RTN South Edition 595 by Round Town News

FREE!

Your English Newspaper

SOUTH EDITION

Issue 595

See page 6

11-17 MARCH 2011

Bogus inspectors call by Jack Troughton COSTA BLANCA homes are again being preyed on by ‘bogus’ gas inspectors and being conned into paying inflated fees. The “highly plausible” workmen are reported to be going from house to house in the Torrevieja area and demanding to inspect bottled gas equipment and issue certificates of inspection. RTN was told the men appear in smart overalls, carrying clipboard, and held identification but are not representatives of either Repsol or Cepsa – although they frequently claim to represent the gas giants. It is understood the inspectors are actually legal and work on a freelance basis for a registered company – however, people continue to fall victim to their “official sounding” spiel and are shocked by the prices charged for work. And it is alleged their sharp practice can involve damaging equipment before making “necessary” repairs – and at times not even doing the work listed on the invoice. ENGINEER Beware of bogus gas men

Gas users can ring either of Repsol or Cepsa, depending on the gas they use, and make an appointment for an engineer to visit and issue a

certificate. Neither company uses cold calling to make an inspection. Elizabeth, of Torrevieja – she asked for her surname not to be published – said two men called last week and wanted 120€ to inspect her gas equipment and issue a certificate. “We said we did not keep money in the house and they said they would come back on Monday – which they did and they got very angry and started shouting when we said we had contacted Repsol,” she said. “They did leave a card which said RETSAGAS which is very similar to Repsol but when we showed it to a lady in the local Repsol office she said it was false, she said it was rubbish. “And she said Repsol do not have engineers on the road - you have to call the company to make an appointment.” OFFICIAL And Elizabeth pointed out the official gas company charged 61.03€ to issue a certificate and carry out any repairs. “We had three tubes replaced.” “When they came back we were armed with the knowledge they were scammers so I took the number of their van down,” she added. Continued on page 3

11-17 MARCH 2011

Head Office Vall de Biar 14. 03530, La Nucia, Alicante Monday - Friday 10am - 6pm

TEL: 902 118 999 FAX: 96 585 60 54

rtnmail@roundtownnews.com News and views from the north and south Costa Blanca and Costa Calida

www.roundtownnews.co.uk email: accounts@rtnnewsgroup.com - sales@rtnnewsgroup.com production@rtnnewsgroup.com Newsdesk & general enquiries: rtnmail@roundtownnews.com

ADVERTISING - ACCOUNTS - DESIGN STUDIO - NEWSDESK

CALL 902 118 999

Sales North

Sales South

Sales and marketing director/south

IAN SINCLAIR 607 744 153 ian@roundtownnews.com

RODDY CUNNINGHAM 609 417 763 roddy@roundtownnews.com

Sales North

CLIFF ROBERTS 678 571 117 cliff@roundtownnews.com

Reporter

English Español

COLIN RICH 607 553 870 colin@roundtownnews.com

GILLIAN Roberts 607 744 948 gillian@roundtownnews.com

Web Sales

Jack Troughton 661 403 016 jack@roundtownnews.com

KATH POOLE 902 118 999 kathpoole@ roundtownnews.com

Deadline Adverts, copy changes, classifieds, clubs and editorial copy: MONDAY noon for following Friday’s edition

To air your views Letters on any subject are welcomed by the Editor for publication and must arrive by 12 noon on Monday for consideration for the following Friday’s edition. Priority will be given to letters dealing with local issues. We reserve the right to amend or shorten letters. (RTN accepts no responsibility for readers comments)

Customer service If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our service you can call 902 118 999 or write to Vall de Biar 14, 03530 La Nucia, Alicante.

To get your paper If you any difficulty in getting Round Town News each week please call 902 118 999 or visit our website www.roundtownnews.co.uk for the distribution map. All adverts must be prepaid whether they are placed at our offices, by email or fax, or via our sales team. The advertisers full name, address and ID number must be supplied (not for publication). RTN does not accept any responsibility for claims made by advertisers, either in advertisements or advertorials, nor can it be held responsible for any inaccuracies, errors, or the non-appearance of advertisements or advertorials. This publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors as a result of poor quality artwork or logos supplied by advertisers and no responsibility is accepted for any loss or damage caused by any error or inaccuracy or non-appearance of an advertisement or advertorial. Every effort will be made to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of articles and advertisements in this publication, however the publisher does not accept responsibility for claims or opinions in the same. The publisher does not accept responsibility for opinions expressed by readers in the ‘Mailbox’ section of this newspaper. Reproduction of any part of this newspaper without the consent of the publishers is prohibited.E:&O.E.

Edita : Round Town News Group SL : Servicios De Impresion S.A.- Deposito Legal : South A-853-1999 / North: A-134-2004 Vall de Biar 14, 03530 La Nucia, Alicante. Distribution: iDs Logística. info@idss.es Alcoycourrier.SL Tel: 676 473 875

To place a classified advert simply EMAIL: classifieds@roundtownnews.com WEBSITE: www.roundtownnews.co.uk Fax: 96 585 60 54

OR In person at one of our following agents

AGENTS NORTH Round Town Travel 1, Avenida Dr Severo Ochoa, 1, Urb. El Admiral, Local 1 Lisa 966 811 123 Round Town Travel 2, Calle Gerona, 39 (Next to Hotel Ambassador) Kerry/Gemma 966 813 261 Round Town Trips, Calle Narcisco Yepes, 4, Local 8, Albir, 03581, Alicante.Lee/Jackie 966 867 294 ProminenT, Teulada Industrial Est. Calle Llanterner, 2 alto, 03725, Teulada, Alicante. Marja 965 793 229 Quicksave, Partida Murtar 2/2, Pedreguer, Alicante. Andrew Thomas 966 456 157 Millie Munro Insurance, Avenida Lepanto, 6. Millie 966 493 082 • millie@milliemunro.com EasyBuy, Avenida del Portet 24, Moraira. 03724 Alicante 965 745 969 ICUK Foods sl, C/Gulliem de Casto, 8 Bajo, Oliva 46780 962 839 830 • icukfoodssl@hotmail.com

BENIDORM BENIDORM ALBIR TEULADA pedreguer BENITACHELL MORAIRA OLIVA

AGENTS SOUTH

Bargain Books, Plaza Juan Carlos 1, Nº 2, San Miguel de Salinas, 03193, Alicante. (Opp. Tourist Info) Gaynor/Lee 688 667 389 leeshaw.evans@gmail.com Johnsons El Limonar, JCP Commercial Center, Local 31, Los Altos Del Limonar, Torrevieja, 966 785 600 Johnsons Quesada, Ava. Las Naciononies 1a -17, Quesada, 966 717 848 Johnsons Algorfa, Local 30, Commercial Center La Finca Golf, Algorfa, 966 729 647 The Post Room, Centro Comercial 5, Via Park III, Calle Panticosa Nº 2, Los Altos, Orihuela Costa, Alicante. Aoife/Chris 965 319 665 aoifesweeney@hotmail.com Pennys Supermarket, Flamenca Beach Comercial Centre, Unit 123, Playa Flamenca, 03189, Peter/Sarah 966 733 257 • bulldogstores@live.com Print Solutions, Avenida Londres 136, La Marina Urb, San Fulgencio, 03177, Alicante. Jim/Trish 966 790 520 • jim@printsolutionsspain.com Interpost, Avenida de la Alegria Nº 32, Malika/Malcolm 965 419 673 • Inter-post100@live.com Best Wishes, Local 30, Comercial Centre Hispania, Avda de la Union 72, San Javier, 30730, Murcia. Kathy 968 192 235 kaffywalker@hotmail.com Ononix Mar SL, Calle Mayor 30, bajo derecha, Guardamar, 03140, Alicante. Ron/Alicia 965 728 178 aliciamuddle@ononix.com

SAN MIGUEL TORREVIEJA QUESADA ALGORFA ORIHUELA ORIHUELA SAN FULGENCIO LA MARINA MURCIA GUARDAMAR

11-17 MARCH 2011

Continued from front page “They are obviously going round the area from house to house. “They look exactly as they should do and are very plausible but we called them ‘bandits’ and said Repsol were coming on Wednesday.” However, she said she and her husband were incensed the same engineer had managed to trap them 10 years earlier – when they had just moved to Spain.

“We actually thought how we didn’t have this service back in South Wales and we thought it was actually a good thing, we didn’t know then they were bandits,” she said. “What galls me is we were stung before and they actually came back – it is unbelievable.” And she warned it was easy to believe the workmen were official Repsol employees and pay inflated charges. “I just want everyone to be on their guard because you could end up paying a fortune.”

Spring Day Trips Sun Benidorm

March Specials

Tues Altea, Benidorm, Elche + carvery

22€

124€ Benidorm 4 day break 4*FB. Weekly 149€ Benidorm Palace + 1 night hotel 4*FB. 119€ Benidorm Palace + 2 night hotel 4*FB. 139€ Valencia pre-Fallas 3 day 3*BB 14-16 Mar 127€ Benidorm Night Out meal/wine/music 26 Mar 25€ HMS Pinafore show/meal/wine 1April 34€

Wed Benidorm

11€

España Fiesta Fun

11€ Benidorm 3 day break 4*FB. Weekly

SUN Benidorm, Moraira + carvery

22€

MON Alicante city

11€

MON Guadalest & Algar inc lunch/wine 24€

Wed Benidorm & Guadalest

14€ 12 Mar - Aguilas Carnival fun

12€ 127€ 17 Mar- Valencia Dressing of the Virgin 16€ 19 Mar- Valencia Las Fallas fiesta 16€ 24 April - Almansa Big Battle fiesta 15€ 30 April - Murcia sardines fiesta 11€ 2 May - Caravaca Wine Horses 12€ 6-9 May - Feria de Sevilla. 4 day country BB 199€ 14 May - Alcoy Moors & Christians 16€ 26-29 May - Feria de Cordoba. 4 day country BB 199€ 24 June - Alicante San Juan fiesta 11€

WED Caravaca & Calasparra inc lunch/wine 24€ 14-16 Mar - Valencia pre-Fallas 3 day 3*BB Thur Cartagena & train to Mar Menor

14€

Thur Murcia shopping malls

11€

thur Murcia city & market

Watch out for bandits

‘Playing With Words’ does it again ON TUESDAY 1st March John Edwards hosted ‘Playing with Words’, held once more at Chadwick’s in Villa Martin, with 25 poets, storytellers, listeners and supporters. Applause was plentiful and some terrific humour ensured that another excellent and successful evening, the third event of its kind: newcomers added extra numbers to regular prolific scribes. Congratulations to everyone that took part and we will do it again once the well of words has been replenished. Listeners played their part and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

Free paddle courses for beginners in March THE MUNICIPAL Sport Centre in Orihuela Costa is to offer free paddle courses for beginners in March with a total of 66 places available (inscriptions started 8th March) to promote the sport. Subscribers are to be offered free use of the paddle courts, materials and tuition. Paddle is a relatively young sport, played in couples with only three important

elements: the ball, the racquet and the court. The sport has clearly defined rules represented by federations and associations and in countries like Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Spain there have been big developments during the last few years, with the PPT the most important tournament as well as the annual World Paddle Championships.

11€

FRI Benidorm Palace meal/show

47€

fri Benidorm at night

12€

SAT Jalon Valley on market day + carvery

22€

OVERNIGHT EXCURSIONS WITH COACHTRIPS S.L VALENCIA PRE-FALLAS 3 DAY

SEVILLA & JEREZ 4 DAY

127€

+ Equestrian School & bodega visits

3* CITY BB. 14-16 MARCH

3* city HB. 16-19 March

CUENCA 3 DAY

GRANADA 3 DAY

139€

FB wine/water + trips. 22-24 March

4* city BB. 5-7 APRIL

SEGOVIA, PASTRANA

TOLEDO + TRIPS 4 DAY

+ Salamanca & Guadalajara

199€

3*HB + city visits 12-15 April

3* BB city + trips. 26-29 April

ANDALUCIA TOUR 4 DAY

ALMUÑECAR 7 DAY

includes Feria de Sevilla

199€

285€

country BB + city trips. 6-9 May

4* FB + trips. 8-14 May

MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 8 DAY from

MADRID 4 DAY

all inclusive / TAXES / TRANSFERS 15-22 MAY

3* city BB. 24-27 May

PICOS DE EUROPA 6 DAY

BARCELONA BY TRAIN

299€

278€

4*BB + tours. 13-18 June

4* city BB 4 day. 12-15 July

ADRIATIC CRUISE 8 DAY from

GALICIA 8 DAY

975€

399€

all inclusive / TAXES / FLIGHTS 27 JUNE-4 JULY

4*BB + daily tours. 17-24 July

199€

560€

245€

215€

More dates available! Call or click for more!

11-17 MARCH 2011

Camps authorises 400,000€ for TV series on corruption by Jan Gamm FRANCISCO CAMPS, the President of the Valencian community accused of involvement in the ‘Gurtel’ corruption scandal, has authorised a 400,000€ subsidy for the making of a new TV series ‘City of Light’ on the theme of urban corruption! Based on the award-winning novel by Chirbes and released by Canal+ this week, the eight episode programme observes how local politicians and entrepreneurs have encouraged the construction boom and unscrupulously Film destroyed the natural beauty of the coastline to line their own pockets. makers The programme is filmed on location across the Alicante province and Fernando features scenes in Elche, Benidorm, Altea and Calpe but most of the action Bovaira, Elsa over an eight week shoot is in a fictional town called ‘Misenta’, thought to be Martinez, loosely based on either Javea or Denia. An illuminating script features the Alicia antics of Russian mobsters, corrupt policians and crooked civil servants. Borrachero Pepe Sancho stars in the series, produced by Fernando Valencia and diand José rected by Elsa Martinez. Sancho

Women celebrate century

MEMBERS OF the Costa Blanca’s Women In Business Club enjoyed a “fantastic” exhibition on Tuesday and expect to raise a “sizeable amount” for charity. The celebration of International Women’s Day at the Marriott Hotel, La Sella, was made even more special as it marked the 100th anniversary of the event. Organisers are now counting the money raised from raffles, the tombola and donations but another bumper total is predicted to help the victims of domestic violence. Maggie Jackson And marking the landmark birthday, Maggie (right) and Jackson, a new WIBC member, designed a butterfly SheelaMasand with the poster, divided it into 100 sections and invited 100 women to colour each portion. butterfly

BUTTERFLY Lifestyle coach Maggie, of The Art of Making Miracles, told RTN: “The butterfly is symbolic of a transformation and International Women’s Day is a celebration of our transformation.” Suzanna Mace, the Director of WIBC, said: “Overall we were very busy throughout the day and everyone was really pleased with how it went and enjoyed themselves. “I am certain we have again raised a sizable amount and all the money raised goes to help the victims of domestic violence.” She said businesswomen who had stalls at the event were happy at the volumes of trade the day created. “There was a steady flow of people in the hall, which was excellent given the current economic climate.”

Three injured in traffic accident A HEAD-ON collision on the N332 in Villajoyosa has left three people seriously injured. A 95-year-old man has been rushed to hospital in the Marina Baixa with multiple injuries. An 83-year-old woman and a 29-year-old were also taken to the same hospital.

Got a story? 902 118 999

rtnmail@roundtownnews.com

11-17 MARCH 2011

British consulate staff to visit Mazarrón

Focus groups provide positive feedback THE TOWN Hall in Orihuela Costa has recently held two focus groups for residents of the coast. More than twenty members of the public volunteered to take part in the discussion groups organised by the Coastal Town Hall Press Officer, Louise Clarke. The aim of the groups was to speak to coastal residents to find out what they think of the coast and its facilities and in the majority, the feedback was very positive. There were obviously some areas of

by Patricia Thompson REPRESENTATIVES OF the British Consulate in Alicante are to visit Mazarrón at the end of this month to meet British residents and hold an Open Day event on Thursday 24th March at Centro Socio-Cultural, Camposol, Sector B, Mazarrón at 11am (doors open at 10:30am). British Consul, Paul Rodwell said “Murcia, Mazarrón in particular, has one of the fastest growing British populations in Spain according to the latest padrón statistics. We hope that by reaching out to this area and hearing people’s concerns, residents can obtain the information they need and be aware of what their Consulate can do for them.” The Pension, Benefit and Healthcare team will also give a presentation on people’s rights to pension, benefits and healthcare here in Spain. Anyone with questions about these subjects, or wanting information on changes to the system should find attendance worthwhile. The event will also be attended by the Mazarrón Town Hall representative for foreign residents, Jacqueline Gálvez, already working closely with British residents in the area. She said, “I think it is really important for people to be up to date on their entitlements here in Spain and I’m really glad that the Consulate is taking the time to visit Mazarrón.” Following the presentation, those who would like an individual consultation can talk to the experts about specific problem or queries. To book a place, please visit www.ukinspain.fco.gov.uk or if you don’t have access to the internet, you call 917 146 443.

concern for the residents and they will be addressed in due course. All the findings as a result of the focus groups will be collated and put into a report for the Councillor for the Coast, Jose Antonio Aniorte and the Orihuela Mayor, Monica Lorente, and will also be made available to the local media and the members of the discussion groups should they require it. The business focus group planned has been postponed until later in the year.

Positive turnout for focus group

Carnival in Orihuela Costa

British Consul Paul Rodwell gives a presentation at an open day

THIS SATURDAY, 12th March, the first ever Orihuela Costa Carnival will take place. Organisers include the Councillor for the Coast along with the Orihuela Town Hall´s Youth Department, in collaboration with a number of other associations including the Parent´s Associations (AMPA) of the Los Dolces and Playas de Orihuela schools; the Association of Orihuela Costa Retailers (ECHO); and the Association of Young People in Orihuela Costa (AJOC). The parade starts at Calle Salvador Dali at 5pm and will continue along Calle Nicolas de Bussi before going down Calle Pablo Picasso, ending at the Mercadona Car Park in Playa Flamenca where there will be lots of activities for children including bouncy castles and games, with entertainment, music and dancing for the adults. More than 300 people will take part, with dancing and a Afro-Brazilian percussion band providing the music. Prizes will be awarded for the best dressed participants.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Barclays to close 100 Spanish branches by Jan Gamm BRITISH BASED bank Barclays is to close at least 100 branches in Spain at a cost of 700 jobs, representing 17% of staff and 20% of the entire branch network. The decision follows the appointment of Jaime Echegoyen as head of Barclays Retail Banking in Spain: Echegoyen was the former CEO of Bankinter.

The aim of the closures is to focus Barclays’ business on ‘medium and high earning customers’ as part of a move The closure to reduce costs and open new markets.Last year, Barclays of 100 was forced to make provisions for 1.062€ billion in bad branches loans in a situation described by Barclays’ chief executive will leave Bob Diamond as “unacceptable.” over 700 With more than 590 branches and 900,000 plus custom- people unemployed ers, Barclays is Spain’s largest foreign bank.

Pesetas making an encore in Northern Spain

THE LONG redundant but not forgotten peseta is making a comeback in the tiny town of Mugardos in Galicia, northern Spain. Mugardos has so far been famous only for its legendary wet weather. During the 1960s and 1970s the town was larger and was regarded as a popular summer location for Spanish tourists. Its fishing industry, once booming, now consists mainly of cockle pickers. This week, however, Mugardos enjoyed a surge of prosperity due to its decision to recognise the peseta as legal tender alongside the Euro. The sixty or so shopkeepers in the town, at first sceptical, are now Pesetas said to be delighted as thousands are converged on the town, pockets back in Mugados bulging with the contents of old

mattresses (said to be the nation’s favourite deposit for the much-loved peseta). Want a souvenir? Buy it in Mugardos with pesetas. Fancy a meal in Mugardos? Pay for your ‘del dia’ in good old pesetas. One elderly gentleman exchanged his 10,000 pesetas in Mugardos for a sandwich maker! Europe’s ecomomy boffins are viewing Mugardos’ re-entry into the peseta with amusement and do not see the currency mutiny as any threat to the mighty Euro introduced in January 2002. An unbelievable 1.7€bn in pesetas remains unaccounted for: perhaps Mugardos should brace itself for sudden prosperity.

Suicide crash on A31

LATE ON Wednesday night a ‘suicide driver’ travelling in the wrong direction and without lights along the A31 highway from Madrid to Alicante terrorised other drivers and caused a five-vehicle pile-up, leaving three people seriously injured and four others needing hospital treatment. The driver that caused the accident is thought to have joined the A31 from a filter road in a state of confusion. Instead of stopping, he continued at a slower speed leaving a trail of destruction as he collided with a series of vehicles. The accident occurred at 227km along the A31 which was temporarily closed by the traffic police to facilitate rescue and care of the injured by the Civil Guard and a fleet of ambulances.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Guided tour of Torrevieja Music Conservatory Limited places at by Julie Day FOR THOSE that did not get to visit Torrevieja’s soonto-be-inaugurated International Music Conservatory and Congress Centre during a guided tour carried out last month, there will be a second opportunity to do so this weekend. This will be the last guided tour of its kind before the Music Conservatory is officially inaugurated later this month. The tour is open to everyone and will take place tomorrow (Saturday 12th March) at 12pm. The group will meet in the music conservatory’s car park, accessed by driving through Torrevieja’s San Jaime private hospital. Visitors will be shown around the two buildings, set on a plot of 92,000m2. The auditorium, measuring the equivalent of six storeys in height, will seat an audience of 1,500 and the Roman-style chamber

Torrevieja’s Expo Fair

By Julie Day LOCAL BUSINESSES wishing to participate in Torrevieja’s first ever Expo Torrevieja Business Fair have until Tuesday 15th March to register. The business and services fair is being held in a huge marquee to be erected in the town’s port and fairground between Wednesday 30th March and Sunday 4th April. The aim of the Expo-style exhibition is to reaffirm the quality of traditional businesses and services in Torrevieja, as well as allowing business owners of different nationalities to also share their ideas and promote themselves to the Spanish market. The fair, which is being organised in association with APYMECO, will open daily from 9.30am until 9.30pm without closing for lunch. The public will also be able to enjoy musical entertainment, fashions shows and other exciting demonstrations, plus there will be food and drink stands, Internet, a cafeteria, toilets and an information desk.This trade fair will be bigger than any of those that have been held before, with approximately 140 stands covering 2,800m2. Anyone concert hall, 400. Other facilities will include a caf- who would like to take part in Torrevieja’s Expo Torrevieja International eteria, restaurant, first-class changing rooms and a should send an email expressing interest or asking for further information to apymeco@salitel.com. bar. This can be done in English or in Spanish.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Care home for severely disabled to open by the summer by Julie Day THE NEW residential care home for severely physically and psychologically disabled people, currently under construction in Torrevieja, is due to be completed and in use by the summer. The home, situated in the Avenida Delfina Viudes, next to the public school Habaneras 10, will be one of its kind and unique to the Vega Baja region. The site was visited last weekend by the mayor of Torrevieja, Pedro Hernández Mateo, councillors for Social Welfare and Works and Services, María Dolores Canales and Javier Montoro, as well as representatives from ALPE and APANEE, who will work closely with the new centre.

The mayor has stated that this new facility will greatly help and improve the quality of life of the severely disabled that will reside within the centre and their families. The residential care home, being constructed by the company Guifersol S.L., is being built on an 11,152m2 plot of land. A total of 7,630m2 will be designated to a garden area, whilst 3,522m2 will cover the ground floor of the building. The two-story energy-efficient building will contain 28 double and 32 single rooms, able to cater for approximately 88 residents. Other areas within the site will include a reception and administrative area plus facilities such as a gymnasium, swimming pool, toilets, four dining rooms, two interior patios and an area to play petanca or sit outside.

Radio making waves By Jack Troughton BAY RADIO DJ John Curtis delivered presents and a donation to the children’s home Preventorio de Gandia after raising money over the festive season. The presenter of Sunday afternoon show Ready Steady Go and wife June run the Terrace Bar in Jalon and over the winter stage a number of charity events and collect donations to help support the youngsters who are cared for by a handful of nuns and volunteers. John told RTN the children’s home was a favourite charity of the Javea-based radio station and he saw the bar as a “useful place” to supplement the fund-raising by Bay and its generous listeners. “Last week I led a small contingent up to Gandia to see the sisters John and June and pass over the donation and the gifts. It was our third visit Curtis and as before we were warmly welcomed,” he said. “The ‘guests’ with who came along were shown round the home by our host, the Sister delightful Sister Amelia.” He said it was again moving to see the Amelia love shared between the nuns and the children, as well as the safe and AnnaMaria haven offered to the youngsters at the Preventorio.

visit to the works at the care home

Teacher is backed by school board after claims of assault

A TEACHER accused of causing injury to a student on trying to break up a fight has been given the full backing of a magistrate and the school board. An altercation between two boys at the Bienvenido Conejero Requiel public school in Los Alcázares had to be broken up by a head of year at the school last month. After the event, the parents of one of the students accused the teacher of causing injury to their son and made a denuncia to the Guardia Civil. The San Javier court magistrate presiding, Jessica Joaquina Hurtado, disallowed the accusations made by the boy’s parents against the teacher. However, an accusation of threatening behaviour towards the teacher by the boy’s father was admitted by the court and resulted in a favourable verdict. Sentencing prohibits the student’s father from approaching the teacher for a period of six months. A fine of 120€ was also handed out to the man.“The sense of defencelessness that a teacher finds himself under in situations like this is outrageous,” said the magistrate. “Until a verdict has been passed, a professional’s reputation and career are in doubt.”

11-17 MARCH 2011

American student found dead by Jan Gamm THE BODY of an American student reported missing in Madrid last week was found on Tuesday, 8th March during a police search that involved draining a 500 metre lock-controlled section of the shallow western Madrid Manzanares River. 22-year-old Austin Bice from Carlsbad, California, was last seen at a nightclub on 26th February. He had lived in Spain

since January, enrolled in an international business studies course at Carlos III University on an exchange arrangement from San Diego State University, where on Monday 7th March, 150 students held a candlelit vigil for the missing student. MEMORIAL Carlos Lopez-Terradas, head of the exchange programme at Carlos III, said “We are crushed.

RTN welcomes new columnist Chris Marshall CHRIS MARSHALL is delighted to have the opportunity to share his thoughts on what has been going on each week in this wonderful, but occasionally bemusing, country that so many of us now call home, through the pages of RTN. Chris lives in Almerimar on the Costa Almeria, a beautiful small, predominantly Spanish marina, along with his wife Sands, four ‘adopted’ cats (although he remains convinced that he and Sands are the adopted ones), two Harley Davidsons, a balcony and regular glasses of red wine! For the last four years Chris has run the expat site www.almerimarlife.com, a blog combining his experience of living in Spain with general advice on the Spanish expatriate lifestyle. He writes a monthly column for the Daily Telegraph Expat site and contributes regularly to a number of papers and radio stations across Spain, including our very own Bay Radio here on the Costa Blanca and now on the Costa Almeria. Chris loves Spain with a passion, but finds like any woman while at times she can be enchanting, at others she can be more

Chris Marshall

than a little exasperating. But it is hard to remain mad at her for long: a glass of red, the sun, a chat with friends over tapas and all is soon well again. Chris intends to share his views, thoughts and observations on what has been going on during the week in this complex but captivating country: nothing is ‘off topic’ and all thoughts are his and his alone. Chris is always happy to sit down and discuss them in person over a glass of red, but failing that, happy to hear from you at chris@almerimarlife.com, and for those addicts on Twitter, Chris is MyAppleStuff and on Facebook search, Chris Marshall or Almerimar. Feel free to write into the paper as well! You can find his column on page 27.

