calle Elche 24); 5th November, San Miguel de Salinas (Casa de Cultura de San Miguel de Salinas, Plaza Jaime I); 19th November, Teulada-Moraira (venue to be confirmed); 11th December, Pilar de la Horadada (Casa de Cultura, Salón de Actos, Calle Carretillas, 19); and 12th December, Algorfa (Centro Cultural San Vicente Ferrer, Calle Mayor, 33).

06-12 SEPT 2013

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06-12 SEPT 2013

David Frost passes away on the Queen Elizabeth DAVID FROST, one of the most respected broadcast journalists over the past fifty years, passed away at the age of 74 from a suspected heart attack this week.

by Keith Nicol Frost had just completed his first scheduled lecture onboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and although a full medical team was onboard the cruise liner, he was pronounced dead and his body taken ashore in the ship’s first port of call Lisbon.

Born April 7, 1939 in Tenderden in Kent, David Frost developed most of his career with the BBC. Frost became known to a worldwide audience back in 1977 with his in depth interview with Richard Nixon. A firm favourite with Cunard guests, the respected journalist was onboard the liner and visited Gran Canaria in 2010, during the maiden voyage of the legendary Queen Elizabeth.

Commanding the legendary ship was Captain Chris Wells, who had a second home in Torrevieja for many years, and during the voyage, which took place from 12th to 25th October 2010, he recalled the maiden voyage of Cunard’s famous Queen Elizabeth 2. His lecture in the Royal Theatre of Queen Elizabeth, was a success, with a full house and the audience stood and applauded at its conclusion.

The Queen Elizabeth’s third voyage brought the ship to Alicante where Torrevieja’s former councillor for Foreigners Pedro Valero and Graham Knight, Director of the Foreign Resident’s Office met with Captain Wells, who confirmed that if Torrevieja developed a Cruise ship dock beside the Marina Salinas breakwater, that the manoeuvrability powers of the Queen Elizabeth, would allow her to dock there.

Queen Elizabeth II herself christened the ship on October 11, 2010 and this was only her third cruise. She is 92,000 gross registered tons, 294 metres long, 33 meters across (beam), has 12-decks above the waterline, can cruise at 23.7 knots an hour and has a capacity of 2,092 guests. In relative terms, the ill-fated Titanic was about half the size of the Cunard’s newest vessel, being 46,328 gross registered tones but almost as long at 269.1 metres, had nine-decks, held 3,547 passengers with 860 crew and a top speed of 23 knots per hour. The Queen Elizabeth is the length of three football fields, as high as the tallest apartment building in Torrevieja and offers more hotel beds than is available in the entire city of Torrevieja!

Yesterday the Queen Elizabeth made a scheduled stop in Cartagena, where I had hoped to meet with Sir David for RTN, as I had cruised before with him on the QE2. Sir David will be sadly missed by his family and friends, as a journalist and a guest lecturer. Tributes poured in this week from political leader such as British Prime Minister, David Cameron, to entertainers and his former TV colleague Michael Parkinson.

Avenida de John Major THE SMALL town of Candeleda honoured ex-British Prime Minister John Major this week with a street named ‘Avenida de John Major’. “I can only say ‘gracias’ for the road,” said Sir John. And ‘gracias’ is about all he can say – after holidaying in Spain for 25 years, the ex Tory PM admits he is a lazy linguist and cannot speak any Spanish! When in Spain, Major stays at the country home of a friend and former Conservative Party colleague, Tristan Garel-Jones, whose Spanish wife inherited the property: “Most British tourists come to Spain to enjoy its beautiful seaside and island resorts but I’ve learnt differently,” said Major, “but I would urge them to venture into ‘real Spain’, a whole range of stunningly beautiful towns and villages of which Candeleda is, to me, one of the jewels.”

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06-12 SEPT 2013

Funday ‘Flog it!’

ANTIQUES EXPERT and television personality Mark Stacey will cast an experienced eye over people’s collectables when he runs a ‘Flog It!’ style stall at a charity fun day.

by Jack Troughton The popular Welshman - also a stalwart of programmes such as ‘Bargain Hunt’, ‘Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is’, and ‘Antiques Road Trip’ – will be offering valuations at the Charity Funday-Sunday in Javea on 22nd September.

The day is being held in aid of Guardian Angels and Costa Blanca Dog Homing at the Palacio de la Paz at Carrer de la Salvia 20, Toscal – itself something of a TV star having featured on the series ‘May the Best House Win’.

Organiser Sue Nutbrown, who played host to guests visiting her home for the ITV programme, said Mark, an antiques dealer, valuer and auctioneer, who also runs an antiques business in Brighton, would value antiques for a donation of 3€.

She said Guardian Angels raises funds to provide both financial and emotional support to single parent families.

“They are going to have a stand selling their very own ‘Calendar Girls’ style, saucy but tasteful, calendar”.

PUPPY Costa Blanca Dog Homing uses Facebook to help find homes for the Benidorm Dog Pound. Both will share a stall and will bring some puppies to melt hearts. Sue said “The puppies won’t get tired by too much handling and being loved – there is a quiet area for them to have a rest and they will be rotated.”

The afternoon starts at 2pm. There is an auction at 4pm with prizes including holidays and a signed shirt and photo-

Maria and the Pink Ladies at it again

graph of Javea-born tennis star David Ferrer. And at 5.30pm Javea Mayor Chulvi will be handing out raffle prizes.

Live entertainment includes the Vicky Reynolds Tribute Band and Flamenco dancing featuring Suzanna Mace with husband John accompanying on guitar.

A Michellin-trained chef is cooking giant paella, a barbeque will sell hotdogs and burgers, while a South African Braai will Maria and the Pink Ladies want you offer veggie toasties. A paid bar will be open throughout.

ONCE AGAIN Maria and her Pink Ladies will be holding Kids will enjoy a bouncy castle and face painting, while their annual end of summer ball. This year is their fourth there are beauty treatments and tarot card readings. event and definitely not to be missed as this year’s theme will be a masked ball to be held at the fabulous Campoamor Golf Club restaurant. There are still a few tickets left at 30 euros per head, which includes a three course meal with drinks, while on the terrace there will be cocktails on arrival and a free fun casino with prizes.

Guests will be entertained by the unbelievable magician Graham Mykal, the best Neil Diamond tribute act on the Costa Blanca and the Costa Blanca’s most popular live Disc Jockey, DJ Snoopy, to help you to dance the night away! So if you want to have an absolutely fantastic evening then call Maria on 633 487 595, Carl on 633 673 723 or e mail info@ pinkladies.es for your chance at picking up some of the last remaining tickets.

Maria is also looking for some volunteers to help at the AECC office in Torrevieja. They just need a few people to help out one morning a week from 10.00am till 1.00pm in the Torrevieja office. No experience is needed and full training will be given so if you would like to help then call Maria on 633 487 595 or e mail info@pinkladies.es for more details.

Mark Stacey

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Línea Directa’s medical treatment guarantees quality WITH THIS service, the first of its kind in Spain, each patient saves an average of two months and 15 days on his or her treatment.

The treatment is offered free of charge in all policies and covers not only the people travelling in the insured car but also injured thirdparties.

At the end of 2004, Línea Directa launched its Full Medical Treatment service, a complete private network of health assistance which guarantees those people injured in traffic accidents complete and immediate health assistance.

The service, the only one of its kind in Spain, is totally free and is available to all people – drivers and occupants – travelling in a car insured by Línea Directa, whether they are to blame for the accident or not, as well as injured third parties.

To operate this service, Línea Directa has created an extensive assistance network by means of collaboration agreements with prestigious medical specialists, hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, diagnosis centres and patient transportation services.

Línea Directa also offers its customer services entirely in English and German, acting as intermediaries not only with repair garages but also with medical centres.

Thanks to the speed of all the processes included in this service, which makes it possible to reduce waiting times and achieve a better and faster recovery, patients save an average of 2 months and 15 days in their treatment which allows them to get back to their personal and professional lives much sooner.

This treatment is offered in conjunction with Línea Directa’s Psychological Attention Plan, which includes professional support both for those involved in a traffic accident as well as for their closest family members.

You can find out more about all the benefits available at www.lineadirecta.com or by calling 902 123 104.

Saturday’s Pascual Flores Regatta

by Keith Nicol THE INTERNATIONAL Marina will mark the start point for this weekend’s sailing of the IV Pascual Flores Trophy, organised by Club Náutico Torrevieja. Racing will take place along the coast from Torrevieja to Santa Pola on Saturday, September 7, 2013, starting

from 10.00am. The race is for cruising yachts of category measurement certificate RI, and is regarded as a race of interest within the Official Calendar of the Sailing Federation of Valencia, with the collaboration of the City of Torrevieja and the Sailing Federation of the Valencian Community (FVCV).

Since its origin in 2010, this race has been

Enter a beautiful world

By Jack Troughton ‘BEAUTIFUL WORLD’ – or Mundo Hermoso - is a new exhibition by talented Costa Blanca artists Jan Calderwood and Anne Kerr.

The pair will be at the Casa de Cultura in Els Poblets for a special preview party this evening (Friday 6th September) from 7pm and more than 100 paintings - watercolours, pastels and oils - and drawings can be viewed.

The exhibition, which runs until Saturday 21st September, features many aspects of the natural world – animals, landscapes and seascapes from the UK, France and Spain, as well as dancers and flowers.

The exhibition is open every night between 7pm and 9pm, except Sundays when it is open between 11am and 1pm.

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Saturday’s Pascual Flores Trophy runs along the coast from Torrevieja to Santa Pola

well received and greeted with great enthusiasm by local yachtsmen and by the organizers.

It was originally designed as a tribute to the schooner Pascual Flores, which was the last yacht built on the beach in front of Torrevieja’s Casino, and formally one of the featured ships on the BBC TV series ‘The Oniden Line’, which is docked beside the Delfin S61 Subma-

rine as part of Torrevieja’s floating museum.

The route of the race follows the same course from the first edition. It is a 29-mile coastal race, starting near the Port of Torrevieja, and finishing at Tabarca for boats of greater length, and for smaller yachts they start in Torrevieja, race to Guardamar and return to Torrevieja for a shorter race of 19 miles.

Memory Walk for Alzheimer’s Association This year’s memory walk (El Camino de la Memoria) organised by the Alzheimer’s Association is taking place to celebrate World Alzheimer’s Day, which this year is on Saturday, September 21st. The walk will start at 5.00pm from the main square in the town, proceed along the Paseo Vista Alegre to the Punta Margalla, which is the cape with the Egyptian style columns on it, and then return to the main square by the same route.

There is an entry fee of five euros per person in aid of AFA Torrevieja and everyone is encouraged to get their friends and family to sponsor them. The Kiosko Cabo Cervera is kindly providing water for all the walkers. Sponsorship forms can be obtained from the Alzheimer’s charity shop in Torrevieja, the Torry Army office at the entrance to San Luis, Jennie Mutter by emailing jenniemutter@hotmail.com, telephoning 966 780 595 or Matilde Sanchez on 636 110 251.

Bring the dog (on its lead) bring the baby buggy, preferably complete with baby or bring a wheelchair bound friend. The route is flat, interesting and easy, so come along and support AFA to beat last year’s total funds raised.

06-12 SEPT 2013

Benidorm Pride is coming…

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STARTING ON Monday the resort will host its third Benidorm Gay Pride – but the main events will be held on Friday 13th and Saturday 14th, which is what everyone looks forward to.

THE ORGANISING committee is made up of Sammy Kruz and Christian Renan Zambrano – the boys which are hosting the the two day spectacular together with Boris Nikulin, Marc Gadea and Chelo Oliva.

Benidorm Old Town is quickly developing into a popular destination hotspot for gay and lesbian travellers and will soon be competeing with the likes of Gran Canaria, Mykanos and Sitges. In the main this is thanks to its charming location and relaxed easy going gay friendly bars, clubs and hotels.

The Town Hall are fully supportive of this spectacular annual event and the main stage for the weekends programme will be under the Town Hall square, where you will also find the beer tent! Things kick off on Friday

at 6pm with Sammy warming up the crowds before the start of the drag queen gala, from which a winner will be chosen and announced before the end of the night. At 9pm our very own Girls Aloud tribute band will take to the stage to entertain the crowds – as they did very successfully last year.

Saturday is the most exciting and fun part of the entire event – the parade! The floats and participants will gather at the McDonalds in the Rincon de Loix at 6pm for a 7pm start – for those wishing to take part the message is you cannot have too much glamour and sparkle for the occasion! The parade will go down the Levante seafront and end up at the Town Hall – in all it is expected to last about an hour and a half. The hugely popular Mother Monster

Jazz at the castle

MANHATTON JAZZ performs at Moraira Castle on Sunday evening in a fund-raising concert organised by Teulada Moraira Lions Club.

The popular outfit always entertains with its infectious sound and will be on stage at 8pm – the music starts at 6pm.

The concert is free although Lions will circulate with buckets to collect donations – the money is used to support good causes in the community. For more information go to www.teuladamorairalions.org

(Lady Gaga tribute) will be on stage at 9.30pm to maintain the buzz and atmosphere and will perform the grand finale at 11pm.

On both nights everyone then heads off to the Old Town to carry on celebrating where all the bars have extended opening licenses – so make sure you take a siesta in the afternoon. One very important point

is that you do not need to be gay to take part (just incase you are wondering)– its a community event that includes everyone. On behalf of the committee Sammy would like to thank all those taking part in the event – all the acts are giving their time for free to help make this the most talked about pride in Europe.

The 8 Seasons by Vivaldi and Piazzolla NEXT SATURDAY, September 14th, will undoubtedly be another one of those big dates for music, in Torrevieja, as at 9.00pm in the city’s impressive International Auditorium, Torrevieja’s Symphony Orchestra will be performing a very special, one time only concert; ‘The 8 Seasons” by Vivaldi and Piazzola’.

