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#RTNSouthEdition846 (ALICANTE AIRPORT - PUERTO DE MAZARRON)

January Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

HELPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Elaine Horton leads the parade followed by Vice Consul Elizabeth Bell and other VIPS

JOINT ENTERPRISE WORKING TOGETHER is the key to achieving community goals in Spain say charity leaders after a successful joint project between the public and private sectors. Read the full story on page 4

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

From the Editor’s desk...

Hola!

CHARITIES HAVE again done sterling work in the run into Christmas helping spread some festive cheer to those a little less well off. Never has RTN been filled with so many photos dominated by the colours red and white in so many different locations. It is a round the year job but there is a growing spirit of confidence as 2016 approaches, especially as expat associations appear to be building very real bridges with the Spanish. However, any expat with a bit of time to spare should consider joining one of the many teams of volunteers doing such good deeds. They are crying out for help and it is an excellent way of making new friends and enjoying the social side! Consider it a worthwhile New Year´s resolution. Back at RTN Towers the turkey and cranberry sandwiches have been finished and certain colleagues are worried about the toll of continuous feasting – and all this before New Year´s Eve celebrations and the real curved ball, Three Kings. Whatever is written on the calendar, have a happy, peaceful and prosperous New Year and have a great time at the parties.

Enjoy the read! JT GOT A STORY?

Call Jack Troughton, 661 403 016, for Costa Blanca North Keith Nicol, 609 417 385, for Costa Blanca South & Ian Askew, 628 580 367 for Costa Calida

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#RTNHQ Oficina Charral, Emilio Ortuño 6, Floor 4, Office 1 & 2, Benidorm, Alicante 03501 TEL: 902 118 999 EMAIL: rtnmail@ roundtownnews.com

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

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Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Cartagena’s armed forces donate toys for underprivileged children

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Toys at the town hall

by IAN ASKEW A CONVOY of three military vehicles, escorted by the Policía Local, left the military arsenal in Cartagena on Monday, headed for the town hall. Streets were cordoned oﬀ in the old town, as this very special delivery was made to the town hall’s administrative building in Calle San Miguel. The military convoy contained over 1,200 toys, which had been donated by military and civilian staﬀ in Cartagena, as part of the municipal campaign, “Ningún Niño sin Juguetes”, (No child should be without toys). The convoy, which was received by councillors Francisco Calderón and María

Del Carmen Martín, had been led by Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Carrión,Marine Infantry, who commended the “spirit”of the civil and military personnel from all the boats and land bases of the Cartagena base, who had contributed to the campaign bydonating toys and money to buy them. The town hall in Cartagena will distribute the toys amongst the organisations working in the area (the barrios) who will see they are given out to the children by the night of 5th January (Three Kings). This is the fourth time the armed forces have taken part in this initiative, which seeks to ensure that no under-privileged child under 12 should be without a toy that special night.

#NEWSBITES

HANDCUFFED MAN ON THE RUN A HANDCUFFED detainee escaped from custody last Saturday when leaving the courthouse in Torrevieja, after learning that he was to be sent back to his homeland due to a lack of necessary documentation to have legal residence in Spain. The man, a Moroccan national, allegedly was to be transferred by the National Police to the immigration detention (CIE) Sappers in Valencia, as confirmed to Europa Press by the central police station in Alicante on Tuesday. As the man was being handed over from one police officer to another and the van was being opened, he saw his opportunity, pushed one officer to the ground, and fled. The man has not been re-arrested and remains at large.

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Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Joint enterprise

(From left) Javi, the surgery’s chief nurse; Sheila Skinner, HELP volunteer; Vice Consul Elizabeth Bell; Mayor Vincent Tomas Estanrich; Elaine Horton; and Dr Palamos

by JACK TROUGHTON WORKING TOGETHER is the key to achieving community goals in Spain say charity leaders after a successful joint project between the public and private sectors. Little Castell de Castells in the Vall del Pop now proudly boasts a fully refurbished medical surgery thanks to Jalon Valley HELP, the town hall, and a small army of volunteers. And the success of the partnership was marked with a ‘Caring Christmas Market’ in Castells in the run in to Christmas – an event that became a huge street party and tempted British Vice Consul Elizabeth Bell to make her first visit to the Marina Alta community. The initiative began last summer. HELP volunteer and local resident Sheila Skinner warned of the decaying conditions at the surgery – prompting charity President Elaine Horton to meet with Mayor Vincent Tomas Estanrich and other key professionals. The deal was simple; the charity agreed to supply three dual heating and air conditioning units and a fridge for medicines if the local authority funded necessary repairs to the building and its redecoration...and leave others to organise fund raising to finance remaining improvements, largely new furniture. With the festive season approaching, it was agreed a Christmas market would raise the cash needed to complete the project – and youngsters from the school would end the day with a show at the Casa de Cultura. Reflecting on an “absolutely fabulous day”, Elaine said: “It was a wonderful example of how to work together – the village was so welcoming, the children were absolutely beautiful – it was a lovely occasion. EXAMPLE “I have already suggested that we do it again next year – there is no point in charities trying to do it all themselves, this was an example of what can be achieved through a joint enterprise. “We feel at HELP that our work is being recognised; there are town halls helping us and what we aim to achieve in the community. We have ended the year on a high and are really looking forward to 2016.” Vice Consul Liz Bell arrived to find the town band were ready to escort her and other VIPs up to the market square. Elaine added: “I tried to warn her on the ‘phone but she didn’t believe me – so as we walked up, I was caught on camera doing a little dance – trying to emulate the Moors and Christians walk!” Local residents lined the streets to cheer the official party as they inspected the surgery and the Christmas market – complete with stalls, food including local delicacies, and a traditional giant paella. Naturally, Father Christmas – aka Papa Noel – was present with an Elf to delight youngsters. And for the Vice Consul, it was “a job well done”. She said: “I was delighted to attend and support his fund raising venture – it was a really enjoyable day. “It was great to see firsthand how Jalon Valley HELP and the people of Castell de Castells are working closely together in partnership to support those in need in their community and beyond.” The day ended with a collection of food, toys and clothing donated by the town to HELP. Such was the size of the gift; it filled the vehicle after the VIPs joined volunteers to load the van.

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Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Striking it rich

Alfaz euromillions winner

IT SEEMS that the Marina Baixa area is one of the luckiest places to live when it comes to buying lottery tickets. Although gambling in Spain is heavily licenced and monitored, it would appear that lottery ticket sales, which are extremely popular with the citizens of the country, make up for the lack of betting shop gambling, with an estimated 75% of the population taking part in the Spanish Christmas lottery alone. The week before Christmas, a lucky winner in Alfaz del Pi won the Euro millions and collected a cheque for over 83 million euros. He had bought his ticket at the town’s lottery shop situated in the church square, which then saw the outlet’s El Gordo ticket sales drastically increase, as people hoped buying tickets there would bring them an extra bit of luck. The Christmas draw (El Gordo), which took place on 22nd December, saw approximately 19.473.000€ being claimed in the region including Benidorm and Villajoyosa. One lucky winner in Villajoyosa, who was sharing the fifth prize, went to collect their winnings, unsure of how much they had won, but were delighted with their share of 6,000€. Nationally, one of the happiest stories was that of the winning ticket holders, a small rural school in Andalucía, who had begun buying tickets to help fund a summer trip for students, only to find themselves in receipt of 300 million euros following the draw. Headteacher of the school, María Ángeles Villegas, told reporters that “we were giving out Christmas grades and suddenly we got this surprise.Parents started coming here in tears. This part of the county has been so badly affected by unemployment and the crisis, so this is really going to help the village bounce back.” Unfortunately,at the lottery ticket office that sold most of the town, including the school, their tickets,the manager did not purchase one himself.

#NEWS BITES

MAN DEAD FOR TWO WEEKS AN ELDERLY man was found dead in his house after his sister raised the alarm because she had not heard from him.

Torrevieja’s Fire Department and Guardia Civil officers found the body of a man inside his home in Torrevieja. According to early indications, he had died more than two weeks ago without close relatives or neighbours noticing his absence. The man, about 80 years old, lived alone on the fourth floor of a building in Calle La Loma de Torrevieja. The alarm was raised by his sister. The woman, who lives in Madrid, phoned emergency services indicating that she had not heard from her brother and was afraid something had happened to him, as she had heard nothing from him for 15 days. At about four in the afternoon, members of the Guardia Civil came to his home at number 29 Calle La Loma. Immediately, they detected a strong odour from inside the door on the fourth floor of the property. The Guardia Civil sought judicial authorization and the firefighters opened the door by forcing the lock. The emergency team found the body in an advanced state of decomposition, and it seems he died of natural causes. The neighbours said he was a person who only went out of his apartment every two or three days, so they did not notice any lack of movement. This is not an isolated finding. In and around Torrevieja, emergency services recorded about 30 cases of people dying alone in their homes this year - most of an advanced age, and whose death was detected days later.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Three Kings arrive by KEITH NICOL

THE THREE Reyes Magos, the Three Kings or Wise Men, will arrive in Torrevieja next Tuesday by boat before parading through the city’s streets on their way to the Inmaculada Church. However, before that, all good boys and girls can drop their ‘wish lists’ to their favourite King in a special post box which will be installed beside the Bethlehem Nativity Scene. On January 4th their Majesties will send their Royal Pages, to pick up all the letters and there will also be a magic show to enthral kids of all ages. The place to be is where Calle Fotógrafo Darblade and Calle Concepción meet to see the magic of Juan Manuel Marcos at noon and Mago J at 4pm. On Tuesday, the Three Kings, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar, arrive by boat in Torrevieja’s harbour at around 5.30pm to be welcomed by girls who have won a writing competition organised by the departments of Fiestas and Education. Rosana Gutiérrez,10, and Paula Aniorte, eight, will welcome the Kings just before they climb on their ﬂoats for the parade to start. The tour, after leaving the port, will follow its normal course, running through Calles Ramón y Cajal, Zoa and Ramón Gallud

The Magic Kings visit Torrevieja on Tuesday

towards the Plaza of the Constitution. For the day, the Archpriest temple of the Immaculate, as is traditional, has been turned into Bethlehem, along with Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus. Come prepared with cameras and empty plastic bags, as there is lots to photograph and those on parade throw hun-

dreds of kilos of sweets into the crowds. The parade usually arrives at the church about 7pm, depending on the numbers in the parade itself, and, after a few words of welcome, the Kings enter the Town Hall, where they throw even more sweets at the gathered crowds.

Providing information for the UK and Spain since 1998

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Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Firefighters put Christmas on hold

Firefighters battle floods in UK

WITH FIRES raging through both northern Spain and California, as well as the floods in the UK, firefighters have put their Christmas celebrations on hold to battle with Mother Nature.

Fires have been sweeping through the northern areas of Spain, with the regions of Cantabria, Asturias and the Basque Country being worst affected, as it was estimated that firefighters had more than 120 forest fires to deal with at one point as high winds hampered their efforts to get the blazes under control. The forestry association for Spain said that, although temperatures had been unusually high, it was more than likely that “cattle farming interests” were responsible as some farmers believed that it made the land more appetising to the animals. Vast areas of land have been destroyed as soldiers were deployed to assist the firefighters in trying to extinguish the last remaining fires. Meanwhile, in California, wildfires have raged across the region, creating “fire tornadoes”, and caused the closure of many main routes out of the area. Over 600 firefighters were in attendance north west of Los Angeles, where strong winds and dry vegetation enabled the fires to quickly ravage through the brush areas, as television viewers witnessed the footage of one family driving through the flames to reach safety. For northern Alabama residents, flooding and tornadoes were wreaking havoc as records for rainfall were broken and, again, high winds increased the devastation of properties and left at least 15 people dead. Mother Nature wasn’t content with her work so far, as a deluge of rain in the north of England and Wales meant that thousands of properties were flooded when rivers broke their banks, despite many having received additional flood protection systems. Firefighters were overwhelmed with the number of calls and, at one point, due to the flooding, some systems went down, with desperate people having to use mobile phones and Facebook to ask for help. Severe flood warnings were put in place, indicating a danger to life and property, as a further storm, “Frank,” hit, late on Tuesday, an already saturated region. In a frustrated moment, as onlookers travelled around to see the rising waters, the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service tweeted “A severe flood warning means danger to life. It does not mean ‘come and have a look’!. Please do not come to Whalley or Ribchester now.” Firefighters carried the vulnerable from their homes to safety, as Red Cross volunteers set up rest centres on higher ground to offer comfort and a warm drink to many who were in shock. Water wasn’t the only problem, as a gas main caught fire in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, diverting some of the rescue workers to battle the blaze. As David Cameron visited some of the worst affected areas in the north of the country, Wales was battling against the floods causing travel chaos, as roads were closed and people had to be rescued from their vehicles. Hopefully, the New Year will bring some respite for all those who have suffered from either the fires or the floods and the firefighters will get a well-earned rest.

#NEWS BITES

SPAIN TO PATROL BALTIC STATES IT HAS been announced that Spain’s ﬁghter jets will be patrolling the Baltic State skies in 2016.

As part of a rotating NATO mission, the Spanish and Belgian air forces will be deployed to the Baltic area to take over from the German and Norwegian Euroﬁghter Typhoon jets that started their defence missions back in August. Four Spanish Euroﬁghter jets will be sent to Latvia whilst 16 Belgian jets will be deployed to Estonia. The three Baltic States, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, lack air patrol capabilities and, since they joined NATO in 2004, have been defended by the rotating mission.

Firefighters battling fires in California

Firefighters in the north of Spain

Family prisoner POLICE HAVE released details of a man who was denied medical treatment for over 20 years by his family. The 59 year old man, who was found naked in a locked room, had been detained by his 76 year old brother and 61 year old sister who believed him to be suffering from a mental illness. The discovery came to light following the elder brother being taken home for drunken behaviour by local police officers in the southern town of Dos Hermanas near Seville. When they arrived at the property they noticed a padlocked door and insisted on investigating. National Police said in a statement on Tuesday that officers found the man in a room with only a mattress for furniture and no bathroom facilities or running water, conditions which they described as “inhumane”. The siblings had control of the man’s monthly pension of 1,000€ and were arrested on suspicion of abuse and illegal detention. The man has been hospitalised and is now receiving treatment.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Operation ‘Cat’ leads to arrest by IAN ASKEW THE GUARDIA Civil has set up operation ‘CAT’, to investigate the fatal attack on a cat in a public road in San Pedro del Pinatar. Thanks to the help of citizens, the Guardia Civil were able to establish that an alleged crime of animal abuse had taken place, in which a cat had been beaten to death with a blunt object in the middle of the street. The information provided by the citizens and the evidence obtained by the researchers identified the alleged perpetrator of the crime, a local person. After obtaining all the necessary evidence, the Guardia Civil located the 77-year-old Spanish suspect and started proceedings for the crime of animal abuse, all of which has been forwarded to the Court of Investigation No. 2 of San Javier (Murcia). According to local sources, the alleged perpetrator assaulted the cat after surprising it attacking some pigeons that he had in his home. The crime of animal abuse has been included in the recent reform of the Penal Code, which defines it as the fact of mistreating animals unjustifiably, by any means or process. Causing the death of an animal is punishable by sentences of six to eighteen months imprisonment and special disqualification from one to four years from the exercise of a profession, or trade, related to animals and from the possession of animals.

San Pedro del Pinatar was the scene of a brutal attack on a cat

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Missing at Christmas THE FAMILY of missing expat Lisa Brown have issued a plea for her exboyfriend to come forward and help with finding her.

Lisa Brown, who went missing at the beginning of November, has still not been heard from, leaving her eight year old son, Marco, to celebrate Christmas without her. Helen Jordan, Lisa’s sister, spoke to their local Scottish newspaper about the family’s anguish at a time that should have been full of joy and promise. Simon Corner, who was in a relationship with Lisa, is still being sought by the local authorities in San Roque, near Gibraltar, and the family are desperate for any information that he may have about her whereabouts. Corner, originally from Liverpool, is now believed to have used several other names during his colourful

Zuckerberg billion give-away MILLIONS OF social media users fell victim to a hoax stating that Mark Zuckerberg was giving his money away.

Social media users around the world liked and shared a post which promised them some of Mr Zuckerberg’s Facebook wealth, only to discover that it was in fact a hoax. The post read “Hey, guess what guys, Mark Zuckerberg is giving away billions of pounds to regular Facebook users like you and me! All you need to do is copy and paste this to your status IMMEDIATELY.” Not surprisingly the millions were disappointed, having waited until the allotted midnight when the share-out had been promised, only to find they had not been selected. Hoax rewards are not unusual on sites such as Facebook, but users can easily check before sharing by using sites such as www.hoax-slayer.com. life and served time in jail for being found in possession of a knife in a Gibraltar nightclub, common assault, and making death threats. Helen, 47, said “please keep sharing information via social media and in the press, in the hope that we can

get some answers as to where Lisa is. She would never have left Marco voluntarily.” Police believe that Corner may have travelled to Thailand as his credit card now shows transactions made there.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Spain’s stalemate continues by JACK TROUGHTON POLITICAL WRANGLING continues in Spain after the general election on 20th December failed to return a party with an absolute majority. The rivals need to hammer out a deal to form a workable alliance in Congress or the polling stations will be open again in the New Year if the country is forced to stage another ballot. The incumbent Partido Popular won 123 seats – down from 186 in 2011 – and is the largest party following the election but far short of the 176 seats needed for an absolute majority. And the socialist PSOE claimed 90 seats, its worst ever result and down from 110 claimed four years ago. However, the newcomers made huge inroads to end two-party rule and to start a new political chapter - Podemos and its regional ‘brands’ claimed 69 seats and Ciudadanos 40. Mariano Rajoy, PP leader and now ‘Acting Prime Minister’, has called for an alliance strong enough to rule the country to bring stability and continue growth; and to protect Spanish unity. Keen to avoid another election, he has called the prospect “bad news”, Mr Rajoy has not ruled out a “grand coalition” in Congress. But PSOE and Ciudadanos leaders are against Mr Rajoy staying on as Prime Minister – the acting PM insists he will remain as his party’s candidate for the job - and the anti-austerity Podemos will not support a PP party it believes is tainted with corruption and inequality. The PP does have a majority in the upper house, the Senate in Madrid, which potentially makes the situation more complex as it could potentially hamper new legislation passed by a government of the ‘wrong’ colour. Change is afoot and the wheeling and dealing must continue. The general election made one thing clear; the two main parties have gone from jointly representing 80% of voters to around 50%.

Mariano Rajoy

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Three Kings controversy by caroline tyszka AS THE Three Kings parades light up most of the country this week, in Madrid there is an argument over the decision to allow a woman to play one of the kings. In two districts of Madrid, San Blas-Canillejas and Puente de Vallecas, councillors have agreed that the Three Kings can be either men or women provided that they wear the beard and robes that are traditional. The decision taken by the two districts has caused a strong debate for those who agree

that it is time for women to be able to be Kings whilst others fear that it ridicules the traditional event. One government delegate in Madrid, Concepción Dancausa, stated “this is not the place to vindicate equality policies, and the move is bound to undermine the traditions and confuse the children.” A statement issued by the city council defending the decisions said “with a beard and a wig how will children know if it is a man or a woman.”