And we still cannot believe it,” describing Bice as “popular.” Flags at the university were respectfully at half-mast on Tuesday and a memorial service in Spain is planned. In the last post of Bice’s blog on 25th February, he said he was going out: “Hopefully it will not disapAmericna point (I assume it will not). It’s in Madrid and it student should be a fun night.” Police reported no imAustin Bice mediate signs of foul play, with further details found dead to be revealed on autopsy. this week

Picasso at the Tate Modern By Jan Gamm THE MOST expensive painting ever sold at auction is to be exhibited at the Tate Modern in London. The Spanish artist Picasso’s ‘Naked Green Leaves and Bust’ is a large canvas featuring a bust of Picasso on a pedestal beside a nude painting of the artist’s mistress Marie-Therese Walter, sold at Christie’s in New York in May 2010, reaching a record sale price of €81.9 million. “This is an outstanding painting by Picasso and I am delighted that, thanks to the generosity of the lender, we can expose it to the British public,” said Tate director Nicholas Serota. Until the painting was sold it was part of the collection of Mrs Sidney F Rody.

Picasso’s Green Leaves and Bust

Butcher of Elche sentenced by Jan Gamm THE MAN labelled ‘The Butcher of Elche’ after killing his girlfriend in 2009, chopping her body into pieces and disposing of them in plastic bin bags has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by an Elche court on Tuesday 8th March. Mario Garcia Fernandez stabbed Mari Paz Moreno more than 30 times following an argument between the couple on 12th June 2009. The story was covered in RTN when two children discovered a dismembered hand in a rubbish container. Police found other body parts in several other bags in the same area. Fernandez, thought to suffer with a personality disorder, accepted his sentence calmly, asking the victim’s family for forgiveness. He faced a possible 30 years in prison but received a shorter sentence following a plea of guilty.

Fernandez at the court during sentencing

Art Exhibition in Ondara By Jan Gamm A COLOURFUL depiction of celebrity art is on display in the Exhibition Hall in the Casa de Cultura in Ondara until Thursday 31st March. The exhibition is entitled ‘MGP Secret’ by artist Chika Alpaca. The familiar faces of iconic screen legends such as Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Audrey Hepburn are included in the exhibition along with political figures such as President Obama, captured using ‘pseudophotography’, a technique that brings the subject to life in vibrant colour. The exhibition may be viewed Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9am until 2pm and 4pm until 8pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the exhibition is open from 9am until 2pm and 4pm until 7pm.

New speed limits confuse police

New speed confusion

By Jan Gamm FOLLOWING LAST week’s report in RTN concerning the new and hopefully temporary speed limits applicable on Spanish roads, the Union of Civil Guard Officials has reported they have been issued with only brief, verbal instructions on speeds that will carry a fine, and penalties will be issued to drivers exceeding 132km/h in a 110km/ zone: written directives on speed limits were last updated in 2006. Despite new speed limits being set on motorway traffic and urban limits also being in force, speed traps are still

programmed to register speeds in excess of the old parameters. And to confuse matters further, police in certain areas are exercising a stricter vigilance to the new limits than in others, with Trafico officers in Barcelona applying a totally different policy to those in, say, Alicante or Valencia. In response to an onslaught of complaints Director General of Trafico, Pere Navarro, maintains that the general public fully understands the new speed restrictions and that only one or two police officers are still confused (!) RTN’s advice is to proceed with caution…

11-17 MARCH 2011

Consular staff welcomes arrival of new airport terminal STAFF FROM the British Consulate in Alicante recently took time out after work to visit the new Alicante airport terminal. Impressed at the size and design of the new terminal, the Consulate team was particularly pleased to see the attention paid by AENA to travellers’ security. Organised by the director of the airport in Alicante, the visit was in recognition of the fact that around 40% of arrivals come from the UK and that a close working relationship with the Consulate is essential.

British Consul Paul Rodwell said, “I think this new terminal will give visitors to Alicante an excellent impression. I am pleased to have a close working relationship with the airport authorities, especially in situations such as the crisis following the eruption of the Icelandic volcano last year. I also noted that the arrivals hall offers vast improvements from a security angle, which I welcome.” The new terminal is due to be opened at the end of March, in time for Easter and summer travel.

A guide to snorkelling around Torrevieja By Julie Day A SNORKELLER’S guide to the coastal areas around Torrevieja has been launched this week in a bid to promote a different form of tourism and show off some of Torrevieja’s best features. The guide, which will be published in Spanish, English, French and German, lists six routes for divers to follow, as well as giving useful information about each route, including geographical coordination, depth, duration of the route, biotype and general practical advice. Torrevieja features 14km of varied coastline with a mixture of underwater scenery. With an average temperature of 18°C and generally calm waters most of the year, it is hoped that the city can capture new visitors from an emerging specialised market. The town hall’s departments for Tourism and the Environment have also put together a promotional video in Spanish The and English about the marine ecosystem Mayor and of Torrevieja, as well as including details councillors for Tourism of the Natural History Museum, which and the exhibits examples of local marine life. Environment The video can be currently viewed present the online on Facebook by typing in ‘Agencia snorkeller’s Municipal Turismo de Torrevieja’. guide

British Consular team at the new terminal building

No need to rush back to Britain to make your voice heard! ON THURSDAY, 5th May, many British citizens living abroad will have the opportunity to vote in the first UK-wide referendum in 35 years. But they need to act now, says the Electoral Commission, the independent UK elections watchdog. Electoral Commission Head of Campaigns, Clinton Proud, says: “The referendum gives voters the chance to have their say on how MPs are elected to the House of Commons. In order to vote, you will need to be on the electoral register. We know that many of the 5.5million British citizens living abroad are eligible to vote, but are not registered. “Distance doesn’t mean you can’t make your voice heard. You can apply to vote by post or by proxy, and the forms to do this, and to register to vote, are all available on our website: www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. The deadline to register is Thurs-

day, 14th April - so now is the time to act.” The Electoral Commission is responsible for the conduct of the referendum on 5th May, and has instructed Counting Officers in Britain to send out ballot papers to voters overseas as early as possible after 14th April. THE QUESTION BEING PUT TO VOTERS ON THURSDAY 5th MAY IS: • “At present, the UK uses the ‘first past the post’ system to elect MPs to the House of Commons. Should the ‘alternative vote’ system be used instead?” • Vote (X) in one box only: (Yes or No). For further information please contact: Electoral Commission press office on +44 (0)20 7271 0704 Outside office hours +44 (0)7789 920414. Email: press@electoralcommission.org.uk

11-17 MARCH 2011

Man arrested for trying to strangle his wife by Julie Day LOCAL POLICE in Rojales have arrested a man and charged him with domestic violence after he tried to strangle his wife. The incident took place on 19th February but the woman did not report the attack to the police at this time. A second incident took place two weeks later, where upon seeing a male friend of the wife’s at the marital home the husband attacked both the male friend and his spouse by pushing and shoving them in a bid to make them leave the property. Scared of what her husband might do next, the wife then called the Guardia Civil, who immediately arrested the husband and took him into custody.

Youth arrested for robbery

POLICE HAVE detained a 19-year-old Bulgarian on suspicion of robbery in Benidorm. The youth is thought to have forced entry into four shops and stolen cash, electrical goods, including mobile phones and also bottles of alcohol. Police have searched the suspect’s home and discovered cameras, phones, TVs and computer screens.

Town Hall gives AFA a substantial grant and praises their work 2004 Renault Clio RHD 1.2 16v, 20100miles 2008 Mitsubishi Colt 1.3 5door, 29,000kms 2009 Nissan Tidda 1.5dci 5 door,21000kms 2008 Fiat Punto Grande 1.4 16v 5door 2008 Ford Focus 1.6tdci 5door 2007 Seat Leon 1.6 5door Ford CMax (2007) 1.6 TDCi Diesel Ford CMax Auto (2005) 1.8 TDCi Diesel Citroen C4 (2007) 1.4i 16v LX 90cv Petrol Hyundai Accent (2008) 1.5 CRDi Diesel Opel Tigra Cabriolet (2004) 1.4 16v Twinport Petrol Ford Fiesta (2007) 1.4 TDCi Ambiente Diesel Ford Focus (2005) 1.6 TDCi Diesel Suzuki Ignis (2006) 1.3 DDIS Diesel Audi TT Coupe (1999) 1.8 180 Petrol Peugeot 107 (2007) 1.0 Urban Move Petrol Renault Megane (2005) 1.5 DCi Diesel Opel Corsa (2006) 1.2 Twinport Petrol Fiat Panda (2005) 1.2 Petrol

€3,695 €7,995 €10,995 €8,495 €10995 €9,495 €10,295 €9,495 €7,995 €7,995 €7,495 €7,495 €7,495 €7,195 €6,995 €6,995 €6,995 €6,995 €5,495

60 Cars Available across 2 Sales Sites

2007 Ford C-Max 1.6Tdci, 36200kms ....10,995€

2006 Seat Altea 1.6 Stylance, 38100kms....9,995€

2007 Ford C-Max 1.6Tdci, alloys, cd ......10,295€

2007 Peugeot 307 1.6 Hdi diesel 5dr .....8,995€

2006 Peugeot 207, 5dr , 37100kms .....7,995€

2005 Seat Leon 5dr, alloys, computer.....8,495€

2007 Renault Modus 1.416v 5door .......7,995€

2005 Seat Ibiza 1.9tdi sport 5door ........7,995€

2005 Renault Scenic 1.6 Dynamique .....7,995€

2005 Renault Megane 1.5 dci diesel 5door ......6,995€

2006 Opel Corsa 1.2 twinport 5 door .......6,995€

2005 Fiat Panda 1.2 5 door, 43000kms.....5,495€

By Julie Day AFTER WINNING an important and prestigious award for providing the highest standard of social work care for sufferers of Alzheimer’s, Torrevieja’s AFA association has been awarded a grant by the town hall of Torrevieja so that they can continue their outstanding work. Torrevieja’s Alzheimer’s centre beat 30 other centres in the Valencian region including those of Elche, Alicante and Valencia itself, and scooped the award for best provision of social care to Alzheimer sufferers. In a press conference on Monday, the Mayor of Torrevieja, Pedro Hernández Mateo, accompanied by Lola Canales, councillor for Social Welfare, handed over a cheque for 90,000€ to President of the AFA association, Tomás Ballester and Matilde Sánchez, Treasurer of the charity. The Mayor praised the work of the

Tomás Ballester and the Mayor of Torrevieja sign the agreement for 2011

association and the fact that in the short space of six years the charity has developed an exceptional programme of specialised and personal treatment for those that suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and a unique bond with the residents of Torrevieja, who have also been a source of support and help to the association. Ballester thanked the mayor for the grant, saying it was an honour to receive the money, especially in a time of economic crisis, and said that the money will be used to cover costs of staff, material, developing new and existing programmes and general maintenance of the charity. At present, AFA uses the services of two psychologists, a social worker, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses and other specialised personnel. In 2010 AFA developed an assisted therapy service with animals, as well as a number of similar therapeutic activities.

The coast turns green for St Patrick´s Day AS WELL as the annual and traditional St Patrick’s Day Fiesta in Playa Flamenca, which is organised by the Orihuela Costa Town Hall and will take place on 16th, 17th and 18th March by the Lidl Supermarket, a massive parade and party is planned for the actual day of St Patrick in Cabo Roig. The event will take place along the strip on Thursday 17th March and everyone is welcome. Organisers say that the Cabo Roig strip will turn into a sea of green for the day, with bars and restaurants offering all things Irish. There will be food, drink, traditional Irish music, dance and hospitality as well as face painting and bouncy castles for the kids. The parade promises to be a spectacular and colourful event with several local and Irish dignitaries attending, including popular Sligo Councillor, Gerry Lundy. The parade will be led by an Irish Pipe Band, a cavalcade

of vintage cars, ex Irish Army members will be represented, a pageant of beauty queens, a horse drawn carriage and much, much more. The local bars and restaurants will be well represented, along with coastal residents from neighbouring urbanisations and it is hoped that it will become the largest St Patrick´s Day parade on the Costa Blanca. There will also be competitions, prizes and give-aways. The parade will be marshalled by Paddy Keogh, starting at 16:30 from the Marina Sol Apartment Block in Aguamarina and proceeding along the strip before returning along Calle Mar. There promises to be something for all the family on the Orihuela Coast this St Patrick´s Day so make sure you get down to Orihuela Costa and whatever nationality you are, become Irish for the day!

Pony panto and parade

THE PONY Club pantomime and fancy dress parade postponed from 27th February due to bad weather has been re-scheduled for Sunday, 13th March. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, performed by vertically-challenged miniature horses, will be staged by the Easy Horse Care Pony Club. The panto will be followed by a colourful fancy dress parade with prizes for the best dressed ponies and pony clubbers. Georgie May, who starred in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 & 2, will narrate the panto in support of the Faith Appeal, the campaign launched to fund a leg operation for rescued miniature pony Faith. Entry is free, with a donation of 5€ suggested for the appeal campaign. For more information, email riding@easyhorsecare.net

Recycling rainwater in Alicante A TANK with a volume equivalent to 24 Olympic swimming pools has been installed in Alicante with the aim of storing rainwater. Heavy rain in the city often causes damages and washes away beaches; it will now be channelled into the tank and reused to water parks and gardens. The tank can hold 60,000 cubic metres of water.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Great job Although I am not directly involved with CLARO I have always been interested in their actions and think they do a great job for the residents here in Orihuela Costa. I feel congratulations are in order for their very wise move with the coalition with CLR. At last all their work and efforts will not be wasted and hopefully will now be taken seriously as they have the support of a party behind them. Pedro Mancebo, the young head of the CLR, has already shown his party´s true colours in the way of improvements and getting things done and moving here on the coast. The CLR is also straightlaced and seem to know the true meaning of being honest – something which I find goes hand in hand with CLARO. Well done CLARO a very clever move and I look forward to May when your votes (the coalition´s votes) can not only be counted but counted upon! Regards, Jack Windsor

Appalled at animal care

I LOOK forward to reading your paper online from the UK but I am constantly appalled at the Spanish attitude to animal care. I don’t understand this level of cruelty. I refer to the piece about the behaviour at the Orihuela Animal Protection Centre and the cruel slaughter of a puppy by staff at the centre. These people should be dismissed NOW. Also, two pups thrown from a car in Calpe! I would like someone to explain to me why this culture exists, I really don’t understand what makes the Spanish people behave this way. For a Catholic country it is shameful. Someone please explain! Protection of animals! What’s that all about!? Carol Childs (UK)

mail

talk tous

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

Email: rtnmail@roundtownnews.com

letter of the week

Looking after loved ones MY MOTHER passed away recently after a five month illness. I feel compelled to share with your readers the reality of having an aged member of one’s family as a patient in a Spanish state hospital. Here almost all of the nursing care is the total responsibility of the family, requiring 24hour cover. Despite my sister and I being residents and speaking Spanish, we found this a difficult task, both suffering ill health ourselves. Although initially mother was competent to feed herself, we were expected to be present at every meal to administer her medication! Meals were (quite rightly) traditionally Spanish but not what my aged mother was used too and other food not provided by the hospital

was forbidden, with locker checks to ensure compliance! The only drink we were permitted to provide was water! No personal items were permitted, not even a photo; these were confiscated and we were instructed to take them home. Extra blankets had to be provided by us. Nightgowns were also not allowed. Age Concern splendidly provided a visitor and friends visited as often as they could, but eventually Mum became too ill to be left and we stayed 24 hours a day splitting the shifts. Do not assume you will be able to cope if your partner is admitted to hospital for a long period. You are expected to be present on a 24 hr basis and if you do not speak the language

I cannot imagine how one would cope. Life will remain on hold until the patient either recovers or passes away and the physical and mental strain is enormous. The admission process to a state home for the elderly is lengthy and complicated (we were still waiting for mum to be assessed by social services when she died!) Many of us are now reaching a time when medical care is needed, perhaps even a nursing home, but sadly, those that do operate here are private so if you live on a pension they are beyond one’s means. Returning to the UK when you have lived here for many years is not ideal. So where do we go and where do we turn when the day comes for us to be the patient?

Why have we been singled out? I am writing to inform your readers of the problems we are having with Cartagena Town Hall and I wondered whether anyone has encountered anything similar or could offer us some help. We live in a small terraced house in Playa Paraiso urbanisation, near La Manga. The houses are all similar and lots of people have made changes to their houses, both inside and out. On the front of our house there is an arched roofed overhang which we have filled in with four plastic and aluminium patio doors, and four small windows to form a porch. When we had the porch fitted a few years ago, we were informed planning permission was not necessary as the doors and windows were made entirely of plastic, aluminium and glass, which is classed as temporary and can be easily removed. This has now proved to untrue. We received a letter from Cartagena Town Hall last October fining us 6,000 euros for illegally increasing the living space of our house. We went straight to our solicitor, who instructed her Architectual Engineer to prepare a report, and go to the Town Hall to speak on our behalf

to contest the fine, and apply for any necessary planning permission to make our porch legal. This was done at a cost to us of 450 euros. A letter came from the Town Hall last week. It said that planning permission had been applied for, and if we did not hear from them within three months, then planning permission is granted. We heaved a sigh of relief thinking this was the end of it. Then a few days later, we received another notification informing us that Cartagena Town Hall cannot make the structure legal, and have given us one month to remove it. We just can’t understand why it’s only us that has been singled out. These porches are everywhere here in Playa Paraiso either exactly the same or very similar to ours, some of them even larger. People have filled in balconies and covered in back patios in the same materials as ours, and yet I have heard of no-one else being fined. Has anyone else had a similar experience or can offer any help? Yours sincerely, H Deamer (Mrs)

Got a story? 902 118 999

rtnmail@roundtownnews.com

Successful progress THIS IS the first time I have ever written to a newspaper, although I am an avid reader! However, I felt I must express my surprise and disappointment when I read recently that the CLR party agreed to a coalition with CLARO. Was that really a good move on CLR´s part? I have been following their progress (very successful progress!) carefully since the last election and I feel CLR do not need the ‘assistance’ of CLARO. Granted CLARO and its members are very good people and environmentally minded but you cannot class them as a political party and I would put them in the bracket of a social club with Orihuela Costa’s interests at heart. I assume this coalition will prove very positive for CLARO as they will now be included in a real political party. One positive comment I must add to my disappointment regarding the coalition: it can only help us on the coast to make sure all the votes are used wisely and not wasted as in the previous election and any vote given to the CLR/CLARO or any other opposition party is certainly better than it going to the PP. I know now who I will be voting for in May – even if they have joined with CLARO - and I will continue to watch their progress until then. Edward Moran, Villamartin

Write a complaint: Who to? YOUR ARTICLE on Page 20 of RTN’s edition covering 18th -24th February states that the Los Verdes political party is urging anyone who feels that they have been poorly attended should submit a written complaint: to whom? The two page letter I wrote to Torrevieja Hospital didn’t even produce an acknowledgement, let alone a reply. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks, Ann Kenny

11-17 MARCH 2011

Alicante holds the cards in Spain

Camping not so popular NEW FIGURES show that the popularity of campsites and apartments as holiday accommodation is declining in the Benidorm area. The hoteliers association, Hosbec reported last week that although hotel occupancy rates climbed during February, tourist numbers at campsites and in apartments were only at 81.2 percent and 60.8 percent respectively. The British make up the largest number of visitors in campsites and apartments.

by Jan Gamm THIS WEEKEND sees the Mediterranean Casino’s launch of a World class Texas Holdem tournament in Alicante, tipped the ‘poker capital’ of Spain. The tournament is attracting an impressive 300,000 Texas Holdem poker players, each eagerly handing over a 660€ registration fee for the chance of taking a pot estimated to accumulate to between 30,000€ and 40,000€ in 40 minute game sessions. The tournament room features 16 tables with six screens providing game information to the players. In the hours prior to the start of the tournament the casino offered the opportunity to exceptional players to win entry on a reduced registration fee, in ‘satellite’ rounds to determine the best players. This, the second stage of the VI Poker Championship, ends on Sunday.

Texas holdem

Military naval vehicles on display By Julie Day THE INAUGURATION of the VIII exhibition of radio-controlled and static naval model boats is set to take place at 11am tomorrow, Saturday 12th March at the Aljibes exhibition rooms within the Park of Nations in Torrevieja. The exhibition, to be opened by Mayor of Torrevieja, Pedro Hernández Mateo and his deputy, Eduardo Dolón, will include more models than in previous years, with in excess of 120 examples. This year’s exhibition will also see the inclusion of a new section of military naval vehicles, comprising a collection of 25 models of Marine Infantry and Spanish Armada vehicles from 1960 – 2010. The exhibition will run until 1st May and can be visited from Wednesday – Sunday between the hours of 10am – 2pm and 5pm – 8pm.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Back on the glory trail by Jack Troughton

FORMER WORLD champion boxer Paul Appleby has been training on the Costa Blanca as he aims to get back on the winning trail. The super-featherweight has overcome injury worries and been declared fit for a Saturday night bout in Scotland – when friend and fellow fighter Ricky Burns tops the bill and defends the WBO crown against Ghanaian Joseph Laryea Appleby, who lost the title to Laryea on a point’s decision, has been training at the Sparta Gym in Javea under the watchful eye of owner Steve Williams and was said to be back at peak form. Steve told RTN Paul was the latest professional fighter taking advantage of the Spanish weather and the gym’s facilities. He said both Paul and Ricky were now on the books of promoter Frank Warren and had “joined forces.”

DREAM Both boxers had been due to fight each other in a Scottish super bout, but Laryea ruined the dream fight. “We are trying to again build up a big fight between Paul and Ricky because it would make history, having a title fight between two Scots,” Steve explained. “We hope Paul gets the chance of a belt in the near future.” And he said in a boost for Sparta, Ricky and his sparring partner John Simpson would be flying out for a training camp in the near future. “Training is all in stages, you get fit and the first two or three weeks is all physical strengthening work and you then temper that and have a strict diet to make the weight. “Then you start work on the boxing, you start sparring and running and then its shadow boxing and road work.”

Paul (second right) with sparring partner Michael O’Reilly and the Sparta team

Pardon for killing child’s rapist By Jan Gamm

Maria outside the court

A SPANISH court has agreed to pardon Maria Carmen Garcia, the woman who killed her 13-yearold daughter’s rapist, known as Antonio C.V., by dousing him with gasoline and setting him alight; he died of his injuries in hospital several days later.The incident took place near Garcia’s home in Benjuzar, near Alicante in June 2005. She was sentenced to nine and a half years in prison, later commuted to five years following a

successful appeal. A 5,000 signature petition calling for Garcia’s release was submitted to the authorities in Elche this year, resulting in a review of the case and the subsequent suspension of sentence due to ‘special circumstances’. Garcia’s release has been criticised by the lawyer representing the dead rapist’s family, Antonio Martiniz Camacho: “It seems that is lawful to take the law into one’s own hands and kill people in a premeditated way,” he said.

Jobs for 120 unemployed in Benidorm BENIDORM TOWN hall is giving jobs to 120 unemployed people. Contracts are for three to six months with a salary of €450 per month. Seventy percent of the workers will be trained in building maintenance and 30 percent in customer service for the town’s residents.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Alicante Spring Festival by Julie Day NOW THAT we are well into the month of March and spring is here, it’s time to get ready for the summer and another season of festivals, concerts and the best music events in Spain. And kicking off the 2011 festival year is the Alicante Spring Festival - the biggest electronic music event of the spring in the region. Based on renowned festivals such as Creamfields and Benicassim, the Alicante Spring Festival is still in its infancy, although the organisers are continually implementing new ideas and concepts in order to ensure that this event will eventually become recognised as one of the best open-air festival experiences on the music calendar. With over 5,000 attendees in 2010, organisers of the event expect around 6,000 – 10,000 visitors from across the

country at this year’s event. A more perfect venue for the festival would be hard to find, in the Volvo Ocean Race port area, with views of the marina to one side and the majestic Santa Bárbara castle in front. The open-air site contains three main areas: the main stage for the guest House DJs; a smaller stage, where local groups will perform a mixture of rock, indie, punk and pop; and a tent that will be home to the electronic music DJs for the night. Headlining this year’s Alicante Spring Festival is up and coming world class talent Spanish DJ Cristian Varela. Varela has been voted Best Spanish Techno DJ of the Year eight years in a row and in 2007 was voted Best Techno DJ in the World. He has established two immensely successful record labels, composed music for films and videos,

as well as releasing his own albums, CDs, compilations and remixes. Today, he plays in festivals all over the World and is now an irreplaceable figure in the field of cutting-edge pure electronic-style music. In total there will be 28 DJs and musicians performing on the night and the line up will also include Javi Reina, Dario Nuñez, Ibiza White Experience, The Leadings and local DJs Kuki and David Bordalás. The Alicante Spring Festival is being held at the Volvo Ocean Race Resort in Alicante on Saturday 9th April from 6pm until 5am. Promotional tickets, which include one drink, are priced at 12€: once they have sold out, the ticket price will increase to 18€. For further details on tickets and the festival in general please visit www.alicantespringfestival.com

Dinner and Dancing at Stan & Ollies There will be dinner, dancing and great entertainment with the fabulous Max Bacon on Friday 18th of March at Stan and Ollies Restaurant in El Raso, Guardamar. This not to be missed evening of fine food and dance will begin at 7pm with dancing till late. Anyone who has ever dined at Stan and Ollies will know that the ambience in the restaurant is relaxed and sophisticated dining nicely coupled with a feeling of a family run business. Diners are made to feel comfortable and relaxed in the surroundings and no request is too much trouble. Proprietors Paul

and David, although they may look young, have had many years experience in the Costa Blanca restaurant industry. They have used this gained knowledge to develop Stan and Ollie’s into one of the local area’s best restaurants, so you will be in safe hands. For the dinner dance menu, there will be a varied choice of dishes including Oriental Beef salad, soups & ribs for starters. Rack of Lamb, Sea Bream and Rib Eye Steak are just some of the main courses on offer and if you have room for dessert, there is a large selection of home-made delights for you to indulge in. The price of

20€ per person includes bread, alioli and a ½ bottle of wine. As for the entertainment, Max Bacon is one of the most popular entertainers on the Costa Blanca at the moment. Having had a successful career in the UK as the lead singer of rock group GTR in the 1980’s, he will be entertaining diners on the evening with his blend of popular up to date tunes from The Killers and Take That to the classics of Elvis and Tom Jones. There really will be something for everyone. To reserve your table at Stan and Ollie’s, call Paul or David on 637 583 373 or 637 583 372.