The Torrevieja Symphony Orchestra

is directed by José Francisco Sánchez, and on this occasion accompanied on violin by Oksana Solovieva. In “The 8 Seasons”, by Vivaldi (1678-1741), a violin soloist finds himself in dialogue with the other instruments of the string family to describe the changing seasons. Combining the four seasons of Vivaldi and Piazzola gives us the

‘eight’! Ticket prices range from 6€ to 15€ depending on your choice of seating in the impressive, 1,400 seat auditorium.

Tickets are available from the Municipal Theatre box office Tuesday through Friday from 7.00pm to 9.00pm and from two hours before the show next Saturday, or 7.00pm, at the venue itself and through www.Instanticket.es

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06-12 SEPT 2013

The Best of Broadway spectacular

by Patricia Thompson EUB2B PROMOTIONS are pleased to announce The Best of Broadway show on Thursday 12th September 2013 at the fabulous new MED Beach club, situated on the Arenales beach between Gran Alicant and Santa Pola.

The show will consist of some of the most famous songs from Musical theatre of Broadway including Phantom, Evita, Cats, West Side Story, Grease, and Showboat - music that has delighted audiences throughout the world over the last 60 years or so. The cast flew in from UK for this prestigious occasion, hailed as the musical event of the season.

This is an opportunity to visit the West End Theatres and revel in the true professionalism of talent on offer in the UK. The show promises to be a delight to the senses – the same show will go on to tour in 2014 offering a showcase of the London Theatre to audiences throughout the Gulf.

ROYAL COMMAND PERFORMANCES Each and every one of the performers has a wonderful pedigree on the stage, appearing in front of Presidents, Royalty and a catalogue of the rich and famous, as well as making dozens of TV and Radio appearances between them.

Buses are available from Gran Alicant and tickets cost just 15€ which includes the first drink. Food is available if requested, and the show starts at 10pm. Why not dress to impress and get a group of friends together to experience Broadway by the Med. THE CAST Johnny Amobi: a world class Singer and exceptional Enter-

tainer with an extensive career including leading roles in many of London top West End shows as well as many appearances on British TV. Johnny has performed for many celebrity clients including The President of Cyprus, HRH Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Prince William, Liza Minnelli, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, Kevin Spacey and Dame Judy Dench.

Hannah Kilminster: a veteran of British TV who has appeared on Britain’s Got Talent as part of the production backing singers and has appeared in West End productions of Evita, The Spirit of Broadway, Phantom, Cats and many more.

She has also sung at the Classic Brit Awards for the BBC. Chelsea Turnbull: an up and coming star, who although still in her early twenties has started to make her name in show business, and has appeared in several West End Theatre productions including a starring role at the Jermyn Street theatre and most recently in the Dick Whittington Pantomime which toured UK in 2012.

Rachael Cowden: has worked in Musical Theatre and starred in many roles in the West End including productions of West Side Story, John the Baptist as Judas (in a ground-breaking all-female cast of Godspell) and LV in The Rise and Fall of Lit-

tle Voice. She has become a household name in the world of Jazz and Blues. In a reprisal of her role as LV, Rachael performed her ‘Divas’ show – an impersonation show based upon Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Bassey, Marlene Dietrich and Edith Piaf. Performing at Café De Paris, Volupte, Madame Jojo’s, The Pheasantry and The Battersea Barge, she received tremendous reviews and is constantly sought after, soon to perform at several prestigious events across Europe - including a society wedding at The Four Seasons, Prague.

Enjoy EKA’s Mardi Gras Market THE EUROPEAN Kids Association is hoping people will support the carnival atmosphere of the EKA Mardi Gras Market on Saturday 21st September at Gata de Gorgos. An evening of fun for all the family starts at 5pm at Iron Art and EKA is encouraging visitors to join in by staging a fancy dress competition and has organised street performances, specially decorated stalls and face painting for the youngsters. Anyone wishing to take part as a volunteer or as a stall holder can contact Lauren Staton on 665 012 228. EKA supports young people finding job opportunities in a variety of fields and is run by a team of volunteers.

To find out more visit www.europeankidsassociation.com

Taffeta goes to the races KENZ BAR in San Luis welcomed a real live horse to their infamous Race Night last Wednesday evening.

by Patricia Thompson Ken and Jan Keely are massive supporters of The Easy Horse Care Centre in Rojales.

Sue and Rod Weeding, co-founders of the foundation, decided it was time for Taffeta, one of their miniature horses to make an appearance.

Despite the approaching storm she wore her new coat, made from the same material used for the lining of the British Olympic equestrian team jackets. Taffeta was her usual glamorous self and relishes her many public appearances. These popular events provide much needed funds for the EHCRC charity and give people the chance to experience a night at the races whilst enjoying a drink at their local.

This was the sixth Race Night that Ken and Jan have hosted this year and they have already booked two more in September and October: “We really enjoy hosting these nights as it is something different for our customers to enjoy and everyone can join in” said Ken. “Jan and myself feel it is important to help worthy causes such as The Easy Horse Care

Dog training

Rescue Centre and to be able to do this and have a great night at the same time makes it all the more enjoyable”.

Last year Kenz Bar raised 1,000€ for the centre: this year they are well on their way to doubling that. The funds are essential for the day to day running of the centre, now with 57 equines in its care.

If you run a bar or know somebody who would like to host one of these events, contact David Feest on 639 781 528 or email admin@easyhorsecare.net A last word from Ken: “It was great to meet Taffeta. However the tips she gave me were useless. So much for straight from the horse’s mouth…”

If you would like to visit Taffeta and our other 56 horses, ponies and donkeys the Rescue Centre is open to the public every Sunday from 1pm with tasty refreshments available.

For more information or directions visit www.easyhorsecare.net or call 652 021 980.

Visit one of our charity shops in Guardamar, Quesada, Los Montesinos, La Zenia and La Siesta. And the English tack shop at the Rescue Centre is open 7 days from 10am.

By Jack Troughton ANIMAL CHARITY SCAN is offering basic dog training every Saturday at its home on the industrial estate at El Vergel.

The Society for the Care of Animals in Need is running three classes each Saturday morning – from 9.30am to 10.15am; 10.30am to 11.15am; and from 12.30pm until 13.15pm. The cost is 30€ per month, giving pet owners one class a week.

For more information call Linda on 661 072 219 or visit www.scancostablanca.com

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Home & Garden

Brought to you by spanishhomefinder.com

06-12 SEPT 2013

Home Garden

Brought to you by

www.spanishhomefinder.com

Iberdrola orders one million Smart Meters

IBERDROLA HAS awarded seven companies contracts to supply one million Smart Meters with remote management capabilities to advance its Smart Grid projects in Spain.

This award follows others made by the company in the last two years to roll out new distribution technology. With this new award the accumulated investment reaches â‚Ź300 million.

The companies chosen by Iberdrola to supply these devices are ZIV, Landis & GYR, Sagemcom, Sogecam, Orbis, Elster and GE. Having successfully completed the first stage of the STAR project (Spanish acronym for Remote Grid Management and Automation System) in CastellĂłn, where 100,000 meters were changed, Iberdrola has started to extend the roll out to all of the regions where it has an

electricity distribution grid.

In the Basque Country, the company is engaged in with the Basque Government, via the Basque Energy Entity, based in the province of Biscay.

This project involves the adaptation of over 1,100 transformer stations and changing of some 230,000 meters.

Another ambitious project worthy of note is PRICE, in which the company is involved along with other partners. This project will consist of the replacement of some 200,000 meters (100,000 by Iberdrola) and the refurbishment of 1,600 transformer stations in the Henares Corridor in the Madrid region, as well as in Guadalajara.

Iberdrola is also making progress in transforming and modernising its electricity distribution grid

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in other regions, such as Extremadura, CastileLa Mancha, Murcia and the Valencia region.

This initiative, which will be completed by the end of 2018, will require an overall investment in Spain of some â‚Ź2,000 million, which will go towards replacing 10.3 million traditional meters with the new smart devices and towards adapting some 80,000 transformer stations, which will be equipped with remote management, supervision and automation capabilities.

Some of the main advantages of Smart Grids are the integration of distributed generation, the possibility of rolling out electric vehicles on a mass scale and improved efficiency in electricity consumption. For the consumer, Smart Meters will allow for the remote

provision of services, such as real-time meterreadings, processing contract registrations and cancellations, and altering the power capacity under contract.

The company will also be able to supervise the electricity grid and detect any kind of anomalies, whether the voltage is correct, whether the power is balanced, and whether there are power losses. This information will enable the energy to circulate more efficiently and lead to an improvement in the quality of the electricity supply.

For enquiries and further information email: info@sparksinspain.es or visit www.sparksinspain.es See Sparks advert in classified section.

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06-12 SEPT 2013

Developing a Spanish garden by

Dick Handscombe Active gardener and author

AFTER THE hot summer I share some of my personal views of what constitutes a good Spanish garden based on our almost 30 years of coping with the Spanish climate, soils and plants, an approach that goes much deeper than merely constructing a pool, laying down a large terrace and paths and making some impulse buys of colourful plants. To me a good garden will meet many of the following features whether you have a 400 or 4,000m2 plot.

TYPICAL FEATURES OF A GOOD SPANISH GARDEN Designed to match and enable an outdoor lifestyle for most of the year by, amongst other things, providing for summer shade and sheltered winter sun.

An attractive and interesting network of terraces and paths: terraces of different sizes for different activities such as cooking and entertaining; secluded siestas; sunning after a dip in the pool or a quiet winter’s read. Pathways should lead one from one attractive part of the garden to another, opening up both internal and external vistas en route.

Curving rather than straight paths and the use of a variety of surfaces can add to the magic of a new garden even before the first plants are planted.

A number of interesting and contrasting mini gardens, patios or corners: the pool area is just one mini garden rather than the main but is a little-used feature of the garden 365 days a year. This can be done even on a 400 metre plot.

The ideal Spanish garden should feature collections of plants appropriate to the emergent microclimate of the garden site. For many new gardens it will be wise to limit your choice of plants until fences, trees and hedges give protection from prevailing hot and cold winds and the hottest and coldest temperatures.

A variety of colour schemes painted with the many hues and textures of green foliage as well as the subtle or blazing colours of the flowers. For instance ‘cold beds’ planted up with plants that have white and mauve flowers and blue grey foliages or ‘hot beds’ planted with plants that have masses of the most vivid of red, orange and yellow flowers.

Many other possibilities for what we term ‘painting with plants’ are described in section 2.6 of our new book ‘Your Garden in Spain – From Planning to Planting and Maintenance’ recently published by Santana Books.

Perfume throughout the year as one passes through the entrance gate and around the garden. Favourites include jasmines, roses, honeysuckles, galan de noche, san diego, frangipani, mock orange, citrus trees, freesias, lilies, passion flowers, sweet peas, geraniums and natural culinary and medicinal herbs.

The traditional, restful and at times inspiring sound of dripping water from a fountain, the running water of a waterfall into or between ponds or a mini water feature adds to the garden’s ambience.

Tasteful selection and placement of ornaments and groups of pots: some of the latter might be empty, with others planted up.

The use of plants with interesting architectural shapes: carefully sited groups of palm trees, cordylines, cacti and aloes, or green or purple leaved aeoniums – they can be as effective as a bank of flowering shrubs.

The construction or purchase of a range of cooking facilities: typically these include a barbecue, a paella pan and gas ring, and a traditional brick oven or Spanish style ‘outside kitchen’.

Grow a variety of herbs for use in cooking as well as for their natural medicinal benefits and aromatherapeutic

effects. Herbs can be grouped in a herb garden or on a rockery or spread around the garden in mixed beds.

Grow even just a few seasonal vegetables and fruits to be harvested and eaten fresh, especially when grown ecologically/organically to avoid the surface or absorbed chemicals from insecticide sprays used in the production of many mass produced vegetables. Our books ‘Growing Healthy Fruit in Spain’ and ‘Growing Healthy Vegetables in Spain’ tell you how, even in just one square metre of an apartment terrace.

Last but by no means least - shade is essential on sunny days. Where possible provide for this with trees or high hedges and make full use of the natural shadow around the house particularly on the west and north sides. If you have a covered terrace, develop it as an extension of the garden into the house rather than visa versa and supplement this with plant-covered gazebos, pergolas and large umbrellas.

Lastly whether you plan to develop your garden alone or with the help of a gardener recognise that there are a hundred and one ways of attaining the above and that with a little thought all can be achieved in a garden that has low maintenance and acceptable watering requirements.

A copy of ‘Your Garden in Spain’ will help you on your way. Against the price of plants it is a very small investment.

The Handscombe’s books can be most conveniently purchased from Amazon Books, Santana Books website or 95 248 5838, The Book Depository or The Royal Horticultural Society Bookshop. ©Dick Handscombe www.gardenspain.com

money

by

Suzanne O’Connell Customer Care at Ábaco

06-12 SEPT 2013

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New ways to tax us WITH THE heat of the summer just beginning to dwindle, how often have you used your air-conditioning system this year?

OF COURSE, not everyone has one and the traditional ceiling fan still has a lot to be said for it. It’s cheaper and probably better for you. All that circulating air dragged through infrequentlycleaned filters can’t be healthy. However, as with many aspects of 21st Century life, we have become used to our little luxuries and now, by and large, expect most of the venues we inhabit to be cool, even in the heat of August.