Queen honours former mayor

THE FORMER mayor of Benidorm has been awarded an MBE by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Agustín Navarro, ex-mayor of Benidorm, has been awarded the Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of his services to the British community. A letter confirming the award was sent on December 17th, and, although Navarro knew of his nomination, he had been unable to use the MBE initials after his name until an official announcement had been made. Fellow MBE holders include Adele and Rowan Atkinson but also many more who have been recognised for work within their communities or for charity. Navarro reported to the media that he was “exceptionally proud to have received the award that recognised his work with the English community in Benidorm.”

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Cocaine found at port by CAROLINE TYSZKA

NATIONAL POLICE officers have seized 176 packages containing cocaine at the Port of Valencia. Throughout Spain, over the festive season, police officers have managed to seize many types of illegal drugs and paraphernalia, including 100 kilos of cocaine being stored in containers at the Port of Valencia. The National Police, working with the Guardia Civil Tax Agency, had become aware of an organisation who were using containers to import the narcotics by modifying the units which were from the Dominican Republic. Following a detailed investigation, the officers focused on four containers in the port and made their discovery of the 176 packages that were hidden inside the door sills. Agents were able to arrest six people, one of which was the leader of the organisation and who had several businesses in his name, following the discovery of a warehouse in Toledo Olías del Rey, which was part of the same criminal activity The six arrested consisted of four Spanish nationals and two who were born in Morocco.

#NEWSBITES

TOURIST BITTEN BY SHARK

A TOURIST was bitten by a shark whilst on holiday in Gran Canaria.

Cristina Ojeda-Thies, aged 38 and from Madrid, was swimming in the sea on Christmas Day with her relatives when her arm was bitten by a shark just 60 feet from the shoreline of Arinaga Beach in the Canaries. Cristina told reporters that “I noticed something was pulling at my left arm, but I didn’t pay much attention to it because it felt like a dog biting you when it’s playing.” Unaware of what the biting was, she began to return to the shoreline when she felt another pull which was stronger. “I felt something grabbing hold of me. As I turned around and saw it was a shark, I hit it with my right hand and managed to get back to the

beach,” she said. Cristina, who received 38 shark bites to her arm, was taken to a local hospital for treatment as authorities tried to play down the unprovoked attack. The director of the Wild Fauna recovery centre in Gran Canaria, Pascual Calabuig, and the president of the island Shark Alliance, described the incident as “very rare” and a “one oﬀ.” It is believed that the shark was a silky shark, which can be found in tropical and warm seas and was probably about 6.5 ft long. Although this breed of shark is considered potentially dangerous, it is, according to Mr Calabuig, “something that probably won’t happen for another 50 years, and more than likely only occurred as temperatures were higher than normal for this time of year.”

Wacky races

COLOURFUL COSTUMES filled the streets of Alcalali on Sunday as the Marina Alta village staged its first Christmas Fancy Dress Race. Children and adults joined in the festive fun with a huge turnout of competitors and spectators as part of the village’s Christmas festivities. There were prizes for the best individual and group costumes and hot chocolate for everyone taking part. The first race was for youngsters aged up to 12 and they started from the town hall to run half a kilometre. The race for adults was three laps of the streets, a total of 3.5km.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Do I need to insure my vehicle even if it’s off the road? Some insurance policies like medical cover are not compulsory, others such as ﬁre protection for your property, are.

Your vehicle however, must be insured at all times, even if it’s kept off the road in a garage. The minimum legal compulsory insurance is Civil Liability to cover any damage to or claims from a third party, resulting from your vehicle. The existing legislation (Royal Decree 8/2004) states that any car that is kept in Spain must be insured. Trailers and other special types of vehicles that weigh less than 750 kg and cannot be driven on Spanish roads are not required to have insurance. This also means that they cannot be parked on roads or kept on private land. If you own a vehicle that’s not insured you could face a fixed penalty from €601 up to €3,005, and your vehicle may be seized and immobilised. WHY DO I NEED TO INSURE MY CAR IF ITS KEPT IN A PRIVATE GARAGE The owner of a vehicle has a civil responsibility towards their neighbour and their property. Civil responsibility extends beyond car accidents on Spanish roads. If a vehicle, for example, kept in a communal garage, has a fire due to a short circuit, the owner will

be responsible for any resulting damages to third parties. The owner will also be liable for a fixed penalty fine, the amount will depend on the gravity of the situation, the length of time the vehicle has been without insurance, and if this is a repeat offense.

IN WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES IS INSURANCE NOT COMPULSORY? If your vehicle has oﬃcially been temporarily or permanently taken out of circulation, for example it has been scrapped, then no insurance is required. If you own a vehicle that is not being used and you wish to avoid paying for insurance, then you can apply to have it temporarily taken out of circulation. However, to do this the vehicle needs to have passed its MOT. If the MOT has expired, then it must be taken again and passed, before applying. HOW CAN I AVOID ANY FIXED PENALTY FINES The best option is to ensure you have adequate insurance protection for your vehicle at all times. Once your vehicle complies with Spanish regulations, you can then decide what the future use of your vehicle will be, and whether or not to keep it in circulation or take it out. If you require an insurance

Call now on: 902 123 148

policy for your vehicle, you can contact Línea Directa on 902 123 148. They can supply you with a fast and eﬃcient quote for either third party or fully comprehensive insurance. We hope the information provided in this

article is of interest. If you would like to contact Línea Directa please call 902 123 148 More information on Línea Directa online at www.lineadirecta.com

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Surviving the holidays by KEITH NICOL

THE FESTIVE Season brings with it a certain amount of stress, over-indulgence and a lack of sleep, which increases the chance of developing heart problems. Christmas is a time to share with family and friends. However, social events, the stress of last minute shopping, intense emotions, and excesses in diet, can be overwhelming. The specialists units of Quirónsalud Cardiology Hospital of Torrevieja and Murcia Hospital Quirónsalud advise you not to vary your dietary habits too much and to practice soft and aerobic exercise on a regular basis. Similarly, proper rest at night and avoiding arguments with family are essential strategies recommended by the Spanish Heart Foundation. The ideal is to pass the Christmas season smoothly and quietly; after all it is a time to enjoy the people we love. Plus, between seven and nine hours of rest decrease cardiovascular problems by up to 65%. It is best not to abuse fatty foods that can increase cholesterol levels, a recommendation aimed speciﬁcally at people with chronic heart disease. According to Dr. Miguel Ahumada, cardiac specialist Quirónsalud Orihuela Medical Centre, “At dinner, it’s recommended to cook oily ﬁsh, white meat (poultry, rabbit, etc.) and, why not, some seafood; and for New Year’s meal prepare your favourite meal with lots of vegetables. We must always remember the need to consume foods in moderation to avoid heavy digestion. Diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol patients should be especially careful and, above all, do not forget your medication, avoid salt where possible and, of course, don’t smoke.” For many, maybe the hardest thing is to not abuse alcohol. Various studies suggest that both beer and wine are healthy

in reasonable doses. According to Dr. Francisco Pico, specialist in cardiology Hospital Quirónsalud Murcia, “red wine, taken in moderation, reduces cardiovascular risk by reducing bad cholesterol (low density lipoprotein, LDL) and increasing good cholesterol ( high density lipoprotein, HDL) “. As for beer, nutrition experts re-iterate the benefits of this drink in preventing cardiovascular diseases, provided that it accompanies a healthy lifestyle and is consumed in moderation. In any case, if you have already been diagnosed with heart problems, it is better to reduce your beer drinking. After the holidays it’s important not to delay the return to healthy eating routines, incorporating foods low in saturated fat and salt. It is also advisable to include fibre, fruits, vegetables, fish, cereals and some nuts in the diet. Typically, during the holidays, you may have gained two to three kilos. Dr. Francisco Pico, adds: “Ideally, you should try to not increase your weight to avoid increased cardiovascular risk, so you must try to do regular exercise or go for a relaxed stroll during the free moments that you might have. Sleep deprivation also affects us all.” Rest is essential for the heart. According to a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, seven to nine hours a day will reduce the risk of heart disease by 65%. Sleeping well can also help those who are overweight, or suffer from hypertension or high cholesterol. He added “We also know that, while we sleep, we lower our blood pressure, which is beneficial for the heart. In many cases, patients who detect warning symptoms that might indicate a heart problem do not tell anyone, so as not to disturb the family, because they know that, if they discuss it, they could be admitted to a hospital and thus ‘spoil’ the party. It is essential

Eat heathly to stay healthy this festive season

that we consult quickly with our cardiologist to avoid serious complications.”

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Nicola Kuhn and Paula Badosa to play for Spain

Torrevieja’s Nicola Kuhn will represent Spain from next year

GREAT BRITAIN may have surprised the tennis world this year by winning the Davis Cup but, locally, the future of Spanish tennis looks bright, as two of the most promising players are committing themselves to Spain. One of these is Torrevieja resident, German born Nicola Kuhn, who has lived in Torrevieja almost all his life. Spanish tennis is in luck because two of the most promising youth players, Nicola Kuhn and Paula Badosa, have made it official that they have been declared eligible for the national team and, therefore, will play for Spain from next season. The agreement has been reached thanks to the support of the efforts of the Sports Council, the Professional Tennis League, and representation company IMG, which holds the rights, with Albert Molina. Badosa is Spanish, born in New York and trained with Xavier Budó in Barcelona, thus having the option of playing for the United States. In fact, the American Federation of Tennis had already made their interest known for her playing for the USA through her agent Albert Molina. She said: “I decided to play for Spain. Thanks to the LFP and the CSD for supporting me.” Paula Badosa is 18 and holds a 229 ranking. She has been chosen by the ‘Armada feminine’ and may already be eligible for Conchita Martínez, the coach of Spain’s, Fed Cup team, for the first round of 2016 against Serbia. “I wanted to make my nationality official. It was between the United States and Spain. I have decided to play for Spain.” said Badosa. Nicola Kuhn is only 15 years old, and is possibly the greatest prospect in the world of men’s tennis at the moment. Playing for his country of birth, Germany, he was chosen as the ‘most promising player’ of the junior Davis Cup final, that’s just been held in Madrid. In his case, despite being German through his father and Russian on his mother’s side, he is able to hold Spanish nationality because he moved to Torrevieja at just three months. Nicola Kuhn also trains locally at the Equelite Academy of Villena. “I’d like to announce that I will now play for Spain. I’ve been living here since childhood, and it has always made me excited to play for my country,” Kuhn said. “I feel mostly Spanish. It has always been my dream to play for this country.” Both Kuhn and Badosa will also work as ambassadors of the League of Professional Tennis, in addition to the Taekwondo of Joel González. Nicola added: “This year, 2015, is already coming to an end. It has been a very good year for me and I want to thank my team: José Luis Molina, Juan Moreno, Fran Martínez, Albert Molina, the tennis academy of Juan Carlos Ferrero’s Equelite, and my family, who have helped me through another year to grow as a player and as a person. In 2016 I will continue to hit each and every ball to fulfil my dream, which is to become professional. I also thank the support of my sponsors: Nike, Yonex, the professional tennis league, IMG, Bonusan and especially to CSD for giving me the opportunity to represent Spain from next year. Many thanks to all. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2016.”

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

NN.GG Torrevieja collect in “Solidarity Line” by KEITH NICOL

DURING THE morning of Christmas Eve, the New Generations of the Popular Party of Torrevieja organised their traditional line to collect food and coins in Calle Concepción. Once again, the public response was extraordinary and, thanks to their eﬀorts, they were able to oﬀer a better Christmas to the needy through the NGO “Alimentos Solidarity Torrevieja”, the food bank. Volunteers distributed a thousand kilos of food that supporters and passers-by added to the line, along with more than six hundred euros raised through their line of coins. This annual event continues the important work being done in the city through its social catering programme. Several councillors, including the vice president of the Provincial Council, Eduardo Dolón and presidents of provincial and local NN.GG, Luis MaríaPizana and AdriánBallester respectively, plus members of the NN.GG, were out in force. They all wish to thank each and every one of the anonymous citizens who gave their generous contributions to this festive programme for the needy and wished everyone a Merry Christmas.

#NEWSBITES

TEDAX DETONATES AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE FOUND NEAR CARTAGENA LAST TUESDAY, Tedax, the Policía Nacional bomb disposal technical experts, carried out a controlled detonation of a mortar bomb, left over from the civil war, which had been discovered in the countryside, just outside the Cartagena suburb of Los Dolores. According to oﬃcial police sources, the Emergency Co-ordination Centre received a call at 2.50pm notifying them of the discovery of a somewhat corroded small mortar bomb, of a type used during the civil war. Tedaxresponded, and decided that the most prudent action was to carry out a controlled,on-site explosion, arranging with the emergency services to have an ambulance on stand-by. The 061 Medical Co-ordinator, as a precautionary measure, despatched a mobile emergency response unit, which was ﬁnally stood down at 6.20pm.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Keeping New Year’s resolutions MOST PEOPLE make a New Year’s resolution, but how many stick to it? Traditionally, on 1st January, many make themselves promises to change or improve something in their lives, so why is it that approximately 80% fail? During the Christmas holidays many abandon most, if not all, restraint and indulge excessively in things that they spend most of the year avoiding, and then promise themselves that the New Year will be a new beginning. This can be anything from joining a gym, taking up yoga, buying diet books or planning to look leaner on the next beach holiday. However, normally, by mid-February,the resolutions are broken and there is an extreme feeling of remorse and disappointment in the failure. Experts suggest that the best way to keep a resolution is not to aim too high too fast and for people to set themselves reasonable and achievable goals. Simple guidance is to think small. For example “when I ﬁnish this meal, I’m going to wash my dish.” Make a contract with yourself that that dish must be washed. No ifs,

ands or buts! Throughout the day, ﬁnd simple challenges that you can make happen. The theory is that once you get used to making smaller things happen it is easier to tackle other slightly bigger personal challenges. It is no good making a pledge to yourself if you’re not sure you’ll stick with it, for example going to the gym ﬁve

times a week, when you already don’t believe you can, soset a more realistic target. Better to do the best you can than to fall short and feel disappointed in yourself. Finally, after New Year’s Day, you need to be kind to yourself. Behaviour change is hard and there are days when all may not go so well, but this is not failure, merely an opportunity to learn what works and what doesn’t.

NEWS BITES

MABS SHOP ASSISTANCE CHEERFUL VOLUNTEERS of the MABS Cancer Support Group raised 338€ packing shopping bags for customers at the tills of Iceland in Javea. Dressed in festive jumpers and hats, the team ‘bagged’ Christmas goodies and groceries on a busy Saturday afternoon. RTN was told shoppers and the supermarket staﬀ had lots of fun – and people full of festive spirit were “most generous” in donating change to the charity. MABS thanked Iceland store manager Connor, the supermarket staﬀ, everyone who donated, and the team.

Valencia’s enchanting Christmas SPAIN’S THIRD largest city simply sparkles in mid-winter as Christmas decorations fill Valencia’s shops, streets, and squares. Visitors and residents alike are surrounded by a rainbow of colour during daylight but as night falls the festive magic really comes alive. Christmas trees and lights seem to be everywhere – some are real pine, others manmade, but all catch the eye. Amongst the bustle of shoppers and people scurrying to meet friends to enjoy bars and restaurants; there is a true feeling of Christmas in the air. At times it is almost Dickensian – there are street sellers offering roasted chestnuts, others touting bargain ‘designer’ handbags and shoes, and people selling toys. The restaurants and bars are packed, the shops crammed until closing time, even flower stalls enjoy a roaring trade.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Chris Ashley

Writer & Broadcaster

Chris’ Corner “Oi! Buggerlugs! turn that ruddy row down” My Father didn’t like my 45’s playing on the old Dansette (Saw one on eBay for £650 recently, in 1957 we paid 18 Guineas on ‘the never-never’).

This is where my enduring love for rock ‘n’ roll originated and I wanted in. With my fellow Buggerlugs Barry Feast & Tommy Sparks we formed a Skiffle cum Rock group. I badgered my Mum to purchase a £5 guitar on the drip (again) from Kays Catalogue - page 28 just after the corset section, a much thumbed page, well Uncle Hugh hadn’t started his Playboy empire at this stage. Picture it, me on guitar – Bazza on the washboard – Sparky on the tea chest bass. We were called - The Galloping Gaylords – stop sniggering. By far the most expensive item was our stage wear lovingly cobbled together by respective Mums. The ensemble consisted of cocked hats – bright scarlet frock coats with knickerbockers & buckled shoes. We resembled the troops who lost the Americas in the 1770’s fighting for King George looking like Boy George. As we had no transport we travelled to gigs on the bus, with the added indignity & cost of buying an extra ticket for the tea chest bass from a smirking ‘On The Buses’ Blakey clone. No matter, this is the life, grooving with our dithery & doddery groupies – which then, in Woebegone Worthing, was pretty much everybody. We did a few gigs to general apathy in church halls sparsely attended by Teddy Boys – Kathy Kirby lookalikes & the local Vicar. They all worried me - the Teds with their propensity for gratuitous violence if we cocked up ‘Summertime Blues’. The pouting KK’s (way out of our league) who lusted after the Rugger Bugger with the Sunbeam Alpine and string back driving gloves. The happy-clappy Vicar who had the demeanour, that today, Operation Yewtree would be keen to investigate. We entered a talent contest in Bognor Regis – impressed,huh? Bognor isn’t twinned with any other town, but does have a Dignitas Pact with FrintonOn-Sea. With high hopes we did a stonking version of ‘Rock Island Line’. We lost to a Septuagenarian magician making incontinent doves appear from the most unlikely places. When I say we lost,we were the only two acts competing. Beaten by dove doo–doo. As mi amigo Señor Juan Nitestand would have it - “Asi es la vida!”(no idea, ask Jane Cronin). FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!

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Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Illegal gang broken up by KEITH NICOL

AGENTS OF the National Police and Guardia Civil have arrested nine people as alleged members of a criminal organization dedicated to the burglary of homes and commercial establishments with violence. They are holding those detained on 32 crimes, including an assassination attempt, 22 robberies and three with violence. The investigation began with a succession of several burglaries in the hamlet El Rebolledo, at one of which the assailants seriously wounded the inhabitant. Following these events, a joint research operation was undertaken between the National Police and Guardia Civil, looking for suspicious behaviour, and a criminal group that seemed to be operating in different parts of the province of Alicante. Their research allowed them to identify and locate all the members of the organisation, They conducted five arrests in Aspe, three in Hondón de las Nieves and one in Alicante. In addition, five house searches were performed; four in Aspe and one in Hondón de las Nieves, where the agents discovered many items that had been stolen from homes, such as televisions, mobile phones, computer equipment, small appliances and watches, plus other objects stolen from bars, restaurants and other businesses, along with objects deemed useful for theft, and clothing used in the assaults. The ‘modus operandi’ of those detained was for them to watch their prospective victims and take action, usually at night or in the early hours of the morning, travelling in two vehicles to their locations. To access the homes and businesses, they forced windows with hydraulic jacks, cutters, crowbars or screwdrivers. One of their methods of action was quickly to rid themselves of stolen items, especially electronics and jewellery. The assailants showed great geographical mobility, committing robberies in different locations in the provinces of Alicante and Murcia. In addition, theirsecurity measures included avoiding detection by the police by frequently changing phone lines, addresses and their centre of operations. The detainees were brought before the Magistrates’ Court Number Two in Novelda (Alicante). The operation was jointly conducted by the National Police in Alicante, Provincial Police and the Guardia Civil in Aspe.