AFA Torrevieja presents ‘D Tour’ THE TORREVIEJA Alzheimer’s Association Lounge Bar presents the brand new group ‘D’Tour at the Lounge Bar, Saturday 19th March. Purchase of a raffle ticket gains free entry and a chance of winning a superb brand new Renault Clio. Doors open at 7pm with the show beginning promptly at 9pm. For further information or to learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association of Torrevieja, visit www.afatorrevieja.es email afatorrevieja@hotmail.com or call 96 670 2500.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Playa del Cura redesign to be completed by Easter Torrevieja Mayor and councillors visiting works on Playa del Cura

By Julie Day THE MAYOR of Torrevieja, Pedro Hernández Mateo has announced that works being carried out along the length of the Playa del Cura will be completed by Easter. In a visit to the beach last week, the mayor, who was accompanied by Deputy Mayor, Eduardo Dolón, councillor for Infrastructure, Javier Montoro, and Javier Verdú, manager of UTE Ecisa-Los Serrano, the company carrying out the project, said that he was impressed with the work that has already been completed and pleased that the project was running to schedule. The redesign and development of this area, which is part of the Valencian Government’s Plan Parcial, a redevelopment scheme that includes other projects such as the building of a new

site for the fair and concert ground, will cost a total of 1,262,270€. Works will be carried out from the top of the beach at the Paseo Juan Aparicio, all the way down to the end of the beach where Native American-style columns are located, and will include the addition of eight new ramps that will run from the pavement down to the edge of the sand in order to provide better and safer access to the beach. Other projects include the laying out of a completely new pavement, which will be in the same style as that of the Paseo Juan Aparicio area; additional lighting; safety railings; benches in areas where it is safer to sit; the maintenance of existing palm trees and the planting of new ones; and the improvement and adaptation of the rainwater removal system.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Lighter and longer days TODAY WAS a bit of a milestone here in the Midlands because not only did the sun shine for all day but we also broke that magic barrier. Yes, the “it’s still light after 6pm” barrier has finally been broken. Okay, it might have only been until ten minutes past six but that was good enough for us. It meant the sun was still out at teatime By and many of us got home from work before dark. Most importantly, Watts it means we’ve finally dragged off the heavy burden of winter and can look forward to some lighter and longer days. In three weeks the clocks go forward, adding even more daylight to the evenings.One of the things that I really miss about living in Spain was that even on those shortest days, deep in December, the daylight would still be out to play right up until six o’clock. It’s not like over here, whereby night-time rushes in at about three fifteen in the afternoon and we all get ready to hibernate. For SAD sufferers and trainee depressives like me that extra hour and a half of light makes all the difference. There are a many people in Britain who want to keep in line with European time thus gaining some extra daylight on those winter afternoons (It would also save having to calculate the time difference when booking your Alicante flights too). One MP has even put forward a Private Members Bill. Rewind to early December and that Bill, as championed by Rebecca Harris MP, has passed its second reading by 92 votes to 10. The big majority came as a surprise to most political commentators, who believed it would’ve been a much closer call. Maybe it was down to Rebecca’s impassioned speech in the House.She told MPs: “The fact that daylight saving has been championed by people all over the country and across the political spectrum suggests that it is not a party political issue.” She highlighted the support for her plan: “Honourable members will note the remarkable range of more than 300 organisations backing the bill as part of the Lighter Later coalition – such unusual bedfellows as the Kennel Club; Greenpeace; the British Beer and Pub Association; the England and Wales Cricket Board; the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents; the AA; the Football Association and Parentline Plus.” Hmmm, well that’s news to me, I didn’t know there was a Welsh Cricket Board - you learn something every day, don’t you? My La Nucia neighbours, Sheenagh and Dave should have told me.Mind you, this daylight saving proposal is not a new

Watts In Britain Paul

idea and several times in the past such moves to change our times have been roundly rejected. Rebecca said: “The difference this time is the growing number of diverse groups and organisations calling for change.” She gave the following examples: “Over three hundred sporting organisations including the FA and the Lawn Tennis Association believe the extra hour of evening daylight will increase participation in sport and improve our health.” And presumably Reb, the Welsh Cricket Board is after a lot of time in the nets? Anyway, it would sure be beneficial to me and my 1950s and 60s generation cohort. Rebecca smiled: “Yes Paul, SAGA and Age UK believe the change will add to the quality of life of older people, who are more confident to go out during daylight hours.” Humph, older people indeed, Rebecca you’ve got a cheek... But, hang on she’s raised her hand – there is more. “Also,” grinned Rebecca, “police chiefs believe that more daylight hours in the evenings will reduce crime and fear of crime.” So then, this extra daylight proposal must be a surely win-win prospect? Well, er, no actually because the Scottish government has been hostile towards the proposals and Scottish MPs expressed scepticism during the debate. For instance, Dr Eilidh Whiteford, the Scottish Nationalist MP for Banff and Buchan, said: “My constituents are worried about the impact of these proposals on their quality of life. They tell me how the measure could compromise their safety.” Maybe we should send the Welsh Cricket Board to go and have a quiet word in her shell-like, eh? However, Rebecca Harris believes that more often than not it is mainly the Scottish MPs that are sceptical. She said: “Polling suggests that ordinary people in Scotland are far more in favour of the change than their representatives. The most recent poll of 3,000 people in Scotland found 53% of the Scottish public in favour and 35% against.” Isn’t there a Scottish Cricket Board? I’m sure they would be in favour of lighter evenings… I don’t know about you folks, but I’d vote for lighter evenings anytime. Come to think about it I’d vote for living in Albir and dodging the winter in Britain altogether. I think I’ll present my own private members bill. Watts in Britain, so you don’t have to be…

Ryanair could reduce flights to Alicante

RYANAIR IS threatening to reduce its flights to and from Alicante’s El Altet airport because the airline is not happy with facilities at the new terminal. There is no passenger boarding bridge to the aircraft and Ryanair will have to purchase a bridge itself, something that boss Michael O’Leary is refusing to do. The budget airline will run 57 routes out of Alicante this summer, but will reduce flights in October if no agreement is reached between Ryanair and the Spanish Airports Authority (AENA).

11-17 MARCH 2011

Root-changing verbs answers Here are the answers to the sentences from last week. Remember that there can often be more than one possible way of translating things, but I have tried to make these sentences reasonably Spanish water-tight! lessons by

Jane Cronin

Type one – e to ie

Cerramos la puerta por la noche. 2. The children close their books after school. Los niños cierran sus libros después del colegio. 3. Do you want more coffee? (Addressed to a group of people) ¿Queréis más café? 4. My friends want to spend Christmas with us. Mis amigos quieren pasar Navidad con nosotros. 5. What time do you come to work in the morning? ¿A qué hora vienes a trabajar por la mañana? 6. I come here very often. Vengo aquí a menudo. 7. What does the lawyer think about that? ¿Qué piensa el abogado sobre eso? 8. We think that it’s fine. Pensamos que está bien. (4 points of each correct answer – 32 total)

Type three – e to i 1. What do they usually order? ¿Qué piden normalmente? 2. The student asks for an explanation. Los estudiantes piden una explicación. 3. I’ll tell you the truth. (present tense can be used here) Te digo la verdad. 4. What do they say? ¿Qué dicen? 5. We repeat the words. Repetimos las palabras. 6. Do they repeat? ¿Repiten? 7. My son continues to study. Mi hijo sigue estudiando. 8. I’ll follow you by car.(present tense can be used here) Te sigo en coche. (4 points of each correct answer – 32 total)

Type two - o to ue 1. I’ll return later (we can use the present tense here) Vuelvo más tarde. 2. We go back there often. Volvemos allí a menudo. 3. I go to bed at 11 o’clock. Me acuesto a las once. 4. What time to the children go to bed? ¿A qué hora se acuestan los niños? 5. Can you open this bottle? (singular) ¿Puedes abrir esta botella? 6. You can come back later. (plural) Podéis volver más tarde.

I am conscious that some of these answers may well raise a whole series of new questions which I’m not in a position to answer, but the one thing I will point out now is the Spanish use of the present tense when making a “spontaneous decision” about the future. The most common example is when someone says to you “te llamo” (literally “I call you”), usually accompanied by a hand gesture like a telephone. In English these kinds of sentences need the future form with “will” – as in “I’ll phone you”. This may have something to do with different concepts of time, but that’s getting a bit deep! See you next week.

A weekly ‘cut out and keep’ feature helping you Translate into Spanish: to learn basic Spanish 1. We close the door at night. for everyday needs

Lesson 148

7. My cat sleeps all day. Mi gato duerme todo el día. 8. We sleep there at weekends. Dormimos allí los fines de semana. (4 points of each correct answer – 32 total)

11-17 MARCH 2011

MARCH 2010 2011 15 11-17 - 21 october

‘This is Spain Exhibition’ – almost there!!

23 25

Hotel Albir Playa

The event will be held at the Albir Playa Hotel, just 10km north of Benidorm, along the N332, just by McDonalds and will take place on 19th and 20th March, between the hours of 10am and 6pm. Due to popular demand, the exhibition will now take place over two levels. Entrance will be through the hotel reception area. The main exhibition hall and seminar room will be downstairs with the secondary hall at ground level. Also in the reception area is the bar/cafeteria where the entertainment will take place. The hotel is offering a buffet lunch for €15 (including a drink) for show goers plus snacks and drinks will be available both at the reception area and at the small bar in the downstairs exhibition hall. There will be loads of stands promoting new ideas and products for the home and garden, practical products for everyday life, as well as the usual stands for finance, insurance, beauty and health care that are a regular feature of the ‘This is Spain Exhibitions’. For example, you can see, try out and buy hand-made Indian hammock chairs, quality German sofas and armchairs and beautifully designed Scandinavian furniture. For the health conscious, you can have your blood pressure checked, have an allergy test or buy magnetic jewellery. There will be gift ideas aplenty such as handbags, accessories and designer jewellery, the perfect gift for Mother’s Day! You can also try and buy wigs from one of the best wig-makers in the area. A magician, not only doing tricks but also selling

magic sets, will be in attendance and even job opportunities…it’s all going to be at the ‘This is Spain Exhibitions’ show in Albir. A special feature of this show will be the seminar room where Jane Cronin will be giving talks on Spanish culture and promoting “Sid’s Adventures in Spain”, her brand new, bilingual reading book. Clodagh and Richard Handscombe will be in attendance, answering all your gardening questions and selling copies of their latest publications and charities will be well represented at the show as always. Included in the 1 euro entry fee will be a free ticket for the Grand Raffle, where visitors have the chance to win some excellent prizes. The main sponsors of the event will be Female Focus, Costa Blanca News, The Post, Anglo INFO, Costa Blanca Free Ads and Round Town News, who will all be promoting the event in English in their respective publications. The exhibition will also be well publicized within the Dutch, German and Scandinavian communities and in 40,000 leaflets that will be distributed within the surrounding area. Other media, such as Spectrum FM radio, will also be sponsoring the event. If you wish to take a stand at the show, act now as only a very few are still available. For more information, and to book your stand, call Christine Roche on 699 549 261 or 965 632 835 or email her at info@exhibitions-spain.com. Also, see the website at www.exhibitions-spain.com for regular updates.

RTN’s Jane Cronin at last years show

“We are mo

re t h an j u

st a v oice on the phone”

0411-17 - 10 February MARCH 20112011

Punjabi Palace celebrates it’s third anniversary HERE WE are again - seems like a few months ago I was inviting you to join Punjabi Palace and help celebrate their second anniversary and here I am, another year on, doing it again for their 3rd anniversary. Punjabi Palace continues to attract both new and regular customers and maintain the high quality of food and service that they did when they first opened both their restaurants. The ambience in the restaurant is ideal, the location is within easy reach from Torrevieja or any of the other nearby towns and villages, the staff are very polite and efficient and most importantly, the food is delicious. And I have to report that I have met many of the customers who have now paid a visit due to my recommendations via RTN and have now become regulars. I was actually in today and met a local businessman who decided to give Punjabi Palace a try after reading one of my articles he said I was 100% correct with my opinions: thanks to Mark from La Marina. This year I have promised to attend the celebrations on Tuesday 15th March so if you are coming along please say hello to ‘The Sheriff’. If you have yet to experience the delights at Punjabi Palace please tell the staff you read about them in RTN and as they are always eager to please, let them know how you like your curry - I do and that is why I return again and again, because they always get it right. Oh I must tell you I have a new favourite: Lamb Tikka Tawa! It is fantastic and also available with chicken Tikka, the flavour is fabulous. I should not write these articles, I feel like a curry fix now…! Keep up the good work guys, best wishes for another year, from the Sheriff and all at RTN (the team at la Nucia get jealous when they hear how good the Punjabi Palace is – don’t think they have anything up there that compares!) (Please note that Punjabi Palace is not associated with any other restaurants with similar names) Best wishes as always: The Sheriff

MARCH 2010 2011 15 11-17 - 21 october

Typically Spanish AS A rule I don’t like to write about something being ‘typically Spanish’ as I feel it portrays a level of arrogance that I, a mere expatriate living in Spain, should know enough about the country to be able to make that distinction, but… laws are there to be broken as they say! I have been writing about life in Spain for four years now and it hard to think of a better way to describe the events of this week as anything other than ‘typically Spanish’: the tragic news of yet another domestic violence fatality in what has to be one of the biggest issues that Spain just doesn’t seem to be able to resolve, the comedy farce that the well intentioned reduced speed limits has become, and the classic case of shooting yourself in the foot that is the threat by the Spanish Airport Authorities (AENA) to strike throughout Easter and the Summer. The latest victim of domestic violence here in Spain was a 52 year old British woman who was stabbed to death in Madrid by her 57 year ex partner, a Spaniard who was

subject to a distancing order after he was reported by the victim for abuse last June. Unfortunately this has been a recurring theme already this year; a domestic violence fatality caused by someone already under a ‘restraining’ order. In this latest case the man was actively under surveillance, having previously broken the distancing order, which makes the death even more tragic, and highlights the need for the police and authorities to do more. Last year, 73 women died at home at the hands of their partners but the last time Spain amended its laws to make it easier for victims to seek legal redress was in December 2004, with orders for abusers to stay away from victims strengthened and aggressive behavior such as issuing death threats deemed criminal. It is hard to think anything other than it is about time that they took another look! Absolutely no surprise at all that confusion exists over the fines to be imposed for drivers exceeding the temporary 110km/

U3A Moraira-Teulada: General Meeting THE VENUE for U3A’s next meeting on Monday, 4th April is Salon de Banquettes, Avenida Mediterraneo, Teulada, with the doors open to Members at 9.45am and the meeting to commence at 10.30am. Members will be able to join groups and find out about both travel and cultural events. Our entertainment for this meeting will be the Costa Barber Singers. For further information please contact U3A President Ann Colclough on 96 574 7343 or visit www.u3amoraira-teulada.org

ph speed limit with the Guardia Civil union themselves saying they don’t really know what is going on. The Tráfico Guardia Civil is reported to only be issuing speeding tickets for drivers who go over 132km/ hr and the Union of Civil Guard Officials, the UOGC, say they have yet to receive any written orders as to the procedure, having so far only been given a verbal instruction. Now let’s assume for a moment that there is a speedy resolution to the situation in Libya, at least enough to start the oil flowing again and bring the prices down. If Zapatero is true to his word this would result in a lifting of the speed restriction, and of course that would mean all the temporary signs would need to be taken down again. You can see where I am going with this can’t you? What odds that the plan to save money actually ends up costing the Spanish government more than it saves/generates from fines! I was left virtually speechless, which all things considering isn’t a great thing for

23 27

a columnist, when I heard that Spain had once again shot itself in the proverbial foot with the threat by the Spanish Airport Authorities (AENA) to strike on 19 days between April and July. Of course it won’t happen, but that is besides the point really: just as tourism was starting to increase, not least because of the unrest in the middle east, it is unbelievable that Spain would now go and create concern in the minds of people thinking of booking flights to Spain. Chris Marshall is a freelance blogger, broadcaster and writer living in Almerimar, Spain with his wife Sands, four cats, two Harley Davidsons and more often than not a bottle of red to hand. His weekly column in RTN is sponsored by Bay Connect (www.bay-connect.com): Fast Broadband, Cheap Calls and FREE Online TV. You can hear him daily on www.bayradio.fm and read him monthly in the Daily Telegraph

Storms hit beaches with force

FIERCE STORMY winds cause huge waves to smash beaches up and down the coast last week. Wind up to 40kph brought treacherous conditions at sea which saw many fishing boats staying in their ports. Local authorities were frustrated to see their efforts to clean beaches ready for Easter ruined when the sea dumped fresh seaweed and debris on the sand.

11-17 MARCH 2011

money

11-17 MARCH 2011

How to obtain a loan - Choosing the bank IN THE current economic situation, we often hear the expression “the banks are no longer lending money” or “the loans tap has been turned off”. These expressions, although they are based on an important truth, are actually too general and entail a fatalism which is incompatible with good economic management of a family’s resources. It is true that the banking market has been restricted, but it is an undeniable fact that banks run their business on lending money. If they don’t lend, they don’t make profits. The truth is that they have only toughened their criteria for granting loans. Therefore, the specific problem of obtaining a loan is not limited only to the withdrawal of the financial market, but to the correct choice of the financial entity we approach with the request. With regard to the first point, the bank or savings bank we choose, it is very probable that a normal client has become accustomed to working exclusively with only one entity. If at the present time, that bank has reached its credit objectives or is short of liquidity, it will systematically refuse to grant any loans to its clients, regardless of their solvency. However, there are banks whose commercial objectives demand they obtain new clients who request loans. Evidently, a person who is not familiar with these circles finds it very difficult to choose the right bank for them. Our company’s objective mainly entails carrying out in-depth testing of the level of

establishment of banks in several geographic locations; knowing which banking entities or even which specific branches are in need of increasing their client portfolio. Evidently, these banks are not going to launch themselves into a compulsive loan granting action. They want to lend; but not just to any client. There is another requirement without which the loan is unfeasible. This requirement refers to preparing a coherent application… but this will be the focus of our next article. For more information call: 635 436 566, Email: euro-finance@hotmail.com www.incanegociadora.com

Apartment Sales increase of 14% in 4th quarter 2010 VARIOUS FINANCIAL incentives have saved part of the real estate industry. Apartment sales authorised before a notary increased by 5.9% last year, reversing the falling trend prevalent for the last three years. In the fourth quarter of last year, sales increased by 14%. In the second quarter of 2008, 157,000 homes were sold. Foreign buyers were responsible for 7,204 registered property sales in the Alicante province.

One of the good guys THERE ARE some people who seem to be impervious to breaking the law. They can go through their whole lives without insurance, no MOT and never pay their TV licence. They don’t get caught and they sleep at night. Then there are those who are one day late on their road tax and are handing themselves in to the fraud squad. The trouble is that the Tax Authority is no respecter of person, or reason or excuse. We regularly receive phone calls from people who genuinely were unaware that they should have been paying income tax, even though they are a nonresident. They are often embarrassed, usually apologetic and sadly, just as likely to find their bank account embargoed as Sly Todd down the road. So, a reminder for those anxious to do the right thing – what exactly is it? As a non-resident you have two taxes to pay on your property in Spain if you don’t rent it out. The first is your council tax that is paid locally and is referred to as the IBI. In Alicante this is taken from your bank account during March/ April, if you live in Murcia Costa, April/ September time. The second is your non-resident income tax. So how can you pay income tax in Spain when you have no income there and live in the UK? The logic goes

that your Spanish house is your second home and so you could rent it out in theory. The fact that you don’t makes no difference. If you’ve suddenly had that sinking feeling in your stomach - don’t despair. You’ll just join the countless others who have only gradually come to grips with this baffling charge. Even if you did know but were hoping it might go away – it’s never too late. After all, you do want to be one of the good guys don’t you? If you would like to know more about non-resident property taxes contact the Ábaco Helpline 96 670 3748 or try something different and listen to our ‘Spain Explained’ podcast on the AbacoConnect Website: www.abacoconnect.com/spain-explained-podcasts

legal

11-17 MARCH 2011

What types of debts can a Debt Collector in Spain deal with? Thankfully, most people do not come into contact with debt collectors, either because they are not owed anything or conversely because they do not owe money to anyone. But people are usually fascinated by by our business, and our collection methods. Suffice to say that I have lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked about my baseball bat and Pit Bull Agencia de Cobros Terrier. Whilst owning neither, our methods remain Directos confidential...! Apart from asking about the dog and the bat, the next most frequent question I get asked is “What type of debts do you deal with?” The answer to that is: “Many and varied”. Here are a few recent examples: On the Personal side: • A gentleman who left UK for Spain, leaving his UK Accountants with a large unpaid bill for their work. We traced him and are now negotiating a repayment plan. • A dispute over a rental deposit not refunded after the property was vacated. • A language school that was not paid their tuition fees. • A person who resigned from a Spanish company but

Fiona Hulme

was not paid their final salary or holiday pay. On the Business to Business side, we are currently working with many firms in and outside Spain, for instance: • A French Debt Collection Agency: we investigate their Spanish debtors and chase repayment on their behalf. • We do the same for a Polish agency, mainly chasing debts in the logistics/courier industry. • For several UK companies who export to Spanish companies, we are chasing up their unpaid invoices • For Spanish wholesalers, we pursue their overdue invoices, mainly in the food and beverage retail industries • For newspapers and websites with paid advertising, we chase up their late payers The other question we get asked is “What excuses do people give for not paying?” Lately we have heard: • I will pay when it stops raining • I am in a country where there are no banks • I bought the goods for my mother in law but she never used them …obviously, none of these are acceptable reasons!

So as you can see, we deal with a wide variety of situations, and you can call us to discuss any debt issue. It is fair to say that we are focusing more now on ´B to B´ (i.e. company to company debts) rather than personal situations; although there are still some personal debt circumstances that we will take on. We also provide a ‘Search Only’ service, whereby we may track down individuals in UK or Spain. Finally, if you run a Company and you are thinking of supplying to a new customer, we can do a background credit check (cost €25 + IVA) to get an idea of their current financial standings. This should help you to decide whether to give them credit, or to demand cash up front. It is always better to avoid a debt situation if possible; sometimes you are better off turning down business, rather than supplying goods or services and not getting paid. Article supplied by Fiona Hulme of ‘Agencia de Cobros Directos’ March 2011: See our website We are happy to discuss any aspect of debt and debt recovery.

Contact us on 966 888 987, or email us at info@cobrosdirectos.com and we will be pleased to discuss any aspect of our service.

Local government left to complete unfinished roads THE LOCAL government in Benitatxell will pave 9,000m2 of roads in Cumbre del Sol that the developer has left unfinished. Funds will come from a grant from the provincial council. Reports in the Spanish press say there is some debate within the local council as to whether the zone in question – Jasmine – even has a legal plan for further development.

Environment councillor leaves CO2 footprint THE PP regional councillor for the environment was caught using a convoy of two official cars for a visit to the hairdresser by the TV show El Intermedio last week. Ana Botella, wife of former PM José María Aznar was questioned by TV reporters when she left the Madrid hairdressers, but she proceeded to walk away. Her cars trailed her down the street. Botella also used four civil servants to accompany her on her trip.

money

Mark Roach

11-17 MARCH 2011

Meet with Wincham Consultants at ‘This is Spain Exhibitions’

WINCHAM WILL be exhibiting at two major shows this month so why not come along and meet Company Director and Spanish Tax Consultant with one of our Spanish Tax Consultants at the international ‘This is Spain Exhibitions’ held at The Albir Playa Hotel, Alicante, Spain on the 19th - 20th March, on stands 17 & 18 or at the ‘A Place in the Sun Live’ Earls Court London on the 11th-13th March where we will be on stand SP3. To reserve an appointment with one of our tax specialists at either venue and to receive a personalised Spanish inheritance tax illustration, please contact us on the details below. Wincham are also pleased to announce that we have been shortlisted for the AIPP Awards 2011 ahead of the presentation ceremony in London at ‘A Place in the Sun Live’ on Friday 11th March where the winner’s names will be revealed. Wincham have been nominated in the category of ‘Most Outstanding Example of Customer Service’. The Association of International Property Professionals [AIPP] annual awards look for excellence in customer service. “These awards are all about awarding overseas property professionals who are transparent, follow best practice and embrace business ethics,” says Nigel

Lewis, Head of Content at Prime Location. Part of the AIPP nomination process involved Wincham being asked to submit clients who were contacted directly by the judging panel and asked about the Wincham experience, how they were dealt with and what had been the impact of their Inheritance Tax solution. Since 1994 Wincham have been offering clients a unique comprehensive tax

Wincham Consultants Limited, Wincham House, Greenfield Farm Trading Estate, Congleton, Cheshire, CW12 4TR, England. (Wincham Consultants also have offices located on the Costa Blanca) UK Tel: +44 (0)1260 299 700 | Spain Tel: +34 965 830 991 | Email: iht.info@wincham.com | Web: www.winchamiht.com

ZIG ZAG Ex Pat INSURANCE Low Premiums Guaranteed Motor-Home-Travel-Pets Marine-Funeral-Health Commercial-Liability

zigzaginsurance.com

965 058 445

planning solution, helping clients to address the serious lack of professional advice available to NonDomiciled property owners in Spain regarding Spanish Inheritance Tax liabilities. Often not appreciating that, by creating a Spanish Will, can expose owners and their beneficiaries to a significant tax burden in Spain. This information has been supplied by Mark Roach, Company Director & Spanish Tax Consultant.

legal

11-17 MARCH 2011

Carlos Baos

of White & Baos Abogados English & Spanish Solicitors

We own a property in Calpe, Alicante (Comunidad Valenciana) and do not use it, we mainly let it out short term to expats / British tourists via the internet for days or weeks. We have read somewhere that to let a property in Spain a special license is required, and that if we do not have it, we could face problems. Could you please confirm if this is the case and what we should do? You should know that the Valencia Community adopted the decreto (a kind of Law) number 92/2009, which regulates the letting/rental of tourist properties (apartments, villas, chalets, bungalows and other), and management companies (empresas gestoras). This rule applies in the Valencia Community, which means the provinces of Alicante, Valencia and Castellon. The objectives of this rule are firstly to try to ensure the quality of the properties’ facilities rented by tourists, to protect

them, and secondly to try to reduce the number of tourist properties let out beyond the control of the authorities. We must differentiate between the normal rent, whether habitual or temporary rental of a house which is regulated on the Urban Lettings Law (Law 29/1994) and the rent of tourist properties, which are regulated in the D 92/2009 mentioned. A tourist property letting is defined by the following facts: the property is rented in exchange for rent; it is done regularly, with immediate availability and for holiday or leisure purposes. So if you let your property mainly to British tourists via the Internet on a regular basis in exchange of a rent, we believe that the D 92/2009 applies to you, and for its wording should be highlighted: Article 3.2: you are not obliged to communicate the tourist use of the house and get registered, if you only let out directly one tourist property, although you could do so voluntarily. Article 8.2: those who let only one property directly must comply in any case with the conditions stated in the D.92/2009, particularly in Annex 1, which indicates the minimum size of the rooms, appliances to be in the kitchen, the need for an evacuation plan of the property, list of emergency phone numbers, etc. Article 10.4 also states that if you rent out only one property and

you choose not to communicate or register it, you must state explicitly in its advertising that the property and its use has not been communicated nor registered with the tourist authority.Thus, in your case, where you own and let only one touristic property in the Valencia community, you must comply with rule 92/2009 but registration is optional and you should mention the non-registration in any advertising. The communication and registration are mandatory when you let more than one property. Special mention must be made in respect of a tourist housing management company (empresas gestoras de viviendas turísticas), i.e. any property or real estate agent or mediator who is engaged to deal with this kind of rental (at least 5 properties), must also be entered in a special register (registro de las empresas gestoras) and comply with these rules. If you rent out properties under these conditions and if you want to fulfill the law or check if you are breaching it or you require our assistance to present the relevant communication or get registered, and you are a property owner, real estate agent, mediator, etc. please do not hesitate to contact us. The information provided on this article is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to legal issues.