So, it’s with some anxiety that I’ve been hearing about the air-conditioning tax. A tax on airconditioners conjures up references from my school days to a window tax that was imposed in England in the 17th and 18th century. A property tax based on the number of windows in the house,

it led to people taking all kinds of measures, such as bricking up their windows, to avoid it. Being England, the threat of stifling to death in the heat was generally not the issue but plunging into darkness to avoid paying tax was still a pretty desperate measure to take.

This new tax is unlikely to see most of us turning off our air-cons. The tax isn’t actually on the airconditioning system itself but on fluorinated greenhouse gases and will be implemented from January 1st 2014. There is some disagreement currently about how much the new tax will actually amount to for the home owner wishing to keep cool.

Estimates have ranged from 5 euros to 65 euros. The tax will not be paid directly by the household but by the manufacturer and for this reason there is some

uncertainty about how much difference it will actually make to the final, air-con cost.

There is no doubt that the tax is largely about making money. However, it is also being labelled as a ‘green tax’ as an extra 33 euros will be charged on each kilo of fluorinated gas. A domestic unit needs about two kilos of fluorinated gas to run. It’s not just domestic users who will be charged. Industrial users, such as agriculture, hostelry and tourism, will have an even bigger bill and there are concerns that this will also have to be passed down to the customer.

It will only be with time that the actual cost to the average household will be clearer. In the name of even-tempers and sleep-friendly nights it’s unlikely that many of us will want to ditch the air-con.

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

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money

06-12 SEPT 2013

Significant savings with HiFX

It is also key that our clients know we are there to help and support “them every step of the way. That is why we are always available to our

clients, providing them with contact details available seven days a week to answer any questions that they may have

“

MORE THAN a decade ago, HiFX’s founding partners realised that by minimising unnecessary banking overheads and investing in technology, they could offer both companies and private individuals significantly better exchange rates and provide an exceptional foreign exchange service with no hidden fees.

HiFX remains passionate about what it does, sharing a common belief; that every day it can help clients achieve significant savings and minimise the impact that fluctuating exchange rates can have on their funds. They are proud to work with the best professionals in the business, continuing to develop and reward ideas that ensure you receive better service and greater savings on your foreign exchange.

HiFX is not just about delivering the most competitive rates of exchange and transferring funds: it is about delivering a high quality customer experience, dedicating time and expertise to

those who really need it, providing a level of customer service that is unrivalled by any other company.

HiFX have options for all clients’ requirements: • Regular payment plans • Selling property and sending funds back to your home country • Property and other high value purchases • Ad Hoc payments for general living • Fix and hold exchange rates for up to 12 months • Avoid Spanish banking fees “We have a solution to help with all our clients’ requirements,” says Chris Wakeling, Regional Sales Manager. “I am truly passionate about providing an easy, secure and beneficial service to our clients. Moving funds can be a daunting task and it is essential that our service is explained in a clear simple

way, showing true benefits and savings compared to the traditional method of using a bank.

“It is also key that our clients know we are there to help and support them every step of the way. That is why we are always available to our clients, providing them with contact details available seven days a week to answer any questions that they may have, to assist with any transfers they wish to carry out, giving peace of mind that everything has been done correctly.”

To find out just how HIFX can help with either your personal or business currency requirements, contact Chris Wakeling directly for no obligation advice and information, to find out why HIFX is the biggest name in Foreign exchange and how it can save you money.

Call the Costa Blanca office on 96 597 8952 Email: costabanca@hifx.co.uk (just put RTN in the subject line) Contact Chris Wakeling directly on 0034 711 762 922 or email chris.wakeling@hifx.co.uk

money

by

Keith Littlewood International Financial Adviser

UK Interest rates will make the long term Ex-pat poor – official!

IT IS now becoming crystal clear that ex-pats can no longer leave their money in a UK account without inflation taking a huge cut into its value – unless alternative arrangements can be found you could see the ‘real’ value of capital and the income it provides drastically reduced.

This seems particularly unfair for savers when you consider the inflation rate in the UK is hovering around 3% - Luckily for us here in Spain we are suffering less with the inflation rate at 1.5% - but even this is more than can be achieved from UK banks.

This week, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said that keeping interest rates low and bringing unemployment down to seven per cent by 2016 – the Bank’s target – is important, despite low returns for the people having their hard earned cash in UK banks.

The sooner the economy is restored to growth and unemployment is brought down ‘the sooner there is normalisation of interest rates and saves will earn a return,’ he added. – The trouble with that is anyone with cash in the bank will be slowly become less wealthy and this could go on indefinitely.

But as well as the continuous low base rate savers have also been hammered by the Funding for Lending scheme. This has enabled banks and building societies to tap into cheap money to in turn lend out in the form of mortgages and loans to small businesses, instead of relying on savers.

(Source: The Mail online 2nd September 2013)

The chart above, taken from official Bank of England data shows how far savings rates have fallen since last August when the scheme launched.

Rates on some types of account have more than halved. The average rate for a bonus-free cash Isa – the popular tax free savings vehicle - for instance has fallen from 1.41 per cent in August 2012 to just 0.61 per cent today. Easy-access accounts which come with a bonus have fallen from 1.53 per cent to just 0.76 per cent today.Fixed-rate accounts have not been immune either, although the average one year and two-year deals were up slightly this month to 1.62 and 1.95 per cent respectively compared to July.

If you are concerned about the returns you are currently getting from your investments it is at least worth reviewing you are getting the best possible returns and in the most tax efficient manner.

If you need advice or if have any questions regarding the above you can contact me on 657 684 094 or email keith.littlewood@blacktowerfm.com The above information was correct at the time of preparation and does not constitute investment advice and you should seek advice from a professional adviser before embarking on any financial planning activity.

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

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

06-12 SEPT 2013

35

Sand castles, sunbeds, skiing and a bit of a stroll along the prom A LAZY afternoon on the Playa Levante in the Rincon de Loix DESPITE A reputation as a rowdy place frequented by beer belly heavy drinking groups of lads, there is more to this most famous part of the Levante beach in Benidorm than you might think!

Even on the final Sunday afternoon in August there were plenty of empty sunbeds and still lots of space to enjoy the sun without having a strangers toe in your face! With a price tag of 4€ for a sunbed and 4€ for a big parasol relaxing in comfort is affordable.

EAT AND DRINK You will not be short of dining and drinking options, this part of the beach offers every type of low cost dining option from all day big bad greasy English breakfasts to the obligatory Paella. And big terrace bars offer all the favourite British beers, local lagers, Guinness and all the days sporting fixtures you could want in bars such as the “Bar Sol”, “Lazy Cow” or the British “Terrace Bar” which oddly does not actually have a terrace!

WATER SPORTS For those who demand an adrenaline rush in between applications of factor 20 sun protection the famous cable-ski has powered folks along a 1,000 metre circuit without the need for a fast boat for 47 years! 26€ buys you an hour including a wakeboard. If you prefer the traditional beach water activities 80€ buys you a 3 for the price of 2 adventure on the “flyfish” big yellow “banana ride” plus the thrill ride with a view, a circuit “parasailing”. If you prefer bobbing along without the rush take the boat to Benidorm Island for just 14€ and see what all the fuss is about on the tiny island out in the bay.

TAKE A STROLL Before lunch or perhaps Aprés-ski the perfect day on the Levante would not be complete without a stroll along the promenade. With a round trip of over 3kms if you walk the entire beach this is a great way to work off the big bad greasy breakfast or simply to people watch and stop off for a coffee, glass of wine or choose from over 200 different ice creams at the many “heladeria” dotted along the beach.

Playa Levante, Rincon de Loix by day is what Benidorm is all about. Yes it is a bit tacky in places and may not be everyone´s cup of tea, but one thing is for sure, you can get a nice cup of tea, fish and chips, pint of the black stuff and build a sand castle on a day trip to the Benidorm sands!

Book a cheap room at more than 200 Benidorm hotels here www.realbenidorm.net

Life

Zumba sets tails wagging

THE MAGIC of dance craze Zumba returns to Moraira on Sunday 15th September again helping raise money for animal charity AKIRA.

By Jack Troughton ‘DANCING FOR the Dogs’ starts at 10am on the seafront by the castle and ends at 1pm – three hours of carnival.

The Zumbathon is organised by Kimberley Harrison of Zumba Costa Blanca and she said more than 20 presenters will be on hand to lead the fun routines.

It costs 10€ to take part – kids go free – and the money will go towards helping AKIRA build its new dog sanctuary at Benissa.

“Construction starts in mid September, and aside from helping abandoned dogs in Moraira, Teulada and Benissa, it will help alleviate the pressure on other pounds in surrounding areas,” said Kimberley.

SUPPORT People taking part do not have to keep going for three hour but can “dip in and out” and spectators can support the cause by buying raffle tickets and the chance to win one of a host of prizes.

“Please come along and support the waggy tails that are in no position to help themselves,” added Kimberley. “All you need do is to bring along some pocket money and get set to have a colourful, carnival-like morning set to the most fabulous Latin and international sounds that will rock Moraira.

“You will be smiling to yourselves for weeks while the money you help raise will be helping some poor little souls for years!”

More information can be found at www.zumbacostablanca.com or the event page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/519531668100762/ .

Tickets can be bought on the day or in advance at Mr Punch Cafe in Javea or the AKIRA Charity Shop in Moraira.

“QROPS� (Qualifying Recognized Overseas Pension Scheme) have been available to ex-pats since April 2006.

There is no mystery to them, they are basically the same as your UK pension but offer better benefits than the UK. Benefits: I. Return of fund to spouse on the death of the member, then left

to your depends on spouses death. (not so in the UK) II. No Inheritance tax. (not so in the UK) III. Possibility of no income tax. (not so in the UK) IV. Freedom of investment choice. (not so in the UK) V. Income paid in a currency of your choice, plus many more

benefits. (not so in the UK) The process is very simple and takes approximately three months to complete.

In the UK you may not take any benefits before you are 55 years of age.

If you are 50 or above and have been outside the UK for 5 complete tax years you may withdraw 25/30% and then an income at 55.

If you are pension rich but cash poor, this could be a way of solving temporary financial difficulties.

To find out if you qualify to release money now call 951 206 138 or email admin@kennedyfinancialservices.com or visit www.kennedyfinancialservices.com and complete the free assessment form.

06-12 SEPT 2013

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monday 9thAugust BBC1

BBC2

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

E4

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Street Patrol UK 12:45 Plan It, Build It 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Wanted Down Under 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Inside Out 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 Motorway Cops 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Child of Our Time 24:35 Live at the Apollo

07:00 This Is BBC Two 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Don’t Get Done, Get Dom 08:50 Plan It, Build It 09:20 The A to Z of TV Cooking 10:05 Restoration Home 11:05 Robbed, Raided, Reunited 11:35 Click 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Mastermind 14:30 Sailing 15:15 Coast 15:20 Great British Menu 15:50 Animal Park 16:35 Talking Pictures 17:15 How We Built Britain 18:15 Cash in the Attic 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Flog It! Trade Secrets 20:00 Hairy Bikers’ Best of British 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 The Incredible Spice Men 22:00 Robert Peston Goes Shopping 23:00 The Sarah Millican Television Programme 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 The Story of the Jews

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 ITV News Central 15:00 Storage Hoarders 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Central Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Central 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Countrywise 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Doc Martin 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News Central 23:35 Benidorm 24:05 Through the Keyhole

07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Hugh’s 3 Good Things 08:15 According to Jim 08:40 Will & Grace 09:00 Frasier 09:35 Frasier 10:05 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:05 The Big Bang Theory 11:35 The Big Bang Theory 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Hugh’s 3 Good Things 13:40 Kirstie’s Vintage Gems 13:55 Father Goose 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Jamie’s Money Saving Meals 21:30 Gadget Man 22:00 Blackout 23:40 Ramsay’s Hotel Hell 24:35 Educating Yorkshire

07:00 Childrens TV 08:20 The Mr Men Show 08:35 Thomas & Friends 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 09:00 Fifi and the Flowertots 09:10 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures 09:35 Toby’s Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News at Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: NY 16:05 Rosamunde Pilcher’s Shades of Love 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Hustling America 21:00 Police Interceptors 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Under the Dome 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

07:00 Emmerdale 07:25 Coronation Street 08:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 09:10 You’ve Been Framed!

09:40 Dinner Date 10:40 The Real Housewives of New York City 11:35 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 12:30 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:10 The Real Housewives of Vancouver 18:05 Millionaire Matchmaker 19:00 Dinner Date 20:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:30 You’ve Been Framed!