A Guardia Civil conducting an arrest

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Some of the representatives of the local press

Local Press awards 2015

THE LOCAL press in the Torrevieja area gathered on the Monday before Christmas for their annual dinner and to vote on the local personalities who have been the most and least helpful to them. During the dinner, which marked the 21st occasion of the event, it was decided by secret vote that the prizes of “Mullet” and “Rascasa” should go to local politicians who during the year 2015 were highlighted respectively by their goodwill or their diﬃculties shown to the media. This year, the most helpful award, went to Domingo Pérez with the “Mullet”, while JoaquínAlbaladejo and

Domingo Soler fought it out for the “Rascasa”. The “Rascasa” award was hotly disputed and ended with a tied vote between the councillors, JoaquínAlbaladejo and Domingo Soler. After a quick show of hands, the award was once again presented to Domingo Soler, the third consecutive year that he has received the coveted award, which is very tongue in cheek and always received with a smile. The “Salero”(Salt Shaker) award was presented to the Fibromyalgia Association ASIMEPP for the work they have done this year. A special “Mención Especial de Honor” was given to Manuel Pámies Andreu for his work.

Among the partners of the press, it was decided to present the “Partner of the Year” award to Fernando Guardiola, who will share it with the team of ‘ObjectivoTorrevieja’ for the work done with their website: objetivotorrevieja.wordpress.com. This is the second time that Guardiola has been presented with this award, which he previously received in 2010. The awards ceremony will be held in late January, around the feast of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of journalists, to be held at “Pizzeria # 1”. A full house is expected with the entire political councillors invited, along with local and regional reporters.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Stocking fillers by JACK TROUGHTON TWO DOZEN volunteers filled a couple of happy hours packing goodies into 100 homemade Christmas stockings to be distributed to youngsters on the Costa Blanca. A mountain of toys, chocolates, sweets, clothing and toiletries was slowly conquered by the band of Santa’s little helpers’ days before Christmas – however, a successful appeal means kids will also enjoy a Three Kings surprise. Children cared for in EMAUS homes and the ‘Magnificent Seven’ of El Verger – seven youngsters with special needs – were the recipients of the festive bounty but the ‘happy helpers’ enjoyed the helping of early Christmas spirit. Operation Christmas Stocking took place at the Charity Warehouse in Gata de Gorgos and was organised by Friends of the Children of EMAUS. The red felt stockings were handmade by Cazzie Millington and her team of daughter Julie and friend Marion Emmett in El Verger. It took six months to prepare them with cloth supplied by HELP of Denia and the Marina Alta and Marion’s own contribution of decorations. FLOOD And following an appeal, filling for the stockings flooded in thanks to businesses, charities, associations, and individuals – a list too long to print rather than miss anyone out! The final filling operation was “masterminded” by Lesley Clark, who admitted: “People contacted us asking to help out – people I don’t even know are arriving to take part. “People I have not even heard of have been contributing to the appeal from far and wide and obviously I thank them – people have taken up the torch and made contact and have been contributing stuff.” The appeal was further complicated by the age gap of the children involved – the recipients of the colourful stockings are aged between three and 17-years-old – but all 100 had a stocking packed with surprises on Christmas morning. Lesley added: “We all had a great time. It was a good atmosphere and there were two dozen happy helpers – however, keeping 24 of them doing it right was a challenge!”

The stocking fillers

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

New police station promised THE DIRECTOR General for the police, Ignacio Cosidó, visited Benidorm last week to discuss crime figures within the town. Mr Cosidó met with Toni Pérez on 24th December to discuss the reduction in recorded crimes and also congratulate the town for the National Police gold medal award. The Director General noted that in 2010 there were over 9,000 criminal offences and with 2015 almost at an end the figures were just above 7,000 which showed that there had been a reduction of over 4%. Cosidó said “there is an improvement in the safety of this town every day and year after year, with the positive measures being taken showing good results.” Following on from the meetings with local politicians, the Director General was taken to see the police station on Calle Apollo XI, and it was agreed that a new National Police station was required and building could start as early as 2016/17. Whilst the visit was a good boost for local police officers, others have voiced their concerns that the visit was purely a public relations visit. Noticias Today, a media source that covers the Marina Baixa, published an article disputing the crime figures and raising the issues again that many victims of crime had been British, who had not necessarily reported their incident nor been encouraged to do so. It also argued that, although promises for the new police station to be built by 2017 had been made, the Secretary of State for Security had issued a report saying that Benidorm would benefit from such buildings in 2019-2022 and that the 2016 budget had already been approved with no allowance being made for building to start. Noticias reporter, Alicia Martínez, also drew attention to the groups who had organised a protest that occurred in November at Benidorm Town Hall, which included the Citizenship Observatory against corruption and the police union UFP, as they had not been invited to attend the meeting with the Director General. In January there are plans for the campaigners and organisations trying to improve safety within the resort to meet with the British Ambassador from Madrid.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Land on free parking

by Jack Troughton

DRIVERS WILL enjoy free parking in Orihuela until 4th January despite the town hall this week signing a contract with a company to regulate ´pay and display´ bays in the city centre. The local authority said it had finally resolved the controversial ´hot potato´ of parking and will earn 200,000€ a year in income after awarding a four year contract to Setex APARKI – an agreement that can be extended. In 2009 the council decided Orihuela needed ´blue zone´ paid parking and a company was hired to run the service but the contract with Esma Park ended a month and a half ago in controversial circumstances. Apart from workers on the previous contract losing their jobs, it is understood that Esma Park, which enjoyed a six year contract after an extension was agreed, owes 500,000€. And it is alleged the contract was extended in 2013 despite the town hall not receiving any income for the previous four years. The council has said the Setex APARKI contract complies with all current legislation and has been scrupulously checked. Orihuela hopes to draw a veil over the previous six years and run a successful commercial service with its new partner – with the payment points for drivers coming into use in the New Year. Meanwhile the town hall has said it has received no complaints from businesses over difficulties of access by clients and customers unable to find parking during the busy Christmas period.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

#letters 28

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

k #rtnemail of the wee

A New Year’s prediction 2015 is finished, thank goodness. It was the year of noisy rude neighbours, banks looking for ways to rip us off, increasing taxes (with nothing to show for it), and news about burglaries, fraud, corruption, and Islamic State terrorism. Now it is 2016, so what should we expect for the New Year? Noisy rude neighbours, banks looking for ways to rip us off, increasing taxes, and news about burglaries, fraud, corruption, and Islamic State terrorism. The more things change, the more they stay the same. I predict that, for 2016, what has been will be again, as there is nothing new under the sun. Craig Pero, Altea

Not under any illusion THE REALITY of the situation on La Marina Urbanisation makes depressing reading. No one can be under any illusion about the sorry state of the roads, the rubbish collections, road and pedestrian safety, and the complete apathy of the council towards it all. Now, to top it all, we residents are potentially facing yet another corrupt council official investigation. How does the current council defend any of the criticism levelled at it? I have seen little, if any, defence from them. Is it because they really don’t care, and, therefore, can’t be bothered with a response, or are they just too embarrassed, knowing what’s printed is the truth and can’t be defended? One thing is for sure. Scrooge is alive and well, and resides in the Town Hall in San Fulgencio. No money for the urbanisation, not even at this time of year (I almost said cheer!). A concerned resident of La Marina.

America´s national tragedy THE LATEST massacre in San Bernardo once again highlights the unending tragedy and national scourge of easy access to firearms in the USA. Official statistics show that, in the USA, an average of 35,000 Americans are killed each year by firearms. That´s the equivalent of two Airbus 300s crashing and killing all their passengers every week in US territory during an entire year. I suppose even a brave “macho” individual like the late Charlton Heston (ex-president of his beloved NRA National Rifle Association) would have thought twice before boarding a plane. Surely the public would raise an outcry demanding more safety precautions, and the Federal Aviation Administration be pressured to stop the national tragedy? The official slogan of this powerful and wealthy association of death (aka NRA) is the following idiotic no-brainer: “Guns don´t kill people. People kill. people.” With this kind of “irrefutable logic”, Charlton Heston, the famous actor of “The Ten Commandments”, instead of opening Heaven´s Pearly Gates, did more to convert the USA into Heston´s “The Planet of The Apes”, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3”, that is, if we Americans survive to see the third part of this ongoing gothic horror tale. Sincerely yours, Richard M. McBride, Benidorm.

Where is my money?

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Now you can make a criminal claim against those who default on their obligations to pay you, have misappropriated your money or have managed your money incorrectly. Use criminal law against scam artists!

There are frequent cases of individuals or companies taking advantage of the good faith of trusting people, who then do not meet their obligations to pay. Often in these cases there is no civil remit within the civil courts, and against these people nothing can be done using the civil legal system. Often they appear to be insolvent, thus hindering any action since they have no goods to claim against, or the company may have simply disappeared and victims do not know where to turn. For these professional “Scam artists” cases we speak of, where there is no resolution possible under civil law, the law provides the possibility of raising a complaint under Criminal Law . A suitable example of such a case

may be the payments on account for the purchase of a home, vehicle or personal property, also for breaching of their obligation to provide a service under the circumstances. In many cases, and increasingly, the scam is perpetuated following contractual relations entered into online. Criminal proceedings in these cases are much more practical than civil courts because the whilst the defendant apparently has no money, in many cases they will try to pay their financial responsibility rather than face a possible prison sentence that could be imposed as well as liability to compensation for damages. After the reform of the Penal Code, articles 252 and 253 identify this type of crime separately, as crimes of Unfair Administration and Misappropriation. As for the established penalties, the sentence ranges from 6 months to 3 years in prison depending on the amount defrauded, the financial loss caused to the affected party, the relationship between them and the

perpetrator, the means employed and other circumstances that serve to assess the seriousness of the offence. The most serious cases such as those of the purchase of a main residence, or involving a sum greater than 50.000€ , carry penalties of up to 6 years in prison and a fine of 6 to 12 months (of a daily cuota amount determined by the court). If the amount does not exceed 400€ the penalty applicable is a fine of 1-3

Salvador Campderá Laguna, Bufete Campdera Asociados, C/ Marques de Campos 66-1C, 03700 DENIA (Alicante).

Call us on 627068561 or 629542912, or email us at scampdera-laguna@icali.es

months ( of a daily cuota amount determined by the court). In our law firm BUFETE CAMPDERÁ ASOCIADOS, we have years of experience representing the interests of both Spanish and expat clients in criminal proceedings when the civil route was no longer a solution. Do not hesitate to contact us by calling 627068561 or 629542912, or email us at scampdera-laguna@icali.es

legal

Dealing with scam artists

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Spanish Inheritance rules. Opting for the national law according with the Regulation 650/2012.

DEAR LAWYER, I am a British expat living in Jalon, Costa Blanca North, for just over a year. I would like to get a better understanding of succession and wills in Spain please. Dear reader, thank you for your enquiry. Spanish Law allows the succession to be ordered and the assets distributed by means of a Will. However, there is no absolute freedom to testate, as the Spanish Civil Code in its Article 806 establishes that there are certain parts of the testator’s assets that by law are reserved for certain heirs, known as forced heirs. This portion which cannot be freely distributed is called legitimate. The forced heirs are ﬁrst and foremost the children and descendants, and in the absence of these, the parents and ancestors, and the widow or widower. If there is no valid Will, the Civil Code establishes who should inherit, this is known as intestate succes-

sion rules, being in order: the descendants, parents, spouses, then brothers and nephews, etc. But should you remain as an expatriate with habitual residency in Spain, legally you have the option to choose which law you want to apply to your succession in Spain. Thus, according to European Regulation 650/2012 which applies to all deaths occurring after 17/08/2015, whilst in principle the applicable law to the succession shall be the one of the habitual residence of the deceased at the time of death; it allows you to choose when granting a Will, if desired, your own national law to govern your succession. If you do not make a choice, or you do not have a Will, the law governing the succession would be the one of your habitual residence at the time of death, so in your case Spanish Law. Since the entry into force of Regulation 650/2012, and for deaths after 17/08/2015, the nationality of

the deceased is no longer relevant for the purposes of determining the law governing the inheritance, the most important is to determine the habitual residence, and also whether or not the testator expressly opted for his national law. Therefore, now more than ever, it is recommended to make a Spanish will choosing the applicable law that suits you. If you are a beneﬁciary of an estate in Spain, it is important to determine which law should govern it, and also if the Will could be challenged or not. If you have not been appointed as heir, you may now have greater chances of claiming for your forced rights if you are descendants, spouses, etc. of an expatriate who has died in Spain and apply Spanish law to his/her inheritance, even if in the wills no provision was made in your favor. If you have any questions about wills or inheritance in Spain, contact us.

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

LEGAL & FINANCE

Expatriates Inheritance in Spain:

Carlos Baos

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Other year over, another just about to begin

MONEY

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM says that anyone who invests in shares over such a long period can expect to make money.

Christina Brady

Regional Manager of Blacktower Costa Blanca

Fifteen years ago, on 30 December 1999, the FTSE 100 index of the UK’s biggest companies hit its highest closing level ever - at 6,930. This was surpassed in 2015 when in April 2015 it hit a new highest level of 7104. But after two stock market crashes, terrorist attacks, a euro crisis or two, ebola, wars and punitive sanctions the market has still not managed to stay close to its 1999 level. On Christmas Eve 2014 the FTSE 100 stood at 6,610, still more than 300 points short of its record level and on Christmas Eve 2015 the FTSE 100 stood at 6,254.60, some 850 points short of its April high. But despite the FTSE 100 remaining below the level it achieved in 1999, the vast majority of investors should have made money over this 16-year period. How and why you may ask, well most shares pay dividends and on average shares in the FTSE 100 yield about 3% a year, which is comfortably better than the best cash ISA, even allowing for tax free interest. As you can see from the chart, the FTSE 250 has had a much better run, returning 167 per cent — excluding dividends — over the same period. The FTSE Small Cap, meanwhile, grew 46 per cent.

My advice is for investors to look outside the FTSE100, while it has been ﬂat-lining, the index of the next 250 largest companies in the UK - the FTSE 250 -has soared. In December 1999 it stood at 6,444. Sixteen years on the FTSE 250 has passed 17,500. 2016 forecasts It looks like 2016 is going to be another volatile year for the markets across the board. But for the FTSE 100 index to stage any substan-

tial recovery some analysts believe that sentiment towards energy and mining stocks will have to improve signiﬁcantly. Events in Syria, ISIS, the falling oil and commodity prices, uncertainty in the Eurozone , the worry that UK and Europe´s banks are still not entirely safe are likely to add extra elements of volatility. As a result, investment banks are cautious about predicting any great advance in the FTSE 100.

Also it looks like interest rates in Europe are going to remain as they are for 2016 and the UK until at least the second half of 2016, with any rise being very small, so little cheer for savers for the next few years. I am here to help you ﬁnd the right solution to make your money work for YOU, to arrange an independent, professional and impartial consultation please contact me by email christina.brady@blacktowerfm.com or call me on 658 892 330 .

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 Conduct 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.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

THERE ARE at least two certainties in life, death and taxes. HAVING to arrange a funeral in a foreign country for a loved one can be very distressing. We all know, from our own experience or that of close friends, how traumatic it is to have to cope with paperwork, officials and bureaucracy at a time when we are emotionally vulnerable. And yet, that is precisely the situation that we find ourselves in when there is no funeral plan in place. This time of grief can be made much easier on your family by having a pre-planned and pre-paid funeral plan ready in the event of your death. Iberian Funeral Plans SL. is one of the key professionals in the sector want to be able to offer the full range of benefits of an Iberian Funeral Plan to everyone, irrespective of where they live. That is why Iberian has developed a network of locations throughout Spain and its islands” By pre-planning now you fix the cost of your funeral at today’s prices, which are inflation proof irrespective of how long you live. Our plans start at €3390 and Payment can be made in euros or sterling either as a lump sum or by a deposit and regular installments which attract no interest. Our plans ARE NOT subject to IVA, furthermore we do not charge a set up fee, administration fee or interest –. Plan Benefits are transferable to the U.K. and other EU countries. Iberian is a fully operational registered SL company and all funds are held in secure accounts with Santander and BBVA bank. We Contract with several major funeral directors enabling us to operate to the highest possible standards. Please contact us for further information or a no obligation chat or visit from one of our representatives.

For more information, call us on 966 715 570 or 952 595 691 or visit our website www.iberianfuneralplans.com

FEATURE

Iberian Funeral Plans SL

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

#life&leisure

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

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

Three Kings excitement

CHILDREN UP and down the coast of the Costa Blanca are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Three Kings on the evening on Tuesday 5th January 2016. Read the full story on page 39.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leis ure #people 

Help Vega Baja donate 2,000€ to food bank by KEITH NICOL SAN MIGUEL based association “Help Vega Baja” donated 2,000€ to the food bank of the San Miguel neighbourhood association “San Miguel Archangel” over the festive season. The money was used for the purchase of meat, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables in shops in the locality to help feed the every growing needy population in the town. The food was purchased and delivered to the assigned food bank families as a special contribution to help make their Christmas a more joyous occasion. A spokesperson for the neighbourhood association said: “We appreciate the gesture of solidarity from this group of British residents, who,as in other years, offer timely relief and assistance to the most needy families in our town. The donation will be put to great use and help the everyday lives of local needy residents along with benefiting the municipality with the integration of cultures.” The Asociación Help Vega Baja is a charity providing emergency help to the English speaking population of the Southern Costa Blanca. They provide fact sheets and have an information service,along with their charity shop. They have La Marina Help Desk at the Christian Fellowship Church on Avda. Justo Antonio Quesada, in La Marina, San Fulgencio. Their opening times are every Thursday between 10am and

1.30pm except during holidays. Help Vega Baja is a self-funding association and are always grateful for donations of items that can be sold at charity sales. Their regular sales can be found on Thursdays between 9am and 2pm at The Campoamor Street Market, Calledel Fuego, Orihuela Costa. The association is pleased to offer the services of a welfare officer who can carry out home visits and offer advice and information about your need for care and help in the home. If you feel that you could benefit from a visit or know someone who could use this free service please contact them about this free service on 966 723733, Their collaborator David Ruíz, who runs Torrevieja Translation, an interpreting and translation business based in Torrevieja, offers free and useful ebooks on his website, where he also writes articles about everyday Spanish issues, legal documentation, driving in Spain, and tips for living in Spain in general. You can visit his website at: http://torreviejatranslation.com. They have offices in Torrevieja, close to the Fontana Hotel at Rambla Juan Mateo García, 4, Torrevieja and their main centre at Calle Lope de Vega, San Miguel de Salinas. More details about the work done by and assistance provided by the association can be found at; www.helpvegabaja.com.