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

Local police arrest wanted men

THE POLICIA Local in Orihuela Costa arrested three Polish men on suspicion of theft last week and discovered that two of the individuals were wanted by the courts in Elche and Alicante. The men, from Benejuzar and Torrevieja, were in a supermarket when they were spotted acting suspiciously by an employee. He approached the men as he suspected that they had stolen items from the supermarket and they fled on foot towards Calle Santa Alodia. The men were all arrested as they tried to get into a nearby car, and taken to the Guardia Civil Headquarters in Torre de la Horadada, where they were charged with the offences. The respective courts were informed of their arrests.

business

Karla Darocas

Information Technology & Communications

11-17 MARCH 2011

WebDwarf: Funny name BUT a mighty DIY Website Design Tool IF YOU know how to drag-anddrop on a desktop, then you can build a website with this free and fun website design tool. I started teaching this to students who could not afford the other website design tools, which cost stupid money! Web Dwarf is an easy-to-use yet robust tool that makes creating sophisticated web pages a snap! Just like in desktop publishing, you can quickly grab what you need (photos, graphics, text) – drop it all onto the worktop area, which has a nice layout grid and spell check before saving. There are many pros to using this free software… PROS 1. It is free – we like free – free is good! 2. It is easy to get your photos and text exactly where you want them on the page – you do not need tables and cells. 3. The layout guides on the worktop have a ‘snap-to’ grid – so you can get everything lined up just right! 4. The text editor has a wide range of

option for your titles, subtitles, colours, styles, fonts – go crazy or not. 5. The Code editor is really cool – making inserting those favourite YouTube videos and PayPal buttons a breeze. 6. When you go to the HELP link there is a full-equipped Tutorial that you can load. Under the same link is a sublink called ‘Tip of the Day’ and there are some cool ideas in there too. 7. I like the Vector editor for making rectangles, ellipses, weird shapes – that add to your design – just like in desktop publishing. 8. Making the hyperlinks – in any colour you want – is really easy. You can link to pages, word and pdf files, and images or load up an email address. 9. WebDwarf comes with some readymade templates to get you going – you can easily modify a template then use it as the template for your other pages. This keeps your website looking and feeling good! 10. There is a built-in FTP tool to upload your website pages – that is easy to use

Web Dwarf screen shot

– if you know what your codes are. CONS 1. You have to upgrade to their ‘paidfor’ version in order to get your metatags, title and keyword inserted in order to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) – but that isn’t a really big deal

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

– because there are other free tools to help with this process. NOTE: I want to say thank you to all the people who call me with their questions about DIY computer software learning, however it is much better to email me: info@Darocas.com

business

11-17 MARCH 2011

John Edwards

The Business Doctors, emergency sevice for business in Spain

Business Doctors can create the perfect advertising strategy REMEMBER THIS ad – ‘Heineken refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach?’ Of course you do … unless you’re a recent visitor to earth from another planet. But it might come as a surprise to many readers that this famous slogan was created 37 years ago – yet remains as fresh in the memory today as it was when it was first created by Collett Dickenson Pearce & Partners in 1974. The success brought to Heineken by this simple but effective slogan is well documented in textbook studies on great ad campaigns, but is far from being the only example. Most people will also remember, ‘Happiness is a cigar called Hamlet’ – and that was the brainchild of the same ad agency in 1960. What that tells us, say The Business Doctors – a company established in Spain to help enterprises both large and small, is that the success of any venture depends largely on getting your products and services imbedded in customers’ consciousness – and the only way to do so is through effective advertising and promotion. The fact that most new enterprises are small, and don’t have promotional budgets as large as companies such

as Heineken or Hamlet, does not mean that advertising should be put on the back burner, or tackled in a half-hearted, amateur manner. This, say The Business Doctors, is something far too many new businesses tend to do because they are fearful of incurring high costs, or are simply unaware of how important good advertising can be. The Business Doctors point out good advertising campaigns need not be expensive and can potentially double your sales. On the other hand, ineffective efforts to attract potential clients – such as tacky flyers done on the cheap, can have the opposite result. Ask yourself how many times you have been given a badly designed leaflet or flyer – then screwed it up and tossed it in the trash - you get the picture. There are, say The Business Doctors, far better ways of getting people to sit up and take notice of the services you offer. These include affordable newsletters that feature articles about the types of products or services your company provides. If, for example, you own an organic grocery store, include articles about the health benefits of an organic diet, how to shop

organic on a budget and a page with recipes. Simply include the name, address, phone number, email and website of your business. Ask customers to sign up to be put on the mailing list and send them your monthly newsletter. Other ways of drawing attention to your business include gift certificates, radio prizes, and newspaper, TV, magazine and website advertising.Sites like eBay, too, can be harnessed to effectively promote your company in an extremely cost effective manner. Constructing a good advertising and promotional game-plan requires expertise – but not necessarily the guiding hand of a high-end advertising agency. The Business Doctors, with 40 years of experience in promoting businesses, can provide all the help you need to put together a strategy that will grab the attention of customers, and fast-track your enterprise towards your goals. Give them a call, and, at a time and place convenient to you - they will be glad to visit you for an informal discussion about devising an excellent promotional package for your venture.

The Business Doctors are a registered Business Development Consultancy with over 40 years experience. Email: info@thebusinessdoctors.es Web: www.thebusinessdoctors.es Tel: 965 889 125

11-17 MARCH2011 2011 11 - 17 February

www.spanishhomefinder.com

Brought to you by

Property

What to look for when you buy to let By Guest Writer Michael Rushe of House Proud Property management & Letting This is a good time for buying a Spanish property if you have the funds. However, if you don’t plan to live in the property but would like it to generate some income for you, then don’t buy what YOU think is ideal – buy what holiday renters are looking for. Spain is still the top European destination for British holidaymakers. There are thousands of Spanish properties to choose from so it can be a daunting task knowing where to start your search for the ideal holiday home. The advice from seasoned holiday property owners is to go as upmarket as you can afford and not to skimp on fixtures and fittings. As always, location is of prime importance. Most visitors to Spain want their holiday property to be within easy access of an international airport with a choice of low cost flights – in the northern Costa Blanca we have easy access to Alicante and Valencia airports. The majority of holidaymakers want their holiday rental to be close to the sea and within easy driving or walking distance of shops, restaurants and nightlife.

When deciding what you want to buy, it is advisable to start with a checklist listing the ‘must have’, ‘nice to have’ and ‘to be avoided’ features. Ask yourself the following questions: • Do we want to be in a tourist resort or in a Spanish working town? • Where do we want the property to be? In a town, near a beach, inland • Is it essential to have a beach, shops, restaurants or nightlife nearby? • What size of property do we want? • Is a private pool/garden essential or is a community pool sufficient? • Do we want to let it out during winter as well as summer?

to put it on the holiday rental market? You can use a lettings agency or advertise and manage the bookings yourself. However, you’ll need to ensure you have a good property manager on location to deal with guests, changeover cleaning and maintenance. Even if your Spanish property is only for your and your family’s own use, it is worth engaging the services of a property manager to do regular checks to ensure the property is in good order and to deal with any problems that arise.

Once you are clear about the general location and the type of property you’re looking for, research the property market in the area (there is a lot of information available on the internet) and find yourself a reliable estate agent. A good agent will discuss your needs with you and be able to assist you throughout the buying process. So what happens when you have purchased your property and want

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

11-17 MARCH 2011

Don’t just clean your pool, swim in it ...with clean solar energy! FOR MOST people the swimming season does not extend beyond June, July and August, but would you like to extend your swimming season to seven months of the year instead of just three? We all know about electric pool heaters, but with their high running costs and poor environmental credentials, what about solar pool heating as an alternative? A solar pool heating system seems very high tech, but does it really work? Spain has the perfect climate for solar energy and pool heating is one of the most popular applica-

tions. A Solmate solar energy pool heating system is fully automatic, which means that you do not need to worry about the technical aspects. In addition, it is virtually maintenance free. Solar panels can be ugly...how can I have a system that blends in with my property? A Southerly facing roof of a property is an obvious place for the solar panels and Solmate panels are available in either black or terracotta. However, your house roof is not the only place for the panels. Solar panels are regularly used as the roof of a carport or pergola. In this way, not only is your pool

Solar pool panels incorporated into car port Javea, Spain

being heated but at the same time the panels are providing shade. The panels can also be sited on a frame structure on the ground.

Terracotta solar pool heating, Denia, Spain

Spotlight: Property

How much warmer will my solar heated pool be? The swimming season in a Solmate heated pool starts in late March and runs until late October. In the shoulder months of March, April, May, September and October a solar heated pool will increase the pool water temperature by 5 to 6 degrees. If a pool cover is used in conjunction with a solar pool heating system them the temperature difference can be as much as 8 to 9 degrees. As well as extending your swimming season, a Solmate pool heating system will not break the bank. A Solmate system will cost less than a good quality

heat pump. It is guaranteed for 10 years and has a life expectancy of in excess of 25 years. It really is the only way to heat your pool. There are many different types of solar pool heating systems available on the market and before you make your choice it is important to speak to an installation company’s previous clients to take a good look at their work. Come and meet the Solar in Spain team at This is Spain Exhibition in the Albir Playa Hotel on the Saturday & Sunday, 19th and 20th March or call and reserve your place at our next ‘Introduction to Solar Energy’ seminar on Thursday 24th March at the Sun Palace hotel in Albir. For more information please contact Solar in Spain on 902 636 570 or email us at info@solarinspain.com. www.solarinspain.com.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Properties of the week brought to you by spanishhomeﬁnder.com

Search- view -enquire 3 bed penthouse with stunning mountain views

Beautiful 3 bedroom penthouse with stunning mountain views near Orihuela. Large roof terrace, communal pool, garage, store room. There are 2 bathroom/showers, the master bedroom being en-suite. It is a penthouse apartment with a lovely very large roof garden with stunning views overlooking the mountains.

Fantastic apartment for holiday rental and also available through the winter months either weekly or monthly. A beautifully furnished one bedroom apartment, comfortably sleeping 4 people with fantastic sea views and a very short walk to Poniente beach. Contact us for availability and prices starting from an amazing 200€/week. OPI Alfaz S.L. Calle Ferrería 16, Local 2. 03580 Alfaz del Pi. (Alicante) UK Tel: 020 30062346 Spain Tel: 966 860 084 Fax: 0034 965 889 014

95,000 euros

4 bedroom 2 bathroom villa with pool Quiet village location, 20 mins to Tavernes & Gandia beaches, this villa was built 2003, it has 4 bedrooms, all with ﬁtted wardrobes, two large bathrooms, 1 with shower, the other with shower over jacuzzi bath,open plan kitchen, dinning, lounge with wood burner, double glazed, gas central heating, air & heat conditioning.

275,000 euros

Jalon valley dreams

3 bedroom, 3 bathroom south facing villa with private pool and views in the Jalon Valley. 285,000 euros

Brought to you by spanishhomeﬁnder.com

health

11-17 MARCH 2011

Osteoporosis by

Michael Lord BPharm(hons) MRPharmS UK Pharmacist with 20 years experience

ONE IN three women and one in twelve men over 50 are thought to have osteoporosis, a condition resulting in weak bones and is often only diagnosed after a fracture, usually following a fall. Bone is a living tissue and is constantly being repaired and replaced. However, in later life (from about 45 onwards) the rate of bone formation is exceeded by the rate of removal resulting in fewer dense and weaker bones. In osteoporosis this natural process is more pronounced, leaving bones much weaker than normal and prone to breaking. Women are at greater risk of developing osteoporosis especially after the menopause as the levels of the bone protecting female hormone, oestrogen fall. The risk of developing osteoporosis is increased by: • Being underweight, a BMI of 19 or less • Having a early menopause i.e. before the age of 45 • A strong family history of osteoporosis in a parent or sibling • Smoking • Drinking more than 4 units of alcohol per day • Taking certain medicines such as steroids for 3 months or more (including high dose inhaled steroids used in asthma) • Lack of calcium in the diet or lack of vitamin D • Lack of regular exercise particularly during the teenage years • Certain medical conditions that increase the risk of osteoporosis such as; an overactive thyroid, Cushing’s syndrome, type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, liver of kidney disease or any condition that results in chronic immobility. As mentioned earlier, often the first sign of osteoporosis is a fracture following a fall, most commonly involving the hip or wrist. The vertebra of the spine can also be affected

and may ‘crumble’ leading to trapped nerves. Other signs include loss of height, stooping and back pain. The diagnosis of osteoporosis can be confirmed with a DEXA scan (dual energy X-ray absorptiomotry) which is regarded as the gold standard test, or alternatively the newer DXR scan (digital X-ray radiogrammetry) which is easier to perform, but less sensitive than a DEXA scan. If osteoporosis is suspected it may be treated without confirmation of the condition especially in ‘at risk’ groups. PREVENTING OSTEOPOROSIS Certain measures can be taken to slow down bone loss and restrict the development of osteoporosis, these include: • EXERCISE especially weight bearing exercise such as walking, dancing and aerobics. This stimulates the formation of new bone. Non-weight bearing exercise, such as swimming is not as helpful in osteoporosis. • CALCIUM & VITAMIN D are very important for bone health. The recommended amount of calcium needed per day in people over 50 is 1g (1000mg) and 800iu of vitamin D. It is also advised that an adequate amount of protein is taken in the diet, equivalent to 1g per kg body weight per day. Foods rich in calcium include; milk, cheese, yogurt & sardines. Vitamin D is present mainly in oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel & tuna and is produced in the skin on exposure to sunlight. Supplements are also available very cheaply. • SMOKING & DRINKING: Giving up smoking and restricting alcohol intake to 3 units a day or less will help prevent bone loss. • HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY (HRT) is not used as often as it used to be for the prevention of osteoporosis except in women with an early menopause (before age

45) mainly due to the increased risks of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease in users. MEDICATION FOR OSTEOPOROSIS If drug treatment is advised it is normally taken for life, the main drugs used include: BIPHOSPHONATES (aledronate, editronate, risedronate, zalendronic acid and ibandronic acid): These work by stimulating bone production and are taken daily, weekly or monthly. They should be taken on an empty stomach whilst standing or sitting upright as they can irritate the gullet and cause indigestion. Other side effects include diarrhoea or constipation and a condition called osteonecrosis of the jaw. Any pain, swelling or “heaviness” of the jaw should be reported to your doctor. STRONTIUM RENELATE is used as an alternative to biphosphonates and works mainly by reducing bone loss. The main side effects are nausea and vomiting. RELOXIFENE is often used in women who have had a fracture and works by mimicking the effects of oestrogen and reverses the excessive breakdown of bone. It can, however, increase the risk of developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). PARATHYROID HORMONE drugs, such teriparatide are generally only used if other treatments are not suitable or are ineffective. CALCIUM & VITAMIN D are usually prescribed together with one of the above drugs to ensure an adequate intake. Vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium in the body. A month’s supply of calcium & vitamin D is available for only €1.50 and a specialist supplement called Osteocare ™ is available which contains calcium, vitamin D3, zinc, magnesium, boron, selenium and copper for optimum bone health. For more information go to the National Osteoporosis society website at www.nos.org.uk

Michael Lord BPharm(hons) MRPharmS UK Pharmacist with 20 years experience. Now at Health & Beauty Abroad, Flamenca Beach Commercial Centre, Orihuela Costa. Tel: 965325116 HealthandBeautyAbroad.com

Hair today, gone tomorrow! TWO MEMBERS of the Sierra Golf Society in Balsicas donated a hair raising 450€ plus for MABS as part of a wager between Alan Currell (who usually shaves his receding hair) and Roger Bowen, vice-captain of the Sierra Golf Society. Alan was to grow his hair so that everyone could see what he looked like with a ‘combover’, and Alan agreed, provided Roger shaved all his hair off. Dave Higgins (SGS’s Competitions Secretary) also volunteered to shave his head but only for a good cause. SGS members quickly secured sponsorship from

residents of the Sierra Golf development, together with members of the Sands Bar Golf Society. They bravely raised 250€, followed by race night fundraiser at the Lakeview Bar soon afterwards which added a further 211€. In two months’ time, Alan will have grown his ‘comb-over’ hairstyle - watch this space for the photos! For more information on MABS, to volunteer or if you need help, contact MABS on 693 275 779 or visit: www.mabsmurcia.com

The shaving experience

The Card Place opens third shop

Just over eight years ago Rob & Lisa from The Card Place arrived here in Spain, initially working the local markets offering for sale their fine selection of greetings cards for all occasions. Seeing the demand for quality cards and gifts was indeed high they decided to open their flagship shop in Benimar, it did not take long before they added many other products to their already well stocked shop including your daily and Sunday British Newspapers, all your favourite magazines, internet facilities and your old time favourite pik – n – mix sweeties. Being an avid reader of books I can always find the latest paperbacks in stock, Rob & Lisa keep me up to date with the newly arrived stock. Due to the success of Benimar branch it wasn’t long before the Punta Prima branch was open for business offering all the products and services at Benimar. And here they go again. This Saturday the 12th March sees the opening of their new shop situated in C.C Mercadona in Toretta II, just behind the policia local, but this time with a slight twist. Within the new shop Roxanne a fully qualified beautician will offer nail, face and beauty treatments , with all the professional equipment already installed you can buy a card or a book post your mail talk to your friends or book flights via the internet all under one roof at The Card Place. Opens Saturday 12th March ….. The sheriff will be at the new shop on Saturday after 1pm see you there. Best wishes To Rob & Lisa in your new venture from The Sheriff and all at RTN.

A small selection of what’s on offer

11-17 MARCH 2011

Legs & Co helping out MABS Mar Menor LEGS & CO is to host a village fete and fashion show to raise cash for cancer charity MABS Mar Menor, on Saturday, 26th March from 12noon until 3pm at Rio Nalon (The Strip), Los Alcazares. Entry is free. In addition to the fashion show, there will be a range of exciting things to do and watch, including competitions; Morris Dancing; a bouncy castle and entertainment by Coro Pilar/Adapt singers, the Crazy Ladies dance group, Flamenco Para Todos and a Grand Prize Draw. For more details, call 660 170 355.

Looking Good for golf LOOKING GOOD boutique in La Zenia launched their fantastic new Golf & Leisure range with a fashion show on Saturday 5th March with new ranges including labels such as Alice Collins & ECCO shoes. The boutique is also the only store outside of La Manga to stock the exclusive brand Golfino, including matching separates to take you from the course to the clubhouse with effortless elegance. Louise and her team took the opportunity to show their new season occasion wear, day wear and mother of the bride range in addition to the golf and leisure wear. Some lines included Michel Amber, Joseph Ribkoff and Nougat to name but a few. Nautical themes & colour blocking are popular this season as are the staple outfits of white linen trousers and Capri pants. Looking Good have moved with the times and now stock ranges to suit all budgets, with a range of separates that are value for money, stylish and fantastic quality. And a section of the store is dedicated to the curvier silhouette. In addition to these ranges, the boutique has retained its original occasion wear department which includes a wide range of hats, handbags & jewellery. The ladies at Looking Good have been clothing well-dressed ladies on the Costa Blanca for the last nine years and are always

RTN’s Gillian modelling one of the outfits

available in store to advise clients on what suits the individual; one of the reasons their fashion shows are always a success. Two further fashion shows open to the public are planned over the coming months: the Curvy Lady Plus Sizes Fashion Show on Saturday 9th April at 12noon and the annual and much-awaited Joseph Ribkoff Fashion Show on Saturday 23rd April at 1pm. For further information, visit Looking Good at Centro Commercial Zenia Golf, Avenida Villamartin or call 966 760 479.

11-17 MARCH 2011

Computing with aunty virus

Connection via Hub Box Val via email asks: I HAVE ADSL provided by Telefonica with a box. I have purchased an iPod which needs an antenna. I have obtained a British Telecom Hub Box. Can the iPod be connected via the Hub Box and Telefonica ADSL in anyway?

I am assuming the Telefonica router is a monopuerto model and doesn’t have a WiFi antennae.

Aunty Says: You probably could piggy-back the BT box off the Telefonica box but I would need to see both boxes (or routers to give them their technical name) to be able to confirm this and suggest a way to configure them.

Problems with antivirus Margaret via the RTN asks: I AM having problems with my antivirus. I have been using Avast free antivirus protection which I downloaded a year ago. This has now expired and when a notification came onto my screen, I clicked to download the ‘free antivirus by Avast’.

The message ‘thank you for downloading Avast free antivirus’ appeared and I thought this meant it was working but I still get the message saying that the Avast license has expired. As you can probably tell I am a complete novice at all of this and getting myself in a bit of a tizzy as I have now downloaded it twice and it takes so long on my dial up. Can you help me have a good night’s sleep tonight? Many thanks. Aunty Says: It does sound like you’ve got into a bit of a pickle there Margaret but nothing we can’t sort out. I think

the best place to start is to remove any current installations of Avast from ‘control panel’ ‘add remove programs’. If you are receiving a licensing error message it usually means you have either inadvertently downloaded the full & chargeable version or installed additional features that aren’t available with the free version. Check that the installation file you have downloaded is called ‘setup_av_free.exe’ and choose the ‘custom install’ when asked. Untick everything except the File, Web and Network Shield and see how you get on.

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

Downloaded as thumbnails Ann via email asks: I DON’T know if you can help but I downloaded some forms from a website and for some reason they all downloaded as thumbnails. When I tried to read them from my computer they were so small I could not do so. I have tried to enlarge them but all I get is a page full of little coloured squares (pixels maybe). Could you let me know if there is any way I can enlarge them so they are readable? Or will I have to print them straight from the website? Aunty Says: It sounds like you may have just downloaded the small images that the website designers have used as a pointer to the actual downloadable file/form. If you send me a link to the website I can have a look for you.

Recording from Uk TV with Adsl Dave via email asks: HI AUNTY. I have UK TV with my ADSL/phone line. Is there any way that you can record what you are watching the hard drive? It seems that people only phone or knock on door when you are watching a good program and end up missing a large chunk. Aunty Says: I know exactly what you mean Dave. I have frequently

seen this done (but I have never tried it myself) using a free media player called ‘VLC Media Player’ which you can get from www.download.com. I’m not sure of the exact procedure but basically I think you need to copy the address of the TV stream into VLC and set it to record. There are hundreds of easy to follow tutorials on the web, and one in particular is on www.ehow.com.

Do I have a virus?

Brian via email asks: I AM getting emails from some of my friends with just a shortcut to an online pharmacy. They say they are not sending them so is this a virus and if so how do I delete it? Aunty Says: Hi Brian. It’s probably not a virus (but certainly scan your machine) and there isn’t much you can do about it other than add your friends’ email addresses to your spam list. It is possible that your friends have some malware or virus that is generating these emails, but it’s more likely that their email account has either been hacked into or their email address is being ‘spoofed’ by a spammer. I’m not a big fan of Hotmail as it seems to be targeted by the spammers a lot more than the other free email services.

11-17 MARCH 2011

GADGET INSPECTOR

the case of the Apple iPad2 Tablet PC So what is a tablet PC? Well, it’s not a medicine to be taken when your computer has a virus – it’s a compact, portable PC in the form of a slate with a display. The user enters data directly via tapping the screen or using a stylus, and the device can normally communicate wirelessly with the internet and other devices using WiFi and/or 3G mobile phone networks. Tablet PCs are intended to provide the power and much of the functionality of a netbook PC in a handheld format. The original iPad has sold 15 million units, obviously popular, so what has changed? The iPad 2 is 33% thinner at a wafer thin 8.8mm (which is even more anorexic than the iPhone4). It is also 90g lighter, which doesn’t sound much but makes an appreciable difference in practice. So, in the looks department iPad2 is Miss World to the iPad’s Miss Canvey Island. The iPad2 is now powered by a dual-core processor and runs Apple’s iOS4 operating system, which should make for serious improvements in the performance of the unit and combines with battery time of 10 hours (1 month on standby). The 24.6cm LED-backlit glossy widescreen MultiTouch display stays the same as the original, so the large scale retina display will have to wait for iPad3. The display still has excellent resolution and reorientates according to whether holding the iPad2 vertically or horizontally. There is also the clever IPS

(in-plane switching) function giving a wide 178 degree viewing angle, which allows someone sitting next to you or across the room to get a good look at last year’s family photos from Skegness. With an HDMI output it is also possible to connect to a HD TV for that ‘big screen’ effect. Gamers should not be disappointed – the new iPad apparently has 9x the graphics performance of the original and along with the gyroscope, accelerometer and compass should allow for some serious games of asteroids (or whatever it is these days…) There are also two cameras, front and back to allow video calling. The back camera can also take HD video for those allimportant must-have moments. Getting on the internet should be a breeze with built in WiFi and 3G capabilities available. There is even the Smart Cover; these fit on the front of your iPad but are not a case; they can be used as a stand, but automatically wake your iPad when you take it off. The Inspector’s Verdict: The Apple iPad2 Tablet PC is iNcredible and a guaranteed best-seller but the competition is catching up fast. And of course you could have a netbook, but they are nowhere near as cool or desirable. The Apple iPad2 Tablet PC will be available in Spain from 25th March 2011, in white or black, and expected to cost between €480 and €780 depending on model, with a one year manufacturer’s warranty.

11-17JANUARY MARCH 2011 8-14 2010

Catching up on readers’ questions by

Clodagh & Dick Handscombe Practical gardeners and authors

AS YOU know, readers can send in questions to us via our website mentioning ‘RTN’ in the message. Some questions become articles; some are included in columns such as this; others unlikely to be of interest to others are answered privately. This week we catch up on seven recent questions: Why do all the figs fall off my fig tree grown from a cutting? There are four main possible reasons. Firstly, the root system is not yet able to support a large crop. Secondly, the roots dry out when the fruit starts to swell. Thirdly, you have not pruned the tree and lastly, the young fruit may have been attacked by fruit flies. Start to spray your tree monthly with ‘neem’ from now onwards. Being a natural ecological product used in toothpastes, shampoos etc as well as in organic agriculture, it is recognised as being safer than some chemical sprays. Can fig trees be grown in containers? Yes, certainly. They often fruit very well with

their roots restricted and of course this also helps to control the size of the tree. Container grown fruit is especially convenient for apartment terraces and patio gardens. What is yellow sulphur powder used for? We use natural sulphur powder for: Dusting over grape vines and fruit vegetable plants such as courgettes, tomatoes and peppers to prevent or counteract fungal problems. Dusting over soil where vegetables or acid loving plants are to be planted to raise the Ph or acidity level slightly. Dusting around ants’ nests to kill or deter ants. You could also try this if sowing a new lawn. Is there a book that describes the diseases likely to be met in growing fruiting trees in containers on terraces and rooftops? Firstly, the disease problems that can be experienced when growing fruit trees in containers are no different to those planted around the garden or in dedicated orchards. Secondly, ‘Apartment Gardening Mediterranean Style’ includes a chapter covering what you want. Can onion seedlings still be planted? Yes this is a good time for summer ripening varieties and you can do so through to early May. As soon as you see bunches in the market, garden centre or local agricultural cooperative, buy them. Recognise that the

later you plant them the more chance of them bolting and going to seed. Is it possible to dry one’s own vegetables and fruit? Certainly our electric fan dryer is on several nights a week to dry surpluses and prepare energy snacks for when we are walking in the mountains or working in the garden. A dryer means that you can dry at any time of the year without the risk of attacks by insects which can occur if drying things in the sun. You can obtain information of the dryer we use from info@conasi.biz Killer compost We have recently moved to Spain from the UK where we had a major problem along with other allotment holders with farmyard manure contaminated with weed killer that caused stunted and deformed vegetable plants and produce. Has this occurred here in Spain? Having read about the major problem in the UK back in 2008 and asked the same question, we could find no evidence of a similar problem and is would be unlikely along the Mediterranean Coast as animals are not normally grazed on farmed pastureland so would not have eaten grass treated with aminopyrolid herbicides which was the problem in the UK. Hope those answers help.