21:00 The X Factor 22:00 Knocked Up 24:40 Girlfriends

07:00 Switched 07:25 90210 08:05 Ugly Betty 08:50 Made in Chelsea 09:45 Scrubs 10:15 Rules of Engagement 10:45 90210 11:40 Ugly Betty 12:35 Charmed 13:35 Hollyoaks 14:05 How I Met Your Mother 14:35 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Scrubs 15:35 Scrubs 16:00 Charmed 17:00 Rules of Engagement 17:30 Rules of Engagement 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:25 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:25 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 How I Met Your Mother 21:00 New Girl 21:30 The Mindy Project 22:00 90210 23:00 Don’t Blame Facebook 24:50 The Big Bang Theory

tuesday 10th August BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Street Patrol UK 12:45 Plan It, Build It 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Wanted Down Under 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Child of Our Time 24:35 Goodnight Britain

BBC2

07:00 This Is BBC Two 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Street Patrol UK 08:50 Plan It, Build It 09:20 The A to Z of TV Cooking 10:05 Britain’s Big Wildlife Revival 11:05 Robbed, Raided, Reunited 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Mastermind 14:30 The Super League Show 15:15 Great British Menu 15:45 Animal Park 16:45 Talking Pictures 17:15 How We Built Britain 18:15 Cash in the Attic 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Flog It! Trade Secrets 20:00 Hairy Bikers’ Best of British 21:00 The Great British Bake Off 22:00 The Midwives 23:00 The Culture Show 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Mum and Dad Are Splitting Up

ITV1 07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News Central 15:00 Storage Hoarders 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Central Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Central 19:15 ITV News and Weather 19:45 Emmerdale 20:15 Live International Football 23:10 ITV News and Weather 23:40 ITV News Central 23:45 International Football Highlights 24:50 In Plain Sight

wednesday 11th September BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Street Patrol UK 12:45 Plan It, Build It 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Wanted Down Under 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Rip Off Food 21:00 EastEnders 22:00 Who Do You Think You Are? 23:00 BBC News 23:35 The National Lottery Awards 2013 24:20 Sliding Doors

BBC2

07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Street Patrol UK 08:45 Plan It, Build It 09:15 The A to Z of TV Cooking 10:00 Wild Shepherdess with Kate Humble 11:00 Flog It! Trade Secrets 12:00 BBC News 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 Mastermind 14:30 Sailing 15:15 Coast 15:20 Great British Menu 15:50 Animal Park 16:35 Talking Pictures 17:15 How We Built Britain 18:15 Cash in the Attic 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Flog It! Trade Secrets 20:00 Hairy Bikers’ Best of British 21:00 Harvest 2013 22:00 The Wipers Times 23:30 Newsnight 24:15 Weather 24:20 The Midwives

ITV1

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News and Weather 14:55 ITV News Central 15:00 Storage Hoarders 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Central Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Central 19:30 ITV News and Weather 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Big Star’s Little Star 22:00 Whitechapel 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News Central 23:35 Great Night Out 24:35 James Nesbitt’s Ireland

CHANNEL 4 07:00 The Treacle People 07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Hugh’s 3 Good Things 08:05 According to Jim 08:35 Will & Grace 09:00 Frasier 10:05 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:05 The Big Bang Theory 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Hugh’s 3 Good Things 13:35 Kirstie’s Vintage Gems 13:50 The Professionals 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Double Your House for Half the Money 22:00 Top Boy 23:00 Secrets of the Pickpockets 24:05 Bouncers

CHANNEL 5 07:00 Childrens TV 09:35 Toby’s Travelling Circus 09:45 Milkshake! Monkey 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:05 Rosamunde Pilcher’s Shades of Love 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Monkey Life 20:30 Highland Emergency 21:00 Born to Kill?

22:00 CSI: NY 23:00 Celebrity Big Brother 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

itv2 07:00 Emmerdale 07:25 Coronation Street 07:50 Coronation Street 08:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 09:10 You’ve Been Framed!

09:40 Dinner Date 10:40 The Real Housewives of New York City 11:35 The Real Housewives of Vancouver 12:30 Millionaire Matchmaker 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 14:30 Coronation Street 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:10 The Real Housewives of Vancouver 18:05 Millionaire Matchmaker 19:00 Dinner Date 20:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:30 You’ve Been Framed!

21:00 Fool’s Gold 23:20 Celebrity Juice 24:05 Billy Madison

E4

07:00 Switched 07:20 90210 08:05 Ugly Betty 08:50 Made in Chelsea 09:45 Scrubs 10:15 Rules of Engagement 10:45 90210 11:40 Ugly Betty 12:35 Charmed 13:35 Hollyoaks 14:05 How I Met Your Mother 15:05 Scrubs 15:35 Scrubs 16:05 Charmed 17:00 Rules of Engagement 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 How I Met Your Mother 21:00 How I Met Your Mother 21:30 The Big Bang Theory 22:00 New Girl 22:30 Happy Endings 23:00 World’s Greatest Body Shockers

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

E4

07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 Hugh’s 3 Good Things 08:05 According to Jim 08:35 Will & Grace 09:00 Frasier 10:05 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:05 The Big Bang Theory 11:30 The Big Bang Theory 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Hugh’s 3 Good Things 13:35 Kirstie’s Vintage Gems 13:50 The Battle of the River Plate 16:10 Countdown 17:00 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 How Not to Get Old 22:00 Grand Designs 23:00 The Last Leg 23:50 Ramsay’s Hotel Hell 24:45 Random Acts 24:50 iTunes Festival 2013

07:00 Childrens TV 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures 09:35 Toby’s Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:05 Rosamunde Pilcher’s Shades of Love 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 The Hotel Inspector 21:00 Nurses 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Wentworth Prison 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

07:00 Emmerdale 07:25 The Xtra Factor 08:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 09:10 You’ve Been Framed!

09:40 Dinner Date 10:40 The Real Housewives of New York City 11:35 The Real Housewives of Vancouver 12:30 Millionaire Matchmaker 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 The Xtra Factor 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:10 The Real Housewives of Vancouver 18:05 Millionaire Matchmaker 19:00 Dinner Date 20:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:30 You’ve Been Framed!

21:00 You’ve Been Framed!

22:00 Girlfriends 23:00 Hot Fuzz

07:00 Switched 07:20 90210 08:05 Ugly Betty 08:50 Made in Chelsea 09:45 Scrubs 10:15 Rules of Engagement 10:45 90210 11:40 Ugly Betty 12:35 Charmed 13:35 Hollyoaks 14:05 How I Met Your Mother 14:35 How I Met Your Mother 15:05 Scrubs 15:35 Scrubs 16:00 Charmed 17:00 Rules of Engagement 17:30 Rules of Engagement 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:25 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:25 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 How I Met Your Mother 21:00 She’s the Man 23:05 Rude Tube 24:05 Ricky Gervais: Science

44

06-12 SEPT 2013

THURSDAY 12th September BBC1

BBC2

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Street Patrol UK 12:45 Plan It, Build It 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News; Weather 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Perfection 16:00 Escape to the Country 16:45 Wanted Down Under 17:30 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News 19:30 BBC London News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Waterloo Road 22:00 Crimewatch 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Crimewatch Update 23:45 Question Time 24:45 Amadeus: Director’s Cut

07:00 This Is BBC Two 07:05 Homes Under the Hammer 08:05 Street Patrol UK 08:50 Plan It, Build It 09:20 The A to Z of TV Cooking 10:05 Flog It! Trade Secrets 11:05 Raymond Blanc: How to Cook Well 11:35 HARDtalk 12:00 BBC News 12:30 BBC World News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Mastermind 14:30 Weakest Link 15:15 Great British Menu 15:45 Animal Park 16:45 Talking Pictures 17:15 Seven Ages of Britain 18:15 Cash in the Attic 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Flog It! Trade Secrets 20:00 Hairy Bikers’ Best of British 21:00 Harvest 2013 22:00 Peaky Blinders 23:00 Mock the Week 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 This World

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 ITV News Central 15:00 Storage Hoarders 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 ITV Central Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Central 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Pat and Cabbage 22:00 The Guilty 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 ITV News Central 23:35 Elizabeth: the Golden Age

07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Hugh’s 3 Good Things 08:05 According to Jim 08:35 Will & Grace 09:00 Frasier 09:30 Frasier 10:05 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 11:05 The Big Bang Theory 11:30 The Big Bang Theory 12:00 Undercover Boss USA 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Hugh’s 3 Good Things 13:35 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 14:35 Channel 4 Racing 16:30 Countdown 17:15 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 Educating Yorkshire 23:00 Bouncers 24:05 Dispatches

07:00 Childrens TV 09:15 Peppa Pig 09:25 Peppa Pig 09:30 Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures 09:35 Toby’s Travelling Circus 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Tickety Toc 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 CSI: Miami 16:05 Rosamunde Pilcher’s Shades of Love 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 NewsTalk Live 20:00 Britain’s Strangest Pets 21:00 The Railway: First Great Western 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 10 Things I Hate About 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

07:00 Emmerdale 07:25 Coronation Street 07:50 Life’s Funniest Moments 08:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show USA 09:10 You’ve Been Framed!

09:40 Dinner Date 10:40 The Real Housewives of New York City 11:35 The Real Housewives of Vancouver 12:30 Millionaire Matchmaker 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 14:30 Life’s Funniest Moments 15:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:05 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:10 The Real Housewives of Vancouver 18:05 Millionaire Matchmaker 19:00 Dinner Date 20:00 You’ve Been Framed!

20:30 You’ve Been Framed!

21:00 You’ve Been Framed!

22:00 The Big Reunion: On Tour 23:00 Celebrity Juice 23:50 American Pie Presents the Naked Mile

E4 07:00 Switched 07:25 90210 08:05 Ugly Betty 08:50 Made in Chelsea 09:45 Scrubs 10:15 Rules of Engagement 10:45 90210 11:40 Ugly Betty 12:35 Charmed 13:35 Hollyoaks 14:05 How I Met Your Mother 14:35 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Scrubs 15:35 Scrubs 16:00 Charmed 17:00 Rules of Engagement 17:25 Rules of Engagement 18:00 How I Met Your Mother 18:25 How I Met Your Mother 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 How I Met Your Mother 21:00 The Big Bang Theory 21:30 How I Met Your Mother 22:00 Don’t Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 22:30 Suburgatory 23:00 The IT Crowd 23:30 The IT Crowd 24:00 iTunes Festival 2013

Life tech

06-12 SEPT 2013

with Aunty Virus

Email auntyvirus@roundtownnews.com

Printing from an ipad HIYA AUNTY: I have an iPad and a Canon pixma MG 3150 printer.

The problem is I cannot get it to print documents or emails, only photos via the canon photo app. It is a wi if printer and surely if it recognises the photos it should be able to recognise text. I have trolled YouTube and the apps store and still can’t get it to print or even ‘find’ my printer. I would like to print boarding passes for my flights - it such a pain to revert to the laptop. Any help would be very much appreciated, as this seems to be a problem for most iPad users.

Regards, Sandra Aunty says says: The ‘Canon Easy-PhotoPrint’ app is different to the other cannon printing apps, which is why photos can print using the photo app, but not text using the cannon app. You will have to try another app for pringing ‘non photos’, such as the ‘Canon iEPP’ app- http:// www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Multifunctionals/ Inkjet/PIXMA_Easy_Photo_Print_iPhone_App.aspx or a non-Canon third party printing app like : PrintCentral or Printopia. You may also have to ‘set up’ your printer to allow such printing, using the ‘How to set up Apple AirPrint’ in the printer instruction manual.

Jamming

HI THERE, I read your page regularly and wonder if you could advise best place for repair or advice. Computer switches on then seems to jam up while loading. It makes strange noises.

It’s a Dell studio approximately 3 years old. Many thanks, Paul Aunty says: A PC ‘jamming’ on loading suggests an issue with device drivers. Try and boot into safe mode - which loads Windows without any drivers. If it jams on that, then there is some form of Windows file issue. If the PC boots fine in Safe mode, disconnect anything that is connected to the PC such as webcams, hard drives, apart from the monitor, mouse and keyboard and see if it boots up.

Then one by one, reconnect the other devices to see which one does not work / connect properly...and that will be the culprit.

Without knowing where you are, I cannot really recommend anyone who would be able to look at this issue for you.

Closing down msg HI AUNTY: When I close down I get the message: ‘Please do not power off or unplug your machine: installing update 1 of 1’.

Surely this cannot be the case every time I close down? My machine is Windows 7 Home Premium.

Any suggestions?

Regards, Alex.

Aunty says: This usually means that there is one update that is ‘stuck’ and unable to be installed. But your PC keeps trying to install it. You can go to ‘windows update’ and look at the history of updates to identify which update is not being installed. Once you know the update that is causing problems when trying to do a automatic installation, you can search the Microsoft website.

Most updates also have a knowledge base article (KB) that explains the update, and most updates provide instructions on how to download and install manually.

Usually doing a manual install of the update will cure the problem - but it may also help identify what is causing the install problem.

45

06-12 SEPT 2013

47

Gadget Inspector Investigates: Stainless Steel Colour-Changing Wind Spinner Solar Light THIS WEEK the Inspector takes a look at the Benross GardenKraft 17990 Stainless Steel Colour Changing Wind Spinner Solar Hanging Garden Light.

Over the summer this column has featured a number of solar powered products and these have proved so popular we´re going to try some more solar powered gadgetry – the Stainless Steel Colour Changing Wind Spinner Solar Light.

This attractive stainless steel and glass solar powered wind spinner is designed to be hung outdoors and take advantage of any breezes which will rotate the stainless steel spinner. The unit is fitted with a solar panel to charge the unit during sunny days and automatically light up at dusk, changing colours to produce a soft and enticing glow.

The Stainless Steel Colour Changing Wind Spinner Solar Light is low maintenance and requires no batteries or wired connections, just a suitably sunny spot in the garden. And as it is constructed using a galvanised stainless steel coating rusting should not be a problem.

When operating at night, the super bright LED bulb fitted within the glass globe is an efficient means of providing soft lighting outdoors without the need for any conventional power source.

The Inspectors Verdict: A perfect companion for other solar powered garden lights, the Stainless Steel Colour Changing Wind Spinner Solar Hanging Garden Light has the added bonus of utilising wind power to enhance the effect.

Please note the following is for information and is not intended as an advertisement - visit www.gadget-hound.co.uk/ solar-wind-spinner to purchase the Benross GardenKraft 17990 Stainless Steel Colour Changing Wind Spinner Solar Hanging Garden Light for 18€. Price quoted includes delivery to Spain and is subject to availability (Euro cost subject to exchange rate at time of purchase).

POF Plenty of Fish is the world’s largest online dating community and has over 60 million members worldwide and the beauty of this dating site over all of the others like Match and Eharmony, POF is FREE! So if you are looking for love in Spain then get yourself an account and start chatting, flirting and connecting with local singles in your area. You can do all of this sat in front of your computer via the website www.pof.com but once you have download the mobile phone app, you can then hunt down singletons that may be near you at that time using the trickery of GPS on your phones.