HELP Vega Baja present San Miguel Archangel with 2,000

Free singing workshop in Orihuela AS PART of their ongoing campaign to encourage more people to take up barbershop singing in Spain, the Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers (SABS) are running a free, one day workshop,on Sunday,

10th January, from 10am to 6pm at the Conservatorio Pedro Terol, Orihuela. Attendees will spend the day learning four part harmony from the national champion quartet, Aftershave, followed by a concertfor family and friends to demonstrate what they have learned. The workshop is open to both men and women, and people of all ages are welcome. This forms part of a nationwide campaign and SABS recently ran a very successful workshop in Madrid, attended by over sixty new singers.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #people

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

Christmas with carol trimmings Presentation of food to Caritas

ON WEDNESDAY 16th December, in Pilar de la Horadada town square, La siesta Golf Society presented the Caritas charity with a whole van-load of much needed food. The value of their donation was a whopping 2,300€.

enjoying Christmas Dinner

MEMBERS OF the congregation of Albir Church of England enjoyed a Christmas dinner before taking part in the annual Carol Service. At lunchtime 20 people sat down to the meal at Brisa del Mar before moving to the Norwegian Seaman’s Church in Carrer Mart for the festive carols.

And 21 regular church members were joined by 33 visitors – many had also sung on the beach a week earlier. Taken by Father Ray Andrews, the traditional service included eight carols and six readings before everyone rounded oﬀ the day with tea and mince pies. A service of Holy Communion is held in Albir every Sunday at 9.45am and

every Thursday at 11.00am at the Forum Mare Nostrum, Alfaz del Pi. For further information call local Church Warden, Hazel Layt on 96 689 5306 or 659 018 400. Albir is one of eight churches in the Costa Blanca Anglican Chaplaincy and there is more information on the website www.costablanca-anglicanchaplaincy.org.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #gardening

January in your garden

Dick Handscombe Holistic gardener and author

FORTUNATELY WINTERS have been relatively mild since the garden disasters of 2005 and recent predictions suggest that the 2016 winter will be a degree or two above the norm, so we can hope for pleasant gardening weather in January which will be a short month for those whose seasonal festivities continue from the weekend before Christmas until a couple of days after the Three Kings. So what are the priorities for January? Start and make as much progress with the winter programme of pruning trees, shrubs, and perennial plants, plus the general garden clean-up. Take cuttings of a wide range of plants, and pot them up to propagate new plants. Shred prunings and cleared out weeds and leaves, and add to the top of compost heaps. If the compost heap is already full, make a second one. Thin out the centre of trees and lop branches that are too high or diseased. Prune grape vines and other fruiting vines, and weed and loosen the soil around them. Cut up logs and twigs for lighting open and closed fires. Arrange a licence for bonfires and burn what cannot be planted, strimmed, or composted Clean and sharpen tools, both before and after use. Give the greenhouse and garden frame a good clean out and treat with a disinfectant. Check and repair tree and climbing shrub ties. Ensure that the vegetable plot and containers of veggies do not dry out. Clean out dying plant growth and mud from the bottom of ponds Cut garden canes for use in the vegetable, fruit and flower gardens. Hard prune roses and mulch deeply with horse, sheep, or goat manures. Sort through and clean, wash and disinfect plant pots and other containers. Divide and replant large clumps of perennial plants. Improve water features,, or build new ones. Repair the garden shed and poultry/animal sheds and runs. Make up the solar cooker kit received as a Christmas present, and start to use it to cook breakfast and lunches to eat in the garden. Dig or rotavate unplanted/unsown areas of the vegetable plot. Keep vegetables in containers or weed-free ground. Prune olive trees to shape, stimulate flowering shoots, and make harvesting easier. Buy and chit seed potatoes to plant out after the last frosts. Construct raised beds. Repair fences and entrance gates. Dig holes and fill with natural manures in preparation for sowing squash and melon seeds. Separate out strawberry runners and plant new plantlets. Give leaf vegetables a boost with a nitrogen foliar or soil feed. Sprinkle wood ash from fires around onion and leek plants. Well that should be sufficient work to keep you warm and productive during the month ahead. Happy new year to all.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #whats on  

Three Kings excitement CHILDREN UP and down the coast of the Costa Blanca are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Three Kings on the evening on Tuesday 5th January 2016. by CAROLINE TYSZKA EVERY VILLAGE and town in Spain celebrates the Three Kings (Los Reyes Magos) which is the equivalent to what we know as the Three Wise Men and also similar to our Christmas Day gift giving. Each town normally puts on a parade during the evening as the Three Kings take gifts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. As the processions travel through the local streets, gifts, normally in the form of sweets, are thrown into the crowd, as young and old scrabble to fill their pockets with the treats. It is a time for family and tradition, including a special cake which contains either a figurine or coin. Depending on the family, if you discover one of these then you either have to pay for the cake or can expect good luck for the coming year. Benidorm holds one of the biggest Three Kings Parades in the region and this year will be no exception as everyone will gather at 6.30pm to watch the procession travel through the town reaching the Plaza de la Navidad where the children can meet the Kings and receive a gift. Altea starts their parade slightly earlier, at 5pm, with the procession ending up at the town hall square, so it is advisable to check out your town hall’s website or tourist information office to get the specific schedule of events so as not to miss this wonderful traditional celebration.

Three Kings parade in Altea

Three Kings in Finestrat

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

#tv&showbiz goss

by Peter Taylor

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It’s Time for Tony and his Tell-All Tales!

Antenne Carinthia is a national radio station in Austria and Joe Kohlhofer is one of their presenters. When Joe found out he would be working on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve he barricading himself in the studio and at 8am started playing Wham´s ´Last Christmas´ constantly. Complaints flooded in but Joe kept going and managed to play the song 24 times over the course of the next two hours. The station received hundreds of angry calls before it went viral on social media. Joe finally gave up when his 4 year old daughter Leonie asked him to stop. Aah bless!

You may be surprised to learn that ´I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! ´ has been around since 2002, the longevity of the show, in most part, due to telly watchers finding it totally irresistible to watch famous folks stuffing the most unpleasant of things in their faces.

The first show was won by a then Radio 1 presenter, and just for a bit o´ fun, I´ll tell you whom at the bottom of this story, and NO! Don’t go looking! The programme is here today as, like the ´tell-all´ tales of the X Factory and Strictly two weeks ago, Í´m a Celeb…´ has found its very own mole. Tony Hadley is the snitch as you possibly already know, but, as you´re aware of my distain for these types of shows, I wanted to be sure you´ve got the full drop on the importance of his revelation. For those of you who missed the Lorraine Kelly morning programme two Tuesdays ago the former Spandau Ballet singer said, “I have a Christmas album coming out and they paid me!” … yep that’s a pretty ín your face´ revelation right there, after which Tony baby then added “it wasn’t just about the money, I also needed to lose weight,” oh … alright then! “But I’ve been in Italy and put it all back on!” he´s a cheeky monkey isn´t he! Sliding out of that and into ´Spandau´ mode Tony admitted the band´s future is uncertain, but did add “we will get back together, we’re really great friends and we’ll get back together every three or four years which is how it should be,” news I´m sure that will be well received by those amongst you who are lovers of ´Big Hair´ and I decided over Xmas to start another run of watching ´Friends, ´ so when I saw the headline that Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) might be dating, NOW! I broke my vow of never doing ´who´s seeing whom´ stuff! At the time of writing the ćouple,´ who were a ćouple,´ in the show are apparently … a ćouple!´ It seems the two actors recently supported each other over their individual personal issues, and have since found the ´support´ having a little more meaning than just friendship.´ Is this yet another Friends storyline that´s just a storyline? Answers on a Postcard!

The Scots have long since suffered under the banner of being ´Fry Fanatics´ with their deep fried Mars Bars a particular favourite in tartan land. Frying a Mars Bar is certainly outrageous, but is in no way as blasphemous as what popped up in chippie ´Oh My Cod´ in Spalding, Lincolnshire over Xmas. Proprietor Bill Rai explained “We wanted to do something different for Christmas and we thought deep frying mince pies was something a little different,” sacrilegious more like! The mince pie dates back to the 13th century! Facebook called them ‘strangely yummy’. AAHH!!

Other than his slightly smug delivery on QI, all the parts Stephen Fry has played have utilised his naturally acerbic tongue, and last week we found he still possesses the skill. He was a guest on BBC Newsbeat and when asked to review some pop songs said about one “Horrible, oh horrible. It’s just bubblegum pop!” When presenter Tina Daheley told him he was listening to Little Mix he replied: “Who?” she explained “they won X-Factor … Oh did they,” replied Stephen, then added “It’s a hideous, toxic compound; it’s basically the musical equivalent of Haribo Starmix!” Brilliant!

Christina Aguilera broke big in 1999 with a No 1 album and single, and her success was enhanced by the 19 year old from Staten Island living up to her wild child reputation. The mother of two is now 35, and last week proved that she´s not quite done with her wild child ways. According to The New York Post Christine attended actor Seth MacFarlane’s Christmas bash and ended up ´so wasted´ she needed boyfriend Matt Rutler’s assistance when leaving as she couldn’t walk straight. Source person said “She was a mess, at one point she nearly fell into a Christmas tree!” Oh those halcyon days!

Finally the latest Star Wars adventure hits the big screen and has been received pretty well by critics, although one rather surprising criticism has come from an equally surprising source. A Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, which has been owned by the Holy See since 1861 … yes a ´Vatican´ newspaper, stated “J.J. Abrams’s villains are not nearly evil enough compared to the likes of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine,” adding “the only good thing that it shows, by contrast, is how the direction of the previous films was elegant, balanced and, above all, appropriate!” The Vatican?

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

tv listings 31st December 2015 - 7th January 2016

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thursday 31st December BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 10:00 Tinkerbell and the Secret of the Wings 11:05 CBeebies Alice in Wonderland 11:55 The Adventures of Tintin: the Secret of the Unicorn 13:30 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:20 Harry Hill in Professor Branestawm Returns 15:20 Wallace &Gromit: The Wrong Trousers 15:50 Up 17:15 Stick Man 17:45 Take That: These Days on Tour 1c8:45 Pointless 19:30 BBC News; Weather 19:50 BBC London News 20:00 Celebrity Mastermind 20:30 Roald Dahl’s Esio Trot 22:00 BBC News; Weather 22:15 Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie 23:45 The Graham Norton Show 24:30 Bryan Adams Rocks Big Ben Live

BBC2

07:00 Homes Under the Hammer 08:00 Flog It! 08:45 This Wild Life 09:15 Great British Menu 09:45 Father of the Bride 11:15 Natural World 12:15 Custer of the West 14:30 Ice Station Zebra 16:50 Flog It! 17:50 World’s Sneakiest Animals 18:50 The Odd Life of Timothy Green 20:30 Christmas University Challenge 21:00 Gareth Malone’s Great Choir Reunion 22:00 The Sapphires 23:40 Live at the Apollo 24:10Jools’ Annual Hootenanny 2015

friday 1st January

BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 10:00 Turbo 11:25 Monsters vs Aliens 12:55 Top of the Pops 13:55 The Archbishop of Canterbury’s New Year Message 14:00 BBC News at Two Weather 14:10 BBC London News and Weather 14:15 The Sound of Music 17:05 Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas 17:30 Wreck-It Ralph 19:05 BBC News at Seven Weather 19:20 BBC London News and Weather 19:30 EastEnders 20:00 Billionaire Boy 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Dickensian 22:00 Sherlock 23:35 Mrs Brown’s Boys 24:10 BBC News at Eleven 24:25 BBC London News and Weather 24:35 Adele at the BBC

BBC2

07:35 Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas 08:50 Natural World 09:50 Viva Las Vegas 11:15 Darcey’s Ballet Heroes 12:15 New Year’s Day Vienna Concert 2016 13:45 Little Women 15:40 The Eagle Has Landed 17:50 Gorilla Family and Me 18:50 The Archbishop of Canterbury’s New Year Message 18:55 The Terminal 21:00 Christmas University Challenge 21:30 The Many Faces of 22:30 The One Ronnie 23:20 Catch Me If You Can

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

07:00 Dino Dan 07:15 Dino Dan 07:25 Sooty 07:40 Super 4 08:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Dickinson’s Real Deal 11:30 Judge Rinder 12:30 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 13:30 ITV Lunchtime News 13:40DragonHeart 15:30 Dinosaur Britain 16:30The Chase 17:30Downton Abbey 19:30 ITV News Central 19:45 ITV Evening News 20:00Emmerdale 21:00 Coronation Street 21:30 Panda Babies 22:35 Birds of a Feather 23:05 Piers Morgan’s Life Stories 24:05 The Nation’s Favourite Bond Song 24:55 ITV News and Weather

07:40 Explorers

07:00 Childrens TV 09:40 The Big Bang Theory 08:45 Ben and Holly’s 10:10 The Big Bang Theory Little Kingdom 08:55 Peppa Pig 10:35 The Simpsons 09:05 Peppa Pig 11:05 The Simpsons 09:10 Paw Patrol 11:35 The Simpsons 09:25 Bananas in Pyjamas 12:05 Imagine That 09:45 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 14:10 Rocketeer 10:00 World’s Strongest 16:20 Honey, Man 2015 I Shrunk the Kids 10:50 Carry On Teacher 18:20 Channel 4 News 12:30 Sinatra 100: An All18:35 Hollyoaks Star Grammy Concert 19:35 Come Dine with Me 14:50 One Chance 16:55 The Wizard of Oz 20:30 TFI Friday 19:00 Loch Lomond: 22:00 Alan Carr’s New A Year in the Wild Year Specstacular 19:55 World’s Strongest 24:10 8 Out of 10 Cats Man 2015 21:00 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 22:00 Britain’s Best Loved Double Acts 24:55 The Best of Bad TV The Big Bang Theory 09.40

07:00 Dino Dan 07:25 Sooty 07:40 Super 4 08:00 Mr Bean: The Animated Series 09:00Oddbods 09:05 A Grizzly New Year Tale 09:35 Almost Naked Animals 10:10 Horrid Henry 10:25 Dickinson’s Real Deal 11:30 Judge Rinder 12:30 Who’s Doing the Dishes? 13:25 Celebrity Squares 14:10 ITV Lunchtime News 14:25 Dr No 16:35 Midsomer Murders 18:35 Wild River with Ray Mears 19:40 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Gino’s Italian Escape 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 The Big Quiz - Coronation Street v Emmerdale 23:00 ITV News 23:15 The Jonathan Ross Show 24:20 American Pie: the Wedding

08:30 The Big Bang Theory 08:55 The Big Bang Theory 09:20 Planet 51 11:10 The Simpsons 11:40 The Simpsons 12:15 Inspector Gadget 13:55 Channel 4 Racing 16:35 The Golden Compass 18:50 Channel 4 News 19:00 Tangled 21:00 Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast 22:00 A Good Day to Die Hard 24:00 Rude Tube

ITV1

CHANNEL 4

Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast 21.00

07:00 Childresn TV 08:45 Noddy in Toyland 08:55 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:10Peppa Pig 09:15Peppa Pig 09:25 Paw Patrol 09:40 Milkshake! Bop Box 09:50 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:05 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:20 Milkshake! Monkey 10:25 Wanda and the Alien 10:35 Thomas & Friends - Sodor’s Legend of the Lost Treasure: the Movie 11:50 Carry On Cabby 13:35 Bigfoot and the Hendersons 15:45 Dracula: Dead and Loving It 17:30Greystoke: the Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes 20:00 World’s Strongest Man 2015 21:00 Christmas with the Double Acts 22:00 An Audience with Ken Dodd 23:55 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians

itv2

07:00 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:50 The X Factor 08:40 Emmerdale 09:05 Coronation Street 09:30 Britain’s Got More Talent 10:25 The Almost Impossible Gameshow 11:25 Arthur and the Great Adventure 13:30 Emmerdale 14:00 Coronation Street 14:30 The Jeremy Kyle Show 15:35 The Jeremy Kyle Show 16:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:45 Catchphrase 18:45 Luke Kempner’s Impression of 2015 19:45 ET the ExtraTerrestrial 22:00 Quantum of Solace 24:15 Celebrity Juice

itv2

07:00 The Hot Desk 07:10 Totally Bonkers Guinness World Records 07:35 The Almost Impossible Gameshow 08:20Emmerdale 09:25 Coronation Street 09:55 Mr Bean 10:30 Space Jam 12:15 Richie Rich 14:10Emmerdale 15:15 Coronation Street 15:45 Happy Feet 17:55 The Nation’s Favourite Disney Song 18:50 Minion Madness 18:55 Minion Madness 19:00 Minion Madness 19:05 Despicable Me 21:00Skyfall 23:55 Celebrity Juice 24:55 Release the Hounds

07:00 Bad(ish) Robots 07:20 Troy 07:45 Charmed 08:35 Charmed 09:30 Hollyoaks 10:00 Rude(ish) Tube 10:30 Bad(ish) Robots 11:00 Troy 11:30 How I Met Your Mother 12:00 How I Met Your Mother 12:30 Casper 14:30 The Big Bang Theory 15:00 The Big Bang Theory 15:30 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 The Big Bang Theory 16:30 The Big Bang Theory 17:00 The Big Bang Theory 17:30 The Big Bang Theory 18:00 The Big Bang Theory 18:30 The Big Bang Theory 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:35 Hollyoaks 20:05 The Big Bang Theory 20:35 The Big Bang Theory 21:00 Gogglesprogs 22:00 Gogglebox 23:25 Gogglebox

07:00 Bad(ish) Robots 07:25 Troy 07:45 Charmed 08:35 Charmed 09:30 The Goldbergs 10:00 How I Met Your Mother 10:30 Bad(ish) Robots 11:00 Troy 11:30 Animals United 13:25 The Big Bang Theory 14:00 The Big Bang Theory 14:30 The Big Bang Theory 15:00 The Big Bang Theory 15:30 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 The Big Bang Theory 16:30 The Big Bang Theory 17:00 The Big Bang Theory 17:30 The Big Bang Theory 18:00 The Big Bang Theory 18:30 The Big Bang Theory 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 The Big Bang Theory 20:30 The Big Bang Theory 21:00 The Big Bang Theory 21:30 The Big Bang Theory 22:00 Breaking Dawn Part One 24:15 The Big Bang Theory 24:45 The Big Bang Theory

saturday 2nd January BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 11:00 Saturday Kitchen 12:30 James Martin: Home Comforts 13:00 BBC News; Weather 13:10 Football Focus 13:50 Saturday Sportsday 14:00 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 17:30 Final Score 18:10 Celebrity Mastermind 18:40 BBC News 18:50 BBC London News and Weather 19:00 Bruce’s Hall of Fame with Alexander Armstrong 20:10 Iron Man Three 22:10 Casualty 23:00 The National Lottery Live 23:10 BBC News; Weather 23:30 Match of the Day