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

‘THIS IS SPAIN’ EXHIBITION: GARDENERS CORNER Remember that we have a Gardeners Corner Question and Answer Stall at the ‘THIS IS SPAIN’ exhibition next weekend, 19th /20th March. It takes place at the Albir Playa Hotel from 10.00 until 18.00 each day. We are there to answer any questions about your current or future villa or apartment garden and how to live healthily from your garden or apartment terraces. We will also have some useful plants and garden products available and will be able to autograph books for your own use or for presents to family and friends. See you there… Look forward to meeting and helping you solve your gardening problems related to growing flowers fruit herbs and vegetables, as well as general garden design issues.

A fig tree

11-17 MARCH 2011

Stress free car hire with INDIGO BOOKING YOUR car hire can be problematic, but Indigo Car Hire has given us a check list of some handy tips on how to make your car hire experience stress free. When booking your car hire always ask if the price is fully inclusive. Are there any additional charges that will be added when you collect the car, such as additional insurance or fuel costs. Always ask what the insurance excess amount is - this is the amount you have to pay in the event the car is damaged. This can range from £500 to £1,000, depending on your supplier. Ask if you have the option to reduce the insurance excess, and what the daily cost is to do this. Bear in mind most companies will give you a daily fee but remember they may be quoting you a cost before VAT is added to make the cost sound cheaper. Make sure you fully understand the collection procedure as some car hire companies offer car hire at the airport but are not always based inside the terminal building. You may have to ring a telephone number on arrival or be met in a certain area at the airport. Make sure you know exactly what ID you need to have with you: if you have a UK Drivers Licence you must have the counterpart of your licence as well as the photo card. Always ask how much deposit will be taken when you arrive, as this can range from £150.00 - £750.00. And if you do not have the available funds on your credit card the car hire company will not supply the car to you. When collecting the car, make sure you read the rental agreement/paperwork you are signing and make sure the amount you are signing for is the amount you were quoted. Make sure no additional extras have been

Car hire doesn’t need to be problematic

added without your consent as once you have signed the agreement you have agreed to the charges. Have a good walk around the car and make sure any damage is noted on the paperwork. If not, get the damage details added: don´t take no for an answer. Make sure before taking the car hire that the fuel is at the agreed level and also make sure you understand what fuel should be in the car when you return. When returning the car, make sure you get a staff member to check the car and agree

there is no damage so you can leave knowing that no damage charges will be added. Indigo Car Hire works with over 450 different Car Hire suppliers worldwide and they make sure their customers get the best possible customer service. By following the above points you can rest assured you will have a pleasant experience when you next hire a car with any car rental company. In this ‘Age of Austerity’, Indigo Car Hire can help you make your pennies go further on your trip to the UK with their cracking £109.00 per week car hire special for January,

February and March. The offer is available at the following airports: Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Stansted, Luton, Bristol, Gatwick, Cardiff, Southampton, and Birmingham. It is based on the hire of a Peugeot 107 or similar and the price includes VAT, Insurance, unlimited mileage and breakdown cover. If you would like a no-obligation quote, please ring the head office in Leeds on 00 44 113 308 2016 or email sales@indigocarhire.co.uk with your requirements. Alternatively, visit the website on www.indigocarhire.co.uk

11-17JANUARY MARCH 2011 8-14 2010

Higher guides My works allows me contact with the general public. Whether this is on a stage with my audience, in a Spiritualist Church with a congregation, or in my office with a client one to one, there is something I very often note; even amongst the most Spiritual. Many people are working their Spiritual passage on this Earth and they are attended by Guides who are not supporting them fully. It is difficult to assess at birth what strength of Guide will be needed, since so many will sadly not use their Spiritual abilities, for one reason or another. Whilst others will want to have constant Spiritual guidance when, and if, they can get it. Sadly many people come to me and say that they are, “ blocked” or, “stuck” and I have to tell them that, usually, that they are not. Besides only toilets and sinks block, and traffic and dead flies get stuck. Most people are simply pausing to consolidate what they already know and waiting for further instructions. These instructions need to come from a higher source, and such a personal higher source is the Spiritual Guide. You can ask for a Higher Guide yourself, but here many stumble because they feel that they are not worthy, or they wait and see if a new Guide turns up on the off chance. I am proud to say that I have helped many to form an association with a new Guide. Spirit waits for you to do the asking, and here you have to lose your humble, Earthbound attitude and ask for what you really do deserve. Ask for nothing and nothing is what you will get. If the asking progress involves any begging or you are unsure, then it won’t work! For many reasons I have been running a workshop aiming at helping people to connect with higher Guides for three years. I have helped many to move on, and they cannot now say that they are held back in anyways whatsoever. The assumption that your Guide will see you through a challenging and changing Spiritual life is tossed aside in favour of a new Guide. Yes, adjustments have to be made. You cannot dump the old Guide just like that. He saw

postbag Email your letters to me at: kennycorris@roundtownnews.com Kenny, my Angels have always been there for me whenever I have needed them, but just lately I have noticed Angels around other people that I meet. Is this a sign of something? Betty. H.K. Betty, I think that you are being asked to work further with Spirit, and maybe to help other people work with Angels in their life. There may be no wage or pension plan just yet, but people should enjoy paying you for your skills, and you will be working with something you really love. I feel that this is the first step, but talk to your Angels, especially your own Guardian Angel ( check out my website for Angel assignation) to ask for the way forward. The Angels seem to have plan for you, and you have been selected to work further, and to enlighten others! I hope that you do!

you into the World, and it is his job to see you pass over when the time comes to the Other Side of the Spirit World. He will be at your side right now too, but if you don’t issue him with instructions then nothing will happen. If you ask for nothing too…that’s exactly what you will get, sweet nothing at all! I changed Guides several years ago and went through the same process. I retired my original Guide, and he became the door keeper to the work I have to do. His skills are still sought but he knows that he has taken me just about as far as he can go, and that now it is time for someone to take over and help me work on higher levels. I have never looked back, and it is quite likely that in this very natural process that I will continue to work with my Guide until such time as there is a need to change. New Guides aren’t assigned to us automatically, but there will be continuity if you play your cards right. Taking on more responsibility and learning more is a vital part of the Spiritual process and helps us to help ourselves and others. To make things clearer, by request, I am shortly running a day workshop in Finestrat to examine working with, and the appointing of, Higher Guides. Working alongside other like minded people the day is a long one, taking in all aspects of working on vibrational energy, holding focus and seeing more clearly the improvements that can be made, and then enjoying the accelerated progress that is the result. Where you are, where you think you are, and where you could be are often three distinctly different places, and they should all be at the same point! Learn how to ask successfully, and get results; then you may want to look back, but you might not have to! Higher Guides Workshop: Saturday 19th March from 10.30 to 17.00. Finestrat. Call or email for further info: www.kennycorris@hotmail.com

Love & Light... Kenny Corris

Kenny’s diary Monday March 14th and Wednesday March 16th: Readings at Bistro Maya, Albir. Call: 966 868 213 for bookings and further info. Saturday March 12th: Readings at La Fustera, between Calpe and Moraira. From 10.00 onwards. Contact: Penny Smith for info and bookings, on: 687 926 021 or: 965 749 182. Saturday March 19th: One day workshop in Finestrat especially for those who feel that they are blocked or stuck or who need to work with higher energies. 45EUR. Saturday March 26th: Readings in Gandia at Joana’s, Calle Cuidad de Leval from 11.00. Please contact Lorraine on: 654 092 691 for further information, and bookings.

contact kenny Appointments: 96 587 8424 Mobile: 686 361 594 Web: www.kennycorris.net Forum: www.kennycorris.net/forum Email: kennycorris@hotmail.com Please contact me for inclusion in my healing list!

horoscopes by Kenny Corris A determined Uranus and an informative Mercury take refuge as you take on Pluto this weekend. This is a time to look at things from the roots upwards, especially as Pluto is so good at working alongside the negative aspects of nagging doubt and confronting fear. Rest assured that whatever pops up this week will be adequately dealt with in one way or another, but will it be right for you? More light is shone on a matter that niggles you, and will continue to do so until a compromise is made. You are using the current hard work schedule to make yourself unattainable to talk through a simple matter, and in so doing you are bringing in a host of complications when plain speaking and positive actions are what are needed. Making a mountain out of a molehill is not the way forward however. A double whammy sees your Planetary leader well and truly in deep to master a reprise. Actions this week with Pluto and Jupiter mean that some forensic work has to be done to piece together a mystery that begs to be solved. Later on in the week it is Saturn in highly balanced Libra that brings the truth to your door. You are close to resolve but need all the facts before you take things in hand. A Piscean Moon helps you to see the dreamy romantic inner you, and you would be well to take this chance to examine very carefully the inner you, and to discover just what it is that makes it tick. You may be surprised at something you are asked to do, but in the scheme of things you are in pole position to play this role right down the line and show others what you a re really made of. Instead of taking things out on others look at yourself and the current sublime message that you are sending. You have done nothing wrong, but then neither has anyone else; though they are selected to receive your punishment. Let go and let bygones be bygones because freedom will come, and you don’t have to be there on the defensive, nor mirror the action of others who got you into this mess. Family issues come to the surface, and it must be made clear that you will take your share of a responsibility. For those who cannot communicate this is no bar to what’s wanted right now and that means actions, which on this occasion speak much louder then words ever could. Whilst a long term solution has to be found it is here and now that something somewhere along the line has to go! Saturn, Planet of wisdom and structure enters with a flourish at the end of the week. You have recently issued a warning which has been ignored, and the power you need comes from your strength and inner energies. However you are not going to have to wait for long before someone realises that your way is the right one, and that you were right all along. They say that there is a sting at the end of your tail, but it is not widely known how you hate to put it into action. This week may see you biting your tongue or striking out, and the option is yours. Blame a wayward Pluto and a Mars and Pisces conjunction for whatever you choose, but be sure of one thing, do whatever brings you pleasure and stops others from taking the mickey! Jupiter is shacked up together with Mercury in Aries, so don’t rely on your normal resourceful backing just when you need it. You will have to do things for yourself and not rely on a network of those who gravitate around you. With some careful planning you can nip things in the bud and appeal to the generosity of others because you know how to get the best out of everyone around you. Pluto is there to restore balance though there is no knowing what will be dug up to facilitate this. In hindsight there is a situation that you would have been best to avoid, but which has received your every attention, and now that things have gone pear shaped you are first in line to blame yourself. Instead of whingeing take the chance to wipe the slate clean and just walk away with head high. Venus has almost outstayed her welcome, but you are putting a lot of love and light energy into all that you do, and several have noticed this, bringing warranted attention to your door. Hiding your light under a bushel and being backwards in coming forward do not help you in anyway. Look for pastures new where work is concerned, because things cannot continue as they are. With some significant Planetary actions bringing stress to your door there is some light however at the end of the tunnel. You are about to launch the specific energies you love to hide behind. Not only will your own power make significant changes to the current situation, but it will serve to show you what you can do, and that will stand you in good stead for the near future and whatever it brings you.

If it’s your birthday this week... Embrace change even if it is forced upon you since it is for a reason not immediately apparent. It will be something special to keep close to, and it will allow you to take a confident stand when and if you need to, in this astrological year ahead.

11-17 MARCH 2011 8-14 JANUARY 2010

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

Cryptic Crossword

Sudoku ACROSS 1. Cut the corner? (6) 4. As drunk as a herring! (6) 9. Could they be hardfought sewing contests? (6-7) 10. Organise a place for firing practice, we hear (7) 11. One has a nose for this (5) 12. Light meal container required about the end of the afternoon (5) 14. Transport by sea is a matter of skill (5) 18. This peg is fixed in the window elsewhere (5) 19. Where Arthur arrived with many more (7) 21. This provides solidity for one on the way to the bank (8-5) 22. Famous seaman shows a hold one can’t escape from (6) 23. Twists and relaxes, we hear (6)

DOWN 1. The sort of weight for cock-fighting? (6) 2. It’s enough to drive you round the bend! (8-5) 3. Stop and pass on (5) 5. Exit in the open air (7) 6. They help to fill up a form at the same time (6-7) 7. Make an unauthorised departure in a private capacity! (6) 8. Brown figure without a head (5) 13. Extempore song and a variety of plays taken in by the company (7) 15. Describing the strong favourite “Rum Boy” (4,2) 16. Street contains one bin - hardly enough (5) 17. Aquatic creatures made to rest (6) 20. A man of endless wretchedness (5)

ACROSS

DOWN

1. Founding (6)

1. Rupture (6)

4. Fit (6)

2. Inferiority (13)

9. Discomfiture (13)

3. Cherish (5)

10. Right (7)

5. Esteem (7)

11. Banish (5)

6. Rainfall (13)

12. Impediment (5)

7. Decaying (6)

14. Blemish (5)

8. Offensive (5)

18. Intelligence (5)

13. Touch (7)

19. Take out (7)

15. Ridiculous (6)

21. Prosaic (13)

16. Send (5)

22. Give (6)

17. Be present (6)

23. Made smooth (6)

20. Track (5)

Wordwheel

Quick Crossword

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

Win a meal for 2!

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

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

EUROMILLIONS DRAW FRIDAY 4TH MARCH

ANSWERS & WINNERS

11 25 27 28 41

Last week’s Crossword and Suduko answers found on page 51/54. Crossword winner for issue 594: from Keith Jones South Alicante

No ticket won the 61,901,147 Euros (£53,278,317) jackpot prize

46 11-17 MARCH Feb 2011 26 - March 4 2010 40

music scene

Love great music? You will love this!

UKEBOX LEGENDS Promotions present Buddy Holly, Ricky Valance and Johnny Zeller during March and April. JUKEBOX LEGENDS are to bring all these shows to a venue near you throughout March and April, featuring Buddy Holly & Elvis 2000; Ricky Valance & Jukebox Legends; and Johnny Zeller & Jukebox Legends. Peter Day of Jukebox Legends says: “Following the King & Country show and Double Elvis tour, we are very excited to have three fantastic promotions in March and April. The Buddy’s in Town show is a fantastic tribute to Buddy Holly and we are lucky to be able to get the UK’s Ian Toombs over for the

Infinity SIT BACK and enjoy this talented and bewitching husband and wife vocal duo. Their popularity doesn’t wane due to so many years in showbiz; they have adapted their act to suit all and sundry. Be enthralled with their ‘swing programme’ designed to take you back to the years when songs were possibly more melodic. Or, if you are in party mode, then they will perform more classic popular songs and if you like ‘Ole Blues Eyes’ Brian will treat you to hearing many of his hits, whilst Toni delights everyone with her tribute to the lovely Karen Carpenter: a duo for all occasions. To book them, phone 677 222 352:

three day tour. Buddy and Elvis together on one show supported by Fiona Mclean is something not to be missed if you love that style of music.” It will be the first time in Spain for this great Buddy Holly tribute, with shows on the following dates: Sunday 3rd April Rocajuna, Punta Prima Monday 4th April Los Arcos, Torrevieja Tuesday 5th April The Lounge Bar, Torrevieja All tickets at 7.50€ each and all shows start at 8.30pm. Back by popular demand will be a series of Ricky Valance shows with so far six venues taking the tour over March, April and May and two more under negotiation for the South of the region, so watch this space! And later in the year, plans are taking shape for a UK tour with Ricky. PERFORMANCE DATES: Sunday 27th March The Rendezvous, Campoamor Friday 1st April Casa Ventura, San Luis Tuesday 12th April Olympia, Mil Palmeras Thursday 21st April Los Arcos, Torrevieja Tuesday 26th April The Lounge Bar, Torrevieja Sunday 22nd May Casa Nicolas, Altos del Limonar All tickets are 8€ except for The Rendezvous which is 10€ and includes a FREE buffet: all shows start at 8.30pm.

To see them: Every Sunday, 1.30pm- 4pm: Dos Chicas, Torrevieja Fri. March 11th, La Luna, Las Chimosa

Ricky Valance

JOHNNY ZELLER A legend from the 60s, Johnny Zeller has performed live with some of the greats including Roy Orbison, Del Shannon, Marty Wilde and Tommy Cooper to name a few. This is Johnny’s first Costa Blanca cabaret tour and he will feature a special Rat Pack set and hits from the 60s! The incomparable Johnny Zeller sings the Rat Pack & Jukebox Legends appear on the following dates: Sunday 10th April Casa Nicolas, Altos del Limonar Friday 15th April The Club, Quesada Wednesday 27th April Rocajuna, Punta Prima Friday 29th April Casa Ventura, San Luis All tickets are 7.5€ each and all shows start at 8.30pm. Tickets for all shows are available direct from the venues listed or you can find out more information by calling 695 135 134 or visiting: www.jukeboxlegends.com (‘news page’ and ‘live dates’ page).

Woody WOODY HAS lived on the Coast Blanca for about five years now, having been brought up in the Nottingham area. Prior to his move he performed all over the UK. He has built up an incredible reputation with his ‘more than value for money’ act. This singer guitarist’s repertoire goes from the 50s upwards with great favourites from The Shadows; Cliff Richard; Elvis; T.Rex; Rolling Stones; The Beatles and more. Woody has now introduced his tribute to the

late, great Buddy Holly and you’ll hear all the best Buddy songs. To book, call 677 222 352: to see him: Saturday 29th January: The Sportsman, Quesada Every Thursday, Cavalier Bar, San Luis

Spangles Harmony Chorus SPANGLES HARMONY Chorus is to appear with the UK Gold Medal Quartet, ‘Miss-Demeanour’, on Wednesday, 6th April at the CISSMU/Biblioteca theatre in Los Alcázares. Miss-Demeanour is here for the Spanish Association of Barbershop Singers Convention, held in San Pedro del Pinatar from 8th to 11th April. Other special UK guests include the men’s Gold Medal Quartet, Steel and top choruses Crystal Chords and Grand Central Chorus. There will be two public shows at the Cine Moderno during the convention weekend. Spangles will be taking part in the firstever SABS Chorus Contest and will come up against member choruses from Spain and Portugal, including the men’s chorus, Torrevieja Harmonisers, and we’d like to wish everyone taking part a great weekend.For more information, visit: www.sabs.es or www.spangleschorus.com

Patti Ross PATTI HAS a veritable pedigree within the entertainment industry. Hailing from the North East, she has been singing since she was sixteen years old, and has no plans to retire. She was the resident vocalist with the Andy Ross orchestra appearing on the television programme ‘Come Dancing’ for 10 years, and married him. On arriving in Spain Patti has become a firm favourite with audiences of all ages singing mellow ballads from the golden era of the 40’s right up to today’s popular songs from Duffy, Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson. An evening in Patti’s company is an evening remembered. To book her phone 677 222 325: To see her: Every Wednesday at Pablo’s, Playa Flamenca Every Friday at Alejandro’s Restaurant, La Zenia

MARCH 2011 Feb 2611-17 - March 4 2010

Vibes From The Costas by

Jasbah … where An evening with the soulful gather

47 47

Dramatic Licence

Tony Poole

DRAMATIC LICENCE is to stage two one-act plays as part of a Theatre Supper Evening at D’Antonios Restaurant in Rojales (opposite the BP petrol station) on the evenings of Monday 21st, Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd March. ‘A Dog’s Life’ by Pam Valentine and ‘Bridal Terrorism’ by Bill Rosenfield will be served up with a tapas type buffet supper in the interval. Tickets are 8€ inclusive, available from: Cards & More, La Marina; The Card Shop, Quesada; The Card Place, Benimar; The Card Place, Punta Prima & The Post Box, Dona Pepa or reserve online at www.dramatic-licence.eu or by telephoning 616 089 943. Please note drinks are not included. In the meantime, casting is complete for the major June production of ‘Murdered to Death’ by Peter Gordon and directed by Colin Bird, with rehearsals commencing in April. Full details will be published at a later date.

from www.vibesfromthecostas. blogspot.com

LWAYS ON the lookout for venues that have THE ViBE, and are a welcome alternative to the many pop tributes and karaoke nights up and down the Costas, I recently came across a cracking little find at Flamenca Beach. The Jasbah, run by Del Maddix and Lynne Walmsley, opened late last year, is a bar with an intimate atmosphere for grownups with a music policy that reflects the owners’ fine taste in music. Del is a former Renegade FM and Exite Radio DJ, where he presented ‘Sunday Sunsplash’. Primarily he is a record collector and has a huge vinyl collection consisting of soul, reggae and funk. Originally from Croydon, south London, he started DJ-ing at friends’ parties before moving to Ibiza for a six year stint, finally ending up on the Costa Blanca. Partner Lynne has been back and forth from the UK for 10 years, and has now finally settled on the Orihuela Costa. Together they opened the Jasbah on 12th October 2010. I’d been invited to see soul singer and all round top local entertainer, Dan the Man, perform at the bar. I was also lucky to meet for the first time, the Costas newest soul sista, Celena, who guested with a fine performance of Rose Royce’s ‘Car Wash’. As you would expect, the Jasbah has a Moroccan theme with décor and intimate lighting to suit. “Lynne and I were struggling to find places to go where we could enjoy a good

bottle of wine together with some soulful sounds in a cool, relaxed atmosphere” explained Del, “so we decided to create one; something the Costas has been lacking.” Lynne and Del have got lots of exciting plans for the coming summer season including jazz sessions and soul nights. Saturday 19th March sees the second of their Northern Soul nights with DJ’s Stevie B and Dave Moore. Strictly vinyl, I’m told, as the Jasbah recreates THE ViBE of the infamous dancehall, the Wigan Casino. As I chatted to Del, I’m amazed our paths had not crossed sooner. We went to many of the same All-Dayers in the 70s and 80s, including the National Soul Day at Knebworth in 1981, attended by over 15,000 fans, where Del recollects his embarrassing ‘gold chain story’ (squeeze it out of him if you dare!) “We know that there are lots of retired clubbers and soul music fans from back in the day looking for somewhere to re-live those golden moments, and we’d like to be a focal point and bring those people together.” The Jasbah is located at the Flamenca Beach Commercial Centre, lower level, Playa Flamenca, next to Jamie’s Currry House. It’s a most welcome new venue for serious music lovers who appreciate the best in cool sounds 6 nights a week. For more info, tel. 672 148 810 or email jasbahcostablanca@hotmail. co.uk

More festival and concert information at www.vibesfromthecostas.blogspot.com plus

you can find me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tony.poole. Email news and views to vibes@roundtownnews.com Keep the ViBES ALiVE!

11-17 MARCH 2011

Discover the Costa Blanca

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

Jérica

Almost the first view you get of Jérica as you drive up from Segorbe is the imposing Torre de las Campanas, the Mudéjar bell tower, unique in Valencia and forming an unmistakable silhouette as it overlooks the town. Mudejar emerged as an architectural style in the 12th century on the Iberian peninsula as a result of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian cultures living side by side.

Jerica Mudejar tower

Unlike Gothic or Romanesque, Mudejar did not involve the creation of new shapes or structures but reinterpreting Western styles through Muslim influences. It is accepted

that the style was born in Toledo, as an adaptation of architectural and ornamental motifs, although it became most highly developed in Aragon, especially in Teruel. The style is characterized by an extremely refined and inventive use of brick and glazed tiles in architecture, especially in belfries. Tilework will often be cobalt blue and white, although a lustrous green predominates in Teruel. Also found are airy patios with a fountain or tiled reflecting pool, and repeated motifs like square flowers and the eight-pointed star rather than faces and images. Also eye-catching is the Torre del Homenaja, the strong central tower of Jérica castle and almost all that is left of the original fortifications that stood guard over the river Palancia from the rocky heights of the Peña Tajada, the cleft rock. As you drive into the village you see a large painted mural on a wall, depicting bulls charging through the streets but done so badly that you think it would probably be best if the poor beasts were taken immediately to the slaughterhouse. You see a few of these ‘why did they waste their time painting them’ murals as you walk through the village and you can’t help but think that either the town hall is very amenable or they were done at night. With its round Moorish towers, Gothic arches and narrow cobbled streets, Jérica is

a little gem of a town and, as in many such pueblos that have little room for gardens, most of the countless balconies and walls are covered with colourful plants, especially off the prettily-named Calle de Pequeño Horno, the Street of the Little Oven, just up from the Iglesia del Cristo de la Sangre on calle Historiador Vayo. During winter the plants glisten with greenery but they must be a sight to behold in summer. Also on calle Historiadoro Vayo is the town hall, housed in what was original a hospital, and beside it is the Museo Municipal, where you can see examples of 14th -19th century ceramics, religious artifacts, local archeological finds and gravestones. Ask for the key at the town hall. (Between the church and town hall, number 65 is a delightfully restored módernista house, painted oche and white. Try a get a peep inside if the stout wooden doors are open because behind the beautifully painted façade is a metal workshop, complete with its own shrine – although such is the Stygian gloom that you can’t see to which virgin it is.) In the tourist information office on Calle del Rio you can pick up a town map that describes a walk around the main points of interest, but Jérica is the sort of place where when you get lost the locals will usually walk you to where you want to go. In that polite village sort of way a

Calle de Pequeño Horno

blackboard is hung up on the arches opposite the Fuente de Santa Águeda, an outrageously ornate Baroque font (or fuente-retablo as the tourist promo has it) courtesy of Ceveceria Pablo, to keep locals up to date as to who their next football match is against. It is hung under a plaque dedicated to German Monleón, after who the plaza is named and who’s moustachioed image glares down at passers by – probably because the home team lost again. To the side of the arches, the Portal de Santa Ana draws you into the winding streets of the old town but when you get tired of walking you can spend a pleasant half hour or so sitting outside a café on the small square in front of the grand Fuente de Santa Agueda and watch the world go by.