The mobile app lets you send and receive messages on the go, check out members nearby, edit your profile, find out who has been checking you out and review your matches. POF is available to download from Google play on Android devices and on iPhones via iTunes.

06-12 SEPT 2013

Life travel

49

Chiva – full of Lion’s Heads and Bull ON THE Font del Torica in Chiva’s Plaza de la Constitución, with its twenty lion’s heads spouting a constant stream of water, is a plaque depicting the Torico de la Cuerda, part of the fiesta held in the last two weeks of August, in which brave (or foolhardy) young men try to grab a rope tied around the head of a charging bull to direct its movements.

The fiesta is thought to have begun in 1765 when a bull was auctioned by the Clavarios of San Roque to fund the construction of a temple. The bull itself was supposedly provided by cattle dealers from Teruel as payment to the municipality for winter grazing rights.

Like most other fiestas, though, there are plenty of other suggestions as to how it originated, depending on which historian you talk to.

Behind the font is a large pond that seems to fulfil no function other than to gather soggy plastic bags and provide a home for a couple of waddling geese, although on closer inspection you see a number of large fish swimming around in its murky depths. Houses back directly onto the pond rather like a poor, latter-day Venice.

Remains from the Iron Age have been found in the surrounding hillsides (now in the Mueseo de Prehistoria in Valencia) but the town’s origins are Moorish, as can be seen from its narrow twisting streets. Chiva almost ceased to exist at all when King Filipe III ordered the banishment of all Morisco’s (Moors who had converted to Christianity) from Spain. There were so few people left that thirty-eight people were brought in to keep the town alive.

(This happened in many villages in the Valencian Community, which accounts for some of the strange accents and village names, such as in Tarbena where the village was repopulated from people from Mallorca.)

Chiva is a pleasant little town to wander around but apart from a collection of paintings by José Vergara and sculptures by his brother Ignacio in the parish church, and the hilltop sanctuary of the Virgen del Castillo, there isn’t a great deal for the visitor to see.

The Sociadad de Socorros Mutuos (the local casino) on Calle Antonio Machado was built in 1883, and is a great barn of a place with tiled walls and

marble topped tables where old chaps gather, heads bowed in concentration over draughts boards. Four enormous paintings of rural activities cover most of the walls above the beautiful Modernista tiles, but are so layered with nicotine that you can barely make out the subject. The back of the building (along with most of the street) hangs over the dry river bed in a casa colgada-ish way without being quite as fearful as the hanging houses of Cuenca. The river bed itself could do with a bit of a clean up.

On a hill above the town, in the direction of Madrid, is the Santuario de la Virgen del Castillo. The Santuario is only open during the hours of Mass but it is worth climbing the hill just to enjoy the panoramic views of the surrounding countryside that varies from rolling olive groves and stately pine covered hills to industrial estates. On clear days they say you can see the distant Mediterranean.

Nearby are the ruins of the Castillo, said to be of Roman and Moorish origin.

This article is taken from Inland Trips from the Costa Blanca,, a series of five ebooks, each of four excursions that cover the whole of the Valencian region. For further information and immediate download from Amazon.co.uk, visit www.spainuncovered.net

Cuenca – Madrid 4 days CUENCA - MADRID - Escorial - Valle of The Fallen - Toledo 22ND OCTOBER: COSTA BLANCA CIUDAD ENCANTADA –CUENCA Early morning departure towards Cuenca from various departure points, crossing the plains of ‘La Mancha’.

Arrival in Cuenca and continuing to the Natural Park of ‘Ciudad Encantada’ (Enchanted city) passing on route the ‘Mirador del Diablo’ with its beautiful views: arrival at the geological park where erosion has created various figures in the rocks. Some of these figures look very life-like and defy the law of gravity. Departure towards Cuenca: arrival at the hotel.

22nd O ctobe 1 Nigh t: **** H r otel Cuenc a 2 Nigh City HB ts : ** * Hote Madrid l C Near P ity Centre B& laza M B a yor a Royal Palace nd

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rices f 23RD OCTOBER: CUENCA – MADRID 160€ p rom /p Breakfast and free time to visit the old quarters of Cuenca, located at the top of the city and a World Heritage site. Here you will find numerous narrow streets, hidden plazas, tunnels excavated through the rocks and several view points from where we are reminded of its Arabic and Jewish heritage. Also to be admired is the cathedral built in the Gothic style and the famous ‘Casas Colgadas’ (hanging houses).

Continuing on to Madrid: arrival at the hotel: Free time in the afternoon for shopping or a more detailed visit to the city (Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor) and accommodation.

24TH OCTOBER: MADRID - ESCORIAL - VALLEY OF THE FALLEN – MADRID: Breakfast, free day in Madrid or excursion to ‘San Lorenzo del Escorial’ to visit the impressive monument of Felipe II with its Monastery, Palace, Pantheon, Basilica and Library. Visit to the Valley of The Fallen (if the authorities permit) which is a commemorative monument to the fallen of the Spanish Civil War, with its basilica carved into the rock and monumental cross: return to Madrid and accommodation.

25TH OCTOBER: MADRID - TOLEDO - COSTA BLANCA Breakfast and departure towards Toledo. Free time to visit the historical city on the banks of the Tajo River where Arabic, Christian and Jewish cultures converge: visit the old quarters with its cathedral, synagogue and church of Santo Tomé. Afternoon - return to the Costa Blanca with stops en route.

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06-12 SEPT 2013

Life events

Dusty & Tina tour NOSTALGIA AT its best!

THIS TOUR will cover five shows at venues in and around the Costa Blanca and will star International singer Patti Ross who has been on some of the top stages around the World.

Patti will portray the fabulous hits of Dusty Springfield and Tina Turner with a voice that will amaze you. Her performances, in full costume, will create the feel of those special stars being live on stage before your eyes! Patti has sung with big bands all over the World and on the original ‘Come Dancing’ TV programme.

She has appeared with Cleo Laine, Matt Munro, Elton John, Bruce Forsyth, Sheena Easton, Sacha Distel and many more and also had an extensive career with top cruise lines (see more information about Patti on the ‘our acts’ page of our website). You will love her voice, her personality and her wonderful tribute to two fabulous singers.

This tour will also feature the versatile Jukebox Legends, bringing together a show full of nostalgia, great music and memories.

All shows start at 8.30pm: this is a fund raising tour for Help at Home (CB) SEPTEMBER DATES & VENUES Thursday 19th: The Club House, Camposol Golf: Telephone 96 897 8855: MABS fundraiser.

Sunday 22nd: The Rendezvous, Campoamor: 608 467 597: 10€ (including a great buffet).

Tuesday 24th: La Marina Sports Complex: Tel: 96 679 6389.

Wednesday 25th: The Club, Quesada: 96 671 7028: Thursday 26th: Rocajuna, Punta Prima: 664 591 795 / 96 599 7260: Tickets at 8.50€ (unless stated otherwise) are available at the venues or online at www.jukeboxpromotions.co.uk

Return of the Miller Men Big Band IT’S THAT time of year again, and the Miller Men Big Band make a welcome return to the Rosales Restaurant on the lemon Tree Road Guadamar for the first of their Autumn concerts on Saturday 14th September. The 16 Musicians who make up the band consist of four trumpets, four trombones, keyboard, drummer, five saxophones and a guitarist. Vocals are by talented local singer Tony Kelly and the show is in the hands of compere Ian Gibson. The band plays the music of Ted Heath, Count Basie and many other Big Bands of yesteryear: singer Tony Kelly sings songs by Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darren and Matt Monroe. Band leader and arranger Alan Skelton informs me that there will be new arrangements of well-known numbers and that the soloists in the band will once again be in top form. Music lovers can look forward to a new season of musical excellence from this talented band, in the same line up as in previous shows except that two members have had to return to the UK. So all those many people who want to keep live music flourishing here on the Costa Blanca should go along to the band’s first concert of the season on 14th September: you will not be disappointed.

P.E.P.A funday

DO YOU have a pretty dog? Is your dog the most handsome in the street? Does your family have an obedient dog you all love to train?

Yes! Well come and show them off to everyone by entering the Novelty Dog Show (registration 11.30am-12.30pm) at the PEPA Funday in La Font d’En Carros on Sunday 22nd September.

For the first time ever our fun-filled day is being held at La Font d’En Carros (4km from Oliva and signposted on the N332) on the municipal car park at the edge of town. This is going to be an extraordinary event featuring a market and Rastro with stalls galore, BBQ and of course lots of entertainment from The Karmaroos, Chill Factor, Besarabia, Markus Koehurst, The Texas Linedancers, Per Jansson, Johnny Johnson and Wendy O’Neill.

Make sure you put this date in your diary: Sunday 22nd September from 11am until 4pm. For more details and a map see our website www.pepaspain.com or call Pat: 96 283 3325.

06-12 SEPT 2013

Cantabile

CANTABILE FEMALE voice choir is a friendly and sociable group of ladies who take their music seriously. They rehearse every Friday from 3 to 5pm at La Siesta Church with Musical Director Jennifer Morton and rehearsal accompanist and vocal coach Patricia Flint.

Although Cantabile’s members are mostly English (with one Dane, one Swede and one Belgian thrown in for good measure) they sing in many languages including of course Spanish, and Latin. Their repertoire varies from religious and classical to traditional, folk and popular songs and Jennifer produces training CDs to help the ladies learn the music.

Cantabile performs at least two major concerts each year, usually in November/December and April/May. Rehearsals for this season begin on 6th September at 3.30pm at La Siesta Church when we shall begin our programme of Christmas music for the 2013 Festive Season. Next May, Cantabile will perform a programme including Tales from the Vienna Woods by Strauss.

Cantabile’s concerts have raised modest but important sums for local charities. In the last six years, for example, they have made donations to: The Alzheimer’s Association, the Stroke Awareness Association, Age Concern, DEBRA, Campoverde Church, SS Peter & Paul Church, Torrevieja, and La Siesta Church.

If you are interested in joining the choir, please contact Jennifer on 96 679 6866 or email jen-morton@hotmail.co.uk. Or just come along to a rehearsal. www.cantabilesingers.es

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Life recipe

Chillied Ginger Prawns THE FISH counter at my regular supermarket was piled high with large cooked prawns one week, at a price I just couldn’t resist. So a bought a kilo and then had to find something different to do with them as my wife said she was fed up with salads. This spicy concoction was the result. It took only a few minutes to prepare (once I had peeled the prawns) and was cooked outdoors in a wok. You could save a lot of time by using frozen peeled prawns, cooked or raw, but remember to thaw them first and cook raw prawns for a little longer. Serve with plain boiled rice. You could get away with using fewer prawns than I’ve suggested here, but why not spoil yourself?

• 1 kilo cooked large prawns (about 750g peeled weight) • 1 large red pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks • 2 medium courgettes, sliced then quartered • 1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped • A thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced • 100ml ready-made sweet and sour sauce (salsa agridulce) • Half a red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced (or 1tbls mild chilli sauce) • 2 tbls tomato ketchup • The juice of an orange • Oil for frying • Enough long grain rice for four people 1. First prepare the sauce. Combine the sweet and sour sauce, chilli (or chilli sauce), tomato ketchup and orange

juice and set aside.

2. While the rice is boiling, heat the oil in a wok over high heat and stir-fry the courgettes, pepper and ginger until they begin to turn brown at the edges (3-4 minutes). Add the chopped tomato and prawns and stir-fry for a further 3-4 minutes (longer if using raw prawns). Pour in the sauce and stir to coat all the ingredients. Heat until bubbling. Strain the rice and spoon the prawn mixture over the top.

Serves 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes

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

06-12 SEPT 2013

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AA celebrates its 25th Anniversary ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS celebrates its 25th Anniversary in Torrevieja this month: its first meeting was at the Roundhouse of the La Siesta Church on Tuesday, 6th September, 1988, started by one recovering alcoholic who had come from the UK to live here. Although sometimes she would have nobody else for company, she would be at the church regularly and gradually members from the existing Alicante meeting and other AA members on holiday joined her.

That founding member still lives on the Costa Blanca, although no longer in Torrevieja: she celebrated her 25th sober year in AA at the beginning of 2013.

The meeting moved from La Siesta in March 1990 to the Salon Junior behind the parish church in Torrevieja where it remained for fourteen years before relocating again and continues today. The fact that there was a meeting here attracted AA members from the UK and Ireland to Torrevieja, many choosing to settle here, buy a holiday home or simply to visit again.

By the middle of the last decade, attendance at meetings had increased significantly and further AA groups emerged, providing support to the problem drinker and to those already in recovery.

There are currently six English speaking AA meetings in the municipal area of Torrevieja with further Groups nearby in Algorfa, Pilar de la Horadada and Ciudad Quesada. There are also meetings in German, Scandinavian languages and, of course, in Spanish.

The 25th Anniversary will be celebrated when members of the local AA community host their sixth annual international convention in Torrevieja later this month, which, it is anticipated, will again be attended by some 250 members.

Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in the USA in June, 1935 and has become a global fellowship with more than 2.5 million members worldwide.

If you have a problem with alcohol, please contact the AA Helpline, manned by volunteer members (+34) 625 912 078. For details of all AA meetings on the Costa Blanca and beyond, visit www.aa-costablanca.org.

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06-12 SEPT 2013

Life health Age Concern needs your help LIKE ALL charities, Age is struggling to make ends meet in these hard economic times. In the spring we asked people to think of us when they donated clothes and bric-a-brac.

We were delighted with the response and ask everyone to continue to donate to Age Concern.

In order to help us continue our good work, helping the over fifties in Costa Blanca South, we would also greatly appreciate if social groups in the area would consider us when nominating a charity to support for 2014.