BBC2

07:10 NFL Highlights 08:00 The Valley of Gwangi 09:35 Merrill’s Marauders 11:10 Animal Park 12:10 Natural World 13:00 James Martin: Home Comforts 13:30 Len and Ainsley’s Big Food Adventure 14:15 Talking Pictures 14:55 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 16:40 Coast 17:30 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 18:40 Natural World 19:40 Flog It! 20:40 The Many Faces of 21:40 Dad’s Army 22:10 Leningrad and the Orchestra That Defied Hitler 23:40 QI XL 24:25 Darts: BDO World Championships

07:00 Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge 07:20 Pat & Stan 07:35 Dino Dan 08:00 Signed Stories 08:05 Oddbods 08:10 Sooty 08:20 Super 4 08:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series 09:05 The Aquabats! Super Show! 09:30 Thunderbirds Are Go 10:00 The Tom & Jerry Show 10:25 Murder, She Wrote 11:15 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:20 ITV News and Weather 13:30 The Jeremy Kyle Show 14:30 Catchphrase 15:15 Off Their Rockers 15:45 From Russia with Love 18:00 Panda Babies 19:00 ITV News 19:30 You’ve Been Framed! 20:00 Ninja Warrior UK 21:00 Take Me Out 22:00 The Dark Knight 23:05 ITV News and Weather 23:25 The Dark Knight

07:10 How I Met Your Mother 07:30 The War of the Worlds 09:00 The Morning Line 10:00 True Grit 12:40 Thunderbirds 14:30 Channel 4 Racing 17:00 Channel 4 News 17:20 The Simpsons 17:50 Mission: Impossible 19:50 Mission: Impossible 2 22:00 The World’s Greatest Spy Movies 23:35 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Mission: Impossible 17.50

CHANNEL 5

07:00 Childrens TV 08:50 Blaze and the Monster Machines 09:15 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:30 Wanda and the Alien 09:45 Toby’s Travelling Circus 09:55 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 10:30 The Saturday Show 12:30 Loch Lomond: A Year in the Wild 13:30 Loch Lomond: A Year in the Wild 14:25Columbo Goes to the Guillotine 16:20 Columbo: Candidate for Crime 18:15 The Hunt for Hitler’s Missing Millions 19:10 World War II in Colour 20:00 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 21:00 Building the Ice Hotel 21:55 5 News Weekend 22:00 Football League Tonight 23:30 20 Moments 24:55 Access

itv2

07:00 The Hot Desk 07:10 Emmerdale 09:55 Coronation Street 12:50 The Big Quiz - Coronation Street v Emmerdale 13:50 Catchphrase 14:30 The Little Vampire 16:30 Horrid Henry: the Movie 18:25 Liar Liar 20:05 Evan Almighty 22:00 Take Me Out The Gossip 23:00 Bridget Jones’s Diary

Evan Almighty 20.05

07:00 Rude(ish) Tube 07:20 Bad(ish) Robots 07:45 Troy 08:10 Baby Daddy 09:05 Melissa & Joey 10:00 The Goldbergs 11:00 How I Met Your Mother 11:30 How I Met Your Mother 12:00 Made in Chelsea 13:00 Couples Come Dine with Me 15:00 Rude(ish) Tube 15:30 Rude(ish) Tube 16:00 Toy Story of Terror! 16:25 Toy Story Toons 17:00 Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 17:25 Casper 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 The Big Bang Theory 20:30 The Big Bang Theory 21:00 The Big Bang Theory 21:30 The Big Bang Theory 22:00 Breaking Dawn Part Two 24:15Gogglebox

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

sunday 3rd January BBC1

BBC2

07:00 Breakfast 09:00 Match of the Day 10:30 Wanted Down Under 11:15 Homes Under the Hammer 12:15 Money for Nothing 13:00 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:10 Weather for the Week Ahead 14:15 Britain’s Muslim Soldiers 14:55 Eat Well for Less? 15:55 Escape to the Country 16:25 Billionaire Boy 17:25 Songs of Praise 18:00 Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Countryfile 20:30 Still Open All Hours 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 War & Peace 23:00 BBC News 23:20 BBC London News and Weather 23:30 Match of the Day 2 24:35 The Road

07:30 The A to Z of TV Gardening 08:15 Monty Don’s Italian Gardens 09:15 Countryfile 10:15 Saturday Kitchen Best Bites 11:45 Len and Ainsley’s Big Food Adventure 12:30 Len and Ainsley’s Big Food Adventure 13:15 MOTD2 Extra 14:00 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 18:00 Flog It! 19:00 The Great History Quiz: The Tudors 20:00 The Millionaire’s Gift Guide 21:00 Dragons’ Den 22:00 My Mediterranean with Adrian Chiles 23:00 Charlie Brooker’s 2015 Wipe 24:00 Country Strife: Abz on the Farm 24:30 Darts: BDO World Championships

ITV1

07:20 Pat & Stan 07:35 Dino Dan: Trek’s Adventures 08:00 Signed Stories 08:05 Oddbods 08:10 Sooty 08:20 Super 4 08:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series 09:05 The Aquabats! Super Show! 09:30 A Grizzly New Year’s Tale: The Crystal Eye 10:00 The Tom & Jerry Show 10:25 ITV News 10:30 Murder, She Wrote 11:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:30 ITV News and Weather 13:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 14:40 Catchphrase 15:25 Ninja Warrior UK 16:25 Goldfinger 18:35 ITV News Central 19:00 Ninja Warrior UK 20:00 Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands 21:00 Endeavour 23:00 ITV News and Weather 23:20 Joanna Lumley’s TransSiberian Adventure

CHANNEL 4 07:15 09:30 10:00 10:30 13:30 13:55 14:25 14:55 16:55 18:40 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 24:30

The Parent Trap Frasier Frasier Sunday Brunch The Simpsons The Simpsons The Simpsons Jungle 2 Jungle A Monster in Paris Channel 4 News Fantastic Four Walking the Himalayas Deutschland 83 Gogglebox Cutting Edge

Fantastic Four 19.00

CHANNEL 5

itv2

07:00 Childrens TV 08:40 Little Princess 08:55 Pip Ahoy! 09:10 Blaze and the Monster Machines 09:40 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 09:55 Wanda and the Alien 10:10 Toby’s Travelling Circus 10:20 Jelly Jamm 10:30 LazyTown 10:55 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 11:30 Football League Tonight 13:00 Funniest Fails, Falls & Flops 13:30 Loch Lomond: A Year in the Wild 14:30 Loch Lomond: A Year in the Wild 15:30 The Water Horse 17:35 5 News Weekend 17:45 Snow White 19:25 Cinderella 21:00 Legally Blonde 23:00 Most Shocking Celebrity Moments 2015

07:00 The Hot Desk 07:10 You’ve Been Framed! 07:35Emmerdale 10:25 Coronation Street 13:25 Take Me Out 14:30 Take Me Out - The Gossip 15:30 Evan Almighty 17:35 Jurassic Park 20:00 Nanny McPhee 22:00 The Shawshank Redemption 24:55 The Faculty

07:00 Rude(ish) Tube 07:20 Baby Daddy 07:40 Baby Daddy 08:00 Melissa & Joey 08:35 Melissa & Joey 09:00 The Goldbergs 09:30 The Goldbergs 10:00 How I Met Your Mother 10:30 How I Met Your Mother 11:00Hollyoaks 13:30 Space Chimps 15:05 Space Chimps 2: Zartog Strikes Back 16:45 Toy Story Toons 17:10 Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas 17:40 Rude(ish) Tube 18:00 The Big Bang Theory 18:30 The Big Bang Theory 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 The Big Bang Theory 20:30 The Big Bang Theory 21:00 Johnny English Reborn 23:00 Tattoo Fixers 24:05 The Inbetweeners 24:40 The Inbetweeners

Nanny McPhee 20.00

monday 4th January BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 Close Calls: On Camera 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at Two and Weather 14:45 Father Brown 15:30 For What It’s Worth 16:15 Escape to the Country 16:45 James Martin: Home Comforts 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Seven and Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Celebrity Mastermind 21:00EastEnders 21:30 A Question of Sport 22:00 Silent Witness 23:00 BBC News at Eleven 23:35 Mrs Brown’s Boys 24:15 Mrs Brown’s Boys 24:45 The Graham Norton Show

BBC2

07:15 Homes Under the Hammer 08:15 Escape to the Continent 09:15 Stick Man 09:45 Thief Trackers 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 13:00 Britain’s First Photo Album 13:30 My Life in Books 14:00 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 17:15 Coast 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Only Connect 22:00 Immortal Egypt with Joann Fletcher 23:00 Insert Name Here 23:30Newsnight 24:10 Weather 24:15 Darts: BDO World Championships

ITV1

07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 1000 Heartbeats 16:59 ITV Regional Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Central 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Griff’s Great Britain 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 When Ant and Dec Met the Prince: 40 Years of the Prince’s Trust 23:30 ITV News 24:00 ITV News 24:10 Emergency! Trains v Weather

CHANNEL 4

07:20 How I Met Your Mother 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:30 Undercover Boss USA 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Four in a Bed 13:40 Four in a Bed 15:10 Deal or No Deal 16:10 Countdown 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Food Unwrapped 22:00 The Undateables 23:00 Rich Kids Go Shopping 24:05 Tattoo Fixers

CHANNEL 5

07:00 Children TV 09:15Peppa Pig 09:25Peppa Pig 09:35 Paw Patrol 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 14:15 Funniest Fails, Falls & Flops 14:45 Neighbours 15:20 NCIS 16:20 A Trace of Danger 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away 19:55 5 News Tonight 20:00 Police Interceptors 21:00 Sinkholes: Buried Alive 22:00 Inside the World’s Most Dangerous Prison 23:00 14 Years on Death Row 24:00 The Next Three Days

itv2

07:00 The Hot Desk 07:10 The Cube 08:00 Dinner Date 09:05 Emmerdale 09:35 Coronation Street 10:05 Coronation Street 10:35 Catchphrase 11:20 Dinner Date 12:20 Royal Pains 13:10 Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 14:15 Coronation Street 14:45 Richie Rich 16:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:50 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:55 Take Me Out 19:50 The Hot Desk 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 20:30 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Two and a Half Men 22:00 FHM: The Last of the Lads’ Mags 23:00 American Pie 24:55 Two and a Half Men

07:00 Made in Chelsea 07:45 Charmed 08:35 Charmed 09:30Hollyoaks 10:35 Rude(ish) Tube 11:00 Bad(ish) Robots 11:30 Troy 12:00 Charmed 13:00 Charmed 14:00 The Big Bang Theory 14:30 The Big Bang Theory 15:00 The Big Bang Theory 15:30 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 Melissa & Joey 16:30 Melissa & Joey 17:00 How I Met Your Mother 17:30 How I Met Your Mother 18:00 The Goldbergs 18:30 The Goldbergs 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00Hollyoaks 20:30 Come Dine with Me 21:00 The Big Bang Theory 21:30 The Big Bang Theory 22:00 Made in Chelsea 23:00 Scream Queens 24:00 The Big Bang Theory 24:30 The Big Bang Theory

tuesday 5th January BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 Close Calls: On Camera 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at Two and Weather 14:45 Father Brown 15:30 For What It’s Worth 16:15 Escape to the Country 16:45 James Martin: Home Comforts 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Seven and Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30EastEnders 21:00Holby City 22:00 Silent Witness 23:00 BBC News at Eleven 23:25 BBC London News and Weather 23:35 Reggie Yates’s Extreme UK 24:35 Stacey Dooley Investigates

BBC2

07:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 08:00 Wanted Down Under 08:45 Close Calls: On Camera 09:15 An Island Parish: Falklands 09:45 Caught Red Handed 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 17:15 Coast 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 Victorian Bakers 22:00 You Make Me Feel Like Dancing 23:00 Mock the Week 23:30Newsnight 24:10 Weather 24:15 NFL Highlights

ITV1

07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 1000 Heartbeats 16:59 ITV Regional Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00Emmerdale 20:30 The Kyle Files 21:00Trawlermen Tales 22:00 Saved 23:00 ITV News at Eleven 23:30 ITV News Central 23:40 Britain’s Biggest Adventures with Bear Grylls 24:45 Double Decker Driving School

CHANNEL 4

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:30 Undercover Boss USA 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Four in a Bed 13:40 Four in a Bed 15:10 Deal or No Deal 16:10 Countdown 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Tricks of the Restaurant Trade 21:30 Travel Man: 48 Hours in 22:00 Big Fat Quiz of Everything 24:05 24 Hours in A&E

CHANNEL 5

07:00 Childrens TV 09:30 Milkshake! Show Songs 09:35 Paw Patrol 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away 14:15 Funniest Fails, Falls & Flops 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 A Wife’s Nightmare 18:00 5 News at 6 18:30 Neighbours 19:00Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away 19:55 5 News Tonight 20:00 Cats Make You Laugh Out Loud 21:00 Bargain-Loving Brits in the Sun 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

itv2

07:00 The Hot Desk 07:10 The Cube 08:00 Dinner Date 09:05 Emmerdale 09:35 Coronation Street 10:05 Coronation Street 10:35 Catchphrase 11:20 Dinner Date 12:20 Royal Pains 13:10 Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 14:15 Coronation Street 14:45 Baby Mama 16:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:50 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 20:30You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Two and a Half Men 22:00 The Fast and the Furious 24:10 The Keith Lemon Sketch Show 24:40 The Keith Lemon Sketch Show

07:00 Made in Chelsea 07:45 Charmed 08:35 Charmed 09:30 Hollyoaks 10:00 The Goldbergs 10:30 The Goldbergs 11:00 Melissa & Joey 11:30 Melissa & Joey 12:00 Charmed 13:00 Charmed 14:00 How I Met Your Mother 14:30 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 The Big Bang Theory 15:30 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 Melissa & Joey 16:30 Melissa & Joey 17:00 How I Met Your Mother 17:30 How I Met Your Mother 18:00 The Goldbergs 18:30 The Goldbergs 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 19:30 The Big Bang Theory 20:00Hollyoaks 20:30 Come Dine with Me 21:00 The Big Bang Theory 21:30 The Big Bang Theory 22:00 Tattoo Fixers 23:00 Rude Tube 24:05 The Big Bang Theory 24:35 The Big Bang Theory

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Wednesday 6th January BBC1

BBC2

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 Close Calls: On Camera 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at Two and Weather 14:45 Father Brown 15:30 For What It’s Worth 16:15 Escape to the Country 16:45 James Martin: Home Comforts 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Seven Weather 20:00 The One Show 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Dickensian 22:00 Great Barrier Reef with David Attenborough 23:00 BBC News at Eleven 23:35 A Question of Sport 24:05 The Truth About

07:00 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 07:45 Homes Under the Hammer 08:45 Close Calls: On Camera 09:15 See Hear 09:45 Caught Red Handed 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 17:15 Coast 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 Trust Me, I’m a Doctor 22:00 This World 2015 23:00 Russell Howard’s Good News 23:30 Newsnight 24:10 Weather 24:15 Darts: BDO World Championships

ITV1 07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 1000 Heartbeats 16:59 ITV Regional Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News Central 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 Midsomer Murders 23:00 ITV News at Eleven 23:30 ITV News 23:40 Joanna Lumley - Elvis and Me 24:40 The Kyle Files

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

itv2

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:30 Undercover Boss USA 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Four in a Bed 13:40 Four in a Bed 14:10 Four in a Bed 15:10 Deal or No Deal 16:10 Countdown 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Mary Portas Secret Shopper 22:00 24 Hours in A&E 23:00Bodyshockers 24:05 The Undateables

07:00 Childrens TV 09:15Peppa Pig 09:25Peppa Pig 09:30 Milkshake! Show Songs 09:35 Paw Patrol 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Celebrity Big Brother 14:10 5 News Lunchtime 14:15 Funniest Fails, Falls & Flops 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 NCIS 16:15 Amish Grace 18:00 5 News at 6 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away 19:55 5 News Tonight 20:00 Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords 21:00 GPs: Behind Closed Doors 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Bus Pass Beauty Queens 24:00 Capital One Cup Highlights

07:00 The Hot Desk 07:10 The Cube 08:00 Dinner Date 09:05Emmerdale 09:35 The Big Quiz - Coronation Street v Emmerdale 10:35 Catchphrase 11:20 Dinner Date 12:20 Royal Pains 13:10Emmerdale 13:45 You’ve Been Framed! 14:15 The Hot Desk 14:25 The Perfect Man 16:30 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:35 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:45 Take Me Out 20:00 You’ve Been Framed! 20:30 You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Two and a Half Men 22:00 Casino Royale 24:55 Two and a Half Men

07:00 07:50 08:40 09:35 10:05 10:35 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 of the 24:00

CHANNEL 4

CHANNEL 5

Made in Chelsea Charmed Charmed Hollyoaks The Goldbergs The Goldbergs Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey Charmed Charmed How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Melissa & Joey Melissa & Joey How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother The Goldbergs The Goldbergs The Big Bang Theory The Big Bang Theory Hollyoaks Come Dine with Me Transformers: Revenge Fallen Supernatural

thursday 7th January BBC1

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wanted Down Under 12:45 Close Calls: On Camera 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News at Two 14:45 Father Brown 15:30 For What It’s Worth 16:15 Escape to the Country 16:45 James Martin: Home Comforts 17:30 Antiques Road Trip 18:15 Pointless 19:00 BBC News at Seven and Weather 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Dickensian 21:30 EastEnders 22:00 Death in Paradise 23:00 BBC News at Eleven 23:25 BBC London News and Weather 23:35 The Age of Loneliness 24:35 This Week

BBC2

07:15 Rip Off Britain: Holidays 08:00 Wanted Down Under 08:45 Close Calls: On Camera 09:15 Great British Menu 09:45 Caught Red Handed 10:15 Victoria Derbyshire 12:00 BBC News 13:00 Daily Politics 14:00 Live Darts: BDO World Championships 17:15 Coast 18:15 Flog It! 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Great British Railway Journeys 20:00 Celebrity Antiques Road Trip 21:00 World’s Sneakiest Animals 22:00 You Make Me Feel Like Dancing 23:00 The Clare Balding Show 23:30Newsnight 24:10 Weather 24:15 Darts: BDO World Championships

ITV1

07:00 Good Morning Britain 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 The Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV Lunchtime News 14:55 ITV News 15:00 Judge Rinder 16:00 1000 Heartbeats 16:59 ITV Central Weather 17:00 Tipping Point 18:00 The Chase 19:00 ITV News 19:30 ITV Evening News 20:00Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00Emmerdale 21:30 Birds of a Feather 22:00 Jericho 23:30 ITV News 24:00 ITV News 24:15Trawlermen Tales

07:00 Countdown 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 The King of Queens 09:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:00 Frasier 10:30 Frasier 11:30 Undercover Boss USA 12:30 Four in a Bed 13:00 Channel 4 News Summary 13:05 Four in a Bed 13:40 Four in a Bed 14:10 Four in a Bed 14:40 Four in a Bed 15:10 Deal or No Deal 16:10 Countdown 17:00 A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun 18:00 Come Dine with Me 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 21:00 Location, Location, Location 22:00 The Restoration Man 23:00 Big Fat Quiz of Everything

07:00 Childrens TV 09:35 Paw Patrol 09:45 Bananas in Pyjamas 10:00 Toot the Tiny Tugboat 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:10 Cowboy Builders & Bodge Jobs 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:15 Celebrity Big Brother 14:15 Funniest Fails, Falls & Flops 14:45 Neighbours 15:20 NCIS 16:15 Expecting Amish 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Can’t Pay? We’ll Take It Away 19:55 5 News Tonight 20:00 Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild 21:00 Britain’s Bloody Crown 22:00 Celebrity Big Brother 23:00 Celebrity Botched Up Bodies 24:00 Celebrity Big Brother’s Bit on the Side

itv2 07:00 The Hot Desk 07:10 The Cube 08:00 Dinner Date 09:05Emmerdale 09:35 Coronation Street 10:05 You’ve Been Framed! 10:35 Catchphrase 11:20 Dinner Date 12:20 Royal Pains 13:10Emmerdale 13:45 Coronation Street 14:15 Sweet November 16:35 The Jeremy Kyle Show 17:40 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:50 Take Me Out 20:00You’ve Been Framed! 21:00 Two and a Half Men 21:30 Two and a Half Men 22:00 21 Jump Street 24:10 Celebrity Juice

07:00 Made in Chelsea 07:45 Charmed 09:30 Hollyoaks 10:00 The Goldbergs 11:00 Melissa & Joey 12:00 Charmed 13:00 Charmed 14:00 How I Met Your Mother 14:30 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 The Big Bang Theory 16:00 Melissa & Joey 17:00 How I Met Your Mother 17:30 How I Met Your Mother 18:00 The Goldbergs 19:00 The Big Bang Theory 20:00 Hollyoaks 20:30 Come Dine with Me 21:00 The Big Bang Theory 22:00 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 22:30 Brooklyn Nine-Nine 23:00Gogglebox 24:05 The Big Bang Theory 24:35 The Big Bang Theory

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #showbiz

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YouTube videos of the week Watch a boys’ choir, ballet

dancers, and string quartet pay homage to Queens 1975 Xmas No 1 ´Queens Bohemian Rhapsody reinterpreted for 40th anniversary´ then make the sign of the cross before watching ´Fifty Shades Of Black - Official UNCENSORED Trailer!