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

A great

Pair

6 Carrots 2 Pears Handful of Parsley Juice all the ingredients. Rich in Vitamin A, Potassium, Fibre, Essential oils and Vitamin C GOOD FOR: Helping with a bad stomach; relieves dry scaly skin; gives fibre for the digestive system and will provide lots of energy

These recipes are supplied by The Kamala Centre. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at The Kamala Centre on office@thekamalacentre.com or call us on 965 985 869. If you would like a copy of any of these recipes you can download them at our website www.thekamalacentre.com

50 61

11-17 2011 14 - 20MARCH may 2010

Eurasier Dream Kennels by Julie Day FOR PET owners across the World, going on holiday or on a business trip is always a worry, especially if you require somewhere for your pets to stay whilst you are away. Not only is there the cost of boarding to consider but there is also the concern that your pets might not be treated as well as they are when at home. Luckily for pet owners on the Costa Blanca, this will never be a problem again now that Eurasier Dream Kennels are up and running. Formerly known as Pampered Pets and now under new management, Eurasier Dream kennels and cattery occupies a 6000m² site in a quiet area of Los Montesinos. New owners, Gary and Lynne reopened the business as a fully licensed and fully operational boarding kennels at the beginning of December 2010. The site features 41 dog kennels and 22 double cat kennels, plus extensive outdoor areas for dogs to play, dig or simply lounge around in the sun. There is a single area for dogs that prefer to be on their own, as well as a family area, a secure den for ‘escape artists’, a grassy exercise area, a pet kitchen where all food is prepared and bowls are cleaned, and plenty

The grassy exercise area contains plenty of shade

The Eurasier Dream cattery

of shady areas too. Later on in the year, the site will also be equipped with a fully functional pet salon where your animals can go for a wash, cut and blow-dry! As for the cattery, all cat kennels are divided in two and comprised of a day compartment where food, water and cat litter is kept, whilst the other darker side contains a bed for the cat to sleep. Since the kennel’s inauguration, the business gone from strength to strength and Eurasier Dream has had many guest cats and dogs. Michele and Brian Mackenzie left their three pets at Eurasier Dream and on their return commented: “Laika and Cashoo are old pros at kennels but we were worried that Dixie the puppy would pine and not settle. But we’re happy to say that on our return after two weeks, she was happy, healthy and obviously lovingly looked after, as well as Laika and Cashoo. You can certainly tell that the new owners and staff are animal lovers and experienced in the care of their charges, including my chatty parrot Cashoo. We would certainly recommend

Eurasier Dream Kennels and will use them in the near future.” When visiting Eurasier Dream Kennels it is obvious that Gary and Lynne love their job, adore animals and are totally committed to and take pleasure in what they do. The couple’s aim is to be the best boarding kennels in the area with the cheapest rates and most professional service. They say that “the sky is the limit” and that they will work hard to achieve their dream and offer your animals the best time and care possible whilst residing with them. For further information about Eurasier Dream Kennels and Cattery such as their rates and additional services plus details of their new ‘Park and Fly’ scheme, please visit their website at www.eurasierdreamkennel.com, phone Gary or Lynne on 966 721 474 or contact them via email on eurasierdream@hotmail.com. The kennels are located at Calle La Luz, s/n, Los Montesinos and are open Monday – Saturday from 11.00am – 2.00pm and 4.00pm – 6.00pm until 31st March. Summer hours are from 11.00am – 2.00pm and 5.00pm – 7.00pm.

tv Friday 07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Wreck or Ready? 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 The Smokehouse 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 17:00 Tracy Beaker Returns 17:30 Newsround 18:00 Newsround 18:05 Shaun the Sheep 18:15 The Weakest Link 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Comic Relief 21:00 EastEnders 21:35 QI 22:00 New Tricks 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News 23:35 Graham Norton Show

07:00 Childrens TV 11:25 64 Zoo Lane 11:45 Waybuloo 12:05 In the Night Garden 12:35 Meerkat Manor 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 GMT with George Alagiah 14:00 Diagnosis Murder 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Nature’s Top 40 16:00 Flog It! 16:45 Helicopter Heroes 17:30 Cash in the Celebrity Attic 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Royal Upstairs Downstairs 20:00 Britain By Bike 20:30 An Island Parish 21:00 Mastermind 21:30 Gardeners’ World 22:00 Hidden Treasures of Indian Art 23:00 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights 23:30 Newsnight 24:00 The Review Show 24:50 ICC Cricket World Cup Extra

11-17 MARCH 2011

07:05 Sali Mali 07:10 Treacle People 07:20 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:40 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:05 Frasier 09:35 According to Jim 10:05 Supernanny USA 11:00 The Good Wife 11:55 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 River Cottage Bites 13:20 The Desert Rats 15:05 Cookery School 16:10 Countdown 16:55 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:25 4thought.tv 20:30 The Only Gay on the Estate? 21:00 Relocation: Phil Down Under 22:00 Embarrassing Bodies 23:00 Friday Night Dinner 23:35 Rude Tube 24:40 10 O’Clock Live

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

07:00 Childrens TV 09:30 Roary the Racing Car 09:40 Hana’s Helpline 09:50 The WotWots 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:05 Cowboy Builders 13:05 Meals in Moments 13:10 5 News 13:15 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:00 The Long Shot 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:30 Home and Away 20:00 5 News at 7 20:30 Vets in Action 21:00 Ice Road Truckers 22:00 The Mentalist 23:00 Law & Order 24:00 NCIS 24:55 Cops in Crisis

08:00 Lion Man 09:00 Top Design 10:00 The Real A & E 11:00 Lie to Me 12:00 The Filth Files 13:00 Oops TV 14:00 The Real A & E 15:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 19:30 The Simpsons 20:30 The Middle 21:00 The Simpsons 21:30 Modern Family 22:00 Raising Hope 22:30 A League of Their Own

09:00 WATTS 10:00 Live Alpine Skiing 11:00 Speed Skating 11:30 Live Alpine Skiing 12:45 Nordic Combined Skiing 13:15 Live Alpine Skiing 14:00 Live Biathlon 15:30 Live Nordic Combined Skiing 16:00 Live Cycling 17:15 Cycling 18:00 Live Ski Jumping 19:00 Eurogoals Flash 19:15 Biathlon 20:00 Live Timbersports 21:30 Strongest Man 22:30 Biathlon 24:00 Extreme Sports: Freeride Spirit

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Four Weddings 12:00 Maury 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 15:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Bones 22:00 Criminal Minds 23:00 CSI: Miami 24:00 Criminal Minds

Solutions to last weeks crosswords 594 CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS Across: 1 Bisect; 4 Soused; 9 Needle-matches; 10 Arrange; 11 Odour; 12 Snack; 14 Craft; 18 Dowel; 19 Camelot; 21 Stepping-stone; 22 Nelson; 23 Wrests. Down: 1 Bantam; 2 Steering-wheel; 3 Colon; 5 Outdoor; 6 School-fellows; 7 Desert; 8 Umber; 13 Calypso; 15 Odds on; 16 Scant; 17 Otters; 20 Miser. QUICK SOLUTIONS Across: 1 Basing; 4 Proper; 9 Embarrassment; 10 Correct; 11 Exile; 12 Hitch; 14 Stain; 18 Brain; 19 Extract; 21 Unimaginative; 22 Donate; 23 Planed. Down: 1 Breach; 2 Subordination; 3 Nurse; 5 Respect; 6 Precipitation; 7 Rotten; 8 Nasty; 13 Contact; 15 Absurd; 16 Remit; 17 Attend; 20 Trail WORDWHEEL 595: LIABILITY

WE INSTALL THROUGHOUT THE COSTA BLANCA INCLUDING INLAND AND RURAL AREAS

DIGITAL SATELLITE SYSTEMS

UK Authorised Sky Agent

A GENUINE REGISTERED COMPANY, WITH GENUINE REGISTERED PREMISES INSTALLING DAILY IN: RECEPTION OF BBC & ITV ALCOY • CASTALLA TO RECEIVE BBC AND ITV ON THE COSTA BLANCA 24 HOURS A DAY YOU WILL REQUIRE VILLENA • ELDA • PINOSO NOVELDA • CREVILLENTE • ORIHUELA A 2.4, 1.9, 1.45 OR 1.4 METRE DISH DEPENDING ON THE SIGNAL STRENGTH IN YOUR FORTUNA • MURCIA AREA. WHY NOT RING US TO FIND OUT YOUR EXACT REQUIREMENTS OR CALL INTO SEGORBE • SAGUNT • LIRIA OUR FACTORY SHOWROOM FOR A LIVE DEMONSTRATION OF OUR COMPLETE RANGE CHIVA • REQUENA • PICCASENT BENIFAIO • ALCIRA • CULLERA OF SATELLITE SYSTEMS XATIVA

INSTALLING DAILY IN: GANDIA • DENIA • JAVEA BENITACHELL • MORAIRA CALPE • ALTEA • ALBIR ALFAZ • BENIDORM • VILLAJOYOSA CAMPELLO • ALICANTE • ELCHE SANTA POLA • GUARDAMAR TORREVIEJA • CARTAGENA LA MANGA

Sky C ards Available

Sky Television Satellite Systems

Sky freesat C ards Available SKY+ HD SATELLITE SYSTEMS

All the systems below are fully installed using the Professional range of Famaval Dishes & Invacom LNBS DISH / LNB ONLY INSTALLATIONS

SKY / FREESAT HD SATELLITE SYSTEMS

1.45m DISH SYSTEM – 595€ INCLUSIVE

1.45m DISH SYSTEM – 795€ INCLUSIVE

1.45m DISH SYSTEM – 895€ INCLUSIVE

1.9m DISH SYSTEM – 695€ INCLUSIVE

1.9m DISH SYSTEM – 895€ INCLUSIVE

1.9m DISH SYSTEM – 995€ INCLUSIVE

2.4m DISH SYSTEM – 995€ INCLUSIVE

2.4m DISH SYSTEM – 1195€ INCLUSIVE

2.4m DISH SYSTEM – 1295€ INCLUSIVE

Famaval professional portuguese dishes

Have you already had your fingers burnt by having a microwave or rebroadcasting system installed, well don’t get them burnt again by having the wrong satellite dish installed. There are several manufacturers of 2.4m, 1.9m & 1.45m dishes on the market throughout the costa blanca, two manufacturers from portugal, one from spain and one from turkey. Our company use the famaval professional portuguese dish manufacturer who are known throughout the industry as having much higher quality and a supreme higher gain, our 2.4m professional dish in particular has a unique future proof option of increasing the size of the dish to 3.1m by using extender panels, this dish is easily distinguishable by the 24 small holes around its perimeter for these panels to be fitted if need be in the future, we call this our professional 2.4m upgradable dish. We can also supply an economy 2.4m dish but these can only be used in strong signal areas, please note these dishes are not upgradable as they do not have the adaptability of the professional dish. We use the same professional manufacturer of our 1.9m dish which again has supreme higher gain and quality and performs perfect with weaker signals such as bbc, itv etc. We call this our professional 1.9m dish. Our economy 1.9m dishes again can only be installed in strong signal areas, please note that bbc, itv etc. Will go off at approx. 10pm on the economy dish in certain areas. We also offer due to the robust build on all our professional dishes a 5 year guarantee against warping or kinking in high winds. Unfortunately this guarantee is not offered with our economy range of dishes. Check our website for more details.

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

WHY NOT PAY US A VISIT?

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

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

HDDEMONSTRATIO N ONDISPLAY

Factory showroom open Mon-Fri: 8am-4.30pm www.digitalsatsystems.com Ring Steve in Benidorm Ring Colin in Denia Ring Phil in La Marina Ring Dave in Valencia 96 586 6999 96 585 4528 96 680 4748 96 585 2251

DIGITAL SATELLITE SYSTEMS

Ring Paul in Torrevieja 96 585 2251

DIGITAL SATELITE SYSTEMS, C/ CAMPELLO Nº 9, POLIGONO INDUSTRIAL FINESTRAT, (BENIDORM). OUR WAREHOUSE IS JUST OFF THE A7 MOTORWAY, JUCTON 65A, AFTER COMING THROUGH THE TOLL FOLLOW THE ALICANTE 332 DIRECTION THEN TURN OFF AT THE HIPERMERCADO, CENTRO COMERCIAL DIRECTION, THIS WILL THEN TAKE YOU TO A ROUNDABOUT, THEN FOLLOW THE ZARCAR PETROL STATION DIRECTIONS AND YOU WILL FIND US JUST 100 MTS UP THE ROAD.

tv Saturday

52 40

11-17 2011 Feb 26MARCH - March 4 2010

24:35 Hard Target

07:00 Childrens TV 09:00 Little Princess 09:20 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:35 Play! 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Olivia 10:15 Mr Men Show 10:30 The Milkshake! Show 11:00 UEFA Europa League Highlights 12:05 The Gadget Show 13:05 Ice Road Truckers 14:10 TBA 16:00 TBA 18:05 TBA 20:20 5 News Weekend 20:25 NCIS 21:20 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 22:20 CSI: NY 23:20 CSI: Miami 24:20 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Ant & Dec’s Push the Button ITV1 20.50

Cup Highlights

07:00 Mini CITV 08:25 CITV 10:25 FA Cup Highlights 11:25 TBA 12:30 This Morning: Sunday 13:30 Dinner Date 14:30 ITV News 14:35 Live FA Cup Football 17:15 Midsomer Murders 19:15 Granada News 19:25 ITV News 19:40 Harry Hill’s TV Burp 20:10 Dancing on Ice 21:30 Wild at Heart 22:30 Dancing on Ice: The Skate Off 23:00 ITV News 23:15 FA Cup Highlights 24:15 Premiership Rugby Union

07:10 The Hoobs 08:00 FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships 08:25 That Paralympic Show 09:00 Friends 09:30 Friends 10:00 Hollyoaks 12:30 TBA 13:00 Glee 14:00 The Simpsons 14:30 The Simpsons 15:00 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 15:30 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 16:00 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 16:30 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 17:00 Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals 17:30 Deal or No Deal 18:30 Time Team 19:30 Channel 4 News 19:55 4thought.tv 20:00 Come Dine with Me 21:00 Civilization: Is the West History? 22:00 Country House Rescue 23:00 TBA Film Slot 24:50 The Cave

07:00 Childrens TV 09:00 Little Princess 09:20 The Adventures of Bottle Top Bill and His Best Friend Corky 09:35 Family! 09:45 Rupert Bear 10:00 Olivia 10:15 Mr Men Show 10:30 The Milkshake! Show 11:00 TBA 11:10 Starlight: For the Children 11:40 Stansted: The Inside Story 12:40 TBA 14:40 TBA 16:40 5 News 16:45 TBA 18:45 TBA 21:00 Royal Navy Caribbean Patrol 22:00 TBA 24:05 TBA

07:00 Hour of Power 08:00 Oops TV 09:00 Lion Man 09:30 Lion Man 10:00 Football’s Next Star 11:00 WWE: Superstars 12:00 WWE: Experience 13:00 Road Wars 14:00 A Town Called Eureka 15:00 Futurama 15:30 Futurama 16:00 Emergency Animal Rescue 16:30 Emergency Animal Rescue 17:00 UK Border Force 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 The Simpsons 19:00 Live to Dance 20:00 The Middle 20:30 Modern Family 21:00 Raising Hope 21:30 The Simpsons 22:00 Hawaii Five-0 23:00 NCIS: Los Angeles 24:00 House

07:00 Childrens TV 11:45 Waybuloo 12:05 In the Night Garden 12:35 Meerkat Manor 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 GMT with George Alagiah 14:00 Speed Skating 15:30 Restoration Roadshow 16:00 Flog It! Ten of the Best 16:45 Helicopter Heroes 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Royal Upstairs Downstairs 20:00 Coast 21:00 University Challenge 21:30 Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets 22:00 Secret War on Terror 23:00 Never Mind the Buzzcocks 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Granada News 15:00 House Gift 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Coronation Street 21:00 The Lakes 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Law & Order: UK 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 Homes from Hell 24:35 River Monsters

07:25 The Hoobs 07:50 The Hoobs 08:15 Freshly Squeezed 08:45 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:15 Frasier 09:40 According to Jim 10:10 Supernanny USA 11:00 The Good Wife 11:55 Relocation: Phil Down Under 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 The TV Book Club 13:30 Reach for the Sky 16:10 Countdown 16:55 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Dispatches 22:00 One Born Every Minute 23:00 The Event 24:05 The Event

07:00 Childrens TV 09:40 Hana’s Helpline 09:50 The WotWots 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:05 Cowboy Builders 13:00 Meals in Moments 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:20 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:05 Family Recipe 16:20 Earthstorm 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 5 News at 7 20:30 How Do They Do It? 21:00 The Gadget Show 22:00 Chaos 24:15 Best of the Best

07:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 08:00 Lion Man 09:00 Top Design 10:00 The Real A & E 11:00 Lie to Me 12:00 The Filth Files 13:00 Oops TV 14:00 Dream Lives for Sale 15:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 19:30 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Road Wars 22:00 Ross Kemp: Extreme World 23:00 A League of Their Own 24:00 Mental

07:00 Mini CITV

07:00 Breakfast 08:35 Match of the Day 10:00 Andrew Marr Show 11:00 Big Questions 12:00 Country Tracks 13:00 The Politics Show 14:00 EastEnders 15:30 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 18:00 Songs of Praise 18:35 BBC News; Regional News 19:00 Nigel Slater’s Simple Suppers 19:30 The Boat That Guy Built 20:00 Countryfile 21:00 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 TBA 23:00 BBC News; Regional News 23:25 Outcasts 24:25 Reggie Perrin 24:55 Lead Balloon

07:00 Childrens TV

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Britain’s Empty Homes 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 The Smokehouse 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 16:55 Shaun the Sheep 17:00 Horrible Histories 17:30 All Over the Place 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Comic Relief Does Glee Club 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 Bang Goes the Theory 21:00 EastEnders 21:30 Panorama 22:00 Waking the Dead 23:00 BBC News

11:00 TBA 13:30 BBC News; Regional News 13:45 Football Focus 14:30 TBA 15:00 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 17:25 BBC News; Regional News 17:35 Live Six Nations Rugby Union 20:00 Let’s Dance for Comic Relief 21:20 The National Lottery: Secret Fortune 22:10 Casualty 23:00 BBC News 23:20 TBA 24:35 The Football

tv Sunday

League Show

07:00 Don’t Forget the Lyrics 08:00 Lion Man 08:30 Lion Man 09:00 Gladiators 10:00 WWE: Superstars 11:00 Soccer AM 13:00 Road Wars 14:00 A Town Called Eureka 15:00 Oops TV 16:00 TBA 17:00 TBA 18:00 Emergency Animal Rescue 18:30 Emergency Animal Rescue 19:00 The Simpsons 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 Oops TV 21:00 Futurama 22:00 Gladiator 24:55 Road Wars

08:00 TBA 08:25 The Grid 08:55 The Morning Line 09:50 Friends 10:40 TBA 11:30 Friends 12:00 Glee 12:55 Great British Hairdresser 13:55 Big Bang Theory 14:25 Big Bang Theory 14:50 Channel 4 Racing 16:50 Secret Supper Club 17:20 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 17:55 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 18:25 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 18:55 Come Dine with Me Extra Portions 19:25 The Political Slot 19:30 Channel 4 News 19:55 4thought.tv 20:00 River Cottage Every Day 21:00 Seven Ages of Britain 22:00 TBA 24:05 TBA

07:00 Childrens TV 09:00 Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab 09:30 Project Parent 10:00 Dick & Dom’s Funny Business 11:00 Trapped Ever After 11:30 OOglies 11:45 TBA 12:15 My Life: Struggling to Stay Awake 12:45 MOTD Kickabout 13:00 The Sky at Night 13:20 TBA 17:30 Final Score 18:15 Churches: How to Read Them 18:45 Flog It! 19:30 Dad’s Army 20:00 TBA 21:00 TBA 22:00 TBA 23:50 TBA 24:40 TBA

07:00 Breakfast

09:00 Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab 09:30 Gimme a Break 10:00 Dick & Dom Go Wild 10:25 Cop School 11:00 Something for the Weekend 12:30 Film 2011 with Claudia Winkleman 13:00 TBA 15:30 EastEnders 16:00 TBA 17:45 TBA Film Slot 20:00 TBA 21:00 Top Gear 22:00 Wonders of the Universe 23:00 TBA 24:00 ICC Cricket World

08:25 CITV 10:25 Coronation Street 12:45 This Morning: Saturday 13:45 Monk 14:40 ITV News 14:45 You’ve Been Framed! 15:10 Small Soldiers 17:20 Granada News 17:30 ITV News 17:45 Live FA Cup Football 20:20 Harry Hill’s TV Burp 20:50 Ant & Dec’s Push the Button 22:05 Take Me Out 23:20 ITV News 23:35 FA Cup Highlights

tv Monday

08:30 Extreme Sports: Freeride Spirit 09:00 Biathlon 10:00 Live Alpine Skiing 11:00 Nordic Combined Skiing 11:45 Live CrossCountry Skiing 12:15 Live Biathlon 13:15 Live CrossCountry Skiing 14:15 Live Biathlon 15:15 Live Nordic Combined Skiing 16:00 Live Ski Jumping 17:45 Speed Skating 19:00 Cycling 20:00 Cycling 21:00 Fight Club 23:00 Ski Jumping 24:15 Biathlon

08:30 Biathlon 09:15 Biathlon 10:00 Ski Jumping 10:45 Live Biathlon 12:30 Live CrossCountry Skiing 14:00 Live Cycling 15:00 Live Ski Jumping 16:45 Speed Skating 17:45 Live Handball 19:15 Live WTA Tennis 20:45 Biathlon 21:30 Ski Jumping 22:30 Live WTA Tennis 24:15 Biathlon

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 10:00 Four Weddings 12:00 Four Weddings 13:00 Passport Patrol 14:00 Passport Patrol 15:00 Nothing to Declare 16:00 Passport Patrol 17:00 RSPCA Animal Rescue 17:30 RSPCA Animal Rescue 18:00 America’s Next Top Model 19:00 My Husband Is Gay 20:00 Four Weddings US 21:00 Cougar Town 21:30 Hot in Cleveland 22:00 Bedlam 23:00 Ghost

Cougar Town Sky Living 21.00

08:30 Cross-Country Skiing 09:30 Biathlon 10:30 Ski Jumping 12:00 WTA Tennis 14:15 Cycling 15:00 Live Cycling 16:30 Ski Jumping 18:00 Eurogoals 18:30 Champions Club 19:45 Biathlon 20:15 Cycling 20:45 WTA Tennis 22:30 Live WTA Tennis 24:15 Ski Jumping

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

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 10:00 Four Weddings 11:00 Four Weddings 12:00 America’s Next Top Model 13:00 Biggest Loser 15:00 Nothing to Declare 16:00 Nothing to Declare 17:00 Passport Patrol 18:00 Passport Patrol 19:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 20:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 21:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 22:00 Criminal Minds 23:00 Criminal Minds 24:00 Criminal Minds

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Four Weddings 12:00 Maury 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 14:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 18:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Nikita 22:00 America’s Next Top Model 23:00 Bedlam 24:00 Criminal Minds

tv Tuesday

MARCH 2011 Feb 2611-17 - March 4 2010

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Britain’s Empty Homes 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 The Smokehouse 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 16:55 Shaun the Sheep 17:00 Horrible Histories 17:30 All Over the Place 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Comic Relief Does Glee Club 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 Holby City 22:00 Silk 23:00 BBC News

07:00 Childrens TV 11:45 Waybuloo 12:05 In the Night Garden 12:35 Meerkat Manor 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 GMT with George Alagiah 14:00 Diagnosis Murder 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Restoration Roadshow 16:00 Flog It! Ten of the Best 16:45 Helicopter Heroes 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Royal Upstairs Downstairs 20:00 Wonders of the Universe 21:00 The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best 22:00 Bible’s Buried Secrets 23:00 Have I Got News for You 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Granada News 15:00 House Gift 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Grimefighters 21:00 Lion Country 22:00 Caroline Quentin: A Passage Through India 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 Before Sunset

07:10 Treacle People 07:20 The Hoobs 08:10 Freshly Squeezed 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Frasier 09:30 The Morning Line 10:30 According to Jim 11:00 The Good Wife 11:55 A Place in the Sun: Home or Away 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Seaside Secrets 13:20 River Cottage Bites 13:25 Cheltenham Festival 17:15 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Gok’s Clothes Roadshow 22:00 Heston’s Mission Impossible 23:00 Lily Allen: From Riches to Rags 24:05 The Big C

07:00 Childrens TV 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:05 Cowboy Builders 13:00 Meals in Moments 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:20 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:05 Family Recipe 16:15 The Alphabet Murders 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 5 News at 7 20:30 Extraordinary Dogs 21:00 Stansted: The Inside Story 22:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 23:00 CSI: Miami 23:55 CSI: NY 24:55 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

07:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 08:00 Lion Man 08:30 Lion Man 09:00 Top Design 10:00 Dream Lives for Sale 11:00 Lie to Me 12:00 The Filth Files 12:30 The Filth Files 13:00 Oops TV 13:30 Oops TV 14:00 Dream Lives for Sale 15:00 Stargate SG-1 16:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 19:30 The Simpsons 20:00 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Live to Dance 22:00 Gladiator 24:55 Mental

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Britain’s Empty Homes 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 The Smokehouse 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 16:55 Shaun the Sheep 17:00 Horrible Histories 17:30 All Over the Place 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Comic Relief Does Glee Club 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 The Boat That Guy Built 21:00 Waterloo Road 22:00 MasterChef 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News

07:00 Childrens TV 11:25 64 Zoo Lane 11:40 Waybuloo 12:00 In the Night Garden 12:30 Daily Politics 14:00 See Hear 14:30 Hairy Bikers Short 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Restoration Roadshow 16:00 Flog It! Ten of the Best 16:45 Helicopter Heroes 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Royal Upstairs Downstairs 20:00 Escape to the Country 21:00 Great British Food Revival 22:00 Leaving Amish Paradise 23:00 Mock the Week Again 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Granada News 15:00 House Gift 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 UEFA Champions League Live 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 UEFA Champions League 24:35 Cops with Cameras

07:10 Sali Mali 07:15 The Hoobs 07:40 The Hoobs 08:05 Freshly Squeezed 08:35 Everybody Loves Raymond 09:00 Frasier 09:30 The Morning Line 10:30 According to Jim 11:00 The Good Wife 11:55 Country House Rescue 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 Seaside Secrets 13:20 River Cottage Bites 13:25 Cheltenham Festival 17:15 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 A Time Team Special 22:00 Jamie’s Dream School 23:00 Model Agency 24:05 Lily Allen: From Riches to Rags

07:00 Childrens TV 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:05 Cowboy Builders 13:00 Meals in Moments 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:20 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:05 Family Recipe 16:15 Crimes of Passion 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 5 News at 7 20:30 Starlight: For the Children 21:00 Emergency Bikers 22:00 NCIS 23:00 Law & Order: Criminal Intent 24:00 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 24:55 Law & Order

07:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 08:00 Lion Man 09:00 Top Design 10:00 Dream Lives for Sale 11:00 Lie to Me 12:00 The Filth Files 13:00 Oops TV 14:00 Dream Lives for Sale 15:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 19:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Louie Spence’s Showbusiness 22:00 An Idiot Abroad 23:00 Ross Kemp: Extreme World 24:00 UK Border Force

07:00 Breakfast 10:15 Heir Hunters 11:00 Homes Under the Hammer 12:00 Britain’s Empty Homes 12:30 Cash in the Attic 13:15 Bargain Hunt 14:00 BBC News 14:30 Regional News 14:45 Doctors 15:15 Escape to the Country 16:00 BBC News; Regional News 16:05 The Smokehouse 16:35 Deadly 60 Bite Size 16:40 Deadly Art 16:55 Shaun the Sheep 17:00 Horrible Histories 17:30 All Over the Place 18:00 Newsround 18:15 Comic Relief Does Glee Club 19:00 BBC News 19:30 Regional News 20:00 The One Show 20:30 EastEnders 21:00 DIY SOS 22:00 Big Red Nose Desert Trek 23:00 BBC News 23:25 Regional News