Thank you once again for your continued support.

Testing times for kids THE NEW school term is shortly approaching and it is important to think about your child’s vision as well as text books and uniforms.

Studies show that one in four children have an undetected visual problem which can affect their learning ability, reinforcing the importance for parents to take their children for an eye test.

Opticians recommend a yearly eye test for children from three years old, yet a survey by Specsavers Opticas revealed that in Torrevieja only 39% of all the respondents had taken their children to have an eye test with an optician.

Worryingly, in Javea just 17% of children aged 6 – 12 years old have ever done so. This fact is even more surprising as 65% of the respondents there felt that poor eye sight could affect their children’s performance at school.

Parents in Calpe performed better, with 67% of all respondents having taken their children to an optician for an eye test.

Although this is still not as high as opticians would like, Calpe parents are leading the way compared to other towns surveyed in the Costa Blanca.

Experts believe that many learning disabilities could be vision related and learning relies heavily on good vision, so it’s crucial that a child’s eyesight is regularly checked and glasses are worn if they need them.

I CAN’T WAIT TO SHOW MY FRIENDS MY NEW GLASSES Megan Oliver was just four years old when her Mum, Charlotte Way, noticed that her eye was pointing inwards. Having experienced a lazy eye herself she knew that it was important to take Megan to have it checked out as soon as possible.

Tests confirmed that Megan was short sighted and would need to wear glasses, although doctors were unsure how long she would need to wear them. Following the appointment Charlotte was unsure and decided to take Megan to Specsavers Opticas in Fuengirola to speak with an optician in English, get a second opinion and find out exactly what was wrong.

The optician explained that Megan’s right

eye had been overcompensating for her left, resulting in her eye turning inwards and she was fitted with glasses to treat the problem.

As Megan has a twin sister, Chloe, the optician advised her to take Chloe back to the hospital to have some tests done to see if there were any problems with her eyes. A few months later, it was confirmed that Chloe had a lazy eye, which would have gone unnoticed if the optician had not advised her Mum to have her tested. Chloe now also needs to wear glasses to try and help correct her eye and went back to Specsavers in Fuengirola to choose her pink Disney frames.

Chloe is now looking forward to showing off her new look: “When Megan wears her glasses at school, all of our friends want glasses too, so I know that they will like mine and I can’t wait to show them.”

Regular sight tests for children are just as important as they are in adults; if their mother had not taken the girls to the optician when she did it could have caused permanent damage to the girls’ eyes and affected their performance at school.

Specsavers Opticas currently has five stores on the Costa Blanca: Calpe, Javea, Benidorm, Guardamar del Segura and Torrevieja, offering free eye tests for children and 2for1 kids’ glasses from 50€ including sunglasses.

To find your nearest store and book a test visit www.specsavers.es

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06-12 SEPT 2013

Life horoscopes Someone is not being themselves and the indecisions and complications that arise from this are a cause for concern with you. As Mercury takes on Neptune there comes a conflict of interests and you have to accept that this time you may not have the backing that you need, or the upper hand that you deserve right now.

Venus takes on negative energies as actions with Scorpio bring opposition to a great deal, and shake you to the very depth of your foundation. This is not just a wake up call, but it does show you what you are really up against and best allows you to adapt to options best tailored to your individual and inspiring immediate wants and needs.

The Mercury and Neptune inconjunction sees back up by both Libra and Pisces and brings balance to a situation that borders somewhat out of control. Great things can happen if you are just left alone to put all recent actions into account and find your focus. You have to use dynamic backing from the Universe, and if not now then when?

Look within yourself to discover that recent changes suit you very well. That which you were dreading has in fact turned things around very nicely, and you will be rewarded for what you do best. With the best will in the World you cannot play a new tune on an old fiddle, but you seem to now have saved the very best for last.

Needing the spotlight to illuminate your good intentions it is sheer hubris to discover that those who need to sit up and listen to you right now are those unhearing silent few you relied on. The misplacement of trust is indeed a shallow and negative state of affairs; but nobody could ever say that they weren’t fully warned of any consequences.

Pluto has a habit of sweeping through things and bringing adequate and suitable changes based on fact and circumstance. In the week ahead you will be proved right and your suspicions will be, unfortunately, proved to back what you have been saying all along. Too late to say that, “I told you so” and too soon to gauge the effect this may have.

With Mercury stoically on board you are prepared for the Neptune connection with a somewhat dreamy and romantic Pisces at your side. Your own creative energy comes to the fore, and it is nothing that you have to hide from anyone since it embodies all you hold dear and gives you free expression to be yourself from now onwards.

The midweek entry of Venus highlights love lost in a domestic situation that has gone way too far. There is no need to take sides in a situation that has arisen to help you see reason; and which allows you to channel energy into something special. Give yourself the benefit of the doubt and give new beginnings a deserving thumbs up.

You appear to have lost interest in a scheme that was designed to bring you benefits. This is not just a clash of interests but your way of saying that a shake up is long overdue and that you give a damn. Mercury conducts with an overpowering Neptune, urging a check on expenses and an honest check of your current financial situation.

With Pluto close, and actions with Mars coming into effect at the end of the week; things will seem to be much clearer, and transparency is a safe way to view the immediate future. Be very unafraid to bring in change and innovation since this is great time to take a long hard look, from a distance, at what you should now be aiming for!

As things threaten to become more difficult this is not a time to just throw in the towel, but a call to come out fighting. Balanced by altruistic Libra and backed by an invincible Neptune the Universe is showing you a safe way through, and a chance to reclaim all that you have lost by means of your own intuition and intelligence put in action.

Neptune balances your energies with a developing corner with Libra and a helping hand from the busy Planet of Mercury. A message has been misconstrued, maybe on purpose, but it is all you need to take you to new levels and guide those whom you love to new heights. Be unafraid, because you are being tested and have to come up trumps.

Kenny corris www.kennycorris.net Mobile: 686 361 594 Telephone: 965 878 424

Going Cheap

TELEVISION TODAY means we have a range of channels at the touch of a button; but we still say that there is nothing to watch whenever we turn on to watch the silver screen. With the increase of repeats and extensive and more frequent advertising to boost revenue, we are experiencing a sharp dip in the quality of what is shown too. It comes as no surprise to me that we now have programmes in which we watch people choosing a home, or auditioning and learning to perform. We peek in on homes as they are brutally made over, and home owners come back to find their loved furniture basking in a skip because a feature wall and a chandelier have been substituted; just as we readily sob into handkerchiefs as long lost relatives are reunited. Not to forget we have a chance to be there on the intimacy of a first date, and to watch lumpy gravy and insults being hurled about as we intrude on the preparation of ghastly home dinner parties with the banal banter and egotistical nonsense they churn out.

Then there are, “fly on the wall documentaries” that allow us to examine gore and trauma in A and E departments followed by a complete show that advocates gawping at people with physical deformities as they undergo correction for various diseases, and body malfunctions; displaying their genitals and everything they have or haven’t got, all in the name of cheap television.

We are all fascinated by the differences that go to make us the individuals that we are…but does this really mean that we want to be voyeurs into the lives of others? Do we need to see the Police dragging drunken people into custody without realising what a difficult and frankly unpleasant World we live in? It doesn’t make their life any easier, and it is a sad condemnation of what now constitutes entertainment today.

Kennys diary Coming Soon: Autumn Spiritual Fair in Altea La Vella.

Please contact for information and further details.

Readings in Albir: Mini readings available Monday September 16th and Wednesday September 18th at: Bistro Something Else (formerly The Maya Bistro) from 16.30.

Bookings 966 868 213.

DNA: A Workshop: A one day workshop that helps you to charge your own unique Spiritual DNA. A comprehensive workshop, open to all, that intensifies, accelerates and inspires Spiritual progress and indicates the clear way ahead.

Dates in September or can travel to your own group or organisation. For details please call Kenny directly on 686 361 594 or leave a message on: 96 587 8424.

Meditation Workshop: Working with your Sanctuary is a half day workshop in Meditation technique. No previous experience necessary and all welcome as we explore our hidden depths. New dates. Call for info.

If it’s your birthday this week

Spirit has rocked and rolled with the times, and never had to cheapen its effect on people. It has never produced a shock factor just for the manipulation of the ratings, and it thrives on honesty and reputation like none other. This could very well be why so many are looking within to take on their innermost energies and desires with a view to self expression, understanding and all the comfort and protection of the spiritual divination that they need. Increasing numbers are finding that their faith is honoured when they open the door to a future that revolves around a set of spiritual values, especially in a World that so many would agree isn’t just what it used to be. The taking care of others and helping them when they fall is just a case of caring and anticipating and it should be something done all over the World as a mark of respect.

Cheap television does bring us a falsity, especially as it is undisputedly the most unquestioned, open, and invited home visitor for many. Even contestants of quiz shows leave with no rewards whatsoever though, as economies are made, and tricks deprive them of their cash incentives. Previously everyone left with something, even if it was a cuddly toy. At least I did get my Crackerjack pencil. I wonder what happened to it? Am I really that old? Yes! As Spiritual matters develop the silver screen is bringing people more closely to accepting the existence of the Spirit World. This new acceptance of Spirit, through the rise of the highly psychic detective, or profiler, shows that these built in skills, within us all, are there for the good of many and that they can and will be used in a positive way. Hunches very often show us the truth when we really need to find things out once and for all. The more we accept what we have and learn to use it profitably the better life can be. Like the very worst of budget television today, life can be cheap or show a quality through good intention and the demonstration of it!

Love & Light... Kenny Corris

Postbag

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

KENNY MY five year old never met his grandfather and he has no older brothers or sisters. Imagine my surprise when he recently started talking about his grandfather in such a way you would think they had met. Telling me about his climbing roses, mints in the pocket of his jacket, and love of dogs. We have never mentioned these things, but is it possible that they are communicating in some way? Penny S. Could be Penny. Ask your son to draw his grandpa and see how easily he completes the task… I bet he will have no problem.

Grandfather sounds like a very loving man and his energy may be reaching out to his grandson, of whom I expect he would be proud. Ask any questions, but please do not interfere or judge this process unless your son develops any fears. Frequent chatting may allow you to ask whether your son sees grandpa, and that’s the answer that will change the situation and confirm my deepest suspicion that he does!

If at first you don’t succeed then put it down to experience and move on.

Planetary influences are strong and inspiring, so eliminate fear and let action bring on a far better result in the Astrological Year ahead.

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06-12 SEPT 2013

Sudoku

Quick Crossword

Cryptic Crossword ACROSS 1. Plain words about a border flower (8) 5. Employed in house demolition (4) 9. Food produced in layers (4) 10. Scrap a soft thing (8) 11. Not qualified to speak (5) 12. Many snakes are associated with them (7) 13. What the buyer did on the telephone when reproached by the chairman? (6,2,5) 18. Be careful, the timekeeper’s incorrect! (5,3) 19. Moves fast and bites (4) 20. A case for travelling light (7) 21. Colonel married and broken in spirit! (5) 22. Gives someone their due (4) 23. He often stops while working (8)

Last weeks crossword answers can be found with the TV listings.

Word Ladders

DOWN 2. One expects a good row in the course of it (7) 3. It’s wrong to give people a hand like this (7) 4. Hot looking athlete or climber (7,6) 6. Those who inherit are bound to (7) 7. Furniture found backstage? (7) 8. You may find a working model in it (6) 13. Blooming company fall into error about a point (7) 14. Any Celt in a dormant state (7) 15. Natural responses (6) 16. Managed to continue with foreign capital (7) 17. State train (7)

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

ACROSS 1. Sink (8) 5. Froth (4) 9. Scrutinise (4) 10. Obstinate (8) 11. Elude (5) 12. Combining (7) 13. Unite (5,8) 18. Satanic (8) 19. Close (4) 20. Being paid (7) 21. Extremity (5) 22. Killed (4) 23. Discolouring (8)

DOWN 2. Lay open (7) 3. Refer to (7) 4. Hide (3,3,2,5) 6. Not very warm (7) 7. Boss (7) 8. Compel (6) 13. Evil (7) 14. Opposite (7) 15. French (6) 16. Strain (7) 17. High spirits (7)

Euromillions Draw Friday 30th August 2013

2 17 25 36 45

5

9

Two tickets purchased in Portugal & France won the Jackpot Tuesday 3rd September 2013

5 9 16 18 42

No ticket won the Jackpot

7

9

06-12 SEPT 2013

61

Safety or comfort?

Noel’s world of golf

By Noel Eastwell Teaching Professional Alicante Golf 639 730 891

IN RECENT years we have seen a new style of golf shoe emerge on the market that claims to be more comfortable than any of the previous styles that we got used to after metal spikes were banned at most golf courses. The ‘soft spike’, as it became known, had a good degree of purchase on the ground and certainly was very close to being as good as its predecessors when it came to maintaining a good grip on the surface for golfers.

The new comfortable style of shoe that has pimple style grips is undoubtedly more comfortable and certainly softer and lighter than we have been used to. The big question though is: are we sacrificing safety for comfort?

Here in Spain we have to spend a surprisingly large amount of time walking on surfaces other than grass.

The new style of shoe is pretty good when used o grass but when they are used on concrete buggy paths or other areas where perhaps they ground is a bit loose or wet or even damp they do not seem to give the same level of traction the soft spike shoes give. This obviously causes some concern when a little thought is given to the safety of our local golfers.

As a sadly perfect example of just what I am talking about I witnessed a terrible accident when I played a golf course just south of Barcelona recently. A lady

member was pulling her golf trolley up a small slope not much higher than a footpath kerb when she slipped and fell awkwardly and dislocating her ankle.