“

“ Quote of the Week

On Madonna and Guy Ritchie´s 15 year old son Rocco refusing to get on a flight from London to New York to spend the holidays with his mom a US judge declared “I’m directing the child to be returned to New York ... If he wants to stay with his father, he must return to his mother!” QUE?

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #events 

Humpty Dumpty about to climb the wall

THE PANTO season is back among us and once the Three Kings have been and gone, it will be the turn of Humpty Dumpty to take centre stage. by KEITH NICOL HUMPTY DUMPTY is about to have a great fall in Los Montesinos, when the pantomime group hold their annual pantomime at El Escuela de Música y Cultura, Los Montesinos, but, not to worry, he has all his magical powers with him and will put them to good use in Nursery Rhyme Land with the help of Mother Goose. Humpty will be played by their youngest member Taylor Knightsbridge, who’s only 15 and his real life Mother, Sonia Knightsbridge, will be playing Mother Goose. Others are also making their stage débuts, such as Susan Bradford, who has never been on stage before but has thrown all she has into the part of Tommy Tittlemouse, while Thelma Judson has been with the group for some time and is enjoying the part of Jack Spratt. Jackie Reed and Pam Derbyshire play ‘Mary Quite Contrary and Polly Flinders’ and, once

again, Cyril Derbyshire will take part of the King while Lynden B plays ‘Dame Dobb’. Lynden is no stranger to the stage and is well known on the Costa Blanca. He played one of the ugly sisters in their Cinderella last year. Michele Martin plays a very convincing baddy as ‘Grimm’, servant to the sorcerer Monstro, aka Peter Blackburn, and making up the cast as usual, there are a couple of dim-wits as guards. We must not forget the front-of-house team and the backstage crew, who work tirelessly on making props, building and painting scenery and making costumes, which all adds up to the making of a fun pantomime. Dates are Thursday and Friday evenings, January 14th and 15th, starting at 7.30pm, with a matinée on Saturday 16th at 2.30pm. Tickets are 7€ for adults and 5€ for children. Each year the money raised is given to various charities in the communities of Rojales and Los Montesinos.

The money raised is given to various charities in the communities of Rojales and Los Montesinos.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #people

Spectacular Christmas concert of the Union Musical Torrevejense

YET ANOTHER capacity audience of more than 1,500 people gathered on Sunday in the spectacular setting of the International Auditorium to enjoy the Christmas Concert of the Union Musical Torrevejense. Presented by local journalist, Encarna Hernández, the musicians of the UMT, offered a performance of popular music. The show began with a minute of silence for Bernabeu Francisco Melgar, husband of María Paz Andreu, father and grandfather of musicians from the UMT. The first half began with the “Concerto Grosso” of Masamicz Amano, with the saxophone quartet composed by Joseph M. SantacruzRodes; Adrián Rojas; Juan José Hernández and AdriánVallejos, which delighted the audience. This was followed by the Symphony Overture by James Barnes and finally “The Wedding of Luis Alonso”. As is customary, the second act was filled with fun and humour and started with a surprise as band director, Jaime Belda appeared, disguised as the central character from the “War of the Worlds”, and started a theme that opened the section devoted to the music from children’s films. The audience sang along to tunes from “Mary Poppins”and“Frozen”, with many of the band members dressing up as the characters from the films on stage. After a few minutes break came the Christmas party with all the children of the “Music Garden” and Solfeo classes coming onto the stage, and singing the most beautiful and timeless carols, which ended with the interpretation of the “Radetzky March” with the entire audience clapping along. The next major concert at the AuditorioInternacional de Música will take place on Wednesday 6th and Saturday 9th January, 2016, at 7pm. This is the VI edition of the Concert for the New Year and Thee Kings and will be performed by the excellent Torrevieja Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are priced at: 10€, 12€, 15€ and 20€ and are available from the municipal theatre’s ticket office on Mondays, from 5pm to 8pm, or at the auditorium window, space permitting, on the evening of each performance.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #horoscopes

Kenny Corris kennycorris@hotmail.com 686 361 594

 Mars enters into Scorpio making a key decision all the more easier to make, and giving you adequate time to ensure that you get your way this time around. In hindsight you may never have got involved but you know that now others are waiting and watching you next move, and it is vital that you find an escape since there is no going back, no way! Venus dabbles with Uranus, Planet of Invention and Discovery; and no stone is unturned in a quest for plans for a new direction to beckon. Complacency has led to a stalemate and there has been bad feeling that you appear to have taken the law into your own hands, running roughshod over those who, truly, do not have your best interests at heart Mercury enters into the New Year embraced in the sensitivity of Aquarius and gearing up for a midweek conflict with warring Mars. This year is yet again starting the same way with no clear way forward and a step back to be able to see what’s really going on. Keep your friends close to you at this time and those whom you doubt in anyway, even closer. Subtle Moon energies shine on a situation that begs to be believed since you are damned if you don’t and damned if you do. In this no win situation it is vital for you to take the moral high ground, especially since recent actions have shown that others are not who they are cracked up to be. The Sun conjuncts with Pluto and squares with Uranus during a very hectic start to the new Year. In making your mind up about something you do need to know that you went in with all guns blazing; when a slower more dignified reaction might well have brought you the support you now seem to need more than ever. Think before your next move. Mercury and Mars combine to ensure a difficult message is finally received both loud and clear. A liaison with Aquarius has softened your approach but you are not offering the hand of friendship, even so, even though you have been found guilty of moving the goal posts. What happens next may shock somebody into taking you seriously at long last. Neptune is beguiled this week by the absolute charms of the Goddess of Love and Passion, Venus. Channelling your psychic energies isn’t a give on, but it is starting to show you alternatives, and it will for sure point you in the right direction for a change, if you let it. Look for signs that will back you all the way, because you deserve it. Mars enters and its effect does more than just a cat amongst the pigeons. You are vulnerable and waiting for answers but it seems as if somebody has been economical with the truth right now. Be very careful not to overact to a situation that is about to veer out of control and take steps to ensure others do know that you are not to be messed with. Someone has a very short memory and now seems to be biting the hand that feeds them. In demanding the respect that you deserve it is important that you take those strides you know that you need to, since actions appear to speak louder than words ever could. Distance yourself right now and do not give in to any pressures on the way! Your help is needed but by somebody who is afraid to ask you. Tread carefully because pride is foolish but it is an issue right now and the difference all round will be a job worth doing and a job well done. The Sun assumes control with a midweek tryst with Pluto just before a squaring with Uranus that will sort the men from the boys! Once bitten is twice shy, and it is high time that your wishes, hopes and desires were taken into account at long last. This is a time whereby you are the focus and you need to make sure that those you support are gunning for the right side. Nobody who treats you this badly really loves you, neither do they have any good intentions for you, to boot! You can turn your cheek but this is a call to arms and you have a right to protect yourself. With Neptune squaring with Venus the protection of love and care is all around you, but a trouble shared is a trouble halved and you are not alone in raising appropriate defiance to plans that you are never going to be any part of. Keep up the good work!

If It’s Your Birthday This Week

Seemingly serious astrological actions are designed to test your innermost resources right now. You will win because you have to; as you are about to guide others on their way too!

Very best of times IT’S HERE... anhave such positive whom we love.

other year, and we stand at the threshold of it as it slowly unfolds. We can wishes at this time for good luck and fortune for ourselves, our families and all

Sometimes, however, I feel that we are just waiting for a twist of fate that we know very well can spoil our illusions and test our resolve; and this can have a very negative effect on our fatalistic lives. I comfort myself by being a strong part of, “Que Sera Sera,” but if life is anything it certainly isn’t always apple pie’d or gingham dressed in Doris Day moments. There are those whiskers on kittens days and the bee does sting sometimes, but the remembering of my favourite things doesn’t help me to pay my SUMA bill or help me sleep on a Ryanair flight. It is the challenge of taking part in a New Year that appeals to me greatly. Sometimes I will succeed flying solo and when I do need help and forget that stubborn streak it is good to know that somebody will be there for me...don’t know who, or why or what. Looking back at 2015 it is only right now that I can justify what was good or what was bad or, better than that, what helped me get by and what did I learn. I am guilty of questioning the young now as my father did to me with that aged adage, “What did you learn today?” I love it when I learn, and with it, whether by making a mistake or using the persistence of sheer inquisition, or learning the hard way, I just love the result....yes, whatever it may be. There are highlights and lowlights of each and every year, and there are duvet days too when we can curl up with You Tube and cuddle the dog and have endless cups of tea. Sheer indulgence is a pleasure close to our hearts and we need the odd treat from time to time, for sure. Spirit is thankfully a constant companion to me, and I wonder what I would do without them. Each and every New Year brings me the chance to say thank you for the blessings that I received during the past year, and it gives me the chance to ask for the backing that I will need throughout this, the New Year ahead. Of course I know that anything can be thrown at me in the next twelve months, but with the loving guidance that I am lucky to receive and a strong need to continue with my spiritual work somehow I will see a way through. At this time I also like to ask for loving care to heal all those who are on my healing list. To be able to send out a message that comes straight from my heart to my friends and loved ones; I am enabled through my spiritual connection and I am totally unafraid to intercede on their behalf. Therefore each and every New Year sees me contemplating the gifts of a previous year and anticipating an interestingly productive journey ahead in the next. I do still remember as a child how important that first page was in my exercise book. What fun it was to start a new book; and the first page was always completed with such care and consideration. The rest of the book was completed in due course, naturally, but it was that very first page and the emptiness of the new book that tempted me to produce my best work at the time. It was as much a challenge to me then as this year will be to me now, and you know it’s true, that the very best of times is now!

Kenny‛s Postbag

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

KENNY, ANOTHER year and no matter what I hope for my faith is slowly fading away. It’s the same old same old, and I guess that I have a jaundiced view of things.....but what happened to hope? Linda H. I am so sorry you are feeling this way about what I feel is a very exciting time of the year. Forget the New Year celebrations, the Worldwide ﬁreworks and the taking down of the tinsel on twelfth night. There is, for all of us, all the hope that we can face another year with all of the trials and tribulations and live to ﬁght another day. Hope is out there in abundance, but after other bad starts it is often hard to remain positive......I hope you have a wonderful year, and hope that you manage to surprise yourself!

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

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

Sudoku Last weeks crossword answers can be found on page 60.

Across 6. Melodious (7) 7. Trivial (5) 9. Spray (3) 10. Estimation (9) 12. Own (11) 15. Meditate (11) 17. Compliance (9) 19. Skill (3) 21. Concur (5) 22. Etch (7)

Quick Crossword

Down 1. Silence (5) 2. Intention (3) 3. File (4) 4. Portray (9) 5. Odd (7) 8. Mason’s tool (6) 11. Strewn (9) 13. Figure (6) 14. Alien (7) 16. Solemn (5) 18. Jargon (4)

Doodle box

20. Epoch (3)

Cryptic Crossword Across 6. Sack and what may be put in it (7) 7. Strange evils and disguises (5) 9. A person who discredits an old woman (3) 10. Tendered - with or without its head (9) 12. It’s not a rigid rule (4,7) 15. A tailor may make his mark with it (6,5) 17. His speech is never straightforward (9) 19. Happy to be back from Italy again (3) 21. Long time coming to the point (5) 22. He has to wait for his money (7) Down 1. Not keen to be outspoken (5) 2. Finish within ten days (3) 3. A noble look (4) 4. Crossword addicts should be used to such setbacks (9) 5. It means musicians are not to loiter in the bar (7) 8. A new combination again (6) 11. Tell people you’ve had enough, then keep quiet (3,2,4) 13. Gave encores, naturally! (6) 14. Squander food? (7) 16. Compulsory pre-marital reading-matter (5) 18. They sound agreeable organs (4) 20. Might she grow on you? (3)

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #people 

Freemasons support Cruz Roja and Rojales Social Services

Cruz Roja coordinator Jose Luis gratefully accepts the foodstuffs donation from Freemason Freddie

by KEITH NICOL ON DECEMBER 15th, Freemasons from the Caledonia Lodge No 68 in Ciudad Quesada presented a pallet-load of foodstuffs to Cruz Roja Española in Torrevieja to help them continue with their good work. As one of the oldest lodges in Spain, Caledonia Lodge No 68 has been supporting the work of Cruz Roja for many years. That same day they also presented 1,000€ worth of food to the Social Services department of the Rojales town hall. The money was raised by members of the lodge and was distributed to needy families in time for Christmas. The money was presented by Worshipful Brother David Turner, Master of the Lodge, with other lodge members in attendance ,to town mayor Sr Antonio Pérez. Torrevieja is now the headquarters of Cruz Roja Española for the region, covering an area from Torrevieja to Pilar de la Horadada along the coast, where they place up to 80 lifeguards every summer, and inland to such towns as Rojales, San Miguel and Los Montsinos. Although they have more than 100 volunteers to help them with their work, they always welcome new volunteers, especially those who can speak Spanish and any other European language, with English and German being the most required for their work. Cruz Roja Española received their charter to operate in the region in April 1977 and are one of the most established along the coast. The masons are well known for their charity work and this year Caledonia Lodge has already made donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, Reach Out and the Debra Charity, which they also visited on Tuesday. The Lodge has around 40 members and always welcomes those former masons from the UK or elsewhere, and those who would like to get involved and find out more about their work in the community. The Caledonia Lodge meet in Ciudad Quesada and, if you would like to become involved in the fundraising efforts, or you want more information about freemasonry in your area, then please do not hesitate to contact Harry Palmer at palmers.quesada@yahoo.co.uk or sec68@glpvalencia.com or alternatively call him on 966 71 23 26. He would be delighted to hear from you.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #aunty virus ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Email auntyvirus@ roundtownnews.com

Personal data

Hi Aunty, One of your previous letters “on how to revive an old Laptop”, reminded me to ask your advice, on how to safely recycle an old Laptop of mine. I am in fear of passing on personal data, like stored passwords etc. It has seen better days, especially the Monitor. Look forward to your advice. Tom.

Response: First uninstall and de-register any programs that keep a count of the PCs on which they are installed. This may include versions of Microsoft Office and Office 365, Apple iTunes and so on. After that, create a new administrator account and use it to delete all the other accounts to remove any remaining personal data. Deleting files doesn’t actually delete the files, it just removes them from the file system’s table of contents. The data is still on the hard drive and, until it is over-written, can be retrieved using an unerase program. Next, take your PC back to its factory condition by using the system restore function. Sometime you do this by interrupting the boot process by pressing, for example, F8, selecting Repair Your Computer, and then “Yes, reformat hard drive and restore system software to factory condition”. Or alternatively, if you have Windows on DVD, you can boot and re-install Windows from the disc. But the only sure fire way of ensuring no one gets your data is to take out the drive and physically damage it. I prefer the “drill through the drive” method, drilling several holes through the casing and disk! But this may not be idea should you wish to recycle the laptop and drive and “bundled and preinstalled” software that is on that drive. But you can always allow the next person to find their own drive and software...?

Programmes not Responding Hola Aunty. Love the page in RTN helped me a few times. My problems are I keep getting told that some programmes are not responding, mainly monster busters, yahoo and Ryanair and I have to wait for them to clear, also now and again I get a message that says long running script error. Please can you help me as it drives me mad when it keeps happening. Thanks for any help. Mick.

Response: This can be caused by a few things, such as Add Ons in the browser not working correctly. The simplest way is to use another browser, like Chrome, or Firefox. Other methods for Internet Explorer involve changing settings: For example : from IE> Tools> Internet Options> Advanced... Check “Disable script debugging” and uncheck “Display a notification about every script error.”

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

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

Discover the Sierra Espuña ALTHOUGH SPAIN is probably better known for its long beaches packed with sun-loungers and all-inclusive costa holidays you only have to travel slightly inland to get a real feel for nature and tranquillity. by CAROLINE TYSZKA SLIGHTLY INLAND is the municipality of Alhama de Murcia where you will find the Sierra Espuña Regional Park, and small villages such as Gebas and El Berro, both situated alongside the hills that make the nature reserve. Gebas, with a population of around 20 full time residents, is surrounded by gullies, canyons and ravines, which gives it a spectacular look resembling a lunar landscape but also has the advantages of the forested areas with formations of grasses and pine trees, a magnificent contrast offering stunning views. Forestal areas with stunning view

The lunar landscape

El Berro, just a few kilometres away from Gebas is a small village of approximately 100 residents and has cafés, restaurants, and a bakery. The stunning area caters for all types of visitors, with hotels and campsites on offer nearby and activities that include rock climbing, water rafting, quad bike hire or just somewhere to relax and unwind. The Sierra Espuña Natural Park which was protected in 1992 has also been classified as a Special Protection Area for Birds (SPA) as well as a Site of Community Importance (SCI). The numerous pine trees were famously planted in almost a regimented fashion led by the Spanish engineer Ricardo Codorniú, to help the landscape suffer less from landslides and erosion in the latter part of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The small village of El Berro

The fauna in the area is rich and varied, and it’s not hard to ﬁnd squirrels, mouﬂons (wild sheep), wild boars or golden eagles, although recently the authorities had to organise a cull of the wild, goat like, sheep whose population had expanded. Of 1400, only 300 are now left.