07:00 Childrens TV 11:45 Waybuloo 12:05 In the Night Garden 12:35 Meerkat Manor 13:00 Daily Politics 13:30 GMT with George Alagiah 14:00 Diagnosis Murder 14:45 To Buy or Not to Buy 15:30 Restoration Roadshow 16:00 Flog It! Ten of the Best 16:45 Helicopter Heroes 17:30 Pointless 18:15 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 19:00 Eggheads 19:30 Royal Upstairs Downstairs 20:00 Decade of Discovery 21:00 A Farmer’s Life for Me 22:00 British at Work 23:00 ICC Cricket World Cup Highlights 23:30 Newsnight 24:20 Zimbabwe’s Forgotten Children

07:00 Daybreak 09:30 Lorraine 10:25 Jeremy Kyle Show 11:30 This Morning 13:30 Loose Women 14:30 ITV News 14:55 Granada News 15:00 House Gift 16:00 The Alan Titchmarsh Show 16:59 Granada Weather 17:00 Midsomer Murders 18:00 The Chase 19:00 Granada Reports 19:30 ITV News 20:00 Emmerdale 20:30 Tonight 21:00 Emmerdale 21:30 Coronation Street 22:00 Monroe 23:00 ITV News at Ten 23:30 Granada News 23:35 Benidorm 24:35 Party People

07:10 The Hoobs 07:35 The Hoobs 08:00 Freshly Squeezed 08:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 08:55 Frasier 09:30 The Morning Line 10:30 According to Jim 11:00 The Good Wife 11:55 Restoration Man 13:00 Channel 4 News 13:05 In Your Dreams 13:20 River Cottage Bites 13:25 Cheltenham Festival 17:15 Deal or No Deal 18:00 Come Dine with Me 18:30 Coach Trip 19:00 The Simpsons 19:30 Hollyoaks 20:00 Channel 4 News 20:55 4thought.tv 21:00 Relocation, Relocation 22:00 Love Thy Neighbour 23:00 10 O’Clock Live 24:05 Friday Night Dinner 24:35 Ricky Gervais Show

07:00 Childrens TV 09:40 Hana’s Helpline 09:50 The WotWots 10:00 Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom 10:15 The Wright Stuff 12:05 How Not to Decorate 13:00 Meals in Moments 13:10 5 News Lunchtime 13:20 House 14:15 Home and Away 14:45 Neighbours 15:15 The Vanessa Show 16:05 Family Recipe 16:15 Living with the Enemy 18:00 5 News at 5 18:30 Neighbours 19:00 Home and Away 19:25 OK! TV 20:00 5 News at 7 20:30 Live UEFA Europa League Football 23:10 The Order

tv Wednesday

tv Thursday

08:30 Biathlon 09:30 Ski Jumping 10:15 Eurogoals 10:45 Champions Club 12:00 WTA Tennis 15:00 Live Cycling 16:30 Champions Club 17:45 WTA Tennis 19:00 Live WTA Tennis 23:00 Extreme Sports: Freeride Spirit 23:30 World Touring Car Championship 23:45 Cycling 24:30 Biathlon

53 53

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Four Weddings 12:00 Maury 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 14:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 18:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Cougar Town 21:30 Hot in Cleveland 22:00 Teens Who Tie the Knot 23:00 Bridalplasty 24:00 Criminal Minds

lily Allen: From Riches to Rags Channel 4 23.00

08:30 Olympic Magazine 09:00 World Touring Car Championship 09:30 Live Alpine Skiing 10:30 Biathlon 11:30 Live Alpine Skiing 12:30 WTA Tennis 15:45 Live CrossCountry Skiing 17:15 Alpine Skiing 17:45 Alpine Skiing 18:30 Eurogoals Flash 18:40 Live UEFA Women’s Champions League 21:00 Live WTA Tennis 22:35 Wednesday Selection 22:40 Riders Club 22:45 PGA Tour Golf 23:45 Golf Club 23:50 Yacht Club 24:00 Cross-Country Skiing

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Celebrity Four Weddings 12:00 Maury 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 14:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 18:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Four Weddings US 22:00 Bones 23:00 Grey’s Anatomy 24:00 Criminal Minds

Emergency Bikers Channel 5 21.00

07:00 Brainiac: Science Abuse 08:00 Lion Man 09:00 Top Design 10:00 Dream Lives for Sale 11:00 Lie to Me 12:00 The Filth Files 13:00 Oops TV 14:00 Dream Lives for Sale 15:00 Stargate SG-1 17:00 Oops TV 17:30 Futurama 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Futurama 19:00 Oops TV 19:30 The Simpsons 20:30 The Simpsons 21:00 Hawaii Five-0 22:00 Thorne 23:00 House 24:00 NCIS: Los Angeles

08:30 WTA Tennis 09:30 Live Alpine Skiing 10:30 Biathlon 11:00 Live Biathlon 12:15 Live Alpine Skiing 13:30 Biathlon 14:00 Live Biathlon 15:30 Ski Jumping 16:30 Live Snooker 18:00 Eurogoals Flash 18:15 Biathlon 19:00 Live WTA Tennis 20:45 Live Snooker 23:30 Biathlon 24:30 Biathlon

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

07:00 Nothing to Declare 08:00 Jerry Springer Show 09:00 Maury 10:00 America’s Next Top Model 11:00 Four Weddings 12:00 Maury 13:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 14:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 15:00 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation 16:00 Criminal Minds 17:00 Charmed 18:00 Charmed 19:00 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:00 Criminal Minds 22:00 Addams Family 24:00 Bedlam

11-17 2011 Feb 26MARCH - March 4 2010

54 44

Motty 1 - The Rest 0

The TV Round Up by

Alex Trelinski

Broadcaster and freelance journalist

OU CAN’T beat a Saturday late night on BBC1 for a brilliant parade of English Premier League and Championship football highlights. ‘Match of the Day’ and ‘The Football League Show’ are professionally put together in a way that makes BBC Sport so good. But there’s still a major problem. Despite his mistaken premature retirement from

covering live matches, the experienced John Motson is just miles ahead in quality and bringing home the atmosphere when he is behind the commentator’s mic, compared to the myriad of fledgling successors, who just don’t have his standards and ability. And I say that as somebody who preferred the much-missed Barry Davies to ‘Motty’ on the big occasions.

After berating ITV1 a few weeks ago for their complete lack of imagination in their late evening scheduling, BBC 2 is playing the same game with what they’re doing each weekday evening before ‘Newsnight‘. What is the sense of repeating the last series of ‘Mock The Week’ on the same night and time, just six months down the line? Also in the identical slot in the week we have re-runs of recent editions of ‘Have I Got News for You’ and ‘Never mind the Buzzcocks’. Is the Beeb running out of money as we reach the end of the UK financial year? At least there is some great news that the wonderfully observed comedy ‘Episodes’ is coming back for a second series next year to occupy one of those 10pm slots. James Nesbitt rarely picks a duff TV drama to get involved with, barring last summer’s dire submarine snorer, ‘The Deep’. Last night’s debut of ‘Monroe’ on ITV1 hit the jackpot straight away with Nesbitt playing a maverick surgeon who does things his own way. Shades of ‘House’ here but the writer Peter Bowker has done his own thing here in the best new drama series on ITV this year. The big downside is when will Nesbitt be able to find time in the next couple of years to do a second series as he’s playing a major role in shooting Peter Jackson’s two Hobbit films in New Zealand?

It was a sad farewell to ‘South Riding’ on BBC 1 on Sunday night. Beautifully written and filmed, it captured the flavour of the different aspects of a Yorkshire coastal town in the thirties. But why just three episodes for a serialisation of a book that could have gone much further? It took Yorkshire TV thirteen instalments to do an excellent job of it in their award-winning production starring Dorothy Tutin way back in 1974.

I love watching people on the box who are naturally gifted in putting over their knowledge of a subject, and drag you right into it. The great David Attenborough wrote the template for that one, and now in the world of science, we have Professor Brian Cox doing the business for his new series, ‘Wonders of the Universe’ which started on BBC 2 on

Billy Brown, I’ll Tell Your Mother AUTHOR BILL Brown spent his childhood in Brixton, playing with his school pals among the wartime bombsites and Book scavenging for abandoned odds Review by and ends to sell to Ma Kingdom in her second hand shop. Among his finds young Billy included a Greek sculpture, three Messein porcelain copy@dannyjpcollins.com monkeys, a loaded Luger and a 250lb unexploded bomb. From his perch among the bombsites, he saw the arrival of the first West Indian immigrants imported to staff London’s buses and on Saturdays he worked among the barrows of the burgeoning Brixton market. Bill Brown grew up to join London’s Fire Service and retired in 1984. In retirement he entered and became a finalist in the ‘People’s Author’ national writing competition and his earthy recollections of life in the Guinness Trust Buildings of Loughborough Junction, the community beanos to the seaside, the rigours of whack-happy headmasters, and the fragile romances of pre-pubescence are faithfully recorded in a voice of childhood familiar to all of us who grew up in those years of meat queues and turmoil. Billy Brown was a pint-sized entrepreneur who, through his contacts in the market, could supply anything in Brixton from firewood at sixpence a bundle to cigarettes and champagne – all at nine years old. People did

Danny Collins

Suduko Answer indeed tell his beloved mother, but Billy always wriggled free with his beguiling cheeky grin and an enforced transfer of his profits from a grubby battered tin to his National Savings book. Billy Brown is an example to us all of youthful endeavour and Bill Brown is a master storyteller. The book, unsurprisingly, is among the UK bestseller list and is a piece of national history that will remind all of us of a certain age of those threatening yet idyllic years of post war childhood. Author: Bill Brown Publisher: Orion (paperback) Price: €9.45 ISBN: 978 1 4091 2094 0

Sunday. I hated science at school, but this guy just brings it all home to you in a wonderful way. Later that night he popped up on the 700th edition of ‘The Sky at Night’, hosted by that other great enthusiast Sir Patrick Moore. It was almost like the mantle being passed down a generation or two by Patrick to Brian: great stuff.

motoring

Brian Deller

Author of Motoring in Spain

This week let’s answer a few of your questions: WE BOUGHT your book before moving over to Spain in 2007. Not long after we arrived we purchased a brand new Suzuki 4 x 4. As I understand it, the vehicle has to be ITV tested for the first time when it is four years old. Would you let me know if this is still the case as our copy of your book is now out of date. Regards, Dave. Nothing has changed as far as the ITV periods are concerned. Four years from date of purchase/matriculation. Thanks for buying the book. I KEEP all of your writings in the RTN and have tried to obtain a letter confirming that UK motorists do need a medical. You give a website to obtain a copy for reference but the link is not working. It has a 404 error. (www.spainvia.com/ drivelicenceletter.htm) Is it possible for you to advise me where I can get a copy please? Ms Brotherston Sorry the email address is www.spainvia. com/rivelicenceletteradsl.htm. It is on my web-site. I forgot to add the ‘ADSL’ which shows that ideally broadband is better for the letter due to download time. You can print it off my web-site. Remember that the periods have changed, as I advised a few months ago. THANK YOU for your informative notes which we read from time to time. In early April, my wife and I will be driving back to the UK to re-settle there. In

1999 we returned to the UK from Spain and took our Nissan 4 track with us which we subsequently re-registered in the UK, changing plates etc. At that time we required (at great cost from the manufacturers), a ‘Certificate of Conformity’. Does this still apply? Have all the procedures been changed in the intervening years? We seek your help on this, as we wish to keep and use our Spanish registered Peugeot in the UK. Yours sincerely, Frank & Elizabeth Crozier. THE EU homolgamation standards have not changed, except for the exhaust pollution standards in recent years but they will be basically the same in the UK as here in Spain. So your Conformity Certificate will still be valid although you will need to have the usual inspection (at the MOT station?) to check that the chassis and engine numbers are the same (also done as an anti-theft precaution) and for any changes that would affect the homolgamation. Good luck.

I HAVE a motor-home on UK plates with a gross weight of 4200kgs, and my licence is also UK which is for vehicles up to 7-5 tonnes & valid until Dec 2015. What I would like to know is would there be any problem getting it registered onto Spanish plates and keep my UK licence? Yours sincerely, Mick S. YOU OBVIOUSLY do not have my book as the answers are in it, especially the information about vehicles that do not have 360 degree round direct vision from the driver’s seat. You do not say how old the

11-17 MARCH 2011

motor home is and being on UK plates I assume it is a UK steering wheel position (RH side). Vehicles that are configured like this that do not have 360 degree uninterrupted vision (except for the windows and supporting pillars) from the driver’s seat and are therefore not accepted in Spain (and much of the Continent) for safety reasons except for a tourist visit. This includes vans/trucks and even pickups with the rear load area clear as a canopy could be installed later. Also, the vetting process is now very fussy about exhaust pollution and as in the UK, the annual tax paid including the ‘matriculacion’ (registration) tax is determined by the exhaust pollution band. Not good news, I am sorry to advise: I assume your driving licence is a C1 then, over 3 500kg up to 7,500kg? It can be used here but if you are resident here it will need to be changed for a Spanish one when it expires, either at age 70 or when it is due for renewing for a photo change (every 10 years, UK licences only). See the date in 4(b) near the photos on the licence. Do not forget as well that you will need to have the periodical medicals as the Spanish do, even with a foreign EU (British) licence. Both procedures are easy and explained in detail in the book. Personally, if you are moving here for good, I would sell the current van and buy a local/ Continental one. Advertising in the RTN is possible through their website www.roundtownnews.co.uk. Try for a swap at first, for a Spanish-plated vehicle as it may be cheaper overall and you may find someone who is planning to return to the UK for good who wants to sell his Spanish autocaravan.

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

11-17 MARCH 2011

€12.500 2009 CITROEN C4 110 HDi CMP cool 5 door, €8.000 €14,000 €13.000 €7.500 €5.000 €2.300 €2.500 €20.500

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

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

SPANISH REGISTERED CARS LHD €7,995

€4,995

OPEL ASTRA 2006 1.7 CDTI DIESEL

FORD KA 2006 1.3 LTR PETROL

€5,750

€5,995

€4,250

€45.000 €4.200 €6.500 €3.500 €4.000

1998 JEEP CHEROKEE 2.5 Turbodiesel Leather interior, tow bar , full equipment, 120,000kms

Cars S.L.

www.venuscars.com €6,495

FSH

RENAULT MEGANE GRAND TOURER ESTATE 2004 2 LTR PETROL FSH

€5,995

€3.900

965 368 274

one owner

BMW 320 I SE 2001 4 DOOR

€8.500

1996 CITROEN XANTIA 1.8i 16v Sxi 130,000kms with Aircon and electric windows, service history 2004 RENAULT MEGANE SCENIC 1.9Dci Privledge full option pack with 108,000kms and Service history 2006 SEAT ALTEA 140Tdi REFERENCE in Blue metallic with 70,000kms with 6 speed gearbox 2006 AUDI A8 4.2 Tdi All of the extras from Audi and with only 27,000kms, Super Luxury (P) 2006 FORD KA 1.3i collection 70 Silver metallic with 57,000kms. Perfect for a holiday home car 2005 FORD FOCUS 1.6i Trend Silver grey, 80,000Kms Aircon Radio CD. Excellent condition 2001 RENAULT MEGANE 1.6i Automatic Expresión, Well looked after 135,00kms, 5 puertas 1996 MERCEDES Clase C 220 Cdi Silver metallic with full option pack 158,000kms Very well looked after(P)

VENUS

€6,995

€7,995

€6.800

2007 VOLKSWAGEN EOS 3.2 V6 Auto Beautiful Red leather interior Silver only 27,000kms (P)

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

WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS

€1.500

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

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

€2,495

€35,995

€5,995

€7,495

49000kms

SEAT IBIZA 2006 1.9 TDI DIESEL

SUZUKI VITARA 2002 4X4 1.9 LTR DIESEL

€35,995

fsh

€2,000

DERBI GPR 2005 125CC

PEUGEOT 206 2001 1.4 LTR Petrol

automatics

CITROEN C3 SX PLUS 2004 1.4 LTR PETROL

25000kms

HYUNDAI GETZ 2007 1.1 LTR PETROL

€7,995

27000kms

Ford focus estate trend 2006 1.6 Automatic Petrol, FSH, One Owner

€9,995

SMART FORFOUR 2004 1.3 LTR PETROL

€11,995

rhd

FORD MONDEO GHIA MERCEDES BENZ 280 SL 2008 2LTR DIESEL AUTOMATIC/TIPTRONIC 1995 AUTOMATIC LOW MILES

FORD KA 1997 1.3 LTR PETROL

€2,495

PORSCHE CAYMAN S 2006 FULLY LOADED

€6,995

43000kms

PEUGEOT PARTNER 2000 COMBI 1.9 LTR DIESEL

€6,495

UK RIGHT HAND DRIVE CARS

€7,995

FORD FOCUS ZETEC 2008 1.8 LTR PETROL ONE OWNER, TAXED

€4,995

one owner

IPTRONIC

AUTOMATIC/T

SEAT TOLEDO 1998 PETROL AUTOMATIC

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ESTATE 2002 1.9 LTR TDI AUTO TIPTRONIC DIESEL

Ford Focus Trend 2003 1.8 Ltr TDCi Diesel

See our vehicles on our website www.venuscars.com

Ford Transit Connect T200 2005 1.8 TDCi Diesel

Classified Ads 11-17 MARCH 2011

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

Book your advert now 902 118 999 (ext 2)

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

UK-SPAIN-IRELAND All European Destinations

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

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

PRISTINE POOLS

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

11-17 MARCH 2011

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

SERVICE AIR David Higton: (Tel) 966-865-883 (Mob) 629308-505 (Email) cool@serviceair.biz

SMALL FRIENDLY BRITISH KENNELS individual runs, large excercise area. 25 mins Alicante airport. www. parkbark.co.uk 628-244-712

FOR TRASPASO. BARRESTAURANT. Center of Torrevieja. Same owners for 23 years. Reason for sale, retirement.telephone:966-707-580 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Home based internet business secure your future minimal monthly outlay, free health band, and much more www.referlife. com/1080 or tel:-663-559-806 RESTAURANT LEASE FOR SALE Fully fitted and licensed restaurant for sale at a very realistic price.The restaurant has been trading for 8-years and is well established. tele:687-913-775 10 COLD DRINK/SNACK VENDING MACHINES with sites,€39,900.excellent cash income, no overhead, work from home, work only one day per week, €31,000 nett yearly. 25 pringle vending machines with sites €14,900.€250 per week guaranteed.965-326-442/659696-455 SOLAR ENERGY BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY Long established company, own product range. First class training & support. Telephone 606586587

CAMPING LOS GALLARDOS Come to Mojacar! Large campsite + mobile home park open all year, great expat community site, all welcome. 950-528-324. www. CampingLosGallardos.com MOBILE/PARK HOMES FROM 17,000€ Fully furnished ready to move into, A/c, tel, Eng TV, on permanent site, bar/res, pool, tennis, gym, shop.Walking distance to San Javier. 5mins to beach, Airport, hospital by car. (also bungalows for rent & caravans plots short term or permanent stays.) Carol 968192-425 mob. 626-055-622 www. mobilehomesmarmenorspain. com

PC SOLUTIONS 4U For all your computer needs. Reliable & Friendly service. Alicante North area.Call Fred:-634-638-664 BYTEBACK MICROS computer repairs/upgrades in your home. Qualified technician. Systems custom built. Whatever your problem call: 965-312-006 or 606-127-424

ROLLER SHUTTER REPAIRS 50kms radius Calpe. Ray Bowers 626576706

NATUROPATHIC HEALTH AID Excellent product and Business Opportunity. Try it and see!! 696640-747/UK:- 07540-932-133 wellbeingnetwork@hotmail.com www.wellbeingbus.com

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

MILLION DOLLAR HOLE IN ONE are looking for ladies to work as officals at Alicante and El Plantio Golf Course. Must be self motived, bubbly and have own transport. Languages not essentail. Age 20 to 50. Please contact Lyn on 635-237-925. Or send c.v to lynn-dunn@hotmail.com AVON NEED AGENTS AND LEADERS work hours to suit you. For info Phone Rosh 966-785-520 FEMALES AND COUPLES 18 to 65 required for adult internet photo and video modeling. Excellent rates. 697-697-842.

TEETH WHITENING. Professional Pain Free Cosmetic Treatment, from 99€. Javea, Denia, Calpe, areas. Tel:-680501-404 www.nulookteeth.com SLIMMING WORLD Everything you need to lose weight with the new extra easy plan. Just 10e email. Nd321@live.co.uk for information. WEIGHT LOSS GUARANTEED/ GET FIT world class personal trainer €50 per hour. 659-696-455. PRESTIGE NURSING offers Legal, Registered and Professional Home Care on the Costa Blanca. All your home nursing care service needs can be undertaken by our highly trained nursing/ domiciliary team. Call Prestige Nursing on 687-015-517

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

ANTIQUE PINE EXTENDING DINING TABLE 70€ Oil filled electric fire 30€, Double bed and head board 50€, Light wood 3/4 size wardrobe 30€, Chest of Drawers 30€, Sofa-bed 20€. Catral Area. Tlf:-965-976-756 RATTAN (PVC) GLASS TOP PATIO TABLE and 6 chairs. Large oblong table. Comfortably sits 6 people. As new, 550€ 659-749-251 AMERICAN STYLE 2 DOOR, FRIDGE FREEZER Samsung, White, as new, still under guarantee. Cost 1100€ accept 500€. - 659-749-251 SOLAR PANEL´S (THERMAL) NEW 194x94x10 CM Copper/ Selective coated. 250€ each TLf:-677-260-473 SOLID PINE DINING SUITE. Large 250cm x 100cm table, 6 hand Carved chairs and two matching Carvers.All in perfect condition.650euros or sensible offers.Can deliver.965-771592609-370-594(Javea) HAIRDRESSING EQUIPMENT 1 backwash unit, Hood Dryer on Stand, Climazon Dryer Nearly New 1000€. Genuine Interest Only Tlf:-620-408-678 WHEELCHAIR Light, Foldable, Hardly used. 150€. Mobility Scooter 40km range 499€. Both like new! Tlf:-627-019-403 2 X MATCHING SOFA TABLES Circular, Diameter 60cm, Height 55cm, 3 legged pedestal base, Light oak finish. VCG. Altea area, Buyer collects. 50€ the pair. 691-202-307

OBJECTIVO MARKETING SALES BARCELONA We require Financial Sales Advisors to work in the UK and USA financial markets to advise on new company issues and established market placed equities. Ideally, successful individuals will come from a strong sales background. There is a base salary plus commission and accommodation for this position.

Excellent financial rewards for the right individuals. Please send your CV to: sales001@europe.com

or contact 674 617 787

AT MICHAEL’S Very high quality Chesterfield leather 4-piece suite, large 3-seater+2seater+armchair+foot stool. See photos: www.michaels-javea. com Tel 96-579-1328 AT MICHAEL’S Chest freezer with large drawer at bottom. Top loading washing machine, etc 2-door fridge/freezer, as new. Large Phillips solarium.Over 600 photos:www.michaels-javea.com

11-17 MARCH 2011 AT MICHAEL’S you also get NEW high quality Spanish beds. All sizes available as we deal directly with the manufacturers! Famous brands like United Colors of Benetton, etc www.michaels-javea.com AT MICHAEL’S you can get part exchange on certain beds when you buy a New bed from our New Bed shop in the Arenal. See photos (updates every 5-6 days): www.michaels-javea.com MICHAEL’S 28 YEARS IN JAVEA ENSURES YOUR SATISFACTION! We sell high quality pre owned furniture, many from show apartments etc. Look at: www.michaels-javea. com Tel 96-579-1328

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

BALLROOM/LATIN/ SEQUENCE DANCING with LA BAMBA’s. Los Arcos Restaurant, Avenida Baleares, Torrevieja, New Beginners class Monday 10.30am-12.30pm. SOCIAL DANCE Saturday 7.30pm-10pm. Tuesday Improvers Lesson 7.30pm-8.30pm plus SOCIAL DANCE 8.30pm-10.30pm. New Venue: The Wok Royal, Benijofer (966-714-820) New Beginners Class: Monday, 7.30pm-8.30pm, Argentine Tango Class 8.30pm9pm plus SOCIAL DANCE: 8.30pm-10.30pm. Bienvenido Chinese restaurant, at La Zenia roundabout.New Beginners Class: Wednesday 7.30pm9.30pm. Tel: Andrea and Brian 616-478-157 WEIGHT WATCHERS Call our Free English call centre now to find your nearest meeting. 900-818-794

fees? If so call me. Lowest QROPS Fees Guaranteed! Paul 965-058-488 or 691-219-354 AUTOMATIC GATE SYSTEMS €399!! Automatic Garage Doors €249!! Fully Installed/ Guaranteed! All brands repaired 627-191-639/ elektronex@yahoo.co.uk BEV´S CAKES For all occasions, made to your specification. Alfaz/Benidorm areas. Call for more info 670-533-488 KARAOKE MEDIA PLAYER “Brand New” 500GB. 70,000songs, software, songbooks, bar/home use. 275euros Tlf:-657-766-341 POOL, SNOOKER TABLES Also Table Tennis and Darts. Will beat any price!. Tlf:666-933-726. www.spainpool.com

SCOOTER.KYMCO BET & WIN 125CC Matching 45ltr top box, immaculate condition, as new €1300. 965-770-301

RENAULT KANGOO VAN LATE 2005 73,000kms. Top of the range, All Extras. 73,000kms. 4995€ Part Ex Possible. Tlf:680-665-583 OPEL ASTRA 1.9 CDTI ESTATE Navy Blue, Late 2007, 53.000kms. As New. 7995€ Part Ex possible. Tlf:-680-665-583 FORD KA, 1997, 1.3 LTR Petrol, Spanish LHD, blue, electric windows,central locking, air conditioning, only 80510 klm. 2495€ www.venuscars.com 965368-274 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF ESTATE, 2002 1.9 Ltr TDi , Automatic/ tiptronic, Spanish LHD, diesel, silver, alloys, climate control, all round electric windows. 6995€ www.venuscars.com 965 368 274. SEAT IBIZA, REFERENCE, 2006 1.9 LTR Diesel, Spanish LHD, Burgundy, alloys, CD/MP3 player, electric windows, central locking, cruise control, climate control, only 49000 Klm . 7495€ www.venuscars.com 965 368 274 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT T200, 2005 1.8 TDCI, diesel, Spanish LHD, only one owner/driver. Very well maintained.4995€ www. venuscars.com 965-368-274 SUZUKI VITARA, 2002 4X4, Spanish LHD, Burgundy/Silver, 1.9 Ltr diesel, manual, only 43000 KLM 5995€ www. venuscars.com 965 368 274 SEAT TOLEDO, 1998 Petrol Automatic, white, Spanish LHD,air con, all round elc

windows, good condition 2495€ www.venuscars.com 965 368 274 HYUNDAI SANTA FE V6 AUTO 2003 Spanish lhd 104,000km 7,400euro tel:660-375-093 BREAKERS YARD HGV, Vans, 4x4, Cars, Bikes. Most vehicle parts in stock. Delivery service for engines, etc. Vehicle sales and scrappage service. Free pick-up and transfer. Call 692-790-377. E-mail: hgmservices@yahoo.com SUMMERS COMING! Mercedes 320 SL Automatic Cabriolet, Fully Equipped with Hard and

Soft Tops Full Tan leather Alloys Climate and much more must be seen 10,750€.Mercedes CLK 270 CDi Auto/Tiptronic Avantgarde Sports Coupe 2006 2 owners 40,000Kms F.S.H. Fully equipped with full light grey vented leather cruise. Auto everything 22.950€ Ford Ka 1.3 2008 1 owner 22,000 Kms F.F.S.H Aircon etc Silver 5750€ Hyundai Sonata 2.5 V6 GLS Automatic 2003 4 door Saloon 2 owner 84,000Kms.FSH fully equipped alloys full black leather Met Burgundy 6950€ Mazda MX5 Cabriolet 1.6 16V 112.000Kms. Fully Serviced red with new black soft top 4.750€ Citroen Picasso Xsara 2.0 SX Automatic tiptronic Nov 03 RHD Spanish Registered 1 owner 48.000kms high spec model with cruise control pic nic tables and much more. Light met. Blue excellent value beautiful condition 5450€ We also have a large selection of RHD vehicles for sale or exchange. For all the above vehicles just callFrank for more information on 600-726221/965-687-976 or simply view our easy to use website www.fwreurocars.com WANTED Scrap cars, vans, lorries, plant and caravans. Turn your scrap into cash. Free collection. Tel.689929395 1.3 FORD FIESTA 5DOOR HATCHBACK 2003-Excellent condition,full service history, 34000 klm. 2years ITV. Non resident owned car for own holiday use.3750€. Mazzaron area. Mobile:-605-372-048 PICASSO CITROEN DIESEL SX HD110 2007. Low Milage, Returning to UK. 7990€. Tel :-696-655-028/UK:-07540-932133. briansierra@hotmail.com BUMPERS, WINGS AND MIRRORS All body panels for all cars supplied. Tel:-966-875-497 or 618-592-396 HEADLIGHTS4U.COM Left hand drive headlights supplied and fitted. All makes. Also air conditioning rechargeTel:966-875-497 or 618-592-396 WE BUY any car,van,motorhome,boat, jet ski. Instant decision at good prices. Tel 680 -665-583 WANTED I buy any car, van,Caravan,4x4 Etc.British, Spanish. Immediate cash 600-781-873 ibuyanycar@hotmail.com

ACE AUTOS British & Spanish used car sales

00 01 03 01 96 01 98 97 96 97 03 04 02 92

RENAULT KANGOO VAN 1.9 DIESEL P/S 1,950€ SEAT IBIZA DIESEL 3 DOORLOW KMS A/C 2,750€ HONDA CIVIC 5 DOOR A/C ALLOYS C.D. 3,750€ NISSAN ALMERA DIESEL 5 DOOR A/C 2,450€ SEAT CORDOBA 1.9 DIESEL 4 DOOR A/C P/S 1,950€ DAEWOO LANOS 5 DOOR A/C P/S CLEAN 1950€ FORD MONDEO GHIA 4 DOOR A/C P/S E/W 1,950 DAEWOO LANOS 3 DOOR HATCH A/C P/S 1,450€ OPEL VECTRA ESTATE ALLOYS A/C CLEAN 1,950€ FIAT PUNTO CABRIOLET ALLOYS, C.D. P/S 1,950€ U.K. CARS HONDA ACCORD 5 DOOR ALLOYS A/C C.D. 4,250€ FORD FOCUS 5 DOOR T.D.I. ALLOYS A/C T/T 3,950€ VAUXHALL VECTRA 1.8 5 DOOR A/C ALLOYS 2,750€ SHOGUN 4X4 7 SEATS AUTOMATIC PETROL 750€ MANY MORE CARS IN STOCK ALL WITH NEW ITV/MOT´S P/X ON MOST CARS.