The poor lady was in a lot of pain and was taken to hospital by ambulance where the ankle was reset and she recovered overnight before being allowed home. The lady concerned was in her sixties and was rather frail so luckily was not carrying a lot of weight.

Hopefully she will make a full recovery and get back to playing golf again in the future.

The lesson to be learned I guess is are these new styles of shoes safe for the aging golfers we see on our fairways here in Spain? My advice is to keep to the soft spike styles and I am sure you will be a little safer; but that’s not a guarantee that you won’t fall and do yourself some damage. Taking care is the best way to ensure that.

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

The pimple style golf shoe: safe or not?

QUESTION FOR 6th SEPTEMBER 2013: Who is the current leader of The Ryder Cup points list?

All answers must be received no later than 5pm on 30th September to be entered into September’s draw, to be made on 1st October 2013. The winner will be announced in RTN on 4th October 2013. To collect your prize you will have to come along to an RTN Golf Club day and meet with Noel Eastwell.

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

Tour talk

THE WALES Open last weekend saw the European Tour produce another great challenge in the shape of The 2010 Course at Celtic Manor. A superb finish from Frenchman Gregory Bourdy who birdied the last three holes saw him take his first tour title in nearly four years and with it the chance to become another French golfer to represent Europe at The Ryder Cup. This weekend we see the European Tour go to one of its oldest and most popular destinations: Crans Sur Sierre in Switzerland. This golf course is one of the most attractive and one where straight rather than big hitters usually prosper. The list of past winners reads like a Who’s Who of golf and there is a lot of pride in adding this event to your list of victories if you are a European Tour player.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY 3rd, 5th & 6th September, Alicante Golf Society Masters 10th September, RTN Golf League Monthly meeting at Alicante Golf 17th September, RTN weekly golf meeting at Alicante Golf 24th September, RTN weekly golf meeting at Alicante Golf

NEW CARS available to view in our showroom in CALPE 2009 MODEL,RENAULT CLIO 1.2 EMOTION Eco 2, (50mpg) 5 dr, aqua blue met, with grey trim, a/c, c/d, cruise, high spec, low kms

6995€

2010 FORD FOCUS RS electric blue with recaro interior privacy glass, climate, alloys, I-pod, only 10k, FSH, I owner 25,950€ 2002 HONDA S2000 SPORT CABRIO. Speed silver with red leather trim, electric roof, polished alloys, c/d -hi-fi, a/c, totally original, unique car, only 43 k 11995€ 2008 FORD FOCUS 1.6 AUTO. Denim blue met. Grey trim, a/c c/d, remote locking & e/w only 38k 9995€ 2008 NEW MODEL HYUNDAI, i30 SW CRDI DIESEL ESTATE. PREMIUM EDITION. Graphite metallic with black half leather trim A/C climate control. Heated seats cruise alloys CD i pod Full spec !!

2004 NEW MODEL RENAULT LAGUNA 2.0 AUTOMATIC priviledge. white with grey half leather trim, alloys, xenons, c/d, 1 owner 5995€ 2002 TOYOTA CELICA 1.8 VVTI COUPE,silver with grey sports trim,a/c, c/ d, alloys,very low km,s, as new, 5995€ 2007 SUZUKI SWIFT 1.5glx 5dr silver with black trim, a/c, c/d, alloys, s/history, 4995€

2007 SUZUKI SWIFT 1.5glx 5dr silver with black trim, a/c, c/d, alloys, s/history

4995€ 2005 MAZDA 6 TS2 2.0, 5 door hatch, blue met, with black trim, climate, alloys, cruise, BOSE hi-fi WAS 5,995€ NOW 4995€ 2005 SUZUKI WAGON R+. 1.3 5 dr, sky blue met,with grey trim,a/c c/ d,s/h 3995€

2005 SUZUKI WAGON R+

€8995

2003 BMW X5, 4.4 SE AUTO silver with black hide alloys, climate, remote locking full spec 8,995€ 2008 NEW MODEL HYUNDAI, i30 SW CRDI DIESEL ESTATE. Premium edition. Graphite metallic with black half leather trim A/C climate control. Heated seats cruise alloys CD i pod Full spec !! €8995 2009 MODEL, RENAULT CLIO 1.2 EMOTION Eco 2, (50mpg) 5 dr, aqua blue met, with grey trim, a/c, c/d, cruise, high spec, low kms 6995€

2002 TOYOTA CELICA 1.8 VVTI COUPE silver with grey sports trim,a/c, c/ d, alloys,very low km,s, as new

5995€

2012 RENAULT TWIZY Only 6 months old, fully electric car, pearl white met, gull wing doors 6995€

1.3 5 dr, sky blue met, with grey trim, a/c, c/d, s/h

3995€ 2003 SMART FOR-TWO PURE, SEMI AUTO- TIPTRONIC, Black with grey trim, c/d a/c,p/ex to clear 3495€ 2000 MODEL RENAULT MEGANE 1.4 RXE 5 dr emerald met with grey trim. Alloys, a/c, low kms p/ex to clear 1495€

UK RIGHT HAND DRIVE

2004 MAZDA MX5 CABRIO magenta mica met,with black trim, c/d, hi-fi, alloys, FSH, immaculate!

4995€ 2004 FORD FIESTA1.4 LX, 5 dr,blue met with charcoal trim,a/c ,c/d,,tax& mot, 2695€

MOTORCYCLES 2007 PIAGGIO MP3 3 WHEEL SCOOTER

CASH FOR YOUR CAR

2495€

Tel: 965 876 030

Mob: 699 034 138

Life cars

06-12 SEPT 2013

Brian Deller Author of Motoring in Spain

Driving in Spain DEAR BRIAN: After reading your book on driving in Spain, can you help with an answer to a question? I passed my theory and practical test for a B license in Malaga at the age of 54, three years ago.

The plastic photo driver’s licence arrived through the post, valid from 23-07-2010 until 1907-2020. I assumed being over 45 years of age I would have to take a medical every five years.

Do I have to take a medical in 2015? Will I receive notice of this? Is a new medical required?

Or is my licence valid as it is until 2020? I called at the driving school, and they think the license is okay without a medical until 2020.

Trevor Shaw, Fuengirola.

good cost of the medical, remembering that since December 2009 clinics photograph you with a web cam. The photograph is attached to the on-line application - all part of the medical service. This, I guess, avoids any fraudulent photos being submitted by someone taking the medical for the applicant.

There are two types of medical test as far as the reactions are concerned. The one is for Class B etc., the other for HGV/commercial drivers. If you are both you only need to take

the commercial test. It is quite simple unless you are not fit.

The cost of the medical reflects the service of the photo and completing the on-line form and sending off (online) the application to Trafico. It was up to 60€ the last time I asked. You will then be issued with a temporary paper licence to use, as they take your expiring card until the new card arrives in the post from Trafico. I think the Spanish system is very good.

All the best - roll on Inveraño: too hot for me.

BRIAN SAYS: Your next medical is due just before your licence expires (for any classification you wish to keep) and you say this is in 2020. The periods in my book are still current but may vary if the doctor carrying out the medical thinks that your state of health means that the periods need to be reduced for a medical reason.

Remember to phone around to check for a There is much more detailed information on all motoring subjects in my book. Brian Juan (John) Deller, Malaga, author, ‘Motoring in Spain’ www.spainvia.com.

Tel: 666 888 870 Brian Deller, author, book Motoring in Spain, ISBN No 978 84 611 9278 6. Shops’ addresses in my web site at: www.spainvia.com/bookshopslist.htm

Next Race Day SATURDAY 7th SEPTEMBER

Racing from 7-9pm Gates open at 6pm

OFFER SPECIAL to the race

Bring this ad y a 2 for jo track and en ult ticket ad 1 deal on an e €5 OR a - normal pric €8 on a of te ra d reduce (2 adults family ticket ildren) ch + unlimited e €12 - normal pric

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USED CAR SALE

most cars reduced upto

500€

by

2007 CITROEN C4 1.4i collection CD radio Climate control 82,000kms 2 careful owners in very good condition FVP* 6,500 € 2006 CITROEN C4 1.6 Hdi 110 in Blue metallic (P) 6,000 € 2006 CITROEN XSARA PICASSO 1.6Hdi SX TOP Blue grey metallic Climate control CD radio 79,000kms FDZ* 6000 € 2004 CITROEN XSARA PICASSO 2.0Hdi Sx In beige metallic. Fresh paintwork, full history DRL* 5,700 € 2003 CITROEN XSARA PICASSO 1.6i SX in silver metallic with 133,000 kms aircon etc excellent for holiday home CGB* 3,500 € 2003 CITROEN XSARA PICASSO 2.0i AUTOMATIC exclusive model 130,000kms with full history beige mettalic CKW* 4,900 € 2000 CITROEN XSARA 1.6i Exclusive AUTOMATIC in navy blue excellent condition throught 97,000kms BRF 1,800 € 2011 TOYOTA YARIS 1.4DiD Automatic Connect with only 8900 kms from new , one owner, Climate Satnav HFP* 9,800 € 2010 HYUNDAI i20 1.2 lux in Black with Aircon cd radio one owner car with full history 38,000kms like new GKZ* 8,300 € 2008 PEUGOET 308 1.6i 120Hp Automatic SPORT in Sand metallic 5 door with only 59,000kms Full history GKZ* 9,400 € 2007 RENAULT SCENIC 1.5Dci Authentique 120hp eco in mettalic blue 70,000 kms alloys climate card start FSJ* 7,300 € 2002 PEUGEOT 206 Hdi 170,000km Cam belt changed cd radio air conditioning (P) 2,300 € 2002 AUDI A4 2.5 Tdi 155 SE in superb silver metallic DSG Automatic with 120,000 Top class condition, leather trim BWC 8,500 € 2001 OPEL VECTRA 2.2 AUTOMATIC executive In metallic blue Air con Cd radio RIGHT HAND DRIVE to clear DGH 1,200 € 2000 OPEL FRONTERA 2.2DTI Sport model 3 door lovely condition with 113,000kms Roof bars and towbar Nice 4x4 GFR 3,000 € *With Guarantee for 6 or 12 months

Classified Ads 06-12 SEPT 2013

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

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Book your advert now 902 118 999 (ext 2)

PRISTINE POOLS PROFESSIONAL, CONSCIENTIOUS POOL REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE SERVICE TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS

• Pipe leaks pressure tested, detected and repaired with a proven guaranteed success rate • Structural leaks investigated and repaired • Replacement pumps, filters, salt systems, Ph regulators and accessories supplied and installed • Refurbishments & upgrades undertaken • Weekly maintenance contracts

British Trained & Qualified in the UK Pool Industry with over 18 years experience.

Legal & established for over 10 years in Spain.

Extensive references. All work guaranteed.

TEL: 966 774 199 / 678 080 500 www.pristineswimmingpools.com NO CALLOUT CHARGE WITHIN THE LOCAL AREA Torrevieja and surrounding areas plus Costa Calida

UK-SPAIN-IRELAND All European Destinations

Removals with the personal touch. Full/part loads.

Parcels, flat packs, luggage, door to door service, Storage available, pets transported

Phone 965 696 750 • 0044 (0) 744 791 8589 email: chrisyounge73979@aol.com

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06-12 SEPT 2013 PET TRANSPORT we treat your pet as if they belong to us and that is our promise. Van fully air conditioned we believe we have the best rates so give Joe a call on 966 074 576 or 650 341 087 for a chat or e mail pawspettransport@hotmail.com PROTECTAPET Spains leading pet insurance provider. www.protectapet.eu tel: 965 756 371 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. Tel: 965843781 Mob: 622514980 (Altea area Costa Blanca North) TRANS-PET We do regular, doorto-door journeys between the Costa Blanca and the UK.Our aim is to provide a professional, caring service for your pets.Boarding facilities for Cats and Dogs. This may be for an overnight stay or of longer durations.Tel:600-552-030/ 965-960-658 www.trans-pet.co.uk

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

GOLD WANTED English Jeweller wishes to buy broken or unwanted Gold and Silver jewellery & coins for cash. Call for an appointment.

Peter (7 days) 664 890 990. Member of the Nat. ASSN of Goldsmiths

YORKSHIRE TERRIER FOR SALE For sale...sweet loving puppies. Ready now. Reasonably priced. All innoculations.

650757622 PET TRAVEL UK family pet transporters Spain/UK. Travel with your pet for free. All air conditioned vehicles (no vans) www.pettraveluk.co.uk UK 0800 612 4922 or Spain 678 756 644 APAD (ANIMAL) CHARITY SHOP Calle San Antonio 1, Jalon. Open 9.30/1.00 Mon- Sat. Stock needed - clothes, toys, misc. For more info.

Tel: Jane 680717118 ALSTRAYS TRANSPORT SERVICES Monthly cat and dog transports between Spain, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium and the UK. DEFA certificate and license. www. alstrays.com. Tel: 676 653 681

nidorm and surrounding area. Tel: 634 617 771/ 966 877 757 YOUR BLINDS IN SPAIN Family run business supplying the best quality products at rock bottom prices. Rose Fabrics, Railux designer Roller blinds, Awnings & Canopies, Venetian Blinds, Pleated Blinds, PVC Blackout fabrics, Rainforest Fabrics, Mosquito Screens.

Contact us now for a free no obligation quotation or visit us at Zoco Market every Sunday. Tel: 965 701 984 / 658 338 123. Website: www.yourblindsinspain.com Email: info@yourblindsinspain.com

26FT 4 BERTH SAILBOAT well maintained, GPS, autohelm, spinnaker, berthed Los Urruitias, 6,500 euros ONO. Telephone 647037495 or 968171356

GENERAL BUILDING, PLASTERING, TILING Maintenance/New Build. www.jrconstruction.com Be-

STUNNING BEACHFRONT RESTAURANT on the Mar Menor. Viva bar and restaurant one of the best appointed restaurants in the area.