Wild boar aren’t hard to find with

in the area

For further information about the area or to ﬁnd places to stay some useful links are: www.murciaturistica.es; www.espuna-adventure.com; www.campingsierraespuna.com.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #Food /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Chicken curry with courgettes and coconut cream

WELL, OKAY, so it’s not exactly Mediterranean – or is it? This is modern Mediterranean food we’re talking about and even in my remote part of Spain, all the ingredients are readily available without resorting to those ‘English’ shops where I go for crumpets and Marmite! Serve with plain boiled rice. 350g boneless chicken meat, cut into bite sized chunks 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced A one inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped 1 small courgette, cut in half lengthways and sliced 2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges A 175ml tin of coconut milk Half a tsp cumin seeds, crushed The seeds from 5 cardamom pods, crushed 1 tsp hot chilli powder Half a tsp turmeric Salt Olive oil A few slices of red chilli to garnish

1. Fry the onions in a large frying pan with a little oil until just beginning to brown. Add the chicken, ginger and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until nicely browned. Add the courgettes

and fry for a further 2-3 minutes. 2. Add the cumin, cardamom, chilli and turmeric and stir well then add the coconut milk and heat until bubbling. Season with a little salt and add the tomato wedges. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. When ready to serve, spoon the curry over plain boiled rice and garnish with a few slices of red chilli. Serves 2 Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #events



Just Brass at the U3A TORREVIEJA’S U3A recently held their annual Christmas lunch and invited local musicians Just Brass to set the scene and play some carols during by KEITH NICOL NOT ONLY did Just Brass entertain the audience, but a full on sing-along carol service followed, together with mince pies for one and all plus red Santa hats in abundance. Torrevieja U3A is one of the region’s most successful clubs, with getting on for 800 members who come and go from the region throughout the year. The Christmas lunch attracted almost 300 to the annual end of year event, who all laughed at the jokes, and were put into a festive mood by one of the region’s top silver bands. To quote from the official website “U3As are self-help, self-managed, lifelong learning co-operatives for older people no longer in full time work, providing opportunities for their members to share learning experiences in a wide range of interest groups and to pursue learning, not for qualifications, but for fun.” The Torrevieja branch is no different. All interest groups are organized and operated, on a voluntary basis, by members who enthusiastically share their knowledge and skills gained from industry or vocational occupations. Teaching is very informal and can be used to help in your daily life (languages, computer skills), provide a hobby (art, patchwork and quilting) or just for fun and exercise (walking, yoga). Many groups are free to join, but some impose a small charge to cover the cost of room-hire or materials used etc. In addition to interest groups, the U3A acts as a great social club, enabling members to meet each other for events and outings, or even fully organized trips to other countries. It’s also easy to join. Just visit one of their monthly general meetings, where you will be greeted and briefly introduced to the association and you may attend as a visitor. You can do this twice for a visitor’s fee of 2€ per visit. If you decide to join Torrevieja U3A, with effect from January 2016, membership will cost 5€ for the year. The U3A’s monthly meetings are held at the glass fronted CMO building, on the road behind Carrefour, Torrevieja, usually on the last Monday of the month, with the doors open from just after 10am and the meeting starting at 11am followed by lunch, for those that want to stay and socialise. For more information, please contact Peter Cameron – President: email: president@torreviejau3a.org or Jill Edwards: Secretary: email: secretarytorreviajau3a@gmail.com. The address of the CMO is: Centro Municipal de Ocioc, Jacinto Marín Noarbe, s/n, Torrevieja 03184. For more information, see: www.torreviejau3a.org.

Just Brass entertained U3A members at their Christmas Lunch

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #Spanish

Basic Spanish for everyday needs by Jane Cronin

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

Past simple – minor irregularities WE’RE STILL coming to terms with the past simple tense. It’s actually an easy one to know when to use, as it simply describes past, ﬁnished events. The regular endings are slightly odd compared to the present and continuous tenses that we have looked at already, although that’s just a case of getting used to them. Just to remind us, here are the two types - regular –ar endings ﬁrst: é amos aste asteis ó aron and regular –er/-ir endings second: í imos íste isteis ió ieron That covers an awful lot of verbs, in fact the majority, so we could say we have already learnt the past simple tense. However, (and you knew a “however” was coming there) we have to get to grips with the irregular ones many of which are very common and frequently used. Before we get down to the real nitty gritty of irregular verbs though, there are just a few nearly regular ones that have very small changes in the third person. These are all –ir verbs and mostly belong to the “e to i” root-changing group that we learnt about in the present tense, for example “pedir” meaning “to order” or “to ask for”. It goes: pedí, pediste, pidió, pedimos, pedisteis, pidieron. In other words, the root in the third persons singular and plural change from “e” to “i”. I can tell already that

you’re riveted. Another example is “sentir”, that goes “sentí, sentiste, sintió, sentimos, sentisteis, sintieron”. Okay, I’ll leave it there. Let’s see if the next bit is more interesting, or at least more useful. There is also a change the roots of the following two –ir verbs, also in the third person only. Firstly, dormir (to sleep) which goes: dormí, dormiste, durmió, dormimos, dormisteis, durmieron. Now, that could be useful some time. “He slept”, or “she slept” “durmió”; “they slept” – “durmieron”. This is even more interesting when we realize that the reflexive form “dormirse” means “to fall asleep” – so “se durmió” means “he or she fell asleep” – you might find this handy when you are apologizing for your husband’s behaviour, for example. The other verb that does exactly the same thing is “morir” to die. In its straightforward, non-reflexive form, as you can imagine, this verb is generally only found in the third person. “Murió” (he died or she died”) “murieron” (they died). Sadly these are words that crop up in news broadcasts on a daily basis. The reflexive form “morirse” however is used more figuratively, in a similar way to English. “Me morí de vergüenza” – I “died” of embarrassment. Somehow I feel I haven’t made this information quite as exciting as I might, so I will compensate with some anecdotal evidence. I must have I spent at least five years of my time in Spain quite unaware of these small changes, so every time my baby daughters fell asleep I would say “se dormió” instead of “se durmió” (well, not every time, but you know what I mean). Everybody understood me, nobody corrected me, and there was a sleeping baby bearing witness to the truth of my words. In other words, these minor details are not earth-shatteringly important in real, everyday situations.

English speaking Jehovah’s Witnesses to converge on Benidorm THE ENGLISH speaking community of the Levante region of Jehovah’s Witnesses will meet on 3rd January 2016 in Benidorm at their facilities on Calle Archiduque Otto de Habsburgo, 24, with the title “ Imitate Jehovah”. They will discuss things such as “Imitate God in Your Family”, a four part symposium to strengthen family bonds, after which the morning portion will conclude with the baptism discourse and the baptism of all those who qualify. The afternoon session will be the public discourse entitled “How Does God Feel About Religion”. All over the world, Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrate their assemblies in a similar manner and invite one and all to attend. Sessions will begin at 10:20am with entry free of charge. For further information please contact: www.jw.org

Crossword Solutions for Last Week Suduko Answer QUICK SOLUTIONS Across: 1 Cask; 8 Impossible; 9 Decisive; 10 Each; 12 Gamble; 14 Mutiny; 15 Dilate; 17 Sordid; 18 Once; 19 Contract; 21 Underrated; 22 Ewer. Down: 2 Alteration; 3 Kiwi; 4 Sprite; 5 Esteem; 6 Director; 7 Mash; 11 Conﬁscate; 13 Bracelet; 16 Escort; 17 Sanity; 18 Onus; 20 Rude. CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS Across: 1 Opts; 8 Exasperate; 9 Newsreel; 10 Siam; 12 Strays; 14 Stigma; 15 Direct; 17 Wagers; 18 Into; 19 Pageants; 21 Crossroads; 22 Owns. Down: 2 Pedestrian; 3 Sees; 4 Capers; 5 Spills; 6 Dressing; 7 Beam; 11 Admiration; 13 Alehouse; 16 Topers; 17 Wigwam; 18 Inch; 20 Also.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #animals

Dog training by MARTIN JAMES

IGNORING DOGS is hard work isn’t it? Did you find your dog pestered you more, causing you to eventually give in for a quieter life. Hats off to you if you made it through, and, for those of you that didn’t, you will have to try again and conquer before the rest makes any sense. I fully understand the issue but, remember, I have been there, and I can recall standing in my kitchen wondering when it was ok to speak, look, or even touch my dog. However, please trust me when I say that this is a massive step forward. Once you have mastered this you’ll be ready to move on. What is the point of ignoring your dog: well let’s put it this way. When your boss walks into your place of work, do you run up to him and greet him, or do you stay away, trying to look busy?It really does need to be this way. My own dogs, for example, don’t get looked at, or touched. Actually they receive nothing from me. I don’t acknowledge them until I’m ready to do so.You cannot pay homage to the dog. You are the pack leader,So be assertive and firm but very fair. Now we move on to the giving of food. Your dog must come after you, and he must see you eat something. A biscuit is a good choice if you are not about to eat a meal. Food is the most powerful tool we have, so never leave food down. Always lift bowls after five minutes. If your dog hasn’t eaten yet, don’t worry.He will soon enough. Until next time, and good luck. Woof, woofpad@gmail.com

Malnourished horse seized A HORSE, so thin he was labelled a “walking skeleton”, has been seized from owners living near the San Luís salt lake in Spain’s Alicante province, in a joint operation between Torrevieja Council and the Easy Horse Care Rescue Centre. Rescue centre co-founder Rod Weeding was called to the site on December 11th by Torrevieja’s new animal welfare councillor Carmen, who has vowed to act swiftly to save other animals that remain on the site.The horse had been tethered to a piece of rope beside the salt lakes, on public land, which made the legal seizure much easier. “He’s about 17 years old and a walking skeleton, but he has shoes on so they were obviously still riding him. He has problems with the joints of all four legs from being overworked,” Sue said.“The horse is now recovering well and this case shows the commitment to animal welfare by the police forces and local authorities. Our biggest challenge now is funding and ﬁnding the space to keep the horses so that these seizures can continue”. On the same day, an aging horse rescued from a Callosa de Segura dealers yard passed away peacefully at the centre.The horse, named Wally, was rescued in March last year

along with 13 other horses, which had been chained to walls in a falling-down building. Sue continued, “Wally was in his 30s and enjoyed his time here with lots of companions. He died in his sleep of natural causes, which is a lovely way for a horse to go.Rod had to move the horse to where the body could be taken away, then go off to rescue another horse, and be back by 3pm to start the feeds, because it takes a couple of hours with 97 feed bowls and all the different medications. Rod does it all, and he’s in his 60s. We really do desperately need some sort of financial support to allow us to continue to do it all.” Donations of cash or items for the centre’s network of eight charity shops across the Alicante province are gratefully welcomed. A pick-up and delivery service is available for large items. To make a donation, become a long-term sponsor, or volunteer at the centre or in the shops, call Sue on 652 021980. The centre, just outside Rojales at Partido Lo Garriga, 59, opens to the public on the first Sunday of every month between 1pm and 4pm. Free horse tours run throughout the afternoon and refreshments are available in the café. For more details and directions, please visit www.easyhorsecare.net.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leis ure #health /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

New Years fitness Ranking in one of the top 3 New Year’s resolutions is to start to exercise regularly. Maybe you have even been given a membership to a gym for a Christmas gift?

Whilst in the medical profession we actively encourage regular exercise, for those who have not exercised for any significant time it may be wise to have a simple medical check up prior to starting. If you feel you are generally fit and well and have no chronic (long term) health issues, a check up may just be a simple visit with your G.P. who will give you the ‘once over’. However, for people with certain health conditions it is more important that they do indeed get the ‘green light’ before they start any significant exercise. Definitely consult your family doctor if: You have been sedentary for over a year You are over 65 and don’t currently exercise You have any history of heart disease You have had a previous heart attack or stroke You have been diagnosed with heart conditions You were born with any heart defects You have ever suffered unexplained chest pain You have ever suffered unexplained breathing difficulties You are pregnant or you’re having difficulty getting pregnant You have diabetes You are asthmatic You suffer from ‘dizzy spells’ or have problems with balance Almost always, whatever your health problem, some type of exercise will still be possible but advice may have to be tailored to your particular needs. Article supplied by the Family Medical Centre, Albir. Please call 96 686 5072 for more information or to make an appointment.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #health

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New Year, New Look, Better Health The start of the New Year is a great time to make sure that you are in the best of health and ready to face the year to come. The team at Specsavers Opticas in Spain are encouraging everyone to make getting an eye test a key New Year’s resolution, as it should be an essential part of any healthcare routine. There are many things you can do to ensure your eyes are kept healthy, by eating certain foods, taking regular exercise, quitting smoking, and protecting them from UV rays, but most importantly by visiting your optician for an eye test. At Specsavers Opticas eye tests are free, and you will be seen by a qualified optometrist using the latest technology. This will ensure any eye health problems are detected quickly and if needs be you can be referred to a specialist straight away. Eye tests are not just for the older generation either. As the school year restarts, check that youngsters aren’t sitting too close to the TV, rubbing their eyes or complaining of headaches, as these could be signs of poor eye sight. Vision problems can be a huge issue at school and so need to be identified by a thorough eye test and corrected as soon as possible with robust and child friendly glasses. There’s certainly no shame about wearing glasses these days, especially with fun frames featuring their favourite characters such as Minions and Frozen. January is also the perfect time to update your look by hitting the sales and getting some new clothes and accessories. Glasses are a fantastic fashion accessory which are fun and express your individual style. Specsavers have trained style advisors to help everyone find their perfect look, according to their face shape, colouring and style. Designed by supermod-

el Twiggy, the new Aurora frames feature intricate detailing, jewels and embellishments in beautiful colours and will add a bit of bling to any look There are so many styles and colours to choose from, that there’s something to suit every style and attitude, but the most important thing is that they fit perfectly. Glasses which pinch or slip and slide around will never be a good look,

so Specsavers have introduced a revolutionary new fitting system, which uses a tablet computer and clever software to take measurements and make sure glasses fit like a glove. This clever kit is called Digital Precision Eye Care and available in all stores in Spain, including Javea, Benidorm, Guardamar del Segura and Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca . Find out more www.specsavers.es

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure ask Sara

by Sara

Bell

Life Coach

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Office Clinch

I work at a school. At the staff Christmas party, I walked in on two colleagues who were in a clinch. One of them is the husband of another teacher at school, who I have become friendly with. He approached me afterwards, and asked me not to say anything to his wife. He said it was a mistake because they’d been drinking. I know I will now have a problem seeing his wife without feeling bad about what I saw. I agree it looks bad. It might just have been a one off, and you don’t know for sure if it was anything more serious than that. If you say something, you upset a lot of people. Also you might not be believed by your friend. It’s a tough one. Personally I would stay quiet for now, but keep an eye on the situation. Then if you find out there is more to it, you might feel you owe it to your friend to tell her what you saw.

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

Said some things I regret I had a few too many drinks at the office Christmas party, and made some really obnoxious comments to my Boss. I was egged on by my work colleagues, and I basically said things that everyone have been complaining about for months. Now, in the cold light of day of course, I really regret it, and am having worries about facing him, and possibly getting the sack when we go back after the New Year. We all get a little brave when we’ve had a drink, and sometimes say things we wouldn’t normally say if we were sober. If you are able to contact your Boss outside of work, I would send an email, or text message to apologise for saying these things. Keep it in perspective, and tell him everyone makes mistakes. Try not to go into a detailed explanation, or it makes it seem like a bigger deal than it really is. Other than that there is not much to be done but hope for the best when you get back to work. Write to Sara in confidence. A pseudonym will be used if you wish. Sara reads all letters and can give a personal reply. Email your question to agonyaunt@roundtownnews.com or Sara is available for private consultations, telephone 650 054 467.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #charity

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Calling all singers by keith nicol

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCTOR, singer and voice trainer, Nigel Hopkins, is offering a rare opportunity to singers on the Costa. The award-winning choir ‘In Harmony’ is performing the ever-popular choral work, Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’, in early May, and Nigel is throwing it open to all serious singers and music lovers to be part of this superb event. The performance will be accompanied by a professional orchestra, and will include other famous liturgical choral pieces to complete the programme. This is a rare opportunity for singers to come under the baton of one of the most experienced choral conductors in the whole of Spain for this one-off performance. Nigel explains that he is not poaching singers from existing choirs, but giving them the opportunity to perform at a higher level than may be available to them here on the Costa. Rehearsals will begin on Monday 4th January, and continue (with a 3 week break at the end of February) until the performance date on Saturday 7th May in the Cristo ResucitadoChurch at La Zenia. Nigel conducted many top performances with some of Europe’s best orchestras in the UK. He was famous for his performances of the Last Night of the Proms with such artistes as English Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and soloists such as Julian Lloyd Webber, Carlos Bonell (Spain’s most celebrated guitarist) and Peter Donohoe (then Europe’s leading pianist) as well as many more. Anyone interested should contact Nigel Hopkins on 966 775976 or at nigelhopkins@hotmail.co.uk as soon as possible to register their interest and indicate their voice range, and for their music copy to be organised. Don’t delay, this is a chance of a lifetime.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure people 

Santa delivers JACK TROUGHTON

SANTA CLAUS and his helpers made a special delivery to the Raquel Paya Special School in Denia to spread some festive cheer – and give every child a gift. Papa Noel and volunteers from Javea’s Original Charity Shop and Library were invited to the end of term show of singing and dancing performed by the youngsters. Excited children greeted Father Christmas on his arrival at the school but the atmosphere reached fever pitch when it came time for him to open his sack and give everyone their individual presents. The charity said it was a delightful day, full of the spirit of Christmas and thanked everyone who bought tickets for the Christmas Raﬄe – which enables the presents to be bought – people who donated cash or prizes for the draw, and the team who collected prizes, sold tickets and helped wrap presents. The list of raﬄe winners is in the window of the Original Charity Shop in Avenida Fontana, Arenal, Javea, the Library in Javea Park, and on the website www.scharityshoplibrary.com.

Little town of Benitachell CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS at Benitachell’s weekly market enjoyed a festive serenade by members of the Christian Fellowship.

Santa hands over a gift

As the big day approached, the carols were song by regulars in the church congregation. And it allowed the town hall the opportunity to publish a thank you. “We loved the Christmas songs from the Christian Fellowship,” said a spokesman. “Have a wonderful Christmas.”