Guilfoyle. 965-831-209/ 636-653-516 or Guifoyle.kev66@gmail.com

DANI 24, SWEET GERMAN GIRL Offers erotic service. House and Hotel visits or in my apartment. 650-104-534 Torrevieja I AM NO SPRING CHICKEN! But I would welcome a sincere lady for companionship and friendship in the Torrevieja Area. Tlf:-966-784-665 BEAT THE CREDIT CRUNCH! Blonde, English, Aged 44. 40€ all inclusive. Tlf:-626-324-088 NEW IN BENIDORM MATURE SUSI 49 Made in Switzerland. 7 days, Incalls or Outcalls. Tlf:672-836-234 or www.maduraescort.com PORNO DVD´S! The Best You´ve Ever Seen! Gay, Bestial, She-Male, BDSM 10€ each. Rebecca:-Tlf:-636-929-511 SPANISH LADY PLAYA FLAMENCA near new Carrefour before La Florida. 35 years, attractive, classy lady, private house, parking. Offers all erotic services, massage, sexy lingerie, economical prices from 40€. Full discretion. Call Ana 680-735-412 TORREVIEJA TRANS BELLY Stunning Redhead,.Huge breasts, sculptural body. Speciality erotic masage.Very feminine and sexy. Call me 671-424-456 www.hisparelax.com/belly ARE YOU MALE, FEMALE OR A COUPLE? Need some Sexy FUN? Contact me soonest. 63 year old Dom/Sub switch. Available for fun with Males, Dom and Sub and Cross Dressers, Females Dominatrix and Submissive. Couples including Same Sex Couples. “Anything Goes” Can sometimes accomodate. Home Visits no extra Charge/Low Fees. Call me now on 655-058-554 GORGEOUS ENGLISH BLOND 45 years, Massage, 1 hour or over night, 15 mins Alicante airport.Tel:-Karen 662-049-021 LADIES!! enjoy an Erotic Spanking in your own home, NO FEES, Guardamar to Alcazares. headmaster@live.co.uk ELEGANT, SLIM, SEXY LADY ESCORT My Place, Home or Hotel visits. Torrevieja-La Manga-Mazarron Areas. Tlf:693-357-526 CASA ANGELA TORREVIEJA Luxury Private Chalet, parking. Drinks invitation. Feeling alone? Just want some company? Exotic girls from South America. Call us, come and enjoy! Also Escort Service. Full discretion. Street: Avenida Asociacion Vistimas del Terrorismo. 609-573-468 or 639-832-118 NEW PLACE! TORREVIEJA Sexy girls from South America. Come and enjoy, economical prices from 40?. NEW ADDRESS Zone Los Locos beach. 639-622-285 GENERIC VIAGRA SAFE AND EFFECTIVE 100mg blue pills 24 for 50€ or fast acting oral jellies. Call Ron TTMarketing Tlf:966-499-204

Tel: 620 738 023 10am to 5pm QROPS FEES! Have you looked at transferring or cashing in your UK pension only to be dissappointed by expensive

FIND US NEAR NEW MERCADONA. PUEBLO PRINCIPE, VILLA MARTIN

Cars wanted for cash LHD/RHD

PAINTOR AND DECORATOR Exterior/interior Spray Painting Specialist. Woodwork, iron work, all aspects. For a free friendly, no obligation quote call Kevin

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

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

BRAND NEW APARTMENT VILLAMARTIN Fully furnished, back & front garden. Price? Make me an offer 965-321-124 SPECIAL OFFER Los Altos, Detached Villa, 220 square metre plot, only 104,000€ 669283-973 VILLAMARTIN AREA Middle Town House, 2/3 Bedrooms, Bathroom, Seperate Toilet, Garage, F/F, Fitted Kitchen, 84.000€. Tlf:-669-283-973 MOBILE/PARK HOMES On Camping Pueblo in San Javier from 15,000e Carol 968-192-425 mob 626-055-622 Www,mobileh omesmarmenorspain.com VILLA, 4BED, 3 BATH, 1300M2 10m pool, Busot. Reduced from 380k last year to 270,000€. 696655-028/UK:-07540-932-133. CLASSIC SPANISH OLD TOWN HOUSE CALLOSA. 3 double bedrooms (one en-suite) new kitchen, large living room/ diner. Bbq terrace and LOTS more. Recently reformed/fully furnished. 135,000€ Tel: 609-177-032. LOOKING TO RELOCATE We have new and pre-owned luxury park homes for sale throughout the UK 12 month occupancy part exchange considered on your Spanish or UK home for more information call 0044-151633-2321 or email :alan.aitken@hotmail.co.uk

11-17 MARCH 2011

BARGAIN PROPERTY GATA RESIDENTIAL Fantastic bargain at only 127.000 euros, almost new 3 storey semidetached townhouse in Gata Residential,3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, dressing room, storeroom, washroom, private garden, terraces, open fire, community swimming pool, aircon, fully fitted kitchen. For viewings call 682-525-877

3 bedroom, clean spacious apartment in Pedreguer town, close to all amenities. 2 bathrooms, lounge, kitchen, aircon and lift. Available now €450 per month bills included. Call 638-207-343

1ST FLOOR APARTMENT ALTEA LA VELLA In a 3apartment country house, halfway between Altea/Altea la Vella. Refurbished, Fully Furnished. A/C and C/H, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, large lounge, Kitchen/Diner. 40M2 Sun Terrace with Bar-b-que. Very large Garden, Private Pool. Transport essential. No Pets or Small Children. 495€ per month plus bills. Available Now. Tlf:966-881-048/691-202-307 1 BED PART FURNISHED BUNGALOWS on Camping Pueblo in San Javier. With lots of ameneties Carol tel 968-192425 mob. 626-055-662 Www. mobilehomesmarmenorspain. com ORBETA New 180M2, 3 Bedroom, 2 bathroom,Town House with garage and courtyard with plunge pool. Phone:-965730-774 APARTMENT FOR RENT

Space Available Call Grant or Jan Office 0034-965-300-959 Mobile 0034-648-102-529 UK Mob 0044-7803-893-719. Email:info@euromove4u.eu LARGE EMPTY VAN with experienced owner, driver returning to UK regularly. Dave: 965-329-610/ 686-767-839 MAN & LWB SPRINTER VAN going to UK- Spain twice a month. Tel: 610-846-260 or 0044-7519-186-355 email:van.man@hotmail.co.uk

G.S.M. HOME SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM Easy to install. Rings up to 6 mobile telephones if activated. No monthly bills, No landline neede. From Only 195€ For more information see alarmafone.com or telephone 660-402-502 or 6755-878-601

LONG TERM RENTAL JAVEA AREA Small 2 bed Villa wanted, by retired male.Needs garden for dog, Internet and TV. Tel:680-501-404

EUROMOVE4U Full & Part Loads. Spain to UK/UK to Spain on a regular monthly basis. Cars & Motorcycles transported Next run to UK-End of March Returning Early April. Sep

QUALIFIED TRANSLATOR Bi-Lingual Spanish-English, High Level French and German. Confidential and Reliable Service. Competative Rates. Torrevieja Area. Call Virginia on 629-201-192. TRANSLATOR Spanish and English speaking. Available for medical visits etc. Benidorm and surrounding areas. Tel Dawn: 626-337-258.

MATHS TUTOR We would like a maths tutor for our 12 year old son, who attends British School of Alicante. Our home is situated just west of Elche. Initially a few hours each Saturday morning. Tlf:-0044-2087-953-371 or email:-liam@pyramidbuildersltd. co.uk SPANISH LESSONS ONLINE I can teach you the easiest way to speak Spanish.Tlf:-600-400-668. www.howtospeakspanish.es COMPUTER TUTOR Software training, ebusiness education, website publishing, photography, videography and more DIY tips and tricks for all of your business and personal needs. Karla Darocas - certified instructor since 1990. Tel: 96 597 3234 info@KarlaDarocas.com Referrences www.KarlaDarocas.com BRITISH GRADUATE TEACHER Offers secondary/ primary tuition. English/ Mathematics. Tel:-Margaret Johnson B.Ed. 965-350-516/ 616-660-687

ALL SATELLITE SYSTEMS Installed, Maintained and Repaired. 10 years experience with Satellites in Spain. All areas covered. Tlf:-Hugh-690-275-223 CRYSTAL CLEAR SATELLITE AND INTERNET TV for all your digital and TV requirements. No Annual Fees on Sky Cards. Steve:-660-186-505/Ros:-965584-097. www.ccsattv.com info@ccsattv.com LNB SATELLITES The No 1 Satellite Company covering all the Costa Blanca since 2000. Telephone 965-873-726 or 669686-587 or see our advert on Page 2 every week.

GOLD WANTED!! English Jeweller, will buy for cash, broken or unwanted gold jewellery and coins. Tlf:Peter664-890-990 TURN YOUR UNWANTED FURNITURE Electrical, Household Goods and Bric-a-brac into Cash. Anything! Anywhere! 965-319-220/ 618-165-877 RECORDS AND CD´S WANTED Top cash paid. Pop, Rock, Blues.Tlf:630-665-363

Qualified Nurse

English amd Spanish speaking looking for caring work. In or around the Benidorm area. Any hours suit Call Gerry Gallagher on 678 390 313

11-17 MARCH 2011

Book an advert on this page and get a FREE premium listing worth 100€ on thebizspain.com. Contact your local representative or call 902 118 999 T’s & C’s apply Airport Parking

Computers

Electrical

Buyers Surveys

Building

General

Energy (Solar)

Legal

Health Insurance

Tiling

Removals TV/Satellite

Call 96 679 5552 / 96 618 2707 / 696 566 940

See demonstration on LA MARINA Sunday Market

11-17 MARCH 2011

The final whistle With Andy Kay

RTN Golf Club update

Barmy Busacca Dennis Jordan NORTH REGION

Massimo Busacca Another game involving Barcelona and another refereeing controversy. First off, let’s be clear. Over two legs against Arsenal, Barça were by far the better team. More passes, more shots, more control. But for once, wouldn’t it be good if the best team in Europe wasn’t given a helping hand from the man in the middle? I didn’t think Robin Van Persie’s challenge on Dani Alves warranted a yellow card (Alves went down like a sack of spuds after minimal contact) and as for his second caution, I’d like to know the reasoning behind Massimo Busacca’s decision. Normally, when a player kicks the ball away he is punished for time wasting. In this case, Van Persie’s attempt on goal after the whistle had blown, hit the advertising hoardings and the ball immediately cannoned in to the arms of the Barça keeper. Indeed, Barça were back in possession quicker than if the Arsenal player had trapped the ball and left it where it lay. Surely, for a match involving two of the best sides in Europe Uefa should have appointed one of the best referees in Europe and although Busacca has officiated at some top games including the 2009 Champions League final, one of the best he isn’t, whatever Rio Ferdinand may think. Last season, he produced an abject performance when taking charge of the UCL semi-final between Lyon and Bayern Munich and as for some of his decisions at the 2006 World Cup, let’s just say that they were bizarre. But it’s hardly surprising when you consider that week in, week out, Busacca refs the likes of Germinal Beerschot , Genk and Bellinzona in the hilariously titled Swiss Super League. Oh, and just for the record, Busacca has never taken charge of a game that Barcelona have lost, although to be fair, not many referees have!

Mike Probert SOUTH REGION

MOST COURSES are now back to normal prices but don’t forget that if you book direct with us you will get the discounts; all you have to do is contact Dennis at rtngolfnorth@gmail.com or by telephone on 630 714 373. Once the clocks change on 26th March, tee times can be booked later in the day, which suits lots of players and this is also when many tourists arrive and tend to need that extra lie- in! Courses in the North are generally in good condition and towards the end of March sees the spring grass in full growth, giving us that deep green grass colour, replacing the familiar yellow colour of late: less patchy and nicer to play a round in. Hope to see you out there enjoying a round of golf ladies and gents. ONLY LAST week I was preaching doom and gloom about the end of the low season and the on rush of the high season where golf courses raise their prices to the highest levels. SO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The superb Seve Ballesteros course at La Peraleja come out with one beauty of a deal that you just can’t miss. Their usual public course price is €90 per person plus €35 per buggy BUT for the remainder of this year RTN members can now play this exclusive course for as little as €35 per person including buggy. I am speechless and “Wow!” is all I can say. The other local courses continue to follow the twilight deal options with Las Colinas, Vistabella and La Serena proving very popular.

NORTH Region

Golf Course

RTN Price

Comments

Alenda

€45

Single Green fee

Alicante Golf

€46

Single Green fee + Buggy

Bonalba

€42

Single Green fee

Don Cayo

€43

Single Green fee

El Plantio

€45

Single Green fee

Font del Llop

€40

Single Green Fee

Villaitana Par 62

€39

Single Green fee + Buggy

Villaitana Par 72

€45

Single Green fee

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

SOUTH Region Golf Course

RTN Price

Comments

Altorreal

€55

2 Players and 1 Buggy (Fridays)

La Finca

€42

Twilight Golf from 3.00pm

La Serena

€76

2 Players and 1 Buggy

Las Ramblas

€33

Twilight Golf from 3.00pm

Roda

€100

2 Players and 1 Buggy

VistaBella

€86 €56

2 Players and 1 Buggies (Weekend) 2 Players and 1 Buggy (From 3.00pm)

€76

2 Players and 1 Buggies

€140

4 Players and 2 Buggy

La Peraleja

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

Murcia Golf Hound Murcia Region

Hello everyone, allow me to introduce myself. I am the Murcia Golf Hound and I am replacing Lee Stent as your weekly reporter on the state of golf in Murcia. I have walked the fairways of many courses throughout the world including Swiss PGA, Carnoustie, St. Andrews, La Manga South (before my ban!!!) and I know what I like. Quality and value for money are important and my new job as Houndtown news reporter is to sniff out the best deals in Murcia. I will be secretly visiting every course throughout the region in order to report back on the course and its facilities, giving you a helping hand when deciding where to play your golf. Follow me on Facebook (MurciaGolf.co) and Twitter (@ MurciaGolfHound) where you will be able to see me on my travels along with many photos of the courses in question. This week, even with the bad weather we have had, I have been strolling the fairways at my regular haunt, La Manga Club and I must say that all the courses are looking great. My particular favourite, the West Course has its greens in impeccable condition although the surrounds of the 8th green are suffering due to those pesky wild boars. They cost my boss the hole and he wasn´t happy!!!

MURCIA Region Golf Course

RTN Price

Comments

La Envia

€41

Single Green fee

Valle del Este

€90

2 Green fees and Buggy

Aguilón

€40

Single Green fee

Alborán

€48

Single Green fee

Cortijo Grande

€30

Single Green Fee

Almerimar

€60

Single Green Fee

Desert Springs

€65

Single Green fee

For more information contact the Hound on: murciagolf@roundtownnews.com or 671 748 625.

Rough break for Poulter You may have heard the story this week about golfer Ian Poulter who has found out that he’s allergic to grass. An occupational hazard he called it. But it’s not as farfetched as it sounds. British long jumper Jade Johnson is allergic to... wait for it....sand! Robinson targets Hartley Andy Robinson didn’t have a particularly good time as coach of the England rugby team and his tenure at Scotland has also come off the rails recently. After two good wins in the summer against Argentina and a famous victory against South Africa last November, the Scots have yet to win a match in this season’s 6 Nations Championship. This weekend they face England at Twickenham and Robinson has, unwisely in my view, accused England hooker Dylan Hartley of ‘milking’ penalties at scrum time. This will doubtless be music to the ears of the England coach Martin Johnson. Hartley, you may remember, was similarly targeted in pre-match comments by the Welsh coach Warren Gatland and went on to produce a blemish free performance as England won in Cardiff. Whilst Robinson’s comments are not as critical as those of his Welsh counterpart, you’d think he would have learned from Gatland’s mistake and kept his gob shut.

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

11-17 MARCH 2011

The Price is Right - come on down! Fishing Maggots End Noel’s world of golf By Noel Eastwell Teaching Professional Campo de Golf El Plantio 639 730 891

IN THE last few weeks I have had several long conversations with course managers and owners regarding the prices of green fees. The conversations took on a very strange twist when we mentioned how much more responsive they were now to reducing their prices. Very many said that they felt that perhaps they were now too low and they were devaluing golf on The Costa Blanca. We at RTN have to admit that we have long gone on to course owners to reduce their prices but to see that green fee numbers are down is surprising to say the least. Yes we all know that many expatriates have returned to the United Kingdom after the recent changes to the exchange rate but surely now that prices are lower than they have been for a number of years, people must be encouraged to get out and play golf. RTN formed RTN Golf Club to encourage affordable golf in our part of Spain. Now that we have gone some way to achieving what we set out to do, we would dearly love to see the number of enquiries to our agents rise. Whilst we print offers weekly in RTN, these are not the only things on offer. Many clubs will do deals with our agents on a daily basis and we would encourage golfers to use the facilities and speak to Dennis, Mike or Lee and see exactly what is on offer. We now have access to almost every golf course between Valencia and Almeria with reduced green fees on offer to any member of RTN Golf Club. The time is now right to get out and play golf, the weather is becoming very pleasant indeed and what

better way to enjoy it than strolling along on some of the continents best golf courses and enjoying a nice cool beer afterwards? Come on all you frustrated Lee Westwood’s get out here and enjoy a sport rich in passion and history. There can surely be no better way to enjoy the day than out in the fresh air amongst friends. WIN A ROUND OF GOLF FOR 2 INCLUDING BUGGY AT THE BEAUTIFUL EL PLANTIO RESORT IN ALICANTE To enter this competition, simply answer the question below correctly. Every correct answer will be entered into a draw at the end of the month and the winner of this fantastic prize worth over 180€ will be picked at random at the end of each month. Send your entries by email to golf@roundtownnews. com. The decision of the editor of RTN will be final in making the winning selection. QUESTION FOR 11TH MARCH 2011: WHO WON THE 2011 WGC ACCENTURE MATCHPLAY CHAMPIONSHIP? A. Martin Kaymer B. Lee Westwood C. Luke Donald All answers must be received no later than 5pm on 28th March 2011 to be entered into March’s draw, to be made on 28th March. The winner will be announced in RTN on 1st April 2011. NOEL EASTWELL GOLF ACADEMY AT EL PLANTIO For the very best in golf tuition, contact Noel on 639 730 891.

Any questions you have for Noel should be sent to golf@roundtownnews.com THAT’S RIGHT…we live on the Med!’ How many times have we said/ overheard this expression? Whether it be via a conversation casually eavesdropped in a supermarket queue, or someone chatting at our local hostelry. However…how many of us actually live on the Med? Well, I’ll tell you. Hundreds of Cast Off thousands flock to the coast every with weekend to avail themselves of a simple, tax free, wonderfully diverse pleasure. We’re talking about sailing. Now before you glance away, bear with us. We’re not talking America’s Cup style financing, where billions are spent protecting the egos of massively wealthy individuals and their teams. We’re talking about a multinational navy of folk, who simply require a fairly placid sea and a modicum of wind to propel them into a sublime world of peace and quiet, or sheer mayhem, depending on what you’re after! We’re going to show you how economically viable sailing can be, bearing in mind that the elements are gratis. We’ll help you get started, setting up even the most budget-conscious in a matter of days. We’ll give you a ‘ready at a glance’ glossary of popular nautical terms and unravel the ill perceived notion that sailing is a sport fit only for the rich. Sailing conveys a bygone spirit in the sense of tranquility you feel when, after some time under the power of ‘the iron sail’ (nautical term; which means errrmmm….engine!), you switch the outboard off… and then it hits you. The addictive splash of the sea lapping the bow (pointy end) of your craft, while you sit at the stern (flat end) holding the tiller (steering thingy) and manoeuvering her on to a course which, at first, noisily flaps the canvas (sail), followed by a stifled creek of the mast (the stick in the middle of the boat)… You rest a hand on the boom (the bit of wood attached to the mast, which can knock a bloke out if it gets across a bit lively!) and then you realise…you’re under sail! And for you lovers of the more exotic craft, (we’re talking motor boats now), we’ll be giving you all the tips you’ll need to navigate our beautiful coast safely with a series of nautical translations for steam and sail. That’s right, ladies and gentleman. We’re going sailing. Cast off…and sail with us.

Javea Bulls

your life isn’t worth anything until you do something that does challenge your reality. And to me, sailing the open ocean is a real challenge.” Morgan Freeman. Actor

David Hoare

968 199 279 For further details ring Alan Roscoe 968 570 876 or email: anglerstogether@gonuts4free.com THE MATCH this week was the penultimate round of the winter championship, the venue being the Rio Segura in Murcia. Although the day wasn’t too bad, sitting in the shade with a north easterly wind blowing made it feel exceptionally cold. The river is starting to fish a bit better with a lot of lost big fish. As can be seen from the results the weights are moving up. However, there were still five dry nets! TOP ANGLERS ON THE DAY 1st Pete (The Peg) Hampshire fishing the feeder using corn and maggot with 15.36 kg. 2nd Ian (Irish Wizard) Dalzell fishing the feeder using maggot with 12.56 kg. 3rd Stan (The Man) Roberts fishing the feeder using maggot with 10.76 kg. Good to see Pete the Peg back to winning ways. PLEASE NOTE There is a vacancy within the club if anyone is interested in joining - please contact Sue Swann on 96 672 9293.

Robbie France

“If you live a life of make-believe,

FRIDAY 4th MARCH, The Javea Bulls received the resignation of their President, Mr Peter Sowerby; a tough decision for Peter as he had put so much effort into building the new club, but with work and family commitments Peter found that he had no alternative but to step aside. FUTURE EVENTS Senior rugby continues with training on Thursday evenings at 8:15pm. Our next match will be in Javea on the weekend of 19th and 20th March, in a triangular tournament with Denia Rugby Club and a touring team from the UK. Minibulls are still training hard on a Sunday mornings at 10:00, with refreshments available for parents and spectators. Javea Bulls recently hosted a veterans’ tournament, involving Elche, La Vila and the MAGOS (our local veterans’ team). On 27th March the MAGOS travel to Elche to play against the hosts and La Vila.

ABBEY ANGLING RESULTS Supplied By Terry Screen This week’s 6th round match on 1st March 2011 of the Abbey Angling Cup was fished on the river Segura’s Eden Stretch. Yet another cold day with temperatures down to minus and when we arrived at our pegs, there was a slight ground frost, the water was low and clear with algae breaking away from the bottom. There are a lot of reeds etc left in the water by the mechanical bank clearer and rain is needed for a good flow of water to flush the rubbish out. Fish were again hard to find with only four anglers

managing to catch anything. The same peg as last week produced the winner: 1st on the day Terry (Swing Em) Screen with 6.860kg fishing the pole and using pellet. 2nd Stan (The Man) Roberts with 2.840kg fishing the pole and using pellet. 3rd John (Silverback) Marsh with 2.110kg fishing the pole and using maggot. All details are available from the Match Secretary Terry Screen on 96 532 8368. Anglers Together ANGLERS TOGETHER was formed to introduce and encourage anglers of all abilities to meet up and get together to fish, either sea or freshwater. Firm friendships have been formed during the time the group has been active and information on fishing venues and licenses required are available at the meetings or by regular emailed newsletters. Meetings are held in two locations on the second Friday and Saturday of each month. Anyone with an interest in fishing (sea or freshwater) is welcome to come along to a meeting. The next meeting at Mary’s Bar, Campoverde (near Pilar de la Horadada) will be held on Friday 11th March at 12 noon. There is a new venue for the Puerto de Mazarron meeting starting in January 2011. On Saturday 12th March at 12 o’clock, the meeting will be held at The New Royal Bar and Restaurant at El Alamillo, opposite the sea-front between Isla Plana and the Port. Refreshments and lunch are available at each location. Come along to a meeting nearest to you.