Ranked 6th of Tripadvisor! 39’950 euros .Call on 968 133 111

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06-12 SEPT 2013 MR FIXIT For all your electrical, Plumbing, General & Appliance & Boiler repairs. No call out charge.

698 320 434 REPAIRS Washing machines, Dishwashers & Dryers. Also Boilers and any electrical problems.

24hours. Cheap prices Tel 626 805 709

FEMALES OVER 40 required for adult Internet modelling. No males.

Excellent rates. 966 182 714 PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CLEANING SERVICE for your home or business at a fair price.

References available. (Altea area) Tel: 965843781 or 622514980

BYTEBACK MICROS computer repairs/upgrades in your home.

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

MOBILE/PARK HOMES FROM 15,000 € Fully furnished ready to move into, Camping Pueblo San Javier. Also homes & plots for rent.

Carol 96 819 24 25 Mob. 626 055 622 www.mobilehomesmarmenorspain.com

LADIES DANCEFIT WITH L.A DANCE at 4kwatro in Albir, Mondays at 7.30pm, call Louise on 655 781 068 for more information TAPPY TOES DANCE CLASS FOR BABIES from 18 months, at 4kwatro in Albir, 11am, call Louise on 655 781 068 for more information.

LA BAMBA’S - BALLROOM / LATIN / SEQUENCE DANCING Los Rosales Restaurant, Guardamar CV895 [near Lemon Tree Sunday Market] Monday - Social Dance 8.30pm - 10.30pm [Sequence class 7.30pm - 8.30pm] Friday - Social Dance 7.30pm - 10.30pm Wednesday - New Beginners Class starting 4th September 2pm -3pm Improvers Class 3pm - 4pm Intermediate Class 4pm - 5pm For more information contact Andrea and Brian 616 478 157 FUNKY FREESTYLE DANCE with Louise, every Saturday morning at Villamar Campsite in Albir/Benidorm, come and learn all the moves and routines to your pop idols! Call Louise on 655781-068 for more information!

COUPLE, SPANISH/ENGLISH HARDWORKING and reliable experienced in reception and customer service, cleaning etc. both drivers and male capable of general maintenance tasks. Benidorm and surrounding areas. Tel: Ian 633 794 997 DO YOU NEED EXTRA HELP AT HOME? I can help you at home with light duties, cleaning, cooking, housework, shopping etc as a carer. References available. Altea, Benidorm, Alfaz del Pi area. Call Trisha for more information on 622 514 980 or 965 843 781

ALEXANDERS ANTIQUE JEWELLERS pay Top London prices, Est. 2003. Open Mon-Sat, 10am - 2pm. Javea Port seafront. Tel: 965 792 595 / 667 270 969

EXPERIENCED CARER Help with everyday chores that have become a bit too much to handle, be it on a temporary or permanent basis.

For as many hours as you require.

Housework, Shopping Cooking, Personal Hygiene. CRB Check and References available. Confidentiality guaranteed. Contact Dawn on 669 066 423

SOS INSURANCE www.sosinsuranceinspain.com Best prices available. CALL US FIRST for all your insurance needs, including best deals on Funeral plans. Buildings and contents cover from just 98 euros per year.

Tel 966787123 / 686116297

06-12 SEPT 2013

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MJB MOBILE WELDERS Gates, grills, hinges etc., repaired or new.

No job too small. Fast service. Low prices. Free Quotes. Call Terry: 966 845 414 / 625 995 470 WANTED I BUY ANY CAR van,Caravan,4x4 Etc.British, Spanish. Immediate cash 600-781-873 ibuyanycar@hotmail.com

WANT TO DRIVE your LHD car to the UK and sell it when you get there? Call 658 670 777

RIGHT HAND DRIVE FORD MONDEO ESTATE 2.0 TDCi Ghia 6-speed, 2007, 115,000miles, 1 owner, FSH, AC, PAS, ABS, Alloys, CD, roof rails, cruise, Touch screen nav, rain/light sensors, Auto fold mirrors, Isofix, High Spec Model, Mot’ed and Taxed, Metallic Silver. 7,750€ for sale or exchange.

Tel Frank 600726221/965687976 www.fwreurocars.com RENAULT LAGUNA ESTATE 2.0 DCI PRIVILEGE 6 speed, 2006, 69,000kms, 2 owners, FSH, AC, alloys, PAS, ABS, cruise, electric windows/mirrors, roof rails, CD, rear privacy glass, headlamp wash, Metallic grey. 8,650€. Tel Frank 600726221/965687976 www.fwreurocars.com ATTRACTIVE HOUSE & MOBILE HOME on huge plot near Chella (Valencia).Bargain at 85000euros..

Details ray2kir@gmail.com. tel.

646 139 899 TOYOTA AURIS 2.0 D4D 6SPEED 5 door hatchback, Diesel, 2007, 108,000kms, 1 owner, FSH, PAS, ABS, AC, cruise, front fogs, Isofix, CD, remote locking, multi airbags, Electric windows/mirrors, Metallic Silver. 7,850€. Tel Frank 600726221/965687976 www.fwreurocars.com

sofas and also several high quality beige sofa sets + 3-piece suites.

Photos: www.michaels-javea.com AT MICHAEL’S we specialize on very high quality pre-owned furniture for half price or less. www.michaels-javea.com Tel 96-579 1328 AT MICHAEL’S Garden sofa-suite in very thick bamboo with matching coffee table. Also more garden furniture on: www.michaels-javea.com

MICHAELS AT MICHAEL´S Several very high quality coffee tables, large & small. See more than 600 photos: www.michaels-javea.com AT MICHAEL’S Fantastic black recliner / massage chair with built in soothing music. Must try! Photos on: www.michaels-javea.com AT MICHAEL’S we specialize on very high quality pre-owned furniture for half price or less. www.michaels-javea.com Tel 96-579 1328 MICHAEL’S 30 YEARS IN JAVEA - ENSURES YOUR SATISFACTION! We sell high quality pre owned furniture, many from show apartments etc. Look at: www.michaels-javea.com Tel 96-579 1328 AT MICHAEL’S part exchange on certain beds when you buy a New bed from our New Bed shop in the Arenal. Photos: www.michaels-javea.com LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELCHAIR Folding, immaculate.150 euro.

Mobility scooter.40km range.

Road legal. Hardly used.499 euro.627019403 AT MICHAEL’S part exchange on certain beds when you buy a New bed from our New Bed shop in the Arenal. Photos: www.michaels-javea.com AT MICHAEL’S Two grey leather

GOLD WANTED English Jeweller wishes to buy broken or unwanted Gold and Silver jewellery & coins for cash. Call for an appointment. Peter (7 days) 664 890 990. Member of the Nat. ASSN of Goldsmiths

ADVICE WITH THE SPANISH SYSTEM Whatever you need to integrate into the spanish system, we can help you. NIE, residencia, empadronamiento, car import transfer, driving license transfer, schools, doctors, social security.(Benidorm and surrounding areas) Tel: 619 269 408 email: pammcmurchie@hotmail.com

ADVISORY SERVICE Need advice on making a will, buying or selling property, tax, resident or non resident, starting a business in spain, we can talk you through and give you the best advice and help you settle in spain. (Benidorm and surrounding areas) Tel: 610 634 506

LOOKING FOR A CAR? Good selection of automatics, cabriolets and 7 seaters in stock. We have over 75 LHD and RHD vehicles in stock for sale or exchange. We have a good selection of vehicles to clear from only 800€ Tel Frank 600726221/965687976 www. fwreurocars.com

PROBLEMS WITH INSECTS? Cockroaches, rats & mice.

Call 626 828 974 All insects

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06-12 SEPT 2013 POOL LEAK REPAIR SPECIALIST’S Pipe leaks pressure tested, detected and repaired. Structural leaks investigated and repaired.

Professional, conscientious service to the highest standards. Refurbishments and upgrades undertaken. Replacement pumps, filters, salt systems, ph regulators and accessories supplied and installed.

All work guaranteed. British trained in the UK pool industry with over 18 years experience. 10 years served on the Costa Blanca. Torrevieja and surrounding areas including Costa Calida. Tlf:- Pristine Pools on 966-774-199 or 678-080-500 www.pristineswimmingpools.com NO CALLOUT CHARGE. SEE MAIN ADVERT ON FRONT PAGE OF CLASSIFIEDS 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

MR FIXIT For all your electrical, Plumbing, General & appliance & Bolier repairs. No call out charge.

698 320 434

LADIES ENJOY A GENTLE SPANKING at home from the Headmaster. No Fees, Torrevieja area: headmaster@live.co.uk

MALE ESCORT Personal services from just dinner/chat to a full massage and more.

Satisfaction guaranteed call Stephen on 633 348 337 FEMALES OVER 40 required for adult Internet modelling. No males. Excellent rates.

966 182 714 GENERIC VIAGRA EXCLUSIVE First time in Spain 120mgs. Also Kamagra 100mgs, Generic Cialis 20mgs, and jellies. Local and Nationwide service. Pay on Delivery. www.costablues.com or phone Colin 680 878 735

SOPHIE ESCORT Slim elegant naughty lady. Hotel/home visit available. Tel:693 357 526 ASHLEY- 29 ENGLISH/MIXED RACE- Absolutley stunnning, near Torrevieja Hospital, 665 883 576 THE BLUE PILL NOW EVEN BETTER. Other products available. Don’t miss out. Derek 685 207 378 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

ANÚNCIATE TLF: 628 191 897 eduardo@roundtownnews.com

MOBILE/PARK HOME 2 bedrooms en-suite fully fitted. Camping Pueblo San Javier 22,000€. Carol 96 819 24 25 Mob 626 055 622. www.mobilehomesmarmenorspain.com SELLING YOUR HOUSE? Sold your house? Moving funds back to the UK? Don’t let your Spanish Bank take up to 1% of your sale price, Talk to MoneyCorp now about how to save up to 4,500€* Moneycorp’s repatriation service can help you drastically reduce or even eliminate Spanish bank fees when sending your property sale proceeds back to the UK. Call Moneycorp +34 902 887 243 and quote RTN to get more out of your money. www.moneycorp.com/roundtownnews

TOWN HOUSE IN XATIVA 258 sqmtrs 4 bedrooms 2 baths lounge and diner pool 100 sqmtr terrace, garage €199,500 Tel: 636638975 BUTIA ESPANA ARE YOU TRAPPED Need to sell quick. We are the only answer for a speedy sale. UK buyers waiting. www.butiaespana.com Telephone 0800 612 7514 or Spain 678 756 644

CASA ANGELA TORREVIEJA Luxury Private Chalet, parking.

Drinks invitation.

Feeling alone? Just want some company? Exotic girls from South America.

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

Street: Avenida Asociacion Vistimas del Terrorismo.

609-573-468 or 639-832-118

JAVEA 5 BED 3 BATH VILLA 5 mins drive from beach, pool, sea views, fully furnished, GCH, air con. Tel:678050072 JAVEA MODERN 2 BED FLAT Furnished, cable TV, Internet, Air Con, GCH, built 2007, pool, sea views, garden, 3 KMs from beach.

400€pcm. Tel:660692819 PARK HOMES 2 BEDROOMS Both en-suite fully fitted. Camping Pueblo San Javier. Carol Tel 96 819 24 25 Mob. 626 055 6622 Email.

Haydn47@hotmail.com. www. mobilehomesmarmenorspain.com

2 OR 3 BED / 2 BATH APARTMENTS in San Miguel. Lift, communal rooftop pool & solarium, video entry system. Available for short or long term rent from 350pcm. 96 672 3437 or 616493487

Register your property for FREE at www.rapidpropertysales.com and when we sell your property we will charge you absolutely nothing! The average time it takes us to sell a property is 8 weeks. Register now at www.rapidpropertysales.com – you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

COAST 2 COAST REMOVALS Spain UK Spain. Fully Legal, Fully insured. Covering the whole of the UK. Also pets carried. Tel: 617 500 876 or email: coast2coasttransport@hotmail.com

06-12 SEPT 2013 MOVE IT NOW Small removals and deliveries. Spain/UK Budget prices. Last minute jobs undertaken. www.moveitnow.co.uk Telephone UK 0800 612 4922 or Spain 678 756 644

VAN LEAVING FOR THE UK/ SPAIN EVERY 2 WEEKS great rates please contact Joe on 966 074 576 or 650 341 087 or civic1235@msn.com

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DON’T WORRY ABOUT LOSING YOUR TV CHANNELS Free UK TV, Free Movies, Free Sports, Free Catch-up, Free Adult NO MONTHLY SUBSCRIPTION! For more information visit: www.costasmarttv.com or call Tel: 697 108 158

TURN YOUR UNWANTED FURNITURE Electrical, Household Goods and Bric-a-brac into Cash.

Anything! Anywhere!

965-319-220/618-165-877

CRYSTAL CLEAR SATELLITE AND INTERNET TV Sky/BT Sports & Sky Movies on new Internet box 299€ no dish required. Steve 660186505 Ros 965584097 www.ccsattv.com info@ccsattv.com

RHYTHM GUITARIST Rhythm Guitarist to join band playing music from the 60’s to present day.

Applicant must be enthusiastic and a team player, aged 40+ If this is you call me on 661350963 or e-mail norman.lavisher@gmail.com I BUY RECORDS LP’S SINGLES AND CD’s ANY STYLE, JAZZ, BLUES, POP, PUNK, ROCK, ETC... TOP CASH PAID. 622 750 117

JAVEA SKIP HIRE 626 670 038 Moraira, Benissa, Calpe, Denia from S&W TOOL HIRE & FERRETERIA MORAIRA