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Costa Calida Country Music Club ALL THE proceeds from the Costa Cálida Country Music Club’s night on 4th December, 2015 were presented to cancer charity and support group MABS. A spokesperson for the Country Music Club said: “The reason we chose to have our ﬁrst charity event that night was that the attendance on the corresponding night last year, 2014, was the biggest at any country music event in Costa Cálida over the 11 years we have been here. The same live act appeared on both occasions, Christine and Red Strokes with their Stetsons and Petticoats show, so it was disappointing that the attendance was only half that of last year. After all expenses were paid, the balance of 150€ was given to MABS. Thanks to all who came along and contributed.” Country music fans should note that normally their dances take place on the 1st Friday of each month in Mariano’s, Camposol, but please note that their January, 2016 dance will not take place on New Year’s Day but will be on the 2nd Friday, 8th January, when the live act is Johnny Scott. This will be the ﬁrst time he has performed at the club and the region. The entertainment starts at 7.45pm and entry is only 4€. Ann and Roy’s free line dance class continues each Wednesday at 7pm in the Culture Centre, Camposol. They would like to wish all their regulars a happy new year and, for more information, have a look at their Facebook page by searching for: Costa Cálida Country Music Club.

Costa Calida Country Music Club in full swing

Paul Cunningham Christmas hamper PATRICIA RHODES,of Quesada, was the lucky winner of the Christmas hamper that was organised in the Quesada Charity shop.

The winning ticket was white 71. Patricia was overjoyed to win all the goodies in the hamper and said it would make Christmas extra special for her.The charity would like to thank everyone who took part and helped to raise money. The next charity event will be on Saturday 16th January 2016, at Reﬂections Bar San Luis. This will be a Race Night and tickets will cost 7€ per head, including dinner of Chilli Con Carne with Baked Potatoes. To reserve your seat, please telephone 688 387490.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #people 

Calpe U3A Trip to Madrid and Toledo by PATRICIA THOMPSON FIFTY THREE U3A members set off at 8am on 3rd December and arrivedthat afternoon at the three star Hotel Ganivet, near Puerto de Toledo, in Madrid. An aperitif prior to the evening meal made a friendly welcome, and the buffet meals were varied, plentiful and of a good standard. The half board status and the freedom to explore Madrid ensured that members could compare notes and adventures each evening. Some went to the famous art galleries, Royal Palace, gardens, a flamenco show, the Plaza Mayor, the Christmas Market, the theatre, and the Gran Vía for shopping. The hop on hop off bus nearby proved very popular. After breakfast on the final morning, the group left for Toledo. This was an unexpected bonus, as it was not originally in the itinerary. They were driven around the perimeter of Toledo with its magnificent views, before taking the escalator to the town centre. As in Madrid, the town was crowded with visitors because of the fiesta holiday. They had three hours to see as much as possible in this UNESCO 2015 heritage city, and most took the opportunity to have lunch as well as view the sights, before setting off for Calpe. The trip was enjoyed by all, the weather was perfect, as was the organisation, and the cost represented excellent value for money. Madrid offered multiple attractions with a Christmas flavour.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #advertising feature

David Dale Removals DAVID DALE Removals was started in 1976 with one small van and a part time helper.

THE BUSINESS grew steadily and in 1978 bought their 1st proper removal truck. In 1981 they did their ﬁrst removal to Spain and it was so successful that others quickly followed. In the 1980’s prospective residents had to go through the customs formalities obtaining Residencias at the Spanish Consulate in either London or Manchester.. Moving to Spain involved paying a bond at the Spanish border based on the value of the goods they brought in to the country. In 1992 the customs formalities were lifted throughout the EU and moving to and from Spain became a much simpler operation. From 1993 David Dale Removals started their weekly UK-Spain-UK service. This takes place 50 weeks of the year, only pausing during Christmas & New year celebrations.. In 1995 warehouse premises were acquired in Fuengirola Malaga Province and in 2000 a container store was opened in Benissa and later in Almoradi.. Today the company operate 10 vehicles of various sizes from small transit vans to the largest

trucks the EU will allow on the roads. 4 staff work from the furniture store in Almoradi and the sales office is based in Benijofar. The company pay a great deal of attention to the quality of service they offer being members of the Office of Fair Trading, British Association of Removers & the Road Haulage Association International Section. Their staff are all trained by the British Association of Removals in handling furniture and delicate objects. The company has recently achieved the much sought after quality standard BSEN 12522. This is only awarded to the very best movers and storers who must adhere to very high standards of service. If you are planning a move get in touch with Mrs Sabina Hodges on 965 328 135 or email sales@daviddale.co.uk Mrs Hodges will visit your home anywhere on the Costa Blanca to discuss your requirements. This is a free no obligation visit with no high pressure sales people. They can offer packing materials delivered in advance of moving day or a full packing service. Clean Safe Container Storage is available in Almoradi, London or York.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Tim Saunders Independent unbiased car reviewer

life&leisure #road test

Road test:

Driving experience …TWO WORDS that every motorist knows about, no matter what vehicle they drive. FOR SOME it will be a wholesome, positive experience while for others totally unsatisfactory, the latter not necessarily being the car’s fault either I might add - rather the driver’s sheer incompetence behind the wheel. But enough of the driving instructor’s tales and my Sunday afternoon experiences… In this day and age when so much is clinical and characterless you could be forgiven for thinking that driving has become little more than another chore that just needs completing rather than being enjoyed and savoured. So often the whole experience can be a pretty monotonous affair especially with the number of vehicles on the roads. It is therefore refreshing to sit inside the Audi A3 TFSi S line, which responds to almost every driver’s whim. There are five different modes ranging from economy to dynamic. Understandably, the latter is by far the most enjoyable. After all it is the driving experience that lies at the heart of this splendid machine. Equipped with no less than a seven

speed S-tronic automatic gearbox the driver can use it either as a traditional automatic or if they are feeling that they want more control the stick can be pushed to the left and pushed up or down to go through the gears manually. If that is still not satisfactory then the paddle shifts either side of the uniquely designed steering wheel will deliver an experience akin to driving a racing car. When selecting dynamic mode and using the manual option, the A3 is noticeably much more responsive, agile and nimble although there is still a slight delay when the accelerator is kicked. Push the accelerator to the ﬂoor and it seems to go on and on forever... a very gutsy and exhilarating experience. It’s interesting to note that the paddle shifts can be used in conjunction with the manual option, if required. Speed and agility are all very well but traditionally such vehicles guzzled fuel like no tomorrow. I am therefore positively astounded that not only will this hot hatch travel from 0 to 60mph in just seven seconds but it will also return

a staggering 50mpg. You really can put your foot down without worrying about the fuel gauge plummeting. To put this into perspective it is more eﬃcient than my own diesel Ford Fiesta, which certainly does not provide the driving experience or performance. The sporty feel throughout the A3 S line is helped by the golf ball topped gearstick and the sports leather covered steering wheel. The driving position is critical and pleasingly I have no complaints; my arms comfortably resting outstretched at the ten to two position on the steering wheel. New price range: 21,202.91€ - 33,352.69€ Engine: 1.8-litre turbo direct injection Economy: 50mpg 0-60mph: 7secs Top speed: 144mph Power: 177bhp Fuel tank: 50 litres

Advanced motorist Tim Saunders is the former Business and Motoring Editor of the Bournemouth Daily Echo. His regular test reports appear in numerous newspapers, magazines and websites throughout the UK, Ireland and Gibraltar. For more independent unbiased car reviews and videos visit www.testdrives.biz

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2013 NC3 1.4HDi 19.771 km Dark gray color

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2012 C3 PICASSO 1.5 VTi CMP seduction 17.900 km Blue color

11.500€ HJK

2011 HYUNDAI i30 1.6 CRDi Confort Automatic 29000 km

11.000€ HHF

2010 C3 PICASSO 1.6 HDi 110 cv SX 47341 km Silver color

9.500€ GSY

2008 KIA PICANTO 1.1i 39.000 km Silver color

4.600€ GJV

2006 C4 1.6i Collection 69.603 km Silver color

4.900€ DXG

2006 TOYOTA YARIS 1.3vvti sol 87cv 109.100 km Silver color(P)

5.250€ FCZ

2006 FORD KA 1.3i 87.500 km Silver color.(P)

2.000€ FHV

2004 KIA SORENTO 2.5 CRDi 137.439 km Silver color

4.900€ CSW

2003 CITROEN XSARA 1.6i Automatico 114.700 km Blue silver color

2.500€ CHK

2003 CITROEN C5 2.0i 16v Exclusive Automatic 187.350 km Red color

3.200€ HJW

2002 CITROEN C3 1.4i SX Plus 160.600 km Silver color

3.000€ CBY

2000 MCC SMART 0.6 Gasolina 55cv 125.300 km Yellow color(P)

1.800 € FHP

2000 OPEL ZAFIRA A 1.9 Gasolina 7seats. 222.613 km Blue color

2.000€ HFC

ENGLISH REGISTRATION CARS 2000 JAGUAR 4.0 PETROL S-TYPE V8, AUTOMATIC, 90,000km, SILVER

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Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

Classifieds

Book your advert now 902 118 999 (ext 2) email: classifieds@roundtownnews.com

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

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

Chris Young transport UK-SPAIN-IRELAND All european destinations

Removals with the personal touch.

Full/part loads. Parcels, flat packs, luggage, door to door service, short/long term storage. Competitive rates, PETS CARRIED WITH CARE.

965 696 750 | 0044 (0) 744 791 8589 chrisyounge73979@aol.com

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

K9, PET ONLY TRANSPORTATION We only use fully fitted out ex police vehicles to transport your pet. DEFRA Registered, Fully legal.Specialist in Animal only Transportation. Owners welcome to travel with there pets k9transportation@hotmail. com UK: (00)442380 668 000 SPAIN: 671 797 151 PET TRAVEL UK Family pet transporters Spain/UK. Travel with your pets for free. All air conditioned vehicles (no vans) www.pettraveluk.co.uk. Removals also arranged in other vehicles. Tel UK 0800 612 4922 or Spain 960 130 537 IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A DOG OR PUPPY please join our Facebook group. We have many dogs, large, small, scruffs and pedigree! Just go to Facebook and search Costa Blanca Dog Homing. Even if you cannot offer a home, rescues are always needing foster homes, and just sharing the dog posts really helps us to help them.

DOG SITTING HOME FROM HOME Secure garden,Costa Blanca North 637 160 545

Wednesday of each Month. Open to all age-groups. For more info call Margaret on 966 730 569 or Brian on 678 807 159. Looking forward to meeting you.

STRICTLY SOCIAL CLUB Why not come and join us for an afternoon of entertainment, fun, quizzes and games. We also have speakers, and arrange meals out and coach outings. We meet on the top floor at The New Asturias Restaurant, Punta Prima between 2.30 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. on the 2nd and 4th

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITY Own your own lingerie, clothing and swimwear boutique. Prices from 10,000 Euros including stock and shop fittings. Full help and support given throughout.

LA BAMBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S Ballroom Modern / Latin / Argentine Tango / Sequence Dancing Los Rosales Restaurant, Guardamar CV895 [near Lemon Tree Sunday Market] Monday - SOCIAL DANCE 8.30pm

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7.30pm - 10.30pm Wednesday - New Beginners Class [new beginners starting Wednesday 13th January 2016] 2pm -3pm Intermediate Class 3pm - 4pm Intermediate Plus Class 4pm - 5pm Andrea Murphy [0034] 616 478 157 TAPPY TOES DANCE CLASS FOR BABIES from 18 months, at 4kwatro in Albir, 11am, call Louise on 655 781 068 for more information. LADIES DANCEFIT WITH L.A DANCE at 4kwatro in Albir, Mondays at 7.30pm, call Louise on 655 781 068 for more information

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Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

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Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #sports

”Trabuco” winner of the Jamón de Don Chuletón Trophy by KEITH NICOL AS HAS become a tradition for RCNT, Sunday’s Trophy and Jamón de don Chuletón was held. 20 boats participated in the competition which started out around 11:30am ending at 1:30pm, after the scheduled eight miles had been covered. The race was held without any mishap, with the yachts and sailors enjoying the good December weather that Torrevieja has had all month. The sea was flat at all times with a west wind of 6-8 knots. After the race prizes for all the festive competitions were awarded, with the first prize going to the winner of the HalcónViajes regatta race on 21st December which was Pedro A. Pasquín, in ‘Malicia’, sponsored by HalcónViajes travel agency. Then the Regularity 2015 awards were presented with all the races in the cruiser class completed this year. The overall winner was ‘Odeaminos’ with 24 points, followed by a second place for ‘Wise Choice’with 31 points and third place was the boat‘Caf’ with 44 points. Finally, the awards for the Trophy and Jamón de Don Chuletón, along with three gift vouchers redeemable for meat at the butchers, went to ‘Trabuco’ in first place, followed by runner up ‘Caf’ and third ‘Odeaminos’. To end the awards ceremony, the now famous and traditional draw for the Jamón de Don Chuletónwas held among all participants, with, this year, the ham heading to the home of Francisco José Pérez Pardo of the yacht ‘Spit’. During the event, the club wanted to pay homage to the cruise yachts that this year won the Interclub 2015 for the Royal Sailing Club. Yacht owners of ‘Trabuco’, ‘Odeaminos’, ‘Maverta’, ‘Greek’ and ‘Caf’ posed for a group photo that will hang on the walls of the RCNT as a souvenir and thanks to this fleet of yachts representing Real Club NáuticoTorrevieja. The interclub trophy is a club team competition held annually between local yacht clubs: RCNT, Club NáuticoCampello, Club Náutico Santa Pola and Real Club de Regatas de Alicante. In this competition the top three boats in each race score points. RCNT recovered the Interclub Cup after having last won it in 2011.

20 yachts fought for the Jamón de don Chuletón Trophy

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

life&leisure #sports

Torry back in action on Sunday AFTER THEIR short Christmas break, CD Torrevieja are back in action this Sunday and hope to continue their winning ways. The team are playing again in the Nelson Mandela Stadium, beside the Vicente García on Sunday, January 3rd at the earlier time of 12 noon, which should mean a warmer day for the fans and players, if the sun is shining, and it won’t clash with any Premiership or La Liga football matches on TV. This will be the halfway point of the season, the 19th day of league championship group VI of the 3rd Division, between CD Torrevieja and CD Acero. The good dynamics of recent weeks has seen the team take three consecutive victories and nine points in the bag, which has served to add some calm and conﬁdence to the squad, but it’s still far too early to think about pushing for a promotion play oﬀ place, although this is still possible. The team returns after the Christmas break

Fun Day At Javea Green

to take on CD Acero in Nelson Mandela and not in the Vicente García as was originally planned, because the club has decided to give the turf one more week for the replanting, so they will deﬁnitely be back in the Vicente García with the grass in perfect condition for home match day 10. CD Acero may presently be the bottom club but Torrevieja do not expect an easy game. For this meeting manager Antonio Pedroza is without Martín and Javi although Rafa Gómez trained with the group this week and the rest of the squad are available. CD Acero is ranked 20th with 8 points (1V-5E-12D) and comes to Torrevieja after losing 0-1 on home soil against Novelda CF. For more information on CD Torreviejaseewww.clubdeportivotorrevieja.com or the website of the Torry Army Supporters club: www.fctorrevieja,net.

CD Torrevieja are looking for their fourth consecutive win

JOHN PITTAWAY had the bright idea for a pre-Christmas bowls day at Javea, with the three Northern League teams in battle against each other. In glorious sunshine, 54 bowlers, dressed in red, white and blue, played three games of six ends each to discover the “best” NL team in the Club. Opals, this season’s leaders, only managed 12 points out of a possible 36. The strongest squad, Quartz, also failed to impress and only amassed 18 points. The remaining squad, Onyx, triumphed with an excellent 24 points. Three Onyx teams had three wins out of three, Phil Woodhead, Tony Hesketh-Field, Alan Stephens; Ritva McAuliffe, Maggie Richardson, John North; Heather Stephens, Dave Greenhalgh, Jill Nobbs; and the last three also won the prize for best performers, with a shot difference of plus 17. At the other end of the scale, a prize was also won by Jane Baron, Jim Fletcher and Chris Evans, for losing all three matches with a shot difference of minus 22, quite a difficult feat to achieve! Lunch was then served, and the ever popular “stand up sit down” bingo was played and the 50€ prize won by Maggie Richardson. This was followed by a toast to the upcoming wedding of bar assistant, Chris Foreman, to Joe Schulein, the Opal Captain. They will tie the knot in New Zealand, with the best wishes of Javea Green members.

Alfaz Fantasy Football League. THE PREMIER League provided the Alfaz Fantasy Football League with 26 goals,8 clean sheets,34 yellow cards and no red ones.

Scott’s team, Dog Dale, returned to the top of the A.F.F.L. by overtaking last week’s leader, Elite Kitchen,Swinton, by 2 points.Arthur’s Wombles moved up 2 places to 3rd, 10 points behind the leaders. At the foot of the table 2 teams have been ﬁghting it out since week 5,Lyn’s Handbrake City and Alison’s Foxywise. In the Mark Carter Ladies Section, Maxine’s Plaistow13hammers’ advantage is only 20 pointsover Joanna’s Hup Hannah City. Karen’s Ceasar’sBlackcats are in 3rd place and Jo’s Ladies on Top, this week’s top scoring team, with 54 points,are 4th.At the bottom are Handbrake City andFoxywise. Jo’s team, Ladies on Top,wonthe 20€ voucher for December, sponsored by QUICK SAVE SUPERMARKET in Albir, beating Pam’s People by 8 points. Super Rhys, last season’s winners of the U.K.T.V.SPAIN Junior League,still lead Nathan’s Tyrannosuarez-Rex F.C. by 9 points.Gino’s Minions have moved up to 3rd. In the Leonard Knowles Construction Golden Boot League, most teams picked up points with 26 goals being scored giving an average score of 12 points, the highest so far this season. Tom’s Benidorm Trotters have moved to within 13 points of the leaders,Hup Hannah City. Kevin’s team,One for the Road, remain in 3rd place whilst Pearson’s Smashers have dropped 2 places to 4th.Shelley’s Funsize Hammers have moved away from the relegation zone leaving Foxywise trailing Duncan’s Local Scoty by 2 points. Premier Imports,specialists in British Real Ales, sponsor the Monthly Draw for a case of cava and the last two teams going in this month are the highest scoring team, Jo’s Ladies on Top, as well as the lowest scoring team, Mike’s Super Saints with minus 3.Manager of the Month for December has been won by two teams, Jo’s Ladies on Top and George’s Booker Boys, which means that both teams have won a fabulous meal for 2 at the Brisa del Mar,top restaurant in Albir, who provide an excellent Menu del Día as well as a full À la Carte. The biggestmen’s team mover was Mike’s team, The Camels, who gained 37 places to No 64, which means he has won this week’s Breakfast for 2 at Rafters, sponsored by Kate. With the next round of the RTN K.O.Cup Competition taking place next week it’s important to check out who you are playing if you are lucky enough to still be in the competition by logging on to the website www.alfazﬄ.com or visiting one of the Bars which publish the results and league tables; in Albir,The Local &Wyndhams,in Benidorm, Union Jack,in Moraira,Barrilloche, and, in Alfaz, Robins Nest.

Thursday, December 31 2015 - Thursday, January 7 2016

”Trabuco” winner of the Jamón de Don Chuletón Trophy

AS HAS become a tradition for RCNT, Sunday’s Trophy and Jamón de don Chuletón was held. 20 boats participated in the competition which started out around 11:30am ending at 1:30pm, after the scheduled eight miles had been covered. Read the full story on page 78.